The Outlaw (10 page)

Chapter Seven

“Is every thing all right?”

Sarah wiped her face dry when the dressmaker
called to her through the curtain. “Yes.” Parting the fabric, she
smiled at the woman. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what came over me. I
do apologize.”

Exiting the store in a rush, Sarah stepped
onto the sidewalk and immediately looked toward the General store
where she’d left Colt standing. He was gone. Her heart sank with
the realization.

Searching the street for him, the ache in her
chest grew when she finally caught sight of him. He was on the
other end of town, on the back of his horse, riding away. Riding
away from her. The tears she’d thought she’d gotten rid of burned
the back of her eyes again and she forced them away. There was no
use crying over things she couldn’t change. Colt was leaving and so
was she. The stagecoach would be rolling into town any minute now
and once she was on it, she’d never cross Colt’s path again.

Sighing, Sarah walked back to the station and
retook the seat on the bench she’d abandoned earlier. Long minutes
ticked by, her thoughts a constant whirl around Colt. She wondered
how far away his home was, what he’d do once he reached it and if
he’d ever think of her again.

Contemplating those questions didn’t last as
the stagecoach finally made its appearance. The squeak of the
wheels, the clip-clap of the horses’ hooves as they ran into town
and the dust cloud following in their wake seemed to stir the
entire town. People everywhere scrambled to clear the street and it
wasn’t until the stagecoach had stopped and the dust settled that
Sarah noticed what else came in behind the stage. Riders. Eight of
them to be exact.

Her heart lodged in her throat as she watched
them amble through the street and stop in front of the saloon. When
they climbed from their horses, tying them to the hitching post,
she sank back into the bench and hoped they didn’t turn around and
see her.

Fear replaced her earlier anguish and she
wondered how they had caught up to them so fast? Did they know Colt
had come this way or was it dumb luck? Standing, she watched them
all enter the saloon and chewed her bottom lip trying to figure out
what to do.

If they stayed in town, Colt would have
plenty of time to put distance between the town and the other
outlaws but if they just stopped for food, whiskey and a woman,
they’d be back on his trail within hours. Then what? Then they’d
find him.

Thoughts of them finding him sent a new fear
rolling in her stomach. If he really was a US Marshal like he
claimed, they’d kill him. Or worse, torture him for the sheer joy
of it.

Looking down the road in the direction Colt
had gone, she wondered how fast he was putting distance between
himself and town. He’d ridden pretty hard since escaping the
outlaws initially but with so many days with no sign of them, he
may be too relaxed to still be weary of them. And as arrogant as
the man was, she was sure he thought he’d out smarted them.

She had to know their intentions. Whether
they were staying in town or leaving soon. Colt’s life may well
depend on it.

Crossing the street, she kept her head down
and thanked the stars her newly acquired homespun dress helped her
blend in. Surely the outlaws wouldn’t recognize her if they saw her
in such drab attire. She looked nothing like the rich bankers
daughter Virgil had taken.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, she eased closer
to the door, listening to the robust laughter coming from inside
and trying to make out what the men swilling whiskey at the bar
were saying. She picked Virgil’s voice out of the crowd. He seemed
to be in high spirits and standing on her tiptoes, looking into the
window, she could see him. Her stomach flipped as he looked toward
the swinging doors and she ducked her head. Ten minutes of
listening and she knew they wouldn’t be staying which meant, they’d
eventually catch Colt.

Her heart started racing at the prospect.
Images of what they’d do to him when they did played in slow motion
inside her head and she felt sick by the time the last image
faded.

Turning to look at the stagecoach, and her
only way home, Sarah bit on her bottom lip. If she passed up the
ride, she may never make it back. But what did she really have to
go back to? Her father, of course, but it wasn’t as if she’d never
see him again. He loved her and would always welcome her,
regardless of the circumstances.

There was William and his marriage proposal
but the mere thought of spending the rest of her life with him left
an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She used to daydream of
what being married to him would be like but since meeting Colt, and
being literally whisked off her feet, she’d barely given him a
thought. She wasn’t even sure he was looking for her.

Colt’s words came back to her then, the ones
he’d said before kissing her in the street. That if she were his
woman, he’d search day and night for her. The words filled her head
with such sweet promises she had a hard time ignoring them. The
rapid beat of her heart while thinking of him was hard to ignore as
well.

Glancing at the stagecoach, her mind was made
up. She couldn’t let Colt die when she could stop it from
happening. She had to warn him. Even if he didn’t want to keep her,
she couldn’t willingly let danger follow him.

Peering back into the saloon window and
seeing the outlaws occupied, she turned back to their horses. They
were standing in a neat little row, all rested after drinking their
fill from the horse trough. She looked at each one and smiled when
she saw the horse Virgil had been riding.

One last look into the saloon and Sarah
turned and walked out into the street, behind the horses, darting
between them. She ducked her head, staying out of anyone’s line of
sight, and unhooked the reins from the post.

Getting the horse to move was easier than she
thought it would be and once she stuck her foot in the stirrup, she
lifted herself up, forgoing any semblance of ladylike manners and
straddled the beast, turned him toward the road Colt had taken and
nudged him into moving.

* * * *

Irritation gnawed at Colt’s gut. He cursed
himself for a fool and lifted his hat to run his fingers through
his hair. He should have never kissed Sarah again. Doing so only
made him want to do it more and that would never be possible. Not
now. He’d left her back in that grungy little town and hadn’t
looked back once after doing so. The desire to look now was strong
but he fought it.

