“By rail it’s only a couple hours. But the line hasn’t reached Girard yet, so we have to go a few miles north to meet the workers’ train.”
“We?”
“I was traveling with an escort. He attended a meeting earlier today in Baxter Springs and didn’t make it back. We’d arranged to stay overnight at a friend’s farm, so I thought I’d meet him there.”
“Your husband abandoned you in Girard?”
Irritation flickered across her face. “He’s not my husband, and he didn’t abandon me.”
It was on the tip of Buck’s tongue to ask why she was traveling with a man who wasn’t her husband. But then, what did he care who she traveled with? He opted for a safer question. “Why were you there? From what I hear, it’s not exactly a safe place for a woman.”
She finished chewing the last bite before responding. “I had business in town.”
“Business?”
Her lips sealed. Apparently, she didn’t wish to elaborate.
Buck smoothed his mustache with his thumb and forefinger, mulling over her hesitation. Just what kind of business would a wealthy lady have with a bunch of rowdy settlers? When he’d come up on her, she’d been terrified, even after he told her he was trying to help. Had even offered him money. More money…
His scalp began to tingle, a sure sign something wasn’t right. He leaned forward, draping an arm over his knee to appear casual. “I didn’t mean to frighten you when I rode up. You must’ve been expecting trouble.”
“Trouble is one way to put it….” She toyed with a curl at her cheek, not meeting his eyes. “You see, I thought you were going to kill me.”
Other Books by the Author
In the Steam! Romance and Rails Series
Passion’s Prize
(with Jennifer Jakes and Jacqui Nelson)
Kate’s Outlaw
(a novella included in Passion’s Prize)
Her Bodyguard
A Dangerous Passion
Fugitive Hearts
www.eeburke.com
To learn about upcoming and new releases, please join my newsletter:
Follow E.E. Burke
Website | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads
And through the blog Get Lost in a Story
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
More from E.E. Burke
Other Books by the Author