Judy Duarte - Lone Wolf's Lady

Trouble was, as much as he hated to admit it, she was right.

Chapter Three

McCain glared at Katie as though she’d gone daft, then he shook his head. “Be ready in an hour—and not one minute more. We’ll leave from here.”

Before she could object to the unreasonable time limit, the man left her standing in front of the brothel and strode away as though it wouldn’t take much to change his mind or to alter his travel plans.

While she should feel somewhat victorious, she had to admit that she felt as unbalanced as a blindfolded child in a sack race.

How in creation was she ever going to pack for a trip like that in so little time?

Well, she couldn’t very well stew about it a moment longer, so she hurried home as quickly as her skirts would allow. She did, however, stop briefly to let Ian Connor know that she’d be leaving town.

Ian, who’d been a dear friend and a colleague of her late father, had suffered an attack of apoplexy last year that left the right side of his body so weak that he’d had to retire from his law practice. He now lived with his widowed sister in a white clapboard house just down the lane from Katie.

As she’d expected, Ian greeted her with a warm smile. “Katie, my dear, it’s always good to see you. Please come in.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have time to come inside. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be leaving and will be away for a week or so.”

Ian stroked his right arm and furrowed his brow. “Where are you going?”

“I’m taking Daisy Potts and Sarah Jane out of town.”

Ian stiffened. “You’re what?”

“I take it you heard about the attack. Poor Miss Potts was assaulted and nearly killed. I’m going to escort her and the child out of town.”

“Yes, I heard about the attack—and her injuries. But why in the world are you getting involved in that?”

“You know me.”

“Yes, I’m afraid I do.” Ian blew out a weary sigh. “May I remind you that you’re an unmarried woman, Katie? Traveling the country with a small child and a battered prostitute is dangerous and...well, it’s uncalled-for. Think of your reputation.”

“I’ll have an escort—Mr. Tom McCain. So I’ll be perfectly safe.”

Ian clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Why are they leaving? Wouldn’t it be best if Miss Potts stayed here in town until she recovered?”

Katie didn’t dare mention the danger Daisy and Sarah Jane might be in, so she chose another reason for their hasty departure. “The town hasn’t been kind to the child, and there’s been talk of sending her to live in an orphanage.”

The dear old man who, along with his sister, had become as close as family members to her, especially since her da’s passing, blew out a weary sigh. “Sending that poor child away isn’t necessarily a bad idea, Katie. People around here aren’t likely to ever forget what her mother did for a living.”

“I don’t know much about her real mother, God rest her soul. Sarah Jane once mentioned that she used to work at a hotel.”

“That’s probably what the child considers the Gardener’s House to be.”

“You may be right, but a little girl shouldn’t be punished for her mother’s mistakes.”

“I agree. However, that’s the way of it, Katie. When are you going to learn there are some things you can’t change or fix? I’d think that after getting arrested last November for creating a public disturbance at the town hall meeting you’d be smart enough to figure that out.”

“First of all, I’m not the only woman in this community who spent time in jail for speaking her mind.” Katie leaned against the doorjamb. “And secondly, I have given up. At least, here in Pleasant Valley.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ian asked.

“I’m going to leave as soon as I return from escorting Miss Potts.”

His face paled. “Where do you think you’re going?”

She understood his concern. And the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt him or to cause him any undue worry. “I’m going to Wyoming. The school board in Granville is looking for a teacher.”

“I thought you didn’t like teaching and that you gave it up for good.”

“Well, I’ve had a change of heart. Since I can’t get through to the adults in this community, I’ve decided to use another tactic. I’ll begin by training the children when they’re still able to see reason.”

Ian blew out a weary sigh. “I told your father that I would be happy to oversee your trust fund, but he didn’t take me up on the offer, giving you full control. If he’d known that you’d become so independent, he might have listened to me.”

“Da always admired my independence.”

“He wouldn’t have in this instance.”

Katie watched the emotions play across Ian’s face, and she knew she was in for a battle. But try as he might, he wouldn’t be able to change her plans.

“I can’t allow you to go to Wyoming. Your father would roll over in the grave if I let you traipse across the country unescorted.”

“I won’t be alone, Ian. If things go as planned, I’ll be traveling with Miss Potts and Sarah Jane.”

“You’re going to travel with a prostitute?” His voice rose an octave, and his face grew rosy and bright. “Have you lost your mind completely?” Ian slapped his good hand upon his hip. “Katie, listen to reason for once in your life. Women of virtue don’t go to the Wyoming Territory, especially with soiled doves. They stay home and wait for a man to court them.”

It was the same argument he’d used each time she showed her stubborn streak, so she wasn’t surprised. Still, her answer was always the same. “That’s not going to happen. Getting married would strip me of what few rights a woman has in this world.”

“Well, it’s probably just as well that you remain a spinster. You’d drive your first husband crazy and the second to drink.”

“You may be right,” Katie said with a chuckle. “But if I should suffer a blow to the head causing me to reconsider marriage, I’ll look for a man as fair-minded as you or Da.”

“Humph. Don’t try to flatter me.”

Katie stepped forward and wrapped the old man in a warm embrace. “I love you, Ian. You know that, don’t you?”

The tension in his stance eased, and he hugged her back. “I love you, too, Katie. You’ve been the daughter I never had.”

Ian would be as angry as a hornet in a bowl of honey if he knew all the details of her trip, of the possible danger, of her determination to adopt Sarah Jane in the end, but he’d settle down in a day or so. He always did when he realized her mind was made up. And it was.

Katie was going to take Sarah Jane to Wyoming, and nobody was going to stop her.

* * *

Needless to say, Katie had packed her clothing and toiletries into a valise as quickly as possible, then she’d hurried to the livery stable and rented a gentle roan mare. After mounting and adjusting her skirts, she rode to the Gardener’s House to meet Mr. McCain.

Since she preferred not to butt heads with Sweet Heather again, she decided to wait outside. So she dismounted and tied her mare next to McCain’s big bay gelding and the snorting team of horses harnessed to a buckboard.

Someone had already packed the wagon and lined the bed with several quilts. They’d also rigged a small canvas tarp over the top to provide the injured woman with a bit of shade. Katie wondered if one of the fallen women had thought of it—or if McCain had.

Before she could consider the thoughtful gesture, the brothel’s front door swung open, and McCain stepped onto the porch with Daisy—or rather, Erin—in his arms. The injured woman wore a light blue dress—a plain and simple style with long sleeves and a delicate bow tied at the neckline. With her dark hair swept up into a modest topknot, she appeared to be as proper as any of the other ladies in town.