After the Storm: Clean Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 2)

by Linda Bridey

*****

  Art watched Hailey fire off four arrows at a target. They pierced the target, forming a small cluster in the center of it.

  He let out a low whistle. “We shoulda let you fight with us. I see what Kyle meant now.”

  It still rankled with Hailey that Kyle had turned her in. “Yes, you should have, but that can’t be changed now.”

  He heard the irritation in her voice. “I’m sorry, Hailey, but he did the right thing.”

  Her eyes flashed silver fire at him. “I don’t want to talk about it. We’ll only wind up arguing. Men will always think that women are inferior to them.”

  She walked to the target and angrily extracted the arrows from it. His eyes followed her, drinking in her beauty in the buckskin leggings, buckskin shirt, and high moccasin boots. Her hair was growing out, but it was still only a little bit below her ears.

  “It ain’t that you’re inferior, it’s that there’s one area where you’re vulnerable and there are men who wouldn’t think twice about taking advantage of it,” he said.

  “That may be true for some women, but I’m not like them. Anyone who tries anything like that with me will wind up dead,” she said. “I’m as good a warrior as any man.”

  He could see he wasn’t going to change her mind about it. “You’re right. We’re gonna argue about this. Best to drop it.”

  She gave him a curt nod and went back to practicing, although it didn’t look like she needed to practice to Art.

  “Do you hunt?” she asked.

  “It’s been a while, but yeah.”

  Flicking a glance at him, she asked, “Would you like to go hunting with me tomorrow morning? We go every morning.”

  He jumped at the chance to spend more time with her. “Sure. What time?”

  “Five-thirty. Don’t be late,” she said. “There is a meadow where I go.”

  “Ok. I’ll be here.”

  “Do you like your new job?”

  Joe had given Art a job over at the Benson ranch where he kept twenty-five of their horses since their property couldn’t handle any more horses than they already had. Art did everything from grooming and exercising horses to repairing fences.

  “Yeah. It’s the best job I ever had, and Caleb is a fair man. Has a good sense of humor, too.”

  “The Bensons are good people.”

  “Yeah. There’s one fella over there that don’t care for me, but I can deal with him,” Art said.

  As they talked, Hailey cast furtive glances at Art. She judged him to be around six-foot-two and somewhere around the one hundred eighty mark. He was muscular and handsome. His mixed heritage was evident in his light brown skin that reminded her of nutmeg. Art was quick to smile and liked to tease people. His teeth were a beautiful shade of white and Hailey found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss his sensual mouth.

  Hailey wasn’t accustomed to having those sorts of thoughts and found it disconcerting. She’d only been kissed once and that hadn’t gone well. The boy had gotten frustrated because she hadn’t known what to do and he’d never kissed her again. Would Art be different? she wondered. She quickly shoved her musings aside. She could tell that he was attracted to her; there were times when she could feel his gaze on her and it was exciting and confusing at the same time.

  “I’m sure you can,” she said. “Don’t worry about him.”

  “I ain’t. Well, I better get back to work. I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Art said.

  Hailey said, “If you’re not busy tonight, you could come play knuckles or chess. Uncle bought a board.”

  Her invitation surprised him. Could it be that she liked him? “I’d like that.”

  She gave him a rare smile and it transformed her face from beautiful to stunning. “Good. I look forward to beating you.”

  He chuckled. “We’ll see about that. I’ll be seein’ you.”

  She smiled as he walked away and then sent more arrows into the target.

  Chapter Nine

  Hunting with Hailey was an education for Art and he was further impressed with her prowess with a bow and arrows. Both of them brought down a buck, although he used a rifle. Hailey didn’t shy away from field dressing her buck and she carried it home on her own, too. He helped her butcher them and he said that they could have his deer since he had no need of it.

  “Thanks for havin’ me along today,” he said. “I had a good time, and I had a good time last night, too.”

  “Me, too,” she said, smiling shyly.

