Wild Kat (7 page)

“She
is gone, her things are gone and she is gone.  I do not think she slept here
last night either.”  He stuck his head out of the loft window. 

“She
must be off on one of her hunting trips, or gone to see that Indian.”  Her
hands were on her full hips now.

“She
never takes her things though.  I am coming down.”  Thomas climbed down the
ladder.  “She went to the village once before but she left her things.”

“Maybe
she is not coming back. She left her bow and the shotgun in the house so she is
not hunting.  I think you are right, I do not think she is just visiting this
time Thomas.”  He frowned grimly.

“God
help me.”  He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

Kat
helped the other women tend their fields.  She loved digging in the earth and
pulling weeds.  She helped Moon Dancer mostly while she poured her heart out. 
Moon Dancer listened patiently to her friend.  She tried to help by offering
advice.  Moon Dancer thought Running Deer should go back and fight her sister
for her true love and for her farm. 

“You
will never be at peace or happy here Running Deer.  I can see your heart and it
beats for only the white man.  You love him and should be with him.”

“Is
it that obvious?  Why does Julie always get the men?  They flock to her, they
always have.  She was a bad sister and I am sure a bad wife.” Kat yanked the
weeds quickly.

“You
are much prettier than your sister is.  You are a good woman and a will be a
good wife.  He will see that in time, especially if she is as lazy as you say
she is.  Do not worry, he will come for you, I am sure.”

“I
hope so Moon Dancer, because I do love him.”  Tears pricked her eyes.

Thomas
asked around town if anyone had seen Kat since he was in town anyway.  No one
had.  He was coming out of Jacob’s store when a short, stocky red-haired man
approached him.  “I understand you bought the Whitley farm?”

“Yes
I did a few years ago.  Thomas Woods.”  Thomas stuck his hand out to the
stranger.  The red-haired man shook it.

“I
wondered if a young lady has visited you with two babies.  Her name is Julie.”

“Yes
she is staying with me.  Can I give her a message for you?”  Thomas loaded his
packages.

“No,”
he drew a long breath.  “I would like to deliver my message myself if I could
trouble you for a ride out to the farm?”

“Of
course.  Have you got a name?  I like to know whom I am riding with.”  Thomas
chuckled and climbed up onto the seat.

“Sorry,
I have been so worried I forgot my manners.  My name is Doug Crenshaw.”  He
climbed up the other side.

“Julie’s
husband Doug?”  Thomas paled.

“That’d
be me, what’s wrong?”

“But
you’re dead.  Julie said her husband was dead.”  Thomas was confused and a
little frightened.  He had never spoken to a dead man before.

“That
is just like her.  We had a terrible fight and she left New York.”  Doug
settled into his seat.  “How are my children?  I have missed them terribly, has
she taken them to see their grandparents?”

“Not
that I know of.  They are fine, fat and happy.  Julie takes care of them.”

“She
is a good mother, but selfish in all other matters.  Her father called her
princess and I am afraid she believes it.  Do you know what we fought over?  I
asked her to fix me a meal.  The servants were all down with influenza and she
would not even fix me a damned sandwich.  That is what she left me for, a
sandwich.”  Doug shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.

“Her
sister is nothing like that.  She works harder than any man does.”

“She
always has, I should have waited for Kat, because she would’ve been a great
wife.  She was a beautiful child, smart as a whip and could she ever shoot a
shotgun.  Kat was the best hunter around that girl, best fisherman too.  I was
eight years older though and she was still a baby.  I bet she is really
beautiful now.”  Thomas flicked the reins.

“She
is lovely.”  Thomas’ eyes were far away.

“How
is she?”  Doug grinned recognizing the smitten look on Thomas’ face

“She
spent some time in the orphanage and showed up in my barn a couple of months
ago.  A few days ago she took off and we have not seen her since.”

