Carolyn Davidson (5 page)

Cassie held fast to the saddle horn, riding the easy gait of the mare, aware of her swishing tail and the tossing of her head. “I don’t think he believed you, Will. He wanted to know if I was really your wife.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I lied, sort of.”

“I’ll bet you blushed. Did he believe you?”

Cassie’s mouth tightened and she unfastened the reins
he’d looped over the saddle horn, holding them firmly in her right hand. “I don’t lie well,” she admitted.

He turned to flash her a look of sober admiration. “I’m glad to hear that. My mama always said a man’s word is his honor. If I have to start pickin’ apart everything you tell me, we’ll be in for a hard time together.”

“My mama always said that lies multiply like flies. You have to tell another to hide the first, then another…” She caught her breath with a sob. “Let’s not talk about mothers, all right?”

Will urged his stallion into a faster pace and cast a quick glance to check on Cassie. “You’d better leave those reins alone and let me lead your horse for now. We don’t have time to talk about much of anything. We need to put some miles between us and Texas.”

The darkness surrounding them drove Cassie close to the small campfire. She’d unrolled the blanket Will had assigned her and snuggled it around herself, her head resting on one corner of it. He’d chosen to sleep behind her instead of across the clearing, and her awareness of his presence was more than enough to keep her eyelids from closing. As were the mental images that insisted on floating through her mind. Memories of her mother, dying yet determined to keep her daughter free of the man who watched like a vulture from the corner of the room. Memories of blood, crimson against the pale flesh of her hands. The loneliness of her flight beneath the shadows of midnight, amid the night sounds. And now the image of the two men who had put their hands on her today.

“Cassie?” Raspy, his voice invaded her thoughts, a welcome invasion, she decided, given the turn they had taken.

She rolled to face him, finding herself tucked up neatly against his chest. Drawing in a breath of surprise, she
scooted back a bit, only to be captured by a long arm that snagged her waist, holding her firmly in place.

“Don’t move, Cassie. Just hold your little butt still.” His voice was raw, as if he held some dark emotion under fragile control. His arm squeezed her gently, as though to soften the words.

“I didn’t realize you were so close!” She blinked, fearful of the long length of him, his broad chest appearing to have expanded in size with its proximity. Her knees drew up in an instinctive gesture and she found herself nudging the V of his crotch.

Catching another breath of surprise, she attempted to straighten her legs, but he halted the movement, his hand sliding down from her waist to settle with a promise of hard strength against the backs of her thighs. She gasped at the intimacy of his touch and pushed at his chest.

“Hold still, girl,” he said roughly, breathing harshly.

“I didn’t mean…I just…I didn’t know you were so tight behind me,” she told him, her whisper turning to a wail of protest as she felt embarrassment and panic nudging her, warming her cheeks.

“Hush, Cassie. You’re all right” His fingers eased their grip, his hand moving to rest against her back.

She stilled in her efforts to move away and relaxed the hold she’d managed to maintain on the blanket. Peering up at him, she found him unsmiling, his eyes shadowed, the dark outline of his whiskers hardening his visage. His gaze was intent as his arms enclosed her, one beneath her head, his hand buried in the length of her hair.

She watched in silence as his head tipped, lowering toward her, then held her breath. His mouth opened just a bit, and suddenly it seemed safer to shut her eyes. The touch of his lips against hers came as no surprise, yet at the same time filled her with amazement No one but her
mother had ever kissed her, and those sweet, loving caresses had in no way prepared her for the sensations that gripped her now.

His scent was masculine, a combination of leather and sweat, but his breath was clean, like a fresh breeze. Against her lips, his were warm, moist and moving. With a barely discernible rhythm they touched hers, soothing the tender flesh of her mouth, as if he were coaxing her to join him in this venture.

He nudged at her, his teeth touching her firmly closed lips, and she heard another muted groan as she backed from the contact.

“Did I frighten you, Cassie?” he whispered against her lips, a sardonic tinge accompanying the query.

She stiffened, indignant at the humor inherent in his tone. “I’m not afraid,” she quavered, clearing her throat quickly. “I just think you’re taking privileges I haven’t offered.”

“Ever been kissed, Cassie?”

