Her Outlaw Heart by Samantha Harte

Author:Samantha Harte [Harte, Samantha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626819252
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2015-12-10T05:00:00+00:00

• • •

Floating as if in a fantasy, feeling as happy as ever in her life, Jodee pranced through the front door into Avinelle’s entry hall. Corbet had kissed her. She had a beau!

Corbet followed Jodee inside.

The maid slipped into the shadows once the door was closed. The tantalizing aroma of supper filled the house. Jodee hoped Corbet was smiling inside just as she was. She longed to rise up on tiptoe and kiss him again just for the pure pleasure of it.

Widow Ashton appeared at the top of the stairs, her expression savage. Jodee’s happiness vanished.

Freezing Widow Ashton with a hard stare, Corbet said, “I have a few questions, Widow Ashton, if you have a moment. About the holdup.”

Widow Ashton clutched the handrail. “If you must, Marshal.”

Jodee didn’t like to think Corbet wanted to discuss the holdup so soon after kissing her. Wasn’t his head in the clouds?

“I’ll help Hanna with supper,” she said, hurrying upstairs to tie back her hair. It was a mass of tangles after the buggy ride. She ran into Avinelle, who looked nearly as unpleasant as her mother.

With a toss of her head, Avinelle stomped down the stairs in a sulk. Seeing Corbet, she rallied. “Dearest Corbet, are you sparing us a moment? How darling of you.” Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she pulled him gently toward the parlor as if they were going to dance.

Jodee struggled to ignore them but saw how Corbet appraised Avinelle. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t looking away, either. How long would she have to work to earn enough money for a dress like that? When would she ever be as beautiful?

Seconds later, in the guest room doorway, Jodee halted. Everything she owned lay scattered on the bed. The pistol had been removed from her bag and lay in plain sight. Her old bed dress was on the floor.

Damn their dirty hides, Jodee thought. She hadn’t believed they’d really search her knapsack. Was it their right? She wanted to tear open their drawers and dump everything on the floor. She wanted to open the silver music box and let its music fill the house. She wanted to break every ugly knickknack in the drawing room and throw the last of Widow Ashton’s silver spoons to hell and gone.

Instead, she smoothed her hair, gave it a vicious twist, and began knotting it. Her hair pins were all over the bed. She picked up one after another and jabbed them into her hair until it stayed in place, if crookedly. Looking at herself in the mirror, she caught her breath. Her eyes were blistering blue fire. Her mouth was a slash of hurt. If she went to the parlor now, in this state of mind, she might end up back in jail. She had to do whatever was necessary to have her new life. That meant she had to control her rage.

Why the hell bother? Did Avinelle or her mother control theirs? Were they honest and decent? Jodee wanted to shriek.

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