She ignored him. "I just overheard a lawman, or maybe he was a bounty hunter, talking to the man at the store. They didn't see me, but I heard them. He's looking for you, Charlie. I think you'd better get out of town."

"Yep, I was just goin'. Luanne here told me my face is plastered all over the finer establishments of this town."

Angelina spared a glance for Luanne and flushed at the look of avid curiosity in the woman's eyes.

"Charlie, who's the kid?" Luanne asked. "Too old to be your daughter." She frowned. "Hell, she can't be your woman. Ain't she a little young for you?"

"Shut up, Luanne," Charlie growled. "She ain't my woman. I'm just takin' her to the convent."

"She's a nun?" Luanne's voice cracked with suppressed laughter.

"Not yet," Charlie bit out. He frowned at Angelina, then walked past her to peer out the window.

"Damn," he said conversationally."What?" Angelina said, flustered at the lack of emotion behind his curse."Man's headed this way. Must be our Ranger friend.""Go!" Angelina practically shouted, tugging on his arm. "We'll stall him somehow. Just go."Charlie turned toward her with a look of wry amusement. "You willin' to lie for me, Sister? I'm touched.""Stop it," she hissed. "He might kill you and you think it's funny. Are you crazy?""No, just used to the situation. The only way to keep on livin' is to kill them before they kill you. That is, if you can't get out of town quick enough."

Her heart started to beat so fast Angelina feared it might explode. She couldn't understand how Charlie could stand in front of her with no emotion on his face while he calmly discussed killing a man or being

killed. She wanted to shriek and stamp her feet and beat on his chest. She wanted to do anything thatwould make him listen to her and get out of harm's way."Would you two quit jabberin' and get upstairs," Luanne broke in."Why?" Charlie and Angelina asked in unison, still staring at each other intently."Because I have a plan that should keep my place from gettin' shot up along with the two of you. Get up there and get in bed."

"Excuse me?" Angelina asked. Breaking eye contact with Charlie, she looked at Luanne in amazement.

"Just do it."

Angelina glanced back at Charlie, who looked longingly at the front window while he fingered his gun. He

wanted to shoot it out with that lawman, but she wouldn't allow that to happen. She would do whatever she had to do to keep someone from getting killed, especially if that someone was the man who had saved her life.

She grabbed Charlie's hand and tugged. "Come on. We can at least give her idea a try."

Charlie continued to hesitate and she yanked on his hand again. Finally, with obvious reluctance, heallowed Angelina to lead him toward the stairs."Never thought I'd have you takin' me upstairs in a whorehouse, Sister," Charlie observed."Quit teasin' the girl and get up there, Coltrain," Luanne ordered. "Get under the covers and stay out of sight. You"-she pointed at Angelina-"get out of those horrid clothes. Take off everything but your

chemise and get in bed, too. I'll send one of my men up to help. You'll have to pretend he's a customer. Think you can do that?"

Angelina began to understand what Luanne had in mind. The plan could work, if she did her part. The thud of boots on the plank walk outside made the decision for her. She nodded and raced up the stairs, holding tight to Charlie's hand.

With no time for shyness or modesty, Angelina yanked off her clothes and kicked them under the bed. Charlie was already under the covers. She lifted the blanket and hesitated when his gaze focused on her scantily covered breasts.

The door opened behind them. How had that lawman gotten past Luanne so quickly? She whirled. Fear closed off her voice.

The man in the doorway grinned at her, exposing large white teeth. Sporting a bare chest and long red drawers, he was a mountain of flesh-toned muscle.

"I'm Joseph. Heard you needed a little help."

Footsteps on the stairs made him glance over his shoulder. He frowned and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

"No time to talk. Get in bed."

Angelina did as she was told. Joseph joined her on the other side, squeezing Charlie in between them.

Despite her fear, Angelina was comforted by the warmth of Charlie's body pressed to her side.

Joseph reached up and yanked the pins from her hair just as the door crashed open. Angelina let out a convincing shriek of surprise and turned to face the intruder.

He was big and tough, like the longhorns she had seen throughout Texas. Those cattle could survive

nearly anything and thrive. This man would, too.

He walked into the room as though he owned it and stopped a few feet away. Angelina tilted her head back to get a look at his face.

"Miss," he said in greeting and removed his hat.

His hair hovered between blond and brown, as though it hadn't yet made a decision which color to be.

But his eyes were as blue as the Texas sky on a blazing hot summer morning.

Handsome, she thought. Maybe too much so. He was used to getting his way. But not this time, she vowed.

"Who the hell are you?" Joseph roared.

"Drew Winston."

At the sound of the man's voice, Charlie stiffened against Angelina's side. She bit her lip to keep from

crying out, afraid for a moment that he meant to leap out and shoot the man where he stood.

"I don't care what your name is," Joseph said. "What are you doing in here?"

"I'm looking for a man. Tall with gold hair."

"Well he ain't in here as you can see," Joseph snarled convincingly. "Now get out. She's paid for an hour, and I want all my time."

"Care if I look around?" The lawman's sharp gaze scanned the room as he spoke.

Joseph pulled himself up straight, making his muscled chest and arms look even more impressive as he glared at the intruder. "Hell, yes, I care. Don't need no audience. Now get."

"Calm down, mister. Maybe he came in here before you did and hid."

"And maybe he got out the back way while you were foolin' around in here."

The sound of horses running hard down the main street drifted through the open window. Drew Winston

stiffened and crossed the room.

"Damn, there he goes." He turned and nodded in Angelina's direction. "I apologize, miss." The Ranger strode from the room.

Angelina held her breath, listening as he clattered down the stairs and out the door. Beneath the covers,

Charlie shifted impatiently. His hair brushed her hand, and she shivered, stifling the urge to reach down and tangle her fingers in the golden strands, then release them one by one. She chewed on her lip to stifle a groan. Where had all these worldly desires sprung from?

Joseph rambled over to peer out the window. "He's leaving. You can come out now."

Charlie whipped the blanket off his head and sucked in a deep breath. His gaze locked with Angelina's,

and the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a wry imitation of a smile. Her heart still raced so fast she didn't have the enthusiasm to return the expression.

How could he look so relaxed? They had come close to getting caught. But of course he had been on the

run for most of his life. This was her first experience with evading the law.

Some of her doubt must have shown in her face, for Charlie reached out and brushed a loosened hair

away from her brow with a surprisingly gentle gesture. Then, as though disgusted with himself, he muttered something, more likely than not a profanity, and got out of bed.

Luanne appeared in the doorway.

"Who's he following?" Charlie asked.

"One of my bartenders on your horse." She motioned for Joseph to leave. After nodding a good-bye to

Charlie and Angelina, he did. Luanne continued. "My man'll lead him away from town, lose him and double back here so you can jump on Gabe and get lost."

"I hope your man can handle Gabe. You know how he is."

"I know how all your horses are. Don't worry. I told him not to wear his spurs. He won't hurt your precious Gabe."

"Gabe?" Angelina asked.

"My horse. I don't like to use spurs on my horses. Makes 'em spooky."

Angelina nodded. Another bit of information she'd been wondering about. "You named your horse

Gabe?"

Luanne smiled. "Actually he named the horse Gabriel. He names all his horses Gabriel, after the angel."

Angelina frowned. "That's blasphemous."

Charlie groaned. "Hell, Sister. I wasn't much more than a kid when I started. Now it's just a habit."

"That's true," Luanne put in, her sharp gaze flicking between the two of them with interest. "When we