Free Texas Bride by Carol Finch Page B

hitching post. He could feel the scout’s gaze on him as he and Maddie headed down the street.
    “Well? Is it settled?” Maddie asked curiously.
    “Kiowa Boone declined the offer,” Jonah said as Maddie bounded from her horse and made a beeline for the restaurant.
    “I intend to eat and rent a room for the night. You can scour the town for a guide, if you’re so inclined, but I plan to be refreshed and ready to ride at dawn.”
    Jonah glanced around to locate Crested Butte Saloon and Clark’s Mercantile. Although he wanted the matter settled and out of the way, he followed Maddie inside the restaurant and took a seat. The café was bustling with patrons, several of whom darted speculative glances at Maddie, then at Jonah. He had the unshakable feeling that no one in attendance thoughtthe attractive female belonged in his company. It was a prejudice he’d encountered for half his life.
    Since the crowd seemed harmless, Jonah ordered his meal, then stood up. “I’ll check out one of the other possible scouts before lunch arrives.”
    “Fine,” Maddie said stiffly. “Heaven forbid that you have to spend another few minutes with me when you could be locating someone to pawn me off on.”
    “Look, princess—” he tried to object, but she cut him off with a slashing gesture of her hand.
    “Just go.”
    And off he went. Jonah walked across the street to request that the barkeeper at Crested Butte Saloon point out the potential scout. Jonah frowned disapprovingly when his attention was directed to a scraggly haired buffalo hunter half sprawled across a table, his hat askew on his head. An empty glass sat a few inches away from the man’s grimy hands, which were tipped with filthy fingernails. Flies buzzed around him.
    It was high noon and Henry Selmon, the sorry son of a bitch, had already passed out.
    No way in hell was Jonah going to entrust Maddie’s safekeeping to this pathetic drunkard. Without shaking the snoring buffalo hunter awake, Jonah wheeled around and exited the saloon. Two down and one to go, he mused as he strode toward the mercantile store to locate Yancy Clark.
    Jonah introduced himself to the short, stocky Clark brothers, who were carrying supplies to the back of the store to load in the wagon waiting in the alley. When he explained his request, Yancy shook his frizzy red head.
    “Too busy,” he said as he shoved the wooden crate across the wagon bed. “I’m heading out to Dodge City with supplies in the morning.”
    Frustrated, Jonah returned to the restaurant and plopped into his chair to devour the meal that awaited him.
    “That was fast…. Well?” Maddie prompted.
    “Selmon is a drunk and Clark is taking a shipment of supplies north first thing in the morning,” he reported between bites.
    “Then the matter is settled,” Maddie declared. “Since you refuse to accompany me, then I will use your tactic of avoiding the open road and following tree-lined creeks. I’ll ride west tomorrow and you can head east.” She dropped money on the table to pay for her meal, then rose to her feet. “If you feel inclined to say goodbye, you can find me at Horning’s Hotel.”
    Exasperated, Jonah watched her walk away—and noticed that at least a dozen admiring male gazes followed her until she disappeared from sight. Jonah sighed heavily. That woman drew entirely too much attention, just by living and breathing. It would be impossible for her to make an unescorted jaunt across the frontier without getting herself in trouble.
     
     
    Maddie paid for her hotel room and carted her satchel upstairs to find meager but tolerable accommodations. All she wanted was an afternoon nap on a real bed. Then she would gather a few supplies before she enjoyed a hearty supper and settled in for a good night’s sleep. She also wanted to forget that Jonah Danhill had stomped on her feminine pride andhurt her feelings by racing around town, trying to foist her off on someone else so he could be rid of her.
    She