The town was a mish-mash of buildings separated by a wide dirt street. Men on horseback rode down the street, while wagons rolled by, some parked in front of a large building she assumed was the mercantile.

  Some of the buildings were brick, and some were painted, while others were nothing more than weathered wood shacks. A church stood at the opposite end of the town, it’s steeple rising into the clear blue sky.

  “All aboard!” the conductor shouted. Passengers leaving on the train hurried inside and a few minutes later, the train pulled away in a hiss of steam and a shriek of the whistle.

  Lynna’s stomach rumbled. Surely there was a café or diner in the town, she thought. She had no money to buy a meal, but at least someone might take pity on her and give her a glass of water.

  She got up and took a few steps before the dizziness returned, Her vision clouded and she grew warm. Too warm.

  She thought she heard a man’s voice calling out, but she couldn’t focus enough to know where it was coming from.

  Blackness overcame her.

  Chapter 2

  Jasper saw the woman wobble, and he ran toward her as her legs gave out and she crumpled. He barely reached her in time to wrap his arms around her and break her fall before her head smashed against the side of an iron post.

  Carefully, he lowered her to the floor. Her eyes were closed, her long dark lashes resting on her pale cheeks.

  “Somebody help!” he shouted, hoping the stationmaster could hear him over the whistle still blowing, the shrill noise carrying on the summer air.

  Moments later, the door opened and the stationmaster hurried out. “What’s going on?”

  “Go fetch the doctor.”

  The man didn’t move. Instead, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his pants and stared down at the woman. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “I have no idea,” Jasper snapped. “She needs a doctor.”

  “She got money?”

  “What?”

  “No point going to get him unless she does. He won’t come.”

  Jasper couldn’t believe the man would refuse to get help … that a doctor would refuse to treat a patient who couldn’t afford to pay him. Rocky Ridge might be small and not have a train yet, but he’d bet Doc and Grace, the two doctors in town, would ever turn a patient away based on their ability to pay.

  “She looks a bit tetched,” the man said, his gaze lowering to the woman’s clothes. “What kind of woman goes around in a get-up like that?”

  Jasper hadn’t even noticed what she was wearing, only that the skirt of her dress was smeared with dirt and what looked like grease. There was a long tear in one sleeve and bits of lace hung from the hem. Maybe she wasn’t in her right mind, but he’d worry about her wardrobe later. Right now, she was unconscious.

  Gently tapping the woman’s cheeks, he spoke. “Ma’am? Can you hear me?”

  Her lids fluttered, then opened. Her eyes widened in terror and she screamed, scrambling to get away from him and scraping her elbows in the process. “Get away from me,” she cried out. “I’m not going back. Now or ever.”

  “Ma’am,” he said quietly while he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not going to hurt you. You fainted.”

  She peered at him for what seemed like a full minute, her eyes narrowed, before she spoke again. “I fainted?”

  He nodded.

  “I need to get home,” the stationmaster interrupted, then turned on his heel and locked the door to the depot behind him. With a last glance and a slight shake of his head, he walked away, disappearing around the side of the building.

  “Where aren’t you going back to?” he asked. “Are you in trouble?”

  “No … yes … I need to go.”

  She struggled to sit up, then slumped back into his arms.

  “Ma’am, you’re ill, and you might be hurt.” He thought he’d caught her in time to stop her injuring herself, but he wasn’t sure. A person could be torn apart on the inside without it showing on the outside. He knew that from when his uncle had gotten thrown from his horse a few years back. “You need to see a doctor.”

  “No. I just need to get away …”

  “From who? Is someone after you? Did someone hurt you?”

  She shook her head, then grimaced. “I need to hide for a while, that’s all. And I need … water … and food …”

  Food? “You’re hungry? When was the last time you ate?”

  “I’m not sure,” she croaked out. “Two days ago maybe? When we stopped for meals along the way, they wouldn’t even give me water since I didn’t buy food. Can you take me to your house?”

  “My house?”

  She nodded. “You have food at your house?”

  “Well … yeah …”

  “Please?”

  She must be desperate to be willing to go off with a man she’d never met before where she’d be at his mercy. Whatever she was fleeing from must be even more terrifying than taking a chance with her modesty and possibly even her life. How could he not help a woman who was so afraid she’d take that kind of risk?

  At the same time, he couldn’t help being suspicious. Who was she running from? For all he knew, she’d escaped from a lunatic asylum somewhere and had stowed away on the train. Maybe the people she was fleeing from were chasing her to take her back to a padded cell where she belonged.

  He’d always trusted his gut, though, and his gut was telling him she was as sane as he was, although right now, he wondered about his own mental state, taking a woman he’d never seen before home with him.

  “I live a day’s ride from here,” he told her. “We wouldn’t get there until tonight.”

  “That’s even better,” she said. “I can manage without food until tonight.” Her gaze flitted around the depot.

  Was she looking for whoever was after her? Or something else?

  “Do you have a wagon?”

  “No,” he replied. “The trip would be a lot easier if I did. I have a horse, so you’ll have to ride. Are you okay with that?”

