The Devil and Miss Julia Jackson Read online

  Dev grinned and leaned his head back, stretching his tense muscles. “Julie was most likely asleep as soon as she laid down. She’s no shrinking violet, but these past weeks—and especially the past few days—have been hard on her.”

  “Thought she was gonna do me in when she believed I had a part in the kids’ disappearance,” Alex said, but he couldn’t keep the smile from his lips as he remembered.

  “What?” Dev leaned forward, anxious to hear what had transpired.

  Alex related the tale, both men laughing, now that the danger was over.

  “I think she would’ve finished me off if I had been involved,” Alex finished, “Southern born-and-bred or not.”

  “She loves that little girl,” Dev noted.

  “Sounds like you do, too. Already.”

  Dev hadn’t considered it. Hadn’t examined his feelings toward Lauralee, other than the fact that she was a child to be protected…but when she’d called for him to come save her and Jamie…what if he hadn’t heard her? What if they’d been too far ahead for Dev and the hands to catch? He drew in a deep breath.

  Anything could’ve happened—even death.

  The remembered feel of her arms around his neck, her fine hair against his cheek, her reverent tone when she’d named Princess the calf…Oh, yes. He loved her. Already.

  He nodded. “I guess I do, Alex.”

  Alex shifted in the bed and his eyelids drooped. “Thanks for comin’ in.”

  There was an uncertainty, a shyness in his tone that Dev couldn’t ignore. “You’re welcome to make the Flying C your home, too, Alex,” Dev told him.

  Alex looked at him, surprised. “I…Dev, you better ask your missus about that.”

  Dev couldn’t bear to tell his brother it had been her idea. He nodded. “I—asked her already. She agreed.”

  But Alex was already drifting off to sleep. Dev resolved to have this conversation with him again in the morning, just to be certain he understood he was welcome here. He turned the lantern down low and headed for the door.

  His own bed—and Julie—waited.

  • ♥ •

  A patch of warmth settled over Julia’s shoulder. It was—wonderful. She had felt cold for so long—seemed like weeks, now. She stretched lazily and turned toward the wall of heat at her back.

  Lovely, warm…skin.

  A man!

  She bolted upright, wide awake.

  “Sorry…” Dev mumbled sleepily. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  Married.

  Julia rubbed her eyes, and relaxed as she turned to face him. He gave her a smile, and her heart leapt.

  “Good mornin’, Miz Julie,” he teased in a lazy drawl.

  I must look a fright. She gave him an uncertain smile and slid back down in the bed, coveting the earlier warmth. Now that they were both awake, though, she made certain to leave a few inches of space between them.

  But Dev settled his big hand on her arm again and that familiar gesture melted her. He was a man to be trusted. He had kept his word—not pressed her to give more than she was able.

  “Julie, uh…I have a favor to ask.”

  Her body tensed, and she knew he felt it by the way his own muscles tightened.

  “There’ll be a lot of teasing today about our—wedding night,” he continued.

  She hadn’t thought of that. It had been their wedding night, but nothing had happened between them. What was he getting at?

  “Do you think maybe you could just go along—” He raked a hand through his hair. “If anything is mentioned, I mean…”

  She turned to him and touched his bare shoulder. So warm. So strong…Desire pooled in the pit of her belly and spread outward. “It would embarrass you,” she said softly, “if they knew we hadn’t…”

  Their eyes met and she saw the reluctant agreement in the depths of his gaze.

  She nodded. “Of course! I would never shame you, Dev. No one will know. And hopefully…we’ll be comfortable with one another soon, and—” Heat flooded her face.

  He gave a soft chuckle. “I’m ‘comfortable’ with you, Julie. I’m ready to be your husband in every sense of the word—whenever you’re ready to be my wife.”

  Gratitude washed over her. “Oh, Dev—I—”

  “Shh…I understand.” He kissed the top of her head and held her for a moment.

  But there was no way he could truly know what his patience with her meant. She wasn’t used to having anyone thinking of her—and it seemed, he wasn’t accustomed to it, either.

