Daring (3 page)

They walked along the wooden sidewalk, the two of them side by side in the bright sunshine. It was going to be a warm fall day. Summer refused to end, and the heat continued on, even in late October.

“Right after you left. We were all fired from our jobs. Tired of working hard for minimal wage and being disrespected, it was either get married or starve or do something that would bring us cash and respect. We became bounty hunters,” she said, her head held high. She loved her job. She would take a bullet before she would ever get back down on her hands and knees scrubbing floors for the rich.

“So, all three of you are bounty hunters?” he asked, his eyes widening.

They stepped into the restaurant and found a table. Once they were seated, she turned to him. “Meg and I did most of the hunting until Meg married the sheriff. Annabelle stayed home and took care of the farm, until she decided to go hunting alone and met her new husband Beau. Which left only me. I’ve been training Caroline.”

Unfortunately, from what Ruby could see, the girl needed more lessons. Ruby was certain Deke would tell her what a novice Caroline was.

He laughed. “That woman is a danger to herself.”

Ruby shook her head. “I know. She still hasn’t quite gotten the hang of it, but I’m confident she will.”

“Have you been successful?”

A smile spread across her face. They’d made more money than she’d dreamed possible. Annabelle had brought in the most when she’d followed the Harris gang. But soon, Ruby would out collect her, and then she would have contributed the most to the family operation.

“We paid off the farm, and now, we have some operating cash. So yeah, we’ve been very successful.”

He frowned for a moment. “Then why haven’t you given up this life? I can’t imagine anyone wanting to continue, especially a woman.”

She could feel herself bristle. “Oh no, I enjoy the chase. The thrill of catching the criminal and then bringing him into the sheriff. I don’t want to quit. I like what I do for a living.”

People were sitting at the tables around them, deep in conversation, not paying attention to the two of them. But she had already checked out every person in the restaurant. Searching for anyone she thought looked suspicious. She was always on the lookout for her next bounty.

Shaking his head, he stared at her. “How many men have you brought in?”

“Counting your man, twenty.”

Throwing his hands up in the air, he chuckled. “The new hasn’t worn off yet. Just wait until you capture almost a hundred. You get sick of it. Especially when you bring a man in more than once. You start to question our justice system.”

She stared at him. He seemed different. The Deke she remembered had been more lighthearted, not nearly as serious as he seemed now. An ache built inside her chest as she remembered that afternoon when he’d kissed her. It’d been the best kiss of her life and the worst kiss at the same time.

“I guess I can understand why you’d feel that way, but it’s a lot better than scrubbing floors,” she said. “What would you do if you weren’t a bounty hunter?”

“I love horses. I’d raise and train them. I understand the animals,” he said, his face brightening, and it was the first and only time he appeared relaxed and happy. She could tell this was his passion. Not being a bounty hunter like herself. Odd that during the years they had reversed their roles.

She nodded. “So, why aren’t you doing that now?”

A frown flittered across his face, and then he shrugged his shoulders, like it was nothing and smiled. Why did she feel like there was something he wasn’t sharing? “I guess life has gotten in the way. What would you do if you weren’t a bounty hunter?”

Shaking her head, she knew right away the answer to that question. “Nothing interests me. I love my life the way it is right now.”

Out on the hunt for the first time in months, she felt at peace with herself. Working at the farm with her sisters and their husbands, she’d felt like the spoke of a broken wagon wheel. She’d been the odd man out, and while they did their best to include her, she’d been ready to hit the trail, earn some money, and find her own way in life. All that love floating around the farm house was enough to nauseate her.

“What happened to that flirty, crazy girl I met? That girl that wanted to get married?” He asked, staring at her intently. “The girl who wanted me to make her into a woman?”

“She grew up. She realized the only person she could depend on was herself. Not a man, not her family, no one. She’s alone in the world and has to take care of herself.” She leaned in close. “She’s independent and doesn’t need men.”

