Hallie's Hero

Jack leaned over to look at her. “Do I want to know why?”

Hallie sighed and fingered a frayed edge of leather on the reins. “You know Lila Lee,” she said, referring to the woman who owned the saloon. “I sold her my ma’s piano after Pa died. She’s sweet on Tenfoot, so I got a good price.”

Jack didn’t have to ask why. He knew Hallie had scraped together every dollar she had to try and buy Eden’s Canyon back from the bank. It was obvious from the empty places in the sprawling ranch house that she’d sold most everything but the clothes on her back to pay off her father’s debts.

He knew from the gossip in town that Jim Ryan had lost his money and his ranch at the card tables. It was no wonder Hallie resented Jack, a professional gambler, buying Eden’s Canyon out from under her.

Ace lurched sideways over a patch of rough ground and Hallie grabbed for the pommel to keep her balance.

At once, Jack’s arm swept around her waist, pulling her up out of the saddle and hard against him. His forearm brushed the underside of her breasts as Ace found his footing again.

Hallie angled herself away from Jack the moment she felt she wouldn’t fall out of the saddle. The last thing she needed right now was more of his touch.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “Sorry, I didn’t see that coming.”

“It’s not your fault. And the damage can’t get any worse at this point.”

“It will if you don’t stay off your feet for a while.”

Hallie’s shoulders shifted. “Serenity can’t do everything. Besides, I’ve had my share of scrapes and bruises. They never stopped me from doing what needed to get done.”

“You’re a damned stubborn female, Hallie Ryan,” Jack said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Stubborn I’ve been called many a time,” Hallie agreed. “Female’s the part they usually leave out.”

She expected Jack to come back with some teasing retort. Instead his arm around her waist tightened a fraction.

“I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but their eyesight’s not too good. Look…” He gestured toward the barn and corral visible in the distance. “Your torture is nearly at an end.”

Jack slid out of the saddle as soon as they neared the ranch house, knowing Hallie would throw her leg over the horse’s neck and jump down on her own if he didn’t hit ground first. She’d sooner suffer the pain than lose one more particle of her already wounded pride.

With one swift motion he was at her side, arms outstretched, leaving her no way off of Ace but into his arms. He looked up at her and saw a slight frown pucker her forehead beneath the brim of her ugly hat.

“And you call me stubborn?” she grumbled, glancing from side to side. Finding no witnesses, she hastily slid down against him.

For an instant, they stood practically nose to nose, his hands measuring the surprisingly small span of her waist. Hidden beneath her billowing shirt and loose pants, her shape was a curiosity of increasing interest to him, probably because she was so determined to keep any hint of her femininity hidden. A lopsided smile quirked his mouth. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Compared to what—dancing a reel with a tumbleweed?” Hallie asked, trying not to give away the effect being this close to him had on her.

She didn’t like what he could do to her with a single touch. She liked it well enough, though, to stay still within his hold.

Despite her light quip, Jack felt her quickening breath, saw her eyes widen slightly. She might not look or act like any woman he’d known, but she couldn’t help responding like one.

“Come on,” he said, sliding his gaze down her. “Let’s get you inside and out of those britches.”

“You don’t give up, do you, Dakota?” Pulling away from him, she swung around and started toward the house, ignoring his call after her.

“I didn’t intend to take them off you, darlin’,” he said to her back. “Though I’d be glad to help, if you’d like.”

“Go away,” Hallie yelled over her shoulder as she shoved open the front door.

She went straight to the kitchen, hoping Serenity would have some of that willow powder she used to make soothing teas. At the kitchen door, she heard Ben say something in a low voice, then Serenity’s musical laughter.

She found Ben and the girl standing side by side near the table, Serenity’s face aglow, Ben’s hand at her elbow as she smiled into his eyes.

They turned in unison when Hallie stepped inside, their expressions changing at once. Serenity darted several uneasy steps away from Ben, keeping her eyes downcast.

Ben glanced at her, then scowled at Hallie. “I thought you were checkin’ the herd.”

“Obviously.”

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, before Hallie could say anything more. “You’re walkin’ like you haven’t been off a horse for a month.”

Hallie opened her mouth, only to close it as Jack strode up beside her and shot Ben a look that clearly warned the boy to mind what he said. “I’m happy to see you here, Ben,” Jack said. “You can help me and Miss Serenity with the cooking tonight.”

“What…cooking?”

Hallie jerked her hat off and turned to stare hard at Jack. “I told you, I’m fine.”

“You know, I might believe that, if you’d agree to take care of yourself.” Trying to appeal to her in a way she might accept, as an equal, he laid a hand on her shoulder. “Listen, we’re partners, and while I know you’d rather kiss a wild boar every morning than accept that, this is a chance for me to have some time alone with everyone.”

Hallie shook her head, not willing to give him the slightest advantage over her. “I’m sure you mean well, but I told you earlier, thanks but no thanks.” Stepping out of his reach, she turned to Serenity. “We’ll use the spring peas and the rest of the ham from last Sunday’s supper. Oh, and I moved the peas we put up early to the front of the top shelf of the pantry.”

Not quite meeting Hallie’s eyes, Serenity nodded and scuttled past them out the door.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Ben called after her, eager to flee from his sister before she changed her mind about Dakota’s idea and had him cooking supper.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Jack refused to back down. “Changing the subject won’t make it go away. The men will have to accept me sooner or later, but I’d like it to be sooner, and on peaceful terms. Come on, Miss Hal,” he coaxed, holding out his hands. “It’s supper, not a cattle drive.”

Hallie yearned to say no. While she knew it was stupid of her not to rest her backside and properly tend to her injuries, a small, jealous part of her didn’t want to give up any of her responsibilities at Eden’s Canyon to Jack Dakota.

Still, turning him down seemed more spiteful than anything. And she did hurt enough to cringe at the idea of standing up to fix supper and then sitting down to eat it.

“Okay,” she said reluctantly. “This once, my kitchen’s all yours.”

Jack nodded and held the door open for her, watching as she slowly and painfully made her way to her room.

He supposed he should feel good about winning their latest battle. But he was left with the uncomfortable sensation that he’d done more damage to Hallie’s dignity than he’d helped to heal her wounded backside.

“I can’t believe I rode the biggest one. Can I do it again tomorrow?”

Hearing the excitement in Ethan’s voice, Jack turned from the griddle on the stove to see his son come into the kitchen, glued to Tenfoot’s side.

“You must have talked your way onto one of the horses,” he said, smiling at his son’s happy grin.

It struck him that he’d never seen Ethan smile like that, and Jack found himself wishing from somewhere deep inside that it had been he, and not Tenfoot, who had put that smile on his son’s face.

“You should have seen me,” Ethan said. “I was ridin’ that big brown stallion all around the corral, wasn’t I, Mr. Tenfoot?”