Summary:  Adam’s the Trail Boss, like so many times before.  But just who is this mysterious drover?
Rating:  T   Words:  39,300

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Though the Library already contains stories from this author, this story was forwarded by Corina to be included as part of this project.

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CHAPTER ONE

Adam kissed Paulette gently on the lips, leaning down from his saddle. When he looked into Paulette’s eyes, he saw tears.

“I won’t be gone that long,” he said with a half-laugh. “And you’re going to meet me in Sedalia, anyway.”

“I’ll just miss you so terribly,” she answered. “It’ll seem like forever before I see you again.”

Adam kissed her again and then handed her his handkerchief. “We can write, you know.”

“I know. But writing just isn’t the same.” She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. She stood outside her house on the steps and watched Adam ride away.

CHAPTER TWO

Back at the Ponderosa, Ben fretted. Adam simply rolled his eyes.

“Pa! It’s not like I haven’t been on a cattle drive before. And I’ve been trail boss on so many that I’ve lost count! Stop worrying!”

“I know. I know.” Ben stuffed his pipe into his mouth and lit it. “But I am allowed to be a concerned father. But you’ll need a good scout, and you know that Marcus isn’t available. You’ll be going through Indian country and….”

Adam leaned against the stone fireplace. “Have you forgotten that we are living in Indian country?”

Ben sighed. “No, son. I haven’t. But you’ll face storms – both rain and dust. There’ll undoubtedly be places where there’s no water.”

Adam chewed on a match. “That’s all happened before. That’s why I’ll choose a scout with great care.”

“There’s still the long ride to Texas,” Ben replied as he looked at the cloud of smoke emanating from his pipe. “You’ll be alone during that time.”

“Pa! I’m a grown man. But if it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll wire you from every place I stop along the way. And I’ll wire you right before we get on the trail. Stop coddling me, Pa.” This last sentence was said gently but firmly.

“Well, you don’t have to send a telegram at every place you stop,” Ben conceded. “But I would like to hear from you as much as possible.”

“I’ll be fine, Pa. You’ve always trusted me before.”

Ben stood and gripped Adam’s shoulders tightly. “It’s not a matter of trust, son. I know you can handle the job.” Pause. “It’s time that I let you and your brothers grow up, isn’t it.” It wasn’t a question but a statement of fact.

Adam’s hand went around his father’s neck in a half-pat, half-hug. “Yes, Pa. It is.”

The next morning, long before even Hop Sing was awake, Adam spoke to Sport. “We’ve got a long ride ahead of us, boy. You ready?”

Sport snorted and pawed the ground. Yep, he was ready.

CHAPTER THREE

“Mac” McKenzie stood in the heat of the San Antonio sun and looked at the long line of men waiting to sign up as drovers for Adam Cartwright’s cattle drive to the rail head in Sedalia, Kansas.

Good grief, it’s hot out here! And look at all these men ready to sign on. I don’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell of getting a job with this outfit! But I’ve just gotta try! How in the world did I get to this point anyhow? The fact is that we need the money. Even if nothing else on our ranch is in good shape, our cattle have been well-cared for and are prime beef. Surely Mister Cartwright will be interested in moving our cattle for us. And it’s imperative that I get hired so I can make sure the herd stays in good shape so we can get top dollar. Our ranch may go under for sure if I can’t pull this off.

Mac thought back to the preceding two weeks. Mac’s real name was “Kathleen” McKenzie, born and raised by her second-generation Scottish parents, Angus and Jeannie McKenzie. The McKenzies owned a small ranch just outside of San Antonio. Only cattle, corn, and acres of good hay stood between them and destitution. Any money they had was spent on investing in good seed bulls and on concentrating on breeding a better strain of beef known for its hardiness and tender meat from being mostly grain-fed. At haying time, ranchers came from all around to buy the special hay that the McKenzies grew These same men also bought beef from them because it was much tastier and less stringy that that of the longhorn steers that had been bred for so long. The McKenzies used the money to buy absolute necessities, putting the rest toward importing more seed bulls.

Kathleen had learned to ride practically before she could walk. She could rope, throw, tie and brand a steer as well as any man. She had learned to shoot with deadly accuracy before the age of nine. Her father had hoped, at her birth, that she would be a boy – he was disappointed that she turned out to be a girl. It was he who had begun calling her “Mac” which was a name Jeannie tolerated but hated. Kathleen had spent her twenty-four years trying to be the son her father never had. And she had done a damn good job of it.

Jeannie, on the other hand, loved having a daughter. She loved dressing her child in frilly clothes and, as the child grew, she taught her to sew and to cook. She watched happily as her daughter blossomed and began to go out with young men. Mother and daughter spent many a night discussing how each “date” went. Kathleen, however, was incredibly choosy about whom she dated. Long after her other friends had married and started families of their own, Kathleen was still unwed. Finally, when Kathleen married Luke Townsend, both Angus and Jeannie were delighted. Kathleen could cope well as a ranch hand and as a loving wife. Luke, an up-and-coming attorney, was a fine man with excellent ideas of how to help his in-laws make their small ranch become profitable. Angus now had a son-in-law, and Jeannie hadn’t lost a daughter.

During her first few weeks of marriage, Kathleen came to realize that she had made a mistake. Luke was a wonderful man, but Kathleen had been more infatuated with him than in love with him. Her mother told her that love would come, given time, but Kathleen never really felt it deep in her heart. However, she was a dutiful wife and tried her best to show Luke the love that she didn’t really feel. One tragic day, as Luke was helping herd some McKenzie cattle, he was thrown from his horse and was trampled to death by an angry bull. Kathleen cried for the man but not for the husband. She sold their home in town and moved back to the home of her parents in order to help with the ranch. It was during this time that she overheard the conversation between Angus and Jeannie: If they didn’t make enough money within the year, they would lose their beloved ranch.

CHAPTER FOUR

Adam and Sport rode until it was dark. Adam found the livery stable, rubbed Sport down and gave him an extra helping of sweet feed. He checked into a hotel, had a bath, ate dinner, and then sprawled out in bed. He hated to admit it, but he was homesick a little bit. Hoss and Joe had work to do on the Ponderosa, and Ben had contracts and meetings with lawyers. Adam looked at the letter, sent by an old family friend – Nick Richards – who had broken both an arm and a leg while trying to break a mustang. Nick had asked for the help of the Cartwrights to get his herd to Sedalia. The Cartwrights were the only people Nick trusted, other than himself, to trail a herd that far. The good news was that Adam would be trail boss. The bad news was that it was rather late in the season to be herding cattle anywhere.

Adam’s mind turned to something more erotic – Paulette – a very cultured French lady who was well-versed in all the social graces and was one of the most intelligent and interesting women that Adam had ever known. Was Adam in love with her? He wasn’t quite sure. But he was definitely charmed by her and by the things he learned from her. She was divorced and had taught Adam things he had heard of but had never done before. But there were times when, in bed, she was so domineering that Adam wondered exactly who was in control of doing what. That thought niggled at him – but only when he was sated and stretched out next to her at her home. Sometimes he would wake and watch her sleep. Well, he didn’t watch her face exactly. He watched the rise and fall of her pendulous breasts and wondered why, when she slept on her back, she wasn’t smothered by their weight. Some might say that she was on the plump side; others might say that she just had more curves than most women. But Adam felt a strong, sexual excitement when he was with her. She gave herself to him with gusto on a frequent basis.

Adam’s hand went to his hardened penis and he stroked himself to orgasm as he thought about Paulette’s mouth covering the head and the shaft, sucking on him with her usual vigor. Then he fell into a deep sleep, unworried about the next day’s ride. He would wire his father tomorrow before he left town.

CHAPTER FIVE

Kathleen had heard her father speak of Nick Richards, about his injuries, and how he was running late in getting his huge herd on the trail. There were a few other ranchers of small spreads who found themselves without the “best of the best” trail bosses, but the cattle just had to get to market as soon as possible. Nick Richards was a kind man and had spread the word about how he had gotten Adam Cartwright from the Ponderosa Ranch in Nevada Territory to get his herd to Sedalia. The ranchers had decided, if “Adam Cartwright” was good enough for Nick, then he would be good enough for them. This group included Angus McKenzie. Money coming in was terribly important, but Kathleen wasn’t stupid – she knew that no trail boss would hire a woman, so a plan began to form in her mind. Adam Cartwright was expected to arrive in town in a few days. She would be ready!

CHAPTER SIX

After receiving Nick’s letter, and before committing Adam as trail boss, Ben had done some footwork of his own and called in some favors. Carter Ruskin had immediately responded to Ben’s wire and agreed to be ramrod. Diego Martinez was delighted to accept the position as cook. Clete Martin had just returned from scouting in Wyoming Territory and readily accepted the position of scout. These men, Ben decided, had fallen into his hands as absolute blessings – they were more than experienced and never had to go out to seek a job on a trail drive. Ranchers came to them.

Today, in San Antonio, Adam met with the three men and liked them immediately. He couldn’t believe his good fortune that these men were actually available and willing to work with him! Adam took all three of them to the bank – these men would get paid in advance by Ben’s bank draft, and they also would get paid more money in Sedalia.

Adam explained to the three men that he needed some top hands but had no idea where to find any. Carter smiled. Within hours, he had rounded up Jesse Wilkins, Big John Braddock, and Buck Thrasher. These were men who, for one reason or another, had decided not to drive a herd East this year, but they just couldn’t refuse to work with men like Carter and Clete. As for the cook, Diego could turn beans and snake into mouth-watering delicacies. His cooking expertise was widely known and much appreciated.

Adam was happy with the entire group. But there was still some more hiring to do. At this time of year, pickings would be slim. He’d be satisfied to go with his gut instinct, but he knew that he would make a few mistakes.

“Ya pays yer nickel, ya takes yer chances,” Big John laughed.

How true.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kathleen observed her reflection in the mirror of her bedroom. She was tall, slim, and shapely. The one thing she was proudest of was her mane of shoulder-length red hair. She had green eyes and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose. She might get Mister Cartwright to come look at Angus’s cattle, but would he hire her? Would her plan work?

Pulling a pair of Luke’s old jeans from her armoire and then grabbing one of his shirts, she tried them on. They were a little large but not overly so. Tying up her hair and pinning it to the top of her head, she plopped her own hat on her head and then jammed her feet into her own boots. The attire would work. Okay, one problem solved.

She looked at her sewing basket and spied her scissors. Taking a deep breath, she snatched them up, grabbed a handful of her beautiful hair, and cut it off practically to her scalp. There’s no turning back now. Finish the job. Eyes brimming with tears, she watched each clump of hair as it fell to the floor. Once the major part of the cutting was done, the task was easier to turn into a man-style cut. She had cut her father’s hair so many times that she could practically wield the scissors in her sleep. Ruefully, she wished she was asleep right now. Sadly she swept her hair off the floor and then glared at herself in the mirror – she could hardly recognize the image that looked back at her. Except for one thing – her breasts. Dammit, I couldn’t wait to get these things to grow and now I wish I didn’t have them! Thank God they’re not any bigger than they already are! Luke had told her once that she had small breasts but very proud nipples. She had felt rather insulted at the time but this fact could work to her advantage now. Wearing two shirts would be too bulky and too hot. She looked around the room desperately, and her eyes fell on strips of material left over from making her dresses. She had saved these strips to make quilts, but she now realized that they were long enough and strong enough to tie around her. Maybe, just maybe….

Quickly, she shrugged out of her shirt and grabbed a long strip of cloth. Winding it tightly across her breasts and securing it firmly, she donned the shirt again and scrutinized herself in the mirror Perfect! She could make neckerchiefs out of some of the pieces and leave the longer pieces for bindings. She’d worry about how she’d wash these additions to her apparel later. Right now, she put on a belt and pulled her hat low across her forehead. If she could fool her parents, she could fool anybody. It was time to try her disguise. The last thing she did was to strap on Luke’s gun and holster. Then she slipped out of her bedroom window and headed for the front door. Please let this work. We need the money so badly!

CHAPTER EIGHT

Angus was outside in the barn, so it was Jeannie who heard the knocking at the front door. Opening it, she saw a pleasant-looking young man who asked if she any any jobs available. Jeannie shook her head but answered that the young man could go talk to her husband to see if he knew of anyone who needed an extra hand. She knew that Angus’s answer would be in the negative but she hated to turn anyone away. Money was just too tight to hire any help. So the young man headed toward the barn, and Jeannie watched, thinking that there was something familiar about the young man, about the way he walked. She had an odd feeling….

Just as Kathleen was congratulating herself on fooling her mother with the disguise, she heard Jeannie shrieking. Angus came flying out of the barn, shotgun in hand, aiming it at Kathleen.

“Who are ya and what d’ya want here?” he roared.

Jeannie was screaming. “Kathleen! It’s Kathleen, Angus. Don’t shoot her!”

Angus looked confused. Jeannie was screeching Kathleen’s name but there was a stranger standing a few yards in front of him. He had no idea what was going on.

Kathleen, truly afraid that her father might shoot her by mistake, called out to her father, using her pet name for him.

“Da! It’s me! It’s Kathleen! Don’t shoot me, for God’s sake!”

Angus looked at who he thought was a young man but the lad was speaking in the voice he knew as his daughter’s voice. Tentatively, he lowered the shotgun. Kathleen walked up to him and let him take a good look at her. When he finally found his voice, he spoke in the Gaelic he had learned from his father. He was cursing a blue streak, and Kathleen was glad that she didn’t understand the language.

Then he spoke in English. “What ha’ ye done, gurrl?” he asked, lapsing into his Scottish brogue and gaping at her.

“Da, come in the house. I’ll explain everything to you and Mama.”

Jeannie’s hands were shaking as she poured cups of coffee. Angus’s face was beet-red with confusion and anger. Kathleen, as calmly as possible considering the fact that she had come close to being shot by her own father, began her explanation of selling the steers at market and getting paid more money than they could get anywhere else. She also explained her idea of trying to hire on as a drover so that she could watch the steers herself and try her best to keep them safe. She had no idea what this would entail – but the idea sounded good.

Both parents agreed that sending the steers East to market was a good idea, but they violently protested the fact that Kathleen would even consider becoming a drover. Jeannie was worried about “all those men,” and Angus was worried that the drive would be too big a task. Kathleen just wouldn’t be able to keep up her disguise for such a long period of time. She would be found out and sent home with no pay, so why “in the name o’ God” would she even start this nonsense to begin with?

“Da,” Kathleen said, holding her father’s hand lovingly, “we need the money. I can make this work. I almost fooled you and Mama. I can fool the men if I work at it. My mind is made up.”

And that was that. Kathleen was stubborn and, once she had set her mind to something, there would be no more discussion. Kathleen referred secretly to this ploy as “attitude adjustment.”

Both parents finally gave in. Kathleen’s voice was naturally throaty, so lowering her voice a wee bit would be no problem with a little practice. But she had to learn from her father how to walk like a man. How to act like a man.

Fortunately, Kathleen was a quick learner.

CHAPTER NINE

“Next!” boomed Mister Cartwright’s voice.

Kathleen felt the man behind her push her forward. Now she was looking into hazel eyes surrounded by a tanned, handsome face.

“Any experience as a drover?” the man asked.

“No. First time.” Kathleen deepened her voice.

Cartwright looked at the man next to him. “We’re looking for experienced hands.”

Kathleen bravely tried to assume a man’s stance and jutted out her jaw. “Been raised on a ranch and been ridin’, ropin’, and brandin’ for as long as I can remember.”

Cartwright turned to the man sitting next to him. “What do you think?”

“No experience on a real drive. Can’t spare the time to break in a new drover.”

“Can’t use you,” Cartwright muttered. “Next!”

But Kathleen was angry and stubborn. “I’ve got the experience to herd cattle. My family needs the money.” Pause. “Besides, on our ranch you’ll find a whole strain of beef that you haven’t seen before – they’ll bring you more money than you’re used to gettin’. All you need to do is to come out and take a look. You can watch me handle my horse. If you don’t like what you see, then I’ll accept your ‘no’ for a final answer.”

“What’s your name, fella?” asked the man sitting next to Cartwright.

“Mac.”

“We got about all the beef we can handle.” This from Mister Cartwright.

“Not like the beef on my parents’ ranch. Just come out and look. You won’t be sorry.”

Cartwright liked this young man’s stubbornness. It reminded him of himself and of his brothers.

“Where’s the ranch?”

“Just north of town. You’ll see the McKenzie name on the signpost at the fork in the road. Take the left fork.”

“We’ll be there first thing in the morning. But don’t count on anything.” Pause. “Next!”

Kathleen got pushed out of line. Maybe she wouldn’t get the job but she knew that Mister Cartwright would take the steers. What smart man in his right mind would refuse prime beef? Kathleen did her best to imitate her newly-learned “man’s walk” as she headed for her horse. She thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t run into anyone who knew her well. Cartwright and the other man had barely looked at her. So far, so good.

Adam looked at Mac as the young man walked away. There was something odd and mysterious about that lad. Stubborn he was, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Believing in something so strongly – especially when one might be right – could be an asset.

Scratching his head, Adam had a strange feeling about Mac. It was neither good nor bad. There was something, though…..

CHAPTER TEN

Kathleen had no idea what “first thing in the morning” meant, but she knew she had to be ready. She was dressed and on horseback shortly after dawn. Breakfast hadn’t been a happy affair – her mother was a nervous wreck and her father glared at her and had little to say. Both parents would go along with this ruse but they secretly hoped that Kathleen wouldn’t be hired. The money from the sale of the cattle would be most welcome, but neither mother nor father could stand the thought of maybe losing their only child – their “baby.”

“If you hadn’t been so busy trying to turn our daughter into a son, we wouldn’t be in this fix,” Jeannie said tearfully to Angus. “You changed her name and taught her all those things that growing boys learn.”

“Mac loves the outdoors. She loves horses and cows and the smell of growing hay and the wide-open spaces. You taught her to do womanly things. She got the best out of both of us. Now stop worrying!” Angus actually did feel some guilt because he knew that Jeannie was right in many things she said.

Jeannie jumped when she heard the knock on the door. Angus patted her hand reassuringly and walked to answer the door.

“Mr. McKenzie? I’m Adam Cartwright. Your son told me about your cattle, and we came to take a look. This is my ramrod, Carter Ruskin.”

After the formalities of hand-shaking, Angus invited the men in for breakfast and coffee. The invitation was readily accepted.

“Your son tells me that you are developing a new strain of beef. Tell me about it.” Adam spoke as he sipped his coffee.

Angus answered, still not used to having Kathleen called his “son.” He was desperately afraid that he might slip. For the next thirty minutes, Angus discussed the breeding of his prized seed bulls with the rangy longhorn cows and also the progress he was making toward a completely different texture of beef by supplementing the normal grass-and-hay feed with grain. Cartwright and Carter listened intently, nodding every now and then as they showed their interest.

“What trail will you be takin’?” asked Angus. He knew absolutely nothing about the trails that were commonly used but wanted to sound knowledgeable.

“The Chisholm Trail,” Adam smiled. “I think you’ll approve. I believe that your last name smacks of Scottish descent, and Jesse Chisholm was a Scot-Cherokee trader. His trail joins Joseph McCoy’s and goes straight to the rail head.”

When the plates were empty, Jeannie offered more coffee.

“No thank you, ma’am. We’re full and are anxious to looks at these beeves we’ve been hearing about.”

Both men rose and so did Angus. Jeannie could buy no more time, and she wiped her eyes as she watched the men mount up and ride off towards the east pasture. All she could hope for would be that the herd would be accepted but that her “baby” would not be.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Observing a cloud of dust that appeared to be heading her way, Kathleen knew that this would be the time to do the best acting job of her life. Riding was no problem, but could she pass as a man? Would her father – or her mother – have given her identity away at the last minute?

Kathleen had chosen the biggest and the best cutting horse that her family owned. Horse and rider sat perfectly still and waited for Angus to arrive with Mister Cartwright. Kathleen made a conscious effort to slump in the saddle as she had seen other men do – there would be no sitting a saddle like a woman any more. She pulled her gloves on to hide her small hands. She had remembered to cut her fingernails down practically to the quick the night before. Today she wore chaps – hopefully she hadn’t forgotten anything else.

She was surprised to see three men instead of two. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hat a little lower and met the incoming men. She shook hands firmly with Mister Cartwright and with Carter and then nodded at her father as he spoke.

“Well, Mister Cartwright. Here’s my herd. Take a good look and tell me what you see.”

Adam and Carter rode around the four hundred head of cattle for a long time. Their keen eyes missed nothing. Both Angus and his daughter could see the interest on the men’s faces as they completed their inspection and then pulled their horses up alongside Angus.

“Mac was right,” began Adam. “I don’t think we could find any better quality beef. But I can take only about three hundred head. I’ve already got about twenty-seven hundred right now.”

Angus was proud. Having one hundred head left would be a good thing – for breeding and to sell to their local rancher friends.

“Well, pick out the ones you want, and Mac’ll cut ’em out for you.” Angus almost tripped over the name “Mac.”

“They’re all fine-lookin’ critters,” observed Carter. “Mac and I can just cut out the ones we can take.”

Kathleen’s horse, Storm, was bored with all this waiting around. All Kathleen had to do was to give him a nudge and he bolted into a gallop before Mister Cartwright could agree or disagree with what Carter had said. Angus watched his daughter with pride as she began cutting out the best of the best of the herd. She knew so much about the herd that she could predict with great accuracy which ones would be difficult and which ones would be the easiest to move. It was obvious that she didn’t need Carter’s help, so he sat with Adam and Angus and scrutinized Mac’s abilities. There was no doubt that the rider could handle the big horse – Mac seemed to be born to the saddle.

Cutting out the bulls presented a problem which Carter decided to help with. It was obvious that Mac and Carter worked well together, each following hand signals or jerks of the head or verbal instructions. Finally there was one bull left – the biggest and the meanest and the hardest to work with. Mac shouted to Carter that she knew best how to handle this beast, so Carter rode back to where Angus and Adam sat watching.

The most prized seed bull, and the one that Angus wanted to keep on the ranch, had been appropriately named “Ivan The Terrible.” He charged at Storm in a wild fury. The horse spun and whirled out of the way, crow-hopping and rearing – but it seemed as though the rider was glued to the saddle. Mac was definitely skilled in Adam’s opinion and he nodded at Carter. Thor, bellowing loudly, was cut from the rest of the herd and ended up joining the animals that would stay on the ranch.

Mac rejoined the waiting group of men. She was hot and thirsty and the bindings around her breasts were soaked with sweat. That’s gonna be a problem but, if I’m hired, I’ll work it out.

Slowly the quartet moved the three hundred head to another pasture – they would be incorporated into the Cartwright/Richards’ herd soon. Thor continued to bellow his rage and twice tried to join the larger herd. Mac and Storm drove him away, and the big bull eventually seemed resigned to his fate, staying with a smaller group of cows.

“You handle yourself well,” observed Mister Cartwright as he rode by Mac’s side toward the house.

“I told you. I learned to ride when I was little,” came Mac’s reply. “I raised Storm from a colt. There’s no better horse around.”

Cartwright’s reply was laconic. “Uh-huh. If you still want the job of drover, you’ve got it.”

