by Sandy James
For the first time in her life, she found herself attracted to a man.
A curse almost slipped from her lips, the type she liked to say when no one could hear. Ladies weren’t supposed to use common words, but sometimes letting one of the harsher ones loose took away some of her tension. Her grandfather would be scandalized if he heard her use such vulgarity. That thought only made the digression sweeter.
A crude word would serve to remind her that this was neither the time nor place to be suffering from some foolish, girlish infatuation. She’d done well by these men, getting them out of the cave before they drowned in the tide as her uncle and Robert had planned. She owed them nothing more. The time had come to take care of her own problems.
The other man—Jake Curtis—was her half-brother and would most assuredly hate her the moment he knew that, judging from what he said about what their father had done to his mother. She believed him, of course. Her father had been ruthless—just like his father. Her mother had tried her best to shelter Cassie from their wraths and the constant meddling of her other male relatives. But the frail women simply couldn’t match the Shays.
Jake made it out of the tunnel and collapsed at his friend’s side with an exhausted grunt.
Gathering the clothes she’d left behind earlier into her arms, she held them against her chest. She’d considered how indecent she would look when she’d stripped to her undergarments, but the weight of her gown in the water might have drowned her. The silly thing would have probably gotten her stuck in the tunnel.
Trying to shield herself from their gazes, she pressed the clothes to her body. “I shall leave you gentlemen now.” Her words shook with her shivers.
Would she ever be warm again?
Ty leveled a frown at her that stung, considering what she’d done for him. “Leave?” he demanded in a harsh tone.
“Yes, Mr. Bishop, leave. Not that it’s any of your concern, but I need to be on my way. Should my uncle—”
“Derrick Shay’s your uncle?” Jake asked.
Cassie nodded. She didn’t want to get into a discussion of familial ties, nor did she want to delay her escape a moment longer because a new fear suddenly gripped her heart—fear that if she didn’t force herself to leave soon, walking away from Ty Bishop would become more and more difficult. “Yes. But I must go and—”
“Go? Go where?” Ty slowly got to his feet. “Back to the Shay mansion? Your uncle will whup you good for helping us.”
“He shall not even know.”
“No? How else could we possibly have gotten outta that tomb?”
She shook her head, her still-wet braid brushing against her back, sending more shivers down her spine. Her underclothes were soaked. With the sun setting, the autumn air was growing decidedly chillier, and she was already dangerously cold. She wouldn’t start dressing in front of Ty and Jake. It had been bad enough they’d already seen her camisole and pantalets plastered against her body. “They surely believe you’re both dead.”
“There’ll be someone watching,” Jake insisted as he also rose from the rocky ground. “You know a Shay ain’t gonna leave nothin’ to chance. He’ll want to be sure we’re dead. When the tide goes out and no bodies float away, Shay will know someone got to us. And it ain’t gonna take much for him to figure out that someone was you.”
“It will not make a difference. I shall be long away from here by—”
“Away?” Ty bellowed.
“If you would pray stop interrupting me with your shouts, Mr. Bishop, I will explain.” She gave him a chastising frown.
His blue eyes narrowed, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a halting smile. “By all means then, Miss Shay…”
“I had already made plans to leave. I shall not stay in San Francisco long enough to incur my uncle’s wrath.”
With that, she turned to walk away from the cliffs, praying silently that Old Tim still waited with Duchess, that he hadn’t decided she’d changed her plans and put the mare back in her stall.
It was getting dark, but she could still cover enough miles before the darkest hours to get her a good distance away from San Francisco—away from her grandfather, away from her uncle, and away from that hideous Robert Putnam.
A strong hand wrapped around her upper arm, dragging her to a stop. “Where are you goin’?”
She whirled to face Ty, angry and afraid her escape wouldn’t work. Tears stung her eyes. “I don’t believe that is any of your concern, sir.”
“Where?” he demanded, his features growing stern.
“It is not your concern!” Cassie had to tamp down the urge to let him see her sometimes gloriously hot temper.
Ladies didn’t shout. Yet the more she thought about what she faced, the more she could feel her panic rising. The men were right—her uncle would surely know she’d let his intended victims free. Punishment in the Shay family was swift and severe, and she had no intention of getting caught.
“You saved our lives. We owe you a blood debt.”
She shook her head. “You owe me nothing.”
Jake stood to her other side, his big hand settling on her shoulder. “A woman shouldn’t be travelin’ alone. Let us escort you—make sure you get safely to where you’re going.”
“But I don’t know where I’m going!” Her hand flew to cover her errant mouth.
She hadn’t meant to confess that, and now that the words were past her lips, neither man would allow her to leave on her own. They might be rough-around-the-edges cowboys, but they were men. And no man would allow a young woman to venture off alone, especially when she had no idea of her destination.
Ty stared down at Cassie, not sure why her fear should hit him so hard. But it did.
Damn, this wasn’t a good time to find himself drawn to a woman. He’d never been much of a ladies’ man. Hell, he hadn’t been a ladies’ man at all. A tumble now and again with a clean whore pleased to take his money was the extent of his experience with the fairer sex.
