The Lawman's Betrayal Read Online Free PDF

opposite him and ate quickly. “I guess we can go now. I’ll clean the dishes.”
    “All right. I’ll douse the fire—”
    She jumped to her feet, cutting off his words. “No, not yet. Give me five minutes. I’ll be right back.”
    “Where are you going?”
    “To get something.” She dashed down to the stream, scooped up the prison garb, and stalked over to the fire. With a cry of victory, she tossed the horrible garments onto the hot coals. They caught fire immediately. Soon, only a pile of ashes remained. As she watched them burn, a sense of accomplishment filled her. She’d survived, survived Roy’s death, survived the trial, and survived three years in prison.
    “Feel better?”
    She glanced at Wes, a wide smile on her face. “Yes, yes I do.”
    “Good. I’ll fill the canteens, then we can get out of here.”
    Five minutes later, she followed Wes out of the glade. She scanned the countryside but saw no one. “Tell me again where you saw those men.”
    “Up there.” He pointed up at the ridge. “Don’t be afraid. They won’t attack us out here in the open. We can see for miles. No, they’ll wait until dark.”
    “I’m not afraid. Well, maybe I am,” she conceded. “A little bit anyway. Do you really think they’re looking for me?”
    ****
    He almost lied to her—but couldn’t. “Yeah. I think they probably followed us out of town.”
    She paled under her sunburned skin. “But how did they know I was being released yesterday? Nobody knew. Why, I didn’t even know until that moment. It’s not like it was public knowledge.”
    “I don’t know. Maybe they were just at the right place, at the right time.” Wes pushed his hat back and surveyed the area. “Luck of the draw.”
    “That’s a mighty big coincidence. What if I…when we see them, just tell them I don’t know where the money is. Roy never told me. He swore to me he was going to give it back. He just never had the chance. Someone killed him before he could.”
    “You think they’ll believe you?”
    Her shoulders slumped. “Probably not. The whole town of Gila Bend never believed me. You don’t—why should they?”
    Guilt crowded in on him, but he brushed it aside. He couldn’t let a pretty face cloud his thinking. Staying focused had helped keep him alive over these past ten years. Her voice broke into his reverie.
    “How long will it take us to reach Gila Bend?”
    “Three days.” With the tip of his finger, he pulled his hat low over his forehead. “That is, if everything goes all right.”
    “About what I figured.” With a grimace on her face, she shifted in the saddle. “I haven’t been in a saddle for that long a time in years.”
    He grinned. “It does take some getting used to. The secret is not to think about it.”
    “Easy to say, hard to do.”
    “Yeah.” He leaned over and touched the tip of her nose. “You got a hat?”
    “No.”
    “How about a scarf or a bandana?”
    “No.”
    As he angled in the saddle, he opened the flap to his saddle bag. He pulled out a red bandana and handed it to her. “At least put this around your neck. It’s already burned.”
    “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
    He cursed under his breath. “You’re one stubborn woman, Mrs. Brecker. I’ll say that for you.”
    “I disagree, Marshal. I’m merely trying to be independent.”
    He locked gazes with her, her dark green eyes teasing, mesmerizing him. His pulse raced, and he found himself holding his breath. “It’s one thing to be independent, another thing entirely to act stupid.”
    Her eyes darkened to almost black. Her hands tightened on the reins until her knuckles were white.
    “Are you calling me stupid?”
    “No, ma’am, but it is stupid to let your neck burn more when you can do something about it. You can’t ignore it. Burns can get infected.”
    “I am going to do something about it.” She pulled the chignon loose, allowing the honey-blonde hair to spill down her back. A smug smile teased her lips.