“I brought you out her
to tell you something.” He clasped her hands in his. “Don’t go pale on me. I
wanted to warn you that the newspaper is running a story on Fred’s murder. I
tried to keep your name out of it, but John Wiley blabbed about the brawl and how
his son supposedly had been erroneously accused. I’m afraid your name will be
in the paper along with your description.”
“I appreciate you
preparing me.” What sort of distribution did the newspaper have? Would the
story be picked up in Austin and wired to other cities? Self-consciously, she
twirled a lock of her ebony hair.
He echoed her thoughts.
“You’re thinking your description will say you have black hair. And it will.
But the story is just odd enough to make news across the country.”
“It doesn’t bother me
as long as it doesn’t say I started the brawl or that I killed the barber. I
can’t help what people write as long as it’s the truth.” And Dorothy Duncan
with black hair should offer no threat.
“It will be honest. Our
newspaper is owned by a good man, Preston Youngblood. He’s keen on keeping to
facts and not embellishing them. But he includes interviews, and you can
imagine what John Wiley will tell him. Oh, no you can’t, can you? He’s the
father of the guy who attacked you. One of those ‘My son does no wrong’ types.
Also beats his wife, but that’s another matter.”
“Oh, dear, he sounds
horrid. He’ll say I enticed the son, provoked him. But I give you my word I
didn’t.”
“I know that. The other
two boys confessed, but Wiley won’t drop it. He’s determined to show everyone
his son is innocent and the other two framed him. It’s not that he cares about
the son, but only about himself and his standing in the community.”
“That’s sad. If I ever
have kids, I won’t be that kind of parent.”
A frown creased his brow.
“You have someone lined up to be the father?”
“Certainly not.
Probably won’t ever marry. A woman doesn’t meet a lot of eligible males in the
circus.”
“Do I detect a hint of
snobbery?”
She sensed the heat of
a blush creep across her face. “I won’t deny it. There are some wonderful
people in the circus, but that’s not the life I want forever. I want a home. It
doesn’t have to be as grand as Judge Kincaid’s, but solid and in a nice
community. With stability. I hope it’s not denied me forever.”
“Why would it be?”
She pressed her hand
against his arm. “Don’t, Gabe. It’s such a nice afternoon. Don’t spoil it by
prying.”
“All right. But I wish
you’d trust me with all your secrets, Shimza. I feel like a fool calling you
that, but I don’t even know your real name.”
“Shimza will do. And I
do trust you to keep me safe here.”
“But you don’t think I
could if you told me more, is that it?” He gently clasped her shoulders and
turned her to face him.
She met his gaze,
pleading with him, “Please, it’s too . . . complicated.”
Slowly he slid his
hands across her shoulders, lightly up her neck. He caressed her face with his
thumbs while he rested his hands gently on either side of her face. “Then let’s
make it a little more complicated.” He leaned forward and claimed her lips.
She dissolved against
him. His gentle kiss increased in fervor. Her arms slid around him and her
fingers weaved into his hair.
His hands slid across
her back. Stroking. Touching. Hugging.
One of his strong hands
skimmed her ribs beneath her breast. Brazenly, she wished he’d move higher
where she ached to be touched. As it was, the heat of his touch near burned
through her clothing.
He broke their embrace,
his chest heaving. “I’ve never kissed a client. Grandpa will have my hide.”
She rested her head against
his powerful shoulder. “Mmm, I don’t think so. Perhaps you noticed we were
seated next to one another at dinner. I could be wrong, but I think the Judge
and Mrs. Kincaid are conspiring. Judge Kincaid smiled when we left the dining
room together.”
“You don’t say? Then,
if it’s all right with you, I’m kissing you again.”
And he did. Not that
she was an expert, but her verdict was he kissed very well indeed.
GABE KINCAID buy links:
iTunes – the book is there but I
do not have a Mac to get the link
