Badland Bride by Lauri Robinson Read Free Book Online Page A

covered with baby-fine sand, she thankfully sat down anyway. “Yes, we still have plenty of days well over one hundred degrees. I just usually don't scale mountains in the heat of the day.” She stretched out her legs. “Not in flip-flops anyway."
    "Flip-flops?"
    She pulled off one sandal, held it up. “This is a flip-flop. The ultimate summer shoe."
    "Looks like an old shoe a dog got a hold of,” he touched the thong, “and piece of rope."
    Despite how the scorching sun had made her head throb, she giggled. “They kind of do, don't they? Believe it or not, even men wear them in my time."
    "Really?” He picked up a small rock, tossed it aside. “I think I'll stick with my boots.” His gaze lingered on where the stone had landed before it touched on her clothing.
    She read his mind and pointed at her attire. “These are shorts, and this is a tank top."
    With an endearing, crooked grin, he followed suit. “Britches and a shirt."
    The shade had relieved the exhausting heat and refueled her energy. A full laugh expelled from her lungs. “We still have britches and shirts in the future."
    "That's good.” He tried to look serious, but his chuckle said otherwise. He pulled the hat from his head, flopped it on hers. “Here, that'll keep the sun off your head. You won't feel as hot.” His hand wrapped around her elbow, helping her rise. “It's not much farther."
    The hat was big; the inside rim fell over her ears. She was about to say he should keep it as they stepped out of the shade. The wide brim kept the sun off her face, and a selfish bout made her want to keep it on. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
    He glanced at her.
    "For the hat. Thank you."
    "Out here a good hat is worth its weight in gold."
    Her selfish bout grew.
    He winked at her. “You're welcome."
    The action flushed her system with heat more intense than the sun's. She tried to ignore it and focus on the sandy trail. They walked what her feet could have sworn were at least ten miles, but the sensible part of her mind said it was no more than a few hundred yards or so. The leather strap between her toes had gnawed the skin into blisters. She let out a long sigh when they came to a stop.
    "This is where the house is, or will be. Over there is where the one outbuilding is, and the other over there. That's the butte you parked behind.” He pointed as he talked.
    None of it looked familiar. “Are you sure? That butte didn't seem so large."
    "It isn't, or wasn't. I'm sure it eroded some over the years. And with the house near, it would look smaller."
    "I suspect you're right.” She moved forward, wincing as she walked along the side of a hill covered with buffalo grass. “So, where would the tunnel be?"
    He'd stayed where they had stopped. “Right here."
    "Oh.” She moved back, searching the short, grassy stubble. The terrain of the badlands changes every foot, the merger slight and strong at the same time, going from barren, hard sandstone, to prairie grasses and back again. “What are we looking for?"
    "A tunnel?” he asked with a teasing tone.
    "I know that!"
    His lopsided grin grew before he turned to gaze at the hill. “An indention, a large boulder, a shrub, anything that could hide an opening."
    Even sweating buckets, she wanted to flirt with him. The sun must really be getting to her. She tugged the hat lower, and followed his gaze. They searched far and near before she admitted, “It's not here."
    He shook his head. “I'm sorry."
    She walked to a lone tree nearby, sat down in the shade. “You knew it wouldn't be here, didn't you?” Pulling the hat from her head, she played with the brim for a moment, before pushing her hair from her face. The shade did little to prevent the hot wind from feeling as if she sat in front of a furnace vent.
    His long legs folded beneath him gracefully as he sat next to her. “I suspected."
    "Why did you come to look then?"
    "Because you had to see for yourself,” he answered as if it were a simple matter of