Kat knew she couldn’t have a better man tracking the gunman’s whereabouts, than Cord. The moment they’d figured out that someone had put Kid on the train—they’d begun widening their circle on him too.
Cord might not be Indian, but he could track damn near as well as one. There were a few things that this town didn’t know about that man. Not bad for a man who ran a mercantile.
Kat felt Hawk come into the berth and lay a reassuring hand on her arm. For the second time that day, she felt tears threaten to fall. These two were setting everything she’d thought she’d known about people on its ear.
Not that she hadn’t valued them both already—she did. How could she not? They’d both commanded respect—had led men who followed them with high regard—in that last war they’d gotten themselves in the middle of with Hawk’s half-brother, Ashley McCandle. What, with Hawk being a feared warrior, and Jake—well, he’d gained a pretty fearsome reputation of his own—hunting the men who’d killed his wife—but none were more feared than Hawk.
Kid had been quite the opposite, she thought, tears once more filling her eyes.
What had gotten into her anyway? She felt like such a girl, fighting not to cry all the time—had been feeling like that a lot lately—even before all the fancy dresses and the fancy shoes.
She knew love made her feel this way.
It was just that—as good as Kid could fight, he’d never lost his sense of humor. He’d always had a quick smile or a joke—and Kat needed that, right now. She’d had too much seriousness in her life. She’d had too much sadness too.
She loved Kid’s quick wit and easy smile. He’d even managed to keep it up with bullets flying all around them, on more than one occasion. She couldn’t help but fall in love with him.
And she didn’t know what she’d do—if anyone succeeded in taking him from her.
Kat felt Mandy lean close to her. “Now, none of that,” she heard her quiet command. “Kid is fine. Jake will find where they’re taking him, and then you’ll be hot on their trail. Besides,” she said, and Kat heard the smile in her tone, “you’ve really got to feel sorry for anyone stupid enough to take Kid without his permission.” She laughed out loud.
Kat almost laughed with her—and winced as pain tore through her skull.
“Oh, dear,” Mandy sobered. “I’m so sorry, Kat,” she said.
Kat raised her fingers in reply—the only one she could give.
She turned and stared out the window at the bright sunshine outside—and winced as the pain stabbed through her head.
She wondered how the sun could be shining.
She didn’t even know if Kid knew she lived. Was he looking outside at the sunshine—thinking that she’d died? After all, he’d seen her get shot in the head. And he’d likely assumed the worst.
And that put him at more risk than anything else. Cause if he thought she was dead, he might do something reckless, and she might not be able to get to him—before it was too late.
A single tear broke free, and she couldn’t even lift her arm to wipe it away. Angry, she turned her head away. Time seemed to crawl. She knew Hawk would be as frantic as she was—and she took solace in the knowing.
That knowledge felt like the only thing that kept her from flying straight over the brink of a panic, like nothing she’d ever known.
Only yesterday, she’d considered going back East—and leaving him behind. Now, she knew that nothing could get her to think such reckless things again.
Here she sat—ready to head to Richmond, Virginia—and she swore that if she found him alive—and unharmed—she’d never consider being apart from him again.
She didn’t know who’d done this—and she didn’t know what they could possibly want. She didn’t know what this had to do with her dreams—but these old, long-buried memories wouldn’t leave her alone—now that they’d started to surface.
But if she found Kid—she vowed to find out. And when she had—she’d go home and live that life on their ranch, raising horses—raising their own children—and she’d never allow anything to come between them again.
Chapter Nine
Gunman
Pete slid his horse up to the rail and threw the reins over it, not bothering to stop and tie them down. It didn’t matter none, Kat thought, watching him from the train window. A well-trained pony didn’t move anyhow, once the reins had dropped.
She watched Pete head for the train. She knew he’d boarded, when she lost sight of him. He found the berth and stepped in, where he halted, Hawk right behind him. “Is she ready for this?”
The two large men crowded the tiny berth, with her and Mandy, making Kat feel a bit suffocated.
Hawk nodded at Pete. “Are you ready to head out with Cord?”
Pete nodded back at him.
Hawk’s nod, this time, seemed curt. “Well, thank you for coming to talk to her,” he said. “I think it will help her to hear this. Tell Kat what the wire said, when they put Kid back on the train in Omaha,” he told him.
Pete nodded at Kat, as she tried to keep her eyes open enough to peek at him, and he grinned at her for the effort.
The men loved Kat, and she knew that they’d want to know how she fared.
“They had Kid in irons, of course,” he told her. “My cousin got close enough to hear him give them a load of grief for it too.”
Kat couldn’t help but smile, though inside she still felt terrified for him. But she could only imagine the earful he’d be giving the men holding him prisoner.
Hawk grinned, too, nodding, then frowned. “Now, why do you suppose he hasn’t sprung himself loose?”
Pete shrugged. “Jake asked me that too. He said to tell you, he figured Kid’s got himself a reason for playing possum, with those no-accounts who took him.”
Hawk’s frown deepened. “That’s a dangerous game,” he said.
Pete nodded. “Course, this girl,” he nodded at Kat and earned himself a scowl, “might account for why he’d let himself get into such a spot.”
