Ellie landed with a thunk in front of an old cabin. She rolled to her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath. A few minutes later, a man dropped to his knees beside her.
"Elizabeth, I glanced out the window and saw you sitting here in the dirt." There was a pause in which all Ellie could hear were her own frantic gasps for breath. "Where’s the buckboard? Are you all right?"
Ellie couldn't think, and the man's questions confused her. She looked around wildly, her gaze finally focusing on the two old coots from the ghost town.
They pointed a finger at her and the man, then patted themselves on the back as though they couldn't believe they were really standing there. They somehow looked different, too, but it took too much energy for Ellie to stay focused on them. She closed her eyes to stop the dizziness and tried to recall exactly what had happened.
They had asked for her help and she said no, she was sure of that. She scrunched her forehead, looking around, but all she could see were trees edging a small clearing. At the back sat a cabin. Where had the ghost town gone?
She shook a finger at the two men, sucking in a breath to yell, and immediately began to cough. The man patted her none too gently on the back, which didn't help at all.
"Elizabeth, where's the buckboard?" He asked again.
"Who?"
Zeke hurried up. "Jesse wants to know where the wagon is, Elizabeth." He stressed the names and Ellie realized that regardless of her wishes, these two crazy old men had managed to take her to their friend's home. Exactly where that was, she had no idea, but she didn't have to like it.
In anger, she pushed herself back on her haunches, turning to the man they called Jesse, ready to malign him for having such idiotic friends. The words died in her throat.
Plaid flannel covered incredibly broad shoulders, and while she couldn't tell his height because he squatted beside her, there was entirely too much of him to be short.
Stormy blue eyes scrutinized her to see if she was hurt. Even as she watched, their color lightened and crinkle lines appeared as he grinned. A scruffy growth of beard and tousled black hair framed his face and yet he looked great. Definitely not GQ, but he had a rugged appearance that ignited Ellie's basic instincts.
Perhaps she could manage a few hours as this man's fiancée. After all, she didn't have a ride back to town yet.
"Elizabeth, are you hurt?" The words came out deep and throaty. "How did you get here?"
Never one to be taken in by a man, Ellie now found herself mesmerized by his voice. But his eyes questioned her, and she suddenly realized she had no idea what he had said. On top of that, she didn’t know how to respond because she wasn’t Elizabeth.
Lucky rushed to her aid. "Maybe she decided to ride out here?"
Jesse chuckled. "Ride? A horse? This is Elizabeth, Lucky. She'd just as soon eat rattlesnake as ride a horse." He turned to her with a grin, apparently pleased with himself for defending her. "Isn't that right, Elizabeth?"
Ellie had finally caught her breath and could utter more than one word at a time, and now she was so mad she sputtered. She had never ridden a horse and had absolutely no desire to do so. However, she detested the smug expression on this man's face and his words that implied she wasn't at all capable.
She glanced around but could see no horse. Regardless, she jutted her chin out and lied defiantly. "As a matter of fact, I did ride out here, but the horse--"
"--got spooked and throwed her," finished Zeke.
Jesse scowled and looked at the three of them. Ellie doubted he believed them. She wouldn't believe a story like that. Then he shrugged, standing and extending a hand to help her up. "Perhaps that explains your clothes, then."
Ellie glanced down. What was wrong with Levi's and boots? Not much different from what he wore, except his sleeves were rolled up to show very muscular forearms, and the denim hugged his hips and crotch in an almost indecent manner.
"For a woman who's always lecturing me on upbringing and manners, you've displayed a little uncivilized behavior yourself today." Jesse's eyes twinkled as he spoke, and though Ellie thought he teased, she began to think she didn’t like him very much.
She dug in her pocket for her cigarettes. "Look, I only came here because--"
Zeke grabbed her hand before she could withdraw it, interrupting her in the process. "That fall musta jarred your brain." To Jesse he added, "I'm sure Miss Elizabeth could use a cup of coffee."
"You're right. I'm sorry, Elizabeth. My manners do sometimes desert me. Come along." He reached for her hand.
Again, Zeke stepped forward. "Just go on in and get it, Jesse. I'll dust Miss Elizabeth off and bring her to the porch."
Jesse arched a brow but then shrugged and turned toward the cabin.
"Damn it, Zeke, what's going on?" Ellie turned on the old prospector the minute Jesse disappeared into the cabin. “And don’t you dare touch me,” she added when it appeared he would swat her butt with his hat.
