“Miss Hammond, ain’t it?”
“Have we met, sir?”
He hooked his thumbs in his gunbelt, his stance relaxed yet belligerent, wary. “No, I guess I’m about the only one in town you ain’t had the pleasure of meetin’. But that’s easily rectified. Name’s Leon, ma’am. I’m top foreman out at the Newcomb ranch. And you’re even prettier than I been hearin’. Yes, ma’am, you surely are.”
Sharisse knew she had heard the name, but where? The very idea of his approaching her like that, let alone his manner!
“Mr. Leon, if we haven’t been properly introduced—”
“It’s Leon Waggoner,” he said. “And I introduced us just now. I would have met you at the boss’s party, only I missed it, thanks to your man and the shiner he gave me. I couldn’t show my face for nearly a week.”
“You’re the man Lucas fought with!” Sharisse gasped.
“He told you, did he? I suppose he thinks he won that fight. Well, it was nothin’ but a lucky punch. I bet he didn’t tell you he caught me when I’d had too many drinks, did he? What’d you do to him to make him come lookin’ for a fight?”
“Me? How dare you, sir! I don’t approve of fisticuffs.”
“What’s fisticuffs mean, ma’am?”
“Good day, Mr. Waggoner.”
He grabbed her arm. “Don’t turn your back on me, woman,” he growled. “That ain’t good manners.”
“I think it was your mother who neglected to impart manners, Leon.”
They both started at the sound of that voice. Lucas stood, feet apart, hands at his sides. His face was granite-hard, matching his voice.
Leon released her arm. “Your woman ain’t very friendly, Holt.”
“Maybe she’s just particular about who she talks to.”
Leon tensed. Something about Lucas just then gave him pause. The man was too calm, deadly calm.
“It ain’t finished between us, Holt. If you didn’t have the lady with you…”
“Don’t let that stop you, Leon. If you want to have a go at me right now, fine with me. If you’d rather go for your gun, that would suit me, too. I’ll oblige you either way.”
Sweating, Leon shook his head. “You’re crazy! You ain’t been the same ever since she come. I’ll look you up when you’re back to normal. I ain’t fightin’ no crazy man.”
Lucas watched Leon hurry away. Perhaps hewasa little crazy. He knew only that when Leon put his hand on Sharisse, he had wanted to shoot that hand off.
He turned toward Sharisse, ready to calm her if she was upset. But those beautiful amethyst eyes glittering with anger was the last thing he’d expected to see. Hadn’t she been afraid?
Sharisse was indeed angry, but it was a nervous reaction to Lucas, not to Leon. Watching him deal with Leon had made her realize what a paradox Lucas was. Had she been misled by his gentleness? Was he made of the same savage stuff as his brother after all?
“How do you do it?” she accused harshly.
“Do what, Shari?”
“You become just like Slade sometimes.”
“Do I?” He grinned. “Slade will be glad to know that.”
“Why?” she asked warily.
“He taught me all I know. You don’t think a tenderfoot like me could make it out here without a few survival lessons, do you?”
“You mean that was all a bluff?”
