Ruthless Heart

by Beth Williamson

  “Liz, what the hell are you doing?”

  She stopped, startled and looking for all the world like a rabbit in the hunter’s sights. “Making breakfast.”

  “You want to tell me why you’re doing it like you’re in a race?” He sat down and ignored the slight dizziness at the sudden motion. Damn head kick had stolen some of his strength.

  “I find myself somewhat embarrassed about my behavior.” Her cheeks flared pink. “I’m afraid you’ll think me a loose woman based on how I threw myself at you.”

  Grady raised one brow. “You didn’t throw yourself at me. What we do ain’t no one’s business but ours.”

  She stopped her manic work and stared, her eyes wide. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I mean, being with a man like you, well not like you, but someone who I’ve only known a week.” Eliza blew out a breath and covered her face with her hand. “I am a complete moron.”

  Grady snorted. “First of all, you had never been with a man before. Second, if there’s one person in this world who isn’t a moron, that’d be you. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met, woman.”

  “Really?” She sounded so hopeful, so full of doubt, he again wondered just who’d been beating her down. He felt the insane urge to beat them down.

  “I could hardly read most of what you wrote, and sometimes, half of what you say makes my brain hurt. Yeah, I’m sure.” He pulled a cheroot from his pocket and lit it, pulling in a drag as he watched her reaction.

  “I…well, then. I don’t know what to say other than, thank you.” She fiddled with the kindling in her hand. “I haven’t had much support from others for my work, except for Ephraim.”

  “Was that your husband?” He watched her face carefully as she reacted to his question.

  “He was my teacher, my friend, my mentor. I miss him.” A suspicious sheen twinkled from behind her spectacles, but she looked away so fast, he couldn’t quite get a good look.

  “But not your husband?” He pushed again.

  She shook her head. “No, but I lost him almost a year ago, and my life hasn’t been the same since.”

  Again, he believed everything she said. That meant she was running from somebody else, someone who’d likely beat her for using her brain. Maybe her father, which wouldn’t surprise him in the least. Many men didn’t cotton to their wives or daughters getting too smart.

  “Your life sure is different now, isn’t it?”

  Her head snapped up, and she just stared at him for a minute before the corners of her mouth twitched. “It couldn’t be more different. An adventure to tell my grandchildren, I think.”

  Grandchildren meant children, which meant husband. That image invaded Grady’s mind again, and he pushed it away with a growl. Ridiculous how he got Eliza stuck in his head. Stupid even.

  “What shall I tell them about you?”

  Grady stopped and stared at her, wondering why it had taken her so long to ask and what he was going to tell her. “I keep my business to myself.”

  She shrugged and looked down at the little fire. “You know my business, and why I’m traveling west. I thought you might want to provide me with similar information.”

  He wanted to tell her to go to hell, but he owed her something. “I’m looking for somebody.”

  “Your family?”

  “No, just somebody I got paid to find.” He wasn’t sure how much to tell her. Truthfully, he wanted to tell her nothing. That way, she’d pose no risk to his work.

  “Can I assist you with your search?”

  He still had trouble getting used to the way she talked. The woman sounded so odd to him.

  “No. Just don’t get in the way.”

  She nodded. “I will do my best not to get in your way.”

  Eliza almost shrank into herself, so blatantly, he could see it. He didn’t want to take the place of whomever the bastard was that had beat her down whether with fists or words.

  “That’s not what I meant. I don’t want you getting hurt because of my business, that’s all.” He fiddled with the cheroot, watching the orange tip as the smoke gently curled up from it.

  Eliza smiled softly. “I appreciate your concern for my well-being. As I said, I will do my best to stay out of your business.”

  He was struck again by how lovely she was. Most times, she hid behind the spectacles, the ugly-as-shit clothes, and the fancy talk. Eliza was much more than the things she hid behind.

