Dream Warrior: His Savage Kiss

by Bobbi Smith

  "There's the half-breed now." Mark pointed him out.

  "Marshall, we were looking for you," Sam called as he and the others walked toward him. His expression was belligerent, his movements aggressive.

  Daniel had been back for two years now, and during that time, he'd learned that there were more men like Kyle in the world than there were men like Ben. Though he would never understand them, he'd finally managed to learn how to deal with their blatant prejudice and hatred. He met Sam's gaze levelly with no show of emotion as the rancher and his group stopped before him.

  "Hello, Mr. Larson, Mark." He nodded to the others, who he knew by sight but not by name. "What can I do for you?"

  "You can keep your thieving friends and relatives off our land!" Sam snarled. "The damned Cheyenne have been stealing our stock, and we're going to see that something's done about it!"

  "Have you spoken with Captain Greene?"

  "He ain't no help," Mark put in, eyeing the man who represented both the Indians and the government. He didn't like him. He acted as if he were as smart as whites, and that didn't sit well with Mark.

  "You mark my words, Marshall. If the rustling doesn't stop, we're going to take matters into our own hands."

  "Are you certain it's the Cheyenne who are doing this?" Daniel pressed.

  "We know it, Marshall, and if another steer turns up missing, there'll be hell to pay," one of the others threatened.

  Daniel said nothing for he knew it was pointless to argue. He watched the men as they stormed away.

  "Marshall, come in here a minute."

  The captain's words cut into his thoughts, and he looked up to see Joshua Greene standing in the doorway of his office.

  Josh waited until they were inside and the door was closed before he spoke. "Larson's trying to stir up trouble. I want you to make sure none of your people are involved. It's going to get ugly if they decide to start shooting off more than their mouths."

  "I know. I'll ride up to Tall Shadow's camp just as soon as I finish my business here."

  "Good. Tall Shadow seems to be an honorable man."

  "He is."

  "Make sure his people know that there could be trouble if this stealing continues."

  Daniel's expression hardened at his insinuation. "I can guarantee that Tall Shadow's people are not a part of this."

  "If they're not, then find out who is. I want them caught! I'm trying to avert trouble here."

  "I'll see what I can do."

  Daniel's mood was black as he left the office. He wondered if the whites' hatred of the Indians would ever end. Certainly, it hadn't improved since he'd graduated from Marywood and gone to work for the Indian Bureau. He'd spent a month at home after he'd gotten out of school, then taken a job with the Indian Bureau in Washington, D.C. He'd worked there for over a year, trying to make changes that would help his people. It had been a slow, tedious, frustrating game, played with politicians who said one thing and did another. When the opportunity finally came to work back in the territory, he'd taken it.

  Ben had been intrigued with life out West, and after visiting Daniel in Cheyenne, he'd decided to join him there. They'd bought a building in town. Ben had set up a law practice in offices downstairs while they kept rooms for themselves upstairs. They'd been there ever since, each trying, in his own way, to bring justice to the territory.

  Daniel wondered, though, if justice could ever prevail for his people. He held on to the hope the Reverend Louis had instilled in him that it could and would triumph, somewhere, some time.

  Daniel hurried on to finish his business at the fort. It was urgent he alert his grandfather's people of the possible danger and warn them to stay far away from the land the ranchers considered to be their own.

  "I think that takes care of it, James," Ben said as he made the final correction on the legal document that lay before him on his desk in his law office in Cheyenne.

  "It looks that way. I appreciate your advice, Ben. Making up this will was something I'd been meaning to do for a long time, and I'm glad I finally got around to it."

  "You're satisfied with the way everything reads?" Ben glanced at James.

  "Yes, thanks."

  "I'll see you get a final copy soon, and I'll keep one on record here."

  "That'll be fine." James stood, eager to be on his way. While putting the final touches on his will had been important, he had a far more exciting reason for being in town today. Today, Elizabeth and Cari were coming home.

  Ben rose and extended his hand to his client. "I understand your wife and daughter should be arriving soon?"

