Melinda Heads West Read Online Free PDF

clear, but her fears were great. She cried out against his palm, shaking her head and twisting her body beneath his.
    “Shut up, woman!” Boone hissed.
    Mindy realized that his attention wasn’t on her at all. Instead, his gaze was focused into the distance. She craned her head to see what he was looking at, but brush covered the ground around her. As she quieted she could hear the faint sound of men talking.
    “I’ll let go if you think you can be quiet.” At her nod, Boone continued. “You stay here. Do you hear me? Don’t move.” She nodded once more. She wasn’t a fool!
    Boone got up on all fours and then to his feet. He crept silently through the woods and Mindy could barely see his backside when he stopped. He listened for a while before backtracking to her.
    “It’s the men who killed Gibb,” he whispered. “They’re looking for the money on the stage.”
    “My bag!”
    “Forget your bag!”
    At that moment, they heard more voices, and then shots rang out through the forest. Mindy and Boone dropped to their faces on the ground. Mindy covered her head and began to cry. Boone scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. “Shut up! You’ll let ’em know we’re here!”
    Mindy stifled her crying by shoving a hand into her mouth and biting on it. In a moment, they heard the sound of hoof beats, which gradually grew fainter.
    “We have to go check on our men!” Mindy cried.
    Boone shook his head. “Not yet. We’ll stay here a minute to make sure those thieves don’t come back. Then I’ll slip up there to check on things and get your bag. Do you have more food in it?”
    Melinda sniffed. “Yes.”
    “We’ll need it. I set it down by a tree; maybe they didn’t see it. For now, just get comfortable.”
    “Well, get off me!”
    “Sorry! I was trying to protect you. I forget you can take care of yourself.”
    Mindy shoved at the man, pushing at his vest. An odd sound resulted, a crinkling, like of paper.
    Her eyes widened. “What is that?”
    Boone’s dark eyes narrowed. “None of your business. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your questions to yourself.”
    “It’s the money from the stage! You stole it!”
    “You, little lady, need to shut up.”

Chapter Eight
    Boone watched as Mindy rolled to the side, grasping her legs in her arms and sending him a hooded look. He knew she hadn’t trusted him, but figured she hadn’t thought of him as “evil” before. Stealing from the stagecoach would certainly put him in that category.
    Somehow, he felt a little let down at the idea, but quickly shook off the notion. If the girl thought he was the scum of the earth that was fine by him.
    “Stay here,” he told her. “I’m going back to check on the campsite.”
    “I’ll do as I please!”
    “Suit yourself. But this is a good place to keep from getting killed. I don’t think your momma wanted you coming home in parts.” He was relieved to see her head drop into her skirts and thought perhaps she’d stay put. But Boone had only taken two steps toward the campsite before hearing her rise. He glanced back. “What do you think you’re doing?”
    “My momma didn’t raise a coward,” Mindy said with raised chin. “I’ll stay a ways back till we see what’s what, but I’m coming.” Boone lowered his brows and began to speak, but she quickly added, “You can’t stop me.”
    “Oh, I could stop you. But you’re welcome to choose your own misfortune. Now stay behind me and stay quiet. I don’t care what you see or hear — you stay quiet! You got it?”
    “I’m not a simpleton, Boone. I know people have probably just been killed. I’m not looking to join them.”
    That answer satisfied him somewhat and he turned, taking off through the brush at a steady pace. Mindy followed more slowly.
    Approaching the clearing, Boone squatted near a scrub pine and watched the area for a few minutes. There were two bodies laid out in agonized positions on the ground several