“Then why was he helping you? Ouch!”
“If you’d hold still, I wouldn’t hurt you. Lionel and I have an understanding.”
“He says he thinks you’re a bank robber.”
“Now and then. Shrewd kid. Sit down and I’ll get you some milk and cookies. I need a drink.”
“Did I scare you? Why didn’t Lionel give me away and why did he come to you? Who made the cookies?”
“Pilar made the cookies,” he said, sitting down across from her at the rough table. “And Lionel has been the soul of helpfulness ever since I cracked a whip around his neck.”
Chris took a cookie but put it back on the plate. She realized that her hands were shaking and reached for Tynan’s glass of whiskey. In exchange, he took her milk and began eating the cookies.
“We’re going home tomorrow,” Ty said, not looking at her.
“And leaving Lionel to his own fate, I guess.”
“He’s not your problem.”
“Have you ever heard of Samuel Dysan?”
“No and don’t change the subject. Tomorrow we leave.”
“What if Asher doesn’t agree? That’ll be two against one.”
“Prescott can stay here for all I care, but tomorrow you and I leave for your father’s house.”
“Just the two of us?” she asked, running her finger along the whiskey glass.
He took the glass from her and drained it. “It’s time for you to go back to the house. You can say you hurt your hand on a sharp rock and couldn’t work anymore.”
Chris made no effort to move but picked up a cookie. When she was with him, she never wanted to leave. “How is your back?”
“Healing quite well thanks to Pilar’s gentle attentions. Chris, go away.”
She looked up at him with sad eyes. “I was wrong when I left you alone. I should have gone with you to the jail.”
“The world is full of should haves.” He stood. “I’m going back to work and I want you to go back to the house and stay out of trouble.”
“Maybe I should lock myself inside the bedroom with Asher.”
“If you can stand the boredom,” he said, slamming his hat on his head and leaving her alone in the cottage.
Reluctantly, Chris left the little cottage and started back to the main house. The sun was gone and the air was beginning to feel like rain.
“It’s gonna come a storm,” Unity was saying as Chris entered the kitchen. “What’d you do to your hand?”
Chris looked up—and into the dark, pretty eyes of Pilar.
“I cut it,” Chris managed to say after a while. No wonder Ty liked her; she was utterly lovely.
“Would you like a cool drink?” Pilar asked in a soft voice. “We’ve just made an herb tea. It’s quite good.”
“No,” Chris said, wishing the woman wouldn’t be nice to her.
“You look a little pale,” Unity said. “I told Mr. Owen you shouldn’t work outside. You’re too little to be able to stand the outdoors.”
Chris had no idea what being small had to do with sunshine, but it was the type of comment she’d heard all her life. “Yes, I would like something to drink.”