Surprised, April watched him pour a cup and hold it out to her. She hesitated before crossing to where he crouched and took the offered cup.
“So, I repeat, what are you going to do with me?”
He glanced up at her from under a lowered brow. “I’m going to take you back to Abasca and then come back and follow the trail again.”
April pulled her lips in between her teeth, pressing them together. She sat down on the crate she had vacated the night before. When she finally looked at him, she found him watching her.
“Look, Mr. Jackson.” His eyebrows lifted at his name, and she stumbled to a halt. His eyes grew dark and stormy.
“How do you know my name?” he asked in a quiet voice that was frightening in its intensity.
She explained about Al’s returning to town. His eyes began to gleam, and April felt real fear for her brother.
“So, it
is
Miller’s gang.”
Confused, April tilted her head slightly. “Miller?”
His eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re good, I’ll give you that. The perfect picture of innocence.”
April felt her temper begin to rise. Trying to keep it in check, she took a deep breath before continuing.
“Mr. Jackson, I
am
innocent. I have no idea who this
Miller
is that you’re talking about.”
“Mm hmm.”
Throwing all restraint to the wind, she snapped back at him. “Fine, then take me back to town. I’m certain no jury in the world would convict me if they knew the facts.”
“And the facts being…?”
She was sorely tempted to smack that smug look off of his face. “I was unwittingly involved in that bank robbery.” Something occurred to her, and she gave him a hard look. “How did you find this place so fast anyway? Surely you weren’t just passing through the vicinity when they called for you.”
A quick look flashed into his eyes and was just as quickly gone. “Hoping to have more time to get away?”
He was obviously going to ignore her question. “I told you. Just take me back to town and be off on your search.”
His slow smile made her insides tingle. “No can do,” he told her softly. “It’s been raining for the last hour, and with the temperatures dropping, we’re going to have an ice storm.”
Panic robbed her of speech. To be lodged inside this small cave with this big…
man
suddenly shortened her breath. Her chest rose and fell in alarming rapidity.
“We can’t just stay here,” she finally managed to whisper.
“Woman,” he told her in aggravation, shifting away from her until his back was against the cave wall. “If I wanted to do something to you I could have done it long before now. I’ve been sitting here for the past three hours.”
The thought of him sitting there watching her sleep left her slightly rattled. She didn’t know what to say.
“By the way,” he said, lifting the steaming cup to his lips. “Did you know that you snore?”
Affronted, she forgot to be afraid. “I most certainly do not!”
He grinned, nodding his head. “Yep, you do. It’s kinda cute, though.”
Of all the compliments to receive, this had to be the worst. He was unlike any man she had ever met, savage or otherwise.
“Look, Mr. Jackson.”
“You can call me Wolf. Most folks do,” he interrupted.
With his slanting eyes gleaming at her, he certainly reminded her of one. The wolf from
Little Red Riding Hood
had been a sweet talker, too. It was an analogy she would rather forget.
“Mr. Jackson,” she reiterated and watched the slow smile curve his lips again. If she didn’t know better, she would believe him capable of reading minds. “I don’t mind a little rain and cold. We can’t be that far from town.”
His amused look made her feel like a foolish little schoolgirl. “We’re a good forty miles.”
Her mouth dropped open. “That can’t be. We made it here in one day.”
“Yep, hard, long riding will do it. I made it in six hours, myself. I’d say it probably took you the better part of fifteen.”
She went to the
“So, I repeat, what are you going to do with me?”
He glanced up at her from under a lowered brow. “I’m going to take you back to Abasca and then come back and follow the trail again.”
April pulled her lips in between her teeth, pressing them together. She sat down on the crate she had vacated the night before. When she finally looked at him, she found him watching her.
“Look, Mr. Jackson.” His eyebrows lifted at his name, and she stumbled to a halt. His eyes grew dark and stormy.
“How do you know my name?” he asked in a quiet voice that was frightening in its intensity.
She explained about Al’s returning to town. His eyes began to gleam, and April felt real fear for her brother.
“So, it
is
Miller’s gang.”
Confused, April tilted her head slightly. “Miller?”
His eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re good, I’ll give you that. The perfect picture of innocence.”
April felt her temper begin to rise. Trying to keep it in check, she took a deep breath before continuing.
“Mr. Jackson, I
am
innocent. I have no idea who this
Miller
is that you’re talking about.”
“Mm hmm.”
Throwing all restraint to the wind, she snapped back at him. “Fine, then take me back to town. I’m certain no jury in the world would convict me if they knew the facts.”
“And the facts being…?”
She was sorely tempted to smack that smug look off of his face. “I was unwittingly involved in that bank robbery.” Something occurred to her, and she gave him a hard look. “How did you find this place so fast anyway? Surely you weren’t just passing through the vicinity when they called for you.”
A quick look flashed into his eyes and was just as quickly gone. “Hoping to have more time to get away?”
He was obviously going to ignore her question. “I told you. Just take me back to town and be off on your search.”
His slow smile made her insides tingle. “No can do,” he told her softly. “It’s been raining for the last hour, and with the temperatures dropping, we’re going to have an ice storm.”
Panic robbed her of speech. To be lodged inside this small cave with this big…
man
suddenly shortened her breath. Her chest rose and fell in alarming rapidity.
“We can’t just stay here,” she finally managed to whisper.
“Woman,” he told her in aggravation, shifting away from her until his back was against the cave wall. “If I wanted to do something to you I could have done it long before now. I’ve been sitting here for the past three hours.”
The thought of him sitting there watching her sleep left her slightly rattled. She didn’t know what to say.
“By the way,” he said, lifting the steaming cup to his lips. “Did you know that you snore?”
Affronted, she forgot to be afraid. “I most certainly do not!”
He grinned, nodding his head. “Yep, you do. It’s kinda cute, though.”
Of all the compliments to receive, this had to be the worst. He was unlike any man she had ever met, savage or otherwise.
“Look, Mr. Jackson.”
“You can call me Wolf. Most folks do,” he interrupted.
With his slanting eyes gleaming at her, he certainly reminded her of one. The wolf from
Little Red Riding Hood
had been a sweet talker, too. It was an analogy she would rather forget.
“Mr. Jackson,” she reiterated and watched the slow smile curve his lips again. If she didn’t know better, she would believe him capable of reading minds. “I don’t mind a little rain and cold. We can’t be that far from town.”
His amused look made her feel like a foolish little schoolgirl. “We’re a good forty miles.”
Her mouth dropped open. “That can’t be. We made it here in one day.”
“Yep, hard, long riding will do it. I made it in six hours, myself. I’d say it probably took you the better part of fifteen.”
She went to the
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