Read Online Peacemaker by Lindsay Buroker - Free Book Online Page A

Pinkerton fellow what really happened the next time he
wandered into her shop.
    “ There,” Cedar
whispered.
    With all the trees blocking the view, it
took a moment for Kali to figure out what he was pointing at. Then
she spotted it, the wood of the airship hull among the greens and
browns of the forest. From her vantage point, she couldn’t tell if
they’d crashed or if they’d managed to land it somehow.
    Clangs started up, someone hammering
metal.
    “ Can they fix that fan out
here?” Cedar whispered.
    “ Not unless they happen to
have a spare case and assembly. I guess that’s a possibility.
They’d know there aren’t any shops that supply airship parts up
here.”
    “ Are there anywhere?
Airships aren’t that common, even down south.”
    “ I’m ordering my parts
from a place in San Francisco, and I’ve heard New York has an
entire warehouse dedicated to aeronautic supplies.” Kali sighed
longingly, imagining what such a place might look like.
    “ Is that where you want to
go for your honeymoon?” Cedar asked.
    Kali twitched an eyebrow.
“I haven’t planned that trip yet. Lately, I haven’t even been able
to get a man to come back for a second date, despite what I thought was an
enjoyable evening at the dance hall, even if some stepping on toes
was involved.” She thought he’d enjoyed himself too. He’d laughed
and even tried to be witty, in his dry terse way. And she’d made it
clear she was available for additional evenings together when he
could break away from bounty hunting. The way he’d massaged her
shoulders earlier made her think he still had romantic inklings,
but why the scarcity if that was the case?
    “ Sometimes men get busy,”
Cedar said.
    “ I’ve noticed most people
are only busy for things they consider an onerous task.”
    “ Kali, it’s not like that.
It’s…” He looked away, not toward the camp or anything dangerous in
the area that could have claimed his focus. Just away.
    Kali swallowed. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter.
I’m not looking to get married any time soon. I want to see the
world and not be beholden to anyone or have a litter of hungry
young’uns dangling from my…uhm, self.” Even with the correction,
she blushed. She hadn’t known any proper ladies growing up, but she
had a feeling discussing teats with men was probably considered
uncouth in most circles.
    A hint of a smirk touched Cedar’s lips, but
he didn’t say anything.
    Kali cleared her throat and pointed to the
airship. “Should we get close or wait until dark to scout
about?”
    Cedar lifted his eyes toward the sky.
“That’s hours from now. This is a pesky time of year for stealthily
sneaking about.”
    “ Come in December. You can
sneak in the dark twenty-four hours a day then.”
    “ Yes, I caught the tail
end of winter. It’s also hard to be stealthy when your teeth are
chattering and your bal—bear cubs are hiding in their
dens.”
    “ I didn’t realize bear
cubs—” Kali snorted at his substitution; that was worse than her
fumble, “—played a role in one’s scouting abilities.
    “ A robust man is a man
confident in his skills.”
    Kali grinned. It was a silly conversation,
but it reminded her how much she appreciated having him around. A
lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed, trying to force it
down. They had more important things to focus on now.
    Cedar pointed at a man walking into the
woods and unbuttoning his fly. “I’m going to grab that one for
questioning,” he whispered.
    Kali barely managed a quick, “Be careful,”
before he slid out and took a circuitous route toward the
pirate.
    On her knees, Kali braced her Winchester on
the log, found the pirate, and put him in her sights in case he
gave Cedar trouble. She tried to keep an eye on the ship and the
camp as well, counting people when they walked into view. The trees
made it hard to get an estimate, but she guessed there were at
least twenty crew members. It would be hard to acquire the ship