She waved at him, and he smiled as she came up to him. He kissed her lightly, cupping her jaw in his warm hand, then hugged her to him, his arm coming around her waist, and he helped her to re-board the train.
He made her feel warm and loved. He made her feel wanted. She didn’t remember a time when she’d felt that way before him. She enjoyed the feeling. And she never wanted to go back to a time when no one cared what happened to her. He made her feel like she belonged somewhere—so did her friends.
Kid had her come to sit with him in one of the passenger cars. She sat down, looking at him. And she realized that he had some news.
He touched the side of her face. “Jake got off to check for a wire,” he said.
Kat swallowed. Something in the way he’d just said that—felt ominous.
“Your cousin didn’t just raised a gang of men….” he told her, looking steadily into her eyes.
She waited, afraid to breathe.
“Your cousin has been spotted moving his men west of Omaha, like we anticipated. Apparently, he was easy to spot.” Kid squeezed her hand. “He has an army of men waiting for us,” Kid said.
Kat stared at him. “How many?” she said.
“How many men does it take to make an army?” he said.
She swallowed. “So he has more than thirty? More than fifty?”
Kid nodded. “They have reports of more than fifty,” he answered.
“What?” Kat’s jaw jerked. She couldn’t think of another reply. What could she possibly say to that? She couldn’t comprehend why he would have raised that many men. What could he have possibly been thinking to raise up an entire army of men?
That he didn’t intend to lose—said a voice said from inside of her head.
She stared at Kid. “We can’t win,” she said. “He intends to make sure that there’s no possible way we can win.”
Kid nodded.
Kat set her jaw. “Fine,” she said. “Then, we’ll go down fighting.”
Kid nodded again, pulling her into his arms.
So it looked like she wouldn’t get that wedding after all, she thought. Not even if she waited for her opportunity to return home. Kat buried her face in Kid’s shirt, not caring that people stared. She wouldn’t get her future with Kid—no matter how long she waited for her grandfather to come to terms with the fact that she had to return home.
Taking a deep breath, Kat relaxed in Kid’s arms. But she would get her little, spiteful cousin, she resolved—or die trying.
Later that evening, Jake came to relieve Kat had to work on handling the waiting, but Kid had no problem making that easier for her. He found a place on one of the cars where they could get away, a place where loving her would remind her of what she fought for.
He led her there. She looked around, and then she turned, smiling. “What is this?” she asked, seeing that he’d latched the door.
Smiling, he came toward her, until he’d stepped flush up against her, and then he kissed her softly.
When he pulled back, she smiled up into his eyes. “I love you,” Kid,” she said.
He smiled at that. She’d never said that to him before, and she could see the warmth it lit in his eyes. “I love you,” he said. “And I can hardly wait to make you my wife.”
He picked her up and set her on some blankets he’d spread out earlier—and there he slowly undressed her. Touching her wherever he bared her skin to his dark gaze. Kissing her soft skin, loving her, ever so slowly, until she cried out his name.
He came over her there, entering her while she moaned, making love to her, then leaning over and kissing her mouth while he thrust into her.
When they lay there panting, he turned his head, looking over at her as the thrum of the train could be felt beneath them.
“Have you noticed that your breasts are fuller?” he asked her.
She thought about that. “No,” she said, “not really. But I haven’t had time to pay attention to such things.”
He grinned at her.
“Have you noticed that you’ve been feeling sick every morning?”
She stared at him. “What is your point?” she asked, suddenly afraid to hear the answer.
He only raised one hawk-like brow at her.
Her mouth fell open, when she realized where this led. “No,” she said, appalled.
He smiled, touching her jaw ever so tenderly with one finger. “Would you mind, then, so much?”
“Yes,” she said, and noticed his face fell at this. “I don’t know how to be a mother,” she quickly explained.
He nodded. “Mandy can show you,” he said.
Kat’s hand fell over her abdomen. Did life grow there?
“I fight,” she said, her gaze pleading for understanding. “That’s what I do.”
He nodded again. “That’s what the Comanche women do, too,” he reminded.
Kat swallowed. That was true. She put her hands over her abdomen again. Suddenly, she felt so protective. She’d never imagined this would happen to her—but maybe she didn’t find it all that upsetting. Maybe she didn’t find it upsetting at all.
She looked up at him. “Would he have your dark eyes?” she asked, softly.
Kid grinned at her. “Or she might have your golden curls,” he said.
Sullen, Kat made a face. “And what happens when she hunts men down?” she asked.
Kid scowled at that. And it was her turn to smile as she dressed herself. Kid watched her, getting dressed himself.
“You might want to slow down, yourself, on that fighting,” he suggested.
Kat scowled at him. “Now, see. You’re already starting….”
Laughing, Kid shrugged. “What did you expect?”
They were both pretty quiet on the walk back to her grandfather’s berth. When they walked in, Jake glanced up at them, eyeing them.
“Something happen?” he asked. “You both look like you lost your best friend.”
Kat made a face at him now. “He thinks I’m with child,” she said.
Jake suddenly looked like he’d swallowed something. In fact, she’d never seen him look quite so completely shocked.
