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CHAPTER ONE Whitehorn, MontanaApril, 1896 “I WANT to be an Indian.” Ruth Whitefeather glanced up from the herbs she’d been examining. A boy of about seven or eight stood beside her garden. He wore worn Levi’s and scuffed boots, and held the reins of a bay gelding in his right hand. Ruth took in the firm set of the boy’s mouth, the defiance in his blue eyes, not to mention the too long blond hair brushing the bottom of his frayed collar. A runaway, she thought, trying not to smile. How often did the children from the nearby ranches, or the town of Whitehorn itself find their way to the Indian village? Those children, mostly boys, had great plans for running away. They imagined a life of endless bareback riding across wide plains, hunting game, not going to school, never having a bedtime. Life with the Cheyenne was not so undisciplined, but the runaways never wanted to hear that. The job of the tribe was to convince these children that life at home was not so very horrible. Usually the v
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO ZEKE SHIFTED in his seat, then grinned and jumped to his feet. “Pa!” Ruth felt herself stiffen as once again she found it impossible to breathe. Caleb. She started to turn in her chair, then stopped—frozen by fear. What would she see on his face and in his eyes? How could she have simply shown up in his house after all this time? “This is Ruth,” Zeke was saying. “She’s a Cheyenne, at least half Cheyenne. I was there today and she’s real nice. She came back with me when I told her that you didn’t make very good biscuits and John—that’s her brother—said she would stay until the new housekeeper arrived.” As the boy spoke, she gathered together her shreds of courage. She had survived much in her twenty-eight years of life…surely she could survive seeing Caleb again. She rose and turned to face father and son. Even as Zeke continued to chatter, Caleb’s steady gaze settled on her. His gray-blue eyes were still the color of a winter storm. The lines around his mouth had deepened.
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE CALEB DIDN’T SAY much the next morning when he and Hank headed out to check on the herd. Despite his prediction, no one had awakened him in the night, so he’d had the opportunity to get some sleep. Unfortunately, it hadn’t happened. He’d been too aware of Ruth across the hall. She hadn’t made any sound, but he’d known she was there. He would have sworn that the sweet scent of her body had drifted to him, calling to him. He’d been on fire for her, longing to go to her. But he hadn’t. Because she’d made her feelings damn clear. So why was she back? Why after all this time? Was it only about repaying a debt? Did he care? The best thing for both of them was for her to leave, yet he knew he wasn’t going to tell her to go. He couldn’t. Because having her here, wanting her and knowing he could never have her was better than never seeing her at all. Which made him worse than a fool. “You’re mighty quiet,” Hank announced when they’d ridden for about an hour. “What do you want to t
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR RUTH BENT DOWN to remove the warm bread from the oven. The yeasty smell made her mouth water. It was well after noon and she’d only had coffee that morning. She smiled as she glanced at the clock and knew that Zeke would come tearing into the house shortly. The boy would skitter to a stop in front of her and demand to know what was to eat. It had been nearly a week since she’d first arrived at the Kincaid ranch. A week of cooking and cleaning and trying not to mind that Caleb didn’t go out of his way to spend time with her. A week of trying not to think about the fact that his new housekeeper was due any day now. Ruth set the bread on the counter to cool, then stirred the soup she’d prepared. When she set the spoon down, she glanced around at the now clean kitchen. She’d had a chance to scrub down the walls and the floor. Everything gleamed like new. In the rest of the house, she’d oiled the wood, beaten the rugs and washed the linens. Even now sheets flapped in the warm b
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE THE FOLLOWING MORNING, John appeared at the ranch house. Ruth opened the front door and smiled at her brother. “I hope you’re here because you miss me and not because someone is sick.” He bent down and kissed her cheek, then stepped into the house. “I do miss you. I had business in town, so I stopped by to check on you before heading back to the village.” When he straightened, the bright sunlight illuminated him, reflecting off his dark hair and highlighting his strong cheekbones. While Ruth and her brother shared the shape of their mouth and eyes, John had more sculpted features, and was several inches taller. He moved with the easy grace of a man at one with his world. She envied that—she had often been uncomfortable in both the white and Indian world, while John moved effortlessly between them. For her, being half white had made her feel different, and she’d been aware of a sense of being an outsider. It was only after several years of living among the Cheyenne that she
