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back, he took a deep breath. “I didn’t get an answer.”
    Victoria scowled. “For a law man, you certainly seem ready to break the rules.”
    Sam dropped his head.
    Victoria shifted the towels in her grip. “Look. She’s indisposed right now, not to mention it’s highly inappropriate for you to be harassing her in her bedroom. What’s your problem? I’ve never seen you act so…so out of character.”
    “You’re right. Forgive me. I’ll just wait here until she’s no longer indisposed.”
    “No, you won’t.” Victoria tried to physically turn him toward the stairs…hard to do with her arms full. “You’ll go downstairs and join the men, or you’ll go home.”
    Sam growled. “Victoria!”
    “Sam!” she mimicked. “Where does my husband think you are, by the way? He can’t possibly have sanctioned you bothering Rayne.”
    “He thinks I’m checking my horse.”
    “Go!”
    Sam sighed. “Victoria, please.”
    “Leave, Sam! Now.”
    Sam turned as Quincy rushed up the stairs. “Sweetheart? I heard raised voices.”
    Victoria sighed. “I’m fine, Gus.”
    Quincy advanced on Sam. “What the hell is going on?”
    Victoria smirked at Sam and then turned to her husband. “Sam seems to think he has the right to see Rayne alone in her room.”
    “You said you were checking on your horse.” Quincy crossed his arms.
    Sam raised his hands in surrender. “I did check on him.”
    Quincy scowled at him. “Don’t make me hurt you, Sam.”
    Sam turned and made his way downstairs, an angry Quincy on his heels. Victoria knocked and let herself back into Rayne’s room when bid.
    * * *
    “What was all the shouting about?” Rayne asked.
    Victoria sighed. “You have an admirer.”
    “What?”
    “Sam didn’t want to leave without an answer.”
    Rayne frowned. “ What ?”
    “It’s okay.” Victoria handed Rayne the make-up remover. “Quincy forced him back down the stairs.”
    “ Okay .” Rayne took a deep breath and focused on removing her make-up. She washed her face after removing her false eyelashes, all the while her thoughts consumed with Samuel Powell. “Should I go tomorrow?”
    Wrapping the make-up remover tightly in a towel, Victoria shrugged. “Would you like to?”
    Rayne shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t date, to be honest.”
    “Well, you couldn’t get a better man than Samuel Powell, that’s for certain. He’s kind and funny, and if you think you’d like to spend time with him, then yes, I think you should go. I trust him with my life, and I think you could trust him with your heart.”
    “I highly doubt we’ll get that far.” Rayne splashed water over her face.
    “You never know. In our circle, things seem to move quickly.” Rayne frowned, but Victoria chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. “No pressure, Rayne. Seriously.”
    Rayne shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll go then.”
    “I’ll let him know.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Would you like some privacy?” Victoria asked.
    “You’re fine.” Rayne chuckled. “I’m used to more than one person seeing me almost naked, particularly with changes between sets.”
    Victoria moved quietly around the room, putting things in drawers.
    Rayne slipped under the water and allowed the buoyancy to support her for a few blessed seconds. Pushing her body up, she leaned back against the copper. “Victoria? How did you and Quincy meet?”
    Victoria settled into one of the chairs. “My trip back in time was a little strange. I landed in the middle of a battlefield and Quincy was shot right in front of me.”
    Rayne turned her head in surprise. “Seriously?”
    “Yes.” Victoria smiled. “But before he was shot, he threatened to take me to his superior officers.”
    “Why?”
    “He thought I was a confederate spy.”
    “What?” Rayne cocked her head. “Why?”
    “Because of my accent and because it was a battle in Virginia. It took a lot of convincing, and he was a bit of a grumpy Gus, but he redeemed himself and now