Kim didn't reply to this. "Leah," she said slowly. "I need my pink hat. It's in that little brown trunk on the

far side of the wagon. I'd get it but you're so much more agile than I am. Would you get it for me?

Please?"

When Leah hesitated, Kim persisted. "You'll get rid of me soon and you won't have to help me out anymore."

Sighing, Leah agreed. Kim had been so upset lately that Leah couldn't refuse her request. Besides, anything that would postpone their arrival into Kentucky was good for her. She climbed into the back of the wagon and began looking for Kim's trunk.

When Kim returned to the men at the front of the wagon she was frowning. They were deep in conversation, not even aware of Kim as she stood by the horses on the side away from the steep drop.

With one glance upward to be sure the men were busy, she slowly removed her bonnet, pulled out a four-inch-long hatpin, and with great deliberation stuck it into the horse's rump.

"Hey!" John Hammond shouted.

Kim turned frightened eyes toward the man, knowing he'd seen what she'd done.

But no one reacted to John's shout because instantly the horse reared, frightened the other horses, and

the wagon began tumbling down the side of the hill.

"Oh damn!" Wes cursed, watching the wagon. Then he stiffened. "Leah! Where's Leah?"

Kim's eyes were locked onto John Hammond's and she couldn't speak.

Wesley didn't bother to wait for an answer as he ran down the hill after the wagon, Justin on his heels.

Oliver and John followed quickly. Kim stood where she was in the road, not moving.

When the wagon stopped, leaving a trail of goods behind it, the horses screaming in pain, Leah was nowhere to be found. Wesley was throwing trunks and bags of food everywhere while Oliver cut the horses loose.

"Where is she?" Wesley demanded while Justin scanned the hillside, looking for her body.

"Kim is up there," came a voice beside Wesley.

Wesley turned to see Leah standing calmly behind him.

"What happened? How badly are the horses hurt? How much can be saved?" Leah asked all at once as

she started to help Oliver with the horses.

"Damn you!" Wesley hissed, then the next second he caught her in his arms and kissed her so hard he hurt her.

"Wesley!" She gasped, pushing at him. "People are watching." She looked at Justin, who was scowling

furiously, and John, who was watching them with great interest.

Wesley set her down and, for the first time in weeks, his face showed happiness. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce my wife, Leah Stanford."

Only John saw Kim faint, and he was quickly up the hill after her.

Leah's knees gave way and Wes swept her off the ground. "Don't you have anything to say, honey?"

Wes asked her.

Chapter 13.

It took hours to clean up the mess of the wagon. One horse had to be destroyed and the other three were badly scraped and cut, but they'd heal in time. Some sacks of seed had burst open and most of the contents were lost, but few other goods were really hurt.

At the top of the hill, Kimberly was crying loudly while John Hammond tried his best to comfort her. Justin was very angry and threw goods about with force, never once looking at Leah or Wes. Oliver kept looking from one person to another while Leah, with shaking hands, tried to help sort the misplaced wagon contents.

But Wesley acted as if nothing at all was unusual. He was smiling, even humming at times, and telling everyone what to do.

"Leah, honey," Wes said, "hand me that little hat-box."

Obediently Leah picked it up, but as she looked at him smiling at her she threw it at his face, turned, and ran toward the stream, tears in her eyes.

Wesley caught up with her, took her shoulders and turned her to face him. "What's wrong, honey? I thought you'd be happy when I told everyone the truth about us. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

She moved away from him and tried to calm herself. "I knew it had to happen sometime, but when I heard you say it* You ought to tell your friends about the divorce and for heaven's sake, stop calling me 'honey.'"

"Divorce?" He looked puzzled. "Oh no, you don't understand. I've decided we should stay married. There won't be any divorce."

"I think I'll sit down," Leah said quietly before she almost collapsed onto the damp ground. "Could you explain all this to me?"

He grinned down at her confidently. "It's just that I've come to like you, Leah. I was pretty mad at first. Well, all right, more than a little mad and maybe I didn't give you much of a chance, but you'd ruined all my plans and all I could think of was losing Kim."

He hunkered down in front of her. "But on this trip I've come to know you. I thought I wanted a woman like Kim who needed me, but Kim needs a maid more than she needs a man. And besides, you need me, too. You're always trying to take on too much, always trying to do everything for everyone else."

"So you decided I needed you, too," Leah said softly.

"Yes. And besides, you're more fun than Kim. It took me a long time to make the decision but I decided we'll stay married. It just makes sense anyway and it'll cause a lot less trouble."

"And Kim?" Leah asked.

Wes looked down at his feet. "I used to think I loved her but I'm not sure I ever did. I'm not sure I've ever loved any woman. And I think Kim may be more interested in my money than in me," he said, his jaw clenched. "I've worked things out with her. She'll receive a handsome sum from me every month until she marries. She's pretty so I'm sure she'll have no trouble finding a husband."

He was quiet for a moment. "Aren't you going to say anything? I thought you wanted to marry me. That's why you seduced me that first time, isn't it?"

