Reckless Destiny Read online

  Behind her she heard the crunch of boots in the sand and rocks. She sighed and turned to face them.

  Kane rested his hands on his narrow hips. “You can’t go traipsing through Indian country by yourself.”

  “You have no right to tell me what to do. First Papa, then Jack, and now you. You have no right.”

  “I have every right. I’m responsible for keeping the peace. Before you can settle the frontier, I have to make sure it’s safe. If you go running around without an escort, you’re apt to stir up a whole pile of trouble. Trouble puts my men in danger. That makes you my responsibility.”

  Cady shaded her eyes with her hand as she studied him, and when her hostile expression softened he knew he’d gotten through to her.

  “When you put it like that, captain, I’d be obliged for your company to Fort McDowell.”

  “That’s a relief,” Jack said behind them. “I leave her in good hands, then.”

  “Leave?” she asked. “Aren’t you coming to the fort with us?”

  He shook his head. “No need now.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Into town for supplies.”

  “Will I see you again before you head back up into the mountains?”

  He looked down at his boots. “No.”

  “Then this is good-bye?”

  Kane saw the regret on the other man’s face and heard the soft edge of censure and sadness in Cady’s voice.

  A soldier understood all too well how hard it was to say good-bye. He’d done it all his life. Sooner or later he would also have to say good-bye to Cady. He knew what it had cost him the first time. He didn’t want to think about a second.

  As Cady walked over to him, Jack fingered the thin leather reins in his hand. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  She stood on tiptoe and hugged him. “Take care of yourself, Jack.”

  “You too.” He pulled her close for a quick embrace. Then he gripped her upper arms and set her away. “I’ll see you.”

  He looked at Kane. “Take care of her for me, Carrington.”

  “Nothing will happen to her while she’s under the army’s protection. You have my word.”

  Jack nodded, then mounted up, waved once, and rode away. With her hand shading her eyes from the sun, Cady watched him until all that remained was a cloud of dust.

  Kane stood close enough behind her to smell the scent of flowers she wore, mixed with sand and heat. The fragrance instantly brought back the memory of her in his arms. She had moved him more than he’d thought any woman could, but he refused to subject her to the rigors, hardship, and isolation of army life. He’d tried marriage once and had failed. Getting mixed up with a woman again, especially a pampered eastern woman like Cady, would only be asking for trouble.

  He looked down at her as she watched her brother ride away. Strands of her hair fluttered in the wind. Lifting a hand he started to touch it, then curled his fingers into his palm.

  “We need to go, Cady.”

  She turned at the sound of his voice, and he saw the sheen of unshed tears in her green eyes. “Do you think he’ll be all right? Do you think I’ll see him again?”

  Kane glanced into the distance. “Your brother strikes me as a man who can take care of himself. My guess is he’ll be fine. He’ll turn up when you least expect him.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.” She sighed. “I have this bad habit of worrying about my family. Especially Jack.”

  “Something tells me they worry about you too.” Kane still couldn’t get over the coincidence of her showing up at Fort McDowell. “Why are you here?”

  “Like I said before, it’s not because of you. It’s because Jack’s here. I was determined to come west and teach. My parents were afraid something would happen to me.”

  “With good reason,” Kane said. “You’d have been better off staying in the East. This is dangerous country. Why didn’t you find a teaching job close to home?”

  “What’s best for me is not your judgment to make.” She looked him square in the eye. She was a little thing and had to tilt her head back to do it, but that didn’t faze her. “I made up my mind to go west—somewhere.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to make a difference. I want both my brothers to be as proud of me as I am of them. Jeff is building railroads that link the country from coast to coast. Jack could have had a job with him, something safe in an office. He’s looking to find his own fortune instead of choosing the easy way. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I don’t have dreams too.”

  “But why here?”

  “Because Jack is here, and that will ease my family’s concern. There’s no need to tell them he’s prospecting and cause them to worry.”

