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The gun was lowered to rest in her lap That hat the prostitute had said when they’d spoken so briefly in the millinery shop The redhead named Pearl had advised her that if Lorna wanted to keep Benteen fro that kind of woman, she had to be wilder in bed than he was

During those first weeks of e, Lorna had learned that Benteen responded to the passion she once tried to conceal And she had responded to his Even though she’d had cau

se to keep hi? If she wanted her es had to occur She had forgiven hiet it

The gun returned to the valise, along with the brass token of the Dodge City charon

All day long, she had time to think about her decision When Benteen returned from town in the late afternoon, Lorna felt quite cal—if anything, presu it was supplies—until he offered it to her instead of Rusty

“I bought so for you,” Benteen stated with a bland look “I had to guess at the size”

Her calift, and she was knocked coe, then at Benteen His jaw hardened at her hesitation, taking it as a rejection of anything that came from him

Mur “I don’t knohat to say,” she reached out to take it from him “What is it?”

“Open it and find out,” he urged

It was a flat-crowned cowboy hat At first Lorna could only stare at it Finally she lifted her sparkling gaze to Benteen

“You looked silly in that bonnet” Warentled his look “Every cowboy has to have a hat You’d better see if it fits”

When she tried it on, the hat was a little snug, but she’d probably be glad of that on a windy day Lorna wished she had a mirror handy For the moment, she had to rely on Benteen’s opinion

“How does it look?” she asked

“It doesn’t go with the dress” His mouth crooked

“But I prohed, but he pulled his gaze away fro