"This is about as safe as I could find, " he replied. "No one can get to us from behind, and I can hear anyone coming down the path."

"That isn't what I mean, " she said. "And now you've started a fire.

I can't be in three places at once." He wasn't sure what she was riled up about. He leaned back against the rock and stared at her. "We'll need the fire later, " he said. "It's going to get cold in the middle of the night. It always does up here in the mountains." She threaded her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. "Did you have to set up camp next to a lake? " "The horses need water, Jessie, and so do we, } he reasoned.

She didn't care if his explanation was logical or not. "Don't you realize the enticement the water is for Caleb? I won't sleep a wink tonight, worrying about him. What if he wakes up and wanders away? He could get lost in the forest, or drown, or step on a snake . . . "

"Jessica, calm down. I'm not going to let anything happen to him. "

She acted as though he hadn't said a word. "He could fall in the fire or step on a hot ember, " she continued. "What were you thinking? "

Although he did understand her concerns, he was a little insulted that she didn't trust him to look after her and her son. "I'm not going to let him get burned, drowned, bitten, or lost."

"I'm still going to worry, " she whispered. She glanced over at Caleb to make sure he was all right, saw that he was digging in the dirt with a stick he'd found, and turned back to the lake. In the fading light, the water appeared to be on fire. The burnished orange sheen was a lovely sight.

"You know what I think? " Cole said, drawing her back to the conversation.

"No, what? " she asked on a weary sigh.

"You need a bath." She turned back to him. "Excuse me? " "I said you need a bath. Take your clothes off and go swimming. It'll be good for you. You're hot and tired, and the water will make you feel better.

Go ahead. I'll take Caleb in with me. I'll keep my back turned if you're worried about your modesty, but out here folks have to be practical." She glanced back over her shoulder at the lake. "I'm not worried about modesty. I know you wouldn't take advantage of our circumstances. You can't." If she hadn't added the last comment, he would have taken what she had said as a compliment, for in his mind, she had just admitted that she trusted him.

"I can't? " he repeated, his curiosity piqued. "Why can't I? " "Why can't you take advantage of our situation? " "Yes." Her smile was heart-stopping. The woman was something else all right, and he realized then how difficult it was becoming for him to keep his hands off her.

"Because you're a United States marshal, " she patiently reminded him.

"And that means? " he prodded.

"It means you've taken an oath. You're here to protect me, not . .

" She was going to say the word "dally, " then changed her mind. ".

. you know." He couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to laugh or groan. He gritted his teeth in frustration, for he finally understood what she was telling him. He decided to set her straight.

"Jessica, contrary to what you might imagine, marshals aren't neutered when they're sworn in. Giving up sex isn't part of the job description." Her eyes widened. "Are you saying . . . " "Damned right I am." He expected her to blush or at the very least try to change the subject. She shrugged instead. "I'm not going to worry, 2 she announced.

She stared at the lake a long minute before nervously adding, "Should I? " The longer he thought about the conversation and her bizarre opinions, the more exasperated he became. "I'll tell you when you should worry.

All right? " She laughed. "Yes, all right."

"Do you want to go swimming or not? " he asked. "Caleb, quit throwing dirt and come here." The baby dropped his stick and came running.

Cole sat him on his lap and took his undershirt off.

"Is the water deep? " Jessica asked.

"I don't know, " Cole answered as he unfastened the ties holding Caleb's nappy secure. "It probably is in the middle. Why? Can't you swim? " "Not very well, " she admitted. "I haven't had much practice.

" "Didn't you go swimming when you were a little girl? " She shook her head. "There wasn't time for such frivolity." Cole looked at her.

"Why wasn't there time? " "I was busy." He could tell from her tone of voice she didn't want to talk about growing up. If he'd been a sensitive man, he might have heeded the unspoken suggestion and changed the subject. Sensitivity wasn't one of his attributes, however.

"Doing what? " he asked.

She sighed. "I helped my mother in the shop where she worked . . . a lady's dress shop, " she qualified. "When I was younger, I stayed with neighbors or helped at school. There wasn't much time to play."

"It was just the two of you, wasn't it? Your father left."

"Yes, he left."

"Do you know where he is? " "I heard that he died, but I don't know if that's true or not. Are you taking Caleb in the water now? " "Yes."

"You'll hold him tight? " she asked. "He's slippery when he's wet."

Cole pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Then he removed his gunbelt and stood up. She hastily turned her attention to the lake, but not before she noticed how muscled his chest and upper arms were. His skin was deeply tanned, indicating he had spent long hours in the sun bare-chested. There was a mat of dark blond hair trailing down to his belly button, and, God, she really shouldn't have been looking. Cole was a handsome man. She would have had to be blind not to notice his steely blue eyes, but what made him most attractive to her was his behavior toward her son. He had the patience of Job.

He was gentle and soft-spoken with Caleb, and nothing the little one did seemed to bother him.

He'd make a wonderful father. She pushed the thought aside the second it popped into her mind. She didn't need him or any other man, she reminded herself. She and Caleb were doing just fine the way they were.

"I wish I had been able to talk to Grace before we left. I promised to help her find a ranch. She offered me a job, and it would have been an ideal setting to raise my son. He'd have room to run."

"What could you do on a ranch? " Her spine stiffened. "I could do lots of things.

I've never been afraid of hard work, " she added.

"You don't need to get mad. I wasn't insulting you or challenging you.

I was simply curious."

"Grace should know what's going on. I would have told her to go ahead and leave without Caleb and me and that we'd catch up with her in Denver. She's under tremendous pressure, and time's running out for her." Cole didn't understand, but Jessica refused to explain. "If Grace wants you to know her personal business, she'll tell you.

I should have taken my belongings out of the wagon. I hope Grace doesn't feel she has to look after them."

"Quit worrying, " he ordered. "She'll be fine, and you'll be seeing her real soon." Her attention was turned when Caleb threw himself into her arms. He wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing, and he was rank.

"I'll get the soap, " she said.

"Jessie? " "Yes? " she answered as she eased the baby off her lap.

"You might want to close your eyes for a minute." She didn't ask why.

She simply squeezed her eyes shut. Curiosity got the better of her, though, and she finally had to know. "You didn't take all of your clothes off, did you? " "Sure did, " he answered cheerfully. "Caleb and I are buck naked." She wanted to look. She convinced herself that she was merely curious because she'd never seen a naked man before.

She really ought to, shouldn't she, since she was a mother?

She peeked, but with only one eye. She was disappointed because she'd waited too long. All she saw was Cole's backside and thighs as he moved into the water. She found it quite odd that every inch of his back was also tanned. What did the man do? Work outside naked? The possibility was so ludicrous, she smiled.