aYes.a aEven so, maaam, youare looking hard used at the moment. I hope your husbandas wrong about the pa.s.ses opening soon. You could use a few nights of sleep.a Jessica smiled rea.s.suringly, though she knew she would sleep no better in the coming night than she had any night since the terrible argument with Wolfe.

He had not relented one bit. No matter how hard she tried to be a good companion, he still treated her as an enemy, or worse, as a traitor who had betrayed him.

aMy husband a.s.sures me the pa.s.ses are open,a Jessica said.

aHas he talked to one of the gold hunters?a aNo. He watched the peaks all the way from hisa"oura"home. When the new snow melted back up the slopes so quickly, he said the pa.s.s would be open by the time we were ready to leave Canyon City.a aHeas certain?a Jessica slanted Rafe an odd glance. aYou met Wolfe. Did he strike you as an indecisive sort?a Shaking his head, Rafe laughed, remembering the uncanny precision of Wolfeas rifle work, men falling like dropped cards, one after another, with no break in the relentless rhythm of Wolfeas shots.

aNo, maaam. Thatas one hard man you married.a Jessicaas smile thinned and turned upside down.

aDonat take me wrong,a Rafe continued. aI meant no insult. In wild country, a hard man is the best kind, whether it be for a husband, a brother, or a friend.a Rafe looked out the window again. The group of men who had been lounging in front of one of the three saloons on the main street had drifted over to the wagon, where a sidesaddle was perched on top of a sack of grain.

aMaaam, is your husband in the saloon?a aNo. He has a rather low opinion of the local whiskey.a aSmart man. Matt had almost as many warnings about Taos lightning as he did about the Utes.a aMatt?a aMatthew Moran.a When Jessica looked thoughtful, Rafe added, aMaybe youave heard the name?a aIam not sure.a aHow about Caleb Black? His friends call him Cal.a aAh, yes,a Jessica said with soft bitterness, athat name Iave heard. The blasted paragon.a aI wouldnat know,a Rafe said, amused. aIave never met the man.a aNot Caleb. His wife. Sheas a paragon, Wolfe a.s.sures me.a aMust be the wrong Caleb Black, then. w.i.l.l.y was a lot of things, but a paragon wasnat among them.a aw.i.l.l.y?a aWillow Moran. At least, she used to be a Moran. Now sheas Willow Black.a Jessicaas mouth curved into a rueful smile. aPoor Rafe. Youave had a long stage ride and a bullet wound for nothing. The paragon is already wed.a aItas not what you think.a Rafe settled his battered hat onto his head with a tug. aw.i.l.l.y is my sister.a aUh-oh.a Jessica flushed. aIam sorry. I meant no insult to her. That is, Ia"oh, blazes, when will I learn to bridle my galloping tongue?a aDonat worry,a Rafe said kindly. aw.i.l.l.y would laugh as hard as anyone at the thought of being a paragon. Sheas as sa.s.sy as they come. But, Lord, can that girl cook. Iad go halfway around the world for some of her biscuits.a He grinned. aIn fact, I did.a aIt appears the paraa"er, your sister-and I have something in common.a aBiscuits?a aIn a manner of speaking. Wolfe has traveled half the earth and talked of little else but my biscuits in comparison to Willowas.a Rafeas gray eyes lit with inner laughter. aDonat feel bad about your own cooking, maaam. Brideas biscuits are famous the world over.a aMine are infamous. Even Messr. Skunk turned up his pointy black nose at them.a Rafe tried not to show his amus.e.m.e.nt, but the thought of a skunk pa.s.sing up food was too much. He threw back his head and laughed.

Jessica smiled up at him with real pleasure. It was good to hear a manas laughter and know there was one soul in the West who enjoyed her company. Then her smile faded as she remembered how she once had been able to amuse Wolfe. Once, but no longer. Now all he wanted from her was the sight of her back as she walked out of his life.

aDonat look so down, Reda"er, Mrs. Lonetree,a Rafe corrected quickly.

aPlease call me Red,a she said, sighing, aor Jessica or Jessi or whatever suits.a aThank you.a aNo thanks are necessary. If no one out here wants his family name known, it stands to reason nicknames and Christian names would be used instead. One must, after all, call others something.a Rafeas smiled faded as he looked out the window. A familiar tension stole through his body. He had spent enough time in rough places with rougher men to know that trouble was afoot.

