“W-what?” Lillian asked, eyes wide.
“It’s my fault she’s dead,” Mic replied. “If... Our father always told us that if we took care of the land, it would take care of us. That without land, we were nothing. He was wrong and an innocent woman paid the price for my ignorance.”
She shook her head and rubbed her forehead. “I don’t understand. What does taking care of the land have to do with killing her?”
“She died for a piece of land and few stray cows.” He finally looked at her. “She died because I wouldn’t back down. Because I thought land and money was the most important thing. And I was wrong. ”
“So you didn’t actually kill her?”
He stood and walked to the window, needing to see life moving onward. “I wasn’t there, Lillian. I left her alone and they came for Wade and for me. They found her and what they did to her... Let’s just say I hope there is a special place in Hell for them. So no, I didn’t hurt her so badly she couldn’t escape a burning building. But my decisions ultimately led to her death.”
She hugged herself and softly asked, “When you told me about rustlers and having to watch the cattle and land, that’s what you meant? A human threat, not one from an animal?”
“Yes.”
“And when you said I should learn to protect myself, you meant from a human threat? Not just Jeremiah but other men. Men who’d come here for land and animals but take advantage of a lady if they happen to see her?”
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I understand. You’re right. It’s not like the city where I grew up. Back there people manipulate and deceive, but it’s different. No one needs knives or guns for protection.” Taking a shaky breath, she closed her eyes. “I have no choice. I have to learn to use knives and guns then. I can’t go back. I’ll be forced to marry a cruel man if I do.” She let out a bitter laugh. “Well, I would be forced to marry him if I don’t end up in jail, though I suspect he would buy me out of it.”
“Money buys lots of things and corruption can be found everywhere. I’ve been back East. Men are no different than they are here. They cheat and lie and kill for what they want. The rich are just more diplomatic about it.” He turned toward her and smiled. “I think we’ll start by teaching you to use that skillet you are so fond of.”
“I grabbed the skillet because it was the closest thing to me.” With a wry grin, she added, “And I killed a mouse with it once, so I know it works.”
He grabbed her hand. “Then let’s see what other creatures you can slay with it.” He retrieved the skillet and led her out of the house.
After he handed it to her, she asked, “Where are we going?”
“We need space to move.” He stepped up behind her, his arms encircling her. He corrected her grip on the cast iron skillet and directed her arm into an upward swing that would give her more leverage to crush a man’s skull on the downward swing. “If you ever end up in jail, you could tell them you can cook and use the skillet to escape your guards. You won’t need your fiancé’s money.”
“I don’t consider him my fiancé. He’s just a man my brother arranged for me to marry. ”
“And you, of course, didn’t like the idea and ran away to be the mail-order bride of Mr. Charles Gray?”
“Only because Robert was a cruel man. He engages in shady business practices that bankrupts innocent men and leaves their families starving. I can’t marry a man like that.”
What did her brother get out of the deal? Would a man like Robert marry for money, power, or prestige? Or would there have been all three? Who was Lillian Christian to them?
The better question was, who was Lillian Christian to him? She started out as his captive, became his responsibility when Charles named her an outlaw, and—somewhere along the way—she’d endeared herself to him. He was fond of his wild rose and her multitude of questions.
His breath fanned the tiny red tendrils of the hair on the back of her neck. He changed the direction of the skillet in an upward motion that wouldn’t need a lot of force if she hit the soft tissue of a man’s anatomy. “What kind of man would you marry?”
“Someone whose sole purpose in life isn’t money. I don’t think money is evil, in and of itself, but some people aren’t satisfied with how much they have, no matter how much they acquire. And there are some who get worse as they acquire more. I’d marry a man who would be generous with the money given to him, one who would do what’s right and best for others who were in need. I’d like to marry a man who has a good heart.”
His hand shifted, resting on her hip, pressing her tighter against him. “I hope you find him.” Soon, his mind added. Otherwise he was going to kiss her and damn the consequences.
She glanced over her shoulder so she could see him. “But I don’t want to leave here. I thought we established that while Jeremiah was here.”
Her lips were so close to his and the temptation to steal another kiss was unbelievably hard to ignore. “I’m pretty sure it’s inappropriate for an unmarried lady to remain in the home of a man not related to her, Uzizitka.”
“Maybe it’s just as inappropriate for an unmarried man to be in the home of a woman not related to him.”
He wasn’t sure when they’d halted the repetitive swing of the skillet, a lesson Jim told him would train the muscles to act on instinct, but they were standing back to front, her bottom pressed snuggly against him and her face turned toward him. On impulse, he kissed the tip of her nose. “Then maybe we should build you a home so we can be neighbors.” He looked around the clearing. “Would you like it by the chicken coop or the corrals?”
Her nose wrinkled and there was a twinkle in her eye. “Neither. You can have a house over there. I just put curtains up in the loft. I’m not going to give up that space now that I’ve claimed it. ”
He raised an eyebrow, hiding the grin that threatened to appear. “Curtains, you say? But only in the loft. So the rest of the house is still mine. Sounds like we’ll have to share the house and tell people you are my...boarder? Or my cousin?” He pulled away from her, tugging on a lock of her hair. “I’m not sure anyone would believe it though.”
