laughing happily, they all rode along, the hours and miles passing swiftly as they recalled young men they'd known, parties they'd attended, and stolen kisses they remembered fondly. Gabrielle enjoyed her new friends' tales, but none save Erica noticed that she alone revealed nothing of her past.
That same good humor carried the young women through days when Jason's prediction proved correct and they did indeed have to unload their wagon five or six times when the countless streams which crossed the prairie threatened to keep its wheels permanently lodged in the slimy mud of the stream bed. The sun always rose too early after such days as those, but after the less strenuous ones Gabrielle was often a restless sleeper, waking frequently and unable to find a comfortable pose no matter how many she tried. On one such night as she lay staring up into the darkness, she heard the plaintive strains of a far off melody. Sitting up she tried to identify its source. Someone was playing a harmonica, a slow mournful tune which brought tears to her eyes as she listened. Her curiosity would not allow her to rest until she had found the musician so she slipped quietly out of the wagon and with a stealthy step moved toward the hauntingly beautiful music.
Jason laid the harmonica aside as he reached for his rifle, he felt rather than heard someone approaching but he wanted to
take no chances. He was seated just outside the circle of light thrown by the flickering fire so his silhouette would not provide a target for some brave's arrow. Every muscle of his powerful body grew tense as he waited in the darkness for the unseen enemy to appear so he could blast him to kingdom come.
"Please don't stop. I didn't mean to disturb you; I simply wanted to listen to the music," Gabrielle called out softly.
"Gabrielle?" Dropping the rifle, Jason got to his feet, moved swiftly to her side, then led her around the edge of the fire into the shadows where he'd been seated. He pulled her down beside him as he gave her a stern warning. "I'm sorry if I disturbed your rest, but you mustn't wander around the camp in the darkness. A less experienced guard would have shot first and then gone to see who you were."
Gabrielle sighed sadly as she looked away. "I meant only to compliment a musician, not to disappoint you again." She could not even recall how many days it had been since she'd spoken to the man about taking a turn at standing guard. She saw him frequently for his responsibilities took him along the line of wagons several times each day, but he had not given her so much as a wave or nod, nor had she expected such attention.
"Disappoint me? That's an unusual way to describe a near catastrophe! Damn it, I could have killed you just now!" Jason was nearly shaking with rage, for his rebuke seemed to have made no impression upon the lively redhead.
"Well, you didn't, so you needn't be so angry with me." Gabrielle leaned forward, hugging her knees as she smoothed the folds of her soft linen nightgown into place.
Jason opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it since he knew he'd only be wasting his breath. "No, thank God, I did not, but you must promise me you'll not leave your wagon again at night no matter what you hear. It could be an entire symphony orchestra playing dance melodies—I don't care what it is—I want you to remain in your bed!"
Gabrielle stared into the glowing embers of the fire and tried
to imagine how such festive music would sound as it came drifting through the stillness of the prairie air. "I love to dance, do you?" she inquired softly.
"Of course/' Jason responded without needing time to think, for he would use any excuse to hold a beautiful woman in his arms. He realized her question was completely irrelevant to their discussion, hut suddenly he didn't care. She was so very lovely he did not want to remain angry with her. "Unfortunately, I can't play the harmonica and dance at the same time."
Pleased that his
That same good humor carried the young women through days when Jason's prediction proved correct and they did indeed have to unload their wagon five or six times when the countless streams which crossed the prairie threatened to keep its wheels permanently lodged in the slimy mud of the stream bed. The sun always rose too early after such days as those, but after the less strenuous ones Gabrielle was often a restless sleeper, waking frequently and unable to find a comfortable pose no matter how many she tried. On one such night as she lay staring up into the darkness, she heard the plaintive strains of a far off melody. Sitting up she tried to identify its source. Someone was playing a harmonica, a slow mournful tune which brought tears to her eyes as she listened. Her curiosity would not allow her to rest until she had found the musician so she slipped quietly out of the wagon and with a stealthy step moved toward the hauntingly beautiful music.
Jason laid the harmonica aside as he reached for his rifle, he felt rather than heard someone approaching but he wanted to
take no chances. He was seated just outside the circle of light thrown by the flickering fire so his silhouette would not provide a target for some brave's arrow. Every muscle of his powerful body grew tense as he waited in the darkness for the unseen enemy to appear so he could blast him to kingdom come.
"Please don't stop. I didn't mean to disturb you; I simply wanted to listen to the music," Gabrielle called out softly.
"Gabrielle?" Dropping the rifle, Jason got to his feet, moved swiftly to her side, then led her around the edge of the fire into the shadows where he'd been seated. He pulled her down beside him as he gave her a stern warning. "I'm sorry if I disturbed your rest, but you mustn't wander around the camp in the darkness. A less experienced guard would have shot first and then gone to see who you were."
Gabrielle sighed sadly as she looked away. "I meant only to compliment a musician, not to disappoint you again." She could not even recall how many days it had been since she'd spoken to the man about taking a turn at standing guard. She saw him frequently for his responsibilities took him along the line of wagons several times each day, but he had not given her so much as a wave or nod, nor had she expected such attention.
"Disappoint me? That's an unusual way to describe a near catastrophe! Damn it, I could have killed you just now!" Jason was nearly shaking with rage, for his rebuke seemed to have made no impression upon the lively redhead.
"Well, you didn't, so you needn't be so angry with me." Gabrielle leaned forward, hugging her knees as she smoothed the folds of her soft linen nightgown into place.
Jason opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it since he knew he'd only be wasting his breath. "No, thank God, I did not, but you must promise me you'll not leave your wagon again at night no matter what you hear. It could be an entire symphony orchestra playing dance melodies—I don't care what it is—I want you to remain in your bed!"
Gabrielle stared into the glowing embers of the fire and tried
to imagine how such festive music would sound as it came drifting through the stillness of the prairie air. "I love to dance, do you?" she inquired softly.
"Of course/' Jason responded without needing time to think, for he would use any excuse to hold a beautiful woman in his arms. He realized her question was completely irrelevant to their discussion, hut suddenly he didn't care. She was so very lovely he did not want to remain angry with her. "Unfortunately, I can't play the harmonica and dance at the same time."
Pleased that his
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