by Jodi Thomas
Win leaned closer to Cheyenne. ‘‘You still got that deed I bought from the bank and Andrew Adams?’’
‘‘I picked it up this morning before I rode out here to join you,’’ Cheyenne said. ‘‘Andrews couldn’t believe you were paying him double for his share. But it was a smart investment. That’s a pretty spread, but it will never be farmland.’’
‘‘Put the deed in the safe when you get back.’’ Win watched the pass between the rocks. ‘‘And put Jamie’s name on it.’’
‘‘What?’’ Cheyenne questioned as if he didn’t hear Winter correctly.
‘‘I don’t want her ever feeling she has to run off with drifters and gamblers just because she doesn’t feel like she has a place to stay.’’
‘‘All right,’’ Cheyenne said as he walked away. ‘‘You’re the boss. But you sure picked a hell of a time to be passing out land.’’
THIRTY-THREE
TIME PASSED SLOWLY UNTIL SUNSET. KORA AND JAMIE made several trips to the cottonwoods and brought back firewood. The men helped them unload and build fires all along the ridge where the cattle below might come through.
Winter didn’t say another word to Kora, but he looked for her each time he rode past the camp.
At dusk Cheyenne returned with supplies and Dan’s chair. He helped Jamie tie it to the bed of the wagon, both knowing that Dan would climb into the wagon before full dark and not budge no matter what happened.
Win worked with his men, giving instructions and advice like a general preparing for battle.
When Cheyenne walked beside his boss, he said, ‘‘If they stampede that large a herd and we spread the fires out, there will be no place for the herd to turn except in on itself.’’
‘‘I know,’’ Win whispered.
‘‘It’ll be a slaughter. Some of their men may be caught in the middle. A man down in that size a herd would be dead within seconds.’’
‘‘I thought of that,’’ Win agreed again. ‘‘I’ve always depended on you being my right hand. But tonight, if the shooting starts, I want you to leave. Take Kora and Jamie and travel north toward the settlement. With my men busy fighting, we may not be able to stop the fire once it starts. The folks at the settlement will need warning. From there, take the women and Dan back to the house.’’
Winter had made sure months ago that the house was surrounded by a breaker against grass fires. The stream on one third, the corrals on another. Plowed ground void of grass on a third. It made the grounds muddy when it rained, but it acted as a breaker. Cheyenne would have time to knock the corral posts down. With Kora and Jamie keeping watch, the headquarters would be safe. The stark plainness of his ranch headquarters that Mary Anna had complained about once would be the very thing that saved it from burning.
‘‘What if Kora won’t go?’’ Cheyenne asked. ‘‘Do I drag them off screaming and fighting?’’
‘‘Tell her the house is in danger.’’
Cheyenne shook his head. ‘‘She won’t go.’’
Win frowned. ‘‘Tell her Dan and Jamie are in danger. She’ll do anything to help her family.’’
‘‘Even leave you here to fight alone?’’ Cheyenne asked.
‘‘Even leave me,’’ Win repeated. He figured one ‘‘I love you’’ would never outweigh a lifetime of caring for her brother and sister.
Darkness moved across the prairie, but the men kept the vigil. In one-hour shifts they stood guard at every location where cattle might climb. Win remained in the saddle, moving from one location to the other, waiting.
Wyatt restlessly circled the campfire where Kora and Jamie sat. He’d flirted with Jamie until nightfall, but she’d turned him down cold. Yellow never aroused her passion, and he seemed dipped in it. He’d pleaded his case better than a big-city lawyer could have, but she was no longer interested.
‘‘Rider coming in!’’ one of the men on post yelled.
Win and Cheyenne stepped into the glow of the campfire as a rider cleared the pass and rode toward the light.
All guns were drawn as the rider dismounted. ‘‘I’ve come with a message!’’ he shouted. ‘‘For McQuillen.’’
‘‘I’m McQuillen.’’ Win moved forward. ‘‘What is it?’’
‘‘One of my boss’s daughters wants to talk to you. She wants to try and make peace one last time. She said to meet her in the pass alone in ten minutes.’’ The drover looked nervous. ‘‘She says if you do, it’ll all be solved.’’
