After the Ashes(36)
She rinsed the cloth she had used to clean Christopher’s wound in the pan of water, then dumped it onto the dirt. The ground beaded, making the water look a solid thing. How quickly would it dry a person out if one got caught out here all alone? No matter what, she couldn’t let Corey set out on his own.
“Did you get the information you needed from Corey?”
Braddock stared into the fire. “Enough.”
The dull metal of his pistols caught the firelight, and Lorelei wondered if he wore them for protection from intruders or to keep her and Corey under his control. Corey was clear on what he thought.
“What are you going to do?”
Braddock moved away from the ring of light cast by the fire and sat with his back against a boulder wedged in the sand. His face was masked in shadow.
“Find Mulcahy and bring him in. Corey’s going to have to show me the places they’ve been so I can pick up his trail.”
She settled beside him, not giving him the chance to melt away from her so thoroughly. She sat far enough away so they weren’t touching, but close enough so he could reach out and take her hand. It was silly, but she wanted him to do just that. “Corey still thinks you plan to turn him in.”
“Aren’t you worried about yourself? You’re in trouble with the law, too.”
She found it more convenient not to think about that. If she focused on helping Corey, she could ignore the fact that they were all fugitives or that she wanted this man to be more than just a bounty hunter whose main concern was catching his prey.
“Corey’s in a lot more trouble than me.”
He draped his arm around her shoulders, then pulled her against his side. He briskly rubbed her arm with his palm as if warming her. She scooted closer and laid her head on his shoulder. The warmth of his solid body seeping into hers had her feeling right again.
“If you keep trying to protect your brother, you’re going to catch up with him.”
“Corey doesn’t believe you want to help us.”
Braddock remained silent for so long, she feared he would say it was true. When he did speak, she could tell he chose his words carefully. “If Corey’s bounty were my only concern, I would have let Langston have him. The price on Corey isn’t worth the trouble I’m in.”
“Then why didn’t you turn him over to Langston?”
His gaze didn’t falter from the entrancing dance of the fire. “I have my reasons.”
“I’d like to know what kind of reasons would make you charge a man with a gun, unarmed, not to mention undressed.”
“My facing down Langston might have looked pretty stupid, but I know the man.” He turned to Lorelei and looked directly into her eyes. “Don’t ever lift another finger in my defense. I know what I’m doing.”
“I can’t promise you that.”
“But you want the world from me. You want me to tell you your brother’s going to go free, when he’s gotten himself into more trouble in his short life than it takes other men a lifetime to achieve.”
“I just want your word you won’t turn him in. That you’ll do what you can to clear his name.”
Braddock removed his arm from her shoulders. “Clear his name how? He’s guilty.”
Lorelei fought the desperate urge to draw him back against her. “He says he’s innocent.”
Braddock stood. “I’m not going to argue with you about this, Lorelei. If you can’t see what’s right in front of you, I’m not going to try to convince you.”
She stood also, grabbing his arm when he tried to turn away. “This isn’t only about Corey.”
“Nothing’s changed. I can’t make you happy. I don’t have it in me.”
“I’m not asking you to make me happy.”
“Then what are you asking?”
She sighed, wanting to ask him to make love to her again, to tell her he couldn’t walk away from what they shared, but she kept her desires to herself. And not only out of obligation to Corey. Fear held her silent with a more powerful grip. She’d been walked away from before.
“I want what I’ve always wanted. I want you to try to help us clear Corey’s name. He didn’t kill anyone. And if he helps you find this Mulcahy and get the gold back, that should count for something.”
He stared at her a long moment, and she imagined he could read her true thoughts.
“If Corey leads me to the gold, I guess it would count for something. But I can’t promise you it will keep him out of jail.”
“He’ll help you. I’ll make sure of that.”
He brushed his thumb across her mouth. “That’s all you want? To keep Corey safe?”