Joe breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her cabin come into view. Of course that relief was short lived when more of Jonah’s weight fell against her back. The man had lost consciousness some time before but miraculously he had remained in the saddle and Joe hadn’t stopped.

She had known that unless they reached true shelter and the medicine and supplies she had there, Jonah was going to die.

Joe pulled up on the reins and stopped her horse beside the porch of her ramshackle cabin that she and her father had called home during the cold winter months for the last twelve years.

She tried to figure out a way to get out of the saddle without causing Jonah to fall and could not so she slid off and then winced when he toppled to the ground, though she managed to use her body to cushion his fall slightly.

Now Joe just had to drag his unconscious ass into the cabin…

With a grunt, she squatted down and wrapped her arms around his waist before beginning to drag him as she walked backward toward the steps.

Sweat quickly slicked her skin and her arms and legs began to shake. Joe stopped to take a break and glared at his pale, fevered face.

“Dammit, Jonah, ya sure are a whole lotta man.” she grumbled, cursing the sheer size of him.

“Thank you, Joe. That might just be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Joe felt relief flood her at the sound of his voice. It was weak, tired and strained but it meant he wasn’t as close to death as she had thought he was.

“Why don’t ya help me get yer big ass into the cabin?” she grumbled and Jonah’s eyelids fluttered but didn’t open.

“I’ll do what I can.”

It took quite a lot of grunting and sweat on Joe’s part and a bit of painful moaning on Jonah’s but finally Joe got him into the cabin and onto the bed.

Joe felt fear trying to work its way in when she realized that Jonah fell back into fevered unconsciousness the moment his body hit her fathers old feather tick mattress.

She pushed that worthless emotion away and instead busied herself getting a fire going to warm the cold interior of the cabin.

Joe filled two buckets with water from the hand pump well outside, thankful that it wasn’t frozen solid since that saved her a long walk to the river. She poured one of the buckets into her pot over the fire to warm it and then crossed the dust covered floorboards back to the bed Jonah was lying in.

Joe winced when she laid her wrist against his heated brow and felt just how hot his skin was. She peeled his blood covered shirt off his good arm and slid the other side off his right shoulder. The blanket he’d been wrapped in was lying out on the cold ground and Joe knew it was covered in blood as well, some dried and some still fairly fresh since the wounds on his forearm and side were still oozing.

She was pleased to see that the sling and bandage she’d crafted in that tiny lean-to seemed to be keeping his other wound closed up and his bones still. Absently she found herself wondering if Jonah was any good with his left hand. She knew from experience that he had a good six weeks before the bones in his right arm would knit back together.

As Joe began to use a rag and the water in her second bucket to cleanse his skin, she found her eyes taking in the sight of Jonah’s body.

She had noticed just how nice it was back at the lean-to while she’d been caring for him and Joe found that her body was heating now just the same as it had then.

Jonah had a man’s body, created by hard work and living in a saddle. It was all hard lines and edges. Lean muscles and small scars.

Joe shook her head to clear her thoughts and cursed the direction they had taken when she realized just how moist and hot she was between her legs. Desire was something she had worked very hard to avoid feeling in her life but it seemed impossible to deny around this man.

For some reason or another Joe’s body liked Jonah very much.

She pulled her knife and cut away the blood soaked bandage she had tied around his middle, The wound was a bloody mess and the skin around it was red and swollen and Joe knew that was the explanation for the fever plaguing him.

She blew a long strand of hair from her face and got to work fixing him up properly.

***

Jonah knew he must have died. Again he saw flashes of images though these images made no sense.

Flashes of Joe. Fear and worry laying heavy on her features. Her green gray eyes looking his body up and down and her strong rough hands seeming to have turned to velvet as she smoothed the sweaty hair from his brow.

Suddenly Joe realized he wasn’t dead when he heard the sound of singing reach his ears. He knew he wasn’t dead because he was fairly certain that in hell the demons didn’t sing ‘Amazing Grace’ and he knew, or at least he sincerely hoped, the angels would sing it better than Joe’s voice seemed to be singing it just now.

Her voice was off key and anything but angelic and yet Jonah found a smile beginning to pull at the corners of his mouth as he listened to her.

“Dammit, Jonah!” she suddenly exclaimed angrily. “Are you awake!? I’ve been sittin’ here worried to death ‘bout ya and ya got the damned nerve to smile?”

Jonah tried to speak but his throat and mouth were too dry and he found himself coughing instead.

He forced his eyes open and saw Joe sitting beside the bed in a chair with a glass of water in her hand.

“Sit up and I’ll give ya a drink.” she ordered. Jonah glared at her, though he noticed she looked like hell. He was almost certain the woman had actually been concerned about him which was odd considering the way she seemed to hate him.

Trying hard to keep any sign of pain from his face or his eyes, Jonah pushed himself up against the smooth wooden headboard.

Joe held the glass to his lips and Jonah sipped greedily before looking around the cabin they were inside.

