R. J. stomped across the room, turned and glared one last time, then opened the door and slammed it as he left.
Good riddance, Kane thought. Punishment detail should work the orneriness out of him and teach him a lesson. Maybe now the kid would stay out of trouble.
Cady sat on the step outside her quarters and savored the warm breeze that lifted the curls from her forehead. In the distance, she could hear the lovely, mournful sound of the bugler blowing taps, the signal for barracks lights to be extinguished. In the weeks she’d been here, she’d learned that everyone who lived within the boundaries of Fort McDowell lived, ate, and slept by the bugle.
Reveille meant sunrise, when the lieutenant buckled on belt and sword and received the report of the company of soldiers lined up on the parade ground. She’d learned the various drill calls, recalls, and the beautiful stable call for the cavalry. Today, for the first time, she’d heard the call to arms, when the soldiers had raced from every direction for their rifles and formed a line around the outside of the fort.
Her stomach jumped a little when she remembered her fears that Indians would come bursting into the schoolroom. What disturbed her now was her feeling of helplessness to protect the children in her care.
“I have to do something,” she whispered to herself. “I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”
What would Miss Biddle say in a situation like this? Cady wondered.
“Forewarned is forearmed,” she said into the night.
She could hear the feisty little woman’s voice in her head and smiled to herself. This wasn’t exactly what Miss Agnes had meant, but it gave her an idea all the same. Especially the forearmed part.
She sighed. If only she could arm her heart against Kane. It seemed her luck with him was destined to be bad. She hadn’t been alone with him for three weeks, not since the night he’d kissed her. Today was the first time, and they had discussed Reynolds Wexler and how to keep her head from being blown off. At least she hadn’t set herself on fire or let a horse run away with her. She had done everything she could think of to keep control of the situation.
Still, she never seemed to be able to do anything right as far as he was concerned. Some instinct told her he was finding fault on purpose. She wasn’t sure why; it didn’t matter. Except that she was trying so hard to fit in, and she thought she was doing pretty well until he’d told her that curiosity might get her killed.
He thought she was wrong to go outside? She didn’t care. She’d do the same thing all over again. She’d been worried sick that something had happened to him, and not knowing was torture. But every time she tried to express concern for him, he shut her out.
No matter the danger to herself, she couldn’t have stayed in that schoolroom this morning wondering if he was dead or alive, hurt or hovering at death’s door. She was raised in a family where taking care of the people you love comes first. Protecting them was as natural as breathing.
Somehow, she felt Kane didn’t understand that. For him, the army came first. She wondered if he had always been that way, or just since his wife’s betrayal. Would she ever know? He didn’t seem likely to tell her. Whenever the subject came up, she got nothing but yes-and-no answers.
Today’s Indian attack had been a false alarm, but the fear had been very real. She knew that under certain circumstances the state of her heart could be far less important than the condition of her hide.
She made up her mind to do two things. First, she intended to have a talk with Reynolds Wexler and find out exactly what was on his mind. Kane had handled him today, but if they were to avoid more incidents in the future, she had to find a way to reach him.
Second, she planned to ask Kane for a favor. He’d no doubt laugh at her, but she had to try. If he refused to do as she asked, she would find another man to help her.
The following afternoon Cady trudged up the rise behind the livery stable where Reynolds was working. Earlier, in school, the children had been buzzing about his punishment—digging a new outhouse. Kane had certainly come up with something that would make the boy think twice before pulling another stunt.
It was a beautiful day, the sky cloudless and clear blue. The wind kept her comfortable as far as the heat was concerned, but it blew her skirts against her as she walked, tangling them around her legs. Her hair wasn’t pinned up, although the sides were pulled away from her face and tied with a ribbon at the crown of her head. Still, long strands whipped across her face and she finally gathered it in one hand and held it at her nape. When she was several feet away, she heard the boy mutter something just before he jammed the shovel into the hard ground.