  "On the noon train," James told him with a smile, checking his pocket watch one more time as he started for the door.

  "Have a wonderful reunion, and if I can do anything more for you, just let me know."

  "I certainly will."

  Ben accompanied James to the door and watched as he headed for the train station.

  James was excited. There had been many times during the last seven years when he'd thought this day would never come, but it was here at last, and his joy knew no bounds.

  It had been months since he'd journeyed back to Philadelphia, and the trip this time had been a revelation for him. Though he loved his wife and child to distraction, the visit had left him frustrated and miserable. He'd grown up back East, but had discovered that he was no longer an easterner. The crowded cities and bustling traffic left his soul screaming for the peace and quiet of the ranch. Even the sophisticated social life that had once been such a source of pleasure for him had left him cold.

  What had troubled him the most, though, was the change in Cari. He'd always known Elizabeth loved living in the city. She came alive in the constant, frantic swirl of activities. He'd thought his daughter was different. Early on, when she'd first gone to live in Philadelphia, Cari had written to him telling him how much she'd hated living there. He'd always believed she would remain that little girl who'd left him so reluctantly all those years ago. When he'd seen her on this last visit, though, he'd been shocked to find that she'd changed completely. No longer did she seem to miss the ranch and their old way of life. Now, she was the belle of the ball, the center of attention, and she'd been enjoying every minute of it. The crying, sorrowful little girl who'd left him, was gone.

  James knew he should have been thrilled that Cari had grown into such a lovely, sophisticated young woman, but all he felt was regret. Cari had been an open, innocent child who'd delighted in their way of life on the ranch, and he was afraid he'd lost her forever. He supposed today would be his day of reckoning. Today, he would find out how she really felt.

  "How you doing, James?" Ken Madison, the stationmaster, stopped to say hello.

  "I'm fine, Ken."

  "Big day for you, isn't it? Aren't your ladies due in on the noon train?"

  "They sure are." He was beaming.

  "Think they're going to like the changes you made out at the ranch?" He and James had been friends since he'd arrived there with the first trains back in the late sixties. They visited whenever James came to town for supplies, and he knew how hard his friend had been working to make his ranch the best in the territory, how he had bought that prize Hereford bull to improve his herd.

  "I hope so. The house is certainly a darn sight better than it was when they left." James hoped with all his heart that the improvements he'd made would please them. He wanted them to be happy.

  "They will," Ken assured him, thinking of the two-story, white frame structure James had built to replace the original small log cabin. It was one of the finest ranch houses around. The hundred-thousand-acre Circle M was becoming quite a showplace. It had excellent water rights, good grazing, and James running it, so Ken had no doubts that it would prosper for years to come.

  James smiled at his encouraging words, but the smile hid the worries that were haunting him. He could not forget how much Elizabeth disliked living on the Circle M.

  "There it comes now!" Ken told him as he caught
sight of the train down on the track. He clapped James on the shoulder as he hurried back to work.

  "Nothing's changed," Elizabeth muttered to herself as she studied the passing landscape from the train window. She'd been gone for years, and yet everything looked exactly the same. She'd heard people back East calling the territory the Great American Desert, and looking at it now, she definitely thought they were right. Where were the cities? Where were the people? Where was life?

  "Did you say something, Mrs. McCord?" Elliot asked, looking up from where he sat next to Cari, opposite her.

  "Nothing seems to have changed since Cari and I left." She voiced her disillusionment.

  "Well, we're not at Cheyenne yet," Cari put in cheerfully. "Let's wait and see. Papa said Cheyenne was quite a town now compared to what it was."

  "Your father's idea of a town and my idea of a town are two different things," Elizabeth pointed out.

  "I know, but there's always hope," Cari told her with a laugh.

  Elizabeth gave Cari a loving look. When they'd left the territory, her daughter had been a lonely child; now, she was returning a beautiful, confident woman. Glancing at Elliot, Elizabeth thought they made an exceptionally handsome couple. It was her fondest dream that Cari would realize he would make the perfect husband and accept his proposal. Her only regret was that she hadn't already accepted him. If she had, Elizabeth knew her worries would be eased about her daughter seeing the half-breed again.