  Art looked around to make sure that no one else was in hearing distance. “Hailey, do you have a fella?”

  Her eyes widened a little. “No, I don’t.”

  “In that case, would you have dinner with me?” he asked.

  Hailey froze in place, suddenly frightened. She’d never had a man ask her out before. “You want to have dinner with me? Are you sure? I’m not like other women. I’m not soft and feminine the way men want their women to be.”

  The way his eyes traveled over her made her feel warmer. “I want you just like you are. I like your fierceness and sharp edges, although maybe they could be a little softer where I’m concerned?”

  Her cheeks turned a little pink and she gave him a coy smile. “Maybe a little bit. I’ll have dinner with you. Where? I need to know how to dress.”

  “How about we start with the Grady House? Not so fancy at first?”

  “Ok.”

  “Is six ok?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “See you then, my feisty bravette,” he said. He’d picked up the expression from the Dwyers.

  “Goodbye.”

  Hailey smiled to herself as she went back to work, anticipation building inside as she thought about the coming evening.

  *****

  Art cleaned up after the long day of work, washing off the dust and sweat. He’d picked up a few new pairs of jeans and button-down shirts at Elliot’s. He put on a pair of the jeans and a white shirt. Shrugging into a denim coat, he looked in the mirror and decided he looked presentable.

  He saddled the horse he’d been given to use and headed for the Lakota camp. Like Kyle, he was adjusting to the complete change in his life from his time in the military. It still didn’t seem real to be back in “regular” society and it certainly didn’t seem real to be going out with a beautiful woman.

  As he neared the camp, he let out a low whistle, knowing that ever since the Loyalty party had attempted to raid the camp last year, Black Fox had reinstated the practice of keeping sentries on guard. Art couldn’t blame him.

  He passed without being detained and rode over to Raven and Zoe’s house, waving at people and saying hello. When he knocked on the door, Raven opened it and came outside, closing the door behind him. Art arched an eyebrow at his hard look.

  “You are taking Hailey to dinner.”

  “Yes, sir,” Art said, a slight feeling of trepidation rising.

  Raven’s eyes glittered with warning. “She has never been courted. Hailey is courageous, tough, and hard sometimes, but inside beats the heart of a woman all the same. I warn you that if you hurt her, I will not hesitate to act. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll be good to her.”

  Raven gave him a measuring look and then smiled. “I believe you. Have a nice time.”

  “Thanks.” He sighed in relief when Raven motioned for him to follow him inside. He greeted Zoe and exchanged pleasantries with her.

  When Hailey came into the parlor, Art had to work hard not to gawk. After seeing her in only military and Red Cross uniforms and buckskin, the simple green wool skirt and white shirtwaist looked exotic on her.

  Raven and Zoe hid smiles when they saw how shyly Hailey glanced at Art.

  “Well, Miss Dwyer, you look pretty,” he said.

  Although Hailey’s skin color was darker than Zoe’s her blush was still visible and her parents again had to stifle smiles. They hadn’t seen her blush since she’d been a teenager.

  “Thank yo
u,” she said quietly.

  “I miss the bow and arrows, though,” he joked.

  She smiled. “Do you want me to take them along?”

  “Nah. Maybe next time,” he said.

  Hailey took her coat down from a peg by the front door and became confused when he held out his hand for it. She hesitantly gave it to him as though afraid he was going to steal it. It was a bizarre experience for her to have someone hold her coat for her. She’d seen men do it for other women, including Raven with Zoe, but no one had ever offered to perform the gentlemanly act for her before.

  Once she had it on, they said goodbye to Raven and Zoe.

  Hailey said, “We have a car around back. I can’t ride a horse in this thing.”

  Art couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Boy, you’re really not used to dressing like that, are you?”

  “No,” she said. “I warned you.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  He insisted on cranking the Model T to life. Then he hopped in and they took off.

