Wildfire in His Arms Read Online Free

aren’t currently employed?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œDamn, that’s a relief.”
    Degan was amused. “I still abide by the law, John. Did you really think you would need to arrest me?”
    â€œNo, course not. But since you’re between jobs, I’d like to call in that favor you owe me.”
    â€œWhat favor?”
    â€œFor saving your life.”
    Degan snorted. “I was on the mend. You didn’t need to drag me to a doctor.”
    â€œYou were half-dead and still bleeding.”
    John had been the sheriff in a town where Degan had been shot. A trio of bank robbers had been trying to shoot their way out of town after the alarm was raised. A lot of people had been on the streets that day. Degan had pitched in to prevent innocent people from getting killed and had ended up catching a stray bullet himself. He’d ridden out of that town wounded. John had tracked him down.
    If he cared to admit it, he supposed he could have died that day if he had continued on his way. The wound hadn’t hurt that much—yet. So he hadn’t known he was bleeding so much he’d been leaving a trail of blood behind him.
    â€œI’ll allow your doctor did a good job of stitching,” Degan said. “It left barely a scar. What favor do you need?”
    â€œIt will just be temporary, mind you. I need at least three outlaws on my long list brought in over the next couple months. I haven’t just been tasked with cleaning up the West, I’ve been told to do it on a damn time schedule.”
    Degan was a little more than surprised. “You want to turn me into a bounty hunter? I’m not a tracker.”
    â€œYou don’t need to be. Most of these boys hide in plain sight in crowded towns like this one, or ones too small to have good sheriffs in them. The pay is good and two of the wanted men have been seen in the area. A third was last seen in Wyoming. If you prefer, you can take your pick of who you want to go after. As I said, I have a long list.”
    â€œAnd why aren’t you after them?”
    â€œBecause my ma is dying. I got the telegram yesterday. Already bought our stage tickets to leave today.”
    â€œOur?”
    â€œMy wife and daughters are here with me.”
    â€œI didn’t know you were married.”
    John grinned and boasted, “Happily for almost ten years now. Our girls are six and seven, and my Meg is expecting another. Because I have to travel so much these days, whenever I know I’m going to be in one place for a while, I take my family with me. The railroads’ extending as far west as they do now makes that possible. This trip to Virginia could take me a couple months because I have to get my mother’s estate settled. That could cost me my job if I can’t cross off at least three outlaws from my list during that time.”
    â€œI’m sorry about your mother.”
    John nodded. “I knew she was sick, I just didn’t know it was this bad.”
    â€œI assume you already asked the local sheriff for assistance?”
    â€œTalked to him yesterday, but he’s too busy, and I’m not surprised. Hell, who would think you could find a town this big in Montana, which isn’t even a state yet.”
    â€œGold does that.”
    â€œIt surely does,” John agreed. “So, can you help me out, Degan? I only need three wanted men captured in the next two months. If you finish sooner than that, you can continue on your way. But I will need to make you a deputy marshal while you’re acting on my behalf.”
    â€œOh, hell no. If I do this, I won’t be wearing a lawman’s badge.”
    John grinned. “You don’t need to mention it to anyone if you think it will tarnish your reputation. It would just be in case you need to verify that you have jurisdiction, which knowing you, you probably won’t have to do. You’ll get to keep the rewards being offered. Some might be