Ride With Me (A Quaking Heart Novel - Book One)
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Jessica loved how this kind man was taking care of her, causing her to wonder more each minute what he'd been to her. Constantly, she prayed for her memories to return. It must be how a woman feels, waiting for the man she loves to ask her to marry him—excited and nervous all at the same time. And yet, chances were her memories wouldn't return at all. She wasn't sure how she knew that, but she did. The thought made her empty stomach queasy.
Clint put a strong arm around her shoulders and guided her over uneven ground. His target seemed to be a dense grove of trees. He had everything with them for this private moment, including the rifle she hoped he wouldn't need.
She hurried through her task. Upon their return Jessica saw the others stoking the fire and filling tin coffee cups—that is, except for a slumbering Johnnie.
"Let him sleep," she heard Rose Marie say to Mary. "He was awake most of the night guarding us."
Rose Marie stared at Clint's arm around Jessica's shoulders and said, "Where've you two been?"
Jessica glanced up at Clint. He ran a hand slowly through his hair, and looked . . .angry? "Why do you need to know?" he barked.
"I was just asking. You don't have to bite my head off."
"Let's be clear here, Rose Marie. Stay out of our business."
From his prone position on the ground, Johnnie reached over and clamped a hand across Clint's boot. Clint looked down as Johnnie glared up. "She just asked a simple question."
"What're you, her guardian angel now? I'm sure you already know she's fully capable of taking care of herself."
"I heard her tone and it was fine. You need to get that chip off your shoulder."
Clint dropped his arm from Jessica and turned to square off with Johnnie. In one fluid movement, Johnnie pushed off the ground to face Clint nose-to-nose.
Clint pushed Jessica behind him. It was clear the action infuriated a rumpled Johnnie.
Jessica was amazed at these two beefy cowboys. Clint was a couple inches taller and bulkier, but that didn't keep them from a formidable confrontation. They were quite spectacular to watch, silhouetted in the bright morning light like two powerful stallions battling over their brood of mares. Her eyes centered on Clint—shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, jaw muscles set, sunkissed brown hair ruffling in the gentle breeze. Just watching him shortened her breaths.
As she stood observing, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened with Rose Marie to make Clint act this way toward her. It was obvious his blood boiled whenever she came near.
Mary stomped forward. "Okay, enough! You two strapping men need to stop acting like pint-sized banty roosters. Rose Marie meant nothing by what she said, Clint."
Clint pivoted, effectively cutting Rose Marie off from his sight, and ticked his head down a few degrees to trap Mary in his glare. "How 'bout you tell her to stay away from us, and we'll call it good."
Rose Marie blinked as if she'd been smacked, and then fell to studying the dirt.
"It's been a rough end-of-summer." Mary patted Clint on the arm as she moved past him and took Rose Marie's hand to lead her away. "Let's go home."
Clint and Johnnie were outwardly calm as they turned to pack camp, but their eyes raged at each other. Clint marched Jessica to the far side of the campfire and started flinging their gear into a pile. Johnnie busied himself rolling the blankets so tight it would take some doing to unravel them later.
Clint took a gentle hold of Jessica's elbow and guided her to the stretcher. She looked down at the contraption and took a step back. Raising her eyes to Clint, she hoped she'd see he really didn't mean for her to be coddled like this. He gave an uncompromising nod, and she wondered if he was always this domineering. She sighed and reluctantly moved forward. Once Clint eased Jessica onto the stretcher, she folded her arms across her chest and furrowed her brows. That triggered a smile from him she was too irritated to enjoy.
Once the men had groused over who'd carry her feet and who the head, they draped themselves with gear, and to her consternation, toted her out of there. Who were these remarkable men who were so willing to safeguard her to the point of her embarrassment?
Jessica sensed the war hanging heavily between them, though she had no idea what it was about. They grunted, tugged at the cot, navigated boulders and broken ground, and all around pitted brute strength against one another. Never did one appeal to the other over the pace, and their pace was far too relentless considering the hazards in their path.
It seemed hours had passed with both men drenched in sweat. Their hats, Clint's black suede and Johnnie's beige straw, had darkened considerably above the bands. Peeking out from under her bent arm, Jessica caught furtive glimpses of Clint. Regular trickles of sweat traveled down his tanned cheeks and off his jaw line. He blinked periodically, wincing, no doubt from salt stinging his eyes. They had long since left Rose Marie and Mary behind to follow as best they could.
Johnnie stumbled. Before she could grasp the slats of the cot, Jessica slid headfirst into Johnnie's backside. "Oh!" Once she caught a good hand-hold she struggled to sit upright.
"Whoa. Easy now," Clint barked. He straightened the cot while Johnnie steadied his end. Clint peered at her, breathless. "You all right?"
"Stop and let me out of this thing."
Clint's face showed the surprise of her curt words, but she was beyond caring. The men found a clearing, and veered off in that direction. Jessica bailed out of the cot before they could lower it.
"Okay, here's what I've decided," she said with hands on her hips. "I'm not going to ride anymore."
Seeing Clint start to speak she held up a palm. "I've had it. You two bucks need to work out whatever it is you're having problems with, and I'm going to walk. That's the end of it!" With that she proceeded down the road. Glancing once over her shoulder, she saw Mary and Rose Marie arrive, eye the two men, then make a slight shift to follow after her.