In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

she snapped. Seeing Carlos watching her, she demanded, "Did the doctor say you could get up?"

"Yes," he replied. "He says I'm fine. Never mind about that. Did Franks follow you to Junction City?"

Conscious of the watching dairy crew, she unwrapped the cheese cloth on a wheel of cheese before answering. 'Yes, he was in Junction City."

"What did he want?"

Iris hesitated, unsure of how much she was supposed to tell him or how much Gran would want the listening men and women to hear. "He saw us putting Jeanne and Samuel on the train for Azure City and guessed they had gotten married. He wanted to know what it would be worth for him not to tell Ira Johnson about the marriage. Gran invited him up to our suite for tea that afternoon. On the way back to the Hotel, we stopped to see an old friend of hers from her Portal Runner days."

She re-wrapped the wheel and left the cellar. Carlos followed her.

"Well?"

Iris looked around to make sure they couldn't be overheard. "When Franks came up to the suite, Gran told me to distract him while she drugged his tea, so I did."

Carlos goggled at her. "Drugged his tea? With what?"

"Some kind of powder she makes from poppies. It was pretty effective. He was out cold in minutes. Gran's friend Joe Wong and a couple of rivermen came and took Franks away with them. The rivermen are supposed to keep Franks on their boat and strand him upriver when they turn around to come home."

She looked up to discover Carlos studying her with a peculiar expression on his face.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked him.

"No, of course not, but—" he stopped because he didn't know what to say. It felt as if the floor had dropped out from under him. Iris had acted exactly right, but the delicate, fragile girl of his dreams had overnight morphed into a woman with the skill and ability to outwit and dispose of her enemies. Strangely enough, instead of repulsing him, evidence of this feminine strength made him want her more than ever.

"You have to admit I was right about Franks being a bad man," he said, trying to regain some authority over the situation.

Iris made a face at him. "Yes, you were right about him. Feel better?"

Instead of answering, he pulled her into a hug, dropping a kiss on her brow. Iris leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. His arms tightened, and he tilted her chin up so he could kiss her. Iris slid both arms around his neck, and opened her mouth, her tongue tangling with his.

They were reminded they were in a public part of the house, when Alec and the men rode into the outer courtyard with Chamber tied over a tricorn's saddle.

At the sight of her husband safe and sound, Bethany came running out of the house and as soon as he dismounted threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder.

"Hey," Alec said, stroking her hair. "Anyone would think you were worried about me."

She stepped back and touched his ear. "What happened to your ear?"

"It's nothing," he assured her.

"He shot you, didn't he? Is he dead?"

"Sure," he said.

"Come into the house so I can clean that," Bethany ordered.

Smiling, Alec allowed her to lead him toward the Open patio windows.

At the sound of their return, Michael had rolled his chair over to the open window. He snorted. "Of course, he got him girl. What do you think that is draped over that saddle? Put that body in the cheese cellar with the others," he directed Macon, who looked unhappy at the order. As head gardener, he dealt more frequently with the ladies of the house than some of the other men, and he knew Iris wasn't going to like another dead body near her prize cheeses.

"Miss Iris was pretty mad about the others, boss."

"She'll deal with it," her father said, glaring at his daughter, who grimaced but nodded resignedly. "It's just temporary anyway. We need to talk," he told Alec. "There is some stuff happened you need to know about. You too Carlos."

"Not before I clean his ear," Bethany told her father.

Mike rolled his eyes. "When she gets through fussing with that scratch, come into the den."

Bethany brought Alec into her grandmother's sitting room to clean the blood off his ear.

When she turned to replace the iodine solution in the family first aid bag, Alec caught her hand. He drew her down onto the loveseat with him.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

Bethany bit her lip, refusing to meet his eyes. "I don't know," she said. "I just—" abruptly, she turned her face into his shoulder and burst into tears.

A great well of tenderness swamped him. He kissed her hair and her wet face.

Finally, she sat up and wiped her eyes. When she started to slide off his lap, Alec held her fast.

"Why were you crying?" he insisted.

"I don't want you to get killed!" she wailed.

"This is why Mike sent for me, and why you married me," he reminded her.

"I know that!" she snapped. "I didn't expect to—"

"Didn't expect to what?"

"I didn't expect to fall in love with you, if you must know," she said.

Instead of answering her, Alec's arms tightened fiercely. He tilted her chin up out of his shoulder and smothered her mouth in an endless, aching kiss.

"I love you too," he said softly, when he at last lifted his head. "Somewhere along the line, you got to be more important than any bargain I made about the ranch."

Bethany wiped her eyes and blew her nose on a bandana she pulled out of a box on the table.

Paco knocked on the sitting room door. "Miss Bethany, my Mama wants you in the kitchen and el Patron wants Senor Alec in the den, Pronto."

"We'll finish this later tonight," Alec promised her.

When Alec left St. Vyr in the den, he went looking for Bethany and found her out in the stables, checking