But it only amplified the fact that he didn’t know this woman. Apparently not at all.
“You’ve never ridden a horse before, have you?” he said now. “I saw your expression at breakfast.”
“That had more to do with you than horses,” she said, as she stepped into the barn. “I woke up last night and you were gone.”
He finished cinching down the saddle and turned to her. “I went downstairs for a drink.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Before or after you sneaked outside with a crowbar?” she asked. She started to turn away when he grabbed her arm and swung her back around to face him.
“What are you doing here with me?” he demanded.
She looked into his eyes, and he lost himself for a moment in that sea of green. “I didn’t have anything better to do.”
He let go of her arm, shaking his head. “So we’re both lying to each other. Be honest with me and I’ll be honest with you,” he challenged. “What are you running from? Or should I say who are you running from?”
She took a step back. “Whatever you’re doing here, it’s none of my business.”
He laughed. “Just like whoever is after you is none of my business?”
“It’s better if you don’t know.”
He gave her an impatient look. “I’d like to know what has you so scared.”
“No, you don’t.” With that she turned as if to leave, but collided with Alfred Hoagland, who was standing just outside.
“I came to see if you needed help saddling the horses,” the old man said, his two large hands on each of her shoulders to steady her. “Change your mind about going for a ride?”
“No,” she said, pulling free of him and stepping back into the barn.
“I’ve got it covered, Alfred,” Jack said.
The old man stood in the doorway for a moment. “Fine with me,” he said before turning away.
Jack stepped past Josey to make sure Alfred wasn’t still standing outside listening.
“Do you think he heard what we were saying?” she whispered behind him.
“Don’t worry about it.” He turned his back to her.
“Look, if you’ve changed your mind about this marriage—”
“I haven’t,” he quickly interrupted. “I’m sorry about the way I’ve been acting. Coming back here...” He waved a hand through the air. “It’s hard to explain. I have a lot of conflicting emotions going on right now. But I’m glad you’re here with me. Come for a ride with me. It’s a beautiful day, and Enid packed us a lunch so we can be gone until suppertime. You have to admit, that has its appeal.”
IT DID. Just like Jack did when he smiled the way he was smiling at her now. Earlier, she’d stood quietly studying him from the barn doorway as he saddled the horses. He’d been unaware she was there and she hadn’t said anything, enjoying watching him.
He’d spoken softly to each horse, touching and stroking the horses in such a gentle way that she’d found herself enthralled by this side of the man.
Now she eyed her horse, wondering what she’d gotten herself into. Her horse, like Jack’s, was huge. She told herself she could handle this. After everything she’d been through, this should be easy.
But when she looked at Jack she didn’t feel strong or tough. She felt scared and hurt. It was crazy that what he thought of her could hurt so much, and it scared her that she cared. She barely knew this man she was pretending to be wed to, and his sneaking away from their room last night proved it.
Worse, she couldn’t help thinking about what his reaction would be if he knew the truth. She cringed at the thought.
“Ready?” Jack swung up into his saddle with a fluid, graceful motion that made her jealous. Everything seemed to come easy for him, making her wonder about the story he’d told at dinner last night.
Apparently, he’d had a hard life, and yet it didn’t show on him. Unless his bruises were deeper than her own.
She concentrated on attempting to copy Jack’s movements. She grabbed hold of the saddle horn and tried to pull herself up enough to get a foot in the stirrup.
She heard Jack chuckle and climb down from his horse.
“Here, let me help you.” He didn’t sound upset with her anymore. She wished that didn’t make her as happy as it did. “Put your foot in my hands.”
She looked into his face, overcome by the gentleness she saw there, and felt tears well in her eyes. She hurriedly put her booted foot into his clasped hands and, balancing herself with one hand on his shoulder, was lifted up and into the saddle.
The horse shuddered, and she grabbed the saddle horn with both hands, feeling way too high above the ground.
“Thank you,” she said, furtively wiping at her tears.
“You don’t have to do this.”
He misread the reason for her tears. She nodded, not looking at him. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t shed a tear throughout her recent ordeal, and here she was fighting tears? She was letting Jack Winchester get to her. Big mistake.
“I want to do this.” She could feel his gaze on her and was relieved when he walked around and climbed back on his horse.
As her horse followed Jack’s out of the barn, she looked at the vast country and took a deep breath. Her father always told her she could do anything she set her mind to. But her father had been gone for years now, and her mother no longer knew her.
They rode through tall green grass across rolling prairie, the air smelling sweet with clover. In the distance, Josey could see the dark outline of a mountain range. Jack told her they were the Little Rockies.
They’d ridden from rocky dry land covered with nothing but cactus and sagebrush into this lush, pine-studded, beautiful
