Free Cooper's Woman by Carol Finch Page B

his dagger. He tossed them into the bushes as he limped toward his horse. “I don’t think we’re going to be best friends,” he said before he reined away from the burly henchman.
    He heard Denton cursing a blue streak while he groped in the shrubs to locate his weapons. Coop had the distinctive feeling that he had made an enemy of Oscar Denton. But then, Coop had many enemies among the outlaw population of the world.
    One more didn’t make that much difference.

Chapter Five
    A lexa had endured as much of Elliot’s tiresome company as she could stand that evening, while taking their meal in the dining room then adjourning to the parlor to sip wine. She was relieved when Oscar Denton lumbered inside around ten o’clock.
    â€œPardon, boss, but this message arrived for you. I thought you might want to see it immediately.”
    â€œGoodness, look at the time.” Alexa rose to her feet. “I should be going. Thank you, Elliot, for a most delightful evening.” She was quite pleased with herself because she hadn’t gagged on the words.
    Alexa exited the room before Elliot called her back. She had even managed to avoid further discussion of a possible betrothal. She had chattered nonstop, hoping to bore Elliot into a coma. She had nearly succeeded. Then Oscar showed up to provide her with an excuse to leave.
    Once outside the house, Alexa inhaled a restorative breath of evening air. She scurried toward the rented carriage that waited on the circle driveway. She grinned, recalling that she had outsmarted Miguel this evening by sending him into town with Kate to retrieve the carpetbag she had purposely left behind at the hotel.
    Alexa hadn’t wanted Miguel hovering around, in case she had the chance to do a little snooping—which she intended to do now. She was eager to find out who had sent the missive to Elliot. Miguel, of course, would have nagged her relentlessly to let Coop do the investigating.
    Unfortunately, his arrival this evening disturbed her and left her wondering whose side he was really on.
    Alexa drove the carriage down the beaten path then veered into a grove of pine trees to avoid detection. She had a clear view of the office window and noticed a lantern had flared to life. She could see Oscar’s and Elliot’s silhouettes in the window. A moment later Oscar exited.
    The guard dragon returned to his post on the front porch. Good. If he wasn’t circling the house at regular intervals, she could tiptoe up to the window to see what was going on in Elliot’s office.
    Suspicion continued to hound Alexa. She wondered if Coop would show up for another consultation with Elliot. What was he up to? Was he planning to double-cross Mr. Chester?
    She’d shoot him herself if she discovered he was professionally unreliable and corrupt. She’d shoot him twice to compensate for the disconcerting realization that she couldn’t trust her instincts as well as she thought she could. Then she’d blast him a third time for disappointing her personally.
    Maybe her father and Miguel were right. Maybe ex-bounty hunters and so-called detectives couldn’t be trusted completely. Her instincts might have failed her in this instance because of her fierce physical attraction to Coop.
    She pricked her ears when she heard the clatter of hooves, indicating a late-night visitor had arrived. She squinted, trying to determine if it was Coop or the unidentified man from the line shack who approached the ranch house.
    Alexa cursed under her breath when she stumbled over the hem of her gown. Halting near the garden gate, she shed her petticoats, and then tossed them over the white picket fence. Hurriedly she fashioned her dress into breeches so she could scurry through the shrubs without being snagged.
    In the near distance, she could hear muffled voices. With her curiosity on high alert, she quickened her pace to reach the corner of the house. Removing her slippers to