A Fortune for the Outlaw's Daughter by Lauri Robinson

Author:Lauri Robinson [Robinson, Lauri]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-04-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The little boat was once again so full Maddie could barely make out Lucky sitting in the middle, rowing the oars that were making the craft glide closer. The past few weeks had opened up a whole new world.

A grin overtook her face at the thought and she waved. Lucky held an arm up in return, making her heart skip several beats. The sigh that escaped her lips was full of splendor. Land sakes, some days she looked more forward to going to bed than she did getting up.

She’d changed in other ways, too. Lucky’s attitude had rubbed off on her. Miners now lined the river on both sides, and she was no longer wary or suspicious of them all. She no longer looked over her shoulder continuously, either. There was no need. Mad Dog was thousands of miles away.

Jack had said they were all in this together, and she now understood what that meant. It was as if the camps up and down the river had formed a community, a town, with folks looking out for one another. She’d never experienced anything like it, and with Lucky’s coaxing had become a participant, to the point she considered the Fenstermacher brothers friends. Real friends. The kind she’d never had. They often shared meals—which she appreciated as much as Lucky did, though he’d never admit it.

Maddie grinned again. Lucky never said a word about her cooking, but now that she’d tasted good food, she knew how bad hers was. All the more reason she needed to gather as much gold as possible, in order to hire a cook. Then Lucky would enjoy every meal as much as he did those that Albert brought over.

Slowing the water flowing into the Long Tom with her usual flat rock, she stood and wiped her hands on her skirt. The only part of her better-than-ever life that wasn’t panning out so well was finding gold. The first few weeks their daily cleanouts were good—some days better than good, harvesting more than a hundred dollars—but lately, they couldn’t seem to scrounge up five bucks worth of dust and flakes.

Lucky rowed closer and she wondered what he’d bought this time. Her list of other things she’d acquire had grown recently, but unlike him, she was waiting. Buying things now, when they wouldn’t be staying here permanently, seemed useless and frivolous. They were here to find riches, not spend them.

Homer squawked and landed on the boulder a few feet away.

“You’re a little late,” she told the bird. “I already saw him.” Digging in her pocket for a raisin, she added, “But that’s all right. You’re still a good lookout.”

“Look out,” the bird squawked. “Look out.”

With Homer at her heels, checking to see if she dropped another raisin or two, Maddie walked to where Lucky pulled the boat ashore. “How was your trip?”

He took the time to kiss her—as she knew he would—before answering, “Good. How was your day?”

She followed him to the other side of

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