After several agonizingly long moments in which she began to fear her heart may burst from anticipation, she reached the open gate. She slowed her pace and returned the guards’ cordial greeting as she strolled out pretending she hadn’t a care in the world aside from a refreshing walk. She managed to maintain that walk for almost twenty feet. Then she saw him. Rick’s big buckskin gelding trotted toward her, his packhorse in tow. She could just make out Rick well enough to see his beard lift up into a grin. With a whoop, he urged the horses into a gallop. His hat went flying, the breeze catching his chin-length brown hair and throwing it back.
Abandoning all concerns over how it may look, she ran to him, Lincoln fast on her heels. The distance between them couldn’t close fast enough. Just before reaching her, Ayegi slowed a bit. Rick vaulted from the cantering gelding’s back and hit the ground running. The feat took her breath away as surely as the run. In another few steps he swept her up into his arms. The relief that engulfed her literally made her knees give out. He held her up easily. To feel him solid and real against her seemed too good to be true. She didn’t want to move too much in case it was a dream and she would startle herself awake.
Until that moment, she hadn’t realized just how much she had feared him dead, and how much it would have devastated her if he had been. After several long moments of holding her tight, Rick drew back only enough to take her face in his hands. The rough, callused palms clashed with how gently he cradled her.
His gaze drank her in, long and deep. She lost herself in the raw emotion there and never wanted to be found again. Their lips collided with a ferocity that rivaled that of the storm they had escaped. His soft lips gave and invited her in. A completely unexpected passion swept her up. This was one natural disaster she was finished running from. If it destroyed her, so be it. She sank against his hard chest, sighing into his mouth as it opened to her. His tongue invited her to dance and she accepted eagerly. The strong scents of horse sweat and blood wrapped around her.
Wait, blood?
Eyes going wide, she pushed Rick back a bit. “Are you injured?”
Bemusement filled his heavy-lidded eyes. “I can honestly say I’m not feeling a drop of pain.”
As she pulled back farther, she saw his bandaged left arm. “O’ course you’re not, you daft man.” She sighed and rolled her eyes as she tugged at his makeshift bandage. To his credit, it was quite well done.
He winced and she nodded. “Not a drop, hum?”
Still grinning, he shrugged. “’Tis only a scratch.”
She put one hand on her hip. “Enough of that manly act, now. What happened, and how bad is it? Out with it.”
He opened his mouth to speak and then grinned and closed it. Something bumped her gently from behind. She turned to see Ayegi right behind her, his lips tugging at a lock of her long, red hair. Sighing, she extricated her hair from the horse’s mouth and scratched his nose. Rick’s warmth drew away as he bent to greet and pet Lincoln. Watching the two of them made her smile so large it ached. The pup licked Rick’s face and he endured it with laughter. She left them to their moment and stroked Ayegi.
An arm soon draped over her shoulders. She leaned into him and held tight to his waist, her eyes closing for a moment. Never had she felt so content, not even in Michael’s arms. Especially not in Michael’s arms. She forced the thought aside. This was not a moment she would allow him to ruin.
Rick took hold of Ayegi’s reins with his free hand. “Let’s get back to the fort and I’ll tell you all about it,” Rick said.
“All right, but I’m holding you to that.”
They walked together, neither willing to let go long enough to climb on Ayegi’s back. The distance between them and the gate closed all too soon. No doubt the soldiers had seen them embracing. But, from a distance they wouldn’t have noticed the tenderness or passion she and Rick showed one another—nor their reluctance to let go. Up close would be another matter. If she was to be completely honest with herself, she didn’t really care about appearances for the first time in a long time. During the short time she’d spent in the fort, she had come to realize people here knew Rick. She didn’t know what impression he cared to give them, and she wasn’t about to force him into something he wasn’t ready for. She let go and took a few steps away.
The soldiers at the gate perked up when they saw Rick. “Corporal Fergusson! How goes it, lad?” the elder of the two asked.
