A Heart So Wild by Johanna Lindsey Page A

tears?
    Soundlessly, Chandos got up and crossed the space between them. He dropped down beside the girl without warning, and she gasped as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her gently into the curve of his body, her back pressed to his front.
    â€œEasy, little cat. Relax. I won’t hurt you.”
    She was stiff as a board. She didn’t trust him. Well, he could hardly blame her for that, could he?
    â€œI’m only going to hold you, nothing else,” he said in a soothing voice. “So you can stop crying.”
    She turned around just enough that she could see him. Chandos was stung by the sight of her wet face. Her eyes were like great wounds.
    â€œYou’ve ruined everything!” she said pitifully.
    â€œI know I have,” he found himself saying. Anything to placate her.
    â€œI’ll never find my father now!”
    â€œSure you will. You’ll just have to find another way to get to him.”
    â€œHow? You made me spend so much of my money on supplies that I can’t afford to get to Waco now. I bought clothes I’ll never wear, a horse that’s so old Mr. Sieber will never take her back, and a useless gun that cost even more than the horse!”
    â€œA gun is never useless,” Chandos said patiently. “If you’d been wearing yours today, you could’ve stopped me before I ever got near you.”
    â€œI didn’t know you were going to attack me!” she retorted indignantly.
    â€œNo, I suppose you didn’t,” he said reasonably. “But you should have. You have to be prepared for anything out here.”
    â€œI am now.”
    She cocked the gun she’d hidden beneath her blanket. His expression didn’t change.
    â€œVery good, lady. You’re learning. But your timing will have to improve.” His hand slipped beneath her blanket to grasp the gun barrel and pull the gun from her grip. “Next time make sure you’re facing your target first, especially if you’re so close to it.”
    â€œWhat’s the difference?” She sighed forlornly. “I couldn’t have shot you anyway.”
    â€œWith enough provocation, you can shoot anything. Now stop crying, will you? I’ll pay you back the money.”
    â€œThank you very much,” she said tightly, not in the least pacified. “But that isn’t going to help much. No matter how I get to Texas, I stillcan’t travel alone. You’ve proved to me that I can’t trust anyone. So where does that leave me?”
    â€œYou shouldn’t have to go to your father anyway. He should come to you. Write to him.”
    â€œDo you know how long it would take a letter to get to Waco? I could get there faster.”
    â€œI could take your letter for you.”
    â€œYou’re going to Waco?”
    â€œI wasn’t going that far, but I can.”
    â€œYou won’t,” she said disagreeably. “Once you leave here, you won’t bother.”
    â€œI said I would, and if I said I would, then I will.”
    â€œBut what if my father isn’t there?” she ventured. “How will I know?” Her eyes pleaded with him, but he gave no sign that he understood.
    â€œI’ll probably come back this way sometime.”
    â€œSometime? I’m supposed to wait for sometime ?”
    â€œWhat the hell do you want from me, lady? I have other things to do than run errands for you.”
    â€œI want you to take me to Waco! You said you would.”
    â€œI never said I would. I told you to fill a supply list. You drew the conclusion you wanted to draw.”
    He hadn’t raised his voice at all, but she knew he had lost patience with her. Even so, she couldn’t let it go.
    â€œI don’t see why you can’t take me. You’re going to Texas anyway.”
    â€œYou haven’t learned a thing, have you?”
    His voice was cold now. “I—I have,” she said nervously.
    â€œUh-uh.