is gone,” Sam replied cautiously. “He left shortly after you did.”
“You’ve been alone all this time? Damn that man! When he returns I’ll—”
“He’s not coming back.”
“I don’t believe that,” scoffed Colt. “The man is devoted to you. Why would he leave?”
Abruptly Sam changed the subject. “How long do I have before you take me to jail?”
Taken aback by her bluntness, Colt said slowly, “I haven’t decided. Though you might be interested to know I turned in the gold you stole. Mr. Logan should have it tomorrow.”
“So it was you,” Sam accused bitterly. “How did you know where it was?”
“It doesn’t matter. Reckon by now you know I found out Will is your young brother. I found out where he hid the gold, and since I’m a lawman and the robbery occurred under my nose, so to speak, I felt it my duty to retrieve it and turn it over to the sheriff. He’ll see it gets to the bank.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Sam muttered disparagingly.
“Ah, yes, I see what you mean,” Colt readily concurred. “The man’s character leaves much to be desired. By the way, your brother may as well show himself, now that I know where he’s hidin’.”
One corner of Sam’s mouth quirked upward in a satisfied smirk. “Will has gone where you won’t find him. Someplace where you can’t hurt him.”
“What makes you think I’d harm a half-grown boy?” Colt countered.
“You shot a woman, why should a young boy stop you?”
“Christ! Must you keep throwin’ that in my face? You took a calculated risk and lost. Did you send Will away with Sanchez?” he asked astutely.
“I suppose there’s no harm in admitting it. By now they’re long gone.”
“You could have trusted me to do the right thing by the lad,” Colt defended. “Contrary to what you believe, I don’t harm children.”
“It’s too late,” Sam said wearily.
Noting the pinched look around her mouth and the paleness beneath the natural golden hue of her skin, Colt decided to drop the subject for the time being. What’s done was done. Besides, he had no time to go after the boy. It was up to God and Sanchez to keep him safe for Sam.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not since morning. I’m not very hungry.”
“I’ll fix us somethin’.”
Twenty minutes later Colt pulled up a table beside the bed and shared with Sam a makeshift meal of beans, bacon, biscuits, and canned peaches. He was pleased to note she ate ravenously, consuming nearly as much as he did. Afterwards, he cleaned up and prepared to change Sam’s bandage.
“I’ll help you remove your nightgown,” Colt said with a mischievous grin as he moved the lamp closer to the bed.
“My bandage doesn’t need changing,” Sam refuted, stirring uncomfortably beneath his probing tawny eyes. Why did he make her feel like this? she wondered distractedly. Those strange golden brown eyes of his made her experience things she knew nothing about. She hated him, of course. Because of him she and Will had lost the ranch. She wished she’d never heard of a Texas Ranger named Colt Andrews. She’d rather tangle with a rattlesnake.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Colt said, his fingertips playing with the drawstring at the neck of her voluminous white nightgown.
Sam assumed a stoic facade as she felt cool air fan her flesh. Carefully Colt raised her to a sitting position and lowered the gown to her waist. Lack of strength made Sam pliable to his wishes and she submitted ungraciously to his ministrations, noting on the fringe of awareness the gentleness of his touch. When his hands lingered overlong on the rise of soft flesh, Sam inhaled sharply, drawing a reaction from Colt she was unprepared to deal with.
“You have beautiful breasts,” he shocked her by saying. “About as perfect as I’ve ever seen.”
“Why, you lowdown skunk! How dare you,” Sam gasped, groping futilely for her nightgown. “It’s bad enough I have to submit to your clumsy doctoring, but I
“You’ve been alone all this time? Damn that man! When he returns I’ll—”
“He’s not coming back.”
“I don’t believe that,” scoffed Colt. “The man is devoted to you. Why would he leave?”
Abruptly Sam changed the subject. “How long do I have before you take me to jail?”
Taken aback by her bluntness, Colt said slowly, “I haven’t decided. Though you might be interested to know I turned in the gold you stole. Mr. Logan should have it tomorrow.”
“So it was you,” Sam accused bitterly. “How did you know where it was?”
“It doesn’t matter. Reckon by now you know I found out Will is your young brother. I found out where he hid the gold, and since I’m a lawman and the robbery occurred under my nose, so to speak, I felt it my duty to retrieve it and turn it over to the sheriff. He’ll see it gets to the bank.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Sam muttered disparagingly.
“Ah, yes, I see what you mean,” Colt readily concurred. “The man’s character leaves much to be desired. By the way, your brother may as well show himself, now that I know where he’s hidin’.”
One corner of Sam’s mouth quirked upward in a satisfied smirk. “Will has gone where you won’t find him. Someplace where you can’t hurt him.”
“What makes you think I’d harm a half-grown boy?” Colt countered.
“You shot a woman, why should a young boy stop you?”
“Christ! Must you keep throwin’ that in my face? You took a calculated risk and lost. Did you send Will away with Sanchez?” he asked astutely.
“I suppose there’s no harm in admitting it. By now they’re long gone.”
“You could have trusted me to do the right thing by the lad,” Colt defended. “Contrary to what you believe, I don’t harm children.”
“It’s too late,” Sam said wearily.
Noting the pinched look around her mouth and the paleness beneath the natural golden hue of her skin, Colt decided to drop the subject for the time being. What’s done was done. Besides, he had no time to go after the boy. It was up to God and Sanchez to keep him safe for Sam.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not since morning. I’m not very hungry.”
“I’ll fix us somethin’.”
Twenty minutes later Colt pulled up a table beside the bed and shared with Sam a makeshift meal of beans, bacon, biscuits, and canned peaches. He was pleased to note she ate ravenously, consuming nearly as much as he did. Afterwards, he cleaned up and prepared to change Sam’s bandage.
“I’ll help you remove your nightgown,” Colt said with a mischievous grin as he moved the lamp closer to the bed.
“My bandage doesn’t need changing,” Sam refuted, stirring uncomfortably beneath his probing tawny eyes. Why did he make her feel like this? she wondered distractedly. Those strange golden brown eyes of his made her experience things she knew nothing about. She hated him, of course. Because of him she and Will had lost the ranch. She wished she’d never heard of a Texas Ranger named Colt Andrews. She’d rather tangle with a rattlesnake.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Colt said, his fingertips playing with the drawstring at the neck of her voluminous white nightgown.
Sam assumed a stoic facade as she felt cool air fan her flesh. Carefully Colt raised her to a sitting position and lowered the gown to her waist. Lack of strength made Sam pliable to his wishes and she submitted ungraciously to his ministrations, noting on the fringe of awareness the gentleness of his touch. When his hands lingered overlong on the rise of soft flesh, Sam inhaled sharply, drawing a reaction from Colt she was unprepared to deal with.
“You have beautiful breasts,” he shocked her by saying. “About as perfect as I’ve ever seen.”
“Why, you lowdown skunk! How dare you,” Sam gasped, groping futilely for her nightgown. “It’s bad enough I have to submit to your clumsy doctoring, but I
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