Oh, no, they weren't anything alike. He didn't trust anyone. He was a cynic by nature and by profession.
She couldn't possibly understand how she'd misjudged him, however, because she didn't know anything about him. She had innocently accepted what he had told her, and as long as he continued to pretend to be an unsophisticated city boy who wore a gun only because he thought he was supposed to, then she was going to continue to believe they really were soul mates.
'Don't you wonder why I think we're alike?' she asked.
He braced himself. 'Why?'
'You look at things the same way I do,' she answered. 'Do quit frowning, Harrison. I haven't insulted you.'
The hell she hadn't. 'No, of course not,' he agreed. 'Exactly how do we look at things?'
'You see with your heart.'
'I learned a long time ago to put logic and reason above emotion,' he began. 'My philosophy of life is really very simple.'
'And what might your philosophy be?'
'First with the mind, then with the heart.'
She wasn't impressed. 'So you never allow yourself to just… feel? You have to think about it first?'
'Of course,' he agreed. He was pleased she understood. She would do well to follow his rule, he thought.
'How exact you are, Harrison.'
He smiled. 'Thank you.'
'And rigid.'
'Yes.'
She rolled her eyes heavenward. 'Adam's going to like you,' she predicted.
'Why is that?'
'My brother shares your philosophy. I believe I drive him crazy sometimes. I'm sorry he worries so, but I can't help the way I am. When I look at my valley…'
She suddenly stopped. And then she started to blush.
'Yes?' he asked.
'You'll think I'm crazy.'
'I won't.'
She took a breath. 'You may laugh if you want, but sometimes I feel a bond with the land, and if I'm real quiet and just let myself listen and
She watched him closely. He didn't smile, but she thought he looked as if he wanted to. She felt the need to defend herself.
'I thought you felt it too, Harrison. I'm still not so certain you…'
'Mary Rose, will you get moving? Honest to God, I've wasted the entire day waiting on you.'
Cole bellowed the order from behind. Mary Rose immediately nudged her mount forward.
'My brother doesn't have much patience for dillydallying. He's really very easygoing. He just likes to hide it.'
That had to be the contradiction of the year. Harrison didn't think Cole had any patience at all. He found himself wondering why someone hadn't killed the man by now. Her brother wasn't just hot-tempered; he was also the most abrasive individual Harrison had ever come across.
And that seemed to be his better quality.
The youngest brother met them outside of the main barn but had to wait for an introduction. Harrison had already dismounted and was busy trying to talk MacHugh into going inside the stable. The stallion wasn't in the mood to cooperate. He reared up several times and then started snorting and stomping and slamming his head into Harrison 's shoulder.
Harrison ordered MacHugh to behave. The animal must not have liked his tone of voice. MacHugh pushed him again, but put more muscle into it. Harrison landed on his backside in a cloud of dust.
His lack of control over the animal was damned humiliating. Mary Rose was sympathetic. She kept pleading with her brothers to do something to help. They were smart enough to stay away from the beast. Douglas was smiling. He was polite enough not to laugh, even when Harrison landed on his backside a second time.
Cole wasn't as reserved. He laughed until tears came into his eyes. Harrison really wanted to kill him. He couldn't, of course, at least not if he wanted to stay for supper and find out who the hell these people really were. He had already figured out the redheaded brother standing behind Mary Rose was either Adam or Travis.
Cole's laughter caught his attention again. Perhaps Harrison could just put his fist through the obnoxious brother's face and, hopefully, break a few bones. What was the harm in that? It took all Harrison had not to give in to the urge. Reason prevailed. Mary Rose would probably get upset if he beat the hell out of her brother. She'd also realize he could take care of himself.
God, he hated that deception, and right this minute, he hated Cole Clayborne just as passionately.
Harrison had had enough of MacHugh's temper tantrum. He let the stallion win. He let go of the reins and walked over to the corral. MacHugh let out another loud snort, stomped around a bit, and then followed him.
The horse trotted into the center of the ring and stood as still as a stone while Harrison stripped him of his gear.
'If you jump the fence, MacHugh, you're on your own. You got that?'
' Harrison, come and meet Travis,' Mary Rose called out.
'What kind of name is Harrison?' Travis asked in a voice loud enough for Harrison to hear.
'A family name,' Harrison called back. He draped the saddle and the blanket over the fence, shut the gate behind him, and walked over to meet the youngest of Mary Rose's brothers.
'What kind of name is Travis? Irish?'
Travis smiled. 'Could be,' he replied in a gratingly cheerful tone of voice.
What the hell kind of answer was that? He couldn't ask because Mary Rose had already jumped into an explanation of how she had met Harrison and how kind and thoughtful he was because he'd warned Cole of an ambush.
Harrison watched Travis during her lengthy explanation and one thought kept running through his mind. No way in hell. This man couldn't possibly be a relative. He didn't look anything like any of the others, though the more Harrison thought about it, not looking like the others seemed to be the one trait they all shared. Hell, Travis looked more like MacHugh.
The comparison made Harrison smile. Travis had reddish brown hair and green eyes. His face was square shaped. Mary Rose had a perfectly oval face. Travis was about the same height as Douglas, but he didn't have his bulk. The youngest brother was reed thin, and he lacked Cole's muscle.
Harrison decided nothing more could surprise him. If she tried to tell him Travis happened to have a twin brother who was a full-blooded Crow, he wouldn't bat an eye. He might even be able to keep a straight face when he asked the twin if he happened to be Irish too.
He started paying attention to the conversation when Mary Rose told Travis that he would be staying for supper. Her brother didn't look irritated by the announcement. In fact, he looked resigned.
Harrison had only just decided this brother wasn't nearly as abrasive as Cole, but the man quickly changed his mind.
'You've got guts to ride such an ugly horse.'
'Travis, don't be rude,' Mary Rose ordered. 'I wasn't being rude,' he replied. 'I was giving Harrison a compliment. It does take guts.' He turned to his guest. 'Sorry if you took offense.'
' Harrison, are you gonna saddle up MacHugh tomorrow?'
Cole shouted the question from the back of the wagon.
Harrison was immediately suspicious. 'Why?' he shouted back.
The brother lifted the sack of flour onto his shoulder before answering. 'I want to watch.'
Harrison knew he would regret it if he said anything at all, and so he forced himself to keep silent. It almost killed him.
He watched Cole cross the veranda and go inside the house and only then noticed the tall, black-skinned man
