The Legacy of Copper Creek Read Free

MacKenzie.”
    “Cara Walton.”
    “We’ll talk in the morning, Cara Walton. I’m afraid if I don’t crawl into that bunk right now, I’ll be asleep on my feet.”
    He drained his coffee and placed the empty mug in the sink before crossing to the bunk beds.
    The blankets on the lower bunk were mussed, indicating that his uninvited guest had been sleeping there. No matter. He didn’t have the energy left to climb to the top bunk.
    There was no energy left for modesty, either.
    Without a thought about the woman, he shucked his wet denims and plaid shirt, tossing them over the back of a chair to dry.
    “Sorry, Goldilocks. I’m reclaiming my bed. You’ll have to make do up there.” He nodded toward the upper bunk.
    Rolling beneath the covers, he lay the rifle beside him, closed his eyes, and fell into an exhausted sleep.
      
    Cara stood across the room, reeling from the assault on her senses. First there had been the sudden appearance of this stranger in the dark of night and their terrifying scuffle.
    She rubbed her wrist. He could have easily snapped her bones like twigs. She should be grateful to still be standing.
    She began pacing. What were the odds that somebody would stumble on this cabin in the middle of nowhere? Not just somebody, but the owner. Wasn’t this just her luck? And why should she be surprised? Everything that other people took for granted seemed just out of her reach. In the past year, when she’d thought things were turning around, even the simplest things had been flipped upside down. All her dreams, all her plans snatched from her grasp. She knew she ought to be feeling scared, vulnerable, overwhelmed. Instead, all she was feeling was a deep well of anger.
    She turned, crossing her arms over her chest. She’d thought this little cabin in the middle of nowhere might be her sanctuary, at least until she could sort out her future. And now this cowboy shows up just in time to send her packing yet again.
    She bit her lip as she watched and listened to the man in the bunk. Her bunk, she thought with a rush of annoyance. She couldn’t believe he was actually asleep. One minute he’d come rushing in like a tornado and the next he was out like a light. But at least that gave her time to think. To plot her next move.
    She’d heard the wind howling outside the cabin, of course. But she’d been so sound asleep, she’d never bothered to get up and check on the weather. Who would have predicted a blizzard in early April? Judging by the amount of snow she’d spotted out the door, it could be up to the roof by morning.
    That little trick of Mother Nature’s would require a change of plans. She couldn’t just slip away while the intruder slept. That meant she might be forced to spend a day or more in these tight quarters with an arrogant, hot-tempered cowboy.
    She finished her coffee before turning toward the bunks. First things first. She would sleep while he was sleeping so she would be fresh in the morning and better able to stay one step ahead of him.
    As she switched off the flashlight and climbed the rustic ladder to the upper bunk, she smiled grimly. Wasn’t it just her luck to be trapped in the wilderness with a stranger, who, if that introduction was any indication, had a nasty temper and the muscles to back it up.

Chapter Two
    A s was his custom, Whit awoke instantly. Without moving, he took a moment to gather himself. The mattress of his bunk wasn’t nearly as soft as the one at home, but he’d slept on worse. In his years with the herd, he’d often slept on the ground, cushioned only by his bedroll. If a man worked hard enough, he could sleep anywhere, under any conditions.
    He heard the soft sigh of the woman in the bunk above him and the slight movement as she rolled to her side. Cara Walton. He could smell her in the blanket. On his pillow. A really pleasant scent. Not the sweet, cloying perfume favored by some of the girls in town, hoping to overcome the smells of sweat and