A thick tree trunk stopped her from backing away any farther. She was pinned between two thick bodies, one just as immovable as the other.
“Do I make myself clear?” he asked, as if she were a child being given a stern talking to.
Letty Sue’s blood boiled. Her heart pounded in her chest. How dare he treat her this way? There was a sudden chill in the air—or was it Silver Wolf’s eyes penetrating her with calculated coldness?
She smiled sweetly, glancing at the firm set of his mouth. She licked her lips slowly, making sure she had his attention. “Yes, perfectly clear. You think I’m beautiful, and you want to bed me. Did I get that right, Silver Wolf?”
His eyes went coal-black and wide with astonishment. He cursed profusely and released his grip on her. “Start walking. It’s a long way back to the ranch.”
“You’re not leaving me out here!” She clutched the quilt tightly and raced after him.
“Watch me.” With a movement she could describe only as fluid grace, he mounted his horse, then tipped his hat to her. “See you back at the ranch.” His bay mare trotted off, pretty as you please.
Letty Sue slammed her eyes shut. She let out a few vile curses, which though unladylike, sure sounded good to her ears.
The air became increasingly cooler, causing her to glance up. Clouds crowded the sky, bringing a vast, gloomy gray covering to the once blue heavens. A loud boom made her jump, then the sky twitched with brightness. Within seconds, rain pelted down, soaking her to the bone.
She covered herself with the quilt and, with head bent, began her long trek home. She’d walked only a short distance when she came upon horse’s hooves. Uncovering her head, she peered up.
Silver Wolf sat on his horse, his expression grim. He leaned over and put out his hand. “Get on, before lightning strikes us both down.”
The rain poured down in buckets, a Texas thunderstorm so powerful it could knock branches off the most sturdy of trees. Chase Wheeler grimaced, realizing he’d have to find a place to hole up until the storm eased some. Besides, the bay mare he’d ridden today wasn’t going to last much longer with the added weight of the woman and the chore of stomping through the heavily pitted, muddy road.
He remembered seeing a supply shack not far from here. He reined his horse in that direction, hoping his recollection would serve him well. He’d been on his way to Joellen’s ranch earlier, stopping by the creek to water his horse. That’s when he’d come upon this bundle of trouble he’d seated in front of him on the saddle.
Letty Sue.
Damnation, she was a beauty. ’Course, right about now, she wasn’t at her best, with her long dark hair matted like a drowned cat and her clothes drenched.
Her fancy dress molded to her petite body, clinging to all her curves. She had many, he noted, then tightened the quilt around her more snugly when he saw her trembling.
He hadn’t bargained on her when he’d made the agreement with Joellen. Hell, he hadn’t given Joellen’s daughter a single thought. In his mind, the little girl he’d saved all those years ago hadn’t grown up. He’d thought of her only as a child.
But Chase hadn’t been in her company longer than three minutes before realizing that Letty Sue Withers, with her sky-blue eyes and buxom body, was a barrelful of trouble. Hell, he’d just left one tempting woman behind…a woman who’d caused him nothing but grief and a haystack of hurt. She’d deceived and betrayed him, playing him for the biggest kind of fool.
Never again.
And to think he’d have to play nursemaid to this troublesome woman for the next three months. For Joellen, he’d oblige. But for no other reason.
“Th-this isn’t the w-way b-back to the r-ranch,” Letty Sue said, her teeth chattering.
“Lightning’s getting too close. It’s dangerous to head back now.”
“Th-then w-where are we g-going?” She shifted in the saddle to look at him, her almond-shaped eyes blinking away the rain.
“There’s a supply shack not far from here. We’ll hole up there for a spell.”
