Julie Garwood - Prince Charming

He made it halfway across the clearing before he stopped. He thought the matter over in his mind for a good five minutes.

Lucas was getting ready to chop wood. He'd taken his shirt off and turned to put it in the wagon when Hunter came storming out of the house. He could hear his friend muttering under his breath, and when Hunter stopped and didn't move for so long, he guessed exactly what was going on.

Georgie came running past him. He caught her in his arms and lifted her up.

"Don't bother Hunter now," he whispered to his daughter so his friend wouldn't overhear.

Then Daniel came hurrying past. Lucas grabbed hold of him and pulled him up against his side.

"Leave Hunter alone," he told his son.

"What's he doing?" Daniel asked.

Lucas smiled. "Struggling. Any minute now he's going to realize it's inevitable." He continued to keep his gaze on Hunter. "Why don't you two go and see what your mother's doing?"

As soon as he put Georgie down, Daniel took hold of her hand and led her back into the house.

Hunter finally made up his mind. He turned around and walked over to Lucas.

"I'll stay around for a little while," he announced.

"I'd appreciate your help."

Hunter nodded. He was glad his friend didn't ask him why he'd changed his mind. He hurriedly changed the subject. "Do you think Caulder might really show up here one of these days?"

"If he believes I've got his gold, he will," Lucas answered.

"They'll probably catch him before he gets as far as Sioux City."

"They might," Lucas agreed.

"Victoria shouldn't go anywhere until after the baby's born. The journey here was hard on her. She needs rest."

"Are you suggesting we stay?"

"Can't see any other way," Hunter replied.

Lucas was concerned about Victoria, of course, but he was also worried about his wife and his children. The wilderness was no place for them. He thought of at least ten reasons right away why it wasn't safe. One of them could step on a snake or drown in the creek or get mauled by a bear. The list was endless.

Yet Hunter was right. They had to stay until the baby was born.

Hunter went into town then to get some supplies he would need to reinforce the stairs.

Lucas told Taylor at supper that Hunter had agreed to stay on until Victoria had her baby. Taylor's friend burst into tears over the news. She stood up, excused herself, and went into her bedroom.

"What's wrong with her?" Daniel David asked.

"She's happy," Taylor explained.

Lucas shook his head. He thought Victoria's reaction was damned odd. Then he turned his attention back to his wife. She looked a sight tonight with her hair spilling down her back and her face rosy from cooking. He thought he could be content to look at her the rest of the night.

She wasn't paying any attention to him. Georgie had deliberately pushed a biscuit up against a piece of salted pork on Allie's plate, which caused an immediate uproar, and Taylor was trying to soothe one twin and lecture the other one at the same time.

Lucas slipped in the other bit of news when Allie paused to take a deep breath so she could scream again. "We're going to stay here until Victoria's had her baby. Then we're leaving."

She gave him a radiant smile. He immediately reminded her their living arrangement was temporary. "Don't think this means I've changed my mind. We aren't raising the children here."

"No, of course not," she replied.

He acted as though he hadn't heard her agreement. "It's too dangerous here for them and for you. You're too fragile for such primitive conditions. Come fall, we're moving to the city."

"But you hate the city."

"I'll get used to it."

With an effort, she was able to hold onto her temper. "Do you have a particular city in mind?"

"We're going back east."

She waited for him to elaborate. After a minute or two, she realized he wasn't going to say another word about his future plans for the family.

"I'm not fragile, Lucas."

He wouldn't listen to her. "Come fall, we're leaving. Don't even think about settling in."

She assured him she wouldn't.

The following morning, she put up yellow and white checkered curtains. She told Lucas it was just for privacy's sake, which was a ridiculous reason given the fact that they lived in the wilderness. Yes, she knew they were leaving. Of course she did. He'd told her so at least a hundred times. But that didn't mean they couldn't be comfortable in the meantime.

He noticed the tablecloth on the table that evening. And the dishes stacked in neat rows on the shelves. There was a new bedspread on their bed, and a glass vase stuffed with wildflowers on top of the mantel. The place was looking more and more like a home to him.

Roily let them purchase the rocker from Frank with the condition that he be allowed to borrow it on Sunday afternoons for the reading of the newspaper. Taylor readily agreed. Frank didn't think Roily had any business giving Taylor stipulations. Just because he'd made the thing didn't mean he could borrow it whenever he wanted. He had, after all, sold it to Frank if he would recall.

The giant didn't like being told what he could or couldn't do. He grabbed Frank by the collar and was about to give him a good shake when Taylor stepped between the two men.

"You made this beautiful rocker, Roily?"

The awe in her voice gained the giant's full attention. She thought it was beautiful. He'd heard that compliment plain and clear. He forgot he was holding onto Frank. He gave her a nod, then muttered, "What of it?" so she wouldn't think he was pleased or proud of his work.

Taylor sat down in the rocker and trailed her fingertips along the polished wood. Roily turned to watch her. He was still holding onto Frank and dragged him with him like Allie dragged her rag doll around.

"It's sound," he told her. His voice didn't sound surly now.

"It's magnificent," she declared. "I don't believe I've ever seen anything this well crafted in all of England," she exaggerated. "You're a true craftsman, Roily."

The giant dropped Frank and hurried over to Taylor. "No nails," he announced. "I didn't cheat and use nails."

He made Taylor stand up so he could lift the rocker and turn it upside down. He wanted her to get a better look at the construction.

Frank quickly recovered from Rolly's burst of temper. Over the years he'd gotten used to being tossed or shaken or shoved by the giant. He wasn't afraid of him any longer. He knew Roily would never kill him, for he thought of him as a friend. And friends in these parts were hard to come by. Frank knew the limits of Rolly's patience, however, and for that reason he didn't dare smile while he watched Taylor's compliments turn the fierce giant into a blushing boy.

Roily told Taylor he had always been good with his hands, and he decided he might as well use them to turn a profit. He worked in his home and pointed to the last building down the road to show her where it was.

"I got enough wood stored up in the shed behind to make twenty rockers," he said. "And it takes me exactly two weeks, start to finish, to make one as sound as can be."

Taylor asked him if he would consider making a cradle for Victoria's baby. She was willing to pay a fair price, she assured him, and he would have all summer to work on it.

Roily rubbed his whiskered jaw and then told her he'd have to think about it.

Late that evening, after everyone had gone to sleep, Lucas woke her up making love to her. She was so tired, she didn't think she had the strength or the inclination, but his warm caresses and hot kisses soon changed her mind. She became as demanding and desperate as he was, and when she found fulfillment, he silenced her scream of ecstasy with his mouth.

He collapsed on top of her and when she let out a groan, he rolled to his side and pulled her into his arms. She tried to keep the loving words locked inside. She didn't want to burden Lucas or make him think she was desperate for his pledge of love. She was desperate though, and no matter how hard she tried to be reasonable about it, she still couldn't talk herself out of her own longing.