Wanted: Fevered or Alive

by Long, Heather

  “I can live with that.” She’d won at least a part of the round. Yes, she was still headed toward the ranch house, but she’d taken back some control over how she would arrive.

  Delilah took her arm long enough to guide her around the wagon and the horses. Once they were firm on the trail, she let her go. The walk felt good and it took her several steps to get a feel for the land, but bit-by-bit she was able to take longer strides. “You said you’d tell me how Jason saved your life,” she reminded her companion.

  “I was being forced to work for a man who professed to only have my best interests at heart, but he kept me isolated and alone. I didn’t always realize that the things he had me doing were wrong, only that I couldn’t leave.” The stops and starts between the words said more about what Delilah left out than what she had told her. Eager to soak up any story of him, Olivia concentrated on listening. “If not for Jason, I would still be a prisoner…”

  * * *

  They indulged her need to walk for the better part of an hour. Delilah ascribed a number of interesting facts to Jason, but it only ever sounded like half the story. He’d managed to get Delilah out of an abusive relationship. He’d done the same for Jo. While Jo’s was a bad husband, Delilah’s had been a bad father. In Jo’s case, she’d come straight out west to Dorado because Jason hired her to teach at Jed Kane’s new school.

  That had to have been new, because they hadn’t really had one when she was growing up though she doubted she would have been able to attend even if they had one. When it came to Delilah’s arrival, she was a great deal more circumspect. Though she finally admitted, “If I had listened to Jason, I would have ended up here far swifter than I did. I chose my own path and I wasn’t sure I could trust him.”

  For some odd reason, that made Olivia feel better. She was not the only one who wanted to do things her way. She had every reason to trust Jason and she had made plenty of arguments to stay in Dorado, save for the one that mattered.

  She didn’t want to be sent away from him—not again. Nearly ready to admit that fact to the woman who’d taken the time to paint a rich story of Jason’s kindness and efforts for others, instead, she paused, distracted. The sound of rapidly approaching hooves thudded against the land. “Someone’s coming.”

  Delilah clasped her arm and drew her to a stop. “You can hear someone coming?”

  “Yes.” The sound carried softly at first, but grew in strength. “Fast—the horse is running.”

  “Back up,” Buck ordered and she heard the snap of leather and the sound of a gun sliding loose. Well, that was interesting. They were on the ranch—wouldn’t it be someone they knew? Delilah squeezed Olivia’s arm and she allowed the other woman to guide her away. The hoof beats grew steadily louder.

  “It’s Jimmy.” Buck blew out a breath and then slid the gun home.

  Delilah relaxed as well and released her with a murmured, “Sorry.”

  Not having any idea who Jimmy was, Olivia waited. The rider called out a greeting and the horse slowed. “Hey, we were getting worried and Scarlett’s about to have a fit since Sam told her she couldn’t plague Jason until—and hello.”

  Sam—Samuel Kane was Jason’s eldest brother. He’d already served as town marshal when she’d gone away to school. Scarlett was Sam’s wife, one of the women who’d greeted her in town.

  “Jimmy, this is Olivia Stark.” Buck’s guarded statement rang alarm bells. “Jason’s asked us to see her to the ranch house. She’s been gone from Dorado for quite a while and was completely unaware of all the changes.”

  “Ma’am, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He sounded friendly enough. The crisp creak of leather, the rustle of denim sliding and then the thud of boots with an echoing bounce. The man was heavily armed and he moved with purpose.

  “Jimmy took his hat off, Olivia,” Delilah said into the soft quiet. “Jimmy, Olivia is blind.”

  “My apologies.” He punctuated the automatic response with a snort of laughter. “That sounded odd. Welcome to the Flying K, and to Dorado.” Another painful silence followed, and Delilah made a hiss of whispering noise.

  Was she trying to mouth words without actually saying anything?

  “It’s quite all right,” she interjected into the awkwardness. Facing a speaker was a skill she’d perfected over the years and one the Perkins’ school taught as well. It made the sighted more comfortable, but it could also fool them. “Thank you for your greeting and for removing your hat. I’ve been told it’s a display of respect and I can appreciate it, even if I can’t witness the action.”

