Outlaw Bride (Lawmen and Outlaws) Read Online Free PDF Page B

handshake. Instead, he raised her hand to his mouth in a most gallant way. His lips tickled, not at all like the nasty flick of Rolly Gitts’ hot sour tongue when he’d tried to steal a kiss.
    Jessy Belle smiled at Will’s gentlemanliness, knowing Cleeland Redd was watching. But her skin crawled when she recalled Ahab having allies everywhere. Worry fluttered in her heart. She’d known many young boys like this, no kith or kin or learning, and nowhere to go but follow an outlaw’s easy path.
    To busy her thoughts, she turned from Will and set to work on the animals. When Will moved to do it, she shook her head. She couldn’t let him, not with her needing to prove to Cleeland Redd, and the Sister too, that she knew how to be useful.
    Then he was behind her. She knew it even though she hadn’t heard his footsteps. Already she seemed to feel him deep in her bones.
    “This is Sister Mary,” Cleeland Redd announced. “She’ll be joining your order.”
    It sounded so official Will groaned like he’d heard bad news and stalked off.
    “Good morning, Mister Redd,” greeted Sister Avery, tossing Jessy Belle a lovely smile. “That is most blessed news. We will make her welcome.”
    “Make her healthy, too, if you’d be so kind. She’s mute. And more than a bit addled,” he said, gruff, like Jessy Belle didn’t have ears of her own. “Can’t remember a thing.”
    Sister Avery nodded. Although Cleeland Redd had Jessy Bell sound helpless and foolish to her new friends, relief washed over her. Up to know, she hadn’t known if the nuns would turn her away.
    Or worse. Turn her in to the law.
    She could play mute and muddled for a while yet while she plotted her next move. Maybe she found herself in the right place for once. Maybe there was a God after all and He was watching over her. If she could talk, she’d ask these girls to thank Him for her. But likely being a nun now, she’d learn to pray all by herself.
    Cleeland Redd nodded polite-like to the others, but it was mostly dismissal. They started unloading the wagon while Will lit up a cheroot over by a wobbly fence, attempting to be manly. Cleeland Redd took her hand and led her off a ways.
    Her skin tickled at his touch. The yard was rutted with old wagon tracks, and she stumbled into one, which plopped her against his side. Feeling his heat, her breath hitched tight against her sore throat.
    “I’m glad Renegade and I found you in the nick of time,” he said, stopping finally at a clump of snakeweed, “I’m glad to see you pert and hale. And…” His eyebrows rose up like he was surprised, “...glad you know how to tend animals. You can be downright useful around here, and take care of Renegade for me, too. Til I get back.”
    Her eyes questioned him, and he went on. “Soon’s Sister gets a noon meal down me, I’m off to retrieve a few more possibles she’ll require. My errand might also give me a chance to investigate your circumstance.”
    She couldn’t help tasting fear.
    “Now, now, don’t you fret.” Cleeland Redd’s feet shuffled in the dust. “Even if I find out significant things, I will not reveal your whereabouts. Leastways, not til I come back here and discuss it with you. Honest and truly, Sister Mary. Or whatever might be your true name. You have my word.”
    Honest and truly, she believed him and relaxed a bit. Right then he gave her a sweet crooked smile that set her heart tumbling all the way to her toes. Then it beat way too fast. He might mean all of that now.
    But not if he discovered she was Jessy Belle Perkins who had a price on her head, him being a man who needed cash to fix up his ranch.
    Swallowing hard, glad it didn’t hurt so much this time, she nodded and set to brushing Snapper. He was a fine horse, something that would make Ahab take unholy risks. Likely by now he and his crew were far off and running, though. Mostly they hightailed out of a place when they’d left someone behind.
    No, she hadn’t been the first.