himself out. Emmy watched him with a scowl on her face, but as he tested his limbs, moving his arms, lifting them above his head, her expression changed. Her eyes softened and her face lost any traces of anger. Bodine knew that look spelled trouble, the kind of trouble he couldn’t entertain with Miss Emma Marie Rourke.
“I’ll get dressed and check on Lola.”
Emmy nodded and whipped around, busying herself with kitchen chores. And once he’d dressed, the effort taxing some of his regained strength, Emmy stood by the doorway, holding out his shotgun.
Without a word, she handed it to him.
Bodine grinned and exited the cabin.
Chapter Five
L ola seemed glad to see him. She whinnied and stomped her hooves a few times. Bodine hadn’t been apart from his horse for this many days before, but as he checked her over he had to admit that Emmy had taken good care of her. Lola was groomed and fed. But he knew his mare better than he’d known any woman and Lola was on edge. She’d been cooped up in the shed without any real exercise.
“I know the feeling. I’m fixing to go crazy, too.” He stroked her nose, right along the thin white stripe, her favorite spot to be rubbed, and the mare nudged his good shoulder.
“Tomorrow, with any luck, we’ll be heading out.”
Bodine tied a lead rope around her neck and led her from the barn. He couldn’t ride her yet, but he’d walk her along the path of the cabin for a time to stretch her legs.
She practically pranced like a dancing dog, eager to get out of the barn, but he steadied her into a slow gait.
Pine needles covered the ground, crunching under his boots as he walked along the trail. Ponderosa and Digger pines lifted to a clouded sky and, from this distance, the lake appeared eerily dark and ominous. Bodine set his hat lower on his head, bringing up the collar of his slicker as a northern wind kicked up. His woolen shirt no longer kept out the cold.
Shivering, he headed back to the barn with Lola, making sure she had enough feed and hay for the day. He slapped her rump in farewell then bolted the barn door shut and took off for the root cellar, his shotgun weighing heavy on his arm.
With a smile, he recalled Emmy’s immediate distress when he’d told the tale of Big Ed and the grizzly. Fact was, the trapper had been drunker than a saloon full of range-weary cowboys and the bear had been more than ten feet away when Bodine scared him off with a shot. But Big Ed liked to tell this tale and Bodine went along. Shortly after that incident, Big Ed set a mass of bear traps and there hadn’t been one sighting since.
Bodine would never have put Emmy in any danger. He was being paid to keep her safe and he didn’t take that responsibility lightly. He figured telling Big Ed’s version would keep Emmy inside the cabin, where he could keep an eye on her. In his weakened state, he didn’t think he could protect her should the need arise. And Lord knows, with her small size, she’d never be able to fend off an attacker, whether it were man or animal.
Bodine had promised to send a wire to Mrs. Rourke. He wondered how she’d take the news that he’d been living under the same roof with her wayward granddaughter? They’d been together day and night for nearly five full days now. The first chance he got, he’d telegraph Emmy’s grandmother with his report.
After leaving the barn, he forged further into the pines until he came upon the root cellar. With the wind kicking up and the air biting cold, he didn’t stay long. His shoulder ached like the devil and there were a few things in the cellar that would ease the pain some—blackstrap whiskey and a jug of berry wine. He grabbed both quickly and hightailed it to the cabin.
He entered and latched the door, the wind howling at his back. Although a seasoned bounty hunter accustomed to rough nights on the trail, Bodine welcomed the warmth inside, the lingering scent of a cooked meal and the comfort of a big bed. He set his
“I’ll get dressed and check on Lola.”
Emmy nodded and whipped around, busying herself with kitchen chores. And once he’d dressed, the effort taxing some of his regained strength, Emmy stood by the doorway, holding out his shotgun.
Without a word, she handed it to him.
Bodine grinned and exited the cabin.
Chapter Five
L ola seemed glad to see him. She whinnied and stomped her hooves a few times. Bodine hadn’t been apart from his horse for this many days before, but as he checked her over he had to admit that Emmy had taken good care of her. Lola was groomed and fed. But he knew his mare better than he’d known any woman and Lola was on edge. She’d been cooped up in the shed without any real exercise.
“I know the feeling. I’m fixing to go crazy, too.” He stroked her nose, right along the thin white stripe, her favorite spot to be rubbed, and the mare nudged his good shoulder.
“Tomorrow, with any luck, we’ll be heading out.”
Bodine tied a lead rope around her neck and led her from the barn. He couldn’t ride her yet, but he’d walk her along the path of the cabin for a time to stretch her legs.
She practically pranced like a dancing dog, eager to get out of the barn, but he steadied her into a slow gait.
Pine needles covered the ground, crunching under his boots as he walked along the trail. Ponderosa and Digger pines lifted to a clouded sky and, from this distance, the lake appeared eerily dark and ominous. Bodine set his hat lower on his head, bringing up the collar of his slicker as a northern wind kicked up. His woolen shirt no longer kept out the cold.
Shivering, he headed back to the barn with Lola, making sure she had enough feed and hay for the day. He slapped her rump in farewell then bolted the barn door shut and took off for the root cellar, his shotgun weighing heavy on his arm.
With a smile, he recalled Emmy’s immediate distress when he’d told the tale of Big Ed and the grizzly. Fact was, the trapper had been drunker than a saloon full of range-weary cowboys and the bear had been more than ten feet away when Bodine scared him off with a shot. But Big Ed liked to tell this tale and Bodine went along. Shortly after that incident, Big Ed set a mass of bear traps and there hadn’t been one sighting since.
Bodine would never have put Emmy in any danger. He was being paid to keep her safe and he didn’t take that responsibility lightly. He figured telling Big Ed’s version would keep Emmy inside the cabin, where he could keep an eye on her. In his weakened state, he didn’t think he could protect her should the need arise. And Lord knows, with her small size, she’d never be able to fend off an attacker, whether it were man or animal.
Bodine had promised to send a wire to Mrs. Rourke. He wondered how she’d take the news that he’d been living under the same roof with her wayward granddaughter? They’d been together day and night for nearly five full days now. The first chance he got, he’d telegraph Emmy’s grandmother with his report.
After leaving the barn, he forged further into the pines until he came upon the root cellar. With the wind kicking up and the air biting cold, he didn’t stay long. His shoulder ached like the devil and there were a few things in the cellar that would ease the pain some—blackstrap whiskey and a jug of berry wine. He grabbed both quickly and hightailed it to the cabin.
He entered and latched the door, the wind howling at his back. Although a seasoned bounty hunter accustomed to rough nights on the trail, Bodine welcomed the warmth inside, the lingering scent of a cooked meal and the comfort of a big bed. He set his
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