Free McKenna, (Sweet Western Historical Romance) (Nevada Brides Series Book 1) by Clara Kincaid

you around now.”
    He sighed. “Very well. Get some sleep, McKenna. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
    He didn’t have to tell her twice, but sleep didn’t come easy with Cole so close. She so wanted to tell him to sleep in the bed with her, but she worried what would have happened if she did. She just felt so bad that he was having to sleep on the floor after he saved her life, or at least accompanied the men from the stagecoach station. The robbery certainly wasn’t the highlight of her life, but the robbers at least only seemed interested in the money. She wondered if they ever recovered the strongbox or caught the Bart gang.
    McKenna rolled over and hit her pillow a multitude of times before she felt satisfied. She sure missed her bed back home and feather pillow. She stared over to where Cole was sleeping and closed her eyes quickly when she looked directly into his eyes. She had a very uncomfortable sleep after that.
    She heard him laugh for a moment and that was enough to make McKenna cringe. She didn’t want him to think she was interested in him that way. She was just looking to see how comfortable he might be on the floor. She just wouldn’t admit that she liked him at least a little. It was nice to hear about his family, and she wondered just how young he had been when his parents died. He had to have at least been young enough to not be able to bodily remove his parents from their plantation, not that it mattered. She imagined they wouldn’t have gone quietly even if that were the case.
    Since she wasn’t able to sleep all she could think about was her sisters. Would they get on okay without her being there? Yes, they’d be fine; Abigail would make sure of that.
    Soon, Cole’s breathing was even enough for her to know he was sleeping, and she nodded off not long afterward.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    McKenna was bone-weary by the time they finally neared their destination many days later. Luckily, they had no further trouble on the way. When the driver called out that they were headed into Silver, McKenna practically stuck her head out of the window. Even Ethel and Bella scrambled over to get a look-see.
    She was overwhelmed, not at what the town was, but what it wasn’t. Silver wasn’t what she’d expected at all. It was dirty and dusty, not to mention insufferably hot. Sweat was working into places she’d rather not mention.
    They passed row after row of tents with grimy-faced men huddled over campfires, tin cups in their hands. There were some women, too, but they were just as dirty and appeared worn-out to the bone.
    “I didn’t know there’d be women here, too,” McKenna said.
    “They most likely work in the kitchen tent where the prospectors eat, some of them wives of the miners,” Ethel explained.
    It was then that the stagecoach passed a much larger tent. Smoke escaped through a pipe peeking through the top of the makeshift kitchen facility, the fragrance of bacon and eggs wafting over to them.
    When they finally made it to where there were building structures, there was only a bank, jail, saloon, and an empty building that had a ‘sold’ sign hanging in the window next to that. When McKenna glanced across the street, more buildings were being built and there was a restaurant, but she was shocked to see a store, which was already in place and quite open for business! How will they ever be able to make a go of opening another store in this town if there already is one?
    The stagecoach came to a halt and Cole jumped down and opened the door, helping McKenna down first before moving to assist the other ladies.
    “Thank you, kind sir,” Bella said with a cockeyed smile.
    The bags and suitcases were handed down. Cole took McKenna’s bag, but they hadn’t made it all that far when a man approached who wore a sheriff’s badge.
    “I heard you had a little trouble on the way, Richard,” the sheriff said.
    “What happened to the last sheriff?” Richard asked.
    “You know how it is; the