If there was ever a woman completely wrong
for him, Sarah would be it. She was a banker’s daughter. Rich,
privileged, and deserved more than he could ever give her. Sure he
had money tucked away, and a piece of land on his pa’s ranch, but
he was sure Sarah would hate living out in the middle of nowhere
with nothing to look at but mountains and horses.

She probably liked to shop, to buy pretty
things, and the closest dressmaker’s shop to Willows Creek was all
the way in Missoula. Jenkins Mercantile was all the little town he
was from had to offer and it paled in comparison to the busy town
she came from. Aside from those two facts, he didn’t even think she
liked him very much. He knew she’d be better off with William, in
her bustling town of friends, with her father and her father’s
money.

So why hadn’t he mentioned he saw her pudgy
marshal, and his accompanying posse, in the hotel lobby when he
went to look for her on the street? Because he didn’t want her to
know her fiancé was indeed looking for her. That he was minutes
away from finding her and that he only had minutes to have her in
his arms one last time.

He grinned while remembering doing just that.
She was a spirited little thing. Honest, blunt and downright
prickly when she wanted to be. And the finest looking woman he’d
seen in ages. All that soft, flowing blonde hair, her apricot skin,
and those big green eyes. Not to mention those perky breasts, tiny
waist, and wide hips perfect for grippin’.

Cursing himself again, he rolled his
shoulders to try and relax. Thinking of her heated his blood and
his cock was telling him to turn around, grab her, and force her to
come home with him. He’d make her admit she wanted him and it
wouldn’t take long. He could tell by the look in her eyes that
she’d wanted that kiss back in town. She may deny her feelings to
him but he knew better. Sarah Hartford wanted him. She was just too
damn stubborn to admit it.

A noise behind him drew his attention and he
looked back over his shoulder. A horse, moving fast from the sound
of it. When the rider came into view in the distance, he steered
his horse to the shelter of the trees lining the road. Hidden
amongst the foliage, he drew one of his pistols, checked to make
sure it was loaded, and waited.

His horse nickered and he patted his neck to
try and keep him quiet as the sound of the approaching rider grew
closer. His first thought was, that it was Virgil, but that
yellow-belly dog was too much a coward to chase him alone. Whoever
was riding up on him was either brave or just plain stupid.

The rider passed the spot he was hidden in a
blur and Colt blinked when he saw the yellow calico dress the rider
was wearing. “Sarah?” He nudged his horse out into the open and
watched her ride away, her body leaning low over the horse. “What
the hell?”

Looking back the way she came, he saw no one,
but fear crawled up his spine. He spurred his horse into moving and
chased after her.

It took him longer than it should have to
catch up. She looked over at him when he rode in beside her and
reached for her horse’s reins. Her eyes widened and she slowed the
horse herself before they both came to a stop.

“Where the hell are you going in such a
hurry?”

She sat up straight and panted a few breaths.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to see you too, Colt.” She threw him a
sarcastic look before pushing the curls dangling around her face
away. “Your friends showed up in town. I thought you might want to
know they aren’t far behind you.”

Colt let her words rattle inside his head a
few dozen times, realizing then that it was her concern for him
that had her chasing him down. She did care. “You rode all this way
just to protect me?”

She made a small “pft,” sound before rolling
her eyes. “Don’t let that ego of yours make too much of it. What
kind of person would I be if I willingly let someone hurt you when
I can prevent it?”

He grinned and nudged his horse closer to
her. “Does that mean you care what happens to me?”

She laughed. “No.”

“Liar.”

“Believe what you want.”

“I will. And I believe you knew I would be
taken unawares and got scared, so you came looking for me.” He eyed
the horse she was on and raised one eyebrow. “Where’d you get the
horse?”

“It’s Virgil’s.” Her cheeks reddened to a
deep scarlet. “He left it outside the saloon.”

His eyes widened. “You stole the man’s
horse?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “How else was I
supposed to find you?”

Colt threw his head back and laughed until
his eyes watered. “Here I thought you were some prissy rich man’s
daughter when you’re actually a horse thief.”

“I most certainly am not!”

“Oh, yes you are.” He chuckled again “You’ll
be lucky if you aren’t hanged for it. Or shot. Most men don’t take
too kindly to horse thieves.” He shook his head at her, watching
her face turn a brighter shade of red. “All this time you’ve been
persecuting me for being an outlaw and you’re a thieving little
thing yourself.”

“I’m not a thief. I’m just…. borrowing the
horse for a while.”

“So you’re taking it back to him, then?”

She didn’t answer. Just sat there glaring at
him.

“Well?”

Her already red face glowed as she scowled at
him. “I really dislike you, Colton Avery.”

Colt grinned again. “No you don’t or you
wouldn’t have stole that horse and rode all this way to warn me. In
fact, I think you like me. A lot.”

“Believe what you wish.” She grabbed the
horse’s reins and turned him back toward town. “Now that you know
Virgil is behind you, you’ll want to make sure you aren’t around
when he comes this way. Now, have a good day, Mr. Avery. I have a
stagecoach to catch.”

Colt watched her leave and laughed again. She
was sitting up tall in the saddle, her back straight, with her chin
tilted up in an arrogant angle. Little Miss Prim and Proper—on her
stolen horse—riding off like a queen out for a Sunday stroll.

He nudged his horse and went after her,
grabbing her horse’s reins when he reached her. “You’re going the
wrong way, sweetheart.” He turned them, back in the direction he
was originally going, and grinned when she tried to take the reins
from him.

“I’m not going with you, Colt, now give me
those reins.”

“Can’t do.” He looped them around the saddle
horn in front of him and looked over at her. “You go back to town
and Virgil will find you. He sees you on his horse, and getting
arrested for stealing that animal will be the least of your
problems.”