The Bounty Hunter's Redemption by Janet Dean Read Free Book Online Page B

to benefit from your misfortune. It would be tempting to take advantage of her sweet nature,” he said, lowering his voice.
    Carly’s gaze skittered away from those probing, suspicious eyes. The bounty hunter didn’t trust her. Had he somehow read her mind? Suspected she wanted information, even a bond with his sister in the hope Anna would hesitate to claim the shop?
    Well, she wouldn’t badger Anna, but she had to find a way to protect her son.
    “Anna, are you ready? I want to get settled in.”
    “Yes, I’m eager to see the cabin.” She turned to Carly. “Thank you for giving me the job. I’ll be here first thing Monday morning, before the store opens.”
    “If you’re not too tired tomorrow, I’d like to invite you to First Christian Church. Services start at nine o’clock.”
    “Thank you.” Anna’s gaze darted to her brother. “I’ll be there.”
    At the door the bounty hunter stepped aside, letting his sister precede him, then turned to Carly. “I’ll be back.” He flashed a smile. “Don’t let the anticipation overwhelm you.”
    That towering hulk of a man threatened the harmony Carly prized. Yet as she stared into those eyes, an unwelcome thrill of attraction slid through her, shooting heat up her neck and into her cheeks. She groped for a rebuke that would conceal the turmoil churning inside her. “One thing I can say for certain, Mr. Sergeant. Nothing about you overwhelms me.”
    He arched a brow and had the audacity to wink. As if he had read her mind and found her claim amusing.
    Carly shut the door behind him, leaned against it and took a deep breath. No matter what she’d said, Carly had never felt more overwhelmed. And of all things, by a bounty hunter.
    A handsome bounty hunter , her heart whispered.
    She pulled away from the door and steeled her spine. A handsome, strong-mindedbounty hunter who would stop at nothing to see that his sister owned this shop.

Chapter Five
    T he yellow mutt Nate had seen yesterday sprang from where she’d been napping on the cabin’s front stoop, as if she somehow knew where to find her next meal.
    “Oh, is the dog yours, Mr. Mood?” Anna said, running a gentle hand along the dog’s ruff.
    The stray leaned into her. If Nate didn’t know better, he’d say the dog was smiling.
    “Well, she’s been hanging out at the livery, but from the looks of it, she’d like to be yours.”
    Nate frowned. “A dog underfoot could trip you, Anna.”
    Ignoring the warning, Anna lowered herself to the step and gazed into the dog’s eyes. “Do you want to live with Nate and me, girl?” The wagging tail and short yip put a wide grin on Anna’s face. “Do you know her name, Mr. Mood?”
    “Nope. Been calling her ‘dog.’”
    “She needs a proper name.” Anna ran her fingers through the dog’s thick fur. “Her coat’s the color of corn, of maize. I’ll call her Maizie.”
    “Well, now, that’s a purty name. I’ll leave you and Maizie to get settled,” Mr. Mood said, grinning from ear to ear. “The Good Lord is working it all out, like only He can do.”
    Mood had also seen Nate’s construction skill as God-sent. Now he was suggesting God had brought this pooch to their door. As if every little thing fit into a master plan.
    Nate’s hands fisted. If the liveryman believed God was sovereign over every aspect of their lives, how would Mood explain Anna’s handicap and Rachel’s murder? Two women who’d never done a cruel thing in their lives.
    Nothing in his life made sense except finding Stogsdill.
    As soon as he got Anna settled in, Nate would make some inquiries. See what he could learn about Stogsdill’s rumored girlfriend. With the hope she’d lead him to the outlaw.
    As Anna preceded Nate into the house, he averted his eyes from the rise and fall of her gait, a constant reminder of what his carelessness had cost his sister.
    He owed Anna his life. She’d saved him, a careless ten-year-old boy, from the stomping hooves of runaway horses.