by Bobbi Smith
"Cari?"
At the sound of Elliot's call, she realized how silly she must look to him. "I'll be right there!"
Getting up, she dusted off her skirts and, after giving Barnie one last pet on the head, hurried to the house. The dog followed on her heels and sat down on the porch to await her return.
"Barnie remembered me," she told her parents and Elliot as she joined them.
"She missed you," James said simply. "But not as much as I did."
"Well, we're home now." Cari was smiling brightly.
"Home . . . I like that. It didn't seem like home without you." James was still having trouble believing that Elizabeth and Cari were really there. His smile matched his daughter's. "Now it will."
"The house is lovely, James." Elizabeth was looking around, impressed. The hallway divided the house, running front to back, and it was wide and cool. The staircase to the second floor rose before them.
"The parlor, dining room, and kitchen are downstairs," he explained. "There are four bedrooms upstairs."
The parlor and dining room were on opposite sides of the hall and both were large. The kitchen ran the complete width of the house across the back. While it lacked the warmth of a woman's touch, the house was clean, neat and spacious.
When they went upstairs, James showed Cari to a large, airy bedroom at the back of the house that he'd thought she would want for her own, and then showed Elliot to the largest extra room. Leaving them to unpack, he then took Elizabeth to the master bedroom.
"You did a wonderful job, James. It's all beautiful," Elizabeth told him.
"I did it all for you," he said earnestly as they faced each other. He pushed the door shut behind them, then took her in his arms. "Life has been hell without you, Elizabeth. I don't ever want us to be apart again. I want you here with me always."
He kissed her deeply, and she responded without reserve. It was heavenly to be in his embrace again. She was savoring the intimacy, when abruptly he drew away from her, frowning.
"What is it?"
"Someone's coming . . ." He scowled, unable to believe anyone could have such terrible timing. He moved to the window to look down the drive.
Elizabeth heard the horses approaching, too, and she followed James to see who it was.
"Damn!" he swore under his breath as he recognized their visitors. "It's Sam Larson and his son Mark . . ."
James sounded angry, and Elizabeth wondered why. "He's one of the neighbors you told me about, isn't he? The one who owns the land to the west of us?"
"Yes."
"Maybe he's just come over to say hello," she offered naively.
"This isn't Philadelphia. Sam Larson doesn't make social calls. A visit from either one of them usually means trouble."
"Why?"
"Sam hates Indians, and he doesn't hold a high opinion of anyone who disagrees with him." He cast her a glance, remembering all the fights they'd had about his friendship with Tall Shadow's tribe. "I'd better go see what he wants." James headed for the bedroom door.
Elizabeth remained at the window, studying the two men who'd already reined in and dismounted. The older man was heavily built, almost to the point of being hulking, and his expression was stern as he walked toward the house. His son was on the slighter side. They looked nice enough, she supposed, but then she knew looks could be deceiving.
"I'll get Cari and Elliot and come downstairs with you. The Larsons are our nearest neighbors, so I think it's important we meet them," she called to James as she followed him from the room.
James found his unwanted guests waiting on the front porch.
" 'Afternoon, Sam . . . Mark. Good to see you," he greeted them as he stepped outside. "Would you like to come in?"
"Nope. We're here to talk serious, and the porch is as good a place as any," Sam answered tersely.
"What's wrong?"
"We were just wondering if any of your cattle are missing."
"No, why?"
Sam and Mark exchanged a look, then Sam spoke. "There's been a lot of rustling going on. We're missing head. So are McKeon, Johnson, and Bryant. Looks like your damned Cheyenne are at it again."
James had figured the Larsons meant trouble, and he'd been right. It wasn't the first time they'd come there to complain about the Indians, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. "The Cheyenne are not 'my damned' anything. And just because some steers are missing doesn't mean they did it—"
"Who else, if not the thieving redskins?" Mark interrupted.
"Have you got any proof?"
"We're losing stock, and you're not. That's enough proof for me!" Sam snarled.
