Reckless Destiny

by Teresa Southwick

  She winced a little, picturing how mad he would be when he found her gone. She didn’t think it would take him long to decide how she got out. She wasn’t sorry she wouldn’t be there to face his wrath, but she felt guilty that R. J. would have to take the blame alone.

  How R. J. had gotten the supplies together without being caught was something she’d never understand. The whole time she’d led her horse into the desert, until she was far enough away to mount up and move faster, she’d expected to hear a bugle blow. Since she’d been at the fort, she heard the signals for getting up in the morning, going to bed at night, and impending Indian attack. Surely the bugler would blow something for a prisoner on the loose. But all had been quiet. She wondered if Kane had discovered her absence yet.

  Her horse nickered and snorted. She rubbed her gloved hand over his neck to settle him down. “I’ll find Jack and bring him back to the fort. When I do, Kane will see that his concern was completely unnecessary.”

  The bay tossed his head and snorted. He danced sideways, nervous and restless.

  Cady spoke soothingly. “Easy, there. We’ll stop soon. I know you’re tired.”

  Her calm tone and comforting words didn’t have any effect. He continued to balk at moving forward, the metal in his bridle clinking as he shook his head. Leaning forward, she tried one more time to reassure him. From the bushes to her right she heard a rattling sound. Suddenly, the horse reared, his front legs pawing the air.

  Taken by surprise, Cady didn’t have time to grab onto anything. She tumbled backward. When she hit the ground, a blinding pain exploded in her head and then everything went black.

  “What do you mean she escaped?” Kane folded his arms over his chest. R. J. looked up at him and fiddled with the reins of his horse.

  “As soon as we found out Miss Tanner was gone, me and John thought we should go find her and bring her back. John said the Apaches might get her.”

  “You were going by yourselves?”

  “Heck, no. We were coming to get you.”

  “With your mounts already saddled?” he demanded.

  On his way to check on the prisoner, Kane had discovered R. J. and John Eagle slinking out of the stable with two horses. He had a sneaking suspicion that their furtive behavior had something to do with Cady.

  He didn’t wait for an answer. “How did you know she was gone?”

  R. J. shuffled his feet. “Well, that’s a real good question. And if you’ll give me a minute, I’ll tell you.”

  “You’ve got thirty seconds to tell me what’s going on.”

  R. J. looked scared. “I’m real sure she’s fine. She had supplies for a week. I gave her a map. She said it was a good ‘un. She wanted to find her brother and—”

  “She’s out there alone? Dammit!” He glared at both boys. “You’re confined to quarters until further notice.”

  R. J. looked up. “It’s not John’s fault. He didn’t get her out of the guardhouse, I did.”

  “It’s my fault as much as yours,” John said. “I should have gone to the captain as soon as I found out.”

  “Why? Why the hell did you both go off half-cocked?” Kane demanded. “Why did you break her out of the guardhouse?”

  R. J. hung his head. “I didn’t want her here.”

  “Why?”

  “‘Cause she’s dumb. She makes me read, she gets me in trouble. She—” He glanced up from beneath the brim of his hat.

  Kane’s eyes narrowed. “She what?”

  Resentment and betrayal flashed in R. J.’s eyes. “Since she came you haven’t played Sunday-night checkers. Not even once.”

  Kane was furious with the boy but also with himself. He should have seen this coming, and he hadn’t. He’d been distracted by a pair of beautiful green eyes and a smile that was nothing but trouble.

  “So you sent her off into the desert because I didn’t have time for a game?”

  “You didn’t have time for me.” His voice cracked as it rose in outrage. “Just like my pa. You didn’t have time for nothin’ but her.”

  “If anything happens to her,” Kane ground out, “you’ll wish you never laid eyes on me.”

  “I didn’t want nothin’ bad to happen to her. I just wanted her to go away.” Defiance darkened his gaze, but apprehension lurked around the edges. “It’s not John’s fault, none of it. He said we should go after her. He wanted to get you right off.”