  “There’s nothing for them to be concerned about. I promised I’d look out for you, and I always keep my word.”

  She snorted in the same way she had earlier, in a way he knew would make the headmistress of any exclusive eastern ladies’ academy cringe. But she didn’t say a word as she turned away and headed for the buckboard again.

  “Now don’t try to drive that thing, not after what just happened. I’ll take you to the fort.”

  “All right,” she said.

  As he tied his horse to the back of the rig, Kane watched her lift her skirt to scramble up, giving him a tantalizing view of her slender ankles and calves. Tempting as that was, he realized she’d rather flaunt convention than wait for his help. Just as well. He didn’t trust himself to touch her without revealing how much she affected him.

  It took some doing, and she was breathing faster by the time she finally climbed in, but she did it herself and sat down. He moved up beside her and unwrapped the reins from around the brake.

  Cady looked at him. “Will you show me how to drive?”

  Kane studied Cady’s determined expression. “Yes.” Her eyes opened wide. “Don’t look so surprised. You seem bent on staying out here, and I promised your brother I’d watch out for you. Aside from the fact that I don’t particularly want to tangle with Jack, I take my responsibilities seriously. The more you know, the better you can take care of yourself.”

  And if she could take care of herself, he wouldn’t have to keep an eye on her.

  “Major Wexler seems very nice,” Cady said.

  They had left the commanding officer a few minutes before to drive to her quarters. She lifted her long hair from her neck, trying to catch a possible breeze and cool herself, but there was no relief from the heat. She climbed out of the buckboard, anxious to go inside.

  “He’s a good man.” Kane jumped down and went to the rear of the wagon. “This is where you’ll be staying,” he said and started to lift her trunk. “What have you got in here, rocks?”

  “That’s Jack’s specialty. I brought books.”

  “All the better to settle the frontier with.” He smiled. “If there’s an Indian attack, you can throw books at them.”

  “I’m here to teach.” She glanced at the revolver strapped to his hip. “Guns are your tools, books are mine.” She remembered the short interview in Major Wexler’s office and the obvious respect and admiration between Kane and his commanding officer. She had the impression that Kane handled a lot of responsibility at the fort, yet he’d been genuinely surprised when he recognized her after stopping the buckboard. Wouldn’t he have known she was coming?”

  “May I ask you something, captain?” When he nodded, she continued. “Didn’t you know a teacher was coming”

  “I knew.”

  “But you assumed I was here to meet my husband.”

  “I was aware that the major had arranged for a teacher. He never told me who the person was.”

  “If you had known it was me, what—”

  Just then, she heard someone call out Kane’s name followed by the sound of running footsteps. A redheaded boy of about twelve raced over and stopped beside the buckboard. “I’ll give you a hand with that, captain,” he said breathlessly.

/>   Kane smiled. “Thanks, R. J. Hasn’t anyone told you it’s too hot to run around like that?”

  “No, sir,” the boy said. “Where ya been? I looked all over. Howdy, ma’am.” Without giving Cady a chance to reply, he looked back at Kane. “You promised to show me how to clean a revolver.”

  Cady watched the boy help Kane and didn’t miss the hero worship on his freckled face.

  “Sorry, R. J., I forgot. Something came up. Can we do it later?”

  “Sure thing, captain.”

  The two of them took her luggage through the last door of a long low adobe building. Each set of quarters was separated by a wall, creating small pockets of privacy for the families. She looked around the fort. In front of the boardwalk, a ditch that Kane called an acequia flowed with clear water from the Verde River to supply the post. On the other side of the acequia was a row of cottonwoods and then a large open space that Kane had told her was the parade ground.

  She turned and crossed a board spread over the water and stepped up onto a wooden sidewalk beneath a ramada. This awning of brush supported by cottonwood poles was a welcome relief from the noon sun. Hanging from one of the poles was a large pottery urn with a dipper poking from the top. She took a long drink of water and found it surprisingly cool.

