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Isaac smiled when he saw them and raised a hand to wave. “I see you found her.” He eyed them both, squinting as his gaze flitted from his face back to Alex’s. “You two been fighting again?”
Jesse jumped from the horse and handed the reins to Owen when the boy held out a hand for them. “Have you ever known a time when we weren’t fighting?”
Isaac laughed, his attention on Alex as she dismounted. “No, can’t say I do.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “He started it.”
“Somehow I doubt that.” Isaac grabbed two bowls and spoons and walked to the pot hanging over the fire. “Come get something warm to eat.”
“I’m going to dry off and change clothes first,” Jesse said. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“It must be nice to have the luxury of dry clothes.”
Jesse stopped and blew out a breath. “If I had gone back for your clothes, Alex, those men would have shot me and you both. As soon as I’ve had something to eat, I’ll ride back into town and get you everything you need.”
She didn’t reply, just stood there, arms crossed under her breasts and glared. Jesse shook his head and went in search of his gear. Isaac had stored it in the back of the wagon, thankfully, so it was dry.
He dug out trousers and a new shirt and looked around for somewhere to change. Unfortunately, they were in the middle of a prairie that stretched as far as the eye could see and not one tree dotted the area.
He was too irritated to care about being modest. He glanced over the side of the wagon, saw Alex talking to Isaac and hoped she stayed there as he kicked off his boots, wet trousers, and shirt. He dried best he could, slipping a clean pair of pants on and socks and was thankful his boots were soaked clean through. He was reaching for his shirt when he heard movement behind him. He turned, surprised to see Alex watching him. “Enjoy the show?” he asked.
She made a “pft,” sound and rolled her eyes. “Like spying on you would be the highlight of my day.”
Jesse grabbed his shirt by the collar and gave it a good shake to try and knock some of the wrinkles out without much success. He slid his arms into the sleeves, buttoned the cuffs around his wrists and when he looked back up, Alex was still standing there, her pretty blue eyes fixed on his chest. “Is there something you wanted or did you just want to watch me dress?”
She crossed her arms under her breasts and rolled her eyes again but the bright pink tint to her cheeks told him she’d been enjoying the show.
“Are you going to put me back on the stagecoach home?”
“That was the plan.”
She huffed out a breath. “We already know how that played out. Are you willing to risk it again?”
“No, that’s why you’ll not be going alone.”
He walked around the wagon, leaving her standing. He could hear her behind him as he reached the campfire and took the bowl of beef stew Isaac had ladled up for him. He ate quickly, ignoring Alex as she stood by his right elbow. He didn’t have to look to know she was scowling and staring a hole through his head.
When he was finished eating, he handed the bowl back to Isaac and blew out a breath. “Let’s just handle one problem at a time, Alex. I’ve got to get the cattle moving again. We’re losing money every hour we’re delayed.”
She looked toward the cattle. “How so?”
He thumbed up the front of his hat. “Your pa contracted the sale for a certain date. If we miss it, the amount agreed upon goes down. This herd has to be in Kansas before that train pulls out or the entire trip was for nothing.”
“Oh.” She continued to stare at the moving wave of cattle, then looked at each cowboy in turn before facing him again. “Well let’s get moving then. You can buy me more clothes in the next town.”
He raised an eyebrow. As much as she fussed over her clothes she sure was dismissing them awful quick. The look on her face was different than it had been a few minutes ago, as was the look in her eyes, and if he had to guess, he’d say she thought moving on would secure her a place amongst them and distract him enough he wouldn’t send her home. He grinned. How wrong she was.
“All right,” he said. “We’ll wait.” He walked to the back of the wagon and grabbed his bags, digging out a clean pair of trousers and a shirt and tossing them at her. “They’ll swallow you whole but they’re dry.”
She stared at the clothes, the corner of her mouth tilting into what he thought was a smile before she got control of it and looked back up. She nodded and headed around the side of the wagon to change.
“Don’t let anyone get too close,” she said, peering at him over the wooden side of the wagon.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He watched her until he saw the creamy paleness of her shoulders, then turned away, crossing the distance to where Isaac stood. “Let’s pack it up, Isaac. I’ll let the others know we’re moving the herd. I want them heading east in the next hour.”
Isaac nodded and started breaking camp. Jesse found Owen and told him to let the others know they’d be moving on and headed to the wagon to gather his gear. Alex stepped around the corner, a frown marring her pretty face. Jesse let his gaze wander over her form from head to toe and grinned when he looked her in the face. “You look ridiculous.”
She snorted. “Then we make a matching pair.”
