exactly what Kemp had warned her against. Oh God, what now? How could she protect her kids if she didn’t stop this? How could she protect herself and Amy if she did?
“Please don’t send him away,” she pleaded.
“You know that bastard?” McCaid turned his rage on her, his face folded in disgust.
She nodded. “He’s a h-hard worker.” She stumbled on the lie. “He only gets like this when he’s been drinking. Please, please give him another chance. You need all the hands you can get, and he needs the work.”
McCaid’s brows lowered. “I don’t want troublemakers in my camp. That goes for him. And you.”
Audrey nodded rapidly, grateful he seemed to be entertaining her request. McCaid cursed and turned to Franklin. “Take him out to the southeast pasture. He can work that corner until he cools off. He is not to speak to or be near Miss Sheridan, is that clear?”
Franklin nodded, then hurried to carry out those orders. Audrey stepped outside and started for her cabin. McCaid followed her, but she didn’t slow her pace.
“Where are you running off to?”
“I have to check on Amy.”
McCaid kept stride with her. “Do you want to explain what just happened back there? Where do you know him from? Who is he to you?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“And I’m not getting any answers.”
“You won’t like the answers.” They reached Audrey’s small cabin. She glanced about the outside as she approached. No one was around. Of course, McCaid’s yammering probably scared Zeke off. Audrey opened the door to her cabin as silently as possible. The sun had not quite set; there was still enough dusky light to tell that no one but the peacefully sleeping Amy was inside. Audrey hurried out the other side. No one standing about there either. She walked from side to side of her cabin. Nothing. Perhaps Kemp’s man had been bluffing. Perhaps Zeke had never been up here, waiting to harm Amy.
Perhaps he’d heard their approach and got away.
Whatever the case, Amy was safe. And for the time being, so were her other children since Zeke’s partner wasn’t being sent back to town. Audrey crossed her arms and shut her eyes as she filled her lungs with a deep breath and slowly exhaled. All was well. Everyone was safe.
For now.
“Start talking, Sheridan.” McCaid stood before her, hands on his hips.
“I’ve got nothing to say.”
“You were looking for someone. That man threatened you, didn’t he? Who is he to you?”
Audrey waved a hand in an irritated manner. “He’s no one to me. Just someone I know from town.”
“How many of my men do you know?”
Audrey put her hands on her hips, facing him. They stood in the last rays of the day’s sun, orange light washing where shadows didn’t yet reach. Audrey felt anger fill the void left by her fear. She was furious with McCaid and Kemp and his nasty hirelings. Most of all, she was angry with herself.
“I know lots of them. All of them.” She waved her hand angrily. “Surprise! I’m Defiance’s best-kept secret, the high-priced whore wh-who l-lives in a shack.” Tears welled in her eyes, and yet her mouth kept spouting terrible words. “And now you’ve told them I’m your woman.” She drew a ragged breath. “Wh-what were you thinking? How could you do something as thoughtless as that?”
And then she was in his arms, her face muffled against his chest. His shoulders curved around her, and he rested his chin on her head. Still the tears came, great big tears she’d been storing for years. Years of trying to be brave for her brother and the kids. Years of making ends meet and saving child after child with no resources or hope for their future. She gripped handfuls of his shirt as she wept against his chest while he silently absorbed her sorrow.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured against the top of her head. “It was thoughtless of me. I only wanted to protect you.”
Caught between his heartbeat and the gentling pressure of his hand
“Please don’t send him away,” she pleaded.
“You know that bastard?” McCaid turned his rage on her, his face folded in disgust.
She nodded. “He’s a h-hard worker.” She stumbled on the lie. “He only gets like this when he’s been drinking. Please, please give him another chance. You need all the hands you can get, and he needs the work.”
McCaid’s brows lowered. “I don’t want troublemakers in my camp. That goes for him. And you.”
Audrey nodded rapidly, grateful he seemed to be entertaining her request. McCaid cursed and turned to Franklin. “Take him out to the southeast pasture. He can work that corner until he cools off. He is not to speak to or be near Miss Sheridan, is that clear?”
Franklin nodded, then hurried to carry out those orders. Audrey stepped outside and started for her cabin. McCaid followed her, but she didn’t slow her pace.
“Where are you running off to?”
“I have to check on Amy.”
McCaid kept stride with her. “Do you want to explain what just happened back there? Where do you know him from? Who is he to you?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“And I’m not getting any answers.”
“You won’t like the answers.” They reached Audrey’s small cabin. She glanced about the outside as she approached. No one was around. Of course, McCaid’s yammering probably scared Zeke off. Audrey opened the door to her cabin as silently as possible. The sun had not quite set; there was still enough dusky light to tell that no one but the peacefully sleeping Amy was inside. Audrey hurried out the other side. No one standing about there either. She walked from side to side of her cabin. Nothing. Perhaps Kemp’s man had been bluffing. Perhaps Zeke had never been up here, waiting to harm Amy.
Perhaps he’d heard their approach and got away.
Whatever the case, Amy was safe. And for the time being, so were her other children since Zeke’s partner wasn’t being sent back to town. Audrey crossed her arms and shut her eyes as she filled her lungs with a deep breath and slowly exhaled. All was well. Everyone was safe.
For now.
“Start talking, Sheridan.” McCaid stood before her, hands on his hips.
“I’ve got nothing to say.”
“You were looking for someone. That man threatened you, didn’t he? Who is he to you?”
Audrey waved a hand in an irritated manner. “He’s no one to me. Just someone I know from town.”
“How many of my men do you know?”
Audrey put her hands on her hips, facing him. They stood in the last rays of the day’s sun, orange light washing where shadows didn’t yet reach. Audrey felt anger fill the void left by her fear. She was furious with McCaid and Kemp and his nasty hirelings. Most of all, she was angry with herself.
“I know lots of them. All of them.” She waved her hand angrily. “Surprise! I’m Defiance’s best-kept secret, the high-priced whore wh-who l-lives in a shack.” Tears welled in her eyes, and yet her mouth kept spouting terrible words. “And now you’ve told them I’m your woman.” She drew a ragged breath. “Wh-what were you thinking? How could you do something as thoughtless as that?”
And then she was in his arms, her face muffled against his chest. His shoulders curved around her, and he rested his chin on her head. Still the tears came, great big tears she’d been storing for years. Years of trying to be brave for her brother and the kids. Years of making ends meet and saving child after child with no resources or hope for their future. She gripped handfuls of his shirt as she wept against his chest while he silently absorbed her sorrow.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured against the top of her head. “It was thoughtless of me. I only wanted to protect you.”
Caught between his heartbeat and the gentling pressure of his hand
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