"It's not for me."
"Look, James, you've got more to lose than we do. If anything happens to that bull of yours, what will you do?"
Everyone in the area knew the fortune James had invested in the animal to improve his breeding lines. "Nothing's going to happen to the bull," he insisted.
"How can you be sure, unless you know the thieves are from Tall Shadow's tribe and they've promised to leave you alone?" Sam countered with malice. James was known as an Indian-lover, who had the best ranch, a prize bull, and the respect of most everyone in town—and that infuriated Sam. Sam hated James with a passion and wanted to see him and all his Indian friends gone from the territory. If that happened, there would be no stopping his own plans for the future.
James stared at his neighbor with cold eyes. "I can assure you, that's not the case."
"Look, we could use your help. We've already talked to Captain Greene and warned him that if any more stock disappears, we're going to start shooting. You really ought to think about joining up with us before it's too late."
"Captain Greene's trying to keep the peace here. If you start shooting, he's not going to like it."
"He hasn't offered to do anything to help us—other than talk—and we've got the right to protect what's ours," Mark told him, his hand moving to rest on his sidearm.
"Protect what's yours, yes, but to start killing people without reason is insane. No one will win if the killing starts."
"The hell we won't!" Sam gave vent to his hatred. "I'm going to tell everyone in town what's been going on, and if we get enough guns, we can . . ."
"James? Do we have guests?" Elizabeth recognized that the men's tempers were rising and had deliberately stepped outside to join them. Cari and Elliot were with her.
"Yes, dear, meet our neighbors, Sam Larson, and his son, Mark. Sam, Mark, this is my wife, Elizabeth, my daughter, Cari, and our friend from Philadelphia, Elliot Lowell."
"Hello, gentlemen, it's nice to meet you."
"Ladies," Sam responded, then nodded toward Elliot. "Lowell."
"Hello." Mark's brown eyes lingered on Cari with open interest. He'd heard James talk about his family before, but he'd never imagined his daughter would be this pretty. Cari McCord was a real looker. "It's nice to meet you."
"Would you like to come inside for some refreshments?" Elizabeth invited graciously.
"No thank you, ma'am. I said my piece to your husband, and now we'll be going," Sam addressed her before turning to James. "You'd better tell the bas—, er, uh, Cheyenne that we're not going to stand for anymore! You got that, James?"
James didn't respond.
"Ladies . . ." Sam started from the porch.
Mark flashed Cari a quick smile. "We got a dance coming up in town. Hope to see you there, Cari."
Cari returned his smile as she politely replied, "I'll be looking forward to it."
When the Larsons had ridden away, the McCords went back inside. James was worried. He didn't like either the father or the son. He knew they were troublemakers, always trying to stir up a fight with the Indians. Sam seemed bound and determined to force the Indians from the territory, and he took every opportunity to increase the hatred and mistrust between the whites and the Cheyenne. Trouble was, Sam wasn't alone. There were a lot of people who hated the Indians and wanted them gone.
"Elizabeth?"
&
nbsp; She looked up at him expectantly.
"Lord knows I don't want to leave you so soon, but I'm going to have to ride out to Tall Shadow's village first thing in the morning."
"Why?"
"I've got to warn him to keep his young braves away from Larson. That man's looking for an excuse to start a war. He knows if the cavalry comes into it, the Indians will be driven from the territory, and that's exactly what he wants. He's a greedy, hate-filled man, and that makes him especially dangerous."
"Will you be gone long?"
"Just the day. You're welcome to ride along with me, if you'd like," he invited.
"No. I'll stay here. I've had quite enough traveling for a while."
"What about you, Cari? Elliot? Would you like to ride out to the Cheyenne village with me?"
"I'd like that very much." Elliot was excited at the prospect.
"I'll go, too, Papa. If it's all right with you, Mother?" Cari answered, smiling at the thought that she might see Silver Wolf.
Elizabeth was dismayed, but could only agree. She knew she had to get used to it. Despite all the years away, James's feelings about the Cheyenne had not changed.
