Moon Racer (29 page)

Abby heard Patricia enter the room, but she
pretended to be asleep. She had been crying,
something she had rarely done until she met
Jonah-now it seemed to be second nature for her
to cry at the slightest provocation.

"Are you asleep, Abby?"

She could not ignore Patricia. "No."

"I need to talk to you, if you aren't too sleepy."

Abby knew what was coming-she had expected
it. She deserved everything Patricia had to say to
her. "I'm not sleepy."

Patricia lit a lamp and sat down on the foot of the
bed. "I will be going back to Philadelphia."

Abby sat up quickly and grabbed Patricia's hand.
"No. You mustn't do that! Don't blame Jonah for
my bad behavior. I threw myself at him. He's such
a gentleman he didn't want to hurt my feelings. You
have to believe me; it was all my fault tonight."

"Yes, in a way it is your fault. It's your fault
because you are exactly the kind of woman Jonah
needs and wants-it's your fault that he is so deeply
in love with you, he's miserable."

"He told you that?"

"No. As you say, he is a gentleman. I am the one
who did most of the talking tonight. When Jonah
was at your ranch he hardly touched me, and when
you were in the room his eyes followed you with
such... hunger, I could see his pain."

"You are mistaken, Patricia. It's you he wants.
After all, he asked you to marry him."

"I almost begged him to propose to me-it
wasn't his idea. Until that night I don't think he had
even considered marrying me. There were so many
women in love with him, Abby. I was just one of
them."

"If you love him enough, you could make him
happy."

"He would never be happy with me, but he
would have gone through with the wedding because
that's the kind of man he is."

Abby said nothing, so Patricia continued. "I think
I first realized his feelings for you when he insisted
on being brought to you when he was wounded.
You see, Abby, he didn't even know I was staying
at your ranch at the time."

Abby buried her face in her hands. "He doesn't
loveme.Heonly... he only..."

Even though she couldn't say the words, Patricia
understood what Abby meant. She went to her and
hugged her. "My poor little friend, he could have
what you are implying with anyone-don't you
know that?"

Abby clasped Patricia's hand. "Don't leave him.
Don't do this to him. He will be so miserable if you
go.

Patricia moved away and blew out the lamp. "He
will be more miserable if I stay."

Abby had been unable to sleep. She buried her face
in her pillow so Patricia would not hear her crying.
She had destroyed any hopes Jonah might have had
for happiness-and Patricia, too. She waited for the
sun to light the darkened corners of the room before
she quietly dressed and left Patricia sleeping.

She hurried outside, frantically seeking Sergeant
MacDougall. He had been putting young recruits
through their daily drill, so she waited until he had
finished and dismissed them.

"Miss Hunter, you're up mighty early after such a
late night."

"Sergeant, do you know where Grant Zachary is?"

He heard the desperation in her voice. "Why, yes.
He's quartered next to me."

"Would you please tell him I need to see him at
once? And please hurry."

"Yes, ma'am, I surely will."

MacDougall watched her hurry away. Everyone
was talking about the major and Miss Hunter-about
how the major kept staring at one woman while he
was engaged to another. But he had known for some
time that his commander loved the Hunter gal.
Otherwise why would he have been so frantic to see
her when he wasn't sure he was going to live?

As far as MacDougall was concerned, Quince's
sister was the right woman for his commander.

The young corporal skidded to a stop before Jonah
and issued a quick salute. "I'm sorry to interrupt
you, sir, but Miss Van Dere told me to tell you that
Miss Hunter left the fort this morning with Ranger
Grant Zachary."

"She went riding?"

'No, sir-she left."

"Dismissed, soldier."

Jonah blamed himself for hurting Abby with his
little display the night before. He could only
imagine how she must have felt, and how difficult it
would be for her to face Patricia. If there was one
thing Abby tried to avoid, it was gossip, and he had
certainly brought that down on her head.

Jonah frowned and moved to the window in time
to see his father striding across the parade ground. It
was obvious from his stiff motions that he was mad
about something. And Jonah knew what it was.

The general burst through the door and faced his
son. "What in the hell do you mean, Jonah, by what
you have done?"

He had been expecting this; he just wondered
why it had taken his father so long to seek him out.
"I'm in no mood for your accusations, General. Just
say what is on your mind, and let me get on with
my work."

"What do you mean by allowing Abigail to get
away? Don't you know you could lose her?"

Jonah was' struck silent. He had certainly not
expected those words from his father.

"I have known for some time that Abigail was
the wife for you. I just wondered how long it would
take you to realize it. I was certainly concerned with
what your stalling was doing to Patricia. It would
have been just like you to marry her, knowing you
wanted Abigail. I guess Patricia took care of that
herself-she has a real elegance of mind, like a true
Philadelphian."

Jonah could hardly believe his father's glowing
approval of Abby. "So you have already decided
which woman I am to marry just like you decided
everything else in my life?"

"Hell, Jonah, you couldn't keep your hands off
Abigail last night. Son, you didn't buy that ranch
with Patricia in mind, and you know it."

"No. I don't suppose I did." He looked up at the
ceiling to gather his thoughts. "I don't even know
how she feels about me. After last night she
probably despises me."

"Then it's about time you found out, isn't it?"

"I can't leave just now." He shook his head.
"Duty first."

"Well, I'm going to be leaving tomorrow to
escort Patricia back to Philadelphia, where she
belongs. When I return in the spring, I expect there
to be a wedding-if you can wait that long-and
from what I saw last night, you'd better waste no
time in getting Abigail to the altar."