Rick grinned and shook the man’s hand. “I dodged a tornado and ended up with naught but a scratch, so I can’t much complain. How about you and the lads here?”
They chatted companionably for a short time, exchanging information about traders, trappers, and the activity of the local native tribes. Though Rick smiled and kept up a casual air, Cat could see the tension in the lines around his eyes and in the tightness of his lips. At first she thought it was pain until she realized the tension grew worse at the mention of the natives.
Finally, the men took a breath and she jumped into the conversation. “I should be getting the corporal here to the doctor. You gentlemen have a good evening.” With that, she hooked an arm through his and started walking. She gave them a charming smile to soften the interruption, and quiet their protests.
“Good evenin’ to you too, ma’am, and you, Corporal,” the elder said.
“Aye, a good evening to you both. And do come meet us for a drink at the tavern tonight, Fergusson,” the other called.
Rick waved back at them. “Will do, lads.” He leaned close to Cat. “Thank you for that,” he whispered.
Cat inclined her head. “I’ve discovered those two can talk all day.”
Rick’s brows pulled together. “How long has it been since the storm?”
She returned his pinched look. “Two nights. Why?” Her heart pounded as the fear of what he might have undergone out there struck her.
Rick’s eyes went wide. “A branch knocked me out. I just woke this morning.”
She held a bit tighter to his arm, suddenly fearful he may topple at any time. “By the saints, Rick, you really do need to see a doctor.”
“Aye,” he agreed in a distracted tone that worried her.
They stopped off at the stables on the way and paid a man to care for the horses. A few buildings down they came to the makeshift hospital, a log building with a dirt floor and gaps in the walls. The lone nurse within got Rick to a cot straight away and began cleaning his arm.
Her nose wrinkled as she cut away the bandage. “What on Earth did you put on this? It stinks to high heaven,” she said as she discarded it.
“Iodine. My nurse in the war swore by it,” Rick said.
“Poppycock! Anything that smells that foul can’t be good for you.”
When the nurse set to work scrubbing the wound, Cat shared a knowing look with Rick. She smiled wide, knowing full well the nurse he spoke of was her sister-in-law, Ashlinn. The woman was ahead of her time, to be sure, but brilliant. If she swore by this iodine, Cat would do her best to find more of it for Rick’s wound. Shortly after, the doctor came in and gave Rick a perfunctory once over, barely even looking at his head, then handed him a flask.
“A wee nip before we start stitching?” he asked.
Accepting it, Rick knocked back quite a bit more than a wee nip. The doctor met and held his gaze as he accepted the flask back.
“What kind of Indians were they?” he asked, voice hard.
“I thought Cherokee at first, but they were almost certainly Paiute.”
The man’s face pinched into all kinds of angry lines. “We’ve been having trouble with them. Just you or a wagon train?”
“Just Mrs. O’Brian and me.”
A prickly flush of fear worked its way through Cat, speeding her heart into a frantic rhythm. Her damnable red hair was likely what had attracted their attention. It must have shown on her face, because Rick took ho
ld of her hand. She gripped tight and leaned heavy on the side of the bed. The concern in Rick’s eyes was all for her, as if he couldn’t even feel the needle the doc wove through his skin.
“How many?” the doctor asked.
“Three,” Rick answered.
“Any get away?”
Rick’s eyes closed for a long moment and Cat had a feeling it had nothing to do with the stitches. “Possibly. The storm made it hard to tell.”
“You kill a few?” the doctor pressed, sounding all business.
Rick’s teeth ground together. When he answered, he looked away from her.
“Aye.” Guilt made the single word weigh a ton.
Pieces of Cat’s heart felt as though they broke off at the words. The man was already haunted. Now he’d had to kill men because of her. His hand tried to slip from hers but she held it tight.
The doctor snipped off the ends of the stitches and rose from his chair. “Right then. I’d best report to the lieutenant that we may be expecting trouble. He may want a word with you later.”
