position of importance teaching deportment to young ladies. Of course, she had chosen to work with only girls. She prided herself on being able to choose; most women couldn't.
"I took a job that would get me to Texas. I'm here to find my sister. That's all."
If her tones were more strident than they should be, she forgave herself. Her many purposes for being in Texas didn't include the man pinning her beneath him, but he filled her senses, stealing her will.
"I have not seen my sister since she left seventeen years ago. I plan to return to Alabama once I've assured myself that she has a good home."
"Why would you want to find someone who went off and left you?” He kept her from getting away and easily deflected her attempts to punch him when he stood and pulled her to her feet also.
"You are a weak, silly woman. You can't even defend yourself.” He whirled her around, forcefully demonstrating that she was at his mercy.
"Leave me alone.” She didn't like to think about the day that Comfort had left, or the years in between, when few letters had changed to no letters. “I don't have to answer your questions.” Her tone was harsh, brooking no dispute. It was the one that she used with students who didn't respond to soft persuasion.
"I say you do. What's got your back up—questions about your sister?” Charlie Wolf prodded her secret fears from her.
"The man she left town with was a bad man if I ever saw one.” Naomi admitted this to Charlie, wishing she was wrong, but knowing she wasn't. “Comfort married him because he was the only one who ever asked."
There had been plenty who took without asking, though. Naomi held that back, not wanting to reveal the sisters’ shared shame. When Comfort had brought home her first meal paid for with her body—she'd prostituted herself for a chicken and two ears of corn—the girls had cried together.
The memory gave her resolve.
"And you, Naomi ... how come you're still unwed?"
She blinked at him, trying to discern his reason for asking. Then she told him the truth. “I guess I was just fortunate. No one ever wanted me."
She didn't know what she'd done to anger him, but his lovemaking that afternoon was rough, forceful, and prolonged, and she was sore by the time he was satisfied and rolled off.
She was angry with him but didn't know why. “Are you going to give me more self-defense lessons?"
She didn't know why she'd ever thought his face unreadable. She didn't need to hear the disdain that dripped from his voice. She could see it in the jut of his chin and arrogant tilt of his head. “You will have to use your brain to get out of trouble, I can't teach you violence unless I can figure how to harness your tongue."
That night, before they started riding again, Deacon McCallister rode into their camp. Not more than two hours later, Sam McCallister joined them.
No one commented on her presence, and the men spoke as if she was not there.
"Jericho and his wild bunch are camped in that box canyon ahead. I couldn't get close enough to hear the gist of the argument, but he and the old man driving the kidnap wagon have been going at it since I been here the last day. Jericho sent half his men out scouring the countryside, but I have no idea for what."
Sam McCallister had the most interesting news. “I wired the families, notifying them of their daughters’ abductions and then lit out before I had to deal with a bunch of bawling mothers.” And then, as an afterthought, “The U.S. Marshal telegraphed his approval for payment. The reward money is waiting in Eclipse. All we have to do is bring in Jericho, just like we planned."
Naomi played that over in her mind once and then again. “When did you start chasing Jericho,” she asked Sam, keeping her voice light as though making light conversation.
"We've been dogging his heels all summer,” Sam admitted. “And I'll be for damn sure glad when he's dead and we can quit."
"He has a large reward?"
"The biggest
"I took a job that would get me to Texas. I'm here to find my sister. That's all."
If her tones were more strident than they should be, she forgave herself. Her many purposes for being in Texas didn't include the man pinning her beneath him, but he filled her senses, stealing her will.
"I have not seen my sister since she left seventeen years ago. I plan to return to Alabama once I've assured myself that she has a good home."
"Why would you want to find someone who went off and left you?” He kept her from getting away and easily deflected her attempts to punch him when he stood and pulled her to her feet also.
"You are a weak, silly woman. You can't even defend yourself.” He whirled her around, forcefully demonstrating that she was at his mercy.
"Leave me alone.” She didn't like to think about the day that Comfort had left, or the years in between, when few letters had changed to no letters. “I don't have to answer your questions.” Her tone was harsh, brooking no dispute. It was the one that she used with students who didn't respond to soft persuasion.
"I say you do. What's got your back up—questions about your sister?” Charlie Wolf prodded her secret fears from her.
"The man she left town with was a bad man if I ever saw one.” Naomi admitted this to Charlie, wishing she was wrong, but knowing she wasn't. “Comfort married him because he was the only one who ever asked."
There had been plenty who took without asking, though. Naomi held that back, not wanting to reveal the sisters’ shared shame. When Comfort had brought home her first meal paid for with her body—she'd prostituted herself for a chicken and two ears of corn—the girls had cried together.
The memory gave her resolve.
"And you, Naomi ... how come you're still unwed?"
She blinked at him, trying to discern his reason for asking. Then she told him the truth. “I guess I was just fortunate. No one ever wanted me."
She didn't know what she'd done to anger him, but his lovemaking that afternoon was rough, forceful, and prolonged, and she was sore by the time he was satisfied and rolled off.
She was angry with him but didn't know why. “Are you going to give me more self-defense lessons?"
She didn't know why she'd ever thought his face unreadable. She didn't need to hear the disdain that dripped from his voice. She could see it in the jut of his chin and arrogant tilt of his head. “You will have to use your brain to get out of trouble, I can't teach you violence unless I can figure how to harness your tongue."
That night, before they started riding again, Deacon McCallister rode into their camp. Not more than two hours later, Sam McCallister joined them.
No one commented on her presence, and the men spoke as if she was not there.
"Jericho and his wild bunch are camped in that box canyon ahead. I couldn't get close enough to hear the gist of the argument, but he and the old man driving the kidnap wagon have been going at it since I been here the last day. Jericho sent half his men out scouring the countryside, but I have no idea for what."
Sam McCallister had the most interesting news. “I wired the families, notifying them of their daughters’ abductions and then lit out before I had to deal with a bunch of bawling mothers.” And then, as an afterthought, “The U.S. Marshal telegraphed his approval for payment. The reward money is waiting in Eclipse. All we have to do is bring in Jericho, just like we planned."
Naomi played that over in her mind once and then again. “When did you start chasing Jericho,” she asked Sam, keeping her voice light as though making light conversation.
"We've been dogging his heels all summer,” Sam admitted. “And I'll be for damn sure glad when he's dead and we can quit."
"He has a large reward?"
"The biggest
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