by Lisa Higdon
He was going to kiss her.
The thought alone made her breathless. That and the feel of his palms braced on either side of her waist, drawing her against him. Caitlin McDonnell had had little practice at kissing, and she feared her ignorance would show. She braced herself, as if for a blow, and waited. When nothing happened, she let her eyes drift open in hesitant curiosity.
"Do I frighten you?"
"No, of course not," she managed, but her voice trembled.
"You're a pretty thing, Caitlin," Cole Thornton whispered against her lips. "Kiss me first, then I'll kiss you."
She swallowed, not certain she could go through with something so bold. Slipping away from the party had been daring enough, and she knew her father would strongly disapprove of Uncle Cam allowing her to even dance with a young man so new to town. In the shadows of the dense rose arbor twining over the end of the porch she could only make out the lines of his face and couldn't read his expression, but she heard no mockery in his coaxing voice. She inhaled the dewy fragrance of the evening mingled with the clean scent of soap and leather clinging to his skin, and she shuddered with a sudden longing to feel his arms around her. Steeling her courage, she rose on tip toes and scarcely brushed her lips against his before pulling back as if burned.
Her retreat was only temporary, as Cole quickly saw the need to take control of the situation and claimed her mouth in a kiss that was both gentle and possessive. The heat of his lips seared her own and she sank against him, her fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt.
When he lifted his head, she gaped up at him, momentarily dazed. He traced the line of her face with his thumb and smiled down at her. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"No," she whispered, managing a smile of her own. His hands rested on her shoulders and she leaned forward, this time without hesitation. "Not bad at all."
His mouth covered hers, and he embraced her loosely. Caitlin knew he was wary of frightening her, so she slid her arms around his neck and drew him against her. His arms tightened around her, and she felt giddy.
"Cole! You out here, boy?"
He straightened immediately, turning away from her. "Over here, Pa. What's wrong?"
"Nothin'." A match flared in the darkness, and Caitlin caught the acrid scent of burning tobacco as the man approached them. "What are you doing out here?"
Cole's fingers tightened around her hand, and Caitlin winced. She sensed his apprehension and wondered what kind of man his father was.
"We just came outside for fresh air."
The cigarette glowed orange, illuminating a face very much resembling Cole's, only older and hardened. He chuckled. "I know damn well what you came out here for."
Caitlin shrank from the knowing look on the older man's face as his gaze traveled over her, and he laughed again at her obvious embarrassment.
Cole stepped in front of her, as if shielding her from his father's coarse manners. "Pa, don't-"
"You get around front and keep an eye on those horses like you're supposed to be doing." He turned back toward the doorway, tossing one last warning over his shoulder. "Don't make me come looking for you again."
"I'm sorry about that," Cole said, once his father was out of sight. "I'd better get going before he comes back."
Caitlin was trembling so that she could only manage a nod.
Cole raised her face to his. "Can I see you again? Tomorrow?"
"Where?" she whispered,
"To the east of your father's ranch, there's a grove of cottonwood trees near the stream. Do you know where I mean?"
"You know who my father is?"
"Do you know the place?"
"Yes."
"Meet me there. Tomorrow at three o'clock."
He turned without another word and disappeared into the shadows.
The afternoon sun filtered through the thick leaves of the cottonwood trees as Cole dismounted and let the horse drink from the stream. He had found this place not long after arriving in Eden and quickly made the grove a sanctuary from his father's frequent drunken rages. His dream was someday to have a spread of land of his own where such moments wouldn't have to be stolen.
He'd been full of dreams as a boy, but he was fast beginning to believe that was all they would ever be. Little by little, his father was dragging him down, and he didn't know how to get away. He had no money of his own and no place to go where the name Thornton wouldn't be met with disdain.
At the sound of hoof beats, he glanced toward the west and saw Caitlin riding toward him. She reined her mare to a halt and smiled down at him. Her riding outfit had obviously been custom made just for her as the emerald color matched her eyes and enhanced the strands of gold in her tawny hair and, no doubt, cost more than he could earn honestly in a year's time.
He was genuinely surprised to see her. "I didn't think you would come."
