Hunted

EPILOGUE

Kali lined the crosshairs up with theman-shaped target tacked to the wall of her workshop. This wasgoing to make a mess. She ought to test the device outside, but shedid not want to explain it to passersby. More people were streaminginto Dawson every day, and it was hard to walk out the door withouttripping over someone.

Her finger found the trigger, and she tappedit. The weapon responded perfectly. A chunk of potato shot from thebroad wooden barrel, sailing across the workshop until it thuddedinto the neck of her target.

“Spud to the jugular.” Kali lowered theweapon. “Embarrassing way to go.”

Her front door creaked open, and Cedar duckedinside. Milos, she reminded herself, determined to start callinghim by his real name.

Clean-shaven and dressed in a nicebutton-down shirt, he strolled toward her. He gave the SAB a pat onthe way by-it had taken her an entire day to fix it up so she couldbring it home-and halted when he spotted the potato launcher.

“You made one?” A grin split his face as hereached out to touch it. “I didn’t truly expect you to… Can I tryit?”

“Of course. You didn’t think I’d makesomething so silly for myself, did you?” Kali put it in his handsand grabbed the other half of her potato. “It’s like an old muzzleloader. You stuff your ammo in through the barrel. It’s bladed soit’ll shave your spud down if it’s too big. Then you need to crankthat lever a few times. It pumps air into the large-volume chamberwhere it builds up pressure. When you pull the trigger, thatcontrols the dump valve and…” A concerned furrow creased Cedar’sbrow so she stopped the explanation, pumped the lever, and pointed.“Just pull the trigger.”

“I may not be bright enough for this one,” hesaid dryly.

“No, no, you knew about the lodestone, andyou set a still to blow up in about thirty seconds. I don’t evenknow how you did that. You’re smart.”

His eyebrows flew up. “Did you justcompliment me?”

“Er, maybe.”

“Huh.”

Cedar pointed the spud gun, but did not fireright away. He met her eyes. “I just saw Bosomhall limping up thestreet, his arm in a sling.”

“Oh,” Kali said, not certain how shefelt.

She had wondered if he made it out alive. Onthe one hand, she did not hate anyone enough to wish death on aperson. On the other hand…it would have been better for her ifSebastian had never returned from the wilderness. Before, greed hadmotivated him to strike at her. Now, revenge might addextra…color to his plans for her.

“I thought you should know,” Cedar said.

“Yes, thank you.” Kali pushed aside herworries for another time. “Are you going to try that thing, ornot?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He lifted it, aimed, and fired. The potatochunk soared across the workshop and took the target in the eye. Itwas amazing that someone so tall, muscular, and battle-hardenedcould grin like a school boy, but he managed it.

“Accurate, good velocity, nice.” He loweredthe gun, and his grin softened to something warm and intimate.

She blushed, remembering their kiss, andstuffed her hands in her overall pockets while studying the floor.“So, uhm, sorry you didn’t get any closer to finding Cudgel.Blazes, we didn’t even get to collect a bounty on anyone upthere.”

“Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that.First, I need to apologize for getting you involved in that mess. Ididn’t realize just how despicable Bosomhall was. You never wouldhave walked into his trap if it hadn’t been my idea to use him andhis claim. Second…” Cedar drew a purse from within his duster,counted out a stack of Morgan silver dollars, and set them on herworkbench.

Kali scratched her head. “You’re not tryingto pay me for the spud launcher, are you?”

“No, that’s your fifty percent fromKoothrapai.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She eyed thestack, thought of the parts she could buy with it, and her fingerstwitched toward it. She forced those fingers back into her pocket.“You were right,” she made herself say. “I didn’t do anything, soit’s not fitting I get a cut.”

“No, you were right. We have a deal.Fifty-fifty on everything. And anyway…” He was the one to stickhis hands in his pockets now. “I didn’t get in this for the money.My reasons for hesitating to give you your share earlierwere…personal.”

“Oh?” What was he about? Kali tried to readhis face, but he was studying the floorboards.

“I was concerned that you’d get your airshipput together and leave the Yukon forever.”

“That is my plan,” she said.

“Without me,” Cedar added.

Kali blinked. “Oh. I didn’t realize that wasa concern of yours.”

“I can’t leave without getting Cudgel, and ifWilder spoke the truth, he’s either in Dawson or on his way. Thanksto the gold, I reckon half the world will be up here before long.He’s not going to miss out on it.”

“Uh huh. So, what you’re really saying isyou’d miss me if I left.”

He looked up from the floor. “That’s what I’msaying. Did you think I’d let someone I wasn’t partial to curl upin my Euklisia Rug?”

“I’ve known men who would curl up with justabout any woman.”

“But not in their expensive,mail-ordered-from-Wales Euklisia Rug.”

“So, I’m special?”

“Oh, I think you know that.” Cedar tapped thebarrel of the potato launcher.

“Well, yes, but not everyone appreciatesit.”

“I do. And I’d be honored if you’d accompanyme to the dancing hall tonight.”

Kali bit her lip to keep from grinning like afool. Then a realization struck. “I don’t have a dress!” Sebastianhad given her a couple-he’d said it was embarrassing to be seen inpublic with her when she was wearing her greasy work clothes, theass-but she hadn’t bothered to hunt for them after her home inMoose Hollow had been burglarized.

Cedar nodded to the stack of silver coins.“Perhaps you could purchase a suitable garment with yourearnings.”

“You want me to buy a dress with myairship money?”

“It was just a thought.”

She considered him for a moment, then pluckedat her grime-streaked overalls. “Would you dance with me if I worethis?”

“Of course.” His blue eyes crinkled. “Thoughnow that most of the snow has melted, nudity is an option too.”

“I’ll buy a dress.”

“If you insist.”