Without thinking, Cassie leaped over him, trying to reach the porch stairs. In mid-air his hand shot up and gripped her ankle. Too late! He’d been playing possum. They rolled together toward the stairs and bumped down into the dirt.
Adrenalin kept her scratching, punching, and squirming to get free. With his overpowering weight, Klem rolled her to her back and sat on top of her, forcing the air out of her lungs. He pinned her arms up over her head as sweat from his face dripped onto her own, running down her neck.
If only the gun would go off and shoot a hole right through his foot!
Klem reared back, raising a doubled fist, his eyes filled with rage. “Tell me where Cassie is, you little skunk!”
Gunshots rang out and bullets kicked up dirt all around.
Squeezing her eyes closed, Cassie prepared to meet her maker. Klem’s brother, Bristol, must have shown up for the party.
“Fun’s over,” a deep voice called out. “Get off him.”
At the sound of the shots, Klem had collapsed onto her in a shocking show of cowardice. A moan gurgled from his throat. “I’m hit,” he shrieked, looking at his hands in disbelief. “I’m bleeding, I’m bleeding.”
Cassie tried to extract herself from under his heavy body, but was pinned. “Stop your sniveling.” She gasped for air. “That’s my blood on your hands, not yours.”
Klem crawled to his knees and stood, wiping dirt and debris from his clothes. He eyed the stranger as he approached.
“What the devil is going on here?” the man asked through clenched teeth. He dropped his reins and left his horse standing as he approached. Offering Cassie his hand, he pulled her to her feet.
Klem was backing away when the man turned on him. Grasping him by the front of his shirt, he yanked Klem up close to his face.
“Never could abide bullies like you.” He motioned with his head toward Cassie. “That boy weighs less than a bantam.”
Suddenly, Klem took an awkward swing at the cowboy, who easily caught his arm and twisted it around his back, shoving it upward. Then the man pushed Klem away with such force he fell to his knees in a puff of dust, pitching forward and landing flat on his face. He came up spitting dirt from his mouth.
“You ought to mind your own business, mister,” Klem mumbled. He climbed to his feet.
“Really.”
The one word, delivered with such controlled fury, sent shivers down Cassie’s spine and she took a tiny step back, giving him space. Time stood still as he enforced his own patience. Then, with measured movement, he rolled up the sleeves of his white broadcloth shirt and stood with his fists tensed at his sides.
“What I ought to do,” the stranger replied, “is give you a taste of what you were about to give this young boy. How would you like to take on somebody my size?”
Cassie couldn’t help but hope this tall newcomer would make good on his offer. Yes, beat Klem to a pulp! Make him beg for mercy! The warm blood flowing from her nose went forgotten. Inwardly she cheered. Finally, someone strong enough to stand up to Klem!
Her nemesis shrank before her eyes. His shoulders drooped and he looked everywhere but at the man. He was a whipped dog getting ready to slink away from his master.
“Well?”
“Nah.” Klem shook his head.
“Then apologize.”
Klem’s face flamed.
“Do it or take the consequences.” The stranger took off his hat and handed it to her.
“I apologize.”
As soon as the words were out, the coward turned and stormed down the boardwalk, around the corner, and out of sight.
Now Cassie was the object of the stranger’s intense brown-eyed gaze. By the way he was looking at her, she thought for sure he’d ask why a girl was masquerading around as a boy. Earlier, when she’d confronted Klem on the porch of the boardinghouse, she’d been shocked that he’d fallen for her ruse. He and his brother, Bristol, knew her and Josephine as they all lived in the same town. Just went to show how stupid he was.
The stranger didn’t ask, though. Instead, he retrieved his hat from her hands and refastened his shirt cuffs. He looked embarrassed.
“This happen a lot?”
Stung, Cassie squared her shoulders. “No.” She swiped at her bloody nose with the back of her hand.
“You should get cleaned up. Where do you live?”
Cassie hitched her head toward the boardinghouse and made her way to the steps. When she lifted her foot, a sharp pain sliced through her side and she gasped.
Instantly, the cowboy was there, gingerly placing her right arm over his shoulder and snaking his left carefully around her back. When their bodies connected, confusion marked his face for a moment.
She turned away quickly as she felt her face go hot. Still, he held her steady as they climbed the stairs and she fumbled with the key in the lock.
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Table of Contents
About the Book
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Other Books by Caroline Fyffe
Acknowledgements
About The Author
Excerpt from Sourdough Creek