"I almost didn't," she admitted, dismounting gracefully. "My father doesn't like me to go riding alone, and I had to wait until he left the house."
She didn't have to say that she couldn't stay long, and he wasted no time taking her in his arms and kissing her as he had meant to the night before. He took advantage of her startled gasp and deepened the kiss, savoring the sweetness of her mouth. Her arms found their way around his neck, and he shuddered at the feel of her fingers digging into his shoulders. She was young and innocent, but she wanted him.
He dared not push things too quickly, knowing he could frighten her so easily. He gently ended the kiss and savored the passion-dazed expression on her face.
"How did you know who my father is?" she asked after an awkward pause. "And where we live?"
"I recognized your uncle last night at the dance, and I heard him call you his niece," he explained, taking hold of her hands to stay the distance she sought to put between them. "I've been working on the Stegall spread for the last two weeks, so I've heard plenty about the McDonnells."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Nothing polite, I'm sure."
"I like to draw my own conclusions about people." He was tempted to add that anyone J. D. Stegall disliked had to be a decent person, but he had learned to keep his opinions to himself. "I never heard anything bad about you."
A doubtful expression clouded her eyes. "Does your father work for Mr. Stegall as well?"
"Yes, he does." The mention of his father only served to sour Cole's mood. Sean Thornton was a bastard, and he wasn't proud of being his son. He looked away, wishing she hadn't brought up the subject. "For now."
"For now?"
Cole knelt beside the stream and studied the sparkling water. A dry leaf floated into the water and was quickly swept away by the rushing current. "Hell, he never stays anywhere long."
"I overheard Papa telling Uncle Cam that Stegall had hired guns working for him." The accusation hung over him, and he could sense the distance rising between them. "Is that why you're working there?"
"For the last week I've been roping and branding calves." He stood and held out calloused palms for her inspection. He resented having to defend himself against his father's reputation, especially now that they were finally doing honest work.
Caitlin grasped his hands and held them in her smaller ones. The buttery texture of her riding gloves sent waves of desire over him as he imagined her skin even softer and smoother.
"I'm sorry," she replied in a tight whisper. "Everyone has been on edge since spring. Papa says Stegall is spoiling for a fight, That's why he doesn't want me riding alone, he's afraid Stegall's men will-"
Cole raised his fingertips to her lips, not wanting her to finish the statement. Indeed, the men in the ranch's employ were no better than the men with whom his father usually associated. They would no doubt take delight in assaulting a lovely young girl for the sheer pleasure of doing so, let alone at the order of their boss.
"Your Pa is right," he told her. "You shouldn't have come out here alone."
"I had to see you," she confessed, "I was afraid you might think-"
"That I'm not good enough for you?"
"Oh, no. That's not what I meant at all."
"Then why did you have to sneak away to see me, without telling your father?"
She rolled her eyes. "Papa would never in a million years let me ride out to meet a young man by myself."
"Have you ever tried?"
"No," she admitted, and her cheeks grew slightly pink.
"Good," he replied and gathered her close for another kiss before she would have to hurry home.
Cole trudged toward the ramshackle bunkhouse that served temporarily as his home. He inhaled deeply, breathing Caitlin's faint, lingering scent still clinging to his shirt. The sweet essence would quickly perish within the crowded quarters he shared with his father, uncle, and other men who avoided soap and water as if it were lethal.
As always, he bitterly wished he hadn't sought escape for it only made the inevitable return that much worse.
These were the times he missed his mother the most. Their tiny Missouri farm had been humble but it was home. He fondly remembered returning from school or chores and catching the scent of supper cooking or hearing his mother sing to herself while she hung out wash or worked in her garden. Those were the happy times, when Sean was away from home, either in prison or on the run.
The hinges whined sharply in protest as Cole opened the door and ducked inside the dimness of the bunkhouse. The gaping windows allowed the dying sunlight inside and no one had bothered to light a lantern. His uncle, Will, lay snoring on a corner bunk, and Sean had his back to Cole, guzzling whiskey from a near empty bottle.
He turned suddenly as if startled, allowing whiskey to dribble down his stubbled chin. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Out."
