A chuckle came from him. "If you gave up on me, disappointment would fill my empty soul. But I'm curious. Where have you been sleeping?"
"On the trail," she said, thinking what a silly question. "Every night I make a fire and curl up in my bedroll."
At night, the temperatures dropped and she spent more time stoking the flames to keep warm than actually getting shut eye. No, this wasn't easy, but if Ruby chased outlaws and brought them to justice, so could Caroline.
She yawned, for the first time in three days her stomach completely satisfied.
"Why don't you stay with me tonight? Sleep in the spare bedroom, take a bath and get a good night's rest. Maria would be in the house. Then tomorrow go back to your bounty hunting."
Funny how the idea of sleeping in a bed and especially a bath were enticing enough to stay in a strange man's house. Washing the dirt from her hair and feeling clean once again sounded divine. The offer of fresh water was so tempting, but there must be a catch. What was in it for him if she stayed?
"Why are you offering me hospitality when I'm only interested in arresting you?”
Smiling, he leaned in close to her, the scent of leather and wood smoke tickling her nose. "Miss McKenzie, I'm not the man you're after, but I find your ideas interesting. Intriguing. Frankly, I'd love for you to teach me about being a bounty hunter."
His words danced around her brain, compelling her to give him the opportunity, except for one question. "Why would a wanted criminal want to become a bounty hunter?"
"Again, you have the wrong man," he said smiling. "But there might be someone you could help me capture. Dean Roberts."
Chapter 3
Ruby McKenzie's life had changed so much in the months since she'd married Deke Culver and they set up their bounty hunting school. Anyone was welcome to come and learn the skills they could teach and even Meg had come over and given some pointers to their students, though that was becoming more and more difficult with a small child and another baby on the way.
Both of her sisters were happily married with children and Ruby couldn't wait until she and Deke had children, but right now, she was content with her new life.
The crunch of gravel from a buggy rolling up the drive had her glancing out the window of the ranch house her and Deke owned. Their home was cozy, and being married to Deke had been good. Adapting to not hunting criminals had been an adjustment, but the school kept her busy and she didn't want to give up her home life.
And Deke refused to bounty hunt any longer.
She watched as Caroline's mother, Esther, parked her buggy in their drive, crawled out of the contraption and tethered her horses. Oh no, a grimace lined her face and her step was filled with determination. Something must have happened between her and Caroline. The situation had been brewing for months.
A rapid knock sounded on the door. "Ruby, open up. I need to speak with you."
Ruby opened the door. "Good morning, Aunt Esther. Please come in."
The woman could be a gossiping nuisance if ever there was one, and the need to find her daughter a husband consumed her.
"Are you feeling well?" Ruby asked. "Please, have a seat."
The lady looked around the parlor. "Lovely home. I wish you would convince Caroline that marriage would be worth her while."
The older woman took a chair, leaning back and examining Ruby, her brows drew together in a frown.
How could Ruby help the woman understand it wasn't marriage Caroline objected to?
With a shrug, Ruby stared at her aunt. The woman had a coldness about her that they always found off putting as children. She wasn't the aunt you wanted to stay over at her house, but rather the one you avoided.
"Caroline told me it's not that she doesn't want to get married, but rather she wants to marry a man she loves. Maybe if you backed off a little and left her alone, she would find someone."
The woman made a humph noise like a bear snort and Ruby watched her eyes narrow.
"When you aren't at home, it's hard to find the man you're going to fall in love with. Besides, she should be looking at how Levy can provide her a nice living. Their children won't go hungry. Love is the stuff of fairy tales. It doesn't exist."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, knowing before the woman answered that Caroline must have finally grown weary of her mother's attempt at finding her a husband of her choosing and flown the marriage coop.
"You know. You're probably the one who put her up to leaving," she said, her voice angry.
"The last time I talked to Caroline, we were practicing aiming and she told me you had invited Levy over for dinner. Since that afternoon, I haven't spoken to her. Why?"
Where was her cousin Caroline? Why hadn't she come to visit with her mother?
The woman shook her head. "Because my stubborn daughter has left. She penned me a note saying she would not return until she was an independent woman capable of supporting herself." The mother sighed. "My biggest fear is she'll get involved with a shady character and end up in a brothel. She's not strong mentally."
Ruby watched the mother and wanted to chastise her for not believing in Caroline, but didn't think it would matter. No wonder the girl lacked confidence. No wonder the whole town thought of her as weak. No wonder the only men that were interested in her were the local rejects.
"Caroline has a quiet, gentle way about her, but beneath that softness is an iron will, which obviously you've seen. If she went chasing bounty, yes, it is a dangerous life. But when you earned that first big payout, it feels good to be in control of your own destiny. It gives you strength and honor and fills you with determination."
The woman looked at her like she was crazy. "A man would take care of her and there would be no need for the danger."
Sitting back in her chair, Ruby realized she would never convince her - but still she had a burning question. "Tell me something. Did you love my uncle when you married him or was he just someone to take care of you?"
The woman's brown eyes flashed. "What an awful thing to say to your aunt."
