Heart Of Texas (Historical Romance) by Constance O'Banyon

his tanned arms.
    Casey had always noticed people's hands. Her
father's hands had been those of a gentleman,
easy to blister when doing the work required on the wagon train. Kate's were work-worn and callused, showing signs of age. There was strength in
Gabe's hands; his fingers were long and tapered,
beautiful but masculine at the same time. She
wondered what it would feel like to have them
brush against her skin.

    She quickly glanced down at her plate, her
cheeks flushed. Why did she always have to think
about him in that way? It was disturbing to have
him look at her with those beautiful, wolfish silver
eyes.
    "Looks like you've gone and got yourself hired
here at the Spanish Spur," Kate said to Gabe.
    "I wish you would tell Miss Hamilton that I'm
respectable," he said, smiling at Casey. "I wouldn't
be surprised if she's afraid I'll run off with her
cattle. I didn't make a very good first impression
on her, did I, Miss Hamilton?"
    "You did help us get our wagon out of the
river," she reminded him.
    Kate saw the blush on Casey's cheeks and
smiled to herself. No female was immune to that
handsome devil's charms. "I never knowed him to
steal cattle, but there's many a young lady whose
hearts he's stole."
    Gabe made no comment as he took the empty
chair beside Kate, but he gave her a sharp glance.
"Something smells mighty good," he said, chang
ing the subject.
    "Tastes good, too," Kate remarked without
modesty. She looked at Sam. "Your uncle Bob used to say I was the best cook in Texas, and that's
saying a lot."

    Sam was staring with hungry eyes at the bowl
of mashed potatoes heaped high and fluffy. "My
sister's a good cook," he said loyally. "She can
cook about anything."
    Casey met Gabe's gaze. "Did you have a productive day, sir?"
    He liked the sound of her soft Southern accent.
He liked the way her red-gold hair curled about
her face. He liked the blue of her eyes; he was
certain that he could spend hours looking into
them. This was the first time he had seen her in
good light, and he was particularly fond of the
soft sprinkle of freckles across 'her nose. If there
was a more beautiful female in this world, he had
never met her. Her lips were pink and full, just
right for a man to kiss.
    "Yes, ma'am, I did," he said, turning away from
dangerous thoughts. "I rounded up about twenty
strays and herded them into the east pasture.
There may be about a hundred head yet to round
up. I'm going to have to have help with them."
    Casey shook her head. "I can't hire anyone else.
You know that."
    Kate passed Gabe the platter of meat. "There
ain't no one going to work for the Spanish Spur,
and you know it."
    He met Casey's blue-eyed gaze. "I know of two
men who would be willing to work for you with the understanding that they wouldn't be paid until you sell the cattle."

    "How much is cattle going for now, Gabe?" Kate
wanted to know.
    "Four dollars a head if we sell them here in
Texas-thirty dollars a head if we drive them to
the railhead. Of course, we would have to have at
least five hundred head to make a drive pay, and
you don't have near that many." He looked at
Casey. "I can't very well round them up alone.
And Sam is too inexperienced to be much help
until I can teach him what to do."
    "You mentioned two men who would be willing
to work for us," she said, feeling overwhelmed by
their situation. "Will you ask them to come to the
Spanish Spur so I can talk to them?"
    "Miss Hamilton, there is one fact I forgot to
mention. You may not want to hire them when I
tell you that they are Comanche."
    She stared at him in disbelief and uncertainty.
"Indians!"
    Sam grinned. "I've never been close to an Indian before. When we were on the trail, I caught
a glimpse of some on a hill, but they never came
where I could see them up close."
    Casey laid her fork aside and placed her hands
in her lap so no one would see them tremble.
"Aren't they dangerous?"
    Gabe's gaze dropped to his