Matthew pushed his hat further down on his head and reached his arms up for her. Anger radiated from him.
“Jump,” he commanded. “I’m not going to climb up there and get you!”
Cara looked at the distance to the ground and knew she had no other choice. Launching her body from the branch of the tree, she heard the fabric of her dress rending and prayed he’d catch her.
For a moment, he held her several feet from the ground and looked into her eyes before setting her down.
“Are you all right?” he asked briskly.
“I’m fine, other than ruining my dress,” Cara replied, reaching behind her to see how badly it damaged.
“Good.”
She watched him stride to his horse and mount up.
“Wait! You’re not just going to leave me here?”
“This is where I found you,” he replied. “You must have had some destination in mind, before you decided to stop and climb a random tree, of course.”
“I…I did. I was heading into town.”
“It’s about five miles that way, ma’am” he offered, pointing down the road and tugging on the reins to turn his horse.
“But I can’t walk that far carrying my things,” she explained, pointing to her luggage.
“No, it would be quite a feat, but then again, you seem equal to the task. I can tell you’re a determined little lady.”
“I’m sorry,” she sighed, forcing a softer tone. “I haven’t thanked you properly.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“Oh, but it is,” she breathed out. “You’ve been ever so helpful. Why I might have spent hours stuck in that tree, or fallen and broken something. How can I repay you?”
Spinning around, Cara searched for her reticule, intending to offer him some coins for his trouble. It seemed she had started off on the wrong foot with the first person she met. Digging through her bag, she suddenly bolted upright.
“Fuck!”
“Excuse me?” he asked sharply.
“Oh dear, I can’t believe I said that,” she wailed. Thinking back, she recalled looking around the lab and lamenting on the mess she’d left behind. In her mind’s eye she could see the embroidered reticule sitting on the corner of her desk. Not only had she misjudged her landing, she’d left every bit of her money behind. She slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned.
“Ma’am, it’s not necessary to offer me anything for helping you. That’s not the way folks behave around here.”
For the first time, she heard something other than humor or anger in his voice. Perhaps he was softening towards her after all. In desperation, she began to give him what he wanted.
“I’m so ashamed of my foolishness,” she informed him. “I should have told you the truth right from the beginning,” she continued with a tiny sob.
“Yes, you should have,” Matthew agreed, swinging down from his mount. “Honesty goes a long way in these parts.”
Cara nodded forlornly.
“You were right,” she sniffed. “I am running away from my husband. He’s a horrible man…and he beats me,” she lied pitifully.
“He beats you?” Matt demanded angrily, moving closer and patting her gently on the shoulder as her voice cracked.
“Yes. And when I got to this grove, I saw a snake and climbed the tree to get away from it. I think it might have been a rattler,” she weakly informed him. “I heard it making that funny noise.”
“I see.”