Sean placed the bottle on the rickety table. "God damn it, I know you been out! I want to know where."
"Just riding, Pa."
Without warning, Sean backhanded Cole across the face, and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. Cole didn't flinch, taking a perverted pleasure in the frustration his father felt at not being able to knock his son down anymore. They stood glaring at each other, and Cole knew the day would come when he would strike back. He tried to put if off as long as he could, because he knew one of them would end up dead.
"Just like your ma," Sean sneered, reaching for the bottle. "She'd just stand there bleeding and looking stupid."
The ruckus had roused Will Thornton from his peaceful slumber, and he swore out loud as he sat up on the edge of the bunk and reached for his boots. "Sean, I swear you make the meanest drunk I ever saw."
"Shut up, you bastard."
"Oh, I'm a bastard?" Will grinned as he pulled on his worn boots. "What does that make you, considering you got here two years before I did?"
Cole ignored the usual exchange between the two and dabbed at his lip with his bandanna. There wasn't much blood, but he could feel his mouth swelling already. Humiliation and fury simmered within him, and he cursed himself a coward for not leaving before it was too late.
He could have joined the army, worked on a cattle drive, anything, but he felt obliged to stay with his father after his mother's death. Now his name was on more than one wanted poster, and he would be a dead man the minute he set out on his own.
Sean stormed outside, and Will waited until the door closed behind him to ask, "You been sweet talking that fancy gal from the dance, ain't ya'?"
Cole glanced over at his uncle and said nothing. Will laughed. "Your pa figured as much. You gotta watch them rich women, boy. They like to lead a man on, but you ain't never good enough for them."
Cole felt a bit braver with his uncle than his father. "How would you know?"
"Had one try that stuff on me one time, but I showed her what I was good enough for." He crossed the room and slapped Cole on the back. "Clean up your face; we're going to town.
Caitlin's heart leapt into a fluttering dance as she caught sight of Cole waiting for
her in the grove of cottonwoods surrounding the narrow stream. Their secret place.
Her stomach knotted in anticipation of his touch, and she wished their meetings weren't surrounded by such secrecy. Cole Thornton was the most decent young man she'd ever known, but her father would only consider him the son of a hired gun and forbid her to see him. And Duncan McDonnell always saw that his orders were obeyed.
She hated lying to her father, but she wouldn't give Cole up for anyone.
The old mare nickered softly in recognition of Cole's gelding. The two had become quite chummy, and Caitlin smiled to herself as Sophie quickened her pace as they entered the shadowed glade. Cole caught her reins and offered the sugar lump he never forgot.
He chuckled at the way she greedily consumed the treat and sniffed his pocket for more. "Hey there, old girl."
"I think she's sweet on you." Caitlin remarked as Cole secured Sophie's reins around a low hanging limb.
He reached to help her down from the side saddle. "What about you?"
She lingered against him, savoring the feel of his hands about her waist. Without waiting for an answer, he lowered his mouth to hers, and she shuddered at the feel of his arms enveloping her. He ended the kiss in a lingering touch, nuzzling his lips at the base of her throat. His breath was hot when he asked again, "Are you getting sweet on me?"
Caitlin hesitated, not certain exactly how honest she should be with a man like Cole. With anyone else, she would bat her eyes and pretend to be astonished at his brazen question, but she couldn't look into the blue depths of his eyes and offer anything but the truth. "You know I'm very fond of you."
"Fond of me?" he mused, taking her hand and leading her toward a faded blanket he had spread out near the stream. "People are fond of salt-water taffy and berry pies. I want you to think more of me than that."
Settling herself on the blanket, Caitlin waited until he had stretched his long form beside her. She smoothed her skirt around her ankles and found her voice long enough to say, "I could ask you the same question. I mean....ask if you're sweet on me."
He took her hand and pulled her toward him, lacing their fingers together. "You're the best person I've ever known. For the first time in my life, I have someone who understands me, someone I can count on."
His declaration went right to her heart, and Caitlin didn't wait for him to kiss her. She leaned forward without hesitation and covered his mouth with hers. He took her in his embrace and rolled her beneath him, kissing her with unrestrained ardor.
