Train From Marietta (19 page)

Kate kept her face carefully composed. She didn’t look at Tate but tilted her chin and spoke slowly. “He’s the one that said you needed two wives. I hadn’t given it a thought.”

“He’s good at arranging people’s lives. I suppose he told you that he wants his sister to be my second wife? Did he mention that he has another sister that he wants to be my first wife?” As he looked at her, his left eyelid drooped in a wink and his lips lifted slightly at the corners.

“No, he didn’t mention that. He didn’t have time. Besides, I didn’t want to hear it anyway. I’m not interested in how many wives you have or want.” Kate lifted her shoulders indifferently and looked away, pretending to be interested in the saddle on the horse.

Tate spoke rapidly to Luke in his native language. From the tone of his voice, he was scolding him. Luke didn’t seem to mind. He held up his hand, palm out. To Kate, it looked like a gesture of surrender. Without comment, Luke continued to gather up his belongings. He hung his food and water bag over the saddle horn.

“I can walk for a while,” Kate said.

“You ride,” Luke said, and picked up the horse’s reins while Tate held the stirrup for her to mount. As she settled into the saddle, she was conscious that her skirt barely covered the upper part of her thighs.

With Luke leading the way, Tate, with the reins looped over his hand, followed. He looked over his shoulder at Kate and said softly, “Be quiet.”

Not another word passed between the three of them until the shadows had lengthened and the sun had begun to disappear behind the hills. Kate was so tired that she clung to the saddle horn.
How can they walk so far?
But Luke gave no sign of letting up, and Tate stayed behind him. Finally, after what seemed to Kate to be hours, they stopped, and Luke came back to speak to Tate in low tones. Then Luke took off in a trot back in the direction that they had come.

“What’s he going back for?” Kate dared to ask.

Tate stepped back and stood beside her. He pointed to a rock formation off to the right. “He wants to climb those rocks and see if he can catch sight of Hayden.” Just the mention of Hayden’s name made Kate’s skin crawl.

“Do you think he’s still following?”

“I have no doubt of it.”

“Will he catch up?”

“He will. But we’ve got to choose the spot where it happens. By now, he knows we’re headed for Muddy Creek. He’ll make his move soon. He won’t attempt anything in the dark. He knows Luke’s with us and that he can see in the dark like an owl. It’s a myth that Indians don’t fight at night. Hayden may think that some of Luke’s people have joined us.”

“Couldn’t we try to get behind him?”

“With all this rain, we’ll be leaving tracks like a mule walking down a muddy road. Anyone could follow them. As soon as Luke gets back, we’ll go on. I know of one place where he won’t be able to slip up on us, and, just maybe, we’ll be lucky enough to see him before he sees us.”

“What’ll you do?”

“It depends on what he does.” Tate took his hat off and wiped his brow. It had become hot and sultry after the rain. “I’d like him to think that you’re no longer with us. I wiped out your tracks back at the overhang in the hope that he might think I’ve hidden you away somewhere. If he buys it, he might stay still and watch to see if I go back for you. Hopefully he’ll stay holed up for a while. It might give Luke time to make it to Muddy Creek and send a wire to Lyle.”

“How far is it to town?”

“About five miles.”

“Five miles?”

“That’s not very far for Luke. He likes to run, doesn’t matter the distance. I’ve never known of anyone who can catch him when he’s in full stride. By going now, he’ll be there first thing in the morning when the agent comes to open the depot.”

“It doesn’t seem very safe to run at night,” Kate remarked.

“Actually it’s the best time. For one thing, it’s a lot cooler. For another, Hayden will either be holed up or trying to find us. Even if he’s between us and Muddy Creek, Luke will find a way to slip past him.”

“But if he sees Luke, won’t he go after him?”

“I doubt it. Hayden’s like a bull—single-minded. He’ll be too focused on finding us to spend much time on an Indian. If anything, it’ll make him want to find us even more because he’ll think that he only has me to contend with.”

“If he catches us …” Kate couldn’t even bring herself to finish the thought. Deep in her mind, she felt that she already knew the answer. If Hayden caught up with them, someone would get hurt.

“If he does catch us,” Tate said, his eyes searching hers, “and I tell you to go, I want you to run towards the east. Find a place to hide and stay perfectly still. Luke will find you when he comes back from town.”