“She
is in the village with that Indian boy, I would bet money.  She used to take
off for long spells when she was mad at Julie.  If she and Julie have had words
or if Kat grew tired of Julie’s nonsense, off she would go, for days, sometimes
longer.  Julie knows exactly what to do to anger Kat and views it as
entertainment.  Julie has always been jealous of Kat.  Even though Julie was Daddy’s
princess, Kat was always his favorite.”

Julie
was swinging on the porch when they pulled to a stop.  Julie eyed Doug
suspiciously.  He jumped down and went to sit beside her.  Thomas walked the
horse to the barn while Doug spoke to Julie.

“Does
either of you know the way to the village?  I am going after her; she has had
long enough to cool off.”

“Follow
the stream to the bend and you cannot miss it.”  Doug volunteered.  “Announce
to the first person that you see why you are there and then ask if you may
speak to the Chief.”

“Make
yourselves to home, I will be back soon with Kat.”  Thomas waved.

Thomas
started off for the woods with Toby following him.  It was a nice walk through
the forest.  The water tinkled over rocks and squirrels scurried out of his
way. It grew darker as he went deeper into the forest.  The smell of rich earth
and decaying leaves was strong now.  The birds chirped happily and crickets
sang all around him. Once he had walked a few miles he could see teepees in the
distance where the trees cleared.  Village people walked around carrying baskets
and animal skins.  Half-naked small brown children were playing a game near the
edge of the woods and ran when they saw him.  A woman spotted him and dropped
her basket of berries as she ran away.  When he entered the clearing several
large braves greeted him.  Toby darted between them and ran until Thomas could
no longer see him.  The biggest spoke first.

“You
are here for Running Deer?”  Thomas recognized him from his own porch.

“Yes,
may I please speak to her?”  Thomas’ hands hung loosely at his sides.

“I
will ask her.  Follow me.  I am Chief Great Bear, if she does not want to see
you, you will leave peacefully?”

“I
mean no harm to your people.  If she refuses, I will go and never return.” 
Thomas offered humbly.

“Okay.” 
Thomas grinned at the Chief’s response.  He spoke very well for an Indian.  It
was probably a trade off when they were children.  ‘I will teach you English
and you teach me to throw knives.’  Kat was most likely a very crafty little
girl.  She got the best end of the deal.  Great bear stopped at a small teepee
and told Thomas to wait.  He ducked inside.  Thomas looked around at the black
eyes boring holes into him.  They seemed like gentle people, but anxious with
his presence.  A gray haired old woman nodded and smiled a toothless grin. 
Great Bear came out of the teepee and held the flap open for him.  “She has
agreed to speak with you.”  Thomas went inside the teepee.  Kat was sitting on
a mound of fur stringing beads.

“Well,
you found me, what do you want?” She asked as soon as he was inside.  “Do the
rugs need a beating or are you out of clean clothes?”

“I
noticed you moved out of the loft.”  He ignored her sharp tongue.  He had not
really planned out what to say.  He thought everything would work out once he
found her. It was not as going as smoothly as he hoped, she was still angry and
he did not know why.

“You
like my new home.  It is much warmer and very cozy.”  She spread her arms out,
her palms up.

“It
is very nice.”  Thomas sat down across from her.  “What are you making?”

“A
shirt for myself,” she brightened.  “Do you like it?  It is my first attempt. 
Moon Dancer has been trying to teach me.”  She looked at the piece of skin in
her lap.

“You
look good in buckskin.”

“It
is doeskin.  I killed her myself.  Now, that is enough polite conversation. 
What do you want?”    The yellow fire in her eyes challenged him, her chin
lifted defiantly.

“I
want you to come home.”  He was humble.

“It
will be fall soon.  I will choose a husband.”  Her attention went back to her
beadwork.

“You
will just pick one out?  Does it have to be fall to get married?”  Thomas
snapped.

“What
I meant was, you said I had to leave by fall.  Great Bear says I can have the
finest brave.   I figured if this was to be my home, I should make my choice
soon.”

