Midnight Rider

“You never cease to amaze me,” he said gently as he rode near enough for her to recognize him.

“Eduardo!” She ran toward him when he dismounted, looking up into his dark face with absolute trust and relief.

He smiled, discarding his gloves to catch her hands in his. “You’re freezing! Didn’t you have another blanket?”

“Only this one.” Her teeth chattered. “I didn’t realize it got quite this cold. Why are you here?” she added worriedly. “Did my father send you?”

His face hardened. “Maria told me what happened. I came to find you.”

“You, not my father,” she murmured sadly.

“He was going to send one of his ranch hands. I told him not to bother.”

“He should have sent one of his candidates for my bridegroom instead,” she said coldly.

“I believe the German will be on the first train north,” he said drily. “And the other gentleman probably won’t be far behind him.”

“Oh, thank God!”

He retrieved his blankets from his saddle pack and wrapped one around her before he removed the saddlebags and began to make coffee in a small pot.

“What did the German do to you, Bernadette?” he asked when he had the coffeepot on the fire and they were both sitting nearby.

She averted her embarrassed eyes in the bright light of the campfire. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter, if he’s gone.”

“It does matter! I should have shot the—”

“It’s all right,” she interrupted before he could voice the curse. “I can’t be the first woman who was ever fondled against her will.”

He looked furious. He watched her move away from the campfire and ease down onto her makeshift bed. “Were you planning to stay the night?”

She nodded. “I thought if I frightened my father enough, he might cancel his plans.”

“He’ll cancel them now,” he assured her, holding his hands to the fire. “I promise you he will.”

She let out a long sigh. “Thank you for coming to find me.”

He glanced at her curiously. “You might not consider yourself saved when I tell you what I have in mind.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “What?”

“I intend to keep you out all night.”

He expected shock and fear. But after a minute’s hesitation, she laughed delightedly. “What a wonderful idea! If his prospective bridegrooms haven’t left, they certainly will after this!”

“I intend to displace them,” he said shortly. “If your father wants a noble for a son-in-law, he can have me. I’ll take a damned sight better care of you than he does, and I won’t drag you off to Europe to die.”

She stared at him with delight. “You really want to marry me?”

He nodded. “It won’t be a love match,” he said, his voice quiet and calming, “but you’ll have freedom and independence, and I’ll take care of you.”

“I’ll take care of you, too,” she replied gently.

He was shocked to discover that he liked the idea of someone taking care of him. It wasn’t acceptable to admit it, of course, and he wasn’t going to. But it touched him as few things in his recent past had.

“Have you eaten anything?” he asked.

She laughed, pulling her blanket closer. “I had a roll and some cold chicken that Maria packed for me, but nonetheless, I’m hungry,” she said simply.

“So am I.”

“I don’t suppose you brought anything to eat?”