"Quit that swearing, Missy." Zeke growled at her, then muttered to himself, "Darn it all. This is gonna be a lot harder than we thought."
Ellie couldn't believe her ears. "You cart me off to Podunk City, or wherever the hell we are, and you think you have it rough? I told you I wouldn't help." Ellie was still searching her brain for some illusive thread of time she had lost in the process of getting from Peavine to here. "Besides, how can I act like this Elizabeth person when I know nothing about this. . . this man you have me attached to."
"Now, you're not attached, 'xactly. Miss Elizabeth hadn’t started making marriage plans or nothing like that. ‘Sides after what happened, I doubt Jesse'd marry her, anyway."
"Just 'xactly what did happen?" Ellie mimicked, but her sarcasm was lost on him. Zeke's face scrunched up in thought and Ellie sighed in exasperation. Lately, nothing in her life had been easy. "Out with it, Zeke."
"Well, seeing as how we're back now, and Jesse ain’t dead--”
“Dead?” Ellie definitely didn’t understand.
“Ah, dead on his feet from working,” Zeke added hurriedly. “Maybe it don't matter no more. What day is it, anyhow?"
"How would I know? It was Saturday when my gear got stolen, but why do I get the impression I've lost some time along with my belongings?" Ellie couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She looked around, trying to find a familiar landmark, but because of her lack of knowledge of the region, everything looked foreign.
"Say, where's Lucky?" She realized the other old timer had disappeared again.
"I sent him to get rid of the real Elizabeth."
"He's going to kill her?" She couldn't believe two old prospectors could be so callous.
"No, just get her out of the way so as our plan will work."
"If you have this Elizabeth person out of the way, she can't get Jesse into any more trouble. So why do you still need me? Just take me back to town."
"There's more to the problem than that." Zeke looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Look, just watch what you say. I’ll explain the plan . . .later.”
Somehow, Ellie doubted it. A churning started in her stomach. In agitation, she reached for her cigarettes. Zeke tried to grab them away, but Ellie was faster. However, seeing his crestfallen face, she stuffed them back into her pocket instead of lighting up. She looked at him as he nervously shuffled from foot to foot. "You don't have a plan, do you?"
Zeke's silence was incriminating.
"Damn your hide, and Lucky's too," she hissed just as Jesse came out on the porch with two steaming mugs of coffee.
"Elizabeth, are you coming?"
"Elizabeth?"
Zeke poked her in the ribs and whispered urgently, "That's your name."
Ellie narrowed her gaze, hoping to thoroughly mortify him with her anger, and to make him worry what she might do. Then, quick as a wink, she pasted on a sweet smile and turned back toward the cabin. "Coming."
She heard Zeke's frantic whisper behind her. "Remember, no swearing, no smoking, and your name is--"
"Ellie," she stated loud enough for both men to hear.
Jesse looked at her in surprise, then more thoroughly as she sat on the step and took the coffee he offered. A slow grin spread across his handsome features. "I tried to call you that from the time you wore pigtails, but you always said Elizabeth sounded more grown-up."
"Well, perhaps the fall from that horse did some good after all," Ellie replied, wondering if he already saw through their ruse. She began to feel guilty. While she hadn't wanted to help Zeke and Lucky -- she had only wanted to get her assignment done and get back to town -- neither was she a vengeful person. She wouldn't deliberately hurt another human being.
How would Jesse feel if he found out they were lying to him; that she wasn't who he thought she was? Zeke had said it was to keep him from getting hurt. Ellie didn't know what to believe. She did know that at the first opportunity she had some serious questions that Zeke better be able to answer.
* * *
Jesse invited Zeke and her to remain for supper. While she would rather get on with whatever plan Zeke had concocted, she couldn't very well say no to her supposed fiancée. He took a pot from over an open fireplace, bringing it to the table along with a loaf of bread and a wicked looking knife. He dished up the meat stew and fresh bread and poured them some water in crockery style mugs.
Ellie traced a crack in the mug with a fingernail. Ellie Weaver, connoisseur of fine wines served in the best crystal all over Europe, sat in a rustic cabin in the woods drinking water from a broken cup. There was definitely something ironic here. Yet the man called Jesse didn’t look the least out of place in the one room cabin.
