Page 17 of Cade’s Quest (The McIntyres #1)

Chapter Thirteen

T he late August afternoon had turned extremely warm as it tended to do in Texas, so Cade made Bear a pallet under a tree and soon the boy was snoozing. Bear had played in the shallow water for a good while then ate a meal of some pheasant eggs Cade fixed. The boy was tired.

In the silence, he wondered about Rain who was never far from his mind. He prayed she wouldn’t run into any problems.

Maybe he should’ve gone instead and run the risk of capture.

His conscience refused to listen to reason even now.

Some would say he was hiding behind a woman’s skirts.

Others would call him a fool. He called himself plenty of names, coward being one of them.

When would he ever get to work on the house?

He toyed with the idea of doing a few things at night.

It would be difficult to see but it seemed the only choice he had as long as trouble dogged him. In a couple of hours, it’d be dark.

Where are you, Rain?

A glimpse of something in the distance urged him to his feet. He shaded his eyes. If it was Rain, she was coming from the wrong direction. Maybe when the rider got closer, he could make them out. There was nothing to do but wait and how he hated that.

The sleeping boy drew his gaze. He should take him into the dugout. Picking up Bear ever so gently, Cade carried him inside. The boy sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“Go back to sleep, little one.” He patted the boy’s back, and he lay back down.

Fifteen minutes later, Cade looked again. The rider was still on course. But this time he noticed something alongside the horse. A dog? The rider was wearing what appeared to be a Mexican serape. It wasn’t Rain. But who?

Probably someone passing by.

He hurried into the dugout for his rifle and was met by Bear.

“Hey there. I’m just going to look out. You stay inside.”

But the kid only understood Comanche. He studied Cade intently with his dark eyes. Reaching into a pocket, Cade pulled out a wooden horse he’d whittled and gave it to Bear to play with. The boy didn’t seem to mind that it barely resembled a horse. He sat down to play.

“Your aunt will be back soon, and I’ll bet she has all kinds of things from town.”

Bear silently pointed in the direction Rain had ridden.

“I know. You miss her. She’ll be back in a little bit.” Hopefully. Despite that the boy couldn’t understand him, Cade kept talking. He needed something to fill the silence.

So, he talked about anything and everything he could think of. At least Bear hadn’t cried. He’d teared up when she left but nothing since. He was a sweet kid with big brown eyes and a lot of dark shaggy hair. Rain would have to cut it soon.

The rider was getting closer now and he could see that the animal walking alongside was a goat. His heart fell when he noticed the rider was a man. No Rain.

The rider was on a brown roan just like Buck. Had the man killed Rain and taken Buck? But why the goat? It didn’t make sense. If he killed Rain, why would he come here?

Steadily, the rider came. Now, he could see the bags tied to the pommel which made even less sense.

As the rider entered Cade’s domain, he pointed the rifle and barked, “Get down slow and easy, mister. Who are you?”

“Cade, stop it. It’s me. Rain.” She threw off the serape and dismounted.

“Rain? What happened to your dress? Why do you look like a man?” He lowered the rifle.

She removed the floppy hat, and her hair fell like a dark, satin waterfall. “Is this better?”

Bear came running and grabbed her legs. She picked him up. “You know me, don’t you?” She said something softly in her native tongue before turning to Cade. “I had to dress like this to keep Sheriff Jones from catching me. He tried and almost succeeded, but I ran, and Abigail offered me safety.”

The mention of Jones’s name sent shock waves through him. “Who is Abigail?”

“She owns the newspaper. I have much to tell you but let’s unload and get Matilda settled.”

“Hold on a minute. When you talk of having to escape from Jones, did you mean Luther Jones, the sheriff?” he asked, dreading the answer.

“The same.” She laid a soft hand on his arm. “Is he the one trying to pin that bank robbery on you?”

“Yes, but I’m curious how you know him.”

“He came to the school.” Rain told him about the young runaway who ended up dead.

After a moment’s silence, he spoke quietly, “The man is like a water moccasin. It slithers silently into the water, then sinks its fangs in you.”

“That’s him.”

“I’m glad you got away.” Now, if he could just keep her safe. Something to ponder later. He turned to the bags tied to Buck, astounded at all she’d brought back.

