Saguaro Riptide

THREE

They drove to the ranch where Kate bought the Appaloosa. Freddy G’s money was in the back seat, next to Kate’s saddlebags.

Kate didn’t say a word. Neither did Jack.

He followed Kate to the barn and watched as she saddled the Appaloosa. “You don’t have to hang around,” Kate said. “That field dressing on your arm is just temporary, you know. You really should get yourself to a doctor who can do things right. The sooner, the better.”

“I’ll do that,” Jack promised. “I’ll call Freddy G. I’ll bet he knows a sawbones in Tucson who doesn’t report gunshot wounds.”

“All right,” Kate said, leading the horse out of the barn. “As long as I’ve got your word on that.”

“You sure you don’t want me to drive you up to Tucson while I’m at it? It seems kind of crazy, letting you take off like this.”

“It may seem crazy, but it’s the way I’ve got to do it.”

Jack followed her outside. She climbed into the saddle.

The corral fence was fifteen feet away. Jack remembered how easily Kate had jumped it the afternoon she bought the horse.

He was afraid she’d do that now.

He was afraid she’d leave without saying good-bye.

And he was afraid that she wouldn’t even look back.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get what you wanted,” he said. “You’ll never know what happened to Vince.”

“Maybe it’s better that way.” She didn’t turn around; she didn’t look at Jack; she faced the desert. “Look at it-it’s really just a big patch of nothing, isn’t it? But I know Vince is out there somewhere. Maybe it doesn’t matter exactly where. I figure I’ll ride out, and I’ll say my good-byes until I don’t have any left in me, and that will have to be enough.”

“Then what? Where will you go?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll let the horse decide.”

She tugged the reins. The Appaloosa moved forward.

Jack watched her. Kate Benteen wasn’t going to turn around. She wasn’t going to look at him, no matter what he said. He was sure of that.

But he had to say something.

“First one who heals calls, all right?”

She laughed, shaking her head. Long dark hair brushed her back, shimmering in the moonlight, and she tugged the reins, and the horse pulled up.

She said, “I’ve got your number, champ.”

“That’s not a yes.”

“It’s not a no, either.”

Jack didn’t know what to say to that.

But Kate knew what to say.

“Hey, champ.”

“Yeah?”

She turned to face him, tears gleaming in her eyes. “Don’t let the sun catch you cryin’, all right?”

“Not a chance of that,” Jack said, and this time he was the one who turned away because he knew it was a lie.

“One more thing,” she said.

“Name it.”

“You stay close to that phone, okay?”

He turned, hoping to see a smile on Kate’s face, but she had already slapped leather and the Appaloosa jumped the fence, and then came the sound of horse’s hoofbeats and a rising cloud of dust, and Jack watched her go, the night wind wild in her hair, her face turned toward the moon and the long night ahead.

“I’ll be waiting,” he said.