from his jacket and held it out to Juniper. “You need this more than I.”
“Thanks.”
“This is hardly a time for him to be hindered by drink,” she insisted.
Juniper glowered at her as he unscrewed the cap, then leaned over his foot. Air hissed through his teeth as he drizzled a clear stream over the trail of blood.
Lily cringed, knowing it must sting. She’d never have guessed he’d use the alcohol for his wound.
“Reg, can you grab a clean bandanna from my left saddlebag?”
Reginald rushed toward the saddles piled near a tree and quickly retrieved the red bandanna.
Lily watched silently as Juniper tied the fabric around his foot. Blood instantly darkened the cloth. He pulled on his soiled stocking and carefully slid his foot back into his boot, gritting his teeth the whole time.
She hadn’t meant to shoot him. Yet once again he’d caused a calamity and made her appear to be the one at fault!
He stood and limped toward the horses. He gathered all three by the reins and started walking toward the trees. “There’s coffee in my pack and water in my canteen. If either of you manage to start a fire, keep it small. Those men are probably on lookout. We don’t want to send up smoke signals to give away our location.”
“Where are you going?” Lily called after him.
“To find some supper before you change your mind and decide to roast me over a fire.” He limped into the dense cluster of oak trees, leaving her alone amid the seemingly tranquil chirping of birds—
“Lily?”
—had it not been for Regi standing stiffly behind her.
“Don’t,” she said, refusing to face him. “I’m truly not in the mood to be lectured.”
“I’d say you’re in need of far more than a lecture.”
Warily, she turned toward her cousin, knowing he had every right to be furious with her. His disheveled state increased the lump of regret swelling inside her chest. The hair usually slicked back against his scalp draped down each side of his narrow face like black curtains.
“I knew coming up here was crazy business,” he snapped. “It was never about surveying the camp. You knew he was up at that camp. ”
“I didn’t know he was the sheriff,” she said with exasperation. “How could I have guessed a gunfighter would be a sheriff?”
“What does that matter? Have you lost your senses?”
Quite possibly.
“How could you come up here to face the man you believed to have shot your father and not tell me? ”
“He did shoot my father, and I never intended for you to come along.”
“When have I ever left your side?” Regi demanded.
The answer to his question stripped her defensiveness. Whether it was a quarrel with the family or problem with their company, she could always count on Regi. He was always there to back her up. But this was different. This had nothing to do with the Carringtons.
He sat heavily onto the ground beside their supplies. “You should have told me,” he insisted.
Exhausted, she sank down beside him. Yes, she supposed she should have.
“How could you keep something like that from me, Lily?”
She strapped her arms around her raised knees, reluctant to answer him. “You’d have tried to stop me.”
He blew out a breath and leaned against the tree. “Considering today’s events, I’d have been right to do so.”
She shook her head. “I would have come. I had to.”
“Yes, but if you had discussed your intentions with me, we may have derived a better approach at least, a plan of action. You may be ruthless in business, but you’re hardly barbaric enough to simply walk up to a man and shoot him. Had you actually brought a gun I would…”
Lily cringed; heat rushed to her cheeks.
Regi’s eyes shot wide. “You brought a gun? Lily, what were you thinking?”
Juniper had stated her thoughts quite clearly. She’d wanted to confront a killer she believed was long overdue for a bullet. It had never occurred to her that Juniper Barns could be anyone other than
“Thanks.”
“This is hardly a time for him to be hindered by drink,” she insisted.
Juniper glowered at her as he unscrewed the cap, then leaned over his foot. Air hissed through his teeth as he drizzled a clear stream over the trail of blood.
Lily cringed, knowing it must sting. She’d never have guessed he’d use the alcohol for his wound.
“Reg, can you grab a clean bandanna from my left saddlebag?”
Reginald rushed toward the saddles piled near a tree and quickly retrieved the red bandanna.
Lily watched silently as Juniper tied the fabric around his foot. Blood instantly darkened the cloth. He pulled on his soiled stocking and carefully slid his foot back into his boot, gritting his teeth the whole time.
She hadn’t meant to shoot him. Yet once again he’d caused a calamity and made her appear to be the one at fault!
He stood and limped toward the horses. He gathered all three by the reins and started walking toward the trees. “There’s coffee in my pack and water in my canteen. If either of you manage to start a fire, keep it small. Those men are probably on lookout. We don’t want to send up smoke signals to give away our location.”
“Where are you going?” Lily called after him.
“To find some supper before you change your mind and decide to roast me over a fire.” He limped into the dense cluster of oak trees, leaving her alone amid the seemingly tranquil chirping of birds—
“Lily?”
—had it not been for Regi standing stiffly behind her.
“Don’t,” she said, refusing to face him. “I’m truly not in the mood to be lectured.”
“I’d say you’re in need of far more than a lecture.”
Warily, she turned toward her cousin, knowing he had every right to be furious with her. His disheveled state increased the lump of regret swelling inside her chest. The hair usually slicked back against his scalp draped down each side of his narrow face like black curtains.
“I knew coming up here was crazy business,” he snapped. “It was never about surveying the camp. You knew he was up at that camp. ”
“I didn’t know he was the sheriff,” she said with exasperation. “How could I have guessed a gunfighter would be a sheriff?”
“What does that matter? Have you lost your senses?”
Quite possibly.
“How could you come up here to face the man you believed to have shot your father and not tell me? ”
“He did shoot my father, and I never intended for you to come along.”
“When have I ever left your side?” Regi demanded.
The answer to his question stripped her defensiveness. Whether it was a quarrel with the family or problem with their company, she could always count on Regi. He was always there to back her up. But this was different. This had nothing to do with the Carringtons.
He sat heavily onto the ground beside their supplies. “You should have told me,” he insisted.
Exhausted, she sank down beside him. Yes, she supposed she should have.
“How could you keep something like that from me, Lily?”
She strapped her arms around her raised knees, reluctant to answer him. “You’d have tried to stop me.”
He blew out a breath and leaned against the tree. “Considering today’s events, I’d have been right to do so.”
She shook her head. “I would have come. I had to.”
“Yes, but if you had discussed your intentions with me, we may have derived a better approach at least, a plan of action. You may be ruthless in business, but you’re hardly barbaric enough to simply walk up to a man and shoot him. Had you actually brought a gun I would…”
Lily cringed; heat rushed to her cheeks.
Regi’s eyes shot wide. “You brought a gun? Lily, what were you thinking?”
Juniper had stated her thoughts quite clearly. She’d wanted to confront a killer she believed was long overdue for a bullet. It had never occurred to her that Juniper Barns could be anyone other than
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