The men standing around the Lonetree wagon were part of the crowds of drifters, outlaws, and prospectors who had gathered in Canyon City to await the opening of the pa.s.ses. l.u.s.t for gold ran through the men, but there was nothing they could do about that l.u.s.t for the moment. So they talked about women waiting for them with white thighs spread, and they drank, and they bullied people less coa.r.s.e than themselves.

The crowd outside had been getting rowdier with each drink from the bottle that was being pa.s.sed around. When Rafe had pa.s.sed them on the way to the store, he had heard their speculations on the subject of fancy foreign ladies, and if they had a special way of riding their men as well as riding their horses. Rafe doubted that the menas thoughts had become loftier with each pa.s.sage of the bottle.

aMrs. Lonetreea"a aThatas too formal,a she insisted softly.

Rafe looked away from the window. aAll right, Red. Donat go back to the wagon unless your husband is with you.a aWhy?a aThe men out there are drunk. They arenat used to decent women.a aI see.a Jessica sighed. aI have a few more purchases to make, in any case.a Silently, Rafe accompanied her down the counters loaded with dry goods.

aPerhaps you could help me,a she said after a few moments. aIave never bought clothes already made. Does this look the right size?a Rafe stared in disbelief at the Levis she was holding up.

aMaaam, I doubt that your husband could get one of his arms in those, much less a leg.a She smiled. aI was thinking of myself, not Wolfe.a Rafe made an odd sound as he measured the size of the denims and the delicate girl whose quality shone through her travel-rumpled clothes.

aThat cloth is much too harsh for someone like you,a he said simply.

Jessica slanted Rafe a sideways look and saw that he wasnat teasing. He truly thought she was as delicate as she looked.

aYou would be amazed at how st.u.r.dy I really am,a she said mildly.

After shaking out the Levis, Jessica held them against her waist. The legs fell to the floor and beyond.

aBlast.a She put back the Levis and rummaged for yet smaller ones. In time she found a pair that had been cut for a boy rather than a man. She held them up. She suspected they would be too loose in the waist and frankly snug in the hips. On the other hand, they were the smallest Levis she had yet found.

aWould you hold these for me?a she asked, handing over the Levis to Rafe.

He accepted them without a word and watched with increasing amus.e.m.e.nt while Jessica rummaged among the shirts for one that might possibly be small enough. He was still smiling indulgently when he sensed a presence behind his back. He turned around and saw Wolfe Lonetree standing there, measuring him for a shroud.

aRafe, what do you think ofa"oh, good, youare back,a Jessica said, holding out a shirt to Wolfe. aWhat do you think of this?a aToo small by half.a The clipped tones of Wolfeas voice brought Jessicaas head up. She looked at him and sensed the anger that blazed just beneath his impa.s.sive surface.

aI rather thought it was too large,a she muttered, measuring her arm against the sleeve.

Abruptly, Wolfe realized that Jessica was buying clothes for herself. aYour ladyship, we already have enough clothes for two packhorses. In any case, I wonat have you parading your limbs like a saloon girl throughout the West.a He took the Levis from Rafe and tossed them onto a table before he turned back to Jessica.

aDid you manage to purchase the dry goods on the list?a he asked.

aYes,a she said.

Despite the red flags on Jessicaas cheekbones, her voice was civilized. Wolfe didnat take the hint.

aWill wonders never cease.a Wolfe took the shirt from Jessica and threw it after the Levis.

Her eyes narrowed into ice-blue slits as she measured the grim lines on Wolfeas face.

aIall bring the horses from the stable,a he said flatly. aBy then you should have managed to get back to the wagon. The storekeeperas boy will help you carry everything.a With a black glance at Rafe, Wolfe turned and strode out of the store.

Rafe let out a long, silent breath. Seeing Jessicaas husband in his dark, well-worn trail clothes instead of city fashions had convinced Rafe that Wolfe Lonetree was indeed the halfbreed who was reputed to know the mountains so well. That same halfbreed was also reputed to be the best rifle shot west of the Mississippi and a warrior to the steel marrow of his bones.