Their waitress poured them each a cup of coffee, and they ordered the special of the day. For a moment, there was silence between them. He gazed at her with his warm green eyes and she remembered how she and Annabelle had fought over this man. She’d wanted to marry him, have babies with him, and settle down in a comfortable little house—all the dreams of a love-starved fifteen-year-old. Now, almost no man since Deke had gotten close to her. And she doubted anyone ever would.

She didn’t want or need a man. Not even Deke. She’d had all the experience she wanted with men and had decided it was so much better to be independent and self-sufficient. Deke was prettier than any man she’d ever met, but the only driver in her wagon was herself, and she aimed to keep it that way.

He stared at her. “I hope I didn’t make you hate men?”

She steeled herself against the memory of the humiliation she’d felt the day Deke had ridden out of her life. She’d been knocked to her knees and slammed into the ground by his refusal to make her into a woman. Now, she was grateful they’d never been together, though she’d never admit he’d been right.

“You could have been my first.” As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, she knew that was the reason for the tension flowing like a river between them. Only now, there was nothing to worry about. She no longer wanted Deke.

“I was not going to disrespect your papa by having a quick tousle in the hay with you. I wouldn’t do that to the man who taught me everything I know. I wouldn’t have ridden off and left you then.”

“Well, aren’t you an honorable cowboy,” she said, swallowing the lump filling her throat, thinking about that day so many years ago, when she’d been young and naive. In the space of two hours, two men had upended her beliefs about love and changed the innocent, young girl forever. If only she’d never been forced into the closet with Clay, then she would never have begged Deke. And her pride wouldn’t have smarted so bad that she’d felt the need to chase him down and fire her pistol at him.

“I do my best,” he said smugly.

She wanted the attention off of the past. She didn’t want to remember how she’d begged Deke or what had happened that day with Clay Mullins. She’d done her best to put that part of her life behind her forever.

“Both of your sisters are expecting?”

“Yes, Annabelle is eight months along, and Meg is three months. And Meg has a dress shop now. She no longer wears pants, but dresses like a lady. She’s beautiful.”

“And you are now the more masculine one in the group.”

For a moment, Ruby felt shocked he would say that, but then she realized he was right. Oh, she didn’t wear pants, but still, she rode like a man, shot like a man, and had a profession that was more masculine than feminine. And she loved her life. There was nothing she’d change.

“That I am,” she said proudly. If he didn’t like it, what did she care? “What about you? What’s happened to you in the last three years?”

“Not much.” He said the words so quick, without giving any thought to her question.

As she stared at him, a shadow passed over his face. His eyes darkened and his jaw tightened.

“So, you’ve been chasing bad guys and bringing in bounties?”

“That’s it,” he said.

“You should be a rich man then.” Though she and her sisters were not rich, they were well on their way to making their farm self-sufficient. It felt good not to owe anyone.

He chuckled. “Hardly.”

“So, how many bounties have you brought in since I last saw you?”

“That’s a little nosy.”

“Hey, just trying to pass the time and talk shop. You’re the one who wanted to go to lunch and catch up.” Sure, she’d been curious about him, but that was all in the past.

He leaned in closer to her, his voice low and deep. “Just because I said no didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy being with you, Ruby. I just wasn’t going to take advantage of a young girl whose father had been my mentor.”

Her pulse pounded in her ears; she raised her chin and looked him square in the eyes. “And I’m no longer that young girl.”

“No, now you’re one strikingly beautiful woman who I wouldn’t think twice about seducing.”

She couldn’t believe he’d just said those words. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that. I’m not interested.”

“Oh, that sounds like a challenge.”

“No. It’s a woman who knows what she wants or better yet, what she doesn’t want.”

“Oh honey, maybe we should test that theory just to see if you’re really certain of what you want.”

“No need,” she said. “I have no doubts whatsoever. I’m a bounty hunter looking for my next payday.”

The sheriff walked up to their table. “There you are.”

Ruby glanced up at the man wearing the badge. “What do you need, Sheriff?”

“I just received a telegram from Sheriff Taylor that outlaw John Jones is in Dyersville. They fear he’s going to rob the bank. They’re asking for assistance in catching him. There’s a five hundred dollar bounty. Are you interested?”

