Читать книгу Texas Bride - Carol Finch, Carol Finch - Страница 10

M addie sensed the change in Jonah the instant he returned to camp, carrying three quail that he’d cleaned for cooking, and an armload of firewood. His gaze skipped past her and he smirked when he noticed her recently washed clothes, and his, draped over bushes and outcroppings of rock. Maddie was pretty certain that Jonah felt uncomfortable about sharing a part of himself with her earlier, and had decided that wasn’t going to happen again.

“You didn’t have to do my laundry,” he said curtly.

“No, and you didn’t have to fetch my supper.” She walked over to retrieve the quail. “One good turn deserves another. Maybe next time I’ll fetch supper and you can do the laundry.”

He scoffed at that, as she figured he would. “You can hunt your own game?”

She nodded. “I am not entirely helpless.” She took pride in telling him that.

Jonah stacked the firewood, then grabbed a matchbox from his saddlebag to ignite the campfire. Then he slid his pistol from the holster and handed it to her. “Prove it,” he challenged.

Lips twitching, Maddie focused on a scraggly weed that protruded from a crack in the rock and fired away. She glanced sideways to note Jonah’s stunned reaction after she hit the weed dead center.

His narrowed gaze swung to her. “Where did you learn to do that?”

Maddie blew on the smoking barrel of the gun, then returned it to Jonah butt first. “Our ranch foreman, Carlos Perez, taught me. At my insistence. After my father disappeared and rustling escalated, I decided I needed to be able to defend myself.” Her smile faded. “I should have encouraged Chrissy to take lessons, as well. Perhaps she could have escaped capture if she had been armed.”

Jonah handed the pistol back to her. “Take this with you while you lead the horses to the river to drink. I’ll bathe while dinner is cooking.”

Maddie grinned impishly into his expressionless face. “What’s wrong, Danhill? Afraid I’ll sneak peeks at you?”

He cast her a withering glance as he peeled off his shirt, exposing the rippling muscles that had captured her rapt attention the previous day. “Go away, Garret. And watch what the hell you’re doing down there. I scouted the area, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t sneak up on your blindside while you’re dawdling.”

Maddie tucked the pistol in the band of her breeches, then snatched up the empty canteen. Leaving Jonah to his bath, she followed the path to retrieve the horses. She smiled to herself, thinking what a refreshing change Jonah was from the other men of her acquaintance. They fawned over her, flattered her incessantly. But Maddie was no one’s fool. She knew her suitors saw her as a means to an end. They lusted after her prize property. But not Jonah. He resented the fact that she owned land that had once belonged to his people. In addition, he didn’t trust her. She had to earn his trust and prove her worth.

She had likely made him more cautious of her by assuring him that she could handle firearms. Maddie suspected he wouldn’t turn his back on her, for fear she’d shoot him. She wondered what it was going to take to convince him that she was telling him the truth.

Ah well, what did it matter? she asked herself. Jonah wasn’t going to stick around.

A rumble of thunder caught Maddie’s attention as she waited for the horses to drink their fill. She glanced southwest, noting that the bank of gray clouds she’d seen earlier was rapidly approaching. She knew spring thunderstorms could wreak havoc in this part of Texas, because she’d endured her share of sandstorms and windblown rains that transformed gullies into roaring rivers. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be perched on that cliff when lightning bolts speared from the threatening clouds.

Maddie tethered the horses on a patch of spring grass so they could graze, filled the canteen, then made the strenuous climb to the cliff. By the time she returned, Jonah had changed into the clean clothes—another black ensemble—that she’d draped over the scrub. He flicked her a glance while he was hunkered over the fire.

“Storm’s coming,” she said. “We may have wasted our time bathing because we’ll probably get drenched.”

Jonah gestured a brawny arm to the east. Frowning, she wandered around the jutting boulders, then halted in surprise when she noticed a wide-mouthed cavern tucked beneath the overhanging rock ledge. It wasn’t an enclosed space, which would have left her with that hemmed-in feeling and made her uneasy—thank goodness.

She noticed that Jonah had unrolled the pallet, and she was relieved that they could bed down without dodging lightning bolts during the night.

When she rejoined him and made an attempt at casual conversation, he wasn’t the least bit responsive. Since he didn’t seem to be in the mood for idle chatter Maddie decided to explore the foot trail that led to higher elevations.

The grumble of thunder overrode a low warning growl, and Maddie recoiled in alarm when she finally noticed a sleek mountain lion crouched on a ledge ten feet above her head. The big cat snarled and swiped the air with its paw.

Heart in her throat, her pulse pounding like hailstones, Maddie retreated several steps. She realized too late that she had only provided a better angle for the mountain lion to pounce—if that was its wont. Wild-eyed, Maddie watched the great cat gather itself, and she frantically grabbed the pistol tucked in her waistband. With a screeching snarl the tawny mountain lion lunged from its perch.

