Reckless Destiny

by Teresa Southwick

  “Well, Bart, don’t worry. As you can see, there aren’t enough of you to separate into grades. I just want to see what you already know and we’ll proceed from there. All right?”

  “Yes’m.” He smiled.

  “I saw more children in the fort. Do you know why they’re not here this morning?” Cady asked.

  “Don’t have to be here if our folks don’t make us,” Polly said.

  “Did your folks make you come here this morning?”

  The little girl looked at her fingers. “Only a little, ma’am.”

  Emily raised her hand. “I heard some of ‘em say they didn’t want to waste the time if you were going to get drunk and have to be let go. Like Sergeant Cramer,” she added.

  “I see.” Cady glanced at each child in turn. “I’m not a drinking woman, and I have no intention of leaving for any reason. Is that clear?”

  Five heads nodded.

  “Let’s get to work then.”

  The next two hours passed quietly with the children working on the tests she had prepared to gauge their level of education. Cady was just about to announce a break for lunch when there was a disturbance at the door behind her.

  “Let me go!” It was a youngster’s voice.

  Captain Carrington came striding into the room holding Reynolds J. Wexler by the arm. He sat the boy down beside John Eagle, went around the long table, and stood next to Cady. Kane smelled of dust, leather, and shaving soap. The masculine scents worked their way inside her and stole her breath until she could scarcely think straight. This was all she needed in front of her first class, on her very first day of school.

  “What’s the problem, captain?” she asked in her best imitation of Miss Agnes Biddle.

  “R. J. forgot about school and went riding instead. He’s sorry about being late.”

  “Am not.”

  Kane shot him a look. “If you have any trouble with him, let me know.”

  “Thank you, captain. I’m certain that won’t be necessary. I can handle Reynolds.”

  Kane nodded slightly. He clasped his hands behind him and took a step back. Oh, God, he was staying. Everything she’d ever learned seemed to go straight out of her head. She couldn’t deal with him and a hostile truant.

  “Don’t let me keep you, captain.”

  “You’re not. Forget I’m here.”

  It would be a miracle if she could do that, the way her heart was pounding. But she had to try.

  Cady looked at the redheaded boy. “I’m glad you could join us.”

  He sent the captain a scathing look. “Didn’t have no choice.”

  “Any choice,” she automatically corrected.

  He rolled his eyes, then for the first time, he glanced at the Indian boy to his left. “I ain’t sittin’ next to no redskin.”

  Without looking in the other boy’s direction, John Eagle said, “The color of Indian skin is better than white skin like a woman’s and hair the color of carrots.”

  R. J. pounded one fist on the table and stood up. “I ain’t sittin’ near no stinkin’ Indian.”

  “Any Indian—” Cady broke off. “Sit down, Reynolds.”

  John Eagle turned an outwardly calm gaze on the other boy, but his black eyes smoldered. “Anyone who wets himself at the sight of a snake has no business talking about smell.”

  “That’s a lie. Take it back!”

  John faced R. J. and shook his head. “It’s the truth.”

  R. J. made a fist and socked the other boy. John grabbed him and they were locked in combat, each trying to free a hand to get in a punch.

  Kane moved forward and she put a hand on his arm. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “You?”

  “Yes. Me.”

  He looked at the wrestling boys. “All right. Handle it.”

  She took a step forward and slapped her palms on the table. “That’s quite enough!” Cady said, in her sternest voice.

  The two ignored her. She rushed around the table and tried to separate them, but they acted as if she weren’t there.

  “Stop this instant!” she cried, trying again to use words. What other weapon did she have? The idea of force was ludicrous; both of them were bigger than she was.

  When they continued to fight, she tried again to pull them apart. That didn’t work, so she tried to push herself in between them. Reynolds made a fist and drew his arm back. With the agility of a cat, John Eagle ducked the punch and it hit Cady square in the left eye.

  Pain exploded in her cheekbone, and her vision filled with bright yellow and orange spots.

  “Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat, ma’am!”

  She fought dizziness as she staggered to the bench behind her and sat. Boots scraped on the canvas floor and a big body moved between her and the boys.

  “No man ever hits a woman.” Kane’s voice echoed loudly in the mess hall. Then he was on one knee beside her. “Are you all right?”

  With a hand to her throbbing cheek, she managed to open her uninjured eye. “Fine.”

  There was a sound behind him. Kane jumped to his feet. “If either of you moves a muscle, I’ll throw you both in the guardhouse.” He glared at each boy in tum. “I just might anyhow.”

  Amazingly enough they stood quietly, although still breathing hard from the exertion of the fight. Reynolds rubbed a hand under his nose, and his white sleeve came away streaked with blood. Cady rose from the bench and, with her good eye, looked at the rest of her students, who had watched the whole scene with avid interest.

  She was so angry her hands shook. She needed to clear the classroom before the rest of her students witnessed another scene, one she was about to start. How dare Kane step in when she’d asked him not to!

  “Children, you’re dismissed for lunch. I’ll see you back here at one-thirty.” They stood and raced from the room. John Eagle and R. J. Wexler started to follow.

  Kane held up his hand. “Halt.”

  They did, instantly. How did he do that, Cady wondered?