For the next couple of minutes, both were silent. In her mind, Kate imagined what would happen if Hayden did find them. The thought of Tate being hurt, or even killed, froze the blood in her veins. If he told her to run, could she actually bring herself to abandon this man who had done so much to make sure that she was safe?

“You think Hayden will come tonight?” she asked softly.

“If he comes, he’ll come when the sun is low. He’ll wait until the sun is setting and then come from the west so that we’ll be blinded by it.” Suddenly Tate turned his head and acted as if he was listening, even though Kate could hear no sound. “That was Luke’s signal. He’s leaving now.”

“I didn’t hear anything.”

“It was the whistle of a scissortail. Luke’s father and I have used that signal for years. I’m surprised Hayden hasn’t caught on to it.”

“Luke is leaving now?”

“He must have found a way to slip past Hayden. Come on.” Tate tugged on the reins of the horse and moved up the hillside toward the heavy boulders. “We’ve got to get to a place where we’ll have cover.”

Kate was frightened. The shadows grew longer with each passing moment, and she felt that the showdown between them and Hayden was growing ever closer. From the moment that Tate had saved her from Squirrelly’s clutches, she wanted to avoid this fight, but now that seemed impossible. Even though the day was still hot, she couldn’t help shivering.

Tate led the horse around a large boulder and then stood for a minute looking back the way they had come. “This is as good a place as any,” he said as he came to help Kate down from the horse. She swung her leg over the saddle and, while tightly gripping Tate’s hand, slid to the ground. Once on the ground, Kate had to hold on to the saddle horn because her legs were wobbly.

“What can I do?” she asked.

“Stay here behind this boulder and keep out of sight. Your blond hair shines like a lantern in this sun. Do you have anything you could tie over your head?”

“You want me to cover my hair?”

“As bad as he wants me, I think he wants you more, and it probably doesn’t matter to him if he takes you dead or alive. If the ransom money has already been paid, he can’t afford to let you live. If you were to make it to the law, you could testify against him. He’s already been to prison. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep from going back. With all of that, he may shoot you if he sees your blond head poking above a boulder.” Tate removed his handkerchief from around his neck and handed it to her. “Here, tie this over your head and stay down. I’ll be over behind the rocks on the other side of the trail. If you look up, you’ll see me. I’ll take off my hat if I see him.”

“I’m scared, Tate.” The words poured out of her quickly, her fear at what was happening bubbling over. Tears filled the corners of her eyes, and she felt her hands begin to shake.

“It’s not a bad thing to be scared,” Tate said softly.

“I’m scared for you.” She wanted to grab hold of him and not let him go. Her feelings for this man who had risked his life for her had grown into something that she couldn’t explain. If he went off and Hayden found him, he could be killed. If that happened, she didn’t know if she could go on.

Tate put his hand gently on her shoulder and then slid it up behind her neck. Shivers raced down her spine. “You’ll be all right.”

“Damn it,” she hissed through her teeth. “I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be.”

The hand behind her neck drew her closer. Her eyes met his for the briefest of moments before he bent his head and placed his lips against hers, holding them there for a long minute. His kiss was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her heart swam, and for what seemed like forever, she forgot that this might be the last of their lives. When he raised his head, her eyes were misty. She wanted to say something—to tell him how important he was to her, how he was more than just a rescuer—but the words refused to come. So she said nothing. He looked at her silently, then turned and walked away.

For the next hour, Kate quietly crouched behind the boulder, peeking over the rock only occasionally. Most of the time, her eyes were locked on Tate. This man had become the most important thing in her life. She’d only known him for a few days! She tried to tell herself that it was because they were alone and she depended on him, but her heart told her that wasn’t true. Even when they stood on the train platform in Simon, she had felt something. At that moment, she hadn’t known what it was, but it must have been attraction. Now she had no more illusions. She had fallen for the cowboy.

Lost in her daydream, she was startled when a hand clamped down over her mouth. She hadn’t had the time to let out a sound! Trying with all her might, she tried to move but was held firmly in place.

“Keep quiet, bitch!” The words were huskily whispered in her ear.

