“Children, children.” Boone heaved a theatrical sigh as he invited himself into the room. “We can hear you yelling at each other from downstairs. Christina asked me to come up here and tell you to pipe down and be nice to each other.”
Jonah pushed himself upright and smirked at Boone. “And of course you rushed off to do Princess Christina’s bidding.”
Maddie bit back a grin when Boone blushed. The poor man had it as bad as Christina. At least the feelings were mutual, unlike her own one-sided affection for Jonah.
“I came up here to tell Maddie that the criminal elements have been weeded from Avery and Ward’s ranches.” He shot Jonah a sardonic glance. “I wasn’t sure you would get around to it,” he said, then turned his attention back to Maddie. “The sheriff appointed
a replacement at Ward’s ranch, until the British investors decide who will take over the operation. Avery’s ranch will be put up for sale, and your stolen livestock has been returned. You will be fully compensated for the cattle Avery sold as profit. In short, this ranch operation is back on track.”
Maddie sighed in relief. “That eases my mind considerably. Thank you, Boone. I intend to pay you and Jonah for your assistance. I can’t begin to express how much I appreciate what you’ve done for Chrissy and me.”
“No pay necessary,” Boone insisted.
“Do not argue with me,” Maddie said tersely. “I’m cranky.”
“I’ll say she is,” Jonah muttered, eyeing her accusingly.
Maddie leveled him a silencing glare.
“Angel asked me to escort her into Mobeetie to gather supplies—”
“Angel?”
Jonah stared at Boone in blatant disapproval. “You’ve given Christina a pet name? You’ve been here four days too long and you are
not
taking her to Mobeetie without a chaperon.”
Boone jerked up his head, squared his broad shoulders and tapped himself on the chest. “
I’m
the bodyguard and chaperon.”
“Like hell you are.” Jonah scowled.
“Leave him alone, Jonah. My sister likes him.”
“That’s what worries me,” Jonah grumbled as he shot Boone another meaningful glance.
“I’m certain I can count on Boone to ensure my sister’s welfare and safety.”
“No, you can’t,” Jonah contradicted.
Exasperated, Maddie glanced at Jonah. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Boone is hardly what I call lecherous and unscrupulous.”
The Kiowa beamed. “Thank you for your vote of confidence.”
“Maddie is still delirious from fever and pain and doesn’t know what she’s saying.” Jonah wagged his forefinger at Boone. “As for Christina, she’s been through enough lately. Don’t make matters worse…and you
know
what I mean.”
Maddie wasn’t certain what Jonah implied, but apparently Boone was, because both men exchanged significant glares for a long, tense moment. Finally Boone spun on his boot heels, and stalked out.
“He’s too old for her,” Jonah muttered.
“Perhaps,” Maddie agreed. “But Chrissy is infatuated for the first time in her life.”
“And nothing good can come of it.”
Maddie glanced up to see his penetrating green eyes boring into her. She had the feeling he was no longer discussing Boone and Christina, but rather her affection for him.
“It’s not as if I have made demands on you after what happened between us,” she said quietly as she shifted her left arm to a more comfortable position on the pillow. “As soon as I pay you for your time and trouble you are free to leave. You can accompany Boone and Chrissy into town if you wish, especially since you insist they need a chaperon.”
“Maybe I
will
go with them. If your sister is as forward as you are, I don’t want to lay odds that Boone can resist her. Then where will they be?”
Maddie glowered at him, affronted. “If I had the
strength to climb from this bed, I’d slap you silly for that insulting remark.”
Jonah glared back at her, hoping to further incite her anger, making it easier for them to part company once and for all. Jonah felt the need to burn his bridges behind him so Maddie would realize they could have no future contact. It was easier this way, he told himself. Parting on a sour note would sever these ill-fated ties between them.
“Did you or did you not seduce me twice?” he demanded.
Maddie averted her gaze. “Yes. You are completely irresistible and I’m shameless. Is that what you want to hear? Well fine, I’ve said it and you have made it abundantly clear on several occasions that I’m not what you want or need.”
“I did not say that you aren’t what I want,” he replied, frustrated torment making his voice harsh. “This is for your own good, damn it!”
Maddie flashed him a withering glance. “God save me from men dedicated to protecting me from myself!”
Jonah raked his hands through his thick hair and expelled a breath. “Look, princess—”
“I have one last request before you leave,” she interrupted. “Do
not
call me princess ever again.” She flicked her wrist, dismissing him. “Go away, Jonah. You are giving me a raging headache and my arm is killing me.”
“Fine. This is my last goodbye,” he told her stiffly, refusing to buckle to the emotion that was eating him alive. “I promised to get out of your life and I’m going. Now. This is the end of the line.”
