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Authors: Cassandra Austin
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hand to her heart. “The prairie is my home.”
“Very poetic, but it doesn’t answer my question.” There was the barest sparkle of humor in his eyes when he glanced toward her.
“I’ve lived in forts all over the West. Wherever my father is, is home. I don’t know why I didn’t explain that at the time, unless I was distracted.”
He missed her wide-eyed, innocent expression entirelyby refusing to look at her. She rode in cheerful silence until they made camp at what Whiting called Spring Creek.
After Rebecca had fed and watered the gray gelding and picketed him with the cavalry horses, she made her way to the ambulance. Evening was coming on quickly, and there was a definite smell of rain in the air. The campsite was set up but empty. “Aunt Belle,” she called. “Alicia?”
“They went down to the creek to wash.”
She spun around to find Victor Brooks standing directly behind her.
“I was hoping you would turn up before they got back,” he said. “I missed you this afternoon.”
“That’s sweet of you,” she said. She walked around the camp pretending to study its layout as a way of moving away from him. It didn’t work; he soon intercepted her.
“I can be sweeter still,” he murmured.
“Mr. Brooks,” she said, choosing now to stand her ground. “I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake.”
“Is that so?” He stopped too close to her. He was taller than she had noticed, broader. The tension in his posture, the sharpness of the softly spoken words, even his smell seemed threatening. Alcohol, she realized.
“Yes, it’s so,” she said firmly. “I’ve given you no reason to expect…”
He touched her cheek lightly. She drew back and watched his brows come together in a scowl. “You gave me every reason to expect plenty. All your bright smiles.” His voice lowered as he added, “Your whispers.”
He leaned in for a kiss, and she stepped away. “No,” she said again, crossing her arms in front of her. “I intended to be friendly. That’s all.”
“You know that’s not all you intended. We ain’t got time for you to play coy. The others’ll be back any minute.” He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her roughly toward him.
Rebecca jerked her hands upward, intending to push him away. One curled fist caught him on the chin. He swore and shoved her away. She staggered but caught her balance, eyeing him warily as he tested his tongue for blood.
“You tease!” he croaked. “Ain’t I good enough no more? Since you got a horse now, you got your eye on a officer like Dixie Boy? Well, don’t worry, lady, I understand completely.”
He turned on his heel and stalked toward his messmates’ fire. Rebecca let out a deep breath. Had he really interpreted her friendly smiles as flirting? Perhaps he had seen what he wanted to see. She sank into one of the folding chairs. Could flirting have become second nature to her until she did it without realizing it?
A few minutes later her aunt and cousin returned.They were both in the dresses they had worn at noon. “Don’t say anything,” Aunt Belle said, marching past her. “I will not believe that there are Indians lurking about in this weather.” She climbed into the ambulance and let the canvas drop back into place.
Alicia came to sit beside Rebecca. “I thought it would be all right,” she said. “I didn’t tell her what you said about the lieutenant’s bluff.”
“I suppose it would be cruel to insist that she wear the pants,” Rebecca conceded, trying not to smile. “When I hit on the idea, I didn’t realize she would look on them as torture.”
“Yes, you did,” Alicia said.
Rebecca tried to look hurt. “I know,” she said, brightening. “I’ll ask the lieutenant if he thinks there are Indians watching us yet. If he says no, we can tell your mother it’s safe to wear dresses for a day or so. Perhaps she would roll up the canvas or even ride with the driver part of the day. That would give you some relief as
“Very poetic, but it doesn’t answer my question.” There was the barest sparkle of humor in his eyes when he glanced toward her.
“I’ve lived in forts all over the West. Wherever my father is, is home. I don’t know why I didn’t explain that at the time, unless I was distracted.”
He missed her wide-eyed, innocent expression entirelyby refusing to look at her. She rode in cheerful silence until they made camp at what Whiting called Spring Creek.
After Rebecca had fed and watered the gray gelding and picketed him with the cavalry horses, she made her way to the ambulance. Evening was coming on quickly, and there was a definite smell of rain in the air. The campsite was set up but empty. “Aunt Belle,” she called. “Alicia?”
“They went down to the creek to wash.”
She spun around to find Victor Brooks standing directly behind her.
“I was hoping you would turn up before they got back,” he said. “I missed you this afternoon.”
“That’s sweet of you,” she said. She walked around the camp pretending to study its layout as a way of moving away from him. It didn’t work; he soon intercepted her.
“I can be sweeter still,” he murmured.
“Mr. Brooks,” she said, choosing now to stand her ground. “I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake.”
“Is that so?” He stopped too close to her. He was taller than she had noticed, broader. The tension in his posture, the sharpness of the softly spoken words, even his smell seemed threatening. Alcohol, she realized.
“Yes, it’s so,” she said firmly. “I’ve given you no reason to expect…”
He touched her cheek lightly. She drew back and watched his brows come together in a scowl. “You gave me every reason to expect plenty. All your bright smiles.” His voice lowered as he added, “Your whispers.”
He leaned in for a kiss, and she stepped away. “No,” she said again, crossing her arms in front of her. “I intended to be friendly. That’s all.”
“You know that’s not all you intended. We ain’t got time for you to play coy. The others’ll be back any minute.” He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her roughly toward him.
Rebecca jerked her hands upward, intending to push him away. One curled fist caught him on the chin. He swore and shoved her away. She staggered but caught her balance, eyeing him warily as he tested his tongue for blood.
“You tease!” he croaked. “Ain’t I good enough no more? Since you got a horse now, you got your eye on a officer like Dixie Boy? Well, don’t worry, lady, I understand completely.”
He turned on his heel and stalked toward his messmates’ fire. Rebecca let out a deep breath. Had he really interpreted her friendly smiles as flirting? Perhaps he had seen what he wanted to see. She sank into one of the folding chairs. Could flirting have become second nature to her until she did it without realizing it?
A few minutes later her aunt and cousin returned.They were both in the dresses they had worn at noon. “Don’t say anything,” Aunt Belle said, marching past her. “I will not believe that there are Indians lurking about in this weather.” She climbed into the ambulance and let the canvas drop back into place.
Alicia came to sit beside Rebecca. “I thought it would be all right,” she said. “I didn’t tell her what you said about the lieutenant’s bluff.”
“I suppose it would be cruel to insist that she wear the pants,” Rebecca conceded, trying not to smile. “When I hit on the idea, I didn’t realize she would look on them as torture.”
“Yes, you did,” Alicia said.
Rebecca tried to look hurt. “I know,” she said, brightening. “I’ll ask the lieutenant if he thinks there are Indians watching us yet. If he says no, we can tell your mother it’s safe to wear dresses for a day or so. Perhaps she would roll up the canvas or even ride with the driver part of the day. That would give you some relief as
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