‘‘If our luck holds, we’ll know by morning.’’ He held her tight.
The camp settled down for the night. Men still rode in changing shifts, but no one heard a word from below. Kora and Jamie climbed into the bed of the wagon and tried to sleep on either side of Dan’s chair, but both were too excited.
Just after dawn Winter drew everyone’s attention with a sudden resounding shot. They all scrambled to see what he’d shot at.
‘‘That’s far enough!’’ Win shouted as he raised his rifle and pointed toward the passage. ‘‘Another foot and the bullet won’t just dance in the dirt at your feet.’’
A man in his fifties slowly raised his hands. ‘‘All right. I’m not going to try anything. I’m not armed.’’
Win didn’t lower his rifle. Kora pulled the Winchester from the wagon and joined her husband. Cheyenne did the same, taking only a moment to shove Jamie down out of sight as he passed her.
She glared at him, but didn’t stand back up.
‘‘What do you want?’’ Win asked the man below.
‘‘Name’s Randell Monroe. I’ve come to say I’ve had enough. I quit. You win. I never planned on pushing so hard. Wyatt told me you saved his life last night. Thanks for that. I don’t know if I could survive losing two children in one night.’’
‘‘Mary Anna’s dead then?’’ Win asked, even though he knew she would be.
The old man nodded. ‘‘She never could stand not getting her way. And I always spoiled her, so the blame of what she tried to do is more mine than hers. Wyatt tried to stop me from herding the cattle, but all I saw was how much money I’d lose if I didn’t try.’’
Win didn’t say a word, but he found himself admiring the man in the passage for his honesty.
Randell removed his hat and pushed his silver hair back.
‘‘We’re already turning the herd for home. I’ll bury my daughter and suffer my losses, but I’ll not try to cross your land.’’
Win lowered his rifle. Randell Monroe looked like a proud man. He wasn’t sure if he felt more sorry for him for losing Mary Anna or for having lost control of what was right.
‘‘We’ll burn the grassland behind you,’’ Win said as he stood.
‘‘I figured you would,’’ Randell said, then turned slowly around. ‘‘Give us a day’s start. We should reach the river by then.’’
‘‘No more,’’ Win answered, knowing they’d have to drive the cattle hard to stay ahead of a brush fire. The grazing would be burned for miles across the rocky land no one claimed, but in a month with a few good rains, the growth would come back.
Winter watched the man walk back down the pass, his head high. He looked older than he had when he’d climbed the ledge.
‘‘Will he have enough years left to start over?’’ Kora whispered.
‘‘Maybe he’ll turn the ranch over to Wyatt,’’ Win answered.
‘‘How many men do you want to leave on guard?’’ Cheyenne asked.
‘‘It doesn’t matter. I have a feeling Randell Monroe will stop any trouble from reaching us.’’
‘‘So do I,’’ Kora added.
They left a half dozen men camped on the ridge and headed home. Kora wanted to ride double with Win, but he didn’t offer and she wasn’t about to ask. They were all exhausted. Kora and Jamie headed toward the settlement to pick up Logan while Win and Cheyenne rode with the men toward home.
As they crossed Win’s land, Jamie sat beside her sister in the wagon.
‘‘Cheyenne’s not speaking to me again,’’ she mumbled. ‘‘I swear, why’d he bother to save me if he’s not going to notice I’m alive? I hate him with every bone in my body.’’
Kora didn’t comment. She couldn’t force Cheyenne to like her sister. The man had a right to his own opinion.
‘‘Maybe Wyatt will come back,’’ Kora finally said, hoping to change the subject. ‘‘Win said he’d send a man south next spring to offer to help restock his herd.’’
‘‘I don’t care if his does.’’ Jamie pulled her skirts up above her knees. ‘‘Right now I don’t care about much of anything but a bath and a bed.’’
Jamie slapped the team into action. They circled by the settlement, picked up a grumpy Logan, and headed slowly home. When they reached the main house, no one was around, but there were signs that someone had been. The bunkhouse cook had put out a spread of food. He said Win had hit home issuing orders like someone special was coming to visit. He wanted a meal on the table and about a hundred other things done before Kora returned, then he up and disappeared riding toward town.
‘‘I wish he’d told me where he was going, or when to expect him back.’’ Kora knew her words sounded like a complaint, but she was too tired to remain silent.
‘‘What?’’ Jamie chimed. ‘‘And break a perfect record? I may stay around a while longer just to see you whip him into shape. He’s not overly friendly, but he does grow on a person. At least he’s brave and honest and never goes back on his word. But I’m not promising to stay long.’’
‘‘For a while then.’’ Kora smiled.
THIRTY-FOUR
KORA STEPPED INTO THE SUNNY WARMTH OF HER COLORFUL bedroom. After a night of trying to sleep in a wagon bed, the space looked like a slice of heaven. The quilts welcomed her as they shone in the sunlight. In the center of the room awaited a hip tub already filled with water. Her robe and a towel lay over the chair by her writing table.
Smiling with delight, she stripped off her dirty clothes and sank into the cool water.
‘‘He does care,’’ she whispered, knowing Win had set the bath up for her. Most of the time he might seem to think only of the ranch, but he had made several trips getting this ready for her.
After washing her body and hair, she barely had enough energy left to slip into her undergarments before she curled atop the quilt that covered their bed and fell asleep.
It was late afternoon when she felt someone touching her hand. Opening her eyes, she saw Win standing by the bed. He held one of her hands in both of his.
‘‘Hello,’’ she whispered, noticing his hair was still wet from being washed. ‘‘You look like my husband, but you can’t be. My husband smells like trail dust most of the time.’’
‘‘You look like my wife, but my wife would never be so lazy as to sleep during the day.’’ He lifted her hand. ‘‘But you must be her, because you’re wearing a wedding band that matches mine.’’
Kora leaned up suddenly and pulled her hand from his. Sure enough, on her left hand was a wide gold band that matched the shiny gold one on his finger.
‘‘You didn’t have to-’’ she started.
‘‘I know, it wasn’t part of the bargain.’’ He rolled into bed beside her. ‘‘But then neither was the way we make love.’’
He moved his fingers gently down her back and over the silk covering her hips. ‘‘Did you enjoy your bath?’’ His hand continued to stroke her.
She relaxed to his touch. ‘‘Yes,’’ she whispered as she stretched beside him, allowing him to move her arms and legs as he continued to touch her.
‘‘I wish I’d made it back in time to watch,’’ he mumbled between light kisses.
Gently he rolled her to face him, and moved her leg around his waist, pulling her close against him at the waist. Then he leaned her head back over pillows. For a long moment he watched her, then lightly he traced his fingers down her throat.
Kora closed her eyes as his hand slid over the silk of her camisole, touching her breasts, circling along her abdomen, and gently moving between her open legs.
‘‘You come to me so easy, Kora,’’ he whispered as he repeated the action. ‘‘You drive me mad with need.’’
She arched her back, pressing against him with her legs and straining the silk across her breasts.
He slid his hands up her thighs and pulled her tighter against him, fitting her to his need. Then he lowered his mouth and tasted her full breasts through the silk. As always, at first his hunger was rough, pulling against her tender flesh, demanding, starving.