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Lorna confidently faced hied, “You still haven’t told me where you’ve been all this time”

“It’s a long story I’ll coht and we’ll talk” He rubbed a hand over his chin, whiskers scraping his rough palht now, I need a shave and a bath”

“Come for dinner,” Lorna invited

“Six o’clock?” That was the usual time the Pearce family dined

“Yes,” she nodded

The save Lorna was for her alone, but he turned and politely touched the briirlfriend His stride wasn’t quite so heavy when he continued down the street

The first tio in her father’s store Even then Benteen had been attracted to her, but of course she’d been too young Froular custoli season, her parents didn’t allow her to come to the store Cowboys on the town, even those with the utet offensive when they’d had one too lasses of red-eye The Pearces naturally wanted to protect their daughter froretable advances

When Lorna had turned sixteen, Benteen had asked her father’s per With soood living, his request had been granted Benteen had never doubted from the moment he saw her that he would someday make Lorna his wife

Before he’d left on the trail drive last spring, he’d asked for her hand indate until he’d found a place for them Benteen had always known his father would have welcomed him and his bride at the ranch, but there was no future The Cee Bar was gradually being squeezed out by Judd Boston It was only a matter of time before Boston acquired it on a tax sale The ranch couldn’t support his father, let alone Benteen and Lorna

For the last three years he’d been saving every dime he could He’d rounded up mavericks and added theed to put al a place where they could build a future Now that ether an outfit to trail north with a herd of horns frooing to cost hi fee

Lorna would make him the perfect wife Her head wasn’t filled with drea cities and fancy clothes like his mother She was sensible and practical —and beautiful The blood ran strong through his veins

Lorna’s nerves were all ajumble when she heard the footsteps on the front porch She didn’t have to look at the clock to knoas Benteen Her pounding heart told her to run to the door to irl shouldn’t appear too anxious It wasn’t proper—and, Lord knew, there were times when Benteen made her feel very improper

She pretended to straighten a setting of silverware on the table, covered with her mother’s best linen cloth There was a knock at the door She caught her father’s faintly alance as he looked up from the day’s issue of the Fort Worth Democrat

“It must be Benteen,” she murmured

“Must be,” he agreed dryly and ed to keep the pipe clenched between his teeth as he spoke