Page 20 of That Fateful Ride

He reached over and drew Polaris to a halt. Before she could say anything he deadlifted the nearly forty pound bag of sugar off him and settled it across his saddle.

“Jealous? You want to renegotiate the terms of my silence and I’m all up for it.”

Heat sluiced through her as she thought about the time in the tub. Squirming on the back of her horse, she shook her head. “I’ll keep what we have thank you. Besides, based on how the madam draped over you, I’m not your type.”

She encouraged Polaris on to a faster trot, wind slamming into them from the left.

“Baby, you shouldn’t challenge me like that to show you just how much my type you are.”

His words reached her with no problems but she didn’t answer, just held onto the heat they gave birth to in her gut and kept riding. Horses hooves pounding into the hard ground. Cy at her side as they returned to the station to get the food ready for the men.

Chapter6

Rebecca drew Polaris to a halt and scanned the horizon. The vibe in the air crackled with danger. It had been weeks since Cy had discovered she was a woman. She, honestly, was amazed he’d kept his word on letting her continue to ride. Winter had arrived.

He confused her. There were times when it was just the two of them—his gaze burned hotter when he looked at her. And for her part, well she was having a harder and harder time not staring at him. There was no denying her attraction.

Before her last ride, she had come upon him working on a horse. Shoeing him. Mama never said anything about men who looked like him. Unlike so many of the riders picked for their slighter build, Cyrus Spencer was anything but. He’d been attractive before but seeing him without his shirt…she’d not been expecting her own reaction.

Sweat gathered only to roll down his well-defined muscles. He’d worn a pair of old Army pants, which had molded to large powerful thighs, emphasizing his trim waist. He carried no extra flesh on him. The sun had converted his skin to a rich golden tan. Mesmerized she’d stood there staring and watching the easy ripple of his muscles as he worked. Right up until he’d lifted his head and pinned her with those hazel eyes.

Her insides had felt all funny and damned if she’d not wanted to touch and explore his hard body. Follow that trail of hair that disappeared beneath the top of his pants. So focused on the need coursing through her, she lost track of time until he called her by her assumed name, Robert. However, as usual it was his eyes, which made her question everything her mama warned her about men.

Her mount snorted before sidestepping and snared her attention back to her current situation versus her enjoyable trip down memory lane. Today, she’d ridden to Demon Canyon and headed to the saloon for a private bath. It had been so luxurious. A chair shoved under the door handle and no windows afforded her the pleasure. Despite no sweet-smelling soap, she felt so much better. It had taken a lot for her not to turn her head from the scantily clad women she met on her way in and out. It had become a bit of a thing for her.

Polaris snorted again and pawed the hard packed ground. She glanced around before nudging her mount forward. All senses were alert as she rode. In the distance, black clouds rolled giving off an ominous vibe. A big storm was coming and from the swirling of the clouds a twister could possibly make an appearance.

Bottom line, she needed to keep moving back to the station. But that wasn’t it. There was something else. And it set her on edge. When the first cry pierced the air her breath hitched, when others echoed the sound, panic rushed upon her. Indians.

They were coming from the left and riding hard. Their whoops and hollers had her leaning forward over Polaris’ dun colored neck, wrapping gloved fingers in his mane.

“Let’s go boy. They can’t catch you.” As the words slipped free, she prayed it was true.

The Indians were coming fast as well as at an angle in attempt and cut her off. The distance closed as they ran on. Polaris cleared the brush, logs, and small ravines with the ease and confidence she’d come to expect from him.

He could go faster but she wasn’t sure if more lay in wait ahead. A sting tore across her arm and she said some words that would have gotten her mama to take a switch to her. To hell with this. She shot under her arm at them before making herself as small a target as possible.

“Go Polaris, run!”

Bless his heart her sweat-covered horse did just that. He flew, stretched out, and finally the cries, known to strike fear in those who heard them, fell beneath the endless pounding of hooves.

Eventually she slowed him to a walk. Sides heaving and head hanging, he plodded along. Nervous, she continued to watch the clouds that had replaced the Indians in gaining on her.

“May have to run again,” she muttered, casting a glance down to the bags on her saddle. They held her things but she wanted him to carry the least amount possible. She had close to another hour before reaching the station.

The first fat drop of icy rain fell and she knew there was no way to outrun the fury coming for her. She saw the wall of rain approaching and had but one thought—get out of it as fast as she could.

“I know you’re tired, boy, but you need to run again.” Polaris responded and they took off. The rain, however, bore down on them along with fierce wind. It tore around them, sending dirt into her skin with painful accuracy.

She nearly swore in relief when she came upon an abandoned barn. The homestead sat burnt to rubble but this remained. She swung off Polaris and struggled with the door. After guiding her reluctant horse in, she again fought to get it shut. She didn’t want to turn him loose and prayed it was only rain coming. The interior was almost pitch black; the few missing boards didn’t offer much light given how dark it was outside. Nevertheless, they were out of the worst of it.

A sudden flash of lightning had her swallowing a scream and reaching for her guns. Jumpy. She was just jumpy. Blowing out a breath, she touched Polaris’ side trying to calm down. Her arm throbbed from the slice of the arrow yet she ignored it. To dark to do anything now, plus the rain had washed it out.

Polaris whickered and she tensed again, cursing when an answering horse sounded. There was someone in here with her!

A hand snaked around her midsection while a second one covered her mouth, silencing her scream. Give up? Without a fight? No way, that wasn’t how she had been raised. She struggled and went for her closest weapon. Just as her fingers curled about the handle, a familiar deep voice murmured in her ear.

“Calm down you crazy woman. It’s me, Cy. I’m not going to hurt you.”

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