Hernando Heat by Tymber Dalton

Author:Tymber Dalton
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Book/Menage
ISBN: 9781619265684
Published: 2011-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

* * * *

Katie worried when she heard the posse had returned, but there was no sign of Mason in town. Joe told her not to worry, that Mason was likely at home getting cleaned up, or had been cal ed out to take care of other matters. She hoped he was right, but her intuition had other ideas.

Joe stared down at her as they rode home. “Talk to me.” She shook her head. “I’m worried about Mason. And I’m worried about what Junior’s father is going to do when he finds out the sheriff won’t release him on bail. The justice of the peace is a friend of Senior’s.”

“Yeah, but Judge Kenning’s daughter is married to the sheriff’s brother-in-law.” Joe smiled. “And their family don’t like the Dorchesters at al . Believe me, if Judge Kenning has to choose between the Dorchesters or his blood relations, especial y his only baby girl, Dorchester wil lose every time.” That was only moderately comforting news to Katie.

By the time they arrived home, Katie’s worries had bal ooned into ful -blown fear. When Calvin emerged from the barn to come take care of the team, she asked him the question she wasn’t sure she wanted answered. “Have you seen Mason?” Calvin unwound the reins from the hitching post where Joe had tied them. “Yes, ma’am. Ran into him earlier today on my way back from town.” He frowned. “Didn’t he make it to town? That’s where he was heading, or so I took it.”

Katie exchanged a worried glance with Joe. “No, he never did.”

“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t upset him.”

“Upset him?” Joe asked.

“Yessir. I told him about the attack on Miz Katie, and offered my congratulations on your pending nuptials.” He grabbed his hat and tipped it at Katie. “Ma’am. Congratulations, by the way.” She numbly nodded. “Thank you.” She was barely aware of Joe’s hand gently catching her elbow and steering her toward the house.

He leaned down to speak in her ear. “Katie, this doesn’t mean

—”

She wheeled on him. “It means he’s upset,” she angrily hissed.

“This is al my fault!” She stomped up the steps to the house, Joe close on her heels.

“How can you say this is your fault?” he asked. A rumble of thunder from a late afternoon storm punctuated his question as he caught up to her at the front door.

Was he truly that dense? “Because,” she said, her vision blurry from tears as she fumbled for the latch, “if I hadn’t moved in with y’al , none of this would have happened!” He forced her to turn around and look at him. “You saying you ashamed of me? Or that you don’t love me?”

Her throat hurt from the effort it took to choke back her sobs.

Her throat hurt from the effort it took to choke back her sobs.

“No,” she whispered. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just don’t think very kindly of myself right now.”

Joe gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “This wil be okay,” he assured her.

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