She stared at him. “I am capable of having a baby,” she defended.
He nodded, staring at her.
“Well, I am,” she said. Noticing that Kid grinned now.
Jake looked decidedly uncomfortable. He eyed the door, but Kat stood between him and the door, so Jake glared at Kid, like it was all his fault he’d been put in this position.
“Don’t look at him,” Kat said, growling. “You started this.”
Jake shook his head. “Now, see. This is why I don’t unusually hang around females.” He glared at Kid, again, then looked at Kat. “Especially, pregnant women,” he said evenly
Kat looked like she would have his scalp for that, so Kid took pity on him, slipping an arm around Kat’s waist, while Jake escaped the berth.
“Calm down, kitten,” he said, grinning down at her. “He’s only baiting you.”
Kat nodded. “That’s not very well done of him,” she sulked. “Not very well done of him, at all.”
Kid laughed, then kissed her.
“The real question is—what will your grandfather do when he wakes?” he said. “Will you be having our child back East?”
Kat stared up at him. “I still have to help him,” she said. “Nothing has changed. He’s my grandfather.”
Kid nodded, hugging her to him.
But everything had changed—and they both knew it.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Range War
Kid and Kat were to slip her grandfather off the train in Omaha, where Old Man Charlie had bought a wagon and waited for them. She nearly squealed when she saw him, hardly waiting for him to step down so she could hug him fiercely. He laughed, hugging her back. She swallowed, when she realized there were tears in his eyes.
The old timer would take her father quietly through to the other-side of where the ambush had been planted,
and meet them there. She knew Charlie would guard him with his life.
He came around the wagon to help Mandy down, and Kat gave her friend an exuberant hug. “I’ve never been so happy to see you,” she said.
Mandy laughed, hugging her back.
When they parted, Mandy grinned at her. “So you’ve managed to bring home some pretty determined enemies,” she teased.
Kat laughed. “I do my part,” she said. “After all,” she teased, “it can’t always be about your enemies.” She gave Mandy an impish grin.
Mandy laughed and playfully swatted her. “Well, show me your grandfather,” she said. “I’m so excited to meet him.”
Kat sobered at this. “He hasn’t really been awake too much,” she said. “They poisoned him pretty bad. We’re not even sure he will make it.”
“Oh, honey,” Mandy breathed. “I’m so sorry.” She put her hand on Kat’s shoulder. “Well, if we can get him home,” she said, “I’ll see if the grandmothers can help.”
Kat nodded, trying for a smile. That did encourage her though, and she tried to show Mandy that. “Thank you,” she said.
She led Mandy onto the train to her grandfather’s berth. Mandy went to her grandfather, taking his hand into hers. She stayed like that for several minutes, then waived at the men to come and get him. Jake and Kid picked him up carefully and carried him off the train, setting him in the wagon and glancing around.
They looked around again when they left the train, concerned that someone would follow Mandy back onto the train, or follow Old Charlie in the wagon, to finish off her grandfather. They searched the crowd, for anyone who seemed to pay them any attention, but no one appeared to care what they were doing.
Mandy would wait on the train till it reached Cheyenne. They’d packed pillows around the bed, to make it look as though Kat’s grandfather still slept there.
“Hawk will be coming up from behind the ambush,” Mandy confirmed.
Kat grinned, then nodded, as Kid grabbed her hand to pull her from the berth. Pulling away, Kat quickly hugged her friend. “I’ve never been so happy to see you,” she said to her friend.
Mandy took her hand into hers, giving it a squeeze, then hugged her again. And Kid and Kat slipped quietly from the train.
Just to be safe, Kid and Kat followed Charlie for a spell, just in case. But no one showed up there either. Everything remained quiet.
They had considered trying to sneak her grandfather off the train, but in such a small town there couldn’t be much sneaking. Small towns generally didn’t have enough commotion going on to cover up what went on with the train, so none of them saw the point in trying that tactic. Either someone watched for them here, or they didn’t. All they could do was look out for danger.
Kid and Kat had discussed their plan in detail, with Jake, trying to decide the best course of action. Jake got off the train to hand over the men that Kat had ambushed. The one she’d stuck with her skinnin’ knife went to the doctor. The other went to the jail house. Jake got back onto the train to watch over Mandy for a spell. When no one out of the ordinary came to get on the train, he debarked and went to meet Kid and Kat.
Mandy had slipped back into the berth, where she would hide, with the made up version they’d left for their enemies of her grandfather’s sleeping form. As it turned out, Hawk had several more hands slip on the train, in the shadows to guard her, just before it had taken back off.
Kat had watched it go, worried for her friend, and now she rode, knowing that she couldn’t focus on her fears for Mandy. Fear would make her weak—and she had to remain strong. She couldn’t allow anything side-track her from what they were about to do. They would all need their wits about them when the time came.
Kat knew that the train would make several stops, giving them plenty of time to get far enough ahead to find where their enemy had laid the ambush for them. Still, Kat and Kid had to ride hard to give themselves enough time to find the group, who intended to stop the train. Mandy had indicated that when Hawk came up on the other side of the gang, he would have several of the men from the ranch with him—and a posse.
