you go near her there will be hell to pay. Do we understand each other?”
Both men nodded, then one of them said, “But Maddie is still a thief and she has our money. We’ll let the town marshal deal with her if she doesn’t give it back!”
The familiar use of her name and the challenging remark triggered another round of uncertainties in Jonah. Maybe Maddie was the world’s biggest con artist and she had stolen their money, but these two rascals weren’t going to drag her off by her heels, search her person and spitefully use her to appease their lust. No matter who or what she really was Jonah refused to stand aside and see her mauled.
“It is not their money,” Maddie muttered as Jonah drew her backward toward the street. “I don’t know who they are. I swear it. They are nothing but clever—”
When her voice evaporated and she slumped against him, Jonah grimaced at the excessive pressure on his injured arm. He glanced down to see Maddie’s head loll against his chest and her uncoiled hair cascade over his wrist. She’d fainted, he realized. And most likely at her convenience.
Muttering at the constant inconvenience this female caused him, he scooped her up in his arms and pivoted toward the hotel. The bystanders who had congregated in the alley parted like a curtain as he carried her across the street.
Jonah made the mistake of glancing down into Maddie’s ashen face when he stepped into the lighted hotel lobby. She reminded him of a fairy princess who only needed a prince’s kiss to revive her. Well, she might be akin to a princess—who knew for sure?—but he sure as hell was no Prince Charming. He was not going to yield to the temptation of kissing her because he didn’t want to know how she tasted. He was afraid he’d like it too much.
“My God, what happened to your wife?” Charley Halbert, the hotel proprietor, asked in concern.
“Too much excitement. She fainted.” Jonah inclined his head toward the door. “Would you trot across the street to pick up my unfinished dinner?” He stared pensively at Maddie, wondering if she’d taken time to eat while she was on the run. As an afterthought he added, “And order a steak for my wife, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Danhill. Always glad to help a Ranger, ever since a Ranger helped me out of a scrape once.” Charley darted off while Jonah ascended the steps.
He resituated Maddie in his good arm and retrieved the key from his pocket. She roused with a wobbly moan as he carried her into the room to deposit her on his bed. He watched her blink a couple of times to get her bearings before those mesmerizing, tawny-colored eyes settled on him. She appraised his faded black shirt, breeches and scuffed boots before she gazed at his face.
“You got your hair cut,” she said sluggishly.
“Thanks for noticing. You fainted. When was the last time you ate?” Jonah didn’t trust himself to sit beside her on the bed, so he propped himself against the wall.
Maddie levered herself onto an elbow, raked the disheveled tendrils of golden hair away from her face and said, “Yesterday. And thank you for coming to my rescue. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful earlier. Being mauled, tackled and pounded on the head made me testy.”
Jonah was on the move in one second flat to determine if she did indeed have a knot on her head or if she was using the ploy to gain his sympathy. Sure enough, his fingertips skimmed over a noticeable swelling. Switching directions, he grabbed the pitcher from the commode, dribbled water onto a towel and placed the compress against her head. She winced slightly at the contact, then brushed his hand away to hold the wet cloth against her injury.
She stared him squarely in the eye again. “Why did you tell those men that I was your wife?”
“Damned if I know,” Jonah replied flippantly. “It just sort of popped out of my mouth. It seemed a legitimate reason to demand that they keep their distance from you.”
She cocked her head and studied him for another long, contemplative moment. “You don’t like me very much, do you, Mr. Danhill?”
“It’s Jonah. And no, I don’t,” he said candidly. “But don’t take it personally. I don’t like anyone very much.”
His plainspoken comment caused the corners of her Cupid’s bow mouth to curve upward, and Jonah felt another unwanted jolt of attraction sizzling through his unruly body.
“I’m not particularly fond of men in general,” she admitted. “Most of them seem to harbor ulterior motives. It has been my experience not to trust what they say until I see what they are willing to do, and determine how far they are willing to go to get what they want.”
Jonah decided Maddie’s insight was right on the mark. But natural suspicion made him wonder if this quick-thinking female was simply trying to get on his good side by agreeing with his wary approach to life.
“Half of the men I know try to flatter me while they court me for my inheritance. The other half seem intent on stealing it outright,” she added, then frowned curiously at him. “My money is in a safe place, I hope?”
“You’re lying on top of it,” Jonah informed her. “Whether it’s yours or not, I stuffed it under the mattress.”
She got that determined look on her face again as she leaned toward him. “I am telling you the truth. Didn’t I own up to the fact right off that I lied to the hotel proprietor in order to enter your room?”
Jonah scoffed. “An honest liar. That’s a new one.” He flashed her a sardonic glance. “My faith in your integrity and sincerity is growing by leaps and bounds.”
She jerked up her delicate chin and thrust back her shoulders in offended dignity. Jonah’s attention immediately dropped to the full swells of her breasts and he cursed himself inventively for becoming distracted.
“Fibbing to the hotel manager is the only thing I have lied to you about. And that is the truth,” she declared. “I am the innocent victim here!”
“I’ve heard the same claim of innocence from every lying, cheating criminal I’ve hauled to jail,” he said cynically.
“I am not a criminal,” Maddie maintained. “How many times do I have to tell you that my sister and I are victims before you believe it?” She huffed out a frustrated breath. “If you weren’t so pigheaded you might be able to figure that out…!”
Her voice trailed off as she grabbed her aching head. She continued in a softer tone. “Name your price for escorting me home, Jonah. In addition to paying you in cold hard cash I’ll even promise to be nice to you during the journey.”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared her down. “Given that decent folks are rarely nice to me—except when they want something—and the scoundrels I encounter curse me to hell and back, that might serve as incentive. But I’m not inclined to tramp through West Texas.”
Her perfectly arched brows lifted quizzically and she smiled impishly at him. “Why not? Don’t you like the scenery?”
“I like it fine. It’s just that—”
An abrupt knock rattled the door. Jonah strode over to retrieve the tray of food Charley provided.
“I’ll settle up with you later,” Jonah promised as the man craned his
