*Deke could see Laura was struggling against a rising panic. Sitting cross-legged with his shoulders slumped to rest his arms on his knees, he was doing his level best to look harmless. But if that skittering pulse in the hollow of her throat was any sign, he wasn't pulling it off.

He supposed he should feel guilty for putting her in such a spot. But he didn't. Regrets, yes. He had plenty of them, but not over anything he had done or intended to do. What he regretted were the things that had put such fear in her eyes because it would make it so very hard for her to trust again.

And trust him, she must. He wasn't responsible for this situation; he only meant to rectify it, if he could. Why, then, should he feel bad if he got something he wanted in the bargain, namely this woman? Over the last week, Deke had come to want her, not because he had decided to, but simply because it had happened. After what he had suffered at the hands of one fancy city woman, he would be a fool to risk the same again. But Laura had staked a claim on his heart.

And now he was staking a claim on her. With no guilt, with no regrets, with no hesitation, and he would make no apology for that, not to her or himself. Raised as a Cheyenne, Deke didn't believe things happened accidentally. For every breath of breeze, for every drop of rain, for every heart that beat, there was a purpose. His people believed life was a tapestry, the weave complex, the pattern controlled by powers beyond comprehension. Deke saw the births of a man and woman as events that took place at the opposite outer edges of that tapestry, the proceeding days, weeks, months, and years a braid of textures and colors that swirled relentlessly toward a center point where their individual patterns finally blended and became more intricate. If a man was lucky, the woman he met and became interwoven with in that central swirl brought with her a brilliance that shimmered as beautifully as Laura's eyes.

He wouldn't run from what he sensed was meant to be. And he wasn't going to allow Laura to run from it either.

"Did you say married?" she finally whispered, her eyes stricken and pleading with him to say no.

Deke steeled himself against that look. For a week he had not only kept Laura alive, but had kept her world from toppling, and now he was kicking the shins out from under her. His only consolation was that when she fellwhich he would see to it she eventually didit would be into his arms.

He reached to rub his nose and discovered his hand was shaking. Jesus. This was a fine state of affairs. It was up to him to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible before Star came with the baby.

"Yep, married, that's what I said."

The minute Deke spoke, he wanted to slug himself. Cocksure was not the impression he should be giving off right now. Did he want to scare her to death? If that was his aim, he might as well just rub his palms together and drool. Gotcha, darlin'!

She searched his face as if she hoped he might be joking. Deke was very glad he wasn't, but for her sake, he struggled to keep all trace of smugness out of his expression. Braving it out, she laughed softly, but even as the sound erupted, he detected a note of hysteria in it. "L-Let me reiterate, just to be certain"

"Re-what?"

"Reiterate." She made an agitated gesture with hands that were shaking worse than his were. "Repeat what you said. While I was deliriouscompletely unaware of what was going onyou married me?"

Deke thought that pretty much covered things, but the look in Laura's eyes made him wish he didn't have to own up to it. Circumstances beyond their control had maneuvered her into his grasp; he found reason to rejoice in that, but it wouldn't do for her to feel he was gloating. "Yep. Marrying you, it was all I could think of to do."

Those beautiful eyes of hers started to bulge a little bit, and he noticed that a small vein in her temple was swelling. He couldn't help but stare at it.

"Am I to assume that you proposed to me, and in my addled state, I said yes?"

Deke forced his gaze back to hers. "Laura, honey, I think maybe you oughta calm down a tad before you rupture a vessel."

"I am perfectly calm, and I asked you a question. Did you trick me into saying yes while I was delirious?" Her voice had gone high-pitched and tremulous, not quite a wail, but close.

"What've I ever done to make you think I'd be that sneaky?" Deke tried for the harmless look again. Why, he didn't know. It didn't seem to be working. It had never worked with her.

She pressed a hand over her heart. "By that, can I assume you didn't propose and I didn't say yes?"

"I wouldn't try to trick you into somethin' that way, honey. It was one thing for me to do what needed doin', knowin' you might not be very happy about it. But gettin' you to say yes when you was out of your head? Only a low down skunk'd pull a stunt like that."

She blinked. Then she blinked again. Deke got the nasty feeling she hoped he might disappear.