  Standing tall, with his arms crossed over his chest, the captain speared each of them with a look. “Go wait in my office.”

  “Halt, you two.” Cady touched his upper arm. The wide muscle beneath her palm told her how he had managed to pull the boys apart. She envied him his size and strength. “This is my responsibility and I’ll handle it.”

  Ignoring her, the two boys continued to march out of the room.

  She looked at the empty doorway, then up at Kane, and pulled her hand away. “I can’t believe what just happened.”

  “I figure to give those two a lecture they won’t soon forget. Sit down and let me have a look at that eye.” He tried to lead her to the bench, but she pulled her arm from his grasp.

  “How dare—”

  “Simmer down. I’ll take care of it. How’s the eye?”

  “Forget the eye. Why did you interfere in my classroom?”

  “Why did I—?” He stopped, stunned, and stared at her for a moment. “Those two were trying to kill each other.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Besides, from nine-thirty to twelve and one-thirty to three-thirty, this is my schoolroom. If my students are trying to kill each other, I will deal with it.”

  He pointed to her eye. “What if they kill you?”

  Without hesitation she replied, “Then feel free to step in and restore order.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t stand by and watch someone hit a woman.”

  “I’m not a woman.” Heat blossomed in her cheeks as his brows lifted. “I mean to them. I’m their teacher. Besides, Reynolds didn’t mean to hit me.”

  “That’s no excuse. You’re a woman, no mistake about that. And in about thirty minutes, you’re gonna have one hell of a black eye. I plan to make those two sorry for what they did so it never happens again.”

  “It’s up to me to discipline them. Don’t you see? When you stepped in, you undermined my authority. If I can’t maintain order, no one can learn.”

  “Looked to me like yo
u were learning a thing or two about a right hook.”

  “This isn’t a joking matter.” She tried to glare at him, but it wasn’t easy with only one good eye.

  “I’m not laughing.”

  “I want to be the best teacher I can be. If you step in every time there’s a problem, the children will not learn to respect me.” She laced her fingers together in front of her. “If you hadn’t been here, I would have had to handle it, wouldn’t I?”

  “I suppose. But I was here. I couldn’t let them hurt you—or each other.”

  She touched her cheek. “It’s nothing.”

  “I think the post surgeon should take a look.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’ll just put some water on it.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want the doctor?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “All right.” He started to walk away, then turned back to her. “One thing: Never try to stop a fight until it’s over.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, captain, in case you don’t happen to be here the next time,” she said wryly.

  “I nearly forgot. The reason I happened to be here this time was because I had something to tell you.”

  “What?”

  “There’s going to be a reception in your honor given by the officers’ wives.”

  “How lovely.” She smiled and winced at the stab of pain in her cheekbone. “When is it?”

  “Saturday.”

  “Day after tomorrow. That soon?” She cupped her cheek with her hand and wondered if she dared hope there would be no swelling or discoloration.

  “Out here, folks are always looking for a reason to have a party. There’s not much else to do.” His gaze intensified as he studied her. “You might want to wear purple to match the color your eye will be by then.”

  “Emily Stanton said some of the children are waiting to see if I’ll get drunk and have to be let go the way Sergeant Cramer was. You don’t suppose this reception could wait until I’ve convinced everyone that I’m staying?”

  “Those ladies want to have a party. Do you want me to tell them it’s postponed?”

  And start off on the wrong foot with everyone? Cady shook her head. “Wouldn’t be neighborly. I’ll be there. And I’ll look forward to it.”

  “All right, then. I’ll stop by for you at seven.”

  “That’s not necessary. I can see myself there. You must have more important things to do.”

  “It’s my duty.”

  “More orders?” she asked.

  “Mrs. Wexler asked me to escort you.”

  “Ah,” she said. “Do you always follow orders?”

  “That’s what a good soldier does.”

  “And you’re a good soldier?”

  One corner of his mouth lifted. “The army’s been good to me.”

  “I see. Well, then, I’ll be ready at seven. I wouldn’t want you to disobey orders on my account.”

  “Cady, it’s not like that.”

  “Never mind, captain, it’s not important. But there is the matter of those two boys in your office who need to have a good talking to.”

  He nodded. “There is that. I’ll go speak to them now.” She started to say something, and he held up his hand. “You can have your turn when I’m finished.”

  “That’s not what I was going to say. I get the feeling you have a special interest in Master Wexler.”

  “R. J.’s father is away from the fort a lot, dealing with the Indian agent. His mother can’t seem to handle him, and I’ve gotten in the habit of filling in.” Kane’s eyes narrowed for a moment and the muscle in his cheek contracted. “I’m in charge when the commanding officer is gone. Keeping order here is my responsibility. The soldiers are my concern, their dependents are my concern, and you’re my concern.”

  “All right, talk to them. But from now on, captain, I’ll thank you to stay out of my classroom.”

  “I can’t do that.” He grinned at her. “This is the only building on the post big enough for a social gathering.”

  “This is where the reception will be?”

  He nodded.