“I
see, I thought perhaps you would stay at the farm.”

“It
would get awfully cold in the loft.  Besides you have Julie to care for you. 
She can pay your taxes and you can care for her in return.”  Her tone was cold.

“It‘s
not Julie that I want.”  Her eyes softened when they met his gray ones.  “Doug
is not dead either; he came for her today.”

“I
see.”  Her tone turned bitter.  “Her husband showed up and now you need a
servant again.  You can get along fine without me.  You did for two years while
you were stealing my farm.”

“I
did not steal anything.”  Thomas tried to remain calm, keeping his voice even. 
He knew there were twenty braves outside that would kill him on her command. 
“I do not need a servant.   I need a wife.”  He said without thinking.

“Are
you asking me to marry you?”  She asked, confused.  Her hands stopped their
work.

“If
you will have me.  I do not have much to offer.  A small farm, some animals,
and plenty of corn...” Kisses like fire, brown muscles and deep gray eyes to
get lost in.  Kat thought to herself as he finished his inventory.  “And I
happen to love you.”

“You
sure do not act like it.”  Her anger was renewed, her eyes hardened.  “You boss
me around like a hired hand and you told Julie that you are my landlord.  Then
you take credit for work I have done and sit out on my swing kissing my
sister.”  Her hands were busy again.

“Your
sister was being nice, she knows who keeps house.  And she kissed me Kat I did
not kiss her.   Is that why you left?”  He had trouble believing she could be
so adolescent but then was that not what a girl of sixteen should be?

“You
are only here because she will be leaving with Doug.  You had two women and now
you have none, so I am better than nothing, is that it?”  Moon Dancer listened
outside.  She prayed her friend’s sharp tongue would not chase him away.  Great
Bear looked at his sister glumly shaking his head his mouth pressed into a thin
white line. He hoped his woman’s tongue never grew that sharp.  Thomas’ voice
rose in anger now, he was unable to contain it any longer.

“That
is not true.  I told your sister two days ago that I was going to marry you. 
She told me to hurry before someone snatched you away.”

“Bull
shit. You are a liar.  Julie would never say that.  She has always called me a
dirty little heathen.  You go home Thomas.  I have decided to stay here and
find a brave who does not lie.”  She would not look at him.  He would see the
tears in her eyes.

“I
do not care if you believe me or not.  That was our conversation and that was
why she kissed me, to congratulate me.”  He was crawling toward her.  He had
enough talk it was time for action, because she was not staying here.

“What
are you doing?”  Her hands froze, not knowing what to do and no escape evident.

“I
am going to convince you.”  He said just as his lips caught hers.  He pushed
her back into the fur mound.  His tongue danced inside her mouth and Kat lost
all cogent thought.  Moon Dancer smiled at the silence and went about her
business, smart white man.  She cannot talk if he loves her. 

Kat‘s
fingers twisted in his hair, she pulled him closer trying to quench the fire in
her belly, tried to fill the hollowness.  “I love you Kathleen,” he said
between kisses.  “Will you come home with me and marry me?”

“Yes.” 
She murmured kissing him harder.  He stopped suddenly and pulled her to her
feet.  Her head still spun.

“Let’s
go home.”  He stepped out of the teepee.  Toby sat waiting for them.  Kat
thanked Great Bear and Moon Dancer for their hospitality before she followed
Thomas from the village and into the woods.  Thomas held her hand as they
walked.  “When should we have the wedding?”  He asked.

“I
want to have the ceremony while Julie is still here, if that is all right with
you.”

“I
will speak to the preacher Sunday.”

“So
he asked you, what did you say?”  Julie was excited.  She sat on the edge of a
chair at the far end of the table watching Kat wash dishes. 

“I
said yes.  I love him.  Should I have said no?”  Kat was sarcastic.  She placed
a plate gently in the rinse water.