“Where are we?” he asked as water trickled down his chin and splashed against his bare chest.

He looked back over at Joe to find her staring at the droplets on his skin and when she noticed that he had noticed she cursed and shoved herself to her feet before making her way to the pot over the fire.

“My cabin.” she replied, keeping her back to him as she filled a wooden bowl. “Been here fer darn near a week. I was startin’ to get worried that ya weren’t’ gonna make it. Yer fever would go down and then come right back without warning… But it’s been down fer a good day now so I reckon ya may just be alright.”

Jonah used the blanket his legs were covered with to wipe his chest dry as Joe made her way back to him with a wooden bowl full of what seemed to be stew.

Jonah found his mouth beginning to water and he licked at his lips. “That smells good.” he admitted.

“I’ve always been a good cook.” Joe replied with a shrug as she sat down and put a bit of stew on the spoon.

Jonah found his eyes drawn to her lips as she blew on the steaming spoonful.

He had never noticed just how full her lips were. She had nice lips…..

He was actually thankful when his thoughts were interrupted by her clearing her throat and shoving the spoon toward his mouth.

“I can feed my damn self.” he grumbled, angry that his mind had dared to find a damn desirable feature on this woman. Hadn’t his body learned its damn lesson from the three bullets that had torn through it?

Joe shrugged, dropped the spoon back into the bowl and handed it to him. It took Jonah a moment to get situated since his broken arm didn’t allow for much use out of his right hand, but when that first spoonful of stew passed through his lips, he groaned with pleasure.

“Well you certainly weren’t lying about being a good cook.”

“Yeah well, pa’s cookin’ was terrible so it was either I learn how or we’da both starved to death.”

Silence reigned as Jonah ate and then he sat the empty bowl aside and wiped his mouth on his bare arm.

“So how are they?” he asked, tipping his head toward the right side of his body which was the side sporting three new holes.

“Healing up.” Joe assured him, though Jonah could hear the fatigue in her voice. “Now that yer stitched up it won’t take no time. Yer bones on the other hand.. Ya probably got another good month or longer ’fore they heal up.”

“Good thing I can draw a gun with my left.” he replied and Joe grinned.

“Ya left your gun in Barbadine. As well as yer horse and yer saddlebags. There weren’t anything that had yer name or nothing on it were there?”

Jonah thought hard and shook his head. “No.” he replied, pain running deep at knowing he’d lost Copper. “I’m gonna miss that damn horse though.”

Joe didn’t reply, just got to her feet and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Jonah demanded as he saw the sun was setting. “You need rest. You look tired.”

“Playin’ nursemaid to yer stubborn ass and takin’ care of stuff ‘round here has a way of suckin’ it right outta me.” Joe snapped, but then she smiled and Jonah cursed the way that smile made her eyes shine. “Now that yer on the mend, you can start pullin’ yer own weight ‘round here soon and I’ll be able to lay about in the bed all day.”

With that Joe left the cabin, leaving Jonah lying there confused by his own thoughts. Joe wasn’t pretty. She wasn’t ladylike. She was probably tougher than he was. She was the complete opposite of what he was normally attracted to and yet attracted to her he was…. He grumbled under his breath and shook his head.

He had heard of men who had had such bad fevers that it had affected their brains, causing them to never work right again. That must be what had happened to him.

Jonah had no doubt that a man would have to be crazy to be attracted to a woman like Joe. Hell a woman like Joe would probably shoot a man just for thinking he might like a roll between the sheets with her.

Besides, Jonah had learned his lesson with women. It was only going to be paid and bought for whores for him from now one. He wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking women were really capable of loving him or that love even truly existed.

***

That night, Joe collapsed in the chair in front of the fire and stared into the dancing flames. She still missed her pa and while she would never admit it, it felt good to have another person here at the cabin with her.

She had been damned worried about Jonah, though that was something else she would never admit. She had been certain for a while that he wasn’t going to make it but now that he had woken up, eaten and the fever had stayed away, she knew he’d be okay.

She heard movement behind her and turned her head to see Jonah, rising from the bed, keeping the blanket around his shoulders, and walking toward the other chair next to hers. The chair her pa had always sat in.

It was clear that Jonah’s body was stiff, sore and in pain and yet Joe admired the fact that he didn’t voice a single word of complaint as he lowered himself down into the chair and joined her in staring at the fire.

“Sorry about all this, Joe. I owe you a hell of a debt.”

“Yeah ya do.” Joe replied as she found a cigarette and matches in her pocket. “But I ain’t really one to worry ‘bout things like that.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have another of those would you?” Jonah asked, pointing at her cigarette. Joe nodded, pulled out another cigarette and handed it and the matches to him after lighting her own.

“I’ll tell ya how ya can pay me back for saving your sorry ass…” Joe added once they were both breathing in the comforting scent of tobacco.

“How’s that?” Jonah asked with a grin.

“Tell me what happened in that bank.”

