Читать книгу Lone Wolf's Woman - Carol Finch - Страница 10

T he moment Lone Wolf stepped into the room behind Julia his attention settled on the deathly pale patient whose chest was wrapped in bandages. When Julia rushed to her brother’s side to clutch his hand, Lone Wolf noted her visible relief.

After studying Adam’s pale face and sandy-blond hair for a long moment, Lone Wolf recalled their one and only meeting. Near as he recollected it was about a year ago, when he was in a saloon on South Side in Dodge. He hadn’t gotten the name of the man who had casually leaned toward him at the bar to confide that one of the ruffians playing poker had a pistol resting against his thigh beneath the table.

It was trained on Lone Wolf’s back.

Lone Wolf had murmured, “I owe you one,” before he strolled up behind the hombre he had been sent to arrest for robbing a dry goods store in Abilene. If memory served, Adam Preston had tripped up the criminal when he tried to bolt and run, saving Lone Wolf the trouble of tracking him down.

“How bad off is he?” Julia asked as she half turned to stare inquisitively at the stout, gray-haired physician who had scooped up his medical bag.

The doctor smiled gently. “Lucky to be alive, but I think he’ll make it. He’s going to require lots of bed rest.”

Lone Wolf watched Julia’s shoulders slump in relief, saw the wash of tears that filled her luminous green eyes. But when she looked in his direction she regathered her composure, just as he’d ordered her to do.

Because of Adam’s injured condition, a mountain-load of responsibility fell on Julia’s shoulders, along with a heaping mound of traumatic emotion. But she seemed to be made of sturdy stuff. The determined set of her jaw indicated that she intended to meet the challenge of managing the ranch until her brother’s condition improved.

Damn, she was something—as much as he wished he hadn’t noticed. It had taken every ounce of self-control he could muster not to respond when Julia had flung herself into his arms on the front porch a few minutes earlier. The feel of her luscious body pressed against his caused fierce need to spear through him.

When another ripple of desire tried to overtake him, Lone Wolf reminded himself that Julia Preston was a client—too damn attractive and intriguing for his peace of mind but a business client nonetheless. He didn’t want or need the slightest personal involvement with her. He was a man who needed no one. With that in mind he concentrated on the problems at hand.

“I managed to dislodge the bullet,” Doc Connor reported as he came to stand at the foot of the bed. “Adam should come around in a few minutes. But don’t tire him out.” He handed Julia a bottle of laudanum. “Give him another dose to help him sleep and keep him sedated for several days.”

Five minutes after Julia had introduced Lone Wolf to the men who had congregated in the room, the physician bid them good-night and promised to return the following day. Frank Slater, the foreman, and two of the cowboys eyed Lone Wolf cautiously before they also took their leave.

A moment later Adam’s eyes fluttered open.

Julia pressed a kiss to his peaked forehead. “Hey, big brother.” She smiled affectionately. “I’m glad to hear that you’re going to be all right. That is, if you follow doctor’s orders and rest while I take care of things for you. I get to boss you around. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

The faintest hint of a smile trailed across Adam’s ashen lips. Then he fixed his dazed eyes on Lone Wolf. “Make sure no harm comes to Julia,” he wheezed. “But I need to warn you—” he paused to swallow and lick his lips “—she can be a handful.”

Lone Wolf didn’t doubt it. Even when Julia was at her worst, overcome with grief and anguish, she had spunk, spirit and courage in spades. She had braved the dangers of South Side to find him quickly. Plus, he remembered well how she had retaliated when he had accidentally touched her in an inappropriate manner.

“I’ll be on my best behavior while Lone Wolf is underfoot,” Julia promised. “You won’t even recognize me.”

Adam’s smile faded and his eyes drooped. “You need to tell Maggie—”

“You can tell her yourself later,” Julia cut in as she offered him a dose of the sedative. “Right now you need to rest. I’ll be back to check on you after I get Lone Wolf settled in for the night.”

He swallowed dutifully as his focus drifted to Lone Wolf. “Thank you for coming to help. Now I owe you one.”

When Adam drifted off, Julia heaved herself to her feet. She looked exhausted but mightily relieved that her brother had survived. Lone Wolf wondered what it felt like to be loved so devotedly. The affectionate bond between brother and sister fairly radiated in the room. No doubt, they had grown very close after losing their mother, and then their father.

Aware of the strong attachment and family connection the Prestons shared made Lone Wolf realize something was missing from his life. It had been almost two decades since he had felt as if he belonged anywhere. He had also gotten used to knowing that he was probably the only one who gave a damn whether he even existed. But at least he was the master of his own soul. There was a lot to be said for that.

“I’ll show you to your room,” Julia murmured as she breezed past him. He tried very hard not to get lost in her feminine scent again. But it was difficult, especially when the aroma of jasmine clung to his clothes after she had hugged him gratefully.