Ellie savored the rich broth of the stew and thought perhaps this guy had some talents -- like cooking -- that she could admire. Especially since she came from a family of microwave dinner gourmets. As she ate, even asking for seconds, she looked around the cabin.
It was definitely old, with a fireplace on one wall, a bed on the other, and the table in-between. Two shelves by the bed held a few books. Figuring this guy probably only spent weekends here and then returned to a nine-to-five job, she wasn’t surprised. She thought she might like a peek at his reading material, though, to see what he liked. With a shrug of indifference, she guessed financial manuals or e-commerce.
She ignored the men's talk as she continued to assess the cabin. Pegs on the wall by the door held clothes, and some roughly made shelves and a counter supported foodstuffs and a pitcher and basin.
Her brow crinkled as she took a second look. She didn’t see a coffee pot, toaster oven, or a ceiling fan. A single lantern sat at one end of the table.
How odd, she thought. Even modern rustic cabins had electricity. Another lesson learned about the wild west for her travel article -- leave your curling iron at home.
Thinking back on her reason for being in Peavine, she still didn't understand how she ended up at this cabin of Jesse's. The last thing she remembered was being on the hotel steps in the ghost town. She recalled Zeke saying he lived in the hills, and assumed this cabin also sat in the hills near the ghost town. Zeke and Lucky must have carried her here. The why of it evaded her.
She would rather they had left her in Peavine, just in case the sheriff came looking for her. Regardless of what the two miners had said about helping, all she wanted to do was get back to Reno in time to catch her plane.
After dinner, Jesse poured more coffee from a battered old pot and Ellie thought how nice it was to be waited on. She listened to them talk about mining, of all things. She supposed she should listen more closely for background material for her article.
Instead, she tried unobtrusively to study Jesse. The combination of black hair, blue eyes and ready smile made him devastatingly handsome. But more than his looks, she sensed a gentleness about him. Most of the men of her acquaintance were too busy being macho to be tender. In Jesse, his sweet smile didn't detract from his masculinity but rather enhanced it.
His voice was somewhat cultured and Ellie wondered how he had ended up in a cabin in Nevada, even for the weekend. Momentarily forgetting her role, Ellie spoke up during a lull in the conversation. "So, what do you do when you're not playing woodsman?"
Jesse cocked a brow at her question.
Zeke jumped in. "Miss Elizabeth, maybe we’d best get you home to rest a spell. You know Jesse's a miner; he don't got no other job."
Ellie shook her head. She'd done enough research to know there were few active mines left, certainly not near Peavine, Nevada, and definitely not any that were privately owned. "The mines have petered out--”
Lucky came bursting through the door just at that moment, breathing hard as though he'd run all the way. Zeke cleared his throat shaking his head vigorously at Ellie when Jesse turned towards Lucky.
"Lucky, where'd you run off to?" Jesse questioned, and Lucky's face immediately turned even brighter red.
"I, uh," he stuttered, then shrugged. "I had me an errand to run." He pulled a plug of tobacco from his pocket and bit off a chew, grinning at his brother.
Ellie hid a grin behind her hand, seeing the agitated look on Zeke's face. Lucky, who always seemed to take orders from Zeke, had apparently stopped somewhere along the way to get himself a treat. Seeing it, though, made Ellie want a cigarette, but knew she couldn’t smoke in front of Jesse. Zeke had said so.
She only hoped a Quick-Trip was somewhere close because her pack was almost empty. Then she remembered she didn't have any money on her, and they were too far from town anyway, so it was all academic.
"I suppose we should be walking Miss Elizabeth back to town," Zeke said, scooting back his chair to stand.
"Town? You can walk me to town?" Ellie sprang up, instantly angry. Did Zeke mean the ghost town of Peavine or back to Reno?
Jesse touched her arm, his warm hand causing tingles to shoot across her skin. "Elizabeth?" At her annoyed look, he started again. "What is wrong? You've acted strange all day."
Ellie stood, hands on hips, glaring at the three men. Little did she realize her posture so exactly mirrored Elizabeth's that any charade they were trying to perpetrate was instantly cemented. If that hadn't done the trick, her words did. "What's wrong? These two old coots lied to me, that's what."
Ellie saw Zeke standing behind Jesse waving his arms and shaking his head, but that didn't stop her. She was mad. "They said you were in trouble and needed help. They forced me to come out here."
