silken strands of her hair caressed his wrists.
She didn’t even notice his torment. “He can’t do that. That job’s all Father has left. If he knows it’s gone, he’ll give up.”
He levered into a sitting position, pulling her up alongside. “Life will be a lot easier once you realize the sun doesn’t revolve around your family.”
Her lower lip trembled and she looked off at the dying fire. “It does for me. Isn’t that what family is? The center of one’s world?”
He’d once thought so. But if that were true, the world would have stopped like he’d wanted it to when Annie and Jack died.
Gripping her by the arm, he leaned over and pulled his handcuffs out of his bag. He hadn’t wanted to use them, as their weight and size would be painfully awkward on her slim wrists. They were more likely to rub her raw than the ties he’d used.
“Oh, please, no,” she said.
“You haven’t left me much choice.” He snapped them around her wrists, then pulled a heavier length of cord from another bag. He wound it around and through the links of the cuffs, then tied the only knot at the other end, around his belt and snug to his body. “Now lay down. I’d like to get a little more sleep.”
She lay down, but didn’t seem ready to sleep. She scrubbed the heel of her hand across her eyes, one at a time because of the cuffs. “What’s so special about Fresh Springs? Can’t you go be a lawman somewhere else?”
He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. She stared up at the sky, a mulish set to her mouth. “I don’t have anywhere else. Okay, hellcat? That enough of an admission for you?”
Her lips still glistened from their kiss, their delicate shape swollen. Marked. She slanted a look out the corner of her eyes. “What do you mean you haven’t anywhere else?”
He didn’t have to answer. Any other bounty he’d have told to fuck off. But they had a long ways to go yet. And he hadn’t realized how tired he was of silence until it was gone. Anything he could do to ease up her fighting would be a blessing. “I’ve been riding a fine line a long time. Got enemies a lot of places. Fresh Springs is likely my one and only chance to make sure I stay on the right side of the law.” He rolled onto his back and rested his head on his saddle.
Her soft voice drifted over to him. “It’s a painful place, isn’t it?”
“Where’s that?”
“Being out of options.”
Dawn found Maggie still awake and still perturbed. The handcuffs weighed heavy across her stomach. Money wasn’t going to work on Collier. Escape was likely out of the question as well, unless she managed to spot some sort of golden opportunity. He was implacable and determined that she wouldn’t slow their progress in any way.
Collier wasn’t going to suddenly crumble and return her to Father.
She would be going back to Fresh Springs to face her fate. When she thought about it, she figured she’d be more ashamed to face Tim and Billy than Masterson. She’d given him no more than he deserved. Seeing Billy’s round face as he testified against her, now that would be hard. At least Father wouldn’t be there to see his only daughter’s hubris come to call her to judgment.
What did she have to lose by not fighting?
Not much. Maybe the handcuffs, and that was about it.
In fact, if she managed to turn Collier up sweet, her slim possibilities of escape might expand. He might start letting her more than an arm’s length away.
She had no delusions it would happen instantly. But they had a long way back to Arizona, a good two or three weeks at a minimum. Even if she didn’t escape until a day outside Fresh Springs, that would be enough. In fact, it might even be better. She’d be near home and near people she’d known all her life. Someone was bound to help her.
Convincing Collier to look more fondly on her shouldn’t be impossible. After all, he’d kissed her. Robert had once told her a willingness to dally
She didn’t even notice his torment. “He can’t do that. That job’s all Father has left. If he knows it’s gone, he’ll give up.”
He levered into a sitting position, pulling her up alongside. “Life will be a lot easier once you realize the sun doesn’t revolve around your family.”
Her lower lip trembled and she looked off at the dying fire. “It does for me. Isn’t that what family is? The center of one’s world?”
He’d once thought so. But if that were true, the world would have stopped like he’d wanted it to when Annie and Jack died.
Gripping her by the arm, he leaned over and pulled his handcuffs out of his bag. He hadn’t wanted to use them, as their weight and size would be painfully awkward on her slim wrists. They were more likely to rub her raw than the ties he’d used.
“Oh, please, no,” she said.
“You haven’t left me much choice.” He snapped them around her wrists, then pulled a heavier length of cord from another bag. He wound it around and through the links of the cuffs, then tied the only knot at the other end, around his belt and snug to his body. “Now lay down. I’d like to get a little more sleep.”
She lay down, but didn’t seem ready to sleep. She scrubbed the heel of her hand across her eyes, one at a time because of the cuffs. “What’s so special about Fresh Springs? Can’t you go be a lawman somewhere else?”
He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. She stared up at the sky, a mulish set to her mouth. “I don’t have anywhere else. Okay, hellcat? That enough of an admission for you?”
Her lips still glistened from their kiss, their delicate shape swollen. Marked. She slanted a look out the corner of her eyes. “What do you mean you haven’t anywhere else?”
He didn’t have to answer. Any other bounty he’d have told to fuck off. But they had a long ways to go yet. And he hadn’t realized how tired he was of silence until it was gone. Anything he could do to ease up her fighting would be a blessing. “I’ve been riding a fine line a long time. Got enemies a lot of places. Fresh Springs is likely my one and only chance to make sure I stay on the right side of the law.” He rolled onto his back and rested his head on his saddle.
Her soft voice drifted over to him. “It’s a painful place, isn’t it?”
“Where’s that?”
“Being out of options.”
Dawn found Maggie still awake and still perturbed. The handcuffs weighed heavy across her stomach. Money wasn’t going to work on Collier. Escape was likely out of the question as well, unless she managed to spot some sort of golden opportunity. He was implacable and determined that she wouldn’t slow their progress in any way.
Collier wasn’t going to suddenly crumble and return her to Father.
She would be going back to Fresh Springs to face her fate. When she thought about it, she figured she’d be more ashamed to face Tim and Billy than Masterson. She’d given him no more than he deserved. Seeing Billy’s round face as he testified against her, now that would be hard. At least Father wouldn’t be there to see his only daughter’s hubris come to call her to judgment.
What did she have to lose by not fighting?
Not much. Maybe the handcuffs, and that was about it.
In fact, if she managed to turn Collier up sweet, her slim possibilities of escape might expand. He might start letting her more than an arm’s length away.
She had no delusions it would happen instantly. But they had a long way back to Arizona, a good two or three weeks at a minimum. Even if she didn’t escape until a day outside Fresh Springs, that would be enough. In fact, it might even be better. She’d be near home and near people she’d known all her life. Someone was bound to help her.
Convincing Collier to look more fondly on her shouldn’t be impossible. After all, he’d kissed her. Robert had once told her a willingness to dally
Similar Books