“No need for a room,” he insisted, following her into the hall. “I’ll camp outside.”

Julia stopped short, spun around then tilted her head to stare up at him. “No, you will not,” she countered firmly. “The whole point is for you to be close at hand in case Sol decides to send his henchman to finish the job on Adam.”

Lone Wolf’s eyes widened. “You want me under the same roof with your kind?” He snorted at that. “You’d be laughed out of town by your highfalutin friends. Half-breed bounty hunters aren’t prized houseguests so don’t bother trying to be noble. I don’t miss what I’m not used to.”

Julia looked him squarely in the eye and said, “Do you want to hear the truth, Lone Wolf?”

“Yeah, don’t mind if I do. That would be a refreshing change, considering the ruthless, backstabbing, two-faced liars I usually have to contend with in my line of work.”

Julia studied him consideringly, trying to imagine what his life was like, knowing he had been stigmatized for reasons beyond his control. No matter what anyone else thought of him, she admired the countless talents and skills that had earned him the reputation as one of the most formidable shootists and capable trackers in the West.

She also wondered if the fact that her emotions had been all over the place the past few hours accounted for her unexpected attachment to him. She certainly hadn’t developed an interest in any of the fortune hunters who had tried to charm her into marriage the past few years.

But her connection with Lone Wolf was different. He had been there when she needed a shoulder to cry on and had offered her moral support when she returned to the ranch. He had also helped her brace for the worst before she climbed the steps to determine if Adam had survived.

Of course, it was pretty clear that he didn’t want any involvement with her, but he had been there for her whether he’d wanted to be or not. That made him special to her.

“Well, the truth is,” she said belatedly, “that my maternal grandfather didn’t think my father was good enough for my mother, which was, of course, ridiculous. Snobbery, society’s dictates and prejudices are wasted on me. I have been encouraged to think and speak for myself and to stand up for what I believe in. I’m not, nor have I ever been, a shrinking violet who is easily controlled. You need to know that from the start.”

His low, rumbling chuckle startled her. She grinned when she saw him smiling wryly at her.

“I figured out that you had gumption and spunk, right off.” He rubbed his stubbled jaw. “You also pack a mean wallop. I didn’t think I had that retaliation coming since it was unintentional. You weren’t who I was expecting.”

Julia blushed furiously, remembering the feel of his hand on her breast. She had reacted instinctively, unaware that he had mistaken her for Harvey Fowler. “You’re right,” she admitted. “You didn’t deserve those hard slaps. I apologize. It was just my self-preservation instinct kicking in.” She returned to the matter at hand. “You will be using my suite during your employment. No argument.”

He scowled.

Julia lurched around to stride down the hall before he had the chance to protest again. “I want you next door to Adam. On the same side as the balcony, in case someone sneaks up on him. That is sensible and practical.”

“And where will you be sleeping while I’m lounging in your bed?” he asked, close behind her. “What makes you think this mysterious sniper isn’t coming after you next—because you can identify him. I need to know exactly where you are if trouble arises.”

The comment caused her to jerk up her head, and she noted his grim countenance. He might be right, but she refused to cower, even if she and her brother might be targets of Sol’s revenge.

“I’ll be in the guest room across the hall,” she said, gesturing over her shoulder.

Lone Wolf opened the door then gave a low whistle as he surveyed the palatial suite that surpassed anything he had ever seen. Expensive furnishings lined the walls. Velvet drapes cascaded beside floor-length windows that provided a view of the moonlit gallery and the rolling hills beyond. These were definitely accommodations fit for royalty.

But he was as far from royalty as you could get.

“Nice place, Julia. I always wondered what the lap of luxury looked like.”

“You’re going to know what it feels like, too,” she told him determinedly. “You are staying here. We will speak of it no more. I already told you that you could name your price for helping Adam and me.” Her arm swept out in an expansive gesture. “These are the fringe benefits. A nice room and home-cooked meals. This is what Preston hospitality looks like, so get used to it.”

Lone Wolf chuckled. He didn’t have reason to laugh very often. But Julia had provoked his amusement twice in a matter of minutes, not to mention the reluctant smiles she had drawn from him since they’d met.

Obviously she was as generous as she was spirited and intelligent. He liked that about her. Liked the fact that she knew her own mind and stood up for what she believed in. That separated her from the ordinary masses and drew his respect. He wondered, however, how she was going to react when he named the fee he intended to charge for taking this assignment.

He predicted her attitude toward him would change drastically when she was asked to pay his price.

“Very well, I’ll bunk here if that’s what you want,” he acquiesced.

“Good. I’m glad we don’t have to waste time arguing over that issue.” She pivoted around to fetch her nightgown and a clean set of clothes from the marble-top dresser and intricately carved wardrobe closet.