Within minutes Chase reined his horse in. Fortunately for his mare, the shack had an overhang. He tied her up where the majority of rain wouldn’t pelt down on her. He reached for the woman, noting her state of saturation as he pulled her down into his arms. She was quiet, cold to the core and exhausted. Chase carried her into the small shack, hoping he’d made the right decision. The shack had no fireplace, no place to sit, and was almost as cold inside as the stormy day had become outside. Fencing supplies lined the walls, as well as several sacks of oats for the horses.
“Well, here we are,” he said, carefully setting the woman down on her feet. She clung to him, not as a ploy, he believed, but from sheer fatigue.
Her body trembled uncontrollably. “I h-hate the c-cold.”
“You’re gonna hate this even more,” he said evenly. “Take off your dress.”
Her head shot up, her blue eyes sparking with indignation. “No.”
“Fine then. Sit down on that sack of oats and freeze. Ever see a body die from pneumonia? They cough so fiercely, blood spurts out, their chest feels like it’s being crushed by a half-ton longhorn and then, after days of suffering, they feel nothing at all.”
Chase turned his back on her and removed his rain-soaked shirt. He twisted it into one long length and wrung out about a pint of water, then hung it up on a peg on the wall.
“How w-will taking my d-dress off keep me w-warm?” she asked. He noticed her lips had changed color, going from rosy pink to pale, icy blue.
“It won’t. I will. Body heat.”
She sucked in a breath, then bit down on her blue lip. “You mean, me and you?”
He wasn’t going to think about her naked in his arms. Thankfully for both of them the shack was in short supply of daylight. There were no windows and only a dim light worked its way in through the slats of the rough plank walls.
The cold wasn’t so bad for him; he’d endured much worse. But she was a delicate woman who’d probably freeze to death without his help. “That’s what I mean. Unless you can think of another way to get warm?”
She looked helplessly around the small supply shack. Already, puddles were developing under their feet from their dripping clothes. “D-do I h-have your word…” She lifted wary eyes his way.
He nodded. “Nothing’s gonna happen, except you’ll get warm.”
An idea struck him, and he quickly turned around, noting the size of the large grain sacks. Taking a knife out of his boot, he sliced through one sack and poured the oats into the only bucket he found until it overflowed onto the floor. “Don’t suppose Joellen is gonna mind the waste, being as I’m saving your modesty.”
He was left with a rough, but dry rectangle of cloth. He worked his knife through it, cutting a few holes, then, once satisfied with his creation, handed the garment to her. “Here. It’s dry. Now, you’d best get out of those wet clothes and into this.”
She grabbed the empty sack, realizing his obvious intent, and nodded. “Turn around.”
He turned his back on her to arrange the rest of the sacks of grain as a makeshift bed. Then he lay down, waiting. She came to stand before him.
He groaned inwardly, cursing his bad luck. At any other time, with any other woman, he’d relish the situation he was in. A woman wearing nothing but a flimsy piece of material cinched in at the waist by a length of rope and barely covering her female essentials—a woman needing his body warmth for survival—wasn’t a bad place to be.
But this woman was too beautiful, too much trouble, and worst of all, she was Joellen’s daughter. He’d never do a thing to dishonor Joellen Withers Brody.
“Lie down here.” He patted a spot in front of him.
“Which way?” Letty Sue asked timidly.
Either way would cause him havoc. If he faced her, their bodies would press intimately from the front, and the other alternative didn’t make for a better selection. He’d be rubbing against her backside.
; Hell.
“Your choice. Just get down here. Your skin’s turning to gooseflesh.”
She lay down and turned away from him. He brought his body close, meshing his chest with her back, and began rubbing her cold arms. She trembled under his fingertips.
“You’ll be warm in a few minutes. Close your eyes.”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Can’t have you freezing to death.”
“I…I didn’t think you liked me.”
He let out a wry chuckle. “I don’t.”
“Oh,” she said, sounding sincerely hurt by his admission. Something unraveled in his gut from that one small word.
