Lily came suddenly and violently awake a few hours later, and she stared up at Caleb with wide eyes as he held her in place on the bed, her hands pressed into the pillows. "Who was it?" he demanded. Lily knew he was asking who had attacked her in her cottage the night of the fire, knew he wouldn't wait any longer to be told. Still she hesitated, not to protect Judd, but because she feared what could happen to Caleb if he took his revenge. "Judd Ingram," she said quietly. Caleb swore, and the look in his eyes was murderous. "He didn't hurt me, Caleb," Lily reasoned hastily, grabbing at his upper arm with both hands. She was under no illusion that she could restrain the major if he chose to pull away, but she held on with all her might just the same. "Why are you defending the bastard?" Lily sighed. "I'm not, Caleb-he can burn in hell for all I care. It's you I'm worried about." Caleb relaxed a little and let his forehead rest against Lily's. "I want to kill him," he breathed. "I want to gut him like a trout and feed his insides to the crows." "I know," Lily said gently, her hands moving soothingly on his tense shoulders, "but you mustn't take the law into your own hands. We've got trouble enough, Caleb, without your being hanged for murder or confined to a federal prison for the rest of your life." He kissed her lightly on the mouth. "You're right," he conceded after a long moment. "You could have Judd thrown out of the army, couldn't you?" Caleb nodded grimly. "Yes. But if I did that, he'd be free to hang around this part of the country. If you should end up on that homestead of yours, you'd be vulnerable to him." Lily's face fell at the prospect. "No," Caleb went on, "I'll have him transferred. Say, to Fort Yuma. He'll feel right at home there with all those other scorpions to keep him company." Lily sighed. "Suppose he attacks somebody else, Caleb? Suppose they don't get away like I did?" Caleb's hands were gentle on her shoulders. "I'll make sure Ingram's commanding officer knows what kind of man he is, Lily. Don't worry." With
( Linda Lael Miller )
[ Lily and the Major ]
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