A Headstrong Woman(67)

“Are we ready?” she asked almost sharply.

Jonathon stood and placed his hat on his head. “Yes, Ma’am,” he agreed with a bow.

“Sorry,” Alexandria acknowledged her bad attitude. “I’m not sure what that was about. I suppose I’m nervous about the trip,” she fibbed to cover her real thoughts.

“It’ll go fine and hopefully fast,” Jonathon predicted.

“I certainly hope so,” Alexandria muttered as she swung into Lady’s saddle.

They discussed the details of the trip as they rode to join the men and agreed to make the arrangements in town the next day. That out of the way, they fell silent for a time and Jonathon found himself admiring how well Alexandria sat in the saddle. She made quite a sight, her long hair hanging down her back in a thick braid from under her hat. The denims she wore accentuated just how long her legs were and the deep green of her shirt made her eyes stand out all the more against her light skin. She was truly beautiful.

“What?” Alexandria frowned at him.

“I’m sorry?” Jonathon frowned.

“You’re staring.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Why are you staring at me?” Alexandria looked suspicious now.

“You don’t want to know,” Jonathon urged his mount forward.

“Why were you staring?”

“If you must know I was admiring you,” he confessed as her horse caught up to his.

“Oh,” she looked completely flabbergasted; it made him smile.

“You sit a horse very nicely.”

“Oh!” that she seemed to understand.

“And you look very nice today.”

“Oh,” the perplexed expression was back, her brows drawn.

“You like that word do you?” he teased.

Alexandria blinked at him; then offered a sticky sweet smile.

“Thank you.”

Jonathon threw back his head and laughed.

“You’re learning,” Jonathon nodded in satisfaction a moment later.

Beside him Alexandria looked rather pleased with herself.

The men and the herd came into view and Jonathon returned the greeting that several men offered in the way of raised hands. Several men sat in a small cluster over the remains of their lunch. Jonathon watched as the two new hands registered that it was their new boss that accompanied him. Their gazes slid over her, surprise registering, followed quickly by admiration. While both men watched her rather closely, he saw no indication that either of them were in any way watching her in an inappropriate manner and he felt himself relax. They needed additional help, but Alexandria’s safety came first.

***



Alexandria leaned forward and waved as the train slowly lurched forward from the Cold Springs station. Lilly was seated in Jonathon’s lap across from Alexandria; Lilly’s eyes were wide as she watched familiar objects and places slide by at a faster and faster speed.

“First time on a train?” Jonathon asked.

“Is it that obvious?” Alexandria asked with a smile.

“Your eyes are almost as wide as Lilly’s,” he smiled back at her. Alexandria laughed. “Have you traveled by train much?”

“No, except when I went after Emily and the return trip of course.”

“Jonathon, that is terribly romantic,” Alexandria told him.

Jonathon shook his head. “It’s not romantic; I was just claiming what was mine. I had loved her for years; I wasn’t about to let some infatuation steal her away. Had she honestly loved him I wouldn’t have intervened, but I knew her well enough to know she didn’t.”

“It is romantic,” Alexandria argued.

“If you say so,” he shrugged. “What about you? Were you a one man woman or did you fall in and out of love as my brother does?”

“I fell for one boy when I was about fifteen, that was my first broken heart and in retrospect, I realize I was merely infatuated. In fact, in retrospect, so were my feelings for Elijah. So, as it turns out, I have never truly been in love.”

“How unfortunate, it’s a wonderful experience.”

“So they say,” she smiled. “Of course never having been in love hasn’t stopped from making a fool of myself where men are concerned. First when I was fifteen and then Elijah. Men are a troublesome lot.”

Women aren’t?” Jonathon countered; Alexandria smiled.