me panicking at some unseen danger.
The dark-skinned woman pulled Kristina behind her and graced me with an infuriated glare. “What have you done to her?”
Shocked, I didn’t have an answer ready. I guess if I’d been able to get to her sooner, those men wouldn’t have beat on her, but I hadn’t known she was gone. I’d been trying to scramble and get the horses back in the downed fence. By the time I knew she’d been taken, the scent trail had been washed out by the rain.
“No,” Kristina said, pulling the woman to face her. “Luke didn’t do this. He saved me from this.”
Trudy frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Come on in and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Kristina’s coffee was still a little on the bitter side, but she was making strides for improvement. At least it likely wouldn’t poison us. When she’d told our company all about the kidnapping, Trudy pulled Kristina’s shoes right off without a question and poked each healing gash. Likely she was looking for infection, and not finding any she turned to me.
“I’m sorry for accusing you earlier,” she said. “It looks pretty bad though. Now you boys go on out of here and tend to them horses while we chat.”
Elias put his hat back over his blond hair as soon as we were outside. “That’s a pretty little filly you got there.”
“I traded for her. Kristina told me she wouldn’t learn to ride unless I found her a polka dotted horse, so imagine her surprise when I found one so quick.”
“Trudy still won’t get on one. Says she don’t trust them but she’ll drive a wagon without a worry. Maybe I should try to find her a spotted horse too,” he said with a wink.
With the horses untied, I pulled them both behind me. “Did you come up to deliver that dress Trudy’s been working on?”
“Yeah, we hadn’t see you two for a few days and Trudy was wanting to show off her work.” Elias looked back at the house and lowered his voice. “I’m here for different reasons though. Trudy told me what you are.”
“Trudy sounds like she’s making assumptions.”
“I’ve seen you fight men in town. You’re too fast to be human and you haven’t been all that careful concealing that fact. I ain’t here to string you up, Dawson. I’m here to ask for protection if ever there comes a time me and my wife need it.”
His face was perfectly earnest as his blue eyes sought mine. This was a first. Normally, if people figured our kind out, they’d be there with pitchforks and torches by the next evening.
“What’s your game?” I asked suspiciously.
Elias held his hands up in the air. “No game, I swear. We’ll never tell your secret. Hell, we’ll even try to dispel the rumors swirling around town. But Trudy isn’t exactly safe living here with me and I want to know that if we got in a bind, you’d help us out.”
“Why don’t you move if you don’t feel safe?”
“Move where? Where is our marriage ever going to be accepted? Where will we be safe?”
The man had a point. And really, it couldn’t hurt to have friends in town. Kristina seemed to get along with Trudy real well and I’d hate to see any harm come to them.
“If it don’t put my family in danger, I’ll have your back.”
The deep line of worry in Elias’s forehead smoothed. “Much obliged.”
I threw the huge wooden door open and the barn owls went to flapping their wings sleepily above us. “You want to stay over for dinner? Kristina ain’t much of a cook yet, but you’re welcome to whatever she comes up with.”
“Thank you kindly. And don’t worry overmuch about that. Trudy will have her whipped into shape in the kitchen in no time. She’s taken a liking to your young wife.”
She wasn’t my wife quite yet, but I wasn’t about to correct him.
I liked the way it sounded.
****
Kristina
Trudy showed me how to do properly a whole lot of things I’d been doing very wrong in the kitchen. Thankfully we had some time before dinner so she
The dark-skinned woman pulled Kristina behind her and graced me with an infuriated glare. “What have you done to her?”
Shocked, I didn’t have an answer ready. I guess if I’d been able to get to her sooner, those men wouldn’t have beat on her, but I hadn’t known she was gone. I’d been trying to scramble and get the horses back in the downed fence. By the time I knew she’d been taken, the scent trail had been washed out by the rain.
“No,” Kristina said, pulling the woman to face her. “Luke didn’t do this. He saved me from this.”
Trudy frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Come on in and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Kristina’s coffee was still a little on the bitter side, but she was making strides for improvement. At least it likely wouldn’t poison us. When she’d told our company all about the kidnapping, Trudy pulled Kristina’s shoes right off without a question and poked each healing gash. Likely she was looking for infection, and not finding any she turned to me.
“I’m sorry for accusing you earlier,” she said. “It looks pretty bad though. Now you boys go on out of here and tend to them horses while we chat.”
Elias put his hat back over his blond hair as soon as we were outside. “That’s a pretty little filly you got there.”
“I traded for her. Kristina told me she wouldn’t learn to ride unless I found her a polka dotted horse, so imagine her surprise when I found one so quick.”
“Trudy still won’t get on one. Says she don’t trust them but she’ll drive a wagon without a worry. Maybe I should try to find her a spotted horse too,” he said with a wink.
With the horses untied, I pulled them both behind me. “Did you come up to deliver that dress Trudy’s been working on?”
“Yeah, we hadn’t see you two for a few days and Trudy was wanting to show off her work.” Elias looked back at the house and lowered his voice. “I’m here for different reasons though. Trudy told me what you are.”
“Trudy sounds like she’s making assumptions.”
“I’ve seen you fight men in town. You’re too fast to be human and you haven’t been all that careful concealing that fact. I ain’t here to string you up, Dawson. I’m here to ask for protection if ever there comes a time me and my wife need it.”
His face was perfectly earnest as his blue eyes sought mine. This was a first. Normally, if people figured our kind out, they’d be there with pitchforks and torches by the next evening.
“What’s your game?” I asked suspiciously.
Elias held his hands up in the air. “No game, I swear. We’ll never tell your secret. Hell, we’ll even try to dispel the rumors swirling around town. But Trudy isn’t exactly safe living here with me and I want to know that if we got in a bind, you’d help us out.”
“Why don’t you move if you don’t feel safe?”
“Move where? Where is our marriage ever going to be accepted? Where will we be safe?”
The man had a point. And really, it couldn’t hurt to have friends in town. Kristina seemed to get along with Trudy real well and I’d hate to see any harm come to them.
“If it don’t put my family in danger, I’ll have your back.”
The deep line of worry in Elias’s forehead smoothed. “Much obliged.”
I threw the huge wooden door open and the barn owls went to flapping their wings sleepily above us. “You want to stay over for dinner? Kristina ain’t much of a cook yet, but you’re welcome to whatever she comes up with.”
“Thank you kindly. And don’t worry overmuch about that. Trudy will have her whipped into shape in the kitchen in no time. She’s taken a liking to your young wife.”
She wasn’t my wife quite yet, but I wasn’t about to correct him.
I liked the way it sounded.
****
Kristina
Trudy showed me how to do properly a whole lot of things I’d been doing very wrong in the kitchen. Thankfully we had some time before dinner so she
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