Chapter 8

Lacey gave her foot a little shake to eliminate the tingling sensation. She had been so tightly wedged between the huge sack of flour and the jug of vinegar, it took her a good hour to realize that she'd been sitting on her foot. It had gone completely numb. She only wished now that her bottom had gone to sleep along with her foot. The thin wheels, combined with the splintery wooden floor, made for a most uncomfortable ride as the wagon barreled over the rocky path.

She peeked toward the canvas opening. She could see Blue's broad back hunched over the reins. He had been humming tunelessly since they'd left the Lazy Heart. A lucky thing for Lacey, since occasionally, she was unable to suppress a groan of pain as they bounced over what must have been huge boulders. She tried, unsuccessfully, to rub away the pain in her backside. She had to be daft. Defying Slade like this. She did not want to contemplate what he would do when he discovered her stowed away on the food wagon.

The men had been mapping and planning the excursion for a week, and Lacey just couldn't pass up the opportunity for a little adventure. Not that she was bored with life on the ranch. But a girl could not deny herself a little danger and excitement, now and then. Besides, even though she loved Dora's company, she didn't think she could sleep at night knowing that Slade wasn't nearby. Lacey wanted to kick herself for growing so dependent on him. It was getting more and more difficult to accept the fact that she would be leaving him soon.

Her stomach grumbled. She realized she was in arm's reach of a box of biscuits. Quietly, Lacey broke the paper seal and snatched one. She'd not eaten since supper. She'd tiptoed out of the house in the middle of the night to make sure she could find a good hiding place in the wagon. By her calculations, she had now been folded into the tiny crevice for six hours and knew it would not be too long, before she would need to relieve herself.

The dry biscuit stuck to the roof of her mouth. She tossed the rest of it out the back, deciding that choking to death on a biscuit, while wedged between flour and vinegar, would not be the most glamorous way to die.

The motion of the wagon had nearly rocked her to sleep when Blue decided to take up a song about an empty cot in the bunkhouse tonight. Although Lacey had never heard the song before, she was quite certain it was not supposed to be sung in that exact key.

At first, it was mildly entertaining, but after twelve rounds of the cot song, interchanged on occasion, with a ballad about some poor soul named, Lil' Joe Wrangler, Lacey nearly had to bite her fist to keep from screaming. The others had had enough, as well.

She could hear Dix and Thorpe simultaneously yelling, "Shut your trap already!" from opposite sides of the trail. But Blue kept on howling out his songs. Probably figuring he had a lot of power, since he was the one hauling the food.

"Damn, Slade," Tait pleaded, "can't you do something to shut him up?"

"Actually, I was kind of hoping he'd scare up some wild cattle."

The sound of Slade's voice made Lacey completely forget where she was, and she laughed out loud at his comment. Blue suddenly froze in silence, and Lacey followed suit.

"It's about goddamn time, Blue," Dix said with irritation.

Bloody grand, Lacey thought, as she tried to scrunch herself into an even tinier ball. She'd hoped not to reveal herself for several more hours. By then, they would have been so far from the Lazy Heart that she hoped Slade would decide it wasn't worth his while returning her.

She had an inkling her discovery was close at hand. Blue had slowed the wagon considerably. She figured he was probably peering over his shoulder surveying the back of the wagon, wondering whether or not he was hearing things.

The wagon lurched violently. Lacey could feel the two wheels on the opposite side actually leave the ground, before they slammed back down. The heavy load came to a jarring halt. The flour sack was now lodged on her chest. As quietly as she could, Lacey heaved it off and drew in a reedy breath, inhaling a cloud of flour. She muffled a cough with her hands.

"What the hell are you doing, Blue?" Slade yelled from a distance. "You just about turned over the whole damn cart."

"Can't help it, Slade." Blue sounded a bit sheepish. "Thought I heard something in the wagon bed."

"That's your own ears ringing from all that caterwauling you've been doing," Dix snorted angrily.

"Sorry, Boss, I'll be more careful from now on," Blue said as he gave the reins a sharp snap.

