but he didn’t fear the man. He could take a punch or two if necessary. No one was going to force him into marriage.
Kathleen bit her lip. Did she really just kiss Mike? Heat fanned the back of her neck. And did she really pull him back for another? Maybe the full moon had turned her into a loon. A nervous laugh gurgled up her throat and tumbled out her lips. She cast a wary glance around. Did anyone see?
She rolled her eyes. That was a stupid question. She stood directly under a burning street lamp. Of course people saw. She hustled inside, grabbed the key offered, and without signing in ran up the steps to her room.
A short time later, she jerked out of bed, her heart stampeding like a herd of cattle as her door was kicked open and in strode that same blasted man who had tried to assault her in Dodge.
“Where is it?”
“What?” She crawled to the opposite side of the bed as he staggered closer. A strong scent of cheap whiskey permeated the room.
“You give it to him?”
“Get out.”
He laughed and tumbled onto the bed. She shot from the bed and down the stairs at a gallop then dashed up to the counter. She yanked the register around and ran a shaking finger down the list of guests, praying Mike had checked in.
He had. Or at least she thought he had. A Mike was in Room Fourteen. Mike had a gun. She wanted to borrow it. And if the man tried to break into Mike’s room, he’d be met with a fist or a gun.
Kathleen peered up the dark stairwell. With the drunk nowhere in sight, she tiptoed up and cringed when she found a loose squeaky board. The sound echoed like thunder in her ears. She drew in a deep breath and continued.
When a tousle-headed Mike yanked the door open, words momentarily froze on her lips. She gazed at more flesh than she’d seen on a man since she and her brothers had swam together. She shook herself.
Mike simply crossed his arms and arched his brows. “Well?” Sarcasm mingled with amusement mingled with query in that one word.
“Well, what?”
“I suppose you came calling for some reason.” The emphasis on ‘some’ sent a wave of heat up her cheeks and those stupid tingles peppered her flesh.
She glared up at him. “It’s not what you’re obviously thinking.” She shoved past him as her brain recovered from the sight of a nearly naked Mike.
“Give me your gun.”
“Now hang on.” He rushed over, snatched his gun, and held it behind his back.
“You knocked on my door. Can’t blame me for speculating on why you show up in your nightgown in the middle of the night.”
“There’s a drunk in my room. Demanding to know here ‘it’ was and if I ‘gave it to him.’”
“What room are you in?” His barked question made her jump.
“Nine.”
Mike dashed out and Kathleen sank down on the edge of the bed. She began to shake. First Dodge, now Trinidad. Why was this man following her? And who was the ‘he’ he looked for? She knew no one out here.
A cold clammy sweat slicked her body and she curled her knees to her chest, locking them in place with her arms. She jerked her head up at the soft pad of bare feet on the wooden floor. Mike, mostly naked Mike, strode in.
“There’s no one in your room.” He yanked on his trousers and crouched in front of her.
“You all right?”
“Not really. It was the same man that accosted me back in Dodge.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Mike muttered something unintelligible. Probably a curse. Whatever it was, she agreed.
“Any idea what he wanted?”
“I told you, he was looking for someone.”
“But not you?”
“He thought I would know where this person was.”
Mike punched his thigh. “I’ll swap rooms with you again.”
“Only if you leave me your gun.”
“Do you even know how to use it?”
Kathleen unfolded her legs and frowned. “Yes, I know how to use it.”
“Look, whoever this man is hasn’t harmed you yet. He must have seen us together earlier and assumed . . .” Mike glanced away. “Well, he
Kathleen bit her lip. Did she really just kiss Mike? Heat fanned the back of her neck. And did she really pull him back for another? Maybe the full moon had turned her into a loon. A nervous laugh gurgled up her throat and tumbled out her lips. She cast a wary glance around. Did anyone see?
She rolled her eyes. That was a stupid question. She stood directly under a burning street lamp. Of course people saw. She hustled inside, grabbed the key offered, and without signing in ran up the steps to her room.
A short time later, she jerked out of bed, her heart stampeding like a herd of cattle as her door was kicked open and in strode that same blasted man who had tried to assault her in Dodge.
“Where is it?”
“What?” She crawled to the opposite side of the bed as he staggered closer. A strong scent of cheap whiskey permeated the room.
“You give it to him?”
“Get out.”
He laughed and tumbled onto the bed. She shot from the bed and down the stairs at a gallop then dashed up to the counter. She yanked the register around and ran a shaking finger down the list of guests, praying Mike had checked in.
He had. Or at least she thought he had. A Mike was in Room Fourteen. Mike had a gun. She wanted to borrow it. And if the man tried to break into Mike’s room, he’d be met with a fist or a gun.
Kathleen peered up the dark stairwell. With the drunk nowhere in sight, she tiptoed up and cringed when she found a loose squeaky board. The sound echoed like thunder in her ears. She drew in a deep breath and continued.
When a tousle-headed Mike yanked the door open, words momentarily froze on her lips. She gazed at more flesh than she’d seen on a man since she and her brothers had swam together. She shook herself.
Mike simply crossed his arms and arched his brows. “Well?” Sarcasm mingled with amusement mingled with query in that one word.
“Well, what?”
“I suppose you came calling for some reason.” The emphasis on ‘some’ sent a wave of heat up her cheeks and those stupid tingles peppered her flesh.
She glared up at him. “It’s not what you’re obviously thinking.” She shoved past him as her brain recovered from the sight of a nearly naked Mike.
“Give me your gun.”
“Now hang on.” He rushed over, snatched his gun, and held it behind his back.
“You knocked on my door. Can’t blame me for speculating on why you show up in your nightgown in the middle of the night.”
“There’s a drunk in my room. Demanding to know here ‘it’ was and if I ‘gave it to him.’”
“What room are you in?” His barked question made her jump.
“Nine.”
Mike dashed out and Kathleen sank down on the edge of the bed. She began to shake. First Dodge, now Trinidad. Why was this man following her? And who was the ‘he’ he looked for? She knew no one out here.
A cold clammy sweat slicked her body and she curled her knees to her chest, locking them in place with her arms. She jerked her head up at the soft pad of bare feet on the wooden floor. Mike, mostly naked Mike, strode in.
“There’s no one in your room.” He yanked on his trousers and crouched in front of her.
“You all right?”
“Not really. It was the same man that accosted me back in Dodge.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Mike muttered something unintelligible. Probably a curse. Whatever it was, she agreed.
“Any idea what he wanted?”
“I told you, he was looking for someone.”
“But not you?”
“He thought I would know where this person was.”
Mike punched his thigh. “I’ll swap rooms with you again.”
“Only if you leave me your gun.”
“Do you even know how to use it?”
Kathleen unfolded her legs and frowned. “Yes, I know how to use it.”
“Look, whoever this man is hasn’t harmed you yet. He must have seen us together earlier and assumed . . .” Mike glanced away. “Well, he
Similar Books
