stop outside. His beast had sensed them before they entered the town proper—and another figure shadowing them at a far enough distance that the two men weren’t aware. His beast proved aware and recognized the figure on a level bone-deep.
Had Cain decided to make his move and come out of the shadows to finally avenge Jack? Had he been the presence in the woods that Troy felt the other evening after he’d left James?
Troy stood still, stopped rubbing his rag over the bar top, and imagined the two men outside tying off their horses to the hitching post. He inhaled and caught their road-influenced pine scents before the doors swung open and they entered the saloon.
Troy’s eyes flew open as Chris crossed the floor toward the bar, looking so small, vulnerable, and young walking next to the colored marshal flanking him. He caught his breath at the sight of them. He had forgotten how striking each man was in his own way.
Where Chris demonstrated light and sunshine and innocence, James demonstrated raw experience and power, dark desires and secrets. They were the flip side of a coin that Troy wanted to put in his pocket, keep next to him and never spend, just own forever.
Schooling his features, he cleared his throat as the men moseyed on up to the bar. Troy found it hard to maintain his poker face when Chris leaned his elbows on the bar. Temptation made him lean forward to meet the kid halfway, and only the most monumental effort made him stop before he kissed Chris. As it stood, they looked like they were in the midst of a private confab, foreheads almost 84
Gigi Moore
kissing. This close, he got a good whiff of the boy’s pure, natural scent. He wanted to reach out and touch his face the way he had stopped himself from doing yesterday.
He had kept himself from doing a lot yesterday before loaning the boy one of his horses to visit the marshal. After that ill-advised kiss, good sense had prevailed and stopped him cold from doing anything more intimate or from being bad.
He didn’t want to be good anymore, not if it involved not having Chris and James.
“So I reckon you were able to extend your thanks to the marshal?”
Troy glanced over Chris’ shoulder at James as James pulled off his hat, revealing the short, dark hair he sported beneath. Like he wanted to palm Chris’ almost smooth cheek, Troy wanted nothing more than to run his hands over the marshal’s wavy hair and see if it proved as cottony soft as it appeared.
“I reckon I did.”
Troy’s heart skipped at the boy’s teasing tone. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear the kid flirted with him. Why not, after the kiss they’d shared?
How would Chris feel about Troy’s beast? Would it frighten him off? Should he introduce the boy to his animal the same way he had introduced him to James, ease him into the idea of being close to the wolf? Not that seeing the wolf as a separate entity would ever compare to seeing Troy actually shift from human to wolf form or vice versa.
The Indians who had attacked his home when he’d been a boy were convinced he was evil. Would Chris and James think the same?
The idea that they would be disgusted by him, that they would see him as less than a human or not deserving love, pierced his soul where only the deaths of his parents had wounded him before. This, more than anything, proved why he hadn’t revealed his past to Josie.
He knew she wouldn’t be able to accept what he became, what he could do. When he got right down to brass tacks, would anyone?
Three Men and a Bounty
85
“I apologize for staying away so long. We—”
“You can blame me for keeping him.” James finally stepped forward and leaned one elbow on the bar, keeping the other half of his body aimed at the swinging doors so that he could see whoever entered—the vigilant posture of a true lawman or an outlaw used to running from the law. He wasn’t like Chris, who kept his back to the doors and all his attention on Troy.
He wanted to
Had Cain decided to make his move and come out of the shadows to finally avenge Jack? Had he been the presence in the woods that Troy felt the other evening after he’d left James?
Troy stood still, stopped rubbing his rag over the bar top, and imagined the two men outside tying off their horses to the hitching post. He inhaled and caught their road-influenced pine scents before the doors swung open and they entered the saloon.
Troy’s eyes flew open as Chris crossed the floor toward the bar, looking so small, vulnerable, and young walking next to the colored marshal flanking him. He caught his breath at the sight of them. He had forgotten how striking each man was in his own way.
Where Chris demonstrated light and sunshine and innocence, James demonstrated raw experience and power, dark desires and secrets. They were the flip side of a coin that Troy wanted to put in his pocket, keep next to him and never spend, just own forever.
Schooling his features, he cleared his throat as the men moseyed on up to the bar. Troy found it hard to maintain his poker face when Chris leaned his elbows on the bar. Temptation made him lean forward to meet the kid halfway, and only the most monumental effort made him stop before he kissed Chris. As it stood, they looked like they were in the midst of a private confab, foreheads almost 84
Gigi Moore
kissing. This close, he got a good whiff of the boy’s pure, natural scent. He wanted to reach out and touch his face the way he had stopped himself from doing yesterday.
He had kept himself from doing a lot yesterday before loaning the boy one of his horses to visit the marshal. After that ill-advised kiss, good sense had prevailed and stopped him cold from doing anything more intimate or from being bad.
He didn’t want to be good anymore, not if it involved not having Chris and James.
“So I reckon you were able to extend your thanks to the marshal?”
Troy glanced over Chris’ shoulder at James as James pulled off his hat, revealing the short, dark hair he sported beneath. Like he wanted to palm Chris’ almost smooth cheek, Troy wanted nothing more than to run his hands over the marshal’s wavy hair and see if it proved as cottony soft as it appeared.
“I reckon I did.”
Troy’s heart skipped at the boy’s teasing tone. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear the kid flirted with him. Why not, after the kiss they’d shared?
How would Chris feel about Troy’s beast? Would it frighten him off? Should he introduce the boy to his animal the same way he had introduced him to James, ease him into the idea of being close to the wolf? Not that seeing the wolf as a separate entity would ever compare to seeing Troy actually shift from human to wolf form or vice versa.
The Indians who had attacked his home when he’d been a boy were convinced he was evil. Would Chris and James think the same?
The idea that they would be disgusted by him, that they would see him as less than a human or not deserving love, pierced his soul where only the deaths of his parents had wounded him before. This, more than anything, proved why he hadn’t revealed his past to Josie.
He knew she wouldn’t be able to accept what he became, what he could do. When he got right down to brass tacks, would anyone?
Three Men and a Bounty
85
“I apologize for staying away so long. We—”
“You can blame me for keeping him.” James finally stepped forward and leaned one elbow on the bar, keeping the other half of his body aimed at the swinging doors so that he could see whoever entered—the vigilant posture of a true lawman or an outlaw used to running from the law. He wasn’t like Chris, who kept his back to the doors and all his attention on Troy.
He wanted to
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