“Were you talking to me?” she asked.
He leaned on his shovel and looked at her. “Nope.”
“I heard you. Let’s be honest with each other, Reynolds, shall we?”
“All right. But you asked for it. I said it would serve you right if ya tripped over a rock, you old bat.”
Cady couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d given her another black eye. She was surprised at the vehemence of his words, although after learning that the firecrackers were meant to frighten her, she didn’t know why it should. She wasn’t angry so much as curious about why he hated her so much.
“Why do you dislike me?” she asked.
“Who said I—”
“Stop it. You don’t want me here and you haven’t from the first day we met. When you gave me the snake you were trying to frighten me away, and yesterday with the firecrackers you were doing the same thing. Why?”
“Because you’re a teacher.”
She shook her head. “There’s more to it than that. I want to know what it is.”
His sullen blue gaze fixed on her for a few seconds before he spoke. “Kane’s sweet on you.”
This time, Cady felt as if she’d been run over by a train, but she managed to pull herself together. “I think you must be mistaken about that.”
“I’m not. And I’ll tell you why. When he thought there’d be Injun trouble, he hightailed it to the schoolroom right off. He was waitin’ there when you came runnin’ out like a scared jackrabbit.”
“For the sake of argument, let’s assume you’re right about his—regard—for me. I still don’t understand what that has to do with you.”
He let out a huge sigh as if to say she was dumb as a post. “If Kane wasn’t sweet on you, my punishment woulda been a whole lot easier. If you hadn’t come here to teach ‘n’ all, I never would have set those firecrackers off in the first place.”
“Were you trying to scare me into leaving the fort altogether?”
Anger flashed across his face. “Dang female. ‘Course that’s what I was doin’.”
“But why? What have I done to make you hate me so much?”
“You’re here. That’s enough.”
Cady wasn’t satisfied with that answer. He had taken a dislike to her from the moment he had seen her with Kane. Maybe that was it. Perhaps he had a huge case of hero worship and resented anyone that the captain spent time with. That was a laugh. Kane went out of his way to avoid her.
“I want you to be more specific, Reynolds.”
He rubbed a knuckle under his nose and left a streak of dirt on his upper lip. “People call me R. J. I hate being called Reynolds.”
“All right. What else?”
He looked at the ground for a second; then his grip on the shovel tightened until his fingers turned white.
“Ya don’t really want me t’say. Won’t do no good.”
“On the contrary. I think we need to clear the air.”
“Just remember, you asked for it. Nothin’s the same since you came. I hate readin’, I hate writin’, I hate school. Ya got no business ridin’ Prince. And—I hate you.”
She went from shock to anger. Her heart was pounding. She couldn’t remember ever being this furious at a child. He was a spoiled, spiteful, willful, indulged boy and she was glad Kane was making him dig an outhouse. But she bit her tongu
e to avoid sinking to his level and telling him what she thought of him.
“Go on,” she said with false calm.
“Yesterday, you yanked on my ear in front of the whole class. I’ve had a bellyful of you, more’n a body should have to take.” He turned away and shoved the tool into the hard ground. “And since you came, Kane ain’t got time for me.”
“Doesn’t have time—”
“Quit correctin’ ever’ dang thing I say!”
“Why, you little—” She stopped and counted to ten, trying to think what Miss Biddle would do. She hated to admit it, but Kane was right. An old maid teacher who sat in her cozy eastern parlor wouldn’t have any idea how to deal with a boy in Arizona Territory who had been allowed to run wild most of his life.
She took a few calming breaths, trying to conceal her anger. In her mind she repeated over and over: I am the adult. I am the teacher. I will remain rational and reasonable no matter what.
Finally she asked, “Why didn’t you come to school today?”
“I didn’t come to school because Kane said you wouldn’t want to see my sorry hide any more than he did.” He whirled around. “Besides, the sooner I get started on diggin’ this here outhouse, the sooner it’ll be done. The captain said when I wasn’t in school, I was t’be diggin’. Those were his exact words.”