Kathleen was overjoyed but tried to look nonchalant. “Tell me where and when, and I’ll be there.”

She looked at her father’s face and saw pride but also a great sadness. Moving closer to him, she whispered, “It’s only for a few months. And think about the money we’ll get. Everything will be all right.”

Angus said nothing.

Carter called to Mac. “After the contract is signed, we’ll be moving to the stockyards. Get your gear together.”

Kathleen’s plan had actually worked!

At the house, Jeannie helped her daughter gather her rain slicker and other gear. Kathleen already had her bedroll and saddlebags packed – just in case she did get the job. She also had a small duffel bag packed with fresh clothes, blankets, extra ammunition – and the material for the bindings. This was her “war bag” and was something every drover carried to stow away in the chuckwagon. Kathleen had some money in her pocket and a gun on her hip. She guessed she was ready for just about anything.

There was left only the bill of sale from Angus McKenzie to Adam Cartwright that needed to be signed. But Adam, having seen the sad shape that the ranch was in, added a caveat to the contract. He intuited that money was incredibly important to this family – the price from the sale of the beeves had to be good. Therefore he added an extra clause, stipulating that Mac would be in charge of selling the McKenzie herd on his own – under the advice of Mister Cartwright. He would see that Mac would get the very best price for what he considered the very best beef. The only beef I’ve seen that equals the McKenzie beef is what comes from the Ponderosa. I’ll see that Mac is well-advised.

Kathleen hugged Jeannie and deliberately shook hands with her father, clapping him on the back. She didn’t want to do anything decidedly “female.” This kind of goodbye would just have to do. She swung up onto Storm’s back, a lump growing in her throat. She turned around only once to wave at her parents. She was headed for a new job with unknown problems and pitfalls with men she didn’t know – men whom she hoped would never discover that she was a female.

It would prove to be a more difficult task than she expected.

CHAPTER TWELVE

After watching his daughter leave, Angus was overcome by the gravity of the situation his daughter was in

“Ah, Jeannie, I shouldna hae let her gae. The cattle will be fine. But our wee bairn…..”

Jeannie wiped away her tears and put her arm comfortingly around her husband’s shoulders.

“Our child is a woman full-grown. Stubborn she is and there isn’t a thing you could have done to stop her. All we have to worry about is that she might be recognized in town and be fired before the drive even starts. Once she’s on the trail, she can take care of herself.”

Angus reached for his hat and headed toward the door. Jeannie stopped him.

“And just where do you think you’re going?”

“To keep an eye on our daughter!”

Jeannie shook her head. “The paperwork has been done. It’s up to her to make sure the tally sheet is right. It’s up to her and to God to keep an eye on our cattle. And it’s up to her – with Mister Cartwright’s help – to bring the money home. We must trust her and have faith in her, Angus. Don’t take a chance that your being at the stockyards might give her identity away.”

Angus knew that his wife was right. “She’s a McKenzie,” he said proudly. “She can handle anything that happens.” He spoke that last sentence with a bravado that he didn’t sincerely feel.

He and Jeannie would fret for over one hundred days and nights until Angus’s “wee bairn” returned home.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The driving of the cattle was no problem for Adam, Carter, and Mac. They rode in silence and used hand signals to each other as they pushed the steers ahead of them until they arrived at the stockyards. The McKenzie herd now joined the final three hundred head of beeves in what was now called “The Cartwright herd.”

During Adam’s absence, Clete and Big John had been busy hiring more men. Diego, the cook, had insisted on his favorite “cook’s louse,” a young man named Willy. Clete, by chance, had run into an experienced wrangler named Sam who would be in charge of the remuda. Big John hired two of his friends, Jesse and Buck, both good men to have on any trail drive. By the time Adam, Carter, and Mac arrived in town, a total of twenty-five men had been hired and were ready and waiting.

Adam looked over the group and knew that some of the guys just wouldn’t work out. It would be Adam’s job to figure out which ones. That would happen later. Soon it would be time to tally the herd and get a complete head count to match that of the owners who were there to do their own counting. The tally sheets had to match or the counting in each separate pen would have to be redone.

Kathleen sneaked peeks at the owners and, praying that she wouldn’t be recognized, pulled her hat low on her forehead. She had left Storm with the horses belonging to the other drovers way off down the street – Storm was easily recognized in parts of San Antonio – and Kathleen tried her best to keep him far away from her.

Adam and Carter came to meet the new hands. Introductions were made all around, and Kathleen was surprised at how young some of the men were. Actually, a few were boys – not much older than eighteen or so. Thank goodness these guys had come from outlying areas of San Antonio – they wouldn’t know Kathleen or her family.

Sean and Shane were twins, both of Irish origin and with red hair and freckles. In fact, they resembled Mac in their coloring. Stuart had black hair and blue eyes and appeared to be the youngest of the group. Jack and Martin had been on the trail before with the twins and with Stuart – their ready smiles made Kathleen comfortable. These five would end up being Kathleen’s favorite group – the ones she bonded with the earliest and the quickest.

There was only one man present who Kathleen took an instant dislike to. His name was Latigo. He was probably her age but looked older. He smiled at no one, spoke to no one and kept to himself. He looked just plain mean. Kathleen gave him a wide berth.

Big John had heard of Latigo and warned Adam about him.

“He’s a top hand, but he don’t take orders well. You’ll have to keep a sharp eye on him.”

Adam nodded. “We’ll give him a try, just like everybody else. At this point, we need every hand we can get.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The tally would begin with Nick Richards’ herd because it was the largest. The McKenzie herd would be the last because it was the smallest. The twins approached Kathleen as the first tally began, and Kathleen was invited by Sean and Shane to go have a beer in the nearest saloon. Kathleen was used to being called “Mac” by her father but she would have to get used to being called by that name by everyone else from now on. It wouldn’t be easy but it had to be done. She smiled back at the twins and declined their invitation.

“I’m in charge of the tally for the McKenzie herd. Don’t wanna be left out when my name is called. But thanks for the invite!”

Sean, Shane and Stuart smiled and waved as they wandered off across the street to one of the saloons.

Kathleen, in the meantime, spent an unknown length of time studying the cowboys around the pens, listening to their slang, watching how they moved and interacted with each other. It had been Jeannie’s strongest desire that her daughter learn to speak English correctly, and now Kathleen would have to un-learn everything she had learned. And, according to the cursing that went on all around her, she would have to learn to be comfortable with doing that too. Kathleen smiled as she imagined the fit her mother would have if she could hear the language that Kathleen was now hearing. If Angus heard such language come from Kathleen’s mouth, he’d take a belt to her!

“McKenzie!” called Mr. Cartwright. How odd to call a man not much older than she by “Mister,” but he was the trail boss and therefore earned the respectful title. It was just one more thing Kathleen had to get comfortable with.

Adam watched as Mac approached. There was still something odd about this new hand that he couldn’t figure out. But the tally was almost done and there was no time to dwell on what was bothering him. Already the drovers had been rousted from the saloons and were moving the rest of the herd to their new bedding ground in the meadow. It needed to be done before dark, so Adam was rather in a hurry.

He handed Kathleen a sheet of paper and a pencil and then reached for his own sheet with the heading “McKenzie Count.” By this time, there was so much dust and dirt kicked up by the preceding herds that Kathleen feared she wouldn’t be able to see at all. And she’d need a bath for sure after this. I’ll worry about the bath later. Right now, I have to be on my toes and get the tally correct.

Through the chute came the McKenzie cattle. The noise of their bellowing was deafening, and the dust and dirt burned Kathleen’s eyes even more. Seeing Mister Cartwright pull his neckerchief up over his nose, Kathleen did the same. Then, for every ten steers that came through the chute, she made a mark on her paper. She was tense and sneaked a peek at the trail boss who looked absolutely relaxed. Kathleen kept counting. When the tally was finally done, Kathleen’s count matched perfectly with Adam’s count – three hundred head on the nose – and Kathleen felt a deep sense of pride.

It was now time to move this herd into the meadow. Stiffly, Kathleen went to fetch Storm. She had been so tense that every muscle in her body ached. Her eyes burned and watered, so she quickly washed her face in the water trough at the hitching post. Then she joined Cartwright and the rest of the crew.

She had thought that herding the steers would be a cinch like it had been this morning. The only problem was that the steers didn’t want to participate. They kept trying to turn back – either toward the pens or toward the McKenzie ranch. Storm got a workout cutting the recalcitrant steers and pointing them in the right direction. The other men worked just as hard.

Carter hollered to Jesse. “This is the part I hate the most. We’ll have two or three days of this until the beeves settle down and forget about home.”

Kathleen’s heart fell. This was going to be more work than she had expected. And the drive hadn’t even started yet!

She had no idea that she was being scrutinized by the experienced hands. They watched as she and Storm worked the herd and kept it heading in the right direction. For a new hand, this “guy” was doing a fine job and seemed to have a lot of savvy. He could ride better than a lot of drovers they’d ridden with before. Mac had no trouble keeping control of both horse and troublesome, homesick beeves.

Kathleen had passed the first test and didn’t even know it.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

At last, the three hundred beeves reached the rest of the herd in the far meadow. Kathleen had never seen so many cattle in her life and was awe-stricken. Lordy! Can I do this? Can I actually make it through over one hundred days of dirt and dust and the constant bellowing and bawling? She sighed tiredly.

Sam, the wrangler in charge of the remuda, came running up to take Storm from her and to tie him up at the picket line.

“You’re Mac. Right?” he said as Kathleen dismounted stiffly and handed over Storm’s reins.

Kathleen nodded and smiled.

“You must be Sam,” she replied. “Take good care of Storm for me, will you?”

Sam walked away with Storm in tow. Kathleen gathered all her gear and then headed for the supply wagon where she saw Jack and Martin stowing their own gear.

Carter passed by them and nodded. “Time for grub. Wash up and then eat.”

Until then, Kathleen didn’t realize how hungry she was – she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and her mouth watered at the aroma of beef grilling on a spit over a huge fire. She watched as Sam brought Carter a horse and wondered why he rode away. Was he not going to eat?

Martin was behind her at the washing bucket. Kathleen turned to him and asked where Carter was going and why he wasn’t eating.

“The top hands have already eaten and are goin’ to keep an eye on the herd. That’s a restless bunch of beeves out there. All they want to do is head home, so they have to be watched close for the next few days.”

Carter had made the same remark earlier. It now dawned on Kathleen that there was a “pecking order” for meal times – the top hands ate first or were served first and then the regular drovers could fill their plates. There’s so much to learn!

Removing her gloves and hat, Kathleen washed her face and then waited for Martin. The twins and Stuart joined the group as they headed toward the chuckwagon and the side of beef hanging from the spit.

Diego was a jolly man and an excellent cook. To each man who took a plate, Diego would say, “I’m Diego. What’s your name?” He never forgot a name. Ever.

“I’m ‘Mac’,” Kathleen said, almost stumbling over her name.

Diego smiled and handed her a plate, knife, fork and a coffee cup. Kathleen smiled again as Diego filled her plate with potatoes and peas. Then Kathleen ambled over to where Sean, Shane, Stuart, Jack and Martin were receiving huge slabs of beef that the amiable Willy was serving. The other hands had settled into their own groups and were eating with gusto. Except for Latigo. He stood by himself and ate alone. Kathleen almost felt sorry for him, but the bad feeling stayed with her when she looked at him.

As she ate, savoring each bite, she looked for Storm in the remuda. There were few horses tied to the picket line, and this was odd, so she commented to the men in her group.

“The rest are overdue comin’ here,” Martin explained. “Mister Cartwright bought ’em from some rancher around here.”

Alarm bells went off in Kathleen’s head. “Do you happen to know who the seller is?”

Martin shrugged and shook his head. “Why?”

“Just wonderin’ is all,” Kathleen replied. She gobbled her food quickly.

Looking as nonchalant as possible, she rose and walked over to speak to Diego, asking him the same question that she had asked Martin.

“Mister Cartwright is buying them from some man named ‘Conroy’. At least, that’s what I heard. And he ain’t happy right now because the horses aren’t here already.”

Kathleen knew all about Conroy – and none of it was good. She had to talk to Mister Cartwright. But how does a brand new drover warn a trail boss that he is making a mistake? But she had to do it, right or wrong. Quickly, she strode to the remuda where she told Sam that she just wanted to ride out to the herd and look at how huge it was. Sam saddled Storm for her – that was another of his jobs – and Kathleen rode off. She was nervous and scared. But it had to be done.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The sun was a watery puddle on the horizon when Kathleen found the trail boss. She got right to the point before she lost her nerve.

“I hear you bought your remuda horses from Mister Conroy.”

“That’s right. Heard he had good horses.”

“Oh, he does have good horses. Strong and sound and healthy. Did you already sign a contract with him?” Kathleen knew she was being way too bold, but she had to be.

Adam’s face was puzzled. “You’re ‘Mac’, aren’t you?”

Kathleen nodded and felt edgy. She was walking a thin line and she knew it.

“No, I haven’t signed a contract with Conroy yet. He hasn’t shown up with the horses.” Adam’s voice bordered on a growl.

Kathleen took a deep breath. “You’re expecting saddle-broke cuttin’ horses, I would expect. But you won’t get ’em from Conroy – leastways not more than a few.”

Adam shifted in his saddle and stared into a pair of green eyes. “What do you mean?”

Taking a deep breath, Kathleen gave the explanation of sticking her nose into business that had nothing to do with her.

“Conroy’ll bring ’em in as it’s gettin’ dark. There will be a few good horses in the bunch, but as it gets dark, the rest will be hard to see. They’ll appear okay by taking a cursory look. But be sure to look closer and you’ll see that they’ve been tranked. Tomorrow you’ll realize that you’ve been had. They’re neither ridin’ horses nor cuttin’ horses.”

Adam’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “Tranquilized horses? Are you sure?”

Kathleen nodded vigorously. “Conroy keeps the good horses on his farm. He mixes a few of them in with the culls and then tells the trail bosses that some of the horses are tired from being driven from his ranch to this meadow. Take a real good look at ’em. If you aren’t completely sure these are the animals you want, don’t sign the contract. Tomorrow, go talk to Henry Wheeler. He’s new here and his stock is just about the best around. You won’t be sorry.”

“Mac, this is your first trail drive. Are you sure of what you’re saying?”

“Absolutely! This may be my first cattle drive, but I’ve been around horses all my life. I know the good ones from the bad ones. I also know about Conroy. This ain’t the first time he’s pulled the wool over someone’s eyes. Few folks’ll talk about it because Conroy’s a big-shot in town. He owns several stores in town and he’s part owner of one of the banks.”

Adam rubbed his chin as he thought.

“Thanks for the information, Mac. We’ll see what happens when Conroy gets here.”

Kathleen took another deep breath.

“I have a favor to ask. Will you please keep the McKenzie name out of any conversation you have with Conroy? My parents have their money in his bank and they shop at some of his stores. Sometimes their credit is extended longer than usual. I don’t wanna cause any trouble for my folks.”

Adam was laconic. “Understood.” Then he turned and rode away without even saying so much as a “thank you.”

Kathleen exhaled and crossed her fingers. Then she headed back to the picket line where Sam unsaddled Storm for her. The dust and dirt from earlier in the day had settled into her clothes, into her skin, and she longed for a bath. But she wanted to see what happened with Conroy first. She could take a dip in the nearby creek later on. Right now, she wandered over to where Jack and Martin were and struck up a conversation with them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Conroy arrived just after dark and climbed down from his saddle looking weary. He shook Adam’s hand and sighed. “It’s been a long day. You’ll forgive me for being late?”

“Let’s look at the stock,” was all Adam said.

Out of the twenty-five horses that Conroy had brought in, he picked out only eight for Adam to look at. Big John, Buck, Clete and Carter picked out two each of these horses, saddled them, and rode them. They were excellent horses – strong and hardy, quick to turn and easy to handle.

Kathleen fretted. Maybe Conroy brought out all of his good horses for a change. I’ll look bad if I’ve given Mister Cartwright the wrong information.

But Adam hadn’t forgotten the warning. Besides, he was an excellent judge of horses in his own right. Much to Conroy’s chagrin, Adam checked out the other horses very closely. Even in the dim firelight that Sam had built, Kathleen could see that the boss was furious.

“These animals have been tranked!” he said angrily.

Conroy, taken completely by surprise, opened his mouth to say something, changed his mind, and then vehemently denied the accusation.

Adam’s voice was low and controlled. “I know horseflesh just as well as I know beef. These horses can hardly stay awake. Their eyes aren’t right. The way they stand isn’t right. The only horses I’ll buy from you are the eight that have already been ridden – they’re just fine. If you won’t sell these eight horses, I hear that Henry Wheeler has an excellent string to sell. I can talk to him tomorrow.”

Conroy was furious. He’d never been caught at this game before. But this “Adam Cartwright” had caught on immediately. A contract was signed for the eight horses which Sam tied to the picket line. Adam paid for the horses and then crossed his arms over his chest. He would’ve looked the horses over thoroughly without any input from Mac, but Mac had taken a chance in trying to help him out. Adam would remember that fact.

Kathleen sprinted back to the campfire near the chuck wagon and listened as Sean and Shane talked about the good – and the bad – about being twins. Adam walked by and Kathleen looked at him. Hazel eyes met green eyes. Adam gave the slightest of nods and then went to get a cup of coffee. Kathleen relaxed and enjoyed the conversation with her new friends.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Bedrolls were now pulled out of war bags – the men were full of a good meal and were weary to boot.

Adam approached them and spoke.

“Listen up. We don’t have enough horses in the remuda. Tomorrow, instead of hitting the trail, Carter and Clete and I will be going back to get more horses. Big John will be in charge of everything. Some of you will be in the saddle watching the herd, and some of you will be doing things around camp. Then you’ll swap back and forth every four hours. Big John will tell you who will be doing what and when.”

Heads nodded. Kathleen scrutinized the trail boss. There was no doubt who was in charge of this drive. Cartwright had that air of authority about him. But he was also tanned and ruggedly handsome with the most beautiful and expressive hazel eyes. Kathleen felt an attraction to him and had to remind herself that she was not a woman in this camp – her interaction with him had to be strictly masculine and very businesslike.

Adam continued to speak.

“Instead of appointing nighthawks like I usually do, I’ll ask for volunteers.” He looked around and waited.

More than anything, Kathleen wanted a bath, so she stood up and announced that she’d take the midnight shift. She figured that she could slip away, jump in the creek, get cleaned up quickly, and be back in the saddle before anyone knew she was missing. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to stay in the boss’s good graces.

The twins, Stuart, Jack and Martin were among the volunteers for the same shift. Kathleen was glad because she really liked these guys – they would be good company.

Enough men had volunteered for different shifts, so the herd would be watched all through the night. Except for Latigo and an unfortunate-looking man whose name was Dennis. Adam added them to the morning shift – the hardest shift because the men would be in the saddle without sleep for four hours longer than the others.

Adam strode away to the picket line, swung up onto Sport’s back and went out to join the others who had chosen this shift to nighthawk. The wind carried the sounds of men as the circled the herd, singing calmly and quietly to reassure the cattle that all was well. Only a few strays had to be hazed back into the group. The darkness was like ink except for the twinkling of the stars.

Kathleen was homesick already. Sean and Martin pulled out one guitar and one harmonica and played “trail songs” passed down from the generations before. Kathleen, along with a few others, sang along (being sure to drop her voice a couple of octaves) until her eyelids got heavy. She put her head down and fell into a deep sleep. She dreamt of hazel eyes.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“Wake up, Mac. Time for nighthawk.” Buck’s voice cut through the fog in Kathleen’s mind and, for a few seconds, she was confused. Then she remembered where she was and what she was supposed to be doing.

Yawning and stretching, she rose, leaving her bedroll ready to crawl into after her shift. She put on her chaps, grabbed her saddlebags and headed for the remuda.

Sam had already saddled Storm. Her new friends were already in the saddle so they headed out to the herd together. Kathleen yawned again.

“Better get used to this,” Sean grinned. “We’ve got a long time to be rotating nighthawk duties.”

Kathleen looked at the twins, then at Stuart, then at Jack and Martin. They looked fresh as a daisy!

“Okay. I got it. Y’all took a bath!”

There was laughter. Then Jack spoke.

“You slept through the whole thing. We jumped in the creek, clothes and all – it’s the easiest way to take a bath and wash your clothes. You’ll get used to doing the same thing as we move along. Wherever there’s water, we clean up.”

“Do any of you mind if I go clean up really quick? I’ll hurry!”

“Nah, go on ahead. Just get back soon.”

Kathleen made a beeline for the creek, jumped from Storm’s back, and opened her saddlebags. She smiled as she saw the “man-soap” that her father had put in. She wouldn’t smell like lavender or verbena for a long time. She left her hat, boots, socks, and gun on the bank and waded into the creek, surprised that the water was as cold as it was.

Quickly unbuttoning her shirt, she untied and removed the binding from her breasts and began to wash from her waist to the top of her head, including the shirt she was still wearing. Then she decided to pull off her jeans and underwear and soaped the rest of her body into an explosion of lather. Quickly she rinsed off and learned that getting dressed in wet britches was problematic. She’d worry about that the next time.

Wading out of the water, she tied the bindings for her breasts onto one of the saddlebags. The material would dry in no time, and she could tie it back into place before returning to camp. The darkness of night would hide the outline of her breasts if she was sitting up straight and, if somebody approached, she could lean over casually in the saddle. Her shirt would fall forward and away from her body.

Now it was time to reverse the initial process – put on socks, boots, gun belt and hat. Climb into the saddle. She learned quickly that wet jeans were not comfortable. But she was clean! She
turned Storm in the direction of the herd and found a spot where there was a gap between men and slowly moved into it. The air was dry, and she knew that fairly soon her clothing would be dry also.

Sean and Shane were singing a soft Irish lullaby, so Kathleen joined in. Every now and then she had to chase a wandering steer or two, but things were quiet for the most part. And the wet clothing began to dry as she rode. By the time the next shift arrived, everything except her jeans was dry. Scooting off into the brush, she tied the binding around her breasts and then rode back into camp. Sam met her there and took Storm’s reins.

There was a dim light from the chuckwagon, so Kathleen wandered over to it. Diego met her there and handed her a sandwich filled with a slab of roast beef. God, do these guys ever sleep? She finished the sandwich, washed it down with water, and then crawled into her bedroll. The night was warm, so she needed no cover – and she wanted her jeans to dry – so she rolled onto her tummy and thought about what would come next. Tomorrow would be branding day and, before they left Texas, they would have to run the cattle through a sulfur dip to kill ticks that caused “Texas Fever.” None of this would be easy. Why had she thought it would be?

CHAPTER TWENTY

The “pecking order” of meals had already been established, so Kathleen and her friends stood in line for a very early breakfast. Kathleen was used to eating early, so this was no problem.

Shaving had already been discussed with Angus before Kathleen left home.

“Take a razor, turn it over to the dull side, lather up good, and then make the motions quickly. The men will be so busy that they won’t notice.” Angus had been right. “On days you don’t have time to shave, put dirt on your face. Folks’ll just think you haven’t bothered to shave yet.” Angus was right about that too.

