When Kat's Away [Sequel to Anna Doubles Down] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (10 page)

Kat nodded and moved to crouch down next to him. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. You can just take it easy. It’s gonna take you some time to get to feeling like yourself. Mom said it was months before she felt right after her trip through the red circle.” He gazed into her eyes and smiled. “You just relax, honey. I’m gonna go get the supplies out of the wagon and another load of wood.” He nodded toward the pile of logs. “With what we have here, another load should do it.”

David hurried out and grabbed the emergency supplies out of the wagon then tossed them inside the cabin. He turned and ran down the trail and grabbed another armload of logs. “Yeah, this’ll be enough to last till morning.” As he turned toward the cabin, the rain started coming down in a heavy downpour. “Damn, it’ll be good to get out of these wet clothes.”

When he walked into the cabin, Kat was busy laying out the supplies. She’d set the coffeepot and a small pan next to the fire, and she was rummaging around in the bundle. “What are you looking for?”

“I can’t find a can opener. How am I supposed to heat up the beans?”

“Don’t worry, honey. I’ll have us something to eat before you know it.” He pulled out his pocketknife and pried open the can then dumped the beans into the pan. “I’m gonna set this on these flat rocks near the fire. That should generate enough heat to take care of the beans.” He picked up the coffeepot. “If I remember correctly, there’s a water pump out back. I’ll be right back.”

He hurried out back and found the pump. After priming it a half dozen times, a steady stream of water allowed him to fill the pot. He took it back inside and measured out a hearty amount of coffee. He set the pot on the hearth. Grabbing a spoon from the table, he stirred the dark, brown beans.

He looked up at Kat and saw her watching him with a sort of awe on her face. “What’s wrong?”

She grinned. “Nothing. I’m just so impressed with how confident you are in everything you do. You’re like my own personal wilderness guide.”

David frowned, trying to remember if he’d ever heard that term before.

She laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.” His gaze turned toward the fire. “I could never survive here on my own. I was born and raised in the city, and I never learned any skills that would be useful here.”

“I don’t believe that. Fate sent you here, so it must be pretty damn sure you would fit in. Hell, my own mother came from the same place as you and she fits in just fine.” He stirred the beans as they started to steam. “She didn’t know anything about our time except what she’d read in that book you gave her, but she jumped in and made a good life for herself, and I know you can too.”

She glanced over at Win. “How did the two of you get together?”

“We told you. My mom delivered him when he was born.”

“No, I’m asking how you came to be lovers.”

“Oh, well, that’s another story.” He smiled. “We grew up watching Daddy Beau and Daddy Zeke over the years. They never tried to hide their relationship from us.” Sighing, he stirred the beans again. “They were so happy, and so very much in love with each other, all three of them. Win and I always felt a closeness, and as we got older it just seemed natural to be together in all ways.” He pulled the beans farther from the heat, giving them a final stir. “Don’t get me wrong, Kat. We both love women, and we firmly plan on having a marriage someday, just like Mom’s.” He looked over to where Win slept on the blanket. “It’s been hard because there’s still so much prejudice against the Indians, even though there’s been no trouble in these parts for a long time.”

“What happened to Win’s parents?”

David lowered his voice. “They were massacred, along with several of their tribe, some years back.”

“By whites?”

“Daddy Beau said it was made to look like other Indians did it. They left some arrows, a few tomahawks, and things like that.” He shook his head. “But, Dad said it was too phony, and looked too staged to be the Indians. He’s always believed that white men did the killing and wanted folks to think Indians did it. Running Bear and Moon Dancer had decided not to live on the reservation. They knew they were taking a chance, but they had friends here and thought it would be all right as long as they didn’t cause any trouble. They were practically farming on a piece of land a couple of hours to the south of here. Three other families elected to join them so they had a little village there. Mom said they never hurt anybody. They’d come to town once a month to trade the beads they made, along with buffalo robes from time to time, and nobody ever said a thing.”

“Then what happened?”

“Then, one day Win showed up at the back door of the Silver Rush. He was around eight years old, and all alone. He was wearing bloodstained buckskins and carrying a bloody knife. My dads took him in but couldn’t get him to say what had happened. They left him here with Mom and rode to the village to see what was wrong.” David stared down at his hands. “There wasn’t anything they could do. Daddy Beau said they buried them in one big grave and came back home.”

“The sheriff didn’t find out who’d do such a thing?”

“No, they never told him.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because the white man would not waste time looking for anyone who had exterminated an Indian village.” Win leaned up on his elbow. “They would consider it a blessing and not give it another thought.”

“I can’t believe that. Nobody is that heartless.”

David picked up the coffeepot. “There was another reason they didn’t tell anybody.”

Win nodded. “Yes, I know.”

Kat looked back and forth between the men. “Well, what was it?”

David winced and waited to see if Win would say anything.

Win sat up, groaning. “David already told you. I showed up with my clothes covered in blood that was not mine and a bloody knife in my possession. I think they were afraid the sheriff would think I had done the killing myself.”

Kat looked at David and raised her brow.

David shrugged. “Yes, I’m sorry to say he’s right. They were afraid they would take Win away, so they kept quiet about everything. They told folks he was an orphan they were adopting, and nobody around here said anything.”

Win snorted. “The only time anyone ever has any trouble with me is when we have to go to Treasure City.”

Kat moved closer to sit beside him. “Why do they hate you so much?”

David pulled out plates and cups from the emergency bundle. “They don’t hate Win. They just hate Indians in general.”

Win sighed. “I guess you can’t blame them. Many whites lost their lives to my people many years ago. My father told stories of the white men invading our land. My grandfather welcomed them when they first came, but his welcome did not last long. They came with their guns and their unrelenting hatred for my people. They had no respect for the land or the Great Spirit’s gifts. Everywhere they settled they destroyed. When they began taking our women and children, my people fought back in the only way they knew how. I think they always knew it was a fight they could not win, but still they fought to hang on to their homes.”

