Wild Is the Night

by Colleen Quinn

  Luke groaned, then turned to her, his expression filled with restrained patience. “Yes, it’s a horse. And if we catch him, it means we don’t walk for the next five days. Do you think you can keep that bird’s beak shut until I try?”

  “But how are you going to do that?” Amanda stared at him, her eyes wide and innocent, brimming with intelligence.

  Luke shrugged. He’d been wrestling with the same thought since he’d awakened and had seen the horse galloping along the field. He hadn’t time to bring supplies, any of the things he knew they’d normally need. When the barroom brawl broke out, he knew enough to run. He’d seen one lynching by a vigilante mob, and it was enough to convince him not to hang around when you’re the unwelcome stranger in town.

  “He’s probably broken from a herd. He’s too close to us to be completely wild. If only I had some sugar, a carrot or an apple—”

  “Oh, I’ve got that.” Amanda fished inside her carpetbag, and to Luke’s disbelief, brought out a fat red apple.

  “Where the hell—?”

  “At the hotel last night. There was fruit on our table. I thought we might like it later.”

  Luke stared at her incredulously, then his eyes went to the bulging bag beside her. “You don’t happen to have a rope in there, do you?”

  “No, but I have this.” Amanda unwrapped her sash, then handed the frayed length of grey silk to the gunman. “I’d be pleased if you didn’t tear it. It holds Aesop nicely.”

  Luke took the apple and the belt and got to his feet. There were times when eccentricity paid off.

  And this looked like one of them.

  Approaching the horse, Luke whickered softly, then held out the apple so that the animal could see the round fruit in all of its glorious seduction. It was a mare, and obviously very young and spirited. The horse hesitated, then threw back her polished black head and raced playfully around Luke, stopping just at the edge of the field. Talking softly, Luke continued to approach the animal, making no sudden moves, nothing that would scare the creature.

  “Come on now, girl. I won’t hurt you. It’s just an apple. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  The horse watched him walk closer, and to Luke’s relief, displayed no signs of agitation. The animal’s eyes were quiet, her ears up, her steps playful rather than frightened.

  Luke knew all about horses. On his plantation in South Carolina, they were a way of life. He was riding Tennessee Walkers before he could talk, his father believing that fear came with age—and in a way, he was right. Luke learned to raise the gentle, domestic breed, to ride and jump fences, and to race them over the long dirt roads that led to the next homestead.

  This one, a mustang, he thought, was obviously well bred and worth money. As the horse skittered past once more, Luke saw the imprint of a brand on the animal’s flank, and the remnants of a halter around her beautiful head. Shrugging, he approached slowly, holding the sash loosely in one hand, the apple in the other. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to borrow something without asking.

  Amanda stared as Luke stood in the center of the field, watching the horse with an intensity she could feel, gauging his movements and reacting accordingly. Dressed in his rough buckskins and white shirt, his dark hair glinting blue-black in the sunlight, he looked a part of the scene, as wild and as rough as the animal he sought to outwit. There was something virile about the way he stood his ground, the confidence yet lack of arrogance in his manner, and the challenge of man against a liberated beast that was immensely compelling. Amanda’s stomach tightened and she rose slowly, unable to take her eyes from him.

  The animal neighed softly, then stopped, apparently tired of the game. Luke smiled, then held out the apple and stood absolutely still, letting the horse approach on its own time. He was rewarded for his patience when, after a few moments of hesitation, the horse stepped closer, then reached for the apple and allowed Luke to stroke the silken flesh of her neck and shoulders.

  “There, girl. You’re a nice horse, aren’t you?” Slipping the sash around the horse’s head, he tightened the loop to the old halter, then led the animal forward.

  The horse’s acceptance of the situation indicated even more strongly that she was not only part of a herd, but probably someone’s riding mount. They’d have to be cautious when they approached town. It wasn’t uncommon to be hung for a lesser infraction, excluding such damning evidence as this, but Luke didn’t care. Taking chances had become a way of life for him.

