Sage smiled. She was flattered and insulted at the same time. Maybe Drum was right for her. They were both crazy. In the morning, if he was better, she'd explain one more time why she wasn't interested in him.
When she awoke with a start, her first thought was that he'd died. She moved her hands over his cool body until she spread her fingers over his heart and felt the steady beat.
"I'm all right?" he whispered, turning to face her.
She rose to an elbow and looked into his wonderful clear gray eyes. "You gave me quite a fright.”
"Sorry.” He ran his fingers through his hair. "Yesterday was a fog. I remember falling and then riding. I remember you taking my clothes off.” He lifted the blanket off his chest. "That last part I wish I could remember more clearly.”
Sage smiled. "I think you'll live. How about some breakfast? We've got beans and coffee."
An hour later, they'd eaten and she'd checked his wounds before allowing him to dress. Drum wasn't shy about his body; he had no reason to be. She told herself she was a doctor and had seen hundreds of bodies, but she still caught herself admiring him. Drummond Roak was a sight to see as he walked out of the water, his nude body sparkling in the morning sun. She knew she shouldn't, but she took her time looking.
He dried off and pulled his pants on before she stepped close enough to wrap the wound on his arm. It looked much better but would still require watching.
"That cut in your hairline has stopped bleeding.”
"I'm fine.” He pushed her hand away.
"You were almost dead yesterday. You'll be weak today." He nodded. "All right, we take it slow. Stop bossing me around."
She tied off the dressing around his arm, knowing that he was angry. He didn't like being hurt or bossed. Her first urge was to yell at him, but she decided to take another route. "Can we start over, Drum?"
He frowned at her.
She didn't meet his gaze. "I feel like I've been fighting with you since birth. Can we just start over and be friends from here on out? If we work together, we'll have a better chance of staying alive and making Galveston.”
He was silent for so long she wasn't sure he would answer. Finally, he said, "I don't want to be your friend, Sage. I want to be a great deal more than that, but if friendship is all you're offering, I'll take it for now.”
She nodded. "It's all I'm offering. Despite how I hate you and you drive me crazy sometimes, you're one of the few people in this world I trust. When I was kidnapped. I knew you'd come after me.”
"Then trust me now, Sage. I'll get you home safely. I promise."
When she stepped closer, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Friends?" she whispered.
"Friends," he said, kissing the top of her head.
They mounted and headed back toward Galveston, staying in the tree line so no one could spot them easily. After five hours of riding, they stopped long enough to rest the horses and let them graze on the small clumps of grass still green beneath tree branches.
"I'm so hungry I could almost eat grass," Sage complained.
Drum had spread out to rest. He didn't open his eyes when he answered, "I can't risk a shot, even if I saw a rabbit, and we don't have time to fish.”
She sat down beside him. "I know. Maybe we could find the coyote and strangle him for lunch.”
Drum laughed.
Sage sighed. "Tell me about Whispering Mountain. It was spring when I left. Spring of 1856."
"I know the date," he said.
"What's changed since I've been gone?" She lay beside him.
"Teagen and Jessie's three girls are growing like weeds. Emily is about ten now and proper as any lady. She even talked Teagen into ordering her one of those English riding saddles. Rose has decided she wants to be a teacher like Mrs. Dickerson. She skipped the first grade after a week of school and went right to the second. Bethie is five, with the most beautiful mess of auburn hair you've ever seen. She thinks she wants to grow up to be Apache. All the girls ride well, but Teagen says his Bethie rides like you did when you were her age, free and wild.”
Sage laughed. These were details her brothers left out of their letters.
"Travis and Rainey live in Austin most of the time, but they still stay at their place on the ranch in the summers. Duck's as wild as ever. Last I heard, he was building a fort in the trees as a hideout from the girls. Rainey had another baby this past spring, but I forgot what they said it was. I haven't seen your family for months”
She smiled, remembering the little boy they all called Duck. Travis had saved him from men who'd killed his family and planned to sell him. Duck wouldn't talk when he came to them, but he followed Travis around like a baby duckling follows his mother.
"Tobin is still trying to keep up with his busy wife. They spend time up near the capital every winter, but come spring, he has to be with his horses. I can't remember how many kids they got. In fact, when I'm around all the McMurrays, it's hard to tell whose kids are whose. There's a whole batch of little ones. Teagen says when they all hit school age, they'll have to build a second room onto the schoolhouse.”
"The main house has doubled in size, and there still doesn't seem like enough room. Martha is retired but comes over al most every day to help out. Last time I stopped by, she filled my saddlebags with ginger cookies.”
Sage leaned back next to him and said simply, “Thanks.” "Anytime," he answered as he closed his hand over hers. "You'll be there soon.”
A half hour later they were riding again, but something had changed. There was a truce between them. She knew it wouldn't last, but she was thankful for it now. They did have something in common, she realized: They both loved Whispering Mountain.
An hour before nightfall, she spotted the thin curl of smoke a few miles ahead of them. She pulled her horse beside Drum and pointed.
"I know?" he whispered. "I've been watching it”
"What do we do?"
"It's not the raiders, unless it's some kind of trap. Which is not likely. My guess is it's just a traveler like us”
She agreed. "Do we ride around, or do we go closer?" Drum grinned. "We ride in. They might have food they're willing to share.”
She let him take the lead as they approached the campfire. If there was trouble, she was far enough behind in the shadows not to be seen.
"Hello the camp." he called.
The distinct click of a round being chambered echoed in the silent air. "Ride in slow and unarmed," came a call no one would mistake as friendly.
Drum kept his hands clearly visible as he walked his horse in. "I mean no harm, stranger, just wondering if I could share your fire.”
Sage remained in the shadows, but she could see both men clearly in the firelight.
The tall cowboy lowered his rifle. "You and your woman hiding there in the trees are welcome. I've got food to spare, and I'll welcome the company.”
Drum offered his hand. "Thanks. Name's Roak."
The cowboy smiled. "I seen you before in Galveston. I saw you sweep a little lady out of harm's way when she stepped in the street to save a dog” He glanced toward the shadows. "That her with you?"
Drum motioned Sage in. "That's her. I'm still saving her life every chance I get”
The cowboy laughed. "I sure wouldn't have thought you two would end up together the way she was yelling at you that day." He nodded. "Evening, miss."
Sage walked slowly to the fire. "I remember you. We saw you on the boardwalk and again in Shelley's place just before the robbery.” She might not have noticed him in the bar, but Bonnie had pointed him out.
Drum straightened slightly.
The cowboy laughed nervously. "I don't remember seeing you in the gambling hole by the water. All I know is I heard the bell that signals trouble in the place, and I hightailed it out of there as fast as I could” He turned to meat cooking on green sticks. "As I was running. I heard shots. Hope you weren't hurt none if you were still in there."