She could feel a tension in him she had not sensed before, and she tried not to flinch when he cupped his palm over her breast. His touch was gentle, kneading the soft mound, and she knew he could feel the nipple harden beneath her blouse. Indeed, her whole body was aching for his touch, and she barely comprehended his intent when he tugged at the lacings of her bodice.
Only when his lips left hers to claim the taut peak of her nipple did she manage a strangled protest. Heat washed over her, and she was lost to the waves of pleasure sweeping over her. She combed her fingers through his dark hair, shivering at the feel of his tongue on her skin.
"Caitlin!" a voice called. "Caitlin McDonnell!"
They froze at the sound. Cole recovered first and rushed to his feet, pulling her up along with him. Frantically, she tugged her bodice together.
"Is that your father?" he whispered.
She shook her head. "Over hear, Uncle Cam!"
A man topped the hillside, looking down on the guilty pair. "Caitlin, your father is looking for you."
"What's wrong?"
"Stegall." He made his way down the hill, sparing a glance at Cole. "Several of his drovers were caught poisoning one of our wells. Thankfully, they were stopped before any poor animals were able to drink. Things are going to get ugly, and the thought of a young girl out alone is rather unnerving."
"I wouldn't let anything happen to Caitlin." Cole's glance never wavered. "And she's in no danger from me."
"My boy, I'm not the man you'll have to convince of that."
"Uncle Cam, you won't say anything to Papa, will you?"
Cameron McDonnell studied his niece before reminding her, "You know I don't like choosing sides between you and your father."
"Oh, please, Uncle Cam," she pleaded. Caitlin wasn't afraid of her father, but she didn't want his disapproval directed at Cole. "He won't listen and he gets so angry-"
Cam held up a hand to silence her pleas. "All right, but just this once. You two need to wait until this unpleasantness blows over and then do your courting in the proper manner."
"I doubt Duncan McDonnell would approve of me anymore then than he would now."
"Indeed, you had best be glad I'm the one who found Caitlin. I am somewhat more... understanding than my brother " Cameron held out his hand to his niece. "His approval is something you should have considered earlier."
An awkward silence fell over the trio, and Caitlin cast a pleading glance toward her uncle. Covering his chagrin with an exaggerated clearing of his throat, Cam turned to round up Caitlin's mare.
Tears threatened as Caitlin turned to say her goodbyes, so filled with uncertainty. "I'm sure Papa will make me stay close to home now."
"You need to stay close to home." Cole squeezed her hands in his. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"But when will I see you?" she managed, her throat nearly closed as she fought back tears. "What if we never have-"
He wouldn't let her finish the question, kissing her quickly. "Don't worry. I won't let you get away that easy."
"Come along, Caitlin," her uncle urged. "You'd better be safely at home when your father returns."
Cole approached the bunk house with more than the usual apprehension. The ranch was all but deserted, and he feared that Stegall had indeed sent his men out against the McDonnell ranch. He simply would not go, he swore to himself. Raiding another ranch for money was no better than robbing stages, and he'd had enough of that.
As he drew his mount to a halt, his uncle called out, "Don't bother unsaddling, boy. Your Pa is waiting on us in town."
"Town?" he repeated. "In the middle of the week?"
"He decided now is the time to clear out."
Cole's whole body froze at the words. "You mean leave town all together?"
"Hell, yes. We don't need any part of Stegall's feud with McDonnell, and I'll be damned if I'll get shot to save another man's property."
Cole could only stare as Will ducked back inside the bunkhouse long enough to collect Cole's saddlebags, his meager possessions hastily crammed inside. Once again, he found himself face to face with an opportunity to escape the outlaw band. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, and his heart began to pound loud enough to drown out everything Will was telling him about his father's plans for the immediate future.
Not only did he have an opportunity to escape; he had a reason to stay.
Caitlin.
A hasty plan began to form in his brain. He could get a job on Duncan McDonnell's ranch and prove himself worthy of Caitlin. Once he earned enough money, they could get married and start their own place and-
"What's the matter, boy? You deaf?"
