Page 46 of Wild Horses

“They won’t make any kind of fuss. I’ve known men like them my whole life. They’re more bluster than anything else. They like causing trouble because they can.”

Adjusting his hat, Jesse said, “I wish I could believe that. I think at this point, they’re just waiting for the right opportunity to give me trouble.”

“You could always pay them and send them on their way.”

He stared off into the distance and gave the idea serious thought. It would certainly solve a lot of his problems. He turned to look at Isaac. “Think they’d go for it?”

Isaac shrugged. “Hard telling with that bunch.”

Ben rode up beside him and looked back over his shoulder and grinned. “I hate to tell ya this but Owen let it slip that Alex is planning on avoiding you all day in hopes if you can’t find her, you can’t send her home.”

Jesse snorted. “Like that’s going to happen.” He glanced behind him. “Where is she now?”

“Back with the extra horses.”

“Keep an eye on her,” he said. “I’ll let her think her plan is working up until the last moment.”

“Speaking of the last moment,” Ben said, “How exactly do you suppose I keep her on a stagecoach she doesn’t want to be on?”

Jesse rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know. We’ll think of something.”

“You do realize the girl can be dangerous when she wants to be, don’t ya?”

Jesse pointed to his face and the light bluish, purple bruise forming under his eye. “What do you think?”

Ben sighed. “Well you’re used to her abuse, I’m not.”

“Just grit your teeth and keep your eyes on her hands.”

“You know, you could just give her a reason to get on that stagecoach.”

Jesse and Ben looked to Isaac when he spoke.

“And what reason would that be?”

Isaac scratched at his chin before looking down at Jesse. “You marrying her.”

Jesse’s heart skipped a beat. “Excuse me?”

The old man laughed. “Give her a choice,” he said. “Either she gets on the stagecoach and goes home or she has to marry you in order to stay. Which do you think she’d choose?”

It wasn’t a hard choice. Given the fact Alex already had a fiancé, Jesse knew what her answer would be. Even if Hugh Jacobs wasn’t a factor, agreeing to be his wife would be the last thing she’d ever do, despite his desire for her to do that very thing.

He grinned and looked up at Isaac. “You’re just a little bit evil, Isaac. She’s going to have a fit when I spring this on her.”

Isaac smiled and turned back to watching the path in front of him. He didn’t say more on the matter and Jesse looked to Ben. “Don’t let on to the plan,” he said. “Ride on back and keep an eye on her but don’t let her know you’re watching.”

“She’s going to kill you for this one, you know that, right?”

Jesse laughed. “She can try.”

How Jesse foundher was beyond reasoning. She’d steered clear of him all day, took great pains to stay away from anyone who would give her position away, but there he was, riding straight for her.

She blew out a frustrated breath and glanced at the town. It was larger than the last one and to her disappointment, it had a stagecoach station, the coach sitting out front while men loaded trunks and bags on top of it.

Jesse rode in beside of her and smiled. “Ready to do some shopping?” He looked down at her, the clothes he’d let her borrow still hanging off her small frame. “I can’t send you home looking like that.”

She looked back at the stagecoach. How was she going to get him to let her stay?

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