  *****

  Art had never been so entertained by a woman before. Hailey was a contradiction in every way. He’d almost had to argue with her in order for her to allow him to seat her. However, she ate almost daintily and was animated with her family, who greeted her and Art.

  Hailey was grateful for the distraction because she had no idea what to say to Art. It had been easy being around him when they’d been overseas because they had the war to talk about and war-related subjects. Eventually though, they were left alone and she felt awkward again.

  Her discomfort was almost palpable and Art hated seeing her so tense.

  “How old were you when you started hunting?” he asked.

  Her smile returned. “Father took me to snare rabbits when I was six. I caught on quickly. Then he made me my own little bow and arrows. I still have it. I kept all of the bows and arrows he made me as I grew. Grandfather made me a few, too. I love hunting, even when I don’t catch anything. Being in nature is calming and there’s much to learn there. Poor Ma. She missed out on having daughters as feminine as she is. Snow Song isn’t as tough as I am, but she’s not like Ma, either.”

  Art said, “I’m sure she’s real proud of you for going overseas with the Red Cross. Do they know about you fighting for those two weeks?”

  She laughed. “Yes. Ma was … horrified, but Father and Grandfather were proud and liked that I pulled one over on the army.”

  Art grinned and shook his head. “I’m sure they did. They have their own history with them.”

  “Not the modern army. They don’t hold any of them responsible for the things that happened in the past. In fact, they urged our Lakota men to enlist and fight for our country. Times are changing and we’re changing with them. There’s not much of a choice,” she said.

  “No, I guess not,” Art said. “They can’t change fast enough for some things.” He’d noticed the way a few people were looking at him and knew that in most places whites and black were segregated, with coloreds only allowed to eat in certain places.

  Hailey, too, had noticed and she glared back defiantly at a few people until they dropped their eyes. “Pay them no mind. They know better than to bother me.”

  “I’m glad for that,” Art said. “I’m not afraid of them, though. Don’t worry about that. I’ve dealt with my fair share of that sort of thing.”

  “I’m sure you’re fierce in battle. I would have liked to have seen you fight.”

  He smiled. “Don’t start that again.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said with a sly grin.

  “Mmm hmm.”

  They finished their meal and Art grabbed the bill before Hailey could. He saw that he was going to have to educate her about some things relating to men and women. Hailey grew increasingly nervous on the way home. She pulled over near the entrance of the camp road and put the car in park.

  “What’s the matter?” Art asked.

  “I don’t know how to do this. I can’t do this. I tried one time and it didn’t end well.”

  “Hailey, don’t fall apart on me. It was just dinner,” Art said. “I ain’t askin’ you to marry me or anything.”

  “You mean a friendly dinner?”

  Art chuckled. “How about a little bit more than a friendly dinner. Can you handle that?”

  Some of Hailey’s anxiety eased. “Yeah. I can do that.”

  “Ok. Good, because I’d like to do it again sometime.”

  “You would? Why? I’m a horrible date.”

  “Hailey, shut it down,” Art said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I wanna talk about this. Shut it down.”

  Hailey cut the engine and waited expectantly as quiet settled around them.

  “Now, why do you think you’re a bad date?”

  “I’m sure you’d rather be with a woman who’s feminine and pretty and talks about womanly things. I’m not like that at all. I don’t care about any of that.”

  “I don’t care about that stuff, either. If I’d wanted to ask out someone like that, I wouldn’t have asked you,” Art said. “I understand that you’re scared, but there isn’t any reason to be. I don’t wanna talk about dresses and whatever else some women talk about. I wanna talk about whatever comes to mind, and if we’re quiet, that’s fine, too. You’re makin’ this more complicated than it has to be.”

  “I don’t know how to flirt and I don’t know how to … kiss right,” she said.

  “Hmm. That’s funny because I watched you flirt with a whole bunch of troops back in France and it sure felt like you knew how to kiss when you kissed me on New Year’s Eve. And I wasn’t the only one you kissed,” Art said.