  "Look, that must be Cheyenne!" Cari was staring avidly out the window.

  Elizabeth and Elliot both joined her, watching as the town came into view.

  "It actually looks almost civilized . . ." Cari remarked in surprise. When they'd left, Cheyenne had been a booming railroad town, crowded with people, but little else. The only buildings had been tents and hastily erected shacks. It had definitely improved.

  "There's Papa!" Cari exclaimed as she saw her father waiting on the station platform. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy as she turned to her mother. "We're home!"

  "Yes, dear, we are," Elizabeth managed to sound pleased, but her heart was heavy with dread. True, Cheyenne did look much improved and she did love James, but she wondered if she would be able to stand the isolation and loneliness that went with living here again. Refusing to ruin their reunion by dwelling on her fears, Elizabeth stood as soon as the train came to a stop and hurriedly made her way toward the exit with Cari and Elliot following right behind. James was there. Her James . . .

  "James!"

  "Papa!"

  The two women flew off the train and into his arms, while Elliot decided to remain discreetly off to the side. James's heart nearly burst with the love he was feeling as he hugged Elizabeth and Cari to him. They were home at last! They'd come back to him! He closed his eyes, fighting back tears as he gave silent thanks to God for their safe return. He was a happy man, a contented man. His years of loneliness were over.

  "Oh, Papa, it's so good to see you!" Cari told him, kissing his cheek.

  "Cari, love, I've missed you," he responded gruffly, his voice choked with emotion. "And Elizabeth . . ."

  James smiled tenderly at his wife as Cari discreetly moved away to join Elliot. James thought Elizabeth was as gorgeous as ever, and his gaze devoured the sight of her, like a starving man at a feast. "Welcome home, darling."

  "Oh, James." She realized with a pang just how much she had missed him. She buried her face against his shoulder, savoring the feel of his arms around her. He was her heaven. She'd forgotten how wonderful it was to be with him.

  Her voice was a soft caress upon his love-starved senses, and he couldn't resist kissing her. Gently, yet passionately, his mouth sought hers, and for a moment, nothing existed in the world but the two of them, reunited at last.

  When they finally moved apart, James glanced over at Elliot and smiled as he extended his hand in welcome. They'd met before on his last visit to Philadelphia. "Good to see you again, Elliot."

  "You, too, sir," he returned, shaking his hand.

  "Elliot traveled with us to make sure we got home to you safely, Papa," Cari explained. "He's going to stay and visit for a while."

  "Good. Glad to have you."

  "Thank you, sir."

  They shared a silent moment of happiness, and then James said, "Let's go home."

  He saw Ken standing off to the side and motioned him over. "Ken, come say hello to Elizabeth, my daughter, Cari, and her friend, Elliot Lowell."

  "Glad to have you back, ladies. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lowell." Ken hadn't seen two such fine-looking ladies since he'd traveled to St. Louis a couple of years before. James's wife was as lovely as he remembered, and his daughter had grown into a gorgeous young woman. If he hadn't been happily married, he'd definitely have given that Lowell boy a run for his money with the beautiful Cari McCord.

  Cari and Elizabeth extended their gloved hands to him, and Ken nervously wiped his hands on his pants before taking theirs, then Elliot's.

  "Hope you ladies like what James has done out at the Circle M. He's been working like a madman to make that place shine for you."

  "I'm sure he's done a wonderful job." Elizabeth cast an adoring glance at her husband.

  "I did it all for you, sweetheart. Now, let me get your trunks on the buckboard, and we'll head home."

  "I'll help you," Elliot offered.

  The two men moved off to begin picking up the many pieces of luggage they'd brought with them. James was eager to get on the way. He wanted to give them a quick tour of the town and then head out to the Circle M to show them all he'd accomplished in their absence.