“Yes,” Deke said.

“He didn’t ask you,” Ruby replied. “The sheriff is talking to me.”

“Why don’t you both go?” the sheriff asked. “He’s too dangerous for one person and needs to be caught.”

“I don’t need Deke’s help,” Ruby said, thinking how inept Caroline had proven. She was so green she glowed with lack of confidence, and Deke…had learned from her father.

“Oh yeah, your current helper will certainly keep you safe,” Deke said laughing.

“She’s learning. Give her a chance. This is her first outing.”

This man knew just how to touch on all of her fears. She wasn’t worried about her own personal safety so much as she was about Caroline. What if the woman froze or, even worse, repeated what she’d done today and accidentally pulled the trigger?

“I hope she lives through the next shootout.”

The sheriff laughed. “It’s a good thing you two aren’t married. You’d kill each other.”

Ruby spun around to him. “I’ll take care of it, Sheriff. As soon as I finish my lunch, I’ll head over there.”

Deke threw his napkin down. “I’m finished. I’m on my way.”

Ruby grabbed her water glass, gulped down a sip, threw down her napkin, and stood. “I’ve had enough. I’m on it, Sheriff.”

The man with the star laughed. “This criminal is in so much trouble. Don’t kill each other on the way.”

“He is. See ya,” Deke said and started walking toward the door.

“Deke Culver, don’t you dare go after my bounty,” she called, rushing out the door after him, her legs moving as fast as she could in her boots. She probably owed him a bounty, but she wasn’t one to give up, especially to a man who’d hurt her.

“Don’t forget to pay the bill.” He held up his hand and waved. “First man, woman, there, gets the bounty.”

*

As Deke walked down the wooden sidewalk toward his horse, he heard someone running behind him. It had to be Ruby. She was either going to run past him, or she was going to stop and negotiate a joint effort.

“What if we work together?” she called out to him.

He stopped and turned to face her. Her blue eyes flashed with anger. She really didn’t want to work with him. He could see it in her expression and the way she stood there with her arms crossed, a frown gracing that full mouth he longed to kiss. “Why should we?”

“Because three against one is better than one against one, and we don’t want him to get away,” she admitted, her lips turned down in a pout. The woman had a face that could awaken a dead man. “I expect at least a third of the bounty.”

“Understood. We do things my way,” he said, knowing he was pushing things, but not really caring.

“We do things the way that works best,” she countered.

Oh, she would be a handful. But he needed something to make this job more interesting. He needed some excitement to keep from shriveling up inside. The last few years had not been easy. They’d been damn hard. He could use some entertainment right now. And these two women would keep him on his toes.

“How long will it take you to get Caroline?”

“About five minutes. How far is it to Dyersville?”

“A day’s ride. If we leave now, we’ll arrive this evening.”

“We could have this all wrapped up by tomorrow morning,” she said.

“And then you could go home in time for the birth of Annabelle’s baby.”

“And you could go do whatever it is you do when you’re not bounty hunting.”

The image of Laura washed over him, and he hurriedly pushed the thought away. He didn’t want to go back. He couldn’t go back. “Let’s go.”

*

The next day, Deke watched as Ruby talked to the hotel desk clerk where their outlaw had been staying. She smiled at the man, leaned over the counter, and chatted with him like he was the most important person she’d spoken to today. Envy flowed through Deke’s veins as he watched her laughing with the clerk, her manner easy and outgoing.

Years ago, she’d responded to him that way, but not anymore. Not since the day he’d kissed her until desire surged through both of their veins like fire water, scorching them with its power. God, he’d wanted her so badly that day, but he’d walked away. And regretted it ever since.

“She’s good at getting the information she needs, isn’t she?” Caroline said, walking up to stand beside Deke.

“Yes,” he said. “Is this how she found out where my bounty had gone?”

Caroline laughed. “All we knew was that he’d been seen leaving town, riding north. We didn’t know you had captured the man.”

At least they hadn’t deliberately followed and taken his bounty, though somehow if Ruby had known it was him, she might have done the same.