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX RUTH HELD HER BREATH. Was Caleb going to turn from her, as he had before? Fear threatened, but she pushed it away. She had a feeling that fear had ruled her for too long. This time she was going to make the decision that was right because it was what she wanted, and not because she was afraid. But instead of rejecting her, Caleb swept her up in his arms. Even as his arms came around her, his mouth dropped to hers. They were kissing wildly, passionately. This was no tentative brush of lips—instead they plundered each other, tasting, circling, nibbling, wanting. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he started to carry her up the stairs of the ranch house. They moved into darkness and still she clung to him because he was all that she’d ever needed. His footsteps on the wooden floor sounded nearly as loud as the thundering of her heart. He didn’t even break the kiss as he carried her through a door into his bedroom. They clung together until he set her on her feet. He left
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN Two weeks later RUTH PUT OFF her trip into town for as long as she could. She knew if she’d mentioned her nervousness to Caleb, he would have accompanied her into Whitehorn, but that wouldn’t force her to face her fears, which was what she wanted to do. So she waited until he had a full day planned out with the cattle, left Zeke in Tully’s excellent care and headed her horse and wagon south. As she traveled along the rutted road, she tried to remember if she’d been back in Whitehorn on her own even once in the past few years. But she didn’t think she had. At first, after the attack, she’d sent others in with her medical supply list. Then she’d started going in with her brother, or others from the village. She’d never considered giving up the use of the medicines she could buy because they were too good for certain ailments. Patients came first regardless of her personal fears. Yet she’d managed to avoid making this journey on her own since she’d been attacked. Ruth tried
CHAPTER SEVEN
To my beloved granddaughter, Cherylyn Ruth,whose image is reflected in Kate, the heroine of this story.Strong, and blessed with a beauty that glows from within,she makes her grandma proud. And to Mr. Ed, who loves me.
CHAPTER ONE June, 1896 EVEN BEFORE the train pulled out of the station, Will Kincaid was entertaining serious second thoughts. The night before, with the fragrant smoke of an expensive cigar swirling around his head, a shot of the finest whiskey in a fancy, imported glass, with a lovely and obviously willing woman silently offering to serve his every need, he had suffered a few more twinges of uneasiness. Not enough to make him change his mind, but the doubts had already begun to filter in. He’d held on to his glass until his palms had grown damp, then downed his drink in a single gulp. The woman, a well-endowed redhead who went by the unlikely name of Delilah DeLyte, had loosened his black silk four-in-hand with skilled fingers. Close up, he could see that the paint on her eyelashes had smeared onto her cheek, lending her a slightly owlish look. “Thank you kindly for sharing dinner with me, my dear, but I’m afraid I’ve an early train to catch.” Gently, Will Kincaid had set his glass o
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO LAUGHING OVER the remembrance of games they had once played—hunting for lost gold mines, discovering bank robbers’ loot and rescuing fair maidens whose grateful fathers’ paid huge rewards, the two men bickered lightheartedly over whether to bury the gold on the Kincaid ranch, thus giving the advantage to Caleb, or save it and deposit it in Will’s bank. In the end, on the farthest corner, hidden by a shed, they buried the treasure under a cornerstone of the expansion that was already underway. Each man dropped in a personal token. “Proof of ownership,” Caleb said, “In case it’s ever needed” Will wiped his brow and grabbed his shovel. Digging was damned hard work. Thirsty work. A few minutes later, still grinning, they shoved open the double swinging doors and went inside to celebrate a long overdue reunion. There was a new mirror above the bar and a new man behind it, but other than that, little had changed. The table over in the corner where five men shoved piles of chips b
