Chapter Ten
Elizabeth was sure she couldn't go another step. Her legs were shaking beneath her and her whole body hurt. Her face was red and burning from the sun, without her hat to protect it, and her mouth was dryer than the sand and grass beneath her feet. Her tongue felt as if it was swelling bigger by the second and when she raised her hand to her lips, she realized they were bleeding. She was no longer sweating since there was no water left inside of her for her body to use as sweat.
Brody had been keeping a steady pace in front of her for hours as the Texas sun beat down on their heads. His hat was gone as well, his clothes were blood covered and filthy and his hair was knotted and messy on his head. She wished he'd turn around and see how tired she was so they could stop because there was no way on God's green earth she was going to voice a single word of complaint. Not when he was walking as if enjoying a nice stroll through the park. His shoulders held high, his steps long and steady. Why couldn't he be stumbling the way she was? Bullet wound and all he was unstoppable and it irritated her.
She looked down at the ground and her head swam as her eyes drifted closed. She tripped over her own feet and prepared herself for the pain she knew she'd feel when she hit the ground. Instead she felt two strong arms close around her and lift her from the ground, cradling her against a rock hard chest. She wanted to protest to being held like a child but her body was too weak and her mind to weary. She didn't even open her eyes as she curled up against him and threw her arms around his neck.
Brody looked down at her, sound asleep against his chest and knew he was in trouble. So much for never letting a woman get under his skin. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, she was so deep under his skin she might as well be a part of him.
He'd tried to keep his distance at the ranch but even then her hardworking spirit, her confidence, her determination to make it as a woman in a man's world had impressed him. Her beauty and her grace had attracted him and her temper had both infuriated and excited him.
Now holding her in his arms, so soft and helpless in her weakened state he felt the last of his defenses crumbling. Brody continued on, his legs weak and shaking. His only thought was that he had to find Elizabeth some water. He was following some deer tracks in the dried up ground, hoping they'd lead him to some kind of water since most critters out here were looking for water.
He saw a small watering hole in the distance and blinked several times to make sure he wasn't imagining things. When the water remained where it was he breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't going to die yet. He carried her to the waters edge and dropped to his knees beside it. He wrinkled his nose, the water stunk like sulfur, which meant it would taste horrible but it wouldn't harm them. It was mud filled and dirty but it was water and it would give them something to drink.
He dipped his hand in the water, finding that it was warm and he ran his dripping fingertips over Elizabeth's chapped, bloody lips. She moaned and her tongue darted out and his heart pounded when it flicked across his fingers. Her eyes remained closed and as he wet his hand again and rubbed more water across her parched pink lips he looked more closely at her face. She was getting sun burnt out in the sun without her hat to protect her delicate skin. Her hair was coming loose from the braid and tangling around her face. She looked exhausted, and her skin was drawn. Brody kicked himself for not slowing his pace for her.
For the last nine years he had worried about no one but himself and he supposed that wasn't a habit he'd be able to break in a day but he did vow to pay more attention to how she was faring. She might think she was a tough cowgirl, and she was when it came to working a ranch, but she had never been through something like this.
"Elizabeth, wake up, cowgirl. You gotta get you something to drink." he said.
Her eyelids fluttered open, "Water?" she asked.
Brody nodded, "I found water."
Elizabeth let herself enjoy the feel of his body against hers for another moment before pulling away and looking at the muddy, dirt filled, foul smelling water hole. This sure didn't look like drinking water to her. She didn't complain out loud of course.
She watched Brody bend down and press his mouth against the water, drinking several small sips before closing his eyes and dunking his whole head beneath the surface. He came up and slung his long hair back, sending droplets of water flying through the air and covering her in their spray.
He smiled over at her and she felt her heart skip a beat. He was dirty, he stunk like sulfur water and sweat but he was still the single most ruggedly handsome man she had ever seen. His smile curved the scar on his cheek and put a mischievous glint in his green eyes.
"That feels better," he said, shaking his hair out the same way she'd seen the dogs in town do. "You gonna get a drink or not?"
Elizabeth sighed and looked down at the nasty watering hole. She didn't have much of a choice in the matter. If she didn't drink she'd die. And if he could do it then so could she.
"Yeah, I'm gonna drink."
"Small sips or you'll get stomach cramps and throw it right back up." he warned and she nodded. Just as her lips touched the water he added, "Oh yeah, it tastes like shit."
Elizabeth couldn't keep herself from laughing and ended up sucking a bunch of the fouling smelling stuff up through her nose. She coughed loudly and Brody patted her back. Once she was certain she wasn't going to drown she pressed her lips back to the water and took several small sips. He was right, it tasted horrible, but as thirsty as she was it might as well have been ice cold lemonade.