At a nod from Rick the man tipped his cap to Cat and strode from the room. Cat harrumphed.
“That seemed more like an interrogation than a medical exam,” she said.
A shrug from Rick led her to believe he had expected it. “The doc is the first one to hear of any trouble with the natives, which means he’s the one responsible for getting that information to the fort’s lieutenant. They’re just doing their best to keep the fort safe.” Though his words seemed heartfelt, a layer of pain lay beneath them.
“I understand that, but he didn’t have to be so cold about it.”
“He’s a doctor, and a military one at that,” Rick said as if that explained everything.
This time when he tried to pull away, she let him. If he couldn’t stand to touch her after what he’d had to do for her, she had to respect that. Tears threatened her eyes and tightened her throat. “I’m so sorry you had to kill men because of me,” she whispered.
His own misty eyes locked onto hers and he grabbed her hands. “What, Cat? No, no. I don’t blame you. I was afraid you’d be ashamed of me for what I did.”
She lifted his hands and kissed the backs of his knuckles. “I would never be ashamed of something you had to do for me. Besides, those natives chose their path.”
He pulled one hand free and stroked her face. “You’re amazing, woman,” he whispered.
Eyes on his lips, she began to lean in to him when shuffling steps outside the open door stopped her. The rail-thin nurse whisked back into the room, barely hiding a smile by keeping her head down. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said.
She handed Rick a wrapped bundle and set to putting a new dressing on his arm. “That’s a skullcap and ginger tea for your headache. Drink it as often as necessary. It’ll do a fair spot better than the whiskey the lads will no doubt try to talk you into medicating with,” she instructed.
“Yes, ma’am,” Rick agreed obediently.
She hummed a sweet melody beneath her breath and took care not to tug or press too hard. Cat liked her instantly. Still smiling, she sneaked a sly look at Cat.
“So how long have you been courting our corporal here?” she asked.
Mouth gaping, searching for words, Cat just stared at her. Not even an inkling of an idea of what to say would come to her. Her smile froze as she looked down at their clasped hands. Did she dare respond? Her heart wanted this. Her head didn’t. But what did Rick want? More than anything, she wanted to look at him, to see how he felt, but she couldn’t. What if he didn’t feel the same? Or what if he did?
His index finger slid beneath her chin, lifting it. Slowly, she gained the courage to raise her eyes to meet his. They stared at one another for a long time. In the depths of his green eyes she saw her own turmoil and raw emotion reflecting back at her. But she saw something else as well, something fiercely loyal and daring. A part of her, that she’d never even realized had been slumbering, stirred, and began to waken.
His answer felt as though it were more for her than for the nurse.
“We’ve only just begun.”
Chapter 19
Day Eighteen
The first light of dawn revealed an empty horizon touched only by golden rays. It should have soothed him to know his night terrors had been no more than shadows of his fears. But it didn’t. An urgency had settled deep in his gut that wouldn’t be denied. In the war he had learned to trust his gut. Listening to it had saved his life more than once. It wasn’t just Cofield or another of Ainsworth’s men he feared now, but a threat that could be even bigger. Not just to him and Cat, but possibly to the entire fort. His sailor’s glass clicked softly as he compacted it. The guard leaning up against the wall beside the open gate stirred and blinked rapidly. His bloodshot eyes spoke more of overindulgence than being overworked.
“Still nothing out there, eh, Corporal?” he asked.
“Nothing yet, Private. But I’d keep a close eye out if I were you,” Rick warned.
“Oh, aye, for sure. Savages have been active this month. Picked off three of our cattle just last week. They like to stand out there on the horizon as if they’re trying to goad us out into the open. And the last wagon train to come in had a spot of trouble with them, too,” the soldier said. “I don’t rightly think they’ll bother us here at the fort, though. You’re safe as can be behind these walls.”
Chills danced across Rick’s skin. He snorted. “The people of Fredericksburg thought the same thing,” he grumbled half under his breath.
“What’s that?”
