Daring (2 page)

“Why not?” she barked.

“He’s tied up.”

“Oh,” she said, standing on the edge of the firelight, her features dark. “Where’s your weapon?”

“It’s in my blankets,” he said, not willing to help her out.

He stared at the two women, fear of one of their weapons discharging keeping him still. He wondered what they wanted. Were they looking for the man? Were they family members who’d come to rescue his criminal or what? The dark haired girl’s hand was shaking so badly it was a wonder she didn’t drop her weapon, but the blonde…the blonde knew exactly what she was searching for. She found his weapon, and when she turned to face him, to his shock, he recognized her.

“Ruby McKenzie,” he said, unable to stop the grin that creased his face. The memory of their last meeting was a pleasant one, except for her firing bullets at him while he rode off.

“Deke,” she said, her smile forced her voice tight. “Still kissing girls and making them cry?”

“Not since you,” he said. He dropped his hands. “What are you doing out here?”

She jabbed him in the ribs with her six-shooter. “Oh no, put those hands back where I can see them. Caroline watch him closely. He’s a sly one.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the girl said, her hands shaking like a rattler with a chill. She was more ornamental than useful.

“What are you doing, Ruby girl?”

“This man is wanted. I’m taking your bounty, Deke. Call it payment for the kiss you stole from an innocent.”

He started laughing. “I didn’t steal a kiss from you. You were begging me to take that kiss and more. Out of respect for your Pa, I walked away from you that day. Or I would have accepted your offer of more.”

“That was a young and foolish girl,” she said, grabbing his hands and pulling them down. She began to wrap rope around his wrists.

“So, to repay me you’re going to take my bounty and leave me tied up here in the wilderness?”

Part of him was frustrated she thought she had the right to his bounty, but another part felt guilty for how things had ended between them. That seemed to be his lot in life when it came to women. He was a sucker to help pretty girls, and then he let them rip his guts out.

She finished securing the rope around his hands and tied it off. “Sweetie, you just made my job easier. You caught him for me, and now, I’m hauling him in.”

“Isn’t that stealing?” he asked.

She stood right in front of him and leaned in close. “Your kiss was the icing on the cake of the worst day of my life. I really don’t have fond memories of us. In fact, I pretty much hate men now because of you and Clay Mullens. You taught me what a worthless lot all of you are.”

He took a step closer to her and felt her six-shooter up against his ribs, his chest against her chest, his hands tied behind his back. “That’s a real shame. Because I have very fond memories of that kiss. A young, innocent girl who was hurt. If I’d been the cad you’re making me out to be, I would have taken advantage of everything you offered that day. But I didn’t want memories of Clay tainting you and me. If you’d been older and not healing from an attempted rape, I’d have been all over you.”

Ruby licked her lips and stared at him. “Too bad. You missed your chance.”

He shook his head. “Oh, no. We’ve got now. We’ve got right this moment. Untie my hands and we can finish what we started.”

She laughed and glanced at him like he’d had too much loco water to drink. “Sorry, not interested. I’ve got a bounty I need to turn in.”

A gunshot went off behind them, and Deke knocked her to the ground, covering her body with his. At this moment, he knew he could have gotten out of his ropes and taken her gun away, but he didn’t. It wasn’t like there was a lot of money riding on this guy, and he’d never forgotten how poor the McKenzie sisters had been after their father died. Deke didn’t need the money, maybe she did.

“Get off me.” She pushed him away and then whirled around. “What’s wrong, Caroline?”

Trembling, the young woman stared at Ruby, tears filling her eyes. “Oh, my God, I could have killed you. I was shaking so hard I accidentally pulled the trigger.”

“Ohhhh,” Ruby groaned. “Just guard our bounty.” She stood and watched as Deke rose.

“That’s some partner you got there.”

“She’s okay.”

He chuckled. “I’d heard stories about women bounty hunters but never thought it was you.”

Ruby dusted the dirt from her skirt. “I wish I had time to tell you all about it, but unfortunately, we need to be going. I’m sure you’ll eventually get out of your ropes, but we’ll be long gone.”

“Thanks. Glad I could do the work for you.”