"I'm not sticking my head in there though." she said as she sat back on her heels and he shrugged.
"It'd help cool you off." he replied.
She took another drink of the water and looked at him as she wiped her mouth, "Thank you, Brody."
"For?" he asked as he went back to searching through his pockets.
"For saving me from those men. I hate that you had to kill them but...."
"Not like I had much of a choice." he said defensively and he felt the thrill of victory as he pulled his matches and a few rolled cigarettes from deep in his pants pocket. The bastards hadn't taken them. "They were gonna kill me and do worse to you. I've killed men for less."
"How many men have you killed, Brody?" Elizabeth asked as she bit her lip and looked out over the plains and small outcroppings of trees around them.
"Don't ask questions that you don't really want to know the answer to, ma'am." he replied, standing straight and shoving his cigarettes and matches back in his pocket. "Do you have a bandana?"
Elizabeth was irritated that he was suddenly acting so distant again. Where was the man who had just smiled so mischievously at her moments ago? The man who had picked her up in his arms and carried her when she was too weak to go on.
She reached in her pocket and pulled out her bandana before placing it in his outstretched hand. He dipped it in the water and then motioned for her to stand up. Elizabeth did, though her weak, tired legs protested the movement.
She felt her heart beating out of her chest as he wrapped the wet bandana around her neck. His calloused fingers grazed across the exposed flesh of her neck and upper chest as he tied it in place. Elizabeth noticed that he kept his fingers on her skin slightly longer than necessary but when she looked up at his face he quickly turned away and crouched back down to the water.
Neither of them spoke and when Brody stood again he had his handful of cool mud.
Elizabeth studied him with curiosity, "What are you going to do with that?"
"Put it on your face," he replied simply.
"Why?" she asked, taking a step back.
He let out an impatient sigh and shifted his weight to his left foot, "To help keep your face cool and to keep the sun from burning you anymore. I'm gonna do the same to me."
Elizabeth nodded and stepped closer to him. She didn't want the mud on her but she wanted to feel those big calloused fingers touching her so she'd do what he wanted.
Brody took his time to make sure every inch of her soft face was covered with mud. He even coated her ears, which were cherry red from the sun. He ran his fingers along her defined cheekbones, and across her strong, stubborn chin, barely fighting the urge to touch those full pink lips. What would she think if he kissed her right now? Hell as much as she seemed to hate him most of the time, she'd probably kick him in the family jewels.
He took his hand from her skin and was about to get some mud to do his own face but Elizabeth beat him to it.
"My turn." she said quickly.
Brody could hear a shakiness in her voice and he realized she was nervous. Was she nervous to touch him because she was scared of him after seeing him kill those men or was she nervous to touch him because she felt the same rage of emotions and fire filled passion that he felt every time their bodies touched.
Brody didn't know where his self control came from but he managed to hold stone still even as his body came alive and screamed for her while her tiny fingers brushed across his face.
Elizabeth looked at him and wondered what he was thinking. His green eyes had darkened as they looked down at hers. His jaw was tense and as hard as stone beneath the thick stubble that was covering his face. It was more of a beard now then stubble but that pale scar still shown clearly. Her hands trembled as she touched him and wished she could run her fingers across more than just his face.
"Thanks." Brody said gruffly as he stepped away from her and pulled out a cigarette. She watched him strike a match across his mud covered cheek in his usual way of lighting it and she smiled.
"You're going to end up catching that beard on fire one of these times," she warned.
He nodded as he took a draw off his cigarette, "I need a shave." he agreed. "You better get another drink of water. I don't know when we'll find more." They both knelt beside the water and drank their fill before standing up.
"Where are we going?" Elizabeth asked. The wagon had brought them off of any roads or paths.
Brody shrugged as he gazed around them, "I thought about backtracking the wagon but decided to find water instead. I'd like to find a homestead so we can get some food and shelter for the night but I'd settle for some trees next to a river."
"I'm really hungry," Elizabeth said as she looked around them.
"I'll try to keep my eyes out for something for you to eat, cowgirl," he said gently and she was surprised by that gentleness and felt her heart fill with affection for him. "And this time, if I'm moving too fast let me know. I can't read your damned mind," he added with his usual hard tone and Elizabeth sighed. There was a gentle, loving man hidden in there somewhere. It was just buried beneath a lot of hard, roughness that, she had a feeling, a stick of dynamite couldn't even crack.
Brody started walking and she followed after him feeling more energized after having had a drink and of course from the pleasure she'd felt as they'd touched each others faces... Even if it had only been to prevent sunburn.
***
Brody never did find a river before the sun dipped low in the sky but he did find a small stream with a few small trees and bushes around it, "This'll have to do for the night."
