Reckless Destiny Read Free Page B

was trying to act as if her close call was nothing out of the ordinary, but he could see she was pale and trembling. He couldn’t help admiring her nerve; most women would have collapsed in tears. God, he was glad to see her! He didn’t want to be, but he couldn’t help it.
    “You can let me go now,” she said, pushing away from him.
    “What?” He looked down and saw her hands on his chest.
    “I’m fine. You can let go of me.”
    He shook his head to clear it and took a quick step back. “Sorry.” As he moved away, the familiar emptiness swallowed the warmth he’d felt from having her in his arms again.
    The road vibrated with pounding hooves, and Kane looked up to see a rider coming. Dust drifted around them as the man yanked on the reins, forcing his horse to a skidding stop. As agile and quick as a cat, he swung out of the saddle. From the anxious look on his face, Kane concluded that Cady hadn’t been bluffing when she said someone named Jack was coming.
    The man strode over to her and took her arm possessively. Intensity radiated from him like waves of heat from the desert floor. “Are you all right?”
    “Fine.” She pointed in Kane’s direction. “He stopped the horse.”
    “Much obliged for your help,” the man said, turning to him without releasing his protective grip on Cady.
    His air of possessiveness told Kane that Jack must be her husband.
    Something caught in his chest. He gritted his teeth, torn between relief that she was unavailable and unreasonable anger at the thought of her in the arms of another man.
    Funny. Every time images of Cady had stolen into his mind, unbidden and unwanted, he’d always thought of her as a single woman. It made sense that she would have married. She was beautiful, intelligent, and spirited. Men would swarm around her like bees to honey.
    “Glad I was around to help,” he said. “Next time don’t let her drive by herself.”
    If she were
his
wife, Kane thought, she wouldn’t go gallivanting in dangerous territory alone and unprotected.
    The other man’s eyes turned dark and dangerous. “If you knew Cady, you’d know she doesn’t do what she’s told, no matter who does the telling.” He turned to her. “I told you to wait for me. You don’t know how to drive a horse and wagon, do you?”
    “No, and I didn’t try to,” she said with a shrug. “You know how restless I get. I was curious.” She leaned over to unwind the reins. “All I did was lift them like this—”
    “Don’t!” Both men hollered at once and she dropped her hand.
    Jack glared at her. “Of all the reckless, hare-brained stunts. In the time it took me to saddle my horse, you could have been killed. I ought to take you over my knee.”
    Kane took a step forward. “Now hold on.”
    Jack slid his hostile gaze in Kane’s direction. “Look, mister, I’m thankful for your help. But she’s my responsibility and I’d be obliged if you’d butt out.”
    “That’s awfully rude.” Cady tossed Kane an apologetic look. “Don’t mind Jack. He always gets like a wounded bear when he’s afraid for someone he cares about.”
    “I don’t need you to defend me.” Jack sounded a lot like the wounded bear she’d accused him of being.
    Kane could understand his anger. A woman like Cady would inspire fierce emotion in any man. He didn’t really blame Jack, but he wouldn’t stand by and let him mistreat Cady, even if she was his wife.
    “No matter what she’s done, you have no call to bully her that way.” Kane met Jack’s gaze and saw a dangerous glint kindle in his black eyes. He was feeling dangerous himself.
    Cady jammed her hands on her hips and lifted her determined little chin. “Don’t you pick on Jack. He’s not a bully. He takes awfully good care of me.”
    So that’s how it was. What would it be like to have a woman like Cady defend him? He would never know.
    “I was just trying to help.” Kane held his hands up in surrender. “Far be it from me to interfere