Ride With Me (A Quaking Heart Novel - Book One)

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  Clint awakened with a start. He heard a loud hiccup and turned his head in time to see Jessie exiting the room. He drew his gaze back to Rose Marie's profile. Her manner was subdued, but somehow he knew she'd caused Jessica's harrowing escape.

  Clint glanced down at Rose Marie's hand on his bare chest. Rage fired through his lethargic body with such force his blood raced through his veins. With the energy of a man in the height of good health, he wrenched her hand away to bring her gaze back to his. "What the devil's going on here?"

  Panic seized her expression as she gaped at his grip. "You're hurting me, Clint. Let go!"

  "Why did she leave me? Why can't you leave me alone? Can't you see that I want nothing to do with you?" He released her hand and tried to sit up. "What did you say to Jessie to upset her?" He panted, losing more breath from his effort of sitting up too quickly.

  "How do you know she's upset?"

  "Hiccups!"

  She looked confused but inhaled a tremulous breath. "Y-you should know that she and Johnnie are together now."

  "You wicked woman! What foolishness are you talking about now?"

  She flinched at his words. "I saw them, down by the stream in each other's embrace, kissing." She sat up straighter now and raised her chin, though he could have sworn he'd heard a warble in her voice.

  Heat climbed up his neck and filled his face. Finally, having wrestled himself to a sitting position, he lashed out and grabbed her by the throat, loosely, but enough to hold her in place. His head spun, and bile scalded the back of his tongue. Through clenched teeth, he said, "What possesses you to meddle in other people's lives?"

  By this time several cowboys had gathered around the bedroom door, peering in, gaping, unsure what to do. He knew they hesitated because he was their boss. If he hadn't been, they would have trampled each other to come to Rose Marie's rescue.

  Clint saw Mabel peek through gaps between the hard, lanky bodies and gasp. She squeezed through them to Clint's side. He unhooked his fingers from around Rose Marie's throat when he saw Mabel's glare, appalled at his own actions.

  Sputtering, looking genuinely flayed by his words and frightened by his assault, Rose Marie raced out the door.

  "What's goin' on here, Clint? You'd better say you're delirious," Mabel demanded.

  Hauling in deep breaths, he tried to calm down. He stared furiously into Mabel's eyes. "That woman has given Jessie the wrong impression of us for the last time! Jessie's run off again, Mabel. Help me up. I've got to find her."

  Mabel put a hand to his chest and easily pushed him back to the bed. "Yer goin' nowhere, big man. What good're you gonna do her if yer dead? Doc says yer to finish that medicine before yer to move outta that bed."

  His lips curled. "No. She can't take another blow like this. Someone needs to find her!"

  "Okay, okay, settle down. Someone'll find her." She turned and nodded toward the other men. Two of them scurried off as she turned back. "But you have ta rest. You won't survive this thing if you have another relapse."

  Clint twisted to his stomach. He stuffed his face into the pillow and slammed a fist into the mattress. He knew Mabel was right. He'd barely had the strength to raise his arm to that wench's neck.

  But as he lay there waiting for his heart to slow, he finally figured out the truth. His true fury wasn't with Rose Marie. It was with Jessie.

  Why do the ones who should care always leave?