Three Men and a Bounty by Gigi Moore Read Free Book Online Page B

James’ gun and Sarah as she retrieved his. He gritted his teeth. “Your time’s coming, boy.
    Soon.”
    James didn’t flinch. He’d been called worse. “No doubt, pardner.”

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    47

Chapter 4
    Chris had hung back as long as he could, biting his bottom lip with indecision, until he heard the shots ring out downstairs.
    He rushed to the door, flung it open and ran down the hall to the stairs just in time to see James take down the gunslinger threatening Nellie.
    He stood at the top of the staircase, still amazed and awestruck by the time James put handcuffs on the gunman.
    James turned as he finished, eyes widening when he caught sight of Chris. “Are you all right? Were you hit?”
    Chris didn’t know what his expression looked like to James, but something in it must have said that he’d been hurt, so he quickly shook his head to reassure the other man.
    “I told you to stay in the room.”
    “But I heard—”
    “I don’t care a continental what you heard! When I tell you to do something, I need you to do it.”
    Chris’ face fell. He’d been all set to feel James’ lips against his once more as soon as they could be alone together again but could see the folly of his desires now.
    Sarah put a hand on James’ arm and squeezed. “You’re being too hard on him.”
    He wanted to tell her that he didn’t need her to defend him, that he could take care of himself, but realized that would be mean, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Something told him that she’d had her feelings hurt enough for one day. And so had he.

    48
    Gigi Moore
    “It looks like I’ve overstayed my welcome. I’ll be taking my leave.” Chris moved to go down the stairs but stopped at James’
    growl.
    “Don’t go.”
    He stared at James, praying God gave him the strength to hold his own against the lawman, though the hard look in James’ eyes told him he didn’t stand a chance. It served him right for idolizing the man. All the way out west, he’d read about men like James in his collection of dime novels. All the way out, he’d fantasized about meeting and making one his own. Now he knew the meaning of “be careful what you wish for.” He knew that he could never make James anything, much less his own.
    Chris gathered his courage now and jutted his chin a tad just for good measure. “Is that an order, marshal?”
    James gritted his teeth. “You can consider it one.”
    Chris held in a gasp.
    Would James really arrest him for disobeying him? The look on his face said he’d do what he deemed necessary to keep Chris put.
    And he didn’t know what scared him more—the possibility of being imprisoned or that he wanted James to imprison him more than anything.
    “I’ll be back after I take this man over to the jail in town. Stay put until I get back.” James turned and left, prisoner in tow, the door closing with a loud thud behind him.
    Nellie and Sarah looked at him as if they sympathized, but he couldn’t see how they would. Had they ever been dressed down by a man they wanted more than anything in the world, a man they wanted only to impress with their courage and brains?
    Maybe he should have stayed put, but he couldn’t see staying behind, sitting on his hands as if he were helpless when someone he cared about could be in trouble.
    Why should James take all the risks?

    Three Men and a Bounty
    49
    He’d really botched up with his half-assed notion of rescuing James the same way James had rescued him. Not that it would have ever made them even, not by a long shot.
    “Supper won’t be for a little while, but would you like something to eat while you wait?” Sarah asked.
    Chris looked at her, not surprised that she took it for granted that he would be staying. He had been given an order by the legendary James Hayden, after all.
    Would Sarah and Nellie stop him if he tried to leave?
    Tired and unwilling to try his luck, Chris just nodded and headed back to the room where he and James