Read The Wedding Ransom for Free Online

his back turned toward the pool. “Glad I am to hear you speak up. I thought I heard you squeal a few minutes ago so I went to check on you. It took five years off my life when I discovered you weren’t in bed. Why are you down here in the middle of the night? Are you hurting, Maggie? What’s wrong? What are you doing in the mud?”
    “I’m fine, Papa, and it’s not the middle of the night. I’m taking a mud bath. You know how I enjoy coming down here this time of morning. I’m sorry you worried, but you needn’t have. Why don’t you wait for me outside? I’ll get out and get dressed. We’ll talk.”
    “Are you sure you feel all right?” Snake called. “You’re not hurting? Billy said you were sick.”
    “Billy talks too much. I was tired, Papa. That’s all. I had a good night’s sleep and now I’m fine. I promise. Go on and let me rinse off. I’ll meet you—”
    “No, no. Stay where you are and enjoy your bath. I’m plumb whipped myself. We got in real late, and I think I’ll catch a few more winks. I don’t expect the others up anytime too soon. We’ll wait and all talk together later. One thing, though, in case you’re worrying. Our trip was a success. Rafe Malone came back to Bliss with us.”
    Maggie peered into the shadows toward Rafe. “Well, I have absolutely nothing to worry about then, do I? Go on back to bed, Papa Snake.”
    “All right, Maggie. I’ll see you a little later.”
    For a full minute after the pirate’s departure, neither of them spoke. Then Rafe asked, “Why didn’t you give me away?”
    She shrugged. “Like I said before. We need you. Had Papa Snake discovered us like this, he’d have been hard-pressed not to kill you, or at least carry out one of his more creative threats.”
    “Did he really sew some fella’s lips together just for kissing you?”
    “No, of course not. I’ve never in my life seen Snake touch a needle.”
    Rafe slowly stood, debating whether to pick up where they’d left off or wait for another time to learn the taste of Maggie St. John. He took a step out of the shadows toward her, and she flattened herself against the wall of the pool.
    “That was Lucky,” she said. “Sewing is one of his special talents. He did a lot of work with sails.”
    Rafe stopped abruptly. Forgetting where he was, Rafe rubbed his fingers across his lips and tasted mud. “Bleh.” He glanced toward the open lake and acknowledged that the moment had passed. His questions could wait, and so could he. He’d have the lady where he wanted her another time. Another time soon.
    Placing his hands on the ground beside the pool, he pushed himself up and out of the mud. From the corner of his eyes he saw Maggie look away, but as he stood next to the clear water spring with his bare backside to her, he sensed her gaze upon him. Rafe indulged in a little preening, rolling his shoulders and flexing his back before he hopped down into the warm water. “I’m going to take a lap across the lake. You might use the opportunity to finish up here.”
    Her voice sounded strangled. “Yes. Of course.”
    Rafe stretched out to swim, but she halted him with a question. “Mr. Malone? About Barlow Hill. Have my grandfathers explained exactly why they wanted to hire you? Have they told you why we can’t anger Mr. Hill?”
    “I know nothing about Hill. All I do know is that your grandfathers want me to steal their treasure.” He gave her a wink and added, “Now I get to decide which one.”

Chapter 3
     
    T he man could model for a Greek god statue.
    Maggie wasn’t thinking of her Papa Lucky when she watched him take position over the leather and feather-filled ball later that morning. She was thinking about Rafe Malone. When Lucky drew back his wooden club, she pictured the thief s broad shoulders. As the stick swung down and connected with the sphere, she recalled the sensation of hard, sculpted muscle surrounding her. While following the trajectory of the small ball through the