Читать книгу Lone Wolf's Woman - Carol Finch - Страница 11

W hile the cloaked figure breezed toward Adam’s room, Lone Wolf moved into position to pounce. The would-be assailant never knew what hit him. Lone Wolf had a stranglehold on the intruder’s throat and a pistol pressed threateningly against his temple before he could react.

To Lone Wolf’s frustration, however, Julia flagrantly disobeyed his order by darting across the gallery to position herself in front of his captive. He made a mental note to sit this foolhardy female down later and read her every line and paragraph of the riot act. He had specifically told her to never again put herself between him and a potential threat.

And damn it, she had done it twice in the same night!

“Jules, it’s me!” came the chirping voice.

Lone Wolf frowned when Julia gestured for him to release his captive.

“It’s Maggie,” Julia informed him.

“Maggie?” Lone Wolf stepped back a pace then expelled an exasperated snort. “I would sincerely appreciate it if the women around here would wear dresses so I can tell who’s who.”

When Maggie Griffin pivoted to face him, he went very still. Her wide-eyed focus trailed down his bare chest to survey the white sheet that glowed in the moonlight. Then she glanced bewilderedly back and forth between him and Julia. When her attention shifted to the door that led into Julia’s bedroom, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Hell, he could practically hear her thinking it.

“Maggie Griffin, meet my husband, Vince Lone Wolf,” Julia introduced without missing a beat.

“Your what?” Maggie croaked as she staggered back a pace. “The Lone Wolf who—” She clamped her mouth shut, then blinked owlishly at him…and at his state of undress. “The legendary bounty hunter? That Lone Wolf?”

He nodded, clamped both pistols between his side and left elbow, and then reached out to shake her hand. “Pleased to meet you.” He had waited years to make her acquaintance, to see what she looked like, to see how she reacted to him.

She didn’t move, just stared at his hand.

Eventually she pulled the concealing cap off her head to let a thick mane of sable hair tumble around her shoulders. Finally she offered her hand and a tentative smile. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Lone Wolf. Vince was my grandfather’s name.”

Lone Wolf studied her trim statuesque figure, enchanting face and long-lashed blue eyes. She reminded him of the memory he carried of his mother, the white captive who had caught the rapt attention of his Cheyenne father.

He interrupted his assessment to look at Julia, who was frowning at him. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out what he had done to annoy her. But the instant she saw him staring curiously at her she manufactured a smile, then slipped her arm around Maggie’s shoulders and turned her toward Adam’s room.

“What are you doing here at this time of night, Mags?” Julia asked.

“Adam was supposed to meet me at the usual place at ten o’clock. When he didn’t show up I came looking for him.” Her accusing gaze settled on Julia. “Why didn’t he mention your wedding? Was it tonight? I would have found a way to attend if I had known. Is that why he didn’t meet me?”

Julia flung up her hand to halt the barrage of questions. She turned to Lone Wolf. “Why don’t you get dressed, dear, while I explain things to Maggie.”

When he wheeled around and disappeared into the bedroom, Julia tossed aside the foolish stab of envy she had felt when her supposed husband made such a thorough study of Maggie. Julia knew she paled in comparison to Maggie Griffin, who was the picture of feminine grace, deportment and refinement. Julia had never had a problem concealing her insecurities before, and no man’s opinion or interest in her had mattered until she met Vince Lone Wolf. But suddenly she was disappointed that he took his sweet time appraising her best friend’s startling blue eyes, peaches-and-cream complexion, winsome smile and dainty figure. Julia had thought he found her mildly interesting…until Maggie arrived.

Now Julia was just an afterthought.

She wanted to punish him for making her feel less than feminine and desirable compared to her oldest and dearest friend.

Would you listen to yourself! came a scolding voice inside her head. Her brother had barely escaped death this evening and she was inwardly stewing over her inappropriate and ill-fated fascination with this bounty hunter. She was a poor excuse for a sister if she couldn’t keep her mind focused on Adam and his difficult recovery from a gunshot wound.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were getting married?” Maggie demanded. “When and where did you meet the bounty hunter? Last I heard there were three other suitors on bended knee, trying to get you to agree to marry them.”

