head, a war bonnet that looked
exactly like the one beneath her hand.
A shiver curled up Kelly’s spine. Snatching her hand away,
she left the barn and made her way to the house, anxious to ask Lee about the
war bonnet.
Lee was waiting for her. The front door stood ajar. A stream
of lamplight illuminated the porch.
“Thank you,” Kelly said.
A corner of Lee’s mouth curled up in a wry grin. “No
problem.”
Lifting her head and squaring her shoulders, Kelly met his
unblinking gaze. “I’m sorry if I offended you earlier.”
“Forget it.”
“I didn’t mean anything, honestly. I…sometimes I say things
without thinking. I really am sorry.”
“Why should you be sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But—”
“Listen, Kelly, I’m not a very nice guy. It’s no secret that
I’ve done time and lots of it. Everybody in town knows it.”
He paused and then went on, deciding he might as well tell
her everything and be done with it. “I got busted for stealing, for vandalism,
for burglary.” He shrugged. “You name it, I probably did it.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you’ve got a right to know who’s sleeping in your
barn.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“It’s all in the past. Isn’t it?”
He couldn’t meet her eyes. He couldn’t lie to her, he
couldn’t make promises to those innocent blue eyes, promises he had no
intention of keeping.
“Isn’t it?” Kelly gazed at him intently, suddenly aware that
she was shivering and that it had nothing to do with the weather.
“I don’t know, but if I were you, I’d keep my doors and
windows locked.”
Kelly glanced pointedly at the open front door and then at
the piece of wire in his hand. “Would it do me any good?”
“Kelly—”
“I’m trusting you, Lee Roan Horse. I hope you won’t let me
down. Goodnight.”
Only after she’d closed the door did she realize she’d
forgotten to ask him about the war bonnet.
Lee stared at the closed front door, listening to her
footsteps fade as she made her way toward her bedroom in the back of the house.
I’m trusting you…
Lee grunted softly. No one had ever trusted him before. He’d
never realized what a burden it could be. He had to get out of here, he thought
again, before it was too late.
But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew he
wouldn’t go and he wondered which temptation was more enticing, the age-old
lure of soft feminine curves and sweet pink lips or the equally ancient lust
for gold.
It was a question that kept him awake far into the night.
Chapter Nine
Kelly stared out the kitchen window, her mouth agape. Where
had that horse come from? She was about to go outside to find Lee when she saw
him walking toward the corral, a bridle in one hand. Mercy, he didn’t mean to
ride the beast! It was the biggest, blackest, wildest-looking horse she’d ever
seen. The animal darted toward the far side of the corral when it saw Lee
approaching. Nostrils flared, ears laid flat, the horse watched the man.
Whistling softly, Lee ducked into the corral. For a long
while, he simply stood there, the bridle swinging from his hand. And then,
moving without haste, he crossed the corral, his free hand outstretched.
Kelly held her breath, certain Lee was about to be killed
before her very eyes, but as soon as he got near the horse, the black bolted to
the other side of the corral.
For the next half hour, she watched Lee stalk the horse,
never able to get close enough to slip the bridle over its head.
Wild-eyed and wary, the black pranced around the corral,
tossing its head, blowing loudly, until it had worked itself into a sweat.
Finally, muttering what Kelly assumed was an oath, Lee left
the corral.
She was stirring eggs in a pan when he entered the kitchen.
“Morning,” she said brightly.
“Morning.”
“Where’d the horse come from?”
“I took it in payment for some work I did.” A wry grin
tugged at his lips.
exactly like the one beneath her hand.
A shiver curled up Kelly’s spine. Snatching her hand away,
she left the barn and made her way to the house, anxious to ask Lee about the
war bonnet.
Lee was waiting for her. The front door stood ajar. A stream
of lamplight illuminated the porch.
“Thank you,” Kelly said.
A corner of Lee’s mouth curled up in a wry grin. “No
problem.”
Lifting her head and squaring her shoulders, Kelly met his
unblinking gaze. “I’m sorry if I offended you earlier.”
“Forget it.”
“I didn’t mean anything, honestly. I…sometimes I say things
without thinking. I really am sorry.”
“Why should you be sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But—”
“Listen, Kelly, I’m not a very nice guy. It’s no secret that
I’ve done time and lots of it. Everybody in town knows it.”
He paused and then went on, deciding he might as well tell
her everything and be done with it. “I got busted for stealing, for vandalism,
for burglary.” He shrugged. “You name it, I probably did it.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you’ve got a right to know who’s sleeping in your
barn.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“It’s all in the past. Isn’t it?”
He couldn’t meet her eyes. He couldn’t lie to her, he
couldn’t make promises to those innocent blue eyes, promises he had no
intention of keeping.
“Isn’t it?” Kelly gazed at him intently, suddenly aware that
she was shivering and that it had nothing to do with the weather.
“I don’t know, but if I were you, I’d keep my doors and
windows locked.”
Kelly glanced pointedly at the open front door and then at
the piece of wire in his hand. “Would it do me any good?”
“Kelly—”
“I’m trusting you, Lee Roan Horse. I hope you won’t let me
down. Goodnight.”
Only after she’d closed the door did she realize she’d
forgotten to ask him about the war bonnet.
Lee stared at the closed front door, listening to her
footsteps fade as she made her way toward her bedroom in the back of the house.
I’m trusting you…
Lee grunted softly. No one had ever trusted him before. He’d
never realized what a burden it could be. He had to get out of here, he thought
again, before it was too late.
But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew he
wouldn’t go and he wondered which temptation was more enticing, the age-old
lure of soft feminine curves and sweet pink lips or the equally ancient lust
for gold.
It was a question that kept him awake far into the night.
Chapter Nine
Kelly stared out the kitchen window, her mouth agape. Where
had that horse come from? She was about to go outside to find Lee when she saw
him walking toward the corral, a bridle in one hand. Mercy, he didn’t mean to
ride the beast! It was the biggest, blackest, wildest-looking horse she’d ever
seen. The animal darted toward the far side of the corral when it saw Lee
approaching. Nostrils flared, ears laid flat, the horse watched the man.
Whistling softly, Lee ducked into the corral. For a long
while, he simply stood there, the bridle swinging from his hand. And then,
moving without haste, he crossed the corral, his free hand outstretched.
Kelly held her breath, certain Lee was about to be killed
before her very eyes, but as soon as he got near the horse, the black bolted to
the other side of the corral.
For the next half hour, she watched Lee stalk the horse,
never able to get close enough to slip the bridle over its head.
Wild-eyed and wary, the black pranced around the corral,
tossing its head, blowing loudly, until it had worked itself into a sweat.
Finally, muttering what Kelly assumed was an oath, Lee left
the corral.
She was stirring eggs in a pan when he entered the kitchen.
“Morning,” she said brightly.
“Morning.”
“Where’d the horse come from?”
“I took it in payment for some work I did.” A wry grin
tugged at his lips.
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