Nights with the Outlaw by Lauri Robinson Page A

cot in the bunkhouse. This was the tenth morning she’d awoken without Clint gracing the ranch. It was as if she’d lost a major piece of her being. Her heart hung so heavy it hurt to breathe. She had no idea where he was, and had found no answers in town. Drake and his deputy had disappeared a few days ago. No one knew where they’d gone. The cliff dwellers had moved out, as well. Joe was no help, either, claiming he didn’t know why Dobbs had ridden out with Clint.
    The loss of two hired hands should have had her in a tizzy, but it didn’t. One thing had come out of Clint’s absence—an epiphany of sorts. For all her insistence his past didn’t matter, the moment it came to light, she’d balked. Truth was, his past wasn’t the problem. Her insecurity was. Losing someone dear to her was her true fear. And why she’d recoiled at the concept of Clint leaving. She turned away from the bed, gasping for air.
    â€œStop it,” she said aloud, swiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “Without Drake’s interferences, I don’t have nearly the problems I had before.” At the window she pulled aside the curtain. “Now that Tristan has taken an interest in the ranch, things will be easier than before.”
    â€œWho you trying to convince, girl? Besides yourself?”
    She spun to the open doorway. Jeb’s cane thumped against the floor as he stepped into the bunkhouse.
    â€œNo one.” She sighed. “I’m only trying to convince myself.” A chair was nearby so she sat. “And I’m not doing a very good job of it.” Most likely because giving up wasn’t in her system. That still held true. She wanted Clint. Here. Now. Forever. Outlaw or not.
    Jeb leaned against the wall. “Dobbs rode in a few minutes ago.”
    â€œHe did?” She jumped from the chair. “Is Clint with him?”
    â€œNo,” Jeb said. “But Dobbs said you’re to meet him by the pig’s tree.”
    The next instant, she was out the door and racing down the steps. It took forever to get Scout saddled, due to how her hands shook, and the miles separating her from the oak seemed longer than ever. Sweat coated Scout’s neck, and her heart pounded in her chest by the time the tree came into view.
    Clint was nowhere in sight. Neither was Runner.
    Doreena slid out of the saddle, and made her way to the tree, scanning all directions. She should have talked to Dobbs first. Maybe Clint had said she was to meet him there later today, or tomorrow, or—
    Something caught her eye. Stepping beneath the broad branches covered with thick leaves that cast a wide shadow, she felt a smile rise from her chest to splay across her face. A large heart had been whittled in the thick bark, along with CT Loves DB .
    Happiness bubbled in her chest.
    â€œKnow anyone with those initials?”
    Her gaze snapped up to the branches. “What are you doing up there?”
    â€œWaiting for you.” Clint, grinning from ear to ear, flipped around and hung from the branch by his arms before landing on the ground.
    For the first time in her life, she had no idea what to do. She wanted to leap into his arms, but wariness held her back.
    â€œSo—” he gestured toward the carving “—do you know anyone with those initials?”
    Her heart threatened to leap out of her body. “Yes, I do. Do you?”
    â€œI hope so, since I carved it.” His hands wrapped around her upper arms.
    The familiarity of his touch had her body wilting in pleasure. “You did a good job, too.”
    â€œThanks. It’s some of my best work,” he whispered.
    The desire to be held by him ate at her. She pressed both hands against her pounding heart. “So what do we do about it?”
    â€œWhat do you want to do about it?” He was freshly shaven and wearing new clothes. All in all, he’d never looked better. The scent of spicy soap