All Ruby's short life, her aunt had berated Caroline, accusing her of being weak and stupid and the girl had been unable to do anything that pleased her mother. It appeared she was finally growing a spine and rebelling.
"I'm just asking. I'm not accusing you of anything. But the way you are pushing Caroline on any man available who has any property, to some folks it appears you either want her out of the house or you want your daughter to have the best."
Esther rose from her chair, picking up her reticule. Taking a deep breath, she glared at Ruby. "Your uncle and I were married for nearly twenty years before he passed away. He made enough money. I never wanted for anything, and even today, I have a nice lifestyle because he planned in advance."
So, she loved him for his assets and the way he took care of her. Without realizing, she answered Ruby's questions. Because if she loved the man, why didn't she mention how much she missed him? Why didn't she say anything about the man, just his money?
Ruby smiled. "See you answered my curiosity. Uncle Ray was blessed to have you as his wife."
The words seemed to relax her and she appeared a little less tense. Though it was obvious to Ruby that there had never been any love in that marriage. Maybe Esther didn't admit it, but all she'd focused on were the material benefits, not the emotional attachment. And Ruby couldn't imagine not having that bond of being willing to lay down your life for your partner.
"Yes. And you have no idea where Caroline could be? Levy is quite put out with her and I fear we're going to lose him as a potential husband."
"Shame," Ruby replied, opening the door for the woman to leave, but her words were meant for Esther and not Caroline. It was shameful, the way she was pushing an unwanted man on her cousin.
Thank goodness Caroline found the courage and left town or she'd be facing wedding bells.
After his housekeeper led Caroline to the other bedroom and filled his big tub with hot water, Trent made himself
scarce.
Not that he wasn't curious about the woman bathing in the room on the other side of the house, but rather, he didn't want to scare her. If she was going to stay a few days with him, he had to make her feel comfortable in his home. So, he retreated to his room to scratch his thoughts onto paper and write a telegram to his editor.
No, he had no one he needed help finding, but it gave him an excuse for being with her and understanding her process. After all, women thought differently from men.
Oh, how he longed to go after Butch Jones and see him serve justice.
Going after the Jones Boys was something Trent dreamed of doing, but realized he could never do. But there was power in his pen, and in his novels, the man stared from behind bars in his stories.
For the next two hours, he made notes about what Miss McKenzie told him over supper about her business, her cousins, and her reasons for taking on this job.
How many women avoided marriage? The idea seemed preposterous and was something he never considered a woman doing before. Most women wanted to get married, but then he'd never been someone forced to do anything. It appeared Miss McKenzie was the same.
The woman would never be a strong heroine, but what if she was a goofy defender of law that always luckily saved the day. That character his readers would find entertaining. The Bumbling Bounty Hunter or The Bad Luck Bounty Hunter or maybe the Bravest Bounty Hunter.
Picking up his quill, he wrote out the telegram, folded the paper over and put it in his pocket.
In the morning, he would send his editor several names along with the first installment. Then begin the task of learning from the bumbling bounty hunter as much as possible. He wondered if he could go on a hunt with her. If they could hunt for a man who didn't exist, Dean Roberts. Would she be so gullible?
Unable to resist, he stood and walked through the house, his leg aching as the cold night air filled the home. Standing outside her door, he listened and didn't hear any movement inside.
The lamps were out and everyone slept in the house, but him. As usual, he prowled around the house in the darkness trying to ease the pain and forget the past.
Gently, he opened the door and peered into the room. Moonlight streamed through the window shining on the outline of her body curled in his guest bed.
Her ebony hair splayed across her pillow as she slept. Gazing at her in the moon beams, he wished they'd met at a ball in New York. Or at least in a place where he could be honest about who he really was and how he made his living.
How peaceful she looked, lying there so vulnerable. He gazed at her, thinking what a courageous little mouse. One that could become injured so very easily. Yet she was brave to travel alone capturing villains.
The urge to crawl into bed beside her, take her in his arms, and kiss those full soft lips of hers was overwhelming as he stared at her. A tightness in his groin had him stepping away from the door.
If his life were normal, he would have courted the compelling, lovely Miss McKenzie. As long as Butch and his gang lived, he had to remain in hiding. Even the bumbling bounty hunter couldn't help him bring the Jones Boys to justice.
When Caroline awoke the next morning, it took her a minute to remember where she was and why she agreed to stay. Frankly, this morning she felt like a revived woman.
A good meal, a restful night, and a hot bath made her feel like a morning glory open to the rays of a new day. Last night, she slept in her pantaloons, her trusty guns by her side.
At one point during the night, she thought she heard someone walking around, but then she remembered he told her he often couldn't sleep at night.
The sun had just started to peak the eastern sky when she rose from the bed, grateful for the night of rest. Time to go.
When she came back through, she would stop and consider helping him. But her goal today was to get on the road, searching for her next bounty. The idea of returning to Zenith empty handed left her stomach nauseous.
Desperate to catch her first solo reward, determined to be successful, she gathered her things. A criminal she could collect on, not some gambler who looked like a man on the wanted poster.