Edmund read Kane's letter for the third time, trying
to figure out its meaning; there were so many
misspelled words it was hard to tell. He shook his
head and stuffed it in his pocket. Kane couldn't
write worth a damn, but for him to even make the
attempt meant something had happened.

He mounted his horse and rode out of town.
Sometime later he arrived at Kane's cabin to find
him sitting on the doorstep whittling a piece of
wood.

"You sure took your time getting here."

Edmund dismounted. "I had bank business to
tend to before I could leave town."

"Yeah. I just bet you did. Foreclosed on any
orphans or widows lately?"

Edmund scowled. "It's too hot to play your little
games. Just tell me what you want so I can get back
to town before dark."

Kane sliced his knife down the wood and sent a
chip flying. "I don't know where to start." He aimed
his knife, and it went whizzing past Edmund's ear
and stuck in the trunk of a tree just behind the
banker.

"Dammit!" Edmund said, flinching. "You could
have hit me with that knife."

"You were in no danger-I always hit what I aim
at.

"Just tell me why you dragged me all the way out
here."

"For one thing, your friend Williamson has been
arrested and sent up to Fort Worth."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I have ways of finding out things."

"What was he charged with?;7"

"Several crimes. Al you need to worry about is
that he's charged with robbing the army payroll."
He smiled, showing a flash of white teeth. "Can you
imagine anyone doing such a thing?"

-You can't get to him to shut him up at Fort
Worth. Will he talk?"

"Can't say. But he's a coward, and his kind will
always look after their own skin."

Edmund looked disgusted. "You called me all the
way out here just to tell me that?"

"There's more. The word is that the Hunter gal has
been with Tremain at Fort Fannin, and they was
looking into each other's eyes and heating up the
place. It seems the woman from back east has left for
home-you know which one I mean, the one Tre main was supposed to marry. Guess you can draw
your own conclusions from that."

Edmund felt a rush of rage so thick and hot he
wanted to hurt someone. "Has that bastard had
her?"

Kane shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not hired to
peek into people's bedrooms." He smiled, his black
eyes going even darker-he was enjoying himself.
"There's more still."

Edmund jammed his hands in his pockets. "You
have cheered me up quite enough for one day."

"I saved the best for last."

Irritation tinged the banker's words. "What is it?"

He stood up and stretched his arms over his head.
"Your major went shopping for a wedding present.
And guess what he bought?"

"I don't care, Kane."

"Oh, but you will when I tell you what it is. He
bought the Taylor ranch. I bet you can guess who
he bought that for."

Edmund went perfectly still.

He tried to swallow the red hot rage that coiled
inside him. He knew he had been distracted lately,
but how could he have missed the fact that the lien
had been paid off on the Taylor ranch? He almost
choked on his fury. Grabbing his chest, he sank to
his knees. "I'll kill him for this-I swear I will. I'll
kill them both!"

Kane's walk was almost a slither as he went to the
tree, retrieved his knife, and slid it into his scabbard.
"It don't seem like the major's easy to kill. The way I
hear, the Apache have already tried twice. But I bet he's going to have himself a good time when he
takes that pretty Hunter gal to bed."

Edmund stood up on shaky legs and braced
himself against a tree. After he caught his breath, he
walked to his horse and climbed into the saddle.
Someone was going to be sorry for this.

Abby would be sorry before he was finished with
her!

Frances eyed Abby speculatively. "You've been
moping around like a cat that's lost its tail. What
happened at that fort that made you come home
acting like you lost your best friend?"

Abby picked up her hat, slammed it on her head,
and walked to the door. "I have lost my only
friend."

When she left the house, she let the screen door
slam behind her. Frances was right about one
thing-she had been moping. It was time for her to
help out around the ranch.

Brent had said he wanted the black mustang cut
away from the herd because the horse was too
aggressive with the others. That would get her away
from the house for most of the day.

It was peaceful at the pasture where the new herd
of mustangs were being held. There was only an oc casional whinny from the horses to break the
silence. She had only to show Sassy which horse
she wanted to cut out, and the pinto would do the
rest. Her little mare was an excellent cutting horse.

It took her the better part of an hour to drive the
mustang to a fenced area. She dismounted and
watched the black horse run free, then let her mind
take her where she didn't want to go. Patricia would
be back in Philadelphia by now, and Abby was sure
it was all her fault. She had ruined Patricia's life,
and she had also ruined Jonah's hope for happiness.

She glanced down at her split skirt. At least
knowing Jonah had improved her taste in clothing.
She wondered why she hadn't thrown those old
trousers away long ago.

She glanced upward and marveled at the beauty
of the white fluffy clouds; it looked like someone
had taken a basket of cotton and scattered it across
the blue sky. She shaded her eyes when she looked
westward-someone was approaching. She waited
until the rider was closer, thinking it might be Brent.
But when she recognized the man, her breath hissed
out in irritation, and then she felt a prickle of fear
along the base of her spine.

What was Edmund Montgomery doing there?

Abby's first instinct was to get on her horse and
ride away as fast as she could. She sure didn't want
to be out here alone with him.

She was terrified of him!

Her pinto had wandered several hundred yards
away in search of shade-she would never be able
to get to the mare before Edmund reached her.

"Abby," he said, dismounting smoothly. "What a
surprise to find you out here alone."

"Frances wouldn't have told you where to find
me-how did you know I was here?"

He stopped close to her and looked over the land.
"I have my ways of knowing. I have had you
watched," he admitted.