“Yeah... and that’s precisely why you’ll go,” Cutter replied coolly, giving him a firm nod. “Because your granddaughter needs you.” The two faced each other in static silence.
Elias’ eyes narrowed. “You trying to tell me something, McKenzie?”
It stung Cutter to have to concede any weakness at all... but it was that... or lose Elizabeth and Katie out of stubborn pride. He couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t. And he was losing it fast. He nodded, wincing as he shifted his position slightly. Pain fired through his left leg, and he grunted as it burst into his hip. “Reckon I am,” he replied hoarsely. “If you go now, Elias, you can make it back before daybreak. You have my word that I won’t go after ‘em alone unless I have to.”
The indecision was as clear in Elias’ blue eyes as the torment was in Cutter’s.
“My word,” Cutter assured through his teeth. Sweat trickled down his temples. “And if they pull out, I’ll leave you a trail a blind man could follow.” Still Elias didn’t reply. “Whatever it takes, I won’t let them harm a hair on your granddaughter’s head.”
Elias cursed under his breath. “I know,” he relented, looking away briefly. There was a long stretch of silence, and then he said, “I know about the two of you... know you’re not married to her.”
“Sulzberger tell you that, too?” Cutter snarled.
Elias nodded, and Cutter scrutinized his features when he turned to face him finally, but there was no contempt there. None at all. He nodded back, conceding the fact.
“It don’t matter none to me,” Elias revealed, glancing again toward Katie and Elizabeth, and then back. “I can tell you love her. If you can give my granddaughter half as much... she’ll be one lucky girl. It ain’t up to me to judge ya, anyhow—not either of ya. You see... Miss Mimi and I...” He averted his gaze suddenly. “I’m gettin’ up in years now... and, well...”
“You don’t have to say it,” Cutter yielded. “I know.”
Elias nodded. “Yes, I do. You see... I want this time with Mimi. I spent too little time with my wife before she died. Too little time with my son. And I don’t aim to make that mistake again. I’ve loved Mimi a lot of years now... put off livin’ my life the way I saw fit to because... well, because I didn’t want to offend my son. He was real close to his mother... but John’s gone now, and I know you’ll make a real good father to Katie,” he continued, looking down at the ground beneath them. “Anyhow, just wanted you to know before I go.” He looked up abruptly, searching Cutter’s expression. “You do plan to marry the girl, don’t you?” he asked.
Cutter’s eyes narrowed slightly. He wanted to assure the old man that he would, if Elizabeth would have him, but pride wouldn’t let him. “That’s between myself and Elizabeth,” he said through clenched teeth. “Now... you’d best be going.”
Elias nodded slowly and began to shimmy down the branch. “Reckon I better,” he agreed with a weary sigh, “if I’m gonna get back before sunup…”
* * *
Almost from themoment Katie had opened her eyes, she’d begun to wail uncontrollably. And despite the fact that her mouth was jammed full with cloth, she continued to shriek, clinging frantically to Elizabeth’s neck in the darkness.
Biting her lip until it throbbed, Elizabeth prayed that Magnus and Colyer wouldn’t become angered again. On the other hand, she was certain Katie and her shrieking was the only thing keeping Colyer from abusing her. She hadn’t mistaken the look he’d given her before stalking off with Magnus.
Muttering about whores and screaming brats, all three of them had moved away from her, toward the warmth and light of the campfire, leaving herself and Katie only the cold, empty darkness.
Giving her fleeting looks of apology, O’Neill had bound her hands behind her back, and then her feet, tightly, so that she couldn’t escape. To be certain they were not actually cutting off her circulation, Magnus had inspected them afterward. They were rubbing her raw now, and she gave a desperate little laugh at the notion. Where had they expected her to flee? They were in the middle of nowhere, for mercy’s sake!
Because they’d been unable to pry Katie away from her, or even quiet her, they’d tied the poor child’s hands around Elizabeth’s neck. Her little legs were stretched around Elizabeth’s waist and bound as well, and then they’d shoved a dirty sock into her mouth, containing it with a filthy gray neckerchief around her face. It was so big that it covered most of Katie’s face, and Elizabeth had had to jerk it down with her teeth so that Katie could see anything at all.
How cruel could people be? Guilt gnawed at her as she acknowledged the fact that if it hadn’t been for her own determination to raise the child as her own, Katie wouldn’t be suffering at the moment.
Her teeth chattered, though not from the chill night air, but from the stark raw fear she felt for this innocent child. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she began to tremble as she rocked Katie, trying to calm her stifled sobbing.
‘‘Cutter,” she whispered, nuzzling her cheek against the velvety wetness of Katie’s tiny face. ‘‘Where are you?” Did he know what had happened to them? Dear Lord, what if he’d thought she’d left him deliberately?
No matter what Elizabeth did, what she said, nothing seemed to soothe Katie, and the muffled whimpers were beginning to shatter her own composure. God only knew, she understood Katie’s fear, understood her hysteria—she actually felt like screaming herself—but Katie’s panic made her feel a failure. What would Katherine have done? she asked herself mournfully.
Rocking back and forth, rubbing her cheek against Katie’s damp, silky curls, Elizabeth held back her own tears, knowing her own hysteria wasn’t likely to help Katie out of hers. “Katie,” she pleaded, her whisper broken. “Katie, sweetheart...” In spite of herself, a sob escaped, but she bit her lip, holding back the rest. “I won’t let them harm you, darling... I swear it—oh, Lord! What have I done?” She swallowed another sob before it could manage to escape her throat. “Katherine... oh, Katherine, I’m so sorry. Help me.”
Helpless to do anything but bring Katie down with her, she lay back wearily upon the grass, thinking of all the dreams she had begun to weave around the child nestled against her. Every one of them included Cutter.
After a moment longer, Katie’s tearful sobs finally turned into sleepy whimpers as she went limp with exhaustion. Fighting back her own fatigue, Elizabeth closed her eyes and drifted.
Her thoughts filtered back to the day she’d met Cutter. Hard to believe it had been such a short time ago; it seemed a lifetime had passed. So much had happened since then. So much had happened to her. She was different, regenerated, like a butterfly that had only just burst from its cocoon.
Arrogant and infuriating as the man was, he’d somehow squeezed himself into the heart she’d thought long dead. For so long she’d been careful not to let anyone—not anyone—into her life, because then she wouldn’t have to suffer the pain of their leaving.
With Cutter... the risk had seemed worth taking. It didn’t matter what he was. It never had, she realized in that moment. And if she ever got the chance again, she’d make him see that, too.
Dear God, she loved him!
