Then they sat at the table and talked like one of them hadn’t just done the stupidest thing she’d ever heard tell of any woman doing in the history of the world.

Eight

His first kiss. He’d really never thought much about kissing.

Well, some.

But honestly, there were no women around. Well, Cheyenne, but she didn’t count.

And Win had lived here off and on for the last few years, but she didn’t count, either.

Neither did Molly. What in tarnation was he thinking?

Kissing Molly, who’d shown clear as glass that she wanted to leave him, had even moved out until they’d near dragged her back. Kissing her had to be the stupidest thing a man had ever done.

And Wyatt wanted to do it again, bad.

The cowhands were so used to running the place without him while he’d been healing up from being shot that they’d spread out to do whatever needed doing without even talking to him.

And he’d have to track them down if he wanted something to do besides go charging back into the house and kissing Molly again. Right in front of her brother this time.

Oh, there was an idea fit to get a man shot.

He’d noticed Kevin, a usually easygoing farmer from Kansas, had a mean streak. Tough man. Protective. Kevin would feel bad if he shot his own brother. It might only be later, long after the gun smoke had cleared, but then he’d feel bad.

Wyatt reckoned he’d feel bad, too. And having just healed up from being shot, he had no wish to repeat the experience.

He still almost turned back. Fear of getting shot wasn’t enough to stop him, so he near ran to the barn in the brisk wind and the blowing snow. None was coming down now, but what was already on the ground danced as if it were thrilled to be here on earth.

He saddled up a pretty sorrel gelding and rode hard for Cheyenne and Falcon’s cabin. It wasn’t far, which was the thing Wyatt liked most about it, but still too far—because they should’ve just stayed put. Stayed right there in the house instead of leaving Wyatt all alone with beautiful, yellow-haired Molly.

But Cheyenne was gone with her husband, reminding Wyatt he’d lost his place in his sister’s life.

Just as Molly had lost her place in her brother’s.

It made sense that he and Molly could find what they’d lost by turning to each other.

But he didn’t know how to make her see sense.

He had two brothers. One of them had talked the prickliest woman in the whole territory of Wyoming into marrying him. The other one might shoot him just for bringing up his worries.

It was easy to choose Falcon to talk to.