The Outrider (Redbourne Series #5 - Will's Story) (29 page)

Will had been so concerned for her safety and she
didn’t want him to worry that she’d disappeared.

It had only been a moment.

Will scanned the street for any sign of
Elizabeth. She’d been right behind him. His gut had never failed him before, as
much as he’d grumbled about not knowing how to trust it, and he did not like it
one bit. Why had he not sensed trouble earlier? He chastised himself for taking
so much time perusing the horses the liveryman had for sale that he’d let her
absence go unnoticed for too long.

He started back toward the train station, his
heart beating fiercely inside his chest, his breaths now coming more rapidly as
the thought of losing her washed over him.

“Will!”

He stopped so quickly he slid on the gravely
road, but thankfully he managed to stay upright as he spun around to the sound
of her voice. Relief washed over him when he saw her cute little form step down
from the boardwalk on the opposite side of the street from the livery and wave
at him. He placed a hand over his heart, willing it to calm.

In—two, three, four. Out—two, three, four.

“I’m sorry,” she said innocently, “were you
looking for me?”

It took all of his will-power to stop himself
from chastising her for disappearing, but she was not a child to be rebuked.
He’d do best to remember that.

“Are you all right?” He didn’t trust himself at
the moment to say anything else.

“I’m fine. I hope I didn’t worry you.”

Will shook his head. “You can take care of
yourself, right?”

“Right!” she said with a firm nod of her head.

The sunlight added a backlit glow to her hair,
accentuating her vibrant red curls. There was a fire in her eyes that added a
brilliant sheen to the vivid blue color.

He looked down at her lips, surprised by a
desperate desire to claim them.

He cleared his throat and took a step back.

“We should be going,” he said more briskly than
he’d intended. “I found what we needed.” He managed a smile as he led her back
to the livery.

“Here you are, Mr. Redbourne,” the liveryman said
as he handed Will the reins to two strong Quarter horses.

The man hadn’t had any horses that even rivaled Indy,
but these two were strong and Will hoped the mare would be gentle enough for
Elizabeth. The liveryman had directed him down the road to a saddle maker. He
wouldn’t have the luxury of a custom rig, but at this point, a nice, sturdy
saddle for each of them would suffice.

“
Two
horses?” Elizabeth said, her hands on
her hips and a smile touching the corners of her mouth.

“I thought you might change your mind.” Will
shrugged. “Come on,” he said as he led their new mounts down the street behind
them.

Once they had all the supplies and tack they
would need for the day-long journey, Will stood next to the buckskin mare he’d
selected for Elizabeth. He held out a hand to help her up, but she just stared
at the horse like riding was a foreign concept.

“We’re not going to get very far if you don’t
actually get on the horse. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to ride.” Will
thought about the short trip they’d taken into Kansas City with her riding in
front of him on his lap. Not that he didn’t like the thought of being that
close to her, but if his arms were numb after just an hour or so, then he
couldn’t imagine what two or three hours would do.

“Of course, I know how to ride,” Elizabeth said,
her hands on her hips. “Well, I know how to ride the horses back home. I cannot
say I have ever ridden on one of those contraptions.” She pointed to the
western style saddle. “I am certainly not afraid to try it, but…” she looked
down at her skirt, scrunched up her face, her eyes narrowed, and tried to pull
her dress up enough to stick her foot in the stirrups. By the time she finally
managed to get her boot into the straps, she couldn’t lean forward enough to
reach the saddle horn.

Will stepped forward and lifted her up, but her
bunched dress made it nearly impossible for her to swing her leg around the
other side and the cloth inched up her leg until her knees were exposed.

Once seated, she looked forward, a stoic
expression hardening her features, but a bright shade of pink flooded her face
and neck.

Propriety. She was worried about showing her
knees.

He dropped his head. He could see her point. He’d
never had to worry about that before. His mother and sister both had
appropriate riding attire, but now that he thought about it, most of the other
women he knew did not ride much, if at all. They usually rode in wagons or
carriages or walked wherever they went. Now it made sense why.

“I have an extra pair of denims, but I doubt you
could even get rope to hold them up.”

“I don’t know that I’ve ever ridden…like you
before. Like a man, I mean.”

It took him a moment before he realized what she
meant.

“You mean straddling the horse?”

She nodded.

Riding side-saddle on a western style rig would
be dangerous, let alone uncomfortable, for such a long ride. He could see that
would be a problem.

“Mrs. Weaver gave me a split skirt that I could
change into, but…” Elizabeth shrugged.

She’d have to learn how to ride sooner or later,
but he wasn’t sure it was wise to have her first experience be on a day-long
journey.

“Maybe we should just rent a wagon. It might take
us a little longer, but you’ll probably be more comfortable. It’s not a short
drive.”