‘‘I’ll be there,’’ Win stated and raised his hand to allow the messenger to return unbothered.
‘‘Don’t go,’’ Cheyenne whispered. ‘‘It’s a trap.’’
‘‘For once I agree with Cheyenne,’’ Wyatt said. ‘‘The woman is mean and self-centered. Whatever she wants will only serve her own interest. I think she’s probably the one responsible for the lookouts being shot.’’
‘‘Maybe she doesn’t want to see her father killed,’’ Kora offered. ‘‘Maybe she’s trying to help.’’
Wyatt lifted the coat Win had been wearing. ‘‘She’s deadly. She always has been,’’ he whispered. ‘‘I’ll talk to her.’’
Win studied him closely. A man doesn’t get many chances to prove his courage. Wyatt looked near to being shattered. He might be playing both sides of the fence, but he had nothing to gain by this action. ‘‘All right,’’ Win said, giving the man an opportunity for no reason other than he needed one. ‘‘I’ll be right behind you. But when we get back, you’ve got some talking to do and it better be the truth.’’
Tension thickened the air as the minutes ticked by. Wyatt put on Winter’s coat and hat in silence. Win moved to the wagon and removed his spurs, then began blackening his face and hands with ashes.
‘‘What are you doing?’’ Kora asked from just behind him.
Win smiled, enjoying the sound of her voice. ‘‘I’ll be moving in silently, a part of the night. No one will even know I’m there, unless Wyatt gets himself into trouble.’’
‘‘Be careful,’’ she whispered. She watched him slide a knife into his belt. ‘‘Do you want your gun back?’’
‘‘No.’’ Win leaned and kissed her cheek. ‘‘You keep it for me. A shot that far into the pass might set off the cattle below.’’
Kora wanted a moment alone with him. All day she’d been longing to have him hold her, or whisper something only for her ears. But there was no time and no place.
‘‘Ready?’’ Wyatt asked.
‘‘Ready,’’ Win answered. As he passed Kora, he touched her cheek. ‘‘See you in a few minutes, darlin’.’’
Kora couldn’t speak for the lump in her throat.
Win crossed into the blackness with Wyatt. They walked toward the opening. ‘‘You don’t have to do this for me,’’ Win said.
‘‘Yes, I do, but not for you. For me.’’ Wyatt squared his shoulders. ‘‘I’ve been dodging this problem all my life.’’
Win slowed as they moved into the narrow space and began to descend into a natural hallway that joined the low lands with the higher ground. It was too rocky for a wagon to move through, but a man on horseback, or cattle, would have no problem.
Halfway down a female voice echoed off the walls. ‘‘That’s far enough, McQuillen.’’
Wyatt stopped and Win moved into the blackness a few feet behind him.
‘‘Aren’t you even going to say hello to your first love?’’ The woman took a step closer. She was dressed in a red riding suit with white lace at the collar and cuffs, reflecting the moonlight.
The gambler remained silent, his hat down hiding his face.
Fighting down the reaction to her voice, Win moved closer. Mary Anna! Of course, she was the woman Rae warned Kora about. Her family were ranchers in the south, and she’d been here visiting since before the trouble started.
‘‘You could have made it so easy. Marry me and I’d have had you on a honeymoon while my father moved the cattle. But I guess I waited too long expecting you to crawl. You
panicked and married another.’’
Wyatt remained stone as she thought she was talking to Win before her.
Mary Anna took a step closer. ‘‘I told Papa from the first I’d take care of the problem called McQuillen. He promised me Wyatt’s share of the profits. My loser of a brother’s been no help at all. He doesn’t deserve any part of what will be Papa’s greatest year if he can just get the cattle to market. Wyatt rode with us in black dusters, but he’d always shoot high. But not me. I almost killed that shadow of yours, Cheyenne, and I would have killed you if Wyatt hadn’t demanded we take cover.’’
Win fought down his rage as he took a step closer and pulled his knife. He was alone in the passage with two of the siblings someone had told him were deadly. Sweet, beautiful Mary Anna sounded as if she was capable of anything, and Wyatt might turn on him, or run at any moment.
But the brother remained motionless with his head down.
