Free Breed True by Gem Sivad Page A

was riding on the lap of her new husband, whose knife had killed her former husband. Finally, he solved her struggle to remain upright by roughly pushing her head against his chest. With no way to protest, gradually her body swayed, following the movement of the horse, and as she relaxed, she felt her milk come down, flowing from her into the hungry mouths of the babies.
    The other men who had fallen in behind them, offered no talk, as they picked their way through branches and brush, following a trail marked only for their eyes. When they emerged from the woods hours later, they were in the clearing that Julie had seen from above.
    Ugly or not, it was a relief when they arrived at the house. It had taken half the night and almost a full day to arrive. From the back of the clearing, Jewel could see that her first impression had been incorrect. It was not a small building, but a long, low structure that had been built to blend with the landscape.
    Holding both her and the girls, Grady Hawks slid off of his horse, carrying them all to the ground before she realized his intentions. Her legs were stiff from cold, and she staggered, finding her balance on land.
    He took each baby into his arms and headed for the house, leaving Jewel fumbling with the buttons on her dress which flapped open. Shivering from the wind, she hurried into the lodge behind him.
    "Snow tonight," he told the other men who remained mounted, ready to ride on.
    "Post the sentries and keep good watch. We might have been followed."
    Jewel mulled that over silently. Evidently the path they'd ridden was not the usual course to the ranch.
    "Are you expecting trouble?" For a moment she thought that he wouldn't answer her.
    He waited until her canvas bag was inside, and the other men had departed.
    "I don't hunt trouble, but when it's on the way, I don't hide."
    It was such a male response, if he hadn't been so intimidating standing before her, she might have laughed out loud. As it was, Jewel let her gaze play over the interior of the house instead of the man.
    A stone fireplace comprised the entire end wall of the room she stood in. Jewel looked longingly at the empty grate, no longer able to hide the shivers she'd been trying to disguise. She had never felt so vulnerable.
    Her fingers were stiff with cold, and the clean dress Comfort Quince had given her now clung wetly to her front, smelling of milk, urine, and baby spit-up. It seemed a likely deterrent to advances, albeit an uncomfortable one. She wasn't sure what the next move would be or whether it was hers or her new husband's.
    Without her asking, he moved to the stacked wood and quickly got a fire burning.
    She carried Emerald and Amethyst closer, laying them on his heavy blanket to protect their soft bodies from the hard wood of the bench. Then she peeled off the underclothes that were wet again and washed each baby with the rag he provided.
    "…Babies done feeding?" It was an honest question that nevertheless brought a flush to her cheeks. This man has looked at my flesh already . Dislike coiled low in her belly, angry that he'd spied on her in an intimate moment meant only for her family. She bent to pick up one daughter, avoiding his gaze, concealing her own.
    "No," she admitted. The girls were still hungry. Feeding them is more important than covering what he's already seen . She planned to feed Amy and soothe her to sleep and then tend Emma. But when Jewel placed Amy at her breast, Emma emitted a distressed baby sob, unhappy to be alone, and lay waving her feet in the air, whimpering.
    "How old are they?" When she would have set down Amy to take up Emma, Grady lifted the fussing baby to his shoulder and rubbed her back until a contented hum emerged.
    Jewel looked at him sharply. Not many men held a baby so comfortably. Emma settled down, satisfied to be held and cuddled. Grady Hawks stared at the baby's hair, fingering a curl meditatively.
    The golden strand he rubbed between two fingers showed its