Heart of Thunder by Johanna Lindsey Read Free Book Online Page A

not look her way. She tapped her foot on the floor in vexation and unfastened two more buttons. She felt cooler, but she fanned herself briskly anyway, to see if that would draw Adrien’s attention. It didn’t. She got Mr. Patch’s full attention, however, and bristled silently. She wanted to scream. What would it take?
    The coach slowed suddenly, and Adrien opened the shade nearest him. Mr. Patch started coughing.
    “What is it, Adrien?” Jeannette asked.
    “It appears we are taking on a passenger.”

    “Have we reached a town?”
    “No.”
    Adrien watched as the coach door opened and a tall man climbed inside. Adrien moved over to make room, and the stranger took the seat next to him. He tipped his wide-brimmed black hat to the ladies, but didn’t remove it. Samantha nodded briefly but moved her eyes away from him quickly. A saddle tramp, she assumed, and dismissed him, her eyes resting on Adrien again. But Adrien was looking at the stranger curiously, ignoring Samantha.
    “How is it you came to be out here without a horse?” Adrien asked in a friendly manner.
    The man did not answer readily. He studied Adrien before he spoke in a deep, curt voice. “I had to kill my horse.”
    “ Mon Dieu! ” Adrien gasped, and Samantha sighed, disgusted by his unmanly reaction.
    The stranger’s eyes were drawn to Samantha on hearing her sigh. She felt compelled to ask, “Your horse was injured?”
    “ Sí , he broke a leg. I have injured mine, as well. It seems I will go to Elizabethtown after all.”
    He chuckled then at some humor that escaped the rest of them. Samantha looked at him more closely. The top portion of his face was hidden by the shadow of his hat, but the lower half showed a strong jaw faintly covered with black stubble, a firm mouth quirked up at one corner to reveal a dimple, and a narrow nose, straight, but not too long. It was the promise of a handsome face.
    He slouched in his seat in an almost cocky manner. Or perhaps he was just tired. His long legs spread out before him took up a good portion of the aisle and nearly reached Samantha’s knees. The hands he folded across his middle showed long, tapered fingers, almost graceful, which surprised Samantha. He took care of hishands. There were no calluses, so he probably wore gloves when he rode.
    At first glance he looked like an ordinary cowboy, dusty, a little rakish in his dark clothes. But, on closer inspection, she began to wonder. He was dirty, yet there was nothing really unkempt about him except the stubble on his chin. His ebony hair only just reached his shirt collar, and his clothes fit him well and were of good quality. His dark brown shirt was chambray linen, the bandanna around his neck was silk, and the black vest was a superior grade of Spanish leather. So were his boots.
    Samantha was slowly growing curious about the man she had dismissed so quickly. It was the first time she had felt an interest in another man since meeting Adrien, and she was surprised.
    His body was lean, but his chest and arms were well muscled, as were the long legs in tight black pants. Samantha mentally compared him with Adrien. The stranger was young, vital, in superb condition. In fact, blond Adrien paled beside the cowboy, looking almost sickly.
    Adrien was studying him curiously, just as Samantha was, but the man was looking at—whom? Jeannette or herself? She couldn’t tell, unable to see his eyes clearly. But he was probably looking at Jeannette, she told herself, for Jeannette had a classic beauty. Petite, she was the type of woman men were drawn to, inspiring protectiveness, making them want to cuddle her. Though she was neither ungainly nor too tall, Samantha felt downright awkward next to Jeannette.
    The silence lengthened. Mr. Patch continued to cough until Samantha took pity on him and closed the shade. In the ensuing quiet, she grew uncomfortable. Jeannette had closed her eyes in boredom, as had Mr. Patch, but Samantha could not. She had to know