  “How long has she been gone?”

  “‘Bout two or three hours is all.”

  “I’ll leave now,” Kane said. “I should be able to catch up with her pretty quick.”

  “Me and John are comin’ with ya. We want to help.”

  “No. You’re confined to quarters. But tell your father what’s going on.”

  There was a splat as a raindrop hit the ground. R. J. looked at the sky. “What about the storm?”

  Kane glanced up. “I can’t leave her out there. I don’t care how good the map is or how many supplies she has, she’ll never survive on her own in the desert.”

  R. J. looked worried. “Ya can find her, can’tcha?”

  Kane saw the concern in the youngster’s face and knew he was looking for consolation and forgiveness for a stupid, selfish, dangerous stunt. If Kane found her and no harm had been done, he might be able to relent. But not now.

  “I’ll have her back before lunch.”

  “Good luck, Kane,” R. J. said.

  John Eagle stared at him solemnly. “Her trail will be easy to see.” He looked up as more drops of rain fell. “If you hurry.”

  Kane nodded and headed for the stable. He quickly saddled Soldier Boy and notified the perimeter guard on his way out of the fort. He would have to square this with the major later.

  The rain was falling a little harder as he crossed the Verde River, and he prayed he’d find Cady soon. If this storm was as bad as he thought it would be, the river would be impassable within hours. How could she do something so foolish?

  Kane stoked his anger. He thought about what he would do to her and the two boys after he brought her back to the fort. Those thoughts kept him from the other emotion that had been building inside him, the one he’d been fighting off since he discovered Cady was gone. He didn’t want to name it; he didn’t want to acknowledge it.

  He just had to find her alive and well. Anything else was unthinkable.

  11

  Cady shivered. Why was her bed so hard and cold and why was someone pouring water on her? She opened her eyes and sat up, then winced as pain shot through her head. It took a few seconds for her to remember where she was and what had happened. Then she looked around for the big bay horse and found he was nowhere in sight.

  She was in big trouble. She was on foot, without supplies, and lost.

  She wished she was back in the guardhouse at the fort. Kane had been right about everything, though if she lived to see him she would never admit it. But she wasn’t sorry she’d done it. For Jack. Well, maybe a little sorry.

  Tears pricked her eyes and a sob caught in her throat. She blinked and gritted her teeth to keep the sound trapped. She was afraid if she started crying, she would never stop. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get out of this mess, but she couldn’t do it if she lost her head. It was a matter of survival.

  She thought of Kane and the fact that she might never see him again. She would welcome a chance to show him how much she cared about him. Now she knew how swiftly opportunity could be snatched away in this land.

  A small sob tore from her throat. She clamped a hand over her mouth and took several deep breaths until she was under control. Then she stood up, a little unsteadily.

  “Chin up. Shoulders back. Keep your wits. Tanners don’t quit. You’re going to be just fine.” She said it out loud, and the words continued to echo in her head, a litany of determination. Every once in a while, another thought crept in, but she pushed it away.

  She wouldn’t die. That’s all there was to it. God helps those who help themsel
ves. She looked up at the gray clouds between her and heaven and blinked her eyes at the steady rain coming down.

  “Please, God, let me live to see Kane again.”

  She had to get busy and find shelter. There were huge rock formations scattered all over the desert. Surely there was somewhere she could curl up until the rain ended.

  As near as he could tell, Kane had been riding for an hour. The rain had increased in intensity and had obliterated any signs that Cady had come this way. He was counting on the fact that she would stick to the route R. J. had given her. He kept up a steady pace, confident that he could cover the same ground she had in half the time.

  He cantered Soldier Boy over a small rise, and up ahead he thought he saw a horse. He blinked, focusing through the rain dripping from his hat, and his heart fell. It was indeed a horse—a riderless horse. He came alongside the animal and grabbed the bridle. It was the big bay from the fort, and he was carrying a bulging saddlebag. This had to be the mount R. J. had given Cady, with all the supplies she’d need.