“Cade, I never managed to get your note to Maxwell. I’m sorry I failed.”

“No.” He laid a hand on her shoulder and wonder of wonders she didn’t pull away. “It’s okay. Really. I knew it was a longshot.” He motioned toward Buck. “You made quite a haul. But why were you coming from the west when town is east of us?”

Bear clamored to get down, so she set him on the ground. “Wanted to confuse anyone in case they tried to follow. I rode in one direction a while then rode in another. It took longer but we should be safe here.” She tied the goat to a mesquite tree. Matilda raised holy hell.

“That makes good sense. Did anyone ever tell you that you’re smart?” He shot her a grin.

“Not in a long time. Be careful with the eggs in the saddlebags. I hope none are broken.”

“We’ll soon see.” He treated the eggs with kid gloves and deposited them inside the shelter.

She brought in the last of the purchases. “I have something to show you.” She retrieved the wanted poster and handed it to him.

Cade stared at his name and the rough drawing. “It was bound to happen. Jones is chomping at the bit to hang me.”

“But you didn’t do it,” she reminded softly.

“He doesn’t care. The man just wants to make someone pay for the robbery and for making him look like a fool.” Cade pinched the bridge of his nose. He wished he could turn back time, and instead of sneaking into the posse, stay at Summer’s. But then, he wouldn’t have seen Jess.

Cade wouldn’t have missed that for all the tea in China.

She muttered a Comanche word. “There’s something else.” Rain handed him a newspaper. “Read this.”

“The Alonzo Dakota Gang strikes again.” He silently read the article that never mentioned Jess at all.

Unless he’d taken an assumed name which was possible.

The gang seemed to be gaining strength. He glanced at the date of the paper.

A week ago. The town of Quanah they hit was a day and a half ride from Eagle Flat.

The bank at Eagle Flat must’ve been first then the gang had ridden on to Quanah and got that one.

The paper said they got away with five thousand dollars. That would catch the lawmen’s notice.

After several long minutes, he folded the paper. “You came back just brimming with news. Tell me how it went.”

“Except for Jones, my trip was good. The owner of the mercantile was nice and I didn’t get spat on or called any names.”

Cade frowned. Was it a regular thing to be spat on? “Mr. Jameson, the owner of the mercantile, knew my family well and we count him as a friend. I’m glad he was nice.”

“I was astounded at the variety of things he stocks. He has a very fine store. Oh, and I hid Buck behind the church because of your saddle. The wrong eyes seeing that wouldn’t have been good. But then, Jones saw me and grabbed my dress.”

“That man is poison and uses his power to destroy. How did you get free?”

“I pushed him with all the strength I had and ran as hard as I could. Abigail opened her door at the newspaper office and pulled me inside. She is the kindest white woman I’ve seen in a long time.”

“I’m glad. I have yet to meet her. She must’ve arrived while I was living with Tom Abernathy.”

She opened a burlap bag and took out a carrot, handing it to Bear. The boy took a bite and grinned. “Abigail was really kind. We had tea and she asked me about the English school. She’s going to write an article about it for her paper. She’s fearless.”

“Sounds like someone I’d like to meet.”

“Her father is a senator or something and I think that means he has some power. She said Jones wouldn’t bother her because he’s afraid of her father.”

“Must be nice to have family in high places.” That sure would come in handy about now.

The shadows inside the dugout lengthened.

“I should go hunt some game for supper. While I do that, why don’t you cook some of these vegetables,” he said.

“Do you have a pot?”

“Only the skillet. Maybe you can cook them in that. How did you prepare them when you were in your village?”

“During good times, we had an earth oven and roasted them slowly in that. We also made bread that way. When we had to leave our oven behind, we laid flat rocks on top of the fire and spread the vegetables on that to cook.” Her eyes took on a faraway look.

“Sometimes, we dug a pit, lined it with a buffalo stomach, and put water in it. That was my favorite way.”

“Well, since we have none of that, try the skillet. That’ll work fine.” Cade glanced around. “Where’s Bear? He was here a minute ago.”

“Probably out with the goat.”

