countryside where a part of the land was hers.
Her gaze swiveled back to Mike sprawled comfortably in the seat next to her and she shook her head. Sound asleep. Like she should be, gritty as her eyes felt.
She had been rash last night, and fortunate Mike was good-natured enough to put up with her unseemly demand. Most men she’d encountered would have tried to take advantage of her instead of simply playing cards all night. Yes, he wanted a kiss, but after the one on the street so did she.
Mike didn’t shove her up against a wall, didn’t wrap her in an unbreakable embrace, or have wandering hands when he did kiss her. She could have stepped away at any time. She ran her tongue over her lips. She’d enjoyed Mike’s kiss. More than she ought to have. A foolish tangle with infatuation would only increase the ache of loneliness deep in her heart.
Soon, they would go their separate ways. Mike to his life, and she to her uncertain one. One Kathleen hoped didn’t include the drunken sot who plagued her footsteps.
She rubbed her dry eyes and rolled her shoulders. First thing on her agenda once reaching Raton was a soft bed. She shuddered. No, first purchase a shotgun, then she could sleep.
In a sleep-deprived daze, Kathleen tried to focus on the approaching storm as Mike slept. Clouds chased one another across the sky and soon became a dark mass, blotting out the warming ray of sunlight.
Gunshots rang sharp and clear in the quiet day. Kathleen clutched the seat as her heart slammed her ribs so hard the air whooshed out of her lungs and sailed right out the window. She lunged for Mike’s gun but he beat her to it as he shoved her low.
“Stay down.”
She hit the floor as the stagecoach swerved to an abrupt halt. Mike tumbled beside her and peered out the window. This couldn’t be happening. Not again . Kathleen wanted to hit someone. Hard . Or kick them. Or shoot them. Maybe all three.
“I see three horses tied up over yonder.” He checked his gun and snapped the cylinder back. “If you get a chance, run to them and get out of here.”
“And you?”
He patted his pistol. “I have six bullets. That’s two apiece.”
The door swung opened to reveal the gnarled old driver, hands up and a gun pressed to his temple.
“Get out.” The same man from Dodge and last night stood sheltered behind the driver.
“You.” The word flung from Kathleen’s mouth. The man was relentless.
“Hello, lady. Miss me?”
Mike’s body jerked. “You know this man?”
“He was the one in my room last night.”
“No more talk. Get moving.”
Kathleen clambered out, followed by Mike.
“Step away from the girl.”
Mike moved to the side. His stance casual, yet ready, and his slow shuffle put him in a better position to shoot. She glanced around. Where were the other two? Or had this man come alone?
“You, missy, come to me, and no funny stuff.”
Kathleen headed toward the outlaw but veered a little to the right to allow a clear shot for Mike. She really hoped his brag of not missing was true.
As she reached the man, he shoved the driver toward Mike then lunged at her. Mike shot. Out of the corner of her eye, Kathleen saw another man and dove to the ground. The dead outlaw landed inches away and she clamped her jaw against the urge to retch. A crimson pool seeped around him. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Two more blasts erupted and the acrid sting of gunpowder assaulted her nostrils. She ripped her eyes open.
“Good shootin’, young man.”
Kathleen wholeheartedly agreed with the driver’s assessment of Mike’s ability with a gun.
Mike rushed to her side and offered a hand. “It’s over.”
She placed a shaking hand in his and allowed him to help her up. Then she sagged against Mike’s chest.
“Why does someone want me dead?”
“This wasn’t aimed at you.”
She sucked in a ragged breath. “You keep saying that, but you heard him. He was after me.”
Mike eased her out of his arms and tilted her
Her gaze swiveled back to Mike sprawled comfortably in the seat next to her and she shook her head. Sound asleep. Like she should be, gritty as her eyes felt.
She had been rash last night, and fortunate Mike was good-natured enough to put up with her unseemly demand. Most men she’d encountered would have tried to take advantage of her instead of simply playing cards all night. Yes, he wanted a kiss, but after the one on the street so did she.
Mike didn’t shove her up against a wall, didn’t wrap her in an unbreakable embrace, or have wandering hands when he did kiss her. She could have stepped away at any time. She ran her tongue over her lips. She’d enjoyed Mike’s kiss. More than she ought to have. A foolish tangle with infatuation would only increase the ache of loneliness deep in her heart.
Soon, they would go their separate ways. Mike to his life, and she to her uncertain one. One Kathleen hoped didn’t include the drunken sot who plagued her footsteps.
She rubbed her dry eyes and rolled her shoulders. First thing on her agenda once reaching Raton was a soft bed. She shuddered. No, first purchase a shotgun, then she could sleep.
In a sleep-deprived daze, Kathleen tried to focus on the approaching storm as Mike slept. Clouds chased one another across the sky and soon became a dark mass, blotting out the warming ray of sunlight.
Gunshots rang sharp and clear in the quiet day. Kathleen clutched the seat as her heart slammed her ribs so hard the air whooshed out of her lungs and sailed right out the window. She lunged for Mike’s gun but he beat her to it as he shoved her low.
“Stay down.”
She hit the floor as the stagecoach swerved to an abrupt halt. Mike tumbled beside her and peered out the window. This couldn’t be happening. Not again . Kathleen wanted to hit someone. Hard . Or kick them. Or shoot them. Maybe all three.
“I see three horses tied up over yonder.” He checked his gun and snapped the cylinder back. “If you get a chance, run to them and get out of here.”
“And you?”
He patted his pistol. “I have six bullets. That’s two apiece.”
The door swung opened to reveal the gnarled old driver, hands up and a gun pressed to his temple.
“Get out.” The same man from Dodge and last night stood sheltered behind the driver.
“You.” The word flung from Kathleen’s mouth. The man was relentless.
“Hello, lady. Miss me?”
Mike’s body jerked. “You know this man?”
“He was the one in my room last night.”
“No more talk. Get moving.”
Kathleen clambered out, followed by Mike.
“Step away from the girl.”
Mike moved to the side. His stance casual, yet ready, and his slow shuffle put him in a better position to shoot. She glanced around. Where were the other two? Or had this man come alone?
“You, missy, come to me, and no funny stuff.”
Kathleen headed toward the outlaw but veered a little to the right to allow a clear shot for Mike. She really hoped his brag of not missing was true.
As she reached the man, he shoved the driver toward Mike then lunged at her. Mike shot. Out of the corner of her eye, Kathleen saw another man and dove to the ground. The dead outlaw landed inches away and she clamped her jaw against the urge to retch. A crimson pool seeped around him. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Two more blasts erupted and the acrid sting of gunpowder assaulted her nostrils. She ripped her eyes open.
“Good shootin’, young man.”
Kathleen wholeheartedly agreed with the driver’s assessment of Mike’s ability with a gun.
Mike rushed to her side and offered a hand. “It’s over.”
She placed a shaking hand in his and allowed him to help her up. Then she sagged against Mike’s chest.
“Why does someone want me dead?”
“This wasn’t aimed at you.”
She sucked in a ragged breath. “You keep saying that, but you heard him. He was after me.”
Mike eased her out of his arms and tilted her
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