should head to Wichita and hook up with a wagon train there. One that hasn’t come this far north, and didn’t hear about the ruckus. Don’t ride off by yourself. Try to act like you belong with one of them.” Luke’s eyes ran over her odd dress, her owl, her bag bulging with books and notes. Amanda would draw attention no matter where she went.
She stared up at him, and he could almost hear her mind ticking. “Luke, I want to make you an offer. A proposition, to be more exact.”
“A proposition.” He couldn’t help but smile. With any other woman, he would think she had more in mind than business. With Amanda, he knew better.
“I’ve been given a ranch, three hundred acres in all, in the richest part of cattle country. The land itself is worth a good deal, but the business opportunities are endless. I need your help.”
“What kind of help?” Luke wasn’t about to make it any easier for her.
Amanda blushed, hating to ask him for anything. Forcing aside her emotions, she continued, with a voice that was like ice. “I have no experience with a gun, as you know. I don’t have the physical capability to fight these outlaws until I can discover why they want to kill me. I need someone who is good with a gun. Unafraid of outlaws. Someone without scruples, or morals, who can be bought for a price…”
“And you think I fit the bill.”
“Yes.” Amanda nodded. She’d gotten it out—the worst had to be over.
“How much?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“How much money are you willing to pay?”
“Twenty dollars.”
Luke’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Twenty dollars? To take on the Haskwells? Are you out of your mind?”
“Fifty?” Amanda interrupted. “Seventy?”
“A hundred,” Luke said decisively. “If you want to hire me as a gun, you’ll have to pay the going rate. Haskwell’s worth three hundred. I assume you don’t have a lot of loose cash. What else have you got?”
Frantic, Amanda’s mind spun. “Only the ranch…”
“I’ll take half.” Before Amanda could do more than gasp, he continued ruthlessly. “That’s it or nothing, lady. I’m taking you to Texas, down that goddamned cattle trail, through Indian country, with one of the worst western outlaws wanting a piece of your hide and you don’t even know why. One hundred and half the ranch is my price, and that is provided you agree to the rest of my terms.”
“Such as?” Amanda choked in anger. She had to have his help—he knew it, and was taking full advantage.
“I am the boss on this trip. You do as I say, no matter how many goddamned books you’ve read. I’m not going to argue over every decision. You got it?”
Amanda’s mouth went dry. “But what if I know better?”
“I mean it. The first time you disobey me, I’m leaving. There’s too much at stake here. And once we get to Texas, you go your way and I’ll go mine, even though we share the same property. I want no strings.” He tilted her face towards himself, looking behind her glasses to see if she really did understand his meaning. “And I think after last night, we’ll both agree that it’s best to keep our relationship strictly business.”
Mortified, Amanda couldn’t stop the hot rush of color that stained her cheeks a bright red. He was making sure that she didn’t misconstrue his help, that he wanted nothing more than the terms he was offering. Embarrassed beyond words, Amanda wanted to hit him, to hurt him as much as he’d just hurt her. Instead, she gave him an icy nod.
“Certainly. ‘Friendship is constant in all other things, Save in the office and affairs of love.’ Shakespeare.” She almost grinned in satisfaction as he snarled, then he stalked off toward the wagon train to make their arrangements.
She won, and he had agreed. But she wondered why she felt so much like crying.
“Blasted spinster!” Damien spat a wad of tobacco onto the ground and reined up his horse. Dust kicked up from the churning hooves on the
She stared up at him, and he could almost hear her mind ticking. “Luke, I want to make you an offer. A proposition, to be more exact.”
“A proposition.” He couldn’t help but smile. With any other woman, he would think she had more in mind than business. With Amanda, he knew better.
“I’ve been given a ranch, three hundred acres in all, in the richest part of cattle country. The land itself is worth a good deal, but the business opportunities are endless. I need your help.”
“What kind of help?” Luke wasn’t about to make it any easier for her.
Amanda blushed, hating to ask him for anything. Forcing aside her emotions, she continued, with a voice that was like ice. “I have no experience with a gun, as you know. I don’t have the physical capability to fight these outlaws until I can discover why they want to kill me. I need someone who is good with a gun. Unafraid of outlaws. Someone without scruples, or morals, who can be bought for a price…”
“And you think I fit the bill.”
“Yes.” Amanda nodded. She’d gotten it out—the worst had to be over.
“How much?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“How much money are you willing to pay?”
“Twenty dollars.”
Luke’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Twenty dollars? To take on the Haskwells? Are you out of your mind?”
“Fifty?” Amanda interrupted. “Seventy?”
“A hundred,” Luke said decisively. “If you want to hire me as a gun, you’ll have to pay the going rate. Haskwell’s worth three hundred. I assume you don’t have a lot of loose cash. What else have you got?”
Frantic, Amanda’s mind spun. “Only the ranch…”
“I’ll take half.” Before Amanda could do more than gasp, he continued ruthlessly. “That’s it or nothing, lady. I’m taking you to Texas, down that goddamned cattle trail, through Indian country, with one of the worst western outlaws wanting a piece of your hide and you don’t even know why. One hundred and half the ranch is my price, and that is provided you agree to the rest of my terms.”
“Such as?” Amanda choked in anger. She had to have his help—he knew it, and was taking full advantage.
“I am the boss on this trip. You do as I say, no matter how many goddamned books you’ve read. I’m not going to argue over every decision. You got it?”
Amanda’s mouth went dry. “But what if I know better?”
“I mean it. The first time you disobey me, I’m leaving. There’s too much at stake here. And once we get to Texas, you go your way and I’ll go mine, even though we share the same property. I want no strings.” He tilted her face towards himself, looking behind her glasses to see if she really did understand his meaning. “And I think after last night, we’ll both agree that it’s best to keep our relationship strictly business.”
Mortified, Amanda couldn’t stop the hot rush of color that stained her cheeks a bright red. He was making sure that she didn’t misconstrue his help, that he wanted nothing more than the terms he was offering. Embarrassed beyond words, Amanda wanted to hit him, to hurt him as much as he’d just hurt her. Instead, she gave him an icy nod.
“Certainly. ‘Friendship is constant in all other things, Save in the office and affairs of love.’ Shakespeare.” She almost grinned in satisfaction as he snarled, then he stalked off toward the wagon train to make their arrangements.
She won, and he had agreed. But she wondered why she felt so much like crying.
“Blasted spinster!” Damien spat a wad of tobacco onto the ground and reined up his horse. Dust kicked up from the churning hooves on the
Similar Books
