Two Texas Hearts

TWENTY-SIX

KORA KNEW IT HAD TO BE MIDAFTERNOON. THE DUGOUT was warm with streams of light shooting through tiny cracks in the roof. Dust danced playfully in the sunbeams, as if nothing was wrong with the world.

No one from Winter’s ranch had come for her. Could it be possible they didn’t know she was missing? Something was delaying them. The range war Win always talked about might have started, or Win may have grown worse. A hundred thoughts came to mind.

Cramps in her legs made her muscles twitch. Her wrists were raw from trying to free her hands. The rope around her waist kept her from breathing deeply, and the wooden back of the chair seemed to be cutting into her spine.

Andrew Adams had finally drunk himself into a deep sleep. He’d wandered over several times during the morning to slap her and then spent time telling her how much he hated doing it. After each cruelty came a sermon. Kora hated the sermons worse than the blows. He mumbled on and on about having parents who’d known right from wrong and that they had finally beat rules into him. Now he saw it as his duty to make her see the error of her ways.

The last time he’d tried to convince her of how important it was for her to listen to him, he’d been so drunk he’d missed when he’d tried to hit her. The action had infuriated him, sending him headlong into a drinking binge.

Since the first slap, Kora remained silent. She knew the only thing he wanted to hear, and he’d have to beat her to death before she’d claim to be his wife. The whiskey changed him into a different man. But whether he was a sober coward or a drunken bully made no difference in her conviction to be free of him.

She was exhausted from having no sleep the night before. Her body ached, but she didn’t dare close her eyes.

Andrew lay across a filthy bed. His bags were packed by the door. He was waiting until nightfall to take her away. His plan was to disappear until she’d grown accustomed to him, then return to claim Win’s land. If someone didn’t get here soon, it would be too late to find her.

An hour passed, then another. Kora tried to move so that she was comfortable. Just as she felt her eyes closing, the door slowly opened.

‘‘Winter,’’ she whispered, thinking her prayers had been answered. Somehow he’d recovered from the bites and found her.

But to her shock, Dan walked through the door. He moved in his slow way to the fireplace and sat down on the ground in the dark corner where his chair had once been. His thin body folded into the shadows, almost disappearing.

‘‘Dan,’’ she whispered, knowing he’d never hear her. ‘‘Dan, please help me.’’

But he didn’t move.

Kora whispered his name again, realizing somehow he’d climbed into the wagon last night to sleep and Andrew hadn’t seen him before dawn. Knowing he was here added responsibility, but no comfort.

Dan didn’t budge as she whispered his name again. She had to look closely even to be sure he was there.

‘‘Dan!’’ she begged. ‘‘Please hear me!’’

She was trying to cross twenty years of not listening. Somewhere along the line Dan had stopped hearing, and he couldn’t be pulled back now. The war had killed a part of him, and all her calling couldn’t bring him back.

‘‘Dan! Please! Hear me!’’ He was her only hope of getting free. If he could just help they could be gone before Andrew Adams woke up. ‘‘Dan, it’s Kora.’’

Andrew mumbled in his sleep and rolled over. ‘‘What?’’ he yelled.

Kora looked down, trying to act as if she were asleep in the chair. Her hair fell over her eyes, making a curtain she could barely see through.

Andrew rubbed his face and stumbled forward. ‘‘Did you call me, girl?’’

Kora fought back the fear. She had to do something fast to get both herself and Dan out of here. She could wait no longer for someone to save her.

‘‘I’ve decided you’re right, Andrew. I am your wife.’’ Kora bit back her lie.

He glared at her with bloodshot eyes.

Kora forced the words. ‘‘I’ve been remembering all those things you said in your letters. You’re right, I was your wife first and that’s the way it should be. If you’ll untie me, I’d like to cook supper. I’m really hungry.’’

Though he stood staring at her, he was still just drunk enough to believe her. ‘‘And you ain’t mad at me for smacking you? ’Cause you know I didn’t want to have to do that, but you wouldn’t listen.’’

‘‘I’m not mad,’’ Kora lied. ‘‘You did what you had to do.’’

‘‘That’s the truth.’’ He straightened, proud that she’d seen the light. ‘‘I knew you couldn’t be happy with that half-breed no matter how rich he is. Folks say he’s the hardest man in the county.’’ He looked down at his feet. ‘‘Since we’re starting out, I want to tell you somethin’. I didn’t write those letters, but they was my thoughts. I ain’t never learned about writing.’’

