The McEllis Boys

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Jamison groaned as he buried his pounding head beneath his arms. He shifted on the mattress and then froze. Mattress? How had he gotten on a mattress? He heard humming nearby and recognized the voice instantly. He would know that gentle sound anywhere. But how in the world had he gotten back to Dodge City in 1875 and into Hallie's bed? And why the hell did his head hurt so bad?

He opened his eyes and looked around the familiar surrounding of Hallie's bedroom. The dark polished wardrobe and washbasin. The cream colored lace curtains blowing in the late summer breeze coming through the open window.

Jamison threw his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, cursing the throbbing behind his eyes that accompanied the movement. Bits of memory came back as he sat there. Telling Nicole he knew what he had to do and then being instantly transported back to that cloudy place. Mary's voice replayed itself in his mind, wishing him good luck on his journey. His journey...

Hallie. Hallie was his journey. Of course finding Leah and the children's murderer was also part of what he had to do but first he had to marry Hallie. It had already been over three years since they'd been killed so a little extra time wasn't going to hurt anything.

He pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly when his head pounded harder, "Dammit, Mary, it didn't hurt last time," he grumbled as he ground his fingers against his temples.

He looked down at himself to ensure he was properly dressed and realized that somehow Mary had put him back in the clothes he'd left 1875 in. His dark blue chambray shirt, black trousers, dark brown leather chaps and vest and his worn gun belt low on his hips. His badge was shining on his chest and he grabbed his hat off the bedpost and after running his fingers through his blond hair he plopped it on his head.

He was walking toward the closed bedroom door when it was suddenly thrown open and he found himself staring at Hallie herself.

Hallie let out a scream of shock as she dropped the folded sheets in her hand and covered her chest, "Jamison?!" she demanded as she gripped the door jamb for support and blew a long strand of her red hair from her freckled face, "What in the world are you doing in my bedroom?"

"Long story," Jamison replied with a shrug. "I missed you something terrible, Hallie," he admitted as he took a step forward and took a deep breath hoping to catch the hint of lavender that was always on her skin and hair.

He saw the passionate flush cover her skin just as he knew he would. He looked into her green eyes and stepped closer still. He could feel her breath on his chest as she stood in front of him. Her five foot frame was so much smaller than his six and a half foot one.

Jamison reached out a hand and slid her hair from her face, rubbing his thumb along her jaw tenderly. He saw her lips part and her eyes darken and knew that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. He had never been away from her for as long as he had been this time.

He bent his head, hungry for the taste of those full red lips and was shocked when she brought her hand sharply across his cheek and sent him reeling backwards as the pain in his head exploded.

"What the hell was that for?!" he demanded as he glared at her through his pain filled haze.

She put her hands on her rounded hips and her eyes were shooting daggers as she stared hard at him, "I warned you, Jamison McEllis! I told you not to leave me waiting with no idea when you'd be back and did you listen? No you did not. You just rode off without a word and stayed gone for months! And then you have the nerve to ride back in here, sneak in my bedroom and try to steal a kiss like nothing ever happened?!"