  “You’ve got him, he’s beautiful! He’s so…big.” Amanda’s throat went dry as Luke led the horse closer. To Amanda, horses were something that pulled carriages in the streets of Boston. She’d seen the huge animals in their stables at school, and had even offered one a carrot when the stableboy, taking pity on the odd bookworm who had no friends, allowed her the privilege. But that was the extent of her firsthand knowledge.

  “Of course she’s big. And she’ll get us to Wichita in two days instead of four or five. Won’t you girl?” Luke ran a fond hand down the neck of the handsome mare, completely comfortable with the large animal.

  Amanda stared at him doubtfully. She hadn’t thought of this while watching Luke capture the horse, so entranced was she with the scene. Luke slid onto the horse’s back with an effortless ease that intimidated her even more. Reaching for Aesop’s cage and her bag, she clutched her baggage tightly and gazed at the hand Luke offered.

  “No,” she said obstinately. Amanda saw his mouth drop, but she ignored him, and took a seat on the ground. She wasn’t going anywhere near that horse, whether Luke liked it or not.

  Chapter

  6

  “What do you mean, no?” Luke thought she was joking, but when he looked at her, he saw something he hadn’t seen in all the time he’d known her. Her sea-colored eyes were filled with fear.

  “I just can’t.” Amanda shrugged, refusing to elaborate.

  Luke stared at her thoughtfully, fighting the desire to physically haul her onto the horse and be done with it. But something about the way her shoulders trembled, betraying her fear, and the way she stared at the horizon as if afraid to meet his eyes, gentled his resolve.

  “Amanda, there’s nothing to be afraid of. The horse won’t hurt you. I’ll hold onto you; you won’t fall.”

  He talked to her in the same, soft tones he’d used to trap the horse, the same tones he’d used the night he’d seduced her. That thought made Amanda more obstinate, and she shook her head, drawing her baggage more closely around her as if for support.

  “You go on ahead. I’ll find some way to get to Texas. As Hugo said, ‘Danger for danger’s sake is senseless’.”

  “Amanda,” Luke snapped, all pretense of patience gone. “Get up on the goddamned horse.”

  Amanda looked up at him, wincing at the blaze of anger that shone in his stark, blue eyes. Mentally, she weighed her alternatives. If he rode off and left her, she could go back to Abilene. The thought of what she’d face there was worse. Her only other option was to walk alone to Wichita. Luke said it would take five days, five days alone in an endless prairie, with nothing but wild animals, renegades, cowboys and Indians…

  She rose to her feet, hating everything about this man, his supreme confidence, the easy acceptance he had of the situation. She saw him relax slightly, as if he’d been toying with his own options. Extending a hand, he indicated the bags.

  “Hand me that stuff first.”

  Amanda obliged, watching as he threaded the carpetbag through his gunbelt, then tied Aesop’s cage to the sash. Before Amanda could protest, he swung her up, onto the horse’s back and astride between his legs. Gasping, she struggled as her skirts billowed up, exposing her legs and a generous portion of her thighs to his amused gaze.

  “You…swine!” She fought with the voluminous material, embarrassed to the core, uncomfortable in this unladylike position. She could feel his body shake with laughter as he helpfully tugged at the dress, assisting her as she tried to pull it down to a more
modest degree.

  “Come on, Amanda. Swine? With all your education, you can think of something better than that.”

  She would have loved to hit him, but he untied the cage and thrust it into her hands. Wrapping the silk cord around his wrist, his other arm tightened about her waist, just below her breasts. Amanda squirmed, a hot flush coming to her face, but Luke only restrained her more firmly.

  “If you don’t stop wiggling, we’ll both fall off. It’s just a horse, for God’s sake.”

  Amanda squeezed her eyes tightly shut as the horse snapped at her ankle, anxious from the odd motion the mare felt on her back. Freezing, Amanda ignored Luke’s light laughter as he kicked the animal’s flank, urging her on. The horse, still playful and full of energy, cantered across the plain while Amanda screamed. Thankfully, the wind took her cries and she opened her eyes just once, to see the grass rushing by. They seemed to be outracing the clouds.

  Clutching onto Luke’s arm, Amanda shut her eyes tightly. She had wanted to experience life, but this time, she got more than she bargained for.