He moved his lips against her once more, nibbling, like a rabbit in a patch of lettuce, and, stifling a giggle, she relaxed a bit.

“By my mother.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he told her, glowering in the faint light shed by the campfire, his arms tightening around her.

Her giggle bubbled forth again and she bit at her lips, her breath catching in a half sob. “You laughin’ at me?” He leaned back, the better to see her face.

“No, of course not,” she denied, fearful of the tears that seemed to be hovering just behind her lids. Her words were shaky as she spoke on an indrawn breath. “I just…you just…you made my lips tickle when you bunny-kissed them.”

“Bunny-kissed! What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

He rolled from her. Damn, he’d do well to keep his hands to himself and away from the bundle of innocence he’d managed to get himself tied up with. Horny as a bull in a pasture full of heifers, he fought the need that surged in his groin.

She was watching him, drawn up into a defensive ball, her lips tightly pressed together. He tucked his hands beneath his head, visibly relaxing, purposefully willing her to do the same, praying for the ache in his male parts to subside.

“Bunnies?” The single word of inquiry was a rasping whisper.

Her words were halting as she struggled to explain the game she’d played in years gone by with her mother, peering at him as if she would read his expression in the flickering firelight. “I’ve only ever been kissed by her,” she confessed softly.

Will drew in a breath. Then, shifting, he rolled to his side and reached for her hand, clasping her fingers. “Don’t let me set you to running, Cassie. I’ll leave you alone.” Much as the promise cost him, he vowed silently to bear it in mind. “You’re probably one of the better things that’s come my way since I left home,” he told her quietly.

“Have a lot of good things happened to you?” she asked, wary of his nearness, given her own urge to nestle closer to his side.

“Yeah, I’ve had my share of good and bad, I guess. I took up with a sheriff down in San Antone and spent some time learnin’ law and order. Then I worked on a couple of ranches, and got a real education. Found out more about horses than I’d ever expected to. And a few other things that opened my eyes, made me grow up in a hurry.”

“Like what?” she asked, enamored of his remembrances, almost envious of the years he’d spent on his own, her apprehensions put to rest for a moment as he spoke.

Will’s eyes darkened as if the memories were better left alone. “Most of it’s the sort of stuff a young girl like you doesn’t need to hear, Cassie.” He rose to one elbow, leaning quickly to drop a quick kiss against the tip of her nose, unable to resist her nearness.

“Don’t do that, Will,” she said sharply, her heartbeat increasing as she shifted away.

It was quiet for a few minutes, Cassie pondering his words, considering the traveling he had done. “Men are lucky,” she said finally, shifting to face him. “They can travel and meet folks and work where they want to, and a woman has to stay with her family till she’s married. Or else be bait for gossip if she doesn’t do what people expect of her.”

“That’s the way of the world, Cass.” Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around one knee, shifting for comfort, and finding little to be had on the hard ground. He grimaced, wishing he’d kept his hands to himself.

“Are you going to find a place to leave me, Will?” She watched him, sensing his withdrawal. Perhaps he wasn’t ready to get rid of her presence yet, if what he’d said was gospel truth. If he really thought she was good for him.

“I can’t just dump you off somewhere, Cass. My ma would have my hide if she thought I’d rescued you just to leave you with strangers.”

“Your ma? She doesn’t even know about me,” she said, frowning at his words.

“She will, once I get home. She’ll get every livin’ detail out of me, with her pickin’ and yatterin’ at me.”

Cassie peered up at him. “And will you tell her everything?”

“Most everything, probably.” Within reason, anyway. Some things a mother was better off not knowing.

“How come you’re going home?” she asked, after a long moment.

“It sure as hell isn’t my first choice,” he said harshly. “But Pa’s pretty bad off. Ma wrote me a letter, sent it to the last place I worked. I tried to keep Ma up on where I was, a couple of times a year, anyway. She said in the letter that Pa had taken a bad spell out in the field and just didn’t get over it. His heart acts funny, fluttering and making him lose his breath sometimes.”

“Did she ask you to come home?”

He nodded. “My brothers are both married now and have their own fields to work. Farmers can’t be runnin’ back and forth all the time to somebody else’s place to lend a hand. And my sister ran off and married a scallywag a few years ago. My mother was pretty cut up about that.”