For years he’d thought kindly of the woman and child he’d rescued from the two renegade Cheyenne who’d struck down white settlers in retaliation for Lean Bear’s untimely and unjust death. Chase, too, had been appalled that Lean Bear, who’d fought for peace and had worn a medal given to him by the white man’s leader, had been brutally slain. Lean Bear had died holding a written letter of peace given to him by President Lincoln.
But even then, more boy than man, Silver Wolf had realized murder wasn’t the answer.
The brave white woman and child he’d rescued had stayed with him in his heart, filling it with a sense of peace. Somehow, in his mind, he’d remained their protector, feeling a kinship, a special bond to those whose lives he’d saved.
Hurting Letty Sue now hadn’t been planned or calculated. He’d only spoken the truth. He didn’t know her, but he’d known her kind before, having firsthand knowledge of women who played one man against another. Still, the need to protect and keep her safe warred with the contempt he’d felt for her when he’d watched her tempt that young man the way she had earlier today.
She shifted restlessly, wedging herself closer to him.
“Try to rest.” He lifted up slightly, stroking life back into her shoulders and neck, warming her, but attempting to relax the stiffness, too.
“Do you think the storm will last long?”
“With the way it’s thundering, we might be here for a time.” A booming thunderclap seemed to prove his point.
There was silence inside the shack while the rain pummeled the roof above, and Chase thought she had finally fallen asleep. He closed his eyes.
“You don’t speak like an Indian,” she whispered softly, minutes later.
“My mother was Cheyenne. I never knew my white father. But after Snow Cloud died, I lived with the white man. Got a job breaking horses on a big spread in Abilene.”
“Is that when you changed your name?”
“I’ll always be Silver Wolf to the Cheyenne. But I took a white name when I started at Seth Johnston’s ranch. Been Chase Wheeler for ten years.”
“Mama thinks the sun sets on your shoulders.”
There was resentment in her tone. It was something he was accustomed to, the price he paid for his mixed heritage. He would never quite measure up, and no matter how much good he might do in the world, a single questionable deed would see him hanging high from the rafters.
Or maybe he was mistaken. Perhaps it was the woman’s own inadequacies that caused her resentful tone. Could it be that Joellen, with her kind and generous heart, had spoiled her daughter overly much, and high praise came on a short rope where she was concerned?
“Are you going to tell her about today?” she asked with trepidation.
He began working the chill out of her legs. Stroking gently, massaging up and down, he heard a small moan escape her throat. Damn. He’d never felt softer skin. His hands slid over the smooth contours, bringing an unwanted surge of pleasure. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on her question, the distraction of her body more than taking up all the space in his addled brain. “Haven’t decided.”
“W-will you tell her about before, with Albert?”
“I should,” he said, in a warning tone.
“Please, I don’t need another lecture right now.” She twisted around to face him, her eyes bright, the blue orbs capturing his gaze with determination.
“Damn well deserve a lecture.” But it wouldn’t be coming from him. He’d learned a hard lesson from getting involved with a beautiful, spoiled woman once before. He’d not be a fool again.
Snow Cloud’s dying words were always with him. He’d made the mistake of not taking heed of his mother’s wisdom, and the pain had wounded his heart, turned it cold, unyielding.
Do not make the life mistake I made with your father, Silver Wolf. When you find a spirit who will reside forever in your heart, walk as one with her. Stand together and you will find happiness.
Walk as one. Stand together. Chase wondered if there was such a woman for him.
He glanced down at Letty Sue. Certainly, the woman who lay quietly in his arms—the stillness before the storm—wasn’t such a woman. Inwardly he scoffed at the notion. Letty Sue was a responsibility he’d rather not have.
She broke the silence with a softly spoken question. “What will you tell Mama about this?”
This? The fact that he was holding the most beautiful woman in the entire territory in his arms and both of them were nearly buck naked? “She doesn’t have to know the particulars. We got caught in the storm and waited it out in this supply shack.”
