still like to meet him. I’d rather know what I shall have to deal with. And I’d say he’s likely to be worse in the morning.”
With a small toss of her head, she started to step around him. Daniel caught her shoulders and pinned her against a post to the covered walkway. “You would see him at his worst, yet you don’t want him to know that you shot a man?”
The moonlight caressed her face. His breath was sucked from his body. Her eyes glittered. She didn’t look down or away as another woman might in her place. He tried to remember he hated such boldness in a woman, but, damn, his blood thickened.
“A thief and would-be murderer,” she corrected him firmly.
His brother wasn’t a murderer or a thief, but Daniel struggled to keep the objection to himself. So far she hadn’t recognized him. Didn’t suspect anything beyond Rafael being a drunkard.
“And I just think it best if he hears it from me.” Her features had a mulish cast. “When I am ready to tell him.”
She had a point. He cocked his head, studying her. “Fair enough, but don’t wait too long or he will hear it from someone else.”
She shuddered ever so slightly. Perhaps she had been frightened. He lightly massaged her shoulders and cursed himself for an idiot. He told himself to drop his hands, step back, but he couldn’t. Wanting to soothe her and reassure her, he stepped closer and lowered his voice. “He’s a good man—you’ll see. He won’t hold it against you that you defended yourself against a man you believed was intent on harm.”
“He was intent on harm,” she insisted. “Someone had to stop him. The rifle fell right by Selina, and she knew that I had fired a gun before.” Another tremble ran through her. “I had to shoot.”
No, she hadn’t needed to shoot, because in another three or four seconds he would have dragged Rafe away, but Daniel couldn’t say that.
“He was looking right at Selina and me,” she whispered. “There were two of them and—” her pause spoke loudly of fears a lady couldn’t voice “—two of us.”
Damn Rafael. Daniel’s stomach turned. She’d likely thought she and her friend were about to be kidnapped and then raped.
“It’s all right,” he murmured. “Don’t think about it. You are safe here.”
The less she thought about it, the less likely she would be to connect them to what happened.
“This is a very lawless place,” she said.
“No. Not usually. And I promise I will make certain those criminals will never be seen again.”
“How?” she demanded.
Because if Rafael had a wild idea like that ever again, Daniel would hog-tie him. But he had to reassure her in a way that made sense. “I’ll track them tomorrow. I’ll make sure they never come near here again. You’re part of our household now, and I always protect my own.”
She turned her head sideways, and her chin quivered. Santa Maria, she wasn’t about to cry, was she? She turned back toward him and placed her hand on his chest. “Thank you, Mr. Werner.”
His heart thudded. Could she feel it racing under her palm? His fingers tightened on her shoulders as he looked at her mouth, the slight bow of her upper lip, the cherry pink of her lower.
He should say something, but words flitted out of his brain before they were fully formed. Then he was leaning toward her, knowing he was going to taste those lips, knowing it was wrong yet not knowing how to stop.
“Whash all thish noishe?” slurred Rafael.
Daniel froze. Tension screamed through his muscles as he looked over his shoulder. Rafael leaned against the door frame.
Daniel sucked in a deep breath and then said, “It appears you will meet my brother, after all.”
Even with such a large herd the land is often empty, so my brother experiments with grapes and other fruits that grow well in this temperate clime. But I should not bore you with descriptions of our work and will tell you about the mountains and hills.
Anna stared at the man behind Daniel. Rafael. Her intended. Not even the tiniest flicker in her belly occurred. Nothing like the flutters she had experienced when Daniel pulled up in Stockton.
Daniel stepped to the side. Her husband-to-be lolled against the recessed wall of his doorway as if he wouldn’t remain on his feet otherwise. She stared at him feeling as numb and empty as her coin purse.
Well, it wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to go. Besides, he owned a great deal of land, the hired girl’s cryptic warning aside. She’d just have to make the best of it. She took a step forward. “I’m glad to finally meet you.”
He gave a nod that nearly toppled him over.
Giving him an opening to explain or apologize, she said, “I expected you to pick me up in Stockton. I thought that was the plan.”
“No,” said Rafael.
“I would have thought...” She would have thought he would have wanted to see her, been just a wee bit eager, but, no, he’d stayed home and gotten drunk. Her mouth tightened.
“Thought what?” prompted Daniel.
Some drunks were mean. Would Rafael be one of those? “You’re not what I expected from your letters.”
Rafael flashed a smile, but it never reached his narrowed eyes before it was gone. “And you’re more...spirited than I knew.” He pushed away from the wall, then weaved before plunking back against it with a grunt. His brow knit. “Hear you...shot a man.”
She gasped. Cold water thrown in her face wouldn’t have shocked her more. She turned toward Daniel. He had the grace to look away. He’d not only ignored her request but hadn’t warned her he’d already told Rafael first when he’d brought it up.
“Did you even wait five minutes before telling?”
He couldn’t have.
“Guess not,” Daniel said. He glared at his brother even as he moved closer to him.
Of course his loyalty was to his brother, but after he’d just told her he protected his own and she was part of that circle, his betrayal was a punch to the gut.
Well, that was how it was to be, then. She stiffened her shoulders and looked back at her future husband.
Rafael looked on the verge of being ill.
“I hope you’re not a mean drunk.”
“Of course he isn’t.” Daniel leaped to his brother’s defense. Like her own brothers, they might be angry with each other, but they would defend each other to the death if any outsider stood against them.
Rafael squinted at her. She supposed he was waiting for some justification from her. If she planned to make this work, she couldn’t just smack him for being drunk or making spirited sound like a defect.
“The men in the stagecoach were missing their shots,” she explained. “I had to do something.”
“No need...to shoot...anymore. I’m a crack shot.” Rafe puffed as if the words had required a great deal of effort. How much had the man drunk? “And Danny alwaysh hi’s his targets, don’t you?”
“Usually,” muttered Daniel.
“I’ll protect...you.” Rafael lifted the hand he’d braced against the wall and waved it expansively. “No one will get...you...here.”
His knees buckled, and he scrabbled at the wall.
Scowling, Daniel caught his