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE BY THE TIME Will had bathed, dressed and gobbled down three eggs, a stack of flapjacks, half a dozen slices of bacon and a couple of pints of coffee the next morning, he felt considerably more optimistic. It didn’t take long to locate the lot he wanted for his bank and to track down the owner. It turned out to be the gentleman Caleb had mentioned, one Maximillian McCutcheon, rumored to have made his money in several highly suspect ventures. Presenting himself at the man’s home, Will stated his interest and then braced himself for some serious dickering. He declined a drink, knowing a clear mind would be to his advantage. Evidently, McCutcheon knew it, too, for he waved toward a chair and proceeded to examine everything from the cut of Will’s suit to the high gleam on his fashionable oxfords. “Well now, I’ll tell you the honest truth, Mr. Kincaid,” the older man declared, which in Will’s experience was a warning that what he was about to hear was a mixture of lies and trut
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR IT WAS AFTER DARK by the time Will got done with all that needed doing. So far, he’d been home three days and had yet to get a full night’s sleep. At this rate he wouldn’t have the energy to oversee the construction of his bank, much less the repairs on the old ruin he’d impulsively purchased. Making one small bedroom and the kitchen even marginally habitable had required the work of two handymen and one cleaning woman. Will tried to recall the last time he had done anything quite so reckless. As luck would have it, most of his wilder gambles had paid off, but this time… Kincaid’s Folly was right. He might have bought the place for pennies on the dollar, but by the time he resurrected the old ruin, it would have cost him a healthy bundle. Not surprisingly, Lizzy was serving drinks when he walked in. Will had a feeling he was going to end up paying for another night of her services. It occurred to him that the services of a skilled professional might help unravel some of th
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE BY THE LIGHT of the oil lamp, Lizzy stared down at the orange water in the china basin and fought back tears. Crying wouldn’t help matters. She had learned that lesson long ago. Scouring her head another ten times just might. At least her hair was now more the color of a persimmon instead of the bright shade of orange it had been when she’d started. When the other girls had suggested dying her hair as a means of improving her looks, she’d still been in a condition of shock at finding herself held hostage for her brother’s gambling debts. Ashamed, she had told no one, letting them believe she was there only because she needed a job and was not too particular. A friendly group for the most part, the five other girls—women, actually, for all were older than she—had treated her as they might a doll, trying on first one outfit, then another, painting her face and teasing her hair until it stood up around her face like dandelion fluff. That and the dye, which they had sworn was
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX THE CARPENTERS were good. The work was progressing far more rapidly than he’d expected. There was still a lot to do, but in spite of his eagerness to begin work on his bank, Will didn’t want them to skimp on repairing his house. Lizzy was beside herself with excitement over the way the place was taking shape. As often as not when he rode out late in the afternoon for a brief check on the progress, she would be outside, shading her eyes against the setting sun to admire each new accomplishment. Yesterday it had been the last section of porch railing. Today it was the ready-milled trim he’d ordered by telegraph, with a bonus for prompt delivery. At this rate, the job would be done within the month, he thought, nodding to the old carpenter he’d known slightly all his life. When Lizzy wandered over to join them, the old man’s face split in a wide, yellow-toothed smile. “Now, don’t you go trippin’ over them tools, Miss Lizzy, I’ll have Homer clear ’em off the porch directly he c
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN WITH EXAGGERATED PATIENCE, Cicero described how he’d gone by the saloon for one last drink and just happened to notice a table of greenhorns playing draw poker. One of the men—scarcely more than a boy—shoved back his chair and left, and out of sheer idle curiosity, Cicero strolled over to the table to watch the play. Lizzy’s face said it all. “You simply cannot pass by a poker table without gambling, can you?” “But my luck’s been running so good, and besides, I didn’t do it for me, Sissy, I only wanted to see you arrive in Wyoming in style. Wearing a pretty new dress and riding in our own buggy instead of the hired stage.” Feeling as if she’d aged fifty years in the past few minutes, she dropped onto the foot of the bed. “And just who is it in Wyoming you’re hoping to impress? Your Mr. Douglass?” He mumbled something about their status as one of Charleston’s first families. Evidently he’d been bragging again. Lizzy cast a speculative eye toward the heavy china ewer, but o
