face told her that he definitely wasn't pleased to see her, yet she saw the worry in his eyes. She bit back the desire to snap at him again and waited for him to speak.
He hunkered down beside her, his jaw tense as he studied her for a second. "Like your friend said, are you all right?" He glanced toward her bottom, where she squirmed uncomfortably. "That little spill had to have hurt."
"Especially thanks to you," she grumbled, watching a furrow appear between his thick eyebrows when he frowned. "And it isn't just this incident that I'm referring to."
One of those expressive eyebrows rose. "Do you really want to go into what happened at home out here in the middle of town?" He stood and held out a large, callused hand to help her up.
Annoyed with him, she wanted to refuse his assistance, but thought better of it. Allowing him to pull her to her feet, she winced at the movement and at the renewed sting to her bottom. "No, I don't wish to discuss that matter. Ever. Thank you very much."
He seemed to draw in a calming breath, looking in irritation from her to Faith and back to Jennie. "You shouldn't have come here."
Jennie tugged her arm free of him. The voices coming from the saloon were getting louder, more angry and caught her attention. She really wanted to get in there and help the women. She gave him an impatient look. "When Faith told me about--"
"What was she doing at our ranch anyway?" Daniel growled.
A boy rushed up, calling out breathlessly, "Sheriff Braddock! Got a wire for you."
Daniel took the piece of paper, grumbled a "Thank you" to the boy, who ran back the way he'd come. But Daniel just tucked the paper into his shirt pocket and went back to frowning at Jennie.
"Visiting me." Jennie planted her hands on her hips and faced him down. Lord, he was a persnickety man sometimes!
"Causing trouble is more like it," Adam inserted as he walked up next to his brother. "Like always." He scowled at Faith.
Faith raised her chin and snapped, "I was not causing trouble, Adam Braddock. I went to make sure Jennie was all right. I saw Daniel tearing out of town and I sensed..." She looked away, her cheeks blossoming pink. "I was worried, that's all. You Braddock brothers have all got a temper."
Daniel bristled and jumped at defending himself. "I might get mad at my wife. I might roast her bottom on occasion. But I will never hurt my Jennie."
While Jennie was oddly touched by his declaration, her face heated. She glanced anxiously around to make sure no one was close by listening to this very embarrassing conversation. It was bad enough that Adam and Faith knew Daniel disciplined her. Satisfied, she gingerly brushed off her skirt and hissed, "Can we not talk about this now? I'd really like to get to that meeting."
"A meeting you and Faith don't belong at, I might remind you both." Daniel looked up at Faith, who glanced away uneasily. "Faith's father told her to stay out of this business. He even told me that earlier when I talked to him." Now Faith squirmed in the saddle and appeared to study the saddle horn.
Then he focused on Jennie again. "And I told you, Jennie to leave it be as well. Didn't I?"
Before she could answer, a tall, lanky man stepped out of the saloon's batwing doors. He spotted Daniel and yelled, "Are you coming, Sheriff? The mayor is wanting to..." He stopped speaking and his expression grew worried. "Is your wife coming to the meeting, too? And Faith?" He shook his head. "Sylvester isn't going to be happy to see his daughter here."
"No," Daniel stated grimly. "Neither of these women is coming to the meeting."
"We certainly are!" both Jennie and Faith countered barely letting him finish talking.
Faith slipped from her horse's back and thrust the reins at Adam, who took them but looked hostile. Then she hurried next to Jennie and they both scooted around Daniel and his brother to march toward the saloon.
"Jennifer Braddock, you come back here right now!" Daniel demanded.
Although it probably
He hunkered down beside her, his jaw tense as he studied her for a second. "Like your friend said, are you all right?" He glanced toward her bottom, where she squirmed uncomfortably. "That little spill had to have hurt."
"Especially thanks to you," she grumbled, watching a furrow appear between his thick eyebrows when he frowned. "And it isn't just this incident that I'm referring to."
One of those expressive eyebrows rose. "Do you really want to go into what happened at home out here in the middle of town?" He stood and held out a large, callused hand to help her up.
Annoyed with him, she wanted to refuse his assistance, but thought better of it. Allowing him to pull her to her feet, she winced at the movement and at the renewed sting to her bottom. "No, I don't wish to discuss that matter. Ever. Thank you very much."
He seemed to draw in a calming breath, looking in irritation from her to Faith and back to Jennie. "You shouldn't have come here."
Jennie tugged her arm free of him. The voices coming from the saloon were getting louder, more angry and caught her attention. She really wanted to get in there and help the women. She gave him an impatient look. "When Faith told me about--"
"What was she doing at our ranch anyway?" Daniel growled.
A boy rushed up, calling out breathlessly, "Sheriff Braddock! Got a wire for you."
Daniel took the piece of paper, grumbled a "Thank you" to the boy, who ran back the way he'd come. But Daniel just tucked the paper into his shirt pocket and went back to frowning at Jennie.
"Visiting me." Jennie planted her hands on her hips and faced him down. Lord, he was a persnickety man sometimes!
"Causing trouble is more like it," Adam inserted as he walked up next to his brother. "Like always." He scowled at Faith.
Faith raised her chin and snapped, "I was not causing trouble, Adam Braddock. I went to make sure Jennie was all right. I saw Daniel tearing out of town and I sensed..." She looked away, her cheeks blossoming pink. "I was worried, that's all. You Braddock brothers have all got a temper."
Daniel bristled and jumped at defending himself. "I might get mad at my wife. I might roast her bottom on occasion. But I will never hurt my Jennie."
While Jennie was oddly touched by his declaration, her face heated. She glanced anxiously around to make sure no one was close by listening to this very embarrassing conversation. It was bad enough that Adam and Faith knew Daniel disciplined her. Satisfied, she gingerly brushed off her skirt and hissed, "Can we not talk about this now? I'd really like to get to that meeting."
"A meeting you and Faith don't belong at, I might remind you both." Daniel looked up at Faith, who glanced away uneasily. "Faith's father told her to stay out of this business. He even told me that earlier when I talked to him." Now Faith squirmed in the saddle and appeared to study the saddle horn.
Then he focused on Jennie again. "And I told you, Jennie to leave it be as well. Didn't I?"
Before she could answer, a tall, lanky man stepped out of the saloon's batwing doors. He spotted Daniel and yelled, "Are you coming, Sheriff? The mayor is wanting to..." He stopped speaking and his expression grew worried. "Is your wife coming to the meeting, too? And Faith?" He shook his head. "Sylvester isn't going to be happy to see his daughter here."
"No," Daniel stated grimly. "Neither of these women is coming to the meeting."
"We certainly are!" both Jennie and Faith countered barely letting him finish talking.
Faith slipped from her horse's back and thrust the reins at Adam, who took them but looked hostile. Then she hurried next to Jennie and they both scooted around Daniel and his brother to march toward the saloon.
"Jennifer Braddock, you come back here right now!" Daniel demanded.
Although it probably
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