Captive Heart Read Online Free

Captive Heart
Book: Captive Heart Read Online Free
Author: Michele Paige Holmes
Pages:
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water within an hour or two.”
    She wrapped her arms around herself, further unnerved that he seemed to have read her mind again.
    “And then I’ll have the first drink.” He waved her in front of him with the gun, and they were off.

Chapter 4
    Thayne’s brow drew together with concern as he watched the woman misstep once again and nearly tumble to the ground.
    “Careful,” he admonished, closing the gap between them to grasp her elbow. When she didn’t protest, he knew her condition was getting serious. He’d been wrong about finding water in the first hour or two. Both creeks he’d counted on had come up as dry beds, and according to the sun, it was nearing midday. They were going to be in real trouble if something didn’t go their way soon.
    The thought of Joshua kept him going, but Miss Madsen had no similar motivation. Whereas earlier he’d been irritated by her sharp tongue, he was now alarmed by her lack of fight. He knew misery when he saw it, and she was there—from the tips of her pointed-toe boots to the top of her head and the disheveled hair hanging limply down her back. He didn’t dare pull his pistol on her again for fear she’d invite him to use it.
    He let go of her arm a minute, pulling out his bandana so he could mop the sweat from his face. As he raised the cloth to his forehead, he saw her go down, crumpling in a small heap at his feet. Cursing himself for his carelessness, he crouched beside her, unfolding her limbs to lay her out straight.
    Her face was beet red—how much from sunburn and how much from her current temperature he couldn’t tell. Placing two fingers on her neck, he was relieved to feel a thready pulse.
    He hadn’t killed her, then. Good. It’d be a pain to start this whole process over, finding another teacher for Joshua—though Thayne knew if he wasn’t careful, that’s exactly what he’d be doing. He took the battered hat from his head and began fanning it in front of Miss Madsen’s face. It wasn’t much in the way of a breeze, and he knew what she really needed was water, but for now, it was the best he could do.
    “Miss Madsen.” With his free hand, he patted her face lightly. “I’m sure we’re just a little ways off now.” He looked around at the open prairie, hoping he was right. “And you really don’t want to die out here. Think of what the coyotes would do to your body . . .” He stopped fanning and looked at that body, clad from neck to toe in brown wool.
    “Fool,” he muttered, meaning himself as much as the woman. She must be suffocating in that getup; he should have thought of that hours ago. Placing the hat back on his head, his calloused fingers began unbuttoning the thick, scratchy fabric. He reasoned that even a few buttons opened at the neck ought to give her some relief from the heat surely trapped inside. But when he had the top few buttons undone, a white cotton shirtwaist revealed itself beneath. Thayne couldn’t believe it when he saw it. Why on earth had she not removed the jacket hours ago—a day ago?
    “Women.” His care gone, he yanked the last three buttons free from their holes. None too gently, he lifted her and pulled the sleeves from her arms, tossing the jacket aside. As he went to lay her down again, his hands felt the unmistakable strings of a corset beneath her blouse.
    Oh no. He nearly dropped her. I won’t, he argued with himself. I won’t touch it. I won’t touch her. I—need her to make it to Joshua. He hung his head in defeat.
    He needed her—alive.
    That she’d survived the heat this far, wearing a wool suit, a cotton shirtwaist, and a corset was nothing short of a miracle. Thayne frowned, knowing that for her own good, the restrictive corset should come off.
    Reluctantly, he rolled Miss Madsen to her side. Tugging her blouse from the waist of her skirt, he forced his hand to touch the offensive corset, his eyes consciously averted to the prairie.
    He tried, to no avail, to avoid thinking of the last
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