"Forced you? You mean you wouldn't come and see me on your own?" The hurt was unmistakable in Jesse's voice.
"Well . . .that is . . .I had things to do," Ellie tried to backpedal.
"I see. Then perhaps we should get you back to town so you can do them."
Ellie looked outside. "It's dark." She didn’t like the dark.
"Yes, it usually does that at night." Jesse's sarcasm gave Ellie pause. Was he so tenderhearted that her one comment had punctured his entire male ego? Then she saw his grin.
"I'm sorry." She stated simply.
In answer he extended his arm and Zeke and Lucky rushed to open the door, all the while arguing over the plug of tobacco Lucky kept in his possession.
Ellie allowed Jesse to lead her down the path. When they got to a creek, he led her to where flat rocks had formed natural stepping-stones to the other side.
Disappointed, she realized that this was probably the same creek she had seen earlier in the day. That meant they weren't very far from Peavine ghost town, but were too far from Reno to walk -- in the dark. At the moment, she thought she might prefer to stay at Jesse's cabin.
As soon as Jesse hopped the last rock, she clutched his arm again as he walked unerringly forward. She tried to keep from thinking of the blackness surrounding her and the very long dark night ahead in the ghost town. She searched her mind, instead, for anything to discuss so there was noise.
"I understand there are several Fravel mines in the area," she stated, and instantly Jesse's arm tightened beneath her hand.
"Elizabeth, you know I won't discuss anything having to do with Clayton Scott or his mines. Why would you bring it up?" His angry reaction was so startling, Ellie couldn't think of a response. "Is that the ‘something you had to do’ -- visit with Clayton Scott?" Jesse pulled away from her and stomped off ahead.
Ellie could hear Zeke and Lucky "uh-oh-ing" behind her, but she didn't know what she had said wrong.
"Wait," she called out to him. This was like performing in a play when everyone knew the script except her. She hurried to catch up with Jesse, turning to face him and walking backward since he didn't stop when she stepped in front of him. Trying to imagine how the unknown Elizabeth would handle this, and hoping to gain insight into the situation, she smiled sweetly and said, "Jesse, please don't be mad. I keep forgetting--"
"How can you forget Scott owns most of the rights to Fravel's mines on this side of the ridge? Did you also conveniently forget he runs your father's bank, which holds notes to most of those same mines?"
"He does?" Ellie questioned without thinking.
That stopped him. In fact, he stopped so abruptly that Zeke and Lucky just about collided trying to keep from bumping into him. Even in the dark, Ellie could see the questions in Jesse's eyes.
Think fast, she told herself. Being an independent, freethinking woman, she hated what she was about to do.
"Of course he does," she twittered, waving a hand aimlessly. She giggled, hoping she wasn't spreading it on too thick. "You know I have no head for business. Father would always handle that."
"Yeah, well, I wish he were still here to do it. I don't trust Clayton Scott any further than I can throw him." Jesse's tone indicated he was pacified, and as Ellie moved to his side, she shot evil looks at Zeke and Lucky. Boy, did they have a lot of explaining to do.
They broke through a line of trees and suddenly there were lights from town. Ellie blinked and shook her head, an unsettled feeling gnawing at her stomach. Her feet slowed. Soft glows came from several windows, as though fireplaces were lit or candles used instead of iridescent light bulbs.
Ellie’s gaze swiveled from side to side; her stomach plummeted and her chest heaved. She stumbled, a flash of realization screaming through her brain. If Jesse hadn't grabbed her, she would have fallen face first in the dirt.
"El, what's wrong?" It was a question Jesse had kept repeating all day, it seemed, but Ellie sure didn’t know how to answer him.
Buildings swirled in crazy patterns before her eyes. She hugged herself, squeezed her eyes shut, then reopened them, trying to focus on something solid. Newly painted signs hung over several buildings -- Calhoun's Bank and Trust, Murphy's Mercantile and Feed Store. Slowly, as she walked further down the street, she tried to make sense of what her eyes saw but her emotions refused to acknowledge.
The buildings on the main street were the same structures as she had seen earlier that day when her guide had left her stranded in Peavine -- with one major difference. These buildings were new; long years of wind and rain hadn't damaged their fixtures.
She struggled for breath, knowing she had to get away from the ghostly shapes that seemed to jump out at her in the dark. She didn’t want her mind to shuffle the fragments into a solid thought. All she wanted to do was get back to Reno, and home. This was definitely not what she had bargained for when she took this assignment.