‘‘The time has come for me to keep my word to my father. Your little wife is about to become a widow once more.’’ Mary Anna lifted a small derringer from her pocket.
‘‘No!’’ Winter shouted. He rushed forward, trying to push Wyatt aside. The knife in his hand clanged among the rocks as he dived toward the man wearing his coat.
The gun fired just as she caught a glimpse of Win coming from the shadows. Wyatt lifted his face to his sister as he crumbled.
‘‘Wyatt!’’ Mary Anna screamed when Win knocked the gun from her hand.
He blocked her path, but Wyatt’s groan of pain drew his attention. Mary Anna backed away yelling to no one that it wasn’t her fault.
Win lifted the gambler’s arm over his shoulder to help him to his feet. They both stared at the silhouette of Mary Anna running down the path. The shot had spooked the cattle, and they were moving about restlessly below. Her sudden descent sent tiny rocks showering and started the cattle nearby trying to move away. But hundreds of head pinned them in. The herd seemed to churn below her, stomping up dirt and making low sounds.
Mary Anna suddenly lost her footing and screamed as she fell among them. Several men on horseback moved toward her, but they were too far away. Her body was trampled before her scream could die in the air.
Win turned and moved up the passage half carrying Wyatt-at his side. There was nothing he could do to save Mary Anna, but Wyatt was still alive.
When he walked back into camp carrying Wyatt, everyone gathered round to help. They placed him in the wagon bed near the firelight. Win explained what had happened while Kora took a look at the wound on Wyatt’s side.
‘‘I’m all right,’’ Wyatt said as he fought back the pain. ‘‘The bullet just grazed me. She never could shoot a handgun worth a darn.’’
Kora bandaged the wound as best she could. ‘‘You need to see a doctor.’’
Wyatt nodded as he sat up. ‘‘First, I have to tell my father what happened. Mary Anna was always more the son he wanted than me.’’ He glanced at Win. ‘‘Get me my horse, would you?’’
‘‘Take mine.’’ Win understood the gambler’s need to find his father. ‘‘Thanks for saving my life.’’
‘‘No.’’ Wyatt smiled. ‘‘It’s time to tell the truth. If you hadn’t jumped in when you did, she might not have missed. You saved mine.’’ He pulled off Win’s coat. ‘‘And if you don’t mind, I’ll take my own horse. I wouldn’t want to be mistaken for you twice tonight.’’
Wyatt stood slowly. ‘‘I may not be back, but I’ll see my father’s anger isn’t turned toward you.’’
‘‘You’re welcome anytime.’’
The gambler glanced at Jamie.
‘‘As a friend,’’ she answered his unasked question. ‘‘You’re always welcome as a friend.’’
Wyatt touched his fingers to his hat and gingerly climbed atop his horse. He moved into the night without another word.
Kora slid beneath Win’s arm. ‘‘Is it over?’’
‘‘If our luck holds, we’ll know by morning.’’ He held her tight.
The camp settled down for the night. Men still rode in changing shifts, but no one heard a word from below. Kora and Jamie climbed into the bed of the wagon and tried to sleep on either side of Dan’s chair, but both were too excited.
Just after dawn Winter drew everyone’s attention with a sudden resounding shot. They all scrambled to see what he’d shot at.
‘‘That’s far enough!’’ Win shouted as he raised his rifle and pointed toward the passage. ‘‘Another foot and the bullet won’t just dance in the dirt at your feet.’’
A man in his fifties slowly raised his hands. ‘‘All right. I’m not going to try anything. I’m not armed.’’
Win didn’t lower his rifle. Kora pulled the Winchester from the wagon and joined her husband. Cheyenne did the same, taking only a moment to shove Jamie down out of sight as he passed her.
She glared at him, but didn’t stand back up.
‘‘What do you want?’’ Win asked the man below.
‘‘Name’s Randell Monroe. I’ve come to say I’ve had enough. I quit. You win. I never planned on pushing so hard. Wyatt told me you saved his life last night. Thanks for that. I don’t know if I could survive losing two children in one night.’’
‘‘Mary Anna’s dead then?’’ Win asked, even though he knew she would be.