  Before stepping inside, she looked around one more time. Fort McDowell consisted of a series of adobe buildings, offices, quarters, kitchens, a livery, and a post trader. Yet, surrounded by miles of flat barren desert, Cady knew a feeling of insignificance. She felt very small indeed and at the mercy of man and nature. In the distance, four mountain peaks loomed, the only landmark on the horizon. It brought her a measure of comfort that the mountains were there, something to break the monotony of the desert.

  Cady walked inside and waited several seconds for her eyes to adjust after the bright sunlight outside.

  Kane and R. J. were sweating and making terrible noises as they shoved her trunk to the foot of an iron cot that was covered only by a sheet.

  The boy straightened and looked curiously from her to Kane. “I sure hope this is your sister, captain.”

  “Sister?” Kane whirled. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

  He made it sound as if being related to her was on a par with being scalped, Cady thought. She had a good mind to throw her books at him instead of at marauding Indians.

  “If she’s not your sister, she must be the teacher my pa said was comin’.” The youngster’s bright blue eyes stared at her with the most hostile expression she’d ever seen.

  “She is the new teacher. I’m moving out and she’ll be staying here in my room.”

  “What in tarnation for?”

  “Because there’s nowhere else for her.” Kane smiled. “I can see I’d better make introductions. Miss Cady Tanner, I’d like you to meet R. J.—Reynolds John Wexler, Junior.”

  Cady nodded to him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Reynolds. I take it your father is the fort commander?”

  “Uh-huh.” A suspicious look stole over his freckled face. “Are you all the way from New York, ma’am?”

  “Indeed she is, R. J.” Kane grinned. “And don’t think she’ll be as easy to get rid of as Sergeant Cramer.”

  “No, sir.” But there was a look in R. J. Wexler’s eyes that sent a shiver down Cady’s spine.

  In spite of it, she smiled at the boy. “I think we’re going to be good friends, Reynolds. What do you think?”

  “Yes’m.” The boy stared daggers at her. “Shoulda known right off Kane didn’t marry you. He wouldn’t marry no teacher.”

  “Any teacher,” she corrected. “In case you’re concerned, let me assure you that I have no intention of marrying anyone. I also plan to be here for a very long time.”

  Cady didn’t think it was possible, but R. J.’s expression turned even more contrary. When she lifted her gaze to Kane, his look was not unlike the boy’s. Why would it bother Kane to have her there? She wasn’t going to have any direct dealings with him.

  “Are you sure about that, ma’am? There’s wild Indians in these parts. It’s a mite dangerous.”

  “So I’ve heard. But Captain Carrington has assured me that he’ll look out for me.”

  The boy’s eyes grew round, as if he couldn’t believe his hero would do that. “It’s godawful hot, too. Bet it doesn’t get hot like this in New York.”

  “No, it doesn’t. But I’ll get used to it.”

  “And we got nothin’ but wind and dust. My ma hates that. Can’t keep nothin’ clean. The grit even gets in the biscuits ‘cause ya can’t keep it out of the flour.”

  She swallowed a smile and looked at him as gravely as he was staring at her. “I have two brothers. I’m not easily discouraged or frightened.” She took a step toward him. “Reynolds, nothing you can say or do will keep me from being your teacher.”

  “Yes’m.” He swallowed hard. “Captain, I’ll be back in a couple minutes.” Without further warning or explanation, the boy raced from the room.

  A feeling of apprehension scratched at the edge of Cady’s tenuous composure. Get rid of her as easily as Sergeant Cramer? She remembered Jack’s letter describing the enlisted man who was dismissed for arriving at school drunk. He’d never been known to touch liquor before or since. That wouldn’t happen to her. She was a trained teacher. And she never touched spirits.

  As she looked around the room, she realized that these were indeed Kane’s quarters.

  “Captain Carrington, I can’t take your bed—I mean your room.” Her face burned at the implication of that one word. “There must be somewhere else I can go. Maybe where you’re moving?”

