by Carol Finch
Boone smiled as he tucked the money in his shirt pocket. “You are one hell of a woman, even if you are a paleface, Maddie Garret.”
“Thank you, it’s nice to be appreciated.” She walked gingerly toward the door. “I will inform Carlos that anything you need for your journey tomorrow will be provided.”
Maddie eased down the steps, then halted on the front porch to inhale a long-awaited breath of fresh air and admire the panoramic sunset. This had always been her favorite time of the day, when the restless wind usually died down and the world seemed to be at peace with itself.
Shortly afterward she was riding north into the canyon. Magnetically drawn toward the cave hidden behind the falls, Maddie nudged her mount forward, then dismounted by the sparkling pool. Livestock that had come to drink shied away as she approached, then wandered off to graze on the plush grass that filled the scenic valley.
The sound of pebbles trickling from the rocky cliffs overhead drew her attention, and she pivoted toward the sound, her foolish heart filling with the hope that Jonah had changed his mind and returned. The blinding sunlight made it impossible to identify the dark silhouette—until the man bounded from the ledge and crouched in the shadows.
Her enthusiastic smile transformed into a gasp of alarm when she recognized Jesse Gibbs as the man who was sidestepping down the steep slope. Maddie cursed herself soundly for neglecting to arm herself before she rode away from the house. With Jesse hot on her heels, she made a mad dash for her horse.
She shrieked in pain when he slammed into her, sending her stumbling off balance. She proved to be no match for his strength as he hauled her up against him. Every attempt to squirm free sent agony shooting down her mending arm, but that didn’t stop her from trying to escape him.
“Hold still,” Jesse snarled against her neck. “You’re going to help me get out of here before that Texas devil you married catches up with me.”
Damnation, not again! Maddie mused, exasperated. Just when she thought her troubles were over, here they came, sneaking up on her. Wasn’t it enough that the past few months had been one tormenting stumbling block after another? No wonder Jonah had become so cynical and mistrusting. Every time you turned around some worthless bastard was making your life miserable. And hadn’t Jonah told her to always pay attention to her surroundings for fear of encountering an unpleasant surprise? She should have listened to him.
To Maddie’s dismay, Jesse bound her arms behind her back, causing excessive strain on her left shoulder. Only now did she fully appreciate the discomfort Jonah had endured while he recovered from his own injury. Physical exertion played havoc with her temperament. Jonah’s, too, she realized in retrospect.
Maddie wasn’t sure what this scraggly ruffian intended until he pulled a folded paper from his pocket and half dragged her toward her horse. She watched Jesse tuck the note between the saddle and the blanket, then slap her horse on the rump. The strawberry roan thundered toward home, scattering the grazing cattle as it went.
“If you’re lucky, your sister will follow my instructions and exchange money for your life,” Jesse said as he watched the horse gallop toward the distant barn. He glanced down at Maddie. “If that husband of yours shows up here then all bets are off.”
“Jonah left for Coyote Springs two days ago,” Maddie informed him.
“Good. Suits me just fine if I’ve seen the last of him.” He propelled her up the steep incline, then down into the narrow ravine where he had tethered his horse.
Confound it all, Maddie muttered to herself as Jesse tied her feet with a rope, then anchored her to a scraggly juniper. She’d thought the only hurdle she had left to encounter was teaching herself to live without Jonah. Apparently not.
A sudden passing shadow prompted Maddie to look skyward. Wouldn’t you know that if birds were circling above her they were bound to be buzzards? She sighed in frustration and shifted uncomfortably while Jesse paced.
“Someone’s coming,” Jesse announced as he watched the two riders approach. He glanced suspiciously at Maddie. “I thought you said your husband left.”
“He did,” she confirmed. “But Boone is still here. Did you really expect him to allow my sister to ride out here alone?”
Jesse scowled sourly at the news. “Damn breeds. Can’t trust any of ’em to react like a white man. If he tries something sneaky you are sure as hell gonna suffer for it.”
