aren't that dirty."
He made a noise that was part choke, part cough, part laugh, but when he got himself under control, he did not seem amused. "Why would a woman like you let a man like me kiss her?"
"Let? Let?" Her voice rose. "I didn't let; you just did."
"So why aren't you crying and shrieking?"
She stared down her nose at him, which was quite a trick, since he was tall enough to give her a crick in the neck, hovering over her as he was. "I haven't cried since 1862, and I never shriek."
"You did a mighty fine job of it when Rico grabbed you."
"That was a scream." Mary couldn't help it; she grinned. "I did an excellent job, didn't I?"
"What are you so proud of?"
"I wasn't sure if I'd be able to scream if I ever really needed to. Now I know."
He put his hand to his forehead and rubbed it as if an ache pulsed there. "Miss McKendrick, you need a keeper. Where are your parents?"
"I don't have any parents."
Reese dropped his hand. "Everyone has parents. Even me."
"I'm sure I had some. But either they, or someone else, dropped me on the doorstep of St. Peter's in Richmond. The sisters raised me."
His eyes opened wide. "You're a nun?"
"Of course not. I was merely raised by them."
"Well, why aren't you?"
"Why aren't I what?"
"A nun. You'd be safer in a convent. What is a woman like you doing way out here?"
"If you continue to say 'a woman like you' in that tone, I'll have to hurt you."
She ignored his derisive snort. Mary was beginning to learn that talking big worked quite well with rough, armed men—or at least with this one. She no longer felt so afraid, and that couldn't be bad.
Mary threw a glance over her shoulder. "Perhaps I should make sure everything is in order at the hotel. I'll heat a meal, then you can tell me what happened with El Diablo while you eat." She took a step forward. Reese grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
"I don't want you making pets of my men. They aren't as tame as me."
"Whatever gave you the idea you were tame?"
His lips tightened. "I mean it. When we do a job, we do the job; we get paid; we leave. We don't make nice with the populace. We aren't fit for decent company and haven't been for quite a while."
She removed her arm from his hand, still feeling the imprint of warm fingers along her skin despite the green material that separated her flesh from his. "You make it sound as if you've brought ravening wolves to Rock Creek."
He stared at her for a long moment, sorrow in his eyes. Then he reached out and gently pushed a stray curl from her cheek. She hadn't realized her hair still hung loose and wild.
"But I have," he murmured, and left her alone with the approaching night.
Chapter 5
When Reese walked into the Rock Creek Hotel, he discovered his men huddled around a single table in the kitchen, shoveling food into their mouths like the wolves he'd just characterized them as.
Perhaps he'd been a bit harsh. They weren't quite that rabid—or at least most of them weren't. Sometimes Reese wondered what trouble Cash got into when he wasn't around to keep the man from getting bored.
After filling a bowl from the pot on the stove, Reese joined the others.
"So what did Miss Teacher have to say?" Cash smirked. "Or weren't you talking?"
Reese kept eating. He didn't have to answer to anyone—one of the few joys of being the leader.
"El capitan and the woman were just talking."
"Since you had your damn nose pressed to the glass, I guess you'd know," Jed said.
Reese raised his gaze to Rico's. "Spying?" Rico shrugged. "I catch you tailing me, Kid, and I'll kick you into the next county."
Rico narrowed his eyes and caressed the knife at his waist. But what he said was "Yes, mi capitan."
Reese nodded; then, when the other men returned their attention to their meals, he winked at Rico. The Kid winked back, his face as solemn as a casket maker.
Rico might flirt and joke, but he was dangerous. He looked to Reese for guidance, and Reese hated that, but he also
He made a noise that was part choke, part cough, part laugh, but when he got himself under control, he did not seem amused. "Why would a woman like you let a man like me kiss her?"
"Let? Let?" Her voice rose. "I didn't let; you just did."
"So why aren't you crying and shrieking?"
She stared down her nose at him, which was quite a trick, since he was tall enough to give her a crick in the neck, hovering over her as he was. "I haven't cried since 1862, and I never shriek."
"You did a mighty fine job of it when Rico grabbed you."
"That was a scream." Mary couldn't help it; she grinned. "I did an excellent job, didn't I?"
"What are you so proud of?"
"I wasn't sure if I'd be able to scream if I ever really needed to. Now I know."
He put his hand to his forehead and rubbed it as if an ache pulsed there. "Miss McKendrick, you need a keeper. Where are your parents?"
"I don't have any parents."
Reese dropped his hand. "Everyone has parents. Even me."
"I'm sure I had some. But either they, or someone else, dropped me on the doorstep of St. Peter's in Richmond. The sisters raised me."
His eyes opened wide. "You're a nun?"
"Of course not. I was merely raised by them."
"Well, why aren't you?"
"Why aren't I what?"
"A nun. You'd be safer in a convent. What is a woman like you doing way out here?"
"If you continue to say 'a woman like you' in that tone, I'll have to hurt you."
She ignored his derisive snort. Mary was beginning to learn that talking big worked quite well with rough, armed men—or at least with this one. She no longer felt so afraid, and that couldn't be bad.
Mary threw a glance over her shoulder. "Perhaps I should make sure everything is in order at the hotel. I'll heat a meal, then you can tell me what happened with El Diablo while you eat." She took a step forward. Reese grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
"I don't want you making pets of my men. They aren't as tame as me."
"Whatever gave you the idea you were tame?"
His lips tightened. "I mean it. When we do a job, we do the job; we get paid; we leave. We don't make nice with the populace. We aren't fit for decent company and haven't been for quite a while."
She removed her arm from his hand, still feeling the imprint of warm fingers along her skin despite the green material that separated her flesh from his. "You make it sound as if you've brought ravening wolves to Rock Creek."
He stared at her for a long moment, sorrow in his eyes. Then he reached out and gently pushed a stray curl from her cheek. She hadn't realized her hair still hung loose and wild.
"But I have," he murmured, and left her alone with the approaching night.
Chapter 5
When Reese walked into the Rock Creek Hotel, he discovered his men huddled around a single table in the kitchen, shoveling food into their mouths like the wolves he'd just characterized them as.
Perhaps he'd been a bit harsh. They weren't quite that rabid—or at least most of them weren't. Sometimes Reese wondered what trouble Cash got into when he wasn't around to keep the man from getting bored.
After filling a bowl from the pot on the stove, Reese joined the others.
"So what did Miss Teacher have to say?" Cash smirked. "Or weren't you talking?"
Reese kept eating. He didn't have to answer to anyone—one of the few joys of being the leader.
"El capitan and the woman were just talking."
"Since you had your damn nose pressed to the glass, I guess you'd know," Jed said.
Reese raised his gaze to Rico's. "Spying?" Rico shrugged. "I catch you tailing me, Kid, and I'll kick you into the next county."
Rico narrowed his eyes and caressed the knife at his waist. But what he said was "Yes, mi capitan."
Reese nodded; then, when the other men returned their attention to their meals, he winked at Rico. The Kid winked back, his face as solemn as a casket maker.
Rico might flirt and joke, but he was dangerous. He looked to Reese for guidance, and Reese hated that, but he also
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