Letty Sue let out a compressed breath. “Thank you.” Her voice was soft and sweet. She didn’t seem the spoiled temptress at the moment, only a cold and exhausted young woman.
He wove his fingers through the long waves of her hair, fanning it out to keep her as dry as possible. Bringing her closer, he wrapped both arms around her and spoke into her ear. “Don’t thank me. I’m not doing it for you. Your mother would be real upset if she found out about this. Might even change her travel plans.”
Angry sparks lit Letty Sue’s blue eyes like a match to kindling. When she opened her mouth, he muffled any protests she would make with his hand. “Quiet now. It’s time we both got some sleep.”
She wrestled free and scooted inches away, turning her back on him. Fine by him, he thought. Holding her soft body brought too many unwelcome notions.
Once again, Chase cursed his bad luck.
This woman was trouble. No doubt about it.
It would serve him well to keep his distance. Joellen’s daughter was strictly hands-off.
He had a job to do and he wouldn’t let Joellen down.
The slightest hint of jasmine, diluted by the scents of earth and of rain, invaded his senses. Letty Sue wiggled deeper into the grain sack, but kept close enough to feel his heat.
And he, hers.
Chase gritted his teeth.
All of a sudden, three months at the Double J sounded like a long stretch of time.
Hell, this was only the first day.
Chapter Two
Joellen set a plate of hot chili in front of him. The spicy aroma made his mouth water. “This is hardly the welcome I’d anticipated for you, Chase.”
“It’s all right. Nothing like a Texas storm to thwart your plans.” He stirred the chili slowly, letting the steam rise up. Glancing at Jasper, then at Joellen, both of whom were watching him intently, he took a spoonful in his mouth. “This sure is good.”
“Thank you.” Joellen said, facing him across the kitchen table. “It’s one of Jasper’s favorites. And Letty Sue’s. Too bad she isn’t joining us for dinner. Appears she’s had a tough time today. Good thing you came along when you did, rescuing her from the storm.”
He shrugged. The less said the better. He hated lying to Joellen. “Glad to help out.”
“You know, Chase, my daughter is…well, at times you might find her…difficult to deal with. I’ve made it clear to her that your word is gold. She’s to abide by your rules while we’re gone.”
Jasper added, “I’ve become quite fond of her myself, but on occasion, and I’m sure my wife won’t mind me saying, Letty Sue can be…well, impetuous.”
Chase hid a smile. “You don’t say?”
“She’s a good girl, but she’s also headstrong and, well, you’ve seen her. I don’t think I’m bragging to say my daughter’s a beauty,” Joellen added.
Chase nodded, not wanting to add that her skin was soft as silk, her body was created for pleasure and her sky-blue eyes could render a weaker man completely helpless.
“That’s part of the reason I summoned you here,” Joellen said.
Chase stopped eating, his spoon in the air. “I don’t understand.”
“Jasper and I have sold off the majority of our cattle. It’s always been my husband’s dream to breed horses. We’re converting the ranch to that end. I knew you’d be the best one for the job. You have a way with horses, Chase. Your mother would often boast to me about your abilities. Not that she had to, since I’ve seen them firsthand, but it gave her great joy to speak of her son so highly. I know we have you only for the three months we’re away. Do you plan to head back to Seth Johnston’s spread when we return?”
“Don’t know yet. I left for personal reasons.” In truth, Joellen’s request for him to work temporarily at the Double J couldn’t have come at a better time. Marabella’s deceit had left him cold inside. He didn’t want to be in the same town as her, much less on the same ranch. “Johnston understood why I had to leave when I did. He’s given me the time off I needed to come here. After that, he expects me to return.”
“Then we should be grateful to him. He’s letting go a talented man,” Jasper said.
“He’s a fair man. I’ve been with him since Snow Cloud died.”
Joellen sighed. “I miss your mother, Chase. She and I had become close friends.” She turned to Jasper, explaining, “I’d visit her on the reservation whenever I had the opportunity.”
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