  “Damn you, Damien! What the hell do you mean they’re gone?” Butch spat on the ground, then wiped the traces of wet tobacco from his cheek. His scar curled in disgust as his partner shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.

  “They can’t last long, Butch. The woman caused a ruckus in town last night. She started a brawl, taking the side of the ranchmen over the Texans. Ain’t that rich? The boys nearly busted up the bar. Sheriff’s looking for ‘em, the barkeep…in fact, the whole damned town’s looking for ‘em. They disappeared.”

  “They can’t just disappear,” Butch said, though he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “They’re not at the hotel?”

  “No, and that’s the funny thing. Their stuff’s cleared out, so they must ‘ave gone back. But no one saw them leave.”

  “Huh,” Butch grumbled. “They probably sneaked out during the fight. Only place they could be is the trail. And they didn’t have no horse, no nothing?”

  “Not that I can make out.” Damien grinned. “I went down to the saloon after meeting with old Howard Fisher. Finished up your work, Butch. Had the man pissing his pants. He told me what I wanted to know. I left him bleeding all over his fancy barber bottles.”

  “Teach him for cutting me.”

  “Right. Anyway, by the time I got to the saloon, the girl was gone. No one’s spoken up about a horse thief, so I’spec they’re walking to Wichita. Never make it on foot, no food, no water. They’re as good as dead.”

  Butch scratched his head thoughtfully. “I don’t know about you, but I ain’t too eager to ride that damned trail. Maybe this is good enough for Haskwell.”

  “Right.” Damien agreed. “After all, does he gotta see their damned bones? If the trail don’t get ‘em, the sheriff will. Either way, Fess Tyson is a dead woman. And her gun is too.”

  Riding a horse was not only damned uncomfortable, it was actually painful. Amanda suffered for the first hour or so, fidgeting and squirming—each time the mare reached back and snapped at her bare legs. Luke tightened his grip on her, until finally she was sitting right up against his thighs, his arm just below her breasts, practically cutting off her breath. She was about to protest, but she heard his voice right next to her ear.

  “If you keep that up, we’re falling off. And if we lose the horse so help me…”

  She didn’t want to hear any more and, thank God, the wind took his voice away and she got her wish. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to ignore the prairie grass that was whizzing by at a ridiculous speed, the spirited tension of the unpredictable animal beneath her, and the humiliation of sitting with her legs spread in Luke Parker’s lap. Worse, the combination of the heat from the sun and the scent of the man behind her, the muscular feel of his body touching hers, and the embarrassing sensation of her bottom bouncing against him reminded her of things she fought not to think about. That night with him in the Harvey House. How it felt to have him kiss her, touch her, love her…

  I want no strings, she thought.

  Amanda couldn’t help the rush of pain. God, she wished she could forget all that. And now she was alone with him, on the way to Wichita. On the way to Texas.

  Stop it, she told herself. It was a mistake, it was over and done with. Still, as she squirmed in his lap, trying in vain to pry her body away from his, she was overwhelmingly relieved when the noonday sun was high and he slowed the horse.

  “There’s a stream up ahead. Figure we can water the horse and you can tend to whatever,” Luke said.

  Amanda blushed to the roots of her hair, but she was grateful beyond words. She had needed to make a stop for the last hour, but didn’t have the faintest idea of how to bring that up with a man, especially a man like Luke. When the horse stopped before a stream, she nearly tumbled off the animal in an effort to be free of them both.

  “Easy there,” Luke chuckled, then stopped when he saw the murderous look she threw him. “What’s the matter now?”

  “Where am I supposed to…” Helplessly, she indicated the wide open prairie, with little more cover than the shrubs growing along the stream bank.

  “Oh, that’s right. You’ve never been on a trail, have you?” Swinging down from the mustang, he tied the sash to a young cottonwood, then dug a hole in the ground with his boot. “That’s it.”

  Amanda stared at him in astonishment. “I couldn’t possibly…”

  “What do you think you do? There aren’t any damned chamberpots out here.”

  “You don’t have to swear.”

