Lady Outlaw (9 page)

Will studied him a moment before reaching for the book. He plunked it into Caleb’s outstretched hand. Caleb cocked an eyebrow when he saw it was the Bible.

“Is there a reason you’re hiding it?”

“Maybe.”

Caleb feigned a thoughtful nod as he handed back the book. “I guess you never know when those nonbeliever cows might demand you hand it over or they’ll rough you up.”

A smile replaced the frown on Will’s face, then faded just as quickly. “I’m not worried about the cows.” Setting the Bible on the grass, he ripped up a blade and twisted it between his fingers. “It’s just that Jennie doesn’t take too kindly to anything that smacks of religion.”

“And that’s the problem?”

Will nodded. “She won’t go to church ’cause of stuff people said about our ma after she left us, but I’d like to go. Not just for the preaching, either.” He broke the piece of grass in two and tossed them both aside. “I had to quit going to school after Pa died. So it’d be nice to be around people my own age again.”

“I think that’s real commendable,” Caleb said, taking a seat on the ground. He admired Will’s honest heart. “I don’t know if I appreciated going when I was younger. Now, though, I realize how much I need it. It helps me be a better person.” He studied Will’s lowered head. “Maybe if you told Jennie it would help you meet new friends and be a better brother, she might let you go.”

“Or she might just be mad at me for wanting the day off.”

Caleb chuckled. “I don’t think your sister’s as hard-hearted as that. Tell you what. I was going to ask her for some time off this Sunday to go to church myself. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Really?” Will grinned, then he coughed and a look of nonchalance replaced his excited one. “I mean, that would be nice. If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.”

“So you’ll ask for both of us?”

“Wait. What?” How’d the boy rope him into that arrangement?

“She’s likely to tell me no but not you.”

Caleb blew out his breath. He didn’t want to ruffle Jennie’s feathers by sticking his nose places it didn’t belong. He needed this job. But Will looked so hopeful.

“All right,” Caleb said, rising again to his feet. “I’ll go talk to her, but you owe me some lousy ranch task in exchange.”

“Deal.”

Caleb put on his hat. “Where can I find her?”

“Since Dandy’s still tethered here, she didn’t go for a ride. I’d try the creek first.” Will pointed southeast.

Caleb headed in that direction. He made his way around some scrub trees and found the creek, a greenish brown flow of water. He couldn’t see Jennie, but he heard her soft humming from farther upstream.

He trudged along the bank, following the sound of her tune, before he caught a glimpse of her. She stood bent over, a cup in her hand. She appeared to be rinsing soap from her hair. The red color resembled wet copper, but it was the peaceful expression on her face that made him pause. No worry sharpened her face; no stubbornness tightened her full lips.

She really is beautiful, when she lets herself relax.

Clearing his throat, he circled a bush blocking his path and stepped into the open. He might as well have fired one of his guns. Jennie jumped, her hair spraying water in all directions, and drew her pistol from its holster near her feet.

“Oh, it’s you.” She lowered the gun aimed at his chest. “Did Will tell you where to find me?”

“He said you might be here,” Caleb said, walking to the water’s edge.

Jennie stuck the pistol back in the holster and wrung out her hair. Rivulets ran into the dirt at their feet. “I’m almost done.”

“I think you could use a second rinse.” He wiped at some suds above her left ear.

Her face turned pink. “Oh, right.” She bent and picked up her cup and filled it with water from the creek. After flipping her hair over again, she resumed rinsing, but she still missed half the soap.

Caleb chuckled. “Here, let me.”

He held out his hand for the cup. Twisting her head, Jennie peered at him, uncertainty written on her face.

“I have four sisters,” he explained. “I observed many hair-washings growing up.”

She bit her lip, but she finally passed him the cup.

Caleb scooped some water and poured it over her hair, making sure to cover her ear. She sucked in a sharp breath.
From the cold water, no doubt
, he thought, as the chilly liquid ran over his hand. When he finished rinsing the suds, he set down the cup and squeezed the excess water from her hair.

“There you go.” He stepped back. Jennie straightened, visibly shivering now. The sunlight shining against her wet hair and face enhanced her beauty even more. He lifted her blanket off the ground and wrapped it around her shoulders. Their hands met for a second as she grasped the ends of the rough material.

“Thank you—for washing my hair.”

“Just consider it one of my ranching duties.”

She gave a soft laugh. “Good at roping, cattle branding and washing hair? You’re very versatile.”

He meant to tease her back, but he got caught up staring into her eyes. He noticed for the first time the tiny green specks among the rich brown color. Of its own volition his gaze wandered down to her mouth. What would it be like to kiss a girl again, to feel the feminine softness of those lips?

The sudden noise of someone pushing through the undergrowth shattered his thoughts. His neck and face went hot, and Caleb hurried to turn away from Jennie. Thank goodness she hadn’t known his thoughts. He could hardly believe them himself. He hadn’t given any girl a second thought romantically since Liza. Surely he wasn’t ready to care for anyone in that way again.

“Can I go? What did she say?” Will asked as he approached.

Jennie frowned at Caleb. “Go where?”

“To church.” Will joined them beside the creek, glancing from one to the other. “Caleb said I could go with him, but I told him to ask you first.”

“I see.” Her knuckles whitened where they gripped the blanket and she glared at Caleb. “This was your idea?”

Caleb forced calmness into his voice. “I meant to ask you before Sunday if it would be all right if I went. I offered to take Will when I saw him reading the Bible just now.”

“Why didn’t you mention this to me?” Jennie turned her glare past him to direct it at her brother.

Will shuffled his feet and stared down at the dirt. “I knew you wouldn’t like it. But I want to go with Caleb.”