Kora couldn’t bring herself to say anything against Win. ‘‘I belong here, with you,’’ she answered. ‘‘Whether you wrote the letters or not.’’

‘‘That’s right, you do.’’ Andrew smiled a yellowed grin. ‘‘All I want is a woman to work around the place and warm my bed at night. I won’t even smack you around if you behave yourself. In time you’ll settle in just fine.’’

Kora studied him, feeling sorry for him. He was a little man who seemed to be shrinking before her eyes.

‘‘You will warm my bed tonight, won’t you, girl?’’ he asked.

‘‘All right,’’ she forced herself to say. ‘‘Now, untie me.’’

He pulled out a long hunting knife from his boot and slit the cord he’d used to tie her to the chair. Leaning, forward, he untied her hands. ‘‘I don’t want no trouble. I only want a wife,’’ he mumbled. ‘‘I never wanted any trouble, but a man can’t just let somebody take what’s his without doing something.’’

He tossed the knife on the table and staggered toward the door, swelling in victory. ‘‘But don’t get any ideas about running off again or I’ll beat you, yes, I will.’’ Puffing up his chest and straightening his belt, he said with pride, ‘‘My pa used to have to beat my ma ever’ now and again, but I never heard her complain. After the beatings, she was always real nice to him.’’

He opened the door. ‘‘In another hour it’ll be dark enough for us to move. I know places over by the settlement where we can hide. An army couldn’t find us there, so you don’t have to worry about McQuillen’s men bothering us. We’ll take all the time you need to get to know one another.’’

She stood slowly and moved about the kitchen she’d once tried to keep clean. There wasn’t much, a few halfrotted potatoes, a can of peaches, some rancid lard. She only hoped the chickens were still laying. ‘‘I’ll cook you something before we go,’’ she said hoping to stall for time.

He closed the door and moved up behind her. His voice grew low and thick. ‘‘It’s been a long time since I had me a woman.’’

He reached for her and Kora stepped away.

‘‘Go over by the bed, girl.’’ He tried to make his words sound like an order, but he seemed a man unaccustomed to having authority over anyone.

Kora faced him. ‘‘Why?’’

‘‘ ’Cause I want a taste of what my nights are going to be like since you’re staying. There’s no use waiting. Now go on over and lift them skirts. It won’t take long.’’

‘‘No.’’ Kora swallowed hard and forced herself to smile. ‘‘There will be none of that until bedtime.’’ She tried to sound determined, yet not angry.

To her relief, Andrew shrugged and backed down. ‘‘All right. That’s the same way my other wife felt. She used to say only whores do it before full dark. I figured you was more of a whore after sleeping with McQuillen, but maybe you got some respectable left in you.’’

Kora busied herself at the sink and waited for her chance. She had no plans of still being around come nightfall. Somehow, now that she was untied, she’d get Dan and herself out of this place.

‘‘I’ll go get the wagon ready.’’ He patted her on the hip as he passed her, as if trying to reshift the power between them. ‘‘I can tell I’m not going to have to beat you much at all, girl. You’ll be hardworking and respectable in the daytime and still at night. A man can’t ask for much more.’’

His fingers squeezed hard, suddenly making her jump.

There was no place to run. He was behind her and the counter was in front of her. Kora leaned far into the counter while his palm rubbed over her bruised hip. He was close behind her, daring her to try and run.

She had to let him prove who had control. Now was not the time to make a stand. She had to make herself remain still.

He spread his hand once more over her rounded hip and squeezed again, laughing at the way she took his advance without a word.

A sound of pain escaped her lips as she forced herself not to move. Andrew patted the twice-bruised flesh. ‘‘I figure you’ll be a fine wife. You’ll be still while I take my right, won’t you? I always hate it when a woman fights and wiggles.’’

Pawing at her flesh, he tried to hurt her through the layers of material. ‘‘Won’t you?’’ he whispered from just behind her.

‘‘Yes,’’ she answered, closing her eyes, fighting back the tears.

He pressed his fingers into the flesh of her hip as if to hurt her once more. ‘‘You sure you want to stay? You wouldn’t be just fooling me now, would you?’’