Rumor hadnat mentioned that Wolfe was fiercely possessive of his wife, but Rafe would be happy to pa.s.s the word along to the next poor fool who innocently warmed himself at the hearth of Jessicaas smile.

aMaaam,a Rafe said, tipping his hat. aItas been a pleasure.a aDonat feel you must rush off. Wolfe isnat as fierce as he sometimes looks.a Rafe smiled thinly. aI believe youare right. Heas easily twice as fierce. Heas also d.a.m.ned, er, darned protective of you. Not that I blame him. If I had anything even a fraction as valuable as your smile, Iad be real careful of it, too.a Jessicaas smile flashed, then faded. As Rafe turned to leave, she said softly, aG.o.d speed, Rafael Moran.a She gave the name its fluid Spanish p.r.o.nunciation, lending the elegance of music to the syllables. Rafe turned back, struck by hearing his name spoken so beautifully.

aHow did you know my full name was Rafael?a aIt suits you.a Impulsively, Jessica touched Rafeas sleeve. aDo take care of yourself. Gentlemen are uncommon anywhere in the world.a aIam not all that gentle, maaam. But thank you. You stay close to your husband. Real close. This town has an ugly feel to it right now. Reminds me of Singapore, which is to say it reminds this sinner of h.e.l.l.a Rafe tipped his hat again and withdrew to the end of the store where harness was displayed. He reached for a long, coiled bullwhip. With smooth, almost invisible motions of his left wrist, he tested the whipas balance and flexibility. Twenty-five feet of supple leather writhed as though alive beneath his skilled hand.

With a sigh at having lost a pleasant companion, Jessica turned away. She gave a longing glance to the Levis and shirt that Wolfe had discarded, but made no effort to retrieve them. She was still shocked by the primitive masculine possessiveness he had shown. She wanted to tell Wolfe that he neednat be jealous of Rafe; she would rather have a single kind look from Wolfe than a week of kindness from Rafael Moran.

On the other hand, a bit of kindness from a stranger was better than no kindness at all.

Jessica went back to the dry-goods counter, found that Wolfe had paid for the purchases, and waited for the lanky teenage boy to gather up all the packages. The task would have gone more quickly if he had been able to keep his eyes on what he was doing rather than on the single tendril of mahogany hair that had slid out from beneath Jessicaas hat. The silky, subtle fire of the curl fascinated the boy, as did her light foreign accent and softly curving lips.

aIs everything all right?a Jessica asked finally.

Caught staring, the boy blushed to the roots of his badly cut hair. aSorry, maaam. Iave never seen anything like you outside of the fairy tale books Ma used to read to me.a aThatas very sweet of you,a Jessica said, hiding her smile. The boyas transparent approval was like a balm after Wolfeas constant anger. aHere. Let me get the door. You have far too many packages.a Jessica opened the door, caught a package that was teetering on the edge of falling, and gathered her skirts above her ankles to avoid the mud and manure of the street. She looked both ways, having narrowly avoided disaster earlier when a rider had gone racing through the streets at a dead gallop, whooping and swinging an empty whiskey bottle overhead like a sword in one hand while firing a six-shooter with the other. The performance would have been more impressive if the pony hadnat stopped suddenly, sending the rider head over heels into the muck.

aCareful, maaam,a the boy said. aThe town has gotten real lively since word of gold came out.a aGold?a aSomewhere up in those mountains. San Juan country.a aThatas where weare going.a aThought so.a aWhy?a aYour husband paid in raw gold,a the boy said simply. aBought horses at the stable with gold, too. Word went through here like wildfire.a When they were closer to the wagon, the boy looked hesitantly at Jessica. aTell your husband to be careful, maaam. Gold brings out the lowest kind of devil in men. From what Iave heard, Wolfe Lonetree is a bad man in a fight, but heas only one man. Iad hate to see a delicate girl like you come to grief.a Jessica looked at the boyas pale brown eyes and saw that he was older in many ways than she had thought from his awkwardness around her. She suspected that frontier living cut short the innocence of childhood. The boy was at least six years younger than she was, but he had an adultas understanding of the harshness of life.

aThank you,a she said softly. aWolfe willa"a aWell, what do we have here?a asked a rough voice, cutting across Jessicaas rea.s.surances. aMighty fine clothes for a town like this. Mighty pretty gal, too. Come here, sugarplum. Old Ralph wants a good look at you.a Jessica ignored the man who was standing at the rear of the wagon, wearing a split riding coat, muddy clothes and a wide leer.

aPut the packages in the back of the wagon, please,a she said to the boy.

While she spoke, she climbed into the wagon seat. Beneath the cover of her flowing skirts, her hand closed around the buggy whip.

aMaaam,a the boy said. His face was pale, his voice urgent.

aThank you. You may go back to the store now.a Jessica smiled rea.s.suringly, wanting only to remove the boy from the reach of the men who were gathering around the wagon.

aPlease go. My husband will be along soon. Perhaps you could see whatas keeping him?a aYes, maaam!a Ralphas hand shot out, but the boy twisted aside, evading capture. He sprinted for the stable, sending clots of mud flying with each step.

