WILD OATS (18 page)

Her hands played lovingly through his hair and along his shoulders as he tested the taste and texture of her. She arched her back, fitting him more deeply inside her. They both moaned with pleasurable appreciation.

His hands traced every inch of her. He wanted to touch her everywhere at once . . . each touch more sure than the last.

Cora, too, wanted to touch him, to learn the secrets of his body. The hair on his chest was so pale that it was barely visible. But, as her fingers explored him, she was delighted to find the curly mat of blond to be surprisingly thick.

His back was long, and more muscled than she'd expected. She ran a caressing finger along the bumpy trail of his backbone. Her questing hands grasped the baby soft flesh of his buttocks. She sighed with delighted feminine power as the touch of her fingernail produced gooseflesh atop the masculine firmness.

Cora pulled him to her wantonly and was rewarded by the tightening of his body inside her and the groan of need he pressed against the tangle of her hair on the pillow.

"Oh, Mrs. Briggs, you are wonderful," he whispered hotly against her ear giving Cora her own gooseflesh to contend with.

Sighing with satisfaction, Cora drew up one of her legs to rub against his. To her surprise, rather than feeling the smooth, muscled flesh of his leg, she toed the rough cotton of his storebought underwear.

"You're still in your briggans!" she exclaimed with disbelief.

"I was in such a hurry," Jedwin admitted as he raised his head. "I need to get up," he told her with a disappointed sigh.

"No!" Cora locked her legs around him and pressed him more closely against her.

Jedwin chuckled. "I'm not leaving the room, Mrs. Briggs."

Cora held to him stubbornly. "You helped me get rid of my nightdress," she said. "I'll help you get rid of these."

Holding him tightly inside her, Cora began skimming down his underwear with her feet and legs. This process involved a good deal of squirming and wiggling on her part. While pleasant, it was also somewhat funny. In minutes both were giggling.

When the briggans were tangled about his ankles, it became increasingly difficult for Cora to affect them in any way. He was quite a bit longer than she and even with him lying square upon her, his feet and ankles were beyond her reach.

The two began laughing in earnest as Cora squirmed and squiggled trying to reach the end of him without losing the middle. Jedwin tried to scrape them off with his own feet, but the french ribbed cuffs, meant to keep them from riding up, were also very effective in keeping them from riding down.

"This is not going to work," Jedwin told her, chuckling. "Let me loose."

Cora massaged his backside and rocked her pelvis against him. "You are not going anywhere, Jedwin Sparrow. Not until you've made me a happy woman."

"You're not a happy woman?"

"Well, maybe I'm happy," she admitted laughing. "But I'm not yet satisfied."

Jedwin grinned. “It will be my pleasure to satisfy you, Mrs. Briggs," he told her with feigned formality. "But right now I've got my feet shackled like a chain gang prisoner."

Cora pressed her breast against him and ran light kisses up me side of his neck, swirling her tongue in his ear. “Does that mean you are at my mercy?" she asked.

Jedwin met her lips with his own and their kiss was long and languid and luscious. "I've been at your mercy since the day that we met."

The briggans temporarily forgotten, the two shared a long, deep kiss that had them both tingling.

"Bend your knees," Cora said, suddenly drawing back from him.

"What?"

"Bend your knees."

When he did, his ankles were easily within Cora's grasp. She pulled off the confining underwear and tossed it off the bed.

"Oh this is much better," Jedwin told her as he braced himself against the footboard and pressed more deeply inside her.

He was full and erect again, and this time Cora felt only desire as her body melted against his.

"This feels so good," Jedwin whispered against her ear. "I can't even tell you what it is like."

He kissed her then, hotly, with new urgency. Using not just his lips and tongue, but his hands and hips and limbs. He kissed her with his total being.

"I love having you inside me," she told him.

"I promise to stay forever," he answered.

Slowly he began to move against her. Retreating and then advancing in a deliberate, languid pace.

"Oh yes, yes, that's so nice," Cora said, her eyes closed and her head back.

Jedwin continued, moving with a sensation so pleasurable it seemed decadent. Cora began to move against him. He moderated his pace to match hers.

As she became more animated, squirming and pleading with tiny moans in the back of her throat, Jedwin couldn't take his eyes from her. He watched her face, beautifully serene one moment and strained with desire the next. It was wondrous. The sight of her enjoying his body, enjoying his touch, inspired him to work harder to please her.

