lemonade, but now wasn’t the time to quibble. He watched, amused, as she struggled to maintain her finishing school demeanor.
“ I have no idea what those ladies do.” But he knew this lady looked awfully good wearing tapioca on those delicious breasts. He took another bite of chicken. It tasted like tapioca. He found it odd that she was so careful to stay on the blanket. She’d never even stepped off it when he’d scared the daylights out of her.
“ That’s difficult to believe.” She swiped at the pudding on her dress with a napkin.
Reese knew she wouldn’t make much progress considering the size of the cloth and the quart of tapioca.
“ A gentlemen would turn his back, Mr. McAdams!”
Nope, she hadn’t calmed down at all. “I think that since you’ve seen me butt naked, you’re entitled to call me ‘Reese.’”
“ Certainly, Mr. McAdams. And you may call me Miss Sharpe.”
So much for his offer of friendship. He guessed a woman like her wouldn’t think much of a man who owned a brothel. “How’d you get here?”
Lucinda sighed. “Sadie wanted me to go on a picnic with her. The horses bolted while she was unloading the wagon. She never came back.” She chewed her lower lip. “Oh, my. I was furious with her for abandoning me, but she could be hurt. I was so concerned for myself, I didn’t even think about that.”
“ I saw her driving the wagon to Dickshooter. She looked fine to me.” But wondered why she’d abandoned Lucinda. Nothing about this situation made any sense at all. He picked up some dishes and deposited them in the hamper. “I have some spare long-handles you can use while you wash your dress,” he offered.
Lucinda shot him a look that could have scorched the sun. “I think not.” She picked up the empty tapioca bowl and held it out to him. “Would . . . would you get me a bowl of water?”
“ Why?”
She flushed and lowered her eyes. “So I can wash my dress, obviously.”
“ Wouldn’t it be easier just to go down the creek?”
Lucinda pursed her lips and stared at the blanket. “Sadie said that there are . . . s-snakes here.”
Reese barely controlled the burst of laughter balled up inside him. Snakes? She was scared of snakes! No wonder she hadn’t moved off the blanket since he’d been there—as if snakes couldn’t crawl on her blanket as easily as they could slither anywhere else.
Few snakes, most of them harmless, inhabited this area, but she looked truly frightened. Might as well play the hero. “If you see one, scream.” He patted his Colt. “I’ll be right there to plug it.”
He studied her brown feathery lashes as she bowed her head. He could almost see her thought processes at work. Should she leave the safety of the blanket, or not? He almost felt guilty about not being truthful. Almost. And when she looked at him with those emerald green eyes close to spilling over with tears, he nearly came undone.
“ I’ll get your water for you,” he relented, with not a small amount of contrition.
She squared her shoulders. “That won’t be necessary,” she scoffed as she grabbed a towel, whirled, and stomped off to the creek.
Reese spent the next ten minutes vacillating between amusement and amazement at the haughty woman kneeling by the creek. She had soaked herself to the bone while dabbing stream water on her bosom in a vain attempt to cleanse her dress. He couldn’t remember ever meeting a more stubborn female. Or a prettier one.
Dusk threatened darkness, and with it, cold Owyhee night air. Reese unpacked his saddlebags and started a campfire, then spread his bedroll on a nice, level piece of grass. He pulled out a spare pair of long-handles for Lucinda to wear—not that he expected her to be any too enthusiastic about undressing. Nor did he expect himself to consider a woman in long-handles sexy, but Lucinda, though she tried not to be, was the sexiest woman he’d ever met.
She’d be getting mighty cold any time now, and when she
“ I have no idea what those ladies do.” But he knew this lady looked awfully good wearing tapioca on those delicious breasts. He took another bite of chicken. It tasted like tapioca. He found it odd that she was so careful to stay on the blanket. She’d never even stepped off it when he’d scared the daylights out of her.
“ That’s difficult to believe.” She swiped at the pudding on her dress with a napkin.
Reese knew she wouldn’t make much progress considering the size of the cloth and the quart of tapioca.
“ A gentlemen would turn his back, Mr. McAdams!”
Nope, she hadn’t calmed down at all. “I think that since you’ve seen me butt naked, you’re entitled to call me ‘Reese.’”
“ Certainly, Mr. McAdams. And you may call me Miss Sharpe.”
So much for his offer of friendship. He guessed a woman like her wouldn’t think much of a man who owned a brothel. “How’d you get here?”
Lucinda sighed. “Sadie wanted me to go on a picnic with her. The horses bolted while she was unloading the wagon. She never came back.” She chewed her lower lip. “Oh, my. I was furious with her for abandoning me, but she could be hurt. I was so concerned for myself, I didn’t even think about that.”
“ I saw her driving the wagon to Dickshooter. She looked fine to me.” But wondered why she’d abandoned Lucinda. Nothing about this situation made any sense at all. He picked up some dishes and deposited them in the hamper. “I have some spare long-handles you can use while you wash your dress,” he offered.
Lucinda shot him a look that could have scorched the sun. “I think not.” She picked up the empty tapioca bowl and held it out to him. “Would . . . would you get me a bowl of water?”
“ Why?”
She flushed and lowered her eyes. “So I can wash my dress, obviously.”
“ Wouldn’t it be easier just to go down the creek?”
Lucinda pursed her lips and stared at the blanket. “Sadie said that there are . . . s-snakes here.”
Reese barely controlled the burst of laughter balled up inside him. Snakes? She was scared of snakes! No wonder she hadn’t moved off the blanket since he’d been there—as if snakes couldn’t crawl on her blanket as easily as they could slither anywhere else.
Few snakes, most of them harmless, inhabited this area, but she looked truly frightened. Might as well play the hero. “If you see one, scream.” He patted his Colt. “I’ll be right there to plug it.”
He studied her brown feathery lashes as she bowed her head. He could almost see her thought processes at work. Should she leave the safety of the blanket, or not? He almost felt guilty about not being truthful. Almost. And when she looked at him with those emerald green eyes close to spilling over with tears, he nearly came undone.
“ I’ll get your water for you,” he relented, with not a small amount of contrition.
She squared her shoulders. “That won’t be necessary,” she scoffed as she grabbed a towel, whirled, and stomped off to the creek.
Reese spent the next ten minutes vacillating between amusement and amazement at the haughty woman kneeling by the creek. She had soaked herself to the bone while dabbing stream water on her bosom in a vain attempt to cleanse her dress. He couldn’t remember ever meeting a more stubborn female. Or a prettier one.
Dusk threatened darkness, and with it, cold Owyhee night air. Reese unpacked his saddlebags and started a campfire, then spread his bedroll on a nice, level piece of grass. He pulled out a spare pair of long-handles for Lucinda to wear—not that he expected her to be any too enthusiastic about undressing. Nor did he expect himself to consider a woman in long-handles sexy, but Lucinda, though she tried not to be, was the sexiest woman he’d ever met.
She’d be getting mighty cold any time now, and when she
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