The bathing routine would have to be worked on – it needed to be quicker. But, as long as her breast-bindings worked, Kathleen could jump in the water when the other men did without fear of having something “odd” going on under her shirt. She would learn later that, if she had to take a spit bath, she would tend to that while on nightherd.

Kathleen learned that Diego had some kind of balm used to treat saddle sores. She would find out that this stuff worked where her bindings chafed and that nobody would be the wiser.

There were times when men just “disappeared” for a while. If one of the top hands asked the whereabouts of the missing man, the answer was “nature.” Straightforward and simple. Only if a man was gone too long did anybody go looking for him to make sure a snake hadn’t bitten him or that he wasn’t hurt in some way.

The only thing that worried Kathleen was the appearance of her “monthly.” She wouldn’t have to worry long because, due to the strenuous work, it disappeared entirely. Today, however, she felt the familiar cramping and sighed. Being a woman just was never easy, and being a woman disguised as a man would make things even harder. Diego had a cure for constipation which eased the cramps. The stuff tasted nasty, but it wasn’t Castor Oil. However, it tasted just as nasty………….

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

In a cloud of dust, Adam and Carter and Clete arrived with well over twenty horses that had been purchased from Henry Wheeler. The men were smiling, so the transaction had been a success. Adam glanced in Kathleen’s direction, dimpled at her – making her heart melt – and then he continued on to the picket line.

Kathleen recognized one horse in particular. Wheeler had named the horse “Boomer.” He was a good horse but very spirited and had given Clete and Carter fits when they had tried to ride him at the Wheeler ranch.

Latigo swore that he could break Boomer with no trouble and was given the chance to do so. Boomer exploded into a bucking fit and, the more he bucked, the more Latigo dug his sharpened spurs into the horse’s sides. Latigo got thrown into the dirt three times before Kathleen could stand no more. She strode out and grabbed Boomer’s reins.

“That’s no way to treat a horse, broken or unbroken. You’re about to spur this horse to death!”

Latigo growled, “You think you can do better?”

Kathleen snorted. “A child could do better!”

She approached the quivering horse slowly, speaking softly. She touched his nose gently and rubbed his neck for several minutes, still speaking softly. The quivering stopped, but Boomer had a suspicious look in his eyes. With great care and very slowly, Kathleen put her foot in one stirrup, adding more weight every five seconds or so. No response from Boomer. Kathleen put her full weight in the stirrup and still didn’t receive any response. She sat in the saddle, ready for what she knew was to happen. And it did. Boomer bucked and whirled and kicked, but he couldn’t dislodge his rider. He finally stood still and turned his head around to look at Kathleen. She rubbed his neck and ears and whispered to him. His ears stood up as though he were listening. Kathleen nudged him into a walk, then a trot, then a lope. Boomer was as obedient as a well-trained dog.

Latigo’s face was red with fury and embarrassment. Kathleen dismounted and handed the reins to Sam.

Carter approached. “That was some ride, Mac.”

Kathleen smirked. “He just needed an attitude adjustment. He’ll be a good horse as long as he’s treated right.” She glared at Latigo. “I know that horse. He hates spurs!”

Latigo glared back at Kathleen. Then he walked away, kicking a rock as he left.

Adam sidled up to Kathleen. “We all wear spurs. But they’re not sharp. They’re dull and spin easily. Can this um….’Boomer’….be ridden with spurs on?”

“Try him and see is all I can tell you.”

Carter swung up into Boomer’s saddle and touched the gelding’s sides gently with his spurs. Boomer acted more like a pet than a working horse, responding quickly to Carter’s hands on the reins. Carter’s broad grin when he dismounted assured Adam that the horse was one to keep.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

The branding of the cattle with Adam’s distinctive “trail brand” (a lightning bolt) would be divided into three distinct areas: cutting/roping and throwing/branding and guarding the beeves that had already been branded. The strongest men, the most experienced, would take over the throwing/branding. Three thousand head of cattle would take some time to complete, and Adam wanted things to go smoothly and quickly. He also wanted to keep an eye on the newer, younger guys to see how they performed.

Kathleen chose Boomer to ride because he was the closest to her. She was aware of Latigo’s glare but chose to ignore him. He was particularly surly now because he had been laughed at earlier and now he had to throw and brand the steers. Kathleen worked tirelessly and well. She was accurate at throwing her rope, and Boomer knew his business in cutting out steers. The sun was blazing overhead before Adam called a halt to the branding.

The noon meal was eaten quickly, and there was a change of mounts to give the earlier horses a rest. Kathleen walked to the remuda and saw that Latigo was already astride Storm. Angrily, Kathleen grabbed Storm’s reins.

“If you’re gonna ride my horse, those spurs have gotta go! I won’t let you abuse Storm like you did Boomer!”

Sneering, Latigo replied. “I’ll ride whatever horse I want to. And I’ll wear my spurs and use ’em any way I please!”

Kathleen refused to let go of the reins – the commotion drew Adam’s attention.

“What’s going on here?” he asked impatiently.

“I don’t want Latigo to ride Storm. But if you allow it, Latigo’s spurs have got to come off. Storm is well-trained and doesn’t need to be gouged and hurt to do his job well.”

“Get off that horse and take off your spurs, Latigo. That horse belongs to Mac to begin with. We all have our own horses and you shouldn’t be riding Storm anyway. Find a fresh mount and don’t let me catch you wearing spurs again. You obviously don’t know how to use them, sharp ordull.”

Kathleen could almost see the steam coming out of Latigo’s ears. He was beyond furious but dared not argue with the boss. Grudgingly, he dismounted as Kathleen waited to climb into the saddle.

Carter was standing nearby. As Latigo passed him, he snarled. “Cartwright made me look bad in front of everybody.”

Carter shrugged. “You made your own self look bad.”

Carter walked away leaving Latigo to fume. He hated Mac and he hated Cartwright and Carter. He would find a way to get even.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Darkness was falling as the last steers were branded and, with permission from Adam and the other top hands who would keep an eye on the steers, the rest of the drovers ran and jumped in the creek fully dressed. Willy was there to toss out bars of soap which everybody gratefully used – it was the only way to take out the stink of burning cowhide and flesh and also get rid of the dirt and dust and sweat of the day. The drovers frolicked like children, splashing each other with glee – Mac included. She had forgotten about her cramps from this morning but would get another dose of whatever-that-stuff-was that Diego had given her this morning. She had time only once to change the bindings she used as a pad, and that was at the noon meal. But she hadn’t leaked through them and was glad. The bindings she had used around her breasts were chafing her tender skin, so she’d need more balm too.

Soaking wet, the drovers grudgingly exited the water and returned to the herd. It was time for the top hands to bathe and then to eat, so the drovers would have to ride in their dripping clothes. They didn’t care. The branding was over and nobody got hurt. Soon they, too, would eat supper. Then the first of the nighthawks would start their rotations.

Kathleen was tired through and through. Her arms were sore, her back was sore, her legs were sore. But three thousand head of cattle had been branded all in one day. That had to be a record! In a couple of days, there would be the “dipping” process, which would be easier but smellier. Then the real trail drive would begin.

She watched as Adam and Carter and the rest of the top hands rode into camp to eat. But, before they left, Adam Cartwright personally approached each drover with a pat on the shoulder and a “thank you” for doing such a good job. Kathleen sighed. That man was just so handsome!

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Kathleen ate and then flopped down on her bedroll. She slept hard until Martin shook her awake. It was time to ride nighthawk. Kathleen didn’t mind the fact that her clothes were still damp – as a matter of fact, on this warm night, she felt cooler.

As she circled the herd, singing along with Sean and Shane, her mind turned to Adam Cartwright. He was a little over six feet tall, with a barrel chest and long legs. He appeared to have the strength of a cougar – he even moved like one, with fluid and powerful grace. His voice was what she thought of as a “hickory baritone” – very sexy! He spoke with an easy authority and with the intelligence of a man used to taking charge of everything. Yet he had the ability to listen as exemplified by his purchase of the remuda from Henry Wheeler, taking Kathleen’s advice. She wondered about him. Was he married? Had be been married? Did he have a girl waiting back home for him? Kathleen blushed as she wondered how it would feel to kiss that cupid’s-bow mouth, to feel those strong arms around her, to make love with him.

She was glad that it was dark as she was blushing. Her replacement had arrived and sent her back to camp and to her waiting bedroll. Unfortunately, she discovered that her replacement was Latigo. I should’ve known that the guys would leave Latigo for me to wake up. Nobody likes him and half the guys are scared of him already.

Kathleen nudged the man gently with her foot. “Time for nightherd.”

Quick as a wink, Latigo sat up, gun in hand, pointed at a very surprised Kathleen.

“Don’t never wake me up like that!” Latigo snarled.

“I’ll wake you any way I please!” was Kathleen’s reply. “And, in the future, don’t you ever pull a gun on me again. It’s your best bet in getting a bullet hole right between the eyes!”

The two stared at each other for several minutes. Latigo finally snatched up his boots and stalked off to the remuda.

Diego, who never missed seeing anything, approached Kathleen with something to eat and with some coffee. He was shaking his head.

“Be careful around Latigo, Mac. He’s got a quick temper with a mean streak a mile long. He may shoot you one day.”

Kathleen had no idea that both Cartwright and Carter had seen what had transpired between Latigo and Mac. Trail boss and ramrod spoke quietly and agreed that Mac and Latigo needed to be separated as much as possible. Adam tried to give Latigo the benefit of the doubt about pulling a gun when he was awakened. On the trail, if Adam was awakened quickly, he himself reached for his gun immediately. But he couldn’t make himself like the man. And he was impressed by Mac’s threat to shoot Latigo – Mac didn’t appear to back down from anything. But he kept feeling that there was more to Mac than met the eye.

Oh, yeah……….

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

It would take two days to reach the “dipping station,” so Kathleen got her first taste of being in the saddle and driving the herd for real. The day would start with somebody barking orders for Mac to get up, then it was pretending to shave, eating breakfast, rolling up bedrolls, climbing on horseback, and pushing the herd forward. Then there’d be a noon meal, more riding, the evening meal, sleep, nighthawk, a bath if she was lucky, more sleep, then start all over again in the morning.

But Kathleen was making friends everywhere. She was most likable and got along with everybody. Except Latigo and Dennis, but nobody got along with them anyway. And this was the time for learning about the folks she’d be spending her days and nights with – and that occasionally included the top hands. She had made a name for herself without meaning to. And her name was associated with everything positive.

She learned a lot in those two days. Carter and Jesse would ride “point” – at the very front of the herd. Big John and Buck would take “swing” – which meant they would ride wherever they were needed. Clete, the scout, would ride well ahead of the herd to find water, good graze, and a bedding place for the night – the cattle could only travel about ten miles a day without losing weight or being exhausted. Of her friends, Mac, Sean, Shane and Stuart would ride “drag” – at the very back of the herd where the dust was thickest. Jack and Martin’s positions wouldn’t be much better – they’d be riding “flank” where the dust was just about as bad.

Sean groaned. “Be sure to use your neckerchief over your nose and mouth because grit will just about suffocate you.”

Stuart made a face. “All the new guys have to ride drag for a while. It’s just how things are. Both Jack and Martin have more experience than we do, but riding flank ain’t no picnic.”

Cartwright shouted, “We have a herd to move. Let’s bust them saddles.”

The day had begun.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Kathleen wasn’t the first person to reach the remuda. Latigo and Dennis were already there, and Latigo was apparently going to ride Storm. As he was swinging into the saddle, Kathleen grabbed him by his belt and pulled him down.

“Storm is my horse! Nobody rides him but me! You’ve been told that already!”

Adam appeared out of thin air. He had been watching the two and knew he had to step in.

“Latigo, you can take any horse from the remuda except for a man’s personal horse. You have your own horse and I suggest you ride him.

“I’m savin’ him for later,” was Latigo’s reply. “I’ll take a different one this morning.”

And the horse he chose was Boomer! Kathleen gritted her teeth. All she could say was, “There’d better not be any gouge marks on that horse when you bring him back!”

“I’ll do as I please.”

Again, Adam stepped in. “I see that you’re wearing different spurs. They’re not as sharp as the others, but they can still do damage. If you hurt that animal, I’ll take away your spurs or fire you, depending on the damage that you’ve done. Consider yourself warned!”

All twenty-five drovers were now in place, waiting for Adam to signal them forward. When he was satisfied with the way things were, Adam raised his arm and shouted, “Let’s move ’em forward!”

The move from the green meadow onto the trail had officially begun.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

It didn’t take Kathleen long to realize that this job was going to get harder and harder. Three thousand head of bawling, bellowing cattle, two chuck wagons, the entire remuda, and twenty-five drovers kicked up more dust and dirt than could be imagined. The sun was hot in the afternoon and there weren’t many trees to find shade in. Plus, the cramps that Kathleen suffered from were bothersome. The bindings around her breasts were bad enough, but she had to stuff some material between her legs so she wouldn’t “leak” – and then she had to try to get comfortable in the saddle. She sighed and wiped her face. The neckerchief looked like it had been dipped in mud. It kept most of the dirt out, but some grit escaped and she could feel it in her teeth. And poor Storm – he was lathered and as tired as Kathleen was.

Before the noon meal, Kathleen returned Storm to the remuda and headed for the creek that ran close by. She wasn’t surprised to see her friends there also, ducking their heads and faces and neckerchiefs into the cold water. Kathleen was quick to follow suit.

“Before you get back in the saddle, try dipping your hat in the water,” Stuart suggested as he shook the water out of his hair and wiped his face. It’ll keep you cool for a little while.”

Kathleen smiled and followed Stuart’s advice. The wet hat did seem to cool her off.

Everybody ate the noon meal quickly then got fresh mounts from the remuda. Kathleen took her place at the rear of the herd and, wouldn’t you know it, one steer headed directly for the bushes. Kathleen chased him and roped him and wrestled with him. Other beeves were wandering off in every direction except where they were supposed to go – they wandered off sideways into the bushes, tried to head for the little bits of shade, or got got in the sparsely-spaced thickets.

“Dammit!” Kathleen shouted at the steer as she pulled him out from among the scratchy low sage. “Get your ass out of there!” Then she clapped her hand over her mouth as she realized what she’d said. Her father would go up in a cloud of smoke had he heard her swear like that.

Big John rode up just then and grinned. “Spoken like a true drover, Mac. Just try to remember that it gets easier as time goes by. They’ll learn to stay together.”

“Lordy, I hope so!” came Kathleen’s reply as she wiped the blood off a scratch on her arm. She was positive that an errant branch had deliberately reached out and attacked her as she had chased the steer into its confines. The steer had been perfectly happy standing in what little shade was offered and protested loudly as it was driven back into the herd.

By the time the bedding ground was reached, Kathleen was exhausted. Bindings be damned. Taking time to remove only her gunbelt and her boots, she plunged into the shallow creek along with the rest of the drovers. Then she headed for the chuckwagon, her socks squishing in her boots. She didn’t care.
She sat with the guys she had made instant friends with and compared notes with them about the escapades of the day. The laughter they shared drew Adam’s attention.

“That’s a good bunch right there,” he said to Buck. “They’re working as hard as the top-hands are. They aren’t complaining about the day either.”

Buck nodded in agreement as he stared at the group. Adam, Carter and Buck had been circling the herd all day, watching all the drovers with experienced eyes

Adam still couldn’t figure out what was so odd about Mac. There was something in the way he carried himself or threw back his head when he laughed. What was it that niggled at him so? He sighed and decided that he might just be imagining things. Maybe….

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Today was “dipping” day. Arriving at the site, Kathleen was astonished to see how impressive things were. There were windmills that pulled up the water into huge tanks, there were five chutes that ended in deep troughs to run the cattle through, and there was a cabin that held nothing but barrel upon barrel of sulfur to add to the water. The water and the sulfur would be mixed in the pits and would last for approximately fifty steers until the “remix” of the sulfur and water. At the far end of the site were a bunch of trees and grass where the dipped animals would remain until the entire herd had gone through the processing. The “holding” area was huge and would accommodate the three thousand head very easily.

Adam (who wouldn’t ask his men to do something and not do it himself) and all his top hands demonstrated the procedure: drive the steers through the chutes where the animals would, one by one, plunge into the water. Use a long pole, curved at the end, to push each head briefly under the water, being sure to get the ears wet. The steers would then run up and be herded to the holding area. The bad thing about this was that the creatures didn’t like to be dipped any more than they liked to be branded, so they tended to panic and try to run in every direction until they entered the chute.

The drovers spent a very long day chasing, dipping and then baby-sitting the animals until they dried off. Thank goodness there was some shade! The hazers and the baby-sitters rotated places throughout the day to give both horses and riders a chance to take a break. The men using the poles got to sit in the shade long enough to dry off and then would rotate with some of the others on horseback. The whole plan was well thought-out.

In an amazingly short time, every animal had been dipped. Kathleen had done her share and was soaked to the skin. The sulfur burned slightly and left a residue on her skin. Thankfully, the site was very close to water and, with Adam’s blessing, all the drovers headed en masse toward the river. The top hands stayed behind to get the Contract of Complicity. The exhausted herd was happy to stay in the shade and to chew on the lush grass.

Because so many men jumped into the water in the same place, they had churned up an incredible amount of mud. Kathleen chose a quiet place upstream and had sunk into the refreshing water up to her neck with an audible sigh of happiness. It was a good thing she was still dressed because, not four feet away, a man stood up out of the water, shaking his head and throwing droplets of water everywhere.

Oh my God! That’s Mister Cartwright! Kathleen’s eyes widened. When Adam turned around, he looked surprised and then grinned.

“Looks like we had the same thought,” he laughed. “Those other guys’ll exchange sulfur for mud. Me? I’d rather get rid of the sulfur and miss the mud!”

All Kathleen could do was to nod and stare. Adam was shirtless and was busy lathering his hairy chest with soap. Barrel-chested he was, with a flat stomach and strong arms, muscles rippling everywhere. His smile was broad, his laugh contagious. He had really deep dimples when he laughed like this, and he had a cleft chin. His dark hair hung over his forehead giving him a rather roguish look.

“Need some soap?” he asked, extending the bar of soap in his hand.

Now he stood up, his jeans soaking wet, and Kathleen’s eyes went to his navel – and below. Good God Almighty! That man is truly well-endowed!

“Got soap,” was all Kathleen could say. Her skin prickled all over and that wasn’t due to the cold water. “Sorry I intruded on you.”

“Mac, you didn’t intrude on me. You used good sense. Why would you rinse off in mud when you can get away from it? You use good sense a lot. We’ve been watching you – and the twins and Stuart and Jack and Martin. All of you take to driving cattle really quickly – none of you complain, and I know that you’re all tired. You ache all over. You would love to have more sleep. But, and you can tell your friends this, your work is deeply appreciated.”

“Thank you,” Kathleen answered. “I’ll tell them. But it would mean more if it came from you.”

Hazel eyes stared into green eyes. “I’ll remember that.”

Kathleen watched as Adam walked up the bank and retrieved his shirt. But not before Kathleen got a good rear-view look. Adam’s wet jeans clung tightly to his body and revealed the size of his legs and the curve of his butt. He donned his shirt and was gone.

“Jesus, Joseph and Mary,” Kathleen whispered. “Why do I have to be a man now!”

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Things were working out fine for Kathleen but not so fine for some of the other drovers. During a two-week period, two drovers had quit. Then one drover had fallen into a pile of rocks and had broken his leg and couldn’t continue on the drive. Three men had been caught wandering aimlessly and happily all over the place completely drunk – Cartwright had fired them on the spot. That left a total of only fourteen drovers in charge of a herd of three thousand cattle. The remaining drovers would have to stay on their toes.

There were three major rules on the trail: There would be no drinking, fighting or gambling. But when the men went to town, which they occasionally did, those rules didn’t apply. If a man got too drunk or too beaten up in town and couldn’t do his job the next day, he would be fired. These rules made sense to Kathleen who never went into town anyway (her excuse was that she was saving her money), she didn’t drink and didn’t fight. With the shortage of men, she pulled extra duty but didn’t mind. She was watching the McKenzie beef which still remained fat and healthy.

Right before the evening meal, Kathleen had returned Storm to the remuda. She noticed that Sam was paying particular attention to Boomer, so she walked over to investigate.

She took one look and was horrified. Boomer’s belly and sides were bleeding and showed deep cuts.

“Latigo rode Boomer this afternoon, didn’t he?” she asked Sam through gritted teeth.

Sam nodded his head sadly and applied some ointment to Boomer’s wounds.

Turning angrily on her heels, Kathleen stalked into camp and found Latigo standing in line for chow. Rage overtook her and she charged at the man, taking him completely by surprise and knocking him down into the dirt. So quickly did she move that nobody had a chance to stop her attack.

Grabbing Latigo by the throat with one hand, Kathleen pushed the heel of her other hand up against the bottom of his nose. Latigo was a strong man and could easily have pushed Kathleen off him, but the element of surprise was too great for him to react.

A fierce growl came from Kathleen’s mouth.

“I can do one of two things. I can either tear out your windpipe or I can jam your nose up into your brain. If that doesn’t kill you outright, your brain will be nothing but mush forever. You’ll spend your life in a horrible place somewhere, drooling like a baby.”

Kathleen felt hands around her trying to pull her off Latigo whose eyes were big as pie plates. But Kathleen’s hands, strong from all the work she had been doing on the trail, just dug deeper and pressed harder. For the first time in his life, Latigo knew true fear.

It was Adam who had tried to pull Mac away from Latigo but he sensed that any physical act on his part would end in Latigo’s death or brain damage. So he talked calmly but authoritatively.

“Mac, let go of Latigo. Let me handle whatever the problem is.”

“Mister Cartwright, you and Carter both warned this piece of shit about his spurs. If you take a look at Boomer, you’ll see just how much good your warning did. That poor horse is cut and bleeding and may be ruined forever.” Kathleen was snarling and spitting and showed no signs of releasing Latigo.

This was a bad situation that could turn deadly at any second. Adam had to do something – now.

Sam had arrived in the nick of time.

“It’s true, boss. Boomer is hurt badly.”

Adam spoke. “Latigo, you’re fired and will draw no pay. If you ever show your face again, I’ll kill you myself.” Then, “Mac, I’m asking you to turn loose of Latigo. He no longer has a job here, he draws no pay either. Let him get up and leave.”

Kathleen considered this briefly. Slowly she released her hold on Latigo who rose with watery eyes and a deep, choking cough. His red face was filled with rage. He half-walked, half-wobbled to the remuda to get his horse and turned to ride away.

“I hate all of you. I won’t forget, but I will get even!” He was gone in a cloud of dust.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Adam was angry with Mac and was also surprised at the rage that Mac had displayed. The man had been angry before, but he was mostly good-tempered. He was an excellent first-time drover and was thought highly of within the camp. Everybody appreciated his easy-going ways and eagerness to volunteer for jobs that nobody else wanted. Cartwright didn’t want to fire this man, but something had to be done.

“Mac, come with me. We need to talk. The rest of you finish chow and tend to what you’re supposed to be doing.”

The two walked together far enough away to have some privacy. They stared at each other, Adam’s eyes concerned and Kathleen’s eyes sad. She had broken a rule and knew what the outcome would be.

“I can’t have any of you trying to kill someone, good reason or not. The punishment is up to me and to me alone. You know the rules. Is there anything you want to say in your defense?”