He drew out farther, almost to uncoupling then thrust again forcefully with a sensuous rocking of his hips. He watched Cora as she raised her hands from his body to clasp the metal bars of the headboard. Each movement released one of those breathy little moans from the back of her throat.

Jedwin watched her face and listened to her sighs, forcing his own thoughts from the hot, wet pressure of her dark recesses surrounding him. He slipped his hand between them to slide down the damp, heated flesh of her abdomen. Burgeoning from the hot, damp curls of her feminine mons was a rigid, aching bud of desire. He pressed this most secret peak of Cora's anatomy between his fingers and touched it sensually.

Her eyes opened to stare at him. Her expression was almost frantic with desire. Wrapping her legs tightly around him, she strained and stretched against him.

"Oh yes, Jedwin, sweet Jedwin, yes, oh yes."

He began to move more rapidly against her.

He feared to hurt her, but she seemed unconscious of any pain. She dug her heels into the mattress tick and met each thrust with one of her own. The bed frame banged against the wall in rough, loud rhythm. The blood roaring in his ears, Jedwin was beyond hearing it. But his ears functioned with perfect clarity when she spoke.

"Please, Jedwin, oh, please Jedwin, please ... I need you!"

Bracing himself, he drove forcefully, determinedly inside her. Stronger and stronger. Deeper and deeper. Faster and faster. One hand still clinging between them to caress her, the other gripping her backside for control. He clenched his teeth together like a vise. The heat boiled up inside him. It threatened to explode.

"Cora," he moaned against her. "Now with me, sweetheart, now."

She clutched at him, coming straight off of the bed into his arms. Jedwin felt the muscles of her womanhood gripping and squeezing at him inside her.

"Cora!" he both screamed and whispered as the sweet flood of release and bondage flowed from him to her.

Chapter Fourteen

It was that awkward time of year. Too chilly to leave the windows open and too warm to light the stove. The church was closed and stuffy, and Jedwin pulled uncomfortably on his collar. Beside him, his mother, looking lovely as usual, was gracefully taking more than her share of the morning's compliments.

"You are looking so much better," Beulah Bowman told her. "I thought you were quite peaked just the other day."

"You were downright pale," Grace Panek insisted. "It was that awful tooth bothering you. Is it better?''

"Much." Amelia quickly changed the subject.

Jedwin politely answered any comments directed his way, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Titus and Fanny Penny were seated in the pew just in front of him. Pretty little Maybelle turned around to look at Jedwin. She was wearing a dark blue dress with a pinafore of pale blue cotton, daintily embroidered with darker blue. Her silky white blond curls were tied up in a bright blue bow that was almost as large as her head. When Jedwin smiled at her, she put a finger in each nostril, raised her nose to resemble a snout and snorted like a pig.

From the corner of her eye, Fanny had caught sight of the exchange and gasped in horror. She scolded Maybelle in a hushed whisper before giving Jed win an apologetic look. Jedwin was biting his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

The church building was new, having been raised only the year before. The bright sturdy red brick outside contrasted rather unfavorably with the multicolored Venetian glass panes. The windows, purchased at a tremendous discount from Sears and Roebuck, were mismatched patterns, extras that the company had found it difficult to sell. Carlisle Bowman's brother-in-law had arranged for the mismatched set, and poor Carlisle had yet to hear the last of it. The window at the end of Jedwin's pew depicted a yellow and green torch with some sort of heraldic crest upon it. The next window up showed a Holland scene of red tulips and a blue and brown windmill.

When the crowd inside the church was finally settled, Opal Crenshaw struck up the processional on the fancy new upright piano. Song leader Willie Dix raised his arm and led the congregation in a rousing rendition of "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?" Reverend Bruder made his way from the back of the church where he'd been greeting to the front, taking his seat in the high-backed, silk-upholstered armchair to the right of the pulpit.

Jedwin loved to sing and allowed his melodious baritone to blend with the other voices of the congregation. His thoughts, however, were elsewhere.

In his mind he could still feel the touch and taste and smell of Cora Briggs. They'd slept wrapped in each other's arms until nearly dawn when they'd made love once more. A secret smile lit Jedwin's face. That last had been sweet and slow, with plenty of pauses for questions and experiments.