Maddie grimaced when Jesse jerked her roughly to her feet and propelled her along the spine of rock to watch Boone and Christina approach the spring.
“Leave the money,” Jesse called down to them as he held Maddie on the crumbling edge of the cliff. “Don’t try to play the hero, Boone, or the little lady is going to take a nasty fall.”
Maddie watched as Boone made a spectacular display of holding up the saddlebag and waving the money above his head. Then he crammed the cash back in the pouch. “I’m not leaving without Maddie,” he said in no uncertain terms.
Maddie listened to Jesse snarl and growl in irritation. She had the feeling that, despite what Jesse had said, he’d planned to drag her along with him for insurance until he was well out of Texas—and far from the long arm of justice.
“No Maddie, no money,” Boone called out. “That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
Maddie smiled ruefully. Boone reminded her of Jonah. Tough, fearless, uncompromising.
Her thoughts scattered when her captor grabbed her arm and shoved her forward. “You listen to me, breed,” Jesse jeered. “I’m in charge of making this deal! Leave the money and go!”
When Jesse jerked her sideways, her left foot dropped off the ledge. Her stomach pitched forward and plunged fifty feet—straight to the bottom of the canyon. It was all Maddie could do to bite back the scream of terror that rushed to her lips. But she refused to give Jesse the satisfaction of intimidating her and twisting her perilous situation to an advantage against Boone. If things ended badly, Maddie vowed to be an example of courage for her sister, who would have to carry on alone.
“Don’t hurt her!” Christina shrieked frantically.
“If you knock her off that ledge you sure as hell won’t get the money!” Boone bellowed at Jesse.
Maddie reared back and braced both feet on the ledge. She was not going to be used as a pawn again. Ward Tipton had tried this tactic and it wasn’t going to work any better for Jesse than it had for him.
She stared down at Boone. “Does this look like another stalemate to you?”
“Oh, hell!” Boone scowled when he realized Maddie was giving subtle notice that she was about to act. “Just wait!”
“Jesse, you son of a bitch, I told you to keep your hands off my wife! You don’t listen worth a damn.”
Maddie started at the booming voice that exploded from above her like rumbling thunder. The last time Jonah had showed up unexpectedly she had suffered a moment of paralyzed surprise. This time she reacted immediately. She dropped to her knees, pulling Jesse partially off balance.
Swearing, Jesse let go of Maddie and wheeled toward Jonah. “You can go straight to hell and take that other half-breed with you!”
Maddie flattened herself on the ledge and looked up to see Jonah looming on the bluff like the dark angel of vengeance. She wanted to strangle him for drawing Jesse’s attention and standing there like an unmoving target, daring the outlaw to take his best shot.
Jesse raised his pistol to take deadly aim, but Maddie swung her legs upward, catching Jesse in the back of the knees. His legs buckled, causing his shot to go astray.
When Jessie tried to get off another shot, Maddie watched in awed amazement as Jonah’s pistol cleared leather in a blur of speed. Jonah’s well-aimed bullet plugged Jesse’s gun hand. He yelped in pain and clutched his injured wrist against his ribs.
Like a pouncing cougar, Jonah bounded from boulder to boulder, then hopped onto the ledge. Holding Jesse at gunpoint, he squatted down to retrieve the fallen pistol, then untied Maddie’s hands.
&nbs
p; “Let this be a lesson for you, princess. The loose end you don’t tie up always comes back to haunt you,” Jonah said as he glanced pointedly at her. “And I’m not just talking about Jesse Gibbs.”
Although she was pleased to know she had been on his mind, she still flashed him a reproachful glance. “You could have gotten yourself shot.”
He smiled dryly as he bound Jesse’s hands behind his back. “Not much fun watching someone put his life on the line for you, is it?”
“No, it isn’t. And don’t you ever do it again,” she muttered darkly.
“Now you know how I felt that night in Ward’s office. And you nearly gave me a heart attack a few minutes ago when you tried to break the stalemate while I was trying to move into position to take out Jesse.”
