him, casting long shafts of gold over him like a loving touch. She'd never seen his face in full daylight. It was softer and younger than she'd assumed. Pleasant lines were carved into the corners of his eyes and bracketed his chiseled mouth.
"Don't speak too soon," she couldn't help teasing. "You haven't entirely survived yet. There's more doctoring to do. And I'm prescribing bed rest. I'll be back with coffee, a pillow and something to eat. If you argue, I'll only make it worse for you."
"Lady, I'm good at arguing."
"So am I." She bounced away laughing, her skirts swirling around her.
She left him feeling like a man he used to know. Funny how he'd forgotten about that man. Painful to see a glimpse of him now.
"Hey, Mister Dakota." The boy, maybe twelve, trotted over from the grassy spot where he'd picketed the old bay gelding. "Is that really a bullet wound scar on your chest?"
"Yep, kid, it was from a bullet. And call me Dakota. Just Dakota."
"Yes, sir. I'm on horse duty. Kit and I are gonna start a ranch. See where we've already started putting up a fence?" Fred stopped to pluck a strand of grass and stuck it between his teeth. "Hey, I didn't see your horse in the barn. Where is he?"
"I don't have a horse."
" Everyone has a horse. Even we got two."
"I'm down on my luck, kid." His gaze drifted across the way to where Kit stood in front of the tent, where a campfire was smoking. She spoke to a younger girl, clearly her sister. Maybe she was fourteen. He looked away before the past could grab hold of him.
He really shouldn't stay here. He didn't see how he could leave.
Chapter Six
"It was two men and judging by the look of things, last night wasn't the first time they'd visited." Dakota took the time to show her the scuffle of tracks layered on top of tracks and worn into the chalky Montana earth. Knee prints, old splats of tobacco juice, and body impressions where the men had hunkered down on the crest of the hill, leaning on their elbows, stretched out with a perfect view of the yard below.
Kit shivered. How many times had she felt watched going to draw water or tending the horses? She had to sit down. The grass crackled around her as she sank into it, blinking against the bright sun that slipped beneath her Stetson's brim.
"How long do you think they've been watching us?" The words croaked out of her too-tight throat, making her sound like a frog.
"Hard to tell. When did the last rain go through here?"
"Ten days, maybe more."
He broke away, stared out at the open plains, the muscles in his jaw bunching. His long, lean shadow fell on the ground in front of her. "Whoever is keeping an eye on you wants something. Three kids staying here alone—"
"I'm not a kid." She'd be twenty next month.
"You may as well be. You don't have anyone to protect you."
"From Tannen?"
"He's a worry. But there are a lot of bad men in this world. Horse thieves, outlaws, murderers. The only thing men like that respect is a strong arm and a loaded Winchester."
"Part of me doesn't want to admit that this is serious. I want to stay in denial and pretend we can stick it out here. This is the best home we've had in a long time."
"Home? You're living out of a tent."
"But we had a cabin, and we could have that again. Maybe better. Mindy and I have plans for a new house." She plucked a daisy from the grasses. "I promised we would stay here. There would be no more wandering around. I can't break that promise."
"But this should scare you."
"It does." She looked out over their land, Chapman land, a sweeping stretch of green and amber prairie studded with wildflowers. She couldn’t see the end of it. It was a stroke of luck Pa had won this place. She wasn't leaving. Somehow she would have to stand up to the threat. "What do you think they want?"
"There are a few things. For one, that's a quality horse you ride."
"Blue's a purebred Arabian."
"And the finest horse I've seen in these parts. Secondly, there's this land. It's prime
"Don't speak too soon," she couldn't help teasing. "You haven't entirely survived yet. There's more doctoring to do. And I'm prescribing bed rest. I'll be back with coffee, a pillow and something to eat. If you argue, I'll only make it worse for you."
"Lady, I'm good at arguing."
"So am I." She bounced away laughing, her skirts swirling around her.
She left him feeling like a man he used to know. Funny how he'd forgotten about that man. Painful to see a glimpse of him now.
"Hey, Mister Dakota." The boy, maybe twelve, trotted over from the grassy spot where he'd picketed the old bay gelding. "Is that really a bullet wound scar on your chest?"
"Yep, kid, it was from a bullet. And call me Dakota. Just Dakota."
"Yes, sir. I'm on horse duty. Kit and I are gonna start a ranch. See where we've already started putting up a fence?" Fred stopped to pluck a strand of grass and stuck it between his teeth. "Hey, I didn't see your horse in the barn. Where is he?"
"I don't have a horse."
" Everyone has a horse. Even we got two."
"I'm down on my luck, kid." His gaze drifted across the way to where Kit stood in front of the tent, where a campfire was smoking. She spoke to a younger girl, clearly her sister. Maybe she was fourteen. He looked away before the past could grab hold of him.
He really shouldn't stay here. He didn't see how he could leave.
Chapter Six
"It was two men and judging by the look of things, last night wasn't the first time they'd visited." Dakota took the time to show her the scuffle of tracks layered on top of tracks and worn into the chalky Montana earth. Knee prints, old splats of tobacco juice, and body impressions where the men had hunkered down on the crest of the hill, leaning on their elbows, stretched out with a perfect view of the yard below.
Kit shivered. How many times had she felt watched going to draw water or tending the horses? She had to sit down. The grass crackled around her as she sank into it, blinking against the bright sun that slipped beneath her Stetson's brim.
"How long do you think they've been watching us?" The words croaked out of her too-tight throat, making her sound like a frog.
"Hard to tell. When did the last rain go through here?"
"Ten days, maybe more."
He broke away, stared out at the open plains, the muscles in his jaw bunching. His long, lean shadow fell on the ground in front of her. "Whoever is keeping an eye on you wants something. Three kids staying here alone—"
"I'm not a kid." She'd be twenty next month.
"You may as well be. You don't have anyone to protect you."
"From Tannen?"
"He's a worry. But there are a lot of bad men in this world. Horse thieves, outlaws, murderers. The only thing men like that respect is a strong arm and a loaded Winchester."
"Part of me doesn't want to admit that this is serious. I want to stay in denial and pretend we can stick it out here. This is the best home we've had in a long time."
"Home? You're living out of a tent."
"But we had a cabin, and we could have that again. Maybe better. Mindy and I have plans for a new house." She plucked a daisy from the grasses. "I promised we would stay here. There would be no more wandering around. I can't break that promise."
"But this should scare you."
"It does." She looked out over their land, Chapman land, a sweeping stretch of green and amber prairie studded with wildflowers. She couldn’t see the end of it. It was a stroke of luck Pa had won this place. She wasn't leaving. Somehow she would have to stand up to the threat. "What do you think they want?"
"There are a few things. For one, that's a quality horse you ride."
"Blue's a purebred Arabian."
"And the finest horse I've seen in these parts. Secondly, there's this land. It's prime
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