“Latigo takes great pleasure in causing pain. People can stand up for themselves but animals have no voice. I was Boomer’s voice. I have no other excuse. I saw what happened to Boomer, and I just snapped.”

Adam considered Mac’s response. “I don’t know if I can trust you to keep your temper under control. Give me a good reason not to fire you.”

“Because I’m good at what I do. I learn more every day. I’m dependable. And some of those beeves belong to my family. If I can’t stay here, I’ll just ride to Sedalia and wait for you to get there. I’ll tend to the selling of my three hundred head with no help from you.”

Adam looked in green eyes, searching for….what? Why couldn’t he just fire Mac and get on with the drive? There was something…. Adam couldn’t find the name for it.

“Go back to camp. But if something like this happens again, I’ll fire you. That’s a promise!”

“Yessir.”

Kathleen walked back to camp and joined her friends. She was shaking.

“Did you get fired?” Sean whispered.

“No. But I have to be careful from now on.”

Shane breathed a sigh of relief. From behind him, he presented a plate of food that Diego had sneaked to him. Kathleen hadn’t eaten since noon. She wasn’t really hungry at the moment, but she was touched by the kindness shown her. So she ate and felt better.

Adam stood by the chuckwagon, eating the meal he had missed. Carter and Clete cornered him to find out what had happened and to tell him that Dennis had quit and had ridden off in the same direction that Latigo had gone.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” Adam replied. “And Mac knows that he better not make another mistake or he’ll be gone too.”

The three men glanced in Mac’s direction.

“They’re a good bunch,” Clete observed. “They work well together.”

“You know,” began Carter, “Mac knows almost everything about every man here, but we know so little about him. Reckon he’s trying to hide somethin’?”

“Naw,” Clete answered. “He’s just learnin’ stuff and we all end up talkin’ about everything to him. Still, he is kinda mysterious.”

“He’s got the makings of a good drover. Maybe a top hand one day.” Adam put down his plate, poured another cup of coffee, and walked away to be by himself. Those green eyes haunted him and he didn’t know why.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

The daily routine changed little except for the nighthawk rotation. Willy turned out to be an excellent barber, so each man could get a hair cut as needed. Kathleen allowed her hair to be cut also – it was just too hot to let it get out of hand.

In this part of Oklahoma, there were more towns with more saloons and whorehouses. Kathleen knew that Cartwright often went into town to get the mail (Adam sneaked and wired Ben about how things were going), and she hated the thought that her boss might be in bed with a whore, touching one, kissing one, thrusting into one and giving pleasure that Kathleen longed for. To make matters worse, it had come to her attention that Cartwright had a girlfriend. By the smell of her own letters, the “girlfriend” must have soaked her letters in perfume because the entire contents of the mail bag smelled exactly the same way.

Kathleen chided herself. Get him out of your mind. He wouldn’t be interested in you even if he knew that you are a woman.

But she continued to fantasize about the boss anyway as she rode nighthawk or went to sleep. She closed her eyes and dreamed of hazel eyes, a hairy chest, strong arms and legs, and tender lips.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

Sam’s diligent care of Boomer’s wounds paid off. Boomer’s wounds were healed, but could he be ridden ever again? Or had permanent damage been done to his mind and soul?

Several days after the wounds were completely healed, Kathleen approached Adam.

“I want to ride Boomer. He’s too good of a horse to just turn loose. Sam has spent a lot of time healing his wounds. I need your permission to ride him.”

“You’ve got spurs on,” Adam countered. “We all wear spurs. Boomer may not know that it’s the spurs that caused him such pain, but he will associate a rider with pain. I think the best thing to do is let him go. He’ll find a wild herd to join up with.”

“Please let me try.” Kathleen’s face was earnest.

Adam sighed and then nodded. Kathleen walked to the remuda and approached Boomer. She wasn’t aware that there was a trail of men following behind her to watch. They were completely quiet.

Boomer picked up his head when he saw the familiar person who always talked to him and who stroked him with gently. Kathleen spent several minutes just talking and stroking like she always did. Then she eased a saddle blanket onto Boomer’s back. He trembled. She talked softly to him until the trembling stopped. But when he saw the saddle, he began side-stepping and showed all the classic signs of agitation. Saddles meant that there would be a rider on his back. Riders meant pain. The soft voice and the gentle touches soothed him, and he finally stood still as the girth was put on and the cinch was tightened.

Buck grinned at the boss, Big John and Clete. “I’ll bet Mac won’t stay in the saddle more’n thirty seconds.”

Clete’s reply. “Nah. I’ll give him a minute before he gets throwed.”

Cartwright and Big John said nothing. They just watched.

Boomer allowed Kathleen on his back, flattened his ears, and immediately threw her skyward.

“Told ya,” Buck grinned as he watched Kathleen stand up and dust the dirt off.

Kathleen tried again but had no better luck than the first time. Boomer’s ears stayed down flat against his head and his eyes were wild. Kathleen was aware that she was being watched, but that wasn’t the reason she kept trying. She wanted Boomer to stay in the remuda – he was too good of a horse to just let go into the wild.

The third try ended with Kathleen’s doing a beautiful somersault into the air and then landing on her feet. She took a deep breath.

Carter called out to her. “Mac, that horse can’t be ridden. Give up. He’ll find another herd out there somewhere.”

Kathleen glared at Adam. “Am I dead yet?”

“Nope.”

“Then I ain’t done yet.”

Kathleen approached Boomer and rubbed his nose and his flattened ears. She massaged his neck and, when she felt him begin to relax, she jumped onto the saddle before Boomer knew what was happening.

Big John looked at Adam. “Stubborn, ain’t he?”

Adam’s dry reply was, “Mac or Boomer?”

Boomer exploded into action. He tried every trick he knew but couldn’t shake his rider loose. As for Kathleen, she was determined to stay in the saddle or die trying. Her hat flew off her head and she momentarily lost one stirrup. Sweat poured into her eyes and stung them. But, just as she was beginning to believe that she could stay aboard no longer, Boomer stopped bucking and stood absolutely still. Well, he did quiver a bit but Kathleen figured that was from all the exertions of his bucking.

Gently, she touched his flanks with her spurs. He walked forward. Another gentle touch of the spurs prodded Boomer into a trot and then into a lope. His ears came up and he listened to his rider’s words of praise.

The drovers cheered as horse and rider returned to the picket line. Kathleen tried hard to hide her shaky legs and sneaked a peek at Cartwright. He smiled and nodded his approval. The faces of the drovers reflected signs of respect and admiration.

While Sam unsaddled Boomer, Kathleen fetched her hat and plopped in on her head. Then she deliberately walked by Adam on her way to the chuckwagon, trying hard not to wobble on her still-shaky legs. All she said was, “Attitude adjustment.”

Adam smothered a grin. He had heard Mac use that expression before. It would be used again.

Big John made a comment. “Well, I never seen anything quite like that before. If I’d been bettin’ money, I’d a put it on the horse. Good thing I didn’t.”

Adam chuckled. He to camp with the men – they were all discussing Mac and Boomer. Nobody would forget how Mac tamed Boomer, and the story would be told over and over again in other places on other drives.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

This far along in the drive, every man knew every other man, top hands and the newer hands. They all got along well socially and in a working atmosphere. Now, pranks were being played – this was standard on every trail drive as the men bonded with each other.

One man had found rocks in his boots – after he had jammed one boot on. One man had cockle-burs in his bedroll. Sean had a large piece of cactus in his hat. One man’s feet had been tied together so, when he tried to stand up, he fell over in a heap. Kathleen had found a harmless snake in her bedroll. Nobody ever knew what to expect next, and every man was paranoid. Strange, but none of the top hands ever were victims…. They had to be the culprits!

As luck would have it, Kathleen just happened upon something that would be useful in getting even with the pranksters as she came off nightherd duty. She smiled to herself, walked quietly into camp and woke Sean and Shane.

She approached a loudly-snoring Big John and slipped something between his feet under his blanket. Then she woke him. Sean and Shane had awakened Stuart and Jack and Martin who watched quietly.

Big John was in a deep sleep but finally woke up. As he began to sit up to see why Mac was waking him, he felt something move against his feet.

Kathleen, her face completely deadpan, said, “I hated to wake you, but I wouldn’t move too much if I were you. “I saw a skunk crawl under your blanket.”

Big John froze. “A skunk!”

There didn’t ever seem to be anything that Big John was afraid of, but being sprayed or bitten by a skunk made his face go pale. Several drovers were now watching and trying not to laugh out loud.

“Dammit! What do I do?” Big John didn’t move a muscle as he felt movement now between his knees.

“Here, let me help you,” Kathleen said gently as she reached under the blanket and extricated the skunk. She talked gently to it and then returned it to the woods where it ambled happily away.

The drovers now erupted in loud guffaws. Big John knew that he’d been the victim of yet another prank played in camp.

But Kathleen wasn’t through yet. She had another plan and drew Willy into it with her.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Breakfast time arrived and the drovers lined up for chow. They all turned their heads when they heard Clete swear and make spitting noises.

“Diego, what’d you do to this coffee?”

Diego was truly confused. “I ain’t done nothin’ to the coffee. I made it like usual.”

Willy had done his job well. He had made two pots of coffee – one for the top hands that sat at the campfire and one pot for the rest of the drovers.

“What the hell is wrong with this coffee?” hollered Carter.

Diego looked angry. “It ain’t the coffee. Must be your taste buds are bad.”

Adam took a sip of his own coffee and then threw it out. He jammed some eggs into his mouth to get the taste of the coffee out and then approached Martin.

“Anything wrong with your coffee?”

“No, sir. Mine’s fine.”

Adam approached Mac. “Let me taste your coffee.” It, too, was fine.

It didn’t take Adam long to deduce that only the top hands had “strange” coffee. Lifting the lid on the pot over the open fire, Adam took a sniff and then made a face. He poured the contents of the pot on the ground and found some kind of tree bark in the bottom of the pot. He looked around at all the faces and saw one rather smug look – and that smug look belonged to Mac whose green, twinkling eyes showed knowledge and/or guilt.

“What did you do?” demanded Adam.

“Me? Why pick on me? There’ve been pranks going on all over camp for weeks now. This just seems to be one more.”

Adam snorted.

Kathleen struggled to hide her smile. “Maybe it’s….”

“Attitude adjustment,” Adam said, finishing the sentence. A smile tugged at the corners of his own mouth.

Trying to look authoritative, he turned to his drovers. “There will be no more prank-playing on anybody for the rest of the drive. And that’s an order!”

Heads nodded. Kathleen ate her breakfast and then headed off to the remuda. It was a good day, and Boomer gave her no trouble.

Hazel eyes followed her as she left. “Devil or angel?” was the expression that went through Adam’s mind. But why?

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

The drive had its pitfalls. There was a horrible drought that lasted for several days. There was no water to wash in or bathe in – canteens were used as sparingly as possible.

Adam found Kathleen one day pouring water into her upside-down hat and letting Storm drink from it.

“Mac, you’ve gotta be thirsty yourself,” he commented.

“I am,” came the reply. “But if I am, then Storm must be. He’s doing all the work. Besides, I have this.” Kathleen pulled a smooth stone from her mouth and showed it to Adam. “My mouth thinks it’s food and keeps my mouth a little wetter.”

Adam was impressed with Mac’s savvy. He rode on to check on the other drovers. Why was it that he always checked on Mac first?

_______________________

Another pitfall was the dust storm that threatened every living creature. Several steers were lost, but Sam managed to keep the remuda together. All the men just hunkered down until the sharp sand stopped blowing.

______________________

If there weren’t sandstorms and drought, then there was rain – and lot of it. Despite their ponchos, men and animals were soaked to the skin and were miserable. Nature was capricious.

____________________

Then there was the tragedy at the Red River Crossing. The Red River was fairly low this year but, beneath its smooth surface, it hid undercurrents of fast-moving water. Adam had been cautious and allowed only thirty head of cattle to cross at a time so they could be managed easier. But, on the very last crossing, Stuart had gotten mixed in with a bunch of frightened steers. His horse had lost his footing and gone under. Stuart had tried to hang onto the saddle horn, but his hand slipped and he got pulled under the water and was the victim of thrashing hooves. His body was found downstream and in a shape that no human body was ever meant to be. A grave was dug, and precious Stuart was placed gently into it. It was up to Adam, as trail boss, to say a few words over Stuart’s body. With a husky voice, Adam spoke.

”Lord, please take this man into your Heavenly Kingdom. He was a good man and was taken from us way too soon. But we all must remember that Thy will be done. Amen.”

Sean had made a cross and, after the body was covered with dirt and stones, the cross was pounded into the head of the grave until it was sturdy enough to stand by itself. The drovers stood, hats off, for a few minutes. Then it was time to mount up and to continue on the trail. Even the death of a beloved drover was no reason to stop. His belongings would be gathered and would be sent to his parents with a personal note from Adam.

Kathleen looked at Adam. For the first time, she noticed that his shoulders were slumped as he sat in his saddle. Kathleen could see how deeply affected the boss was. He carried a heavy weight on his shoulders – not just for now but for the whole drive. Every responsibility fell on him and he carried the burden alone. Her heart ached for him.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

Several days after Stuart’s tragic death, the drovers found themselves outside of a town where they felt the need to blow off some steam. Adam recognized this and, once again, asked for volunteers to stay with the herd while the others took some time off. Kathleen decided that she would not stay with the herd this time – she would actually go into town and take a look around. Actually, she wanted to see what the trail boss did and who he did it with, but she’d have to be sneaky.

All of a sudden, there was a flurry of clothing being pulled off as six men – naked as the day they were born – headed to the nearby creek. Kathleen tried not to look at first but then her curiosity got the best of her. All she could see were bare asses wiggling in the mad dash to the water. She stifled a giggle.

One naked man passed her and stopped. “Aren’t you gonna take a bath?”

Kathleen had to think quickly. “I’ll wait for the mud to settle, I reckon.”

The naked man nodded and then sprinted for the water. Hastily, Kathleen grabbed some clean clothes out of her war bag and, unnoticed, found a very private place upstream in a small pool of clear water. There she took her time bathing and washing her short hair. She sat in a shady copse of trees until she was dry and then put her fresh clothes on. When she returned to the wagon, some of the men had begun to get dressed but some were still splashing around in the water. In the privacy of the wagon, Kathleen saw Adam’s war bag – and she snooped. She looked for, and found, the letters from a woman named Paulette. Naturally, she hastily read the latest one.

“My dearest Adam,

How I miss you! Every day that passes brings our time together in Sedalia closer and closer, but it still seems so far away. I miss your kisses and your touch and the nights we’ve spent together. I hope you haven’t forgotten the pleasure we’ve found with each other.

Kathleen made a face and stuffed the letter back into the bag. There was more to read but the dripping sweetness of what she’d read made her want to throw up. The cloying scent of perfume didn’t help her feel any better. Unnoticed, she climbed out of the wagon and kicked a rock in disgust.

The sun was setting as she and the others headed to town. Cartwright looked clean and was clean-shaven, and Kathleen wondered where he had bathed. She listened as Adam told the men where to meet him later, warned them about the diseases that whores spread, warned them about crooked gamblers and gaming tables, and told them that he would let them spend the night in jail if they got arrested for anything. Because their numbers were so few, he would bail them out if he had to, but he wouldn’t let them go into town again for the rest of the drive.

“He always gives this speech,” Jesse whispered to Kathleen. “And he always means what he says.”

Kathleen nodded and rode on in silence until the group arrived in town. Deliberately being the slowest one to dismount, Kathleen watched to see where Adam was going. Then she strolled in the darkness and looked in the store windows. The stores were all closed so she couldn’t buy anything, but she could at least look at the hats and dresses that were displayed.

After a long time, she headed for the saloon where she hoped she’d find the trail boss. He was right where he said he’d be, waiting for his crew to meet him.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

As she walked toward the boss, she saw Shane coming down the stairs with a half-dressed gal. And there was Sean, over in a corner, with a gal sitting in his lap. Jack was at the head of the bar, buying some gal a drink. They were all too busy to notice Kathleen, so she joined the boss at the far end of the bar. He was sipping on a glass of whiskey and was alone.

“I see you found us,” Adam said as he took another sip from his shot glass.

“Yep. Right where you said you’d be.” Then, in answer to the bartender, Kathleen ordered a beer.

Kathleen, not used to drinking anything but a glass of wine now and then, watched the other men as they drank. She mimicked them and took a big gulp of her beer. Then she took another big gulp. Adam said nothing as he looked around the saloon.

A woman wiggled up to Kathleen and smiled. “Hey, cowboy, how’s about buyin’ li’l ole me a drink?”

Kathleen almost choked. “Maybe later. Right now I’m talkin’ business.” Another gulp of beer.

“What business are we discussing?” Adam asked with a big grin.

Kathleen ordered another beer. “She wasn’t my type. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings and didn’t know what to say.”

“Don’t worry about her. There’re plenty of men in here tonight and she’ll find someone who is interested.”

Kathleen looked at the huge picture over the bar and immediately guzzled half of her beer. The portrait was of a very beautiful woman with long hair, sensuous lips, and a dreamy “come hither” look. She was also stark naked. Her breasts were huge and she had more pubic hair than any real person could possibly have. Kathleen shuddered and finished her second beer. Then she ordered another.

It wasn’t long before Kathleen began to notice that the inside of the saloon was lopsided. And it seemed to be spinning slightly.

Adam had been paying attention to how much “Mac” had been drinking.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Course I am,” Kathleen answered and found that she couldn’t talk well. Her stomach told her that she was not all right and she was beginning to see double. Despite these symptoms, she finished the mug of beer.

This was not a good idea. Quickly, Kathleen staggered across the undulating floor and made a weaving path to and through the swinging doors. Around the corner was an alley which is where Kathleen’s stomach revolted and spewed its contents everywhere.

“Kneel before you fall over and hurt yourself,” said a masculine voice.

In a fog, Kathleen recognized Cartwright’s voice but she was too sick right now to be embarrassed, so she did as she was told. She felt a hand on her shoulder, steadying her, as she retched again.

“Okay. Time for you to go back to camp, but I can’t let you go alone. You aren’t in any shape to hit the ground with your hat right now. I’ll tell the others that we’re leaving. You stay right here.”

Before Adam returned, Kathleen had puked two more times.

Adam looked at Mac and shook his head. “Can you ride?”

Kathleen managed to stand up but wobbled badly. She jutted out her chin.

“Ab….abso….absolu….tly..” Then she plopped unceremoniously on the ground.

Strong arms lifted her back into a standing position. Adam helped the poor drunken soul over to Storm and gave a boost into the saddle. Kathleen’s head spun and she swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She couldn’t remember ever having felt so sick.

Adam kept Sport close to Storm. There were several times that he needed to grab Mac’s arm to keep him from falling out of the saddle. When the pair finally reached camp, Kathleen staggered to her bedroll and fell into it with relief. Her eyes closed and didn’t open. Mac had passed out.

Adam leaned against a tree not far away and wondered why he was so protective of this particular drover. If Mac couldn’t work in the morning, Adam would have to fire him. And he didn’t want to. Why?

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

“Mac! Mac! Get up! We got work to do!”

Through the fuzz that was Kathleen’s brain, she heard a voice that sounded like Cartwright’s voice. She was awake but was afraid to open her eyes, and she suspected that Hell was lurking just behind her eyelids. Her brain felt too big for her head, and little devil-men were poking hot sticks into her eyeballs.

She allowed one eye to open to a slit and saw Cartwright standing over her.

“Help,” she croaked through the cotton that some mean-spirited person had stuffed into her mouth.

Adam was holding a cup of coffee in his hand. He dimpled at her.

“You really tied one on last night.”

“Did I make an idiot of myself?” The sound of her own voice banged around in Kathleen’s head.

Adam chuckled. “You were in a saloon with a bunch of rowdy drovers. On your best day, you couldn’t even compete in the idiot contest.”

Kathleen eased herself into a sitting position, put both hands around her head and then applied pressure in an attempt to keep her brain from exploding.

“I’m never doing this again. Never!”

She rose to her feet slowly and accepted the coffee from her boss. It tasted bitter.

“Diego put something in it for your headache,” Adam grinned. “Now get moving and eat something.”

Kathleen lurched one step at a time toward the chuckwagon. She put one hand to her eyes to keep her eyeballs from falling out of her head as she walked. Diego was waiting with a biscuit and a barely-suppressed grin. Sitting on a rock, Kathleen nibbled at the biscuit between sips of coffee.

“Feeling better?” Cartwright asked with what looked like a smirk.

“I think the swelling of my brain is going down and the pounding isn’t as bad.”

“Always a good sign,” Adam said as he turned to walk away. Loudly he shouted, “We have a herd to move! Let’s bust them saddles!”

Kathleen cringed at the loud voice which had started her head aching again. But she knew that she had to work today. Otherwise she would be fired. Sean and Shane fell in step with her as she headed toward the remuda. Their good-natured laughter made her temples pound violently.

As the men swung into their saddles, Kathleen was still trying to get her foot in Boomer’s stirrup. The horse looked around at her and seemed to roll his eyes.

“Don’t give me any trouble today or I’ll send you to the glue factory. No, hell, I’ll just shoot you and put you out of my misery,” Kathleen growled.

She finally got her foot in the stirrup and managed shakily to sit in the saddle. She prayed that the motion of the horse wouldn’t make her sick again. Vaguely she wondered how many men knew that she had been so sick. Had Cartwright made fun of her? She couldn’t remember anything about last night after her second beer – but she did remember how the boss had looked. Those hazel eyes, that lazy grin, the cleft in his chin, the black hair that sprang up through the top of his shirt. Oh, God! He had seen her throw up! Her embarrassment knew no limits. But she survived the day. She had to.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

Days later, the mother of all storms moved in. The hair on the back of Kathleen’s neck stood up. All the animals became nervous and were difficult to deal with. Rain fell hard and the temperature dropped and became icy-cold.

Adam spoke to the drovers. “The beeves are edgy and so are the horses. We need double guards on the herd tonight. Expect the worst and hope for the best.”

Suddenly the horns of the cattle began to glow an iridescent blue-green. This was known as “St. Elmo’s Fire.” The frightened herd began to stampede.

As if one body, the drovers ran toward the remuda where Sam had made sure that all the horses were saddled and ready. Kathleen practically flew onto Storm’s back. She knew that every man counted in this most dangerous of situations.

The last voice she heard was Carter’s as he yelled to get to the head steer and turn him. That would cause the whole herd to begin turning in a circle rather than running in a straight line. Kathleen, knowing that Storm was one of the fastest horses, made a bee line in the direction of the head of the stampede.

The rain was falling in heavy sheets. Visibility was almost zero. The ground was rocky and slippery. Storm’s muscles bunched up and stretched as the horse moved swiftly, the cold hard ground flashing beneath his hooves. The wind screamed through Kathleen’s ears and brought tears to her eyes as Storm began closing in on the front of the herd. Leaning over Storm’s neck, Kathleen urged her horse ever faster. She could hardly see where they were going until the lightning illuminated the sky – and she saw that she was alone. But the frightened cattle were turning back into each other and began to mill nervously in a circle.