Jessicaas fingers tightened on the stock of the whip. She sat quietly, looking at the horizon, acting as though she were alone. The comments of the men gathering around the wagon told her she wasnat alone, but they werenat saying anything she chose to overhear.

A heavy, dirty hand grabbed a fold of her hem.

aBy G.o.d, I havenat felt anything this soft since Atlanta. Bet itas even softer underneath.a Several men laughed. The sound was as coa.r.s.e as the muddy street.

The few townspeople brave enough to walk past Main Streetas raucous saloon saw what was happening, but hesitated to interfere. The eight men around the wagon were heavily armed and drunk enough to be ugly without being incapacitated in the least. They made a formidable gang.

Nor was Jessica known to the townspeople as other than the wife of a halfbreed. It wasnat a high personal recommendation in the raw frontier town, where Indians were thought to be worth a lot less than a good c.o.o.n hound.

aA sawbuck says sheas wearing silk underwear,a called one of the men.

Ralphas hand tightened on Jessicaas skirt. aWell, sugarplum, is you is or is you ainat?a That witticism sent one man laughing until he could barely stand without the help of the wagon.

aCome on,a Ralph said. aShow a little leg to the lads.a Jessica ignored him.

aLook at me when I talk to you,a he snarled. aAny s.l.u.t that lies down with a halfbreed should be d.a.m.n grateful that a white man will even touch her.a When Jessica felt her skirt shift, she wrenched the wagon whip free and brought its heavy stock down across the bridge of Ralphas nose with all the force of her small body. Bellowing with rage and pain, Ralph let go of the skirt and grabbed his face. Blood spurted between his fingers. Before Jessica could turn to face the rest of her attackers, Ralph grabbed her wrist, pulling her off balance.

There was a sound like a pistol shot, followed by a high scream. The grip on her arm loosened. From the corner of her eye, Jessica saw Rafe running toward her, wielding the supple bullwhip with lethal skill. As she watched, his left arm moved slightly and the long bullwhip leaped forward. The odd, pistol-like sound came again. Close to her, one of the attackeras hats seemed to leap up and fell away in two pieces. Blood poured from a gash over the manas eye.

Suddenly, the men were reaching beneath their coats.

aThey have guns!a Jessica yelled.

She brought the buggy whip down as hard as she could on the closest man, but knew it wouldnat be enough. There were five men left untouched, four more were running from the saloon, and they were all armed.

aGet down!a Rafe yelled.

Jessica ignored him, for she was too busy laying about with the buggy whip.

Rafeas bullwhip sang out again, but this time it wrapped very gently around Jessicaas waist. The yank Rafe gave wasnat gentle at all. It pulled her right out of the wagon and into his arms as gunfire erupted around them. Pressed between the side of the wagon and Rafeas big body, Jessica saw little of the fight.

What she did see astonished her. Wolfe was down the street in front of the stable, two hundred yards away, and he was picking off men just as fast as he could lever bullets into the firing chamber. Lead whined and crashed around the wagon. The withering hail of bullets sent the men scattering.

All that prevented every one of the attackers from being killed was the fact that Jessica was in the middle of the fracas.

aSon of a b.i.t.c.h, but that man can shoot,a Rafe said reverently.

A lull came in the firing.

aJessi!a yelled Wolfe.

aIam all right!a she called back.

aIf I were you, boys,a Rafe said in a normal tone, aIad see how far down into that mud I could get before Lonetree reloads.a The wisdom of Rafeas advice became apparent as Wolfe swapped rifle for carbine and opened fire again. The men who hadnat fallen already threw themselves full length onto the soggy ground.

aHang onto the wagon, maaam,a Rafe said.

Blindly, Jessica grabbed the rough wood.

Rafe stepped back until he could see all of the men.

aKeep your heads down, boys, or youall lose them.a It was the only thing Rafe said. It was all he had to say, for the whip in his hand was like a living thing, flicking restlessly over the fallen men, plucking at their hats and coats, nipping at fingers that crept closer to hidden guns. No sharp pistolsounds came from the bullwhip now, simply an unnerving hissing and seething as leather licked lightly over flesh.

