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Authors: Shannah Biondine
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came as a shock, learning you're the
hero everyone's talking about. Three outlaws at once?"
He chuckled and
shook his head. "Three turkeys. Good thing I taught Snatch to work with
me. Them three pukes—er, sorry, Doc. No offense meant, case you're from
Missouri." When the doctor only released a soft laugh, Rafe drawled.
"They didn't stand a chance."
Sparkle followed
the doctor to his front reception room while Rafe collected his gunbelt and
coat. There wasn't anything left of his shirt. Her voice was a hushed whisper.
"Is there anything you can do about his big scar? He's very sensitive
about it, though I've tried to tell him it's not significant."
Dr. Stone shook his
head. "I'd advise to let it be. He's a strong fellow, with excellent
recuperative powers. Here's some laudanum. There'll be pain in that arm. Give
him a spoonful or two every few hours in a glass of water if it gets bad. Watch
for signs of fever, redness or puffiness around the sutures. Any problems, get
him back here or send for me."
Rafe joined them by
the front door. "Won't be no problems, Doc. There's twenty dollars and
thanks again." Rafe wrapped his good arm around Sparkle's shoulders and
led her outside. They hadn't gone ten feet from the doorway before he pulled
her against his chest and kissed her soundly.
"Tarnation,
it's good to see you. Came into town a couple of days ago and went by the
saloon. Gal there said you'd be comin' back in a few days."
"So you
decided to keep busy killing people until I got here?" Sparkle snapped,
jerking away from him.
Rafe saw the fire
in her eyes and couldn't help laughing. "I didn't kill anybody. I caught a
known rustler and two of his pals stealing horses from the livery. Turned 'em
over to the law, very much alive. Made four hundred dollars while I was at
it."
"Terrific. Do
you have even the slightest notion what I thought when Frazer told me you'd
been shot? I was afraid you were dying."
"Disappointed
then, huh?" He couldn't keep the smirk off his face.
"You're…Oh,
have absolutely nothing to say to you," she announced, striding off toward
the Scarlet Lady, bustle twitching.
Rafe stared after
her for a few seconds, thoroughly confused. When she'd walked into the doctor's
office, he'd seen concern etching her face. The second their eyes met, Rafe had
experienced that same amazement again—that her eyes were so alive and
penetrating. That a pretty woman could possibly be gazing into his twin mud
holes with something akin to genuine caring. His heart soared for an instant.
Before she went weak in the knees, she'd looked about to cry. Perhaps she'd
missed him, same as he'd missed her.
But now she was
storming off, acting like she barely knew him. A horrible thought struck. Maybe
he'd misunderstood. Maybe she was disappointed. She might have been
hoping he'd solved her dilemma of how to get out of their "marriage."
Maybe she'd prayed never to set eyes on him again. What seemed like wrath could
be chagrin. Could be she wasn't at all glad to have her wayward
"husband" back in town, looking to share her bed. Someone else could
be sleeping in it these nights.
He caught up and
stepped in front of her to block her path. "You sorry to see me again?
Somethin's got your bustle bent. If you don't want me comin' over to your
saloon, I'll go back to the hotel where I spent the past couple nights. If I'm
in the way, just say so."
"In the
way?" Sparkle repeated, awestruck. How could anyone be so dense?
"You're not in the way , Rafe. You're hurt . And it's your own
fault, because you carry that gun and look for trouble. You keep looking until
it finds you. I'm sorry you were shot. I'm sorry you carry a peacemaker. But
your decision to risk your neck has nothing to do with me. I have to get back to
work."
He wouldn't let her
by. "You're mad because I got shot? If I'd had those idiots arrested
without a nick on me, that would've been just fine? This is nothin', Sparkle.
I've had worse."
"Indeed."
She couldn't
hero everyone's talking about. Three outlaws at once?"
He chuckled and
shook his head. "Three turkeys. Good thing I taught Snatch to work with
me. Them three pukes—er, sorry, Doc. No offense meant, case you're from
Missouri." When the doctor only released a soft laugh, Rafe drawled.
"They didn't stand a chance."
Sparkle followed
the doctor to his front reception room while Rafe collected his gunbelt and
coat. There wasn't anything left of his shirt. Her voice was a hushed whisper.
"Is there anything you can do about his big scar? He's very sensitive
about it, though I've tried to tell him it's not significant."
Dr. Stone shook his
head. "I'd advise to let it be. He's a strong fellow, with excellent
recuperative powers. Here's some laudanum. There'll be pain in that arm. Give
him a spoonful or two every few hours in a glass of water if it gets bad. Watch
for signs of fever, redness or puffiness around the sutures. Any problems, get
him back here or send for me."
Rafe joined them by
the front door. "Won't be no problems, Doc. There's twenty dollars and
thanks again." Rafe wrapped his good arm around Sparkle's shoulders and
led her outside. They hadn't gone ten feet from the doorway before he pulled
her against his chest and kissed her soundly.
"Tarnation,
it's good to see you. Came into town a couple of days ago and went by the
saloon. Gal there said you'd be comin' back in a few days."
"So you
decided to keep busy killing people until I got here?" Sparkle snapped,
jerking away from him.
Rafe saw the fire
in her eyes and couldn't help laughing. "I didn't kill anybody. I caught a
known rustler and two of his pals stealing horses from the livery. Turned 'em
over to the law, very much alive. Made four hundred dollars while I was at
it."
"Terrific. Do
you have even the slightest notion what I thought when Frazer told me you'd
been shot? I was afraid you were dying."
"Disappointed
then, huh?" He couldn't keep the smirk off his face.
"You're…Oh,
have absolutely nothing to say to you," she announced, striding off toward
the Scarlet Lady, bustle twitching.
Rafe stared after
her for a few seconds, thoroughly confused. When she'd walked into the doctor's
office, he'd seen concern etching her face. The second their eyes met, Rafe had
experienced that same amazement again—that her eyes were so alive and
penetrating. That a pretty woman could possibly be gazing into his twin mud
holes with something akin to genuine caring. His heart soared for an instant.
Before she went weak in the knees, she'd looked about to cry. Perhaps she'd
missed him, same as he'd missed her.
But now she was
storming off, acting like she barely knew him. A horrible thought struck. Maybe
he'd misunderstood. Maybe she was disappointed. She might have been
hoping he'd solved her dilemma of how to get out of their "marriage."
Maybe she'd prayed never to set eyes on him again. What seemed like wrath could
be chagrin. Could be she wasn't at all glad to have her wayward
"husband" back in town, looking to share her bed. Someone else could
be sleeping in it these nights.
He caught up and
stepped in front of her to block her path. "You sorry to see me again?
Somethin's got your bustle bent. If you don't want me comin' over to your
saloon, I'll go back to the hotel where I spent the past couple nights. If I'm
in the way, just say so."
"In the
way?" Sparkle repeated, awestruck. How could anyone be so dense?
"You're not in the way , Rafe. You're hurt . And it's your own
fault, because you carry that gun and look for trouble. You keep looking until
it finds you. I'm sorry you were shot. I'm sorry you carry a peacemaker. But
your decision to risk your neck has nothing to do with me. I have to get back to
work."
He wouldn't let her
by. "You're mad because I got shot? If I'd had those idiots arrested
without a nick on me, that would've been just fine? This is nothin', Sparkle.
I've had worse."
"Indeed."
She couldn't
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