was shot.”
Anna could see the dislike in McCord’s eyes. If her brother knew how deadly the Ranger could be, Devin would walk more softly. She half expected even an injured McCord to stomp on her brother like he was a bug.
“He saved my life,” she said simply.
Devin threw up his hands as he paced like a windup toy. “So what does that mean? Do you think you belong to him for life now?”
McCord smiled at Anna and she forgot all about her brother.
Wynn held out his hand and she walked into his arms. Without looking at her brother, she whispered to the Ranger, “Something like that.”
He kissed her lightly. “You’re mine, Anna. You have been since I first saw you, and like it or not, I’m yours.”
She laughed. “I like it just fine.”
“What’s been going on here?” Devin yelled, but no one was listening.
Wynn kissed her, spread his hand over her hip and pulled her against him.
“This is outrageous,” Devin shouted, then added, “This is unbelievable.”
When McCord let her up for air, he said, “I’ll go get the buggy. There’s no use waiting a few days. Can you be ready in half an hour? I want you leaving with me.”
“But you’re…”
“We’ll take it slow and the captain will give us an escort to Texas.” He collected his hat and Colts, then turned back to her for one more kiss. As his lips moved away, he whispered, “Come with me, Anna.”
Devin was five feet away. Her brother seemed to be gagging on the words he’d just heard.
McCord walked out the door without even looking at Devin.
Anna started to pack. She’d need bandages and blankets for Wynn. No matter what he said, the trip would be hard on him, but she didn’t argue. She’d had enough of her brother and nothing sounded better than leaving.
Devin was still yelling and complaining about her deserting him when Cunningham helped her into the buggy. Wynn looked as strong as steel, but McCord noticed his side of the buggy had been padded with blankets.
They pulled out of the camp and headed southwest toward Texas. Everything had happened so fast, Anna just sat and tried to think. Change had always struck like lightning, but this time she’d stepped into the bolt.
Wynn didn’t say a word until the guard following them waved and turned back. All at once the world seemed wild and empty and they were alone.
She was alone, she corrected, with a man she barely knew. A man who probably hadn’t said a hundred words to her since they’d met.
All panic left when his hand closed gently over hers.
They traveled in silence until almost dark, then he stopped and led the horses to a small clearing where they had a stream for water and grass to graze. She insisted he rest while she made camp and offered him bread and dried meat from a basket one of the men said Clark insisted on putting in the back of the buggy.
Wynn looked tired as he lowered himself onto the blankets, and by the time she’d packed the food away he was sound asleep.
Anna curled up beside him and slept. At dawn she awoke to his gentle kiss.
He didn’t say a word when she mumbled something about being a mess and crossed to the other side of the buggy to straighten her clothing and wash her face with water from the canteen. After she’d combed her hair without a mirror, she faced him.
Wynn had hitched the horse and was waiting for her. He nodded a greeting as if they were little more than strangers. Neither seemed to know what to say. They climbed in the buggy and began following the ribbon of road made by wagons.
As the cloudy day cooled, he touched her leg. “We’re going to hit rain,” he said, then patted her skirts as if he thought rain might frighten her. “We’ll need to make as many miles as we can before it starts.”
They raced the weather, but by mid-afternoon the rain caught up to them. Wynn pulled the buggy beneath a stand of old cottonwood trees. They climbed out and he watched the clouds as she retrieved apples from their stash of
Anna could see the dislike in McCord’s eyes. If her brother knew how deadly the Ranger could be, Devin would walk more softly. She half expected even an injured McCord to stomp on her brother like he was a bug.
“He saved my life,” she said simply.
Devin threw up his hands as he paced like a windup toy. “So what does that mean? Do you think you belong to him for life now?”
McCord smiled at Anna and she forgot all about her brother.
Wynn held out his hand and she walked into his arms. Without looking at her brother, she whispered to the Ranger, “Something like that.”
He kissed her lightly. “You’re mine, Anna. You have been since I first saw you, and like it or not, I’m yours.”
She laughed. “I like it just fine.”
“What’s been going on here?” Devin yelled, but no one was listening.
Wynn kissed her, spread his hand over her hip and pulled her against him.
“This is outrageous,” Devin shouted, then added, “This is unbelievable.”
When McCord let her up for air, he said, “I’ll go get the buggy. There’s no use waiting a few days. Can you be ready in half an hour? I want you leaving with me.”
“But you’re…”
“We’ll take it slow and the captain will give us an escort to Texas.” He collected his hat and Colts, then turned back to her for one more kiss. As his lips moved away, he whispered, “Come with me, Anna.”
Devin was five feet away. Her brother seemed to be gagging on the words he’d just heard.
McCord walked out the door without even looking at Devin.
Anna started to pack. She’d need bandages and blankets for Wynn. No matter what he said, the trip would be hard on him, but she didn’t argue. She’d had enough of her brother and nothing sounded better than leaving.
Devin was still yelling and complaining about her deserting him when Cunningham helped her into the buggy. Wynn looked as strong as steel, but McCord noticed his side of the buggy had been padded with blankets.
They pulled out of the camp and headed southwest toward Texas. Everything had happened so fast, Anna just sat and tried to think. Change had always struck like lightning, but this time she’d stepped into the bolt.
Wynn didn’t say a word until the guard following them waved and turned back. All at once the world seemed wild and empty and they were alone.
She was alone, she corrected, with a man she barely knew. A man who probably hadn’t said a hundred words to her since they’d met.
All panic left when his hand closed gently over hers.
They traveled in silence until almost dark, then he stopped and led the horses to a small clearing where they had a stream for water and grass to graze. She insisted he rest while she made camp and offered him bread and dried meat from a basket one of the men said Clark insisted on putting in the back of the buggy.
Wynn looked tired as he lowered himself onto the blankets, and by the time she’d packed the food away he was sound asleep.
Anna curled up beside him and slept. At dawn she awoke to his gentle kiss.
He didn’t say a word when she mumbled something about being a mess and crossed to the other side of the buggy to straighten her clothing and wash her face with water from the canteen. After she’d combed her hair without a mirror, she faced him.
Wynn had hitched the horse and was waiting for her. He nodded a greeting as if they were little more than strangers. Neither seemed to know what to say. They climbed in the buggy and began following the ribbon of road made by wagons.
As the cloudy day cooled, he touched her leg. “We’re going to hit rain,” he said, then patted her skirts as if he thought rain might frighten her. “We’ll need to make as many miles as we can before it starts.”
They raced the weather, but by mid-afternoon the rain caught up to them. Wynn pulled the buggy beneath a stand of old cottonwood trees. They climbed out and he watched the clouds as she retrieved apples from their stash of
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