As he held tight to Cassie Shay’s arm, he knew there was something different about this woman—something that called to tender feelings he’d wondered if he even possessed. Now, he knew they were there, and this woman was the one to drag those emotions to the surface.
A Shay. She was a Shay! How in the hell was he supposed to react to that?
Hazel. Her eyes weren’t green or blue. They were hazel, reminding Ty of the summer grass on the prairie.
There was no way on God’s green earth he’d allow her to head out alone. Didn’t she realize the danger?
Probably not. She was a Shay and had probably been sheltered and pampered her whole life.
“We’re going with you,” he insisted. “Don’t matter if you want us to or not.”
The woman thought it over a good, long while before she nodded. Instead of speaking, she dropped her clothes and began to tug them on.
Jake politely turned his back and tried to squeeze the water out of his shirt.
Ty stood where he was, mesmerized by the sight of her rolling a stocking up her shapely leg.
She suddenly stopped. “You may turn your back, sir.”
“Bossy bit of fluff,” he mumbled as he did what she asked.
By God, the girl had plenty of grit. While he waited for her to dress, he tugged his shirt from his denims and wrung it to squeeze out whatever water he could, which wasn’t much. The damp, cold clothes would probably make him catch his death, but he wasn’t about to return to the Shay mansion to retrieve his other belongings.
“There are some dry clothes in the stables,” Cassie said. “You may turn around now, gentlemen. If you would be so kind as to follow me…”
She marched away before either man could answer.
“Yep,” Jake said, giving Ty a hard slap on the shoulder. “You’re right. She’s a bossy bit of fluff. So do we follow?”
“Oh, hell, yeah. Not letting that filly outta my sight.”
Jake’s laugh must have reached Cassie because she sudd
enly stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. “Have you changed your minds then?”
The relief in her voice hit Ty like a slap, but he also saw it as a challenge. Instead of responding, he gave her a shake of his head and savored the frown she tossed back at him.
Marching away again, she never looked back to see if they followed.
Chapter Three
“Thank God!” Cassie spied Old Tim standing in the barn door, holding a lantern and peering out into the growing darkness. Waving her arms, she tried to get his attention. “Over here, Old Tim!”
“Old Tim?” Jake asked.
Why she felt the need to explain herself to the men who trailed her like bounty hunters was beyond her. “His son’s name is also Tim. Old Tim. Young Tim. The names are simply a habit we adopted.”
“Miss Cassie? That be you?” Old Tim held the lantern higher, but he’d never see her from such a distance. His eyesight had been fading for years.
“Yes, yes. It’s me. I have two friends escorting me, so please don’t be frightened.” The man was clearly nervous, and she didn’t want him to panic when he saw the men who’d followed her to the barn. Despite what she’d said, she had every intention of leaving without their gallant escort. She didn’t need their help. She could find her way in this world alone.
“Lord above, I was worried ’bout you!”
“I know. I was…delayed. I came to get Duchess and my things.”
“It’s past dark now. You’re still planning on leavin’, girl?” He reached for her hand as she hurried to the door.
Ty and Jake stood a few feet behind her, both rigid enough she easily picked up on their tension, especially when she placed her hand in Old Tim’s. He gave her a hard squeeze, at least as hard as his arthritic fingers could manage.
“Yes, I shall still be leaving tonight.”
“We’re still leaving.” Ty’s voice was as harsh as the winter wind.
She turned to Ty, who had taken a step closer behind her, hands set against his hips as he hovered over her like some avenging angel. “It’s quite all right, sir. There really is no need for you to follow me. Old Tim will help me now. You may go home now instead of accompanying me.”
“Oh, I may, may I?”
The condescension in Ty’s voice raised her temper, but she was a lady, so she quickly put a lid on her annoyance.
He inclined his head at Old Tim. “He won’t be telling everyone about us?”
“Of course not.” Cassie turned back to the stablemaster. “These men were never here. Do you understand? My uncle would… Please, Old Tim. They were never here.”
He squinted as he stared at them, sizing them up as he did a prized horse.
They stared back, and she wondered what they thought of the gray-haired man in the rough clothing. To her, he looked like the grandfather she’d always wished she’d had in place of the one who’d tormented her all these years.
After a few moments, Old Tim tossed Ty and Jake a curt nod. Then he directed a fatherly glare at her. “At least wait ’til light.”
If she gave him the chance, Old Tim could eventually talk her out of her plan. It hadn’t seemed so rash until the moment of leaving arrived. Having Jake—and especially Ty—nodding along with the stablemaster’s order to wait, she knew they could easily wear down her resolve if she gave them half a chance.
Why could they escape and not allow her to do the same simply because she was female?
Then she pictured Robert’s face and thought about spending the rest of her life married to the man. “I must leave tonight. Nothing has changed. Nothing will ever change. Please, you mustn’t worry about me. I shall be fine. There’s sufficient light for me to get away from this place. I promise to stop should I feel Duchess cannot find her way.”
Picturing a clearing where she could start a cozy fire, Cassie firmed her resolve. She could do this. She would do this.
“You decide where you headin’, girl?” Old Tim asked as he still warily eyed Ty and Jake. “You ain’t goin’ alone now?”
