in his mind from the moment he had discovered the engagement. As a matter of fact she hadn’t been anything he had pictured she would be. She must have had a very nice lifestyle to afford such an outrageous dress. She wore a single golden necklace with a teardrop pearl pendant. She seemed refined, unless she was upset, overall every ounce the lady Mr. Sevier would marry. And heaven help him if she didn’t smell delicious.
On the other hand , she was feisty and hotheaded. She could ride a horse and little fazed her when it came to dirt, grime, and other undesirable outdoor things for women. Again his mind went to their roll in the dirt the night before. She was also soft and fragrant, but there was something hard about her, like she carried a great burden. Maybe it was her wealth; lots of people who were born into it struggled with it. He knew a little bit about letting money run over his principles, maybe she too was feeling the weight of her wealthy birthright. It didn’t matter though, he reminded himself, and in a few days she would be gone, back to the comfort she was so accustomed to. For a moment he felt his heart pull, she would have everything he would never be able to offer a woman, least of all her.
As they came around the bend Annabelle noticed the sound of running water. They had stumbled back on the little stream they had camped at the night before. The men pulled their mounts to a stop and started slipping out of their saddles. Annabelle could have cried from relief. Her bottom was incredibly sore from the long hours in the saddle and from Logan’s paddling the night before. She also needed to use the necessities but hadn’t had the courage to ask. Kit was at her side in an instant and offered his assistance with her dismount. She nodded and sighed as her feet hit the ground.
“I’m going to need a few minutes to myself ,” she said, blushing to her boots.
“I don’t think so Miss Casey ,” Logan said, latching onto one of her elbows with his strong hand.
Annabelle looked pleadingly at Kit. “I just need a few minutes, please.”
Kit looked at Logan. “I think we should give her some privacy.”
Logan wanted to protest but it dawned on him what exactly she was asking for. He scanned the area and then pointed to a prominent patch of sagebrush. “Just over there, but you have five minutes and then I come looking for you, finished or not.”
Annabelle nodded and hurried over to her designated spot. It didn’t take long for her to get done and she carefully peered over the brush at the men below. Everyone, with the exception of Logan, was sitting at the edge of the stream resting. Her eyes scanned the surrounding areas and Logan was nowhere to be seen. Her mischievous side kicked in. There was a possibility, albeit a small one, that she could escape, maybe make it to this place called Hope and get some help. Surely no one would send a frightened girl back into the grips of her captor, someone would help her. Gathering her skirts up into her arms she looked once more at the men scattered around the ground. Just when she was about to bolt she heard the low rumble of Logan’s voice behind her. Annabelle literally jumped with surprise.
“Where do you think you’re going, Miss Casey?”
Her hands were clutched to her breast still holding the fabric of her dress. “How long have you been there?”
His eyebrows rose. “Long enough to know you are done…uhm, finished here.”
Her skirts rustled as they fell from her hands. “You scared the socks off of me, Mr. Bailey.”
He came around to face her, his blue eyes glittering in the sunlight. “You weren’t thinking of running off again were you?”
She laughed nervously. That was exactly what she was thinking, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “No, of course not.”
“Good, but I brought these along just in case.” He held up his hand and hanging from his finger were the dreaded handcuffs.
In a moment of
On the other hand , she was feisty and hotheaded. She could ride a horse and little fazed her when it came to dirt, grime, and other undesirable outdoor things for women. Again his mind went to their roll in the dirt the night before. She was also soft and fragrant, but there was something hard about her, like she carried a great burden. Maybe it was her wealth; lots of people who were born into it struggled with it. He knew a little bit about letting money run over his principles, maybe she too was feeling the weight of her wealthy birthright. It didn’t matter though, he reminded himself, and in a few days she would be gone, back to the comfort she was so accustomed to. For a moment he felt his heart pull, she would have everything he would never be able to offer a woman, least of all her.
As they came around the bend Annabelle noticed the sound of running water. They had stumbled back on the little stream they had camped at the night before. The men pulled their mounts to a stop and started slipping out of their saddles. Annabelle could have cried from relief. Her bottom was incredibly sore from the long hours in the saddle and from Logan’s paddling the night before. She also needed to use the necessities but hadn’t had the courage to ask. Kit was at her side in an instant and offered his assistance with her dismount. She nodded and sighed as her feet hit the ground.
“I’m going to need a few minutes to myself ,” she said, blushing to her boots.
“I don’t think so Miss Casey ,” Logan said, latching onto one of her elbows with his strong hand.
Annabelle looked pleadingly at Kit. “I just need a few minutes, please.”
Kit looked at Logan. “I think we should give her some privacy.”
Logan wanted to protest but it dawned on him what exactly she was asking for. He scanned the area and then pointed to a prominent patch of sagebrush. “Just over there, but you have five minutes and then I come looking for you, finished or not.”
Annabelle nodded and hurried over to her designated spot. It didn’t take long for her to get done and she carefully peered over the brush at the men below. Everyone, with the exception of Logan, was sitting at the edge of the stream resting. Her eyes scanned the surrounding areas and Logan was nowhere to be seen. Her mischievous side kicked in. There was a possibility, albeit a small one, that she could escape, maybe make it to this place called Hope and get some help. Surely no one would send a frightened girl back into the grips of her captor, someone would help her. Gathering her skirts up into her arms she looked once more at the men scattered around the ground. Just when she was about to bolt she heard the low rumble of Logan’s voice behind her. Annabelle literally jumped with surprise.
“Where do you think you’re going, Miss Casey?”
Her hands were clutched to her breast still holding the fabric of her dress. “How long have you been there?”
His eyebrows rose. “Long enough to know you are done…uhm, finished here.”
Her skirts rustled as they fell from her hands. “You scared the socks off of me, Mr. Bailey.”
He came around to face her, his blue eyes glittering in the sunlight. “You weren’t thinking of running off again were you?”
She laughed nervously. That was exactly what she was thinking, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “No, of course not.”
“Good, but I brought these along just in case.” He held up his hand and hanging from his finger were the dreaded handcuffs.
In a moment of
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