A Heart So Wild by Johanna Lindsey Read Free Book Online Page B

think you understood me, honey. I said we was gonna get better acquainted, and so that’s what we’re gonna do.”
    â€œPlease—don’t,” Courtney cried as he started dragging her out of the store. He paid no attention to her cries.
    â€œLet go of her, Ward.”
    â€œWhat?” Jim stopped, looking around. Had he heard right?
    â€œI don’t repeat myself.”
    Jim continued to stand there with Courtney, looking around until he found the speaker.
    â€œTwo choices, Ward,” the man said casually. “Draw or leave. But don’t take up a lot of my time deciding.”
    Jim Ward released Courtney, freeing his right hand. He reached for his gun.
    He was dead the next instant.

Chapter 8
    C OURTNEY willed herself to think of happy things. She remembered the first time she had ridden without a sidesaddle, how shocked she’d been but how delighted to find riding so much easier. The time Mattie taught her how to swim. The first time she’d told Sarah to shut up; the expression on Sarah’s face.
    It wasn’t working. She could still see that man lying dead in Lars Handley’s store. Courtney had never before seen a dead man. She hadn’t witnessed other killings in Rockley. And she had not seen the bodies of young Peter and Hayden Sorrel on the Brower farm the day her life had changed so terribly, for Berny Bixler had covered the bodies before she could see them.
    She had made such a fool of herself in the store, screaming her head off until Mattie managed to quiet her and get her back to the hotel. She was lying on her bed now, a cold compress over her eyes.
    â€œHere now, I want you to drink this.”
    â€œOh, Mattie, stop fussing over me.”
    â€œSomeone has to, ’specially after the way Sarah lit into you,” Mattie retorted, her blue eyes snapping indignantly. “The nerve of thatwoman, tryin’ to blame you for what happened. Why, I’m to blame more’n anyone else.”
    Courtney lifted the compress to stare at Mattie. She couldn’t bring herself to disagree. Mattie had made matters worse with her cockiness.
    â€œI don’t know what came over me,” Mattie continued more softly. “But I’m real proud of you, Courtney. Two years ago you’da fainted dead away. But you stood right up to that bastard.”
    â€œI was scared to death, Mattie,” Courtney cut in. “Weren’t you scared at all? ”
    â€œâ€™Course I was,” the younger girl replied. “But when I get scared, I sass. Can’t seem to help myself. Now drink this. It’s my ma’s cure-all, and’ll have you feelin’ good as new in no time.”
    â€œBut I’m not sick, Mattie.”
    â€œDrink!”
    Courtney drank the herbal concoction, then closed her eyes and lay back again. “Sarah was unfair, wasn’t she?”
    â€œâ€™Course she was. If you ask me, she was just miffed ’cause she didn’t recognize that owlhoot and didn’t have a chance to sneak into his room and shoot him for that three-hundred-dollar reward.”
    â€œSarah shoot someone?”
    â€œHey, I wouldn’t put anythin’ past that one,” Mattie said, grinning. “I can just see her sneakin’ down the hall in the dead of night with Harry’s rifle—”
    â€œOh, stop, Mattie.” Courtney giggled.
    â€œThat’s better. You gotta laugh about things. And look at it this way, Court, you got the rest of the day off from your work.”
    â€œI would rather not think of it that way,” Courtney said ruefully.
    â€œNow, Courtney, you’re not gonna blame yourself. You can’t help it if men go all stupid when they’re around you. And that bastard deserved what he got. You know damn well what he’da done to you if he’d managed to get you alone.”
    Courtney shivered. She did know. She had seen it in his eyes. And her pleas wouldn’t have