Tracie Peterson by Hearts Calling Read Free Book Online

chill from the high-coun try snows, Jim felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. He’d taken the wrong woman! To Zandy, he could have explained that it wasn’t kidnapping. He’d meant no harm and had only the best of intentions, but how could he tell this to the angry young woman who sat at his fire?
    There was no answer in the wind as it blew across his face. There was no reasoning the matter away. When he’d first given thought to the plan of taking Zandy, he’d stopped thinking once he got past the taking part. He’d not even given himself a reasonable plan of action for how they might disentangle themselves from Riley Dawson’s wrath once he realized his wife was gone.
    Grimacing, Jim kicked at a fallen pine log. “Poor Zandy,” he thought aloud. “I sentenced her to a life of misery, and all because I chose to believe what everyone was saying about her.”
    His memory reminded him that he had seen her leave Riley’s house before dawn. That was the morning after Zandy’s father had suffered injury in a mining accident.
    Jim had presumed that Zandy had spent the night with Riley after fetching the doctor for her father. It wasn’t until just recently he’d learned from one of his old buddies that Riley had actually drugged Zandy with the intention of ruining her reputation once and for all. A low growl escaped him as he relived the moment Pat Folkes had informed him of the truth.
    He was too late to take back the time Zandy had been forced to spend as Riley’s wife, but he’d hoped that he could rectify his angry dismissal and betrayal of their friendship by rescuing her now. But now he had some other woman in his care. A very beautiful woman named Pamela Charbonneau with dark blue eyes that flashed electrically when she was mad.
    With a heavy sigh, Jim made his way back to camp. There was nothing to do but apologize and take her back. Hopefully, she’d understand and get over it before they reached Dawson. Jim had no desire to have to answer to the law for his ill-planned scheme.
    He reentered the camp silently and came upon Pamela from behind. She heard a muffled sound and turned, as if fearfully expecting to find a wild beast bearing down upon her. Seeing it was Jim, Pamela pulled the blanket down tight around her face.
    Jim felt at a loss for words as he took a seat on the ground opposite Pamela. He waited, hoping that she might say something, but when she continued to ignore him, Jim finally spoke.
    “Look, I’m sorry for taking you. I hadn’t planned it that way. I thought you were Zandy. I just wanted to rescue her.” He was trying to offer the most sincere apology he could, but the young woman refused to give him even the slightest consideration.
    “Did you hear me?” Jim questioned, irritation edging his voice. He fought for self-control in the face of her silence.
    “Look, I don’t know what you want me to say that I haven’t already said. I’ll take you back at first light, but for now we’re stuck here.”
    Pamela kept her face hidden and remained silent, leaving Jim infuriated.
    “All right,” he said in complete exasperation. “If that’s the way you want it, that’s the way it’ll be.” He sauntered over to his saddle and dragged out the rest of his bedroll before plopping down on the ground.
    “Remember what I said. We’ll leave here at first light, so you’d better get some sleep.”
    ❧
    In the early morning light, Jim stared down at the child-like woman. Her blond hair had come undone and spilled out from the blanket like a veil. The blanket itself had slipped down far enough to reveal her delicate face in sleep. She had long pale lashes and a pert, almost tiny mouth that Jim remembered, with a shudder, could let go with a most impressive assault of words.
    Kneeling down beside her, Jim was struck for a moment by Pamela’s seeming frailty. She was so small, he thought. Petite by the standards of most women. How could he have thought she was Zandy? Zandy was at