Debra Cowan - Whirlwind Cowboy

He didn’t push her away or pull her close. He didn’t move at all. A sob jerked out of her. She wanted to be folded into those big arms. Just the strength in his body, the thud of his heart, calmed the panic tearing loose inside her.

How ridiculous. The man couldn’t abide her. Still, Deborah couldn’t make herself move away from him.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.”

He sat stiffly, his voice hoarse. “What was the dream?”

She tried to recall it. A suffocating heaviness hovered on the edge of her mind, making her shudder.

“Deborah?” he asked quietly.

“I’m not sure. There was nothing, then … I was thrown into some kind of horror.” She stared down at her shaking hands. “It was awful, terrifying. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t. There was a feeling of violence, something coming closer to me, then it was gone before I could tell what or who it was. I can’t make any sense of it.”

She shuddered, her voice muffled against his warm muscular torso. One of his big hands closed around her waist, steadying her. With his other hand, he lifted the far corner of the sheet and wiped her eyes.

She realized she was still crying.

“You okay?” The gruff worry in his voice made her want to snuggle into him. He moved his hand up her back, warm, reassuring, and cupped her shoulder.

Pain flared, causing her to flinch.

Bram jerked his hand away. “What is it? Are you hurt?”

She nodded, turning her head to look at her shoulder. “It’s sore.”

Before she could blink or check for herself, he nudged her hair aside and lifted her chemise strap. He cursed. “There’s a bruise here. A big bruise.”

She craned her neck to see. The mark was wide and bluish-black.

Bram studied it, too. “This must’ve happened at the same time as your other injuries.”

She looked up, startled to see how cold and hard his eyes were. “Do you think I fell? Or maybe was struck?”

A muscle flexed in his jaw as he shifted his gaze to the cut on her temple. “Hard to know for sure.”

His breath drifted warmly against her skin. Just his presence made her feel less shaky. She was overwhelmed with the urge to climb into his lap and huddle into his strength. It unsettled her how much she wanted that. Her grip tightened on the sheet.

The dark stubble along his jaw softened the rough angles of his face. She found herself staring at his mouth, trying to recall how it felt. Despite not remembering, she had no doubt they had kissed.

She became aware then that he was also staring at her mouth.

Before she realized what she was doing, she lifted her hand to his face and lightly touched the raw scar on his cheek.

Their gazes locked and in his she saw heat, hunger, then nothing. A chill crept over his face.

He gently but firmly removed her hand, then surged to his feet and moved to the door.

She tried to dismiss the sudden knifing sense of aloneness. He shouldn’t be the only one pulling away. She had rejected the man’s marriage proposal, after all.

“Do you think it was Cosgrove who hurt me? Just as he did you?”

“Most likely.” Bram’s gaze flicked to her face, then to her bruised shoulder. “I came in to let you know we can leave. The storm is over.”

The noise outside had stopped, she realized. “So, you’re taking me home?”

“Unless you don’t want to go.”

“Where else would I go?” She prayed her family wasn’t as angry at her as he was. “Do you think my family will welcome me back? If I hurt them as badly as I hurt you, they may never want to see me again.”

“They’ll be glad to see you.”

She tangled her fingers in the sheet she still held to her chest. “How far is my house?”

“Less than an hour’s ride from here.”

She was so close, yet she’d had no idea. She brushed the grit off her hands. “Can you tell me something about my family? So I won’t feel as if I’m meeting complete strangers.”

He hesitated, plainly reluctant to answer, but finally said, “You, your ma and sisters moved to Whirlwind to be near your brother, Jericho.”

Deborah nodded. “Why does my brother live here? Where did we move from?”

“You moved from Uvalde. Your brother came here tracking some outlaws and stayed because he fell in love and married a woman in

Whirlwind.”

“What else?”

He looked impatient. “I’m not sure what you want to know.”

“Anything. Please.”

“All of you kids were named after people in the Bible. Jericho is the oldest, seven years ahead of you. Jordan is two years younger than you, Michal a year behind her and Marah’s a year behind that.”

Deborah had hoped the information might spark some memory, but it didn’t. Her mind was still a blank slate. “You said my brother is married.”

Bram nodded, keeping his distance by staying at the door. “To a fine woman named Catherine. They have a baby girl, Evie.”

His gaze went again to her mouth, putting a tingle in her blood.

Earlier, when they had both studied her bruised shoulder and his face was close to hers, she had thought he was going to kiss her. She had wanted him to.

The admission had her squirming inside. It was disconcerting to have such feelings about a man she didn’t remember. Just how well did they know each other? Had they been intimate?

She couldn’t bring herself to ask. At least not yet.

She had no idea if her family would welcome her back, but anything would be better than being with Bram and dealing with this edgy anticipation. Wanting him. Because he certainly didn’t want her in return.

It was good that they were leaving the cabin. She needed some distance from him.

She flapped the sheet, sending a puff of dirt into the air. “Are you going to return the stolen money before taking me home?”

“No, I’m taking you back first.”

“What if Cosgrove comes looking for the money and me? You said you thought he would.”

“Oh, he will.” Suddenly his gaze turned speculative.

What was he thinking? Not understanding the flare of apprehension inside her, she studied him. “What should I do if that happens? If Cosgrove finds me?”

“You won’t need to worry about it.”

“Why not? You just said you thought he’d come looking.”

“He’ll have to go through me to get to you.”

She went still inside. “What do you mean?”

A slow, calculating smile spread across his face, causing a chill to ripple through her.

“When Cosgrove shows up, I’ll be waiting.” Bram stepped out of the bedroom, looking over his shoulder at her. “I’m going to be your shadow.”

Shadow? “For how long?”

“As long as it takes.” His gaze shifted back to her, almost as if he’d been talking to himself. “I’ll saddle the horses while you get dressed, then we’ll go.”

She nodded, staying on the bed as he walked out.

He was using her as bait.

Regardless of what they had been to each other in the past, that’s all she was to Bram now—a way to get to the man who had stolen from him, tried to kill him and his family.

How much time was she going to have to spend with him? Look how just the past twenty-four hours had gone. Now she was stuck indefinitely with a man she had refused to marry. A man who plainly resented her.

It didn’t bode well.

Chapter Four

Bram wanted some distance from Deborah. He needed it. Just a few minutes.

He escaped from the cabin and strode to the barn to saddle their horses. The morning air was still, choked with the smell of dirt. His boots left deep impressions in the drifts stirred up by the wind.