Chapter Nineteen

Jamison groaned as he buried his pounding head beneath his arms. He shifted on the mattress and then froze. Mattress? How had he gotten on a mattress? He heard humming nearby and recognized the voice instantly. He would know that gentle sound anywhere. But how in the world had he gotten back to Dodge City in 1875 and into Hallie's bed? And why the hell did his head hurt so bad?

He opened his eyes and looked around the familiar surrounding of Hallie's bedroom. The dark polished wardrobe and washbasin. The cream colored lace curtains blowing in the late summer breeze coming through the open window.

Jamison threw his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, cursing the throbbing behind his eyes that accompanied the movement. Bits of memory came back as he sat there. Telling Nicole he knew what he had to do and then being instantly transported back to that cloudy place. Mary's voice replayed itself in his mind, wishing him good luck on his journey. His journey...

Hallie. Hallie was his journey. Of course finding Leah and the children's murderer was also part of what he had to do but first he had to marry Hallie. It had already been over three years since they'd been killed so a little extra time wasn't going to hurt anything.

He pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly when his head pounded harder, "Dammit, Mary, it didn't hurt last time," he grumbled as he ground his fingers against his temples.

He looked down at himself to ensure he was properly dressed and realized that somehow Mary had put him back in the clothes he'd left 1875 in. His dark blue chambray shirt, black trousers, dark brown leather chaps and vest and his worn gun belt low on his hips. His badge was shining on his chest and he grabbed his hat off the bedpost and after running his fingers through his blond hair he plopped it on his head.

He was walking toward the closed bedroom door when it was suddenly thrown open and he found himself staring at Hallie herself.

Hallie let out a scream of shock as she dropped the folded sheets in her hand and covered her chest, "Jamison?!" she demanded as she gripped the door jamb for support and blew a long strand of her red hair from her freckled face, "What in the world are you doing in my bedroom?"

"Long story," Jamison replied with a shrug. "I missed you something terrible, Hallie," he admitted as he took a step forward and took a deep breath hoping to catch the hint of lavender that was always on her skin and hair.

He saw the passionate flush cover her skin just as he knew he would. He looked into her green eyes and stepped closer still. He could feel her breath on his chest as she stood in front of him. Her five foot frame was so much smaller than his six and a half foot one.

Jamison reached out a hand and slid her hair from her face, rubbing his thumb along her jaw tenderly. He saw her lips part and her eyes darken and knew that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. He had never been away from her for as long as he had been this time.

He bent his head, hungry for the taste of those full red lips and was shocked when she brought her hand sharply across his cheek and sent him reeling backwards as the pain in his head exploded.

"What the hell was that for?!" he demanded as he glared at her through his pain filled haze.

She put her hands on her rounded hips and her eyes were shooting daggers as she stared hard at him, "I warned you, Jamison McEllis! I told you not to leave me waiting with no idea when you'd be back and did you listen? No you did not. You just rode off without a word and stayed gone for months! And then you have the nerve to ride back in here, sneak in my bedroom and try to steal a kiss like nothing ever happened?!"

"I didn't just ride off, Hallie. I got word that my mama was dying." Jamison saw Hallie's expression change. Her green eyes filled with sadness and she reached out a soft hand and laid it on his arm.

"I'm so sorry, honey." she said softly. But then her face hardened and she pulled her hand away. Jamison sighed. His Hallie had always been able to go from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you come back and get me so I could be there for you? Why didn't you at least send me word?"

"I don't have a good excuse for any of that," he admitted lamely. Hallie crossed her arms over her full chest and Jamison's eyes were drawn to the pale skin of her chest against the dark green bodice of her cotton work dress.

"Don't start, Jamison. I warned you what would happen if you left and you didn't listen and now...."

"Hold on," Jamison ground out as his jaw tightened painfully. "Are you telling me that you found someone else?"

"I am," she replied as she stuck her chin up in the air.

Jamison laid his hand on his gun and growled low in his throat, "Who is he?"

