“Don’t you have anyone else on your list who could use it?”

  “There’s more folks on that list than there’s money in anyone’s pockets, but that ain’t the point. After this stop here, there’s only one more.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got everything pretty well figured.” Shrugging, Matt shifted his eyes to the small town. The longer Clint looked at Saddlewood, the less it looked like a town at all. In fact, it seemed more like a populated stretch of road that just happened to have a few buildings lined up on either side of it. A few folks could be seen moving along the street, but there were as many figures wandering back and forth between the houses scattered around the main street.

  “Where does she live?” Clint asked.

  Matt glanced over at him again, but this time there was a bit of surprise on his face. “How did you know there was a woman?”

  “Because you were more eager to move along where there’ve been guns aimed at you. Looking that banker in the eyes seemed difficult, but this seems to take the cake. More often than not, a woman’s the thing that’ll wind a man up that tightly.”

  Raising a hand to point at the west half of the town, Matt extended a finger and said, “She lives right there.”

  Clint looked as if he knew the exact spot Matt was pointing to. Even though he only saw a few scattered houses, he knew that Matt knew precisely where he was headed. By the look on Matt’s face, he might already be picturing his walk through the woman’s door.

  “Her name’s Faith,” Matt said.

  “Well what are you waiting for?” Clint asked. “I’m not coming along with you on this one.”

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Matt rode into town, feeling Clint’s eyes on his back every step of the way. Every so often, he would glance behind him to see if he could catch Clint in the act. Clint might not have been standing in the same spot as the last time Matt had checked, but he wasn’t far away. Every time he was spotted, Clint tossed him a quick wave.

  Although he knew a quick shot of whiskey would have helped in facing Faith again, Matt kept himself from steering toward the narrow little shack marked as the only saloon in Saddlewood. A meal would have killed some time, but that was just another way to put off what he needed to do.

  Swallowing his reservations, Matt pointed his horse toward the house he’d pointed out to Clint and snapped the reins. It was a short ride to the house. So short, in fact, that Matt felt surprised when he arrived at Faith’s doorstep.

  Matt kicked around the idea of turning back and buying himself that shot of whiskey. Before he could do that, he saw the front door come open and a familiar face look outside.

  Faith’s eyes were a peculiar mix of young and old. There was always a spark in them that made her look much younger than her twenty-eight years. On the other hand, there was a sadness and weariness around their edges that should have only belonged in someone who’d seen more than a young woman had a right to see.

  For the moment, her eyes were more surprised than anything else. Matt was very happy to see the rest of her as Faith stepped outside.

  “Matt?” she asked breathlessly. “Is that you?”

  He nodded. “Yes, Faith. It’s me.”

  At first, she stayed in her spot. It wasn’t as if she was refusing to take another step. It was more like she’d suddenly lost the strength to do so. Faith was a petite woman who didn’t come close to filling out the doorway. She wore a simple yellow dress, decorated with little yellow bows along the sides. The bows were ripped or frayed farther down toward the bottom of her skirt, which didn’t take away from her beauty in the least.

  Matt found it difficult to move, also. It would have been easier for a man dying of thirst to tear himself away from a well. He found his eyes moving up and down along her body, taking in every last one of her curves. Matt’s eyes lingered upon her soft hair, which fell over one shoulder in a long, light brown braid.

  Suddenly, it seemed as though Faith was nervous in his presence. “Did you want to come inside?” she asked.

  Matt caught himself staring at her and nodded sheepishly. “I’d like that very much.” Once more, he looked over his shoulder at the open land behind him. Clint was still in the distance and seemed content to stay there.

  Faith led the way into the small, one-room cabin. It was furnished with the necessities and had the kitchen in one corner, the bed in another corner and the remaining space divided between sitting areas and storage spots. The little table was already set with one plate and a small bowl.

  “I was about to have something to eat,” she said. “Would you like to join me?”

  “Sure.”

  As he watched her bustle around to fix the additional place setting, Matt wondered if she was going to ask the one thing that she truly wanted to. He knew her well enough to know how hard it would be for her to do that after being surprised this way.

  “I suppose you’d like to know why I’m here,” Matt said so she wouldn’t have to.

  “Yes. I was wondering about that.”

  “I know you probably don’t even know why I left.”

  “You left because the law was after you,” Faith said simply. “And I think there were some men looking to get the price that was on your head.” Turning around with the freshly prepared plate and bowl in her hands, she asked, “Or is that reward still being offered?”

  “Why?” Matt asked as he struggled not to show how surprised he was. “Were you thinking of cashing in?”

  Smiling as she sat down, Faith picked up a spoon and tasted some of the soup in her bowl. “You know better than that.”

  “I guess I’m just surprised by how much you know.”

  “We were almost married, Matt. How could you be surprised that I would know something like that?” When she spoke again, there was a bit more of an edge in her tone. “Wait a moment, I know. You’re surprised because you never told me and you never intended on telling me.”

  “I never meant to cause you any harm,” Matt told her. “That’s why I left. In fact, I stayed around you too long as it was.”