  He’d been in much the same situation as she’d been—looking after his ailing wife until she’d died, and also being the caregiver for his young son, as Julia had been for Lauralee.

  It felt almost selfish to imagine having a wife or a husband to lend support, to be a helpmate, to stand strong with in the face of adversity. To have someone to love.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get up and get ready to face this day—the heathens await.”

  Julia giggled. “Those two are quite a pair, aren’t they? They already love each other.” She drew back to look at him. “It’s Christmas Eve Day! Oh, my goodness…so much to do—”

  “Like what? I thought today we’d be able to—”

  But she was already shaking her head as she stood up and went to the chifforobe for her cleanest dress. “I have food to prepare now. I can make us a real meal.”

  “Julie, that was why I brought home the dinner last night. I thought we could eat off the roast for the next couple of days—let you rest some.”

  She hurried back to the side of the bed, clutching her dress and unmentionables, bent and kissed his cheek impulsively. “Oh, Dev, yes! We will, but it’s our first Christmas and I want to make a special meal for our dinner tomorrow on Christmas Day. We need to finish decorating the tree, and—oh…Dev, I have nothing to give you…” She stopped talking abruptly and stared at him, stricken. It was Christmas. Their first. And—

  He reached up and pulled her back down to him, this time kissing her full on the lips, long and lingeringly. “Yes, you do, Julie. You’ve brought the light back into my dark world. That was the best gift you could have ever given—and you don’t even realize it.”

  • ♥ •

  Just then, the door burst open and “the heathens” ran in, shouting and laughing. Lauralee stopped abruptly and put a staying hand on Jamie’s chubby arm.

  “Oh…my…stars…” Lauralee said in disgust. “They’re kissing, Jamie!”

  Jamie wrinkled his nose in imitation of Lauralee’s expression. “Ewww.”

  Dev chuckled, watching Julie’s face to see her reaction. She only smiled, leaning over him to put her lips to his once more.

  “We’re leaving!” Lauralee announced, pulling Jamie by the arm to hustle him out of the room.

  “Closed door means knock before entering,” Dev called as Julie lifted her lips from his.

  “Ick. We will, next time,” Lauralee shouted as she and Jamie disappeared down the hallway, and Dev and Julie smothered their laughter.

  “Uncle Alex—Aunt Julie and Debbil are kissing!” Lauralee’s voice floated back to them as Alex’s door was flung open—again, without knocking. Then, “Oh, sorry…” The door was hastily pulled shut, as Alex’s incensed shout sounded, and Julie and Dev’s eyes widened as they could only imagine what the children had seen.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Lauralee muttered as she and Jamie passed by Dev’s and Julia’s open door.

  Julia went to the door to pull it shut, saying somberly, “Please remember to knock, Lauralee.”

  Dev had risen and begun searching for clean clothes, but he turned as Julia closed the door behind her, shaking her head.

  He smiled. “She’s a pistol.”

  “I can still hear Alex cursing.”

  “Is his door closed?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Even worse. He’s turning the air blue in there.”

  “Bet she knocks next time.”

  Julia gave him
a doubtful look. “We probably should lock ours, starting tonight.”

  Dev stopped buttoning his denims, giving her a searching look.

  She only smiled in response, but it was all he needed.

  CHAPTER 13

  Once breakfast was over and the dishes were done, Julia began planning the holiday meal for Christmas Day. Dev had gone to the barn and taken the children so they could check on Princess.

  The house was clean, the fire blazing, everyone was fed…it was so much more than Julia ever hoped for when she’d answered the ad for a nursemaid for Jamie, and set out on this journey West.

  Dev had turned out to be an honorable man. Love would come, in time, she told herself. She was a married woman, now—in only a few short days’ passage. Married…but not really. Not until tonight.

  Tonight, she planned to make her marriage a reality—to accept Dev and this life she’d come to completely—with no more reservation. There would be no thought after tonight of ever returning to Atlanta. She had no reason to go back to Georgia—and every reason to stay here.

  Her heart ached when she thought of Dev’s earlier words—thinking she had expected ‘more’ in this house. In this life. In him.