“That’s what you said when we reached Fort Griffin,” she didn’t fail to remind him. “You said the same thing in Mobeetie. You said it again—twice—at this ranch.” She stared him down. “So why are you still here?”
He opened his mouth to tell her that he was still here because he was having one hell of a time letting her go. Fortunately, he caught himself in the nick of time and shut his yap—fast.
Jonah spun on his heel and strode toward the door without looking back. He didn’t have to glance back at Maddie because her image had been emblazoned on his mind and he suspected it would stay there until the end of eternity. He would keep his promise to get out of her life, but, sure as shootin’, he was never going to be able to
forget
her.
He suspected it would take dying to get that done.
Later that afternoon, while Christina was in the boutique at Mobeetie, making her purchases, Boone and Jonah treated themselves to a whiskey at the saloon.
“I was wrong, you know,” Boone said out of the blue.
Jonah glanced at him over the rim of his glass. “You’re wrong a lot. You’ll have to be more specific.”
Boone ignored the taunt. “I was wrong about you and Maddie.”
Jonah set down his glass very deliberately and said, “Don’t start. I don’t want to have this conversation.”
Boone ignored that, too. “That’s too bad, because we’re having this conversation anyway.” He leaned
back in his chair and stared pensively at him. “Think about it, Danhill. Although you balked at getting involved with Maddie’s problems from the onset, something made you serve as her guide and protector so she could reach Fort Griffin.”
“That something was two men with loaded guns,” Jonah rapped out. “Can we talk about something else?”
“No.” Boone smiled wryly. “Was that the
reason
or the
excuse?
”
Jonah shifted awkwardly in his chair. “Doesn’t matter. The outcome was the same. I took Maddie where she needed to go and I protected her from getting shot and robbed.”
“Even when you swore never to set foot in the Comanchería again?” Boone waved his arms expansively. “But here you are, as deep in the heart of Comanche country as you can get.” He stared pointedly at Jonah. “As deep in the
heart
as you can get. You tried not to get involved, but you couldn’t help it. Not with
her.
You were involved and you kept getting in deeper and deeper with every mile you rode west.” He smiled wryly. “Rather symbolic, don’t you think, Danhill?”
“Is there a point to this philosophical prattle?” Jonah asked irritably. “If there is, then get to the point. I’m not growing any younger.”
“You’re not getting any wiser, either. Obviously.” Boone leaned his forearms on the table and stared Jonah squarely in the eye. “You’re in love with her and you know it. A man doesn’t keep contradicting himself, drawing lines and then crossing over them if he isn’t in so deep that he can’t find his way out. And
Maddie loves you like crazy. She proved it that night in Ward’s office. Declarations of love don’t get any louder or clearer than that, Danhill.”
Jonah took another drink, then stared into the amber contents of his glass, wincing when the color of the whiskey reminded him of Maddie’s eyes. Reminded him that the whiskey was nearly as intoxicating and addictive as her kisses.
This was not a good time to be remembering that. He had resolved to be sensible and do the right thing by letting go.
“Well, at least admit it to me, even if you won’t admit it to her,” Boone prodded. “You might as well admit it to yourself while you’re at it, because denial sure as hell isn’t working for you.”
Jonah clamped his jaw shut and glared at his pesky Kiowa cousin, Chief Know-It-All.
“Damn, Danhill, you’re a stubborn cuss. And you call Maddie stubborn and defiant?” Boone scoffed. “I’m losing all respect for you. This just proves that Kiowas are smarter than Comanches.”
“All I want to do is enjoy my drink. Go harass someone else.”
“You need to hear this. No one understands you better than I do and no one understands me better than you do. I know that blue-eyed angel is too young for me and that she’s suffering her first bout of puppy love. I also know she can do better than me and I have to back off and give her a chance. The timing is wrong for me, but it’s different with
you.
”
Jonah shook his head obstinately. “Nothing’s changed. I’m still who I am and she’s practically roy
alty in this part of Texas. Hell, she practically
owns
this part of Texas.”
“So did our people, before the white invasion. We’ve faced our loss and our bittersweet memories. I like to think I’m a better man for confronting those painful memories and getting past them, once and for all. Maddie made that happen and I’ll always be grateful to her for that.” He was silent for a moment, then said, “Princess or not, Maddie loves you, Danhill. That changes all the rules. She sees our kind as equals and even became our champion when prejudiced men insulted us in her presence. As for me, I’ve discovered there are only a select few whose opinions matter a whit to me, and her opinion matters.”
“Fine, her opinion matters to me, too.”
