Read Cowboys Mine for Free Online

some of this stiffness
softened. “You don’t have any skeletons in your closet.”
    “I have plenty.”
    His interest piqued, an eyebrow lifting. “You turn
red as a lobster when someone says the word shit in front of you.”
    “Do not!”
    “You’re a good girl, Eva. Don’t try to deny it.” He
tossed his apple core on her side of the table.
    “Jerk.” And just like that they were back to normal.
They could never stay mad at each other. North settled his head on his bend arm
and fell asleep just before her eyes became too heavy to keep open.
     

Chapter
Four
     
    “Where’s Eva?” North woke up to the wash of pink
across the table. The sun was setting, darkness stealing the last bit of
daylight. He’d checked the trailer, only to find Colton asleep in the upper
bunk, his big feet dangling off the end.
    “She ain’t up here.” Colton rolled over,
uninterested.
    “It’s after eight. Fuck!”
    He looked out the windows. Chinese lanterns were
strung outside the makeshift trailer park. A bon fire blazed in the near
distance, and a gunshot rang off. All the rodeo riders and drifters were
getting ready for a night of debauchery. And little Eva was out there somewhere.
    Colton climbed down, rubbing his eyes, his
dirty-blond hair sticking up in every direction. “What time is it?”
    “I already said it’s after eight. Eva ain’t here.
God knows what trouble she’s gotten herself into.” North remembered the look of
lust on that drifter’s face earlier in the day. Even worse was the way Eva fell
for his charms like a calf to the slaughter. All he could think about was
knocking that cowboy into next week for looking at Eva with those wicked eyes.
    “We’ll take a walk. There are only so many places
she could be at this hour.”
    After donning heavy plaid coats to keep out the
evening chill, they headed out on foot to look for Eva. They came on the trip
to protect Eva. They’d promised Mr. Ford that not a hair on her head would be
out of place, and on the first night they’d lost her.
    They weaved through the different campfires set up
throughout the camp ground, looking at all the blonde girls in hopes of
spotting just one. Nothing. When they reached the epicenter of activity, the
local bar, they decided to check it out. As soon as they opened the door of the
country and western bar, the music and raucous laughter spilled out into the
night.
    “Let’s split up,” said Colt.
    They went their separate ways, pushing through the
rowdy cowboys in search of Eva. North felt like a bomb waiting to go off. Every
time a man bumped against him, he clenched his fists in anticipation of a
fight. All he kept imagining was Wade and his fucking silver buckle. A tap on
his back stole his attention. When he spun around, ready for anything, it was Eva
who looked up at him. The first thing he noticed was the top buttons of her
blouse were left unbuttoned.
    “What’s going on?” he demanded. “Why in God’s name
are you in this shithole?”
    “Wade bought me a drink.” She held up a bottle of
beer and giggled. He snatched it from her and set it on the nearest table.
    “Unbelievable, Eva.” North practically dragged her
out of the bar. Colton must have spotted them because he was right behind them.
    Once outside in the crisp, cool air, he cupped Eva’s
face and made her look him eye to eye. “What were you thinking?”
    She shrugged away. “I watched Wade ride, and then he
bought me a drink. I’m twenty-two, North. There’s nothing wrong with going on a
date.”
    “ A date? ”
North couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She’d known Wade all but a few
hours, and now they were some sort of item? Eva was setting herself up for some
serious heartache or much worse.
    “I’m not twelve and I don’t need saving.” She walked away from him, heading in the
direction of the trailer. “Both of you need to give me some space.”
    Colton grabbed his arm before he could chase after
her. “Relax. She’s in one