His face looked hot enough to explode. "Lady ..."
Devon rammed her slim forefinger in his barrel chest and ·net his hard-eyed gaze head-on. "You don't scare me, Mr. MacKenna, not with your bear voice or your giant size or your eagle eyes. I don't scare easily. Now answer me: Is this °ur tent, or do you intend to build me one?" I can't build you a tent."
A frown darted across her brow. "Why not? It seems the simplest solution."
a- -" -
24
was
was
25
Chapter Three
i
plop.
27
Oh, yes, you are.
28
Shit!
standing
30
31
you
32
33
He rubbed his sweaty palms on the coarse denim of his pants. For the first time since he'd left prison, he wished he were a drinking man. A belt of Scotch would taste good right now. Damn good.
Wait a minute, he thought. Why the hell am I nervous? She was the one who ought to be scared. She was the one who was leaving-somehow. He didn't exactly know how he was going to do it, but he was damn well going to do something to make her run from him like a shot-at coyote.
Yes, she was the one who ought to be nervous. In less than twenty-four hours she'd be packing for a trip north, one that the scrawny little thing wouldn't-
Don't think about the hardship. It was her own fault she was up here. If she'd just been a man like she was supposed to none of this would have happened.
He'd just have to convince her highness to leave. How hard could that be? She was only a woman-and a damn stupid one at that. A smart one wouldn't have gotten off the sternwheeler.
He could outsmart her by a Yukon mile.
Smiling, he slipped into his mackinaw and started for j home. Nothing to it. By this time tomorrow the little lady with the uppity ways would be halfway to Fortymile.
And good riddance.
He stood outside his own door for a long minute, reminding himself that she was stupid and he was smart. Still, she had a way about her of making a man feel dumb. ...