Free The Wrangler by Jillian Hart Page B

muslin shirt, with his dark hair freshly combed and his jaw smoothly shaven, he could almost be mistaken for a decent man. Except for his hard, cold gaze.
    "I came to talk to your uncle." He nudged his gelding closer, leaning one gloved hand on his saddle's pommel. "He wouldn’t be around, would he?"
    "Uncle Ho-wie?" The words croaked out of her suddenly tight throat.
    "There's a business matter he and I need to discuss."
    "He's, uh—" The good news was she'd managed to be convincing last night. The bad news was Uncle Howie was in St. Louis. "—off takin' care of errands," she finished lamely.
    "Too bad. This can't wait. I need my money by sundown."
    "Your money?" A cold hand gripped her midsection, a warning of what was to come.
    "I told your uncle about the mortgage when I played cards with him last night. Hubert had a hand that couldn't lose, so I loaned him cash against this land."
    Typical Pa. She squeezed her eyes shut. She blew out a breath, opened her eyes and stared down at the toes of her riding boots, trying to keep her composure. Pa had many weaknesses, he was frail. Life had broken him long ago and he'd never recovered. Still, his betrayal hurt.
    "I have the document if you want to read it." Tannen produced a folded piece of parchment from his shirt pocket. "It's all nice and legal, thanks to the town lawyer."
    "I want—I mean, I'm sure Uncle Howie will want to read it." Her hand shook as she stepped forward to take the folded parchment.
    The instant she seized the document, Tannen's grip clamped around her wrist, holding on like a steel band. The faint scent of whiskey carried on the wind. He didn't take his gaze from her. It felt too intense, aggressive somehow.
    She gritted her teeth, refusing to be afraid, and wrenched free.
    "You're a real looker, Kit. You know that? And so's your little sister over there." He smiled like a good guy, like someone trustworthy, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I can see why Hubert kept you two hidden here. With good reason. I need one hundred dollars by sundown, and if you can't come up with it, you and I can make other arrangements."
    Her throat went dry. Lust flickered in his gaze as he looked her up and down, leaving no doubt as to what he intended to take in trade.
    "Do we have a problem?" Dakota's deep voice thundered with latent threat. His shadow fell across her, a protective warrior ready for battle.
    "Outlaw." Tannen paled a little around the edges. "I see you survived. Too bad. My gunman had been shooting to kill."
    "I'm hard to kill. Don't you forget that." Dakota rested his hand on his holstered revolver. "Now move along."
    "I want payment, one way or another, or this land is mine." Tannen wheeled his horse around and galloped from sight.
    "I don't like him." The steel in Dakota's tone made Kit shiver.
    She was glad he was on her side.

Chapter Seven

    How could everything go this wrong this fast? Kit couldn't believe it. There was a mortgage on the land. She wrenched away from Dakota and stormed toward the place where the grasses grew wild, beyond the tent where the sun burned her eyes. They were in debt by hundreds of dollars?
    Her head spun, she couldn’t seem to get any air. It was exactly like Pa. He'd mortgaged their future, as always, and he'd walked away without telling her because he hated conflict. The task of providing for her brother and sister went from manageable to gargantuan. So much for her plans.
    "What are you going to do now?" Dakota's question carried on the wind, his approach as silent as a stalking wolf.
    "No idea. Haven't figured that out yet."
    "You have options. To stay and pay it, or pack up and leave."
    "Thanks." She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't have thought of that."
    "Hey, trying to help." The corners of his mouth tipped upward. "Are you all right?"
    "No, but getting better." She blew out a breath, trying to master her emotions. She had Mindy and Fred depending on her. She had to figure this out. "I don't want to lose this