Maddie screamed her head off as the two-hundred pound beast plunged directly at her.

Jonah was on his feet the split second he heard the wild, inhuman screech and recognized it for what it was. When Maddie’s terrified shriek erupted, his heart nearly beat him to death. Fear for her safety sizzled through him as he raced up the winding path. Jonah sprinted around the outcropping of rock, then instinctively leaped sideways when a gunshot exploded. The sound echoed down the rugged peak, then died in a rumble of thunder.

Rounding the bend, Jonah braced his arm on the wall of rock and glanced up to see Maddie sprawled, half on, half off, a chair-size boulder. Panting for breath, Jonah stared at the unmoving mountain lion that lay across her knees.

“Maddie?” he called softly.

Her goggle-eyed gaze leaped from the cat to him, but she didn’t move, just sat there gasping for breath. Jonah approached her, then reached down to grab the mountain lion by the scruff of the neck and dragged it off Maddie’s legs. She was in his arms, tucking her head against his shoulder, before he could react. The pistol she had clutched in her hand swerved toward his ear, and Jonah pushed it away before the damn thing could go off accidentally and take his head with it.

“Oh, God!” Maddie wheezed, her body shuddering against his. “I thought I was a goner. All I could think about was that if I got eaten alive my sister wouldn’t stand a chance of survival unless I left everything up to you. But then I remembered that you don’t like me and you might not—”

“Shh-shh, calm down,” Jonah interrupted. “You’re okay and everything is going to be fine.” He nuzzled his cheek against her forehead and felt her shivering against him with the aftereffects of fear. “It’s over, princess. Just take a deep breath and try to relax.”

She clung to him, meshing her lush body against his overly sensitive male contours, and Jonah steeled himself against the sensations that rippled through him. Well hell, he thought. He’d vowed not to get this close to Maddie again and here he was, cuddling her protectively against him. Events beyond his control kept sabotaging his attempt to keep a physical and emotional distance. He should have set her away from him and told her to toughen up because danger was an everyday occurrence in the wilds. Instead he held her close while her seesawing breath fanned his neck and she struggled to regain her composure.

“I didn’t realize the cat was above me until it was too late,” she jabbered nervously. “The poor thing might have been trying to protect a den of young cubs, and I unintentionally intruded on its territory.”

“The poor thing?” Jonah repeated incredulously. “The poor thing nearly had you for dinner.” He glanced down to note that Maddie had shot the great cat in the neck. It was probably all that had saved her from mauling and death.

“Carlos taught me to aim for the neck,” she mumbled, following his gaze. “He said that would bring an animal down immediately. Anything less wouldn’t ensure that the beast couldn’t keep coming at you.”

“Carlos is right. It’s the only way to stop an animal in its tracks.” Jonah eased Maddie away and turned her back in the direction she’d come. “Dinner should be ready.”

“I’m not hungry,” she mumbled as she made the descent on wobbly legs.

Jonah reached out to lend support before she stumbled downhill. “You’re eating, regardless.”

Bracing shaking hands against the boulders, Maddie made her way back to camp. Even after inhaling several cathartic breaths she was still rattled by the incident.

“That was a careless mistake,” she grumbled to herself.

“You got that right. Next time pay attention to your surroundings.”

“Right. Eagle-eyed Danhill would never have made that error. But then, you probably have eyes in the back of your head.”

“I’ve seen too many men die with surprised looks on their faces, Garret. If you wanna stay alive you take nothing for granted and you keep your eyes and ears peeled.”

Thunder exploded above them, as if to punctuate his comments. Maddie instinctively shrank back and lost her footing. Her arms flailed wildly before Jonah jerked her upright and tightened his grasp on her.

“Take a couple of deep breaths and get yourself together,” he demanded.

“Tried that. Didn’t help. I noticed that bottle of whiskey in your saddlebags. Mind if I have a drink of it? I’ll replace your supply when we reach the Flat.”

“Help yourself.”

Maddie rounded the bend of the trail and made a beeline for the saddlebag. She fished out the bottle and took a swig. Fire burned her throat and left her choking for breath. Jonah whacked her between the shoulder blades, then snatched the bottle from her trembling hand.

“Take it easy with that stuff. Sip it. Don’t gulp it.”

Nodding mutely, Maddie pried the bottle from his fingertips, took a sip and then said, “How do you do it?”

His dark brows bunched over his thick-lashed eyes. “How do I do what?”

“Face outlaws and wild beasts daily without letting it get to you?” She wheezed, then helped herself to another sip.

“Practice,” he replied, then jerked the bottle from her hand once more. “You’ve had more than enough. The way you’re going at it you’ll be stumbling drunk and pitch yourself off the edge of the cliff.”