  “Jo is going to love her,” Jimmy offered up wryly. “And you’re welcome. Is something wrong with the wagon?”

  “No,” Buck answered. “Miss Stark was tired of riding in it and wanted to walk.”

  “You’re a good two hours from the house on foot.” Jimmy sounded skeptical.

  “A good walk never hurt anyone, Mr. Morning Star. If you’ll excuse us?” She shifted her grip on her walking stick and walked. Behind her there was a scramble of hushed whispers.

  “What’s going on?” Jimmy asked.

  “Jason wants her somewhere safe, she doesn’t know about Fevered. Or anything else, we need to keep it quiet for the time being.” Buck sounded as though he were pushing the words through clenched teeth.

  “Who is she?” Jimmy asked, equally low-voiced.

  “Someone Jason cares about, so we will care about her, too.” Delilah sounded almost chiding. “If nothing else, she lost her family in the town and she just learned of what happened. You have to be quieter. She may be blind, but her ears work fine.”

  Olivia grinned. Yes, her ears worked just fine. Fevered was something. It was also a secret. Were there still pockets of illness? She’d smelled no decay or the sour odor of sickness in town. Delilah believed Jason cared about her and that gave Olivia a bit of a boost. The reminder of her family crushed what little joy she experienced.

  She would never hear her Mama’s voice again or have her Papa’s hugs. Stopping mid-stride, she turned. Sighted people liked it when she faced their voices, so they had the illusion that she at least ‘looked’ in their direction. “I think I would rather ride…I’m tired.” Exhaustion and grief pitted in her stomach.

  “Hey, kid, you know how to ride a horse?” Jimmy asked.

  Feeling wan, she shook her head. “Unfortunately, no, Mr. Morning Star. I’ve only ever ridden a couple of times.” Both times with Jason and she’d been able hug him without worry for what anyone might say.

  “If you like, you can ride up behind me,” Jimmy offered. “Might be easier than the buckboard if your legs are tired.”

  “What are you doing, Jimmy?” Buck’s question held a deep note of warning.

  “I’m being friendly, Buck.” Jimmy’s voice possessed a gentleness beneath the gruff. “What do you say, kiddo? I can get you to the house a lot faster with the horse than the wagon. You’ll be able to stop riding around altogether and rest.”

  It sounded very nice. Improper, of course, and…

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Buck again. “Jason asked us to get her there.”

  Which decided her. Jason did need to learn one thing about her, Olivia had grown up and she made her own decisions. He’d not given her much choice in sending her to the ranch, perhaps she could decide how she arrived at the house. But first, “This isn’t some ploy to get back at Jason for a slight, is it?”

  Air whooshed out of Jimmy. “No. Just an offer to get you where you were headed.”

  She’d insulted him, but it earned her an honest response. “My apologies, Mr. Morning Star. What if I wanted to go back to Dorado?”

  “Olivia,” Delilah sighed and Buck echoed the chastisement, but she ignored both.

  “Well, I’d have to decline at least until I understand the why of it all. If Jason thinks you’re safer here, then I have to agree with him.” At least he’d been honest. “Look, you’re tired and I can get you to the house faster. That’s al
l I’m offering.”

  It had been worth a try. Olivia nodded her head. The afternoon sun wore away at her and as much as she liked to stand in the warmth, she wanted some time to think. “I’ll take the ride then, if you’ve no objections. Though I might need some assistance getting in the saddle.”

  Another moment of nearly voiceless conference later and Jimmy moved closer to her. “I need to take your arm and then I’ll lift you up into the saddle. You’re in a skirt, so you may have to sit sideways, unless you can manage astride in that outfit, ma’am.”

  “I can manage.” She smiled. “It will be easier to balance.”

  Despite Buck and Delilah’s objections, they helped with holding the horse. Jimmy lifted her with one smooth move and then she was on a pad behind his saddle. It wasn’t terrifically comfortable, but definitely softer than the hard board of the wagon. A moment later, he swung up in front of her. He set her hands to his jacket.