  Eliza was still worried Grady wasn’t ready to travel, so she convinced him to stay put until after dinner. He needed a few more hours to rest so she took the opportunity to work on a project while he slept. Although he seemed to be fine, he’d had a concussion. Aside from that, she wanted to remain in their little hideaway longer than just a day, but she understood his need to be on his way.

  He was looking for Angeline and Lettie, and she had to accompany him or lose her sister, and Grady, for good. They’d kept to a straight path heading west, and Eliza guessed he was following a lead he must have gotten in Bellman. At least they’d gotten supplies and information in that den of small-minded bullies.

  She’d never felt so angry as when she’d seen what they’d done to Grady. People in her ward at home did their beatings in private, and it stayed that way no matter who did the deed. The sheriff had thought nothing of leaving Grady in a dire physical condition and bleeding profusely. She wanted to ride back there and slap the men who’d hurt her Grady.

  The very idea of thinking of Grady as hers sent a silly shiver through her. He wasn’t hers by any means, and the act of copulating with him had only bonded them physically, just for a brief moment of pure bliss. He owed her nothing but had given her so much.

  Eliza was afraid to admit even to herself that she’d fallen just a bit in love with the bounty hunter. He was short-tempered, cursed quite a bit, and generally seemed to dislike everyone. Yet, she’d seen a side of him he didn’t show most people. He’d been complimentary of her intelligence, and she didn’t think he’d just been being kind.

  Grady was not the kind of person to be disingenuous, that was for certain. It meant he truly did respect her brain. Her! Eliza Hunter, the disappointment to her father and the entire church, was respected for her intelligence rather than her cooking.

  It was positively liberating and left a smile on her face to accompany the twinges in her body as she adjusted to being a fallen woman.

  She’d never had a better day.

  “What are you doing?”

  Eliza glanced up to see Grady scowling at her. “I decided to avoid singeing my hand on the open fire any longer and have been working on a device to assist me.”

  He sipped his coffee. “You don’t want to get burned, so you’re making something for the fire?”

  “That’s correct.” She held up some strips of leather from her traveling bag she’d been fussing with. “These will allow me to fashion a handle on the pan.” She held up pieces of metal from the bottom of the bag. “And these will be a grate for the pan to sit on.”

  As she worked to fit the pieces together, he was quiet. Eliza always seemed better at thinking of inventions rather than building them. Her hands weren’t strong enough to put the pieces of metal together in a lattice pattern.

  On the fourth attempt, she nearly fell into the fire.

  “Jesus Christ, woman. Give me the damn thing.” Grady snatched the pieces from her and made quick work of a rather nice lattice pattern. “Is this what you wanted?”

  Eliza told herself not to blush, not to look away as if she were embarrassed. “Yes, that’s exactly what I was attempting to do. Thank you, Grady.” She took the new grate back from him, pleased with the result.

  As Eliza wrapped the thinnest leather strips around the grate to keep it secured, he picked up her journal and looked at the page with the drawing of the device. She wanted to take it from him, make him stop looking at what she’d invented, but she didn’t. It wasn’t as if they were the secrets of the universe. There was no
need to be so childish about keeping them as such.

  “Looks like a good idea.” He glanced at the other strips of leather. “But I think if you braided these before you put them on the handle, they’d stay on better.”

  Eliza was startled, to say the least, because he was correct, and because he had thought of something she hadn’t. “You’re an inventor, too.”

  He snorted. “Not hardly, just been on the trail too long with burnt hands.” Grady picked up the leather and started braiding the strips.

  Eliza could hardly believe it, truth be told. He was a bounty hunter, a man who made his living hunting other human beings, and yet he sat beside her on the ground making a grate and handle for the cooking.

  As she finished securing the grate together, he had already completed his task and was examining the handle of the pan. She set the grate down and picked up the braided leather. It was perfectly even and tightly done.

  “This is marvelous work, Grady. I don’t think I could have done a better job.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “I don’t cotton to people talking down to me.”

  “I most certainly was not talking down to you. Your assistance with this invention is proving invaluable. I was being completely forthright with you.” She bristled as if he’d insulted her rather than the other way around. Silly how she reacted to everything he said in the opposite way she should.