Cole turned to see his uncle already mounted and ready to ride. "Your pa don't like to be kept waiting."
Cole remembered Eden as a busy town, and there were always dozens of people hurrying in and out of various businesses. He would wait until they reached town and inform his father of his decision to remain. Sean wouldn't dare start trouble in town and risk the sheriff noticing them and realizing who they were. It occurred to him once again how unusual a trip to town in the middle of the week was. "What's he doing in town?"
Will only shrugged. "Unfinished business."
The First National Bank of Eden, Texas set square on the corner of Main and Cairn Street, facing the general store and a seamstress shop. The livery was at the opposite end of Cairn, far enough away so that the odor of horses and manure would not offend the sensitive noses those patronizing local merchants. Sean Thornton was waiting for them behind the livery, and the sight of him set off alarm bells in Cole's head.
He was sober.
Sober and clean shaven. He wore a dark hat pulled low over his brow, and the anticipation in his narrowed eyes was all the confirmation Cole need. The only thing more important to Sean than whiskey was money. Stealing other people's money, that is, and Cole knew Sean was already planning a heist.
"What took so long?" he demanded of his brother.
Will shrugged towards Cole. "Had to wait for your boy. You said don't come without him."
"I hope you've had enough of that prissy little gal to last you." His voice was thick with contempt, and it occurred to Cole that Sean would despise Caitlin simply because he loved her. "Just be glad your screwing didn't cost us this job."
"What job?" Cole demanded in a voice little more than a whisper.
"The bank." Will's eyes were veritably shining with anticipation as he secured the three horses to a makeshift hitching post. "The safe's full as a tick, and there ain't no armed guard."
Of Sean, he asked, "Is everyone in place?"
"Everyone?" Cole repeated as Sean nodded in assurance. "Who's here?"
"Men I can count on."
His father's slur was of no offense to Cole, and he decided he didn't owe Sean an explanation or even a goodbye. Once the robbery had begun, he could simply slip away in the confusion and hope he never saw his outlaw family again. He could only look on with numb fear as Will and Sean secured bandannas over their faces and drew their guns.
"You stay here with the horses," Sean ordered. "And don't let me down."
They disappeared around the corner of the livery, and Cole held his breath, dreading the sound of gunfire and screams of panic. He had never gotten used to the practice of terrorizing innocent people and taking their money. Sean had never forgiven him for refusing to search a woman clutching a baby. Cole had seen her slip her wedding ring in the folds of the child's blanket, but he wouldn't stoop to frisking a frightened woman and a crying baby.
Since that incident, Sean always punished him by giving him the lowly task of waiting with the horses.
The loud crack of gunfire startled him, and he peered toward the street, refusing to believe that his father would be stupid enough to burst into the bank with guns blazing. Quiet but malevolent was always Sean's style, and he never fired his weapon unless challenged. Getting in and out as quick as lightening was the secret to eluding capture. Edging a little further toward the street, Cole heard shouts of panic and confusion and the shattering of glass.
He recognized his father's voice, cursing and ordering someone to "run like hell". Will appeared at the entrance of the alley, his pant's leg dark with blood, but he managed to hobble quickly toward Cole, clutching a bulging cloth bag in his arms.
"Get the horses, boy!" he shouted, his voice strained. "Hurry!"
Two men, vaguely familiar to Cole, were not far behind Will, and they hurried to claim another pair of waiting horses. Sean finally made his way into the alley, one hand clutching his gun and the other was pressed tightly against his bleeding side. Father and son caught sight of one another at the same time, and genuine fear for Sean's life flooded Cole's mind and overshadowed his thoughts of escape. He mounted his horse and reined the remaining mare behind him as his father stumbled toward rescue. Cole used his spurs to urge the frightened horse toward the sound of gunfire and the smell of blood, and he prayed the Sean would be able to ride.
Men from the town were already blocking the alley and speed would be imperative to their escape. Cole was not ten feet from his father when the blast from a shotgun cut through the mingled shouts and curses. Silence fell over the crowd, and Sean Thornton was thrown against Cole's horse, his eyes wide and vacant.
