Page 26 of West Wind

“Do tell!” He practically shouted, sitting up and moving away from her. “A goddamn virgin!”

Annie frowned as she gathered the blanket around her. “You didn’t seem to mind last night,” she shot back.

“That was last night, and this is this morning. Last night I was obviously thinking with something other than my brain!” His voice got progressively louder, and he almost forgot—almost—that they were both naked and their clothes were strewn all over the campsite.

He turned away from her and searched for his clothes. Muttering under his breath, he grabbed his discarded clothing and dressed quickly, keeping his back to her.

“If you think this means I won’t leave you with that wagon train, you’re mistaken,” he practically shouted. “A goddamn virgin!”

“Would you stop saying that?” Annie screeched. “Your language is atrocious, unacceptable and vile. I was a virgin, not a… well, you know. And I never expected that you might change your plans and go all the way to California with me just because we… just because we… I’m not stupid. I know what last night was to you. Just another roll in the hay. You’ve got a whore waiting for you in every little town, every little backwoods settlement, and you don’t want or need any… any… gosh darn virgin to slow you down!”

He turned slowly, his only visible reaction to Annie’s outburst a slight raising of his eyebrows in what he hoped was a stoic face.

He kept his voice calm. It wasn’t easy. “Perhaps you should’ve found a good reverend to escort you across the country for thirty dollars.”

“I always said you could back out of the deal at any time. And you have, which is fine with me.”

Annie Brown, or whoever the hell she was, managed to look regal as she stood, wrapped in the brown blanket that covered her from her breasts down to her feet. There was color in her cheeks and a surprising flash in her dark eyes.

“You’re done with me, you’ve made that clear. Well, I don’t need you, either,” she snapped, lifting her chin and her nose in the air. “I can’t wait to catch up with those families traveling to the Valley.”

“Good.”

“Fine.”

He handed over her clothes. “Then we’re agreed.”

“Of course,” Annie answered, then she wavered. “On what?”

“That last night was a mistake.”

“Of colossal proportions.”

He turned his back to her while she dressed. He was furious, with her and with himself. It was good she was so certain that last night was a common occurrence for him, that it meant no more to him than an evening in any other woman’s bed. “A go…” he began, muttering darkly,

“Don’t you dare say that again,” she said, anger lacing her voice. “If you do I’ll... I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” he asked coldly.

“I’ll kick you where it hurts the most with the pointy toe of a little red boot,” she said, her voice as icy and detached as his own.

When she assured him that she was dressed, he turned around and frowned. She’d combed her hair, but it hung loose down her back. “Aren’t you going to do that thing with your hair? That knot at the back of your neck?”

She put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “If you’d like to dig around in the dirt and find my hairpins I’ll be happy to oblige you.”

He scoured the dirt around her bedroll but found only two pins. She shook her head when he offered them to her on his flat palm.

“That’s not enough.”

He tossed the hairpins over his shoulder in disgust. They’d surely catch up with the wagon train that day, even if it was late in the afternoon.

He had to get her out of his hair. Out of his life. Taking her all the way to San Francisco was out of the question. After all, what would Icky say when he found out his Brat wasn’t a virgin anymore? Icky and Brat. How disgustingly cute. At least her nickname was appropriate.

She was a brat as they rode away from the camp, sulking and refusing to look directly at him, sticking out her lower lip in a childish pout. What had she expected, that he’d swear his undying love for her? That he wouldn’t be able to leave her, now? She didn’t know him at all if that was the case.

He stayed well ahead of her on the trail, glancing over his shoulder to occasionally check on her. If she was too far back or on the other side of a bend, he waited until she moved closer. As soon as she caught up to him, he turned his back on her and resumed his quick pace.

He stopped to wait for her once again, but she didn’t appear. He waited for much too long before he decided to backtrack.