Chapter 21
Theo decided he must be bewitched. That had to be it.
It meant the woman with eyes so blue they’d make the Atlantic Ocean jealous must be a sorceress. What else could it be? How else could a woman bring feelings, emotions, and thoughts—good God, the thoughts she inspired!—like none he’d experienced before? She made him feel completely unlike himself.
She’d cast a spell on him. No other explanation he could imagine than that.
His stern mother would’ve grabbed him by the ear and hauled him off to church if she got wind of his thinking. Witches. Why, she didn’t stand a hint of any such nonsense in her house. And while he’d left the red-brick home long ago, her influence crossed the miles between them.
Since he’d kissed Lily his lips twitched to kiss her again any time a thought of her passed through his mind. And since he couldn’t get the woman out of his head, his mouth puckered and felt possessed—possessed by desire to kiss her again, that is.
He finally understood why men acted like such fools around women. He’d never been affected this way before but now that he had been it certainly explained a lot of things.
Thomas, for example. The man had gone from a resolute no-women-allowed-in-my-life widower to someone who discussed meanings behind flowers, read poetry on porch swings, and ate whatever the woman who brought on these changes set before him. While his brother had been smitten with his wife before her passing, he’d never acted as addlepated as he did now.
Bewitched, too. Must be.
Theo closed his eyes and let the memory of holding Lily in his arms wash over him. The woman smelled like fresh-baked cookies and wildflowers all rolled in one. Her form fit against his as if they were puzzle pieces meant to be snugged together.
His mind roamed further, and he wondered just how well he’d fit into her…
Heat rose within him and it had nothing to do with the sun rising high in the sky. And rising…well, a certain part of him felt set to rise, too, so he opened his eyes and shook his head.
What the hell had gotten into him? His horse about to set foot on Wylder Street and here he sat, thinking about carnal relations with a woman he’d only met a short time ago.
Wei’s Gemstones called to him. No one lingered near the humble shop and he enjoyed Wei’s company, so he pulled up outside and tied his mare to the post.
Before he took two steps, the owner of the gemstone shop appeared in the doorway. Liu Wei came to the Territory from China. He’d been a doctor in his home country. Now he sold gemstones, created fancies like rings and ear bobs for ladies, and dispensed traditional Chinese medicine when asked to do so.
An average-sized man, he dressed today in black trousers and gray button-down shirt. A bandanna wrapped around his neck. Despite the man’s conventional dress, he presented a distinguished figure. Long black hair hung in a glistening braid down his back. And his eyes were so brown they were nearly black.
He raised a hand in greeting. “Good to see you, Wei. Are you busy?”
The other man shook his head. “Never too busy for a friend.” He gestured to the door that stood open behind him. “Please, come inside. The sun has not found me in there yet.”
The man’s eloquent words were like music against the harsh conversation that dominated the western town. He brought an air of exotic mystery to the dusty streets.
Inside, a spotless room with a low wooden table against one wall where colorful gemstones spilled across its surface. There were a few pieces of jewelry, as well. Theo looked at each; they were pretty but didn’t inspire him to reach for his wallet.
A pot-belly stove sat in one corner of the room with two straight-back wooden chairs nearby. In front of one chair, a table. Pliers and other small tools, along with an assortment of metal rings and stones, sat on top of it.
The proprietor held a hand toward one of the chairs. “Please, sit. I am happy to have company. It is a quiet afternoon in town.”
Theo sat, placing his hat on a knee. He stretched his other leg out before him, finding comfort in the man’s warm welcome.
“The sheriff would say to hold your tongue. We know how fast things can get lively around here.” The truth, that Wylder could go from serene to shooting in a heartbeat, made him grin. “Quiet now. Loud later, maybe.”
Wei tipped his head and chuckled. “True. So what has you thinking so deeply, my friend? I watched you ride down the street. Very clear that you have something of great importance on your mind.”
Something of great importance.
Or someone.
Well, if that didn’t cut straight to the heart of it.
He didn’t bother to lie. He might be bewitched but he knew better than to insult a friend by giving a falsehood. “It’s a woman.”
The other gave a slow, thoughtful nod. “Ah, yes. Women do require a great deal of attention, don’t they?”
“You have no idea.”
A chuckle. “Oh, I assure you I do know how it feels. I confess, I, too, have a woman who haunts my thoughts. She is like a beautiful specter, here in my heart but not in my arms. Not yet, that is.”
Wei and the woman who lived with the Bloom sisters, Sun Lin, were a couple. They’d been keeping company about as long as Violet and Thomas, but, like the other pair, did not seem ready to make a commitment.
“Yes, I guess you do.” He pointed to the work on the table in front of Wei. “What are you making? Is that amber?”
The largest stone dangled from a gold chain. Along the length of the chain, smaller stones were set at intervals. One half looked complete but the other only had one side stone in place.
Wei picked the chain up. When he held it high, sunlight streaming through the window sent dazzling streaks of yellow across the space around them.
“You have a good eye. It is amber, from the northeastern region of China. I brought these with me when I came here and have been waiting for the perfect arrangement to come into my mind.” He met Theo’s gaze and smiled. “Today, the setting comes to me.”
“It’s beautiful.” He pictured the necklace fastened around Lily’s slender neck, with the largest bit of amber nestled against her skin near her breasts. His gut lurched, as if he stood on a rocking boat instead of firm land.
“Ah, I cannot take credit for that. The stones, they arrange themselves.” Again the sunlight caught the center stone and sent fingers of gold across their faces. “Amber is a very special gemstone. It draws unease and pain from the physical, mental, and spiritual bodies. It gives the wearer a calm, happy disposition. Increased vitality is bestowed upon the wearer.”
Increased vitality. He sure liked the way that sounded. And a happy disposition…he hadn’t forgotten how prickly Lily had been when she stepped off the coach. If a woman could be ornery once, chances were good she might be that way again.
“Any way I can entice you to sell that amber necklace, Wei?”