Cattle hooves pounded across the plains. Whistling, to hurry the stock, Nova's eye was continually being drawn to the lone calf that straggled at the back of the herd. The yearling had slowed considerably. Drawing her mount to the left she dug her knees in, feeling Twilight lurch into a quickened trot.

"It's lame?" Freddy called.

Nova circled the calf, drawing him closer to the herd. "Come on, Boy." She drew abreast the calf, stooping in her saddle she tapped the animal's flanks, watching as he hobbled quickly off. "He's favoring his front left leg," she called in reply.

All of the previous season's calves had been raised by their mothers, none of them had any human contact. For any to let her that close was worrying. Removing her lasso from her saddle horn she prepared to rope it.

"You go on ahead, I'll look him over," she told the cowhand. With a heel kick in Twilight's flanks, her mount followed the sickly calf. Spinning the lasso in a clockwise direction, which traced a perfect circle in the air, Nova gave an underhand flick and tossed the lasso, leaving generous amount of room in front of the calf.

She heard Freddy's raucous laughter as she watched her lasso land neatly on one side of the calf's nose. "That was the worst roping I've ever witnessed," Freddy called. "Marriage has wrecked your game!"

He was right. She'd been so busy wondering where Jese was that she'd over calculated how fast the poor calf was running. Without saying a word, she hauled the rope in. A blush creeping across her face. How could the man affect her even from this distance?

"But you caught that blade of grass magnificently!"

Nova smiled tightly, and set about lassoing the animal again. This time only giving a few inches of spare room in front of the animal. Watching the lasso fall firmly around the yearling's neck.

Quickly dismounting - keeping the rope taut - Nova approached the calf she swept one hand under its body to pull his opposing leg through, bringing him down. Nova leaned heavily on its body, as it thrashed about with more energy than one might expect for a sickly animal. Taking her pigging rope from her waistband Nova wove it around the three healthy legs like a loom before cinching it tight.

"That's more like it," Freddy called. Touching his hat he started chasing the rest of the livestock away.

Pulling a pocket knife from her jeans, she lifted the calf's sore foot and started to cut deftly until she found a tiny stone submerged in the fleshy part of the hoof. The stone had caused an infection. "You poor thing." She soothed. Hoping her tone would cause the calf to stop from thrashing about in such wild eyed desperation. But - in response - the calf tugged his hoof free and caught her hand with a hefty kick.

A timely reminder that soothing words didn't fix feet. Catching the hoof again, Nova gouged the stone out of its fleshy grave. Pulling her hip flask from her boot she poured straight alcohol onto the wound, feeling the poor animal thrashing about in pain below her. Once it had calmed somewhat, Nova tucked antibacterial herbs into the hoof before ripping cotton off a rag, tucked in her waistband, and attached the bandage to the foot securely.

"Good morning," the voice broke her concentration.

She glanced up in surprise. Finding her husband watching her from astride his mount. His eyes lingering on the skin exposed from her corset.

"What have we here?"

"An infected hoof."

Jese's eyes flashed dangerously. "I was asking about your attire."

Her brows rose in surprise. He found a woman down in the dirt working like a regular cowhand and he wasn't interested in what she was doing, but in what she was wearing? He really is the oddest fellow imaginable, she decided. She gestured at her denims, "I wear them when I work with stock. Wearing a dress out here would be dangerous."

"I disagree." His eyes flashed in warning. "Wearing such provocative clothes is more of a threat."

"Out here?" Nova asked, laughingly.

"Especially out here."

"There is no one around. Except for men that I trust." There was a long silence as Nova unknotted the pigging string, tucked it back into her waist band and, with her body pressing down onto the calf to restrain it, began to undo the lasso around its neck. She sat up suddenly, so not to catch any more hooves.

Watching the animal jump up and run after the rest of the herd, she watched Freddy circle it and give her a reassuring wave before herding them onwards, not waiting for her to accompany him. If he thought she wanted alone time with her new husband then he was sorely mistaken. She was the least excited newlywed in the history of mankind.

"Or maybe you don't wish to be protected from men," Jese stated.

"What?"

He knew that he what sprang from his lips was childish and immature. There was something about a lack of sleep and her presence that managed to make him feel like a brute. If only he could keep these thoughts to himself, but it all came pouring forth. "You told me last night that - when we agreed on this marriage - you were happy with the agreement to keep other relationships discreet."