"Pa!" Cole cried out loud, grappling at his reins as his mount shied from the scent of human blood. Sean sank to the ground, and his blood soaked the hard packed dirt beneath him. Again, Cole shouted, "Pa!"
Will cursed. "Come on, damn you, can't you see he's dead?"
The harsh words startled Cole back to the horrible reality, and he turned his mount and followed after Will and the other men. The townspeople could be heard shouting threats and more gunfire followed them. Cole knew that a fast horse was the only hope he had of staying alive, and he leaned forward, urging the animal on even faster. He hoped to God that Will knew where he was going.
If the good people of Eden had horses saddled and waiting, the end of the Thornton gang would no doubt have come that day. Instead, all but Sean managed to escape with their lives. The men his father claimed he could count on had disappeared, and Cole feared his horse would drop trying to keep pace with his uncle. Will finally brought his lathered horse to halt, and Cole did so as well.
"We agreed to split up if anything went wrong." Will could barely speak between ragged gasps for air. "Ed and Tom will catch up with us later."
"Pa is dead," Cole said, as if saying the words aloud would change things. He couldn't believe Will wasn't the least bit concerned. "We can't just leave him back there."
"It's the risk you take, and us getting killed won't do him no good." Will turned his horse in the direction of a narrow sloping path. "There's a cave down here by a stream. I already stashed some supplies inside, just in case."
"You and Pa have been planning this ever since we came to Eden. Haven't you?"
Will glanced over his shoulder, a humorless chuckle escape his lips. "The bank was the reason we came to Eden. Sean didn't want you to know anything about it."
Cole followed Will in stunned silence. It had all been a farce. The story about working for Stegall, Sean's pretense of wanting to go straight, and Cole realized that everything he'd told Caitlin was a lie.
They reached the bottom of the hill and allowed the fatigued horses go directly to the stream. Will slowly slid from his mount, cursing his own preference for tall horses. "You'll have to dig this ball out of my leg."
Cole didn't flinch at the grisly announcement. He had learned how to remove bullets years ago, and he'd had plenty of practice since. Leaving his horse to drink, Cole slid from his saddle, startled to find his denim clad thigh plastered to the leather. He placed his palm against the sticky fabric of his pants and it came away a mottled shade of red.
Cole was sickened to realize that he was covered in blood. His father's blood.
Caitlin sat at her dressing table, nervously combing the tangles from her wet hair, and she winced at every snarl. Uncle Cam had ordered her upstairs the moment they arrived home, advising her to have her dress changed and her eyes dry before her father returned. She pressed a damp cloth against her cheeks, but they remained flushed. Her eyes were puffy and red, and the moment she let her guard down the tears began anew.
Any chance she had of sweet talking her father into accepting Cole as a suitor were now ruined by circumstances beyond their control. Papa had forbidden her to even dance with their own ranch hands at his last birthday party. Lord knows, he would send her to a convent if he learned that Cole was one of Stegall's ranch hands.
She was much too nervous to struggle with arranging her hair, so she simply pulled it back from her face with a pair of combs. She drew a deep breath and shuddered against another batch of tears. Crying wouldn't help.
She decided to slip downstairs and see if Papa was home yet. She was anxious to learn what had happened between the cowhands, hoping against hope that the situation had been greatly exaggerated. Halfway down the stairs, she heard her father's voice coming from the library.
"These things usually turn out much worse," he was saying. "A lot of innocent bystanders could have been killed."
"Indeed, I read an account just last week of a much more violent episode in Kansas." Uncle Cam's voice rose slightly to be heard over the clinking of glass as he poured whiskey for himself and Papa. "It's a miracle only one man was killed, on either side."
Caitlin gripped the stair rail. A man had been killed. Forgetting her timidity, she ventured into the library. "Who was killed?"
Duncan McDonnell started at the sound of her voice. "Caitlin! I thought you were upstairs Cam said you weren't feeling well."
"Who was killed? What happened?"
"Those cut throats Stegall hired as ranch hands robbed the bank," he informed her bluntly. "Poisoning the wells was merely a tactic to divert everyone's attention away from town."
