Free Bounty Hunter by Donna Kauffman Page A

disinterest. In theblink of an eye, he shelved the groceries he’d been carrying and pulled the little
     shop owner halfway down the aisle. Pushing his face even with Dobs, he said, “What
     makes you think she’s running from something?”
    Dobs didn’t even blink at the rough treatment. In fact, his eyes twinkled as if he’d
     gotten the exact response from Kane he’d wanted. “I’ve been around these mountains
     a long time. Survived floods, blizzards, droughts.” The twinkle died. “And I know
     the difference between predator and prey. She’s got prey written all over her pretty
     face. She’s not here for no rest. Damn girl’s killing herself to make a go of it.
     Now me, I just want to make sure she’s got a fightin’ chance.” His small gray eyes
     narrowed. “You gonna be the one to give it to her?”
    Kane’s grip relaxed. It had been a long time since he’d been maneuvered quite so effectively.
     He thought of his grandmother and wasted a second wondering who’d have won in a matchup,
     she or Dobs.
    He had no desire to answer the man. He even turned toward the shelves with the idea
     of continuing his shopping as if their little discussion hadn’t happened.
    So it came as a surprise to him when he looked the man square in the eye and said,
     “Yeah. No one will touch her while I’m here.”
Including me
, he added silently.
    Dobs grinned, revealing a gold tooth and morethan a few empty spaces. “Good. Wouldn’t want you hunting the wrong quarry.”
    Before Kane could react to the remark, Dobs ambled back behind the counter and disappeared
     again.

FIVE
    Elizabeth came out of the post office in time to see Kane stow a box of what looked
     like groceries in the back of the pickup. There was another one the same size already
     there, along with two bales of hay and a bag of feed up by the cab. She hurried across
     the gravel road.
    “I’m sorry. I guess I got carried away talking to Letty. You didn’t have to do that.”
    “She’s the postmistress, right?” Kane shut the tailgate with a loud clang.
    “Postmistress, phone operator, and local busybody.” She smiled dryly. “I made the
     mistake of asking about her grandson, who she’d told me on my last visit had gotten
     the measles, and that was all it took.”
    “Guess she doesn’t have many people to talk to.”
    Elizabeth’s smile turned a bit wicked, and sheleaned a little closer to Kane. “I think she’s got something going with Dobs,” she
     whispered.
    She was rewarded with one of Kane’s half-smiles. It did such stunning things to his
     smooth, strong features that it took her a moment to recover. Only when Kane moved
     toward the driver’s side of the truck did she snap out of it and hurry after him.
    “I’ll drive,” he announced as he opened the door and swept a hand in front of him.
     When she started to protest, he said, “Hop in or I put you in.”
    Her eyes widened a bit at the command, but she quickly followed his orders. Considering
     the way his smile had affected her, the thought of him putting those large hands anywhere
     on her body … Not a good idea.
    They’d been bouncing over the rutted mountain road for a few minutes when the silence
     finally got to her. “I made a few calls from the post office.” He didn’t so much as
     blink, but she sensed he knew who she’d been calling. “I only got through to two names.
     Mr. Williams and Mr. Donegan.” She’d also tried her brother’s apartment. No answer.
     Again.
    “And?”
    She knew from the way he sat there that he wasn’t concerned with what she might have
     found out. She was almost tempted to lie, just to see if it would get a reaction out
     of him, but she couldn’t. Both men had praised Kane as if he were their personal patron
     saint. And to her eternal frustration, they’d both also managed to effectively endorse
     theman while not revealing one additional whit of personal information.
    “And you’re still hired,” she