“Course I’m sure,” Elias countered. “Damn you people! Was I informed back then that McKenzie was any army deserter? Hell no! Damn me, too, for not looking into it further! Christ—don’t give a hoot about the half-breed part, but that’s all you people bothered to reply about!” He waved the paper up at Magnus in outrage.
Magnus nosed his mount closer to the old man and woman, snatching the document from Elias’ hand. “Now, now,” he said, his tone patronizing. He leaned forward in the saddle with intimidating slowness. “Don’t reckon you ought to be takin’ that tone with me, Mr. Bass. We came as quick as we were able.” He glanced back at his men, then again to Elias. “You’re the ones who trusted that roughneck savage with your grandkid,” he took great pleasure in reminding them. “Not us.” His lip curled suddenly. “And if you already knew that much about ‘im, Mr. Bass, then you should’ve considered yourself forewarned. Breeds are breeds are breeds. They ain’t no different from the full-blooded bucks! Every one of them savages’ll lift your scalp in the blink of an eye.”
The veins in Elias’ temple stood out as he shook his head in rebuttal. “No, sir, Lieutenant Sulzberger,” Elias countered, “I’ve known my share of half-breeds, and that just ain’t true. But it doesn’t matter—that’s my granddaughter we’re talking about. If what you say about McKenzie is the truth, then instead of sitting here jawing, you ought to be out there searching for her.”
Magnus’ eyes glittered with open contempt now. “Yes, sir, Mr. Bass,” he agreed. “We should be. I reckon that’s why you ought to be tellin’ us where they’re headed.”
Miss Mimi started to sob in earnest. “Elias,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. “We can’t risk leaving Katie with them.”
Elias gave her a look of intense frustration before glancing back to the lieutenant. He considered himself a good judge of character, and the picture Sulzberger was painting just didn’t ring true. Still, he couldn’t take chances, couldn’t risk his granddaughter. And the man did have his papers—from General Sully, no less. He eyed the document with revulsion. He’d just never figured Cutter McKenzie for a deserter—or, for that matter, Elizabeth for a liar. “Sioux Falls,” he snapped out. “But I’m coming with you! Just let me go in and get my gun.”
Ignoring his declaration, Magnus surged upward. Standing in his stirrups, he waved his men ahead with an eagerness that sent a chill down Elias’ spine. “You heard ‘im, boys! Burn the breeze! Fulton City—in case they decided to take the Gulf. And you, sir,” he barked, his head snapping back to Elias, “aren’t going anywhere.” His eyes were intimidating in their brilliance. “This is army business, sir, and you’ll just stay put.” He tipped his hat in a mock gesture of respect. “We’ll get back to you real soon.” Having imparted that, he slammed himself down into his saddle, driving the full force of his brass heels into his mount’s belly.
His expression screwing with suspicion, Elias watched the lieutenant sprint after and catch up to his men. All three suddenly threw victorious punches into the air, and then one of them, the one called Colyer, unsheathed a rifle and held it high, discharging it once while the others whooped.
“Mimi,” he said ominously as he continued to watch, “something ain’t right here.” And there wasn’t. All three seemed to take an unnatural enthusiasm in their appointed task. He turned toward the house, springing into a run, intending to get his rifle. “I’m going after ‘em,” he called out. “Either way, Katie’s gonna need me.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Distracted by the unusually thick crowd milling around the platform, Elizabeth looked around her and reasoned that the throng awaiting to board the train might be a result of the recent end to the war. The station was teeming with Union soldiers who were evidently still trying to get home. A small group of uniformed men caught her eye, as she noticed them laughing at something farther down the track. Following their gazes, Elizabeth spotted a plump man, red in the face, trying desperately to shove his cow into one of the compartments. She smiled and then, turning her attention to Cutter who stood beside her, she found him watching her intently.
Feeling like a ninny, Elizabeth stood, her fingers intertwined with Katie’s as she and Cutter simply stared at each other. Strange that, after being together almost every waking moment, this brief separation felt like good-bye.
But it wasn’t, she reminded herself.