Julia waved off the rapid-fire questions then grabbed Maggie’s hands in her own. Small hands that were devoid of calluses. While Julia jumped in with both feet to assume the duties at their ranch, Sol had forced Maggie to play the genteel hostess and reigning princess at Griffin Ranch.

Of course, that did not imply that Maggie approved of her lot in life. It only meant that Sol held unrealistic expectations for his only daughter and expected her to follow his dictates. Maggie had learned to be discreet and inventive in order to remain true to her nature and her heart’s desire.

Julia drew a calming breath and tried to think of a delicate way to tell Maggie what had happened. There wasn’t a good way to sugarcoat this disaster so she simply spit it out. “Mags, my brother couldn’t meet you this evening because he was bushwhacked.”

“Oh, my God!” Maggie gasped as she lurched past Julia to check on Adam.

From out of nowhere Lone Wolf appeared to clutch Maggie’s arm and tow her backward. “Adam was seriously wounded,” Lone Wolf said gently.

“Oh, God…oh, God,” Maggie chanted.

“I’m going to give you the same advice I gave Julia,” he hurried on. “Don’t fall to pieces in front of a man who’s racked with pain and shot to hell. He needs to see optimism, a show of inner strength and encouragement. He needs to see your confidence that he is going to pull through. Can you do that for him?”

Maggie bobbed her head, sniffled, then drew a shaky breath. “You’re right, of course. Yes, I can do that. I have to see him.” She gathered her resolve and stiffened her spine. “I would like to hire you to track down the dastardly man who did this to Adam.”

Julia inwardly grimaced as she and Lone Wolf exchanged discreet glances. She did not relish sharing her suspicions with Maggie. Just how did she tell her dearest friend that her father had most likely ordered the execution attempt on Adam?

When Maggie eased open the door to Adam’s room, Julia was one step behind her, ready to offer the kind of moral support Lone Wolf had provided for her.

She swore she was viewing her own startled reaction to Adam’s fragile condition. It was all there on Maggie’s delicate features. The fear, anguish and frustration. She eased down on the edge of the bed to clutch Adam’s hand and hold it next to her heart. Then she brought his fingertips to her lips.

“I love you, Adam. More than life itself. I cannot imagine how I could survive without you.”

Julia cast Lone Wolf a sidelong glance, noting that he was surveying Maggie intently. When he smiled faintly, Julia frowned, completely bemused. What the devil was he thinking? she wondered. More to the point, what was he feeling?

She could have sworn this swarthy bounty hunter had taken one look at Maggie’s enchanting face, shapely figure, polished manners and had become bewitched. But his expression seemed to hold something more than masculine approval, which left Julia confused.

Her perplexing thoughts trailed off when Adam’s eyes fluttered open. “Mags…” he said raggedly.

“Thank God you’re all right,” Maggie murmured as she brushed his knuckles against her cheek. “Julia told me what happened.”

Not all of it, Julia silently amended. She really was dreading that upcoming conversation.

“You know I can only slip away from home at night,” Maggie whispered as she reached out to brush Adam’s sandy-blond hair away from his forehead. “But I will be here to check on you every evening until you’re back on your feet.”

When Adam slumped against the pillow, Maggie’s breath caught and she valiantly battled to keep from bursting into sobs. Julia hoisted her to her feet, then steered her onto the terrace.

“I’ll make sure you get home safely,” Lone Wolf volunteered as he came up behind them. “Adam is getting what he needs to fully recover. Plenty of rest. Julia will see that he follows doctor’s orders.”

While he shepherded Maggie across the balcony toward the staircase, Julia trailed behind them. A host of insecurities rose inside her when her supposed husband wrapped a protective arm around Maggie’s shoulders to guide her down the dark steps. She reminded herself that he had also shown her the same kindness and support while she was distraught.

Just because she had developed an infatuation for Lone Wolf did not imply that he had the slightest romantic interest in her. And just because they had agreed to pretend to be married didn’t mean she was more to him than just another paying client.

This was a business arrangement, she told herself as she reversed direction to enter her bedroom. It wasn’t his fault that he’d preyed heavily on her mind since the moment she found herself flat on her back, staring up into that rugged, bronzed face.

Julia flounced on her bed and muttered at the confusing jumble of emotions that had hounded her all evening. She shouldn’t trust any of these feelings that bombarded her. Adam’s attack had put her into a mental confusion and kept her there.