Kate knew immediately who it was. For a brief moment, she was frozen, her heart beating wildly. She looked at Tate, but he was still crouched behind the boulder and lookingp down the trail. He didn’t know that Hayden had crept up behind them. Her fear momentarily released its grip, and she instinctively dug her elbow into the man’s midsection. A blast of air hit her ear, but the grip that held her never weakened.

“Try that again, bitch, and I’ll slit your throat,” Hayden growled.

Kate, in desperation, looked toward the boulder where Tate was crouching, hoping to at least see him one last time.

Tate was gone.

Chapter 17

“L
ET GO OF HER!”

Tate lunged across the gap between himself and Hayden with a ferocious look on his face and his gun in his hand. In turn, Hayden shoved Kate toward him. Seeing Kate come flying across the space, Tate flung out an arm to keep her from falling. Hayden took advantage of the move. His foot lashed out, knocking the gun from Tate’s hand. The move had brought Hayden close enough for Tate to strike. He doubled up his fist and swung a jarring blow that flattened Hayden’s lips against his big, square teeth. The blow would have felled most men, but it merely rocked Hayden back on his heels. Roaring with anger, Hayden pulled the large knife free of its scabbard and charged. Tate’s own anger rose. He dodged the knife and threw another punch. He moved so quickly that Hayden was forced to back up in order to protect himself from Tate’s windmill attack.

“Go!” Tate shouted as he shot a glance at Kate. “Get the hell out of here!”

Kate stood paralyzed, the sight of the two men fighting holding her to the ground. Her legs felt as if they were weighted down with iron chains, and her unblinking eyes stayed locked on the men. Even as she heard his shout, fear for Tate kept her from acting.

With a quick feint, Hayden flicked the knife out and cut Tate on the chin. Pain shot through him like fire, forcing him to back away. Hayden lowered his head for a charge, and Tate let him come. Before Hayden could slash him again, Tate’s fist struck him with such force that his head snapped up and his body arched back. Hayden staggered for a moment, looking as if he might topple, then planted his feet wide apart and became as rooted to the ground as an oak tree. Tate tried to press his advantage, moving in to fell the man, but Hayden was ready. His big fist thudded against Tate’s cheekbone, opening a gash.

Already, Tate could taste the copper blood filling his mouth. As Hayden flashed a bloody mouth of his own, the knife still moving menacingly in front of him, Tate moved to his side and then darted in low, hitting the man hard in the stomach with his head. Hayden lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground, dragging Tate with him. The sound of Hayden’s knife clattering amongst the rocks reached Tate’s ears. Gnashing teeth tried to grab some part of his face or neck as they rolled. Now on the ground, both men snarled at each other, their faces only inches apart. Hayden brought his head forward in short raps, striking Tate in the face. Blood spurted from his nose. Tate brought his knee up between Hayden’s legs, causing Hayden just enough pain to force him to drop his arms. Agile as a cat, Tate sprang to his feet.

A rock-hard fist caught the slow-moving Hayden in the mouth as he rose to his feet. He staggered back and then began to circle, looking for an opening. Each man appraised the other. Hayden was a rough-and-tumble fighter. While not a brawler, Tate had steel and rawhide in his rangy frame. He moved in, hit, and retreated, dancing away from Hayden’s grappling arms.

Suddenly Hayden closed the space between them and grabbed Tate by the arm. With an animal yell, he slammed him down against a nearby boulder. Tate’s head bounced off the rock. Dazed, he crashed into the ground. Stars danced in front of his eyes. Hayden lifted one boot to stomp down on the fallen man’s face, but Tate avoided the blow, rolled, and then staggered to his feet. He blinked and shook his head, desperately trying to clear it. He would not let this hunk of lowlife beat him down! His life and Kate’s depended on it. Ducking under another punch, he lashed out with a fist of his own. The blow struck Hayden in the mouth, shearing off a tooth. His enemy backed away in surprise and spit it out of his bloody mouth. He glared at Tate.

“I’m gonna kill you,” Hayden bellowed.

“Is this the best you can do, you stupid jailbird?” Tate taunted. Blood flowed from the deep cut above his eye, from his gashed cheekbone, and from his nose, where Hayden had battered him with his head.

They circled each other again, the hot sun beating down on them. Sweat dripped down into Tate’s eyes as he picked his way through the stones that were strewn on the ground.