Hallie turned away from him and walked over to the washbasin. Jamison's eyes followed the sway of her rounded hips as if seeing them for the first time. Damn why had he waited so long to stake his claim on this woman? "He is new in town," she finally told him.

"What's his name?"

"Why, Jamison? Are you going to challenge him to a duel for my affections?"

"If I have to," Jamison replied stubbornly.

Hallie turned her face from him and stood facing the wall, "His name is Connor. He's fairly new in town."

"And you just thought you'd chase after him to get back at me?" Jamison demanded and then he took a step back when Hallie whirled around and stalked toward him with fire in her green eyes.

"How dare you!" she exclaimed. "You left me, Jamison McEllis! Nine years I put up with you taking what you wanted and then riding off into the sunset because I just knew that one day you would wake up and pull your head out of your ass and realize that you wanted to marry me but do you know what?"

"What?" Jamison snarled, his own pride and temper kicking in full force.

"I have come to the conclusion that your head is simply stuck there."

"Is that right?" Jamison asked slowly as he glared down at her and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes that's right." Hallie shot back as she jabbed him in the chest with her finger.

"Well it's a good damn thing you let me know that before I dropped to my knee and asked you to marry me since I was about two seconds away from making a complete fool of myself!" Jamison turned quickly and stormed out the back door.

He cursed the sunlight and the pain in his head as he made his way around Hallie's dressmaking shop and out onto the main street, "So much for offering me wisdom." he muttered up at the sky, hoping that Mary could hear him. And so much for Nicole offering him any advice that he could use.

Now all that was left to do was figure out who this Connor was and put a bullet right between his beady little eyes.

***

Hallie watched the empty doorway with shock. Her feet wouldn't move and her mouth wouldn't speak as Jamison's words sunk in to her anger clouded mind.

He had been about to propose? Could it be true that her Jamison had finally seen the light and wanted to make an honest woman out of her?

She bit back a silent curse and damned her temper. She had been so shocked to see him in her bedroom and then when he had nearly kissed her as if nothing had happened she had seen red.

Oh no! She had to get out to the McFarland ranch before Jamison asked enough question and figured out that's where Connor was working. Hallie hoped her cousin would forgive her for using his name that way but she had wanted to teach Jamison a lesson. She just hoped she hadn't signed the poor boys death certificate when she had done so!

Sure she could run out the door and probably catch Jamison before his anger escalated but then again the man had treated her like his personal brothel maid for the last nine years. She smiled as she grabbed her handbag and walked to the front of the store to flip the sign to closed.

Might as well let the man stew about it for a while.

***

"So are we going to the bar or what?" Ian asked as Nicole walked into the living room. She finished putting in her dangling silver earrings and put her hands on her hips.

"You don't deserve to go to the bar. Did you even clean the truck? Because from what I saw Cavanaugh cleaned it."

"I helped," Ian assured her and then he chuckled at her raised brow. "Moral support is real important you know!"

"Really?" Nicole asked skeptically as she fought back a smile.

Ian jumped to his feet and went to her. He took her hand and dropped to one knee, "Please, oh most beautiful and merciful one, allow me to get sloppy drunk and find a whole bunch of women to grace with my charms."

Andrew laughed loudly as he paused in his constant pacing by the big front window.

"Oh Ian..." Nicole gasped, as she feigned breathlessness and put her free hand over her heart.

"What the hell's going on?" Cavanaugh's angry voice said from the front door. Nicole looked over at him and felt her breath catch again. Damn him and his rugged manliness that she found irresistible. He had changed into the blue flannel shirt she had bought for him and a pair of levis. He had also put on his chaps and his vest and of course those light tan chaps drew her eyes directly to the zipper of those levis.

Nicole blinked quickly and then looked up at his face, "Your brother was just pledging his undying love and loyalty to me." she stated and Ian let out a snort of laughter as he stayed on his knee with her hand in his. Cavanaugh raised a brow, crossed his arms over his broad chest and then grinned, "He wants to go to the bar doesn't he?"