Apparently Jesse noticed her pallor, for he hurried her along, turning down a side street to the second house. He led her up the two steps onto a wide covered porch.
Ellie looked from the door to Jesse. Why had he stopped here?
“You’re home.” Almost as though he read her mind, he turned the handle and the door opened beneath his grasp, squeaking slightly.
Didn’t people lock their doors around here, Ellie wondered idly? She looked into the dark interior. If she ventured across the threshold, would she be permanently tied here; would she never escape and get back to where she belonged?
Panicking, she turned around, looking past Jesse to where Zeke and Lucky stood. Lucky appeared quite pleased with the arrangement, but Zeke’s face was still apprehensive. At that moment, Ellie hated them both because they were the cause of her distress.
If not for them, she wouldn’t be in this predicament. For that exact reason, she had to depend on them, because they were the only ones who knew how she came to be here. And how to get her back to where she belonged. Conflicting emotions caused her to lash out in anger.
"You two, inside, now." Ellie pointed as she barked the command.
"What?" All three men clamored at once.
Ellie gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. She breathed deeply and counted silently to ten. She had to get past her fear and talk to Zeke and Lucky alone. She didn’t know Jesse at all, so she couldn’t predict what his reaction would be if she exploded in front of him. He might have her hauled off to jail or something; some place Ellie couldn’t escape from.
"Excuse me. Might I have a word with Zeke and Lucky, please?" She tried to sugar coat her words, but almost gagged on the effort.
"Why?" Jesse pushed his hat to the back of his head and a curl of black hair fell across his forehead.
Lord, he was a handsome guy, Ellie thought. But he's not yours, her other side countered. She reminded herself she didn’t even want to be here -- especially now that she had a vague idea of where here might be.
"Why? Well, let's just say they did me a mighty big favor earlier today, and I want to see they're properly rewarded." She hoped her gaze flashed fire at the two old prospectors.
"Shucks, Miss Elizabeth, it can wait for another day." Zeke replied, and Ellie figured he had caught her drift right away.
"What do you mean, wait?" Lucky asked, clearly confused. "Why can't we get our reward now?"
Ellie liked Lucky, for he was gullible enough to play right into her hands. "He's right, you do deserve something very special for what you did."
Jesse didn't seem inclined to linger. "Then the boys will see you in, Elizabeth." He nodded his head and touched the brim of his hat.
"Ellie," she reminded him, but he'd already turned away.
"Zeke, you and Lucky don't keep Elizabeth up too late, and get yourselves some shut eye. We've got a long day tomorrow and the two of you look a hundred years old."
The minute Jesse stepped off the porch and into the night, Ellie herded the other two inside, swinging the door shut behind her. Again, it creaked, making her think of ghosts and haunted houses. She had to find some light. Her fear of the dark overshadowed everything, even her anger.
Making out the outline of a lamp on a nearby table, her shaky hands managed to strike a match and light the wick. Immediately upon the lamp catching, she swung on the two men.
"What the hell have you gotten me into?" She shouted and instantly got a hand clamped against her mouth.
"Missy, you just gotta quit talking that way." Zeke pleaded, his shadowy gaze becoming more distinct as Lucky moved the lamp on the table closer.
She clawed until he let go.
"Look, I'll talk any da...damn way I want." Lucky's crestfallen face did nothing to abate her anger. "When you asked me to help -- and I distinctly remember saying no -- there were a few things you forgot to mention. What am I supposed to do now? Take me back this instant." Ellie stepped forward, hand on the doorknob. She would rather stay in the ghost town, in the dark, than here where she didn’t understand what was happening.
Zeke blocked her path and they stood nose to nose. "You can't leave."
"And why not?" She could do as she pleased.
Zeke ducked his head to the side, shifting his gaze away from her. "'Cuz we don't know how to get you back."
"You don't know . . .that's ridiculous. There's got to be a way.” Ellie’s heart was pounding with anxiety. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, trying to make sense of all this.
“OK, calm down,” she muttered to herself. She lifted her hands, palms up, in a placating gesture, even though she seemed to be the only one upset. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. “You said you had to keep Jesse from getting into any more trouble. How long is this trouble expected to last?"
Zeke shrugged. "I don't 'xactly know what part of the month it is."