Tucking the sailor’s glass into his belt, Rick ran a hand down his newly shaven cheeks and cupped his chin. “Nothing, just war memories.” He clapped the young man on the shoulder. “Your captain know of these issues?”
“Aye. He’s not worried about a few savages, not with an entire division of the U.S. Army behind these walls,” the soldier said.
Rick cursed in Irish beneath his breath. He fixed the soldier with a hard stare. “Well, he should be. Best stay alert. ’Tis only a matter of time.”
The man nodded. “Oh, of course, of course. I was just catching a wink while you were here.”
As Rick strode away, the man stood a bit taller and faced the open gate like a sentinel. But Rick knew better. He’d likely be asleep in another few seconds. The unease in his gut intensified as if in agreement. His pace increased, his stride lengthening to eat up the hard-packed dirt. The winding path through the stands and random wooden buildings felt twice as long as it had coming here. The makeshift maze of streets still lacked more than a half dozen people at this early hour. But it was the layout of the place that slowed him down more than the people.
Why did the damn lodge have to be so deep into the fort? He hadn’t wanted to leave Cat to come out this far, but he’d had to check. Now he questioned the wisdom of doing so. It was a completely irrational fear, he knew. She couldn’t be safer, for the moment, at least. The feeling in his stomach wasn’t anything rational, but it wouldn’t be denied. He started to jog. A spot of mud sent him sliding into a cart and nearly crashing into a gray haired woman carrying baskets of apples.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am. Here, let me carry those for you,” he offered, ashamed his distraction had caused the collision.
With a gap-toothed grin, she eagerly accepted his offer. Several minutes later and several streets out of his way, they finally reached her stand. She made him take a pair of apples for payment as he all but dashed away. As he jogged past the dusty entrance to the stables, Cat’s voice drifted out. From the timbre and words it was clear she was speaking to the horses. The sound made him smile and eased a bit of the tension that had crawled up around him. Turning into the stables, he found her in Galiha’s stall, standing on a stool so she could brush the big paint’s back.
Her red hair hung loose in long waves that
reached nearly to the belt of her breeches. The rounded shape of her rear those breeches outlined banished the last of the chill brought on by the soldier’s words. As her arm moved in a rhythm, he caught glimpses of the pleasant manner in which her linen blouse outlined her breasts. He could tell by the way they moved so freely that they sat above her corset, unlike some of the more modern designs that covered them. He rather liked this design, a lot.
“You going to stand there ogling me, or are you going to pick up a brush and help?” she called sweetly over her shoulder.
Grinning, he rested his arms on the stall door. “I think I’ll just ogle a bit longer.”
A short laugh was the only warning he got before she tossed a brush that he just barely managed to dodge. He picked it up, dashed into the stall and chased her around Galiha, who did no more than twitch an ear at them as he continued to eat. When he caught her, he tickled her until she laughed so hard tears sprang to her eyes. His arms settled naturally around her as their laughter trickled off. Her slender arms wrapped around him as well.
Smiling, she ran a hand along his right cheek. He winced as her soft skin caught on the stubble he’d missed. “You shaved,” she said in a tone that managed to sound both pleased and disappointed at the same time.
Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip. That one little motion drove him wild. Blood rushed straight to his groin, making his breath catch. He wanted nothing more in the world at that moment than to bend and kiss her full, pink lips, but he didn’t dare. Already he had taken liberties with her that he had no right to do. Sean would pummel him good if he found out about how Rick had conducted himself with Cat. The man was his closest friend, a person he respected more than anyone. Looking into Cat’s eyes, he had to reconsider that last thought.
Her pink tongue shot out and wetted her lips. He had to shift his hips back slightly so she wouldn’t feel how his body responded to her. As if she knew exactly how she affected him, she leaned a touch closer, eyes sparkling with mischief. If the kiss wasn’t unwanted, he couldn’t help but wonder if it would really be considering taking liberties…
Courting the Corporal Page 17
