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 Well, after that, Jace nodded toward one of the two windows
facing the street,  I think she will know.
 Hey, Jace. Called the Blacksmith, Barton Wells,  When s the
wedding?
Jace laughed,  As soon as I know, I ll tell you. That started
people gossiping.
 Never seen Everett so protective& .
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 Look s like he was going to shoot them all& 
 His look could ve splintered wood.
 She s mighty pretty& 
 She have a sister& ?
 Lucky girl, Said Jenny who had just come from upstairs. She
witnessed everything from her room. She knew Everett wasn t a man of
many words and she always had a soft spot for him since he helped her
out. He always treated her like a lady, in fact, all of the King boys did,
but Everett was special. She had seen the look on his face when those
men handled the young lady and she realized she had only seen a
fraction of what he was capable of that night he protected her. His
affection for the attractive blond was genuine. With her it was just
chivalry, but she d take it anyway, because it wasn t often a man treated
her that way.  Who s the pretty lady?
 Tyler and Ellie Purnell s cousin from New York. Chance said,
just walking in the saloon,  She is real pretty ain t she Jenny?
 She sweet on Everett? Jenny said not responding to his
question. She knew she didn t have a hope and hell with the large
cowboy, but she couldn t deny that she had a soft spot for him. Nor
could she change her past and present state. She was a whore and
Everett was the only one that ever gave her a measure of respect and
protected her.
Chance gave her a considerate look before he leaned down and
gave her a lofty kiss on her over made up mouth,  Yeah, but don t you
worry darlin I m still sweet on you. He as well as Jace knew that Jenny
had harboured some affection for Everett since he had saved her a while
back. Although Chance knew she probably had no choice at her
profession, Everett would never settle for a girl like her regardless of
how he treated her.
It was one of the very few times Jenny blushed,  Go away you.
You re just a lad. There was only humour in her voice. The lad was
almost as tall as his brothers and acted twice his age. Not only that, she
knew what he was like in bed, and with his physical masculine
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attributes, he was definitely not a lad.
 I can show you how much of a man I am. Chance growled
giving her a hug.
Jace roared with laughter.
For the first hour Kate and Everett rode in silence. Kate was
wondering if Everett was coming to terms with the same feelings that
she herself was beginning to discover. In less than twenty-four hours
after meeting him, she had thought of nothing else. Then again, from
Ellie s letters, this seemed to be common for women around the King
boys. She stared up at him and saw that his jaw was set tight and every
now and then a muscle bulged and pulsed there, letting her know that
he was still unhappy with what happened. Maybe she was wrong, and
he was just being a gentlemen like Ellie had constantly accused the King
boys of being around women. She sighed wishing that she would quit
flip-flopping her emotions and doubt over him. Then as if feeling her
eyes on him he glanced down at her. She was sure she stopped
breathing because what she saw in his warm brown stare was not
indifference, he really did care and almost as if he read her thoughts his
hand sought out hers as he guided her closer to him without saying a
word. She found herself leaning into his muscular arm and he didn t
protest, but just squeezed her hand in reassurance while returning his
gaze to the landscape. No, he wasn t much of a talker, but then again,
neither was she, and what they didn t say left a lot of understanding
between them.
 I didn t mean to take you away from whatever you were doing
in town. She knew he came with Jace, and they probably had plans.
Everett looked down at the top of her head.  I got what I went
to town for.
Her head snapped up bringing her gaze to his,  What what did
you say? Her heart thumped in her chest like a stampeding bull. Did
she hear him right? He came to town for her?
 You heard me Katie. He said deeply while staring into her
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eyes.
 You really mean that. She said with complete astonishment.
 I do. She knew now about his affections toward her. If there
was any doubt before, it was gone just from the way she leaned into
him. He could swear he felt his heart tighten in his chest. He didn t
trust himself to speak again. Part of him was still raging from finding
her alone and manhandled by the three men in town. In fact, after he d
left her with Chance, he d gone into the store and tore the hide from
poor Ike making the old man practically shake in his boots. Then for
the first time in his life he chastised a woman. Ellie however wasn t as
easily swayed and defended herself and Ike telling him that they had
asked Kate if she wanted to accompany them and she said she wished to
remain in the buckboard. She didn t expect her to get out and wander
around town alone.
 Did you not tell her what to expect Ellie? This isn t New York.
The men here have never seen a lady like Kate. In many ways this
country is still wild and untamed. She s not like you. You can handle a
gun, hell, you probably would have tongue lashed those three bastards
and have them let you go to shut you up. You should have taken better
precaution with her. Although he never raised his voice she acted like
he did and respond in kind.
 If you haven t noticed Everett, and I can tell by your
demeanour that you have, Kate is a young woman, not a child. I have
written her many times and told her of the goings on in Cottonwood.
Don t you blame poor Ike. She scolded.
 Ah Hell. He said and walked out of the store.
Ellie watched his tall broad back as he left the store,  Of all of
the& 
 Ellie! Said Ike before she had a chance to start cussing.
She took a deep breath.
 He s as cross as a trod on rattlesnake. Ike grabbed the parcels
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off the counter thanking Mr. and Mrs. Coulter, who were still gaping at
the scene,  I d say he s smitten.
Ellie turned to Ike with a look of astonishment,  Of course.
Gosh, I never noticed any of the signs& well, because, that s just Everett.
He s protective but he s not affectionate with women. You know
something Else Ike? I think he paid me a compliment in his own way.
 About you handling yourself? I guess he did. The old man
chuckled.  Now we gotta get home cause I think that man made me wet
my drawers.
Ellie burst into laughter,  He s all bark, not bite.
 You re wrong about that Ellie, I ve seen that man practically
tear down a house with his so called bark, knock out a man s teeth for
mistreatin a horse, shoot several men for mistreatin a woman who is
less than reputable. And that has been this last week alone. So Miss
Ellie don t think that his bite isn t deadly.
She waved a hand,  Everett always had good cause Ike. She [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]