want her world torn apart, then reassembled to suit Jake Rand.
Recalling the steely power she had felt in his body last night, she nearly shivered. His collar hung open to reveal the burnished column of his sturdy neck. When he moved, the green wool of his shirt pulled tight, showing the delineation of bunched muscle in his shoulders and arms. She tried to imagine his strength being targeted at her and decided she’d have a better chance pitting herself against a stone wall.
“You’re not afraid of anyone at all?” He studied her as if he found her response highly amusing. “I’m impressed. I thought just about everyone was afraid of someone.”
The question jerked her back to the present. She gathered her composure and finally managed to reply. “Oh? And who do you fear, Mr. Rand?”
The question left Jake drawing a blank. “I’d appreciate it if you’d call me Jake.”
“You’re my elder. It wouldn’t be respectful.”
He winced. “I’m not exactly a Methuselah.”
Having her refer to him as her elder rankled. He shoved an entire piece of cheese in his mouth. Thirty wasn’t that old. He’d only been—he did a quick calculation—eleven when she was born. He knew men who were married to women twenty and thirty years their junior, for Christ’s sake.
Following the cheese with a slice of dried apple, Jake regarded her once more and strove to recover his sense of humor. “Do I creak when I walk?” he asked with mock concern. “I rub my joints daily with axle grease. The doctor promised that’d cure the problem.”
Her eyes were still wary, but he glimpsed a smile flirting at the corners of her mouth.
“I have it.” He held out his hand and made it tremble. “You noticed the palsy, didn’t you? Embarrassing that, but unavoidable for a fellow of my advanced years.”
The smile finally broke loose and spread across her mouth.
Warming to the game, Jake lifted his gaze skyward and groaned. “Oh, no. It was all that rain yesterday, wasn’t it? It washed the shoe blacking out of my hair. Admit it. You saw black streams running down my neck, didn’t you?”
She rewarded him with a musical giggle, which she immediately stifled by biting her lower lip. The sound tantalized him. Lord, but she was sweet. He was happy to note that the wariness no longer lurked in her eyes.
“I didn’t mean any offense, Jake.”
She said his name as if it were an intimacy, and her cheeks turned a delightful pink.
“You’re not that old,” she added.
“Tell me I’m a handsome devil, and maybe I’ll forgive you.”
She giggled again. The sound warmed him clear through.
“You’re a handsome devil,” she replied. “A very young handsome devil, so young you’re still wet behind the ears.”
“You’re definitely forgiven.”
Lobo flicked his ears toward the hillside. Jake followed the wolf’s gaze but saw nothing.
“Don’t mind Lobo. He probably sees his dessert running around up there. Rabbits are his favorite food.” She returned her second sandwich to the saddlebag, then started on her cake. After taking a bite, she skimmed her lips with her tongue to lick away flecks of chocolate. “Mr. Rand . . .”
“Are we off on that again?”
“Jake.” The pink flush returned to her cheeks. “May I ask you something?”
“I’m thirty.”
“No,” she said with a laugh, “not about your age.”
“Ask away.”
She turned her cake as if studying it for flaws. “Can you explain why you don’t have calluses like most miners?”
It wasn’t what he expected. Jake looked down at a palm. A dozen lies swam through his mind, but for reasons beyond him, he couldn’t voice them. He had come here knowing he’d have to lie his way into a position of trust, and he had thought himself prepared to do that. That had been before he had met Indigo and her parents.
“I, um . . .” He cleared his throat. “For the past several years, I’ve been doing desk work.”
“Desk work?”
“For a very
Recalling the steely power she had felt in his body last night, she nearly shivered. His collar hung open to reveal the burnished column of his sturdy neck. When he moved, the green wool of his shirt pulled tight, showing the delineation of bunched muscle in his shoulders and arms. She tried to imagine his strength being targeted at her and decided she’d have a better chance pitting herself against a stone wall.
“You’re not afraid of anyone at all?” He studied her as if he found her response highly amusing. “I’m impressed. I thought just about everyone was afraid of someone.”
The question jerked her back to the present. She gathered her composure and finally managed to reply. “Oh? And who do you fear, Mr. Rand?”
The question left Jake drawing a blank. “I’d appreciate it if you’d call me Jake.”
“You’re my elder. It wouldn’t be respectful.”
He winced. “I’m not exactly a Methuselah.”
Having her refer to him as her elder rankled. He shoved an entire piece of cheese in his mouth. Thirty wasn’t that old. He’d only been—he did a quick calculation—eleven when she was born. He knew men who were married to women twenty and thirty years their junior, for Christ’s sake.
Following the cheese with a slice of dried apple, Jake regarded her once more and strove to recover his sense of humor. “Do I creak when I walk?” he asked with mock concern. “I rub my joints daily with axle grease. The doctor promised that’d cure the problem.”
Her eyes were still wary, but he glimpsed a smile flirting at the corners of her mouth.
“I have it.” He held out his hand and made it tremble. “You noticed the palsy, didn’t you? Embarrassing that, but unavoidable for a fellow of my advanced years.”
The smile finally broke loose and spread across her mouth.
Warming to the game, Jake lifted his gaze skyward and groaned. “Oh, no. It was all that rain yesterday, wasn’t it? It washed the shoe blacking out of my hair. Admit it. You saw black streams running down my neck, didn’t you?”
She rewarded him with a musical giggle, which she immediately stifled by biting her lower lip. The sound tantalized him. Lord, but she was sweet. He was happy to note that the wariness no longer lurked in her eyes.
“I didn’t mean any offense, Jake.”
She said his name as if it were an intimacy, and her cheeks turned a delightful pink.
“You’re not that old,” she added.
“Tell me I’m a handsome devil, and maybe I’ll forgive you.”
She giggled again. The sound warmed him clear through.
“You’re a handsome devil,” she replied. “A very young handsome devil, so young you’re still wet behind the ears.”
“You’re definitely forgiven.”
Lobo flicked his ears toward the hillside. Jake followed the wolf’s gaze but saw nothing.
“Don’t mind Lobo. He probably sees his dessert running around up there. Rabbits are his favorite food.” She returned her second sandwich to the saddlebag, then started on her cake. After taking a bite, she skimmed her lips with her tongue to lick away flecks of chocolate. “Mr. Rand . . .”
“Are we off on that again?”
“Jake.” The pink flush returned to her cheeks. “May I ask you something?”
“I’m thirty.”
“No,” she said with a laugh, “not about your age.”
“Ask away.”
She turned her cake as if studying it for flaws. “Can you explain why you don’t have calluses like most miners?”
It wasn’t what he expected. Jake looked down at a palm. A dozen lies swam through his mind, but for reasons beyond him, he couldn’t voice them. He had come here knowing he’d have to lie his way into a position of trust, and he had thought himself prepared to do that. That had been before he had met Indigo and her parents.
“I, um . . .” He cleared his throat. “For the past several years, I’ve been doing desk work.”
“Desk work?”
“For a very
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