use he intended to make of that bed.
“Sounds like heaven. What are we waiting for?”
“Not a damn thing, darling.”
She managed to stay awake until they reached the other side of the river. Luke gave a whoop as they rode onto Mexican soil. Tom reminded Luke that being in Mexico did not guarantee an end to all pursuit. Even as she prayed Tom was wrong about that, Leanne gave in to exhaustion.
“She all right, Hunter?”
Nodding briefly at Charlie, who had edged up alongside him, Hunter murmured, “She’s just exhausted.”
“Yeah. She ain’t made for this,” Jed said as he edged up on the other side. “A little lady. That’s what she is.”
“You think she’ll ever get the law off her back, Hunter?”
“Don’t know, Charlie.”
“It just ain’t right, a girl like her having to run from the law. She didn’t do nothing.”
Shrugging, Hunter murmured, “It could take a while to get people to see that.”
“What’re you going to do about Lucia?” Charlie asked after a moment of pensive silence.
Hunter took a quick look at Leanne, reassured to see that she was still sleeping. “Hell, I’m not too sure. I never promised the woman I would come back to her.”
“Reckon she expects it, though. She won’t like seeing company with you. She could cause some trouble, don’t you think?”
“Very possibly. I’ll try to get to her before she sees or hears about Leanne and make sure she understands how it is.”
“Maybe you oughta keep Leanne outta sight.”
“Because some woman is under the delusion she has a claim on me? No, that’d be asking for trouble.”
“Well, best you keep her right outta sight anyways, when we get where we’re going.”
“Why?”
“Watkins. That’s why.”
“You think he’ll be trouble?”
“Oh yeah, he could be. Damn right he could be. She’s a right pretty little thing, with learning and fine ladylike ways when she feels like using them. Watkins’ll want her. Ain’t no question in my mind about it. Keep her real close, Hunter. Real close. And, watch your back. If Watkins wants her, he won’t ask nicely or deal or nothing. He’ll take. You ain’t dealt much with him. Have to take my word on this.”
“I think your word’s good enough for me, Charlie.”
Inwardly, Hunter cursed, long and viciously. He was not leaving trouble behind. From what Charlie said, he was riding straight into it. It might be trouble of a different sort, but he knew it could be just as dangerous.
So hand her over to Watkins, a small voice whispered, and Hunter felt ashamed of himself. He had been too long with outlaws. The fact that he would even think such a thing told him he had not fully succeeded in remaining above those he rode with. He would have to strive harder to cling to his principles.
The violence that stirred in him at the thought of any other man touching Leanne told him that, although that shameless thought had passed through his mind, it would never have taken root. He would do his best to keep Leanne well hidden while they lingered near Watkins. If worse came to worst, he would fight. Battling Watkins and his private army of outlaws might be fruitless, but at least he could make sure that stealing Leanne cost the man dearly.
Suddenly he ached to be home, to step back that year or more before all the trouble started. He needed to see his family again. A grimace crossed his face as he admitted that he missed even his mother. All the machinations which had so infuriated and galled him seemed a petty grievance now. To be with his brothers and his father, to have his life back to what it had been, he could put up with his mother.
He shook away those thoughts. Thinking of home only served to depress his spirits. There was a long way to go yet before he could return. The best thing to do, the wisest, was to concentrate fully on what lay ahead.
When they reached the low, small adobe house that had once been a pleasant retreat and was now his only real home,
“Sounds like heaven. What are we waiting for?”
“Not a damn thing, darling.”
She managed to stay awake until they reached the other side of the river. Luke gave a whoop as they rode onto Mexican soil. Tom reminded Luke that being in Mexico did not guarantee an end to all pursuit. Even as she prayed Tom was wrong about that, Leanne gave in to exhaustion.
“She all right, Hunter?”
Nodding briefly at Charlie, who had edged up alongside him, Hunter murmured, “She’s just exhausted.”
“Yeah. She ain’t made for this,” Jed said as he edged up on the other side. “A little lady. That’s what she is.”
“You think she’ll ever get the law off her back, Hunter?”
“Don’t know, Charlie.”
“It just ain’t right, a girl like her having to run from the law. She didn’t do nothing.”
Shrugging, Hunter murmured, “It could take a while to get people to see that.”
“What’re you going to do about Lucia?” Charlie asked after a moment of pensive silence.
Hunter took a quick look at Leanne, reassured to see that she was still sleeping. “Hell, I’m not too sure. I never promised the woman I would come back to her.”
“Reckon she expects it, though. She won’t like seeing company with you. She could cause some trouble, don’t you think?”
“Very possibly. I’ll try to get to her before she sees or hears about Leanne and make sure she understands how it is.”
“Maybe you oughta keep Leanne outta sight.”
“Because some woman is under the delusion she has a claim on me? No, that’d be asking for trouble.”
“Well, best you keep her right outta sight anyways, when we get where we’re going.”
“Why?”
“Watkins. That’s why.”
“You think he’ll be trouble?”
“Oh yeah, he could be. Damn right he could be. She’s a right pretty little thing, with learning and fine ladylike ways when she feels like using them. Watkins’ll want her. Ain’t no question in my mind about it. Keep her real close, Hunter. Real close. And, watch your back. If Watkins wants her, he won’t ask nicely or deal or nothing. He’ll take. You ain’t dealt much with him. Have to take my word on this.”
“I think your word’s good enough for me, Charlie.”
Inwardly, Hunter cursed, long and viciously. He was not leaving trouble behind. From what Charlie said, he was riding straight into it. It might be trouble of a different sort, but he knew it could be just as dangerous.
So hand her over to Watkins, a small voice whispered, and Hunter felt ashamed of himself. He had been too long with outlaws. The fact that he would even think such a thing told him he had not fully succeeded in remaining above those he rode with. He would have to strive harder to cling to his principles.
The violence that stirred in him at the thought of any other man touching Leanne told him that, although that shameless thought had passed through his mind, it would never have taken root. He would do his best to keep Leanne well hidden while they lingered near Watkins. If worse came to worst, he would fight. Battling Watkins and his private army of outlaws might be fruitless, but at least he could make sure that stealing Leanne cost the man dearly.
Suddenly he ached to be home, to step back that year or more before all the trouble started. He needed to see his family again. A grimace crossed his face as he admitted that he missed even his mother. All the machinations which had so infuriated and galled him seemed a petty grievance now. To be with his brothers and his father, to have his life back to what it had been, he could put up with his mother.
He shook away those thoughts. Thinking of home only served to depress his spirits. There was a long way to go yet before he could return. The best thing to do, the wisest, was to concentrate fully on what lay ahead.
When they reached the low, small adobe house that had once been a pleasant retreat and was now his only real home,
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