She shrugged. A few destinations came to mind, but she’d planned on visiting at least two before she decided. Planning to spend the rest of her life in a distant place, one couldn’t afford to make hasty decisions.
Crossing to her tethered horse, she ran her hands over the pack attached to the back of the saddle.
“Did you put in a flint?” she asked, ignoring the way all the men frowned at her. “I’m chilled through. I can start a fire when I stop for the night.”
Her fingers brushed the tight roll of money and the Bible she’d hidden in the men’s clothing. She’d folded everything up in the bedroll she’d left for Old Tim to pack. As soon as she got away from here, she could change into her disguise, and she’d have money to aid her flight. The Bible had been a gift from her mother, and not a day passed without her reading it.
Pretending to be a boy would be easy enough. The thought of what she had to do to her hair was the only thing that troubled her. But vanity was a sin, so she’d hack it off as soon as she donned her male masquerade. Hopefully, it would grow back once she found herself settled.
She reached under her skirts to pull out the knife she’d tied to her thigh and quickly slid in between her clothes. The other knife rested against the small of Jake’s back, last she’d noticed. Probably not worth the battle sure to erupt should she ask for its return.
Ty glared at her. “Good plan, lady. Start a fire burnin’. Send up a signal to everyone within miles. Are you wantin’ to get robbed?” His angry eyes raked her from head to toe, making her feel for a moment as if she stood before him naked. Her face flushed hot. “Or worse…”
A shiver raced through Cassie—and not because her underclothing was still damp. Images of the fate that could await a woman without an escort flashed through her mind, but she simply strengthened her resolve. She could defend herself. Why, she’d even learned to use a gun thanks to Old Tim. Besides, no one would know she was a woman.
“You needn’t worry about me, sir. I’ll be fine.” Her tone sounded nervous, even to her, and she hated showing them any weakness.
“You ain’t goin’ alone,” Jake pronounced before he glanced over to Old Tim. “We had horses when we got here. They in this barn?”
Old Tim nodded. “Got two new horses this morning. A bay and a paint. They yours?”
“Those would be ours,” Jake replied. “Which stalls?”
“Down that row. Master Derrick told me they be horses he bought. Never trusted that bast—” He gave Cassie a worried frown. “Sorry, girl. Keep forgettin’ he be yer uncle.”
“No harm,” she replied. “’Tis not the first time I have heard that name applied to Uncle Derrick. Nor, do I dare say, shall it be the last.”
She turned to Ty. “You should go get your horses. You will also find dry clothing hanging in the tack room, should you wish to change before you ride out.” If he and Jake were occupied with saddling their animals and getting into dry clothes, perhaps she could—
A strong arm encircled her wrist as Ty dragged her down the aisle of the barn.
She stumbled to keep up with the fast pace.
“Not letting you leave without us,” he said. “And don’t think, lady, that I don’t know what you had planned. I can read that pretty face like a damned book.”
Pretty face?
Ty thought she was pretty?
A smile broke out on her lips before she could contain her response.
He hauled her back to where Jake had taken the two horses out of their stalls and tied them to the gates. The paint already had a blanket and saddle thrown on his back. She guessed the bay was Ty’s.
“May I ask his name?” she inquired.
“Horse,” Ty replied. “He is what he is. Don’t rightly need any other name.”
“That’s quite sad.” Cassie stroked the horse’s soft muzzle. “A proper mount needs a proper name.”
As he smoothed a woven blanket over the animal’s back, Ty chu
ckled. “So like a woman. Making somethin’ easy into somethin’ complicated.”
“Duke,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “I believe I shall call him Duke.”
After setting the saddle in place, he tugged at the cinch while he frowned at her. “Duke? Why Duke?”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit it was to match her Duchess. Such a childish and entirely silly thing for her to do, and she wasn’t about to admit her folly. Lord, she’d probably never see the man again once she was able to get away on her own.
Why did that thought make her sad?
“Her mare be Duchess,” Old Tim tattled when he came to stand by her side. “Makes this stallion her mate.”
Traitor.
She stumbled to cover her embarrassment. “I–it merely seemed a fitting name for such a–a proud animal.”
Since the men weren’t changing into dry clothes, she wondered if she could find something suitable in the tack room. Perhaps if she changed now…
Ty stopped his work to gape at first at the old man and then at Cassie Shay.
Why in the devil did her deciding to name his horse to match her mare send a wave of pleasure over him? The woman was rapidly turning his brain to gruel. If the three of them were going to get away from the Shays, they’d need his wits—and Jake’s—at their sharpest. Perhaps she had some intelligence as well. At least as much as any woman could possess. They were, after all, a frilly, shallow lot.
Although she had found a way to get him and Jake out of the cave…
They’d escort her wherever she wanted to go—assuming she ever revealed where that was. One thing was damned sure—she wouldn’t be riding out of here alone.
“Did you wish to change your clothes?” she asked, a hopeful tone to her voice. “The tack room—” she pointed to her left, “—has many shirts and trousers. No doubt you will find something suitable.”
“Nah,” Jake called from behind his horse. “No need. I’m getting’ dry. I wanna get the hell away from here as fast as we can.”