The old man nodded. ‘‘She never could stand not getting her way. And I always spoiled her, so the blame of what she tried to do is more mine than hers. Wyatt tried to stop me from herding the cattle, but all I saw was how much money I’d lose if I didn’t try.’’
Win didn’t say a word, but he found himself admiring the man in the passage for his honesty.
Randell removed his hat and pushed his silver hair back.
‘‘We’re already turning the herd for home. I’ll bury my daughter and suffer my losses, but I’ll not try to cross your land.’’
Win lowered his rifle. Randell Monroe looked like a proud man. He wasn’t sure if he felt more sorry for him for losing Mary Anna or for having lost control of what was right.
‘‘We’ll burn the grassland behind you,’’ Win said as he stood.
‘‘I figured you would,’’ Randell said, then turned slowly around. ‘‘Give us a day’s start. We should reach the river by then.’’
‘‘No more,’’ Win answered, knowing they’d have to drive the cattle hard to stay ahead of a brush fire. The grazing would be burned for miles across the rocky land no one claimed, but in a month with a few good rains, the growth would come back.
Winter watched the man walk back down the pass, his head high. He looked older than he had when he’d climbed the ledge.
‘‘Will he have enough years left to start over?’’ Kora whispered.
‘‘Maybe he’ll turn the ranch over to Wyatt,’’ Win answered.
‘‘How many men do you want to leave on guard?’’ Cheyenne asked.
‘‘It doesn’t matter. I have a feeling Randell Monroe will stop any trouble from reaching us.’’
‘‘So do I,’’ Kora added.
They left a half dozen men camped on the ridge and headed home. Kora wanted to ride double with Win, but he didn’t offer and she wasn’t about to ask. They were all exhausted. Kora and Jamie headed toward the settlement to pick up Logan while Win and Cheyenne rode with the men toward home.
As they crossed Win’s land, Jamie sat beside her sister in the wagon.
‘‘Cheyenne’s not speaking to me again,’’ she mumbled. ‘‘I swear, why’d he bother to save me if he’s not going to notice I’m alive? I hate him with every bone in my body.’’
Kora didn’t comment. She couldn’t force Cheyenne to like her sister. The man had a right to his own opinion.
‘‘Maybe Wyatt will come back,’’ Kora finally said, hoping to change the subject. ‘‘Win said he’d send a man south next spring to offer to help restock his herd.’’
‘‘I don’t care if his does.’’ Jamie pulled her skirts up above her kne
es. ‘‘Right now I don’t care about much of anything but a bath and a bed.’’
Jamie slapped the team into action. They circled by the settlement, picked up a grumpy Logan, and headed slowly home. When they reached the main house, no one was around, but there were signs that someone had been. The bunkhouse cook had put out a spread of food. He said Win had hit home issuing orders like someone special was coming to visit. He wanted a meal on the table and about a hundred other things done before Kora returned, then he up and disappeared riding toward town.
‘‘I wish he’d told me where he was going, or when to expect him back.’’ Kora knew her words sounded like a complaint, but she was too tired to remain silent.
‘‘What?’’ Jamie chimed. ‘‘And break a perfect record? I may stay around a while longer just to see you whip him into shape. He’s not overly friendly, but he does grow on a person. At least he’s brave and honest and never goes back on his word. But I’m not promising to stay long.’’
‘‘For a while then.’’ Kora smiled.
THIRTY-FOUR
KORA STEPPED INTO THE SUNNY WARMTH OF HER COLORFUL bedroom. After a night of trying to sleep in a wagon bed, the space looked like a slice of heaven. The quilts welcomed her as they shone in the sunlight. In the center of the room awaited a hip tub already filled with water. Her robe and a towel lay over the chair by her writing table.
Smiling with delight, she stripped off her dirty clothes and sank into the cool water.
‘‘He does care,’’ she whispered, knowing Win had set the bath up for her. Most of the time he might seem to think only of the ranch, but he had made several trips getting this ready for her.
After washing her body and hair, she barely had enough energy left to slip into her undergarments before she curled atop the quilt that covered their bed and fell asleep.
It was late afternoon when she felt someone touching her hand. Opening her eyes, she saw Win standing by the bed. He held one of her hands in both of his.