Kora couldn’t breathe as she waited for his hand to tighten. ‘‘I’m sure,’’ she whispered. ‘‘I’ll stay and I’ll be still if that’s what you want.’’

Straightening behind her, he laughed with victory. ‘‘I’ll treat you real good,’’ he promised. ‘‘I forgot how a woman felt.’’

Relaxing his fingers, he rubbed his palm along her thigh, as he slowly leaned into her with his body. His hot breath was at her neck as his hands circled her waist and he pushed against her backside.

‘‘I have to cook supper,’’ she managed to whisper.

Andrew laughed. ‘‘All right. But it’ll be dark in an hour and the waiting will be over. I’ll have that dress stripped off you in no time. Then you’ll never forget you’re mine.’’ He pushed her harder against the counter. ‘‘Say it.’’

‘‘Say what?’’

‘‘Say you’re mine, will you? I want to hear it.’’ He rocked his body slightly as his hands pulled at her waist.

Kora whispered, ‘‘I’m yours.’’

‘‘Again,’’ he said as he rocked against her.

‘‘I’m yours.’’ She fought back the tears.

Andrew backed away slowly. ‘‘Bringing you around wasn’t the work I thought it might be. We’re getting along fine. I’ll be back in a few minutes for my supper.’’

The moment he was out the door, Kora ran to Dan. ‘‘Help me,’’ she whispered as she shook her brother. ‘‘Please, Dan, help me!’’ She couldn’t endure another second of Andrew touching her. The lie she’d just told him made her mouth taste bitter, and his touch left her flesh feeling as if something slimy had crawled across it. But she’d convinced him. Now all she had to do was get away.

Dan only stared past her. He wouldn’t, or couldn’t, help her.

Kora looked around the room for a weapon. The old rifle that didn’t fire still leaned against the fireplace. Winter’s gunbelt she’d worn lay beneath the table, but the Colt was missing.

As Kora heard the door, she stepped away from Dan and grabbed the rifle. He wouldn’t touch her again. She’d taken all she could.

‘‘What the hell?’’ Andrew shouted as his eyes adjusted to the poor light. ‘‘Stop pointing that thing at me.’’

Kora turned the rifle like a club. ‘‘Stay away from me!’’ The memory of his body pressing against her drove her tired mind to the edge. She’d endured his advances to save Dan, and her brother didn’t even care. She was alone, totally alone.

Swinging wildly, she stormed forward. Andrew rolled beneath the table. ‘‘Stop that, girl, or you’ll be sorry!’’

Kora swung again, catching one of his legs. He yelped like a dog.

‘‘Don’t ever touch me again!’’ she yelled. The thought that Andrew, and not Winter, might be undressing her was more than she could take. She swung again.

Andrew grabbed the gunbelt and tried to fight back. But his first swing missed, and Kora clipped his shoulder with the rifle butt. When he grabbed his shoulder in pain, she hit him in the knee, almost toppling him.

He began snorting like a bull and, swinging the belt full force, stormed toward her in rage.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kora saw Dan stand and move toward the door, as though nothing were going on in the room. She tried to rotate so that Andrew wouldn’t see Dan, but Andrew’s wild swinging kept her still. The gunbelt made a whistling sound as it sailed through the air at steam-engine speed.

Dan stepped in the way before Andrew even saw him. Her brother wasn’t looking their direction when the belt hit him full in the face. The buckle ripped across his forehead like a knife.

‘‘Dan!’’ Kora screamed and dropped the rifle.

‘‘Dan?’’ Andrew staggered back.

Without a sound, Dan let the power behind the hit turn him. The belt wrapped around his throat as he whirled. Blood from his forehead splattered the walls as he slowly crumbled across the bed.

Kora ran toward her brother, almost catching him. ‘‘Dan! Dan!’’ she screamed.

Andrew recovered slowly. ‘‘Who is he? What’s he doing here? It wasn’t my fault.’’

Kora looked up at Andrew. First, she’d felt sorry for him, then she’d feared him, now she hated him. ‘‘He’s my brother, and if you’ve killed him, I’ll shoot you. I swear I will.’’

There was something so certain in her tone, Andrew tried to blink away his own fear. ‘‘I didn’t kill him. He stepped in my way. I just cut his forehead. It’ll bleed a lot, head wounds always do. But he won’t die.’’

