Heart of the Hunter by Madeline Baker Page A

here,” Renford said, “and here. That’s
fine.”
    He handed her a handwritten receipt for the six thousand
dollars and the deed to the Triple M.
    “I’m sure you’ll find everything in order, Miss McBride, and
if we can ever be of service again, please let me know.”
    Kelly stuffed the deed and the receipt in her purse, then
stood up. “Thank you for everything.”
    Renford nodded. “Good-bye, Miss McBride.”
    His tone and the look in his eyes sent a shiver down her
spine. Without a backward glance, she hurried out of his office and out of the
bank.
    Outside, she took a deep breath, welcoming the fresh air and
the cool breeze on her face.
    She was walking toward her car when she felt it again, that
eerie sense of being followed, of being in danger.
    Crossing the street, she stopped abruptly and whirled
around, but there was no one there. Or was there? Was she imagining things
again, or had she seen Lee Roan Horse duck around the corner? Or was it just
that she wanted to see him?
    She didn’t breathe easily until she was sitting inside her
car with the doors locked. For a moment, she clutched the steering wheel and
then, releasing a deep sigh, she turned the key in the ignition and started for
home.
    It was almost dark when she pulled into the yard. The first thing
she saw was Lee’s truck parked near the barn. She was surprised at the relief
she felt just knowing he was there, relief not only because he was back, but
because it meant he couldn’t have been following her in town.
    He emerged from the barn as she stepped out of the car.
    Kelly felt the pull between them vibrate like an electric
wire. What was there about this man that attracted her so? It was more than his
rugged good looks. Perhaps it was the air of vulnerability that he tried so
hard to hide, perhaps it was the knowledge that he so badly needed someone to
love, someone to love him. Whatever it was, it hummed between them, vital and
alive and irresistible.
    She watched him cross the yard toward her, felt her insides
turn shivery as every step brought him closer.
    “I’m sorry. Lee,” she said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
    “It’s all right.”
    “No, it’s not. It’s just that I needed to be alone today. I
handled it badly and I’m sorry.”
    “Forget it.”
    The hunger between them was almost palpable, as was the
distrust that kept them apart. Invisible, unmentioned, it rose between them,
shimmering like heat waves on the desert.
    A muscle throbbed in Lee’s cheek. “What did you do in town?”
    “I went to the bank.”
    “Oh?”
    “Yes. I needed to pick up the deed to the ranch.”
    He grunted softly, clearly not believing her.
    “I thought I saw you there.” The words were out before she
could stop them.
    He grunted again, neither affirming nor denying her
suspicions.
    “Have you eaten?” Kelly asked.
    “No.”
    “Me either. I’ve got some steaks in the fridge.”
    “Sounds good.”
    “Dinner in half an hour then?”
    “Fine,” he replied, but he didn’t move and neither did she.
    An awkward silence stretched between them.
    “I wasn’t in town today, Kelly. I drove out to the
reservation.”
    “Really? Why? Do you have family out there?”
    “No.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I don’t know why
I went out there.”
    He still didn’t know. He’d driven around for hours before
winding up at the cemetery. The graves of his family were untended, grown over
with weeds. He’d spent an hour on his knees, clearing away the debris, trying
not to remember how his little sister had followed him around, always wanting
to be where he was, to do what he was doing. Why hadn’t he spent more time with
her when he’d had the chance?
    Kneeling in the dirt, he’d begged for her forgiveness. For
his mother, he felt nothing at all. Not love, not hate, not bitterness. She had
courted death and it had found her.
    He looked up, realizing Kelly was speaking to him.
    “I’ve never been to the reservation,” she