Her line of reasoning made no sense at all to him, and he couldn't help but feel mildly offended. "Even if I was that low down, why would I bother with tricks?" he reasoned. "By Cheyenne law, I didn't need your consent. Granted, it ain't done real often, but bride stealin' happens. The only kicker is if someone objectssomeone besides the woman who gets stole, of course, since it usually goes without sayin' that she ain't fond of the idea. You don't even have any relatives here that I gotta worry about."

At that, her face blanched, and her eyes grew rounder. Deke rubbed his nose again. Shit. Why had he said that? He was getting so nervous, he felt like somebody had a fistful of his guts and was giving them a slow twist. He was no good at talking his way out of corners. Never had been, never would be, so why the hell was he trying?

Because if he didn't try, that left only one option, which was to ride roughshod over her.

"Laura." He massaged the back of his neck. "Honey, I never would've done this if there had been another way. You believe that, don't you?"

Hell, no, she didn't believe it. That horrified look in her eyes told him that. The realization made Deke feel even more irritated. True, he was as pleased as a toad with two lily pads about the way this had all turned out, but he hadn't arranged things to happen this way.

"Well, say, hey..." He shrugged and tossed in a chuckle for good measure. "Would you listen to me, askin' you such a damned fool question? Of course you believe it. I mean, why"he lifted his hands to emphasize the sheer stupidity of the question"would any man in his right mind go through all this folderol to get himself a wife if all he had to do in the first place was grab her by the"

Deke broke off and teetered there, doing mental handsprings to keep from falling in. He didn't want to say that, for Christ's sake. Sweat began to bead on his forehead.

In need of something to do, he picked up another splinter of firewood and began running his fingers back and forth along its length. When he looked up, he found that Laura was staring at his hands with a panicked expression on her small face. He followed her gaze. It didn't take many brains to figure out what she must be thinking. He immediately stopped stroking the wood.

The low sound of men's laughter drifted in from outside, and voices rang through the night in a language Deke knew Laura couldn't understand. Cheyenne warriors, his friends, some of whom he claimed as kin. He wanted to step to the lodge door and yell at all of them to shut up. The last thing he needed was for her to start thinking about Indians and all the terrible things they did to white women. That would scare her to death.

As if she wasn't halfway there already.

The more that he thought about it, the more her reaction to this marriage started to rankle. It wasn't as if he was so hard put to find a wife that he had to trap one, after all. What had given Laura the idea he even wanted a white wife, anyway? In his experience, white women were usually more fuss and bother than they were worth. This predicament was evidence of that. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, a Cheyenne woman would have accepted what her man told her, and that would have been the end of it.

Only he didn't want a Cheyenne woman. He wanted Laura, sassy little piece of baggage that she was. And he had a feeling she would get worse before she got better.

A slight smile touched his mouth, which he quickly squelched. He didn't want her to believe he didn't sympathize with how she felt. He could see her side in this. It was probably more than a little alarming to fall asleep a widow and wake up married. To her way of thinking, they had known each other barely long enough to feel comfortable sharing the same cup of morning coffee. Now he was asking her to share one hell of a lot more. Not in so many words, of course, but a widow with a baby didn't need him to draw her a map. On top of that, he wasn't exactly every lady's heart's desire. In Denver when women saw him coming, they switched sides of the street. Poor Laura had no way to escape his path, and after being married to a bastard like Tristan Cheney, she was probably afraid Deke would walk right over the top of her.

Well, he was who he was. There was no changing it. He couldn't go around keeping his hands hidden or shave a foot off his height or learn fancy Boston parlor talk in five easy lessons.

The look in Laura's eyes told Deke his present tack was getting him nowhere fast. No more playing cat and mouse. Unless he wanted a panicked female on his hands, it was time to toss his rope and get the noose cinched tight so he could exercise some control.

The slender length of firewood Deke was holding suddenly snapped under the pressure of his fingers, jerking both him and Laura back to the moment and the realization that they had been staring at each other. She jumped at the sound.

"Laura, look," he said in as soothing a tone as he could muster. "I think what we need to do here is keep our sights trained on the fix you're in and forget everything else. Do you think you can do that?"

Those eyes. When Deke looked into them, he felt as though he were drowning in bourbon, a hell of a nice way to go, but thought-numbing. The girl had a tongue she could wrap around a post and still have wag to spare. If he meant to stay a step ahead of her, he'd have to keep on his toes.

"No offense intended, Mr. Sheridan, but please understand that this fix I'm in ... well, marriage seems a rather drastic step to take. So drastic that it's a little difficult for me to think past it." She touched a hand to her throat. "Please rest assured it's nothing personal. I'd feel that way with anyone, not just you."