“I’m sure you’d prefer that,” she mumbled as she wilted bonelessly to the ground. “Then you’d be rid of me for good.”

It was more than obvious that Maddie wasn’t a connoisseur of liquor. The stuff went straight to her head in nothing flat. “Better eat something,” he advised as he strode over to lift the burned quail from the fire.

Reluctantly she accepted the food he extended to her.

“Hell’s going to break loose soon,” he predicted as he glanced at the threatening sky. “We’ll call it a night and get an early start in the morning. We should reach Fort Griffin by noon.”

“And then you will be rid of me,” she said between bites.

Yes, he would. In less than a day he could put Maddie Garret out of his mind and enjoy his vacation.

Jonah hurriedly finished his meal, then doused the fire. The wind was swirling around the bluff with increasing speed and a shaft of rain hung over the valley. He estimated that they were going to be drenched in less than five minutes. He strode off to tuck his gear in a dry place before the storm unleashed its fury.

Jonah scowled when he exited the cave and saw Maddie tipping the whiskey bottle again. In four long strides he was at her side, snatching the bottle away. “Damn it, gimme that.”

“You’re no fun a-tall.”

“I’m alive and kicking. That’s fun enough,” he muttered, noting her goofy smile.

“Wha’d it take fo’ you to like me better? You might fin’ this har’ to believe, but some men act’lly do like me.”

“Do tell. Garret, you’re wasted,” Jonah stated. Then he frowned disapprovingly. “Rule number two, if you can’t handle liquor, don’t drink.”

She looked at him, eyelids drooping noticeably. “What’s rule number one? I forget.”

“Pay attention to your surroundings,” he prompted as he reached down to hoist her to her feet. “If you weren’t soused you’d recall that we’re about to get wet.” He directed her attention to the sheet of rain that was sweeping over the valley, heading directly toward them.

He curled his arm around her waist and shepherded her toward the cave as raindrops splattered the sandstone ledge beneath his feet. Maddie didn’t object, thank goodness, just allowed him to guide her into the cavern to wait out the storm. Sighing heavily, she sprawled on the pallet while he tucked away the whiskey—what was left of it.

Jonah stood there watching her stretch like a cat before she pulled the quilt over her. Damn, she looked so incredibly tempting lying there with that droopy smile on her dewy lips. The curtain of rain that tumbled past the mouth of the cave gave the impression that he and Maddie were all alone in the world. There was nothing he wanted more than to stretch out beside her and create a storm of passion that rivaled the one that Earth Mother had unleashed outside.

But that erotic fantasy was not going to collide with reality, Jonah promised himself resolutely.

“Come to bed, Jonah,” Maddie murmured as she drew back the quilt and patted the empty place beside her. “I promise not to throw myself at you.”

Jonah looked around, trying to figure out where he was going to sleep. It couldn’t be with her. He trusted himself less tonight than he had last night.

“Please,” she whispered.

The self-discipline and restraint he’d spent three decades cultivating failed him completely. He was moving toward the inviting pallet and the alluring woman upon it before he realized it. The moment he eased down beside her Maddie snuggled up against his hip and rested her head on his shoulder. Forbidden sensations hammered at him as the scent and feel of her bombarded his senses. Jonah held himself perfectly still, afraid to move, for fear he’d moved toward her. Because if he did he was pretty sure his willpower would abandon him in one second flat.

“You’re a nice man, Jonah Danhill,” she murmured against his chest.

A nice man wouldn’t be thinking the kind of impure thoughts that were chasing around in his head at the moment. The feel of her full breasts pressed against his rib cage was arousing him to the extreme. The feel of her arm draped over his chest reminded him of being wrapped in a cocoon of living flesh. He wanted her in the worst way, wanted to be inside her, sharing the same flesh, the same breath.

The erotic thought played havoc with his self-restraint, especially when her enticing feminine scent kept wrapping itself around his senses and practically drowned him. Gritting his teeth against the onslaught of tormenting temptation, Jonah shifted sideways and turned his back on her. Which was just as bad, because Maddie cuddled spoon-fashion against his back and looped her arm around his waist.

Her breath stirred against his neck, causing goose-flesh to pebble his skin. Desire clenched inside him and one arousing fantasy after another flooded his mind and left him hard and aching. Damn it, even if he’d been made of stone he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t crack under the intense pressure of wanting her like hell blazing.

After what seemed forever he heard her methodic breathing and felt her slump in slumber. Jonah thanked Indian and white men’s deities equally for granting him relief.

One more day, he chanted silently. Surely he could endure one more day of nearly impossible temptation before she found another guide to lead her back to familiar territory.