“You can tell them I’m a lady through and through, and if they don’t believe you, then there’s nothing you can do about it. Besides, if you didn’t want me to hang up curtains, you shouldn’t have given me access to the trunk that had them. I’d like to add some downstairs, too. Your whole cabin could use a woman’s touch, you know. You’ve let that place go without the nicer things for far too long. I believe that’s why I’m here. ”
“Maybe that wanted poster wasn’t wrong. I seem to be losing more than my house to an intelligent lady and a feisty outlaw.” He grinned at her. “I think the cabin could do with a woman’s touch.”
She returned his smile and shrugged. “I told you I was smart. I can outwit the best of them. And now I might actually be able to clobber anyone who gives me a difficult time.” She held the skillet and waved it as he had shown her. “As for the cabin, it’ll look much better when I’m through.”
“I think you’re right.”
She gave him a wink. “The sooner you realize I’m right about everything, the sooner we’ll get along just fine.”
He laughed. “I’m going to feed the animals. You keep swinging.”
***
The next two days were spent teaching Lillian about Mic’s world. He taught her to move through the forest in the way of Jim’s people as they checked the snares. He showed her how to walk silently over the leaf strewn ground, to hide and remain unseen, to move swiftly and leave little trace of her passing. He taught her to be a ghost in the forest.
By the lakeside garden, he decided it was time for her to learn the different ways to use a knife against an attacker and where to strike to do the most damage. He had her practice with a gun, although it seemed her least favorite of the weapons, and she was more than happy to give it back to him after two shots.
Mic holstered the gun and then wrapped her in a bear hug, drawing her tight against him. “Time to put practice into action. Pretend I’m an attacker, what would you do?”
Lillian shook her head and chuckled. “What if I like this?”
Mic sighed and loosened his hold. “Lillian—”
She promptly stomped on his foot and ran for the forest. While it wasn’t enough to incapacitate him for long, he allowed her a head start. Lillian was a quick learner and Mic decided to make a game of it.
He headed out after her, tracking her path through the trees. She didn’t try to hide her flight, opting for speed to put distance between them. At one point she started to use the knowledge he taught her, though, and concealed her trail.
Anyone less adept at tracking might have lost her, but the telltale trace of a footprint, a broken twig, or disturbed leaves allowed him to follow her.
Moving in near silence through the forest, he tracked her to a clearing. In the center lay several chokecherry bushes, stunted by the lack of sun and competing for space with bushes of wild roses. At first he thought there was no way she would have gone inside such a thick brush, but the scrape of dirt in a small opening told him otherwise. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Silence.
He circled the bramble patch, looking for signs that she might have exited. Nothing. And there was only one way in that he could see. Some animal had at one time made this place its home, including the path Lillian had followed in.
Going in after her would not be easy. “If you come out, I’ll give you a present.”
Very few women could resist the temptation of gifts. He had a feeling that Lillian could, though. She was going to make him come after her and he feared it was going to be painful.
Removing his coat, hat, and gun belt, he laid them beside the tree and headed into the thorny patch. His progress was slow, having to release his clothes from the thorns every few feet. He kept an ear out for sounds of her moving. Nothing. He so hoped he wasn’t crawling through here to find out she wasn’t even there.
He cursed loudly, yanking on the thorny branch holding the sleeve of his shirt. He heard a muffled giggle. “Think this is funny? Wait until I find you,” he grumbled, ducking his head beneath a chokecherry bough laden with green fruit. Suddenly, he found himself laid flat with a weight pressing him down.
“Gotcha!”
“Little minx,” he growled, rolling beneath her and catching her against him.
She was now laid on top of him laughing. “I win.” She settled her hand on his chest, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Not bad for a city girl, huh?”
“Not bad. But couldn’t you pick a less painful hiding spot?”
“But if it’s painful, won’t my opponent want to give up?”
She had a good point.
“I sure as hell hope so. Although they could outwait you. The need to eat is a powerful motivator. ”
“I happen to be very patient, and I slipped some jerky in my pocket before we left the cabin this morning.”
Mic laughed so hard, he wiped tears from his eyes. “God I love you, Uzizitka.”
“Well, you told me even if I don’t have brawn, I could use my mind. ”
He hugged her to him. “And you did, cante skuye.”
“That’s a new one,” she mumbled into his shirt, shifting her position on top of him.
Mic became very aware of the hitch in her breathing, the press of her breasts against his chest, her legs tangled with his own, and the sudden hardening of his cock against her hip. He shifted under her, only making it worse. He needed to get control of himself. He needed to stop thinking of Lillian as a woman.
Yeah, like that was going to work. He was much too aware of her. All of her curvy, soft parts pressed against him in very intimate ways.
She pulled slightly back, a small frown on her face. “What does cante skuye mean?”
“Chahn-day skue-yea,” he corrected, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. What could one kiss hurt? “Sweetheart.”