  She was on foot, in a downpour, and she had nothing. Even if she knew her way, it was difficult to see more than four feet ahead. Lord, he might never find her!

  Then another thought crept in. If her horse had thrown her, she could be hurt—or worse.

  The feeling he’d been fighting off took hold of him, and he gave it a name: fear.

  He pushed it away. It wouldn’t do her any good. He had to think clearly. He’d stick to the trail. If she was hurt, he would find her. If she was afoot, she would take shelter. He would find her. He had to find her.

  Cold and wet, Cady forced herself to keep moving even though her arms and legs were growing numb. Through the curtain of rain, she thought she saw a group of boulders. Blinking the water from her eyes she looked again, and at the top she thought she saw an opening. If she could get up to it, and if she was very lucky, there might be an overhang, possibly even a small cave.

  She climbed halfway to the top and stopped on a flat rock to rest. Below her, she thought she heard a horse whinny. She sat still and listened. All the things Kane had said about Indians came back to her. If they were out there, they would take her alive, because even if she had the nerve to take her own life, her pistol was with her runaway horse.

  Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was just the wind. Before that thought could bring her comfort, she heard the sound again, along with the clink of a horse’s bridle. The hair at her nape prickled as fear seized her.

  She crouched down behind a rock and pressed her back to it, shaking like a leaf in the wind. She wrapped her arms around drawn-up knees and made herself as small as she could.

  It was quiet, except for the whistle of the wind and the splatter of raindrops on the rocks. Then she heard the creak of saddle leather as the rider dismounted. She knew it was a man, and she knew he was hunting her. She could feel it. Just below her rocks slid, rattling downhill.

  He was climbing. And he was getting closer by the second. There was nowhere to hide.

  In a flash, she made up her mind. If the man below meant to harm her, he wouldn’t have an easy time of it. She picked up a good-sized rock and hefted it in her hand to judge its weight. Satisfied, she stood up, every muscle tensed, waiting. Lowering her arm to her side, she nestled the rock against her thigh, into the folds of her split riding skirt. When she got the chance, she’d bash him in the head as hard as she could and run.

  The climber continued relentlessly. He was so near she could hear his heavy breathing. Shivers started in her upper body and spread to her arms and legs. She tensed her muscles; she made her body rigid. If she collapsed, she would be a sitting duck. Tanners never gave up, she told herself. Her best chance, maybe her only one, was to strike when he was unaware.

  From a small opening between the rocks, she glimpsed him searching. In the downpour, she could only tell that he was big and dark. Then instinct took over. Taking a deep breath, she moved from her hiding place and lunged at him with her arm held high and the rock ready.

  He threw up an arm to block her and grabbed her wrist. In a flash, his other fist stopped barely an inch from her chin.

  “Cady?” The deep voice sounded blessedly, wonderfully, familiar.

  “Kane? Is that you?”

  “Yes.” He took a deep, shuddering breath, then dropped her wrist and pushed his water-soaked hat back on his head.

  Through the rain blurring her vision, she made out his dark hair plastered to his forehead, his eyes narrowed angrily, the strong jaw tightened so tensely the muscle in his cheek moved. He was angry. He was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

  She threw her arms around him. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my whole life!”

  He hesitated for a second. Then his arms came around her in a hug so fierce she could hardly draw breath. Cady thought he touched his lips to her hair, but she was so wet and cold she couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that he was here and she was safe.

  “What the hell were you thinking of to come out here?”

  “What were you thinking of to come after me?”

  “I was thinking to save your hide.” His voice vibrated with fury, but she only burrowed closer.

  For the rest of her life, she could have stayed within his embrace, pressed to that wide chest which made her feel protected, made her feel nothing could harm her. He could yell at her, but compared to the dangers all around, it would be like a Sunday picnic. She sighed and pushed away from him. It would be best to get the lecture over with.

