Never Love a Cowboy Read Free Page B

was a woman of independence, although Harry had a disconcerting way of making her regret that vow.
    She’d lost count of the number of times he’d invited her to join him beneath the blankets. His voice carried a teasing lilt, but his eyes, Lord, his emerald eyes held a vulnerability that intrigued and frightened her. He wasn’t nearly as simplistic as he appeared.
    A high-risk gambler, he manipulated cards, enjoyed strong words, and indulged in strong liquor. Yet there was another facet to him, like turning a diamond and seeing it sparkle from a different angle. A haughtiness in the way he said his name. He was the second son of an earl, sent here to make his way in the world.
    With cattle, she thought he had a good chance of succeeding. She knew a lot about cattle. Before the war, she’d known a man who herded longhorns to California. Gerald Milton. He had loved to talk, and she had loved to listen.
    He hadn’t looked at her the way most men did—like whiskey that was to be enjoyed during the evening and forgotten come the light of day.
    She had learned too late that his innocent eyes shielded an abundance of faults.
    “Jessye?”
    Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled warmly. “Hey, Pa.”
    Her father strolled through the door that led to the rooms they lived in at the rear of the saloon.
    “Don’t guess I can talk you out of goin’,” he said.
    Turning her gaze back to the stars, she wrapped her arms around her waist. “Nope.”
    “Gonna be a lot of men—”
    “I can handle myself around men. Besides, I’ll be dressed like them. After a few days, they’ll forget I’m a woman.”
    “Long stretch of miles between towns. Men ain’t likely to forget anything.”
    “I’ll be fine, Pa.”
    She heard his sigh travel on the wind. “You’re like your ma, you know. Strong-willed, determined. I can’t help but believe things woulda worked out different if she hadn’t died on us when you was seven.”
    She pivoted slightly so she could face him. “Things didn’t turn out so bad.”
    He shook his head. “Shouldn’t have had you working in a saloon.”
    “I like working in a saloon. I’m thinking if I make enough money on this cattle drive, we can add that stage you’ve always talked about—with the red velvet curtains that open and close. We could get some shows in here. A singer or two. That would draw a crowd and increase profits.”
    In the moonlight, she saw her father’s wrinkles shiftuntil he looked much older, so much older. “Is that why you’re doing this crazy thing…on account of my dreams?”
    “No, Pa, I’m doing it for me.”
    She heard him sniff. “You just take care then, girl, ’cuz if somethin’ was to happen to you…wouldn’t be no reason for me to live.”
    She slung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Nothing’s gonna happen to me.”
    His thin arms circled her. Once upon a time, she’d thought all men loved as unconditionally, as fiercely as he did.
    He patted her back and stepped out of her embrace. “Just so you’ll know, I told Bainbridge I’d castrate him if he hurt you.”
    She laughed lightly. “He won’t hurt me, Pa.”
    No man ever would because she wouldn’t let any man get close enough to do so.
    He sniffed again and rubbed his eyes. “I’m gonna go talk to your ma for a spell. She might have some words of wisdom for me to share with you before you go.”
    She watched him walk into the night shadows, toward the church at the far end of town and the small cemetery behind it. She wondered if her mother had truly known how much her father had loved her.
    Jessye had once dreamed of giving and receiving that kind of powerful love. But not any longer.
    At seventeen, she’d had her heart ripped from her chest. She’d vowed then that she’d never again be dependent on either a man or money. This arrangement with Harry and Kit would ensure that she kept that promise.
    “He’s right, you know,” a deep voice rumbled into the night. “You