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Authors: JODI THOMAS
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traveling with the other robbers’ horses. Your outlaw boss must have needed money bad to risk selling off the dead gang’s mounts so close to where the robbery happened.”
“He’s not my boss,” Andrew said, wondering if he’d ever have time to tell her the whole story of what had happened. “I’d be willing to bet that no one saw the horses that night except you. You were at the back of the train.” He raised an eyebrow. “By the way, why were you riding in the stock car with your horse? The train was almost empty. It couldn’t have been comfortable standing in the smelly car.” He studied her and said his thoughts out loud. “You were hiding.”
Before she could answer, they heard footsteps in the hallway. Beth moved to his side and circled his neck. “I’m glad you’re standing this morning. I didn’t realize until now how tall you are,” she whispered as she kissed him on the mouth.
Without a doubt, he had to add
dangerous
to the list of her traits. Probably more so than all the outlaws put together, but he couldn’t resist. He kissed her back. The taste of her was a hundred times better than he imagined. They weren’t two young lovers learning and he didn’t kiss her lightly, but with the seasoned passion of a man who’d known love once.
To his surprise, she kissed him back the same way.
When someone cleared his throat from a few feet away, Andrew remembered why she’d kissed him in the first place. For show. Just as well. He could have lost a good measure of willpower if that kiss got any better. He could handle “for show.” He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to handle “for real” with a woman like her.
He straightened and looked over her head at the sheriff and two of his deputies. “What is it today, Sheriff? Someone else want to marry my wife?” He tightened his arm about her waist. “I’m still not giving her up.”
Hell
, he thought, if she kissed him again he’d probably forget that they weren’t really married.
The sheriff shook his head. “I doubt anyone wants to take her away today, except for that outlaw in my jail who’s crazy about her after she walked through a gunfight last night to buy that pinto tied up out front.” He barked a laugh. “I told him she was married and her husband seemed downright partial to her, but Peterson says he’d gladly kill you and take her for his sixth wife. Course, by the time he gets out of jail he’ll be too old to remember what to do with a woman, so I doubt you have much to worry about.”
“I think I’ll keep her if it’s all the same to you, Sheriff. She bought me that fine horse last night.” Andrew wasn’t sure he wanted to know more of the details about how she found the animal.
The sheriff shrugged. “She sure did. Walked right up to the outlaw and bargained with him. Folks will be talking about that for years in this town.” He moved a few feet closer and frowned at Andrew. “Looks like you’re feeling better, McLaughlin. Any chance you’ll be leaving soon?”
“Ready to get rid of us?”
“Look, I don’t care that you married a wild woman who interrupts gunfights, but that senator is still over at the saloon drinking and telling everyone she really belongs to him. I figure it’s just a matter of time before he downs enough courage and comes back for another try, and I don’t much like the idea of having to break up a fight.”
Andrew decided not to push his luck. He wasn’t so worried about Lamont LaCroix bothering him again as he was about Chesty learning that he was still alive. The outlaw had lost not only his freedom but most of his gang as well, and he’d be looking for someone to blame. “Sheriff, if you’ll help my wife load a wagon, we could be on the road in an hour. I’m not sure I could stay on a horse, but I could sleep in the back of a wagon till we get back home to Fort Worth.”
The sheriff looked downright tickled. “I’ll do that.”
Andrew reached for his coat. “I
“He’s not my boss,” Andrew said, wondering if he’d ever have time to tell her the whole story of what had happened. “I’d be willing to bet that no one saw the horses that night except you. You were at the back of the train.” He raised an eyebrow. “By the way, why were you riding in the stock car with your horse? The train was almost empty. It couldn’t have been comfortable standing in the smelly car.” He studied her and said his thoughts out loud. “You were hiding.”
Before she could answer, they heard footsteps in the hallway. Beth moved to his side and circled his neck. “I’m glad you’re standing this morning. I didn’t realize until now how tall you are,” she whispered as she kissed him on the mouth.
Without a doubt, he had to add
dangerous
to the list of her traits. Probably more so than all the outlaws put together, but he couldn’t resist. He kissed her back. The taste of her was a hundred times better than he imagined. They weren’t two young lovers learning and he didn’t kiss her lightly, but with the seasoned passion of a man who’d known love once.
To his surprise, she kissed him back the same way.
When someone cleared his throat from a few feet away, Andrew remembered why she’d kissed him in the first place. For show. Just as well. He could have lost a good measure of willpower if that kiss got any better. He could handle “for show.” He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to handle “for real” with a woman like her.
He straightened and looked over her head at the sheriff and two of his deputies. “What is it today, Sheriff? Someone else want to marry my wife?” He tightened his arm about her waist. “I’m still not giving her up.”
Hell
, he thought, if she kissed him again he’d probably forget that they weren’t really married.
The sheriff shook his head. “I doubt anyone wants to take her away today, except for that outlaw in my jail who’s crazy about her after she walked through a gunfight last night to buy that pinto tied up out front.” He barked a laugh. “I told him she was married and her husband seemed downright partial to her, but Peterson says he’d gladly kill you and take her for his sixth wife. Course, by the time he gets out of jail he’ll be too old to remember what to do with a woman, so I doubt you have much to worry about.”
“I think I’ll keep her if it’s all the same to you, Sheriff. She bought me that fine horse last night.” Andrew wasn’t sure he wanted to know more of the details about how she found the animal.
The sheriff shrugged. “She sure did. Walked right up to the outlaw and bargained with him. Folks will be talking about that for years in this town.” He moved a few feet closer and frowned at Andrew. “Looks like you’re feeling better, McLaughlin. Any chance you’ll be leaving soon?”
“Ready to get rid of us?”
“Look, I don’t care that you married a wild woman who interrupts gunfights, but that senator is still over at the saloon drinking and telling everyone she really belongs to him. I figure it’s just a matter of time before he downs enough courage and comes back for another try, and I don’t much like the idea of having to break up a fight.”
Andrew decided not to push his luck. He wasn’t so worried about Lamont LaCroix bothering him again as he was about Chesty learning that he was still alive. The outlaw had lost not only his freedom but most of his gang as well, and he’d be looking for someone to blame. “Sheriff, if you’ll help my wife load a wagon, we could be on the road in an hour. I’m not sure I could stay on a horse, but I could sleep in the back of a wagon till we get back home to Fort Worth.”
The sheriff looked downright tickled. “I’ll do that.”
Andrew reached for his coat. “I
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