“As for your fee, I don’t know how you prefer to conduct business. Am I to pay a partial sum now and the remainder later?” She clutched the pile of clothes to her chest, then strode up in front of him. “I have cash on hand, but if it isn’t enough I will make a withdrawal from the bank tomorrow.”

Lone Wolf stared down into her vibrant green eyes and watched the lantern light gleam on that mass of shiny gold hair. She was cooperation and good cheer right now, but that was about to change.

“Name your price,” she offered generously.

“I will take this assignment,” he affirmed. “But if I’ve learned nothing else in life it is that there is always a catch.”

She shrugged, unconcerned. “My brother is still alive and you’re here to make sure he stays that way. Whatever this catch is, I’m sure Adam and I will abide by it.” She smiled wryly. “Unless you want the deed to our property in exchange. Which, incidentally, is what I think Sol Griffin ultimately wants. But he is not going to get it and neither are you.”

“I will forgo the usual traveling fee since I’ll be staying here. But I insist on marriage. The pretense of it. With you,” he stated firmly and succinctly. “Or the public announcement of our betrothal at the very least.”

Sure enough, her eyes popped and her jaw sagged on its hinges. The clothes she had clutched in her arm dropped to the toes of her boots.

“That is the catch, Julia.” He stared challengingly at her. “Take it or leave it.”

He knew she couldn’t possibly understand his reasoning and he wasn’t in the habit of explaining himself to anyone. She hadn’t a clue what had prompted his unexpected stipulation and he was anxious to hear her response. He was forcing her to put her noble ideals on the line. Right here. Right now. She claimed that she didn’t judge a man by his mixed heritage and less-than-respectable occupation.

This was the decisive moment when he found out if she meant what she said. He really expected her to fail the test.

She stood there staring up at him so intently that he felt the urge to squirm. She sized him up for a long moment then frowned. No doubt, she was trying to figure his angle.

“A pretend marriage. To me,” she repeated pensively. “That’s the catch?”

“Yes,” he confirmed with a sharp nod.

She cocked her head, appraising him from another angle. “Just what is the reason behind this?”

“Smart as you are, you’ll figure it out for yourself after you’ve given it some thought.”

“You’re giving me too much credit.”

No, he gave her all she deserved. He’d seen her in several telling situations tonight and she’d held up remarkably well. “You’re bright and you’re gutsy and that counts for a lot in my book,” he said.

“Am I? Did you notice that between the humiliating moments while I was ranting, desperate and bawling my head off?”

He shrugged lackadaisically. “That was just about letting off steam. You were entitled.”

He waited while she mulled over his request. He couldn’t help but wonder how she saw him. Half-civilized? Unattractive? Unworthy of the pretense of a romantic involvement with her? Just what did Julia Preston see while she was looking him over so critically?

Not that he cared, of course. He was just curious.

Julia bent at the waist to scoop up her clothes, then tossed him another contemplative glance. “I’m assuming that I will have the night to consider this stipulation.” She arched a challenging brow. “A woman shouldn’t be too hasty when accepting or declining a marriage proposal, should she?”

She didn’t mention that she had rejected the last three proposals in two minutes flat.

“The pretense of marriage,” he corrected quickly.

“Or the announcement of a betrothal.”

“At the very least.”

She ambled to the door, then glanced back at him. “If you were one of the three suitors who asked for my hand recently, I would know your angle immediately.”

“Only three?” His thick brow arched. With her brains, beauty and wealth, he would have guessed more.

A mischievous grin pursed her lips. “According to my suitors, I’m not society’s traditional female. Much too unconventional when it comes to fashion,” she added as she gestured toward her attire. “Too headstrong and willful. And that was the catch they hadn’t counted on.” She stared pointedly at him. “Beware, Lone Wolf, you might get more than you bargained for.”

“I’ll take my chances.” He chuckled, finding that he enjoyed negotiating with this feisty female. “Getting more than I bargain for is a hazard of my profession.”

“You will have your answer later,” she said before she closed the door behind her.

Lone Wolf wondered if she might slam the door with a vengeance to show her displeasure with his shocking request. Then he remembered that Adam was asleep in the next room. Julia wouldn’t think of disturbing him.

Admiring the expensive furnishings, Lone Wolf peeled off his clothes, then set the bowie knife—which he kept strapped to his left thigh—and both pistols on the nightstand. He placed the derringer that he sheathed in his shirtsleeve under the fluffy pillow and laid the long-barreled boot pistol on the empty space beside him.

He had learned the importance of keeping his arsenal of weapons within easy reach, no matter where he was.

Even while lounging in this fancy suite.

He recalled the names of several dead lawmen who hadn’t heeded that good advice.

Lone Wolf sprawled on the bed and immediately became enshrouded in the feminine fragrance that clung to the luxuriant bedding and mattress. He lay there staring up at the frilly canopy, trying to estimate how long it would take his quick-witted client to figure out the primary reason he had suggested a pretended marriage.

