And, as much as he hated to admit it, that thought was a damn burr under his saddle.
“Gone for good?”Caleb shook his head slowly.“Sooner or later, he’ll show his face.The question is whether he’ll come at us alone or get himself a gang of gunslingers to back his play.”
She pursed her full lips and looked off into the shadowy mountains.
“I agree.That’s why I cleaned and reloaded all the guns you collected from the outlaws.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her.
“I do know how to care for a gun, Mr.Marlowe.I told you, I went shooting quite often in New York.”
“That ain’t it.”
“No?Well, if you’re worrying about Lucas having access to them, you needn’t trouble yourself.My father is keeping an eye on him and on the guns.”She hesitated.“Not that I think he would do anything to hurt us, considering his mother’s condition.”
What he was going to say was that he could barely taste gun oil in the stewed rabbit at all, but he decided to hold off teasing her.Those two lines in her forehead were still there.
“How is she?”he asked instead.
She shrugged.“No change, really.My father says if the fever breaks tonight, she has a chance.If it doesn’t, we might be digging a grave for her tomorrow.”
He liked the matter-of-factness of how she spoke.He studied her as once again she stared down at the camp.The thick braid was gone.Her long, brown hair fell in waves to her waist.She had a scratch along her jaw along with a smudge of dirt on her cheek, and the duster she wore looked like she’d been driving cattle through Texas dust.She didn’t seem to be bothered by any of it.
His gaze moved back to the smudge of dirt, and before he could stop himself, he found himself wondering how soft her skin might feel beneath his thumb if he reached over and brushed it away.The thought came sudden, stirring something low and restless in him.
Caleb shifted slightly where he sat and forced his attention back toward the fire.
He reminded himself that her acceptance of everything was probably because she knew this frontier living was only temporary.With all she’d been through, Sheila would have stories to tell back in New York that would make her friends stare with shock and admiration.
Damn it.
“It’s been really good having a chance to spend time with my father.He sees me as a grown woman.I haven’t always felt that in the wording of his letters.”
Caleb focused on his plate of food.
“I’ve been able to help him, and I’ve seen the look of respect in his eyes.”
In spite of the situation they were still dealing with, Caleb didn’t think he’d seen Doc this happy since he’d met him.
“And thank you for not telling him about my coming out to your ranch that first night.I know now it was a foolish thing to do.”
Caleb touched the brim of his hat.“Your secret is safe with me.”
“But I was right.Wasn’t I?”Her blue eyes sparkled, and he read mischief in them.“I mean, about asking you to go after him.”
“Based on what I knew then, my answer was justified.”
“Justified or not, I was right.Admit it, Marlowe.”
“Only if you admit that I was right shooting them rustlers who came after me and my cattle.”
“But you shot them dead.Every single one of them.”
He put the empty tin plated on the ground and leaned toward her, frowning.“We ain’t really gonna have this conversation again.After everything you’ve gone through?”
She took a deep breath, glaring at him and ready to go at it one more time.Then she paused.“No.You’re correct.We are done with that conversation.”
“Good, cuz you ain’t in New York no more.”
