Free The Fortune by Beth Williamson

smoking, sucking on cups of coffee, whittling or chewing on a stick. They varied in ages from a young snot-faced boy to a man older than dirt.
    Declan nodded. “Evenin’, gentlemen.”
    “Buck, this here’s Declan Callahan. He was looking for work and missed us in Independence.” John spoke to a man seated on the opposite side of the fire.
    Buck Avery was a big man, possibly bigger than Declan, and his gaze was as sharp as the knife he whittled with. “That so? I don’t know a Declan Callahan. Who sent you my way?”
    Declan took off his hat. “Mr. Gunderson at the livery in Independence. He knew I was looking for a job and thought I could work the wagon train for you.”
    Not necessarily an entire lie, but a fabrication. Gunderson had given up information, not that he’d wanted to.
    Buck got to his feet, knife in hand. Declan’s body was on instant alert, ready to pull his knife from its sheath. He would go down swinging.
    “I don’t need another hand.” Avery held his gaze, assessing and probing. Declan didn’t blink.
    “If it’s all right with you, I’ll travel along just in case you change your mind.” Declan shrugged. “I won’t go back to Independence. There’s nothing for me there.”
    He waited, expecting Avery to tell him to go to hell or worse. If he was able to stay for at least a day, he would find her and he could go back to New York with the girl. The Chastains had to be with the wagon train.
    “I don’t object to you riding alongside the train. Another gun might be handy.” Buck pointed the knife at Malloy. “He can bunk near you. It’ll keep your tent empty of anything but you.”
    The men around the campfire all chuckled at Buck’s pronouncement. Everyone except John. His jaw tightened, along with his fist, but he didn’t respond to the strange taunt.
    “Thank you, Mr. Avery. If you change your mind about hiring me, I work cheap and I will do just about anything.” Declan was at least telling the truth about that. There wasn’t much he hadn’t done for money. When he started with nothing but the clothes on his back and his wits, there was no place to go but up.
    John turned around and walked away. Declan nodded to Avery and hurried to follow Malloy. He would try to find out more in the morning about the settlers and narrow down which wagon held the Chastain girl.
    Declan smiled into the darkness. He’d found her.
     
     
    John made one more circle around the perimeter of the circle of wagons. All was quiet and Callahan had been the only thing stirring in the darkness. He slung the rifle on his back and rounded the curve that would lead him straight to his tent.  
    He ran smack into a female body, then fell right on his ass. She’d been all soft womanly curves but strong enough to remain standing when he plowed into her.
    “Holy hell, lady. What are you doing out here in the dark?” His tailbone had landed on a rock and damned if he didn’t have pain shooting straight up his back.
    “I did not realize I needed your permission, Monsieur Malloy.”
    It was worse than he thought. He’d run into the one woman who had him tied in knots.
    “Frankie. Does your Pa know you’re roaming around alone?”
    She sucked in a breath, he was sure, of outrage. “I do not need permission to take a walk. From anyone.”
    “You need a keeper.” He got to his feet and wiped the dirt of his backside.
    Then she pushed him and he landed right back where he started. She jumped on him, straddling his body with her legs and proceeded to punch the snot out of him. Her hard little fists slammed into his jaw, cheek and forehead.
    John swatted at her hands, his jaw stinging from the blows she’d landed. “Frankie, what the hell are you doing?”
    “I am tired of your boorish face and the way you treat women. How dare you kiss me and then propose to that, that woman ?” Her voice was thick with emotion, but he couldn’t tell if it was anger or hurt.
    She was a wildcat, hissing and pelting him