Wagon Train Sisters (Women of the West) by Shirley Kennedy Page A

trees, birds were chirping their goodnight songs when Jack, leading Bandit, came up beside her. “Ben and I will be moving on tomorrow.”
    Oh, no . Somehow she’d thought he’d stay. Since this morning when he’d retrieved Florrie’s necklace from the Indian, he’d been on her mind. He’d done so much to help them, but that wasn’t the reason she kept thinking about him. During the day, she’d caught herself looking at him more than she should have. She liked the way he walked, so light-footed and confident, as if he was stalking an animal through the woods. She admired the way he rode his horse, his body all lean, hard muscle, moving with fluid grace in the saddle. Now she looked into his sharp, assessing eyes and politely inquired, “Are you leaving because of something my father said? I noticed you were talking.”
    “It doesn’t matter. It’s time to move on.”
    He wasn’t going to reveal his conversation with Pa. She could guess, though. “My father wants you to leave, doesn’t he?”
    A smile ruffled his mouth. “Your father thinks I’m a scoundrel.”
    “After all the help you’ve given us? Pa doesn’t understand. I’ll go speak to him.”
    “No, don’t. Your father has been an honorable man all his life, a real pillar of the community. I’m the one with the bad reputation, the card shark who cheats. It’s best I go. He’s not going to change his mind, no matter how many good deeds I do.”
    The question hammered at her. She had to know. “And are you a card shark who cheats, Mr. McCoy?”
    “Depends on how you look at it. Yes, there are times when I play cards. I gambled on the Mississippi for a while, but I’m not a professional gambler. And no, I don’t cheat and never have because I don’t need to. When I beat someone, it’s fair and square.”
    She believed him. “I still think I should talk to Pa.”
    “It’s his decision, and I won’t argue.” Still holding his horse’s lead rope, he drew closer. “You’ll do fine. I liked the way you stepped right up to that Indian today, bold as brass. You’d lost your fear. Do you realize that?”
    “I wasn’t thinking about being afraid. I just wanted my sister’s necklace back.”
    He started to laugh. Admiration filled his eyes. “You’re braver than you think, Widow Gregg.” He dropped the lead rope, drew closer still, and clasped her upper arms.
    What was he going to do? What did she want him to do? She looked him square in the eye. “I’ll miss you.”
    “And I’ll miss you.” He dropped a feather-light kiss on her forehead and pulled away.
    She didn’t want him to pull away. She wanted him closer. She said the first thing that popped into her head. “Was that a fatherly kiss?”
    As if her question had triggered some emotion deep inside him, he drew in a shaking breath. “No, it wasn’t.” Swiftly, his arms went around her. He pressed his palms against her back, pulling her close. His lips met hers in a hard, urgent kiss that set her pulse to pounding. The kiss went on and on. She didn’t care and didn’t want it to end. The feel of his whole body up against her caused a deep throb in the center of her being. His hands rested lightly on her back, then began to roam, first her hair—
    His horse whinnied—a loud, harsh sound so close to their ears they both jumped. They broke apart and started laughing. Jack retrieved the lead rope. “Looks like Bandit wants my attention.”
    Her racing pulse began to slow. There was nothing more to say. The truth was, she’d just kissed a man who was leaving in the morning, and she’d never see him again. “I’d best be getting back. Will you stay for breakfast?”
    “No. We’ll get off to any early start.”
    “Then good-bye, Mr. McCoy. May your journey be a safe one.”
    “Yours, too.” He touched the brim of his hat with two fingers and was gone.
    * * * *
    When Sarah came out of her tent in the morning, Jack and Ben were no longer there. She expected they’d be