When Lone Wolf had suggested this marriage, she realized it would work to her advantage as well. Everyone in her social circle knew she would inherit a trust fund when she married. That was why she had been inundated with so many proposals. She had given up on finding a man who wanted her simply for who she was on the inside. If spreading the word that she had married Vince Lone Wolf resolved that problem alone, Julia was all in favor of it.

Maggie had dealt with the same influx of proposals and refused to accept any because she had given her heart away years earlier. But at twenty-one Julia hadn’t encountered a man who turned her head or piqued her interest. Hadn’t found a man she could trust to be honest in his intentions toward her.

Then she had run headlong into Lone Wolf and known instantly there was something intriguing about him that called out to something inside her. She was physically attracted to him and impressed by him. He made her feel safe, secure and protected in the midst of a storm of turbulence.

Julia rolled to her side and fluffed her pillow. She had never expected to meet a man who didn’t have hidden motives, but it was a welcomed change. She had even been so presumptuous to think that Lone Wolf liked her for herself. He had praised her intelligence, her gumption and her spirit.

Then Maggie showed up and all of Julia’s insecurities and inadequacies came rushing to the surface, making her outspokenness and unconventional manner glaringly apparent.

Lone Wolf could see for himself that Julia wasn’t as appealing as Maggie. Any man could.

Muttering, Julia flopped onto her back and pulled the pillow over her head. Lord, she was such an imbecile for getting sidetracked by these rare feelings that Vince Lone Wolf inspired in her. And it hadn’t helped when he had bolted up earlier without a stitch of clothes to pounce on the supposed intruder. Dark though the room had been, Julia had gotten a revealing peek at his masculine body. The shadowed vision dancing in her head refused to go away.

“Stop thinking about that!” Julia muttered under her breath. She had only two objectives, she reminded herself sensibly. One, she had to make certain Adam recovered. Two, she needed to ferret out the sniper to determine if he had any connection to Sol Griffin.

This unexpected attachment to Lone Wolf was the result of distress, roiling emotion and feminine curiosity, she convinced herself. She was simply reaching out to find someone reliable and trustworthy while her world was in upheaval.

She wasn’t wasting precious time wondering if Lone Wolf found her lacking and unappealing. She was simply going to shut her eyes and go to sleep so she could be alert and energetic enough to care for Adam.

Her brother needed her. He was all the family she had left and she wouldn’t fail him. And that was that.

Lone Wolf slipped silently into Julia’s bedroom suite and stopped short when he realized she was asleep in the bed she had assigned to him. Now what was this supposed to imply? he wondered. He stared at her shapely form and the glorious mass of curly blond hair that splayed across the pillow. His fingertips itched to stroke those silky tendrils and he longed for another whiff of her enticing feminine scent.

Was this an unspoken invitation?

Because if it was, she wouldn’t have to ask him twice.

Even while his body hardened with anticipation, guilt slammed into him like a freight train. As much as he wanted to slide into bed beside this bewitching, feisty female, the fact that he hadn’t been completely honest with her about his motives for a pretend marriage stopped him cold.

This was a woman who valued honesty and trust, he reminded himself. She would be outraged with him if she learned the truth that he had conveniently omitted.

Despite all that, here she was in his assigned bed. There was no denying that he wanted her. What man wouldn’t? Julia was full of fire and spirit and she had an irrepressible passion for life that utterly beguiled him. She was every man’s secret dream. Even a man who, according to Harvey Fowler, wasn’t fit to breathe the same air that she did.

Unfortunately Harvey spoke the truth. Lone Wolf lived in a world where violence was a weekly occurrence. He was used to it, but Julia wasn’t. It was plain to see that she had become rattled by her brother’s brush with death.

To him it was business as usual.

Which meant they had nothing in common. Plus, she wasn’t his type. Hell, he didn’t have a type. What he had was the occasional sexual encounter to scratch an itch. It didn’t get more complicated than that and it was going to stay that way.

Yet…temptation was right under his nose and tantalizing thoughts of Julia Preston were dancing in his head. Scowling, Lone Wolf braced his hands on the side of the bed and stared at the tormenting vision of beauty, wishing he knew for sure what Julia was doing in his designated bed.

Was it by accident or on purpose?