“Will, I know you’ve gone to a lot of effort and
expense on my behalf, but I can’t let you spend any more money or time. Give me
a minute and I’ll just find a place where I can change.”

“And here I thought you were ready for the kind
of adventures you’ve read about in your books.” He raised his hands up in the
air to pull her down from the horse. “Trust me, a sore backside will take the
fun out of any undertaking.”

Elizabeth placed her hands on Will’s shoulders.
He took a step backward and pulled her toward him, off the horse. Her hands
slid down his chest as he set her on the ground, but he grabbed them before she
could snatch them away and held them close to him. She looked up at him, searching
his eyes.

This was becoming more complicated than he’d
anticipated.

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes a warm, dusky
blue.

“If you’ll allow me, ma’am,” he said with a
playful smile, “I’ll be your outrider for this adventure.”

She giggled.

Will released her hands to allow her room to
adjust her skirt.

“Come on,” he said, collecting the horses’ reins
in his hands. “We need to get a move on if we’re going to make it to Silver
Falls before nightfall.”

“I would like to make one stop first, if that
would be all right.” Elizabeth asked.

He raised a brow, but did not object, though he
was surprised when she paused in front of a jeweler’s shop.

The ruby.

He’d remembered the necklace he’d found in her
bag. It was the only explanation. She’d said herself that she was low on funds
and he couldn’t help but wonder if she was trying to sell the piece. She’d held
onto it for this long, it must mean something to her.

“May I have my bag, please?” she asked, pointing at
the satchel that Will had secured to the saddle of her horse.

“The wainwright’s shop is just around the
corner,” he told her as he worked on the straps holding her bag in place. “I’ll
head over there and pick up a wagon.”

She nodded.

He’d debated leaving her alone, even for a few
minutes, but figured they had quite a lead on those that were after her. He
handed her the satchel, tipped his hat, and made a mental note to stop by the
jeweler’s shop before they left town.

“Do you need help with anything?” he asked,
pointing at the shop with his chin.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you,” she said with a smile.

Will watched as she disappeared inside the shop.
He didn’t know whether he should be grateful or apprehensive about sharing a
seat with the beautiful woman for the next several hours. She made him feel
invincible, and, in this line of work, that was dangerous.

“Come on,” he said aloud as he climbed up onto
his mount.

There was certainly nothing dull about Miss
Archer.

“The horses need a break.” Will stopped the wagon
near a small copse of trees.

The sound of rushing water drew Elizabeth’s
attention to the falls cascading down the hillside just a few yards upstream
and she climbed down off the wagon’s seat to explore. Her legs wobbled from
unuse, but it didn’t take long before she’d regained her footing.

They had been travelling for the better part of
the day and the sun waned in the sky. Elizabeth figured they still had another
couple of hours before reaching Silver Falls and was grateful for the
opportunity to stretch out.

Will unhitched the horses and led them to a small,
grassy meadow near the river to graze. Elizabeth watched with amazement as he
led them down to the water’s edge and then brushed them down with skilled
hands.

She’d watched him fight in several tournaments back
in England and had admired the finesse and style of his movements as he worked
his way up to becoming a heavyweight champion, but now, after everything he’d
sacrificed for her, she had a new appreciation for his abilities outside of the
ring. He was a natural protector and she felt safe when she was with him.

What am I doing?

She sat down on a large rock and removed her
shoes and stockings to stick her bare feet in the cool ripples of the stream.
She closed her eyes and leaned backward, allowing her hair to flow behind her
in the afternoon breeze.

The deliciously sweet and spicy aroma of cinnamon
and apples filled her nostrils and she breathed deeply.

“Hungry?”

Her eyes shot open.

Will waved a muffin from a Denver café beneath
her nose and her stomach grumbled softly. She licked her lips. Slowly, he drew
it upward just out of her seated reach and then raised it to his mouth. The
next moment he sunk his teeth into the delicacy and smiled with satisfaction as
he chewed.

He held it out again for her, only to repeat the
motion, taking another bite.

“Oooo, you are a cruel man, Will Redbourne,”
Elizabeth squealed as she pushed herself up onto her feet in an attempt to grab
it away from him, but he lifted it a little higher, but just as her fingers
brushed across the wrist of his loaded hand, she slipped on one of the rocks
and tumbled sideways, unable to catch her balance.

Will’s arm shot out and he scooped her up before
her dress hit the water. When she glanced up at him, his face was dangerously
close to hers. She could feel his warm breath on her face and she drank in the
musky scent of him, reveling in his nearness.

“You really must be more careful, Miss Archer,”
he said with a grin. “Any other man might not be such a gentleman and take your
actions as a flirtation to be rewarded with a kiss.”

Heat crept up her neck, through her face, and
extended to the tips of her ears, but her gaze did not falter.