Anna Finch and the Hired Gun Read Free Page B

bindings slipped another notch, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
    Her father walked around the desk to stand before her. “If you were a child, I’d know how to remedy this. Unfortunately, tanning your backside for this ridiculous indiscretion of yours would solve nothing. Am I wrong?”
    There was no good answer to his question, so Anna said nothing. She did, however, realize that her father was the second man to make that threat today, and it was not yet noon.
    “When a female of marrying age is no longer amenable toremaining under the guidance of her father, it is my opinion she should be handed off to a husband who can perhaps do a better job of it.” His eyes, the color of her own, narrowed. “And you, Anna Finch, have proven by your audacious behavior today and, I daresay, on many as-yet undiscovered occasions in the past, that you are well beyond any control I might have over your person and behavior.”
    Anna took a deep breath and let it out slowly, fighting to hold her tongue. After all, this was Papa, and she was his favored child, his baby girl. Surely calmer heads would prevail once he had a chance to think on things.
    “I’m terribly sorry,” she said. “I never meant to bring any—”
    “Tarnish to your reputation or the reputation of your family?” He paused. “I fear it’s far too late for such concerns.”
    This statement wounded her far deeper than she expected. “But, Papa, I’ve not done anything that would cause such tarnish. I swear it.”
Other than shot a man
.
    His gaze slid over her once more as he walked back to his chair, and she cringed. “Did you purchase that outlandish garb or steal it off the servants’ clothesline?” Before she could answer, he held up a hand. “No, don’t tell me. I truly don’t care which you’ve done. What I do care about is how this whole debacle can be quietly made to go away.”
    She stiffened with panic. “Papa,” she said, the words pouring out of her, “I promise you I had no idea that outlaw was there. Who sleeps inside a log meant for target practice?”
    Her father’s expression turned from serious to shocked, and Anna realized her mistake. Of course Papa had no idea she’d discharged her Smith & Wesson into a man. How could he?
    His face reddened, and a vein on the side of his neck began to throb. She’d seen him this mad only once, and the horse that had thrown him was sold before sundown. Likely she would suffer the same fate.
    She probably deserved it.
    “You shot a man? Today?” he demanded.
    “By the river, but I promise I hadn’t any idea he was behind the log. I only thought to practice with the Smith & Wes—”
    “Quiet.”
    She ducked her head. “Yes, Papa.”
    He made a note on the page spread before him. From her vantage point, Anna could see the words
Pinkerton
and
Thompson
, and a sum in excess of one thousand dollars. When he spied her looking, Papa turned the paper over. “Did anyone see this transgression?”
    “He’s fine. He said so himself. And quite strong. Despite his blood loss, he managed to haul me up against him and …” Anna bit her lip to stop babbling.
    “Who was he?”
    She shook her head. “I truly don’t know.”
    “No one whom you’ve seen before? Not a son of friends or well-placed clients? Not anyone we might come across on the streets of Denver? Or at church?”
    “No.” She’d never seen him before, but should she ever meet the stranger again, Anna would know him. She doubted a girl ever forgot the first man she shot.
    “We’re done speaking of this. You will never repeat this foolishness. Now, to the more important matter.” He paused, rose from hisseat, and seemed to think a moment. “Indeed it is a conundrum as to which gentleman I shall honor with the duty of taming you.”
    Anna felt her brows rise as she absorbed the statement. “Apparently you’ve not read that awful Mr. Mitchell’s gossip column. I’m a hopeless candidate for a bride.”
    The first sign of