  “That doesn’t count. I was half-drunk that night,” she said, grinning. “People can do things when they’re drunk that they wouldn’t do when they’re sober.”

  “Ok, so I’ll get you half-drunk and then kiss you.”

  Hailey laughed. “You might have to. Besides, that was just a friendly kiss.”

  “I’ll settle for a friendly kiss here and there,” Art said.

  “I flirted?”

  Art couldn’t believe that she didn’t know she’d been flirting left and right in France. “You have no idea, do you?” he said, laughing. “No clue why the card games you were involved in were the most popular. You had those boys eating out of the palm of your hand. The way you teased them and made them laugh.”

  Hailey’s forehead creased. “I did? I was just treating them like I do my brother and cousins. I act the same way with them, too.”

  “Well, that may be, but those men ate it up. You were easy to be around and you didn’t care what you said, which was refreshing. No one has to guess where they stand with you and sometimes that’s nice. A lot of women are hard to read. You’re not, and I like that.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah. Boy, you made a lot of those nurses and other women jealous.”

  “Me? Why?”

  Art passed a hand over his face. “Because of what I just told you. Think of how many guys wanted to dance with you and they all wanted to talk to you. You’re different. You’re the girl who wears her hair short and looks better than half the women there with it that way.”

  Looking back, Hailey saw that it was true. She’d been popular, but she didn’t know it was because the men had found her beautiful. She’d thought it was because they thought of her as one of the guys, a tomboy.

  “You didn’t see any of those guys kissin’ other guys on New Year’s Eve, did you?”

  “No.”

  “No, but they wanted to kiss you the same way I did. I’m just lucky enough that you and Dwyer are cousins and I got to come home with him and see you,” Art said. “Some of the other women gave out kisses, but some wouldn’t. But you were fearless about it. That’s another reason I like you.”

  “I don’t think I’m beautiful,” she said, running a hand over her short hair.

  “Well, you are.”
/>   “Hmm. You should have kept me in the battle with you. We could have found a trench for two,” Hailey said, batting her eyelashes at him.

  Art broke into laughter. “Damn! You’re right! I shoulda. I’d have kicked Dwyer out, too.”

  “Told you,” she said.

  “See? That’s what I mean. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to flirt.” He was glad to see her confidence returning.

  “Thanks, Art.”

  “For what?”

  “Making this easier and for making me feel better about myself,” she said, meeting his eyes.

  “My pleasure. I’ll start her up,” he said, getting out.

  In a few short minutes, they arrived in camp and parked behind her house. When they got out, Art took her hand and it felt natural to Hailey. His hand was strong and it felt nice wrapped around hers.

  Art chuckled.

  “What?” Hailey asked.

  “I was just remembering that handshake you gave me when you jumped down in our trench. I had no clue you were a woman. I thought you were just a young kid. It’s no wonder you fooled everyone,” he said. “But I like holding your hand this way better.”

  “Me, too,” Hailey said.

  He shook her hand a little. “So are you gonna teach me how to snare rabbits tomorrow morning?”

  “If you want me to.”

  “I want you to. Same time as today?”

  “Yeah.”

  He raised her hand, giving the back of it a quick kiss. “Goodnight, soldier,” he said, mounting his horse.

  “Goodnight.”

  She watched Art ride across the clearing to the trail that would take him to the Benson ranch.

  *****

  Art hadn’t gotten too far before he heard someone call his name. He stopped his horse and turned around. Hailey jogged in his direction.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  Hailey gathered her courage. “I didn’t get my friendly kiss goodnight.”

  “I didn’t get mine, either.”

  “I think we should fix that, Corporal Perrone.”

  “I think you’re right,” he said, dismounting.

  Hailey didn’t allow herself to think about what she was doing. She just put her arms around Art’s neck and pressed her lips to his. When he cupped the back of her head lightly and held her in place, she stiffened a little and then relaxed when he softly stroked her cheek with his thumb.