With fear in her heart, and with adrenaline pumping through her veins, Kathleen realized that she had lost first one stirrup and then the other. The saddle was slick from the rain, so she held onto the saddle horn with one hand, the reins in the other. She felt herself beginning to slip in the saddle and quickly jerked Storm’s reins away from the milling, bawling herd. Storm’s sudden responsive movement unseated his rider, and Kathleen felt herself falling.

She fell onto a large boulder which ground into her ribs and knocked the breath from her lungs. The pain was explosive and, as she tried to stand, her legs buckled and she fell head first into another pile of rocks. She saw red stars and then lost consciousness.

Storm, knowing that something was wrong, stood by her side, his back to the rain and wind. He gently nudged her, but she didn’t move. He stood there and kept a silent vigil, trying to shield Kathleen’s body as best he could.

CHAPTER FORTY

When the storm finally passed, it was up to Adam to take stock of the damage. Word had reached him that the herd had calmed down and that only twenty-five beeves were dead or missing. Adam was more interested in his men and started making sure that they were all accounted for, which they were. Except for Mac. Where was Mac? He wasn’t out circling the beeves nor was he in camp.

“Have you seen Mac?” Adam asked Carter.

“Saw him at the head of the herd, turnin’ ’em, but I ain’t seen him since.”

Nobody knew where Mac was, though they had seen Storm at the head of the stampeding beeves. Adam would have to form a search party to look for the missing drover. He feared the worst. Except for the men who stayed to watch the herd, all the men mounted up and headed off in every direction.

Meanwhile, Kathleen had regained consciousness. Putting a hand to her head, she felt a huge lump. The blood on her hand showed that she had sustained a cut of some kind – bad enough to still be bleeding. Her ribs screamed at her as she tried to stand up, and the dizziness she felt made her movements slow and awkward. She was cold and wet and her teeth chattered. Managing finally to stay on her feet, she found that she couldn’t even lift her foot into the stirrup. Think, Kathleen! Think! Storm was standing by a rock and, with great effort, Kathleen climbed on the rock and managed to get her foot in the stirrup. The pain in her head and her ribs was piercing, but she managed to sit in the saddle. She gave Storm his head – she had to trust that he would get her back to camp.

Wait! Did she hear someone calling her name. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. But she heard the voice again, closer this time. It sounded like Cartwright!

“Here!” she called as best she could. Her bindings had slipped, so she just pulled them out of her shirt and hoped that would make her breathe better.

And then she saw Cartwright. Almost crying with relief, she felt Storm walking toward the trail boss.

Adam saw Mac teetering in the saddle and swiftly maneuvered around the rocks. “How bad are you hurt?”

“Not sure. Head hurts. Ribs hurt.”

Adam was deeply concerned. “Can you stay in the saddle and get back to camp?”

“Have to.” Kathleen’s voice was growing weaker. But she clenched her teeth and nudged Storm forward.

Adam rode close by, holding Mac upright in the saddle, as they slowly made their way back to camp.

“Willy! Make room in the supply wagon! Mac’s hurt!”

Willy jumped and did as he was told. Sam took Sport and Storm to the picket line.

Kathleen groaned in pain and fought the dizziness as Adam helped her into the supply wagon and the makeshift bed. She shivered uncontrollably, so Willy added more blankets.

“How many fingers do you see?” Adam asked as he held up three fingers.

“Five.”

Adam rubbed his jaw. Concerned faces peered in through the back flap of the wagon, questions flying out of concerned mouths. Adam made them all go away. He needed to think. The only other person allowed in the wagon was Diego who knew more about doctoring than any man there. He made Willy go out and start making some food. The men still had to be fed.

Diego examined Kathleen’s head and pronounced that it “wasn’t too bad” but could use a few stitches.

Despite Kathleen’s protests, she ended up with stitches. Diego gave her a piece of leather to bite down on, and then he started sewing. Six painful needle sticks, a copious amount of whiskey on the wound, and Diego was finished.

“That oughtta do it. It’s hidden in his hairline and won’t show too much.”

“Better check out those ribs,” Adam said. He appeared to have three heads, all of them handsome.

Kathleen’s mind had a complete thought. Uh-oh! She knew she was gonna be in trouble.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

“My ribs are fine,” she protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Sure they are,” Adam said sarcastically as he began to unbutton Kathleen’s shirt.

“I’m fine, I tell you!” Kathleen said as she looked at one of Adam’s heads. It was, of course, not his real head. “Go away and leave me alone!” She battled the boss’s hands weakly.

“If you don’t hold still, I’ll just rip the damn thing off!” Adam had lost patience with Mac’s stubbornness.

The buttons got ripped off the shirt except for a single button at the top. Adam’s eyes widened and Diego gasped. And that reaction wasn’t due to the horrible bruising that covered a good part of Kathleen’s chest. All of a sudden, the pieces of the puzzle fell together – Mac was most certainly not a man. The feeling Adam had been aware of from day one was valid – Mac was not who, or what, he appeared to be.

“You tricked me. You tricked all of us.” Adam’s emotions ran the gamut from anger to shock.

Kathleen shut her eyes for a moment as she closed her shirt.

“I didn’t actually trick you. You asked me my name, and I told you it was ‘Mac’. You never asked if I was a man – you just assumed that I was. And you hired me based on my abilities to ride and rope and….” Pause. “I had to get on this drive. My family is depending on me!”

Adam ran his hands through his hair. “Well, you can’t stay on the trail with us. I’ll take you to Fort Reno. You can take the stage back home from there. I’ll see that your beeves are sold for a good price and will get the money to you.”

Kathleen grabbed Adam’s hand and snarled. “You most certainly will not do any of that! If I have to follow along behind the herd, I will. But I’m going to the rail head and will sell my beeves myself!”

Adam looked at the stubborn jut of Kathleen’s jaw. “I can’t have a woman on this drive. You know that.”

Kathleen snorted. “You’ve had this woman on the drive for a long time. What’s changed?”

Adam looked at Diego. Diego shrugged.

Gently, while his mind was spinning, Adam pulled up the corner of Kathleen’s shirt. He ran his fingers over her bruised ribs and found none to be broken. Maybe there were a couple that were cracked. It was hard to tell.

“Diego, get me something to bind these ribs. Bindings will keep them stable.” Adam chewed the inside of his cheek.

Because of the fact that Mac might have a concussion, Diego couldn’t give “Mac” any whiskey to dull the pain or to help “him” sleep. “Mac” would have to stay awake for a while, pain be damned. Kathleen winced as the bindings were wrapped around her, and her face flushed as Adam’s hands grazed her breasts. She still had her shirt on, but it kept getting raised a bit as the bindings were wrapped.

“What’s your real name?” Adam asked. He wanted to know – for reasons of his own.

“My father calls me ‘Mac’.”

“What does your mother call you?”

“Stubborn.” Kathleen wasn’t about to give up her real name without a fight.

But Adam’s patience had run out. “Quit the game-playing. You have a name and I want to know it now!”

“Kathleen.”

“Well, Kathleen, you sure have put me in one helluva spot. I need time to think. Diego, if you breathe a word of what you’ve seen in here, you’ll be looking for a job in the middle of nowhere!”

With that, Adam exited the wagon only to find a gaggle of drovers asking questions. Yes, Mac had some stitches on his head. No, no bones were broken. Yes, one or two ribs might be cracked. Then the boss strode off to be alone for a while.

Why did he not know that Mac was a woman? Now that he had really paid attention to her features (not including the pert breasts that lingered in his mind), the fact of her gender was obvious. Not even the other drovers knew the truth, and the herd was more than three-fourths of the way to the rail head.

There was also the fact that this female was very good at what she did. She worked as hard as any man and didn’t complain. Coming up was another river crossing. Then hostile Indian territory. Adam would need all of his drovers to get things done. But could he take a chance on a woman? Would the other men find out who she really was?

CHAPTER FORTY TWO

Inside the supply wagon, the heat was stifling. Diego raised the canvas to allow fresh air to pass through – Kathleen could look outside and her friends could look inside. Every man made it a point to stop and chat for a minute or for quite a while. During meal times, Kathleen always had a gaggle of men who brought their plates over and sat down for the duration of the meal. But the one man that Kathleen wanted to spend time with stopped by only occasionally – Adam. And he was terse in his speech. This went on for three days before the trail boss exploded.

“I didn’t hire you to stand around all day! This is no picnic! Bust them saddles if you want to get paid!”

Clete shook his head and walked over to Carter.

“Why has the boss been in such a foul mood?”

Carter shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe he’s worried about the Indians or the river crossing. Maybe he’s worried about Mac. If we was anywheres else, he’d have taken Mac to the nearest town to give him time to heal.”

They didn’t know that Adam had made his decision. He had already told Kathleen that, when they reached Fort Reno to get supplies, she was off the drive. She hadn’t cried but stoically accepted his decision. Adam wished she had cried or put up a fight with her usual stubbornness. She had just looked very sad. And Adam couldn’t stand seeing that sadness, so he stayed away as much as he could.

Kathleen had talked to Diego. “I don’t wanna go home! I’ve come so far, and finishing this drive is important to me!”

Diego sighed. “When a boss – any boss – makes up his mind, it’s made up. Just rest and let your ribs heal. At least nobody knows you ain’t a man. Let’s keep it that way. If anybody was to find out, there’d be hell to pay.”

CHAPTER FORTY THREE

Kathleen, still wearing the same clothes from the night of the storm, couldn’t stand not taking a bath. The only times she had been allowed out of the wagon were for “calls of nature.” Diego or Willy would bring in a bucket so she could wash her face, but her clothes smelled bad and so did her body. She formulated a plan.

There was a full moon tonight, so she’d have to be extra careful. She feigned sleep and, when the camp got real quiet, she gathered up some clean clothes and soap and left the wagon. Silently, she sneaked down to a small tributary of the river, stripped naked, and eased into the cool water. First she soaped her hair which was growing quickly – she hadn’t had it cut for a while. She rinsed it and soaped it again. Her ribs ached from raising her arms so much, but she didn’t care.

She stood up in the thigh-high water, enjoying the feeling of the current around her legs, and began to lather her face first, and then her body. The feeling was luxurious even if she did have to use the hated lye soap. Then she repeated the process. When she was done, she stood naked in the moonlight to let the air dry her skin. The trees and shrubs rustled in the light wind. Finally it came time to put on fresh clothes and sneak back to the wagon.

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

Carter shook Adam’s shoulders to wake him up. Carter’s voice, in his excitement and surprise, carried through the camp.

“Mister Cartwright! Mister Cartwright!”

Adam pulled his gun and looked around. Other drovers had pulled their guns also.

Seeing that there was no danger to be found, Adam glared at Carter.

“Well, you woke up the whole damn camp. Are you happy?”

Carter’s eyes were big as pie plates. “It’s Mac!”

“What about Mac?” Adam felt immediate concern. His feelings were shared by the other drovers who gathered close by.

“Mac’s not Mac! He’s a she! I was hazin’ a steer in the bushes by that big creek, and that’s when I saw him. Uh….her. Takin’ a bath!”

Adam’s heart sank as he listened to Carter’s rush of words.

“Mac stood up in the water and you know it’s a full moon and all and I seen him! Her! Stark nekkid! There ain’t no doubt, Mister Cartwright! Mac’s a woman!”

There were murmurs among the drovers who were hearing this shocking news. Had they been tricked all this time? How could they not have known that Mac wasn’t a man?

Adam sighed. He had almost made up his mind to let Kathleen stay on the drive. Now that she had been discovered, he had no choice. She would have to leave.

Kathleen had lingered in the water too long. Too late, she arrived at camp. And she heard the whole conversation. Summoning up her courage, she walked up to Adam who snapped, “You’re fired. When we reach Fort Reno, you can take the stage back home.” Then he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the eyes and ears of the other drovers.

“You’re hurting my arm,” Kathleen growled.

Adam released her arm and growled back. “I oughtta break it! I told you to stay in the wagon. I had just about talked myself into letting you stay on. But you had to ruin it. For what, for God’s sake? A bath? What were you thinking?”

For once, Kathleen knew when to hold her temper. “You’re right. I was wrong. I won’t argue with you. But I’d like to go back to camp and talk to the men, to explain who I am, and why I tricked them all. Will you let me do that?”

Adam, most of his anger spent, nodded.

All eyes were on Kathleen as she made her way to the campfire. “I owe you all an explanation. You’ve been wonderful to me, and you’ve taught me so much. But I got this job dishonestly. My name is ‘Kathleen McKenzie’. My father has always called me ‘Mac’ so it was easy to answer to. Mister Cartwright had no idea that I wasn’t a man, an idea concocted by me and perpetuated against my parents’ wishes.”

The drovers were silent as she explained the whole situation to them, from start to finish. There was a dead silence as Kathleen turned to walk toward the supply wagon.

Then Jack chuckled. Sean and Shane laughed outright. Soon all the men were laughing. Martin laughed ’til tears rolled down his cheek.

“And we all were so proud of the fact that we knew a woman when we saw one! This has been the best joke ever pulled on us men! Hell, you’re one of us now! I don’t see no reason for you to leave. We ain’t gonna never hurt you or nothin’!”

All eyes turned to Adam. It was Big John who spoke.

“Let her stay, boss. She can sleep in the wagon. She can take a bath away from where any of us are. We won’t sneak peeks. She’s come so far, kept so many things hidden, worked so hard…. Well, I think we should vote. I know that the trail boss has the last word, but let’s see who’s for keepin’ her and who’s for lettin’ her go.” Pause. “All for keepin’ her, raise your hands.”

Every single hand went up. Willy raised both his hands.

“Ain’t nobody left to vote except the guys on nightherd. I’ll go talk to ’em.”

A tiny smile played about Adam’s lips. He knew how “persuasive” Big John could be. The vote would remain unanimous.

Adam shook his head in amazement. “Okay. I give up. She stays with us. But please try to remember that she is a lady – any man gets out of line with her, both she and he will be fired. Is that clear?”

Heads nodded. Kathleen’s smile melted Adam’s heart. As he watched her walk away, speaking to every man she passed, Adam realized something. Maybe his brain didn’t know that “Mac” was a female but somehow his soul did.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

Kathleen climbed down from the supply wagon slowly and stood in line for breakfast. She was greeted by her name – “Kathleen” – from every drover in camp. It seemed as though nothing had changed. There were no questions asked, and she was met with smiles – a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Adam. He spoke.

“Today we have to cross the Cimarron. It isn’t as bad as the Red River, but we still have to be careful. The wagons go first and then the beeves. Finish your breakfast and then bust them saddles!”

As he passed by Kathleen, he spoke in a quiet voice. “Stay in the supply wagon.”

“But….”

“That’s an order!”

When his back was turned, Kathleen stuck her tongue out at him. She trudged in the general direction of the supply wagon.

The wagons made it across the river safely, and so did the cattle. Adam was pleased and rode to the supply wagon to check on Kathleen.

Naturally, she wasn’t there.

“Willy! Where the hell is Kathleen?” Adam was both worried and angry.

Willy scratched his head. “Gee, I don’t know. I thought she was in the back of the wagon. She was headed this way when we left camp.”

“Well, she isn’t there now!” Adam roared.

Shane rode up. “Uh, Mister Cartwright? Sean is missing too.”

“Ah, shit!” Adam had passed the point of being angry and worried. So he swore instead.

Just then, there came the sounds of whoops and hollers from the other side of the river. Much to Adam’s surprise, there rode Sean – and Kathleen – hazing about twenty head of steers toward the river. All Adam could do was to watch as the cattle plunged into the water and half-walked, half-swam across with Kathleen on one side and Sean on the other.

As the pair reached the rest of the group, Adam’s fury at Kathleen was unbridled. “I told you to stay in the supply wagon, dammit!”

Sean interrupted. “I found some beeves that were lagging way behind. And I saw Kathleen trying to haze them back in all by herself. I figured she’d need some help with her ribs all stove up….”

Adam took off his hat and slapped his leg with it. He didn’t know what to say. The sudden movement startled Sport who jumped slightly. “I wasn’t aware that we were missing any steers.” He sighed. “You did right to bring them in.”

Then he glared at Kathleen. “You were told to stay in the supply wagon. You were not supposed to be in the saddle!”

Kathleen returned the glare with her chin jutting out in her stubborn way. “Those beeves belong to my family. You didn’t know they were even missing and you’d have left ’em behind! I paid attention. And, thanks to Sean, I have all my herd to sell at the rail head.”

Adam couldn’t find fault with anything Kathleen said. He had been paying more attention to the river crossing and hadn’t noticed that twenty head of the critters were missing.

Grumpily, he asked Kathleen if she was able to keep riding.

“I’m already in the saddle. Why stop now?”

Adam shook his head and turned away from the icy green eyes. “Well, let’s get the beeves moving! Our next stop will be Fort Reno.”

He rode away with his mind whirling. He had been sick with worry that something might’ve happened to Kathleen. And he was still worried about her riding. What a stubborn, hard-headed woman she was! She had been so compliant as a man but had turned into something quite different as a woman. Though he tried to stop it, he chuckled to himself.

CHAPTER FORTY SIX

Fort Reno had only a skeleton crew, much to Adam’s dismay, because most of the men were out searching – not necessarily for the Comanche, but for the dreaded Comancheros.

While Colonel Jennings was out on patrol, the fort was under the command of an exceedingly knowledgeable man named Major Walton. While Willy and Diego stocked the supply wagon, Kathleen checked each item off the list of things that were needed.

“There are some Comanche raids taking place. “Bad ones.” Major Walton made a tent with his fingers while he talked. “But most of them just want horses. And beef. And chickens. They’re hungry. The white man has killed so many buffalo….” Pause. “It’s the Comancheros who are doing most of the killing and pillaging just for the sheer joy of it and to get anything they can that might be valuable.”

Adam listened intently and then spoke. “What about the stage? Is it running on schedule?”

Sadly, Major Walton shook his head. “We haven’t had a stage come through here in quite a while. Either the hostile Comanches or the Comancheros have made it impossible for the stages to run in either direction.”

Well, I can’t put Kathleen on a stagecoach, even if it appeared. She’s safer with us than she is anywhere else.

After shaking hands with the Major, Adam strode to the supply wagon to take stock of how much ammunition was there. More than enough.

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

Kathleen, Willy and Diego were outside. Diego had walked not far away to talk to a man he had known for a long time. When their conversation was done, Diego leaned against a tree and lit a cigar.

Adam whispered in Kathleen’s ear. “Can you shoot as well as you told me you could when you hired on with this drive?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Show me.”

“What do you want me to shoot at?”

Adam looked around. “See that tree over there? There’s a pine cone in the notch of those two limbs. Can you hit that?”

Kathleen pulled her gun and fired. The pine cone didn’t move an inch. But Diego jumped several feet in the air. He came hurrying over to Adam and Kathleen but, before he could speak, Adam was chastising Kathleen.

“I thought you could shoot,” he sighed.

“I can. And I hit what I aim at!”

“You missed the pine cone as well as the tree! Diego, stop pulling on my shirt!” Adam was annoyed.

“Wasn’t aiming for the pine cone,” Kathleen said as she put a bullet in her gun.

“What were you aiming for?” Adam was getting more than simply annoyed.

“I’m trying to tell you, Mister Cartwright. She done shot my brand new cee-gar slam in half!” He showed Adam where his cigar was cut cleanly in half. “I was smokin’ it and she shot it while it was still in my mouth!”

Adam stood in stunned silence while Kathleen looked smug. “The pine cone was too easy a target.”

“You could have killed Diego!” was Adam’s answer.

“Wasn’t aiming for Diego. Just the cigar.”

Willy stood by and grinned from ear to ear. He liked Kathleen better as a woman than as a man.

Adam sighed. Then he told them what the Major had said.

“Kathleen, you’ll be safer here than on the trail with us. I don’t know when the stage will be running again, but….”

“Nope. Not staying here.”

There was that stubborn jut of jaw. There was no use arguing with the woman when she had “that look” on her face.

“You’re still a woman. The men will be busier trying to protect you than trying to protect themselves!”

Kathleen scowled. “Hell, it seems to me, if we get under attack, nobody’ll be thinking about anything but shooting at the enemy.”

Adam knew that she had a good point. And he also knew that she could shoot well. The only thing left for him to say was, “Stop swearing. It isn’t ladylike.”

Rolling her eyes, Kathleen spoke. “It didn’t bother you when you thought that I was a man. Now it’s ‘unladylike’? I wish you’d make up your mind as to which rules I should go by! What you need is….”

“Attitude adjustment. I know.”

Diego and Willy looked at each other and grinned. They enjoyed watching the sparks fly between the boss and Kathleen.

“Just get in the wagon – all of you. We need to get back to camp in a hurry.”

Adam swung onto Sport’s back and headed out. He was thinking about Kathleen, those big green eyes flecked with gold. Her hair had grown and curled softly around her face. Her skin, though tan, looked like silk. Her lips looked like they were begging to be kissed. And those breasts…. He felt a premonition and knew with absolute certainty that this woman was completely different than any woman he had ever known. A very exciting difference.

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

Three long days passed and Kathleen was upset. Adam had spent the days studiously avoiding her. So she decided to have a talk with him and clear the air. This night, she saw him sitting on a rock, away from camp, and she strode with purpose towards him.

At that particular time, he was deep in thought, still chastising himself for not knowing that “Mac” was a woman. She had disguised herself so well that he had missed some important signs. Like the way she walked when she thought nobody was looking – that walk was definitely feminine. And there was the way she sat in the saddle with her britches hugging her hips. Yes, her hips were disguised by the chaps she wore, but she didn’t wear chaps all the time. The bindings around her breasts hid those parts of her anatomy well, so he could excuse himself for not noticing. Her silky skin should have been a dead giveaway – she never had any sign of stubble on her cheeks. He felt no comfort in the fact that the other men had be taken in also.

Now his thoughts turned to the Indians and the Comancheros. Maybe he could make a gift of several steers to the Indians and placate them, but the Comancheros were a different problem altogether because they’d want the whole herd plus the money in the strongbox. What would they do if they discovered that there was a woman in camp? He swore.

Kathleen approached. “That didn’t sound very welcoming! But we need to talk.”

Adam shrugged his shoulders.

Not knowing how to interpret the shrug, Kathleen sat on the rock beside Adam. She tried to keep her voice calm, but she was angry.

“I’m sick and tired of your avoiding me. I’m angry that you snap at me – and only me, for the most part – when you give orders. I don’t deserve this kind of treatment and I want it to stop!”

Finally, Adam spoke.

“I don’t like your being here. I don’t need the extra responsibility of a woman on this drive.”

Kathleen bristled.

“I hold my own. I do my job and do it well. We never had any trouble when you thought I was a man.”

“But you’re not a man. When I didn’t know any better, it was easy to treat you like everybody else. I can’t do that now. I keep an extra eye on you all the time. Never had to do that before.” Long pause. “We’re in Comanche country. We’re lucky that the Indians are hungry and are looking for food rather than scalps. But there’re Comancheros out there. Do you have any idea what they would love to do to you? The men are protective of you. They’d rather die themselves than have a Comanchero rape you! Your being here has put everyone at risk!”

Kathleen sat silently and knew that the boss was right. But she was stubborn.

“Right now, the major problem is the way you treat me. It’s not fair and it’s not right, dammit!” She stood up to walk away.

