AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She sneered at him. “I really do hate you, Jesse Samuels.”
“I’ve heard.” He looked toward the herd. “Highway bandits are more likely to get you before the Indians do.” When he looked back he said, “Now they probably will just kill you.”
“Don’t sound so happy about it.”
The smile on his face vanished as he locked eyes with her, the sound of his voice softer when he said, “Nothings going to happen, Alex. I wouldn’t send you off alone if I thought it would. Regardless of what you think, I wouldn’t purposely put you in harm’s way.”
“Does that mean you’ll feel bad if I’m killed—or worse—on my way home?”
He looked amused again. “If anything happens, I’ll be right there to save you.”
“Pft—I won’t hold my breath.”
Ben and Owen joined them and interrupted their conversation. Alex was glad for the distraction. As much as she disliked the fact Jesse was forcing her to go home, having a normal conversation with him was getting harder by the day.
She’d spent the majority of her childhood hating him. The day he left town to go to school had been one of the happiest she could remember. It didn’t last, though. She’d never admit it to another soul but she’d missed him when he was gone. No one bothered her much after he left and life was just this side of boring. Jesse was a constant pain in her backside but he made living in a small town bearable.
Having him back made everything confusing.
She watched him as he talked to Ben and Owen. Her pa did good in leaving him in charge. Of everyone she’d encountered on the cattle drive, he was the most capable of handling the operation. He’d taken every problem with stride and hadn’t lost his temper once. Well, except with her and truth be known, she’d provoked most of those battles.
The sound of horses running caught her attention. A dust cloud filled the air at the far end of town. The stagecoach rolled in a few moments later and Alex sighed.
Ben and Owen left, both running toward the saloon as the stagecoach pulled to a stop in front of the station.
Jesse walked to where their horses were tied and pulled her bedroll and clothing from her saddle, then returned to where she sat. “Now don’t cause a fuss. I was serious about tying you to that cargo rack.”
She would have thought him serious if it weren’t for the smile on his face. “I can help,” she said, pleading her case one last time. “I know what I’m doing.”
“I know you do, Alex, but it’s not safe. If something happened to you out here your pa would have me hanged.”
“No, he won’t.”
“I’m not taking the chance.” He grabbed her arm. “Now come on.”
She considered resisting but it was pointless. She knew he was joking about tying her to the cargo rack but she wasn’t taking any chances.
She let him pull her to the stagecoach, each step slower than her last. When he handed her her clothing tied inside her bedroll and opened the coach door, amusement filled his eyes. “Now don’t give these fellas a hard time, all right?”
“I can’t make any promises.”
He helped her up and shut the door behind her. “Tell your pa everything’s going fine. There’s nothing to worry about.” He stared at her for long moments, grabbed the front of his hat and tipped it down a fraction, then turned on his heel and walked away. She watched him until he was lost in a sea of bodies walking up and down the wooden sidewalk in front of the buildings lining the street.
Alex leaned back and sighed, looked out the window at those passing by the stagecoach, then tapped a toe on the floor while chewing on a thumbnail. “He can’t tell me what to do. He’s not the boss of me.”
Thoughts ran rampant through her mind. She was a grown woman, she could do what she pleased whether Jesse Samuels liked it or not. She could sneak off and hide until they started moving the cattle again and fall right back in with the others like she’d done the first time.
She turned and leaned her head out the window and looked back toward the herd. They hadn’t moved yet and she wondered what they were waiting on.
Looking back toward the sidewalk she spotted Owen. He was leaning against one of the posts holding up the roof over the mercantile. He was chewing on something and looking her way. When he saw her staring at him he smiled and threw up a hand and waved. Was it a coincidence that he happened to be facing her direction or was he watching her?
Knowing Jesse, Owen was placed there on purpose to report back if she jumped off.
She leaned back against the seat and blew out another breath, ignoring the driver when he opened the door and helped an older lady inside the coach. The woman introduced herself as Gertrude Miller and barely stopped talking to catch a breath as she situated herself.
Alex listened with half an ear as others climbed up into the stagecoach. By the time the driver yelled and the coach jerked into motion, Alex knew this would be the longest ride of her life.
The stagecoach wason its way toward Willow Creek and Alex had stayed put. Jesse nodded as Owen filled him in and resisted the urge to look in the direction the stagecoach had gone. He busied himself helping Isaac get the supplies he’d purchased packed away on the chuck wagon and tried to ignore the gnawing in his gut.
