she said, as she spit out water. “And don’t call me darling. In fact, don’t talk to me at all.”
Em was dripping wet, but before he could laugh at her, he noticed how her blouse hugged her chest, leaving little to the imagination. Heat warmed his blood to the point that he no longer noticed the cold water.
If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was intentionally trying to drive him crazy. “Em,” he managed, having no idea how he planned to finish the sentence.
She must have thought he was about to try lecturing her again because she answered, “Why don’t you take your own advice and hang on to the horse? He seems to be the only one of us who isn’t drowning.”
When he laughed, he caught her smiling for just a second.
The current caught them and he had to concentrate on staying alive so she could torture him more. Neither had time to glance back to see if the midnight horse followed them.
CHAPTER 30
WHEN THEY REACHED THE TEXAS SIDE OF THE RIO, Em felt as if her arms might drop off. The current seemed far worse than it had two nights ago when they’d crossed over, and the water too deep to stand up in most places.
She glanced at Lewt, and he didn’t look much better than she felt. They sloshed their way to a stand of cottonwoods much weathered by the wind and floods, then followed a stream farther inland. When they were far enough away from the river not to be seen by anyone on the other side, they dropped their gear in a small area circled by trees.
As she’d taught him, Lewt took care of the horse first before seeing to his own comfort. The midnight mare wouldn’t let him very close, but his mount seemed to welcome the weight of the saddle being removed. The horses needed a rest, and now that they were on U.S. soil there didn’t seem to be the urgency.
She guessed they were miles from where they’d all camped before crossing over. Part of her wanted to push on, but the practical side of her knew they needed time to rest and dry out.
Once she’d found dry matches in the tin in her coat pocket, Em built a fire in a small sandy clearing between three of the ancient trees. Firewood was not a problem, with downed branches and limbs circling the place along with driftwood twisted into branches during the last flood. Surprisingly, the clothes they’d wrapped in the bedroll on top of the saddle had stayed mostly dry. The sleeve of her jacket was dripping wet, and Lewt’s white coat, which had been on the bottom of the pile, was soaked. His vest was dry and their boots were fine. All in all, the crossing had been successful.
The wind blew in the branches above them, but the day had warmed considerably. Though winter had stolen most of the leaves, the branches blended light and shade over the area, making the sand look like a patchwork quilt done in shades of gray. Em removed her blouse and hung it on a low branch near enough to the fire to help the heavy cotton dry. After an hour of fighting the current and no food, she felt weak, barely able to function.
When Lewt returned from taking care of the horse, she ordered him to take off his shirt. “We really should remove our trousers,” she said. “They’ll chap our legs if wet, but with the fire they could be dry in half an hour.”
“What if someone comes along?” Lewt asked, sounding very much like an old-maid aunt. “You’re already standing there half naked.”
She looked down. Her camisole was almost dry, but it still clung to her skin. On the ranch she’d often stripped to her undergarments and swum in the water on hot summer days. All of the girls had, even though their father raged about it.
Only now, she wasn’t with her family. She was with Lewt, who was definitely staring. She reached for her coat.
Lewt frowned. “Don’t. The sleeve of that is wet.” He picked up his vest and offered it reluctantly. “Here, take this.”
She wrapped the colorful vest around her and buttoned it up. She’d never seen anything quite like it. Soft, finely made with gold buttons.
Lewt stepped behind her and pulled a strap, making the back come together and tightening the vest around her.
When she looked at him, he smiled. “You look a hell of a lot