the long ride must have been extremely difficult for her, yet she never
once voiced a complaint.
"We'll catch the train in Edwardsville tomorrow morning, " he said.
"The town's about five miles south from here. I doubt we'll find fancy
accommodations there, but you would be able to sleep in a bed, " he
explained. "Or we could make a little detour and sleep outside by the
waterfalls."
"You aren't thinking about going back to Rockford Falls?
" she asked, already shaking her head.
"We're a long way from Rockford Falls, " he assured her. "The spot I'm
thinking about has a little waterfall that spills into a clear, blue
water basin. It's real secluded."
"How much of a detour is it? " she asked tiredly. She pushed a strand
of hair out of her eyes and noticed the dust on her hands. A bath
sounded luxurious to her.
"About a mile from here, " he said. "If we do sleep out, it means
getting up a little earlier."
"What would you like to do? " He always preferred sleeping out under
the stars, away from the noise and crowds and congestion of a big town,
but he wasn't going to sway Jessica. It was her choice, not his.
"Whatever you decide is fine with me."
"I'd love to have a bath."
"I'm sure we can find a bath for you in Edwardsville."
"But I'd rather sleep outside. Is it really secluded by the
waterfall?
" "Yeah, it is."
"Then I'll be able to practice."
"Practice what? " he asked.
"You'll see, " she said. "I can't do it alone. You're going to have
to help." He raised an eyebrow. "Does practice involve touching? "
He was teasing her and fully expected to make her blush. She didn't,
though. She agreed instead.
"Oh, yes, you'll have to put your arms around me. At least I think you
will. I'm not sure. I don't have any experience." He nudged his
horse into a trot and led the way down a narrow slope.
She was right behind him.
His mind jumped from one licentious thought to another. What in
thunder did she want to practice?
He glanced back. "This practice . . . it requires seclusion? " She
hid her smile. "Oh, yes, it does."
"Why? " "Because I'm going to make a lot of noise. If there were
other people around, I would be inhibited." He pulled back on the
reins and waited for her to catch up to him. He could see the sparkle
in her eyes and knew she was up to mischief.
"You aren't talking about what I think you're talking about, are you?
" She batted her eyelashes at him. He burst into laughter.
"What do you think I'm talking about? " she asked innocently.
"Sex."
"No, " she blurted out before she too burst into laughter.