“Do you still have family alive?”

He shook his head. “There may be distant relatives on the reservation, but I have not spoken to my family in over twenty summers. They did not come for me when my family was killed.”

“Do you ever visit the reservation?”

“No, Beau believes that if I show up there, I would not be allowed to leave. They would consider me a renegade and possibly lock me up to make sure I stayed. It is not something I’m willing to risk.”

David could see the pain in his lover’s eyes and wanted to take his mind off of the past. “Okay, guys,” David said. “Who’s up for some dinner?” He slapped a brown mass on a tin plate and handed it to Kat. “Your beans, my lady.”

She took the plate and giggled. “Thank you, kind sir.”

He handed her a fork and then filled another plate to share with Win. Grabbing the pot, he poured the fragrant coffee in two tin cups and then sat down next to Win. He handed him the plate, letting his fingers slide over Win’s cold hand.

“Everybody eat up. We’ll get an early start tomorrow.” David took a sip of the coffee. “Kat, don’t worry about clothes. We can get you a couple of things from our own mercantile and order the rest from her catalogs. It’ll take a few weeks to get here, but you can borrow from Eva and Mom until they come. I don’t think we should make any more trips to Treasure City unless it’s some kind of emergency.”

Win picked up the fork. “I agree. It wasn’t just those men today. I felt like we were being watched all day. I think we should stick close to home until we figure out what’s getting people all stirred up.”

Kat looked over at the fire. “What am I gonna do?”

David placed his hand on her arm. “You’re gonna figure out what makes you happy, and then you’re gonna make a life for yourself here.” He moved closer and put his arm around her shoulder. “Fate sent you to us, Kat. Now you have to trust that we can make you happy.”

The crash of thunder had Kat scurrying into David’s embrace. She looked up just as his lips came down, their tongues twining together. Lightning illuminated the corners of the room as his own desire raged. He wanted her back at the saloon, lying firmly between him and Win.

Kat pulled away, her hand firmly against David’s chest. “This isn’t the time or place for this. There’s too much to consider and I need some time to think.”

Win laid his hand on her knee. “Trust in what David says, Kat. We’ll help you find your way. You belong with us. Before you know it, you’ll feel as if you’ve lived here your whole life.”

* * * *

Kat looked down at herself and groaned. She was miserable, dressed in the feminine frills of the era. “I can’t believe I let Anna talk me into wearing all this crap.” She slid a hand up her skirt and scratched the back of her leg. “‘You’ll look great, Kat. They’ll respect you more as a teacher, Kat.’” She snorted and moved to the teacher’s desk. “How can anybody respect somebody whose drawstring drawers itch?” Her only consolation had been refusing to wear the corset. She might jiggle in her clothes, but there was no way she’d let them tie her into some type of torture device.

She squealed and jabbed her broom toward the corner when a squirrel raced toward the door. “I’m never gonna get used to the primitive living conditions here.”

It had been over a week since the ill-fated trip to Treasure City. She hadn’t had to order clothing from a catalogue. Anna had been incensed at the treatment Win had received and had insisted Beau and Zeke take her there immediately so she could have words with the sheriff. She’d purchased a wide variety of clothes in Kat’s size while she was there.

“You don’t look very happy, Kat.” Eva walked in, trying to hide her smile behind her hand. “What’s wrong?” She was a little over five and a half feet tall. Her strawberry-blonde hair cascaded down her back, reflecting the sunlight filtering through the freshly washed schoolhouse windows. Her smile brought out the dimple in her right cheek, a copy of the one in Zeke’s right cheek.

Kat sighed. “Nothing’s wrong. Cleaning is just not really my thing.”

“Mom says you were a schoolteacher in the time after us.”

“That’s true, but where I come from teachers don’t have to shoo critters out of their classrooms with the end of a straw broom.”

Eva’s gaze wandered around the room. “Well, the place is looking great.”

“I guess. I never in my life thought I’d be scrubbing windows with vinegar, but it seemed to do the trick. You can actually see details through the glass now.”

The young girl snickered. “Tell me about your time.”

Kat frowned and looked out the window. “It’s getting late. Shouldn’t you be at the Silver Rush working on the dinner menu?”

Eva cooked for the guests that stayed at the Silver Rush. Kat had been sampling her cooking all week and was quite surprised at how well the girl could cook.

“No, they don’t have any boarders but you right now. David said they could handle it until they had more people show up.”

“Why don’t you ask your mom to tell you about our time?”

Eva groaned. “I have, believe me. She’s told me everything she can remember. I just want to see how your memories differ.”

Kat leaned the broom in the corner and squeezed into one of the student’s seats. The top had been desecrated with carvings of initials. “Well, what do you want to know?”

“How free are the women in your time? I mean, can they come and go as they please? Work at whatever they want? Can they own property and decide for themselves who they want to marry? Or, can they just decide not to marry at all?”

“I’m not sure Anna would want me filling your head with stories about the future.”

“Come on, Kat. She won’t mind, I promise.”

“Well, it’s very different in the future. Women are equal to men in every way. You can hold any job that a man can and make the same amount of money doing it. You don’t have to marry if you don’t want to. In fact, many women live with men without ever marrying them.” She ran her fingers through her hair where it had come loose from her braid. “I guess you could say I was free to do what I wanted. I had to work to support myself. You already know that I’m a teacher. Schools are different there. I only taught students in the sixth grade. It wasn’t like here, where you have all grades in the same class. I had to plan lessons for the year and make sure I was around to carry on with my classes.”