  The horrified expression that filled her face couldn’t have been any worse if he’d asked her to stand buck naked in the middle of the street, but she didn’t object. Instead, she tucked her legs under her and used his arm to hoist herself onto her feet. He reached out to steady her in case she fainted again, but she sucked in a breath and straightened to her full height, which barely reached his chin. Then she turned to him. “Can we go now … please?”

  For the first time, he really looked at her. Dark brown hair shot through with reddish strands curled around her face, and he noticed a faint scar near her hairline. Her bluish-grey eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked up at him.

  His chest tightened and warmth seeped through his veins when he met her gaze. He’d heard that a man could be entranced by a woman, but he’d never thought it was really possible.

  Until now.

  Lynna’s heart raced. As if running away from her own wedding wasn’t bad enough, she’d practically thrown herself at a stranger and begged him to take her miles away from civilization. Why hadn’t she thought about escaping sooner?

  Because she’d foolishly believed her parents would relent at the last minute and not force her into a marriage she didn’t want. She’d been wrong.

  Fear snaked up her spine. Once they were out of Silver City, she’d be at his mercy. He could kill her. Or worse. Yet she didn’t have any choice. This man had been the only one willing to help her, and if it came down to it, whatever he did to her couldn’t be worse than what Hubert would do to her if she went home and married him.

  “What’s the matter?” The man’s voice stole into her thoughts. “You’re looking at me like I’m Satan.”

  She tried to laugh, but it came out as a brittle sound. “Are you?”

  “Nope,” he replied with a smile. “Haven’t done any devilish deeds for at least a couple of days. So are you ready?”

  She didn’t answer immediately. This was her last chance. “Yes,” she said finally. “Let’s go.”

  He took her hand and tucked it under his elbow, then led her to the end of the platform and down the steps to the ground.

  The dirt was uneven with hardened footprints. “Watch your step,” he warned. “It’s easy to turn your ankle when it’s like this.”

  She lowered her gaze, focusing on where she was going. Thank goodness it’s dry, she thought. It would be a river of mud if it was raining.

  The man guided her around the side of the depot until he reached a huge tan-colored horse tethered to a hitching post. Then he released her and turned his attention to the horse. She listened as he spoke softly to the animal and ran his hand gently down its neck. The horse nickered as if it understood every word.

  A faint smile tugged at her lips. A person could tell a lot about another person by the way they treated animals. This man would have his faults, she was sure, but she sensed he was basically a kind man, and the fear that had almost overwhelmed her only a few minutes before eased a little.

  She was still on edge, and likely would be until they reached their destination, but for now, he seemed nice enough.

  She didn’t move as he unhooked a canteen and opened it, and then handed it to her. “Take small sips,” he said, “or you’ll be throwing it back up. It’s full, and we can get more water on the way.”

  The water cooled her parched throat, and even though she was tempted to gulp the entire contents, she resisted. He’d been kind enough to help her. She wouldn’t risk him changing his mind because she was being contrary.

  “Do you know how to ride?” he asked.

  “No.” She took another small sip. “I never had any reason to. We used a carriage when we went out.”

  His gaze lowered to her gown, now streaked with grime. “I don’t have a sidesaddle so you can either ride astride or walk.”

  She looked down at her shoes peeking out from under her gown. The satin brocade slippers on her feet were not meant for walking any distance, especially over uneven ground.

  He followed her gaze, and her face flushed. Another few inches and he would have seen her ankles! “I’ll try to ride,” she murmured.

  “Okay, but one more thing before we go,” he said. “I don’t usually travel with people I don’t know, and you haven’t even told me your name.”

  “Oh … you’re right … I apologize … I’m Lynna Spiers of Boston, Massachusetts.” She held out her hand.

  The man wrapped his hand around hers, and her fingertips tingled. The sensation swept up her arm and through her body to her toes. So unusual, she thought.

  “Jasper Morrison,” he said, then added as an afterthought, “of Rocky Ridge, Colorado.”

  By noon, Lynna felt human again. The idea of sitting astride a giant beast while it moved under her had frightened her. She’d given herself a stern talking-to, reminding herself that she wasn’t the browbeaten young woman who’d left Boston. She was a strong woman who’d taken her life into her own hands, and if she couldn’t bring herself to do something she’d seen so many men do, she deserved nothing more than to be married to a man who’d domineer her.

  Calling on every ounce of courage she possessed, she’d allowed Jasper to help her mount and situate herself on the saddle. Once she was settled, he’d taken the horse’s reins and began walking slowly away from the depot.

  She’d held on to a knob on the front of the saddle as if her life depended on it, but by the time they’d left Silver City behind and were on a narrow trail, she’d gotten used to the gentle sway of the horse under her as it moved and she’d been able to relax a little.

  “You look more comfortable now,” he commented once they’d been on the trail for a while.

  She smiled. “I am. It’s actually quite pleasant. I never thought I’d enjoy riding, but now I think I’d like to learn properly one day.”

  He drew the horse to a stop. Still holding the reins, he opened one of his saddle bags and took out an apple. Lynna’s mouth watered.

