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«No.»
«I did. When someone you care about looks the way Whip did, you start asking questions. And you get answers.»
As Sha
Sha
He knew his questions were painful for her. But he was going to have answers anyway, for Whip, too, was hurting.
«If I thought you didn’t care for Whip,» Caleb said calmly, «I wouldn’t have said a word about any of this to you. But I’ve seen you watching him. It’s the way Eve watches Reno, the way Jessi watches Wolfe, the —»
«— way Willow watches you,» Sha
«There’s no need,» Willow said, putting the bowl of stew on the table. «You’re among friends, here. You know that, don’t you?»
Sha
Willow put her arms around Sha
«Then why can’t you stay with us?» Willow asked softly.
Sha
«How would you feel,» Sha
Willow’s breath came in swiftly. She stepped back, wanting to see Sha
«How would you feel,» Sha
«I couldn’t bear it,» Willow said. «Loving Caleb, knowing he didn’t love me, being reminded of it everywhere I looked…. It would kill me.»
«Yes,» Sha
She turned to Caleb, who was watching her with troubled eyes while his big hand stroked Willow’s hair in silent love.
«That’s why I can’t stay,» Sha
«Is that what you told Whip?» he asked. «Is that why he looked like he had a knife in his guts?»
Sha
«No,» she said in a husky voice. «That’s not what I told him.»
«Why not?» Caleb asked.
«It would have been like asking him to stay…begging him. I won’t do that.»
«Too proud?»
Caleb’s voice was gentle but his eyes were the unflinching amber of a bird of prey.
He didn’t have all of his answers yet.
«Too practical,» Sha
«Does that mean I have to lock up the laudanum?» Caleb asked dryly.
«No.»
«I didn’t think so. You’re tougher than your mama was, aren’t you?»
«I had to be. I took care of her at the end.»
«What did you tell Whip?» Caleb asked again.
«The other half of the truth. That I don’t want to be obliged to anyone, no matter how kind they are, for my bread and salt. I want to be free.»
«But you’re a —»
«Woman,» Sha
«So does every other man who sees you walk by,» Caleb retorted.
«Caleb!» Willow said in exasperation. «Honestly!»
«Well, honey, it’s the truth, and all the talking about freedom and such won’t change the way Sha
«I don’t do it on purpose,» Sha
«Hell’s fire, I know that,» Caleb said. «You’re no more a flirt or a tease than Willow is. That’s not the point. The point is that males are going to notice you’re female. The decent ones will strike up a conversation and come calling with candy in one hand, flowers in the other, and a gleam in their eye. If you aren’t interested, they’ll ride off and not come back. But not all men are decent.»
«I know that better than most women,» Sha
«But you’re still insisting on going back?» Caleb asked.
«Yes. I’ll leave tomorrow.»
«Aren’t you going to wait for Whip to go with you?» Willow asked, surprised.
«What makes you think he’s coming back?» Sha
«Did he say good-bye to you?» Willow countered.
«No.»
«Then he’ll be back.»
Sha
«Rafael isn’t that unkind, no matter how hard the wanderlust is riding him,» Willow said. «He’ll be back.»
«Will he?» Sha
«All he mentioned to me,» Caleb said, «was getting gold out of a hard rock mine. He was hell-bent on it. He went to Reno for advice.»
«Yondering requires money,» Sha
«Whip has more gold than he knows what to do with,» Willow said. «Ingots of Spanish gold so pure you can mark it with your fingernail.»
Sha
«If Whip offered you his own gold to buy supplies or a home in a safer place than Echo Basin, would you accept it?» Caleb asked.
«Never,» Sha
Caleb smiled slightly and nodded, unsurprised.
«Why don’t you stick around until Whip comes back?» he asked. «You shouldn’t ride all the way to the basin alone.»
«No, thank you. My dog was injured defending me from the Culpeppers. I should have gone back days ago.»
«Stay,» Willow said quickly. «Whip has…tenderness toward you. He might…»
«Settle down?» Sha
15
Whip rode up to the small home whose finishing touches were still being completed. When he reined in his tired horse, a young woman with hair and eyes the color of pure gold came ru
«It is you! What a lovely surprise! Reno thought the yondering urge must have come over you again and taken you to the far side of the earth.»
«Not yet, Eve. I’ve got some gold to dig, first.»
«You? Gold?»
The startled look on Eve’s face made Whip smile despite the bleak emotions knotting his gut. The long ride from his sister’s ranch hadn’t eased his temper or his pain one bit.
«I thought you hated gold mining even worse than Caleb does,» Eve said.
«I do,» Whip said as he dismounted.
«Then why —»
Eve’s breath broke when Whip turned toward her and she got a close look at his face.
«What’s wrong?» Eve demanded anxiously. «It’s not Willow, is it? Or the baby? Is —»
«Everything’s fine at the Black ranch,» Whip interrupted.
«Then what has you looking so grim around the mouth?»
«Nothing some gold won’t fix. Where’s Reno?»
«Right behind you,» Reno said.
«Yeah, I thought so,» Whip said, turning around. «Someone has been watching me ever since I forded the river.»