“So what this all boils down to is that you make her happy. And she makes you happy, even when the two of you are in the middle of one of your heated debates or power struggles. You like the fact that she has spunk and stands up to you and meets you on her own terms.”
Yeah, he did. He’d never felt more alive and exhilarated than when he was matching wits with Maddie—or making love with her. She triggered all of his emotions.
Boone glanced at the clock over the bar, then came to his feet. “Well, I guess I’ll meet you in Coyote Springs after I ensure Tina returns home safely.”
“Now it’s
Tina?
You have definitely been here too long, Boone.”
A rueful smile pursed Boone’s lips. “Coming here is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, though. I found myself while I was here.”
“Interesting. I didn’t even know you were lost.”
Boone chuckled and shook his head. “Maddie’s smart mouth definitely rubbed off on you. Now I’d say you are her equal, her match. And vice versa.”
Her equal, her match.
The words rang in Jonah’s ears long after Boone exited the saloon.
If only that were true.
When a red-haired calico queen parked herself in Boone’s vacated chair and suggested Jonah buy her a drink, he handed over the bottle of whiskey. He ignored the come-hither glance she directed at him, then surged to his feet. The very thought of touching another woman when he had Maddie on his mind felt like betrayal.
Jonah ambled onto the street to watch Boone and Christina climb into the wagon, which was heaped with supplies, and head west. They were all smiles and quiet laughter as they rode out of sight.
Lost in conflicting emotions that pulled him in two directions at once, Jonah strode off to fetch his horse, and headed east before he could change his mind.
M
addie felt well enough to make several trips up and down the hall the following day. The day after that, she tackled the staircase to build up her stamina. Although Rosita fussed over her unnecessarily, Maddie was determined to regain her strength. Lying abed, wallowing in misery and self-pity, was not aiding in her recovery.
Activity and distraction was what she needed to revive her spirits. She felt the impulsive urge to revisit the cavern behind the falls. It was there that she had discovered a sense of connection to Jonah and his past. And right now she needed to feel his comforting presence, because watching Chrissy practically float on air while Boone was underfoot was depressing. The twosome had become inseparable, making the most of every moment before Boone’s impending departure.
How the blazes was Maddie going to keep Chrissy’s spirits up after Boone left when
her
spirits were scraping rock bottom?
Wobbling slightly, she braced her hand against the
marble-top dresser while she pulled on her riding breeches.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Maddie glanced sideways to see her sister standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. “Getting dressed, as you can plainly see.”
“For what purpose?” Chrissy demanded. “You are not leaving this house.”
“I’m your older sister,” Maddie reminded her as she shoved one foot, then the other, into her boots. “Don’t boss me around. I plan to go riding because these walls are closing in on me.” When Chrissy opened her mouth to protest, Maddie flung up her hand. “If Jonah could ride cross-country, outrunning outlaws with an injured arm, I can certainly ride around the pasture. I need fresh air.”
“Then open the blasted window,” she suggested flippantly.
“Maddie, listen to your sister,” Boone chimed in as he appeared in the doorway. “She’s right. Besides, it’s almost dark. At least postpone your ride until morning.”
Just what she needed. Two mother hens. Three, if you counted Rosita, who brought food and drink every hour on the hour to ensure Maddie had plenty of nourishment and attention.
“The two of you are in charge,” Maddie announced, then walked over to the safe to count out financial compensation for Boone’s extended stay and invaluable assistance. “Here,” she said, thrusting the roll of money at him. “Take this. And I want you to remember that no matter where you go, no matter how long you’re gone or what you do, you will al
ways be welcomed and wanted here.
Unconditionally.
” She stared meaningfully at him. “This land was once your home, Boone. It will always be your home. I want you to feel that this ranch is the one place you can always come back to.”
Boone smiled as he tucked the money in his shirt pocket. “You are one hell of a woman, even if you are a paleface, Maddie Garret.”
“Thank you, it’s nice to be appreciated.” She walked gingerly toward the door. “I will inform Carlos that anything you need for your journey tomorrow will be provided.”
Maddie eased down the steps, then halted on the front porch to inhale a long-awaited breath of fresh air and admire the panoramic sunset. This had always been her favorite time of the day, when the restless wind usually died down and the world seemed to be at peace with itself.
Shortly afterward she was riding north into the canyon. Magnetically drawn toward the cave hidden behind the falls, Maddie nudged her mount forward, then dismounted by the sparkling pool. Livestock that had come to drink shied away as she approached, then wandered off to graze on the plush grass that filled the scenic valley.
