Savage Winter by Constance O'Banyon

body. She couldn’t bear to be compared with Joanna again and come up the loser. She was determined to wipe Joanna’s memory from his mind once and for all. Rubbing her body against him, she pulled his head down and kissed him hungrily.
    “You aren’t her, but you’ll do for now,” Howard whispered hotly into her ear.
    The morning sun found the two Boggs brothers still riding hard. Joanna hadn’t regained consciousness, and Chester was beginning to feel worried lest he had hit her too hard.
    “Hold up, Jim, we best stop by the river and see to this gal.”
    Jim dismounted and held his arms up so his brother could hand Joanna to him. He then laid her down on the grass and stood up as his brother approached.
    “My God, Chester, she’s the prettiest little thing I ever did see!”
    Both brothers stared at the beautiful, flame-haired Joanna. Her soft features were enhanced by her creamy white skin. The doeskin gown did nothing to hide the lovely curves of her body. Her face was unbelievably lovely, except for the bruise on her chin where Chester had struck her.
    Chester bent down and cupped his hands in the river, then trickled the water over her face.
    Joanna moaned and slowly opened her eyes. At first she was confused and disoriented, not knowing why she was lying on the ground. Her eyes widened when she saw the two strange men who were bending over her.
    Chester gave her his hand and helped her sit up. “How are you feeling, young lady? I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. Idon’t think I ever did strike a woman before. Do you think you can stand up?”
    Joanna shook her head, still in a state of confusion. She noticed both men were wearing buckskin trousers and shirts. One was clean-shaven, and the other wore a beard. “Who are you? Why have you done this to me?”
    The clean-shaven man, who appeared to be the younger of the two, took Joanna’s hand and helped her to stand. “I’m Jim Boggs, and this here’s my brother, Chester.”
    “What do you want with me?” Joanna asked, seeing nothing in the two brothers’ attitude to make her fear them.
    “We was hired to bring you to Fort Union. We was told not to say any more than that.”
    “Who would have hired you to do such a thing? If Captain Thatcher sent you after me, he will not be well pleased that you have forced me to come with you. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll allow me to return to the Blackfoot village,” she said, still not understanding what was going on. Who were these men? Who had hired them to take her away? It had to be Harland…but why?
    “Well, now, we can’t rightly do that,” Chester replied, looking into her violet-colored eyes. “You will either agree to come with us peacefully or we will tie you on your horse…which is it to be?”
    Joanna’s eyes went to the younger brother, who had removed his buckskin shirt and was bathing his shoulder with river water.
    “Where she stabbed me don’t look too deep, Chester, but it hurts like hell!” His eyes went to Joanna. “Why did you go and stick me for?”
    Joanna shook her head in confusion. She still wasn’t sure what had happened. The last thing she remembered was being dragged from Fosset’s back.
    Chester paid no attention to his brother; he was waiting for Joanna’s answer. “Have you decided if you will come along peaceably, Miss James? Do you come of your own free will, or do we make it hard on you?”
    Joanna gave him a heated glance, knowing she had little choice in the matter. Harland would hear about this when she saw him, she decided.
    “I will come with you because I am forced to, but I doubt if Captain Thatcher will appreciate your methods. You had better look to your back, because if my husband, Windhawk, catches up with you, I will not be able to stay his hand from harming you.”
    Joanna noticed that Chester’s face whitened. “What did you say?” he asked in an uneven voice.
    She raised her head proudly, seeing the shock that registered on the