said quietly. "He's my wife's pet." His hand dropped to the hilt of his own knife. "If no one comes near her, he won't bother you."
Raegan almost gasped aloud. Chase was passing her off as his wife? She remembered in time what he had advised her and wiped the surprise off her face. If he said they were married, he had a good reason for doing so. And looking at the scurvy lot here, she had a good idea what it was.
Voices picked up, but not as boisterously as before, as the customers kept a wary eye on the wolf and a leering, appreciative one on Raegan.
"So, Donlin, you went and got yourself hitched, did you?" A big, bearded trapper rumbled as Chase guided Raegan among the tables. "I never thought to see the day a woman could put a halter around your neck, no matter how purty she might be."
When Chase made no response, another man entered the teasing banter. "How's the widder Jenkins gonna feel about you tiein' the knot with another woman, do you reckon? The story goes she had in mind that she'd be the female movin' into the Donlin cabin."
The man was set to continue, but a threatening look from Chase snapped his mouth shut. He, along with the others who had left the bar and gathered in a wide circle around Chase and Raegan, knew of Chase Donlin's ability with the Bowie shoved into his knee-length moccasin. Too many times they had seen the broad blade draw blood with deadly accuracy.
A wide path opened up for Chase as he steered Raegan toward the bar running the length of the room. None cared to get too close to the wolf that stalked alongside his mistress, his lips pulled back in a silent snarl.
Raegan felt the men's hungry eyes following her and felt that the walk to the spirit-stained bar was the longest one she'd ever taken.
"Johnson," Chase said to the genial-faced man who operated the post, "I'd like you to meet Raegan."
A big hand reached across the bar. "I'm right proud to meet you, Raegan." When, with a friendly smile curving her lips, Raegan laid her small hand in his, he added, "You're sure gonna brighten up these hills, little lady." He glanced down at Lobo. "And that wolf of yours is gonna scare the pants off a lot of people."
Johnson gave Chase a worried look. "What are you gonna do with him, Donlin? He's makin' my customers nervous as the dickens."
"We'd like one of your better rooms for the night, and we'll put him in there."
John nodded with a sigh of relief. "I'll give you the one Mr. Hayes from the Hudson's Bay fur company uses when he comes up here to check out how everthing is goin'. It's got a bolt on it so you won't have to worry about anyone bustin' in on you when you're in the middle of somethin' important." His eyes twinkled teasingly, causing Raegan to blush a bright red.
Chase ignored the sly innuendo, sorry that in this case his lie had caused Raegan to be embarrassed. "I'll just settle Raegan at that table over there in that corner," he said shortly, "and after I've put the wolf away, maybe you can bring us something to eat."
"I sure can." Johnson grinned, unaware that Chase was perturbed with him. "My wife cooked up a big pot of beef stew today. I'll have her fetch you some as soon as you're settled." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "The room is back of the bar. More quiet than upstairs. It gets pretty noisy up there sometimes, if you catch my meanin'."
Chase nodded that he knew what the big, well-meaning man was talking about, then led Raegan to a rudely constructed table and seated her on a three-legged stool. Then, taking Lobo's rope from her nervous fingers, he said softly, "Don't feel frightened. That lot over there may eat you up with their eyes, but no one will dare lay a finger on who they think is Donlin's woman."
A weak smile curved Raegan's lips. She wished that she was as sure of that as he was. She knew that every pair of eyes in the room was still upon her. Would those wild trappers be willing to just look after Chase left the room?
Chase gave her shoulder a
Raegan almost gasped aloud. Chase was passing her off as his wife? She remembered in time what he had advised her and wiped the surprise off her face. If he said they were married, he had a good reason for doing so. And looking at the scurvy lot here, she had a good idea what it was.
Voices picked up, but not as boisterously as before, as the customers kept a wary eye on the wolf and a leering, appreciative one on Raegan.
"So, Donlin, you went and got yourself hitched, did you?" A big, bearded trapper rumbled as Chase guided Raegan among the tables. "I never thought to see the day a woman could put a halter around your neck, no matter how purty she might be."
When Chase made no response, another man entered the teasing banter. "How's the widder Jenkins gonna feel about you tiein' the knot with another woman, do you reckon? The story goes she had in mind that she'd be the female movin' into the Donlin cabin."
The man was set to continue, but a threatening look from Chase snapped his mouth shut. He, along with the others who had left the bar and gathered in a wide circle around Chase and Raegan, knew of Chase Donlin's ability with the Bowie shoved into his knee-length moccasin. Too many times they had seen the broad blade draw blood with deadly accuracy.
A wide path opened up for Chase as he steered Raegan toward the bar running the length of the room. None cared to get too close to the wolf that stalked alongside his mistress, his lips pulled back in a silent snarl.
Raegan felt the men's hungry eyes following her and felt that the walk to the spirit-stained bar was the longest one she'd ever taken.
"Johnson," Chase said to the genial-faced man who operated the post, "I'd like you to meet Raegan."
A big hand reached across the bar. "I'm right proud to meet you, Raegan." When, with a friendly smile curving her lips, Raegan laid her small hand in his, he added, "You're sure gonna brighten up these hills, little lady." He glanced down at Lobo. "And that wolf of yours is gonna scare the pants off a lot of people."
Johnson gave Chase a worried look. "What are you gonna do with him, Donlin? He's makin' my customers nervous as the dickens."
"We'd like one of your better rooms for the night, and we'll put him in there."
John nodded with a sigh of relief. "I'll give you the one Mr. Hayes from the Hudson's Bay fur company uses when he comes up here to check out how everthing is goin'. It's got a bolt on it so you won't have to worry about anyone bustin' in on you when you're in the middle of somethin' important." His eyes twinkled teasingly, causing Raegan to blush a bright red.
Chase ignored the sly innuendo, sorry that in this case his lie had caused Raegan to be embarrassed. "I'll just settle Raegan at that table over there in that corner," he said shortly, "and after I've put the wolf away, maybe you can bring us something to eat."
"I sure can." Johnson grinned, unaware that Chase was perturbed with him. "My wife cooked up a big pot of beef stew today. I'll have her fetch you some as soon as you're settled." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "The room is back of the bar. More quiet than upstairs. It gets pretty noisy up there sometimes, if you catch my meanin'."
Chase nodded that he knew what the big, well-meaning man was talking about, then led Raegan to a rudely constructed table and seated her on a three-legged stool. Then, taking Lobo's rope from her nervous fingers, he said softly, "Don't feel frightened. That lot over there may eat you up with their eyes, but no one will dare lay a finger on who they think is Donlin's woman."
A weak smile curved Raegan's lips. She wished that she was as sure of that as he was. She knew that every pair of eyes in the room was still upon her. Would those wild trappers be willing to just look after Chase left the room?
Chase gave her shoulder a
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