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“I’m not a child who needs to be watched.”
“You’re my wife and I have a duty to protect you.”
“From what?”
“Outlaws. Indians. Wild animals. Jack Hennessy.”
She had no trouble meeting his gaze now. He was obviously serious.
“There haven’t been any outlaws around here in ages. The Indians have all been driven away, and I have yet to run afoul of a wild animal.”
“Elizabeth, you’re acting like I’ve been unreasonable.”
“I don’t like being watched.”
“That’s too damned bad. Either you stick by your escort or you don’t go out.”
“You can’t tell me what to do!” She bit her lip. He could and they both knew it. All he had to do was order her to stay home, and her world would dwindle to the walls of the ranch house. No more riding. “I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I, but with the railroad coming, there’s a rough crowd passing through Cheyenne. There’re also those rustlers you had trouble with. With one source of money cut off, they could turn to others.”
“Are you trying to scare me?”
“If I thought you’d have the good sense to scare, I sure enough would be.”
“There is nothing wrong with my sense.”
“Sure enough, darlin’, you’re a poor judge of people.”
“I chose you, didn’t I?”
“Nope.”
The smug smile on his lips clued her in. “Darn it! Old Sam told you, didn’t he?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“That rotten skunk. He promised he’d keep the fact I’d asked between us.”
“How do you know he didn’t?”
“The way you’re smiling at me, as if you’re the only cat in the barn that’s got cream.”
He chuckled. “Guess I’ll have to work on my poker face.”
If he did, she was down and out for sure. Willoughby slipped on the way down the slope. She shifted back to accommodate his descent. Shameless stepped aside to avoid a tree. Asa didn’t let go of her hand until the last moment. Just when she was sure they were going to end up hugging the big spruce, he let go.
She knew he’d be smiling when she caught up to him. Nothing seemed to panic him while he took endless delight in tormenting her. He was like the wind, blowing hard or whispering in soft teases. Never from one moment to the next could she say what he’d do. He kept her guessing. He kept her…smiling.
She watched the smooth way he dismounted. The muscles in his back stretched his shirt tightly across his shoulders. He was all man. Well-muscled, honorable, with enough punch to his name to make men clear out of his path, and yet, he seemed to look for laughter the way her father had searched for flaws. She shook her head. She didn’t know which she preferred. One was familiar. The other intriguingly different.
She hadn’t admired much in her father with the exception of his devotion to purpose. She admired a lot in Asa. Mostly his ease with everything he faced. Like now. She’d been staring at him unknowingly for the last three minutes. No doubt he felt uncomfortable, but rather than squirm, he simply stood there and waited her out. No censure. No impatient “let’s get going”. Just acceptance that she needed a minute.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare.”
He held up his arms to help her down. “No harm done.”
“It was rude.”
“Not as long as you didn’t uncover any warts.”
“What?”
“I said I didn’t mind as long as you didn’t find anything you want removed.”
“You have to know you’re a very attractive man.”
“I haven’t had many kids run screaming,” he admitted as he swung her down. “But this face has seen better days.”
Could he be uncertain about his appearance? There was a bump on his nose that said maybe it had been broken. A small scar bisected his right cheekbone.
“You’re staring again.” He caught Willoughby’s reins in his hand. “Picking out the flaws?”
He said that as if he’d been through this before. She wondered if he’d been rejected. “I like your face.” It came out fiercer than she’d expected.
He turned and smiled at her from where he was tying Willoughby beside Shameless to a fallen log. “I like yours, too.”
“You’re very handsome.”
She said that as if it mattered. Asa wondered if she thought he was worried about his looks. He patted Willoughby on the neck, gave Shameless an affectionate pat, and headed back to his wife. There she stood, her fists balled at her sides. He realized she thought his feelings were hurt and she was ready to defend him. He stopped when he was two feet away from her. “I’m glad you like my face.”
“I don’t want you to think I’d rather have a smooth-faced boy for a husband. Someone who didn’t know how to handle himself in a fight. Someone who didn’t have a broken nose and a scarred cheek.”
He caught her hands in one of his. “I don’t think my pride can take any more of my flaws trotted out.”
