Stronger Than the Rest by Shirleen Davies Page A

common sense to keep herself out of harm’s way or kill a man if he came at her? He’d have to wait and see.
    “I better get going.”
    “I’ll walk out with you, Sheriff,” Jeff said and followed Frank outside.
    “Keep an eye on her, Jeff. She’s determined that no one’s going to take the ranch from her, no matter the consequences, and that kind of thinking can get her killed.”
    “Understood. I’ll split up the boys so one group is always available to keep watch on her and the ranch. Wish she could afford more men, but I know she’s at her limit. It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.” Jeff turned his gaze from the sheriff to check out their surroundings. There were enough trees around the property to provide cover to anyone who wanted to lie in wait. He only had ten men, including himself, and that just wasn’t enough for what they were up against. He hoped his decision to stay put and support Mrs. Bierdan wasn’t a bad one. Jeff had no intention of dying in this southwest Colorado town.
     
    ******
     
    “Tess? I wonder if you’d like to go outside for a bit?” Drew’s voice was hesitant, hopeful. He’d spent the last hour with Jericho, and even though he was tired, he wanted to see her, spend time with her. Hell, he wanted to just be around her. Their short time in the barn just wasn’t enough.
    “I’d like that.” Tess set down the book she’d been reading and grabbed a shawl. She stepped back to let Drew precede her onto the front porch and closed the door. Her hands began to shake, from nerves or the cold she wasn’t sure, but either way, she grabbed the ends of the shawl to wrap around her so Drew wouldn’t notice. Tess walked over to the swing and Drew maneuvered his chair next to her.
    “We haven’t had much time together.” Drew said.
    “No, we haven’t.” Tess was rocking the swing with a slight motion. It was enough to help hide her nervousness at being alone with Drew. She’d felt this way in the barn, but the mare had been a distraction. Tess had no distractions now.
    They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet and the clear night sky. “Are your sessions with Mr. Jericho going all right? Does it help?”
    “If nothing else, the liniment and massage relaxes me. I can’t say for certain they help, but doubt that they’re causing any more damage.” He tilted his head up to gaze at the stars. “I missed you, Tess.”
    “You did?” Her surprise wasn’t fake. She hadn’t believed he’d thought about her at all since leaving Cold Creek for Denver.
    “You thought I wouldn’t?” Drew turned to look at her.
    “Well, I know you’ve had to focus on other things. I didn’t think you’d have time for much else. Except perhaps your fiancée.”
    “Ah, I see.” And he did. He’d left the ranch after the shooting when Louis Dunnigan and his daughter, Patricia, had arrived. She’d identified herself to everyone as Drew’s fiancée, and Tess had believed it.
    “She was never my fiancée. I never courted her, Tess. I cleared that up with Patricia before I left Denver.”
    Tess let that roll around in her head. Is he trying to tell me something or just making conversation? “Are you courting someone else?”
    He chuckled. “No, I’m not courting anyone. Are you being courted?”
    “Me?” she squeaked out. She knew her family would find the question humorous, not because they saw her as unattractive, but because of her total disinterest in meeting someone, making friends outside of the family. “Of course not. Who’d be interested in someone like me when there are so many beautiful women with more to offer?” There, the words were out, and she meant them. Let him know that she didn’t expect that any man, especially someone like Drew MacLaren, would find her attractive or interesting enough to court. She sank lower into the swing and continued to rock.
    The disbelief Drew felt at Tess’s words grew until he wished he could stand, draw her to