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She rubbed the soap over her body and her hair, scrubbing voraciously. So wonderful to feel clean again! When the water had turned a dingy gray, Naomi stepped out and wrapped herself in the toweling Bessie had laid out. She squeezed as much moisture as she could from her hair and then dressed in her undergarments. Feeling bashful, she held the dress up against her body. Bessie had no looking glass, but Naomi knew the dress would flatter her.
“You decent, honey?” Bessie asked through the closed door.
“Yes, please come in,” Naomi said.
Bessie helped Naomi don the new dress, brushed out her hair for her, and plaited it.
“You’re as lovely as can be,” Bessie said with a smile. “Now go on out there and show Bobby.”
Anticipation coursed through Naomi’s veins as she imagined Bobby’s amber eyes glowing when he looked at her. “Oh, yes, Bessie. I’d like to. Where is he?”
“Well, I ain’t seen him since he went to the office tent with Ike. I imagine he’s still out there, transacting for all the stuff he needs.” She smiled as she smoothed Naomi’s collar. “Why don’t you go out there and find him, honey?”
Naomi’s feet raced as quickly as her heart as she sped to the canvas tent outside the shanty. Without thinking, she boldly strode in. Ike sat behind a makeshift desk.
“Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“Where’s Bobby?” Naomi asked. “I want to thank him for the dress.”
Ike rose and walked around the
desk until he was standing in front of her. “He’s gone, sweetheart.”
“Gone?” An anvil settled in Naomi’s stomach. Surely this was a mistake.
“’Fraid so, little lady. He couldn’t stick around, but he did leave you a means home tomorrow.”
Naomi’s throat caught. He’d left her, and she’d never see him again. She wanted nothing more than to go home, but—
“Course—” Ike cleared his throat,
Naomi cringed, waiting for him to spit. He didn’t.
“There’s the matter of payment for your transport.”
“D-Didn’t Bobby take care of that?”
“In a manner of speaking.” Ike grabbed her arm. “He left me you.”
Naomi struggled, her heart racing. Bobby wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Surely Ike couldn’t mean... He’d said she reminded him of his daughter!
“And you won’t make a sound, you hear me?”
Ike’s yellow teeth glowed when he smiled. A horrible, evil smile. He lowered his head until his mouth was only inches from hers. His sour breath assaulted her, and she gagged.
“Please.” She coughed. “You can’t.”
“Oh, I can. It’s due me. Bobby promised you’d cooperate, and you will. You’ll lie down and spread those thin legs, and you absolutely will not scream. Or I’ll slit that pretty alabaster throat of yours. Do we understand each other?”
Chapter Six
He’d left without saying goodbye. Bobby felt lower than a rattler’s belly, but he hadn’t had a choice. If he’d seen Naomi one more time, especially in that dress, he wouldn’t have been able to leave her. Truth be told, he was having a darn hard time now. And that wasn’t all. Something niggled at the back of his neck. A feeling. Call it intuition. His intuition was telling him to go back. That something wasn’t right.
He’d learned long ago in his business never to ignore his intuition, but he was bound and determined to do so now. Naomi deserved better than a bounty hunter on the run. He’d never be able to properly care for her. She was a lady, and she needed a gentleman. That surely wasn’t him.
Where were these ridiculous ideas coming from, anyway? He didn’t want a woman tying him down. He wasn’t capable of taking care of another person besides himself. And he sure as hell wasn’t capable of loving someone else.
Was he?