He cupped her face and listened to the demands of his heart. He pressed his lips to hers, testing her willingness. He wouldn’t blame her if she was horrified and furious over his behavior.
But her mouth molded to his and he very gently traced the seam of her lips. Her small hand rested against his cheek, cupping his face. His hand rested against her back, pressing her closer against him. His lips moved against hers, in tiny nips and caresses. His other hand tangling in her hair, scattering hairpins everywhere.
She moved against him, shifting her position but never breaking the kiss. She straddled his lap, her thighs pressed on either side of his hips, her hand snaking around his neck, deepening their kiss.
Her most intimate place rested over his way-too-hard cock, rubbing him, and he groaned against her mouth. She was going to kill him. The kiss had been a bad idea because now he wanted more, so very much more. Her mouth opened, her tongue tentatively touching his, and he swept inside, tasting her. Needing more of her. Wanting to touch her everywhere.
A little snake took that moment to slither over his shoulder, its tiny tongue tasting the air. Lillian screamed and jerked away. Mic sat up, slapping his head on a branch as he tried to grab her.
It was too late, her long red hair tangled in the thorny wild rose branches. “Get it away from me!”
“It’s gone,” Mic soothed her, trying to untangle her hair from the bush without leaving too much of it behind.
She stilled and waited as he gently removed her hair from the branches. “Is it? I hate snakes. They’re disgusting creatures.”
“I’d take a harmless snake over a skunk any day.” He finally got her loose and looked around for her hairpins. Taking hold of her hair, he deftly twisted it into a bun and fastened it. “It should hold until we get out of here.”
As she followed him out of the thicket, she said, “I find it hard to believe that skunks are worse than snakes. Some snakes are poisonous.”
“Ever smell a skunk?”
“No. I don’t go around smelling animals.”
He chuckled. “The smell is enough to make you sick and smelling like them is worse.” He stood, helping her to her feet, reluctant to let her go. He kissed her quickly and turned to get his things. “If you see a skunk, run.”
She followed him back toward the cabin. “Have you been near one before?”
“When I was younger, I thought it was a kitty and tried to pet it. Mama had to burn my clothes and give me tomato baths for a week. My stepfather refused to let me into the house until I stopped stinking. ”
She laughed and nudged him in the arm. “Oh, really. It couldn’t have been that bad. You’re exaggerating.”
He shook his head. “The only thing worse than skunk is rotting meat in the hot sun after a few days.”
“Now that I have had the displeasure of smelling. You’re telling me a skunk is similar to that?”
“Somewhat.”
“Your warning is duly noted. I will stay clear of skunks.” They neared the cabin. “Tell me, are there any other critters I need to watch out for?”
“Wade,” Mic greeted his brother.
Lillian stilled and stiffened, drawing away from Mic.
Wade looked her up and down. “I don’t get it.”
“Get what?” Mic asked.
“Met Jeremiah in the valley. He wouldn’t shut up about Mic’s fierce woman.” His gaze turned toward his brother. “What did she do?”
“He was being Jeremiah and she fought back. She ordered him out of the house for being disrespectful. I think she also threatened to hit him with a skillet once or twice.”
Wade shook his head. “I will never understand him.”
“It’s really easy. Look past the rough exterior and need to poke at open sores and you’ll find a very loving and loyal man.”
“Is that why you felt the need to attack him? What were you thinking by fighting him, Mic? He’d only need to get one good hit and you’re dead.”
“Jeremiah is a loving and loyal man?” Lillian interrupted, looking incredulous.
Wade snorted. “Mic’s the only one who sees it. Jeremiah’s crazy and I’m a feared Mic’s not far behind. ”
“Mic’s not crazy.”
“No? What’s crazier than living out here like an Indian picking up stray people? Or making himself an outlaw when he could have stayed hidden? Or kidnapping a woman from a stagecoach and trying to ransom her? Or keeping her when things don’t work out? Or picking a fight with one of the deadliest men in this valley and taking on a giant of a man who could crush his skull for a woman that doesn’t care about him?”
“That’s not fair, Wade,” she softly said. “I do care about your brother.”
Wade’s eyes narrowed and he looked between the two of them. “I was wrong about you. You aren’t crazy. You’re insane! Don’t you think you’ve angered Charles enough without taking his woman?”
“I’m not Charles’ woman,” Lillian said.
“Does he know that?”
“He had no claim to me. I didn’t know him when I came out here. I certainly don’t want to meet him after all the things I’ve learned about him.” She paused then added, “And I plan to stay here.”
Mic took her hand. “I wouldn’t mess with her, Wade. She’s learning quickly how to wield that skillet.”
Her hand tightened around his and she moved closer to him.
Wade stared at the two of them. “I can’t believe it. You’re in love.”
“What’s wrong with that?” she asked.
Wade shook his head and walked away without a word.
Not that Mic was much better. He wasn’t sure what to say. In love? Was he in love with Lillian? He glanced at her with a smile and shrugged. Maybe he was.