Free The Golden Rules of Love: Western Romance by Tammy Andresen Page B

signaled to Mary Beth to come up behind him. Annie watched as her friend climbed the ladder. Tom reached down and grabbed her up in his arms. One of Annie’s eyebrows quirked.
    Mack nodded for her to go next. A small shudder passed through her. She didn’t like being out over the water. She never had. Annie started up the ladder on shaky legs. It was very loose and swayed as she moved. She was relieved when she finally reached the top and was able to grab the rail with both hands. Resting for a moment, she took a deep breath. There was a break in the rail to step onto the deck. One more step and she would be standing safely on the hard wood planks.
    A hand touched her hip and a jolt travelled through her body. She didn’t need to look to know it was Mack. “I’m almost there.”
    “Take your time, sweetheart. I just wanted you to know I would catch you if you fell.”
    A tiny smile touched her lips. “I knew that already.” Annie took the last step and reached the safety of the deck.
    She stood, looking back at the small city of San Francisco. From here, it looked like a sleepy, peaceful town.
    Mack came up next to her and touched her arm, “Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine. I just don’t like climbing the ladder. The water…” Annie turned to look at him as his hand slipped from her arm to her waist. She closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the feeling of his large hand enveloping her. “The boat is beautiful.”
    “I think we’ll be safer if we move onto it as soon as possible.”
    Annie nodded. She didn’t want to face another Indian attack. Sleeping on the boat would be just fine with her.
    They explored their new home, inspecting the hull for damage and checking for supplies. Then they climbed back onto the dingy and started for the shore. 
    “What’s your plan, Mack?” Tom called over his shoulder as he rowed.
    Mack rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I don’t like splitting up. If we start moving goods on the boat and then can’t finish, some of us will have to be on the boat and others on the shore. We’ll wait till tomorrow and move everything in one day.”
    “What about our stuff?” Annie bit her lip. She had just agreed to start a job tomorrow.
    “We’ll move your things. You use the restaurant to ask everyone you can if they have seen my brother or Jasper. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
    Rake made a face. “Why we gotta move their―“
    Mack cut him off. “Annie saved our lives this morning. You can move a few of her things.”
    Rake didn’t say any more. But his face was sour. Annie shrugged. With the theft of most of their precious belongings, there was almost nothing to move.
    “Mary Beth and I should be able to have the wagon cleared out in an hour. You can sell it today if you want. One less thing to worry about.”
    “I’ll get you a fair price.” Mack nodded his approval.
    Annie looked at Mary Beth. Mary Beth nodded back. “Keep the money and consider it our down payment on return passage.”
    He gave a single nod but Mary Beth was looking at a boat deck as they passed it in skiff. “Albert William Francis!” her voice shrieked out. Her gaze was directed at a man who stood on the deck of the boat, drunk, with his arm slung around a woman who was barely dressed.
    Annie gave a gasp.
    Mary Beth turned to the men around her and hissed, “Get out your guns and don’t argue.” Then she looked back at the man on the deck who was blinking his eyes in utter confusion.
    “Mary Beth?” His arm dropped from around the other woman, a dumbstruck look still marking his face.
    “You good for nothing, low life piece of cow―“ she clamped her lips together suddenly as their skiff drew up next to the larger ship. In an instant, Mary Beth shot up from the skiff, sending it rocking as she grabbed the rope ladder and began scaling towards the deck. Annie had never seen her friend move so quickly and was scurrying over the rail as Tom struggled to catch up.
    Annie forgot