  “You know why I had to do this.” She ran splayed fingers through her wet hair, lifting it away from her face. When her palm grazed the knot on her forehead, she winced. “Ouch.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

  She touched the tender spot carefully. “Just a bump. Nothing serious.”

  “I was afraid—”

  Something flashed into his eyes as he assessed her. His gaze seemed to dart over every part of her face as if taking inventory, assuring himself that she was all right.

  Unexpectedly, a slow smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “I notice you tried to crack my skull with a rock this time instead of running me through with a hatpin.”

  “It was all I had.” What if she’d had her gun? She shivered at the thought. “Oh, my God. I could have shot you.”

  His smile faded and a frown took its place. “Why the hell didn’t you stay put? That redheaded little scoundrel—” There was a note of exasperation in his voice. “I can’t believe the two of you pulled this off. But apparently John Eagle convinced R. J. that he’d made a mistake. I caught them sneaking out after you.”

  “Really?” That surprised her. “How sweet of them!”

  “Sweet? It was stupid, irresponsible, and foolhardy. And that’s just them. I haven’t even started on you yet.”

  “You have no right to tell me—”

  “I have every right. But not now. We have more important things to think about.”

  He was right about one thing: now wasn’t the time to talk. She was miserably wet and getting more chilled by the second. The temperature in the mountains was a lot cooler than the desert, and it was dropping steadily.

  “You can yell at me all you want, but would you mind if we found someplace to get warm first?” She pointed to the rocks above them. “I think there’s a cave up there. I was climbing up to see when I heard you. If it’s not deep, at least the overhang will give us some protection.”

  “I saw it too. I was hoping you’d had enough sense to get out of the rain.”

  Kane was so angry he’d hardly felt the rain, but now he could see her teeth were beginning to chatter. A flash of admiration sliced through him. She had to have been half out of her mind with fear, but she hadn’t lost her head. She’d been thinking, looking for shelter. But what kind of chance would she have stood without supplies? He pushed the thought away. It brought up things he didn’t want to think about.

  He knew
the storm would have made the Verde River impassable by now, so he had no choice but to see if there was a place to get warm and dry.

  He moved in front of her. “I’ll go first.”

  He climbed up over the slippery stones, stopping frequently to check on her over his shoulder. At the top, they found a cave about twelve feet deep. Even if the wind picked up, they could stay reasonably dry. In the dim light, he could see pieces of wood scattered around the pebble-strewn dirt floor. Branches of surrounding bushes and trees must have blown in. At least he could start a small fire, and there was enough kindling to keep it going through the night. He looked at Cady. Maybe he should let her do it.

  He pulled a match wrapped in oilskin from his pants pocket and held it out to her. “Make yourself useful. Start a fire.”

  “With one match?” She took it and gave him a doubtful look.

  “More than that is a waste. This is the frontier. Sometimes one chance is all you get.” He took off his wet hat, set it on a rock, and ran his fingers through his hair.

  She started gathering kindling. “What are you going to do?”

  “I have to take care of the horses.”

  “You found mine?”

  He nodded. “Then I’ll bring some supplies up here.”

  “By the time you get back, I’ll have a nice fire going.”

  “Be careful, Cady. Don’t use your clothes this time.”

  She met his gaze and grinned. “Even if I wanted to, they’re too wet to burn.”

  He couldn’t help smiling as he left her. Down below, Kane concealed Soldier Boy and Cady’s bay in a group of rocks and spread branches from a paloverde tree to keep them enclosed. He made sure the animals had feed. Then he grabbed the two canteens, threw saddlebags and blankets over his shoulder, and climbed back up to the cave. If there were renegades nearby, they would have taken shelter too. Revenge could wait for dry weather.

  He handed her one of the canteens. “You must be thirsty.”

  “I am,” she said. She took the container from him and began to gulp eagerly.