A Promise of Roses by Heidi Betts Read Free Book Online Page B

the stream and wrung it out, draping it over her eyes to relieve some of the pressure pounding there. She couldn't recall ever crying so much at one time. But then, she had never heard anything as heart-wrenching as the story Lucas had shared with her. And to think that it was true. He had seen it unfold firsthand, had loved the victims.
    His own son. Oh, God, how horrible.
    A lump formed in her throat as she fought to keep from sobbing again.
    "You all right?"
    She heard Lucas come up behind her but couldn't bear to face him. He had looked dumbfounded when she broke into tears. And after finishing his story, he'd handed her his brown kerchief with a brusque order to go to the stream and wet her face before her eyes swelled. Megan imagined it was already too late to stop that from happening.
    He moved to her side, crouched beside her, and lifted the bandanna. A small smile touched his lips. “You look like a raccoon."
    She sniffed. “Thank you."
    Lucas dabbed at two fresh tears that broke free. “I didn't mean to make you cry,” he said.
    "How can I not cry?” Megan asked. “That was the most tragic, horrid thing I've ever heard in my life."
    "Yeah.” He turned away, submerging the cloth in the racing water.
    "I understand now why you have to follow this man. If you want to dump me at the next town and move on more quickly, that's okay. You can even just give me some food and water and point me in the right direction."
    He grinned. “You're not getting off that easily. You're coming with me."
    "But won't I slow you down?” Megan thought his dedication to the railroad noble, but if he was so close to catching Silas Scott, why did he want to encumber himself by dragging her along?
    "Not too much, I hope. It may be rough riding at times, but I think you can handle it."
    "So where are we headed? Or maybe I should ask where you think Silas Scott is headed."
    "I'm not sure. He's traveling west, veering south a bit. If I'm lucky, he'll stop in Big Springs. There's a whore there he took a liking to when he was a kid. He goes to visit her every once in a while."
    "How do you know so much about him?"
    "I make it a point to find out as much as I can before I kill a man."
    "You've killed that many?” Megan asked. Somehow she couldn't picture Lucas as a cold-blooded murderer. Sure, he wanted to kill Silas Scott, but that was out of righteous revenge. And while she didn't agree with his idea of vengeance wholeheartedly, she could certainly understand his reasoning.
    One side of Lucas's mouth lifted in a semi-smile. “Only in self-defense, and I can count those cases on one hand."
    "That's nice to know. So if I upset you along the way, you won't shoot me full of holes, right?"
    "Wouldn't dream of it,” Lucas said. His grin widened. “I would, however, consider staking you out for the buzzards and coyotes."
    Megan licked her lips. “Oh, good. Then I'll have something to look forward to."
    Lucas chuckled and rose to his feet, holding a hand out for her. “It's getting late. We'll be breaking camp early, so you'd better get some shut-eye."
    Megan accepted his assistance. She brushed the dirt off the back of her pants and walked over to the fire. She watched as Lucas shook out his bedroll and spread it on the ground.
    "There's only the one blanket,” he said.
    She noticed a devious twinkle in his blue eyes and knew he expected her to put up a fuss. Instead, she sauntered forward, swinging her hips in what she hoped was a seductive manner. She had seen other women use their feminine wiles, but she'd never actually tried it herself.
    "It's so kind of you to sacrifice your own comfort for me,” she said in her friendliest voice. “I really do appreciate it.” Then, before he could so much as open his mouth to reply, she stretched out on the edge of the blanket and brought the other half over to cover her body, tucking the scratchy wool under her chin and snuggling in.
    "I didn't mean for you to hog it. I thought we could