Quicksilver Passion (53 page)

Cherokee Evans jerked awake.
That fever down?”

What happened?”

You came riding across the gully and my deaf old partner thought you were a dry-gulcher. He shot you.”

She craned her neck to look around the cabin.
How long have I been—”

Here?” He brushed her hair out of her eyes and she pulled away from his touch.
Sorry, Silver. I want to touch you so bad, I keep forgetting how much you hate it. This all happened yesterday afternoon. It’s morning now.

He looked tired and she wondered if he had had any sleep at all.

Want to go back to town . . .”

He shook his head.
Sorry, there’s a terrible snow storm that started yesterday. Don’t you remember?”

Did she? She had a vague memory of trying to find shelter as the wind rose, and then the thunder and the pain.

Who else is here?” Surely some woman had been looking after her most intimate needs. Silver wasn’t sure, but she felt naked under the blankets.

Just us. Willie and Bill started into town to bring back Doc. I hope they made it.” The big half-breed’s rugged face furrowed into a frown and he went to the window and stared out.

The obvious horrified her.
Are we—are we here alone?”

He turned from the window and grinned at her.
Not quite. The burro’s in the shed out back.”

That’s not what I meant.” She was afraid now, but too weak to do more than raise her head off the pillow.