Free Daniel by Starla Kaye Page B

town knew it, but neither of them was willing to risk moving into a permanent relationship. Love certainly had its problems sometimes.
    Sighing at the problems she faced, Jennie put on the blouse and buttoned the front. That darn Adam had made everything worse. He'd basically harassed her into leaving Daniel, talked her into going back to Boston, even helped her pack her trunks and brought her into town to the depot. She'd been too miserable to keep fighting with him. But Angelica and Faith had been talking outside the mercantile and spotted them. Angelica and Faith had raced after their wagon, while Annabelle had rounded up Caleb to go help them. Then in front of the depot and a half dozen people waiting for the stage, Angelica had furiously lit into Adam. Faith had torn into Caleb, too, when he hesitated about convincing Jennie to stay in Dryfork until Daniel got back.
    She reached for her skirt. Had she made the right decision staying here until Daniel returned? Maybe it would have been easier on them both if she'd just left town. She swallowed a painful lump of emotion. He hadn't even hugged her good-bye before he'd walked away from her to ride out on posse. They had shouted at each other and their final words to one another had played over and over in her mind ever since. "Don't you go getting yourself killed!" she'd warned him, worried and angry at the same time. He'd yelled right back, "And don't you go leaving town."
    Her troubled thoughts were interrupted by a soft tapping on the door. "Are you getting up and around, Jennie?" Angelica asked, sounding concerned.
    "You can come in," Jennie called back and stepped into her skirt. She pushed her musings aside and forced a smile for her new friend.
    The door opened and Angelica walked inside, studying Jennie. Although they were the same age, Angelica had far more experience in life and, surprisingly, she had an enormous mother-streak. She fretted over her regular saloon customers and she had been worrying about Jennie.
    "I can't believe I slept so late." Jennie shook her head in dismay. "I should have been up by now and at the mercantile already." Annabelle had insisted she help at the store while she was staying in town. Jennie knew the older woman was worried about her, wanted to keep an eye on her more than she actually needed help. And she loved her for caring so much.
    Angelica gave her an embarrassed look. "I'm sorry the men were in such a boisterous mood last night. I really tried to convince them to leave earlier, but..."
    Jennie smoothed down her skirt. "You don't have to apologize to me. This is a saloon. It's good for your business when they stay a little late, when they keep buying drinks. I understand that."
    "Yes, but..."
    A number of plodding hooves along Main Street drifted to them through the open window. Jennie froze, knowing before Angelica went to look out that the posse had returned. Her stomach knotted and she put a hand across it to calm the nerves there.
    "The posse is back," Angelica confirmed, turning to face Jennie with an uneasy glance. "Are you all right?"
    Jennie nodded. "Certainly. Just a little anxious is all." Daniel was back! Oh my! Had he even stopped by the ranch first to check on her? Or had he ridden straight into town with the other men?
    Sympathy shone in Angelica's eyes. She knew Jennie was reluctant to face Daniel for many reasons, one of them being he would be angry with her for leaving him. She thrust out her chin and straightened her shoulders. "I'll be down shortly. I just need to brush my hair out."
    "Take your time. I'll--"
    The pounding of hooves distracted her. They were louder than the others; someone was riding hard on the dirt road. Jennie stepped around Angelica to look out the window. She spotted the half dozen weary looking riders, men who had left with Daniel, making their way through town. But they had to edge their horses to one side when Daniel came all but flying through their midst. He rode straight to Adam's