They rode in the darkness, till they couldn’t see anymore, rose before the crack of dawn and were ready to ride again as soon as the sun gave them the first rays to light their way. They managed to gain a full day’s ride ahead of the train by the time they came to where they would have to start searching for the gang who intended to ambush the train.
Anticipation fueled Kat’s veins. She could easily see the heightened awareness that Kid had taken on too. His nostrils flared, his body tense to spring into action. She felt her mount step to the side as he reacted to the edge in the atmosphere around them. Kid’s own mount’s ears twitched, sensing the heightened alertness in their riders.
The forest around them took on an eerie silence, as the animals themselves waited to see who had come—and what was about to happen. Kat had the sense that however long she lived, she would never forget this day.
For miles, they rode in silence, picking their way through the rocky areas, slipping through the forest quietly as they went. No one would have even known they’d been there—if not for the battle that would take place.
They rode, never taking their eyes off the train tracks, knowing the ambush would take place somewhere, where those who hunted them would feel like they had the advantage. Likely, they would choose somewhere where they couldn’t only block the train, but that would give them some cover as well. And so Kat and Kids searched for such a place, while never losing sight of who would be waiting.
When they came to a hill, Kid held up his hand. Kat remained on her horse while Kid went on silent feet toward the top. There, he crawled over the edge. He came down the hill just as silent, and Kat knew they’d found George’s army of men.
She eyed him. “Are there as many as we heard?” she asked.
He nodded. “There not even trying to be quiet,” he said. “They must think they’ve already won.”
Kat nodded, and they quietly headed back the way they’d come. When they’d gone a distance, they spotted Jake coming down the trail. Kid told him about the men, and Jake rode out to take a look for himself. When he returned, he gave them more bad news. Apparently, her cousin hadn’t been content to just hire an army. Jake had spotted that gunman, who had hunted Kat in Cheyenne, in camp too.
They didn’t have a fire that night, just bedded down on the cold ground. The next morning, they headed out to check on George’s men. When they got close to the cliffs, to one side of the train tracks, Kat spotted the gunman.
Jake saw him at the same time Kat did and broke off, tearing off after him. Kat watched Jake riding away. They were upwind, had the cliffs to one side, and they hadn’t been spotted. Jake rode hard, trying to reach him before he’d had time to slip away.
And Kat knew that Jake wasn’t just out to try and shoot him. Jake wanted answers.
She heard something ping the rocks before she heard the retort, and she and Kid leapt off their horses behind the cover of the rocks. Peering out, another shot met her attempt to get a bead on who had fired that shot. Several men rode up from the distance.
Kat looked around.
“We’re pinned down,” Kid said.
“Yeah,” Kat said. “I noticed that.” She peered down the train tracks. “Look,” she said, pointing.
Kid frowned. “Are they piling up trees?” he said.
Kat bit her lip. “That’s what it looks like to me,” she said.
Shaking his head, Kid looked again. “Surely, he doesn’t intend to derail the train,” he said.
Kat shook her head. “I think he intends to hold it up,” she answered.
Kid shook his head, peering at her. “If he only intended to ambush the train, kitten,” he said, “I don’t think he’d plant those piles of trees right after the bend in the tracks.”
Horrified, Kat turned to stare at what he’d spotted. Sure enough, George had planted several piles of pine trees—right after
a blind bend. When the train did come around that bend—there would be no way for it to stop in time.
“Why would he do that?” she asked, alarmed. “Surely even he understands that all the people on that train—will die.”
Kid nodded, frowning at her. “He understands,” he said.
Shocked, Kat stared at him. “What is wrong with him?” she said. “He hasn’t lived long enough to carry that kind of hate in his heart.” She stared at the tracks again, feeling helpless—and sick. “He hasn’t even lived that bad of a life.”
Kid shook his head. “We don’t know what kind of life he’s led,” he pointed out.
Dismayed, Kat turned and stared at him. “Whatever kind of life he’s led—it can’t be any worse than some of the things people have suffered out in the wild lands of the West,” she hissed. “It can’t be any worse than what your people—or mind—have endured.” She turned to look, one more time, horrified. “What kind monster would do such a thing?” she asked again.
“I don’t know, kitten,” Kid said, shaking his head. He looked out toward the men, holding them down to the cliffs, then back at the tracks—where they’d be forced to watch a train load of people be killed.
Kat turned to stare at him. “Kid—Mandy is on that train,” she said.
Kid’s face turned chalk white at this. His gaze narrowed on the army of men, who had them pinned down. His reaction caused Kat to turn, scanning their surroundings for a way out.
But all she saw was rock.
Chapter Thirty-Three
War
Kat’s mind raced, searching for answers. She thought about Jake. But Jake had gone after the gunman. She didn’t like how Jake would another gunman to talk to him. Jake was fast. But there was always the chance that someone else was faster.
She watched as a man came riding into the camp that the men had set up, outside their shooting range. He rode in hard, and Kat couldn’t help but wonder about Jake, hoping this wouldn’t be the last time they saw him.
Dark Warrior: Kid (Dark Cloth Series Book 2) Page 20
