A Handful of Heaven

His face looked hot enough to explode. "Lady ..."

Devon rammed her slim forefinger in his barrel chest and ·net his hard-eyed gaze head-on. "You don't scare me, Mr. MacKenna, not with your bear voice or your giant size or your eagle eyes. I don't scare easily. Now answer me: Is this °ur tent, or do you intend to build me one?" I can't build you a tent."

A frown darted across her brow. "Why not? It seems the simplest solution."

a- -" -

24

was

was

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Chapter Three

i

plop.

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Oh, yes, you are.

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Shit!

standing

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31

you

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33

He rubbed his sweaty palms on the coarse denim of his pants. For the first time since he'd left prison, he wished he were a drinking man. A belt of Scotch would taste good right now. Damn good.

Wait a minute, he thought. Why the hell am I nervous? She was the one who ought to be scared. She was the one who was leaving-somehow. He didn't exactly know how he was going to do it, but he was damn well going to do something to make her run from him like a shot-at coyote.

Yes, she was the one who ought to be nervous. In less than twenty-four hours she'd be packing for a trip north, one that the scrawny little thing wouldn't-

Don't think about the hardship. It was her own fault she was up here. If she'd just been a man like she was supposed to none of this would have happened.

He'd just have to convince her highness to leave. How hard could that be? She was only a woman-and a damn stupid one at that. A smart one wouldn't have gotten off the sternwheeler.

He could outsmart her by a Yukon mile.

Smiling, he slipped into his mackinaw and started for j home. Nothing to it. By this time tomorrow the little lady with the uppity ways would be halfway to Fortymile.

And good riddance.

He stood outside his own door for a long minute, reminding himself that she was stupid and he was smart. Still, she had a way about her of making a man feel dumb. ...