She raised a brow and glared at him. "Do you even know what year it is, Zeke?" She knew her sarcasm hit home when he scrunched his shoulders and looked anywhere but at her.
"1870," he whispered.
She had made the comment mockingly, not ever believing what her eyes had seen. She just knew there had to be another explanation. Now, shock rippled through her. She shook her head, trying to clear it, clutching the back of a chair for support.
It was impossible to fathom that two old miners had somehow taken her back in time. And yet everything she saw, from the houses to the lanterns to the lack of any type of vehicle, assured her it was true. If it had been daylight, she would have walked right out of there and headed -- where? Without her maps or any money, how far would she get?
"How long do I have?" The question made it sound like Ellie was terminally ill, but at the moment, that was exactly how his news impacted her.
"Maybe a month, give or take a few weeks."
"A month?" She squeaked. Earlier today she had thought it might be a lark to be Jesse's fiancée for a few hours, but she definitely didn't want to be here a month. Not in 1870. She thought of the lack of electricity and modern conveniences. "I don't know how to live here."
"Do what ladies do." Zeke said, smiling slightly as though trying to make light of the situation. Ellie wasn't amused.
"Yeah, you know -- sew, visit, cook,” Lucky added, trying to be helpful.
“I can't. I don't know how,” Ellie moaned.
“Well, what can you do?”
"Play golf and racquetball; drive a car." She leered at them just to make Lucky sputter.
"Well, you can't do none of that, whatever it is, so you'd best learn some womanly things,” Lucky replied, sounding out of patience.
They left her then, totally alone with no TV or satellite news, no fridge full of ready to eat food. She found a candle in a drawer and lit it, then another and another, grabbing every lamp and candlestick in the house and lighting them, too. Once, she had thought candles were romantic -- used to set the stage for a sensual evening. Now, she wanted light to keep the ghosts at bay.
She wandered through the house, vaguely aware that it was really well made. Wood trimmed all the doorways and windows, glass on the windows revealed what little moonlight there was. Well, what did she expect -- rags over open holes and drafts through chinks in log walls?
She didn't know what to expect. That was exactly the trouble.
* * *
Jesse pondered Elizabeth's strange behavior as he silently walked back to his cabin by the Nightingale Mine. Something out of the ordinary had happened, but for the life of him, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He had known Elizabeth over half his life. Their fathers had been friends, moving to Peavine when copper and gold had been discovered in '63. He'd watched her grow from a gangly, long-legged girl into a beautiful woman. As a girl, she had told him that she would marry him when she grew up and when he struck it rich, and Jesse had always smiled and teased and asked her what if he didn't want to wait until she grew up.
As the years went by, Elizabeth had talked less of marriage. Then her mother had sent her back east to finishing school and she had changed. She hadn't even come home when her mother had died. If that wasn't enough to break her father's heart, when she did arrive eight months ago she'd been somewhat of a pain in the posterior.
She had brought home some highfalutin ideas from her schooling. Jesse didn't agree with a one of them, but he couldn't deny she had become a beautiful, if spoiled, young woman. He still intended to marry her, but she wouldn't give him a definitive answer until he had more in his pockets than a few ounces of gold dust.
Normally, he wasn't obsessed with Elizabeth. She was part of his life and he just got used to her being around, he supposed. Today, however, he noticed different little things about her. She had cut her hair, for example, and she seemed fidgety for some reason. He knew Clayton Scott had been visiting her quite often since her father's death, and now he wondered if it had been about more than business.
Her unusual comments didn’t really bother him for he attributed them to her schooling. All her years back east only seemed to have instilled in her a sense of flightiness, instead of anything useful. It was a good thing her father had left the bank in trusteeship, for he doubted Elizabeth had any idea what to do with the business.
Why was it too much to hope that her education had broadened her horizons? And why was he spending so much time thinking about her?
Perhaps one of the reasons he now contemplated Elizabeth so intently was that all afternoon he had found himself staring at her. It wasn't her hair or her nervousness. It was her eyes. There had been a sparkle in their brown depths he didn't recall seeing before.
When she had looked at him, her gaze spoke of anger and independence; but he had also glimpsed fire and passion.
Passion. For the first time in their acquaintance, Jesse's loins had tightened in response to her nearness. That had been the real surprise. He had always felt comfortable around Elizabeth -- comfortable and somewhat complacent. Tonight she had ignited feelings in him that were anything but indifferent.