  But truthfully, it all exceeded her expectations—whatever those might have been. Had she had any thought of the future, other than hoping her new employer would be a kind man?

  The house was not as formal or stately as her family home had been—but that made it all the more precious to her. It had been built, Pete had told her, by Dev and some of the hands who had first hired on. Dev had won some money in a card game. At only eighteen, he’d claimed the land and built the house—a home, he’d told them as they’d worked—and what a home it was! Strong, tight, and big enough to hold a family, eventually—the family he’d always wanted, Julia surmised, as a young man.

  But tragedy had struck with the deaths of first Heather, then Annella—and the house had stood as a mockery of all the happiness that might have been.

  Now, there was a second chance; a chance for her and Dev to catch and hold on to the joy and love between them, with the close bond of the children as a good beginning. And with the acceptance of Alex, Julia hoped, for both his sake as well as Dev’s. Tonight, she was going to do her best to show him she believed love could be theirs, if he wanted it as much as she did.

  Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Julia set aside the pinto beans she was picking through to answer it. It sounded again, urgently, and she called, “I’m coming!” as she hurried to get there. It was cold as blue blazes, she knew, and she certainly didn’t want to keep anyone standing on her porch.

  She opened the door to a beautiful young woman, dressed in a green velvet gown with a hooded cloak to match, both the very color of her eyes.

  “Come in,” Julia welcomed the woman, stepping out of the way to allow her entrance.

  “Oh, thank you!” The girl swept in and went immediately to stand before the fire. She looked directly at Julia, pulling the hood from her long, auburn hair. “I’m sorry to barge in like this—I’m Deborah Miles. You must be—”

  “I’m so sorry. Forgive my manners, Miss Miles. I’m Julia—Julie—Campbell.”

  Green eyes widened in surprise, but also with genuine warmth. “Oh—congratulations!” A wistful cloud came over her expression and she looked away. “I heard you had come to care for Jamie. You and Dev will be very happy, I’m sure.” She pulled off her gloves, and Julia moved to take them from her.

  “Would you like me to take your cloak, Miss Miles?”

  But Deborah shook her head. “Oh…no. No, thank you. I’m surprised you let me in the door after—after what my father did. I’m terribly sorry. I had to come over here and let you all know—I didn’t know what he had in mind—or that he would go so far! Though…I suppose I should have.”

  “Miss Miles, please come to the kitchen with me. I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to get these beans on to soak. Tomorrow being Christmas, and all, I wanted to make a really wonderful meal.”

  “I’ve always wanted to learn to cook. My mother died when I was eight.”

  Julia gave her a quick hug of understanding. “Mine passed when I was ten. It seems we have something in common.”

  “Yes…but—you’re so kind to me after— Well, truthfully, I didn’t know what I would find in the way of a greeting here.” Deborah looked at her. “Oh, Mrs. Campbell, I have to know…is Alex all right?”

  Julia smiled and patted her shoulder. “He’s going to be fine. You’re in love with him, I’m guessing—else, you wouldn’t have risked your father’s wrath—or ours—to come here now.”

  Reluctantly, Deborah nodded. “Oh, I messed everything up! Alex and I were already seeing one another. Papa told me he encouraged the match, but he wanted me to ‘do more to speed it up’, he said. If I didn’t, he said he’d—he’d ask Mortimer Townsend to marry me instead. Or maybe Elliott Wylie.”

  “I’m sorry,” Julia said, motioning for Deborah to take a seat with her at the table. “I don’t know either of them. I only just arrived from Georgia a few days past.”

  “And here I am, telling you my troubles instead of making polite conversation.”

  “Oh, Deborah, please don’t think like that! I am curious to know how all this came about. You see, Lauralee is my niece. It was she, along with Jamie, that your father’s men stole.”

  Deborah flinched at Julia’s words, and Julia instantly regretted her own lack of genteel phrasing.

  Deborah looked down, shaking her head in disbelief. “I still can’t believe he would go so far. And why? I truly don’t understand.”

  “Tell me about Mortimer and Elliott,” Julia coaxed as she went back to picking through the beans.