“You said you were leaving for good. So why did you come back?” she asked as Jonah hoisted her to her feet.
“Is everything okay up there?” Boone called out. “Damn, that was close. I was afraid Maddie was going to do something drastic before you could get in position.”
Jonah eased closer to the edge of the bluff to see Boone and Christina staring up at him. “We’re fine. We’re bringing Jesse down.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Maddie prompted, as Jonah grabbed the outlaw by the collar of his shirt, then marched him down the winding path. She thought she knew, but she desperately wanted to hear him say it. “Why did you come back?”
“Because I knew you couldn’t stay out of trouble for more than two days.” Jonah tossed the words over his shoulder.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “You are such a charmer, Danhill. Makes me wonder why I love you so much.”
Jonah chuckled. “Makes me wonder, too, princess. I still haven’t figured it out.”
Well, at least he had stopped trying to deny her feelings for him, she mused. That was progress.
When they reached the canyon floor, Christina dashed forward to hug Maddie. “Thank God you’re all right!”
“I’ll take Jesse to Mobeetie,” Boone volunteered. “There’s a jail cell there with his name on it.”
Maddie glanced up in time to see the look that passed between Boone and Jonah. Her niggling suspicion was confirmed when Boone turned his attention to Christina. “Take care of yourself, angel. Do me a favor and don’t follow in your sister’s footsteps. She’s too much of a daredevil. Just steer clear of trouble. Please.”
“Boone?” The question in Christina’s eyes was so poignant that Maddie felt a sentimental lump clog her throat. “You are coming back, aren’t you?”
Maddie’s eyes clouded over when Boone leaned down to press a chaste kiss to Christina’s forehead. He was telling her goodbye without voicing the words.
When Boone strode off to put Jesse on a horse, Christina tried to go after him, but Jonah grabbed her arm and held her in place. “You have to let him go,” he murmured.
Her eyes flooded with tears. An anguished expression settled on her young face as she stared up at Jonah. “I can’t let him go. I love him.”
A tender smile pursed Jonah’s lips as he brushed his thumb over her cheek to wipe away her tears. “I know you do, kid. And that’s why you have to let him go.”
“I’m not a kid!” Christina railed in frustration as she watched Boone ride off into the night. “Do not treat me like a child!”
“Then don’t act like one,” Jonah said sharply.
Maddie smiled in amusement when Jonah’s comment snapped Christina out of the beginning of a childish tantrum. “Jonah, would you mind fetching the spare horse that Jesse left in the ravine to the east? Christina and I need a moment alone.”
When Jonah strode off, Christina rounded on Maddie. “If you are going to tell me that I made a fool of myself because I fell in love with Boone, save your breath. You feel the same way about Jonah, so you have no room to talk.”
Maddie didn’t deny it. Instead she said, “The difference is that I’m nearly twenty-one and you aren’t quite sixteen.”
“We know several girls my age who are married,” Christina reminded her.
“Yes, we do, but you aren’t going to be one of them and Boone didn’t ask you to be.” Maddie stared directly at her sister. “Why do you think Boone feels that he needs to leave here?”
Christina’s shoulders slumped dejectedly. “Because he thinks I’m too young for him.”
“No, he knows you’re too young for him,” Maddie corrected as she curled a comforting arm around her sister’s waist, then ambled toward the lone horse that stood beside the spring. “Boone is a good and honorable man. Is it so hard to understand that he might just be waiting for you to grow up?”
When Christina glanced up hopefully, Maddie smiled. “I know it’s hard to be patient, Chrissy. But there truly is a time and a season for things to come.”
Christina nodded reluctantly. “So you really think Boone will come back someday?”
“He’ll be back,” Jonah confirmed as he led the spare mount down the path. “I know for a fact that Garret women are impossible to forget. Believe me, I tried.” He smiled wryly at Maddie as he approached. “Used to think I was a man of my word, until someone around here had me contradicting myself left and right. I was five miles east of town when I realized I couldn’t leave you behind because I’ve become a man of my heart.”
