made her feel secure. That had completely surprised her.
She watched him work at cooking the food, turning it until it was golden and brown. She accepted one of the sticks of meat and looked up questioningly.
“I promise, it won’t be as bad as you think. Eat it with this,” he said and handed her a biscuit. “I brought quite a few of these with me.”
Pamela did as he instructed her and found that the taste was bearable. Her hunger appeased, she got up to stretch and walk out the soreness in her back and legs.
Jim was putting things away and dousing the fire when she returned. For a moment, Pamela found herself thinking of his apology and the sincere way his eyes had met hers. He wasn’t the ruthless outlaw she’d originally considered him. No, he was just a misguided soul, pining for a love that could not be. Just like she was. The thought shocked Pamela, and her head snapped up to find Jim’s warm brown eyes watching her.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes, I suppose,” she said with a glance at the horse. “Although I’m not thinking overly kind thoughts of the ride ahead.”
“Better than walking all the way,” Jim mused, and Pamela heartily agreed.
The horse picked his way down the muddy, rock-strewn path. This trail was not as well developed as the one they’d used before, but the rain-swollen creeks prevented them from crossing to the better one so they had to make do with what lay before them.
Pamela found the aching in her back more than she could bear and final ly gave in and leaned against Jim. He didn’t seem to mind, and she tried to forget the impropriety of the entire matter, reminding herself that the last two days had been filled with improprieties.
“We’ll stop and water the horse,” Jim said, sliding over the animal’s rump. “We’re making good time in spite of the rain and flooding. We’ll probably be back to Dawson before dark.”
“It can’t be soon enough,” Pamela remarked, letting Jim lift her from the horse’s back.
When he set her down, she remained fixed for a moment, looking up into his eyes. Then the screech of a jaybird broke her thoughts, and she moved away to let him work with the horse.
Jim led the animal to the rapidly moving stream and allowed him to drink his fill. With a nervous snort, the gelding lifted his head and flattened his ears. Something was setting the horse on edge.
Jim glanced around, wondering if a bear or mountain lion was nearby. He lifted his eyes to the rocky ledges overhead but, seeing nothing, tried to pull the horse back with him to where Pamela waited.
The gelding whinnied and pulled away, rearing slightly and pounding the damp earth with its powerful hooves.
“What’s wrong?” Pamela questioned, then her eyes grew wide, and Jim saw her mouth open as if to say something more.
A sharp blow landed on the back of his head, and Jim instantly lost consciousness, slumping to the dirt. The horse reared, slamming its hooves down inches from Jim’s face before charging away from the scene.
Pamela stared at the three men who faced her. They were leering and ugly and frightfully filthy. She backed away a step or two, not wanting to leave Jim to their mercy, yet knowing that if they caught up with her, her own fate could be worse than death.
She turned to run and managed to get several yards away before the youngest of the three caught up with her and threw her roughly over his shoulder.
“See if that fool has anything of value on him,” the man yelled. “I’m taking her with us. Ma will know what to do with her.”
“I know what to do with her, Joe,” one of the others called back. This drew laughter from all three and left Pamela with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach.
The stench of the man rose up to assault her nose. Though she was more than a little dirty herself, this man smelled of death and rot. She struggled against his hold, but he only tightened his grip and laughed.
“You might as well cooperate,
She watched him work at cooking the food, turning it until it was golden and brown. She accepted one of the sticks of meat and looked up questioningly.
“I promise, it won’t be as bad as you think. Eat it with this,” he said and handed her a biscuit. “I brought quite a few of these with me.”
Pamela did as he instructed her and found that the taste was bearable. Her hunger appeased, she got up to stretch and walk out the soreness in her back and legs.
Jim was putting things away and dousing the fire when she returned. For a moment, Pamela found herself thinking of his apology and the sincere way his eyes had met hers. He wasn’t the ruthless outlaw she’d originally considered him. No, he was just a misguided soul, pining for a love that could not be. Just like she was. The thought shocked Pamela, and her head snapped up to find Jim’s warm brown eyes watching her.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes, I suppose,” she said with a glance at the horse. “Although I’m not thinking overly kind thoughts of the ride ahead.”
“Better than walking all the way,” Jim mused, and Pamela heartily agreed.
The horse picked his way down the muddy, rock-strewn path. This trail was not as well developed as the one they’d used before, but the rain-swollen creeks prevented them from crossing to the better one so they had to make do with what lay before them.
Pamela found the aching in her back more than she could bear and final ly gave in and leaned against Jim. He didn’t seem to mind, and she tried to forget the impropriety of the entire matter, reminding herself that the last two days had been filled with improprieties.
“We’ll stop and water the horse,” Jim said, sliding over the animal’s rump. “We’re making good time in spite of the rain and flooding. We’ll probably be back to Dawson before dark.”
“It can’t be soon enough,” Pamela remarked, letting Jim lift her from the horse’s back.
When he set her down, she remained fixed for a moment, looking up into his eyes. Then the screech of a jaybird broke her thoughts, and she moved away to let him work with the horse.
Jim led the animal to the rapidly moving stream and allowed him to drink his fill. With a nervous snort, the gelding lifted his head and flattened his ears. Something was setting the horse on edge.
Jim glanced around, wondering if a bear or mountain lion was nearby. He lifted his eyes to the rocky ledges overhead but, seeing nothing, tried to pull the horse back with him to where Pamela waited.
The gelding whinnied and pulled away, rearing slightly and pounding the damp earth with its powerful hooves.
“What’s wrong?” Pamela questioned, then her eyes grew wide, and Jim saw her mouth open as if to say something more.
A sharp blow landed on the back of his head, and Jim instantly lost consciousness, slumping to the dirt. The horse reared, slamming its hooves down inches from Jim’s face before charging away from the scene.
Pamela stared at the three men who faced her. They were leering and ugly and frightfully filthy. She backed away a step or two, not wanting to leave Jim to their mercy, yet knowing that if they caught up with her, her own fate could be worse than death.
She turned to run and managed to get several yards away before the youngest of the three caught up with her and threw her roughly over his shoulder.
“See if that fool has anything of value on him,” the man yelled. “I’m taking her with us. Ma will know what to do with her.”
“I know what to do with her, Joe,” one of the others called back. This drew laughter from all three and left Pamela with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach.
The stench of the man rose up to assault her nose. Though she was more than a little dirty herself, this man smelled of death and rot. She struggled against his hold, but he only tightened his grip and laughed.
“You might as well cooperate,
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