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT YOU CAN DO this, Lizzy told herself, just as she had every night for the past week and a half. The first few nights had been the worst. She’d been certain her throat would close up. No matter how many times she had sung in the past, it had always been for friends, never for strangers. For fun, not for money. Dear Lord, she thought as she steeled herself to sweep open the makeshift curtains, I’m a stage performer. A professional entertainer! Which, she thought wryly, was several cuts above being a saloon girl. Inside the newly opened section of the Double Deuce Saloon, the rafters were throbbing to the wail of two fiddles and a banjo. Lizzy, wearing a long black skirt and a blue shirtwaist, with her flaxen curls subdued for the occasion, stood in a circle of lamplight and waited for the din to subside. This would be her third performance. She had planned five short songs and no more than two encores. Naturally, she would refuse all proposals—decent or otherwise. “Sing ‘Cle
CHAPTER EIGHT
PROLOGUE August, 1896 “MAKE A SHERIFF outta James Kincaid?” John Dillard asked unbelievingly. “It’d take an act of God to keep him sober enough to pin on a badge.” “Anybody got a better idea?” Will Kincaid leaned back in his desk chair. His spanking new desk chair, in his brand-new bank. “Hell, we all like James, and Lord knows we need a good man to wear the badge,” John said. And then his gaze swept the room. “How we’re gonna get him to quit drinking is the problem.” “Well, if he’d just cut back a little…” Harry Talbert said slowly. “Maybe, we could take a chance on him.” “You can’t have a sheriff with a hangover every damn morning of his life, and I fear that unless someone gets hold of him and straightens him out…” Will looked helplessly around at the men in his office. “You mean like Lizzy did with you?” Harry asked with a chuckle. Will flushed, and then grinned. “A good woman can work magic, and I’m the first one to admit it.” He sobered quickly and leaned forward, one hand uplift
CHAPTER ONE THE MAN BEHIND the bar poured a shot of whiskey into the glass, then spun it across the slick, wooden surface toward his customer. “It’s still morning,” he said, with a measuring look at the man who eyed the amber liquid. “It’s never too early in the day for some things.” James lifted his drink, lips twisting in a sardonic grin. His gaze swept the interior of the dusty saloon, lingering for just a moment on a red-haired woman with a satin dress stretched over her voluptuous form. Not what he had in mind, he decided easily. His head tilted back as the whiskey slid easily down his throat, and he winced at the impact of it on his empty stomach. “Hair of the dog, Kincaid?” the barkeep asked with sympathy and amusement. His bushy eyebrows lifted as James thumped the heavy glass on the bar. “One more should do it,” James said, his blue eyes narrowing as he focused on the four men who slouched around a table at the far side of the room. “That game been going on long?” he asked in
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO KATE STRIPPED from her clothing, yearning for a long soak in the big bathtub that graced the second-floor bathroom in her girlhood home. She recalled stretching out in it, her toes pointing and still unable to reach the far end. Of course that had been years ago. Nowadays it would still hold her in a generous way, but no longer could she duck under the water and lie prone beneath its surface. She’d grown up, and wasn’t that the truth. Her laugh rang hollow in the room she occupied. And that’s all it was, just a room. No curtains graced the two double-sash windows, no pictures hung on bare walls. A pair of her best towels covered the window glass, protecting her from the view of those who might pass by. And in that relative amount of privacy she undressed rapidly, washing as thoroughly as a small basin of warm water would allow, then dried her goose bumps with a rough towel. The air was cool, and she hurried the process, slipping into her nightgown for warmth. Lace trimmed t
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE THE MEN WHO GATHERED in the churchyard to meet with Kate after Sunday morning service looked familiar. She recognized the storekeeper, of course, and nodded, greeting him by name. “Mr. Dillard.” She smiled politely, forcing her lips into a steady line. “You remember Amos Carlton, don’t you, Miss Elliott? He owns the hotel, he and his wife.” John Dillard presented another gentleman. “And this here is Harry Talbert, the fella that owns the barbershop.” He looked behind himself and motioned at a familiar figure. “Come on over here, Will. We need to have a word with Miss Elliott.” Will Kincaid moved reluctantly into the circle and nodded at Kate. Behind him, Lizzy stood waiting, and she raised her hand, fingers wagging a greeting in Kate’s direction. “Miss Elliott.” Will offered his hand and she placed hers on his palm. His grip was warm and solid and she met it with a firmness he could not mistake. A reluctant smile curved his mouth and she was struck with his resemblance to