“Woman, if you are trying to drive me crazy…it’s working.”

Silently he gathered his hardware and pulled the quilt from the foot of the bed. In one minute he had fashioned a pallet on the floor—directly between Julia and the terrace door. If anyone tried to get to her or Adam they would have to go through him.

And after all, wasn’t that his only reason for existence? To resolve other people’s problems? Half-breeds had difficulty acquiring respectable jobs. As a bounty hunter and bodyguard, he was a dispensable commodity that protected decent folks from criminal elements of society. He was the last defense between good and evil.

If Julia hadn’t needed him to solve her problems she probably wouldn’t have given him a second glance. Yet, for a few hours he had felt he belonged somewhere, helping put a family back together after tragedy struck.

This was something different than tracking ruthless murderers and thieves through the wilderness—while trying to avoid getting himself shot in the process.

Lone Wolf rolled onto his side and stared at the bed that had felt so incredibly comfortable earlier. There was a lot to be said for luxury. Even more to be said for snuggling up to the soft feminine body that was just beyond his reach.

Another blast of lust hammered him. He wondered if the self-restraint he had spent thirty-two years perfecting was going to hold up around Julia. Then he asked himself why a woman like her would possibly want a man like him.

She wouldn’t, he assured himself realistically. Whatever she was doing in that bed it was not meant to be a subtle invitation, he decided.

Maybe she had tried to wait up for his return to make certain Maggie had gotten home safely and had fallen asleep. Maybe she had simply forgotten that she had offered the suite to him. But whatever the reason, he was going to wait until morning to find out.

In the meantime he had placed himself in the perfect position to protect her from an intruder. Until this feud was resolved, Lone Wolf promised that he was going to be the Prestons’ bodyguard and hired gun.

Furthermore, he was not going to forget his place. If he did, society would certainly remind him of it quick enough. So-called decent folks had been doing it for years. He just hoped Julia could withstand the strain of censure that was sure to come her way because of their pretend marriage.

Another wave of guilt buffeted Lone Wolf. Damn it, he never should have stipulated a pretend marriage, even if it was a practical way to protect Julia and to satisfy his personal vendetta against Sol Griffin.

Lone Wolf made a pact with himself to find another way to protect Julia. He would retract his request come morning. He simply didn’t have the heart to seek vindication on Sol at Julia’s expense. In addition, Julia needed to know the truth about his connection to Sol. The longer Lone Wolf waited the worse her reaction would be.

He would tell her in the morning, and she would send him packing because of his family ties to her worst enemy.

Lone Wolf cast one last glance at the intriguing woman in bed, sighed in exasperation and told himself to go to sleep. Tomorrow he would be on his way to Colorado and she would find someone else to resolve her problems.

The next morning Julia came slowly awake. She stared up at the overhead canopy—and realized that she had plopped onto her own bed instead of the one in the guest room. Alarmed, she peeked to see if Lone Wolf had assumed she was issuing an invitation for him to sleep with her.

She sagged in relief when she noticed the other side of the bed had not been disturbed.

Tossing back the sheet, she sat up to survey the room. Nothing was out of place and Lone Wolf was nowhere to be found. Julia dressed in her shirt and breeches, then hurried in to check on Adam. She stumbled to a halt when she saw Lone Wolf straddling a chair backward, visiting with Adam, who was propped up on a pile of pillows, sipping coffee. There was a tray of bread and canned peaches beside him. Obviously Lone Wolf had been tending the patient and was taking his duty as bodyguard seriously.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Adam said with a wobbly smile.

She returned her brother’s grin, then cast Lone Wolf an awkward glance. His expression was carefully neutral. If he was wondering what she had been doing in the bed she had offered to him it didn’t show on his ruggedly handsome face.

“Adam has been giving me more background information on the rift with your neighbor,” Lone Wolf remarked. “He agrees that Sol Griffin is the most likely suspect. But we aren’t going to limit our search to just him.”

“And we aren’t going to breathe a word of this to Maggie until we know for certain,” Adam declared adamantly. “No sense turning her world upside down until absolutely necessary.”

Julia glanced out the window toward Griffin Ranch, which sat in the distance. Her eyes narrowed and she muttered furiously when she spotted a man wearing a long canvas duster and wide-brimmed hat. He had emerged from the shadows of a grove of cedar trees that lined the spring-fed creek on Preston property. Although he was riding a sorrel gelding this time, she suspected he was the same man who had shot Adam.