"Especially the marshal," Cam concluded as he crossed the room, handing the glass of whiskey to his brother. "Evidently, they had been planning the hold up since coming here. However they failed to anticipate the bank's unique policy of arming all the clerks."
"Who was killed?" Caitlin demanded.
"An outlaw named Sean Thornton," her father said, somewhat startled by her tone. "How does any of this concern you?"
Caitlin could feel the color draining from her face. She couldn't believe it. Cole didn't like to talk about his father, but she never dreamed it was because he was an outlaw who robbed banks. Now the man was dead, and she panicked, afraid something had happened to Cole.
Cam hurried to her side and gripped her elbow, steadying her. "You'd better go back upstairs and lie down," he advised, giving her a warning look. "I'll have Maggie bring a tray up to you later."
Caitlin turned toward the doorway, and her legs threatened to give way. She stumbled to the stairs and held tight to the rail as she forced herself to climb all the way to the top. Her mind was a blur of panic and fear, but one thing was clear. She had to find a way to reach Cole
Caitlin had never ridden by herself at night, and she couldn't stifle her apprehension. The sliver of moon offered no light, and she feared she might become lost. She was taking a tremendous gamble by slipping out so late, but she knew Cole wouldn't leave without giving her some clue as to how to find him. Uncle Cam had warned her to forget she ever knew Cole, saying that he had obviously misled her and used her all the while knowing about the bank robbery.
She wouldn't consider the possibility, but she made no protest to her uncle and waited for Cole to contact her. After two days, she convinced herself that Cole must have left some message for her at their secret place. A note or a sign of some kind that she alone would find and know how to find him.
As she neared the dense grove of cottonwoods, a coyote howled nearby and Caitlin's horse shied. She struggled to bring the mare back under control and decided to walk the rest of the way, leading the frightened animal. Feeling her skirt pocket for the derringer she had never carried before, she tried to reassure herself.
Once ensconced by the thick shadows and the towering trees, she felt a little safer. She could hear the stream not far away, but she held tight to the reins.
A twig snapped behind her, and she froze. She held her breath and listened as the footsteps grew near. She retrieved the tiny pistol and whirled to face a man approaching her from the shadows.
"Cole!" She recognized him even before he removed his hat and ran gratefully into his waiting arms. "Oh, Cole, I was so afraid something had happened to you."
"I'm all right," he assured her, burying his lips in her hair. "Don't worry about me."
"Is it true that your father was killed?" His only answer was a thinning of his lips into a dark frown. "I'm so sorry. I lost my mother only three years ago, and I know how you must feel."
He shook his head. " I doubt your mother was anything like my pa."
Caitlin hadn't forgotten the menacing look on his father's face or the way Cole tensed at the sound of his voice. "I'm just glad you weren't involved in this."
"What makes you think I wasn't involved?"
She hesitated. The possibility had not even occurred to her. "You weren't, were you?" He didn't answer, and she pointed out the obvious. "You're still here. Papa said the gang rode out of town as fast as they could, and a posse of ten men couldn't find them."
"I had to see you one last time." He cupped her face between his palms. "I've been here since sundown, hoping you'd come."
His lips claimed hers before she could respond, and she sank against him, numb with the knowledge that he was now an outlaw.
"You shouldn't be here," she whispered. "If they catch you-"
"Don't think about that," he said, forcing a smile for her sake. "I wish things were different, Caitlin. I'll miss you."
Her arms tightened around his waist, and she felt the sting of budding tears. "You just can't leave me. Oh, Cole, isn't there some other way?"
He thought for a moment. "You could come with me."
As if on cue, the wind picked up, stirring the dry leaves that lay at their feet. A shiver ran up Caitlin's spine, and she shook her head. "I couldn't"
"Why not?" he challenged. "You love me. You want to be with me, and you know I'll take care of you."
"Papa would kill me."
"Not if he doesn't know where you are."
She couldn't imagine living on her own, doing as she pleased, and not having to seek Duncan McDonnell's approval, but it sounded wonderful. To be free and independent, and best of all, she would be with Cole.
"All right," she breathed. "I'll go with you."