Again he'd whispered that he loved her and she'd covered his lips with two of her long slim fingers. He did love her, of that he was certain. However, it had been the height of idiocy to say so. There was no future for such a love. And Cora had known it. The look on her face had been sad. She didn't
want
his love. And there was nothing else that he could offer.

He glanced up to the front of the church. On the second pew, front right, sat the Bruders. Even from the back it was easy to pick out Tulsa May, her bright orange hair stood out in any crowd. The straw hat she was wearing was out of season and the long red ribbon that dangled down the back of it clashed with her hair like blood on a carrot.

A man couldn't choose where he found love, but he had the responsibility to choose whom he should marry. A hardworking, dutiful wife was what a man owed his family and his family name. A woman without moral blemish and above common suspicion was the admonition of God's law. It was also what would be expected by the community. It was what his father would have expected. He caught sight of his mother in the corner of his eye. He turned to her slightly and gave her a loving smile, which she returned. If he thought only of himself and his desires, he would ruin her life as well as his. The thought lay heavy on his heart.

The song ended, the crowd was seated, and a typical Sunday service began. The preacher took his place behind the pulpit and Maybelle Penny began to fidget.

The preacher was a tall, gangly man whose excessively long arms and legs made him appear clumsy. His carrot red hair was as vibrant as Tulsa May's. But instead of hiding it under a hat, he emphasized it with his long handlebar moustache of bright orange.

"I'm reading from the first book of Corinthians," the preacher boomed. "Chapter Five, first verse."

The preacher hesitated and cleared his throat as those in the congregation who could read quickly paged to the verse.

Raising his eyes, the preacher surveyed the crowd with high drama before he boomed out his chosen scripture. "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you."

Jedwin's head jerked up from its casual glance at the Bible in his lap, his face suffused with color. Guiltily he glanced over at his mother, who seemed as embarrassed as he.

"The church at Corinth was not without wickedness," the preacher continued. "Among their members were some liars and thieves. There were drunkards and blasphemers. And"—he paused for drama—"there were adulterers and fomicators."

Jedwin struggled to keep his expression blank as he stared directly at the preacher. In his memory he could see again the pretty fall afternoon when the preacher stood in the middle of Mrs. Briggs's yard holding the incriminating tool apron.

"Like the Corinthians," he boomed as he walked to the front of the pulpit, closer to the congregation, "we have those in our congregation that are suffering the temptations of the flesh."

His mother squirmed nervously beside him, and Jedwin wondered guiltily if she suspected him.

"Carnal desire, brothers and sisters, has been with us since Eve lost Eden for the sons of Adam. Looking like angels but tempting like devils, fallen women, like King Ahab's Jezebel, have led many a weak man down that wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction."

"Reverend Bruder, may I interrupt you here?"

The entire congregation, including Jedwin and his mother, gasped in shock at the unexpected intrusion from the back of the church. Heads turned as each stared at the interloper.

"Brother Puser," the reverend said, recognizing Haywood standing at the last pew. "Since it's a rare occasion that you darken the church door, I'm sure you have good reason to disrupt our Sunday worship service."

Jedwin was even more sure than the preacher. Still reeling from guilt at the realization that the preacher was aware of his prospective sin, Jedwin somehow rose to his feet and hurried to Haywood's side.

"Conrad Ruggy brought his mother to me this morning," Haywood announced. "She died overnight from the diphtheria."

There were murmurs of sorrow throughout the congregation. Although the blacks were very separate both in their lives and their churches, Conrad was well-known and liked in the community. His mother—half black, half Chickasaw— claimed to be an Indian princess, and always held herself with such regal refinement that most believed it to be true.

"Miz Ruggy was old and weak," Haywood explained. "So it's not surprising that the sickness would take her so fast. But Conrad and his family are neither. They have all been exposed and many here have been exposed as well."

Like many in the congregation, Jedwin immediately saw himself accepting a cup of sour apple punch from Conrad's wife, Mattie Ruggy.

"This is, of course, terrible news," Reverend Bruder said. "But I see no call for breaking into the worship service."

"I believe in taking first things first, Reverend," Haywood answered. "Our young men ain't going to be caught in fornication or adultery if they can't draw a clean breath into their lungs."

Haywood directed his next words to the congregation.

"We need to refrain from large group meetings like this for the next week or so. Mrs. Sparrow and Mrs. Bowman and the others who've had the disease should be the only ones we let in or out. It's the only way we can keep this plague from running through our own families and hurting our children."

