gathered the reins, feeling the stallion bunch in anticipation.
“Stand clear, Major Banning. Let’s see if you are a man of your word.”
The moment he moved back, Juliet set her heels into the animal’s flanks. The horse lunged forward, surging up the embankment in a pair of mighty leaps. And horse and rider were gone.
“Son of a—”
Noble glanced around for a ready mount, snatching the reins of a half-wild horse from a startled corporal. He rolled up into the saddle, and before the animal could think to protest, Noble kicked it into a galloping pursuit.
As the horse’s wild plunging leveled out into an all-out run, Juliet gave it its head and lifted her own to the rip of the wind. Her hat tore loose, freeing her hair to stream out behind her in a rippling golden banner. The sense of glorious abandon was worth the thought of Miles’s distress and even her father’s scolding that was sure to follow. Worthanything to humble the smug Noble Banning. Imagining his chagrin, she nudged the gray into stretching his legs.
They thundered across the open desert, scaring up the occasional jackrabbit and vaulting over rainwater runoff cracks. The wild race let her throw off the remnants of city life, the feeling of being hemmed in and restrained while living in another’s house, living by another’s rules for three long years. There she hadn’t been able to shake out her hair or taunt fate or do anything that made her revel in the joy of simply being alive.
Feeling as though she and the horse were the only beings within miles, Juliet was startled by the sudden shadow of a man and another horse drawing alongside them. Before she could react, Noble reached fearlessly out to snag her reins, yanking back on hers and his at the same time to slow their mounts together.
Noble Banning didn’t look impressed by her skill in the saddle.
He looked furious.
“Are you crazy?” he yelled at her. “What are you trying to do, get yourself killed, pulling a stunt like that?”
She jerked her reins away from him and snapped back, “If you thought I’d be in danger, why did you goad me into it?”
“Because I didn’t think you’d be insane enough to go through with it.”
She bristled up in her own defense. “I amhardly insane. I’ve probably been riding as long as you have. Did you think I’d spent my last twenty years huddling in a wagon?”
“I don’t know what to think where you’re concerned,” he admitted angrily. “Other than that a man’d have to be crazy himself to tangle with you.”
Her voice lowered to a husky rumble. “Then why did you follow me, Major Banning?”
Her question took him off guard. The furious pace of his breathing faltered, then resumed with a raspy chuckle as he shook his head. “I guess I must be crazy. Now be a good girl, Miz Crowley, and come back to the fort with me before we end up with our hair on some Indian’s lodgepole.”
She smirked at him, showing off her superior knowledge. “Indians don’t venture this close to the fort unless it’s to steal livestock. And that’s not likely to happen in broad daylight.”
“But maybe they are as crazy as we are. Did you ever think of that?”
“Then after you, Major Banning.”
“After you, Miz Crowley.”
“Why, sir, don’t you trust me?”
He laughed at her attempted drawl. “We’ll ride together,” was his solution.
They started back toward the post, letting the horses catch their breath at an easy lope.
“You’re a fine horsewoman, Juliet.” His compliment would have been enough, but the way he said her name caressed like a drip of warm honey. He took advantage of her silenceto add, “You’re accomplished in many unusual areas.”
“Compared to your dainty girls back home?”
He didn’t miss her searing sarcasm. “Compared to just about any lady I’ve ever known, and I met quite a few Northern girls while attending Harvard.”
Her quick turn toward him set her mount prancing to one side. She
“Stand clear, Major Banning. Let’s see if you are a man of your word.”
The moment he moved back, Juliet set her heels into the animal’s flanks. The horse lunged forward, surging up the embankment in a pair of mighty leaps. And horse and rider were gone.
“Son of a—”
Noble glanced around for a ready mount, snatching the reins of a half-wild horse from a startled corporal. He rolled up into the saddle, and before the animal could think to protest, Noble kicked it into a galloping pursuit.
As the horse’s wild plunging leveled out into an all-out run, Juliet gave it its head and lifted her own to the rip of the wind. Her hat tore loose, freeing her hair to stream out behind her in a rippling golden banner. The sense of glorious abandon was worth the thought of Miles’s distress and even her father’s scolding that was sure to follow. Worthanything to humble the smug Noble Banning. Imagining his chagrin, she nudged the gray into stretching his legs.
They thundered across the open desert, scaring up the occasional jackrabbit and vaulting over rainwater runoff cracks. The wild race let her throw off the remnants of city life, the feeling of being hemmed in and restrained while living in another’s house, living by another’s rules for three long years. There she hadn’t been able to shake out her hair or taunt fate or do anything that made her revel in the joy of simply being alive.
Feeling as though she and the horse were the only beings within miles, Juliet was startled by the sudden shadow of a man and another horse drawing alongside them. Before she could react, Noble reached fearlessly out to snag her reins, yanking back on hers and his at the same time to slow their mounts together.
Noble Banning didn’t look impressed by her skill in the saddle.
He looked furious.
“Are you crazy?” he yelled at her. “What are you trying to do, get yourself killed, pulling a stunt like that?”
She jerked her reins away from him and snapped back, “If you thought I’d be in danger, why did you goad me into it?”
“Because I didn’t think you’d be insane enough to go through with it.”
She bristled up in her own defense. “I amhardly insane. I’ve probably been riding as long as you have. Did you think I’d spent my last twenty years huddling in a wagon?”
“I don’t know what to think where you’re concerned,” he admitted angrily. “Other than that a man’d have to be crazy himself to tangle with you.”
Her voice lowered to a husky rumble. “Then why did you follow me, Major Banning?”
Her question took him off guard. The furious pace of his breathing faltered, then resumed with a raspy chuckle as he shook his head. “I guess I must be crazy. Now be a good girl, Miz Crowley, and come back to the fort with me before we end up with our hair on some Indian’s lodgepole.”
She smirked at him, showing off her superior knowledge. “Indians don’t venture this close to the fort unless it’s to steal livestock. And that’s not likely to happen in broad daylight.”
“But maybe they are as crazy as we are. Did you ever think of that?”
“Then after you, Major Banning.”
“After you, Miz Crowley.”
“Why, sir, don’t you trust me?”
He laughed at her attempted drawl. “We’ll ride together,” was his solution.
They started back toward the post, letting the horses catch their breath at an easy lope.
“You’re a fine horsewoman, Juliet.” His compliment would have been enough, but the way he said her name caressed like a drip of warm honey. He took advantage of her silenceto add, “You’re accomplished in many unusual areas.”
“Compared to your dainty girls back home?”
He didn’t miss her searing sarcasm. “Compared to just about any lady I’ve ever known, and I met quite a few Northern girls while attending Harvard.”
Her quick turn toward him set her mount prancing to one side. She
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