Free When a Texan Gambles by Jodi Thomas Page B

her fighting for control in some part of her world. And here, with them, seemed to be where she drew the line.
    He turned away. A week ago he would have sworn he didn’t have a heart, but Sarah just cut a chunk out of it. With coldness she spoke of something that was supposed to be special between a man and a woman. With the honesty of her stare she made his kiss less than nothing. And light blue eyes told him she meant every word. She would accept his advance, even his abuse if he chose not to keep his word. All she asked was that he allow her to live through it, like what he offered was a torture.
    Half the people in Texas hated him and he didn’t care. They could be afraid of him or believe all the legends they wanted and it didn’t matter. As far as he could tell, Sarah didn’t even know enough about him to fear him. He’d never done anything to harm her.
    She just thought less of him because he was a man ... because he had needs ... because he wanted her. As if wanting her were a crime. As if she had already decided he gave no honor to his words.
    “I’ll never touch you again, if that is the way you want it, Sarah.” The words tasted bitter in his throat. Despite her stubbornness, she was the first woman in years that his arms ached to hold. A woman he thought it might be nice to come home to. The only one who’d stirred his blood when he looked at her. “I swear.”
    She stared into the water, and he guessed she didn’t believe him.
    “It doesn’t matter,” she answered, pushing her hair off her shoulder with her fingers as if she dusted away a bad memory. “I only hoped.”
    “Sarah?” He waited for her to look at him. He couldn’t help but wonder if anyone had ever kept a promise to her.
    When her eyes met his, they sparkled with unshed tears. “I’ll keep my word,” he swore. “Or I’ll give you back my Colt and you shoot me.”
    She smiled. “I don’t know much about guns.”
    “I’ll teach you just in case.” He turned to check the lines on the horses, thinking if he kept looking at her, he might as well hand her the Colt right now.
    Sam ran his tongue across his bottom lip, remembering the taste of her. He hadn’t given her much of a first kiss, he decided. More like an attack. No wonder he saw fear in her eyes. She probably thought he planned to knock her down and mate with her right here in the clearing. He had his work cut out for him, trying to keep from touching her while figuring out how to hold her when she decided the time was right.
    He waited a few more minutes before he said as softly as he’d ever issued an order. “Get in the wagon, Sarah. We’ll make it to town tonight, load up with supplies, and come back tomorrow, if that is the way you want it. If we stay here, we’ll all starve. You, me, the invisible children. I can drive the wagon on land, but I need help in the current. I can’t make it to town and back without you. Leaving is our only option.”
    She turned away from him and walked to the tree line. After a long pause she yelled, “We’ll be back in two days! I’m leaving the blanket and the buffalo robe so you can stay warm!”
    When she noticed him watching her, she raised her chin. “All right, Sam Gatlin, I’m ready.” She lifted her bundle she’d tied together with her shawl.
    “You taking that?” he asked.
    “Of course. A lady has to have belongings.”
    He didn’t comment, but wondered what she carried. As far as he knew she was down to near nothing. One dress she’d been using for bandages. The knife she’d pulled out of his back. A half-empty bag she’d claimed an old woman had given her as medicine. Not much in the way of belongings, he decided.
    They climbed into the wagon and started off without another word. The first few hours were hard, fighting the currents in the water. Sam held the reins as long as he could. When she took over, he circled his arm around her, bracing her in the seat, making it easier on her to drive without