The crease on Jennie’s brow deepened. “You want to go back, despite the horrible things people said about us and about Ma?”

Will lifted his chin. “Maybe those people aren’t there anymore. Even if they are, that was a long time ago, Jennie.” He shot a look at Caleb who nodded his agreement. The boy definitely had the makings of a mature young man.

Jennie exhaled a heavy sigh, her eyes focused on something in the distance before she drew herself up. “I suppose if that’s how you feel, you’re welcome to go on Sunday—both of you.” She yanked the blanket off her shoulders and quickly gathered up her things. “You’ll need to hurry back, no socializing for long afterward.”

“Sure thing,” Will said.

“Why don’t you come with us?” Caleb offered. “Your grandmother could come, too.”

Jennie was shaking her head before he even finished. “I’m not coming. More than one person judged our family and our mother with no real knowledge of the situation.”

Caleb tried to swallow back the retort that popped into his head, but he couldn’t. “Kind of like you’re judging them now?” he asked in a low voice.

The air between them went deathly still. Jennie gaped at him for a moment before her face flushed with fury. “I told you he could go. I don’t wish to discuss my church attendance or the absence of it any further, especially with you.” She marched off through the trees, slashing at branches with her free hand and muttering under her breath.

Will blew out a sigh. “Sorry she got mad. Just like I said.”

“I thought that went rather well,” Caleb said with a smirk. “At least she’s allowing us both to go. We can still ask your grandmother if she wants to join us.”

“I bet she’d like that.” Will’s expression brightened. “I’ll ask her first thing when we get back.” He headed away from the creek.

Caleb followed at a slower pace. He wasn’t thrilled about the ride back to the ranch.
So much for not ruffling feathers.
He’d even entertained the thought of kissing her a few moments ago.

Shaking his head at his folly, he reminded himself that he knew better than to allow another woman into his life right now. He hadn’t completely let go of his feelings for Liza yet, and then there was the guilt he still had over his bounty-hunting days. He’d done things he wasn’t proud of, things he’d done to avenge someone he loved.

No, love and courting were out of the question. They only made a man do foolish things.

Chapter Seven

J
ennie watched from her bedroom window as Caleb drove the wagon away from the ranch Sunday morning. Her grandmother sat next to him on the seat and Will lounged in the back. Even from a distance, Jennie sensed their enthusiasm.

Dropping the curtains into place, she turned abruptly from the sight and folded her arms tight against her body.

It’s all
his
fault,
she thought, her thumbnail meeting her mouth. If Caleb hadn’t showed up to “save” her from the stage bandits, if she hadn’t foolishly hired him, everything would be the same. She wouldn’t be so edgy and self-conscious all the time, and the family certainly wouldn’t be trotting off to church.

He wouldn’t have been staring at my lips yesterday, either.
Try as she might the memory of Caleb rinsing her hair and watching her mouth, even for a moment, made her pulse speed up in a way that had nothing to do with her anger.

With everyone gone, she left her bedroom and tromped loudly down the stairs, her footsteps echoing in the empty house. Her irritation cooled a little when she found the plate of breakfast food Grandma Jones had set on the back of the stove for her.

Jennie ate slowly, trying to decide how to occupy the next several hours. There were numerous ranch chores to be done, but there was no rush. The family usually rested for a bit on Sunday anyway and she didn’t see the need to change that habit now.

She washed her few dishes, grabbed a book from the parlor and went out on the porch to read in the sunshine. Though early still, the air already felt pleasant.

A single chapter took her much longer than it should have as her mind skipped back and forth from the story to what people at church might say about seeing her family come to services again for the first time in years. Finally Jennie tossed the book onto the rocker and walked to the barn. She could at least ride out to check on the cattle.

She had the saddle on Dandy and was cinching the straps tighter beneath the horse’s belly when the barn door creaked. With quick fingers, Jennie reached for the pistol tucked into the waist of her breeches. Maybe the family had changed their minds about going to church, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Going somewhere, love?”

Nathan stood at the barn entrance, his own horse crowding the doorway behind him.

“As a matter of fact I am,” she said, frowning. She put away her gun, placed her foot in the stirrup and climbed into the saddle.

“Where to?” Nathan swung onto his horse and they fell in step beside her as she and Dandy rode from the barn.

“I’m off to see my cows.” She smiled when Nathan gave a disdainful snort. “You’re back sooner than I expected.”

He nudged his horse close to hers and took her hand, rubbing it against the dark bristles of his face. “Missed me that much, huh?”

Jennie cringed at his touch and firmly removed her hand from his grip. She urged her horse into a trot, but Nathan kept pace.

“So why are you here?” she asked, hoping it wasn’t just to make passes at her.

“Heard about a job last night. They’ll be robbing the northbound stage a week from Friday.”

“That soon?” Her second and third robberies had been several months apart. “How much?”

Nathan grinned, revealing his tobacco-stained teeth. “They think they’ll collect five hundred greenbacks.”

“I’ll do it.” As the words escaped her lips, Jennie clutched the reins harder between her fingers. Excitement, and a small dose of fear, coursed through her at the thought of besting another group of armed men.

“There’s a problem, though.” Nathan’s expression changed from one of enthusiasm to soberness. “They know about you.”

Jennie whirled around in the saddle. “How?”

“Seems you really made Bart mad last week. He got good and drunk the other night and spilled the story to all his friends about a redheaded spitfire who stole his stage money. They’ll be watchin’ for you.”

“Should I pass up the job then?” She desperately needed the money, but she didn’t want to wind up dead, either.

Nathan shook his head. “You’ll be fine. Just be careful. It’s two men and this is their first time robbing a stage.”