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR KATE PULLED her bonnet from her head once the town was safely behind. “We won’t get all the way to the mountains, will we?” Her sigh spoke of resignation as her hat was settled beneath the seat. James shook his head, and his grin flashed. “Probably not. But you’ll be closer to them than you were this morning. Does that count?” He was a consummate flirt, and she should probably be flattered that he practiced his wiles on her. Yet, flattery seemed to be beneath him, she decided. He was straightforward, charming and intent on pleasing her today. For that she would be grateful. “Yes, it counts,” she admitted, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight. The mountains towered in the distance, closer than they were an hour earlier, to be sure, yet some distance away. She turned to look at him, and was caught up in the amusement that tilted his lips and sparkled from his blue eyes. “I think I needed to be away from town for just a bit, needed the chance to take o
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE LIZZY’S CHEEKS were pink with indignation, her eyes wide as she glanced over her shoulder, lest her words be overheard. “I heard you spent most of yesterday with James. The man at the livery stable told Will that James left his horse there and took a buggy for the whole day.” She bent closer to Kate and her whisper held doomsday in its depths. “If the men hear about it, you could lose your position, Kate.” And wouldn’t that be a fine state of affairs, Kate thought glumly, and then squared her shoulders bravely. “They don’t have anyone else to teach, Lizzy. I doubt they’re going to kick me out of the schoolhouse.” She shot a glance at a passing matron, then smiled cordially as the woman nodded her head. “Apparently the word hasn’t spread yet. Besides, I didn’t do anything wrong. I went for a buggy ride with the sheriff. And he would certainly be considered a respectable man.” Lizzy’s mouth turned down at the corners. “Not to hear Will speak, he isn’t. He’s proud of James fo
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX “THIS TOWN hasn’t had much need lately for a posse, has it?” James asked, then looked around at the four men who’d formed a loose semicircle in front of him. John Dillard tugged at his collar, slanting a glance at Amos Carlton. “I’m not asking any of you to ride with me,” James said, quirking an eyebrow. “I’m just wondering if there’s anybody available who might know how to shoot a gun.” Harry Talbert straightened his white barber’s apron. “I’m not much for riding, to tell the truth. But I’m sure there’s a plenty of young fellas who’d like some adventure.” “Any idea where I’d find them?” James asked, enjoying the discomfort he’d set into motion. Amos nodded eagerly. “I think Joe over at the livery stable wouldn’t mind ridin’ with you. And then there’s a couple of ranchers you might could call on. Matt Darby for one, since he’s the guy that hired a wanted man and caused all this trouble. Then there’s your cousin, Caleb.” His eyes lit and he snapped his fingers. “Maybe Will w
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN “LIZZY? Will you stand as my witness?” Kate breathed the query softly and was rewarded by a squeal of delight from her friend. Eyes turned their way as they hugged each other tightly, and the other customers in the Mercantile smiled at the sight. Lizzy popped her hand over her mouth, backing away. Then, eyes sparkling, she grasped Kate’s hand in hers and dragged her to the open door, stepping out onto the sidewalk. “You’re getting married?” she said, the words spoken on a gasp of air as if she could barely catch her breath. Kate nodded, looking around lest the passersby hear her words. “Tomorrow afternoon, at the parsonage. James is making the arrangements, but we don’t want folks to know yet.” “Why?” Lizzy was openmouthed. “I’d think he’d want to shout it from the housetops. Imagine that! James Kincaid getting married, and to a perfectly respectable woman. Will wonders never cease.” “He’s respectable, too,” Kate interjected quickly. “But only lately,” Lizzy reminded her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT “I THOUGHT YOU were going to keep this a secret. And I certainly hoped you’d be circumspect in your behavior. I can’t respect a man who holds his woman up to ridicule.” Will’s voice was tight with restrained violence as he sounded his anger in the middle of the sheriff’s office. “And who asked for your respect?” James tossed the query at William with a glare, aware only of the pain the words dealt him. “I’d never hold Kate up to ridicule. I’d think you’d know that.” “Well, what do you call the fact that you kept her away from town till long after dark, and then spent the night with her?” Will stalked to the window, glaring at the street. “You got my wife in a tizzy, what with the women talking about Kate in the Mercantile this morning.” “We’re married,” James said stubbornly, even as he rued the thought of Kate being spoken of in disparaging terms. “You know that and I know that, but no one else is supposed to be privy to the information, James. It was your idea to marry
CHAPTER EIGHT
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