"Sure does," Nicole replied with a wink as she smiled back. "But I told him I don't think he deserves to since he didn't clean the truck."

"Aww, come on!" Ian exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Tell her Cav! I offered moral support!" Cavanaugh shook his head as he laughed.

"I'll tell you what, Ian, I feel sorry for any woman that gets tied to your sorry ass."

"Me too," Andrew agreed as he picked back up pacing and watching out the window.

"Has Bethany called yet?" Cavanaugh asked Nicole.

Nicole shook her head, "Not yet,"

"Alright, let's turn the attention back to me and the bar for a minute." Ian stated and Nicole and Cavanaugh both turned their gazes to him. "For starters I ain't never getting tied down to one woman. That would be my idea of hell quite frankly."

"Poor baby," Nicole stated as she reached out and patted him on the head and Cavanaugh chuckled.

Ian's brown eyes narrowed as he glared at her and rubbed his stubble covered chin, "And," he continued. "If I ever did decide to let a woman tie herself to my ass I can promise you now that she'd be took care of. She'd have what she needed."

"How many stagecoaches you gotta rob to have enough to set up a homestead?" Cavanaugh asked.

Andrew laughed loudly, "Probably about five or six," he replied and then he grinned sheepishly at the sharp look that Cavanaugh sent his way. "Not that I have any experience with that," he added quickly.

"Kiss my ass, every one of you," Ian grumbled and then he smiled charmingly at Nicole, "Except for you of course, owner of the truck that will take me to the bar." he said quickly. "And just so you all know any woman that got tied down to me would be the luckiest woman in the world."

"Why's that?" Andrew asked as Cavanaugh came to stand next to him and nudged him with his elbow.

"Probably because Ian's good with a pair of handcuffs," Cavanaugh stated with a chuckle and Andrew began laughing loudly as he bent over and braced his hands on his knees. Nicole couldn't help but laugh as well at the angry look on Ian's face and then suddenly the telephone rang.

"I got it!!!" Andrew exclaimed and he vaulted himself over the couch and then skidded to a stop in the kitchen, nearly colliding with the countertop before grabbing the door jamb and turning himself so he could grab the phone off the wall.

"Hello?" he said hopefully into the receiver. Then his face lit up. "Hi Bethany!"

"Aww, it's cute," Ian said as he wrapped his arm around Nicole's shoulders, "Love is grand, don't you think?"

Nicole looked over at him and sighed with exasperation, "You can stop hanging on me, I'll take you to the damn bar," she stated and he whooped loudly and kissed her cheek.

Nicole saw Cavanaugh stiffen and she elbowed Ian in the stomach roughly. His breath came out in a loud whoosh and he stared at her questioningly, "What have I told you about keeping your hands off, McEllis?" she asked and he grinned.

"I know one McEllis brother you wouldn't say that to. And I must say that with those tight jeans and that silky little top you might just convince him to make an attempt at putting his hands on."

Nicole blushed and ran her hands over her blouse self consciously. She had never exactly had the type of body the men couldn't resist. Ian chuckled and whistled loudly as he walked out to the porch, Nicole spared a glance at Cavanaugh and saw that he was indeed looking her up and down.

She was suddenly very grateful for the dark denim jeans and turqouise, satin, low-rise tank that highlighted her good assets and pulled away from her bad ones. She had pulled her hair back in a pony tail but she had added curls to it and left a few strands loose. She had done a light coat of make-up and added a diamond necklace and her favorite earrings and she had to admit that this was the most effort she'd put into her appearance in a long time. And currently it looked like it was going to pay off.

"You look real nice," Cavanaugh said from across the room and Nicole frowned, "Nice?" she asked and he grinned as he pulled off his hat and rubbed the back of his neck.

He opened his mouth to speak but whatever he'd been about to say was cut off when Andrew let out a loud whoop and came bursting into the room, "She's coming!" he exclaimed. "Hot damn, she's actually coming!" Ian poked his head back in the door and smiled, "Good, now that we have a babysitter for the hyperactive pup, how bout us big kids go have some fun of our own?"