McKenzie, there are a few conditions by which you’ll
need to abide.”
After tonight, she wasn’t so certain that it was
Cutter she should mistrust, but herself.
The hairs on the back of Cutter’s neck bristled.
“Such as?”
Her chin lifted a notch. “Such as,” she proposed,
“you will never, ever, try to—to kiss me again! And you will not touch me.
And you will not spend your leisure time with—with women like Bess!
You’re supposed to be traveling as my husband, after all.”
“If you say so.”
“ And ,”
she continued, “I’ll need my own mount. And my own bedding,” she added hastily.
“Furthermore, we will never sleep in the same bed—or even the same room!
Not if it can be helped!”
Cutter was prepared to accept every one of her
shrewdly given demands, and hated himself for it; his voice fell to little more
than a seething whisper. “Anythin’ else, Doc?”
“Yes!” Elizabeth said, disregarding his scorn. “I
mean to hire someone else once we’ve arrived safely in St. Louis. For obvious
reasons, I cannot present you as my lawful husband.”
As horrible as it sounded, she had no choice but
to tell Cutter the truth.
He flinched noticeably, as though she’d actually
slapped him, then his expression shuttered. Elizabeth took another step
backward, thinking that he looked ready to pounce suddenly, and tear her limb
from limb.
“Cutter,” she appealed, as he turned abruptly and
reached for the knob. “Try to understand!” An awful sinking sensation stirred
in the pit of her stomach as he jerked open the door so ferociously that a rush
of air whisked by her face.
“It’s just that I can’t—” Cutter didn’t wait
long enough to hear her explanation. The door slammed shut so violently that it
jarred the frame, “—chance losing my niece,” she finished lamely.
Stunned by Cutter’s brusque departure, Elizabeth
simply stood, gaping at the door, unsure of what to do next. Bewildered, she
came forward and leaned upon it, needing the support. Her legs felt oddly
insubstantial beneath her.
Surely he didn’t mean to refuse her now? Not after
all that she’d had to endure? Good lord! Was she supposed to hunt him down now
and beg his assistance?
It was an agonizingly long moment later when she
realized that she’d not heard Cutter’s door close—nor open, for that
matter—and her heart skipped a beat. Surely he didn’t mean to just leave
her where she stood... without a way back to Sioux Falls?
Without any money either. She doubted she had
enough to pay for both the room and a horse! Maybe he’d already paid for the
room. Had he? Muddled as her mind was, she couldn’t remember. Numbly she locked
the door and leaned back against it, her mind reeling.
After a long moment, she walked to the bed,
stumbling over the bedcovers on the way. There she sat, pressing a hand to her
temple. The tiniest headache had persisted all day, and now threatened to
explode.
Merciful heaven, what was she going to do?
Think, she told herself firmly.
Come on now, Elizabeth, don’t panic. “It won’t
help a thing,” she whispered to herself. Slipping her thumbnail between her
teeth, she chewed it contemplatively.
She grimaced suddenly as a thought occurred to
her. She wouldn’t put it past McKenzie to have paid for his own room, leaving
her bill unsettled.
Well, she determined with a heartfelt sigh, she
couldn’t worry about that just now. There was too much else to fret over. Her
thundering head, for instance. Wearily she lay back upon the small bed, and
covered her forehead with her damp palm.
First thing in the morning she would go to the
livery and purchase a sturdy mount for herself. Either way—whether it was
on to St. Louis or back to Sioux Falls—she’d need a reliable horse for
the journey. Calming somewhat with that decision, she took a deep breath.
Things would work out; surely they would.
They had to.
But what if she didn’t have any money left over
after
need to abide.”
After tonight, she wasn’t so certain that it was
Cutter she should mistrust, but herself.
The hairs on the back of Cutter’s neck bristled.
“Such as?”
Her chin lifted a notch. “Such as,” she proposed,
“you will never, ever, try to—to kiss me again! And you will not touch me.
And you will not spend your leisure time with—with women like Bess!
You’re supposed to be traveling as my husband, after all.”
“If you say so.”
“ And ,”
she continued, “I’ll need my own mount. And my own bedding,” she added hastily.
“Furthermore, we will never sleep in the same bed—or even the same room!
Not if it can be helped!”
Cutter was prepared to accept every one of her
shrewdly given demands, and hated himself for it; his voice fell to little more
than a seething whisper. “Anythin’ else, Doc?”
“Yes!” Elizabeth said, disregarding his scorn. “I
mean to hire someone else once we’ve arrived safely in St. Louis. For obvious
reasons, I cannot present you as my lawful husband.”
As horrible as it sounded, she had no choice but
to tell Cutter the truth.
He flinched noticeably, as though she’d actually
slapped him, then his expression shuttered. Elizabeth took another step
backward, thinking that he looked ready to pounce suddenly, and tear her limb
from limb.
“Cutter,” she appealed, as he turned abruptly and
reached for the knob. “Try to understand!” An awful sinking sensation stirred
in the pit of her stomach as he jerked open the door so ferociously that a rush
of air whisked by her face.
“It’s just that I can’t—” Cutter didn’t wait
long enough to hear her explanation. The door slammed shut so violently that it
jarred the frame, “—chance losing my niece,” she finished lamely.
Stunned by Cutter’s brusque departure, Elizabeth
simply stood, gaping at the door, unsure of what to do next. Bewildered, she
came forward and leaned upon it, needing the support. Her legs felt oddly
insubstantial beneath her.
Surely he didn’t mean to refuse her now? Not after
all that she’d had to endure? Good lord! Was she supposed to hunt him down now
and beg his assistance?
It was an agonizingly long moment later when she
realized that she’d not heard Cutter’s door close—nor open, for that
matter—and her heart skipped a beat. Surely he didn’t mean to just leave
her where she stood... without a way back to Sioux Falls?
Without any money either. She doubted she had
enough to pay for both the room and a horse! Maybe he’d already paid for the
room. Had he? Muddled as her mind was, she couldn’t remember. Numbly she locked
the door and leaned back against it, her mind reeling.
After a long moment, she walked to the bed,
stumbling over the bedcovers on the way. There she sat, pressing a hand to her
temple. The tiniest headache had persisted all day, and now threatened to
explode.
Merciful heaven, what was she going to do?
Think, she told herself firmly.
Come on now, Elizabeth, don’t panic. “It won’t
help a thing,” she whispered to herself. Slipping her thumbnail between her
teeth, she chewed it contemplatively.
She grimaced suddenly as a thought occurred to
her. She wouldn’t put it past McKenzie to have paid for his own room, leaving
her bill unsettled.
Well, she determined with a heartfelt sigh, she
couldn’t worry about that just now. There was too much else to fret over. Her
thundering head, for instance. Wearily she lay back upon the small bed, and
covered her forehead with her damp palm.
First thing in the morning she would go to the
livery and purchase a sturdy mount for herself. Either way—whether it was
on to St. Louis or back to Sioux Falls—she’d need a reliable horse for
the journey. Calming somewhat with that decision, she took a deep breath.
Things would work out; surely they would.
They had to.
But what if she didn’t have any money left over
after
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