Emmy (Gold Rush Brides Book 2) by Cassie Hayes Page B

annulment papers, leaving her free to marry again. Of course with him dead, she would have been free anyway, but logic rarely plays a role in dreams. Sadly, the dream evaporated quickly when she awoke, as so often happens, but she was left with a lingering warmth and the distinct impression that Mason had been just as pleased at the outcome as she was.
    Blaze stomped his feet impatiently, pulling Emmy out of her dreamworld. The posse already had a good lead on her but she wasn’t worried. Blaze would catch them, if only to show them who was boss.
    “If I had the money, boy, I’d pay that stableboy twice what he paid for you,” she cooed to him. His muscles tensed beneath her and they were off.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    They’d been riding hard for an hour when Mason slowed the group to let the horses cool down for a bit. The last thing he wanted was for one to go lame now, not so close to their goal.  
    “D’ya think he’s really there, Sheriff?” asked David, trotting his horse next to Mason’s. “Meanin’ no disrespect to Miss Emmy, but he coulda been lyin’ to her.”
    Mason nodded. “Yup, that’s possible, but I got a good feeling about this, David. It feels right, feels true. Can’t explain it any better than that.”
    “‘Sides,” interrupted Fred, moving up to join them. “Even if he ain’t there, someone mighta seen him. Right, Mace?”
    “Yup, and it’s also possible that they’ve already come and gone. We lost a bit of time wandering around like Moses out here. But like I said, I got a good feeling on this one.”
    He left David and Fred at the front of the group to debate whether Kirby was in Auburn or Sacramento or bound for the Sandwich Islands aboard some rickety ship. Dropping back, he sidled up next to Emmy, who was uncharacteristically quiet.
    “How’s that rash today?” He winced as the words left his mouth, but he couldn’t think of anything else to talk about. And for some reason, he really wanted to talk to her, maybe thank her for helping out.
    She ducked her head and let out a big sigh. “Better, I guess. I put on more of that bear fat, as you discovered, and the itching isn’t so bad anymore. But I still look and smell like a prospector, I suppose.”
    She tried to smile but, even through the black gunk, Mason could see it didn’t reach her eyes. For a girl like Emmy, appearances were everything. He’d known her kind for many years and they’d rather be dead than caught looking like her, though it didn’t make much sense to him.  
    “Well, I gotta give you credit, Miss Emmy. You got dealt an ugly blow and you never let it slow you down. I wish my men were half as tough as you.”
    She frowned a little when he patted her on the back and he wondered why. He was complimenting her after all. Didn’t women like compliments?
    They rode along in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, Mason wondering what he should say next. Seemed like every word out of his mouth was the wrong one and he didn’t want to step in it again. Finally, he settled on a topic he was sure she’d love to talk about: herself.
    “So what brought you out here, anyway? Caught a little gold fever, did ya?”
    He sensed her tensing up beside him. Even Blaze noticed, whinnying quietly and swooshing his tail. Finally she sighed and looked up at him.
    “No, not gold fever, I’m afraid. To be quite frank, I ran away from home.”
    He chuckled at her joke but stopped cold when he saw she was serious. “Um, ain’t you a little old for running away? And I thought both your parents had passed on.”
    She nodded. “Yes, my mother died during childbirth and my father raised me. Some say he spoiled me, and I suppose that’s not far from the truth, but I loved him more than anything. If only I would have known, I never would have let him…”
    She sniffed and Mason realized too late that she was crying. Oh Lord, what had he done? All he wanted to do was get to know her a little better and make up for treating