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Authors: Red L. Jameson
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over.
“So—so, there wasn’t a man? It was the kittens?” She took the kitten, immediately cuddling it close. Her voice was wispy and too soft.
“No.” Jake got on the saddle behind her again, pulling her close. “Someone was watchin’ you. Watched ye for a long time.”
He turned the horse around, heading back to town.
“Wait. Where are we going?” She glanced at him over her shoulder.
“Back to Laura’s hotel. To keep ye safe.”
“I don’t want to—”
“I can understand why ye don’t want to stay there. I do. But your safety—”
She placed a hand over his and pulled the reins to stop the horse. Jake let her with a sigh.
Turning more into him, she said, “I really don’t want to.”
“I understand. I do.”
“Do you?”
Her eyes searched his, trying to find an answer, and Jake hated it, but mayhap he didn’t know how she felt, mayhap he didn’t understand.
She looked down at the kitten biting her hand. “Laura and Tom are good people. I know they are. But they think I’m crazy. They didn’t believe me.”
“Well, I’ll tell ‘em about the tracks. I saw that someone was at your house. I’ll vouch for you.”
Her hand had been on his, but she removed it then, looking more forlorn than any person should be. Jake wasn’t unfeeling. He could sympathize. It must be terrible to be thought of as insane. And he wondered if she was considered mad because she felt like she was from another time. Or if she’d said as much. Or was there more to the Mad Mere moniker?
But how to ask something like that? If she merely felt she was from another time, he was being an insensitive prick by asking about it. Or if he indicated he was from another time, and she wasn’t—well, then she’d think him insane.
While trying to muddle through his thoughts, she said, “I know you’re trying to look out for me.”
“Aye—I mean, yes.”
She finally glanced up, those full violet eyes reading him, studying him unlike anyone else ever had. As if she plucked his heart from his chest and was examining it. After a sigh, she shook her head. “I really don’t want to stay at the hotel.”
“Is it worth yer life, Meredith? Please, think about—”
“Why do you care?” Her voice was loud, and the kitten stilled from his mangling her hand.
Jake narrowed his eyes, mayhap even pulling her a wee bit tighter to his body, ready to argue with her, even though he had no idea what he’d say, when she shook her head and looked down.
“I’m sorry. That was rude.”
“I ken we just met. I know we just met, but—”
“Will you stay with me? Tonight?”
He was going to say that it was his job to care about her, but that wasn’t the whole truth. He wanted to know her better, know why she was so doleful. But after she asked her question, her voice trembling just so, his mouth went dry.
She still wasn’t looking at him and was shrinking from him the longer he didn’t answer, looking like the saddest elf he’d ever seen. How could Jake say no to that?
“All right.”
He’d stay on her porch with his Colt. Lord, but he wished he had brought his shotgun too. And, mercy, he was tired. Bone tired from not sleeping the night before. But he’d do this for her. Already, he’d do anything for her.
Utterly shocking him, she embraced him with a kitten at the back of his neck.
“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, making him want to shudder.
But he didn’t. Barely.
Just as he was about to mold his body closer to hers, she pulled away, then yet again looked down. This time, though, she held a tiny grin, and his heart warmed. Made him feel right proud for agreeing to keep watch over her. The cold should keep him awake. He hoped.
He pulled the reins and soon enough was back in her barn. Untying her horse from his, he guided her paint into a stall. Curried the horse’s back a bit, made sure she had enough straw for the night, then returned to Meredith and the kitten still on Moses.
The other wee
“So—so, there wasn’t a man? It was the kittens?” She took the kitten, immediately cuddling it close. Her voice was wispy and too soft.
“No.” Jake got on the saddle behind her again, pulling her close. “Someone was watchin’ you. Watched ye for a long time.”
He turned the horse around, heading back to town.
“Wait. Where are we going?” She glanced at him over her shoulder.
“Back to Laura’s hotel. To keep ye safe.”
“I don’t want to—”
“I can understand why ye don’t want to stay there. I do. But your safety—”
She placed a hand over his and pulled the reins to stop the horse. Jake let her with a sigh.
Turning more into him, she said, “I really don’t want to.”
“I understand. I do.”
“Do you?”
Her eyes searched his, trying to find an answer, and Jake hated it, but mayhap he didn’t know how she felt, mayhap he didn’t understand.
She looked down at the kitten biting her hand. “Laura and Tom are good people. I know they are. But they think I’m crazy. They didn’t believe me.”
“Well, I’ll tell ‘em about the tracks. I saw that someone was at your house. I’ll vouch for you.”
Her hand had been on his, but she removed it then, looking more forlorn than any person should be. Jake wasn’t unfeeling. He could sympathize. It must be terrible to be thought of as insane. And he wondered if she was considered mad because she felt like she was from another time. Or if she’d said as much. Or was there more to the Mad Mere moniker?
But how to ask something like that? If she merely felt she was from another time, he was being an insensitive prick by asking about it. Or if he indicated he was from another time, and she wasn’t—well, then she’d think him insane.
While trying to muddle through his thoughts, she said, “I know you’re trying to look out for me.”
“Aye—I mean, yes.”
She finally glanced up, those full violet eyes reading him, studying him unlike anyone else ever had. As if she plucked his heart from his chest and was examining it. After a sigh, she shook her head. “I really don’t want to stay at the hotel.”
“Is it worth yer life, Meredith? Please, think about—”
“Why do you care?” Her voice was loud, and the kitten stilled from his mangling her hand.
Jake narrowed his eyes, mayhap even pulling her a wee bit tighter to his body, ready to argue with her, even though he had no idea what he’d say, when she shook her head and looked down.
“I’m sorry. That was rude.”
“I ken we just met. I know we just met, but—”
“Will you stay with me? Tonight?”
He was going to say that it was his job to care about her, but that wasn’t the whole truth. He wanted to know her better, know why she was so doleful. But after she asked her question, her voice trembling just so, his mouth went dry.
She still wasn’t looking at him and was shrinking from him the longer he didn’t answer, looking like the saddest elf he’d ever seen. How could Jake say no to that?
“All right.”
He’d stay on her porch with his Colt. Lord, but he wished he had brought his shotgun too. And, mercy, he was tired. Bone tired from not sleeping the night before. But he’d do this for her. Already, he’d do anything for her.
Utterly shocking him, she embraced him with a kitten at the back of his neck.
“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, making him want to shudder.
But he didn’t. Barely.
Just as he was about to mold his body closer to hers, she pulled away, then yet again looked down. This time, though, she held a tiny grin, and his heart warmed. Made him feel right proud for agreeing to keep watch over her. The cold should keep him awake. He hoped.
He pulled the reins and soon enough was back in her barn. Untying her horse from his, he guided her paint into a stall. Curried the horse’s back a bit, made sure she had enough straw for the night, then returned to Meredith and the kitten still on Moses.
The other wee
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