“So... we’ll see you on the train?” she said, more for her own benefit than for Katie’s. A faint light twinkled in the depths of Cutter’s black eyes, as though he knew her thoughts. Flustered by it, she averted her gaze, glancing down at Katie.
As though by cue, Cocoa nickered impatiently, saving Elizabeth from an embarrassing moment.
Cutter chuckled at her look of relief, glancing over his shoulder at the querulous Cayuse. “Keep your shirt on, Brownie,” he muttered.
Katie burst into giggles at his ridiculous remark, and Elizabeth gave him a narrow-eyed look. He was teasing her, she realized—affectionately, not maliciously—and she found herself smiling against her will. “Cocoa,” she corrected. Amazing, she thought, how that causal wit of his had once annoyed her so much, because now she found she enjoyed the sparring immensely—though she’d never actually admit it.
“If you say so,” Cutter allowed, reaching down to catch Katie beneath the chin. “Think you can take care of your aunt till I get back?” he asked her with a wink.
Katie rubbed at her eyes tiredly. “Oh, yes!” she assured him.
“That a girl.” He shook her head gently, releasing it as his gaze reverted to Elizabeth. “I’ll be aboard as soon as I get the animals settled in,” he told her, sweeping his hat from his head and swiping his arm across his sweat-dampened forehead. But having said that, he stood, turning the hat in his hands.
Elizabeth nodded but didn’t move, unable to tear her gaze away. At their feet, Shiftless began to yap impatiently, and Katie immediately shook her hand loose from Elizabeth’s, bending to give him a pat. “Don’ worry, Shifless... don’ worry,” she crooned. “Uncle Cutter will take care of you! Right, Uncle Cutter?”
Reluctantly wrenching his gaze away, Cutter looked down in time to see Katie grin up at him, and the wink she gave him was priceless—the longest, most innocent, wink he’d ever been the recipient of. Charmed by it, he stooped to pat Shiftless’ head right along with Katie. “That’s right,” he told her. Glancing up at Elizabeth, he passed on the wink, feeling more lighthearted than he’d felt in a lifetime. The answering look in her eyes made both his heart turn over, and his body tighten at once. Grimacing, he switched the weight to his right foot, and giving the dog a last pat, he rose to face her.
Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “Cutter? Are you all right?”
“Fine,” he told her with a tight smile. She looked at him a little doubtfully, prompting him to add softly, “Never better.” And it was the truth; things had gone so smoothly, so well, that he’d not wanted to spoil it by getting sick on her. The last few days had given him more pleasure than he’d ever thought possible. Reaching out, he smoothed a tendril of hair from her face, his expression softening.
For Elizabeth, every sound seemed to fade away in that moment as Cutter’s dark eyes held hers—all sound except for the pounding of her heart. Somehow, as they held each other’s gazes... somehow, without a word being spoken between them... she knew. There would be no more good-byes between them. Not ever. It was time to let go of her fears.
“Cutter,” she began, and then losing her nerve, she bit into her lower lip, glancing away. Cutter’s fingers gripped her waist in that moment, lightly, so very lightly that her heart jolted at the feel of it. Elizabeth was unable to bear the incredible intimacy of his touch; her eyes fluttered closed and she stood there, her knees going weak, as the world vanished.
They could have been alone, in that instant, or not. It wouldn’t have mattered.
Without warning, Cutter swung her into the circle of his embrace, his hat at her back, and bent his head slowly, twisting to fit his mouth over hers. Her heart somersaulted as his lips descended, brushing tenderly over her own, the sensation too heady to bear. Helpless to contain it, she moaned at the velvety caress of his tongue, her heart leaping into her throat as the kiss deepened, reaching clear into her soul.
Suspending time.
With a reluctant groan, Cutter wrested his mouth free. Resisting the urge to sweep her up and carry her away to some secluded spot, he rested his forehead against the top of her head. “Elizabeth,” he whispered hoarsely. “You make me lose control, gal.” Gripping the back of her neck, he bent to taste her lips once more, closing his eyes, as though drugged by the scent and taste of her. His breath hissing through his teeth, he placed tiny kisses upon her chin, her neck, nibbled her ear...