  He watched her for another few minutes before he nodded. “Okay then, thanks.”

  “And please accept my thanks for your contribution. Now, if you’ll hold the pan, I’ll secure the end and begin wrapping the braid around the handle.”

  Somewhat grudgingly, he picked up the pan and held it so the handle faced her.

  As Eliza began tying the end knot, he harrumphed at her. “That ain’t no knot. It won’t hold more than a day.” He thrust the pan in her hands. “You hold this, and I’ll show you how to tie a knot.”

  Grady’s font of knowledge was far greater than she’d suspected. He was actually patient as he taught her the intricacies of tying a secure knot. Although his hands were callused, his fingers were dexterous and strong enough to secure the leather braid to the pan.

  She vowed to attempt knot tying later when he wasn’t looking.

  Grady finished wrapping the braid around the handle then tied it to the hole on the end. “There, now stop fussing with the thing and make some supper.”

  Eliza examined the handle carefully. “This is quite marvelous work. You are a man of many talents.”

  His gaze glittered in the fading twilight. “You have no idea.”

  She shivered, although it was still quite warm outside. His insinuation was clear enough to even her untrained ears. She shouldn’t be surprised, after all, she’d given herself to him already.

  “Now let’s see if we can make good use of our good ideas.” She managed a smile, which he did not return, but his gaze slid to the pan and she thought she saw a spark of pride. It was probably something he didn’t feel very often. Perhaps she should share her ideas for inventions with him more often.

  Eliza made dinner using the ham she’d purchased at the store. The handle worked marvelously well, and she was able to move the pan to the grate at the side of the firepit when the ham was cooked. It served as a wonderful resting spot for the hot pan.

  As they ate the ham with canned peaches and drank coffee, the sun warmed up the air around them. She closed her eyes and listened to the wind the leaves, strangely at peace in the middle of nowhere with only a gruff bounty hunter for company.

  Eliza couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so content and wondered if it was because she was away from her father’s heavy hand, or because she was with Grady. She couldn’t decide which idea appealed to her more.

  After Eliza’s careful cajoling, Grady agreed to wait until the next morning before leaving. She was glad of the delay, and although they didn’t repeat their sexual encounter from the night before, both of them got plenty of sleep.

  Eliza made only coffee for breakfast, and they started riding just as dawn broke. The cold morning air made her glad she’d drank the hot, bitter coffee. The saddle felt only marginally uncomfortable, which was a miracle since she had been simply miserable on it when she’d left Tolson. Apparently, she’d toughened up her backside.

  They stopped at a ranch just after dinner time. It seemed to be a small cattle ranch in a valley with rich grass and bountiful resources. The sign over the porch, which was well swept, read “Double B”. It was a well taken care of property, which meant the owners had pride in their land.

  A young woman poked her head out the door. “What do you want?”

  Grady tipped his hat. “Looking to refill our canteens and set a spell to give our horses a break.”

  She peered at them from the shadows, first looking at Eliza, then at Grady. “That your wife?”

  “Yes’m. This here is Eliza, and my name’s Grady Wolfe. We’re traveling to my kin over in Raymer Falls.” Grady had gentled his tone. He definitely knew how to modify his ways for a softer audience.

  “The men are in the corral. You’re welcome to use the well pump out yonder.” She closed the door before they could respond.

  “Am I to assume I’ll be introduced as Mrs. Wolfe while we travel together?” Eliza felt a little tickle in her throat when she said the inexact title out loud.

  He grunted. “You have a problem with that?”

  “No, I don’t, but I thought perhaps we should discuss a decision like that or I might say something inappropriate. Particularly considering we are on our way to visit family.” She sounded a bit breathless, as if she’d been running beside the horse instead of on his back.

  “Good point. I ain’t used to traveling with anybody.” He dismounted and secured his horse to the hitching post. “Normally, I just do what I need to without ‘discussing a decision’.”

