halted his britches’ downward journey. Torn flesh and blood marred his otherwise smooth backside. “Yes.”
Gingerly she touched his britches, the tip of her finger skimming over him. He jumped as though she’d pressed a red-hot brand to his flesh.
“I’m sorry. I just … I just need to lower these a little more.” She brought them down as far as she dared, grateful the horse had nipped him high on the cheek.
She pressed the iodine to the wound, heard his sharp intake of breath, and saw his fingers tighten around his shirt. “I’m so sorry.”
“Trust me. The more it stings, the better.”
She heard the strain in his voice and worked as fast as she could, pressing the cloth to the wound—
“Good God Almighty! What are you doing, Loree?”
Loree spun around at the unexpected voice, lost her balance, and toppled into Austin as he was turning, struggling to pull up his britches. He reached out to steady her, swore harshly, and released her to grab his britches before they slipped any lower.
Loree would have laughed if it weren’t for the young man standing in her doorway, glaring at her. Her heart was pounding so hard that it sounded like a herd of horses stampeding between her ears. “Dewayne, what are you doing here?”
Dewayne Thomas removed his hat, his blond hair glinting in the sunlight, his brown eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Austin. “Come to check on you after last night’s storm. Heard there were tornadoes about. Wanted to make sure you were all right.” He jutted out his chin. “Who’s this?”
“Mr. Leigh. He was traveling to Austin, but his horse came up lame—”
“So how come he’s taking off his clothes in your house?”
“He wasn’t taking off his clothes. He was treating his horse and it nipped his backside.” She held up the stained cloth as evidence. “I was just applying some tincture of iodine to his wound so he wouldn’t get an infection.”
“Good God, Loree, I’d think you’d have more sense than to let a stranger into your house after that man murdered your family.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Austin Leigh jerk his head around, his gaze boring into her.
“What do you know about this here fella?” Dewayne asked.
“I know all I need to know.”
“You know what a man can do once his britches is undone?”
“That’s enough, Dewayne!” she yelled. She hurried to the sink, threw the cloth into it, and began frantically pumping water and washing her hands. Tears stung her eyes, and she felt the heavy silence permeating the room. She heard the hesitant footsteps.
“I meant no harm, Loree, but I was Mark’s best friend. He’d want me watching out for his sister.”
She grabbed a towel, began to dry her hands, slowly turned, and forced herself to smile. “I know, Dewayne.”
As though her words reinforced his position, he turned to Austin. “What’s your business in Austin?”
“My business in Austin is my business,” Austin said, his eyes hard, his mouth a firm line. “But I’m no threat to Miss Grant. As soon as my horse is healed, I’ll be on my way.”
Dewayne snorted. “I’m supposed to believe that just ‘cuz you say so.”
“I’ve lied once in my life and it nearly cost my brother his life. I’d need a damn good reason before I’d lie again.” He tilted his head toward Loree. “I appreciate your gentle ministrations, Miss Grant. I’ll finish tending to my horse now.”
She watched him walk through the door, his back stiff, and she somehow knew that Dewayne’s distrust had wounded Austin more than his horse or some man in a saloon had.
“I don’t like him being here,” Dewayne said, the inflection in his voice reminding her of a petulant three year old. “What if he finds out what we did?”
“How’s he gonna find out?”
Dewayne pushed out his bottom lip. “You might tell him.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You trust him enough to drop his britches, you might trust him with our
Gingerly she touched his britches, the tip of her finger skimming over him. He jumped as though she’d pressed a red-hot brand to his flesh.
“I’m sorry. I just … I just need to lower these a little more.” She brought them down as far as she dared, grateful the horse had nipped him high on the cheek.
She pressed the iodine to the wound, heard his sharp intake of breath, and saw his fingers tighten around his shirt. “I’m so sorry.”
“Trust me. The more it stings, the better.”
She heard the strain in his voice and worked as fast as she could, pressing the cloth to the wound—
“Good God Almighty! What are you doing, Loree?”
Loree spun around at the unexpected voice, lost her balance, and toppled into Austin as he was turning, struggling to pull up his britches. He reached out to steady her, swore harshly, and released her to grab his britches before they slipped any lower.
Loree would have laughed if it weren’t for the young man standing in her doorway, glaring at her. Her heart was pounding so hard that it sounded like a herd of horses stampeding between her ears. “Dewayne, what are you doing here?”
Dewayne Thomas removed his hat, his blond hair glinting in the sunlight, his brown eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Austin. “Come to check on you after last night’s storm. Heard there were tornadoes about. Wanted to make sure you were all right.” He jutted out his chin. “Who’s this?”
“Mr. Leigh. He was traveling to Austin, but his horse came up lame—”
“So how come he’s taking off his clothes in your house?”
“He wasn’t taking off his clothes. He was treating his horse and it nipped his backside.” She held up the stained cloth as evidence. “I was just applying some tincture of iodine to his wound so he wouldn’t get an infection.”
“Good God, Loree, I’d think you’d have more sense than to let a stranger into your house after that man murdered your family.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Austin Leigh jerk his head around, his gaze boring into her.
“What do you know about this here fella?” Dewayne asked.
“I know all I need to know.”
“You know what a man can do once his britches is undone?”
“That’s enough, Dewayne!” she yelled. She hurried to the sink, threw the cloth into it, and began frantically pumping water and washing her hands. Tears stung her eyes, and she felt the heavy silence permeating the room. She heard the hesitant footsteps.
“I meant no harm, Loree, but I was Mark’s best friend. He’d want me watching out for his sister.”
She grabbed a towel, began to dry her hands, slowly turned, and forced herself to smile. “I know, Dewayne.”
As though her words reinforced his position, he turned to Austin. “What’s your business in Austin?”
“My business in Austin is my business,” Austin said, his eyes hard, his mouth a firm line. “But I’m no threat to Miss Grant. As soon as my horse is healed, I’ll be on my way.”
Dewayne snorted. “I’m supposed to believe that just ‘cuz you say so.”
“I’ve lied once in my life and it nearly cost my brother his life. I’d need a damn good reason before I’d lie again.” He tilted his head toward Loree. “I appreciate your gentle ministrations, Miss Grant. I’ll finish tending to my horse now.”
She watched him walk through the door, his back stiff, and she somehow knew that Dewayne’s distrust had wounded Austin more than his horse or some man in a saloon had.
“I don’t like him being here,” Dewayne said, the inflection in his voice reminding her of a petulant three year old. “What if he finds out what we did?”
“How’s he gonna find out?”
Dewayne pushed out his bottom lip. “You might tell him.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You trust him enough to drop his britches, you might trust him with our