Rachel Donnelly by Lady Broke Read Free Book Online Page A

out.”
    “Fine chance of you catching up with them now.” Leigh’s voice was laced with disgust. “They’ll be half way to California before you can shake out your bedroll.”
    The bounty hunter sent him a look that could freeze water. “They won’t get far in the dark, not with one of them wounded.”
    When Leigh opened his mouth to reply, Christie glared him to silence. These men saved his life. The least he could do was to maintain a respectful civility. As far as she was concerned, these bounty hunters were the next best thing to outlaws. The blood on the floor gave evidence of that. She had no wish to rile them.
    She helped Leigh to his feet, trying to ignore his winces of pain.
    He shrugged off her arm to stumble to the door by himself. Fortunately, he made it to the horses without incident, other than a low grunt of pain that slipped passed his lips when Holt boosted him up into the saddle.
    Christie was past offering any words of sympathy. She was too busy worrying about her own predicament. The thought of riding in the same saddle with Nat Randall made her legs go weak.
    To avoid any unnecessary contact, she put her foot in the stirrup to mount before he could offer his help. But the gelding failed to co-operate. He snorted and stomped, moving sideways so that she was forced to hop on one foot to keep from falling.
    “Steady, Diablo, she’s with me.” Before she knew what was happening, Nat grabbed her around the waist to plunk her in the saddle. He swung up behind her, then, with a click of his tongue set the horse in motion.
    Trapped between the reins and his hard body, she forgot to breath. Something quickened inside of her. She sat stiff and straight, her eyes focused directly ahead. But with nothing to see in the darkness, her awareness of him only increased. The smell of gunpowder and leather stirred her senses, making it difficult to relax.
    Eventually, the rhythmic gait of the gelding soon mended her frayed nerves. Bone tired and wracked with cold, she longed to slump against Randall’s warm chest and sleep. But pride and years of breeding kept her upright in the saddle.
    Despite her good intentions, eventually her lids grew heavy and her head began to nod. She lost track of time and place. If not for the sound of splashing water, she’d have drifted off completely. She blinked into the darkness, attempting to clear her foggy brain.
    Nat had stopped by the river to let his horse drink.
    She looked around for Holt and Leigh, but they were nowhere in sight.
    They were alone.
    That should have alarmed her — she should have offered some form of protest, but just then, she was too tired and hungry to care. The memory of a little chimney of steam rising from the overstuffed potpie Mrs. Tilley had delivered before she’d left sprang to mind. Christie’s stomach growled.
    “Hungry?”
    “No!” She lied.
    “Here.” He reached into his saddlebag then thrust a piece of beef jerky into her hand. “Eat this.”
    His impatient tone grated. If she wasn’t so hungry, she’d have handed it right back. But that would be foolish. Giving into her pride might douse the flames in her cheeks, but it wouldn’t fill the hole in her belly. She bit down on the hard strip, imagining it was him she was sinking her teeth into. It had the texture of an old shoe, but tasted surprisingly flavorful. She wondered how closely Nat Randall fit the same description.
    She swallowed the last of it then smiled into the darkness. This was the first time she’d likened a man to beef jerky. Well, if the shoe fit … Laughter bubbled up in her throat. She closed her mouth tight to stifle it, but it turned into a loud hiccup.
    “Try holding your breath. That usually works for me,” he whispered close to her ear.
    Rather than calming her, it had the opposite effect. Another spasm wracked her. She hiccupped even louder. “It must have been the beef jerky.” She took a long breath of air then held it.
    He gave a grunt. “I’ve