kind of a mother is she? the angry voice in his head asked. He shoved himself away from the side of the building and started to pace. With each metallic ching of his spurs he glared down the dusk-shrouded street.
Rachel had done without so much—too much. It would make him the happiest man in the Arizona Territory if he could introduce Rachel to her mother and see her little face light up with happiness.
He pulled his timepiece from the small pocket in his Levi’s and peered at it.
If she isn’t out here in two minutes, I am going to that hotel and bodily drag her back to Hollenbeck Corners.
He shoved the watch back in his pocket and looked up. Light footfalls drew his gaze. Her golden hair was pulled back from her face and caught with the combs. She looked pale and lost beneath that crown of yellow curls. When she reached him she stopped and tilted her chin upward defiantly.
“I am willing to abide by your terms, Mr. O’Bannion—just see that you stick to them yourself.”
“I always keep my word. Always.” There was a threat in that soft-spoken voice. “You would do well to remember that fact.”
The stage appeared from out of nowhere. The horses were snorting and pawing the ground, stirring up so much dust that Marydyth could taste it on the back of her tongue.
Her stomach suddenly twisted. Just a few more hours and she would see her baby again.
“Let me have that.” Flynn lifted the carpetbag from her hand. She blinked and tried to rein in her thoughts. There was such a storm of emotion going on inside her she was afraid to speak, afraid to move for fear it would all come pouring out. Marydyth closed her hands into fists, fighting to control herself.
When Flynn touched her elbow she jumped, then felt her face flame bright red. She wished she would quit reacting to him, but it wasn’t easy. She was so aware of his presence—and it was more than just his tall, lanky body and intimidating size. Each time he fastened that cold, agate gaze on her face she felt herself cringe. It was maddening that he had that effect on her. She knew whatit was, of course; it was still her guilt over what she had done all those years ago.
But she had paid her dues and done her hard time in Yuma. The slate was clean now—the governor had evidently thought so too, because she was free. Yet as she looked at Flynn’s face when he helped her inside, she realized that she had not forgiven herself for what she had done and Flynn affected her because his eyes reflected her own guilt.
He closed the door and stood there with his wide fingers curled over the edge of the stage door.
“Aren’t you getting in?” she heard herself ask. It had taken twenty minutes of argument with herself before she’d been sure that she could bear to sit with him for the length of the journey.
“We’ll be seeing more’n enough of each other very soon,” he said with a narrowing of his eyes. “I’ll ride up top with the driver.”
She caught herself before she expelled a sigh of relief. His hard straight mouth curled up on one side but he never quite smiled.
“I thought that would make you happy,” he said with a snort, and then he was gone.
Marydyth collapsed back against the squabs. Living with him in the same house was going to be like having a jailer again.
She pressed her palms into her lap and tried to calm herself. An excitement such as she had never known threatened to squeeze the life out of her. She closed her eyes and tried to count to twenty, but it was useless. She didn’t want to miss out on seeing anything. The only other passenger—thankfully—was a taciturn old man who squinted at her once, then pulled his hat low over his eyes and fell asleep. She was left alone, not requiredto make conversation or withstand the scrutiny of somebody who recognized her.
She sat back in the seat and stared out the window, watching as the familiar and yet somehow forgotten landscape of the Arizona desert rolled by.
The day-long
Rachel had done without so much—too much. It would make him the happiest man in the Arizona Territory if he could introduce Rachel to her mother and see her little face light up with happiness.
He pulled his timepiece from the small pocket in his Levi’s and peered at it.
If she isn’t out here in two minutes, I am going to that hotel and bodily drag her back to Hollenbeck Corners.
He shoved the watch back in his pocket and looked up. Light footfalls drew his gaze. Her golden hair was pulled back from her face and caught with the combs. She looked pale and lost beneath that crown of yellow curls. When she reached him she stopped and tilted her chin upward defiantly.
“I am willing to abide by your terms, Mr. O’Bannion—just see that you stick to them yourself.”
“I always keep my word. Always.” There was a threat in that soft-spoken voice. “You would do well to remember that fact.”
The stage appeared from out of nowhere. The horses were snorting and pawing the ground, stirring up so much dust that Marydyth could taste it on the back of her tongue.
Her stomach suddenly twisted. Just a few more hours and she would see her baby again.
“Let me have that.” Flynn lifted the carpetbag from her hand. She blinked and tried to rein in her thoughts. There was such a storm of emotion going on inside her she was afraid to speak, afraid to move for fear it would all come pouring out. Marydyth closed her hands into fists, fighting to control herself.
When Flynn touched her elbow she jumped, then felt her face flame bright red. She wished she would quit reacting to him, but it wasn’t easy. She was so aware of his presence—and it was more than just his tall, lanky body and intimidating size. Each time he fastened that cold, agate gaze on her face she felt herself cringe. It was maddening that he had that effect on her. She knew whatit was, of course; it was still her guilt over what she had done all those years ago.
But she had paid her dues and done her hard time in Yuma. The slate was clean now—the governor had evidently thought so too, because she was free. Yet as she looked at Flynn’s face when he helped her inside, she realized that she had not forgiven herself for what she had done and Flynn affected her because his eyes reflected her own guilt.
He closed the door and stood there with his wide fingers curled over the edge of the stage door.
“Aren’t you getting in?” she heard herself ask. It had taken twenty minutes of argument with herself before she’d been sure that she could bear to sit with him for the length of the journey.
“We’ll be seeing more’n enough of each other very soon,” he said with a narrowing of his eyes. “I’ll ride up top with the driver.”
She caught herself before she expelled a sigh of relief. His hard straight mouth curled up on one side but he never quite smiled.
“I thought that would make you happy,” he said with a snort, and then he was gone.
Marydyth collapsed back against the squabs. Living with him in the same house was going to be like having a jailer again.
She pressed her palms into her lap and tried to calm herself. An excitement such as she had never known threatened to squeeze the life out of her. She closed her eyes and tried to count to twenty, but it was useless. She didn’t want to miss out on seeing anything. The only other passenger—thankfully—was a taciturn old man who squinted at her once, then pulled his hat low over his eyes and fell asleep. She was left alone, not requiredto make conversation or withstand the scrutiny of somebody who recognized her.
She sat back in the seat and stared out the window, watching as the familiar and yet somehow forgotten landscape of the Arizona desert rolled by.
The day-long
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