Daring Read Free Page A

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.” 

Chapter Two
     
    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