Once the wagon began moving again, Lacey let her muscles relax a bit, but not nearly enough to relieve some of the painful cramps that were now seizing her back, arms, and legs.

"Strange, though."

"What's that, Blue?"

Lacey could hear Slade's voice clearly and sensed he was riding alongside the wagon now.

"Could've sworn I heard a woman's laughter."

"Did you say a woman's laughter?" Slade asked and Lacey squeezed farther into the crevice.

"Yeah, that's right. I must be crazier than I thought."

"Christ," Slade said with an audible sigh. "Hold up," he yelled to the others.

"Now what, Dalton? At this rate, it'll be winter 'fore we see our first steer," Dix grumbled.

Lacey could hear the ominous sound of Slade's boots hitting the dirt as he dismounted. The canvas draping was yanked open with force. Only the occasional nicker of a horse punctuated the silence that followed.

"Show yourself, Duchess," Slade said very matter-of-factly.

Lacey considered ignoring him but was actually relieved to have an opportunity to leave her cramped hiding spot. Tunneling through the supplies, she crawled on her hands and knees to the rear of the wagon. Sitting back, she swung her legs over the edge. She remembered one important thing as she jumped to the ground. Both her legs were completely numb. As she landed, on what she was pretty sure were her feet, she collapsed like a soufflé and landed right in Slade's arms.

"Oops." She giggled nervously.

"You mean, oops, I fell out of the wagon, or oops, I accidentally came along on the round-up?" She looked up into his ice-blue eyes and felt even giddier than before.

"Well, yes then—very good—I mean—yes well. How the devil did I get here?"

"I don't suppose you were sleepwalking, Duchess?"

"I like that—I mean, yes, indeed. I must have traveled out to the wagon in my sleep."

"Uh huh. Well, let's see if we can't get you on a horse and back home before you wake up."

Lacey could hear the rest of the men trot up beside them.

"Well, look who's here." Dix laughed.

She turned around and gave a polite little wave to the men. "Hello, fellows. Good to see everyone." She noticed several particularly grungy looking hired hands she'd never seen before.

She shyly turned back to the intense blue gaze that she knew was waiting for her. Realizing she was gripping his vest so tightly that her knuckles were white, she released her grasp and tried to take a step back. Unfortunately, there was one small impediment. Slade still had a vise-like grip on her arms. Lacey thought she spied a slight twinkle in his eye. Maybe, she reasoned, he wasn't completely sorry to see her. She quickly dismissed the notion as ridiculous. The result of a mind made dizzy by vinegar fumes.

"I really wish you'd consider letting me stay on. I promise not to be a nuisance." This statement elicited a snicker from the onlookers.

"I'm sending you home with Tait," Slade said.

"What! Why me? I don't want to head back."

Lacey stepped in closer to Slade so she could bring her voice to a mere whisper. She could see the stubble on his strong jaw and fought the urge to touch it.

"Please, Slade. I don't want Tait to resent me. If you let me stay, I'll care for the horses and help Blue with meals. And you needn't worry about Dora. I left a note in the coffee sack. She's surely discovered it by now." She gave him the smile that had persuaded her father, on more than one occasion, to let her go on a notorious outing. For good measure, she fluttered her lashes.

With the rough pad of his forefinger, he wiped what she presumed was a streak of flour from the tip of her nose. "I s'pose it isn't fair to make Tait go back. And I certainly can't let you go alone—so I guess we're stuck with you."

"I don't know if stuck is the appropriate word." Lacey dropped her gaze and kicked at a small rock on the ground. "Perhaps, you might have thought of a kinder way to put it."

Slade cleared his throat so loudly she looked up with a start. One of his dark brows was raised in admonishment.

"Well, I guess you are indeed stuck with me," she agreed.

"This ought to be real interestin'. Yep, mighty interestin'," Dix said as he wheeled his horse around and urged it to a trot. Thankfully, the sniggering cowhands followed him down the rocky path, leaving them without an audience.