  Her first day of teaching—a disastrous day, she added—just got worse. In two days, she had to meet the parents of her students. No doubt she’d have a black eye. And Kane Carrington would be her escort. If only Miss Agnes had taught her about men. Cady had a feeling she could go to school for the rest of her life and still not understand this one.

  4

  Two days after the disturbance in her classroom, Cady waited for Kane to take her to the reception. She was nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. It was because she was meeting the parents of her students, some of them for the first time, she told herself. But, nonetheless, it would be a room full of people, most of them strangers. Except Kane.

  Tension and excitement rippled through her. Was he the reason she was so on edge? He was part of it. But the whys didn’t matter; she had to pull herself together. As she tried to harness the butterflies in her stomach, she leaned back against the pine dresser in her living quarters. The place was small, but it had everything she needed, including a fireplace on the wall opposite the door that she used for cooking her meals.

  She hoped the evening would cool off some. She was nervous enough without worrying about fainting from the heat. “It might have pushed me to the edge of my endurance, but it was definitely the heat that sent me into a swoon,” she told herself.

  But that was in the past. For tonight, she was wearing her long-sleeved white cotton dress trimmed with pink rosettes at the neck and cuffs. Her hair was woven into two braids and pinned in a sort of circle on the back of her head. Wisps of curls that refused to stay back tickled her forehead and temples. She patted her hair and decided it was neat and dignified.

  She figured she was as ready for the reception as she would ever be, except for checking her face in a mirror. She’d been afraid to look, hoping her eye had improved from that morning when it had been a vivid black and blue on the upper lid and just below, too. No matter what dress she wore, or how sedately she arranged her hair, it was difficult to look dignified with a black eye.

  “Purple would be more accurate,” she said, braving a look in her hand mirror. For her last birthday, her twenty-first, Jack had sent her the intricately carved silver mirror. She had loved to use it, until now. She touched her temple and winced. “Oh, Lord. Still puffy and purple.” How could she face meeting everyone looking like this? What would they think? She was afraid she already knew. They’d think Miss Cady Tanner couldn’t keep order in a classroom.

  Annoyance coursed through her again as she remembered Kane’s part. She wasn’t sure what she was more angry about, the fact that he was escorting her tonight because he’d been ordered to, or that he had interfered in her classroom and possibly undermined her authority irreparably.

  The whole incident had surely confirmed Kane’s suspicions that she had no business here at Fort McDowell. Or anywhere else in the Arizona Territory, for that matter. Did the other people here at the fort share his opinion? she wondered. If they did, would they tell her to her face? If so, she didn’t think she could bear to see Kane’s smirk of satisfaction.

  She walked to the table beside the fireplace where she kept her cooking supplies. One person didn’t need a lot, and from the fort sutler she’d purchased an iron frying pan, a coffeepot, and two plates with two sets of eating utensils, just in case she had company. Beside that she’d arranged her staples: spices, sugar, flour, and coffee.

  Opening the canvas bag of flour, she dipped in two fingers and pulled them out, the tips covered with white. She patted a small amount on her upper eyelid, and blended the rest on the purple stain just beneath.

  She held up her mirror again, blotted off the excess, and smoothed it as best she could. It was better, but it wouldn’t hold up to intense scrutiny.

  There was a knock. Her stomach jumped nervously as she glanced at the door and imagined the tall captain on the other
side. Then she looked back at her reflection. “This is it, Cady. Remember what Father always says: If you can’t dazzle them with perfection, fool them with charm. Shoulders back, chin up. Confidence. And for God’s sake stop talking to yourself.”

  She walked over to the door and opened it. Kane stood on the wooden walkway under the ramada. He looked so handsome, she was the one dazzled. At the sight of him in his dark blue uniform trimmed with gold, which emphasized his masculine good looks, her heart beat wildly in her chest and she was rendered speechless. Now she was mute as well as one-eyed.

  He looked down at her and almost smiled. “Good evening, Cady.”

  His gaze traveled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. An expression of what she thought might be approval creased his eyes and turned up the corners of his mouth.

  “Hello, captain,” she said softly.

  Then his gaze rested on her face and he frowned. It seemed he couldn’t even look at her without getting irritated. Her heart fell and she tried desperately to keep her disappointment from showing.

  He removed his campaign hat and held it in one hand. “How’s the eye?” he asked.

  “It’s fine,” she lied.

  He lifted a dark brow speculatively. “Probably looks worse than it feels.”

  “I hardly know it’s there.”

  “Did you let the doc see it?” He moved closer.

  He was close enough for her to smell the soap he’d used on his square, freshly shaved jaw, near enough to feel the heat of his body. She wondered if he could hear her heart pounding.

  She shook her head. “Completely unnecessary. If you had a black eye would you bother the doctor?” He hesitated. “I didn’t think so. By tomorrow it will be practically good as new.”

  He leaned closer and lifted his hand to touch the corner of her eye. “Are you sure?”

  She’d known the flour covering wouldn’t hold up to intense observation, but she hadn’t expected the inspection to be from Kane. She held her breath as he gently probed the swelling. Her legs trembled and she felt as wobbly as a newborn colt. Stop it! she told herself. Don’t let him do this to you again.

  She ducked away from his big gentle hand and stepped back. “I’m perfectly fine, Kane.”