Page 2 of Rawhide and Ransom

Hawk was impressed by the stealth of his young guest, since he hadn’t heard the door open. He gave her wet tendrils of hair dripping on her borrowed shirt and the oversized gray sweatpants bagging around her ankles an approving nod. She looked like an entirely different person now that she was clean. Her feet were bare, and her toenails were painted a bright pink. Even though it was wet, her hair had darker highlights woven throughout the blonde, which he was betting was her natural color. Back in her hometown of Turkey, Texas, she’d clearly been able to afford some “extras.”

“How’s the arm, kid?” He eyed the bandage wrapped around the cut on her arm that the P.A. from the reservation’s clinic had stitched up less than an hour ago.

“It still hurts.” She blew out a resigned breath as she darted a wary glance around the room. “Not as much as it hurts not knowing where my real mom is, though.”

Ashley leaped to her feet so quickly that she nearly knocked over the stool she’d been seated on. “What can we do to help you?” She sounded every inch like the mother bear that she was.

“Thanks, but Hawk is already helping me.” Miley shot him such a grateful look that something shifted inside his heart. “He agreed to give me a job, too, though we haven’t yet finished working out the details. I’m gonna save up for a detective to help me find my?—”

Clint’s disbelieving snort made her stop and stare at him. “Did I say something wrong?” She shrank deeper inside her baggy borrowed outfit.

Clint gave Hawk an impatient look. “Well, what are you waiting for? Tell her!”

“Tell me what?” There was a piteous note in Miley’s voice that made Hawk’s feet churn into motion.

Sensing that she was barely keeping it together, he jogged to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He uncapped it as he strode her way and held it out to her. “How about you take a seat on the sofa next to that joker?” He angled his head at Clint. “Then we’ll talk.”

She wordlessly accepted the bottle of water, careful not to jostle the injured arm she was hugging against her middle. Then she padded toward the sofa and gingerly took a seat on the furthest edge of it.

“Oh, man!” With a gusty sigh of appreciation, she hitched herself more fully onto the sofa and sank back against the cushions. “Fair warning. I’m probably gonna fall asleep before you finish telling me whatever you’re gonna tell…” The rest of her words were swallowed by a jaw-cracking yawn. “I don’t think I snore, but my apologies if I do.” Her long eyelashes drifted down against her cheeks. They were a darker blonde than the rest of her hair.

“Miley?” Hawk squatted down in front of her to press a finger against the side of her bottle of water as it tipped precariously against her knee. “You need to keep drinking.” After everything she’d been through, she was likely in need of replenishing her fluids.

“If you say so.” Without opening her eyes, she tipped the bottle up and took a noisy gulp. Then she lowered it back to her knee. “You satisfied now, Pops?”

A snicker from Clint made Hawk’s ears burn. “Not really, but short of prying your jaws open and pouring the rest of it down you…” He left the empty threat hanging in the air between them.

“Whatever.” She cracked one eyelid open. “I think we both know your bark is worse than your bite.”

A louder snicker erupted from Clint.

Hawk sent him a dirty look, then quickly returned his attention to Miley. He was still full of questions, but she was fading fast. “Hey, kid, I need you to stay awake until we figure out our next move. From everything you’ve told us, you may be in real danger.”

She yawned again. “Just keep me alive until I wake up, okay? Then we’ll talk. I promise.” The water bottle slid from her fingers.

He caught it as it fell. Recapping it, he set it on the end table beside her. Then he lifted her feet to the couch, easing her head down on the cushioned arm of it.

Clint tossed him a throw blanket and helped him spread it over her legs. “Pops?” He playfully waggled his eyebrows, clearly fishing for an explanation.

“Shut up!” Though Hawk pretended to be irritated by his friend’s prying, he was secretly thrilled that Miley saw him as some sort of father figure. It was even more humbling to realize that she trusted him. In order to properly protect her, though, he needed to know more about what he was up against. A lot more.

“Whoa!” Ashley, who’d made a beeline to the bathroom to make a pit stop, paused in the doorway.

Hawk stood and hurried her way.

She silently stepped aside, gesturing at the trail of clothes Miley had left on the floor.

He staggered a little as the sultry heat and dampness from her shower smacked him in the face. It felt like stepping into a sauna. Slapping at the pair of wall switches, he turned on the light and the exhaust fan, further illuminating the mess his young guest left behind.

The towel she’d used had been flung crookedly over the shower curtain bar. Instead of pulling the bath rug off the side of the tub, she’d sloshed her wet feet across the tile. From the damp wad of tissues in the waste basket, it looked like she’d attempted to wipe up some of the water, but he could almost go water skiing on the small puddles she’d left untouched.

Clint joined them at the door of the bathroom, giving a small whistle at the mess inside. “Teenagers!” He crowded into the small space, bumping shoulders with Hawk as he added his clumsy assistance to the cleanup efforts. “You should see the look on your face.”

Hawk felt like he was playing a game of Twister while he picked up Miley’s discarded clothing. As he lifted her filthy jeans between his thumb and forefinger, something fell out of the back pocket and hit the floor with a thud. It was a wallet.Hot dog!

He bent to snatch it up. Then he pulled the bath towel she’d used off the shower bar and used it to mop up the rest of the water on the floor. He carried Miley’s clothing to the washer and dryer around the corner and dumped them in, carefully checking the rest of her pockets before starting the washer. The only other items he found were a few empty candy wrappers.

Poor kid!She was in need of some solid nourishment.

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