“He’s back. The vulture is probably trying to find out if he managed to kill Adam last night.” Julia wheeled around and took off like a shot.

“Damn it, Jules, be careful!” Adam called out hoarsely.

Julia paid him no heed. She was intent on tracking that sidewinder cross-country to see if he headed to Sol Griffin’s house. She didn’t hear but rather felt Lone Wolf’s presence behind her as she bounded down the steps.

“Slow down, woman,” Lone Wolf grumbled. “Think. That sniper might be trying to lure you out.”

“Maybe dashing off half-cocked isn’t the wisest course of action,” she muttered. “But I want revenge so badly I can almost taste it.”

“Back door.” He clutched her arm and herded her down the hall. “Better yet, you stay here and let me track the hombre.”

“No, I’m going with you and that’s that.”

He noted the determined tilt of her chin and remembered that Adam had told him Julia had run wild after their father’s death. She had become daring, reckless and impulsive while she dealt with her grief.

Judging by the look on her face, she refused to be frightened off by the thought of personal danger. He’d have to resort to tying her up to prevent her from going with him.

Julia burst ahead of him to lead the way across the back lawn. “I didn’t mean to take your bed last night,” she blurted out. “Old habit, I guess. Where did you sleep?”

“On the floor so I could keep an eye on you and Adam,” he replied as he grabbed her hand and sprinted toward the barn.

To his surprise she didn’t bother to saddle a horse, just grabbed a bridle and bit. Lone Wolf was willing to bet this wasn’t the first time Julia had galloped off bare-back. Not that he minded, of course. He had grown up in a Cheyenne camp, learning to ride expertly at a young age.

He grabbed her reins and led both horses through the back exit of the barn. “We’ll circle to the south so our friend won’t realize that he’s being tracked.”

“He’s no friend of mine,” Julia muttered bitterly. “He and Sol became my sworn enemies when they blew Adam out of the saddle last night.”

Lone Wolf winced inwardly. He couldn’t delay telling Julia about his connection to Sol Griffin. But considering her present frame of mind, he didn’t think now would be a good time.

After boosting Julia onto her horse, Lone Wolf swung onto his pinto. Giving Julia a direct order to follow behind him, he headed for the underbrush and willows that lined the creek.

“He’s still there,” Julia scowled, glaring at the silhouette that lurked in the trees. “Maybe we should just wing him a couple of times then fire a few questions at him.”

Lone Wolf swallowed a smile. “Don’t you think it would be wiser to figure out if the sniper is working alone first?”

She grumbled sourly, “I suppose you’re right.”

Julia simmered down a bit as they picked their way along the creek bank. Five minutes later the unidentified rider had disappeared completely from sight.

“There. You see? This is what comes of being cautious,” she muttered in disappointment. “He’s vanished again.”

“But he left tracks,” Lone Wolf said encouragingly. “Sometimes that’s better than the direct approach.”

“I would be a dismal failure in your profession,” Julia admitted. “Absolutely no patience.”

“Most of the deceased bounty hunters I used to know had the same flaw. This profession separates men from their mistakes. You have to learn to outwait and outwit your quarry.” He sent her a pointed glance. “If you can’t do that then go home where you should have stayed and let me handle this alone.”

She kept quiet while he slid from his horse to study the hoofprints. “He’s almost the same size as I am,” he informed Julia.

She blinked, baffled. “How do you know that?”

“Depth of the indentation and the stride of the horse. Your horse can manage long strides because of your smaller size. Mine can, too, because I selected this piebald pinto for his muscular strength, stamina and agility. White men don’t always take that into consideration.”

“You leave nothing to chance, do you? I’m impressed,” Julia murmured.

“Don’t be. I’m not telling you anything that any self-respecting Cheyenne warrior didn’t learn before he was ten years old.”

Lone Wolf swung onto his paint pony, then followed the trail that seemed too obvious, what with all the broken branches on small seedlings. The tracks led down to the creek bank, leaving deep indentations in the mud.

Lone Wolf’s senses went on alert.

“Trap,” he whispered as he snaked out his hand to push Julia down on her horse.