“We appreciate it,” Ruby said. “Grab our horses, Caroline. Let’s ride.”

“Me?” she squeaked. “But?”

“Just do it.”

Caroline tried to shove her gun back in her holster, but it became stuck, and for a moment, Deke feared she’d shoot her foot into next week. Finally, she got the gun back in the holder.

Watching her walk away, Deke couldn’t help but laugh. “She’s a real greenhorn. I don’t think they get much greener than that girl.”

“She’s doing okay.”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, right up until the day you get shot because of her.”

In a few moments, Caroline brought their horses into camp. She halted them in front of Ruby.

“So long, Deke, and I’m so sorry we couldn’t just pick things up where they were,” she said in a sarcastic snit.

“Don’t worry. We will,” he said confidently. Knowing he’d be behind her just as soon as he could get the ropes around his wrist untied. They had unfinished business.

“When pigs fly,” she said, and grabbed the prisoner by the arm, yanking him to his feet. Quickly, she untied his feet, so he could ride. “Come on. You’re going with us.” She pulled him toward his horse.

The man stiffened, resisting Ruby. “I’m not getting on this horse. No way I’m riding with a couple of women.”

“Suit yourself. But if I have to make you get on that horse, you’ll go with a bullet in your man parts. Get my drift?”

“For a pretty woman, you’re a mean bitch.”

She glanced back over at Deke and smiled. “That I am.” She pointed her six-shooter toward his crotch. “Now, are you going to climb on your horse or do I have to put you there?”

He crawled up on his animal. She and Caroline climbed on their horses, and Ruby turned to wave goodbye to Deke. She should feel bad for taking his bounty, but she didn’t.

As they rode out, Caroline sighed. “I’ve captured my first bounty. I’m a real woman bounty hunter.”

Ruby almost choked, trying to keep from laughing out loud. What could she say? That her cousin was a buffoon who had almost gotten them both killed? That if it hadn’t been Deke Culver, they would have faced a much tougher resistance? As it was, she couldn’t believe he just let her take his bounty.

She took a deep breath and released it slowly. Caroline had to get better if she wanted to keep from dying. “Yes, Caroline, you are an official bounty hunter.”

“Better than a pig farmer’s wife.”

Ruby laughed. “Most definitely better than a pig farmer’s wife.”

As she turned her horse toward town, she glanced back at Deke. He was standing in the center of camp, working the knots on the ropes. He’d soon be loose.

Once again, the man she’d fought Annabelle over, flirted outrageously with, who she’d begged to take her virginity, had shown up in her life. And this time, she was older, wiser, and frankly had no desire to ever see that jackass again.

When she’d needed him most, he’d turned her down. And while now she could see he was right, that didn’t ease the embarrassment or the shame at how she’d handled his rejection.

In fact, even taking his bounty hadn’t eased the pain of him declining to take her virginity. Since the day of his dismissal, she’d believed that men were ignorant beasts.

No man had changed her mind, yet.

*

Deke Culver leaned against the wall just outside the sheriff’s office. He was too late to take his bounty back. Ruby’s horse and her cousin Caroline’s were tied to the hitching post outside the lawman’s office. And while he could go in and protest, he really didn’t want to create the scene he knew Ruby would stage and become the star in.

No, he was better off letting the bounty go, though he wasn’t ready to let the woman go. She was still a sassy little thing he couldn’t resist and felt attracted to. Before she’d been way too young and out of respect for her father, he’d refused to participate in any deflowering no matter how much she begged.

Because then he’d have felt honor bound to marry the girl.

After realizing she was one of the bounty hunter women he’d heard about that were collecting rewards on criminals, he believed someone else had probably already done the deed, and he could just be there to sample the wares. If she’d let him get close enough. It had been a long time since he’d experienced a woman. And he was more than ready.

The door opened, and the two women walked out, unaware he leaned against the wall behind them. The dark haired woman was a beauty, but she lacked that fiery spirit he found so appealing in Ruby. Her I-dare-you-to-come-and-get-it attitude was like an aphrodisiac to him, drawing him to the blonde bounty hunter.

So unlike Laura.

