Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie Page B

charged ahead and opened the corral. She helped him steer the cows inside, then she secured the gate.
    “We’ll give them something to eat in the morning,” Jennie said in a weary voice as they dismounted and led their horses to the barn. “They should be fine for one night.”
    He followed her into the barn and put Saul away. The light of the moon coming through the open doors allowed enough light to see by. Caleb pulled off the saddle and gave Saul a quick brush over.
    “Do you need a hand?” he asked when he finished.
    Jennie shook her head, running a currycomb once more over Dandy’s flanks. “I’m done for tonight.”
    Tossing the brush onto the table with the others, she joined him near the doors. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she took in the sight of his face. “What happened? You’re covered in blood.” She lifted her hand as if to touch him, but she clearly thought better of it.
    A strange twinge of disappointment flared inside him and then disappeared. “One of the cowboys grazed my ear with his shot,” Caleb answered. “I’m just glad he didn’t take the whole thing off.”
    “I heard the gunfire, but I couldn’t tell who was firing at whom. When I saw you waving your silly hat, I knew you were all right.” A faint smile lifted her mouth. “Let’s get you patched up inside.”
    She closed the barn doors and fell into step beside him as he started for the house. He shot a glance at her and saw her quickly look away. Now that the excitement of rustling back her cattle had faded, Caleb felt awkwardness between them.
    “About that...um...” He coughed, suddenly unsure how to proceed.
    “You mean the kiss?” Jennie stopped walking and turned to face him, her arms folded.
    Caleb ran a hand over his stubbled chin. “Yes, that. If I’ve been too casual in my teasing...”
    “If you’re worried about your job, you shouldn’t. I won’t...do that again.” She stared down at her boots and shrugged. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I suppose I was just caught up in the moment and the possibility of something happening to either of us.”
    “Jennie.”
    He touched her sleeve, but he wished he hadn’t done it when the gesture made her peer up at him. Even the dim light couldn’t erase the hurt he saw reflected in those dark eyes. He wanted to say something to take the pain away...but then the front door flew open and the moment was lost.
    * * *
    Jennie looked up as Will came out onto the porch. “We thought we heard you,” he said. “What happened?”
    Jennie seized the opportunity to distance herself from Caleb and hurried toward her brother. “We’re fine, Will. The cattle are fine, too.”
    Grandma Jones appeared in the doorway. “We’ve been sick with worry.”
    Caleb trailed the family into the kitchen, and Jennie heard Grandma Jones and Will gasp at the sight of the blood trickling down his neck and into the collar of his shirt.
    “Oh, my! You’re bleeding. What happened?” Grandma Jones asked Caleb, fussing around the kitchen for medical supplies.
    “We went after the cattle, Grandma.” Jennie sank into a chair. “Someone stole them.”
    “What?” Will exclaimed.
    “For goodness’ sake. And you went after them yourselves?” Grandma Jones stopped midway through cleaning Caleb’s injury with a damp cloth. “Good thing I didn’t know. Why didn’t you go for the sheriff?”
    Jennie placed her elbows on the table and massaged at her forehead. Her head ached and she felt weighed down with weariness. “There wasn’t time. I tracked their trail before I came to the church. I figured if Caleb and I hurried, we could find the cattle.”
    Will flipped around a chair and sat down, his arms resting against the back. “How’d you get ’em?”
    “Caleb pretended to be traveling in the area.” She looked over at Caleb, careful to guard her expression. “While he distracted the three cowhands, I drove off the cattle.”
    Grandma Jones shook her gray head in disbelief.