Whirlwind Groom by Debra Cowan Page B

waning, the green grass blurring as they moved. Davis Lee’s strong armcircled her waist and she leaned into him. He was hot. And hard.
    The pain jumbled the thoughts in her head. Memories of her parents’ lifeless bodies. Of the first time William had kissed her. Davis Lee’s eyes glittering with suspicion.
    With her cheek cradled against his broad chest, she felt safe. And torn. If she survived this, it would be because of him. She didn’t want to owe him. It would only complicate matters once she killed his prisoner.

Chapter Four
    H e talked to her all the way to Whirlwind about everything from shoeing horses to whittling. A couple of times he thought she lost consciousness, and by the time they reached town, she had.
    Dusk settled around them as he guided his buckskin up the main street and toward the Whirlwind Hotel. Davis Lee barely paid any mind to the attention he attracted from the few people who were still about. He saw Matt and Russ Baldwin coming out of Pete Carter’s saloon and hollered for both of them. The dark-haired brothers, easily the biggest men in Taylor County, hurried out to meet him.
    Matt, the youngest by a year, reached Davis Lee first. “What’s happened?”
    â€œOne of you go for Catherine and one of you come help me!”
    Russ, the quieter of the two, turned back and unhitched his bay mare then vaulted into the saddle.
    â€œTell her I need her for a snakebite.” Davis Lee thought he would never reach the other end of town, but he finally reined up in front of the hotel.
    Matt met him there, taking the reins of Josie’s horse andflipping them over the hitching post. His gaze skated over her and interest flared in his eyes. “Who is she?”
    â€œHer name’s Josie Webster.” Davis Lee shrugged off his annoyance at Matt’s fascination. The Baldwin brothers were well-known ladies’ men. “Here.”
    When Matt came forward, Davis Lee handed her down carefully then swiftly dismounted.
    â€œWhy haven’t I seen her before?” The other man stared at her. “She’s a beauty—”
    Scooping Josie out of Baldwin’s arms before Matt could even turn toward the hotel, Davis Lee took the steps at the end of the landing.
    Matt hurried behind him. “Why are you bringing her here?”
    â€œHer room is closer than Catherine’s house.”
    â€œShe sure is a little thing. Is it bad?”
    â€œI think so.”
    The other man opened one side of the double glass-front door. “I’ll take care of the horses.”
    â€œThanks.” Davis Lee glanced down, concern growing that Josie wasn’t waking. Beyond the staircase, three guests sat in the dining room. He stopped at the registration desk and hollered at the man behind it who was slumped and snoring in his chair. “Penn!”
    The old man came slowly awake, blinking.
    â€œGet Esther to meet me upstairs!”
    Confusion slowly cleared from the clerk’s lined features as his gaze went to the woman in Davis Lee’s arms. Penn’s eyes widened and he pushed himself out of his chair. “That’s Miss Josie!”
    â€œYes.” Davis Lee rounded the corner of the desk and started up the staircase.
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œSnakebite,” he said tightly.
    Penn shuffled toward the dining room. “Esther! Come quick!”
    Davis Lee reached the second-story landing, then Josie’s room. The door was locked. He stepped back to lean over the wooden stair railing. “Get me a key!”
    â€œComing, Sheriff.” It was Penn’s wife, Esther, who answered him.
    He heard frantic muttering, then saw her iron-gray hair as she breathlessly mounted the stairs. As round and soft as Penn was narrow and hard, Esther had a sweet disposition and good hearing, for which Davis Lee was thankful.
    He stood aside so the older woman could open Josie’s door. When she pushed it wide, he strode across the