Leah stood and walked away from him. "I want to make sure I've heard you correctly. You don't love me and you've never loved Kim, but between the two of us you've chosen me because it's easier than a divorce and remarriage, and besides, I'm more fun and I need you to protect me from myself. Is that about it?"

He frowned up at her. "I guess so, but you make it sound awfully cold. I think we'll make a good team, Leah. Between the two of us we'll build a place bigger than my brother's and I know you're fertile so we'll have lots of children."

"And would you like to check my teeth also?"

He stood. "I think you're getting mad. Here I am giving you what you wanted and you're getting mad. Do you expect me to go down on one knee and declare undying love for you? I'm not sure I know what love is. I thought I loved Kim but now all I know is I've had enough of her tears and helplessness and I want something different."

She was breathing deeply to try to calm her fury. "And what happens to me when you decide you want more than just fun and my needing you? Will you go back to Kim or perhaps choose another woman?"

"Are you accusing me of* of being fickle?" he said.

She smiled at him. "As much as any woman trying to choose the right color of dress."

He took a step toward her and Leah backed away. "I don't want to stay married to you," she said. "I don't want your big farm and I especially don't want your children. You may have decided you like me but I do not like you. I will not build my future with a man who may run out on me at any moment. I don't want a husband who bases everything on a fun wallow in the mud. What if you and some other woman fall in a river? No! I cannot live with someone as fickle as you. Now I'm going to announce to everyone our intention to obtain a divorce." She turned on her heel, but Wes clamped a hand down on her shoulder.

"You will not make any such announcement," he said under his breath. "I've made my decision and Ididn't do it lightly. I thought about this for a long time."

"And I don't make my decision lightly. I've known about our divorce always and I've come to accept it.

We'll do the procedure in your town of Sweetbriar and after it's over I'll leave, maybe even leave Kentucky altogether."

His hand tightened on her shoulder. "You'd rather go through that than stay married to me?" he asked, astonished.

"I don't really have much choice. Maybe I can get away from my reputation as a loose woman but I'd never be able to live with a man who was so* so dishonest and changeable. I'd spend my whole life wondering from day to day if the kids and I would have a man to provide for us."

Wesley looked shocked. "No one," he said, "no one, man or woman, has ever hinted that I might not be trustworthy. I've never taken my responsibilities lightly."

"Tell that to Kim," she said, turning away again.

"Damn you!" he half yelled, grabbing both her shoulders and making her face him. "If you were a man I'd call you out for what you've said to me. But for you* you will remain married to me. You understand that? And furthermore, tomorrow we're going on a hunting trip, just the two of us, and we're going to act married. We're going to travel together, eat together and sleep together."

She tried to twist away from him. "Get your hands off of me!"

"I'm going to put my hands all over that pretty little body of yours and you can damn well get used to it.

You're my wife and you're going to start acting like a wife."

"I hate you," she said, seething.

"I don't bear you any great love at the moment either."

"I will not submit to you. I will never be your wife."

He dropped his hands from her shoulders and his eyes were steely hard. "I don't believe you have any choice in the matter. As my wife you're my property. Tomorrow morning at dawn you'll leave with me even if I have to tie you to the saddle. Is that clear, you stubborn little cat?"

"I'll do what you say because you have the legal right and the muscle to force me, but I'll fight you everystep of the way. What you get from me you'll have to take and I guarantee you'll find no pleasure in thetaking. Is that clear, you stubborn oaf?"

He tipped his head back and gave her a nasty little smile. "You'll give to me, Leah," he said seductively.

"By the time we leave the forest you'll be begging for me to touch you."

She returned his smile. "You think more highly of yourself than anyone else does. I don't beg."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Let's put it this way: We'll stay in the cold, wet, scary forest until you do slip into my armsand my bedwith a smile on your lips and an eager, warm, little body. So if you ever want to see a house or a soft bed again you'll give in to me."

She looked up at him in astonishment. "Do you forget how I grew up? Only recently have I even seen the comforts you've known all your life. I can hold out much longer than you can."

Wesley took her chin in his hand, forced her to keep facing him, then slowly he brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her sweetly. His lips were warm and moist and in spite of herself Leah leaned into him. He pulled away abruptly. "Can you hold out against me, Leah? Can you resist me while camped on some lonely mountainside when the cats howl and the bears come close to the fire? Just remember that I'll always welcome you to my bed."

She met his eyes with hostility, but his hand on her face felt good. She jerked away.

"Go and get ready for tomorrow's journey, wife," he commanded as he turned and left her.

"Of all the most ridiculous*" Leah muttered when she was alone. Virginal Kim wouldn't give him what he wanted, but he was sure a Simmons would. Maybe he'd begun to realize that Kim was never going to be a great bed partner, and since his upbringing as a gentleman wouldn't allow him to divorce merely because he wanted to try other women, he had decided to stay with Leah. She was a swamp rat and there was no need to treat her with any respect, no need to consider what she wanted as he would have with a lady like Kim.

"Men!" she said aloud. Wesley thought he could change women as he did clothes. Well, this woman was going to change his mind. He thought she'd seduced him the first time so he'd have to marry her. Even after all she'd told him, he still believed that. But maybe that was better than his knowing the real reason she'd walked into his arms. How could she have ever thought she loved him?