Reckless Love

Ja

"Sneaking up? Hell's bells, Ja

"Zebra was on guard," Ja

Ty looked over at the mustang. Zebra was cropping at wisps of dry grass, lifting her head to scent the wind, then relaxing once more for a few moments before sniffing the wind again.

"Scented me, huh?" Ty said, feeling his anger slide away as he realized that Ja

"Ask Zebra. Her nose is better than mine," Ja

Whatever Ty had been going to say was forgotten beneath the impact of the supple reach and sway of Ja

"Here," he said gruffly. "This will help."

Ja

"Oh, that feels good," Ja

With a low sigh that was almost a moan of pleasure, Ja

The pinon-and-sunshine smell of Ja

She's just a girl, Ty reminded himself harshly.

The memory of what Ned had said about Joe Troon and Ja

Poor little thing, Ty thought, moving his hands up to her shoulders and rubbing very gently before he released her with a reluctance he couldn't disguise. She's known little of kindness from men. I can't take advantage of her just because she comes undone at a gentle touch.

Ja

"Thank you," she murmured, her eyes closed and her voice a sigh of pleasure. "That felt as good as sunlight on a cold day."

Head still turned toward Ty, Ja

"Ty? Did… did everything go all right in Sweetwater?"

Ja

"You're never going back there, Ja

"Ned?" Ja

"The Preacher pulled up stakes and went to the fort along with everybody else except Ned. Renegades from all over the territory are drifting down to Black Plateau to join Cascabel."

She frowned. "Why would Ned stay in town? Nothing in his dingy old shack is worth dying for."

"Before Cascabel caught me, I spent some time in Hat Rock. The folks there think Ned is the one selling guns to the Indians. If that's true, he wouldn't be too worried about getting his hair cut by a renegade barber."

"Pity," she said. "He could use a trim."

Ty smiled and Ja

"Guess we'd better get back to Black Plateau," she said, clearing her throat. "It will be-"

"You're going to the fort," Ty interrupted.

"What?"

"It's too dangerous for a woman out here. On the way in to Sweetwater I cut the trail of three different groups of Indians. Two or three braves to a group. No sign of women or kids."

"Utes?"

Ty shrugged. "If they are, they're renegades. Black Hawk is trying to keep a short rein on his young warriors."

"Where were the tracks headed?"

"Sweetwater," Ty said succinctly. "I'll bet they bought rifles from Ned and then hit the trail for Cascabel's new camp."

Frowning, Ja

"Don't even think about it," Ty said, following J a

"It wouldn't?" Ja

"Hell, no. We'd be dead before we got there, picked off by renegades and staked out for the ants to eat."

"But-"

"Dammit, Ja

"For me?" she questioned.

Ty nodded tightly.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'm going after Lucifer."

"What makes you think Cascabel won't get you?"

"If he does, that's my problem."

"Then we agree."

"We do?" asked Ty, surprised.

"We do. We'd better get going. I know a good place to camp on the northeast slope of the plateau."

"The fort is to the west of the plateau. Won't you be taking us the long way around?"

"I'm not going to the fort."

"The hell you aren't."

"That wasn't our agreement," Ja

"What?"

"Our agreement was that it's your problem if Cascabel gets you, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then it follows that it's my problem if Cascabel gets me."

Ty opened his mouth, closed it, grabbed Ja