“He would be angry if he knew you didn’t come this morning.”
“You gonna run and tattle to him?”
Cady wasn’t proud of it, but the truth was she’d been relieved when he stayed away. Still, one thing Miss Biddle said that made sense anytime, whatever godforsaken place you taught in, was to make the best of a bad situation. In spite of her anger at his behavior, he was still a child and she felt the need to reach him.
“No, I’m not going to tell him you weren’t there. That’s none of his business. It’s my responsibility, and I will take care of it. You know, in a way I need to thank you for what you did yesterday.”
“Ya do?”
“Yes. It taught me a good lesson, a fairly painless one. Now I can take steps to be prepared in case there ever is real trouble.”
“Ya can?”
She nodded. The wind swirled around them and blew dust in her face. She coughed and blinked it away. “I’m on my way to talk to the captain now. If I explain that in a strange way you did me a favor, maybe he’ll go a little easier on you.”
“No! Don’t want no”—his eyes met hers, challenging her to correct his slip—”special treatment.”
“All right.”
She brushed the long strands of hair from her eyes and looked down the rise toward the parade ground. Soldiers moved around on their work details. R. J. stared longingly at them, and she knew he’d rather be talking to any one of them than her. That bothered her more than she wanted to admit. She wanted him to like her, but after what he’d told her, she realized she might never win his friendship. Still, she was his teacher and she had a job to do.
“R. J.”—Cady saw the surprised look when she used his initials instead of the hated first name—”I’ll make a deal with you. I won’t say anything to the captain. In return, you be in school tomorrow morning. Agreed?”
“I’ll think on it.” He pushed his boot against the shovel as he tried to break the rock-hard ground.
Apparently that was the best she could hope for. She sighed as she walked down the hill toward Kane’s office.
Lieutenant McKenzie Thorne stood staring out the captain’s window while Kane sat at his desk. He watched the pretty schoolteacher walk down the rise where she’d been talking to the Wexler kid. Soon as Mac rode in, Private Halladay over at the stable told him about the false alarm the kid had triggered. Halladay was still mad enough to take a chunk out of someone’s behind for getting called to arms for no good reason. Mac hoped the men had performed well. Worry gnawed at him. It could be a drill for things to come.
The fort looked mighty good to him. He wished he didn’t have to go to the hog ranch outside the fort for what he wanted: whiskey and a woman, not necessarily in that order. He watched the teacher again and wondered about her. His gut told him she wasn’t that kind of woman. Too bad. She was real easy on the eyes. He wondered how she’d take the news about her brother being in hot water up to his armpits.
He looked at his commanding officer. Kane Carrington was a little too by-the-book for Mac’s taste. When you were dealing with Apaches, you had to match them trick for trick. Carrington was too straightforward to be a first-rate Indian fighter. But he was a good man all the same, fair with his own men and the Indians too. That was better than most.
“We got trouble, Kane.”
The other man’s face turned grim and the lines beside his mouth deepened. “Spit it out.”
Mac wished he could keep it to himself, as if not saying the words would make it not so. Suddenly he was too tired to stand. He’d been on the trail for a month, and now that he had four walls around him again he could let his guard down. Just for a while.
He lowered himself into the chair in front of Kane’s desk. “Cuchillo and his brother Alchise left the reservation. They split up. Between them they have twenty-six warriors.”
“We heard. Wexler’s at the reservation now, trying to calm the rest of the Apaches down until we can catch up with the renegades.”
“That’s not the worst. Jack Tanner killed Alchise when his band attacked a mining camp up in the Superstitions. Tanner shot him in self-defense and saved another prospector—named Gallagher, I think. Cuchillo is on a rampage to avenge his brother. We’ve talked to a few survivors of his raids. He won’t rest until he’s got Tanner upside down over his death fire.”
“Damn.”