Lacey eyed the two riderless horses that were tied behind the wagon. "You know, I think I'll just hop on one of these horses and—"

"Oh no you don't." Slade caught her by the wrist and pointed toward the wagon. "Back on the wagon with Blue. While I'll admit that you're a pretty darn good rider, you are not ready for this rough terrain."

Judging by his tone, she didn't think this was the appropriate time to remind him that he'd had no qualms about sending her home on a horse.

"Fine." She managed a weak smile. Deep down she was thoroughly disappointed. Dejectedly, Lacey clambered aboard the wagon to sit on the bench beside Blue.

"And Duchess?"

She peered down at him. The ice had returned to his eyes.

"If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I will personally tan your hide."

She'd never heard that expression before, but she had a pretty fair idea what it meant. "You intend to put me over your knee, Mr. Dalton?" she asked coyly.

"Damn right," he said before heading to his horse.

"Not an entirely unpleasant notion," she said under her breath. Lacey was shocked to find him stop in his tracks and then swing around to face her. Did the man have preternatural hearing?

His narrowed eyes had a decidedly carnal glitter to them. A facial expression she'd been on the receiving end of, often enough, on her nighttime forays into London. Her friend, Jasper Cantwell, had never failed to point out a lascivious look cast in her direction. Though, at the time, Jasper had professed no interest in pleasures of the flesh, he had described in great detail, a man's erotic yearnings. Her knowledge of men was completely untested. She knew an innocent like herself had no business muttering something so suggestive.

Blushing and furious, she lowered her gaze. Hoping to make less apparent the trembling in her hands, she pressed her sweating palms against her thighs. This was not a good development; imagining oneself draped provocatively over the lap of your soon to be brother-in-law and finding the prospect tantalizing.

The dirt crunched under his boot heels as he neared, and she found herself scrunching the fabric of her trousers.

"Careful woman, someday, someone will call your bluff." He reached up, twirled a strand of her hair around his finger and brushed the ends with his thumb. This inclination of his, to fondle her hair, always sent a shiver of desire through her body. "I'm thinking, I might just be the man to do it. Yeah, just the man to do it," Slade repeated with a hoarse laugh, as he strode away and took the reins of his mount from Tait.

"Who knows, maybe she'll keep him busy chatting, and we won't have to put up with any more of his singing." Tait, no longer worrying about having to return to the Lazy Heart, sounded quite jovial.

"You may have something there, Tait," Slade replied before kicking his horse forward.

* * * *

After an hour or so of sitting up front with Blue, Lacey found she could hardly keep her eyes open. She crawled into the back of the wagon to sleep awhile.

When she woke, the sky was dimming. She peeled her cotton shirt away from her sweat-drenched back. The sounds of high-pitched whistles and the loud protests of cows echoed off the canyon walls.

Blue had deserted the wagon. Lacey parted the canvas. She could see Blue on horseback working alongside the others. Lacey climbed out and found a spot in the shade of a cottonwood tree bordering a stream. She cupped her hand in the cold water and splashed her face. She watched in awe as the men spun, pivoted, and raced their horses, kicking up a choking cloud of dust.

Slade skidded his horse from a full gallop to an instantaneous stop. The horse's bottom almost scraped the ground.

"Get a load of those tracks!" Tait shouted, obviously impressed with his brother's riding talents. He pointed in the direction of the long line of hoof indentations trailing Slade's horse.

Lacey wished she'd hadn't fallen asleep and missed any of this spectacle. She had imagined they would set up camp first, before they started chasing down the cattle.

They spurred their horses into a full-out run. Holding their ropes high or using them to slap their horses' flanks. Dangerous looking longhorns were dashing in all directions. Somehow, the men managed to stay clear of the incredible horns and keep an upperhand in the hunt. The horse and rider worked as one, predicting the moves of the cattle. Knowing exactly which way the wild herd was headed. Slade's riding skills were nothing short of magical. No wonder his men were in such awe of him. He seemed to excel in all things.

She shielded her eyes from the dust, as she watched the men drive the angry cattle into a small gorge bordered on three sides by sheer granite walls. Once the animals were trapped, Tait and Thorpe moved to guard them.