Travis by Georgina Gentry Page B

Appaloosa.
    Violet said, “I’ll go with you.”
    “There’s no need.” He scowled, looking down at her.
    “But you might not come back,” she protested.
    “I am a Texan and I have given my word to try to get you to Guthrie,” he snapped.
    “Maybe I can make a better trade,” Violet said and held up her hand.
    He hesitated and then he took it. He had big strong hands, she thought as he lifted her up lightly behind his saddle. She leaned her face against his broad back and put her arms around his waist. He felt so big and strong and she had a feeling he could take care of a woman. If he would marry her, they could raise these four kids and have one big happy family. But that wasn’t today’s problem. “Let’s go.”
    He started off riding down the line, feeling her warmth against his back and her small arms around his waist. It unnerved him because it had been awhile since he’d had a woman and this young girl’s soft warmth could be felt through his shirt. He reminded himself again that Violet was just a kid, although a pretty one. He didn’t like the thought of what might happen to a pretty young innocent like this one if he abandoned her. Now why was that his business?
    Well, it wasn’t, he assured himself, except as a Texan and a gentleman, he felt honor-bound to protect women and children. Certainly this innocent girl, in spite of her mouthy ways, needed protecting against lustful men.
    He rode down the line and came to a small covered wagon.
    Violet tapped his arm. “That’ll do, stop here.”
    He craned his neck and looked back over his shoulder into those big eyes. “Don’t you think I oughta decide that?”
    “I was just saying.” She blinked those long eyelashes demurely. “But you’re the grown-up.”
    “Damned right.” He dismounted and without thinking, held up his hands to her.
    She slid off and he winced. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I forgot about your wrist.”
    “I know I’m going to regret this, I knew it last night,” he whispered between gritted teeth.
    A man came out of the covered wagon. Violet stepped forward and gave him her most winning smile. “Oh, mister, you look like the kind of man who’s going to win the run tomorrow.”
    He smiled at her and ran his hand through his graying hair. “Well, honey, I’d like to think so.”
    Travis stepped up and yanked her back beside him. “Doesn’t look like you’ve got much of a rig to run with.”
    The man still had his eyes on Violet. “Maybe not, but it’s the best I could do.”
    Travis looked at the ox grazing nearby. “That what you got to pull that wagon? Why, you won’t get there ’til next week.”
    Violet smiled at the man again. “You look like the kind of man who ought to be riding a spirited stallion.”
    “You think so, honey?” He grinned again at Violet and Travis cleared his throat.
    “Now forget about the young lady, mister—?”
    “Brown. Clyde Brown.” He shook hands with Travis, but his gaze was still on Violet.
    “May I call you Clyde?” Violet smiled at him and patted his shoulder.
    “You sure can, young lady.”
    “What she means to say—” Travis began.
    “What I meant to say,” Violet said, “was it seems like a shame a tough hombre like you has to go in an oxcart when you really belong on a stallion.”
    “Now you spoke a true fact.” The man licked his lips and leered at Violet.
    Travis put his big arm around Violet’s slim shoulders. “What my little sister means to say, Mr. Brown, is that we just happen to have an extra horse. ’Course it’s a fancy Appaloosa with a lot of silver on its saddle, so I reckon that wouldn’t interest you.”
    Violet wiggled out from under Travis’s arm. “Oh, I’ll wager a fine man like Clyde could handle a spirited stallion, couldn’t you, Mr. Brown?”
    Clyde reddened with pleasure. “Oh, miss, I can’t afford a fancy horse like that one.”
    “But—” Travis began, but Violet cut him off.
    “Now, Clyde, you just mount up there and