"Of course, dear, go with your father and Elliot."
James, Cari, and Elliot began to discuss the trip, but Elizabeth paid little attention. Her thoughts were elsewhere as she worried that Cari might run into Silver Wolf. She told herself that it was inevitable that they meet again one day. It was just that she had wanted their reunion to take place only after Cari had become engaged to Elliot—or even better yet, after she was married.
Elizabeth tried to convince herself that her fears were unfounded; yet, she couldn't forget all the letters she'd burned over the years. The next day was going to be a very long one for her.
Seven
Elizabeth and Cari cooked a simple dinner. After eating, everyone went on the porch to sit and relax. Barnie joined them, curling up devotedly at Cari's feet. It was the first quiet moment they'd had, and they took the time to tell James all that had happened in Philadelphia since his visit. As the sun sank in the western sky, the conversation turned to the ranch and James's plans for the future.
"The Circle M is going to be the best ranch in the territory."
"Isn't it now?" Elliot asked. He'd been impressed by all he'd seen that day.
"We're close," James said. "But I know I can make it better. Beef is the future. The demand for it is growing. That's why I invested so much in the Hereford bull. There's no reason why within five or ten years, with our water supply, range, and access to the railroads, the Circle M can't be delivering the finest beef west of the Mississippi."
"Do you really think Lord Anthony will make that much difference?" Cari asked. She remembered her father talking about the prize bull when he'd been in Philadelphia, and she was curious about it.
"Lord Anthony?" Elliot repeated, confused.
"That's our bull's name. Sounds rather elegant, doesn't he?" Cari laughed.
"Your father's probably right; if he's royalty, he certainly will add to the line." He grinned.
"The bull's the key to our success. Without him, we're just another ranch, but with him, we can boast of the best beef and mean it," James said.
"When do we get to see him?"
"I've got him out on the north range. I'll take you out to see him, day after tomorrow. He's quite a sight."
"What about the Indian trouble we hear so much about back East? Is it as bad as they say?"
"It depends on whose side you're on," James answered cautiously, unsure of Elliot's thoughts on the issue.
"Basically they tell us that the Indians are 'murderers, killing defenseless white settlers in their beds.' " He quoted one particularly inflammatory article he'd read.
James gave a harsh laugh. "The truth is far from that. We've come onto this land uninvited and stolen what has been theirs for centuries. We sign treaties with them that we do not honor. We try to put them on reservations, box them in on land that's dry and lifeless. They're a nomadic people, and when they refuse to go where we tell them to go, we choose a different more insidious way to force them to comply. We kill the buffalo and try to starve them into submission, or to death—whichever comes first."
"So, ugly things have happened on both sides," Elliot interpreted. "What about the rustling the Larsons were talking about?"
"It's not the Cheyenne. I know Tall Shadow and his people. They do not steal."
"Then who could it be?"
"Hard to say. Could be poor whites or some renegades. . . . The trouble is, the Cheyenne get blamed, and the hatred just seems to escalate. One of these days, I'm afraid there's going to be a terrible confrontation."
"What can be done to help?" Elliot asked.
"Silver Wolf, Chief Tall Shadow's grandson, is a half-breed who went away to college and is back now working for the Indian Bureau. I hope he can make a difference around here, but sometimes I wonder when I talk to men like the Larsons."
At the mention of Silver Wolf, Cari's heartbeat quickened. "Will Silver Wolf be at the village tomorrow?" She managed to sound casual.
"It's hard to say, sweetheart. I saw him a week or so ago, but he travels around a lot. Sometimes he's out at Fort Russell, other times he's in Cheyenne. By the way, I don't know if I told you this or not, but when he's dealing with the whites, he goes by the name of Daniel Marshall. He took his father's last name when he went off to school."
"So his father was white?" Elliot questioned.
"Yes." James explained Silver Wolf's parentage. "We've been friends for many years, ever since he rescued Cari."
