Page 20 of Love’s Silver Bullet

So, he opted for the safest response, if not the most honest—sidestepping as usual with an insulted clench of fists and stage-perfect drop of his jaw. “For all that’s good and decent, Donovan,” he shouted, sweat trickling down the back of his neck, “Sheridan is like a sister to me, so how in the devil can you ask that?”

Some of the heat faded from Blaze’s eyes as he tunneled unsteady fingers through his hair. “Sorry, Jake. Stupid question. You’re the only man alive we trust around Sheridan, so the very thought just curdled my stomach, that’s all.

Tell me about it. “I know, me too, but I love her like a sister just like you and Dash, so I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was worried because she’s too blasted young and innocent to be acting like that. And since I’m the one she’s been hankering for since the age of four, that makes me the one she’s most vulnerable around.”

He hesitated, sinking his hands back in his pockets as he pierced his best friend with a pleading gaze. “So, I hope you understand … that I should definitely keep my distance, right? Which also means I shouldn’t be the one to teach her to shoot.”

A gust of noisy air blasted from Blaze’s lips, his scowl confirmation that this was not welcome news. “Yeah, I understand, but I’m not sure Uncle Finn will.”

“If he asks, just tell him I tried, but we were like two stallions in a stall, bucking left and right, and you and I agreed it would be best for you to teach her.”

Face in a scrunch, Blaze rubbed his forehead with the cast. “All right, but he’s not going to like it, I can tell you that. He wants Sher trained and trained well, not only on that derringer, but on a rifle and pistol too, and doc said six to eight weeks for this blasted cast to come off. Which doesn’t leave me much time before she leaves for New York, not to mention Sher’s as antsy as a nest of fire ants at a picnic, just chomping to learn how to shoot.”

Jake’s chest expanded and contracted in a truly grateful sigh. “Thank you. And needless to say, I’m asking you not to divulge any details from this … this incident … to another living soul for Sheridan’s sake as well as mine. Not Finn, not Dash, and definitely not Maggie.” He paused. “Can I have your word on that?”

Blaze peered up with a troubled gaze. “Yes, you have my word. But you’ll still keep an eye on Sheridan from afar, right?”

A silent breath of relief quietly filtered through Jake’s lips. “You bet—always, my friend.” He slapped Blaze on the back, the knots in his stomach slowly unraveling as their friendship finally returned to solid ground. “After all, she’s my little sister too.” He swallowed a gulp.

Whether she—or I—like it or not.

CHAPTER TEN

“Merciful heavens, how I love Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show!” Near breathless, Sheridan waited alongside Maggie for the opening parade with a palm pressed to her heart. She swore her pulse was galloping faster than the graceful horses would be during the show, soon to start in this massive dirt arena surrounded by tent canopies for the audience on the outskirts of town.

From historical reenactments, displays of showmanship, sharp-shooting, hunts, racing, and rodeo style events, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show guaranteed three hours of sheer fun and entertainment for thousands of people all over the U.S. And today—goosebumps instantly pebbled Sheridan’s skin, body buzzing from the thrill of it all—she and her family were among the truly fortunate people to attend the very first show in Virginia City!

Growing up on the Silver Lining Ranch with an uncle, two brothers, a tomboy sister, and too many rugged cowboys to count, Sheridan’s stomach fairly skittered with anticipation over the rodeo events to come. Bronc busting, bull riding, bareback riding, and barrel racing—it didn’t matter as long as it involved riding hard and fast, two things she dearly loved.

She expelled a wishful sigh. Even though her Uncle Finn never allowed her or her fourteen-year-old sister Shaylee to get even close to doing any of those things, Sheridan always pretended she could whenever she rode her mare, Honey, because thrilling rides were one of the things she loved most in the world.

A smile tipped her lips. After Jake, of course.

Hands clasped to her mouth, she chewed on a thumbnail, hardly able to wait for the show to begin. She slid Maggie a sideways grin. “Sweet heavenly days, I swear I haven’t been this excited since Uncle Finn bought me my derringer for Christmas last year!”