“It sounds like you’ll be a homebody for sure, once you get there.” Her eyelids were getting heavy and the words she spoke were slurred. She yawned widely, covering her mouth with one hand, shifting to lie on her side.

Will looked down at her. “Homebody?” His laugh was harsh. “I’m not cut out to be a farmer.”

Cassie’s eyes flew open at his rasping tone. “Then why go? Why take me there?”

His hand silenced her anxious query. “I guess I owe it to my mother to lend a hand. She was always there for me when things got tough, with Pa on my tail all the time. You’ll be all right. My mother’ll take to you. There’s always room for another hand, helpin’ around the house and doin’ chores.” Cassie would probably be more welcome than he would, at that. There’d be hell to pay, with him and Pa in the same house.

Cassie looked up with sleepy eyes. “I doubt your mother
will be pleased to see me coming. Not after we’ve been traveling together.”

“I don’t see that I have much choice right now,” he muttered. “You sure aren’t capable of headin’ out on your own.”

What he’d do with her once he got her home was another question, one he wasn’t ready to examine too closely tonight For one thing, he never should have kissed her. For all the good it had done him. She was about as innocent as they came, with her talk about rabbits. And then there was Pa. Ornery and miserable as the day was long. He’d give them both a hard time. The old resentment welled up within him, lending harshness to his voice. “Go to sleep, Cassie. Between you and that damn mare and those two bas—” He took a deep breath. “Just go to sleep, hear?”

He turned from her, hauling the edge of the blanket over his shoulder.

Wide-eyed, Cassie repeated his words within her mind.
I don’t see that I have much choice right now…you aren’t capable…between you and that damn mare…
She bit at her lip, fearful of whimpering aloud as the words he’d spoken clamored in her head. Turning away, she stifled any sound she might make, burying her face in the blanket.

With a final look around the edges of the clearing he’d chosen for the night, Will settled down, his gun next to his head, his hat half covering it. Just as well she’d turned away. He shouldn’t have been so short with her, he thought ruefully. His fingers itched to lose themselves in her tangled curls, and he shifted on the hard ground, his discomfort growing. As long as he could keep his randy hands to himself, they ought to get along for the next six days. Long enough to get them through Oklahoma and well into Missouri. Maybe he could hurry her along a little and make it in five.

* * *

The new mare dumped her twice on the second day. From her prone position, Cassie muttered words she’d only heard before, aware of a stone beneath her bottom, another lodged against her rib. Other than that, the ground was just rock hard all over, and her groan was heartfelt.

“Damn, girl!” Will was off the stallion and at her side, reins clutched in his hand. “At least she didn’t run off like last time,” he said, eyeing the mare. The brown creature stood just a few feet away, placid in her grazing. “You all right, Cassie?”

She sat up, rubbing at the bruised spot on her rib, her arm bending at an awkward angle to accomplish the task. “I don’t think I broke any bones.”

Will’s hand brushed her fingers aside and he felt the spot carefully, a distracted look on his face as he traced the rib. “I don’t feel a break, Cass.” He squatted next to her, his fingers itching to brush the disheveled hair from her face, his mouth fighting a smile as he listened to her grumbling.

“Dratted horse just wanted to taste the grass,” she mumbled. “Couldn’t wait till we stopped for the night, could she?”

“Yeah, well, I think we’re gonna ride on, Cass. I’d just as soon put some miles behind us tonight.” His gaze traveled over Cassie’s head, measuring the trail ahead to where it eased atop a shallow rise, disappearing over the crest of the hill. He’d come across the scant trail early this morning, passing through a small town at noontime, well into Oklahoma Territory.

They’d halted there just long enough to buy Cassie a pair of boots, more fit for a young boy than a woman, but suited to the trail.

Now she eyed the sturdy leather footwear as she sat on the ground, hoping the raw spot on her heel wasn’t a blister,
wishing for a moment for the soft comfort of the moccasins she’d given up for the protection of boot leather. “I can go farther,” she told Will, lifting herself to her feet, limping a little as she took a few steps.

The mare lifted her head, her ears retreating to plaster themselves against her head, her eyes daring Cassie to disrupt her meal.