could not, however, stop the memory of Anthony breathing her name in his sleep. Or how, when she had opened her eyes, it was to see him leaning up on one elbow, smiling down at her as if they had been lovers …
Foolishness. Insane foolishness. Harmony hurried on through the sitting room and into the hall. She shut the door firmly behind her and headed for the stairs. She did not look back.
Maggie was mercifully absent when Harmony passed through the common room. It smelled of stale smoke and spilled ale and she walked out into the fresh air of the courtyard gratefully.
Anthony looked up from a stirrup he adjusted. “Well.” He grinned.
Self-conscious about her tousled appearance, Harmony reacted as if she had been stung. “What’s the matter?” she asked defiantly. “Do you find something amusing?”
Crinkles appeared at the corners of Anthony’s eyes as his grin broadened. “Not at all, no. In fact, you’re the first woman I’ve ever spent the night with who got up looking better than she did when she went to bed.” Chuckling, he handed her the gray mare’s reins. “May I help her ladyship mount?”
Was he making fun of her? Or did he really mean it? Irritated and short of temper, Harmony grabbed the reins from Anthony’s fingers and led the mare to the mounting block. But the skittish animal refused to stand still and shied sideways each time Harmony tried to fit her foot into the stirrup. Anthony watched the whole performance, arms folded, grin undimmed.
“Damn you!” Although she knew better, her temper and humiliation got the better of her and Harmony gave a sharp, angry tug on the reins. It was the wrong thing to do and she was immediately sorry, but she preferred to die rather than ask Anthony to help her.
The mare responded by rearing. Harmony was pulled off her feet and nearly off the block. Anthony roared.
“Damn you, too!” she shouted, and whirled on him. Anthony laughed harder.
The right thing to do was what she had grown up doing, gentling horses with gentle voice and gentle hands. However, there was another part of her and another way. Harmony could also ride a bronc until it stopped bucking. Once she had even drawn a gun on a coyote she saw sneaking out from behind the barn stalking her favorite barn cat. She almost always wore her holster with the two Colts, one on each hip, even when riding a bucking horse, and it had served her well that day. Despite the violent motion, she drew a bead on the wily old coyote and blew him into the next Sunday, saving her cat. That side of Harmony’s personality, egged on by Anthony’s laughter, took over and shoved good sense aside.
Teeth gritted and eyes flashing, Harmony pulled on the mare again. And again the animal sidestepped. This time, however, Harmony was prepared. She leaped from the block in the direction of the mare’s sideways movement and miraculously managed to land astride. Anthony broke into fresh gales of laughter.
“Now what’s so funny?” Harmony demanded. Her fury mounted as Anthony bent double, holding on to his sides.
It took a few moments for Anthony to regain control of himself. “It’s just that … that …” He had to pause to wipe the tears from his eyes. “I
was
going to ask you sometime if you were ever frightened when I pointed my pistol at you. Now I realize what a foolish question that would be. You’re not afraid of anything, are you?”
“What do
you
think?” she retorted.
“I wonder how I ever managed to kidnap you at all. I guess you must have let me, huh?”
Harmony allowed herself a tight smile. “Perhaps. And perhaps someday I’ll have the opportunity to show you how good
I
am with a pistol and find out if you’re ever frightened.”
Anthony’s laughter erupted anew. It was brief.
“Hey, where are you going? You’re supposed to wait for me!”
Anthony vaulted into the saddle and gathered his reins even as he kicked his mount into a gallop. It was several minutes before he managed
Foolishness. Insane foolishness. Harmony hurried on through the sitting room and into the hall. She shut the door firmly behind her and headed for the stairs. She did not look back.
Maggie was mercifully absent when Harmony passed through the common room. It smelled of stale smoke and spilled ale and she walked out into the fresh air of the courtyard gratefully.
Anthony looked up from a stirrup he adjusted. “Well.” He grinned.
Self-conscious about her tousled appearance, Harmony reacted as if she had been stung. “What’s the matter?” she asked defiantly. “Do you find something amusing?”
Crinkles appeared at the corners of Anthony’s eyes as his grin broadened. “Not at all, no. In fact, you’re the first woman I’ve ever spent the night with who got up looking better than she did when she went to bed.” Chuckling, he handed her the gray mare’s reins. “May I help her ladyship mount?”
Was he making fun of her? Or did he really mean it? Irritated and short of temper, Harmony grabbed the reins from Anthony’s fingers and led the mare to the mounting block. But the skittish animal refused to stand still and shied sideways each time Harmony tried to fit her foot into the stirrup. Anthony watched the whole performance, arms folded, grin undimmed.
“Damn you!” Although she knew better, her temper and humiliation got the better of her and Harmony gave a sharp, angry tug on the reins. It was the wrong thing to do and she was immediately sorry, but she preferred to die rather than ask Anthony to help her.
The mare responded by rearing. Harmony was pulled off her feet and nearly off the block. Anthony roared.
“Damn you, too!” she shouted, and whirled on him. Anthony laughed harder.
The right thing to do was what she had grown up doing, gentling horses with gentle voice and gentle hands. However, there was another part of her and another way. Harmony could also ride a bronc until it stopped bucking. Once she had even drawn a gun on a coyote she saw sneaking out from behind the barn stalking her favorite barn cat. She almost always wore her holster with the two Colts, one on each hip, even when riding a bucking horse, and it had served her well that day. Despite the violent motion, she drew a bead on the wily old coyote and blew him into the next Sunday, saving her cat. That side of Harmony’s personality, egged on by Anthony’s laughter, took over and shoved good sense aside.
Teeth gritted and eyes flashing, Harmony pulled on the mare again. And again the animal sidestepped. This time, however, Harmony was prepared. She leaped from the block in the direction of the mare’s sideways movement and miraculously managed to land astride. Anthony broke into fresh gales of laughter.
“Now what’s so funny?” Harmony demanded. Her fury mounted as Anthony bent double, holding on to his sides.
It took a few moments for Anthony to regain control of himself. “It’s just that … that …” He had to pause to wipe the tears from his eyes. “I
was
going to ask you sometime if you were ever frightened when I pointed my pistol at you. Now I realize what a foolish question that would be. You’re not afraid of anything, are you?”
“What do
you
think?” she retorted.
“I wonder how I ever managed to kidnap you at all. I guess you must have let me, huh?”
Harmony allowed herself a tight smile. “Perhaps. And perhaps someday I’ll have the opportunity to show you how good
I
am with a pistol and find out if you’re ever frightened.”
Anthony’s laughter erupted anew. It was brief.
“Hey, where are you going? You’re supposed to wait for me!”
Anthony vaulted into the saddle and gathered his reins even as he kicked his mount into a gallop. It was several minutes before he managed
Similar Books