Quickly she dressed, anxious to leave before he awoke and realized she was gone. She had a job to do and she needed to do it quickly.
Within an hour, she stood in front of the sheriff's office looking over the wanted posters for an easy prey. It came down to two. Butch Jones of the Jones Boys gang or a horse thief named Beau Sanders. That one she could manage and knew the location of the Sanders’s farm.
Wagons rumbled along main street kicking up dust, and she coughed as she gazed at some of the worst of society.
Turning from the banners on the wall, she bumped into a hard male chest. A chest she dreamed about last night. Warmth spread through her and a tingly feeling rippled along her spine as he reached out to steady her.
"Good morning, Caroline," he said softly. "You're up early. I'm surprised you left without saying goodbye."
"Thank you for your hospitality. But I need to move on. Time's a wasting and I must earn some money," she said.
"You're not going to help me find Dean Roberts?"
She bit her bottom lip, wanting to assist him, but also not certain that spending time with the very intriguing Trent was in her best interests. There was no time for dilly dallying, being entertained by a man who caused her body to heat in a way never experienced before.
"Right now, I'm working on another case. How about when I come back through town," she said, trying to let him down gently. An ardent studier of wanted posters, Dean Roberts wasn't someone whose name jumped out at her. And she was familiar with all the names with the most money on their heads.
He cocked his head and studied her and the way those emerald eyes stared at her, her blood began that slow delicious heating. For the first time, she felt attracted to a man. A virile man who possibly was wanted for robbery.
Annabelle had fallen in love with a man she believed was lawless only to later learn he was a Pinkerton man. Caroline would never be so lucky.
"What if I go with you?"
At his question, her heart skipped a beat, racing through her chest and the time they spent together last night came rushing back. Their evening had been entertaining. For the first time, she'd enjoyed talking to a man. Someone who made her laugh and seemed interested in her life for a change.
"While we're pursuing your outlaw, we could talk about my case and you could teach me how to shoot and be a bounty hunter. Then after you apprehend your horse thief, we go after my guy. What do you think?"
Caroline stared at the rugged hunk of man. The way his sandy dark hair rustled in the breeze, his green eyes twinkled with laughter. Traveling with a companion would be nice, instead of being alone. But what about his leg?
"Can you ride?" she asked, trying to be respectful, but needing to know if his leg could handle the grueling pace.
"Of course," he said. "I'm stronger than I appear."
A smile stretched across her face. "That's what concerns me."
With a grin, he tilted his head toward her. "You have my word that nothing untoward will happen between us, unless you instigate it."
Could she trust the promise of a bank robber? Or was he just a card player doing well for himself?
"There will be no instigation on my part. Can you be ready to go in an hour?"
"I'll do you even better. I'll be ready to leave in thirty minutes and I'll have my housekeeper fix us some chicken sandwiches for the road."
Likely, she was getting herself in even more trouble, but the idea of Trent coming along sent a little thrill of excitement heating her blood. And she couldn't be a terrible bounty hunter if he wanted her to educate him on how to catch criminals.
"Let's go," she said in her tea time voice.
Trent couldn't believe he almost lost her. Early this morning, he finally fell asleep, and the sound of the door closing had awakened him. When he found her, she was down at the sheriff's office looking
at posters.
Glancing at her sitting astride her brown and white pinto mare, the wind teasing at the strands of her hair that had come loose from beneath her hat, he admired her spunk.
The woman was full of courage, though he felt certain she was not cut out for this job. And for that matter, neither was he. Tonight, his leg would pain him terribly, but he would grit his teeth and carry on, determined to get what he needed for his story.
Caroline McKenzie was his muse and he would follow her to the ends of the earth to get her story. Hopefully their paths wouldn't cross with the Jones Boys gang. They couldn't find him or he'd be dead.
Riding their horses along the worn trail, the sun darted in and out of the clouds and birds shrilled calling to one another in the trees. The rays from the sun warmed his body and after today, he would be longing for his own bed.
“Later, when we stop, we'll have target practice," she said, gazing at him as they rode side by side. "But first, I want to ride at least within an hour of where he lives. Funny, I went to school with this boy. Doubt he will be happy to see me."
"Are you well known for being a bounty hunter?" he questioned.
"Not really," she replied, her mare stepping over a log. "My cousins are. Once, I went out with Ruby, but she sent me home. Told me I wasn't ready. Now, I have no choice."
Like hell. The woman was just a tiny little thing that anyone could knock over. Yet, already, he'd learned she would not appreciate his concerns and so he kept them to himself.
"Why isn't Ruby with you?" he asked.
"She got married. Now her and her husband have a bounty hunting school where they teach men and women. Pay the tuition and they instruct you on the business. This is something you might want to consider if you're interested in the trade."
With a turn of his face, he smiled. Trent had no desire to chase bad guys, instead he wanted to write about these women. Put them in his serials and tell the world about their escapades. As a writer, he could embellish a story and make the tale cringe worthy enough for any reader to enjoy.
Lipstick and Lead Series: The Complete Box Set With a Bonus Book Page 91