One of the men moaned and crossed himself.

aThatas the idea,a Rafe said encouragingly. aNever too late for a man to get religion.a Wolfe arrived at a dead run, carbine in hand. Behind him came the boy from the dry-goods store, carrying the empty rifle. One by one Wolfe went to the frightened men, rolled them over with his boot, and memorized their faces. They stared back at him and knew they had never come closer to dying.

When the last man had been memorized, Wolfe stepped back. aIf I see any of you near my wife again, Iall kill you.a Jessica looked at Wolfe and had no doubt of it. Even as she told herself she should be appalled, she wasnat. She sensed she would have been brutally treated by men who knew nothing of her but her name and her s.e.x.

aIam counting to ten,a Wolfe said in a neutral tone that was more threatening than a shout. As he spoke, he began feeding cartridges into the carbine. aAnyone who is in sight when Iam finished had better be shooting. One. Two. Three. Four.a There was a frantic scrambling as men came up out of the mud and stumbled down the street. Most were limping. Several could use only one arm.

One man didnat move at all.

Somehow, Jessica wasnat surprised that it was the man called Ralph who had died. Neither was Rafe. He looked from the mohonless man to Wolfe and nodded.

aGood job, Lonetree. Youare everything Iave heard you were. But youare still only one man and if s a long way to Calas spread.a There was nothing friendly in Wolfeas blue-black eyes as he levered a cartridge into the firing chamber and turned on Rafe.

aWhat the h.e.l.l business of yours is it where weare going?a

9.

aR AFE is the paragonas brother,a Jessica said quickly, stepping between the two men.

There was a tense silence before Wolfe spoke.

aWillowas brother?a he asked, looking over Jessicaas head at the handsome blond man.

Rafe nodded.

A subtle change came over Wolfe as understanding began to sink through the adrenaline of battle. There was a visible lessening of the predatory readiness that had radiated from him when he saw Rafe standing so close to Jessica. For the s.p.a.ce of several breaths, Wolfe looked intently at the big man who used a whip with chilling skill. Finally, Wolfe nodded slowly.

Jessica let out a slow breath and stepped aside once more.

aI should have guessed,a Wolfe said. aSame honey-licking drawl, same hair, same catlike shape to the eyes.a He smiled at Rafe for the first time, unc.o.c.ked the carbine, and held out his right hand. aWillowas a d.a.m.n sight prettier, though.a aIad hope to shout.a Rafe smiled slowly and shook Wolfeas hand. aI suppose youave heard this before, but youare one h.e.l.l of a shot with a long gun.a Jessica watched the two men shake hands and felt the last of the tightness ease inside her. Having Rafe and Wolfe eyeing one another as potential enemies had been like having knives sc.r.a.ping over her nerves.

aYouare the devil himself with that bullwhip,a Wolfe said, as he helped Jessica aboard the wagon. aNever seen anything like it. Are you a teamster?a aIam a jackaroo, among other things. Thatas Australian for a cow chaser. They use stockmanas whips and heeler dogs down there.a Rafe paused and added, aNormally I travel alone, but I suspect weare headed the same place, and too many people know about the raw gold in that poke of yours.a Wolfe nodded slowly. aI usually travel alone, too, but with Jessica alongaa He shrugged. aFrankly, Iad been wishing that Caleb or Reno was around. Iad be pleased to have a good man at my back.a aYouave got one.a aYes, I believe I do.a Wolfe grinned. aClimb aboard, Rafe Moran, and welcome.a Wolfe gestured to the boy from the mercantile, who came running up with the gold-inlaid rifle.

aLordy, mister, I ainat never seen no shootina like that nowhere! And that bullwhip,a he said, turning to Rafe. aLordy, lordy. Like to make me believe in the Devil.a aBetter to believe in G.o.d,a Rafe said. aThe Devil has enough takers.a Wolfe fished a ragged gold nugget out of his leather poke. aThanks for coming to the stable after me. You ever need help, you put out word for Wolfe Lonetree. Iall come running. Count on it.a The boy flushed. aYou donat have to pay me, mister. I just was worried about the lady.a aSheas a worry to us all.a Jessica shot Wolfe a look, but smiled warmly at the boy.

aSon?a Rafe said quietly.

The boy tore his glance away from Jessica. Rafe flipped him a heavy silver coin. The boy caught it automatically.

aSee that somebody reads over the corpse,a Rafe said, flicking the bullwhip in the direction of the dead man. aToo late to do any good, I suppose, but Iam told an immortal soul is a resilient thing and our G.o.d is a forgiving G.o.d.a aThatas not what Preacher Corman says,a the boy muttered, hefting the coin.