"But Mr. Puser—" The preacher never got to finish his sentence. Titus Penny jumped to his feet as if the pew were on fire and grabbed up little Maybelle.

"My family will be staying at home," he said. "I'll leave the store unlocked. If you all need something, just go in and get it and leave your money on the counter."

"Titus!" Reverend Bruder called to the young father, but the man was already through the church door, the rest of the congregation hurriedly following in his wake.

Finally, only the preacher and his family faced Haywood and Jedwin. Amelia was still sitting in shock in her pew.

"How dare you!" The reverend's face was florid with anger. "This is my church and
no one
gainsays my authority here."

"I did what I thought best," Haywood answered unapolo-getically. "I asked Conrad to go tell the blacks to break up their service. I thought you'd appreciate having me come to tell you in person."

"I don't appreciate this."

Haywood shrugged with unconcern. "You'll appreciate it even less if half your congregation turns up sick next week."

"The ways of the Lord are not ours to question," Bruder stated stiffly as he walked toward Puser.

Jedwin stepped in front of Haywood as if to defend the older man from the preacher's wrath. "You may know the ways of the Lord, Reverend Bruder. But Haywood knows the ways of contagion. If he says that we shouldn't be meeting in groups until the worst of this is over, I believe him."

"I do, too!" Amelia burst in. "Why, Mr. Puser lost his whole family to a plague. He's just trying to see that the same does not happen to any of us."

"Oh, you poor man." Jedwin heard the quiet, thoughtful voice of Tulsa May from the front of the room. She came hurriedly toward the group. "Of course he's concerned about us, Daddy," she said to the preacher. Reaching out a consoling hand toward Haywood, her expression was open and sincere. "Thank you so much, Mr. Puser," she said. Turning to Amelia, she added, "I've not had the diphtheria myself. But whatever I can do to help, I—''

Constance Bruder came up behind them. "For heaven's sake, Tulsa May! What on earth do you think that
you
could do?" Mrs. Bruder shook her head. "What's done is done," she told her husband with an expressive sigh before glancing to the rest of the small group. "We won't bother with any more meetings until you tell us it's safe. I'm sure Miss Foote at the school will be anxious to suspend classes, too."

There were nods of agreement.

"What about Miss Maimie?" she asked.

"Oh dear," Amelia said. "I can't believe I forgot about her for a moment." Turning to Haywood, she asked, "Does she know about Conrad's mother?"

"I doubt it," Haywood said. "But I would imagine the old gal will get the hint when nobody shows up for work this morning."

"Well, somebody has to go out there and speak with her," Constance Bruder declared. "For heaven's sake, how will she manage without servants?''

"That's what I could do," Tulsa May piped in. "I could go help Miss Maimie."

“What kind of help could you be?'' her mother protested.

"Well, she'd certainly be better than nothing," Amelia declared. Giving Tulsa May a tolerant smile, she said, "Go get your things to stay a day or two, and James Edwin and I will drive you out there."

The young girl's eyes lit with pleasure and she took off toward the door at a run.

"Lightly!" her mother called after her. "I swanny," Mrs.

Bruder said disapprovingly. "That girl's so cow-footed she sounds like a plow horse running through the house."

With the immediate problems concluded and the reverend's ruffled feathers smoothed, the group made their way out the door. In a low serious tone, Haywood was relating to the preacher how to best protect himself when calling on the sick or eulogizing the dead. Reverend Bruder listened with interest and thanked Puser for his concern. "Although," he said regretfully, "I was really counting on setting some sinner to boil this morning."

"Oh?" Jedwin asked, cautiously wiping his sweaty palms against his trousers.

Tulsa May came running around the house, her things packed in a gunny-sack poke hung over her shoulder.

"I'm ready!" she declared with youthful excitement.

Mrs. Bruder gestured at her daughter to hush, and the preacher continued as if the young girl had not arrived.

"After all this fuss about Cora Briggs's new fence, I went over there in the middle of the afternoon." He paused dramatically. "There was a man at her house."

Amelia and Constance gasped in horror.

"Who was it?" Amelia asked.

The preacher shook his head. "I didn't see. They were hiding out like Adam and Eve in the garden."

"Then how do you know there was a man?" Haywood asked.

"Somebody's been doing some pump repairs," he said. "There was a man's gray ticking mechanic's apron."

The ladies' eyes went wider.