stir up a little mischief. That ought to convince her she needs a hired gun. Just make sure that herd never reaches the railhead. Do we understand one another?”
“Perfectly,” Desperado said. “I’ll ride out there after I’ve visited the bathhouse and barbershop.”
“Do you need directions to the ranch?”
Desperado almost laughed in Talbot’s face. “No need. I know where to find it.”
“Rider coming, Miss Chloe!”
Chloe turned up her collar to protect her neck from the raw wind howling across the prairie and stared at the sullen gray horizon. She spotted the rider but he was too far away to identify. She hoped it was one of the men from the saloon who had thought over her offer and decided to hire on as gunslinger. There was still a lot of preparation necessary before the trail drive could begin. The cattle had already been rounded up but still had to be branded before the trek to the railhead could commence, and all kinds of mishaps could occur without an experienced gunman on hand to keep predators at bay. Unfortunately, only inexperienced young cowboys with little or no knowledge of trail drives had signed on as drovers, and she’d had to settle for what she could get. Desperado Jones wasn’t the only man in Trouble Creek unwilling to work for a woman.
Desperado Jones had been a perfect choice to join her crew, but the ornery sidewinder had refused her offer. She still fumed at his sexual innuendos and blatant disrespect. Did he think she was a loose woman? Truthfully, Chloe didn’t know how to take Desperado Jones. He was like no man she knew. She’d gone all shivery inside when he spoke in that raspy voice of his. And those black eyes…When he looked at her she imagined all kinds of wicked things she had no business thinking about.
Chloe noted that the rider wore a gray duster and sat tall in the saddle, and a prickling sensation began at the back of her neck. His battered hat rode low over his brow; the turned-down brim obscured his face, but Chloe had no difficulty identifying Desperado Jones. She could pick him out of a hundred men just by the way he sat his horse and the confident manner in which he rode.
Chloe waited on the porch for Desperado to draw rein and tell her what had brought him to the Ralston ranch. She didn’t harbor any false hopes that he might have changed his mind; he didn’t appear to be the kind to back down. Not that she would hire him after the disrespectful way in which he had treated her. Nevertheless, a thrill of anticipation sped down her spine as he rode toward her.
The first thing she noticed was that he wore clean clothing and his face was free of the trail dust she’d noted earlier. He had shaved, too. “What can I do for you, Mr. Jones?” Chloe asked coolly as he dismounted and joined her on the porch.
“I’ve been thinking about that job you offered,” Desperado drawled. “Is it still open?”
“To the right man,” she answered curtly. “I’m inclined to believe that every able-bodied man in Trouble Creek is a coward. Either that or they all fear Calvin Talbot and the town marshal, who happens to be Talbot’s man.”
“I’ve reconsidered, Miss Sommers. I’ll take the job. Where can I bed down?”
“Just wait a darn minute,” Chloe sputtered. “What makes you think I’ll have you? You made your views clear back in town. Am I supposed to believe you suddenly had a change of heart? What made you decide to hire on?”
Chloe shivered beneath the probing heat of his black eyes. It seemed to cut clear through to all her vital spots. His next words did nothing to diminish her distrust of the handsome half-breed.
“I decided to stick around town for a while and I got to thinking it wouldn’t be half bad having a beautiful boss,” he said in that sexy rasp that set her heart to pounding.
“Why? Trouble Creek is hardly the kind of town a man of your reputation would enjoy.”
“How do you know what I enjoy?” Desperado asked, giving
“Perfectly,” Desperado said. “I’ll ride out there after I’ve visited the bathhouse and barbershop.”
“Do you need directions to the ranch?”
Desperado almost laughed in Talbot’s face. “No need. I know where to find it.”
“Rider coming, Miss Chloe!”
Chloe turned up her collar to protect her neck from the raw wind howling across the prairie and stared at the sullen gray horizon. She spotted the rider but he was too far away to identify. She hoped it was one of the men from the saloon who had thought over her offer and decided to hire on as gunslinger. There was still a lot of preparation necessary before the trail drive could begin. The cattle had already been rounded up but still had to be branded before the trek to the railhead could commence, and all kinds of mishaps could occur without an experienced gunman on hand to keep predators at bay. Unfortunately, only inexperienced young cowboys with little or no knowledge of trail drives had signed on as drovers, and she’d had to settle for what she could get. Desperado Jones wasn’t the only man in Trouble Creek unwilling to work for a woman.
Desperado Jones had been a perfect choice to join her crew, but the ornery sidewinder had refused her offer. She still fumed at his sexual innuendos and blatant disrespect. Did he think she was a loose woman? Truthfully, Chloe didn’t know how to take Desperado Jones. He was like no man she knew. She’d gone all shivery inside when he spoke in that raspy voice of his. And those black eyes…When he looked at her she imagined all kinds of wicked things she had no business thinking about.
Chloe noted that the rider wore a gray duster and sat tall in the saddle, and a prickling sensation began at the back of her neck. His battered hat rode low over his brow; the turned-down brim obscured his face, but Chloe had no difficulty identifying Desperado Jones. She could pick him out of a hundred men just by the way he sat his horse and the confident manner in which he rode.
Chloe waited on the porch for Desperado to draw rein and tell her what had brought him to the Ralston ranch. She didn’t harbor any false hopes that he might have changed his mind; he didn’t appear to be the kind to back down. Not that she would hire him after the disrespectful way in which he had treated her. Nevertheless, a thrill of anticipation sped down her spine as he rode toward her.
The first thing she noticed was that he wore clean clothing and his face was free of the trail dust she’d noted earlier. He had shaved, too. “What can I do for you, Mr. Jones?” Chloe asked coolly as he dismounted and joined her on the porch.
“I’ve been thinking about that job you offered,” Desperado drawled. “Is it still open?”
“To the right man,” she answered curtly. “I’m inclined to believe that every able-bodied man in Trouble Creek is a coward. Either that or they all fear Calvin Talbot and the town marshal, who happens to be Talbot’s man.”
“I’ve reconsidered, Miss Sommers. I’ll take the job. Where can I bed down?”
“Just wait a darn minute,” Chloe sputtered. “What makes you think I’ll have you? You made your views clear back in town. Am I supposed to believe you suddenly had a change of heart? What made you decide to hire on?”
Chloe shivered beneath the probing heat of his black eyes. It seemed to cut clear through to all her vital spots. His next words did nothing to diminish her distrust of the handsome half-breed.
“I decided to stick around town for a while and I got to thinking it wouldn’t be half bad having a beautiful boss,” he said in that sexy rasp that set her heart to pounding.
“Why? Trouble Creek is hardly the kind of town a man of your reputation would enjoy.”
“How do you know what I enjoy?” Desperado asked, giving
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