  Faith’s eyes snapped up to look Matt in the face. There was an anger there that physically hurt Matt to see. “Don’t ever say that! I wanted to be with you for good. That’s why I agreed to be your wife. Then you pick up and leave in the middle of the night.” Shaking her head, Faith poked at the soup again even though it was plain to see she was no longer hungry. “I waited all this time for you.”

  “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “It’s not like there was a choice. Maybe you can snuff out what you feel, but I can’t. I had to wait for you because . . . because I couldn’t bear the thought that you could just leave and never come back.”

  “But I did come back.”

  “It’s been two years, Matt! Two years and no word from you other than what I could remember you telling me before you left. That’s all I had to keep me going.”

  “I figured you’d find someone else,” Matt said. “Someone worth your time instead of a criminal like me.”

  Faith reached across the table and ran her hand along Matt’s face. “Whatever you did before, I don’t care. You’re a good man. I would have liked a chance to make you better.”

  “You already did that,” Matt told her as he placed his hand on top of hers. “Thinking about you is the one thing that made me decide to try and make up for what I done once they let me out of that cage.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I was running from the law when I left you,” Matt said. “The law and Lord only knows how many others who’d closed in on me because I’d stayed put in one spot for too long. No matter how much I wanted to stay, I just couldn’t. I thought if I’d told you about it all, you’d just want to come with me.”

  “You’re right,” Faith said.

  “And that would have kept you in danger when all I wanted was to keep you out of it. I handed myself over to the law because I thought I’d have a better chance with them than with some other folks who were out for my hide. I should’ve hung, but I found a way out instead. I tunneled out like a rat before the judge could send me to the noose.

  “All that time, I swore I’d find some way to set a few things straight. I couldn’t put everything right, because I’d broken just too many things for any man to fix. So I picked out a few that stuck out the most in my head and that were still somewhere I could get to again. I got some money and paid those good folks back the only way I could.”

  Faith shook her head and kept rubbing his cheek. “Will you stay with me now?”

  Reluctantly, Matt replied, “Not for long. I just had to come here to make certain you weren’t put in any more danger. You may even have to leave this place to stay safe.”

  “I can leave whenever you want, so long as you’ll come with me.”

  Matt started to shake his head, but felt Faith’s soft hand over his mouth before he could speak.

  “Before you refuse, at least give me a chance to change your mind.”

  Her other hand was drifting to the ribbons that fastened the front of her blouse tightly against her breasts.

  THIRTY-NINE

  Matt tried to resist when he first felt her touch and knew she was standing up to move around the table and be closer to him. As much as his heart and body wanted to get up and wrap her up in his arms, his brain was protesting enough to keep his backside in that chair.

  He hadn’t ridden all this way to kiss Faith or even run his hands along her body.

  Even though Matt had thought about those things ever since he’d landed in that dirty jail cell, he knew better than to let his guard down as much as he would need to in order to give in to her. For every one of his muscles that stayed still, there was another that flexed to get him up and off his chair.

  “I can’t do this,” Matt whispered. “Not right now.”

  “What other time is there?” Faith asked.

  Matt didn’t have an answer to that. Before he could give it too much thought, he felt Faith’s lips pressing against his cheek. After that, there wasn’t anything strong enough to hold him back.

  Getting up from his chair so quickly that he knocked it over, Matt swept Faith into his arms and kissed her the way he’d wanted to kiss her for years. Their lips met with a fire that had built up that whole time and was even more intense since Faith was burning with a fire of her own.

  When Matt moved his lips close to her neck, Faith leaned back and let out a grateful sigh. She moaned softly as Matt kissed the smooth skin of her shoulders, and trembled when she felt him start to pull down the top of her blouse. A few of the buttons held up, but she wriggled so Matt could get his fingers under them and force them open.

  “Oh God,” she said as she worked to unfasten Matt’s belt and get his jeans down. “I’ve waited so long.”

  But Matt was beyond words. He was too worked up to even think of what he could say, so he let his actions speak for him. Reaching around behind her, he placed his hands upon her firm buttocks and lifted her off her feet. He set her down on the edge of the table and lowered his mouth to her exposed breasts.

  As soon as Faith felt the table under her, she reached behind her to sweep away all the plates, cups and utensils that had been set out. Even though a few things remained upon the table, there was enough space for her to scoot back and pull Matt closer.

  Faith’s legs wrapped around Matt’s waist, and he slid one hand under her skirt to feel the smooth contour of her thigh. As his hand moved farther up her leg, he could feel his penis becoming rigid with anticipation. The next thing he felt was Faith’s hand slipping between his legs so she could stroke him until he was almost painfully hard.

  “Don’t make me wait any longer,” she pleaded.

  Matt pulled her skirts all the way up so they were gathered around her waist. From there, he pulled off her panties so urgently that they ripped in his hand. Faith tensed at the sound of the tearing material and leaned back so she was supporting herself with both arms against the table.

  Before Matt could get his hand between her legs to rub her in the way he knew she liked, he felt her hand guiding him into her. Matt felt her warm wetness immediately and he glided into her with ease. At first, she spread her legs even wider. Once he was buried inside of her, though, Faith wrapped her legs around him again and held on tightly.

