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Authors: Starla Kaye
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thought crossed my mind.” He wiped the sweat from
his brow and shot a stay-the-hell-away look at a pair of young cowboys
sauntering closer to look at the balloon. As they hurried on down the
boardwalk, he said, “Yep, it definitely crossed my mind. But I want the ranch,
all of it, even if I have to take that crazy sister of yours for a wife.”
“Be careful what you say about her,” Keno warned.
Morgan studied the slick-looking gambler-turned-saloon
owner for a second. “You don’t think she’s a mite touched in the head? She flew
into town in a damn balloon. She brought a passel of critters with her, named
after each of us.”
Keno shrugged but looked less antagonistic. “Still…”
“You can calm down, brother. Morgan won’t admit it,
but I do believe he’s falling for our baby sister.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Morgan
protested. “She drives me nuts. I make her nuts.”
Taos walked closer, grinning, ignoring what he had
said. “Let me tell you, there were sparks flying all over the place between
them yesterday. And I’m not talking about those from his hand landing on her
bottom.”
“Don’t remind me about having spanked her when I’m
standing all too near this balloon. I’m feeling like burning her butt all over
again.” He had been considering it ever since they’d started manhandling the
blasted balloon. He couldn’t get over the way his gut churned every time he
thought about what could have happened to her.
“I can sure understand that. Toying with that notion
myself,” Taos admitted. “But you two… well, I don’t know, I just sense there’s
something powerful drawing you two together.” He studied Morgan closer, cocked
his head. “I saw how she looked at you, even when she was arguing with you. She
never looked with such strong feelings at Ace Tanner. Not that I can remember,
anyway.”
“We’ll find a way to get along.” He refused to say
anything more about whatever feelings he had for Whiskey. Fact was he didn’t
know how he felt about her other than being constantly annoyed. “Now if you’re
finished picking at me, we need to go and make those wedding arrangements. I
want this whole situation settled before I head back to Texas the end of July.”
They all knew he’d gotten a wire telling him to report back to duty.
“I still think you need to—”
“Timing isn’t right.” Morgan held Taos’ gaze. “While you
were looking at that empty building with Keno, I was sitting in a back corner
of your saloon drinking and avoiding people. I overheard a pair of cowboys
passing through town talking about Marino.”
He sucked in a frustrated breath. “They’d run into him
in Denver. He’d been mean and drunk and telling everyone that he was going
after Hanging Judge Rydell. ‘ Gonna end his evil
ways.’ they quoted.”
He thinned his lips before adding, “After that, Marino
claimed he’s heading this way, coming after me.”
The man’s threat didn’t really worry him personally.
The idea of what danger it might put Whiskey in as his wife did worry him.
Still, she’d be surrounded on the ranch by loyal ranch hands and her brothers
were here as well. But he’d like to draw Marino away from the ranch for their
showdown, which was another reason he couldn’t quit the marshals just yet.
Taos looked every bit as mad as he felt. “Your father
can take care of himself. He’s one mean sonofagun .”
There wasn’t a doubt about that in Morgan’s mind. He
nodded. “True enough. But Marino’s got a powerful lot of hate for my old man.
The judge hung Rafe’s no-good brother.” He knew the
younger Marino had more than deserved hanging. He also knew his father could
watch out for himself and had been doing so for a lot of years. He was a hard
man, a cold man, a man few dared to take on, including him.
“It’s not the judge or even yourself you’re worried
about down in Texas, is it? It’s Tyler.” Taos had stiffened with the
his brow and shot a stay-the-hell-away look at a pair of young cowboys
sauntering closer to look at the balloon. As they hurried on down the
boardwalk, he said, “Yep, it definitely crossed my mind. But I want the ranch,
all of it, even if I have to take that crazy sister of yours for a wife.”
“Be careful what you say about her,” Keno warned.
Morgan studied the slick-looking gambler-turned-saloon
owner for a second. “You don’t think she’s a mite touched in the head? She flew
into town in a damn balloon. She brought a passel of critters with her, named
after each of us.”
Keno shrugged but looked less antagonistic. “Still…”
“You can calm down, brother. Morgan won’t admit it,
but I do believe he’s falling for our baby sister.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Morgan
protested. “She drives me nuts. I make her nuts.”
Taos walked closer, grinning, ignoring what he had
said. “Let me tell you, there were sparks flying all over the place between
them yesterday. And I’m not talking about those from his hand landing on her
bottom.”
“Don’t remind me about having spanked her when I’m
standing all too near this balloon. I’m feeling like burning her butt all over
again.” He had been considering it ever since they’d started manhandling the
blasted balloon. He couldn’t get over the way his gut churned every time he
thought about what could have happened to her.
“I can sure understand that. Toying with that notion
myself,” Taos admitted. “But you two… well, I don’t know, I just sense there’s
something powerful drawing you two together.” He studied Morgan closer, cocked
his head. “I saw how she looked at you, even when she was arguing with you. She
never looked with such strong feelings at Ace Tanner. Not that I can remember,
anyway.”
“We’ll find a way to get along.” He refused to say
anything more about whatever feelings he had for Whiskey. Fact was he didn’t
know how he felt about her other than being constantly annoyed. “Now if you’re
finished picking at me, we need to go and make those wedding arrangements. I
want this whole situation settled before I head back to Texas the end of July.”
They all knew he’d gotten a wire telling him to report back to duty.
“I still think you need to—”
“Timing isn’t right.” Morgan held Taos’ gaze. “While you
were looking at that empty building with Keno, I was sitting in a back corner
of your saloon drinking and avoiding people. I overheard a pair of cowboys
passing through town talking about Marino.”
He sucked in a frustrated breath. “They’d run into him
in Denver. He’d been mean and drunk and telling everyone that he was going
after Hanging Judge Rydell. ‘ Gonna end his evil
ways.’ they quoted.”
He thinned his lips before adding, “After that, Marino
claimed he’s heading this way, coming after me.”
The man’s threat didn’t really worry him personally.
The idea of what danger it might put Whiskey in as his wife did worry him.
Still, she’d be surrounded on the ranch by loyal ranch hands and her brothers
were here as well. But he’d like to draw Marino away from the ranch for their
showdown, which was another reason he couldn’t quit the marshals just yet.
Taos looked every bit as mad as he felt. “Your father
can take care of himself. He’s one mean sonofagun .”
There wasn’t a doubt about that in Morgan’s mind. He
nodded. “True enough. But Marino’s got a powerful lot of hate for my old man.
The judge hung Rafe’s no-good brother.” He knew the
younger Marino had more than deserved hanging. He also knew his father could
watch out for himself and had been doing so for a lot of years. He was a hard
man, a cold man, a man few dared to take on, including him.
“It’s not the judge or even yourself you’re worried
about down in Texas, is it? It’s Tyler.” Taos had stiffened with the
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