“Swearing is unbecoming to a lady,” Adam shot back.

“Dammit,” muttered Kathleen under her breath, but Adam heard it and half-smiled. This was one head-strong woman, but he liked her. Really liked her – which was one of the reasons that he avoided her. He was afraid that he would get too close to her emotionally. The truth of the matter was that Kathleen was more than attractive – more so than any woman he’d known in a long time. She was more fascinating than anyone he could think of. Paulette was beautiful, but she was controlling. Sure, she was intelligent and beautiful and classy and highly-educated. But Kathleen had a savvy that Paulette didn’t have – Kathleen had finished school but had learned the cold, hard facts of life which were not handed to her on a silver platter.

CHAPTER FORTY NINE

Kathleen was snuggled in the supply wagon, the place where she would sleep from now until the end of the trail. Hearing footsteps at the back of the wagon, she feigned sleep but opened her eyes enough to see that the cause of the footsteps was Adam.

He peeked his head in the wagon-flap, paused to make sure that Kathleen was still asleep, and then slipped into the wagon very quietly. Kathleen closed her eyes but almost opened them when she felt Adam’s lips lightly brush hers. Then he was gone.

Her mind whirled. She found the boss to be sensual and disturbing like no man she’d ever met before. She allowed herself the luxury of a fantasy in which she and Adam would make love. She wanted to feel his strong arms around her, to touch the ropy muscles of his back, to kiss him with wild abandon, giving no thought to the consequences.

Adam, however, couldn’t sleep. The light kiss he had given Kathleen only served to heighten his sense of arousal. He slept fitfully, haunted by fantasies of his own.

CHAPTER FIFTY

Adam’s personality and demeanor changed for the better. And his crew knew why. At some point, Kathleen and Adam had made peace – and maybe there was something more than peace. The men liked and respected Adam, as a man and as a trail boss, and they all adored Kathleen. Though the man and woman in question tried to hide it, the attraction between the two was obvious. Every man hoped for the best.

Sometimes at night, when Kathleen was on nightherd, Adam would leave camp for a little while. But he wasn’t pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes – they knew what he was doing. He was seeing Kathleen.

“Reckon them two will marry up?” Carter asked Jesse.

“Lord, I hope so!” Jesse answered. “If two folks were ever meant for each other, they are!”

“But what about that gal who’s meeting Cartwright at the end of the drive?” Buck asked.

“Forgot about her,” Carter answered. “But what’s she got that Kathleen ain’t got?”

Big John spat a wad of tobacco on the ground. “Nuthin’!”

__________________________________

Adam peered into the night as he had done many nights before. He truly was on the look-out for any signs of Indians, but he also was looking for Kathleen. Things with them had started so simply. First he would just ride up and talk with her about how the herd was doing – were they edgy or quiet, did any critter seem to be sick or lame.

That progressed into seeing Kathleen and riding really close to her, touching her leg with his leg. At first, Kathleen thought this “touching” was an accident, but realized it was deliberate after Adam kept his leg pressed against hers.

Tonight she saw Adam riding in her direction. Her heart beat faster – it always did when she saw him.

“How’s everything out here? Are the beeves bedded down okay?”

Adam’s leg pressed against Kathleen’s leg and stayed there. Both man and woman pretended like they didn’t notice.

“It’s really quiet out here. This is a perfect place that Clete chose. Plenty of graze, lots of water in the lake.”

Kathleen had let her hat hang down her back. The “stampede string” kept it from falling to the ground.

Adam looked into Kathleen’s eyes intently. She looked into his.

“Your hair has grown a lot,” Adam said, trying to make conversation to hide the fact that he was a little nervous.

“Uh-huh. I can pull it back, braid it a little, and then tuck it up under my hat during the day. At night, when it’s cooler, I can just let it hang down.”

Reaching out a hand, Adam touched Kathleen’s hair. He let his fingers run through the waves and curls slowly. Then, gently, he moved his hand to Kathleen’s neck, pulling her face close to his. And he kissed her – not a kiss of passion but one of deep emotion. Kathleen was so surprised that she forgot to pucker.

“It’s better when two do it,” Adam said with a half-smile.

Kathleen was ready this time. Her lips found Adam’s in yet another tender kiss which lasted longer than the first one. She could feel the tip of his tongue at her lips when….

“Mister Cartwright!” There was urgency in Clete’s voice.

Adam sat up straight in his saddle. “What’s wrong, Clete?”

“Indians. Comanches. We’ll be having company in the morning, I think. It doesn’t look like a war party, but you can never tell what they might be up to.”

“Go to camp. Get a handful of men out here. We need to keep an eye on the herd. Tell everybody to make sure their guns and rifles are ready! I’ll spread the word to the other nighthawks.”

Clete rode off. Adam looked at Kathleen. “I’ve gotta go. Be safe. Fire a shot if there’s trouble.” And he was gone.

“Dammit,” Kathleen muttered to herself as she checked her gun and then her rifle.

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

Clete was right. Ten Indian braves arrived as the sun was rising. But they apparently wanted only to talk, not kill. They halted several hundred yards from camp and waited.

“They wanna talk,” Clete said.

So Adam, Clete and Carter rode out to meet the man who was known as Red Cloud. Clete knew Comanche sign language and would translate for Adam and Carter.

“Uh-oh,” whispered Carter. “Here comes Kathleen.”

Adam tried to look calm. An expression of anger might be misinterpreted by the Indians. “Shit,” he mumbled.

Kathleen pulled Storm to a stop next to Adam who looked at her, trying to give the appearance of being calm. But he was furious.

“Keep your mouth shut for now. I’ll have to deal with you later.”

While Clete was in some kind of verbal conversation – interspersed with a lot of sign language, one brave dismounted. He was quite handsome with dark brown eyes, black hair and had an extraordinary physique. He slid off his horse and began investigating Adam, Carter and then Kathleen. Unceremoniously, he pulled Kathleen from Storm’s back and looked at her with interest. Kathleen, before she had ridden out to meet the group, hadn’t braided her hair but had stuffed it under her hat.

Clete whispered to her. “Don’t show any fear. He’s only interested in the color of your hair. Red hair is a rarity for his tribe.”

With a calmness she didn’t feel, Kathleen allowed her hat to be removed and her hair to be touched and stroked by Red Cloud’s son, Gray Wolf. Kathleen was being closely scrutinized and realized that she had long since stopped binding her breasts. She was worried and had every right to be.

She watched Gray Wolf’s eyes. He was mulling something over. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Kathleen’s breasts.

Before Adam could speak, Kathleen quickly pinched Gray Wolf’s nipples. Hard! Kathleen didn’t feel fear – she felt insulted. Gray Wolf jumped backwards as his tribe-members laughed. He stared at Kathleen and she stared right back. Gray Wolf let out a piercing scream. Kathleen answered with a long and very loud Rebel yell. Horses jumped and pranced. The staring contest began again until Kathleen saw that Gray Wolf was beginning to smile. She smiled back. The stalemate was over.

There was much talking among the Indians. Clete spoke quietly to Carter and to Adam. Adam dismounted and walked over to Kathleen, gently putting his arm around her.

“What in the hell is going on?” Kathleen hissed.

“Keep your mouth shut and follow my lead,” Adam hissed back. “Put your arm around me and put your hand over your belly. Do it now!”

“You’ve gone crazy!” Kathleen muttered but did as she was told. This was just too weird.

Gray Wolf looked decidedly disappointed. Red Cloud’s face was inscrutable.

“Stick your stomach out,” Adam whispered.

“My what?”

Adam’s hand tightened on Kathleen’s waist. “Stick your stomach out as far as you can.”

Kathleen did as she was told. She had no fat on her but pushed her tummy out as far as she could. Gray Wolf put his hands on her belly and smiled in satisfaction. Kathleen glared at him but smiled at Adam. “As soon as this circus is over, I’m gonna kill you!”

“I just saved your life. And mine. And the lives of the drovers. Now shut up!”

Clete, with a barely-suppressed grin, had another conversation with Red Cloud. While the other Indians and Clete rode off toward the herd, Gray Wolf smiled at Kathleen and patted her belly again. He smiled at Adam, too.

“I hate you!” Kathleen growled at Adam with a smile on her face.

“Likewise,” Adam answered, kissing the top of Kathleen’s head.

Soon, the Comanches returned – with ten of Kathleen’s steers. They galloped away in a cloud of dust.

When they were completely out of sight, Kathleen jerked away from Adam. “I wanna know right now what just happened! And I mean the whole truth!”

“Gray Wolf wanted to take you back with him. He took quite a shine to you. I had to tell him that you belonged to me.” A very long pause. “Then I told him that you were carrying my child.”

“Why in God’s name would you have told him such a lie!”

“Because he might’ve taken you anyway. But he wouldn’t separate you from the father of your unborn child. He felt your belly to see if it was swollen or not.”

Kathleen was struck speechless. Then she found her voice. “You could have told me that.”

“Wasn’t time,” Adam answered with a lop-sided grin. He climbed into his saddle and rode back to camp with Clete and Carter.

Kathleen was astonished. And she had lost ten of her precious steers. But Adam had protected her by inventing a reason to keep her. He had said that she “belonged to him.” Kathleen climbed aboard Storm and headed slowly back to camp.

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

Arriving back at camp, Kathleen was met with smirks. The guys knew what had transpired and now they found the situation quite funny. Sam greeted her and helped her dismount, calling her “little mama.” Sean and Shane openly laughed, and Jack added his two cents.

“The boss traded ten steers and gained a wife!”

Kathleen shot him a dirty look then sneaked a peek at Adam. His expression was hard to read, but there was a huge twinkle in his eyes.

“Woman with child get to eat first,” Diego said who didn’t even bother to hide his big smile.

So Kathleen took her plate, shot Diego a murderous look, and said loudly, “Okay. You’ve all had your fun. Now drop it! And, just so you know, I certainly don’t belong to Mister Cartwright and I am not pregnant!” Kathleen sat in a far corner and stabbed viciously at her food.

Adam ate his lunch and chuckled quietly as he looked at the scowling Kathleen. He contemplated the fact that, despite trying hard to keep his feelings in check, he knew that he was growing closer to this female red-headed drover. He loved watching her in all her moods, loved the sound of her laughter, the sight of her smile. What would it have been like if I’d met her as a woman before now? It had been so very easy to tell Red Cloud and Gray Wolf that she belonged to him and that she was carrying his child. Could that be a reality in the future? What would he say to Paulette?

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

Even though it appeared that the Comanches were satisfied with the steers that had been given to them, Adam doubled the nightherd duty and instructed the drovers to keep their rifles and guns loaded and at the ready. There might be a different tribe on the loose – and they might be on the warpath.

As it turned out, being prepared was a good thing. Two nights later, the air was filled with the sounds of gunfire, and Clete galloped in, slid off his horse, and hollered, “Comancheros!” His shoulder was bleeding badly.

Kathleen’s blood ran cold. There was only half the crew in camp because the other half was watching over the herd. Bullets seemed to be coming from everywhere. Everybody grabbed rifles and guns and then scrambled to find cover. Shane was next to Kathleen and took a bullet through the head, showering Kathleen with blood. Adam grabbed her and shoved her under the supply wagon. There was no time for niceties now.

Kathleen looked back and saw Sean kneeling over his brother. She crawled out and grabbed Shane’s body, pulling it under the wagon with her. Sean was at her side, cradling his brother’s body.

“Sean, Shane is gone. He went quick. We need you to focus on what’s going on around us. Don’t let Shane’s death be in vain!” Kathleen’s tears blurred her vision. She fired several shots – direct hits – before Sean picked up his rifle and began shooting also.

Adam dove under the wagon and saw blood all over Kathleen. “Are you all right?”

“Shut up and shoot!” was all Kathleen could say.

The siege went on for a while longer and, just as quickly as it had started, it was over. The Comancheros had disappeared, somehow dragging their dead comrades with them. Kathleen wiped the sweat from her brow and reached out to put her arms around a dazed Sean. She held him and rocked back and forth, talking quietly to him.

Adam took stock of who was wounded and who was dead. Big John, who had been riding nighthawk, was brought in by Buck. Big John was dead. Buck had been shot in the leg, but it was a through-and-through wound that Diego could tend to easily. Word came in via Jesse that only a few of the cattle were stolen.

Adam gathered his crew around him. “We got off easy this time. They’ll be back. Don’t know when, but they won’t give up. Grow eyes in the backs of your heads. Be suspicious of everything. But don’t shoot until you know what you’re aiming for – we don’t want to be shooting each other.”

Adam stiffened as he was distracted by something moving in the distance. Kathleen looked in that direction, her heart in her throat. There was her beloved Storm, trying to stagger into camp, his belly bleeding profusely. Kathleen ran to him just as his knees buckled, his body falling to the ground. His groans of pain were piteous.

Kathleen wasn’t aware of anything until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. With tears stinging her eyes, she looked up and saw Adam.

“He’s suffering, Kathleen.”

Kathleen nodded her head – she knew what she had to do. Slowly, she pulled out her gun, but her hand was stopped by Adam.

“I’ll do it,” he said gently. “You go back to camp.”

Stubbornly, Kathleen jutted out her chin as she stroked Storm’s head.

“He was mine when he was born, he was mine when I trained him, and he’s mine to deal with now.”

Her hand shook as she put the gun to Storm’s head, closed her eyes as if in prayer, opened them, and pulled the trigger. Storm, the horse of such great spirit and courage and love suffered no more. With a final touch of a dearly-loved velvety nose, Kathleen rose. “I want a shovel. I won’t leave him here for the wolves and coyotes to eat. He deserves better than that.”

While some of the drovers stood watch, other drovers helped Kathleen dig a huge grave. Storm would have good company in the ground with him – Big John and Shane – a fact which gave Kathleen great comfort. Prayers were said over the dead, rocks were piled over the dirt, and the burials were complete.

Adam’s heart broke for Kathleen, but she wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her. She walked back toward camp in silence, covered by Shane’s blood and by Storm’s blood. She seemed to be struggling for control of her emotions but the light had gone out of her green eyes.

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

After helping Diego tend to Clete and Buck’s wounds, Kathleen grabbed some clean clothes from her war bag. She needed to get the blood out of her hair and off her body and she wanted to take a bath.

“I cain’t let you go down to the creek,” Carter said. “Them Comancheros’ll still be out there somewheres. Mister Cartwright hasn’t come back from….well…. the graves yet. But I got a bucket of water you can wash up in.”

“Not just now, Carter,” came the answer. Kathleen planned to sneak down to the creek later on. What she needed more than anything was privacy.

____________________________________________

Adam heard the click of a hammer being drawn back on a gun, but it was too late to do anything about it. He turned and looked into the familiar face of….Latigo!

“Things couldn’t’a worked out better if I’d planned ’em,” he said with a vicious grin. “Now let’s go back to camp. You got a money box – and I’m gonna take it.” He put the gun to Adam’s back and forced him to walk.

“Why don’t you just take some of the herd instead?” Adam was trying to think and buy some time until he could figure out what to do.

“We don’t need no more cattle. It’s money that I want. Are you deaf?”

The rest of the Comancheros appeared from behind trees and rocks as Adam was pushed into camp.

Latigo hollered at the drovers to throw down their guns and stand in a group. “I kin blow a hole as big as Texas in your boss’s back any time I take a mind to!”

Dennis, grinning like a hyena, stood next to Latigo. “Do what he says. Now!”

“Don’t do it!” Adam ordered. “He can shoot me but you can kill Latigo with the next shot.”

But the drovers didn’t want to take a chance. One by one, they threw their guns on the ground. The money box wasn’t nearly as important as the boss’s life. Adam meant too much to them to try anything stupid.

Except for Kathleen who just happened to be in the supply wagon. Her blood ran cold when she recognized Latigo and Dennis. She tucked her gun into her waistband under her bloody shirt. She had a plan. And it damn well better work.

CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

Kathleen startled both drovers and Comancheros when she strolled into the circle of men.

“You’ll never find the money box by killing Mister Cartwright. You’ve got the wrong hostage.” Her eyes were icy.

Latigo, taken completely by surprised, replied, “What do you mean by that?” He hated Mac as much as he wanted the money box.

Kathleen’s answer was simple.

“Cartwright doesn’t care if he gets killed. But he does care if anything bad happens to me!”

Dennis, full of bravado because he was standing next to Latigo, answered, “And what makes you so damned special?”

“Because I’m his woman.”

There was a long silence, and finally Latigo laughed. “Good try, Mac. But that story is stupid.”

“Oh, really?” Kathleen could feel Adam’s glare but she dared not look at him. “Apparently you are too stupid yourself to recognize a woman when you see one.”

Off came Kathleen’s hat, her unbound red hair ruffled by the night breeze – blood and all.”

Dennis, whose own hair was quite long, snorted. “Anybody can grow long hair if’n they wanna.”

Undaunted, Kathleen’s hands moved to the buttons on her shirt and then opened it almost to the waist. She wore an extremely clingy and sweaty-wet undershirt which showed quite distinctly the shape of her breasts.

“Dennis, you might be able to grow your hair, but I defy you to grow breasts!” Just for effect, Kathleen gave her breasts a little jiggle. She sneaked a peek at Adam and was afraid he was on the edge of exploding. She had to work fast.

Latigo, Dennis, and the other Comancheros were dumbfounded and unable to say anything.

“That’s why you need to let Mister Cartwright go and take me[/] as your hostage. He won’t let you hurt me. He’ll gladly give you every cent in this camp to keep me safe.”

This idea appealed to Latigo. He shoved Adam away from him, causing a collision between the boss and Kathleen.

“Watch and be ready. Tell the men!” Kathleen whispered quickly.

Though his first instinct was to throw Kathleen to the ground and cover her with his own body, Adam did as he was told. “Watch and be ready. I don’t know for what but Kathleen has something up her sleeve.”

Latigo grabbed Kathleen around her waist and pulled her back against him. He was delighted that he could get the money and the woman. But he made a big mistake when he next opened his mouth.

“Too bad that I had to shoot that horse of yours, but he was in the way so….”

CHAPTER FIFTY SIX

Kathleen’s face went white. But her eyes showed a wild, almost insane, fury. She moaned. “I think I’m gonna faint. I’ve got blood all over me, two men are dead, and now I find out that you killed Storm.”

Things happened so fast that nobody could really tell what happened and when. Kathleen slumped to the ground causing her to be a dead weight in Latigo’s arm. He dropped her completely. Kathleen bent her knee and, with all her might, kicked Latigo in the kneecap. It broke with a loud snap. He roared with pain and dropped his gun. From the ground and straight from the hip, Kathleen shot the hated man in the hand as he reached for his fallen gun.

Dennis began to run. Kathleen shot him in the back – twice. The other Comancheros were still trying to figure out what had just happened and hadn’t moved yet.

The drovers and Adam moved as if they were one person. They picked up their guns but didn’t shoot. They waited. The hunter had now become the hunted.

Latigo made a step toward Kathleen. A shot rang out, and Latigo yelled as he grabbed his knee.

“That was for Shane’s death,” Kathleen growled as she stood steady on her feet.

Another shot. Latigo fell to the ground and was now holding both knees.

“That was for Big John.”

By now, the drovers had taken the Comancheros’ weapons and were holding them at gunpoint. Adam approached Kathleen.

“Give me the gun, girl. You’ve had your revenge and saved the rest of us.”

Wildly, Kathleen spun around and snarled, “Stay away from me! The score isn’t settled yet!”

She turned her fiery eyes back toward Latigo.

“By my count, I have three bullets left. But, of course, I’ve been rather busy and may have miscounted. Now, just where should I shoot you?” She pointed the gun first at Latigo’s crotch, then at his belly and then waved her gun around, seeming undecided.

Latigo begged for his life. He cried like a baby.

“Did you care about what you and your friends did? You would’ve gladly shot us all and then taken the money and the cattle. You don’t deserve to live, you bastard.”

One shot rang out. There was a big hole right between Latigo’s eyes. He was dead before he slumped over backward.

Kathleen looked at Adam. “Attitude adjustment.” She let her gun drop to the ground. “And now I’m going to take a bath.” She turned and walked away. Adam had looked into her eyes – they were dead.

He gave orders to a few of the men to take the now tied-up Comancheros to the closest town to the sheriff, hopefully to be hanged for murder.

“She saved your life,” he heard Clete say. “She’s either gone crazy or she’s smart as a fox.”

“Take over, Clete. I’m going to the creek to find her – she wanted to take a bath. Keep the men in camp away from there. Get the rest of the men to watch the herd.”

With heart pounding, afraid that Kathleen really had gone crazy and might drown herself, Adam hurried down to the creek. He heard water splashing and felt a jolt of fear.

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN

In a hurry, Adam followed the sounds of the splashing water. As he got closer, he heard eerie sounds that made the hair on his neck stand up. Then he saw her, standing naked in the water with a bar of soap and her body lathered. Now he could hear what she was saying.

“Blood. So much blood. Go away blood. Wash away blood. Why can’t I wash it off?”

Adam truly believed her mind had snapped and, throwing his gun on the ground, he plunged into the water to take her hand. She looked at him but seemed not to recognize him. She repeated the same mantra over and over again. Then she said, “Help me. I scrub and scrub but the blood won’t come off.”

Adam put his arms around her, sat down in the shallow water, and drew him down with her.

“I’m going to help you, Kathleen. Just relax and let me bathe you. I promise that you’ll be clean when I get through.”

Under different circumstances, Adam’s bathing of Kathleen would have been an intimate and highly erotic situation. Though he was aware of Kathleen’s breasts and silky skin, his mind overruled his physical reactions. Every place he washed, he would reassure the terrified woman in his arms. “See? The blood is gone!” And Kathleen slowly began to relax. Her eyes began to lose their wildness and her eyes looked like they were beginning to focus.

“Now, let’s wash your hair,” Adam crooned. Holding her body across his legs and stretching her out in the shallow water, he washed her hair three times, told her that the blood was gone, but she would get that wild look and say, “Noooooooooooo.” The fourth time he washed her hair, she believed him.

“It’s gone, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Yes, honey,” he said softly. “It’s all gone. Now let’s get you into some dry clothes.”

“Clean clothes. No blood.”

“That’s right. Clean. No blood.”

With tender care, Adam dressed Kathleen from her socks to her shirt, his hands touching places that he would have loved to have touched before this moment. But this was the here and now. He felt her body begin to tremble violently and then she erupted into tears – wracking sobs that sapped all of her strength. Her legs gave way, and there was nothing Adam could do but hold onto her as they both sank to the ground. He pulled her into his lap where he rocked her in his arms as though she were a child. He murmured gentle words of reassurance and occasionally kissed her wet hair. Tears filled his own eyes.

“It’s all over now. The bad men are gone. You were very, very brave. I’m proud of you.”

CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT

Kathleen continued crying – her head buried against Adam’s strong chest and with her arms tightly around his neck. She cried for the men who were dead, she cried for Storm, she cried for the hardships on the trail, she cried because she was homesick. The whole time, tears spilled down Adam’s cheeks and he continued to rock her back and forth. She realized slowly that she was in Adam’s protective arms, safe from harm and from all the horror and fear. She was safe. So safe. She fell asleep.

