Lone Wolf's Woman. Carol Finch

for the worst…and prayed for the best as she entered the room.

       Chapter Three

       T he moment Lone Wolf stepped into the room behind Julia his attention settled on the deathly pale patient whose chest was wrapped in bandages. When Julia rushed to her brother’s side to clutch his hand, Lone Wolf noted her visible relief.

      After studying Adam’s pale face and sandy-blond hair for a long moment, Lone Wolf recalled their one and only meeting. Near as he recollected it was about a year ago, when he was in a saloon on South Side in Dodge. He hadn’t gotten the name of the man who had casually leaned toward him at the bar to confide that one of the ruffians playing poker had a pistol resting against his thigh beneath the table.

      It was trained on Lone Wolf’s back.

      Lone Wolf had murmured, “I owe you one,” before he strolled up behind the hombre he had been sent to arrest for robbing a dry goods store in Abilene. If memory served, Adam Preston had tripped up the criminal when he tried to bolt and run, saving Lone Wolf the trouble of tracking him down.

      “How bad off is he?” Julia asked as she half turned to stare inquisitively at the stout, gray-haired physician who had scooped up his medical bag.

      The doctor smiled gently. “Lucky to be alive, but I think he’ll make it. He’s going to require lots of bed rest.”

      Lone Wolf watched Julia’s shoulders slump in relief, saw the wash of tears that filled her luminous green eyes. But when she looked in his direction she regathered her composure, just as he’d ordered her to do.

      Because of Adam’s injured condition, a mountain-load of responsibility fell on Julia’s shoulders, along with a heaping mound of traumatic emotion. But she seemed to be made of sturdy stuff. The determined set of her jaw indicated that she intended to meet the challenge of managing the ranch until her brother’s condition improved.

      Damn, she was something—as much as he wished he hadn’t noticed. It had taken every ounce of self-control he could muster not to respond when Julia had flung herself into his arms on the front porch a few minutes earlier. The feel of her luscious body pressed against his caused fierce need to spear through him.

      When another ripple of desire tried to overtake him, Lone Wolf reminded himself that Julia Preston was a client—too damn attractive and intriguing for his peace of mind but a business client nonetheless. He didn’t want or need the slightest personal involvement with her. He was a man who needed no one. With that in mind he concentrated on the problems at hand.

      “I managed to dislodge the bullet,” Doc Connor reported as he came to stand at the foot of the bed. “Adam should come around in a few minutes. But don’t tire him out.” He handed Julia a bottle of laudanum. “Give him another dose to help him sleep and keep him sedated for several days.”

      Five minutes after Julia had introduced Lone Wolf to the men who had congregated in the room, the physician bid them good-night and promised to return the following day. Frank Slater, the foreman, and two of the cowboys eyed Lone Wolf cautiously before they also took their leave.

      A moment later Adam’s eyes fluttered open.

      Julia pressed a kiss to his peaked forehead. “Hey, big brother.” She smiled affectionately. “I’m glad to hear that you’re going to be all right. That is, if you follow doctor’s orders and rest while I take care of things for you. I get to boss you around. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

      The faintest hint of a smile trailed across Adam’s ashen lips. Then he fixed his dazed eyes on Lone Wolf. “Make sure no harm comes to Julia,” he wheezed. “But I need to warn you—” he paused to swallow and lick his lips “—she can be a handful.”

      Lone Wolf didn’t doubt it. Even when Julia was at her worst, overcome with grief and anguish, she had spunk, spirit and courage in spades. She had braved the dangers of South Side to find him quickly. Plus, he remembered well how she had retaliated when he had accidentally touched her in an inappropriate manner.

      “I’ll be on my best behavior while Lone Wolf is underfoot,” Julia promised. “You won’t even recognize me.”

      Adam’s smile faded and his eyes drooped. “You need to tell Maggie—”

      “You can tell her yourself later,” Julia cut in as she offered him a dose of the sedative. “Right now you need to rest. I’ll be back to check on you after I get Lone Wolf settled in for the night.”

      He swallowed dutifully as his focus drifted to Lone Wolf. “Thank you for coming to help. Now I owe you one.”

      When Adam drifted off, Julia heaved herself to her feet. She looked exhausted but mightily relieved that her brother had survived. Lone Wolf wondered what it felt like to be loved so devotedly. The affectionate bond between brother and sister fairly radiated in the room. No doubt, they had grown very close after losing their mother, and then their father.

      Aware of the strong attachment and family connection the Prestons shared made Lone Wolf realize something was missing from his life. It had been almost two decades since he had felt as if he belonged anywhere. He had also gotten used to knowing that he was probably the only one who gave a damn whether he even existed. But at least he was the master of his own soul. There was a lot to be said for that.

      “I’ll show you to your room,” Julia murmured as she breezed past him. He tried very hard not to get lost in her feminine scent again. But it was difficult, especially when the aroma of jasmine clung to his clothes after she had hugged him gratefully.

      “No need for a room,” he insisted, following her into the hall. “I’ll camp outside.”

      Julia stopped short, spun around then tilted her head to stare up at him. “No, you will not,” she countered firmly. “The whole point is for you to be close at hand in case Sol decides to send his henchman to finish the job on Adam.”

      Lone Wolf’s eyes widened. “You want me under the same roof with your kind?” He snorted at that. “You’d be laughed out of town by your highfalutin friends. Half-breed bounty hunters aren’t prized houseguests so don’t bother trying to be noble. I don’t miss what I’m not used to.”

      Julia looked him squarely in the eye and said, “Do you want to hear the truth, Lone Wolf?”

      “Yeah, don’t mind if I do. That would be a refreshing change, considering the ruthless, backstabbing, two-faced liars I usually have to contend with in my line of work.”

      Julia studied him consideringly, trying to imagine what his life was like, knowing he had been stigmatized for reasons beyond his control. No matter what anyone else thought of him, she admired the countless talents and skills that had earned him the reputation as one of the most formidable shootists and capable trackers in the West.

      She also wondered if the fact that her emotions had been all over the place the past few hours accounted for her unexpected attachment to him. She certainly hadn’t developed an interest in any of the fortune hunters who had tried to charm her into marriage the past few years.

      But her connection with Lone Wolf was different. He had been there when she needed a shoulder to cry on and had offered her moral support when she returned to the ranch. He had also helped her brace for the worst before she climbed the steps to determine if Adam had survived.

      Of course, it was pretty clear that he didn’t want any involvement with her, but he had been there for her whether he’d wanted to be or not. That made him special to her.

      “Well, the truth is,” she said belatedly, “that my maternal grandfather didn’t think my father was good enough for my mother, which was, of course, ridiculous. Snobbery, society’s dictates and prejudices are wasted on me. I have been encouraged to think and speak for myself and to stand up for what I believe in. I’m not, nor have I ever been, a shrinking violet who is easily controlled. You need to know that from the start.”

      His low, rumbling chuckle startled her. She grinned when she saw him