"My name's Hunter," he told her. "I'm a friend of Lucas Ross. I'll take you back to the hotel. Are these trunks all yours?"
She couldn't answer him. Her throat felt as dry as parchment paper. She swallowed and tried to find her voice. She could taste the bile now. Oh, God, she knew she was going to be ill any moment. Victoria took several deep breaths in rapid succession in a bid to stall the inevitable.
Hunter couldn't imagine what had come over her. He knew most women were a little nervous around him. He thought it was because of his size and his customary frown. Her reaction went way beyond nervousness, however. She was staring up at him with a look that suggested he'd turned into a gargoyle.
Hell, he wasn't that godawful looking, was he?
With an effort, he held onto his patience. Then he introduced himself again. He kept his voice as mild as a summer breeze. He was trying to calm her. Her eyes were wide with panic. He wasn't going to do her any harm, but he guessed she didn't know that. His ego was taking one hell of a beating.
"My name is Hunter," he repeated.
"I'm…"
She was choking on the word. He wanted to whack her between her shoulders to help. He stopped himself in time. If he touched her, she'd probably faint or start screaming.
"Yes?" he asked, trying his damnedest to sound reasonable. He clasped his hands behind his back in what he hoped was a casual stance.
She glanced to her left and then her right. She was obviously looking for a means of escape.
"How about if I put you in one of the carriages and I take another to the hotel? Will you feel comfortable with that arrangement?"
She frantically shook her head at him. When she started taking great gulping breaths again, he lost his patience.
"Look, lady, I'm only doing Lucas a favor. If you don't…"
She grabbed hold of his arm. He was so surprised by her touch, he forgot what he was going to say.
Her bizarre behavior made sense to him a minute later, but by then it was too late.
"I'm going to be sick."
And she was. All over his favorite pair of boots.
Hunter pounded on the door to Lucas's room, then bent over to take his boots off. He left them outside the door.
Taylor opened the door for them. The second Victoria spotted her friend, she burst into tears.
Lucas was in the process of buttoning up his shirt. He walked into the room just in time to see Victoria hurl herself into Taylor's arms.
"Whatever happened? Why are you so upset, Victoria?" Taylor asked. She hugged her friend while she glared over Victoria's shoulder at the man she thought was responsible for her pitiful condition.
Hunter glared back. Taylor noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes.
"I'm not feeling at all well," Victoria confessed.
"What happened to your boots?" Lucas asked Hunter. He stood behind the women.
Hunter stalked into the room. "Never mind," he muttered.
"You're just tuckered out," Taylor told Victoria. "You'll feel better after you've had a bath and a nap. Come into your bedroom and I'll help you get settled."
Hunter stood in the middle of the room glaring at
Victoria. He waited until Taylor had taken her into the adjoining room, then turned his glare on Lucas.
"What happened?" Lucas asked.
"I introduced myself."
"And?"
"She threw up all over me."
Lucas smiled. He wanted to laugh but he didn't dare. Hunter would have killed him. He turned away, coughed to cover his amusement, and then finished getting dressed by tucking his shirt into the waist of his pants.
'"Don't ask me to do you any more favors," Hunter snapped.
Taylor's laughter suddenly filled the room. Her friend had obviously confessed what she'd done. A moment later Lucas and Hunter could hear Victoria laughing.
"It wasn't funny," Hunter muttered.
"You sure have a way with women," Lucas told him. He was thoroughly enjoying his friend's irritation.
"The cabbie charged four times his usual fare."
"Why?"
"She threw up inside his carriage. I couldn't get her to calm down."
Lucas did laugh then. He pictured Hunter trying to soothe Victoria and being completely inept. God knew he would have been inept. Neither one of them had any experience dealing with persnickety ladies, and Lucas was suddenly damned thankful he hadn't been the one to go after Taylor's friend.
"I wasn't responsible for her condition," Hunter said. "She told me it was the rocking motion of the train that made her sick. God, I need a bath. Will she get hysterical if I go in there and get my clothes?"
"Taylor already had your things moved to your room. It's on this floor, just three doors down the hall. The key's on the table."
Hunter couldn't hide his surprise. "They gave me a room in this fancy hotel?"
The question was telling. Hunter was used to the prejudice against him. Lucas wasn't. Hunter pretended to take it all in stride. He never made a scene when he was discriminated against. He told Lucas once he didn't have to stand up for himself and his rights. Lucas took over the task for him.
"You weren't here to sign the register," Lucas pointed out. "Taylor put the room under her name."
They both knew Lucas wasn't being completely honest. The hotel management would never have given Hunter a room on his own. Arms would have had to be twisted. Lucas would have seen to that, but Taylor, unwittingly, had averted a scene.
Hunter was ready to move on to a more important topic in his estimation.
"When do you want to leave?"
"As soon as you're ready."
Hunter picked up the key and left. He returned to Lucas's room a half hour later. Taylor had spent her time helping Victoria get settled and seeing to the chore of cleaning Hunter's boots.
He found them waiting for him inside the door. His boots looked brand-new.
Taylor walked into the room just as Hunter was putting them on.
"It was thoughtful of you to have them cleaned, Taylor. I didn't think there would be enough time."
"Taylor cleaned them," Lucas told his friend. He leaned against the arch to the alcove. His gaze was centered on his wife. She looked flushed to him.
"You feeling all right, Taylor?" he asked.
She looked at the floor when she answered. "Yes."
It wasn't like her to act timid. Something was wrong, he decided. He put his gunbelt on, checked to make certain each of his two guns was fully loaded, a ritual that gave him a considerable amount of peace of mind, and then told Taylor to come to him.
She took her time walking across the room. When she reached his side, he took hold of her hand and pulled her into the privacy of the bedroom area.
"Look at me," he commanded.
She took her sweet time obeying that order as well. "Why haven't you asked me if you could come along with us?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Would you let me?"
He shook his head. "No, but you didn't ask. What's the matter with you?"
She ignored his question. "I should go with you, you know. When you find them, I should be there. They'll be afraid, Lucas. They'll need me."
She gave a valid argument. He nodded. "All right then. When we find them, I'll come back and get you."
"Thank you."
"You still haven't told me what's bothering you."
She let out a sigh. "Were you bluffing?" she asked. "I was certain you were, but now I find I need to hear you admit it."
"I never bluff."
"Oh, all right then."
"Taylor?"
She started to turn away. He put his hands on her shoulders to keep her there.
"Yes?"
"What are we talking about?"
"Your wedding night."