The sound of pebbles trickling from the rocky cliffs overhead drew her attention, and she pivoted toward the sound, her foolish heart filling with the hope that Jonah had changed his mind and returned. The blinding sunlight made it impossible to identify the dark silhouette—until the man bounded from the ledge and crouched in the shadows.
Her enthusiastic smile transformed into a gasp of
alarm when she recognized Jesse Gibbs as the man who was sidestepping down the steep slope. Maddie cursed herself soundly for neglecting to arm herself before she rode away from the house. With Jesse hot on her heels, she made a mad dash for her horse.
She shrieked in pain when he slammed into her, sending her stumbling off balance. She proved to be no match for his strength as he hauled her up against him. Every attempt to squirm free sent agony shooting down her mending arm, but that didn’t stop her from trying to escape him.
“Hold still,” Jesse snarled against her neck. “You’re going to help me get out of here before that Texas devil you married catches up with me.”
Damnation, not again! Maddie mused, exasperated. Just when she thought her troubles were over, here they came, sneaking up on her. Wasn’t it enough that the past few months had been one tormenting stumbling block after another? No wonder Jonah had become so cynical and mistrusting. Every time you turned around some worthless bastard was making your life miserable. And hadn’t Jonah told her to always pay attention to her surroundings for fear of encountering an unpleasant surprise? She should have listened to him.
To Maddie’s dismay, Jesse bound her arms behind her back, causing excessive strain on her left shoulder. Only now did she fully appreciate the discomfort Jonah had endured while he recovered from his own injury. Physical exertion played havoc with her temperament. Jonah’s, too, she realized in retrospect.
Maddie wasn’t sure what this scraggly ruffian intended until he pulled a folded paper from his pocket
and half dragged her toward her horse. She watched Jesse tuck the note between the saddle and the blanket, then slap her horse on the rump. The strawberry roan thundered toward home, scattering the grazing cattle as it went.
“If you’re lucky, your sister will follow my instructions and exchange money for your life,” Jesse said as he watched the horse gallop toward the distant barn. He glanced down at Maddie. “If that husband of yours shows up here then all bets are off.”
“Jonah left for Coyote Springs two days ago,” Maddie informed him.
“Good. Suits me just fine if I’ve seen the last of him.” He propelled her up the steep incline, then down into the narrow ravine where he had tethered his horse.
Confound it all, Maddie muttered to herself as Jesse tied her feet with a rope, then anchored her to a scraggly juniper. She’d thought the only hurdle she had left to encounter was teaching herself to live without Jonah. Apparently not.
A sudden passing shadow prompted Maddie to look skyward. Wouldn’t you know that if birds were circling above her they were bound to be buzzards? She sighed in frustration and shifted uncomfortably while Jesse paced.
“Someone’s coming,” Jesse announced as he watched the two riders approach. He glanced suspiciously at Maddie. “I thought you said your husband left.”
“He did,” she confirmed. “But Boone is still here.
Did you really expect him to allow my sister to ride out here alone?”
Jesse scowled sourly at the news. “Damn breeds. Can’t trust any of ’em to react like a white man. If he tries something sneaky you are sure as hell gonna suffer for it.”
Maddie grimaced when Jesse jerked her roughly to her feet and propelled her along the spine of rock to watch Boone and Christina approach the spring.
“Leave the money,” Jesse called down to them as he held Maddie on the crumbling edge of the cliff. “Don’t try to play the hero, Boone, or the little lady is going to take a nasty fall.”
Maddie watched as Boone made a spectacular display of holding up the saddlebag and waving the money above his head. Then he crammed the cash back in the pouch. “I’m not leaving without Maddie,” he said in no uncertain terms.
Maddie listened to Jesse snarl and growl in irritation. She had the feeling that, despite what Jesse had said, he’d planned to drag her along with him for insurance until he was well out of Texas—and far from the long arm of justice.
“No Maddie, no money,” Boone called out. “That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
Maddie smiled ruefully. Boone reminded her of Jonah. Tough, fearless, uncompromising.
Her thoughts scattered when her captor grabbed her arm and shoved her forward. “You listen to me, breed,” Jesse jeered. “I’m in charge of making this deal! Leave the money and go!”
When Jesse jerked her sideways, her left foot dropped off the ledge. Her stomach pitched forward
and plunged fifty feet—straight to the bottom of the canyon. It was all Maddie could do to bite back the scream of terror that rushed to her lips. But she refused to give Jesse the satisfaction of intimidating her and twisting her perilous situation to an advantage against Boone. If things ended badly, Maddie vowed to be an example of courage for her sister, who would have to carry on alone.
“Don’t hurt her!” Christina shrieked frantically.
“If you knock her off that ledge you sure as hell won’t get the money!” Boone bellowed at Jesse.