Hawk ran his hand along his stubbled jaw. “Hmmm,” he said, seeming deep in thought. “Get yourself some grub. And before you head out, could you get the horses on the train for me?” he said.
Kat winced at the gruffness in Hawk’s tone—as he glanced at Mandy. She knew he’d likely gotten an earful for leaving her behind, by the way he eyed her now. He had a problem getting his new wife to stay behind, but they had a young son, and a ranch to run, and someone had to stay back. They both agreed that someone hunted Kat—so that someone would get to meet Jake and Hawk.
Kat knew what it took to keep things on a ranch in order, so she also knew that by the time Hawk got things squared away, he’d probably, barely managed to get some grub, maybe even some sleep, himself.
An hour later, Kat felt the train pull out and felt relieved, though she’d given Mandy a tearful goodbye when the whistle blew. Even Meg had come to say goodbye. By the time the train left, Kat had gone back to fighting her tears.
They were miles down the track before the sun had fully made it high into the sky—thanks to modern inventions, she thought. She felt so elated to be moving, she hardly noticed the steady thrumming in her head, from the wheels hitting the track. They’d manage to press hard on Kid’s trail because of this old iron horse—and they’d still get to sit and eat.
As they rode the train, Kat warred within herself not to snap on Hawk because of the pain—and the fear she still felt for Kid. But mostly, she still felt that same old panic, raising its ugly head—letting her know that something unnamed still followed. She sensed, more than knew, that fate had pushed her in this direction—and, somehow, she knew she’d never have chosen this direction on her own.
Kat often found herself eyeing Hawk. She still couldn’t understand how he could be so calm. Kid mattered to him, as his kid brother. So how the hell did he always manage to stay so calm?
She barely managed to give civil answers to either man, when they tried to engage her in co
nversation. Each attempt left her trying to answer them—without tearing their head from their shoulders. She hated when the train stopped at every damn town along the way. Every moment felt as though ants crawled all over her skin—laying her raw and bare.
Several days later, Jake announced that he’d been getting reports they were getting close. By that point, Kat’s eyes felt like sawdust. Her body felt heavy with exhaustion from a lack of sleep, but she could barely stay put.
Hawk came in, but Jake had taken off somewhere in the town the train had stopped at this time.
“Where’s Jake?” she demanded.
Hawk eased down into a seat beside her. “Easy,” he said, in low tones. “He left to check for a wire. He hired some men, down the way, to meet up with us—and to try and find out where they’re taking Kid off the train.”
“And—so where is Kid now?” she snapped. She reined in hard on her wayward emotions. “I’m sorry,” she said, taking her hat and setting it off the back of her head, so that the tie hung down her back. “What’s happening?” she tried again, this time in more controlled tones.
Hawk frowned at her. “Are you sure you can do this?” he asked her instead.
Kat took a deep breath. Her hand shook, and she tried to hide it from Hawk’s piercing gaze. She’d never been so unsure of anything, as she felt right now. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d felt so out of control. Rage warred with fear—and smashed around in her breast—sending her heart racing. She fought with herself, at every moment, not to snap on some poor unsuspecting soul—which usually meant a friend who’d only come to help her get Kid back. She’d never felt such overwhelming emotions.
How could she begin to understand what was happening to her?
A few minutes later, when Jake returned, she learned they’d taken Kid off the train, still miles outside of the city of Richmond. Jake told them they’d finally be getting off the train there too—and he’d already wired for a boy to saddle their horses.
Once in the saddle, Jake took off ahead, to find out where they were taking Kid. The waiting killed her, more than the pain in her skull. She never been one to sit and wait. Now, she continuously had to do just that. She’d swear she could hear the ticking of a clock inside her skill.
Within a few hours, they met up with some of the men Jake had hired, as they tracked him. They found his camp, later that day.
He had one of the men set up a make-shift seat for Kat. But she scowled at him for the effort.
“I’ve been following the caravan holding Kid prisoner, for several hours now,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it….” He stopped and looked at Kat. “He seems content to pretend he’s their prisoner,” he said, “and the only thing I can figure—is that he thinks that Kat, here, is dead—and he wants them to take him straight to the man who hired her killing.” He tore open a dried biscuit. “Why else would he do something so foolhardy?” he finished, turning his head to look at Hawk.
They were sitting under some trees, waiting while their horses took a long, cool drink. Hawk had found a fallen tree, and hunkered down to lean against it.
Kat didn’t like the waiting. Jake’s words only intensified the feeling. She felt anxious to get moving.
Hawk stared out across the water. “Why did they take him off the train this far from the city?” he asked.
Kat’s head jerked up at that.
“I think they have an estate, somewhere nearby, they’re taking him to,” Jake answered. “And, I’m reasonably sure they know I’ve been following them.” He stared at Kat, now. “They seem to be counting on that.”
She stared at him, frowning.
“They’re leading us somewhere,” he said. “They specifically set this up—so you would follow.”
Kat didn’t know if she felt relieved—because that implied one of two things she’d already been thinking. But, simply put, she knew that either—she would get to fight her unseen enemy—or she’d finally get to find out why they’d led her here. Either way, she’d bet she’d be getting some answers.