  “Grip here for balance, but don’t be afraid to hold on if you get unsteady,” he told her. “I’ll go slow at first, but a good canter will get us there faster.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Morning Star—”

  “Jimmy,” he corrected her. “Too many Morning Stars and that sounds damned odd—begging your pardon, ma’am.” The sheepish apology endeared the other man to her because it sounded rather perfunctory.

  “Very well, Jimmy.” She conceded the point and accepted his apology in the same breath. “I don’t suppose you want to explain what Fevered is?”

  A flinch of silence. Interesting. These people were not terrific liars.

  “No, I don’t want to explain it. You can save your questions for Jason.” Jimmy, at least, didn’t seem afraid of answering her direct questions. Nor did he try to soften it when he wouldn’t.

  “I had to ask.” She smiled a little and he grunted an acknowledgement.

  “Hold on.” Then they were off. He gave her a moment to get used to the feel. “Comfortable?”

  “Yes, you can go faster.” It was all the encouragement he needed. The horse’s muscles bunched and the animal surged forward. Wind slapped at Olivia’s face and she held on tight. It took all of her attention to stay on the horse. Jimmy had been right about one thing. The sooner she got to the house, the sooner she might get some answers. They had all been very kind and she rather liked Delilah, but she needed to know what was going on. Maybe Mr. Kane—Jason’s father—would tell her.

  After all, he’d been the one to send her back east to school in the first place.

  Mariska, The Flying K

  Leaping from the wagon, Mariska offered Jo a wave. The schoolteacher had said she wanted to find Micah to let him know what they’d seen. Delilah and Buck had remained in town, but after her conversation with Jason, Mariska wanted some time to herself. She had lessons with the older girls later—on managing food stores and supplies. Resources could mean the difference between survival and death.

  Dusting off her skirt, Mariska strode away from the trail and down a slope toward the open fields. Had they not been within sighting distance of the barns near the big house, Mariska would have stayed with Jo. No one was to travel alone, not until the doppelganger had been dealt with, but this deep in the heart of Kane land, Jo wasn’t alone. As for Mariska, she relished the idea of the doppelganger daring to try for her.

  A grin stretched her mouth and she could almost feel her wolf snap deep inside. Restlessness invaded her limbs and she wanted to shift—the wolf wanted out and it wanted to roam.

  No.

  Shaking her head, she ignored the violent itching need beneath her skin. A long walk, and some time alone in her head to sort out what little Jason had given her in the way of answers. Maybe they would help her frame the right question, because she needed to know.

  A scrabbling over rocks crashed against her awareness. A familiar scent curled around her next and Mariska shook her head. Ben stalked low to the ground, through the tall grass. He’d done an admirable job of silence until he’d come across stones in the uncleared field. The Kanes tended to rotate their pastures. They hayed some, used others for grazing, and still more were left to go wild. They had crops in another area, but they raised animals—not plants.

  Another sound, the whisper of grass on fur, and she bit back a smile. Stopping, she planted her hands on her hips and attempted to look lost in thought. In reality, her senses sharpened and she listened. Ben was a half dozen feet to her right. His sable coat blended in the winter browned grasses that hadn’t quite captured the warm green of spring.

  Nostrils flaring, she picked up other scents—horses, men, and wolf.

  It was a trap.

  Pivoting, she saw Cody’s leap and managed to duck out of the way at the last second. He landed on the other side of her and as they spun to face each other, Mariska in a crouch and Cody on all fours. Her mate stared at her with blazing yellow eyes, but his tail wagged and his fur wasn’t standing on end.

  He ducked his head and wiggled in an invitation to play that lit her up with a fierce kind of joy. Ben hadn’t been stalking her, she realized belatedly and as if to prove her thought, the cat leapt out of the grass and hit Cody full in the side.

  The wolf had been ready for him and they wrestled, tumbling each other over and over until the wolf landed squarely on the young cat’s back and closed his teeth on his neck. Her mate didn’t let up on the pressure until Ben acquiesced and went slack. When his surrender was complete, Cody released him and padded over to butt his head against Mariska’s shoulder. She fisted a handful of fur and rubbed her cheek against him. Inside, her wolf quieted as it always did when Cody was near.