  “Here,” he said, handing it to her. “I saw you’re holding on with just one hand now, so I think you can eat something without falling off.”

  “Thank you.” She took the apple and wiped it on one of the few spots on her gown that wasn’t dirty, then took a small bite. “Apples are so much better here than in Boston,” she gushed after taking a few dainty bites. “I’ve never eaten one that tasted so good.”

  “I think it’s just because you’re so hungry.” He glanced up at the sky. “We’ll stop for a rest and lunch in an hour or so. My sister packed enough food to feed us for a week.”

  Turning away, he flicked the reins and they began to move again. His hair, almost black, curled against the collar of his tan shirt. Broad shoulders tapered into the waistband of black pants, a gunbelt resting on his hips, the holster at his side.

  “Your sister lives in Silver City?” she asked.

  He nodded, his back still to her. “She moved there when she got married.”

  Conversation died, and they traveled in silence while Lynna finished her apple. Not knowing what to do with the core, she tucked it into the pocket in her gown. She smiled inwardly at the memory of her dressmaker’s horrified reaction when Lynna had insisted on pockets in her wedding gown. Now she was thankful she’d been so stubborn.

  As she rode, Lynna was enamored by the scenery. She’d never seen so much open space, such sky where the small puffy clouds seemed close enough to touch, so many wildflowers covering the land.

  Mountains rose in the distance, the colors blending from green to shades of grey and purple, with white tips.

  Enjoying the warmth on her skin and her surroundings, she didn’t really notice the time passing until Jasper led the horse to a bend in a creek and stopped.

  “We’ll rest here,” he said, looping the horse’s reins around a tree branch. “I’ll help you down.”

  He held out his arms and Lynna slid out of the saddle. His hands spanned her waist as she fell against him and he gently lowered her to the ground.

  She’d never been that close to a man, and her breathing quickened. His scent, a unique smell she couldn’t identify but that she found pleasant, wafted to her nose. She looked up at him, noticing for the first time the flecks of gold in his eyes and the tiny lines that fanned out from the corners. He must smile a lot, she thought.

  Her heart tumbled inside her chest. Mercy, what was happening to her?

  For a long second, neither of them moved, until suddenly, the sound of movement in the underbrush nearby startled her.

  Her heart leapt into her throat and she pulled away, realizing she should have been mortified to have a man’s hands on her waist, to be in such an intimate position with a man, especially one she barely knew. Yet she wasn’t embarrassed at all. What did that say about her? Was she a harlot deep inside?

  “Nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “Likely a squirrel or a rabbit or something. If you need to take care of … anything … you could go over there.” Jasper pointed to a stand of cedars nearby.

  Now her cheeks flamed. She did need to take care of personal business, but it wasn’t proper to even suggest such a thing to someone else. Still, out here in the wilderness, if she suddenly disappeared behind a tree, it would be obvious what she was doing.

  Things were definitely different here in the west, she mused as she made her way to the trees. There seemed to be no sense of propriety or privacy. Or maybe it was just him.

  She’d have to wait until they reached his home and she spoke to more people to find out.

  By the time she returned, Jasper had spread out fried chicken, bread and cheese, with cherry pound cake for dessert.

  “I bet you’re still pretty hungry,” he said when she was standing beside him.

  “I am.” The apple had helped, but she was far from satisfied.

  “You going to be able to sit down in that contraption?”

  “Of course,” she replied with a confidence she didn’t feel. He looked on, a faint smile on his face, as she twisted and tucked and pulled at her gown’s frothy layers of fabric, her petticoats and crinolines, not to mention the bustle and train on the back of her gown.

  Finally, though, she was sitting beside him, her breathing heavy, the gown spread out around her. She couldn’t prevent the chuckle that escaped her. “This really is a day for new experiences,” she said. “I’ve never sat on grass before.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Mama always said it wasn’t proper.”

  “You’ll find out here people do a lot of things that they don’t think is civilized back east.”

  She nodded, eyeing a chicken drumstick.

  “Go ahead,” he told her. “You’re going to have to eat with your fingers.”

  She was reluctant, but as he’d pointed out, she was in the west now. With a grin, she gingerly picked up the chicken and took a bite. It was delicious, better than many of the meals she’d eaten at some of the finest restaurants in Boston.

  She ate silently until she was afraid if she ate more, she would be sick. “May I have more water, please?” she asked, then smiled. “I’d get it myself but …” She glanced at her skirts, and he laughed as he got up.

  “Stay there!”

  He came back a few moments later and handed her the canteen. “We’ll fill it back up before we move on.”

  “Thank you.”

  He lowered himself to the ground and faced her squarely. “Now, want to tell me your story?”

  “My story?”

  “You’re not from around here, your clothes look expensive and you’re running away from something or somebody.”

  She put the cap back on the canteen and set it in her lap. “He’ll send someone after me to take me back,” she said when she was finished telling him the events that led to her arrival in Silver City and her fear that Hubert would punish her for humiliating him. “I have no doubt about that. It would be better if he came himself, because I’d recognize him and could avoid him, but he won’t do that. He’ll send one of his men instead.”

 

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