Cherokee Warriors: The Lover by Genell Dellin

Author:Genell Dellin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

By the time Eagle Jack got back from the river, Susanna had picked the bedgrounds where the drovers were beginning to settle the herd—she’d done a mighty fine job of it—and she was sitting on a log somebody had dragged up to the fire, scooping more coals onto the top of the Dutch oven. Evidently, she was in charge of the sourdough biscuits again, and he was glad. The ones she made were the best he’d ever eaten. Maynell was frying steaks.

And some cowboy was walking from his ground-tied horse into camp, clearly headed toward Susanna. He took another look. It was his trail boss, Nat Straight. He’d know that swagger anywhere.

“Nat!”

At Eagle Jack’s shout, he turned and came out to meet him.

Eagle Jack dismounted and they shook hands.

“We’re holding the herd a couple of miles back,” Nat said. “Figured you’d wanta wait and throw ’em together when we head on out.”

“Sounds good,” Eagle Jack said. “How’s their condition?”

“Fat ’n’ sassy,” Nat said. “We took it slow after we got your message.” He gave Eagle Jack a look. “Wish I was in as good a shape as the herd.”

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Nearly had a heart attack a while ago.”

“What happened?” Eagle Jack asked.

“That pretty lady over there told me she’s your wife. I swear, it was a shock to my system, Eagle Jack. I come within a hair of swallowing my tobacco.”

Annoyance stabbed at Eagle Jack, irritation that this silly marriage farce had carried over to his home territory. Nat was one of the best cowboys on the Sixes and Sevens and there were eight or ten more men from the home ranch with the herd. He hadn’t thought about them and the married-up story he and Susanna were telling.

He’d pay hell if his mother heard it—she’d been hoping and praying he’d get married and settle down for so long that this would make her hysterical with happiness. She’d never believe that it was only a tale for the trail.

He needed to correct Nat’s thinking.

“Aw, that’s just—” He bit his tongue.

Nat would be with all them the rest of the drive. The man was a big talker and he could never keep a secret, no matter how trivial.

Besides, talking and gossip and jokes and foolishness were about the only entertainment for everyone on the long, hard journey. No sense providing any ammunition.

The men who were with him and Susanna believed they were married and if they heard differently now, their trust in him as a leader would be broken.

Trust meant life or death on the trail.

Besides, he couldn’t make Susanna out to be a liar. She was the one who had told this to Nat.

“…just somethin’ I did on the spur of the moment,” Eagle Jack said.

Nat laughed. “Well, she must be as quick as she is beautiful if she could get you hog-tied and branded before you could get home from one short jaunt to Salado,” he said. “Did you know her very long?”

“Nope,” Eagle Jack said, and started them walking toward the fire.

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