  With a shake, Ben rose and padded over to her free side and rubbed his cheek down her arm. Laughing, she looped an arm around him and gave his chin a gentle scratch. “So, this is what you two get up to when the rest of us are working?”

  Nipping her chin lightly in admonishment, Cody gave her a baleful look and Ben purred under her attention.

  “Hmm.” Mariska couldn’t help the satisfaction that uncurled within her. Her mate fulfilled her in so many ways, but he couldn’t provide the answers for everything and that knowledge crushed her. Another pet for both and she rose. “I’m going for a walk—you two can resume your pouncing game.”

  Forcing herself to leave them, she continued through the tall grass. Unsurprisingly, Cody didn’t let her wander alone for long. Several minutes later, she scented him again. He’d likely taken the time to get Ben somewhere safe before following her. Stopping, she waited and his hands came down on her shoulders. “You’re not supposed to be out alone,” he admonished with a bite to her earlobe.

  “I don’t seem to be alone.” She checked her tone. The irritation sweeping through her had nothing to do with his chastisement and everything to do with the restlessness she couldn’t seem to contain.

  “You were alone when you came across Ben and me.” He slid an arm around her shoulder and tugged her to his side before walking again. He headed in the same general direction she’d traveled.

  “No one is ever alone on this ranch.” She rubbed her cheek to his chest. He’d dragged on a pair of denims, but his feet, like the rest of him, were bare.

  “You went to town.” It wasn’t a question, not exactly, but she heard the request for more information.

  “Yes, I helped Scarlett and the other ladies bring Jason some supplies for the apartment over the shop.”

  Cody made a noncommittal sound. They’d crossed the field and reached a copse of trees. Like so many on the property, it housed a spring fed pond. Inside the green shelter, Cody relaxed a fraction more. It would be harder to sneak up on them here. He never relaxed his vigilance, especially not after Miller’s attack. She had to wonder if he’d been different on the mountain…he’d changed in the months since they first met, but she knew part of his change came from their mating.

  He’d always been protective, of that she had no doubt, but her presence and the presence of the young Fevered seemed to have had
a profound effect on his hyperawareness. Stopping, he leaned against a tree and turned her around. His slumberous gaze was a trap, because he might not look like he was paying attention, but she could feel the weight of his focus.

  “How was Jason?” The question amused her because Cody made no pretense of his dislike for the Kane brother. Though dislike might be too strong a word, he didn’t trust him. That said, she understood he wasn’t asking after Jason’s health.

  “As sad as Buck told us he was.” She shrugged. She didn’t mention her own questions or Jason’s inability to answer. “He has a girl.”

  Surprise widened Cody’s eyes. “What?”

  “When I was there, a woman named Olivia arrived. Everything about him changed.” It had intrigued Mariska, but she hadn’t wanted to press in on the young woman—not when everyone else had crowded around with all their questions. “She’s blind and Jason is very protective of her.”

  Had the Kane brother been a wolf, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d snapped at all of them. A dangerous note had curled through Jason’s scent and the temperature had chilled until it actually burned Mariska’s nostrils. She described how Jason hurried the young woman across the street and into the shop, barricading it against their intrusion.

  “Sam didn’t know who she was, though I gathered from the comments she lived in the old Dorado. You know—before.”

  “Hmm,” another non-committal sound and then Cody cupped her face, forcing her gaze up to meet his. “How are you?”

  “I’m working on me,” she told him truthfully. It didn’t matter that he could scent a lie, she didn’t want to deceive him. “The restlessness is still there, the itch under my skin and I…” She lacked the words to describe it. With a shrug, she covered his hands on her face and tried to smile. “I will be all right. We have so much else to worry about.”

  He studied her a long moment. “Whatever this battle you fight with yourself, you know I am on your side.”

  Quiet elation flooded through her at the declaration, not that she’d need ever questioned his support. “I want to tell you something, but I don’t want it to hurt your feelings.”