Maddie beamed at him. He hadn’t said the exact words she wanted to hear, but it gave her hope.
“I had some arrangements to make before I came back to the ranch to see you.” He stared disapprovingly at Maddie. “Should have known you wouldn’t have the good sense to stay in bed instead of riding off, daring trouble to catch up with you.”
Christina managed a faint smile. “He chewed Boone and me up one side and down the other when he discovered that we’d let you go riding alone.” She stared accusingly at Maddie. “As if we had any choice. Then Jonah burned my ears off with curses, the likes I’ve never heard before, when that ransom note arrived.”
Maddie tossed Jonah a frown of feigned annoyance. “If you can’t be a positive influence on my sister then I will have to ask you to leave.”
“You can ask,” Jonah said as he scooped Maddie up and gently set her atop her horse, “but I’m not going away again. In fact, Boone and I formed a partnership to purchase the Hanson Ranch so we can raise and train horses. Boone will be a silent partner for a time, but all the same, half the ranch is his.”
Maddie sat there in stunned amazement as Jonah swung up behind her in the saddle. She nearly melted into a puddle of hungry need when he slid his arm around her waist to pull her back against him, and pressed his sensuous lips against the side of her neck.
“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, princess, I’m here to stay this time. This is the end of the line for me.”
Maddie’s heart swelled with so much pleasure that she swore it was about to burst. “You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better because I almost got myself killed again, are you?”
“No,” he murmured. “You know me better than that. I don’t say anything just to be nice or accommodating.”
“You broke my heart when you rode away. I’m not sure how long it will take me to forgive you for that,” Maddie said as Jonah walked the horse toward the house.
“I’ll always be right here when you need me,” Jonah promised as he cuddled her possessively against him. “I intend to prove exactly how much you mean to me when we get home.”
Home. The word hadn’t held any meaning for Jonah in years. But now, wherever Maddie was felt like home to him, even this canyon that had once held bitter memories. It was his past, yet it was his future—filled with hope and a promise of better days to come. He thought perhaps his Comanche clan might approve of the fact that he had returned to claim this land that had been his by right of birth.
And the woman who held his heart.
Jonah’s pensive thoughts trailed off as he dismounted, then eased Maddie from the horse. He glanced sideways at Christina, who had
a lost look on her face. Jonah had worn that same expression the past two days. He knew it was going to take a while before Christina accepted the inevitability of the time and distance Boone felt compelled to put between them.
Jonah felt a fond smile curve his lips when Christina slipped her hand in his, then pushed up on tiptoe to press a sisterly kiss to his cheek.
“I’m glad you’re here to stay,” she whispered. “I’ve always wanted a big brother.” She smiled a little too knowingly as she glanced back and forth between him and Maddie. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Jonah frowned as he watched Christina climb the steps and disappear into the dark foyer. “Are you sure that kid is only fifteen?”
“Fifteen wishing she were twenty.” Maddie stepped onto the porch, then pivoted to smile invitingly at him. “Come to bed, Jonah. It’s been a long, tiring day.”
Jonah grinned as he followed her up the steps. He was going to enjoy hearing Maddie tell him to come to bed—every night for the rest of his life.
When Maddie closed the bedroom door she glanced back to see Jonah doffing his shirt and his holsters. He had said he was here to stay and she believed him. But this time she needed to hear the words that bound him to her forever, and he was going to have to come to her. She was not going to throw herself at him the way she usually did. Not this time, at least.
When Jonah ambled toward her to wrap her in his sinewy arms, she smiled in pleasure. Finally! This was the first step in the right direction.
“I hope you know that you scared ten more years off my life out there tonight. For a moment I wasn’t sure you were going to live long enough for me to tell you how I felt about you.” He inhaled a deep breath, stared her straight in the eye and said, “I love you, princess. It has taken me two days to work up the nerve to say the words because I’ve never said them to anyone before.”