They went outside and sure enough Bear was feeding the carrot to Matilda. The boy glanced up and said something in Comanche then grinned wide. Happiness was written all over his face.

“You were right.” He held his rifle pointed at the ground. “I won’t be long.”

“When you get back, I’ll have Matilda milked and the vegetables cooked. But first, I’m changing clothes.” She wrinkled her pert little nose and turned, her hair swinging to and fro. “I don’t care for the English clothing. It’s not as soft as my own.”

Rain didn’t know how achingly adorable she was in her quiet, very feminine way. His gaze followed her inside, regretting the loss of the trousers that hugged her shapely legs and slimmed her waist. She was so beautiful. Not that it did him any good. She was only a friend, he reminded himself.

Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her. He’d kissed a few women, but he was particular. Rain appeared to have everything he wanted. She was intelligent, caring, a wonderful mother to Bear, not to mention beautiful.

Dragging his attention to the hunt, he tracked a prairie chicken, following its clucking sound.

The bird hopped into a juniper bush. Cade waited patiently until it emerged.

As it took flight and lifted into the air, he shot and the bird plummeted to the ground.

Collecting the dead fowl, he noticed how plump it was. His mouth watered.

By the time he made it back to the dugout, the sun had slid lower on the horizon. He had to get the chicken cleaned and plucked before darkness covered them.

Rain emerged from the dugout. “There are no small portions tonight.”

He chuckled. “Everyone will get their fill.” He noticed she’d changed back into her deerskin clothes. The urge to take her into his arms left him shaken. He’d never met a woman like her, and it was a powerful emotion. He cleared his throat. “How are the vegetables coming?”

“They’re cooking.” She moved closer. “Cade, tell me why Luther Jones would think you robbed that bank? I just want to understand.”

He wiped his hands and removed the knife from the sheath at his waist and began to cut the chicken up. Rain collected a few pieces of mesquite and proceeded to make a fire. “It’s natural to be curious. But let’s wait until after we get this meal cooked. I’m hungry enough to eat a bull.”

They ate and afterward, Rain brought Bear outside in the night air to play with Matilda while they talked. She sat close to him, their shoulders almost touching. The moon had risen and illuminated the land. Cade filled his lungs with the night air, thankful to be alive and free.

“Now, you promised to tell me about your relationship with Sheriff Jones,” Rain gently prodded.

“I definitely wouldn’t call it a relationship. The man has a vendetta against me.”

The air teemed with sounds of night creatures as Cade began.

He told her about the raid that left them orphans then hearing that Jess was a wanted man.

He proceeded to tell her about the camp where his life collided with George and his sons.

Finding Summer. Finally, he told her about the posse, seeing Jess on the rise, then finding the bank robbed when he got back to town.

“So, Jones is convinced my wave at Jess was a sign of some sort. It’s crazy.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Now, he’s stalking me and brought men in to hunt me down.” He met her gaze. “Rain, I don’t know if I’ll get out of this alive.”

She reached for his hand, her skin smooth and supple. “I know the depths Jones will go to. He cares nothing about taking a life. But you can’t hide forever,” she said softly. “Have you thought about running or trying to join your brother?”

“That won’t help me find my siblings and fix up the place. I want to put down roots and have family close.”

She turned his hand over. “It wouldn’t have to be for forever.”

The fire over which he’d cooked the chicken gave off a bright glow from the embers, brushing her features like a soft caress and shadowing the pain of something in her eyes.

Cade met her dark gaze and drowned in its depths. “Someone once told me that if you run from something, it’ll just follow you.”

Rain glanced down and toyed with her sleeve. “I lied.”

At first he wasn’t sure he’d heard her, she’d said it so low. Lied?

“That’s a strong statement.” Cade tossed a little twig into the live embers. “Care to enlighten me?”

“I haven’t been truthful about the school. I ran away and that’s why Luther Jones is after me too.”

There it was. They were both being hunted.

“I see.” He tossed another twig into the embers. “It’s best to know where we stand. No, I won’t run and whatever my brother Jess is involved in is no solution either.”

But what he wouldn’t give for some sage advice about his predicament. He felt he was swimming in an ocean with no land in sight.