As the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, Carter approached quietly. Before he could say anything, Adam spoke.

“She’s sleeping. She hysterical on me, and I don’t want to wake her up just yet. Move the herd but leave Boomer and Sport tied up so we can catch up with you in a little while.”

Carter nodded and disappeared. Adam’s arms and back and legs ached but he dared not move – what would Kathleen be like when she woke up?

While he was wondering that very question, Kathleen stirred in his arms and her arms loosened from his neck. Her green eyes were clear and lucid as she gazed into Adam’s hazel eyes, and she drew away from him quickly and shook the cobwebs from her head.

“Shane and Big John and Storm are dead, aren’t they?” she whispered. “And Latigo He got off too easy!”

“Yes, honey. They are. And now we can take a minute to mourn the dead, but we have to move on and catch up with the herd. Boomer and Sport are waiting for us beyond those trees.”

“Um… You bathed me, didn’t you? And dressed me?” Kathleen blushed. Adam had seen her naked!

“I did. But I didn’t look. Not really.” What a lie. He had looked and liked what he saw. And what he touched. He remembered how shiny and soft her hair was, remembered how perfectly she had fit into his arms, how silky her skin was, how long and lush her eyelashes were, how her lips looked ripe for kissing. He had to stand up and turn around because his pants all of a sudden felt too tight.

Kathleen walked to where Boomer and Sport were waiting. Adam walked slowly behind her. She slowly headed to the brand new graves, knelt, said a prayer over Shane and Big John. The put a hand on the rocks that covered Storm. “Run free, Storm,” she whispered.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked.

“No. But I will be. I’ll never forget precious Stuart, Shane, Big John and Storm, but I’ll get over their passing knowing that they’re in a better place. I hope Latigo is sitting in the fires of Hell right now!” Then, “Adam?” She had never called him by his given name before.

“What, Kathleen?”

“Thank you for your kindness and understanding, for staying with me and taking such good care of me.”

She kissed him then, her arms around his neck, her lips warm against his. His breath, as she drew away, fanned her face gently. He smelled of soap and leather and musk. He smelled earthy and raw and primal. She wanted to make love with him, but this was not the time nor the place. She had no idea that Adam was feeling the same way. The star-crossed, would-be lovers, climbed into their saddles and headed in the cirection of the herd.

CHAPTER FIFTY NINE

The days passed by quickly and tomorrow the drovers would reach the railhead at Sedalia. Kathleen sat alone on a hilltop, reflecting on everything that had happened in the last one hundred days. There had been friendships made, death, laughter, tears, work, practical jokes… She would miss her new friends but was anxious about Adam. Did he love her like she loved him? Was this just like a kind of “summer romance” for him? How strong were his feelings for Paulette?

“Penny for your thoughts,” said a voice in the darkness of the last night on the trail.

Kathleen jumped, startled out of her thoughts.

“Good God Almighty,” she swore. “You almost scared the life right outta me! Don’t you know that creeping up on a woman with a gun is not a good thing?”

Adam gave his deepest chuckle and sat down beside Kathleen. “I wasn’t ‘creeping up’. I made plenty of noise, but you looked like you were a thousand miles away.”

Adam stretched his long legs and looked up at the sky. “What’re you going to do when we get to Sedalia?”

“I’ll wire the money from the sale of the McKenzie cattle to my folks. I’ll draw my pay and gallop to the nearest place to buy women’s clothes. Then I’m going to soak in a hot tub until my skin prunes up. I’m going to bathe with lavender soap until I smell human. Then I’ll have to practice looking and talking like a woman.” Pause. “What do you plan to do when all the business is taken care of?”

“I’m going to the Ponderosa. Home. I want to see my Pa and my brothers. I miss them.” Adam sounded wistful.

Completely comfortable and content, Kathleen stretched out in the grass. Adam stretched out next to her and took her hand. “Even if you tricked me into coming on this drive, I’m not sorry. Yeah, there’ve been some bad times, but I just try to concentrate on the good.”

He turned on his side, reached out and turned Kathleen’s face toward him. “You’ve been the ‘good’”

And he kissed her, more vigorously than he ever had before. The smells of damp earth and fresh water mingled in the air and carried with them the underlying scent of musk. The night was seductive as it folded like a gentle black cloak around them. The kisses that ensued became passionate.

“I want you to see the Ponderosa,” he whispered, his lips close to her ear.

And then, of all the things she could have said, she didn’t. Instead she spoke the unmentionable.

“I don’t think Paulette would approve.”

Slowly, Adam pulled away from her and rose slowly to his feet. “Probably not,” was all he said as he walked away.

Kathleen cursed herself, chided herself. Why couldn’t she have just kept her mouth shut? Maybe Adam would’ve made love to her, maybe even told her that he loved her. There was no chance to undo what had been done. She’d have to live with it.

CHAPTER SIXTY

The next day, just before reaching the stockyards, Adam rode up beside Kathleen.

“There are some things about selling cattle that you need to know. Do not accept the first bid from a buyer. Talk to several different buyers and get the best price you can get.”

“How do I know what the best price is?”

“Don’t take less than forty dollars a head. You’ve got prime beef that made the drive in excellent shape. The buyers will know that – they’ll be at the stockyards all day, looking at all the cattle. Your herd will be in a pen marked ‘McKenzie’. By early afternoon, the buyers will have a good idea of the worth of every steer and will know which bunch belongs to which seller.”

“Where will I look for the buyers? I’m not familiar with Sedalia.”

“The good buyers will be at the Palace Hotel mostly. My advice is that you approach them as a man, not as a woman. You fooled us and I bet you can fool them too. They would definitely try to take advantage of a woman, so do like I say.” Then, “Meet me at the Palace at lunchtime. I’ll show you who to talk to.”

“Adam, how can I ever thank you for everything you’ve done for me?”

“Save the McKenzie ranch. Angus has a good mind and good breeding ideas. He’ll be a rich man some day.”

With that being said, Adam turned and rode away.

CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

Kathleen watched men in business suits look over the different herds in different pens. She noticed that, at her pen, there were many smiles and much head-nodding. A good sign. They were showing definite interest.

She looked for Adam and saw him as he strolled around the Richards’ herd that he had been responsible for. He was watching the buyers and their reactions also. When he was paid, then the drovers would get paid also.

Of course, Kathleen being Kathleen, she had her own plan. She had money still in her pocket, and she planned to spend it on something worthwhile. She hummed to herself as she walked down the streets, far from the smell of the stockyards.

When she walked into the dining room at the Palace Hotel, a metamorphosis had taken place. Heads turned to look at her. Adam did a double-take and swore under his breath as he realized he was looking at Kathleen who had not taken his advice.

Glossy red hair swirled away from her sun-tanned face, and her round green eyes were framed by her long, dark eyelashes. Her pale green dress hugged her bodice and waist and flowed softly from her hips to the floor. When she saw Adam, she smiled, her teeth white against the slight redness of her lips. Her cheekbones were finely-carved and she had a strong – if slightly stubborn – jut to her jaw. She looked half-seductive and half-innocent.

Adam’s breath seemed to stop for a few seconds. She approached his table and he rose to his feet.

“I’m ready to meet the buyers now,” Kathleen said with great innocence.

Adam found his voice, and it was harsh. “I told you to look like a man, dammit!”

“Oh, don’t growl so. I need two things. I know you’ve sold your herd, so I need my wages. And you promised to introduce me to some buyers.”

Adam didn’t know whether to hug Kathleen or to throttle her. “You know nothing about selling cattle! I’ll give you your wages and then I’ll point out the reputable buyers. But you’ll have to finish the transactions on your own!”

He looked around the room. “Over there is Mr. Blackwell. And in that corner is Mr. DeWitt. Way over there, that fat man, that’s Mr. Morris. And that’s all the help you’ll get from me.” He sat down and glowered at Kathleen. But he would keep a watchful eye on her.

CHAPTER SIXTY TWO

Now I’ve done it. I thought Adam would be impressed by how I look. I thought that he would be delighted to sit with her and prospective buyers to help her while she bargained over the price of her cattle. Now she found herself all alone – it was all up to her, and her family’s fate rested in her hands alone.

Taking a deep breath, she approached the table of one of the buyers.

“My name is Kathleen McKenzie. I am the seller of the McKenzie herd that came in this morning.”

The man rose to his feet and smiled. “I’m George DeWitt from Chicago. Please sit down.” He pulled out a chair for her, so she sat. “You have quite an impressive stock. I’ll buy the whole herd at thirty-five dollars per head.” The man certainly didn’t mince words.

Kathleen almost choked, then regained her composure.

“Thank you very much, Mister DeWitt, but we both know that the McKenzie cattle are worth more than that. If you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to other buyers.”

DeWitt smiled. “If you don’t find a better buyer, come back and we’ll talk again. Good luck.”

She strolled over to the table of Mister Blackwell and introduced herself. There was something about him that she didn’t like, but she smiled. As it turned out, Blackwell would pay her only thirty dollars for the first hundred steers and then twenty-five for the rest.”

Kathleen was stunned into silence but somehow remained poised. “That price is insulting! I’d rather give away the herd than to settle for such a ridiculous price!”

She rose quickly, and Blackwell found his cup of coffee had mysteriously been dumped in his lap. And the coffee was quite hot.

“Oh, dear,” said Kathleen, her face the picture of innocence. “What a terrible thing to happen. Your nice suit and trousers are ruined. How unfortunate.”

She twirled and walked over to the fat Mister Morris. He reminded her of a pig, and she shuddered involuntarily. He had bits of food all down his chin and the front of his shirt.

He never rose to his feet as she introduced herself. She sat down and watched as he ate and dropped food all over the tablecloth.

“I won’t mince words, sir. I’m selling the McKenzie cattle and I would like your best offer.”

Morris spoke. “What a beautiful lady you are. I would be delighted to buy your lunch while we have a long and pleasant discussion.” His pig eyes squinched and he smiled, unchewed food falling from his mouth.

“Thank you, but no. I am here to discuss business only.”

Morris sighed. “I’ll give you thirty dollars a head for the whole bunch.”

“Excuse me. But I’ve already had a better offer. I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

Morris dropped his napkin on the floor and leaned over to retrieve it. All of a sudden, Kathleen leaped from her chair and the swinish Morris was wearing his plate full of food. Kathleen didn’t even bother with saying her goodbyes. Her flashing eyes were the only outward sign that she was very, very angry. She headed back to Adam’s table instead.

CHAPTER SIXTY THREE

Adam, who had been watching the whole time, could hardly control the laughter that threatened to erupt at any second. He knew Kathleen’s temper. The spilled coffee could have been an accident but the incident with Morris’s plate was deliberate. But why?

“That Morris! He dropped his napkin on the floor on purpose. When he leaned over to pick it up, he ran his fat hand up and down my leg!”

Adam couldn’t help it – he laughed out loud. He did try to stop but it took several seconds. Kathleen glared at him. “You sound like a hyena!” Then, “The best offer I got was thirty-five a head, and you had told me not to take less than forty – preferably forty-five. I’ve failed miserably.”

Adam had ordered lunch for both of them. Kathleen picked at her food. “You were right. I can’t do this without your help. Will you help me?”

“Of course. You’ve learned the lesson of men doing business in a man’s world. Finish your lunch and we’ll both do some talking. More buyers are coming in right now.” Pause. “You look very nice. Very nice.”

But now Adam was looking behind Kathleen, looking over her shoulder. She turned to see what he was looking at and found herself staring into a man’s face.

“Are you representing the McKenzie herd?”

“I am. Why do you ask?”

“My name is Frank Coleman. I’m interesting in buying your herd. Good stock, they are. They got here with good meat on their bones.”

Adam pointed to the chair between him and Kathleen. “Mister Coleman, my name is Adam Cartwright. Please sit down and join us for lunch.”

“Just coffee,” Coleman said. “Preferably not in my lap.” His smile was genuine. “And I’ve already had my lunch. I look much better without the meal all over my head and clothes.” He had a twinle in his eyes.

“I assure you that those were purely accidental. I’m quite harmless.” Kathleen’s eyes twinled back.

“I won’t waste your time, Miz McKenzie. I’ll offer you forty dollars a head for all your cattle.”

Kathleen gambled. “That herd is worth at least forty-five a head.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. He would step in only if Kathleen ran into trouble. But she was making trouble.

Coleman scratched his head. “The very best deal I can make you is forty-two dollars a head.”

Kathleen’s face lit up. “Thank you very much. I accept your offer with pleasure.”

Kathleen and Coleman shook hands and made plans to meet at the bank in a half hour. There would be a contract to sign and the handing over of a bank draft. Coleman shook Adam’s hand and then Kathleen’s hand. He left the room smiling. Kathleen smiled. Adam smiled. All was well. As far as the cattle sale went.

There were other problems that would arise later. Problems of the “female persuasion.”

CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR

As was customary for every trail boss, Adam treated all the drovers to a special meal before the men left to go home. This night, the meal was to be held at “The Trail’s End” restaurant. After meeting with Frank Coleman at the bank and wiring the sale money to her parents, Kathleen went shopping to find just the right dress – not too modest but not immodest either. She changed clothes quickly at her hotel room, fixed her hair in a very becoming style, and added just the right touches of make-up. In her heart of hearts, she hoped that Adam would really notice her and make some kind of positive affirmation showing that he cared for her deeply.

When she walked into the restaurant, Adam’s appreciative look made her heart soar! He and the other drovers rose to their feet as she approached the table, and Carter pulled out her chair for her.

“Hell, if I’d’a knowed how beautiful you really are,” he said with a sly grin, “I’d’a dragged you off into the bushes a long time ago!”

Swallowing a gulp of beer, Buck snorted. “A long time ago, you didn’t even know that she was a woman!” With a wry smile, he added, “Had Iknowed it, you would’ve never had the chance!”

Amidst laughter, Buck grinned. “You’d have all had to stand in line because I’d have gotten to her first. C’mere, darlin’, and give this old drover a kiss.”

Kathleen made a comical face at him. “Too late now. You missed your chance!”

Roars of laughter ensued. Kathleen, they knew, could joke right along with them – even though she was a female, she could give and take remarks just like the rest of them could.

Sneaking a quick peek at Adam’s expression, Kathleen felt her skin prickle at the sight of Adam’s dimples as he laughed. Unfortunately, Carter had seated her between himself and Clete, not next to Adam. She felt a great disappointment. But, maybe, after the meal was over, she could have some alone time with Adam.

Carter rose and held his beer mug high.

“To the end of the drive. We lost some good men, lost some beeves, got into and out of a lot of trouble. But we got through it all and have money in our pockets. We owe a big thanks to Mister Cartwright for being a mighty good trail boss. Let’s drink to our boss’s leadership and to reaching the rail head!”

Mugs clinked together and the meal began.

As she ate, Kathleen could feel Adam’s eyes on her. She would look at his handsome, rugged face, and he would smile at her. Her hopes for a rendezvous later began to soar.

Suddenly, Adam’s head turned and he put down his fork, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet.

“Adam, darling!” a woman exclaimed. “I know I’m not supposed to be here, but I just couldn’t wait to see you!” She threw her arms around Adam’s neck and kissed him full on the mouth. “I wanted to surprise you! Did I?”

Adam, looked decidedly uncomfortable, turned to gaze at the stares of the men.

“Yes, I am surprised.”

The one person whom Kathleen had dreaded the most was here: Paulette.

CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE

Food stuck in Kathleen’s throat as she watched Paulette drag a chair and place it right next to Adam. Possessively, Paulette grabbed Adam’s hand as she sat down and began to dominate the conversation happily. Grudgingly, Kathleen had to give the woman credit – Paulette correctly identified each drover at the table. Apparently Adam had been quite specific in his letters.

But then Paulette’s eyes met Kathleen’s. “And who is this lovely lady?”

Adam was caught. He hadn’t mentioned that a woman had turned up on the drive. “That’s Mac.”

“Mac?” Paulette echoed, her mouth turning down slightly at the corners. “I didn’t think that females were allowed on cattle drives.”

Adam began to explain the circumstances as best he could but Paulette’s eyes gazed at Kathleen with suspicion. He made his statements as short as possible – he was clearly uncomfortable, and so were the drovers who were trying desperately to hurry up and finish their meals. They wanted to be anywhere but at that table.

Kathleen scrutinized Paulette. She couldn’t deny that the woman clinging to Adam’s hand was very attractive with her black hair, dark eyes and creamy skin. The dress she was wearing was exquisite and showed off her figure to perfection. Kathleen feel dowdy in comparison.

Halfway through his explanation, Paulette interrupted him.

“How very interesting. And exactly how did you discover ‘Mac’s’ true identity?” The sarcasm was biting.

Green eyes flashed lightning bolts at dark eyes.

“My disguise was discovered quite by accident. I begged to stay on the trail until we got here. End of story.”

“Adam, dear. I find it completely impossible that you couldn’t tell a man from a woman when you did the hiring. And I find it equally impossible, after finding out that you had hired a woman, that you let her continue the rest of the way here.” Paulette’s claws were coming out.

“If you had seen Kathleen when I did the hiring, you yourself would’ve been fooled,” Adam answered. “I let her stay on because we were close to the end of the drive. She can ride, rope, shoot a gun, and we needed her with us.”

“Oh, really? I would think that a woman would place her femininity above all else. Riding, roping and shooting are things that men are expected to excel at.” Paulette’s face reflected what she was feeling – and the attitude that came through was not pretty.

Adam’s jaw muscles were working hard as Paulette began to purr. “I certainly would like to hear more.”

Kathleen rose abruptly and thanked “Mister Cartwright” for the meal. “I have a lot of packing to do, and I know that you two have lots to catch up on.”

Adam rose and did his best to smile at Kathleen. “When are you going back home?”

“The next stage will be in two days. Sean, Jack, Martin and I are all leaving at the same time.”

Quickly, the drovers shook hands with their boss and disappeared from the room as if by magic.

Kathleen, almost physically ill by Paulette’s sarcasm and condescension, looked at Adam.

“Please don’t sell Boomer. Take him back to your ranch with you. He’s a good horse.”

Paulette surprised both Adam and Kathleen. With an innocent face, she spoke.

“Oh, my dear, you must dine with us tomorrow night. We’ll call it your ‘going away’ supper and we can chat more then. I want to know all about you.” She looked sweetly at Adam. “Don’t you think that’s a good idea, darling?”

Adam looked into Kathleen’s green eyes and saw the misery there. He had been plotting to see her alone somehow, but Paulette’s arrival had changed his plans.

“Kathleen, we would love for you to meet us at The Palace tomorrow night if you have the time. Would six o’clock be all right?” With the grin that Kathleen loved, Adam added, “I’ll be sure to keep my plate on the table and my coffee away from any ‘accidents’.”

Kathleen returned Adam’s smile and then looked at Paulette. “Sorry. That’s an inside joke that will have to be explained to you later. I’ll see you at six tomorrow night.”

“Wonderful!” Paulette gushed. “We’ll have a lovely visit.”

Kathleen returned to her room. She didn’t pick this situation but she wouldn’t run from it either. Paulette had ruined her plan. Well, maybe not. If one plan doesn’t work then another one might. Kathleen smiled to herself as she locked her door. It was a wicked smile.

CHAPTER SIXTY SIX

This night was one of the few times that Adam did not sleep with Paulette. His mind was in a state of confusion about the events at the evening meal and he needed time to try to straighten things out. On one hand, he had known Paulette longer, she was well-educated, beautiful, intelligent about books and politics, and she certainly was one lusty woman. On the other hand, he hadn’t known Kathleen very long as a woman but she had shown herself to be quite intelligent in her own right as far as loyalty, knowledge of animals and the land itself, the ability to get along with everyone she met. She was beautiful, inside and out. Her kisses made his blood boil, and he wanted to make love to her. Was it possible that he could be in love with both women or was he not in love with either of them?He fell into a fitful sleep and wondered about tomorrow.

CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN

Adam and Paulette spent the whole day together, walking around town, talking about different styles of architecture, spouting poetry at each other and guessing the author, and then laughing at funny things that happened on the trail. Adam had deliberately planned to really get to know Paulette, and he was accomplishing his mission.

Kathleen spent the day shopping for things she would need for the trip back home. She had thrown her old “trail clothes” away and was making deliberate efforts to walk and talk in her original feminine fashion – a time that seemed so long ago.

And now it was time to meet Adam and Paulette for supper. Kathleen was nervous and was feeling insecure. What she and Adam had shared on the trail couldn’t possibly be equal to what Adam and Paulette felt for each other. Kathleen and Paulette weren’t even in the same league. But Kathleen knew that she would fight hard to win Adam’s heart. Could she do it without making an ass out of herself?

CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT

Adam was sitting alone at a table, and Paulette was nowhere in sight.

Good! I can have some time with him by myself. Or maybe he and Paulette argued. Maybe she won’t even show up tonight!

Adam rose as she approached, and she watched as his eyes wandered slowly up and down her body.

“Kathleen, you look absolutely beautiful,” he said softly.

As she sat down in the chair, she looked into his eyes. “Thank you, Adam. And thank you for the dinner invitation.” Kathleen was careful to use the English language correctly tonight for the first time in over one hundred days.

Adam dimpled at her. “The invitation was Paulette’s idea. I had other plans until she showed up so unexpectedly.”

“What plans did you have?” Kathleen was hoping that those plans included her.

“I wanted to show you…” Adam’s voice trailed off. He dropped the subject and asked, “What will you do when you get back home?”

Kathleen smiled, the small cleft in her chin deepening. “Go back to being a woman!”

They both laughed.

Adam’s hand covered Kathleen’s. “I hate to see you leave. We’ve come a long way, you and I….”

“Why, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you two were lovebirds,” Paulette said, almost flatly, as she appeared at the table.

Adam rose and seated her. “You’re late,” was all he said.

Paulette batted her eyelashes at him. “Oh, darling! I’m always late. You never have complained before.” She looked at Kathleen. “You look lovely tonight. That dress must have cost you all your wages.”

Kathleen stifled the instinct to slap the shit out of Paulette. First, because she called Adam “darling” and secondly because of the bite of sarcasm in the compliment on Kathleen’s appearance. Adam’s face was impassive.

The menus arrived and the meals were ordered. Kathleen and Paulette both drank wine. Adam opted for whiskey – he was afraid that he might need it before this meal was finished.

“Now, ‘Mac’, or ‘Kathleen’, or whatever you call yourself, you must tell me all about you.” Paulette’s eyes turned to Kathleen.

“My family has a ranch in San Antonio. But you already know that. We breed cattle and horses, and we have pigs and chickens. We have a huge vegetable garden. We live off the land as much as we can. It keeps us busy. Oh, and by the way, my name is ‘Kathleen’”

“It certainly sounds like hard work. And dirty work.” Paulette’s fangs were beginning to grow.

“There’s nothing wrong with ‘dirty’ work. It’s honest and can be very gratifying.” Kathleen resisted the urge to gouge Paulette’s hand with a fork. The woman had declared an unspoken war from which Kathleen wouldn’t back away.

Adam drank another whiskey slowly. He didn’t want to get drunk.

Paulette sighed. “I enjoy my life. Parties and afternoon teas – social events.”

“We have parties, too. Barn building and dancing and quilting bees and church socials.” Kathleen was beginning to feel out of her element. She couldn’t compete with Paulette’s idea of the “social life.”