Jonah winced when an odd sensation nipped at him. He didn’t want to visualize another man cuddling up with Maddie. He’d buy her a bedroll, Jonah decided immediately. And he’d make double damn certain that her next guide had the restraint and integrity to keep his hands off her.

Hell! Where in the blazes was he going to find a saint on such short notice?

Maddie awoke the following morning with a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and a dull throb thudding against her skull. The whiskey, she recalled. Though drinking had taken the edge off her nerves, there seemed the devil to pay later.

Raising heavy-lidded eyes, she glanced sideways, not surprised to note that Jonah was up and gone. She smiled slightly, remembering that she’d practically had to twist his arm to get him to share the bedroll with her.

Drowsily Maddie pushed upright and scrubbed her hands over her face. She needed to get up and get moving. She predicted Jonah had the horses saddled already and was champing at the bit, eager to be on the way to the fort so he could drop her off.

Maddie stepped from the cave to draw in a deep breath and revel in the lingering scent of rain that hung in the early morning air. Her gaze drifted across the valley and she admired the spectacular view for a long moment. With her senses cleared—partially—she ambled over to the pool to wash her face, then reversed direction to gather the bedroll and gear.

Jonah glanced up to see Maddie, the saddlebags, satchel and bedroll slung over her shoulder, making her way down the trail. Her face was pale—the aftereffects of her bout with whiskey, he diagnosed. Nonetheless, she had gathered up the gear and climbed down from their elevated campsite to join him.

“How’s your head?” he asked without preamble.

“And good morning to you, too,” she replied. Maddie walked over to tie the gear behind the saddle. “Sleep well, Jonah?”

The casual tone of her voice provoked him to frown. She was laboring under the erroneous notion that resisting the temptation she presented wasn’t driving him crazy. Well, she was dead wrong about that, but he’d shoot himself in the foot a couple of times before he admitted it.

Jonah suspected that most men drooled over this fetching female, and he wasn’t about to join the ranks of her hopeless admirers. And for all he knew she could be a cunning crook who was using him to protect her stash of money during her getaway. Hell, there could be wanted posters out on Maddie Garret and he wouldn’t know for sure unless he visited the nearest sheriff’s office to check.

“Jonah?”

He corraled his rambling thoughts and shot her a quick glance. “I slept just fine, thanks for asking,” he replied in a clipped voice. “We’ll forgo breakfast since we’ll be at Fort Griffin by noon. Ready to ride, Garret?”

When Maddie swung into the saddle Jonah’s betraying gaze riveted on the shapely curve of her derriere. He swore ripely and mounted his horse.

Jonah circled the sandstone bluff and headed north. Although Maddie commented on the rugged beauty of the hills that were dotted with juniper and mesquite, Jonah kept a sharp lookout for unwanted company. Two hours into the journey they encountered a supply wagon. The ogling stares that the two bearded men directed toward Maddie didn’t escape him. Although she waved and smiled cordially, Jonah nodded curtly.

“Are you always this grumpy or are you having a bad day?” Maddie questioned belatedly.

“I’ve found that if you treat every stranger like a potential enemy you’re never surprised if trouble comes your way.”

When she shook her head in dismay sunlight blazed like fire in that mass of curly hair. Jonah did his damnedest not to notice how utterly appealing she was to him.

“You’ve spent entirely too much time associating with murderers and thieves. They are poisoning your outlook on life.”

Jonah didn’t reply, just headed north at a fast clip. When he spotted the flag flying on Government Hill, where the fort was located, he veered west to approach the community from the opposite direction than the two bushwhackers might have anticipated.

“Our first order of business is to find a guide,” Jonah said as they trotted into the Flat that sat at the base of the hill overlooking the river.

“I told you I’m going alone.”

“Not acceptable.” Jonah grabbed the mare’s rein, just in case Maddie decided to be contrary and tried to take off in the wrong direction.

“I am not your responsibility,” she muttered in annoyance. She reached into the pocket of her breeches for the money to pay Jonah for his services. “Here. Take this and go.”

Jonah ignored her as he weaved around the horses and wagons that filled the streets of the community. He made a beeline for the fort and rode right past the soldiers who tried to waylay him. Jonah wasn’t wasting his time with peons. He was going to speak to the highest-ranking officer at the fort.

“What’s your commander’s name?” Jonah asked the young soldier who was standing guard outside headquarters.

“Major Thorton,” the soldier informed him, though his eyes kept straying appreciatively to Maddie and the trim-fitting garments that advertised every shapely curve and swell she possessed.

“Jonah Danhill, Texas Ranger,” Jonah announced authoritatively, then flashed the badge he kept tucked in his pocket.

The soldier snapped to attention. “Yes, sir.” Turning an about-face, he preceded Jonah and Maddie through the door. After quick introductions, the soldier exited and Jonah got right down to business.