Free To Tame A Texan by Georgina Gentry

responsibility; go find her!”
    Looking at Dad’s stormy face, Ace decided this wasn’t a good time to argue the point. “It was a straight shot to the back door; I can’t see how she lost her way.”
    Dad’s face grew even stormier.
    â€œUh, I’ll backtrack and find her.” Ace turned and hurried in the direction they had come.
    Â 
    Â 
    Lynnie had deliberately fallen behind the little group until they were far ahead of her. Reporters were out front. A courageous woman who was crusading for a righteous cause would not sneak away like a chicken thief. This was a perfect time to take her message to the world. Well, at least to the area around Austin. She took out her little purse and put on her glasses so she could see, and hurried out the front door and down the steps. Immediately, she was surrounded by milling reporters.
    â€œMiss McBride?”
    â€œYes, I’m Lynnie McBride.”
    Notebooks came out as the reporters crowded closer. “Tell us what happened at the ball, miss. Is that a black eye you’ve got?”
    Lynnie nodded. “I was attempting to let the governor and the legislators know that Texas women demand equality and the vote.”
    â€œWhat do you think of the governor?”
    â€œWell, my brother-in-law and Trace Durango think the governor is an idiot, and after seeing the man, I quite agree.”
    â€œCan we quote you on that?” Pencils began to fly.
    â€œOf course! Texas women deserve equal rights, and I merely turned the ball into a protest rally.”
    The reporters crowded even closer, shouting questions. Lynnie began to have second thoughts. Maybe her remarks had been too rash. She wasn’t quite sure what the consequences could be. Matter-of-fact, she hadn’t thought about anything except getting the message out. The men were loud and persistent, and the crush around her was growing. She was a slender, small girl, and she began to panic at the shoving and pushing.
    About that time, Ace Durango came through the doors, took the steps two at a time, and shouldered his way through the mob to her. “Lynnie, what the hell are you doin’?”
    â€œTalking to the reporters.” She wouldn’t for the world admit that she was a little bit relieved to see him.
    â€œLordy, Dad and Uncle Maverick will have my hide over this,” he scolded, and put his arm around her, elbowing his way through the men. “I’m already in enough trouble over you.”
    She had forgotten how big Ace was until he was plowing a path through the eager reporters, protecting her from the crush. She breathed a sigh of relief. Uncle Trace and Maverick came around the corner and motioned them to follow. Ignoring the eager group following them, the pair ran to get into the carriage and started off into the coming dawn.
    â€œSon,” said Trace, “Lynnie was your responsibility. You should have protected her.”
    Ace looked at her, evidently waiting for her to speak. Lynnie hesitated. If she did so, she could take the heat off him. Should she? Naw, the brute deserved it. The big, handsome cowboy thought he was God’s gift to the female sex; the antithesis of the equal woman. Lynnie blinked and smiled innocently
    Ace glared at her and made a twisting motion with his big hands, as if he were wringing her slender neck.
    â€œAce,” said his father, “what the hell are you doing?”
    â€œNothin’.”
    Trace leaned back in the carriage. “Young lady, I’m sorry my errant son didn’t do a better job of protecting you. I know you didn’t realize when you accidentally went out the wrong door that you’d run into reporters.”
    Lynnie didn’t say anything, only smiled innocently.
    Ace watched her and amused himself by thinking about grabbing that skinny neck and shaking her until her teeth rattled and that fire-colored hair fell out of its fancy hairpins. She was crafty and smarter