Brave the Wild Wind by Johanna Lindsey Read Free Book Online Page B

shook his head. There was obviously some hero worship there, hero worship of a girl. It was absurd. Did Rachel know about this?
    “You like her, do you?” Chase said dryly.
    “I sure do. I never even knew I had a sister, not until Mother got that letter, and then she told me about Jessica—I mean Jessie,” he corrected. “She doesn’t like to be called Jessica, you know. And she’s so different! And beautiful. The boys back at home will never believe me when I tell them about her.” His voice dropped. “I just wish she liked me a little.”
    Chase drew himself up. “What do you mean? Has she been taking that foul temper of hers out on you, too?”
    Billy looked away, embarrassed. “I only wish she would,” he said. “But the fact is, she ignores me. I’ll win her over, though,” he added confidently. “She only tries to act rough because she thinks she has to. I can understand that. After all, she’s only eighteen, and she has to boss men older than she is. A girl’s got to be tough to do that. A girl’s got to be tough just to be a girl, out here.”
    Chase sat back in bemusement. All that logic pouring out of a boy nine years old. He was amazed. Every bit of what Billy said made sense. It certainly explained the girl’s attitude. Chase was suddenly seeing Jessica Blair in a different light.
    Chase looked at Billy. “How about us going for that ride? As you pointed out, your sister has a ranch to run and is probably too busy to ride with you.”
     
    Jessie was worn out when she rode into the yard late that night. She might have stayed out on the range and gotten an early start the next morning. The roundup of the cattle that wouldbe driven north to fulfill her contracts had started, and work would be long and hard over the next weeks. But Jessie’s curiosity had gotten the better of her, so she rode in, wanting to see if her mother’s friend had moved on.
    She knew the answer as soon as she led Blackstar into the stable, for there was that beautiful golden palomino bedded down next to Jeb’s old roan. Strangely, Jessie didn’t know what she really felt. But she was too tired to give it any thought just then.
    The prospect of removing Blackstar’s thirty-pound saddle in her exhausted state made Jessie’s movements slow. She lit a lamp and turned him into his stall, sorry Jeb had gone to bed.
    There was nothing for it but to get it done and turn in for the night. Though she was starving, she was too tired even to scrape up something to eat. She had left the men just as they were settling down to eat, so she could ride the three-hour journey back to the ranch.
    ‘Can you use some help?”
    Jessie started and looked over to see Chase Summers leaning against the railing of Blackstar’s stall. He was dressed in a blue cotton shirt tucked into black pants. His open shirt front revealed a dark mat of curls across his chest. Jessie was struck by his powerful attractiveness and felt a pang of regret that she could never like him.
    “I couldn’t sleep, and I happened to see the light go on,” he was saying in a friendly voice, “so I thought I’d come out to see who was still up.”
    Jessie made no comment, leery of this suddenoverture. She wouldn’t forget what he’d tried to do to her. Why was he being so friendly after she’d socked him? She noted that there was no swelling around his nose, only a slight discoloration that was hardly noticeable. Disagreeably, she vowed to punch him harder next time.
    She turned away from him and began unbuckling the cinches, hoping he would go away if she continued to ignore him. But when she began to lift the saddle, he was there beside her. Taking hold, he easily tossed the saddle over the side railing. Jessie didn’t thank him for his help or even look at him as she went about giving Blackstar a brisk rubdown, then seeing to his food and water.
    When she had finished, she walked past Chase, still without a word, turned out the lamp, and headed for the house.