She just wasn’t ready to be told by Jake that he fully intended to hang back—and see where Kid’s captors were leading them—and she told him so.
“Kid seems to be waiting for that too,” he told her.
“Look, Kat,” Hawk said now, “we’ve been pushing for days. You’re exhausted. Hell, we’re all exhausted,” he amended, when she looked about to take exception to that. “Doesn’t hurt to watch.”
She relented at this and glanced up at Jake. “You really think he’s waiting?”
Jake nodded. “He’s had plenty of opportunities to leave. He just hasn’t. Maybe he’s angry. Or—maybe he’s curious.” Jake hunkered down against a tree. “Frankly, so am I. I haven’t seen them do one damn thing that’s the least bit threatening. They’re not even holding him prisoner. I have to wonder how they managed to get the drop on him at all—to get him here to begin with.”
Kat frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.” She stared off in the direction Jake had come. “Maybe, you’re right. Maybe, he thinks I’m dead,” she said.
Jake seemed to think about that. He shrugged. “Sneak down there and take a gander for yourself.”
Kat stared at him, then her gaze followed the direction he’d nodded toward. Gathering her pony’s reins, she felt a sudden determination to do just that.
At the hill, she dismounted and crawled to the top of the knoll, and that was when she heard someone singing.
Imagine that, she thought. What kind of kidnappers would take the time to sing to their captive?
She peered down at the camp. Sure enough, she spotted Kid—walking around. She saw him stop and gaze in her general direction. Then, he said something to one of the guys and pointed her out to him.
Of all the.... Kat couldn’t believe her eyes—and after all the worry he’d put her through.
She saw him start off in her direction—alone.
Kat went from stunned—to spitting mad—by the time he broke over the hill, heading directly toward her hiding place.
When Kid came over the rise, she was waiting for him. And as soon as he reached her side—she hit him square in the jaw.
Chapter Ten
Not the Life of Her Dreams
Kat still hadn’t calmed down by the time Kid got her wrapped up tight in his arms, to keep her from hitting him again. “Calm down, kitten,” he said. “I just want to look at you. They told me you were alive.” He turned her around, staring down into her face. “I knew they had no reason to lie, but it’s still good to see you’re really alright.”
She stared at him. “How long have you known I wasn’t dead?” she said.
He touched the scar that ran near her temple, where the bullet had grazed her head. “At first, I thought you were dead. I saw you get shot in the head, after all. And I wanted them to lead me to whoever had hired the gunman. But then—they said they’d spotted someone hauling you off to the doctor, and they kept telling me you really hadn’t been killed.” He gently ran his thumb along the side of her face. “They told me to let them arrest me, get you to follow them out of town—before that son-of-a-bitch really managed to kill you.”
She frowned at that. “Do they know who’s trying to kill me?” she spat out.
He shook his head. “No,” he said. “Or they have an idea—but they’re not completely sure. But whoever he is—they didn’t want him to succeed. Getting you to leave town seemed the safest way to get you out of the way of a killer, until we can sort it all out.”
Kat stared at him, her mouth hanging open. “Why on earth would they even care? And who, exactly, are they?” she demanded.
Kid smiled gently at her. “Your grandfather sent them,” he told her.
Her mouth fell open—and he reached up and tapped it. She closed it, then opened it once more. “My what?” She stared at him. “My grandfather?”
He nodded. And the men who brought me here—are your grandfather’s men.” He pu
lled her to him, hugging her close. “I thought about going back, when I learned that. But then—I remembered your childhood memories. And I remembered that you wanted to find out about your past.... So I let them lead you here.” He kissed her softly. “Besides, if they’re right—you’ll be safer at your grandfather’s than in Cheyenne. They can’t just shoot at you as easily in the East—the way they can back in Cheyenne.” He touched the graze on her head for a second time. “I’d do a lot to make sure that gunfighter didn’t get another chance to take a shot at you.”
Kat leaned back and stared at him. Part of her wanted to hit him one more time, for scaring the hell out of her these past several days. Another part, though, realized she’d been set on this path—and would finally get the answers she’d been seeking. Maybe, then, she could get back to living her life—and planning her wedding.
Besides—hadn’t she sworn that if she found Kid safe—she’d never leave him again? She wouldn’t have to leave him now—though she still had an idea that this place would be very difficult for him.
She stared up at him. “Why didn’t you turn around and let me know?”
He smiled gently. “You were right behind me, kitten,” he said
Tears filled her eyes. By some miracle, she’d been spared that bullet—and Kid had returned to her. By some divine intervention, she’d be given the answers to the dreams that plagued her—the answer to the memories that had awakened in her.
Could she really ask for more?
Hours later, Kat still couldn’t get over how much she’d learned, since Kid had first muttered the words that changed her life. But she still hadn’t gotten control over her anger, by the time they’d reached the edge of the city a few hours later. She’d never been so afraid in her life—nor so confused—and that made her simmer. How could some man, she’d never known, possibly be her grandfather? That made no sense. And what could he possibly want with her anyway? She’d been gone from him, from the time she’d been a small child.
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