Texas Blue by JODI THOMAS Page B

to distribute his weight more evenly and control the animal with far less effort. She’d told him it was probably far more comfortable for the horse, but to his surprise it was also more comfortable for him. His new heavy twill trousers and boots protected his legs, and the gloves buffered the blisters on his palms.
    When she shot off toward the west, he was only a few lengths behind. They rode what she called the border , as though Whispering Mountain were its own country. They looked for breaks in the fence or places where the animals might get themselves in trouble. They stopped three times to mend a fence and once to check out tracks. She told him that once in a while big cats would come down from far back in the hills looking for food in winter.
    Lewt didn’t like to think about what one of the mountain lions could do to a newborn horse. He was starting to understand why she cared so much for the beautiful animals and why she wore a gun to keep them safe.
    When he bumped her for the third time as he straightened the fence, he stopped suddenly and dropped the pole he’d been holding.
    “What are you doing? We don’t have it in place yet.” She straightened, angry at their wasted effort.
    “I’ve had enough,” he said simply. “Every time I accidentally touch you, I feel you freeze in panic or bristle like a porcupine. Em, I’m not going to attack you or hurt you. Even if I thought about it you’d shoot me, so why would I even try?”
    “We need to get this fence fixed.”
    “We need to get this settled between us.” Neither of them moved. “Hit me, Em. Hit me hard. Get some of that anger out. I don’t know if you’re mad at all men or just me, but I’m here. I’m your target.”
    “I don’t want to hit you.” She straightened.
    “Yes, you do. I got a feeling you want to hit every man in the world, so you might as well start with me.” He widened his stance. “Hit me. We’re not finishing this fence until you get this out of your system, and I seem to be the only male near enough for you to hate.”
    She glared at him, raised her hand, and slapped his shoulder.
    He didn’t budge. “Hit me hard!”
    All the anger she’d stored since she was a child huddled in a corner of her parents’ bedroom exploded, and she swung hard into his shoulder.
    He staggered a half step backward and waited for another blow.
    Memories of the way her real father had hurt her mother came rolling back. She’d watched him attack her and bed her. She’d heard her mother choke down screams so she wouldn’t wake her daughters. But Em had been awake. She’d witnessed it all.
    Suddenly, she was slamming her fist against Lewt’s chest as if he were somehow to blame. He made no effort to block a single blow. The wall of his chest was solid against her assault and she guessed she must be planting bruises, but she didn’t stop.
    Finally a sob broke from her throat, and she would have collapsed if he hadn’t held her up. She gulped down tears as rage settled inside her, no longer burning.
    “It’s all right, Em,” he finally whispered. “I don’t know if I’ll be here beyond this week or if we’ll ever see each other again, but I want you to know and believe that I’m never going to hurt you. If I come too close you can pound on me again, but don’t be afraid of me.” He looked down at her. “Em, never be afraid of me again.”
    She straightened and pulled away. “Why’d you let me do that to you? It must have hurt.”
    “I don’t know. Half the time I look at you, I get the feeling you’re fighting to keep from clobbering me.” He studied her, wondering if she was even aware of how she watched every step when he was near. “You all right now?”
    “I’m all right,” she answered. He offered his hand, and she took it for a moment. “Thank you,” she whispered as they turned back to the fence.
    “You’re welcome,” he whispered back, already tackling the job at hand.
    The sun was melting in the west