The Gambler by Lois Greiman Page B

might loosely be called their camp. Scowling, he thrust her down onto the log again. "I haven't had a woman in... hell... I haven't had a woman in half a lifetime. But you couldn't pay me enough to take you. I promise you that much. Even I," he began, but suddenly he stopped talking and toppled her over the log with a firm thrust to her shoulder. She was on her back with him on top, hand over her mouth, as usual, and legs tangled in her skirt.
    Stunned as she was, she still managed a few good solid kicks to his shins. His low grunt of pain made her feel slightly better, but now he pulled her closer to the log, palm still clasped over her mouth as he peered over the rotten wood. A horse's low nicker of welcome greeted them.
    "Look at that," Raven said, letting Charm rise to her knees to peer into the darkness. “The horse came back."
    In a moment the gelding had his neck stretched over the log to gently nudge Charm's shoulder.
    "Amazing!" Raven said. "Somebody likes you. But then, you haven't tried to kill him yet." He rose to his feet. Even in the darkness he looked stiff. "Watch your shins, old man," he warned, moving to the back of the saddle. The gelding shuffled a step closer to the log.
    Charm looked into the big equine eyes and tentatively reached up with her bound hands to rub his brow. He lowered his head and seemed to sigh.
    "What's his name?" she asked.
    "How the devil would I know?" Raven worked at something behind the cantle. "You think he's my horse?" He glanced sideways now, studying the animal's head. He was white except for brown spots splashed randomly about his raw-boned body. His head was large, and had one ear that had been torn in half, so that it drooped pathetically. "You sure he's a horse at all? Leave it to Clancy to find the ugliest animal in the territory."
    "I think he's pretty," Charm said softly.
    "Yeah?" Raven looked at the horse before shifting his gaze to her. "Well, you're a sick woman."
    Charm scowled. All right, the horse wasn't exactly pretty, but he had heart, and he liked her, which was all that was necessary to endear him to her. "Why did you buy him if you think he's so ugly?"
    "I told you he's not my horse!" Raven stormed. "You think I had Clancy stashed away somewhere holding my mount, ready to save me from the eventuality of a lynch mob?" He snorted. "You think this is the kind of animal I'd choose if I had? I thought you knew all about men. Not that I want to crush your esteemed opinion of Bodine, seeing how you want to sleep with him and all, but he stole the animal, decided he hadn't made my life miserable enough yet, and came riding in..."—he waved vaguely into the darkness and spooked the gelding with his movement—"came riding in to remedy that fact," Raven finished. "It was just blind luck that the horse came wandering back here. And with the blankets tied behind." He threw one at Charm, spooking the animal again before moving away from the gelding.
    "Aren't you going to take his saddle off?" she asked. "You should."
    "Why?"
    "He'll get sore. What if he wants to lie down?"
    "I'm sore!" Raven said with a scowl. "Why shouldn't he be?"
    Charm scowled. "Because he didn't tie me up. You have to take his saddle off."
    "You want it off, you take it off," said Raven.
    Charm struggled to her feet. Her hands were still tied, making it difficult to scramble over the log to the gelding's side. He wasn't a big horse. Fourteen hands maybe, but he was built for endurance with solid bone and a well-sloped shoulder. She had always liked horses and had learned as much about them as her lot in life had allowed.
    Now she ran her hands down his neck, feeling the sinewy strength there before attempting to free the saddle. Her fingers, however, refused to cooperate, for they'd become stiff and unwieldy. She fumbled for a while, catching her inner lip between her teeth and frowning.
    "Oh, for Christ's sake," said Raven, pushing her hands aside. "Let me do that."
    The saddle was removed in a