Judy Duarte - Lone Wolf's Lady

Katie thought it made a clever disguise, if one could call it that.

As McCain carried Erin down the porch steps, Katie caught a glimpse of the black eye and the nasty bruise that marred one side of her face, mocking the ladylike clothing. As they crossed the yard, Katie had a better view of her injuries and winced at the brutality of the attack.

She’d been so taken by the sight of the battered woman that she just now noticed Sarah Jane trailing behind. The child, her head downcast, wore a yellow calico dress and a small pair of moccasins on her feet.

Katie made her way to the little girl, then dropped to her knees and hugged her close. But instead of returning the embrace, Sarah Jane’s arms hung loosely at her sides.

“Oh, honey,” Katie said, hoping to infuse a little warmth and joy back into her. “I’m so glad to see you.”

Katie’s heart ached at the thought of what the child had witnessed, what she’d been through.

“Come on,” McCain said. “We don’t have time for idle chitchat. Let’s get them in the wagon.”

Katie didn’t intend to dawdle. For goodness’ sake, she wanted to get the child—and herself!—as far away from the brothel as they could. But she couldn’t help being concerned about the girl and ignored the man long enough to satisfy her curiosity.

“Are you all right, honey?” Katie asked.

Sarah Jane nodded.

“Who hurt you?”

The child’s gaze dropped to the small, beaded moccasins she wore.

Katie placed her fingertip under Sarah Jane’s chin and lifted her face. “It’s all right. I’m here now, and I’ll protect you. You can tell me what happened.”

“She can’t talk,” McCain said.

Katie knew she’d been traumatized, but she’d thought, well, hoped that her arrival, her presence and voice, might soothe the frightened girl, might comfort her.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and Katie turned to see a tall blonde carrying a large basket in the crook of her arm. A stocky brunette followed behind toting a white ceramic chamber pot.

“I’ve packed some vittles for you to take,” the blonde said. “It’ll be suppertime before you know it. And since Doc don’t want Daisy to walk or move around very much, we thought it might be best if you took this pot along, too. That way she won’t have to climb in and out of the wagon.”

Katie knew Daisy had been injured, but she hadn’t realized how laid up she’d be on the trip. But that didn’t matter. Katie was prepared to take care of her, as well as Sarah Jane.

She’d nursed her da for several weeks before he passed, so she was used to tending the sick. And while being on the trail would be different from being at home, she was prepared to do whatever needed to be done.

According to McCain, the trip would take several days. Katie wondered what they would eat after they’d finished the food in the basket. She hated to think that they’d have to scavenge the countryside for berries, seeds and wild game. Surely someone had thought to pack more supplies. But if they hadn’t? Well, she’d think of something. She always did.

Katie stood, shook the dust from her skirts and reached for Sarah Jane’s hand. “Come on, honey. We’re going on a grand adventure.”

McCain, who’d helped the injured woman settle into the bed of the wagon, glanced her way and frowned.

Didn’t he realize that Katie simply had been trying to reassure the child? She certainly wasn’t looking forward to spending the next few days sleeping outdoors and eating whatever they managed to find, especially under his watch. Would she ever see his gaze untouched by judgment? A small part of her couldn’t help wishing so.

“By the way,” Katie said to McCain, deciding she deserved more information than he’d given her. “Do we have any pans for cooking? Or maybe a coffeepot?”

His scowl confirmed that he might have agreed to take her along, but he certainly wasn’t the least bit happy about it. When he finally spoke, his words came out short and snappish. “This isn’t a picnic, Miss O’Malley.”

Under other circumstances, Katie might have let loose with an angry retort, but she bit her tongue, knowing it wouldn’t do her any good to irritate him further, at least until they were too far along for him to change his mind and send her home.

“Tom,” the blonde said, “I’ve got one more box to go on that wagon, and I’ll need some help lifting it.”

“There’s not much room, Rose.”

“It’s not big, just a wee bit heavy.”

McCain started toward the house, then paused when he reached Katie. “Help Sarah Jane into the wagon.”

If Katie weren’t so eager to get the child away from the brothel and this town, she’d remind him that she didn’t take orders, and that a “please” and a little respect would go a long way. But she let it go this time and helped Sarah Jane settle into the back of the wagon, next to where Erin lay.

Once the child was seated, Katie leaned against the side of the buckboard, reached into the bed and placed her hand on the prostitute’s arm. “Mr. McCain told me that your name is Erin, which is what I’ll be calling you from now on.”

Erin, her eyes a bit dazed, merely nodded.

“I’m sorry things aren’t working out the way either of us intended,” Katie added, “but don’t worry. Once you’re feeling better, we’ll leave for Wyoming.”

Erin merely closed her eyes and sighed.

Boot steps sounded on the porch, and Katie looked over her shoulder to see McCain approach the wagon carrying a small wooden crate. After he placed it under the wagon seat, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold watch.

He lifted the lid and glanced at the time. Then he circled the wagon and approached Katie. “I’ll help you up.”

“You don’t need to,” she told him. “I’m not as helpless or as troublesome as you think. I can do it myself.”

In spite of what she’d told him, he slipped behind her and offered his assistance, gripping her elbow and reaching for her waist.

His hands were strong, his touch warm, his movements deft. Yet it was the scent of him, a manly combination of leather and soap that caused her breath to catch.

Hoping he hadn’t noticed, she climbed up, settled onto the seat and adjusted her skirts.

She was just about to reach for the reins when McCain tied his horse to the back of the wagon, beside hers.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “I can drive a buckboard.”

“We’re all going to ride in the wagon. From a distance, maybe we’ll look like a family.”

Katie nearly snorted at the thought of her and McCain as husband and wife, but she kept her reaction to herself.

It was all part of the masquerade, part of the plan to get Sarah Jane to safety.

Yet as McCain climbed into the seat beside her, like a husband would do, her heart gave a funny little flutter.

“Everybody ready?” he asked the passengers in back.

“Are you sure we have everything we need?” Katie asked, hoping he’d thought of the things she might have included had he given her enough time to plan.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re going to make do with what we have. We’re burning daylight as it is.”

She wanted to object, but she had to admit that McCain was right.

The sooner they left Pleasant Valley, the better.

* * *

Traveling with two women and a child wasn’t going to be easy, and Tom doubted he’d get much sleep over the next few days. If he’d had the luxury of waiting until tomorrow morning, he would have planned to set out before daylight.

The fewer people who saw them leaving, the less chance there was that the attacker would catch wind of it and follow them. Hopefully, the man had fled to parts unknown, but Tom wasn’t taking any chances. According to Sheriff Droeger, they hadn’t uncovered a motive for the assault—no robbery, at least, not that anyone knew. So was it personal? Had the man gone after Erin for some other reason? If so, that would give him reason to come back and finish the job.