She, of course, wouldn’t have a clue what other reasons had prompted him to make the stipulation. But for now, one reason was enough. Astute as Julia was, he didn’t think it would take her long to puzzle it out.

Three hours later, after Julia had stopped by Adam’s room, she purposely barged unannounced into her suite. She skidded to a halt when she heard the click of two triggers. The low, threatening growl warned her that she was treading on dangerous ground.

Whatever else Lone Wolf was, he was not a man caught off guard easily. She was relieved to know that, glad to see that he was armed to the teeth and that he was capable of protecting her brother and himself instantaneously.

“You should have knocked and announced yourself,” he grumbled.

Heat flamed across Julia’s face when she saw him flip the sheet over his hips then heard the pistols clang against the nightstand. The legendary bounty hunter slept naked, she realized. Had there been more moonlight spraying through the floor-length windows she would have seen that clearly for herself.

Drawing herself up to full stature, and careful not to allow her gaze to dip below his shadowed face, she padded closer to the bed. “I came to—”

“Is Adam all right?” he cut in worriedly.

“Yes, thank you for asking. He is still in pain and chattering like a magpie in his drug-induced dreams. I changed the dressing on the wound and the bleeding is under control.”

“Good. Now turn your back so I can slip on my breeches.”

“And not have you at the same sort of disadvantage that I faced when you dropped that ‘there’s just one catch’ in my lap?” Julia scoffed. “You deserve to sit there feeling awkward. Turnabout is fair play.”

“Your brother is right,” she heard him mutter. “You are a handful.”

“Thank you. I pride myself in being a man’s equal, not the extension of his opinions and his will.”

“Why am I not surprised to hear that?”

Julia clutched her robe together, then crossed her arms under her breasts. “I think I have figured out why you want the pretense of a marriage during this assignment.”

Her first thought had been that he wanted to take full advantage of the situation, but she’d reminded herself that she was trying to measure him against the yardstick of ordinary men. “You aren’t like the fortune hunters I’ve encountered.”

“Are you asking or telling?” he said wryly.

“I’m telling you what I’ve learned about you already.”

“Just don’t try to find qualities in me that aren’t there,” he warned. “I am what I am. Nothing more or less. Nothing admirable. Nothing special.”

But he was certainly all man, she mused as her betraying perusal slid down from his bare chest to his lap. She couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed that darkness concealed his masculine body.

“Get to the point, Julia,” he said impatiently. “It’s the middle of the night and I’m only dressed for the kind of social call that you and I are not going to participate in.”

She winced at his brisk tone and her gaze returned to his face—from which it never should have strayed in the first place. She inhaled a quick breath and said, “The pretend marriage is your attempt to protect my reputation while we’re working closely together. Am I right?”

“Partially,” he murmured. He would get to the more-than-a-mite-selfish reasons later.

“If Sol Griffin thinks we’re married, he might try to go through you to get to me. You would become one of the obstacles he would have to remove to get his hands on Preston Ranch. And three murder attempts would arouse the sheriff’s suspicions and launch an official investigation.”

“Bingo. Smart lady,” he praised.

“Thank you. However, a betrothal would accelerate an attempt on my life,” she remarked.

Damn, she was right, he realized. He had given her credit for her sharp intellect, but he still had underestimated her.

“Therefore,” she went on to say, “I intend to spread the word of our marriage as soon as I inform Adam of our plan. If anyone asks I will insist that after several chance meetings between us, I realized you suited me perfectly.”

Which he did, Julia mused. This man had agreed to put his life on the line to protect Adam. He didn’t harbor ulterior motives like her other beaux. She trusted him. She liked him. She was attracted to him, even when she knew nothing permanent would come of the arrangement. She certainly didn’t need a husband to complete her, and he didn’t need a wife, with his tumbleweed lifestyle.

“And so,” she added belatedly, “I will agree to your little catch, because it is an ingenious solution.”

Lone Wolf smiled to himself. He would like to be on hand when Sol Griffin received the news of this supposed marriage to Julia Preston. That would go a long way in compensating for the hurt and rejection he had suffered at Sol’s hands.

A fleeting shadow on the gallery put Lone Wolf’s senses on full alert. He bounded to his feet, reacting instinctively to the potential threat that descended on Adam. Behind him he heard Julia’s sharp intake of breath—and he remembered that he was still naked.

“Well, hell.” Muttering, he snatched up the sheet and tucked it around his waist. He scooped up his pistols on the way to the balcony. “Stay here,” he gritted out when he heard Julia scurrying along behind him.

“But—” she protested.

“Stay in here,” he snapped in a tone that invited no argument.

To his relief, Julia screeched to a halt.

Lone Wolf slipped silently out the door.