Sagebrush Bride Read Free

her limbs. But it occurred to her in that muddled moment that
maybe he had appraised her with more than a mild interest, and her pulse
quickened at that prospect. No one had ever looked at her in quite that way.
    Not anyone.
    Those dark eyes still piercing her, he raised two
fingers to his brim, tipping his hat in greeting as the remnants of a smile
turned the corners of his mouth. “Howdy, Liz,” he said huskily. “It’s been a
mighty long time, gal.”
    Long time?
    Elizabeth shook her head, denying it, for if she’d
ever set eyes on the man before now, she would have remembered. He wasn’t the
type to be forgotten. Unconsciously she lifted a finger to her cheek, to the
spot where he’d kissed her. Her throat constricted, seeming suddenly parched,
and she licked her lips desperately as they parted to speak.
    To her mortification, no words came.
    For the first time in her life, Elizabeth Bowcock
found herself dumbstruck. In spite of the man’s amused expression, he wore an
air of menace about him like a second skin, and a tremor shook her as she
averted her gaze to his boots. Dangerous, she thought abruptly.
    The man was
dangerous.
    She hadn’t missed the fact that he had the most
vicious-looking revolver she’d ever spied jammed into his gun belt, but she’d
only just spotted the ink black knife hilt peeking over his faded leather
boots.
    And those boots of his told a tale in themselves,
for they were unmistakably U.S. Cavalry, and ominously inconsistent with his
buckskin dress. There was little comfort in that he didn’t wear his weapons as
Dick Brady did, like cheap jewelry. The fact that he kept his blade concealed
and wore his gun casually, as though it were not there at all, told her all she
needed to know. He was no gun-strutting cowpuncher. He was the real thing. As
for the boots, she could think of a dozen reasons he should be outfitted so,
not one of them reassuring.
    A quick, wide-eyed glance to Jo told her that she
was in no immediate danger, however. Jo’s lips lifted at the corners, and she,
too, was on the verge of a smile, her kindly cinnamon eyes warm with humor.
    Not really understanding why she felt compelled
to, Elizabeth decided to play along. “Uh... um... ”
    Mercy’s sake, she didn’t even know his name! How
was she going to pretend to know him if she didn’t know his blessed name? In
panic, her gaze skidded to Jo.
    “Cutter!” Jo supplied with a laugh, seeming to
read Elizabeth’s thoughts. Her eyes gleamed with mischief. “I believe you have
her tongue-tied, brother dear. Reckon she thought she’d never see you again.”
Seeing Elizabeth’s confused expression, she laughed softly. “Isn’t that right,
Liz?”
    “Right?” Elizabeth nodded woodenly. Jo’s brother?
“Oh—yes! I did think I’d never see you again!” She nodded dutifully for
the benefit of their audience.
    All eyes reverted suspiciously to Cutter, leaving
her somewhat doubtful of her performance. Her brow furrowed.
    Warmth invaded his eyes as he gently chucked her
under the chin, much as a brother would a cherished younger sister.
    Elizabeth felt suddenly too warm, almost as though
she were being roasted over a slow fire. And the heat of his fingers...
lingered upon her chin long after he’d withdrawn his hand. Mortified that he
could affect her so, she averted her gaze to Brady. He was watching her with
unflinching eyes.
    His eyes narrowing to shadowy slits, Cutter turned
to Brady and his men, sending them each an unspoken challenge. Brady fidgeted,
flinging Elizabeth a doubtful look before turning away. The rest of his outfit
followed immediately, slapping one another consolingly on the shoulder.
    Elizabeth’s brows rose as she watched the
exchange, astounded at the ease with which Cutter had handled Brady and his
men. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words stuck in her throat like a
spoonful of dry sugar. The man was just too smug for his own good. He’d had no
right to be so familiar with her,