he righted himself and hoisted up onto the wooden seat of the wagon. Digging his heels into the boards, he yanked back with his full might. They skidded to a halt, and the air was at once full of relieved sighs and grateful wails.
Lila collapsed back against the leather and shut her eyes with a sigh as her shoulders drooped. Adrenaline pulsed through every inch of her. Her eyes sprang open as the man pulled open the door. Stilted breath leapt up into her throat. Sunlight washed over his golden hair, a thin mustache brushing against his upper lip. His smile was wide and produced two dimples on either cheek. He wore the crisp clothes of a gentleman beneath his long, black duster. Bright bluebell eyes beamed down at her, and Lila was mesmerized. She stared at his features until her eyelashes fluttered and her lungs burned for breath.
Forgotten was the state of her dress. Soft, large waves of light brown hair fell from beneath her skewed hat to tumble over the flesh swelling out of the edge of her corset, and she felt a blush work its way up to her cheeks. He looked from the deep line of her cleavage to the soft pout of her mouth.
“Are you all right, Miss?”
“Yes, thank you,” she whispered. “That was so brave of you.”
“Indeed, sir,” her father echoed. “We are forever in your debt.”
“David Gardner, at your service,” the man replied. “Since the hills have run rich with gold and silver, every conman and criminal from Boston to San Francisco has found a nesting place here. I was merely in the right place at the right time.”
“Where are we?” Argyle asked.
“You are in between the Dayton and Carson stations, nearly five miles from Virginia City, my good man.”
“Good. We need to get this man to a place where I can tend this wound properly.”
David peered into the carriage to see the blood-soaked man, and he nodded. “Is anyone else hurt beside the man and the girl here?”
“I’m not hurt,” Lila corrected. “He only ripped my dress.”
He ran a finger over one of the slashes on her cheek, and she reached up, having forgotten they were there and that her face was full of blood.
“It’s nothing,” she assured with chagrin. “The gentleman there needs the help, and the two drivers were killed.”
“I will drive you and your party into Virginia City," he said. "And I'll inform the stage company of what's happened.”
“We would be much obliged, sir,” Argyle admitted.
“It’s no trouble at all, I assure you. I am most willing to safeguard a party of such…lush treasures.” He lifted Lila’s hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across her knuckles as he spoke. She sucked in a breath. “Please, call me David.”
“This is my daughter, Lila Cameron,” her father announced in a tone that revealed his dislike for the man’s open ogling. “And I am Dr. Argyle Cameron.”
“A doctor? We need doctors at the mines.” David pulled a handkerchief from his vest pocket. His horse had returned, and he used his canteen to wet the cloth before he gave it to Lila. “Here. It'll be easier to clean the blood off while it’s wet.”
She nodded her thanks, and wiped absently at her face as she watched David tie his horse to the back of the coach. He smiled once, a rakish grin that produced those fetching dimples, and climbed up into the driver’s seat.
She could hardly breathe as she resettled into her seat and set the fan to its erratic flutter again, but there was no mistaking the whirling sensations come to life in her belly or the quaking of her hands. The entire ordeal was wreaking havoc on her senses. The shots, the sights of dead men falling, the taking of a life, the unforgettable view of David’s heroics. Her heart could barely contain its pounding, and she didn’t know if it was the incident or the man that was making her insides tremble.
He had to duck to enter the bar. It wasn’t because of his great height, but because of the shifting foundation beneath the
Lila collapsed back against the leather and shut her eyes with a sigh as her shoulders drooped. Adrenaline pulsed through every inch of her. Her eyes sprang open as the man pulled open the door. Stilted breath leapt up into her throat. Sunlight washed over his golden hair, a thin mustache brushing against his upper lip. His smile was wide and produced two dimples on either cheek. He wore the crisp clothes of a gentleman beneath his long, black duster. Bright bluebell eyes beamed down at her, and Lila was mesmerized. She stared at his features until her eyelashes fluttered and her lungs burned for breath.
Forgotten was the state of her dress. Soft, large waves of light brown hair fell from beneath her skewed hat to tumble over the flesh swelling out of the edge of her corset, and she felt a blush work its way up to her cheeks. He looked from the deep line of her cleavage to the soft pout of her mouth.
“Are you all right, Miss?”
“Yes, thank you,” she whispered. “That was so brave of you.”
“Indeed, sir,” her father echoed. “We are forever in your debt.”
“David Gardner, at your service,” the man replied. “Since the hills have run rich with gold and silver, every conman and criminal from Boston to San Francisco has found a nesting place here. I was merely in the right place at the right time.”
“Where are we?” Argyle asked.
“You are in between the Dayton and Carson stations, nearly five miles from Virginia City, my good man.”
“Good. We need to get this man to a place where I can tend this wound properly.”
David peered into the carriage to see the blood-soaked man, and he nodded. “Is anyone else hurt beside the man and the girl here?”
“I’m not hurt,” Lila corrected. “He only ripped my dress.”
He ran a finger over one of the slashes on her cheek, and she reached up, having forgotten they were there and that her face was full of blood.
“It’s nothing,” she assured with chagrin. “The gentleman there needs the help, and the two drivers were killed.”
“I will drive you and your party into Virginia City," he said. "And I'll inform the stage company of what's happened.”
“We would be much obliged, sir,” Argyle admitted.
“It’s no trouble at all, I assure you. I am most willing to safeguard a party of such…lush treasures.” He lifted Lila’s hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across her knuckles as he spoke. She sucked in a breath. “Please, call me David.”
“This is my daughter, Lila Cameron,” her father announced in a tone that revealed his dislike for the man’s open ogling. “And I am Dr. Argyle Cameron.”
“A doctor? We need doctors at the mines.” David pulled a handkerchief from his vest pocket. His horse had returned, and he used his canteen to wet the cloth before he gave it to Lila. “Here. It'll be easier to clean the blood off while it’s wet.”
She nodded her thanks, and wiped absently at her face as she watched David tie his horse to the back of the coach. He smiled once, a rakish grin that produced those fetching dimples, and climbed up into the driver’s seat.
She could hardly breathe as she resettled into her seat and set the fan to its erratic flutter again, but there was no mistaking the whirling sensations come to life in her belly or the quaking of her hands. The entire ordeal was wreaking havoc on her senses. The shots, the sights of dead men falling, the taking of a life, the unforgettable view of David’s heroics. Her heart could barely contain its pounding, and she didn’t know if it was the incident or the man that was making her insides tremble.
He had to duck to enter the bar. It wasn’t because of his great height, but because of the shifting foundation beneath the