“Oh, sure you have,” Maggie said with a lazy grin. She bumped Sheridan’s shoulder with her own as she snuck a peek past Finn and Libby chatting with Libby’s parents in the middle of the first row reserved for the mayor and guests. Both her and Sheridan’s gazes homed in on Jake, who—of course!—hunkered down in the very last seat at the very end of the row, laughing with Blaze and several other cowhands loitering in the aisle.

As far away as he could possibly get, Sheridan noted with a dull ache, face flaming at Maggie’s insinuation. Jake hadn’t spoken to her—not once—since the kiss disaster two weeks ago, and watching him laugh with their cook Angus and then Gert, the cook for Aunt Libby’s parents, only caused her smile to wither along with her good mood.

“Hey … I was just teasing,” Maggie said softly, looking over to make sure Blaze was still jawing with Jake and the other cowhands. “I didn’t mean to wipe the smile off your face, Sher.” She slipped an arm to Sheridan’s waist to give her a squeeze. “Look at it this way, honey. Jake is going to an awful lot of trouble to avoid you, so you must have affected him as much as he did you, right?” She tossed a quick glance several rows back to where Megan Joy Burdzy sat with her family, gaze glued to the back of Jake’s head. “And he didn’t ask Megan Joy to come to the show with him, so that’s a good sign too, yes?”

“Yet,” Sheridan said with a mournful sigh. “I told you he hates me. He hasn’t come within twenty feet of me since then. All of a sudden he’s taking all his meals in the mess hall instead of eating supper with us like usual, claiming he’s got so many new cowhands to train, he needs all the time with them he can get.” Moisture burned at the back of her lids as she offered Maggie a pitiful look. “He’s never done that before, Maggie, and you know it.”

“Aw, honey.” Maggie massaged Sheridan’s back with a tender smile, the consummate big sister Sheridan had always wanted. At five years older than Sheridan, Maggie was young enough to understand the heartbreak she felt inside, but old enough to keep her from making a complete fool of herself crying and mooning over Jake. “Give it time, Sher. Once he sees you chatting and flirting with other boys like we talked about you doing, he’ll start to wake up.”

Sheridan laid her head on Maggie’s shoulder, her lower lip jutting into a pout. “But that’s just it, Maggie—I don’t have time on my side. I leave for college in two and a half months, and between Jake and Dash hovering like thunderclouds everywhere I go, I don’t have a lot of chances to chat and flirt with other boys. If anything, my brothers seem to be more protective than ever.” She slid a narrow gaze Jake’s way, biting hard on her lower lip. “Almost as if he told them what happened even though he said he wouldn’t.”

Maggie bent forward to meet Sheridan’s gaze. “But I saw you with Owen Miller before church on Sunday, talking and laughing up a storm, Sher, and he seemed quite taken with you, so maybe—”

“‘Before church’ being the operative phrase.” Sheridan sent Blaze a scowl while he still hob-nobbed with the men. “Blaze showed up and shooed me inside just as Owen asked if he could call on me, promising to wait for me after the service so we could set a date. But when I looked for him after church, he was nowhere to be found, so I suspect Blaze threatened him like he usually does with any boy that glances my way.”

“What? Well, that’s just not right.” Maggie joined Sheridan in scowling at her husband. “I knew your brothers were protective, but I had no idea they threatened boys to stay away.”

Sheridan gave a limp nod, gaze lapsing into a melancholy stare. “Ever since I turned sixteen. I actually thought I was ugly until I overheard two of the hands talking about how pretty I was. They’d said what a shame it was they couldn’t even risk looking my way or the Boss’d fire ’em.”

Maggie’s eyes spanned wide. “I knew your Uncle Finn has been feeling downright nervous with you going away to college, but I had no idea he was involved in threatening boys to stay away too!”

Sheridan’s shoulders rose and fell in a quiet breath of surrender. “Are you kidding? He’s as bad as Blaze and Dash, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was his idea in the first place. When it comes to me and boys, they’re like the Three Musketeers, pledged to ruin my life. ‘One for all, and all for one,’ only I’m the ‘one’ on the outside, hindered at every turn.” She sent another lingering glance Jake’s way. “The only male they let come around is Jake, and now I can’t even be around him.”