Maddie reared back and braced both feet on the ledge. She was not going to be used as a pawn again. Ward Tipton had tried this tactic and it wasn’t going to work any better for Jesse than it had for him.
She stared down at Boone. “Does this look like another stalemate to you?”
“Oh, hell!” Boone scowled when he realized Maddie was giving subtle notice that she was about to act. “Just wait!”
“Jesse, you son of a bitch, I told you to keep your hands off my wife! You don’t listen worth a damn.”
Maddie started at the booming voice that exploded from above her like rumbling thunder. The last time Jonah had showed up unexpectedly she had suffered a moment of paralyzed surprise. This time she reacted immediately. She dropped to her knees, pulling Jesse partially off balance.
Swearing, Jesse let go of Maddie and wheeled toward Jonah. “You can go straight to hell and take that other half-breed with you!”
Maddie flattened herself on the ledge and looked up to see Jonah looming on the bluff like the dark
angel of vengeance. She wanted to strangle him for drawing Jesse’s attention and standing there like an unmoving target, daring the outlaw to take his best shot.
Jesse raised his pistol to take deadly aim, but Maddie swung her legs upward, catching Jesse in the back of the knees. His legs buckled, causing his shot to go astray.
When Jessie tried to get off another shot, Maddie watched in awed amazement as Jonah’s pistol cleared leather in a blur of speed. Jonah’s well-aimed bullet plugged Jesse’s gun hand. He yelped in pain and clutched his injured wrist against his ribs.
Like a pouncing cougar, Jonah bounded from boulder to boulder, then hopped onto the ledge. Holding Jesse at gunpoint, he squatted down to retrieve the fallen pistol, then untied Maddie’s hands.
“Let this be a lesson for you, princess. The loose end you don’t tie up always comes back to haunt you,” Jonah said as he glanced pointedly at her. “And I’m not just talking about Jesse Gibbs.”
Although she was pleased to know she had been on his mind, she still flashed him a reproachful glance. “You could have gotten yourself shot.”
He smiled dryly as he bound Jesse’s hands behind his back. “Not much fun watching someone put his life on the line for you, is it?”
“No, it isn’t. And don’t you ever do it again,” she muttered darkly.
“Now you know how I felt that night in Ward’s office. And you nearly gave me a heart attack a few minutes ago when you tried to break the stalemate
while I was trying to move into position to take out Jesse.”
“You said you were leaving for good. So why did you come back?” she asked as Jonah hoisted her to her feet.
“Is everything okay up there?” Boone called out. “Damn, that was close. I was afraid Maddie was going to do something drastic before you could get in position.”
Jonah eased closer to the edge of the bluff to see Boone and Christina staring up at him. “We’re fine. We’re bringing Jesse down.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Maddie prompted, as Jonah grabbed the outlaw by the collar of his shirt, then marched him down the winding path. She thought she knew, but she desperately wanted to hear him say it. “Why
did
you come back?”
“Because I knew you couldn’t stay out of trouble for more than two days.” Jonah tossed the words over his shoulder.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “You are such a charmer, Danhill. Makes me wonder why I love you so much.”
Jonah chuckled. “Makes me wonder, too, princess. I still haven’t figured it out.”
Well, at least he had stopped trying to deny
her
feelings for
him,
she mused. That was progress.
When they reached the canyon floor, Christina dashed forward to hug Maddie. “Thank God you’re all right!”
“I’ll take Jesse to Mobeetie,” Boone volunteered. “There’s a jail cell there with his name on it.”
Maddie glanced up in time to see the look that
passed between Boone and Jonah. Her niggling suspicion was confirmed when Boone turned his attention to Christina. “Take care of yourself, angel. Do me a favor and don’t follow in your sister’s footsteps. She’s too much of a daredevil. Just steer clear of trouble.
Please.
”
“Boone?” The question in Christina’s eyes was so poignant that Maddie felt a sentimental lump clog her throat. “You
are
coming back, aren’t you?”
Maddie’s eyes clouded over when Boone leaned down to press a chaste kiss to Christina’s forehead. He was telling her goodbye without voicing the words.
When Boone strode off to put Jesse on a horse, Christina tried to go after him, but Jonah grabbed her arm and held her in place. “You have to let him go,” he murmured.
Her eyes flooded with tears. An anguished expression settled on her young face as she stared up at Jonah. “I can’t let him go. I
love
him.”
A tender smile pursed Jonah’s lips as he brushed his thumb over her cheek to wipe away her tears. “I know you do, kid. And that’s why you have to let him go.”
“I’m not a kid!” Christina railed in frustration as she watched Boone ride off into the night. “Do not treat me like a child!”