Elizabeth crouched down beside the water and took several long drinks. This water was cool and clear and tasted a heck of a lot better than the watering hole had. She started scrubbing her face clean, wanting to remove the mud, sweat and blood.
"You gather up some wood close to camp for fire. I'll walk further down this stream and see what I can find," Brody ordered before walking away.
Elizabeth finished cleaning her face, untied her bandana and used it to wipe the water from her skin and then began looking for kindling for the fire. It was fairly easy to find and she was well on her way to having a large pile.
She saw a nice looking branch that was under a small bush and she reached for it. The sound of a rattle filled the air and she froze. She saw the giant black and yellow ratter only inches from her hand and fought back the urge to scream. Screaming and acting scared to death would only irritate Brody. He was clearly a man who found importance in bravery and strength.
She couldn't just jerk her hand away or the rattler might strike and backing away slowly wasn't an option because her legs were shaking too bad to listen to simple directions. All her years on the ranch and Elizabeth had never been this close to a live rattler.
"Brody?" she called calmly. "Brody, please hurry up and come here." She heard him coming toward her and she could tell he was dragging something big but she was too afraid to take her eyes off of the snake to look and see what it was.
"What's wrong?" he grunted with irritation.
"A snake," she replied, hoping her voice wasn't shaking as badly as she thought it was.
Brody walked over and looked over her shoulder, "Yep," he said with a nod. "That's a snake."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Thank goodness for your skills of observation." she snapped, her nervousness causing her 'ice queen' demeanor to come back out. "Do you think you could shoot it?"
"Nope. We've only got five bullets and you never know when we'll get attacked by coyotes or bandits." Elizabeth shivered at the thought. "Don't move," he warned as he walked around to the other side of the bush the snake was laying in.
"I can pretty much guarantee you that I won't move." she assured him.
Brody looked at her face. She was clearly afraid but anyone would be when facing down a five foot rattler. She wasn't crying or screaming like most women would but then again, Elizabeth wasn't like most women. That's what he admired most about her.
Brody whistled, "God, that's a big one."
"Yes, and it's about two seconds away from biting my hand off so if you're going to do something now would be the time," Elizabeth snapped and Brody smiled. That temper was something else.
He squatted down, "On the count of three, you jump back." Elizabeth's eyes widened and she spared him a quick glance. "Trust me, I won't let him bite you," he promised. Elizabeth nodded and drew in a shaky breath. Brody winked at her and then looked own at the snake, "One. Two. Three!"
She jumped backward and the snake lunged but it was stopped when Brody's big hand closed around its neck. Elizabeth covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her scream. She was sure Brody was going to be bitten but then he lifted the snake in the air, put his other hand behind the first and twisted. A snapping sound filled the air and the snake's body went limp in his hands.
Elizabeth felt relief flow through her and her body nearly went as limp as the rattlers. Brody reached in his boot and pulled out his knife. He cut off the snakes still deadly head and then laid the creature over his shoulder.
"What are you doing with that snake?" she asked.
"He's dinner," Brody replied simply.
Elizabeth felt her stomach growl in anticipation even as her mind rebelled against the idea of eating something that spent it's days crawling around on its belly.
She looked around and saw the dead tree lying where only grass had been before.
"Did you drag that tree here?" she demanded.
Brody nodded as he walked over to the pile of wood she'd gathered, "Yep. It'll be enough wood to last the night."
Elizabeth looked at his body in awe as he moved around the campsite. Every movement he made was full of a power and a lethal grace that she had never seen before. Most men had habits of tapping their feet or making other motions and movements that they did just to be moving, but not Brody. His every movement accomplished some goal and if he had no reason to move then his body became as still as a granite statue.
"I'm gonna get a fire going so we can cook this big guy up. I don't know about you but my stomach is eating my backbone," Brody admitted, rubbing at his lean stomach.
Elizabeth's stomach growled in agreement and she quickly wiped some drool from her lip, "I need to go take care of some things." She shifted from foot to foot, hoping he'd get the idea.
Brody nodded, grabbed the gun from his pants and tossed it to her. She caught it and looked at him questioningly, "I thought you said we can't waste bullets."
He shrugged as he broke apart kindling and began building the fire, "If firing a bullet saves your life then I sure as hell don't see it as a waste." he replied. "Hurry back, don't make me worry about ya," he added without looking up at her.
Elizabeth put the gun in the waistband of her pants and smiled, "You'd worry about me?"
Brody nodded, still not looking up, and she realized that was the only reply she was going to get. She was still smiling as she walked away. He was falling for her the same as she was for him. At least that's what she would bet on, if she was betting woman.