  “Amanda.” Luke tried to be patient as she ignored him and scooped up the water to offer Aesop a drink, refusing to look at him. “I’m going to walk away now. When I come back, you’d best be ready because I’m riding. Get it?”

  “I get it,” she snapped, furious with his cavalier attitude. Waiting until he was well out of earshot, she did as he suggested, wishing that she was back in school, at home in her boardinghouse, anywhere but here. She had more than a few unkindly thoughts about her editor, and for the first time, wondered if it was all worth it. Finishing with a splash of cool water and an icy drink, she glanced toward the horizon.

  It couldn’t be, but it was.

  The small cloud of dust grew larger as the group of riders approached, and Amanda screamed, running toward the clump of brush where Luke stood with his back to her. She had no idea of what he was doing, but he looked anything but pleased to see her when she ran up behind him.

  “Luke! Someone’s coming! You don’t think—”

  “Jesus Christ,” Luke swore, then gestured toward the horse. “Go untie her, dammit! Of all the luck…” He kicked furiously at the ground, still refusing to turn around. “Now!”

  Amanda ran toward the mare, her fingers shaking as she fought with the sash, trying to undo Luke’s knot. He joined her a moment later, just as she freed the horse. He grabbed the sash, commanded the animal to lie down, then gestured toward Amanda.

  “Get that damned bird and take cover behind those shrubs. Don’t come out no matter what. Damn, I can’t believe they followed us out here.”

  Amanda’s mouth went dry, and she scurried to do as she was told. Taking refuge just beyond the stream, she saw Luke snatch up his gun, using the mustang as a shield. The dust cloud grew larger, then the first shots rang out, the sound softer out here in the open air, but somehow more deadly.

  “Luke—” Amanda cried out, hating the helpless feeling of watching as the men approached, their guns firing.

  “Stay the hell down and shut up!” Luke snapped.

  Amanda didn’t even think to get insulted. Gunfire ruffled the grass beside her and she flattened down, terrified. Luke rose just a fraction of an inch, aimed his gun at the first rider, then fired. At once the man tumbled to the earth, his body rolling while his mount came to a halt just a few feet away. The two others reined up their horses and found themselves staring down at the heavy Colt .44, and the deadly eyes of the man who held it.

 
; “Go ahead and fire,” Luke said softly. “I guarantee I’ll take one of you with me. Whether it’s you,” he indicated the gangly deputy, “or you,” he gestured to his bewhiskered companion. “One of you will not wake up tomorrow. Now, who wants to die?”

  No one spoke for a moment, and all eyes fell to the ground. Luke’s boot was planted firmly on the sheriff’s chest. A small trickle of blood issued down the lawman’s sleeve, from a wound that looked more painful than dangerous. The two men exchanged glances, then the sheriff spoke in a resigned voice.

  “Drop ‘em, boys. Ain’t worth a killing, just to fix Jack Haley’s mirrors. That bar’s been needing work, anyway.”

  The deputies tossed their weapons to the ground, the older man first, then the younger. Luke glanced back at Amanda, his gun still trained on the two men.

  “Grab their guns and stay down.”

  Frightened more than a spooked doe, Amanda crawled forth and did as he said, her hands shaking as they touched the hot metal of the Colts. She scooped them up into her skirt, then scuttled back to the brush, aware of the men’s eyes on her as they glanced from her to the gunman.

  “Now you boys take off on those horses and don’t look back. I’ll just keep your boss here with me for a spell, to make sure you aren’t tempted.”

  The two men started to object, but the sheriff, responsible for their lives, indicated that they should ride. Reluctantly, the two men tugged on their reins, then slowly started back toward Abilene. Luke waited until they were gone from sight before he removed his boot and helped the sheriff to his feet.

  “You lettin’ me go?” The sheriff rubbed his wrist, massaging the flesh wound, half-expecting a bullet as a reply.

  Luke shrugged. “I’m not going to kill you. But I’m keeping your horse.”

  “What?” The sheriff’s head snapped up and he stared at Luke, realizing that he was lucky to be alive, but unwilling to part with his mount.