Blue Sage by Anne Stuart

Author:Anne Stuart [Stuart, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Westerns, Southern States, New England, American Literature
ISBN: 9780373301508
Google: cBM1tWnVz5cC
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Published: 1987-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

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There was nothing he could say. He just stood there, watching her, his face blank, the saddle and bridle unnoticed burdens in his arms.

She was quivering with rage, a rage he couldn't begin to understand. Her face was pinched and white, her mouth a slash of pain, and he could tell that she was controlling herself with an effort.

"I told you not to touch Shaitan," she said, her voice low, hurried, furious. "I told you to keep your hands off him. He's had a hard time and he doesn't like strangers messing with him. He needs to be left alone…"

"Are you talking about your horse," he interrupted coolly, "or yourself?"

It was a good thing her hands were empty. If she'd been carrying her cane she would have gone for him, he knew it as surely as he knew his own name. But she wouldn't hit him with her hands; she didn't want to touch him. Instead she turned and ran, her limp barely noticeable, to her car. He stood in the doorway of the barn, watching as she wheeled out of the yard and tore off down the narrow driveway at top speed. She skidded as she pulled onto the main road, nearly losing control, but at the last minute the car responded, and he watched her race off down the highway.

Maude was waiting for him when he finished soaping the leathers and walked back out into the late-afternoon shadows. "You look like a man who could use a drink" was all she said.

He smiled at her. "You're an observant woman, Maude," he said. "Anything short of turpentine will do."

"Maybe a cup of hemlock?" She was mounting the shallow steps of her front porch.

"I don't feel that guilty. Ellie needs some shaking up every now and then," he said.

"I don't believe you." She headed straight for one of the cupboards and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel's. "Not about Ellie needing shaking up. Any fool would know that. But I think you're feeling guilty as hell." She poured a generous splash into two glasses and turned to face him, her beady little eyes knowing. "Water or ice?"

"I like my hemlock straight." He took the glass and perched on one of the stools. "Think she'll be back?"

"It depends on what you did. If you made a pass at her she'll forgive you. If you insulted her it'll be over in a few minutes and she'll be turning right around. If you were nasty she'll be back even sooner."

"I groomed Shaitan for her."

"She won't be back," Maude said flatly. "The girl's not exactly sensible when it comes to that animal. I don't know why, and I don't get anywhere when I ask. When she brought him here he was a real mess, scarred and bleeding. He'd savaged his owner and they were going to put him down when Ellie interfered. That's Ellie for you, always going for the underdog."

Underdogs like me, Tanner thought savagely, taking a deep, burning gulp of the whiskey.

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