Kora took her shawl and wrapped it around Dan’s head. ‘‘We’ve got to get him to a doctor. He’s been ill. If it bleeds much, he might die.’’

‘‘No,’’ Andrew said. ‘‘I ain’t going near no doctors. The last one I saw had me in the grave. I woke up arguing with the undertaker.’’

‘‘Then leave us here and go. Someone will help us. Just go.’’

Andrew rubbed his face, trying to think. ‘‘No. I’m not leaving you. You’re my wife. You’re coming with me.’’

‘‘I’m not leaving Dan.’’ Kora crossed to the shelf and lifted down a box of clean rags she’d left there a lifetime ago. While Andrew tried to decide what to do, she slipped the knife he’d used to cut her ropes from the table and into her pocket. She wasn’t sure she could kill Andrew for kidnapping her, but she knew she wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever she must to protect her brother.

He was motionless as she knelt by the bed and removed her bloody shawl. She wrapped the wound as tightly as she dared. ‘‘He needs stitches badly.’’

‘‘All right!’’ Andrew yelled suddenly, as if the room were full of screaming people. ‘‘We’ll go and take your brother.’’

Andrew was sobering up. Drunk, he might try a great many things, but sober he was far more of a coward. ‘‘I ain’t taking you or him to town, but there’s an old woman, name of Rae, at the Breaks who’ll look after him.’’

‘‘I’ll go to the settlement with you. It’s closer than town,’’ Kora agreed. ‘‘But that’s all. I’m not going anywhere else with you.’’

Andrew looked at her. He opened his mouth as though about to argue, then closed it again. ‘‘We’ll talk about it later. You’re just upset.’’

Kora touched the knife in her pocket. Now that she wasn’t tied up and helpless, or worried about Andrew seeing Dan, Andrew didn’t seem near as frightening.

Suddenly she realized something. In the time she’d known Winter, she’d grown stronger. She’d do whatever she had to do. Jamie might be right, they might just be weeds in the garden, but she was ready to fight for her right to live. All her life all she’d ever thought of was running, but now she knew she was strong enough to stand and fight if she must.

Fighting his way back to the light, Win opened his eyes and blinked away the glow of a candle only a foot from his face.

‘‘Win?’’ someone said.

‘‘What?’’ he grumbled and turned to find Doc Gage sitting by his bed. For a moment he thought he might be in some kind of strange dream. But the doc was too real, just like the pain in his head.

‘‘Can you see me? You’ve been out quite a while.’’

‘‘How long?’’

‘‘All day.’’

‘‘Kora?’’

‘‘How’s the head?’’ Gage asked as he offered Win a drink.

Accepting the water, Win leaned forward on one elbow. He felt weak, as if he were moving in water.

‘‘The ranch. Has anything happened?’’

‘‘No,’’ Gage answered. ‘‘Cheyenne says all is so quiet it’s spooky on the range.’’

‘‘Where’s Kora?’’

Gage looked uncomfortable. ‘‘You’re still very weak. You’ll need at least another twenty-four hours in bed for the poison to work its way out.’’

Win’s tone hardened. ‘‘Where’s Kora?’’

‘‘Tell him the truth!’’ Logan snapped from the landing. ‘‘Even half dead, he can face whatever he has to.’’

Gage nodded. ‘‘We think she was kidnapped this morning before dawn. Jamie heard some men talking about ways to get you off guard. One was to take Kora. But Cheyenne had tracked down the men who were talking, and they weren’t the ones who took her.’’

‘‘Hand me my clothes!’’ Win ordered.

‘‘No, Win.’’ The doc held his hands up, as if the barrier would stop Win. ‘‘You’re far too weak. I know how you must feel, but we’re doing everything that can be done.’’

Logan moved to the chair and handed Win his trousers. ‘‘I’ve kept a buggy waiting. Cheyenne spotted the trail almost an hour ago. He and Jamie have gone ahead.’’

‘‘But…’’ Gage looked frustrated that no one was listening to him. ‘‘Win, you could black out at any moment. You’re in no shape to sit up, much less travel.’’

Win jammed his pants on, gritting his teeth at the pain. He wasn’t sure he could stay conscious, but he wasn’t waiting. ‘‘You have no idea how I feel, Doc. If you did, you’d be helping me.’’

Gage picked up his bag. ‘‘Well, I’m coming along. I have a feeling before this night’s over, someone’s going to need me.’’