"Marriage may be drastic, but it's also the only step to take," he came back. "Do you think I set out on this trip hankerin' to get me a wife and kid? Think again. I wouldn't've done this if there'd been another way."

She steepled her trembling fingertips and brushed them lightly across her lips. "Wh-What if we went to Denver and g-got help? It's onlywhattwo days away? The immediate threat of Indian attack has probably passed by now. I'm certain the sheriff would enlist the aid of volunteers if we asked. Maybe with a show of strength to back us, Black Stone can be made to listen to reason."

Deke jerked off the headband of cobalt trade beads and swiped at his forehead. "A show of strength. Rifles, you mean? Toted by white men who'd as soon shoot a Cheyenne as look at one? Don't ask me to do that, Laura."

"We could choose the men carefully. Decent, God-fearing men, that's all we'd bring back with us"

"There ain't such a thing as decent white men when it comes to Indians. Especially right now with the hate runnin' so high. There'd be a bloodbath for sure."

"You don't know that. Not every man in Denver is an Indian hater. It's worth a try, surely. Better that than leaping into a marriage both of us will abhor."

Deke wasn't certain what abhor meant, but he got her gist. "You're the one that's got a problem with this marriage, darlin', not me. As for a show of force bein' worth a try? It'd be kinda like gamblin' with lives on a throw of the dice, wouldn't it?" He flashed her a humorless smile. "You're askin' me to risk the lives of people I love, to choose between them and you." He dropped the beads into his shirt pocket. "Sorry, but you lose. I won't do it. My way, nobody stands to get hurt."

"Oh, really! And what of me?" she blurted.

By her expression, Deke knew she regretted saying the words. For his part, he was glad they were finally out in the open. "What about you? I reckon maybe this ain't a leg up on your last marriage, but at least it can't be worse." He looked directly into her eyes. "Since the first, you been sayin' there wasn't no price so dear you wouldn't pay it to get that boy back. Now you're shilly-shallyin'. What you gotta ask yourself is, how bad do you really want that baby?"

At that, what little color remained in her face drained away, and the pupils of her eyes became gigantic. "But marriage, Mr. Sheridan? I scarcely know you. We met barely a week ago, and I slept through most of that."

"I was awake. Half of us was gettin' acquainted."

A tiny muscle in her cheek started to twitch. She stared at him for several endless moments as though she had never seen him before. Deke didn't allow his gaze to falter. If she saw the possessiveness he felt toward her in his eyes, so be it.

"Wh-Why couldn't we simply pretend to be married? Just for a few days, until I get Jonathan back and I'm strong enough to leave?"

"Because there ain't no such thing as pretendin' among the People. If you say somethin' is so, it's so. I said we was married. That makes it a fact."

"To your way of thinking."

"Right now, I carry the vote."

Deke could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. He knew she was thinking ahead to when they would leave here, that his vote and heathen beliefs wouldn't count for much in Denver. Well, he had news for her on that score, but he would deliver it later tonight when the moment felt right. For now, he had to herd her little butt over this first rough spot. Before he knew it, Star might come with the baby, and he couldn't risk Laura saying something in front of the squaw that would give them away.

Bracing his elbows on his knees, Deke leaned forward, ignoring the heat against his face that rose from the small fire. "Laura, how's about if I make all of this a little bit simpler for you?"

"II would appreciate it," she said thinly.

He doubted that. Hating himself even as he did it, Deke assumed a stern, don't-trifle-with-me expression. "If you're that set against this marriage, I'll go out there right now and tell Black Stone I lied to himthat you ain't my wife and that Jonathan's not my son."

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down until the flesh turned white. "And if you do that? What will happen?"

"Well, we'll lay over here for a few days until you can travel, then we'll light out for Denver. Without your baby." He lifted his hands. "What you do when you get to Denver is your business. At that point, I'll wash my hands of the whole aggravatin' mess. I'm sure you're right. The sheriff'll round up volunteers to bring you back here."

Hope flared in her eyes.

Quick to dash it, Deke added, "But don't expect Black Stone and his band to be waitin' here for you like lambs for the slaughter. They won't be. And I gotta tell you, honey, the chances of them volunteers findin' a band of Cheyenne Indians when they don't wanna be found is gonna be slim."

"II could hire another tracker. You did say there were others in Denver as good as you."