"This Silver Wolf rescued you?" Elliot gave her a curious look.
Cari told him the story of her snowy escapade. "We became close friends after that. He taught me a lot about the Cheyenne, and I tried to get him interested in our ways."
"You obviously did a good job if he went away to school."
"I doubt it was my influence. Father said it was the missionary who worked in the village who convinced him to go."
"Then you haven't seen him since you left for Philadelphia?"
"No. The last time we saw each other, I was eleven and he was seventeen. I'm sure we've both changed a lot since then." There was a touch of sadness in her voice as she thought of all her unanswered letters, but no one noticed except her mother.
Dusk had given way to nightfall, and the soft breeze cooled the land. James had been longing to get Elizabeth alone ever since the kiss in their bedroom earlier that afternoon. Determined to finish what he'd wanted to start then, he stood up.
"We'll leave you young folks alone now. It's been a long day," he announced.
"Yes, it has," Elizabeth agreed, trying not to look too eager to be with her husband as she rose with him. "Good night, Cari, Elliot. We'll see you in the morning." She gave Cari a soft kiss on the cheek and then went back to James.
"Don't forget that we'll be leaving at first light," James told them as he put a hand at Elizabeth's waist and guided her indoors.
Elliot had enjoyed Cari's parents' company, but he was glad to finally have a few minutes alone with her. He wanted desperately to kiss her; in fact, he'd been thinking about little else all day. He'd managed to control his desire—until now. Rising, he took her hands and pulled her up to him, then led her over to the porch railing so they could gaze up at the night sky. It was a black velvet, starry canopy, and on the horizon the moon rose, full and silver.
"I'm glad I made the trip with you. I understand now why you love this land so much and why you wanted to come back."
She was pleased by his understanding and thought all the more of him for it.
"I'm fascinated by all this. I've read everything I could about the 'wild' west, but nothing could equal the real thing. It's impressive."
"It's my home," she answered simply.
Elliot wanted to tell her that he could be happy there, that his home would be any place she was, but he refrained from speaking. She had yet to mention h
is proposal again, and he wouldn't push her. Deciding to take advantage of their time alone, he turned to her and kissed her with utmost tenderness.
Cari enjoyed Elliot's kiss. He made her feel fragile and cherished.
When they moved apart, the love Elliot felt for Cari was plain to see in his serious, dark-eyed gaze. It took a lot of control for him not to take her back in his arms and show her just how much he really wanted her.
"We'd better go in now if we're going to be up and ready at dawn," she said.
The easy grin he gave her belied the strength of his desire, and he was forced to remind himself once again of his resolve to give her time to make her decision. He held the door for her and saw her to her bedroom.
Cari got ready for bed and lay down to sleep, but it did not come quickly. Though her body was tired, her mind churned, conjuring up memory after memory of Silver Wolf and their time together. Finding no rest in her bed, she wandered to her bedroom window.
Gazing out across the night-shrouded land, she sighed. No matter how she tried, she couldn't put Silver Wolf out of her mind. Her homecoming was incomplete without him. She wanted . . . no, she needed to see him again.
Staring up at the star-studded heavens, Cari wondered if her warrior ever thought of her. She wondered, too, where he was and what he was doing tonight. Finally, her weariness drove her back to the comfort of her bed, but it was still a long time later before she fell asleep.
Silver Wolf completed his business at the fort late that evening, but rather than spend the night within its confines, he chose to ride out alone and sleep under the stars. The ranchers had left him restless and worried. He didn't trust Larson, and he didn't doubt for a minute that the vicious cattleman might cause serious trouble in the very near future. It was imperative that he ride for his grandfather's village as soon as possible, so he could warn them.
The air was cool and the sky was clear as Silver Wolf bedded down for the night. As he lay staring up at the myriad of twinkling stars, Little Snow crept into his thoughts. Ben had told him a few weeks ago that she had been due to return home today. He wondered if she really had come back. It had been so long that he'd almost convinced himself she would never return.
