Unexpected by Lietha Wards

as soft as the finest silk . Her complexion was flawless and her face was slightly tanned by the sun making her eyes vibrant and deep like the Aegean Sea. It had been many years since had seen that color of blue, but it wasn’t something you could forget. It was stunning. “Butch said he’d gotten you alone a few weeks ago.” Her face flushed crimson and Cogan narrowed his eyes.  It was true then.
    “It’s not what you think,” she stated seeing his angry expression.  “He didn’t touch me like you think—he, well—just threatened to.” Now she knew why he rushed them out of town so quick. “Why would he confess that to you?”
    Cogan clenched his jaw and didn’t answer her. “What did he say?”
    “I handled it.” There was no way she could repeat what Butch had said to her.
    “It was suggestive then.”
    It wasn’t a question and she should have known he would figure it out because it was probably the only reason she wouldn’t answer him. That and she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks again. “I pulled my derringer on him.”
    He looked surprised then chuckled. Of course she did.  Then he became serious. “Josie, I meant what I said.  Do not go to town alone.”
    “All right.”   Josie didn’t know what was said between him and Butch, but Cogan certainly wasn’t going to be forthcoming, so whatever it was, wasn’t good.
    Absently his thumb caressed her palm and she snatched her hand back while looking up at him.  Obviously she had forgotten that he still held her hand.
    “My apologies, ” he said not meaning a word of it.  He would break any and all forms of etiquette for a woman like this.
    She took a deep breath, nodded and stepped around him to quickly go into the house.  It wasn’t that she didn’t like him to touch her, it was just the opposite.  There was something about it that warmed her, just like the feeling she got from looking into his dark eyes.  Not once in her life did she feel that way before when a man touched her.  It made her uneasy.
    Cogan chose not to watch her go into the house because he was feeling the same thing.  He was unsettled.  Josie was beautiful and he was definitely attracted to her, which, as Butch discovered, was his weakness. In that gown trussed up like a lady, she was especially stunning and he wanted her. 
    “What the hell are you doing Cogan?” he muttered to himself as he took the mare’s reins to lead her toward the barn to unhitch the wagon.  He was a drifter and a pretty lady caught his eye changing the way he did things.  Now he was suddenly strapped with the responsibility of protecting a family.  It wasn’t like that was unusual, it just had been a long time since he had a cause or was distracted by a beautiful woman. Now, after meeting Butch McAllister, he had more reason to stay.  He didn’t like the man. In fact, he pretty much despised him.  Men like that were poison and infected with greed.  He’d dealt with plenty of them in his lifetime and the results were always disastrous to the innocent.
    He rubbed down the mare and put her in the corral before he paid attention to his stallion who was still hitched to the back of the wagon waiting patiently.
    Tomorrow he’d have to send off a few telegraphs after church.  He grinned at the prospect of walking into church and shook his head.  What the hell was he thinking?  He reached up around his neck and pulled out the necklace he wore under his collar.  His fingers went over the old gold cross caressing it.  Yes, it had definitely been a long time since he’d been to church.  He believed in religion and even fought for his beliefs, but things had changed since those days. He tucked it away and finished settling his stallion for the night.
    When he came out of the barn an hour later the sun had set.  He placed his hands on his hips and looked up at the clear night sky and inhaled deeply.  He could smell rain in the air.  Tomorrow night most likely.  It