Chapter 24
Tempest could hardly contain her anger. She wanted to rush across the stream and pummel Haig with her fists. At the sound of his voice, all the old pain had crashed in on her. She wanted to hurt him as much as he’d hurt her. Now she wasn’t sure how she’d withstood the pain to her heart or the embarrassment in the community, not just for herself but for Elmira and Lamira. They’d been duped by a fast-talking stranger, and everybody knew it. They’d held up their heads in town, but it hadn’t been easy.
With Haig so close, she could hardly keep from taking out her fury on him. She wanted to punish him, and then force him to give back their money. Yet she knew she couldn’t do it alone. She clenched Lucky’s hand in frustration. Without him to back her up, she didn’t stand a chance. Haig would simply draw his Colt and shoot her before she got close.
All her lady skills worked to her benefit in Jefferson, but out here they were more hindrance than help. She needed to get smarter, stronger, and quicker. She could hardly believe how naive she’d been when she’d left home. Now she had a glimpse of just how much she needed to learn, but even more, how dependent she was on Lucky.
She felt uneasy about that fact. He’d given her so much so fast, but she’d returned so little. If she could do something for him so that the scales were more balanced, she’d feel better about it. Yet he didn’t seem to need her despite hiring her as a Spirit Rattler. If he gave and gave while she took and took, he’d eventually get enough and leave her. She couldn’t stand that thought, not after he’d touched her so intimately, both physically and emotionally.
Yet they were together because of a business arrangement. She had to keep that in mind. When it was completed, he’d move on with his life and she’d go back to Jefferson. Tears burned her eyes at the thought of losing him. She bit her lower lip. She had to get tougher. Haig had taught her that she couldn’t trust her heart to a man. She couldn’t trust her body, either. What she could allow herself to do was take a little pleasure along the way. Yet it should only be physical, never emotional.
She must keep her goals foremost in mind, not pleasure, not revenge. She’d left home to save Elmira and Lamira, so that must remain her primary goal. If she found a way to help Lucky, she’d be carrying her own weight and would feel better about being with him. He’d appeared to enjoy initiating her into the sensual side of life. Maybe he needed physical comfort, too. She’d be happy to provide that for him, and take pleasure in it. Eventually, she would talk to his ghosts. And that would be the end of their life together.
At the thought, she felt a wrench in her heart. She rubbed the tender place on her skin, attributing her pain to it.
When she felt Lucky squeeze her hand, she glanced at his face. He tilted his head toward the horses, and then leaned in close.
“Let’s go back,” he whispered.
“But what about Haig?”
“We’ll get him later.”
She shook her head. What if later never came?
“I promise.” He stood up and held out his hand.
She glanced toward Haig, then put her hand in Lucky’s and allowed him to help her stand. She was putting all her trust in one man. Again. Somehow, she didn’t think Lucky would let her down.
She followed him quietly back to the oak tree. He quickly rolled up one blanket while she took care of the other. When he picked up their saddlebags and canteens, she realized they were riding out. She glanced around, setting the scene in her mind. This place would always hold deep meaning for her. Not the rattlesnake or the ghost, but Lucky and their intimacy. How she wished they hadn’t been interrupted, but Haig had once more intruded into her life and left her the poorer for it.
“Let’s go,” Lucky whispered.
She nodded, and then walked with him to the horses, taking care to make as little noise as possible. While he readied their mounts, she pulled her revolver out of her saddlebag, turning it over in her hands. She looked back toward the creek. Haig slept while not realizing that the woman he had wronged stood nearby with the instrument of his destruction in her hands.
She’d never thought to feel so much power or so much protection from one small object, but she did now. No wonder a man wore a six-gun on his hip out here. She never wanted to be without a gun again.
When Lucky walked up to her, she saw that he held her box of ammunition. She smiled in surprise.
“I’ll load it for you, but I still need to show you how to shoot once we’re away from here. You can keep it in your saddlebags, so it’s ready if you need it.”
“Thank you.”
“If need be, point and squeeze the trigger.” He took the .32 from her and quickly loaded it.
When he handed it back, she could feel the extra weight.
“Make sure you always point it down or away from others unless you intend to fire.”
“Okay.” She tucked her revolver in its holster, and then positioned it in her saddlebag so she could reach it.
“Let’s get out of here.”
When Lucky helped her up into the saddle, she felt the pull of sore muscles. She had wanted to stay on the ground for as long as possible, but she was already back in the saddle again. Somehow, she’d endure until she grew stronger and tougher.
She followed Lucky out of the clearing as he headed north. He set a slow, cautious pace under the dark canopy of trees. An owl hooted as insects stilled their songs. She hoped Haig and his friend slept too deeply to notice the change in the sounds around them.
After a while, she rode up beside Lucky, relishing being with him in the cocoon of darkness. A little later, they crossed over Buffalo Creek. In the moonlight, she felt as if they were the only two people in the world. If things were different, she wouldn’t mind riding with him into one sunrise after another.
She saw him move close to her. He reached out and squeezed her hand. She couldn’t help wondering if he was thinking the same thing, or maybe it was wishful thinking on her part. In any case, the night felt magical and he made her feel special, as if after a long journey, she’d come home.
“We’re far enough away that we can talk now.” He spoke in a low tone as he pulled back his hand.
“How far to Burnt Boggy?”
“It’s a ways. We’ll need to rest the horses later. Even so, we’ll get there ahead of a slow wagon.”
“I want a chance to practice with my .32 before I see Haig again.”
“Tempest, trust me on this. If you don’t have to, you don’t want to kill a man.”
“I don’t want to kill him, at least not too much. I want to scare him and get Grandma’s money back.”
“I doubt you’ll have a bit of trouble doing those two things.”
“Good.”
“I want to talk with you about something.”
“What?”
“Promise me that you’ll listen with an open mind to all I have to say.”
“Is this going to be bad?” She didn’t like the seriousness of his tone.
“It’s not bad, not at all, but it may stretch your credulity.”
“My what?”
“Your ability to believe me.”
“Maybe not. Remember, I see ghosts. That’s a far sight farther than most people can go.”
“And I want you to promise me that you won’t breathe a word of this to another soul unless I give you permission.”
“That’s asking a lot.”
“I know. If I could, I’d wait to tell you.”
“All right. It’s your secret. I promise.”
“I want you to understand that there will be severe consequences out of my control if you break your word.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It will in time.”
“You’re making me feel uneasy.” A shiver ran up her spine. “Why don’t you just not tell me?”
“Too late for that.”
She heard a chorus of coyotes howling in the distance, moving closer. She shivered again. There was a wild current running through Indian Territory that she’d never felt anywhere else, except when ghosts appeared to her. Now that she thought about it, Lucky carried that feeling with him. He was wild and wanton, calm and tender, smart and sensual. He was everything she could want in a man. Yet he wasn’t a man to hold forever.
And she knew in the depths of her being that he was about to tell her something that was going to change her world and maybe end her admiration. Yet they’d come to this point and nothing could stop him now.
She gripped the saddle horn, ready for the worst, or so she hoped with all her being.