Love’s Sweet Revenge(31)

He pulled her into his arms with a deep sigh. “I’ve had to let go of Beth and put that part of my life behind me, just like we have to put Oklahoma behind us, and you have to leave your first husband in the past.” He kissed her hair. “The baby you lost will always live in your heart. I know that. But now we have Tricia, and maybe soon another baby. And I’ll always have Stephen, a part of Beth. Mom says all things happen for a reason, and we have to accept it. God knows nobody needs to learn to accept things more than my mother. She’s been through so much over the years. If she can hang on and still be happy and put the bad times behind her, we can, too.”

Katie kissed him again. “I once couldn’t understand how she could put up with all the things your father put her through, but I understand it all so much better now. When I see how much they love each other, I can understand why your mother can bear the hard parts. You’re so much like him, Lloyd, in the way you love somebody. It’s just that…sometimes I see that dark side of him in you, and it scares me. I’m not scared of you—I’m scared for you.”

“And I’m a grown man who can take care of himself. And I’m my own man, Katie—not my father. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, because I know he’s a damn good man…but there’s a part of him that can go deeper into that dark place than I ever will, because we were raised so different. But you and I will be just fine, Katie-girl.”

Katie traced a finger over his lips. “Will we go to Denver together again when you’re ready to take in the herd?”

“We sure will. It won’t be for another six weeks or so. We need to fatten up the herd first. When we do go to Denver, we’ll stay at the Brown Palace like we always do, and we’ll go to the theater and do some shopping and have a damn good time.”

“I kind of hate leaving Tricia and Stevie, but they love Teresa and Rodriguez to death, and there are a lot of good men here to watch out for them.”

“Sure there are. It’s good for us to get away.” He rolled on top of her. “And I like spoiling you on those trips to Denver. This year I’m going to buy you a diamond necklace.”

“Lloyd, you are not! You can’t afford that.”

“Sure I can. I have plenty of money from Beth’s estate. I put some away for Stephen and Tricia, and I’ll use some to buy more land.” He kissed her lightly. “Someday the J&L will all belong to the kids. Evie’s, too. I’ll not leave my sister or my nieces and nephews out of any of this.” He gave her another kiss. “But I have plenty left to splurge on my beautiful wife.” He glanced up toward the sun. “We have another hour or so, Mrs. Harkner.”

“Then let’s make the best of it, Mr. Harkner.”

The lovemaking started again. In the back of his mind, Lloyd was damn well worried about Mike Holt, and worried about his father, too. But he was determined not to place that worry on this woman who’d already learned the hard way what life sometimes handed a man with the last name of Harkner. Too many times he’d blamed his father for the troubles that name could bring, but Jake never asked for any of it.

He released his pent-up passion and frustration on Katie, hoping the pure pleasure of this would keep her from thinking about anything that upset her. “I love you, Katie-girl,” he groaned near her ear as he moved in sweet rhythm to the tune of her cries of ecstasy. When he was finished, he held her close, not wanting to move off of her just yet.

“Don’t let go,” she said softly.

“Never,” he answered, “even when we’re apart.” He remembered his mother telling him once that Jake often said that same thing to her…that he was always holding her. The one thing he’d always wanted growing up was a marriage that involved as deep a love as he knew his parents shared.

He’d finally found it.





Nine


Jake rode into one of the barns to put up his horse and get a fresh mount. Pain from old wounds stabbed at weary bones as he unsaddled and removed the gear from his equally weary cutting horse.

Daily routines had changed, as they always did when spring roundup and branding became the most important chore. He hated that Randy, Katie, and Evie were kept busy helping Teresa with constant cooking for the men, but they didn’t seem to mind. Rodriguez usually did the cooking out at the cookhouse, but this time of year he was busy helping the rest of the men.

As he’d promised Evie, Jake kept Little Jake with him for the first time on roundup. So far, the boy had obeyed every order, but Jake could tell he wanted to get on his own horse and ride down a calf and try to rope and brand it by himself. Maybe next year. For now he spent most of the time sitting on a fence, watching, but sometimes Jake let him ride behind him on his horse when he rode away from the main homestead to rustle up more stray cattle.