The Mavericks Read Online Free PDF Page A

but I’m glad it was you.”
    She turned and walked away without giving any indication what she might have meant by those last words. She probably referred to the horses. That she preferred them over him seemed obvious, but there was something else in her manner that Hawk couldn’t identify. He had no trouble identifying what it was about her that attracted him: everything, even the view of her as she walked away. Her stride was long and fluid, swinging easily from the hips in a manner that caused them to sway gently from side to side. He was acutely aware of the body hidden beneath the layers of material. Telling himself he should turn away, he continued to watch until she disappeared around a willow thicket. For several moments he continued to stare, his mind filled with images of her wandering among the horses, pressing yellow flowers against her cheek, her hand pulling her hair away from her face.
    An uncomfortable tightness in his jeans brought him back to the present. He cursed as he rearranged himself. It was useless to let his physical attraction for Suzette get to him. Even if there had been an opportunity to act on it, she’d made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Wishing for anything else would be stupid beyond belief.
    â€œThat was a mighty good supper,” Zeke said to Anna. “There’s a lot to be said for traveling with a wagonload of supplies.”
    â€œThose supplies wouldn’t have done us much good if you hadn’t come along to fix the wheel,” Anna said.
    â€œAnd cut up the wagon in the process,” Josie added.
    â€œIt was only one rib,” Anna said. “You can hardly notice it’s gone.”
    â€œI noticed,” Josie snapped.
    Zeke had found the perfect wood for his linchpin in one of the ribs that supported the canvas cover of the wagon. Josie had been furious when he removed the rib despite her objections. She hadn’t been any more pleased when he said all the linchpins needed to be replaced. The rib had provided him with enough wood for spares, but Josie hadn’t been mollified.
    Zeke and Hawk sat crossed-legged in the sand about twenty feet back from the fire. Suzette sat with her feet under her, a position that made Zeke uncomfortable just looking at her. Anna sat with her feet out to the side, Laurie, leaning up on her elbow. Josie had been too agitated to sit and had eaten her meal standing up. Even now, her stew lay unfinished in her bowl, as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, occasionally moving a few feet before pausing again. Zeke felt certain she was itching to tell them they’d been amply repaid for their courtesy and it was time to leave. He felt the same way, but watching her practically bite her tongue to keep from telling them to vanish made him want to stay just to see if she’d put her thoughts into words.
    â€œYou ought to stay on flat ground as much as possible,”Zeke said. “Losing a linchpin isn’t a big problem. Breaking a spoke or a wheel would be.”
    â€œWe tried,” Anna said, “but sometimes the only way was to use the riverbed.”
    Zeke knew that. He and Hawk used riverbeds as often as they could. Despite being littered with rocks, they were usually more level than existing trails and offered a more direct route. In addition, the water would cover their tracks when they didn’t want to be followed.
    â€œYou shouldn’t be out here by yourselves,” Zeke said. “Why didn’t you hire a man to drive you?”
    â€œAnna is perfectly capable of driving,” Josie said.
    â€œI was thinking more of protection.”
    â€œI know how to use a rifle.”
    â€œNevertheless, it’s not a good idea for women to travel alone in this territory. There are too many things that could happen to you.”
    â€œLike losing a wheel.”
    Zeke couldn’t understand Josie’s belligerence. He could see no reason for her to argue with