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"What's your business here?"

Carni's gaze was pulled to the muscles straining the thighs of his muddy denims. The man obviously worked hard for a living. How dare a ranch hand question her? Rudeness was not to be tolerated. Grasping the reins with one hand, she reached under the cart seat to collect the velvet reticule lying at her feet. "I'm tired and I'm cold. As wonderful as our conversation has been, I need to get to the Bar-T ranch. I'll pay you four bits to direct me to the ranch house."

She dug out the coins and held them suspended over the side of the cart, staring with a narrowed gaze at the man's shadowed face. When he sat as still as a statute with only his eyes tracking her movements, her temper simmered. However, discussing her personal business with a ranch hand was unthinkable. She shook her hand and raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Okay, six bits." Another coin was added to her hand.

The wind teased her skirts, flipping back the hem to reveal several inches of a red petticoat.

His gaze flicked to the exposed lingerie and the right side of his mouth quirked for just a second.

She saw his reaction and steamed even more. He'd taken advantage of the wind's mischief instead of averting his gaze like a gentleman would. "A dollar for the directions. Take it now, I won't be offering more." Money well spent to remove herself from the belligerent company of this quiet man.

Several moments passed before he clucked out of the side of his mouth and urged the horse forward until abreast of the cart. "Whoa, Hades." He held a cupped hand under her outstretched one, looked up from under the brim of his black hat and winked.

Heat flashedthrough her at his bold gesture. With a quick movement, she released her hand and let the clinking coins drop into his gloved hand. "Your boss will be hearing about your surly attitude."

He shrugged and wheeled the horse, guiding it to the middle of the path. "Follow me."