“Wow, I can’t believe we made twenty-five dollars a piece,” the soft spoken woman said. “I’m going to check in at the hotel, take a bath, and rest up. What are you going to do?”

Deke walked up behind them. “She’s going to buy me lunch, since she has my bounty money.”

Ruby whirled around and faced him, her blue eyes flashing. “Last I heard, hell hasn’t frozen over yet, so I don’t think so.”

He smiled. “Now, Ruby, we don’t know that. It’s have lunch with me, or I march in there and tell the sheriff you stole my bounty. Your choice.”

It was an empty threat. He knew it, but he wanted to spend more time with her. He needed to know the McKenzie girls were doing okay. They’d been nice, and their father had been the man he’d looked up to. Who’d taught him what he knew about the profession.

“It’s your word against mine, and after I’m done with him, the sheriff is going to choose the side of the lady bounty hunter.”

“But the prisoner knows better,” he said smugly, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

A frown appeared on her forehead as she considered his words. “Why would I want to dine with you? What is there to talk about?”

“For starters, you can tell me how your sisters are doing. How the three of you got into the business of bounty hunting. Why aren’t you at home in Zenith working on the farm? We have a lot to discuss.”

“What about you? What are you going to tell me about you?”

There was so much he could tell her had happened in the almost three years since he’d seen her, but most of it, he refused to talk about.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Not much to tell. I’ve been working, dreaming of getting out of the business.”

One brow rose. “If I have this lunch with you, will you disappear and never come around again? Never lay claim to the bounty I just turned in?”

“The bounty is yours,” he said, knowing he was
not
agreeing to the disappearing and never coming round again. “You can even invite your friend, as long as she doesn’t bring her gun.”

“Meet my cousin, Caroline,” Ruby said and then smiled. “Afraid you’ll have a meeting with her bullet?”

“Nice to meet you. But you’re a loose cannon with a pistol.”

“Hrmph,” Caroline said in a soft whispery voice. “You, sir, are no gentleman for pointing out my faults.”

“You’re right,” Deke said with a grin. “I’ve never claimed to be a gentleman.”

“Caroline, I’ll meet you back at the hotel. You go ahead and get some rest.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes, I’ll see you later, and make certain the horses are taken care of,” Ruby said and turned toward Deke.

The mare neighed, and he felt drawn to the animal. He walked over and rubbed his hands over her ears and then down her side gently. He walked back to her muzzle and petted her again. “Have them give her an extra ration of oats. Ruby’s mustang has been stealing her food. Have the stable separate them.”

Ruby’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at him. “Sure, she just whispered in your ear and said ‘give me more feed’.”

He smiled. “Yes, she told me. But if you look at the horse’s sides, it’s pretty obvious. Your horse is either bloated or a little heavy. Either one is not good, and both could be caused from eating too much.”

Her brows drew together in a frown, and she shook her head. “Let’s go and get this lovely dining experience over.”

He held out his arm. “I can hardly wait.” 

R
uby had wanted to scream in frustration when she saw Deke standing there, waiting for them, outside the sheriff’s office. The man was tempting as the devil and yet she wanted nothing to do with him.

Sure, she’d taken his bounty from him, but he needed to consider payment due. She’d collected. Now, he could go away. Still, part of her kind of enjoyed gazing at him, his dark green eyes and black hair, his strong manly physique was something she could stare at all day long.

“Your choice of restaurants, since you’re buying,” he told her, “with my money.”

“You promised you wouldn’t lay claim,” she said, flipping back a blonde curl that had blown in her face. “You didn’t bring him in.”

“I was in the process. I had him tied up and was on my way to town.”

“Snooze and lose,” she replied.

He chuckled. “Still that same flippant, sassy miss looking out for her own interest.”

“I’m the only one who ever will.”

With her sisters married, she felt more alone than ever before. Sure, they loved her, but they were living their own lives. Happy newlyweds who gazed at their husbands like he was the only man in the west and they couldn’t wait to close their bedroom doors.

Determination pulsed through her veins. Once, she’d been a prissy girl who dreamed of a husband and kids. Now, she was a prissy woman who dreamed of bringing men to justice.

“When did you become a bounty hunter?”