  Matt took his time for the first few thrusts. He savored the feel of being inside of her as if it was a dream. Unable to hold back any longer, he grabbed onto her hips and pumped into her with building force.

  Faith leaned back and grunted as she took in every last inch of him. Propping herself up on one arm, she reached out to run a hand along his chest and look him in the eyes as he pounded into her again and again. Her face was intense, and whenever he began to slow down, Faith pumped her hips against him to urge him back into motion.

  Before too much longer, Faith lost the strength to keep herself propped up. She leaned back on the table and grabbed hold of the edges as Matt continued to pump in and out between her legs.

  Seeing the sight of her laying down with her hair splayed out and her eyes fixed upon him made Matt slow down again. He eased all the way inside of her and stayed there as the roar in his head died down again. He wanted the moment to last. He knew it couldn’t last forever, but he didn’t want it to be over just yet.

  Matt slid one hand up and down along her thigh and used the other to move aside the material of her open blouse. Faith’s breasts were small and pert, but fit inside his cupped hand. He teased her nipples and savored the feel of the smooth skin against his palm while slowly easing in and out of her.

  Savoring a moment of her own, Faith smiled and wriggled slowly under Matt’s wandering hands. She closed her eyes and arched her back as her climax worked its way up from the depths of her body. When she tightened her legs around him and pumped her hips again, Matt responded perfectly and plunged all the way inside her to push Faith over the edge into a trembling orgasm.

  As she shuddered and groaned in the rip of her own pleasure, Matt built up another head of steam as he thrust in and out, faster and faster. This time, he wasn’t holding back. He couldn’t have held back if his life depended on it. He’d waited too long and dreamt about this moment too many times to stave it off for one more second.

  A few more thrusts and Matt felt better than he had for years. He slid all the way inside of her and locked eyes with Faith one more time. Both of them stared at each other as their breath slowly came back into their lungs. Even then, it was a little while before they could speak.

  Even after all the times Matt had thought about what this moment would be like, when it finally came, he didn’t seem prepared for it.

  Even after all the times he’d imagined this reunion, it had somehow wound up better than he could have hoped.

  FORTY

  Clint didn’t like the way things were panning out.

  Recognizing the look in Matt’s eyes when he’d even started to discuss the woman he’d come to visit, Clint knew better than to try and pry him away from that house anytime soon. Still, Clint couldn’t just sit by and do nothing when he saw the other riders closing in on Saddlewood from the northwest.

  The first one had arrived a few minutes after Matt had gone into Faith’s house. Clint hadn’t thought too much of it, since there were bound to be a few others riding into Saddlewood for one reason or another. Normally, Clint wouldn’t have even been too suspicious when the next rider arrived.

  The third one in such a short amount of time, however, had been more than enough to get him nervous.

  Clint had tried to get a good look at each rider through his spyglass, but couldn’t see more than a portion of a face before the rider disappeared behind a building or simply moved too quickly for Clint to keep up. He didn’t need to see much to know the riders weren’t arriving in Saddlewood just to water their horses or get something to eat.

  Dropping his spyglass into his saddlebag, Clint flicked his reins to get Eclipse moving into town. The Darley Arabiancarried him quickly to the solitary street. Since he figured Ben or his men would have spotted him already, Clint wasn’t too worried about staying out of sight.

  When he felt the hairs raise along the back of his neck, Clint snapped his reins again so he could get to some cover before someone could take a shot at him from an unseen vantage point. Whether that was just a nervous reflex or a life-saving instinct, Clint would never know. He did know that he made it to the edge of the street without getting shot, and that was plenty good enough for him.

  Since it was the only real street in town, the signs painted on the few storefronts didn’t have need of much creativity. The Saddlewood General Store sat across from the Saddlewood Hotel and next to the Saddlewood Livery. Sure enough, the Saddlewood Saloon and Saddlewood Restaurant weren’t too far away.

  As much as he knew Eclipse would appreciate some fresh hay under his hooves and fresh greens in his belly, Clint tied the stallion to a post he could reach from any of the businesses rather than purchase a stall in the livery. Patting the Darley Arabian’s nose as he walked away, Clint headed for the first place he figured he could find Ben Jarrett, or at least one of his men.

  The Saddlewood Saloon was as fancy as its name. Not much bigger than any of the other storefronts, the saloon had a broken front door and a dirty rectangular window built into the wall facing the street. Clint tried to get a look through the window, but couldn’t see much more than a few shapes inside thanks to the sun reflecting off the smeared glass.

  Pushing open the door, Clint waited a moment before stepping inside. The only thing that came out to meet him was the slurred voices of a few drunks, so Clint walked into Saddlewood’s only drinking establishment.

  What little space there was inside the saloon was taken up by a bar made up of a series of planks laid out on top of some old crates and wobbly tables. Behind the bar, there was a crooked bookcase holding several bottles of liquor. None of those bottles was marked by a label, and every one of them looked as if it’d been used several times before.