  She’d venture a guess that Grady didn’t tell anyone about his business. It was likely a result of being a bounty hunter and working alone for so long.

  “That’s a logical conclusion. I’d be happy to do whatever I can to assist you in your quest for the person you’re looking for.” She managed to get her foot out the right stirrup but before she could get off the horse, he was there plucking her off as if he hadn’t had a concussion twenty-four hours earlier. “You shouldn’t be lifting heavy objects.”

  He scoffed. “You’re not heavy. Jesus, my saddle weighs more than you.”

  Grady set her on the ground, and they were standing together between the horses. His heat again reached out to her, and she closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation of being so close to another human being.

  “You keep leaning into me like that, and I’m going to think you didn’t make a mistake with me.” He touched her cheek with two fingers, running them lightly up and down the sensitive skin.

  “That was no mistake.”

  His hand stopped at her whisper. Her heart kicked into a steady, thumping rhythm. She swore she could hear his beating to the same beat.

  “Can I help you folks?”

  The man’s voice made Eliza jump nearly a foot. She bumped into the horse, careened into Grady, then landed on the ground with a painful clack of her teeth.

  “Jesus please us, Liz, are you okay?” Grady held out his hand and pulled her back onto her feet.

  “Yes, I believe so.” She rubbed her sore behind while she tasted the tang of blood from her tongue, which had unfortunately gotten trapped between her teeth.

  They turned to find a whipcord lean man with a face that could have been twenty or forty, lined with years in the sun. He wore a blue shirt and brown trousers with his pant legs tucked firmly into his boots, which were covered in what appeared to be horse excrement.

  “We just wanted to get some water for the horses and canteens.” Grady put his arm around Eliza’s shoulder.

  “You’re welcome to what you need.” The man’s gaze traveled down to Grady’s pistols and back. “Where you
headed?”

  “Raymer Falls to my family. It’s a long way, but my mama ain’t doing well.” Grady was able to tell fabrications at the drop of a hat. Eliza would do well to remember that while she was getting doe-eyed over his sexual prowess.

  The man studied them for a few seconds before he nodded. “Family’s important. Glad to hear you’re going to help out.” He held out his hand. “Name’s Gannon, and this here’s my little piece of heaven.”

  Eliza wanted to point out the patch of dirt was certainly not heaven, since she didn’t believe it existed. However, the man seemed proud of his ranch, and rightly so. It was well-kept and seemed to be in good shape.

  “Grady Wolfe, and this is my wife, Eliza.”

  Eliza smiled, and this time it was genuine. Each time Grady called her “wife” it sounded more natural than the time before it.

  “Pleased to meet you folks.” He rubbed Cab’s neck. “You got yourself one old horse here, Wolfe. This old boy ain’t long for this world.”

  “I’ll have you know Cab is the finest horse who ever lived.” She sounded defensive and silly, but the horse had proven himself to be a stalwart friend to her.

  Gannon smiled. “I’m sure he is, ma’am. If you need to visit with a woman, you’re welcome to go up to the house. Mary is shy with folks, but she enjoys the company.”

  Eliza wanted to look at Grady for his permission but decided against it. She wasn’t really his wife, and there was no need to ask him anything. No man would ever have a hold over her again—she made her own choices and decisions. She did not need to ask permission from anyone.

  “I’d be glad of the female time with another.” She stepped away from Grady and felt the barest hesitation in his arm before he let her go.

  She headed for the house, leaving her “husband” to find out whatever information he could about Angeline. Exactly what she was planning on doing with Mrs. Gannon.

  Grady wanted to snatch her by the collar and drag her back to his side. Of course, he had no right to and certainly didn’t want to act the fool in front of the rancher.

  What the hell would possess him to want to keep Eliza next to him was a mystery. She likely needed some time with another woman, maybe to ask a question or two about what happened with him. Ladies were open like that with each other. Foolish chatter, in his opinion. He kept himself to himself.