"That was your term," she replied. He watched her stand up and begin to loop her lasso back into a tidy heap.

"And you agreed on it," he bit out. "Eagerly." There was no way he was going to let her blame it on him. He had seen the relief in her face when he'd put that proposition to her out on that dusty road. And at the time he hadn't thought of it, but seeing her face that morning - over breakfast - completely void of any traces of lingering sexual attraction. Far more interested in what she was eating than the man in front of her... and now - wearing such provocative clothing while laughing and talking with another man. He began to doubt whether she was attracted to him at all.

Her body had reacted so eagerly to his touch the night before that he'd believed she'd found him desirable. Her emotions were so hot and cold - Jese couldn't decide what she was hiding. "It leaves me to wonder - who is your destitute lover?"

"I beg your pardon?" Her voice conveyed genuine shock. Jese couldn't decide if her reaction was from guilt or innocence.

"A matter of deductions. If you had found a wealthy lover then you wouldn't have married me. I have noticed your scarcely veiled loathing of me. I had thought that it was because you were still in love with that gangly lad that called on you. But, from the look of his attire, he could have helped you. Wedding ring or not. No. This person must be in a very difficult spot financially."

"I don't believe I have ever been so insulted and so enraged in my whole life! That you could believe me to be so cold hearted like-" Her mouth formed the word but no sound came out. You.

Jese could lip read. He knew what she was about to say, and he couldn't argue with it. His heart had gone missing, but that made everything clearer... because it helped him to think of everything logically. Her anger, for example, was all pointing to something. Who was he, that other man? Heck, with an embrace that passionate, maybe it was 'men'. "I've have witnessed how responsive you are to a man's touch. But yet you stopped yourself."

"Because I'm not falling over you I must be throwing myself into the arms of other men? You have a poor opinion of women. I've had enough of this ridiculous conversation." Before she could turn away her lasso was jerked violently from her hands.

"You'll stay right here and talk this out!"

"Or what? You'll annul the marriage?" If he hoped that she would buckle down and meekly do as she was told then he had a very big surprise in store.

Jese's eyebrows shot up. "It isn't going to be that easy for you to get rid of me Mrs. Calhoun."

"I have work to do."

"The cattle can wait."

"Oh no. Didn't I tell you?" She could hear the vindictive tone creeping into her voice "It is my night to perform at the Tavern."

Silence.

"What?" His tone was threatening.

"Dancing." Then she could pay Jese off and get out of this ludicrous arrangement.

"You are a married woman."

"In name only."

"We had conditions. You are not going!"

"Well I intend to break those conditions. If it offends you so much, you know where the marriage registry office is." Nova turned on her heel and strode off.

"You forgot something," Jese called. She heard the subtle whoosh with permeated the air, and felt the rope fall over her shoulders. The knot tightened under her breast. "Your lasso."

Nova turned, her mouth sagged open in shock. "Get this thing off me!"

"If you think you've married a push over then you will have to think again."

"I didn't think I'd married a push over, but I liked to believe I'd married a gentleman." She struggled inadequately against the pressure of the rope. Trying to loosen it with her thumb.

"I'm gentle enough," he said, tugging the rope. Her body collided into his. Gentle wasn't how she would describe the rock hard physique pressing against hers. Jese's free hand went to the nape of her neck where he teased the loose hairs flying free. She could feel a prickly sensation working down her body, over her shoulders and down to her breasts. She was so close she could smell the faint scent of soap emanating from his skin and clothes.

"Get your hands off me," she snarled through clenched teeth.

"I don't think you are in a position to make any kinds of requests. Now about this unconsummated marriage..." His mouth, as hard as his body, came crushing down upon hers.

Anger and stubborn pride kicked in. There was no way that she was going to stand around in the middle of nowhere, roped like a sickly calf. Hands busily working to move around her body she managed to get her fingers into her pocket. Dragging her head away from his lips she asked. "Do you think you can catch a woman like me so easily?"

He laughed softly, "I think I've already caught you. You're just in denial." His breath teasing her cheek.

"You underestimate me, Jese." With a jerk of one arm she heard the sick sound of her pocket knife cutting through the rope - and she pushed his body from hers. Taking advantage of his shocked stillness she left quickly, mounting her horse and galloping toward home.