Read Online The Outlaw Takes A Bride (The Burnett Brides) by Sylvia McDaniel - Free Book Online
Authors: Sylvia McDaniel
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into San Antonio, where Doc Benson removed the bullet. Mrs. Tanner will recover according to the doc. Once again this gang has struck an innocent victim.
He looked up from the newspaper. “That’s all they wrote.”
Beth tilted her head and looked at him sideways. “The Bass gang—that’s who robbed the stage?”
He nodded his head.
“If they know who did it, why haven’t they caught them? They could go and arrest them right now, and I could get my money back.”
“That money has already been divided and probably spent. As for bringing them in, they’d have to know where the Bass gang is to do that. The hill country of Texas has plenty of places for an outfit to hide. And this group of outlaws has been working this road clean up to Fort Worth.”
“This wasn’t the first robbery on that road by that bunch?” she asked indignantly.
“Of course not.”
“Then why hasn’t the law done something to stop them? Why hasn’t the Bass gang been caught?”
Tanner shrugged. “Don’t know.”
Beth glanced at Tanner and noticed the tight expression on his face. “I’m sorry for getting so upset. It’s just that they acted like it was not important in the paper. But that gang robbed me, and I was shot.”
He folded the newspaper and set it aside. “Happens often enough in the West. You’ll soon learn and be glad all they did was rob you.” He paused. “Any chance your fiancé will see the paper?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Hopefully, if he does, he’ll think it was a misprint regarding the name.”
“So when are you getting married?”
She glanced at her hands, her stomach churned into a knot. “We haven’t set the date yet. For that matter, we’ve not even met in person.” She gazed into his sky blue eyes. “I’m a mail-order bride.”
There was a long moment of silence as he stared at her. Then his face wrinkled into a frown, and he looked confused. “Why would a beautiful woman like you become a mail-order bride. I thought that was for homely women.”
She blushed at his compliment. “There was no one left back home. I needed to get away and make a fresh start.”
There was a moment of silence. “So why have you never married?”
Tanner picked up the paper, rolled it into a tube, and then slowly released it. “I’m a rover, constantly on the move, never staying long in one place.”
“You can do that as a banker?” she asked in disbelief. He pulled his paper back up. “I don’t just work with one bank.”
Beth licked her lips nervously. “I would think that would be a lonely life.”
She hated to think of him alone.
“Never thought much about it.”
Tanner confused her. Though hard and rugged, there was a quiet sense of vulnerability about him that intrigued her, that drew her to him. His blue eyes were cold, but occasionally there was a flash of warmth and even laughter. There was nothing soft about him, and his good looks were unique in a tough, masculine sort of way. And there was a growing sense of consciousness of him as a man, one she was attracted to and shouldn’t be.
“Don’t you want to get married someday, settle down and have children?” she asked, curious about this man who appeared gruff, yet had taken care of her since the shooting.
Tanner laid down the newspaper and then glanced at Beth. “No.”
“Why? I thought bankers needed wives for social reasons?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Sorry. I guess I’m just curious.”
He got up and walked across the room. “It’s just not possible for me to get married.”
She tried to scoot up in the bed, using her left hand, and Tanner hurried over to help her. When he reached for her, the blanket covering her breasts fell to her waist. He lifted her up easily into a sitting position, his hands warm through the cotton material of her translucent nightgown. As soon as he released her, she quickly pulled the covers back up over the top of her bosom, hoping that nothing had been
He looked up from the newspaper. “That’s all they wrote.”
Beth tilted her head and looked at him sideways. “The Bass gang—that’s who robbed the stage?”
He nodded his head.
“If they know who did it, why haven’t they caught them? They could go and arrest them right now, and I could get my money back.”
“That money has already been divided and probably spent. As for bringing them in, they’d have to know where the Bass gang is to do that. The hill country of Texas has plenty of places for an outfit to hide. And this group of outlaws has been working this road clean up to Fort Worth.”
“This wasn’t the first robbery on that road by that bunch?” she asked indignantly.
“Of course not.”
“Then why hasn’t the law done something to stop them? Why hasn’t the Bass gang been caught?”
Tanner shrugged. “Don’t know.”
Beth glanced at Tanner and noticed the tight expression on his face. “I’m sorry for getting so upset. It’s just that they acted like it was not important in the paper. But that gang robbed me, and I was shot.”
He folded the newspaper and set it aside. “Happens often enough in the West. You’ll soon learn and be glad all they did was rob you.” He paused. “Any chance your fiancé will see the paper?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Hopefully, if he does, he’ll think it was a misprint regarding the name.”
“So when are you getting married?”
She glanced at her hands, her stomach churned into a knot. “We haven’t set the date yet. For that matter, we’ve not even met in person.” She gazed into his sky blue eyes. “I’m a mail-order bride.”
There was a long moment of silence as he stared at her. Then his face wrinkled into a frown, and he looked confused. “Why would a beautiful woman like you become a mail-order bride. I thought that was for homely women.”
She blushed at his compliment. “There was no one left back home. I needed to get away and make a fresh start.”
There was a moment of silence. “So why have you never married?”
Tanner picked up the paper, rolled it into a tube, and then slowly released it. “I’m a rover, constantly on the move, never staying long in one place.”
“You can do that as a banker?” she asked in disbelief. He pulled his paper back up. “I don’t just work with one bank.”
Beth licked her lips nervously. “I would think that would be a lonely life.”
She hated to think of him alone.
“Never thought much about it.”
Tanner confused her. Though hard and rugged, there was a quiet sense of vulnerability about him that intrigued her, that drew her to him. His blue eyes were cold, but occasionally there was a flash of warmth and even laughter. There was nothing soft about him, and his good looks were unique in a tough, masculine sort of way. And there was a growing sense of consciousness of him as a man, one she was attracted to and shouldn’t be.
“Don’t you want to get married someday, settle down and have children?” she asked, curious about this man who appeared gruff, yet had taken care of her since the shooting.
Tanner laid down the newspaper and then glanced at Beth. “No.”
“Why? I thought bankers needed wives for social reasons?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Sorry. I guess I’m just curious.”
He got up and walked across the room. “It’s just not possible for me to get married.”
She tried to scoot up in the bed, using her left hand, and Tanner hurried over to help her. When he reached for her, the blanket covering her breasts fell to her waist. He lifted her up easily into a sitting position, his hands warm through the cotton material of her translucent nightgown. As soon as he released her, she quickly pulled the covers back up over the top of her bosom, hoping that nothing had been
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