Winter's Touch by Hudson Janis Reams

Author:Hudson, Janis Reams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2014-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

Innes MacDougall took another drink from his bottle of Taos Lightning and counted off the days again, starting with the day their ragged little group of escapees had gotten separated.

He had gritted his teeth in frustration when he’d realized Carson and Winter Fawn had been spotted by the warriors. He’d feared they were all in for it for sure. But Carson had done what he’d said he wanted to do, and that was lead the warriors away from his daughter and sister. In his place, Innes would have done the same.

“But dammit, lad,” Innes muttered, looking out across the grasslands to the buttes beyond. “Did ye hae to take me lass wi’ ye?”

The answer, of course, was yes. If Carson had stopped long enough to put Winter Fawn off the horse, Crooked Oak would have caught him. Innes knew that.

It dinna help.

But Innes had never been one to fail to take advantage where he could, as long as it dinna harm a body what dinna deserve to be harmed. With the warriors taking off after Carson and Winter Fawn, the way had been clear for Innes to ride out onto the plains and get Carson’s wagon. The lad had sunk a fair penny into the goods he’d bought in Pueblo. There was no sense leaving them for some scalawag to carry off for his own.

They had reached the wagon near sundown and made it to the safety of Colorado City that night.

He had told Carson he did not want his children in a town, but mostly he’d meant his daughter. Whites might scorn Hunter’s Indian blood, but they wouldn’t necessarily think of him as easy pray, or available goods, the way they would a young, beautiful Arapaho woman. Still, Innes had taken the precaution of waiting outside town until dark before entering Colorado City.

That was day one.

From Colorado City to the ranch—day two.

Now here it was, near sundown, and they’d been at the ranch for three days. Waiting. Watching. Praying.

Five days. Five days since Carson and Winter Fawn had led the warriors away from the rest of their party. Five bloody days. Why, a body could walk all the way to Denver and back afoot in that length of time.

There had been a storm in the mountains. That had Innes worried. Carson was a good man, and smart, but he wasn’t used to mountain storms. Wasn’t used to mountains at all.

“Any sign of ‘em?”

Innes turned to find Beau Rivers, one of Carson’s hands. “Nae. Nary a sign.”

“I wouldn’t fret,” Rivers said in his lazy Southern drawl. “The cap’n’s been in tight spots before. He’ll show up, you mark my words.”

Innes took another drink from his bottle. “Aye,” he said in hopes of convincing himself. “He’ll show.”

From the bluff on the south side of the river, where Hunter had gone in search of higher ground from which to watch, came a shrill Arapaho cry of victory.

Innes whirled and saw his son pointing toward the north. He looked in that direction, squinting, searching.

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