Pam pulled away from him. “And is she good in bed? Is she also better at that than I am?”
“I have no idea. There’s a little fire in her but she’s clumsy with it. I’m not marryin’ her for sex. That’s always available.”
Pam put her arms around his neck. “If I begged you—,” she began.
“It wouldn’t help. I’m gonna marry Houston.”
“Kiss me,” she whispered. “Remind me. Let me remember.”
Speculatively, Kane looked at her. Perhaps he wanted to know, too. He put his big hand to the back of her head and his lips on hers. It was a long kiss and he put all he had into it.
And when he moved away, they were smiling at each other.
“It is over, isn’t it?” Pam whispered.
“Yes.”
She stayed close to him. “All those years with Nelson, I believed I was in love with you but I was in love with a dream. Perhaps my father was right.”
He removed her arms from his neck. “Any more talk of your father and we may come to blows.”
“You aren’t still angry at him, are you?”
“This is my weddin’ day and I want happiness, so let’s not talk about Fenton. Tell me about my son.”
“Gladly,” Pam said and began talking.
* * *
It was an hour later when Pam left Kane alone in the garden to finish his cigar. When he was done, he flung the butt to the ground, looked at his pocket watch and knew it was time to return to dress for the wedding.
He hadn’t taken but a few steps when he came face to face with a man who, if Kane had been able to see them together, he would have known was the image of himself in about ten years’ time.
Kane and Rafe Taggert stared at each other silently, rather like dogs meeting for the first time. Immediately, they each knew who the other was.
“You don’t look much like your father,” Rafe said with a hint of accusation in his voice.
“I wouldn’t know. I never met the man—or any of his kin,” Kane answered, pointing out the fact that no Taggert had ever contacted him in all the years he was growing up in Fenton’s stable.
Rafe stiffened. “I hear there’s blood on your money.”
“I hear you don’t have any—bloody or not.”
They glared across the space separating them. “You ain’t much like Frank, either. I’ll be leavin’ now.” He turned away.
“You can insult me but not the lady I’m marryin’. You’ll stay for the ceremony.”
Rafe didn’t look back, but he gave a curt nod before walking away.
* * *
“I want to talk to you,” Edan said from the doorway, his eyes grim.
The many women around Houston began to protest, but she put up her hand and silently followed Edan. He led her into his bedroom.
“I know this isn’t proper, but it’s the only place in the house that’s not crawling with people.”
Houston tried to not let her emotions show because she had the distinct impression Edan was angry with her.