up. “What the hell’s going on here?” he demanded angrily. “Caitlyn, I thought I told you to stay home.”
“I know, Pa, but…”
“Your foolishness cost us a damn fine horse, young lady,” Brenden went on, his voice rising to match the color in his cheeks. “Perhaps you’d like to ride back and have a look at what’s left?”
“No, Pa.”
“You be quiet, miss!” Brenden yelled. His hard green gaze swung to Rafe. “What the hell happened?”
“Why ask me?”
“Because I’ve got a better chance of getting the truth from you than from that daughter of mine. Now, what the hell happened?”
“I saw Miss Carmichael coming on the trail as I rounded that last bend. Her horse panicked and I figured you’d rather have your daughter than the horse, so I grabbed Miss Carmichael and left the horse behind.”
Brenden’s lips twitched as he bit back a grin. “I guess you made the right decision.”
“Pa!”
“I’ll deal with you when I get home, miss,” Brenden said curtly. “Gallegher, I’d appreciate it if you’d see my daughter safely home. Don’t let her out of your sight. I reckon you’ll make better time going home than we will, so tell Luther we’re behind you and for Paulie to have the corral gates wide open. And tell Consuelo to have plenty of hot coffee ready.”
Rafe nodded once to show he understood, and Brenden rode off down the trail after bestowing one last furious glance at his daughter.
There was going to be hell to pay when her father got home, Caitlyn mused bleakly, and she had no one to blame but herself.
“You ready to go?” Rafe asked.
Caitlyn nodded, and Rafe reached down and lifted her into the saddle in front of him. “We can take a shortcut through the trees,” she said, pointing to a narrow deer trail off to their right.
Rafe grunted softly as he reined his horse toward the trail. It was much too narrow to allow for the passage of more than one horse at a time, but it was a pretty little path, lined on both sides with oaks and pines whose leafy branches formed a canopy overhead.
They rode without speaking, Caitlyn feeling horribly humiliated because her father had scolded her as if she were a naughty child and in front of Rafe Gallegher, of all people.
Some of her anger evaporated as she thought of Rafe. She was, she knew, spending far too much time and energy thinking of him, but she couldn’t seem to stop. There was something about him that appealed to her, though she could neither understand nor define it. But one thing was clear. Whatever the attraction was, strong as it was, it had to stop. He was a half-breed, a man she knew nothing about other than his name. And in a little over a year, he would be gone.
They reached the ranch late in the afternoon. Paulie’s face was stern when Caitlyn told him what had happened to her horse. She felt a twinge of guilt as she left the barn, knowing that Paulie was going to catch hell, too.
“Is your pa far behind?” Paulie called, following after her.
“They’ll be in late,” Rafe said, answering for Caitlyn. “Be sure to tell Luther and have the corral gates open.”
Paulie nodded. He was not looking forward to Carmichael’s return, or the tongue-lashing that was sure to come. He’d already been chewed out good by Luther, who had upbraided him more than once for not going after Caitlyn and bringing her back home.
“I guess you’ll catch hell,” Rafe mused, staring after Caitlyn.
Paulie shrugged. What was done, was done.
Caitlyn hurried toward the house. All she wanted now was a hot bath and a few hours’ sleep in her own bed.
Consuelo scolded Caitlyn as they dragged the big iron tub into the kitchen, reprimanding the girl in English and Spanish for disobeying her father, for continually wearing pants when nice girls wore dresses, for riding astride, for not behaving like a lady.
Caitlyn had heard it all before and she sighed with relief when Consuelo finally left the room. Slipping out of her
“I know, Pa, but…”
“Your foolishness cost us a damn fine horse, young lady,” Brenden went on, his voice rising to match the color in his cheeks. “Perhaps you’d like to ride back and have a look at what’s left?”
“No, Pa.”
“You be quiet, miss!” Brenden yelled. His hard green gaze swung to Rafe. “What the hell happened?”
“Why ask me?”
“Because I’ve got a better chance of getting the truth from you than from that daughter of mine. Now, what the hell happened?”
“I saw Miss Carmichael coming on the trail as I rounded that last bend. Her horse panicked and I figured you’d rather have your daughter than the horse, so I grabbed Miss Carmichael and left the horse behind.”
Brenden’s lips twitched as he bit back a grin. “I guess you made the right decision.”
“Pa!”
“I’ll deal with you when I get home, miss,” Brenden said curtly. “Gallegher, I’d appreciate it if you’d see my daughter safely home. Don’t let her out of your sight. I reckon you’ll make better time going home than we will, so tell Luther we’re behind you and for Paulie to have the corral gates wide open. And tell Consuelo to have plenty of hot coffee ready.”
Rafe nodded once to show he understood, and Brenden rode off down the trail after bestowing one last furious glance at his daughter.
There was going to be hell to pay when her father got home, Caitlyn mused bleakly, and she had no one to blame but herself.
“You ready to go?” Rafe asked.
Caitlyn nodded, and Rafe reached down and lifted her into the saddle in front of him. “We can take a shortcut through the trees,” she said, pointing to a narrow deer trail off to their right.
Rafe grunted softly as he reined his horse toward the trail. It was much too narrow to allow for the passage of more than one horse at a time, but it was a pretty little path, lined on both sides with oaks and pines whose leafy branches formed a canopy overhead.
They rode without speaking, Caitlyn feeling horribly humiliated because her father had scolded her as if she were a naughty child and in front of Rafe Gallegher, of all people.
Some of her anger evaporated as she thought of Rafe. She was, she knew, spending far too much time and energy thinking of him, but she couldn’t seem to stop. There was something about him that appealed to her, though she could neither understand nor define it. But one thing was clear. Whatever the attraction was, strong as it was, it had to stop. He was a half-breed, a man she knew nothing about other than his name. And in a little over a year, he would be gone.
They reached the ranch late in the afternoon. Paulie’s face was stern when Caitlyn told him what had happened to her horse. She felt a twinge of guilt as she left the barn, knowing that Paulie was going to catch hell, too.
“Is your pa far behind?” Paulie called, following after her.
“They’ll be in late,” Rafe said, answering for Caitlyn. “Be sure to tell Luther and have the corral gates open.”
Paulie nodded. He was not looking forward to Carmichael’s return, or the tongue-lashing that was sure to come. He’d already been chewed out good by Luther, who had upbraided him more than once for not going after Caitlyn and bringing her back home.
“I guess you’ll catch hell,” Rafe mused, staring after Caitlyn.
Paulie shrugged. What was done, was done.
Caitlyn hurried toward the house. All she wanted now was a hot bath and a few hours’ sleep in her own bed.
Consuelo scolded Caitlyn as they dragged the big iron tub into the kitchen, reprimanding the girl in English and Spanish for disobeying her father, for continually wearing pants when nice girls wore dresses, for riding astride, for not behaving like a lady.
Caitlyn had heard it all before and she sighed with relief when Consuelo finally left the room. Slipping out of her
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