Claiming the Cowboy's Heart. Linda Ford

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СКАЧАТЬ wish the circumstances of your visit were different,” Mrs. Gardiner said.

      The other three women had been whispering together and now Miss Jayne Gardiner cleared her throat. “I think I might have been the one who shot you.”

      Seth stared at this sweet, young thing. His mind couldn’t make sense of her confession. “Why would you shoot me?” How would she know about the money he carried? He pushed aside the remnants of his fatigue. Refused to acknowledge it was pain that clouded his mind. Had someone at the ranch heard he’d collected his wages and ridden south? Were they all in this together?

      “It was an accident. I wanted—” she swallowed hard “—I wanted to learn how to shoot a gun so I could protect myself and the ones I care about.”

      Eddie jammed his fists on his hips. “I warned you about messing around with guns. I told you to leave them alone. Now do you see why?” He glowered at his sister.

      Jayne tipped her chin up and faced her brother. “I must learn how to defend myself. I refuse to be a helpless female.”

      Eddie sputtered but before he could get out a word, his wife intervened. “Let’s get this man upstairs so I can look at his wound.”

      Jayne brought her attention back to Seth. “It’s my fault. I’ll take care of him.”

      Mrs. Gardiner made a protesting sound that ended abruptly. “That would be fine.”

      Eddie helped Seth regain his feet and steered him up the stairs that swept to the second story. At the top, he turned them right and into the first bedroom. Seth settled himself on the edge of the bed.

      For the first time he gave his leg a good, hard study. It throbbed clear to the top of his head. His trousers were blood-and dirt-caked. He didn’t anticipate the skin beneath looked any prettier.

      Mrs. Gardiner and Jayne had followed into the room.

      “Eddie, he’ll need to remove those trousers so we can get at the wound,” Mrs. Gardiner said.

      “Not my pants.” Seth’s protest sounded weak and he clamped his teeth together. Weakness was not something he cared to reveal.

      “We’ll wait outside until you’re decent,” Mrs. Gardiner said as the ladies left the room. He heard them murmur in the hallway, Mrs. Gardiner asking Miss Jayne about the shooting.

      Eddie knelt at Seth’s feet. “I’ll help you with your boots and pants.” He tugged at a boot.

      Seth would have protested but had to bite back a groan. Cold sweat beaded his forehead.

      “Can’t you simply roll up my pant leg?” Seth asked through his clenched teeth.

      “Seems to me you’d welcome a clean outfit. Do you have another pair in your saddlebags?”

      He grunted in the affirmative.

      “I’ll get them later. First, let’s get you cleaned up.” Eddie helped remove the second boot and the soiled trousers then eased Seth to the bed and covered him with a sheet, but not before Seth saw the dirty, bloody wound.

      “I’ll send the ladies in to tend that.” Eddie piled Seth’s boots and pants beside the door. Good. So long as the boots were where he could see them.

      Jayne and Mrs. Gardiner again entered the room, Jayne carrying a basin of water.

      He closed his eyes knowing he must endure having the wound cleansed. Ironic that it was at the hands of the same woman who had inflicted it.

      Mrs. Gardiner eased back the sheet to expose his leg. “This doesn’t look good.”

      Seth nodded. “I saw it.”

      “It’s very dirty.” She shifted her gaze to Jayne. “When did you shoot him?”

      She swallowed hard. “It was yesterday.”

      Yesterday? He hadn’t realized he’d slept through the night. The urgency of his task struck him. He could not afford this delay. He half sat then fell back. Wouldn’t hurt none to have the wound cleaned up before he moved on.

      Jayne pressed to Mrs. Gardiner’s side. She gasped as she saw the wound. She looked at Seth, her eyes wide as she met his gaze. Whether he saw distress, regret or something else entirely, he couldn’t hazard a guess.

      “It was unintentional.” She sounded so defensive that in spite of his pain and the awkwardness of being flat on his back with two women in the room, he grinned.

      “Seems you should have tended it a little sooner,” Mrs. Gardiner offered.

      “Got someplace to be.” Again urgency gripped his innards. The last letter from the caregiver, that one Seth picked up a few days ago at the ranch headquarters, had been dated three weeks ago and gave little information to ease Seth’s concern about Pa’s well-being. Expecting you soon with necessary wages. Job here done.

      How could a man give so little assurance in his few words? Seth needed to get to Pa before Crawford left. Might be he was already gone. He’d signed up for three months and no more. If he wasn’t there, who would be looking after Pa? The uncertainty burned the inside of Seth’s stomach.

      Mrs. Gardiner tsked.

      “Is he going to be okay?” Jayne asked. Her eyes filled with concern. And well they might. She’d shot him.

      “We’ll fix you as well as we can,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “But you’re going to have to be careful you don’t get an infection.” She turned to Jayne. “You can clean it up.” She gave instructions.

      He closed his eyes to endure the pain that would surely come from having the wound tended.

      At first her touch was tentative then it grew firm, more assured. She was gutsy. He’d give her that.

      “Why is it so important for you to learn to shoot?” His voice sounded hoarse. He hoped they’d put it down to some strong virtue, not the pain that seemed to clutch every part of his body.

      “I need to be able to defend myself and others if the need ever again arises.”

      He lifted his eyelids. “Again?” He ignored the pain as he eased up on his elbows to watch her.

      “You best lie still.” She pressed firm, damp hands to his shoulders. “Moving makes you bleed more.” Her face was so close to his he could see the porcelain purity of her skin, the dark streaks of brown in her irises and something more—the determination in her gaze. He was beginning to think she was a headstrong woman who gave little heed to the results of her actions. Just the sort of woman he normally gave a wide berth to. For now, though, he must submit to her ministrations.

      He sank back on the pillow. “You’ve been involved in gunplay before?”

      “Only as a spectator. I saw someone shot to death.” Her jaw muscles tightened. “And I did nothing to prevent it because I didn’t know what to do. Didn’t even know how to shoot a gun.” Her gaze had shifted to a distant place beyond the walls of this room. “That’s when I decided I would never СКАЧАТЬ