"That's what I said. But I was talkin' about findin' kidnappers when I said it. There's only one man I know in this territory worth his salt at trackin' Indians."

Her eyes implored him. "WWould you give me that man's name?"

Deke dealt the stunning blow. "You're lookin' at him."

Laura's shoulders sagged, and she squeezed her eyes closed. Her face had gone so white, it frightened him. Afraid he might relent, he fixed his gaze on the fire for a moment. There was no backing out of this. If they did, she'd lose that kid, and he wasn't about to see that happen, not over a handful of silly fears he could chase away if she would only give him half a chance.

"That's your first choice," he added. "The second is acceptin' this marriage. If you do that, you get your baby back. I guess what it all boils down to is how much you really love him."

At that, her eyes flew open. "That is unfair!"

Since first meeting her, one thing Deke had always admired about Laura was that she didn't let her lack of bulk stop her from standing up for herself. "It's the way I call it. If the truth hurts, as the sayin' goes."

"How can you question my love for my baby? It's not a question of that at all. It's..." Her mouth thinned with dislike. "This isn't a matter of how much I love my child or how much I'll happily sacrifice for him. It's a matter of principle. I'm being pushed into a marriage against my will. What of my personal freedom? What of my inalienable right to choose the man I wish to marry?"

"I'm givin' you a choice." He glanced around as if they had an audience. "Didn't I give this gal a choice?"

Her eyes flashed at him. "This is not a joking matter."

"It sure as hell ain't. Marryin' a gal who gets the bit between her teeth at every turn ain't exactly high on my list, I'll tell you that, and if that's the way it's gonna be, I wash my hands of it."

Tears began to shimmer in her eyes, but Deke didn't allow himself to pay them any heed.

"You talk about principles, darlin'? What about mine?" He thumped his chest. "I lied for you, goddammit. To people who'd sooner cut out their tongues as lie to me. Not so I could trap you. You're a real pretty little gal, but no woman on earth's that pretty. I done it so you'd get that baby back. Because for some crazy reason, I care about you, and I knew it'd kill you to lose him."

The tears had formed pools and were welling over her lower lashes onto her pale cheeks.

"You wanna throw that back in my teeth? Hey, sweetheart, that's fine by me. Just say the word. I'll go set things straight with Black Stone. It's your baby that'll get took. And the bottom line is, if you don't go along with this, that ain't my problem. I've done what I can to fix this mess, and that's all you or anybody else can expect from me."

"I just want my baby," she said.

"No, you want him with no cost to yourself. Sorry, honey, but that ain't how things work in this old world." Deke held her gaze. "The way I see it, you're damned lucky I even want to marry you. Have you stopped to think of the mess you'd be in if I ran the other way?"

"Why do you? Want to marry me, I mean?" she asked shrilly.

The question stopped Deke dead for a second. Then he decided, given the hurtful things Tristan Cheney had said to her, that telling Laura the naked truth would probably do her more good in the long run than a hundred smooth lies. "You're a beautiful woman, that's why. And I want you. What man in his right mind wouldn't?"

"It takes far more to make a marriage work than that, Mr. Sheridan."

"It sure does. Cooperatin' with each other, for starters. I reckon what you gotta decide is if you can meet me halfway. I ain't real fond of the idea of harnessin' myself into the traces with a woman who's gonna be fightin' me with every step."

"I won't fight you!"

He let that hang between them for a moment. "Does that mean you agree to the marriage?"

Her mouth quivered at the corners as she said, "Yes. I'll give it a try, at least."

"No toe-dippin'," he warned. "If you don't like the looks of the water, don't wade in. I mean that. I can't treat a marriage like I would a boot and take it off if it starts to pinch. If we do this, Laura, it's for life."

As he had a few minutes ago, Deke could see her thoughts racing. The little minx was already planning her getaway, damn her stubborn hide. He'd nix that idea in short order, but first things first.

"Well?" he pressed. "Do I go find Black Stone and tell him the truth? Or do you agree to things as they stand? Make up your mind, Laura. Star'll be here with the baby before long, and once she comes, the time for choices is over."

Laura wrung the cloth of her skirt in her hands, looking at him as if he were trying to shove her off a cliff. "I, um, agree to the marriage," she murmured.

He cocked his head. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I agree to the marriage," she said more firmly.

"For life, with no maybe riding drag?"

"For life, with no maybe riding drag."