  “I’m sure the enlisted men would think they’d died and gone to heaven if you moved in with them, but something tells me your brother wouldn’t approve.”

  Her face flushed hotter. She only hoped he didn’t notice. “Isn’t there another single woman who’s willing to share a room?”

  “Cady, for God’s sake, this is a military outpost, not a women’s dormitory.”

  “A simple no would have sufficed, captain.”

  “You do have another choice.”

  “What?”

  “I can take you down to the train in Phoenix and send you back home.”

  “Why is everyone trying to get rid of me? All I want to do is what I’m trained for, just as you’re doing.”

  “Women are a liability out here, especially high-maintenance women,” he said, looking her up and down.

  “What does that mean?”

  “That you need protection and a lot of other things no one has time for. Survival takes up each waking minute and every ounce of energy you’ve got.”

  “Are you saying I’m not strong enough?”

  “I’m just saying—”

  “Exactly what you told me two years ago, that I’m not cut out for life in the Territory. You were wrong then and you’re wrong now. You don’t have the least notion what kind of staying power I’ve got.”

  “I think I have a pretty good idea.”

  Cady refused to discuss it further. Going home was no choice at all. If it took the rest of her life, she’d prove to this know-it-all captain that she could survive here very nicely.

  “Apparently, responsibility for my welfare weighs heavily on you, captain. Maybe there’s a solution that would suit us both. Jack’s going back to the mountains. I’ll just stay in his cabin and out of your hair.” She took a handkerchief from her reticule and blotted her forehead. There wasn’t even a hint of air inside to relieve the oppressive heat.

  “If Jack wanted you to stay in his cabin, he wouldn’t have been bringing you to the fort. He obviously felt, and I agree, that it’s not safe for you to live there alone.”

  Kane watched her mull this over. Her face was very red. With her high-necked white cotton blouse, full skirt, and petticoats, she was not dressed for comfort. She had a lot to learn.

  “So my only choice is to stay here.” She looked around his spartan room.

 
He supposed it was plain compared to what she was accustomed to. With its white window shades and unadorned adobe walls, a woman would find it barren.

  “It’s not much,” he said, “but I call it home.”

  “I hope you didn’t think I was being critical. I’m merely trying to think of a solution that will not inconvenience you.”

  It was too late for that. As soon as he’d seen her again he’d been inconvenienced. All the feelings he thought he’d put aside forever when she went back east two years ago came rushing back.

  When she waved her lace-edged handkerchief in front of her flushed face again, he grew concerned. “Are you all right, Cady?”

  “Fine.” She tucked the square of cotton into the cuff of her long sleeve and looked at him. “I didn’t mean to appear ungrateful. Thank you for your consideration. I’d be happy to stay here.”

  At that moment R. J. came through the open door, carefully holding a hardtack box.

  “I have something for you, ma’am.” He held out the box; then, after she took it, he stuck his hands in his pockets.

  A wary smile turned up the corners of Cady’s full mouth. “Why, thank you, Reynolds. What is it?”

  Kane had a bad feeling. The kid was a notorious troublemaker and had practically single-handedly “persuaded” Sergeant Cramer that he had no career as a teacher. If R. J. behaved true to form, God knew what the boy would do to convince Cady that a school closer to home would suit her better.

  She lifted the lid and shrieked. Kane heard rattles and saw the open mouth and the fangs of the snake as she tossed the box to the floor. He reached for his gun and almost at the same moment realized the sidewinder was already dead and stuffed. The rattling sound was coming from R. J.’s pocket.

  He looked at Cady and knew from her pale face and the way her eyes rolled back that she was about to faint. He caught her just before she hit the floor.

  “What the hell did you do that for?”

  “I heard you talkin’ to her. You don’t want her here any more than I do.” R. J. grinned at him. “Maybe now she’ll go back where she came from.”