“How quaint,” was Paulette’s response. She was openly looking down her nose at Kathleen’s life style.

And it was obvious that Adam wasn’t going to jump to Kathleen’s defense. She was on her own.

Plates of chicken and vegetables were served.

“Adam, dear. This chicken certainly doesn’t have the taste that it should for a restaurant as fine as The Palace.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my chicken,” Adam shot back.

The air was crackling with tension, so Kathleen decided to back off and try to be nice despite the fact that Paulette was out for scalps. So she asked an honest question. “How would you cook this chicken to improve it?”

“Oh, my dear! I cook as little as possible. Most of the time I have people do the cooking for me.”

Kathleen was amazed. “You don’t cook? What would you do if you were to get married?” Kathleen wanted to slap her own face for saying such a thing. The last thing she wanted to mention was the word “marriage”!

“Why, I would hire people to tend to the cooking and cleaning and washing, of course!” Paulette had just fallen into a trap that Kathleen hadn’t even meant to set.

Adam’s eyebrow shot up to his hairline. He finished his whiskey and ordered another.

Sipping the last of her wine, Kathleen spoke. “Naturally, you know how to shoot a pistol or a rifle. And you know how to butcher a steer or a hog to put meat on the table when times get a little rough. Oh, and I’m sure you’re quite aware that not all Indians are friendly.”

“Indians!” squeaked Paulette. “They take scalps and the things they do to women…” Then, “Living in town is much safer.”

Kathleen smiled sweetly. “No matter where one lives, one has to be ready for anything and everything.”

Adam smothered a smile. Paulette had met her match. He had learned a lot in the course of one short meal.

This was the time that Kathleen chose to leave. She thanked both Paulette and Adam for the dinner invitation and pulled money from her purse for her share of the meal.

Adam looked at her as though she had two heads. “Put your money back. You are our guest.”

Again, Kathleen smiled sweetly. “I pay my own way. Again, thank you for inviting me to join you for this wonderful meal and enlightening conversation. I must finish packing because my stage leaves at noon tomorrow.” Looking into Adam’s eyes, she added, “If I don’t see you again before I leave, I appreciate your letting me finish the drive. I learned so much – even more than you can imagine.”

She shook Paulette’s hand and then Adam’s. His face was gentle. “We learned a lot from you too, Kathleen.”

Paulette murmured something unintelligible. Kathleen didn’t really care what it was, so she turned and walked out of the dining room in the direction of her hotel. Tears burned her eyes. Paulette had been a bitch, but Kathleen had been just as bad. All she had done was to make herself appear mean-spirited and hateful. She had successfully chased Adam right into Paulette’s waiting arms.

But the night wasn’t over. Kathleen had one more plan. Should she try it?

CHAPTER SIXTY NINE

Kathleen finished packing everything except the dress she was wearing and the clothes that she would wear tomorrow on the stage. Frequently she stared out the window to check the streets to see if Adam was returning. Time dragged by and she had just about given up hope when she saw a familiar figure approaching the hotel. Kathleen knew that Paulette was staying at The Palace Hotel instead of the one that Adam and the other drovers were staying in. She listened for the sound of boots in the hallway, but it seemed that the pounding in her ears blocked out all sounds. She had to talk to Adam now before she lost her nerve, so she opened her door and looked down the hall. She jumped in shock when she realized that Adam was on the other side of her door with that grin on his face!

“I was going to my room when I saw the light through the transom. I wanted to apologize for tonight.”

“Well, don’t just stand there! Come in!” Kathleen could barely contain her excitement. “I just finished packing, and I wanted to talk to you anyway.”

“We had no chance to talk at supper,” Adam said lamely. “I think Paulette feels very threatened by you and she wasn’t very nice.”

It was now or never. Kathleen turned away from her armoire and faced Adam.

“You can’t marry Paulette!” There, she’d said it. Not in the way that she had intended or planned, but it was too late now. “She’s just not the woman for you!”

There was a long pause. “Paulette is a good woman. You don’t know her and she wasn’t at her best at supper tonight.”

Kathleen jutted out her chin. “She most certainly is not a good woman! She’s crafty and sly and condescending and a snob!”

Adam looked down at the floor and, when he looked up, he chuckled. “Who should I marry then?”

Before she knew it, Kathleen snapped, “Me!” Then she clapped her hand over her mouth, embarrassed by her boldness. Her planned speech had just unraveled completely.

“You?” came Adam’s answer. There was a suggestion of a smile playing around his lips. “What would I want with a stubborn redhead, a woman with so much fire and fight in her?”

In two long strides, Adam crossed the room and cradled Kathleen’s face in his hands. “What would I want with such a woman?”

And then he kissed her, gently at first, then harder. Kathleen couldn’t breathe, could say nothing as she felt Adam’s lips on her eyes, on her cheeks, on her nose, and on her neck. When his lips found hers again, she knew what she wanted to do. Right or wrong, she would do it. She would finish what had been started on the trail on that one “magical” night.

CHAPTER SEVENTY

Though man and woman exchanged passionate kisses, their tongues sinuously intertwining, there was no urgency. The kissing went on and on while Kathleen’s hands ran through Adam’s hair, caressed his cheeks. Adam’s fingertips dropped to just above the bodice of Kathleen’s dress and lingered there, causing her skin to prickle in small goosebumps. Putting her fingers to Adam’s mouth, Kathleen said one word. “Yes.”

“Yes?” he asked as he gazed into green eyes.

“Yes.”

Gently, Adam picked Kathleen up in his strong arms and carried her to the bed. He sprawled his body next to hers and began to kiss her again. Slowly with no urgency. Every move he made was exquisitely slow and tender. The love they made that night would remain in their memories for a very long time. Afterwards, they lay together in silence, both of them sated and happy. Adam drew Kathleen’s wet hair and head to his chest and held her there.

“I love you, Adam Cartwright. No matter what happens from here on out, I will always love you. I’ll never ask you for anything more than what we shared tonight.”

Adam kissed the top of her head. “Hush, now. Just let me hold you.”

Kathleen fell immediately asleep. Adam’s mind was trying to whirl but sleep overcame him before he could sort his feelings out.

When Kathleen awoke the next morning, Adam was gone. At some point during the night, he had dressed and quietly left the room.

CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE

The sun was up much higher than it should have been, so Kathleen had to rush to get ready for the stage. She wondered where Adam was – maybe he’d gone downstairs for breakfast? For coffee? Her suitcase rattled and bumped as it went down the stairs and she was grateful to see Jack who toted the bag to the stage depot. There was no time left to dawdle.

Kathleen glanced into the dining room. No Adam. She looked up and down both sides of the street as she rushed to get to the stage. No Adam. And he was not at the depot to say goodbye to some of his drovers. Kathleen fought back tears of disappointment and unhappiness. But she had told him “no strings attached” and he had apparently taken her at her word. Paulette had won after all. And that was that.

The stage pulled away with a lurch. Kathleen had no idea that Adam was standing at a window down the street, feeling a lump in his throat as a cloud of dust obliterated the stage’s exit from town. He turned and bumped into Paulette.

“Darling, I thought I’d never find you,” she said in a slightly angry tone. “I’m ready to take a tour of the rest of the town.”

“Things have changed. I got a wire from Pa that I need to get back home. There’s some business that needs our attention. Start packing your bags. I’ll check the stage schedule and will meet you for lunch.” He turned and walked out the door, leaving Paulette with her mouth agape. As it turned out, a connecting stage wouldn’t be leaving for three days. Adam sighed and headed for the saloon where he downed three whiskeys in a row. The drinks didn’t help his confusion about two women one single bit.

CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO

Kathleen’s stage bumped and rattled on and on, and she was unusually quiet – lost in thought. Adam had chosen Paulette, was probably with her now, and would probably be making love to her tonight. Kathleen’s heart hurt, but she would do the same thing she did last night if she had a chance to turn back the hands of time.

Sean, Jack and Martin were good traveling companions. They were so full of life and so very happy to be going home. But they knew that Kathleen was troubled, and they knew why.

“Everything will turn out all right,” Sean said gently. “Mister Cartwright loves you. He may not realize it just yet, but he will. Paulette isn’t the right woman for him and, in time, he’ll find that out. Just give him the time that he needs.”

“It’s not Mister Cartwright and what he does or doesn’t do with Paulette,” Kathleen lied. “I just feel like an exciting part of my life – the trail drive – is over. I made some good friends, and I’ll miss all of them – and you three hooligans – terribly.”

Jack looked at Martin and Sean. They all knew an outright lie when they heard one, but they pretended to believe Kathleen’s story.

After countless stops at way stations and changing stages, Kathleen recognized the familiar depot in San Antonio. Angus yanked the door open, and Kathleen almost jumped into her father’s arms. And then she was enfolded in her mother’s arms. After introducing her parents to Jack, Sean and Martin, Kathleen climbed into the waiting buggy.

Angus looked around after loading his daughter’s suitcase. “Where’s Storm? Didn’t you tie him to the stagecoach?”

“Da, I had to shoot Storm. I left his saddle with Adam. Uh, Mister Cartwright.” A slight slip of the tongue which didn’t escape Jeannie’s careful ears.

“Shoot Storm!” Angus boomed. “Why on earth would you do that?”

“It’s a long story, Da. And I’ll tell you and Mama everything. Right now, I just want to go home.”

That night at supper, Kathleen told the entire story from start to finish. Angus took his daughter’s hand and looked at her.

“It’s proud I am of ye,” he said. “Ye set out to do a job and ye did it. Saved our ranch, ye did. And put money in the bank – ’tis quite a tidy sum.”

CHAPTER SEVENTY THREE

After supper, Kathleen and Jeannie washed and dried the dishes.

“It’s so good to have you home, all safe and sound,” Jeannie said with a smile.

“It was an adventure. I miss the men – they were my family for a long time. We grew so very close to each other.

“And Adam?”

“He’s a terrific man. He tried to be gruff and thick-skinned, but he has a gentle and kind heart.”

“And you’re in love with him,” Jeannie stated with certainty.

Kathleen almost dropped the dish in her hands. She would never lie to either her mother or her father.

“I do love him. But I’ve already told you about Paulette, and she’s all wrong for him! Why can’t he see that?”

“My darling daughter. He may truly love the woman whether she’s the right one or the wrong one. He has to live his life just as you have to live yours. What the man does is beyond your control.”

Kathleen sighed. “I know. I know.”

CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR

The days passed quickly and Kathleen was busy training a colt sired by Storm. She helped her father paint the house and fix the roof and add on to the barn. She mucked out stalls and milked the cows and gathered eggs. She occasionally went on a few dates, but no man could compare to Adam even though she knew that Adam had probably married that stupid Paulette by now. Adam hadn’t even bothered to write her. Kathleen sighed.

But things happen when they’re least expected. Kathleen was mucking out the stalls one morning when her father called her to the house. This was the time the two of them usually rode out to do a count of the herd, so she saddled two horses before going into the house.

There were a few horses tied up outside but this wasn’t unusual. Angus now had enough money to hire new men as he needed them. But the surprise was inside the house – there stood Sean, Jack and Martin. Kathleen whooped with glee and hugged each of them tightly. Her face came really alive for the first time since her return home.

“What brings you three hooligans here?” Kathleen was so thrilled that she couldn’t hold still.

“We been kinda hirin’ ourselves out to ranchers who need extra help this time of year. We came here first, and your pa hired us.” Martin’s eyes were dancing with glee.

Kathleen turned to thank her father, to tell him he wouldn’t be sorry, but he had disappeared. “Speaking of my father, where did he go?”

“Try the kitchen,” Sean smirked.

Kathleen rolled her eyes. She knew that her father couldn’t resist a fresh pot of coffee and a big slice of apple pie. She strolled into the kitchen, and there was Adam, leaning against the wall and sipping hot coffee from a mug. He flashed her a lop-sided grin.

“Adam!” Kathleen shouted when she could find her voice. “How wonderful to see you! What brings you here?”

Angus looked at Adam and at Kathleen. He felt like lightning was bouncing around the room, so intense were their expressions. Jeannie smiled a knowing smile. Her intuition had told her that Adam would return one day. She hoped that the reasons were right.

Adam looked deep into those green eyes that haunted him almost every night. But he didn’t know what kind of reception he’d get, so he assumed a rather nonchalant attitude.

“Came to buy some of your cattle to take back home. The idea of more cross-breeding is a good thing to try out.”

Kathleen tried very hard to assume a nonchalant pose of her own. “Papa is the authority on that subject. Did he agree to sell you the number that you need?”

Adam nodded and smiled, his dimples deeper than Kathleen remembered.

“I’ve already saddled two horses. It’s time to do a head count and we can cut out the cattle that you want. With Jack and Martin and Sean here, things’ll go quickly.”

Sean smirked and mimicked Adam. “Let’s bust them saddles!”

Kathleen felt Adam’s hand in the small of her back as she exited the house. Her skin prickled and her breath caught in her throat. She had to remind herself that this was a business deal and she dare not ask personal questions. But, oh, how she wanted to!

CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE

Riding with Adam, Jack, Martin and Sean brought back happy memories for Kathleen. She felt the camaraderie return as she and her father, Adam and the three friends made the head count of the herd.

Adam rode up beside her. “It’s good to see you, Kathleen. You’ve been much on my mind.” He didn’t know what else – or how much else to say.

Kathleen’s heart skipped a beat, but she was careful in her answer. “It’s good to see you too, Adam. I’m surprised and delighted that you’re here.”

Their legs bumped together accidentally. Adam felt heat flow through his body. His feelings toward her hadn’t changed – feelings that he had been so confused about. He remembered her whispered “I love you” and wondered if she still felt the same way now. She might have a special man in her life and have lost interest in Adam himself.

Angus rode over and told Adam to pick out the cattle he wanted. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to sell Ivan yet, would you?”

Angus laughed. “Nae. Ornery, he is, but keep him I must. But there are some other bulls that are almost as good. Pick out whichever ones you want.”

Standing tall in the stirrups, Adam picked out two bulls and fifteen cows. They were penned up in no time.

Kathleen caught Adam watching her with a very odd expression on his face. He was remembering that last night together, felt himself harden, and he had to shift positions in the saddle.

Kathleen rode up to him. “Do you still have Boomer? I asked you to take him with you.”

“He’s on the Ponderosa now. He’s a strange one, though. Won’t let anybody but me ride him.”

“He’s funny that way. He picks somebody he can trust and that’s that. Too bad the same doesn’t work for people. Kathleen galloped back to the house wishing she hadn’t said that. But seeing Adam again hurt her heart which was trying to heal.

CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX

“But you can’t leave now!” Jeannie protested as she wandered around the kitchen. Adam had paid for the cattle and was ready to leave. Sean, Jack and Martin would drive the small herd halfway to Nevada Territory where the rest of the Cartwrights would meet them and take over.

“Just look at all this food I made,” Jeannie added as she pointed to various pots on the stove. “You might as well eat a good supper and stay the night. No use leaving now – it’s too dark to be going anywhere. Tomorrow’ll get here soon enough.”

Jack was sniffing at the apple pie, and Martin was trying to pinch off a piece from a cherry pie. Jeannie smacked his hand good-naturedly. “No supper, no dessert,” she said, arms akimbo.

Adam grinned. What could it hurt to leave tomorrow? Besides, he wanted to spend more time with Kathleen.

“Invitation accepted,” he said as he leaned against the wall. “We can bunk in the barn and be gone by daylight.”

Kathleen’s heart fell. She had hoped that Adam would stay longer. She didn’t think that her heart could stand losing him again.

“Bunk in the barn!” Angus exploded. “There’ll be none of that! You’ll stay in the house!”

Kathleen flashed one of her famous smiles. “It’s ‘attitude adjustment’ from my father. He would feel disgraced if you stayed in the barn.”

“Oh, I learned all about ‘attitude adjustment’ from Kathleen on the trail,” Adam laughed. “Your kind invitation is something that we couldn’t dare refuse. Thank you – we’ll stay in your home. But just for tonight.”

Supper was served and devoured. Both pies disappeared into hungry mouths as if by magic. Different discussions had flown around the table all through the meal, but Paulette’s name was never mentioned.

Jeannie’s intuition told her that there was more to this “cattle-buying business” than met the eye. She watched the looks that passed between her daughter and Adam. And she waited.

CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN

After supper was over, Jeannie turned to Kathleen. “You need to check on the horses in the barn. Especially Thunder. You know how he loves to kick his stall door open.”

“I’ll help you with the dishes,” Kathleen said as she helped clear the table. It was quite odd that her mother would send her to the barn before the kitchen was clean.

Much to Kathleen’s surprise, Adam rose and volunteered to help Jeannie. She was trying to imagine the trail boss washing or drying the dishes.

“Go! Go!” Angus said as he pointed towards the door. “I have a collection of guns to show Jack. Martin and Sean, you might like to see them too.”

The men disappeared into another room. And Kathleen headed toward the barn. She looked back towards the kitchen window and saw Adam drying the dishes! What a sight that was! Kathleen had to sprint to the barn to keep from exploding with laughter.

She checked on all the horses, saving her favorites for last. There was Star, the mare, and the colt who had been named “Thunder” – Storm had been his sire. Leaning against his stall, Kathleen rubbed his velvety nose.

“I’m sorry that you never got to see your daddy,” Kathleen sighed wistfully to the colt as he snuffled in her pockets hoping to discover a treat.

A deep voice spoke from behind her. “I’m sorry, too, Kathleen.”

Whirling, Kathleen saw Adam standing behind her.

“Dammit, Adam! Why are you always creeping up on me?”

Adam dimpled at her. “I don’t creep up on you. You just aren’t listening.”

Adam stood next to Kathleen and looked at Thunder. “Good-looking colt.”

“Yes, he is. I hope he’ll grow up to be just like his sire.”

Adam gnawed on a toothpick. “I forgot to tell you. I bought Star and Thunder. They’ll be going to the Ponderosa with me.”

CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT

Kathleen’s face showed a mixture of horror and anger. “No! These are my horses and you can’t have them. My father would never agree to such a thing!

Adam pulled a loose tendril of hair away from Kathleen’s angry face and twirled the red curl between his fingers. “Ahhhh, but he did….”

Kathleen jerked away from Adam’s touch before he could finish his sentence. Turning, she tried to head for the barn door, but Adam could only laugh as he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “Wait. You need to hear the rest of the deal.”

“I don’t want to hear any more!” Kathleen tried to wrest her arm from Adam’s grasp.

“There’s one more thing I want, but Angus won’t let me pay for it,” Adam grinned, moving his toothpic to the other side of his mouth.

“And what might that be, Mister Cartwright?”

His answer was simple. “You.”

“What?”

“I want you. I want you to go to the Ponderosa with Star and Thunder.”

Kathleen’s mind was whirling and confused, and she wasn’t sure that she had heard correctly. “What about you and Paulette?”

“You were right about her,” Adam said gently. “She’s a fine woman and will make a good wife for most any man. But I’m not ‘most any’ man. I spent enough time with her to clear the cobwebs from my mind. Of course, she helped me clear it – a clonk on the head with that saddlebag that she calls a purse helped me come to my senses. I realized that I wasn’t in love with her. A man can’t pretend he loves one woman when he truly loves another one, can he?”

Adam’s face was so close to Kathleen’s that she could feel his breath on her face. Her legs shook and her body trembled.

“Oh.” Kathleen was speechless. “I guess not.”

Running his finger over her lips, Adam looked deep into her green eyes. “I let you get away once. I don’t want that to happen again. I’ve already spoken to your folks and told them that I want to marry you. I want to take you home with me.”

“Marry you?”

Adam’s eyes clouded over. “Maybe I overstepped my bounds. I should have talked to you before I spoke with your parents. Maybe your feelings have changed….”

“Changed?” Kathleen found her voice. “No, Adam. My feelings haven’t changed. But….”

And then she was surrounded by strong arms and felt Adam’s lips on her forehead. He spoke gently.

“I guess I’m going about this all wrong.” He dropped to one knee. “I love you, Kathleen. It took a while for my eyes to be opened, but I’m seeing very clearly now. I want for you to be my wife, my confidante, my lover, my best friend. I want to marry you. Just say ‘yes’.”

And Kathleen, through her tears of joy beyond belief, whispered back a single word. “Yes.” She cradled his face in her hands and kissed him gently. “I’ve loved you for a long time. I had hoped for this time to come but so much time has passed that I gave up. Just promise that you’ll love me for the rest of our lives – that’s all I ask.”

Adam stood up and laughed out loud. “I promise.” He picked Kathleen up and swung her around and around until they found themselves outside the barn, both laughing and crying at the same time.

Jeannie and Angus, Jack, Martin and Sean looked at each other as the laughter from outside filled the air.

“I guess she said ‘yes’,” Sean chuckled.

“And I reckon we won’t be leavin’ town for a while. Kathleen most certainly won’t have a wedding without us ‘hooligans’,” quipped Jack.

CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE

Kathleen turned slowly onto her back in the bed that she and Adam had shared for so many years. Her red hair, now silver, fanned out on the pillow around her. Her skin, once smooth and silky, was wrinkled. But her green eyes retained the peace and serenity that she had found when she married Adam. She missed him.

As she lay in her bed, weak and tired, she remembered the times that she and Adam had sat on the front porch of their house as they laughed about Kathleen’s being “the mysterious drover,” about the “courtship that wasn’t,” about being married twice – once in San Antonio and then again in Virginia City. The Cartwright family couldn’t get to Texas fast enough to suit Adam, so it had been necessary to have two ceremonies. Kathleen smiled as she thought about Adam’s standing by her side at the birth of their four children – three boys and one girl. He cried as he held each child so great was his joy.

There had been harder times, too. Indian attacks where man and wife stood shoulder to shoulder and fired rifles until the barrels burned their hands. Then they used pistols. And there were terrible winters when so many cattle had died. There had been droughts that seemed never-ending. Always Adam would say, “Next year will be better.” And he was right.

As with every married couple, they had their arguments. But they never went to bed angry. No matter what the problems were, the last thing they said to each other before falling asleep, was “I love you.”

Adam had stood by her side at the burials of her parents. She had stood by his side at the burial of his father. They took comfort in each other. Then, last year, Adam had died quietly in his sleep, but Kathleen didn’t have to stand alone. She had her children and her grandchildren to provide comfort and solace. When Adam died, he owned the second-largest ranch in Nevada and had parceled out the land to his children, just as Ben had done for Adam, Hoss, and Joe.

Kathleen was growing short of breath. She spoke haltingly to her children and to her grandchildren, blessing them one by one. Then she addressed them as a group.

“Adam and I have always been so proud of each of you. You’ve worked hard and have shown such a great capacity for love of animals and people and the land. My time here is done and I’m not afraid. I know you’ll take care of everything. Don’t fret over me. Live joyous and fruitful lives.”

Kathleen smiled. “I’ve got to go now. Adam is waiting for me.”

And, indeed, she could see Adam as plain as day with a great white light shining behind him. His arms were open wide as they beckoned to her, and he was dimpling at her. With her last breath, she ran swiftly and happily into those waiting arms. With arms around each other, they glided toward that beautiful light and were completely enfolded in its warmth. Together. Forever.

FINIS