Free Texas Bride by Carol Finch

to escort my wife west while I return to Coyote Springs,” Jonah declared.
    Major Thorton thoughtfully stroked his goatee and frowned. “Why can’t she take the stage? That would eliminate the need for a guide.”
    “She prefers to ride horseback,” Jonah replied,then flashed the major a wry smile. “My life is much easier if I give my wife what she wants.”
    Major Thorton chuckled as his gaze darted around Jonah’s shoulder to appraise Maddie. “I usually follow the same policy for the same reason,” he agreed. He propped his fingertips together, contemplated for a long moment, then said, “I would recommend three men. One of them is a civilian scout we employ on occasion. You can probably find Kiowa Boone at Wild Card Gaming Hall down at the Flat. He usually prefers to trail north, not west, but he might be convinced to help you if the price is right.
    “Henry Selmon is a buffalo hunter who has been all over these parts,” the major continued. “When he’s in town he frequents the Crested Butte Saloon. Your last prospect is Yancy Clark, who rides shotgun for freight wagons headed up the cattle trail to Dodge City. You can probably find him at the mercantile shop that he and his brother own.”
    Jonah nodded gratefully. “I appreciate your help, Major.”
    Thorton came to his feet behind his desk and extended his hand. “Good luck finding a guide, Mr. Danhill. With a pretty wife like yours, I can understand why you want to be selective.”
    Maddie silently fumed when Jonah turned around and shoveled her from the office, as if she was too stupid to find the door by herself. The way he was lording over her made it seem as if they truly were married.
    Maddie made up her mind there and then that if she did marry eventually she was not going to be dominated and ordered around. She’d spent the pastmonths making decisions for herself, and she was not going to depend on any man the way she had allowed herself to blithely do with her father.
    “Don’t give me that mutinous look,” Jonah said as they descended Government Hill.
    Maddie jerked up her chin and glared at him good and hard. Not that it fazed him. Going up against Jonah Danhill was like banging her head against a stone wall. Nonetheless, she was not going to be walked over and treated as if her opinion counted for nothing.
    “I do not want a guide,” she told him firmly and decisively.
    “Tough. You aren’t leaving town without one,” he retorted. He halted in front of a shabby saloon and dismounted. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
    Maddie glared meat cleavers at his departing back as he strode off. When she eased her horse away from the hitching post, impulsively deciding to turn tail and ride away, hell-for-leather, Jonah wheeled on her and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Do not make me track you down. It’s what I do and I’m damn good at it.”
    “All this and conceited, too.”
    “No, confident. I’ve been tested repeatedly. And if you leave while I’m inside the gaming hall I’ll be mad as hell when I track you down, so stay put!”
    Although everything inside Maddie rebelled, she sensibly reminded herself that outrunning Jonah would be a waste of time and effort. Besides, she could dismiss her unwanted guide the moment Jonah rode east, and he would never know the difference.
    She gave him a mocking bow from atop her mare. “Yes, master. Anything else?”
    “Just stay put.” Muttering, Jonah spun on his heels and disappeared inside the saloon.
    Maddie glanced longingly at the restaurant down the street. Despite Jonah’s agenda of locating a suitable guide, Maddie decided their next stop was going to be the café because her stomach was growling to beat the band. After that, she intended to rent a hotel room and relax before she began the next leg of her journey in the morning.
    Though she hated to admit it, she was going to miss having Jonah underfoot. He hadn’t gotten attached to her, but she had definitely become