“I’d rather not.” Jonah replied, all signs of happiness and good nature gone from his face.

‘I nearly got killed saving you.” Joe reminded him as she thought of just how many bullets she had felt the breeze off of as they’d passed by her head.

Jonah sighed and shifted in his chair. “I was made a fool of.” he replied quietly and then he took another long draw off his cigarette. “It won’t ever happen again.”

“So it was her that did the robbin’?”

“Of course it was. I didn’t know what to say or do. I couldn’t breath, couldn’t move, couldn’t do a damn thing to stop her. I just kept thinking that I wouldn’t have been dumb enough to be fooled twice. That there had to be some other explanation…” Jonah stopped and looked uncomfortable as he shifted in the chair. It was clear he hadn’t meant to share so much.

“I saw you two come out of the bank. I saw her shove that sack into your chest just before she started screaming.”

Jonah just picked at a tear in the thigh of his trousers and said nothing.

“Where was the rest of the money?” Joe asked. “She didn’t give it all to you did she?”

“No.” Jonah replied, his gray eyes still fixed on the dancing flames of the fire and his jaw tight. “She stuffed her pockets full and then tied the sacks to a rope which she dropped down into her skirts.”

Joe was surprised when she actually felt sympathy for the man. She figured it wasn’t all his fault that he suffered a brain ailment that made him trust and love women that were no good for him. Joe wondered if he would ever find himself loving her… She would be good for him…

That thought had her shoving herself to her feet quickly and moving away from him.

“I’m going to bed. Now that I know ya ain’t gonna die in the night on me I might actually get some rest.”

“Why do you care?” Jonah asked suddenly, his words stopping her in her tracks. He stood and turned to face her, his features confused. “Why do you care so much what happens to me? Why did you risk so much to save me and why the hell have you been working so hard to keep me alive?”

Joe was caught off guard by the question and the answer that wanted to slip from her lips. She quickly swallowed that reply down and forced her shoulders to give him a half shrug.

“I’ve always liked Reb, and Bart was a friend of my pas. They’re both rather fond of ya so I didn’t just wanna let ya die.”

Jonah stared hard at her for several long moments and Joe prayed that he would believe her. Finally he nodded and a grin curved his lips, crinkling his cheeks.

“Get some rest, Joe.” he urged and then he turned and sat back down in the chair.

Joe was more than happy to lock herself inside the room that had always served as her bedroom. Her pa had given Joe her own room because he had always said it wouldn’t be right to have his daughter sleeping in the same room as some of the men that had stayed nights at their cabin.

Joe couldn’t help but wonder what her pa would think of Jonah sleeping in the other room… And she didn’t even want to think about the rage her own conflicting emotions about the man would cause in her temperamental pa.

***

Days passed quickly and as Jonah regained his strength he found himself more than happy to take over many of the chores around the cabin. He found that it felt good to once again he able to work his muscles, which had been mostly inactive for nearly two weeks.

He found that Joe seemed to be avoiding him. She did the cooking and saw to his wounds everyday but kept the conversation to a minimum. Which was just fine with Jonah. He didn’t like the way his body kept responding to the woman.

Surely it was simply because she was such the opposite of what he’d always wanted before. I couldn’t be true attraction. Joe was dirty, flat chested as far as he could tell, and scowled more than any other person he’d ever met. While she wasn’t quite as rude as she’d been when they’d first met, she still was certainly not what anyone could confuse as being sweet or kind. Though she did save his life so he knew there had to be a heart in that chest of hers somewhere.

Neither of them had mentioned Reb and Bart and yet the two men were constantly on Jonah’s mind. Were they okay? Had they survived? Had they successfully kept the lawmen from coming after Jonah and Joe?

Jonah had no way to answer these questions and he didn’t know what he’d do if the only friends he had had been killed because he’d been stupid.

And what of Scarlett? Where was she? And who was that man who had taken off with her. Jonah had found the man vaguely familiar but he had no idea where he had seen him before. Jonah knew that as soon as he was healed enough and knew the fate of his friends, he was going to find that bitch and he was going to make her pay for what she had done. Surely she thought he was already dead…. She was going to wish she had finished the job properly by the time he was through with her.

He didn’t care if she was a woman, he was going to kill her anyway and he was going to do it with a smile.

Jonah walked out of the cabin one morning, nearly a week and a half after waking up here and enjoyed the feel of the sun on his face.

The weather up here in the mountains was slowly beginning warm each day as they got a bit further into March, though Jonah knew that up here it was unpredictable and there was still a fairly good chance of more snow before the winter fully gave way to spring.

He was struck by the peaceful quality of the morning. The birds were once again chirping and he could hear the chicken in their coop. Jonah wondered where Joe was since he hadn’t seen her in nearly an hour.

Suddenly the peacefulness of the morning was shattered when he heard a feminine scream fill the air, followed by a splash and he took off as fast as his legs could carry him toward the lake just over the ridge behind the cabin.