The Temptress (Montgomery/Taggert 8)

“Never saw him before,” Ty answered.

Chris heaved herself up from the rock. “I guess I better get this over with. If either of you have delicate sensibilities, you’d better leave now. My father’s temper is…” She couldn’t think of anything that would adequately describe it.

She took a deep breath for courage, then started down the hill toward her father and the men who rode with him. She was hesitant at first, but as he came more clearly into view, she began to pick up speed until he saw her.

Del Mathison spurred his horse forward in a burst of speed that left the others standing.

Chris lifted her skirts and took off running as fast as her legs would carry her—and Del’s horse came charging toward her. When he reached her, he didn’t slow, but extended his arm and hauled her up to toss her in the saddle behind him. It was a trick he’d taught her when she was a child, and it’d come in handy in her life, such as the time Tynan had run his horse through the freight office.

As Chris held onto her father, she saw that Ty had followed her down the hillside, gun drawn, protecting her as she’d run away from the shelter of the camp. She turned to see the man wh

o’d been riding beside her father stop and help Tynan mount behind him.

Del didn’t waste any time when he reached the cabin. Before he even dismounted, he began yelling at Chris.

“Of all the damn fool, stupid things you’ve ever done, this is the worst. So help me, I’m never going to let you out of my sight again. You and your mother’s whole family, none of you ever had a lick of sense.”

Chris stood on tiptoe and put her arms around his neck. She was glad to see that he looked as good as he always did: big, handsome, with the head of a lion, thick gray hair spreading out like a mane around his handsome face.

He hugged her back for a moment, then pushed her away. “Do you know what hell you’ve put me through? Do you have any idea the number of people that’ve come to me and told me you were within inches of being killed?”

“How many?” she asked solemnly.

“Don’t you get smart with me, young lady, I’ll do what these men should have done with you. Where is that young pup I sent after you? He was supposed to protect you.”

Tynan stepped forward. The area in front of the cabin was filling with men and their horses. “Are you asking for me?”

Del looked Tynan up and down, took in the dirty bandage on his thigh. “I see she’s about done you in, too.”

Tynan straightened. “I take full responsibility for everything that’s happened. There were several times when I had the opportunity to get her back safely.”

“Hmph!” Del snorted. “You couldn’t very well control her when you were in jail. And what’s this I hear about you two being engaged?”

Chris held her breath as she looked from her father to Tynan. It looked as if Ty weren’t going to say anything, and Chris suddenly realized the seriousness of this moment. If she said they were engaged, her father could send him back to jail. She thought of Ty’s back as it’d been in the rain forest. She thought she could control her father, but she wasn’t positive. What if she were wrong? If she were, then Ty would be returned to prison.

“We’re not engaged,” she said softly. “I just said that to prevent a fight. He’s been a perfect gentleman at all times and he did everything he could to protect me. He even saved me from Dysan.”

Chris watched her father as he continued to study Tynan and after a moment, he grunted, but made no other comment.

“I’m hoping that Chris will accept my proposal,” said someone behind her and she turned to see Asher standing there. There was a bandage across his forehead. With a smile of possession, he put his arm around Chris’s shoulders. Her father looked at her as he had when she was a child, and she knew he was trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or making up one of her highly imaginative stories. Chris couldn’t meet his eyes, so she looked down at her hands clasped in front of her.

Pilar broke the silence. “Let me introduce myself,” she said, moving toward Del, hand outstretched. “I’m Pilar Ellery. We’ve never met, but I’ve certainly heard a great deal about you. You wouldn’t happen to have some food in those saddle bags, would you? We’re all starving.”

Del shook her hand, but he didn’t smile at her, and Chris knew that he was upset, deeply upset, if he didn’t smile at a pretty woman.

She moved away from Asher’s proprietary grasp and slipped her arm through her father’s. “I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble. I didn’t mean to.”

Del looked at her for a long moment and she saw a sadness in his eyes. Was something troubling him besides her being in danger?

“Miss Mathison, may I introduce myself?”

Before her stood the man who’d ridden beside her father. He was about the same age as her father, a tall, slim man with black hair that was graying at the temples. He had the lean, hard look of a man who was used to physical exercise, but at the same time, he had an elegance that could only have come from generations of selective breeding. Even though he looked at home with a gun slung around his hip, she could easily imagine him on a dance floor or holding a wine glass.

“I am Samuel Dysan,” he said in a deep, rich voice.

“Samuel Dysan?” She looked behind him toward Tynan, then back at the older man. “You’re the one Beynard…”

“He is seeking me?” The man looked surprised.