"Figured what out?"
"My best angle." She pushed at a loose strand of golden hair, her green eyes narrowing slightly. There was a faint spray of freckles on her nose, and he found that somehow endearing.
"There isn't a best angle," he said when she kept staring at him, and was amused by the indignant way she wrinkled her nose and glared. "If I was going to be chivalrous, this is where I would claim that all of your angles are of matching beauty and perfection, that your fair face has no equal this side of heaven, and that-"
"Rubbish," she said firmly, and some of the indignation in her eyes faded into amusement. “You really are a rogue, aren't you?"
"Among other things. And you?"
"Me? What about me?" She looked wary.
"What did the doctor say about you?"
"That I'm sound as a mule and twice as stubborn."
"My thoughts exactly."
"Liar." She looked down, then slanted him a glance from beneath her lashes. He found it extremely provocative.
"I'm still trying to make up my mind exactly how to classify you, Mrs.-"
She paled. "We were married such a short time, and now he's dead and we had no children… I'd feel more comfortable if you'd call me Miss Brandon."
"All right, Miss Brandon. What do you suggest?"
"Number one: Don't try and classify me."
Jesse grinned. "And number two?"
"Who said there had to be a number two?"
"It's generally required."
Her mouth curved slightly. "I see. I wasn't aware of the proper guidelines here. All right-suggestion number two: Realize that I'm just like everyone else here. I want to survive, to be happy."
"You make that sound impossible. It isn't, you know."
She looked surprised. "I find it rather astonishing that you seem to consider happiness possible, under the circumstances."
Shrugging, Jesse said, "Only a fool or a dog can be completely happy. Happiness inherently carries with it a measuring stick by which to judge other events in your life. In comparison, other incidents can be less happy, more happy, or devastating, depending upon your point of view."
"That's a novel notion. I never looked at it that way."
A slight frown puckered the delicate line of her brows, and Jesse had the overwhelming urge to smooth it away. Instead, he leaned over to rub at imaginary dirt on the scuffed toe of his boot. "It's only my opinion, you know. War makes me too introspective. At night, hiding in the woods and hoping no Yankee stumbles over me, I've got a lot of time to think."
He felt her gaze on him as she murmured, "I imagine you do. What else do you think about?"
Women," he replied promptly, and laughed when she made a rude noise. "Well, you did ask."
“I should have known better. But I suppose men never change through the ages."
"And women do?"
When he glanced up at her, he saw her eyes widen. She stared at him from beneath the dark, lush curve of her lashes, and he was reminded of green woodland pools. Then she glanced away, the frown returning.
"No," she said slowly, "women don't change either. We want the same things now as women wanted a hundred years ago: Love. Security. Maybe even children."
"Do you want children?"
Looking rather startled, she stared at him, blonde wisps of hair clinging to cheeks that were damp with perspiration. He resisted the impulse to stroke them away as she said, "I haven't thought about it in a long time. He-he didn't want any children."
"I'm sorry. If there had been enough time, your husband may not have had a choice about children. Sometimes they come whether you want them or not."
"Oh, no, I take the pill. I mean-" She halted, cheeks flushing pink with confusion as she stammered,' 'I m-mean. I had to take precautions."
There was something here he didn't understand, some plane of the conversation that was on a different level. Jesse studied Amanda's face for a moment, trying to sort through the myriad of impressions he got every time he talked to her. It didn't matter what they discussed, there were always little things that caught his attention, some slight discrepancy that on the surface sounded normal, but studied closely, failed inspection. It was more than just her claim that she was from England; he'd been abroad, and had never met anyone with her eccentricities.
Looking down again, Jesse said mildly, "I see."
Amanda drew in a deep breath and blurted, "I know you think I'm odd-"
"To say the least," he muttered dryly. "But don't think you have to explain."
"I'm not a spy."
He stood up, raking a hand through his hair as he stared down at her upturned face. She looked so earnest, so- pleading, that he found himself wanting to believe her. 'All right. You're not a spy. I believe you."
"Do you?" Amanda stood up, brushing down the rumpled skirts of her gown, staring at him anxiously. "I want to help. I truly do."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you? Then you'll agree to show me how you got out of Memphis?"
"Oh, Lord-all right. If that's what it takes to convince you. But you won't be impressed. I keep telling you, I was just lucky."
"Maybe your luck will hold."
"I don't know," she muttered. "It hasn't been so great lately."
Unable to resist, Jesse reached out to curl a finger under her chin and lift her face to his. He heard her draw in a Jeep breath. As if drawn by invisible threads, he kissed her. half amazed at the strong desire to do so, and half dismayed that she didn't stop him. Instead she leaned into him, closing her eyes and breathing a soft sigh as if she had known he always meant to kiss her. It was a heady, magical moment, and he was reluctant to break the spell.
Summoning a strength he didn't know he had, he pulled away slightly and stared down at her. Her cheeks were flushed with more than summer heat, and her lashes were half lowered and languorous, her eyes a dreamy green. Dragging his thumb over the slightly swollen contour of her lower lip, he murmured, "I have a feeling your luck is about to change, Miss Brandon."
Lifting her hand, she curled her fingers around his wrist and held tightly, whispering, "I hope you're right."
Balanced atop her mount and moving along a narrow dirt path the following morning, Amanda wondered how on earth she was going to get them past sentries when she had no idea where they were. And why on earth had she even agreed to this ridiculous scheme? It was a harebrained notion that only a desperate man-or woman-would concoct. If not for the fact that Jesse had mentioned the possibility of meeting up with Jamie and Michael along the way, she would have changed her mind despite his electric blue eyes and devastating kiss.
"Careful," Jesse cautioned, and she jerked her attention back to her surroundings, pulling a shawl more closely over her head even though the early morning sun was already beating down with a vengeance. Heat shimmered up from the hard-packed dirt ruts of the main street of town. Holly Springs looked nothing like she knew it-no library, no familiar country café across from the courthouse, just brick buildings far apart and recently burned. She breathed a sigh of relief when they passed through the town without incident and were once more in the shaded, cooler environs of the woods.
Turning to look back at her, Jesse grinned. "Now all we have to worry about are Yankee patrols."
And that was another problem-Jesse. The mystery man of her dreams finally had a name. And a completely different personality than she had once envisioned.
Instead of being the strong, silent type, the Jesse of reality had a more forceful nature. And he was so distrustful. If she thought about it, she could hardly blame him for wondering about her. She could only imagine what he must be thinking, in light of the remarks she had been making and the unfamiliar references in her speech.