  “Mortimer is twice my age. He owns the bank. He—well when he looks at me, it’s as if he strips me buck naked with his eyes. Oh, Julie, have you ever met someone like that?”

  Immediately, Ellis Redmond came to mind. Oh, yes. She had definitely known someone like that. She shivered at the memory. “Yes. I have. I can’t imagine spending a lifetime with that kind of man.”

  “And Elliott—even worse. He owns several acres a few miles north of town. No one knows how he got the land, because the previous owners, the Meltons, had been there ever since I can remember. Suddenly, they were gone, and he’d moved in.” She shuddered. “He is unspeakably cruel. But…he has a lot of money. It seems that’s all my father cares about. He says he only wants to see me married well, but—I’d rather never marry than to wed either of those awful men!”

  For a moment, Julia thought the girl was going to cry, but she straightened her spine. “I will not marry either of them.”

  “Well, I don’t believe you have to worry about that anymore,” Julia said comfortingly. “Your father—he’ll most likely be in jail for a very long time because of what he’s done.”

  Deborah’s beautiful features hardened. “I will testify against him. I’ve told the sheriff that. I guess—I truly never knew my father as well as I thought I did.”

  After a moment, Julia tentatively asked, “Would you like to see Alex?”

  Deborah’s face brightened. “Oh… may I? Do you think he’ll want to see me, though? Maybe—oh, maybe he will never care if he sees me again!”

  “He cares,” Alex called from the top of the stairs. “But you’ll have to come up here. The stairs are beyond me right now.”

  • ♥ •

  Deborah stood quickly. “Alex!” She hurried out of the kitchen, and Julia, somewhat alarmed, followed. Alex shouldn’t be up and about, but she could understand him not wanting to greet Deborah flat on his back.

  As they came out of the kitchen and stood at the foot of the stairs, a slow grin spread across Alex’s handsome features. Shirtless, he bent, leaning across the stair railing, dark eyes dancing with laughter at Deborah’s anxious look.

  Deborah’s breath caught and held as she stood gazing up at him, and Julia felt lightning spark between the
two of them, even from where she stood.

  Deborah exhaled a soft, “Oh…” and Julia couldn’t help but smile.

  “Come on up here, Deb. You too, Julie, if you can spare a few minutes,” Alex said. He pushed away from the railing and headed back to his bed. Julia imagined it was all he could manage just to have gotten up for those few short moments. He didn’t want to appear weak in front of Deborah.

  Pressing her lips together to hide her smile, Julia motioned Deborah up the stairs, then followed after a few seconds.

  When Julia reached the top of the stairs, she could hear Deborah fussing over Alex already.

  “Here, let me fluff your pillows. Goodness, the bed’s a mess—covers all tangled…here we go—”

  Then there was a telling silence, and Julia knew Alex had planted a fierce, welcoming kiss on Deborah’s lips. She held back a moment, then gave a cough as she stepped on the board that always creaked. Though they knew she was coming, it was only right to remind them—

  —for all the good it did! They were still kissing when Julia stepped through the door. She cleared her throat, and slowly, they separated.

  “Alex…” Deborah breathed. “I wanted—”

  “Don’t say anything. Just listen, first. I have to know for sure that you coming here isn’t more of your daddy’s planning, Deb.” At her indignant pout, he went on. “If I find out it is, that’ll be the end of us for good. And you know I mean it. So be honest.”

  “Alexander Carlton Campbell! I would never do anything to hurt you! I didn’t know my father was…so—evil! And I never would have thrown myself at you that day in the mercantile if we hadn’t already—” She broke off, horrified at what she’d been about to say, and glanced at Julia quickly. “I mean, if we hadn’t already known we had—feelings for one another.”

  Alex regarded her solemnly for several seconds. He reached up to cup her cheek, as if by touching her he might be able to know her thoughts. “Do you love me, Debbie? Really love me?”

  “I—”

  But Julia interrupted. This wasn’t fair. He was making the girl grovel, and that wasn’t right! “A lady never says it first, Alex,” Julia said, arching a brow.