A muscle worked in Kane’s jaw and Mac could pretty well guess what he was thinking. Should he tell Tanner’s sister? If it was up to Mac, he’d tell her what the hell was goin’ on. No point in trying to keep the worst from her. Nine times out of ten it happened. She should be prepared. Out here, everyone’s survival depended on being ready for anything.
There was a knock on the door, a delicate tap. Mac knew who it was, and he could tell by the frown lines between Kane’s eyes that he did too.
“Come in,” he called.
Mac turned in his chair, rested one ankle on his other knee, and pushed his hat back. Dust from the crown drifted around him. Cady Tanner opened the door and stepped inside.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. If I’d known someone was here—” She put her hand on the door and backed up a step. “I’ll come back later.”
Mac crossed his arms over his chest and let his gaze travel over her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Yup, real easy on the eyes. He glanced at Kane, who was watching him watch her. A look jumped into the captain’s eyes warning Mac away from her. Funny thing was, Mac could swear that the other man didn’t even know it was there.
So that’s how it was. He looked from one to the other and sighed, grateful there was no woman who made him look mad enough to chew nails when another man looked at her. Never would be, and that was a fact. Truth was, he felt sorry for Kane. The pretty schoolteacher was a distraction he didn’t need right now. With Indians on the rampage, he should have a clear head.
Kane stared at Mac, warning him not to say anything. Then he stood up. “Come in, Miss Tanner.”
She closed the door and moved into the room, her skirts swishing like a whisper of wind. Mac got a whiff of flowers that floated from her. She smelled almost as pretty as she looked. He slid a gaze to his dusty trousers. He knew he smelled as bad as hell on house-cleaning day and looked a whole lot worse. He’d been to perdition and back, so it made sense. But in a lady’s presence, it made him damned uncomfortable.
Mac hadn’t planned to, but when she stood beside him, he got to his feet. He towered over her, she was such a small thing. Couldn’t help feeling a pull at his insides, something that made him want to keep her from harm.
“I don’t believe we’ve been
formally introduced, ma’am.” He took his hat off and curled the floppy brim as he held it in both hands.
“No, I’m sure we haven’t.” She smiled and held out her hand. “Cady Tanner. And you are?”
“McKenzie Thorne.” He freed his right hand from his hat and brushed it down the side of his wool trousers. Some good that did. He spent so much time in the saddle, it would take a lifetime of washing to get the trail dust off of him and his clothes.
He looked at her small clean hand and then at his own, streaked with dirt and grease. He sent her a lazy grin that he knew would make Kane’s blood boil. “Sorry, miss. I’ll have to owe you a proper hello till after I’ve had a chance to clean up.”
“That’s all right, Mr.—”
“It’s lieutenant. But just call me Mac. Unlike the captain here, I’m not much on formality.”
She shot Kane a look that said she’d come to words with the captain about his straight and narrow ways.
When Mac glanced at Kane, a dark look smoldered in the other man’s eyes. Mac felt a grin scratching inside him, but he didn’t let it out. Still, he couldn’t resist having a little fun at the expense of his commanding officer. He’d like to see Kane turn loose of his starched-collar control.
“Miss Cady, ma’am, after I get a hot meal and a bath and a shave, I’d be honored to make your acquaintance a bit better.”
“I’d like that too, Mac.”
“Cady.” Kane’s voice was full of buckshot and ready to let fly. When the muscle in his cheek quit twitching, he went on. “Was there something you wanted?”
“Yes. I have a favor to ask you.”
Mac had a feeling this was a good time for him to leave. “I’ll let you two talk.” He put his hat on and looked at his commanding officer, then down at Cady. “I can hardly wait to clean up. Just got back from the Superstition—” As soon as the word was out, he wanted it back.
Cady’s chin jerked up, and her eyes glittered with sudden keen interest. “The Superstition Mountains? My brother Jack is prospecting there. Do you know him? Did you see him? Is he all right?”
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