She tried again, clearly desperate.
Cal shook his head. “Calm down and listen to me, Melora,” he said, surprising himself and her by the use of her given name. But at that moment Zeke and Ray rushed up, panting and sweating like a pair of flogged pigs.
“Need any help, Cal?” Zeke rasped out, corning to a halt a few feet from where Cal and Melora were lying on the ground.
“Does he look like he needs any help?” Ray snapped in exasperation. He yanked his hat off and began fanning his face. Sweat droplets glistened in his yellow whiskers. “Since when would- Cal need help with a mite of a female like this? Zeke, you’re a damned fool.”
“Miss Deane and I are about to come to an understanding.” Cal spoke roughly, his eyes still riveted upon Melora’s. “You two go back and finish packing up the camp. We’re riding out the moment we get back.”
“D-don’t go,” Melora called out feebly, turning her head to gaze imploringly at the other two men. “He’s going to strike me. Beat me. Please save me...”
They stopped in their tracks, taken aback, and threw uncertain glances at Cal.
“I threatened to spank her,” he said impatiently. “It was just a warning, not an intention— so far ,” he added meaningfully, fixing her with a scowl.
To her dismay, both Zeke and Ray nodded, grinning at each other, for once in agreement.
“Sure, reckon we know you better than to think you’d strike a woman, Cal,” Zeke said respectfully.
“No, he’d just kidnap one,” Melora retorted.
Ray shook his head, staring down at her sorrowfully. “Cal here is a fine person, miss. Fine as they come. And I can tell you he’s got more patience than half the men in this territory all put together. But he’s hell when he’s crossed. My advice to you is: Don’t cross him.”
“Yep, behave yourself,” Zeke advised her anxiously. “Do what you’re told. And when Cal’s through with this here plan of his, he’ll take you home safe and sound.”
Cal flicked an amused glance between the two of them. ‘`I reckon I couldn’t have said it better myself, boys.” He grinned. “And now, let me straighten out a few things with the lady so we can make tracks before sundown.”
Melora waited apprehensively as Zeke and Ray tramped away. Once again she found herself alone in the woods with Cal, alone but for a squirrel nibbling a nut in the tree branches high above.
“Are you ready to listen to reason?”
I’m ready to spit in your eye, she thought, her chest swelling with indignation at being treated in this manner, but she remembered in time and with great bitterness that it wasn’t always wise to speak one’s mind, so instead she gave him a stiff nod.
“Then get up and listen to me,” Cal said shortly. He shifted off her and got to his feet, scooping up her Colt and pocketing it in one deft motion. Immediately Melora pushed herself up to a sitting position, rebellion simmering in her eyes.
Cal noticed how her fingers were splayed in the dirt below; he half expected her to grab a handful of it and fling it in his face. Or try to.
But she didn’t. She took deep breaths, obviously trying to keep a lid on her temper.
“Let me explain a few things to you before we ride out. It’ll make things easier on all of us.”
“I’m listening.”
“Believe it or not, Melora, I don’t want to hurt you. None of us do. But you’re not getting away, and you’re not going back home until I say so.”
“And when will that be?”
“When I’ve accomplished what I’ve set out to do. Maybe a few weeks from now.”
“A few weeks from now?” she cried, surging to her feet and confronting him with her hands on her hips. “Today is my wedding day, you ignorant jackass!”
“No, ma’am, it’s not.”
“Well, it’s supposed to be!”
“That’s the point,” he said softly, a gleam entering his eyes.
Melora stared at him as he hooked his thumbs in his gun belt and looked smug. “You’re not doing this
Cal shook his head. “Calm down and listen to me, Melora,” he said, surprising himself and her by the use of her given name. But at that moment Zeke and Ray rushed up, panting and sweating like a pair of flogged pigs.
“Need any help, Cal?” Zeke rasped out, corning to a halt a few feet from where Cal and Melora were lying on the ground.
“Does he look like he needs any help?” Ray snapped in exasperation. He yanked his hat off and began fanning his face. Sweat droplets glistened in his yellow whiskers. “Since when would- Cal need help with a mite of a female like this? Zeke, you’re a damned fool.”
“Miss Deane and I are about to come to an understanding.” Cal spoke roughly, his eyes still riveted upon Melora’s. “You two go back and finish packing up the camp. We’re riding out the moment we get back.”
“D-don’t go,” Melora called out feebly, turning her head to gaze imploringly at the other two men. “He’s going to strike me. Beat me. Please save me...”
They stopped in their tracks, taken aback, and threw uncertain glances at Cal.
“I threatened to spank her,” he said impatiently. “It was just a warning, not an intention— so far ,” he added meaningfully, fixing her with a scowl.
To her dismay, both Zeke and Ray nodded, grinning at each other, for once in agreement.
“Sure, reckon we know you better than to think you’d strike a woman, Cal,” Zeke said respectfully.
“No, he’d just kidnap one,” Melora retorted.
Ray shook his head, staring down at her sorrowfully. “Cal here is a fine person, miss. Fine as they come. And I can tell you he’s got more patience than half the men in this territory all put together. But he’s hell when he’s crossed. My advice to you is: Don’t cross him.”
“Yep, behave yourself,” Zeke advised her anxiously. “Do what you’re told. And when Cal’s through with this here plan of his, he’ll take you home safe and sound.”
Cal flicked an amused glance between the two of them. ‘`I reckon I couldn’t have said it better myself, boys.” He grinned. “And now, let me straighten out a few things with the lady so we can make tracks before sundown.”
Melora waited apprehensively as Zeke and Ray tramped away. Once again she found herself alone in the woods with Cal, alone but for a squirrel nibbling a nut in the tree branches high above.
“Are you ready to listen to reason?”
I’m ready to spit in your eye, she thought, her chest swelling with indignation at being treated in this manner, but she remembered in time and with great bitterness that it wasn’t always wise to speak one’s mind, so instead she gave him a stiff nod.
“Then get up and listen to me,” Cal said shortly. He shifted off her and got to his feet, scooping up her Colt and pocketing it in one deft motion. Immediately Melora pushed herself up to a sitting position, rebellion simmering in her eyes.
Cal noticed how her fingers were splayed in the dirt below; he half expected her to grab a handful of it and fling it in his face. Or try to.
But she didn’t. She took deep breaths, obviously trying to keep a lid on her temper.
“Let me explain a few things to you before we ride out. It’ll make things easier on all of us.”
“I’m listening.”
“Believe it or not, Melora, I don’t want to hurt you. None of us do. But you’re not getting away, and you’re not going back home until I say so.”
“And when will that be?”
“When I’ve accomplished what I’ve set out to do. Maybe a few weeks from now.”
“A few weeks from now?” she cried, surging to her feet and confronting him with her hands on her hips. “Today is my wedding day, you ignorant jackass!”
“No, ma’am, it’s not.”
“Well, it’s supposed to be!”
“That’s the point,” he said softly, a gleam entering his eyes.
Melora stared at him as he hooked his thumbs in his gun belt and looked smug. “You’re not doing this
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