A Temporary Family. Sherri Shackelford

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СКАЧАТЬ You follow what I’m saying? I don’t have to keep watch on you, I just have to keep watch on the horses, and I’ve got all five of you wrapped up tighter than a beetle in a spiderweb.”

      Nolan’s gut twisted. The outlaw had effectively snatched the last best chance of fetching help.

      There was no way he was making the cavalry station or the river crossing on foot, which meant he’d best think of another plan. Quickly.

      * * *

      The girls disappeared into the relay station, and Tilly glanced in despair at Nolan. How were they going to survive the next few days? The girls would certainly give them away. How could she explain the situation without frightening them?

      Charlie sidled closer, and nausea rose in the back of her throat. Her neck throbbed from his earlier violent behavior. He reached for her and she instinctively launched herself at Nolan. His strong arms closed around her, clasping her shivering body tight against his side. The outlaw hadn’t challenged the stagecoach man before, and she prayed Charlie would keep his distance now.

      “It’s all right.” The warmth of Nolan’s breath feathered against her tangled hair. “You’re safe. I won’t let him harm you.”

      Angry tears burned in her eyes. If she hadn’t let her curiosity override her good sense, she’d have been watching Elizabeth, and none of this would have happened.

      At least her nieces were safe. For the moment.

      Dakota Red gathered his men. “Snyder will follow you two up to the house. The boys and I have a hankering for supper. Snyder will make certain there aren’t any weapons lying around. We wouldn’t want the children getting hurt now, would we?” He offered a toothy grin. “I just need to speak with the boys for a few minutes. You don’t mind, do you? And if you do mind, I can always shoot you.”

      He took great amusement in his own macabre joke, laughing until his belly jiggled. Tilly quivered and burrowed closer to Nolan. When she realized she was clutching the stagecoach man with enough force to crush his ribs, she started and pulled away.

      He tightened his grip and spoke near her ear. “Stay close. As long as Charlie is in view, we’re madly affectionate. If he wants my cooperation, he has to know how much you and the girls mean to me.”

      His cheeks reddened. “You know what I mean.”

      “I know.”

      She did understand. Perhaps because the situation had turned dire, she was keenly aware of the stagecoach man. His expression was grave, but she noted the rapid rise and fall of his chest. When had her emotions gone topsy-turvy? She’d always assumed that she was the same person in any given situation, and that her inherent personality would surface under duress.

      Yet here she was, cowering in the arms of a near stranger. She felt as though the outlaws had stripped away the thin veneer of her independence and exposed her weakness on a very basic level.

      Tilly clamped shut her eyes. What was happening to her? The truth of her nature was disheartening. The woman she wanted to be wouldn’t count on this man for protection—she’d take care of herself. Except she wasn’t the brave person she’d thought herself. She was skittish and vulnerable, trapped between the outlaws and this quiet man.

      Nolan’s hands moved in soothing circles over her back, heightening her awareness of him. Shocked by her flare of unwanted longing, she glanced away. She mustn’t read anything personal in his demonstrative actions. His caring was part of the act, nothing more.

      As for her unexpected reaction, she was instinctively responding to his protection and his kindness. Wasn’t she?

      No matter her own pitiable weakness, she had others to think about. “I have to speak with the girls, make them understand without frightening them.”

      “We’ll keep them separated from the outlaws as much as possible,” Nolan said. “You’ll keep them busy.”

      “How?” She tossed a glare at the outlaws’ backs. “I suppose we could start by digging our own graves.”

      “Don’t even tease about that. No matter what happens, we have to stay focused on surviving.”

      “All right then, but this town isn’t exactly teeming with activities. We can’t exactly visit the mercantile and select ribbons from the general store.”

      “They’re children. How much entertainment do they need?” The stagecoach man appeared perplexed. “Keep them busy however you keep children busy. They’re your nieces, surely you know them.”

      Barely. Even when Walter was away at war, Eleanor had always hovered over the girls. She’d never trusted Tilly alone with them beyond an hour or two here or there. Tilly was never an authority figure to her nieces.

      “I’ve only been watching them for a few days,” Tilly explained. “And we’ve been traveling or packing for most of those.”

      “You were a child once. What did you do to keep busy?”

      Tilly snorted. “Eleanor gave me chores.”

      “Then give the girls chores.” He pressed two fingers beneath her chin and forced her to look at him. “Your nieces are counting on you.”

      She flashed a half grin. “I’d have them clean the relay station, but you’ve already scrubbed the wood grain from the floor.”

      Something flicked in his eyes, an emotion she couldn’t read.

      “I suspect they’ll make another mess soon enough.”

      “You’re probably right.”

      The girls were tidy. They’d grown up beneath Eleanor’s guidance, after all, yet they still managed to create chaos with shockingly little effort.

      Eleanor had always striven for perfection, while Tilly had been content with disorder. In her teenage years, her sister had once sent Tilly to bed without supper for failing to put away her stockings properly. Treating the girls in the same manner didn’t seem right considering how much Tilly had chafed under Eleanor’s strict rule.

      “Hey,” Dakota Red shouted. “You two quit your whispering.”

      Her anger rose up. She wasn’t chattel to be ordered around.

      “Get, woman,” the outlaw ordered. “The boys and I are hungry. Until I’m certain you don’t have any guns hidden around the place, the two of you stay together. Snyder will keep watch while you’re cooking.”

      Tilly bit her tongue until she tasted blood.

      Charlie crossed to his horse, making a deliberate show of brushing against her arm. Her flare of rebellion instantly died. Tilly shuddered and moved closer to the shelter of Nolan’s arms. The mercenary part of her feared being alone with the fugitives—she feared being separated from Nolan’s safety. Though she’d only known the stagecoach man for a day, they were banded together against the outlaws.

      Their common enemy created an instant sense of union.

      Her make-believe husband touched the spot where Charlie had brushed against her, as though erasing СКАЧАТЬ