tipped his wide-brimmed hat and turned his horse.
“Daniel...?”
Leather creaked as he shifted his weight to look at her.
She swallowed the ache in her throat and met his eyes. “Thank you. For shooting the wolf, I mean.”
He held her gaze until her cheeks grew warm. Mischief teased the corners of his mouth. He glanced at Buddy. “I’d shoot a wolf for you any old time, sugar.” He winked then spurred his horse and rode away.
Sidney fetched a shovel from his pack and bent to scoop up the carcass. Charity spun away from the gruesome sight. She doubted she’d ever forget the big animal standing over her, its trembling legs coiled and ready to spring.
Buddy’s hands gripped her shoulders from behind. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Charity. I feel responsible.”
She reached to touch his fingers. “You? Nonsense. How could it be your fault?”
He stepped around to face her. “If I hadn’t pouted like a schoolboy this morning, I would’ve taken a closer look at those tracks you found.” He glanced over at the wolf. “I expect they belonged to our friend there.”
Charity shook her head. “It’s nobody’s fault. And like you said, it’s over now.”
He smiled, mostly with his eyes, and nodded. “Let’s get you back to town, then.” His arm went across her shoulders, his grip firm.
Tucked against him, she felt safe. She allowed him to guide her to where the bay stood pawing the ground. On the way, she saw his hat, saved from the mud by a thatch of tall grass. She bent and picked it up, brushing it off before handing to him, but his curious gaze followed Daniel up the trail.
“That your Daniel?”
She halted, nearly tripping him, and dashed his hat to the ground. “He’s not my Daniel! Why does everyone keep saying that?”
Buddy’s forehead crumpled. “Ease up, little lady. I didn’t mean to pry.” He leaned for his hat, wiped the fresh mud from the brim onto his jeans, and walked on ahead.
Charity cringed and pressed her knuckles to her eyes. “Buddy, please wait.”
Whatever she meant to say next, the words were lost when he stopped short and turned. Embarrassed, she spit out the first thing that came to mind. “Goodness, but you’re a cantankerous man. You keep me in a constant state of gratitude or regret. I never know whether to thank you or say I’m sorry.”
He lifted a brow. “Which one you offering this time?”
She winced. “Definitely the latter. I’m sorry. I truly am. I’m not the least bit mad at you. It’s that insufferable Daniel Clark.” She glared up the trail. “Have you ever witnessed such arrogance? Why, the nerve of him.”
“He did seem mighty friendly, considering.”
A blush crept up her cheeks.
Buddy brought the horse around and motioned for her to climb on. When she lifted her foot to the stirrup, he frowned at her mud-covered pants. “Reckon it’s too late to whistle for old Daniel? I’m not sure I care to cozy up behind those all the way into town.”
She swung into the saddle. “Don’t tease. It’s not funny.”
He climbed up behind her and leaned to take the reins, so close his breath tickled her cheek. “It’s none of my business, but if you ask me, Daniel Clark is a man having some regrets.”
She squirmed around to glare at him. “Whatever do you mean?”
Buddy flicked the reins. “Like I said, Miss Bloom, it’s none of my business.”
CHAPTER 10
Emily Dane sprawled in her four-poster bed, idly gnawing a drumstick. Barefoot and still in her nightdress, she lay propped against goose-down pillows, one long leg crossed over the other. With her free hand, she twirled one of the blond ringlets framing her face while admiring the smooth, bare skin of her knees.
“You’re downright scandalous in your impropriety, Emily Dane.”
Mama’s stern voice in her head made her giggle. That’s what she’d say, all right, but what of it? According to Mama, she was forever downright scandalous in one silly thing or the
“Daniel...?”
Leather creaked as he shifted his weight to look at her.
She swallowed the ache in her throat and met his eyes. “Thank you. For shooting the wolf, I mean.”
He held her gaze until her cheeks grew warm. Mischief teased the corners of his mouth. He glanced at Buddy. “I’d shoot a wolf for you any old time, sugar.” He winked then spurred his horse and rode away.
Sidney fetched a shovel from his pack and bent to scoop up the carcass. Charity spun away from the gruesome sight. She doubted she’d ever forget the big animal standing over her, its trembling legs coiled and ready to spring.
Buddy’s hands gripped her shoulders from behind. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Charity. I feel responsible.”
She reached to touch his fingers. “You? Nonsense. How could it be your fault?”
He stepped around to face her. “If I hadn’t pouted like a schoolboy this morning, I would’ve taken a closer look at those tracks you found.” He glanced over at the wolf. “I expect they belonged to our friend there.”
Charity shook her head. “It’s nobody’s fault. And like you said, it’s over now.”
He smiled, mostly with his eyes, and nodded. “Let’s get you back to town, then.” His arm went across her shoulders, his grip firm.
Tucked against him, she felt safe. She allowed him to guide her to where the bay stood pawing the ground. On the way, she saw his hat, saved from the mud by a thatch of tall grass. She bent and picked it up, brushing it off before handing to him, but his curious gaze followed Daniel up the trail.
“That your Daniel?”
She halted, nearly tripping him, and dashed his hat to the ground. “He’s not my Daniel! Why does everyone keep saying that?”
Buddy’s forehead crumpled. “Ease up, little lady. I didn’t mean to pry.” He leaned for his hat, wiped the fresh mud from the brim onto his jeans, and walked on ahead.
Charity cringed and pressed her knuckles to her eyes. “Buddy, please wait.”
Whatever she meant to say next, the words were lost when he stopped short and turned. Embarrassed, she spit out the first thing that came to mind. “Goodness, but you’re a cantankerous man. You keep me in a constant state of gratitude or regret. I never know whether to thank you or say I’m sorry.”
He lifted a brow. “Which one you offering this time?”
She winced. “Definitely the latter. I’m sorry. I truly am. I’m not the least bit mad at you. It’s that insufferable Daniel Clark.” She glared up the trail. “Have you ever witnessed such arrogance? Why, the nerve of him.”
“He did seem mighty friendly, considering.”
A blush crept up her cheeks.
Buddy brought the horse around and motioned for her to climb on. When she lifted her foot to the stirrup, he frowned at her mud-covered pants. “Reckon it’s too late to whistle for old Daniel? I’m not sure I care to cozy up behind those all the way into town.”
She swung into the saddle. “Don’t tease. It’s not funny.”
He climbed up behind her and leaned to take the reins, so close his breath tickled her cheek. “It’s none of my business, but if you ask me, Daniel Clark is a man having some regrets.”
She squirmed around to glare at him. “Whatever do you mean?”
Buddy flicked the reins. “Like I said, Miss Bloom, it’s none of my business.”
CHAPTER 10
Emily Dane sprawled in her four-poster bed, idly gnawing a drumstick. Barefoot and still in her nightdress, she lay propped against goose-down pillows, one long leg crossed over the other. With her free hand, she twirled one of the blond ringlets framing her face while admiring the smooth, bare skin of her knees.
“You’re downright scandalous in your impropriety, Emily Dane.”
Mama’s stern voice in her head made her giggle. That’s what she’d say, all right, but what of it? According to Mama, she was forever downright scandalous in one silly thing or the
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