  "I'll help you there, too." Ken quickly went to their aid. When everything had been loaded, he bid them good-bye. "Be careful on your ride out to the ranch, and remember, there's that big dance at the social hall a week from Saturday night. We'll be looking forward to seeing you."

  "I'll remember. Thanks for your help." James handed Elizabeth and Cari up onto the seat, waited for Elliot to climb up, and then joined them there. It was a tight fit, but they managed. "See you later."

  "Take care. Welcome back to the territory, ladies."

  James slapped the reins on the horses' backs, and they moved off, heading home. He gave them a quick tour of Cheyenne, showing them the fine churches, public and private schools, the theater and the stores.

  Elizabeth murmured her approval. The rugged western town was better than she'd expected, but it was still raw and wild-looking compared to Philadelphia. As she stared about herself, she wondered dazedly what she was doing there. Then she glanced at her husband. His eyes were upon her, warm and loving, and their gazes met. When James reached out and took her hand, she reveled in that unspoken expression of intimacy and knew in that moment the answer to why she'd returned.

  As they rode for the ranch, Elliot asked many pertinent questions about the territory, and both James and Cari were quick to answer.

  The ride was long, but Cari didn't notice. While she maintained the outward demeanor of a lady, a part of her was thrilling to the sight of her home—the distant mountains and the beautiful open land. The depth of her feelings about her homecoming surprised her. It was as if she felt a kinship with the land, as if her soul belonged there.

  "I didn't tell you when I visited you in Philadelphia because I wanted to surprise you, but now that you're home, it's time." They were about to top the low rise that gave them a full, unobstructed view of the ranch in the valley below.

  "You have a surprise for us?" Elizabeth gave him a pleased look.

  "Yes, sweetheart. I built you a new house." He reined in as he spoke. Turning to her, he lifted a hand to caress her cheek. Her skin felt like satin to him, and the anticipation of the night to come filled him with a low, burning heat. "I want you to be happy here."

  She leaned into his touch, her eyes never leaving his. "Oh, James." Her words were a sigh.

  "Look!"

  Elizabeth and Cari both looked down at the same time, and they stared in awestru
ck wonder at the thriving ranch below. The white, two-story house was impressive, yet it also had a welcoming air. Green shutters framed the windows, and a wide veranda surrounded it on three sides.

  Elliot was impressed. It looked to him like an oasis of civilization in the midst of the wilds.

  When the women didn't say anything right away, James began to worry that they didn't like it. "Our old house is the bunkhouse for the hands now. We've got six men working for us."

  "James, it's wonderful," Elizabeth told him at last as she leaned closer and kissed him.

  Relief swept through him. "I'm glad you like it." He urged the team onward. "Wait until you see the inside."

  As they neared the house, Elizabeth saw a flower box on the porch near the front steps, and she turned an amazed gaze to him. "You planted flowers?"

  "Just a few wildflowers," he said, embarrassed. "I wanted today to be special, and I know how much you like them."

  Tenderness shone in her eyes. "Thank you."

  Cari watched her parents. Though her mother had never said much about it, Cari knew she'd been happier in Philadelphia. The closer they'd come to Cheyenne on the trip back, the more tense her mother had become. That mood had disappeared now, and Cari was glad.

  James stopped the buckboard before the house. He helped Elizabeth descend, while Elliot made it a point to aid Cari. Two cowhands appeared then, and James quickly introduced them as Hank and Fred. The men carried the trunks, while James led the way inside.

  Just as Cari was about to close the door behind her, she heard a distant bark and looked out. She gave a laugh of pure exuberance as she spotted Barnie running toward them.

  "Barnie!!" she cried. Forgetting the manners and decorum she'd learned in school, she ran to meet her long-lost pet.

  Cari hadn't been sure Barnie would remember her, but she did. They came together in a rush, Cari dropping to her knees beside her. She threw her arms around the old dog's neck and hugged her fiercely.

  "I'm so glad to see you! How've you been?"

  Barnie gave her a big wet kiss, and Cari laughed even harder.