Nathan had chosen to occupy the smallest of the half-dozen log buildings and had built a corral for his horse nearby. Chase clucked softly at the Medicine Hat -- a type of Paint with a white face, dark ears and dark patch on its chest favored by Indians in the last century. The gelding snorted at him and went back to his grazing.
Chase hadn't been inside the cabin since Nathan had taken temporary possession of the single room structure. As he'd expected, the door was unlocked. Surprisingly, the room was even more sparsely outfitted than he'd imagined. Simple bedding lay on the newly installed wood floor. The furniture consisted of a large antique trunk and a bookshelf, as well as a table, bulletin board and chair that provided a work station. All were lined up along the same wall.
On closer inspection, the books proved to be of a single topic -- Native America, emphasis on Sioux history and culture, two recounting Wounded Knee. Sketches pinned to the board were of red-skinned men and women in traditional dress. A work-in-progress on the table was that of a warrior heavily armed. Staring at the sketches, then back at the book titles, he felt his mouth go dry.
Nathan's sole interest didn't bode well -- as much as he wanted to, Chase didn't think he'd be able to eliminate the other man as a suspect.
His gaze strayed to the trunk. Hesitating only a moment, he knelt in front of it, releasing the old-fashioned catches and lifting the heavy lid. Inside, several artifacts lay on quilted padding.
A stuffed kingfisher decorated with beads and feathers.
An ash bow strung with buffalo sinews in a buckskin case with attached quiver of arrows.
A sandstone-headed club decorated with horsehair.
A quilled breastplate.
A rawhide shield stretched over a frame, adorned with the carcass of a small bird of prey, hawk feathers and horsetail.
A bonnet of bearskin and eagle feathers.
The significance of the artifacts hit Chase like a Mack truck.
All articles of war.
Chase sat back on his heels and took a deep breath. No expert, he knew a little of Native American lore. As a magic charm, the kingfisher symbolized quickness and helped the warrior to dodge arrows. The war bonnet gave him super human powers needed to survive -- the bear being a personal guardian, the eagle a predator.
He set the trunk lid in place and stood, again staring at the sketches pinned to the board, as if he could fathom whether or not Nathan Lantero was the predator determined to destroy the refuge.
Chase eventually became aware of a presence behind him.
Because he suspected Nathan could be armed, he turned slowly. No jerky movements that could be misinterpreted. The other man blocked the doorway, his arms folded across his chest. As far as Chase could tell, he wasn't carrying a weapon. The bright light behind Nathan threw his face into shadow -- Chase couldn't even guess what he might be thinking.
Not having any way to know how much the other man had observed, he bluffed, "I finally made the time to check on your progress."
"Find what you wanted?" Nathan asked dryly.
"Reassurance that things are going smoothly? You bet. Everything looks good."
"In here, too?"
Chase ignored the verbal dare. "Your work is more than satisfactory, but I think you know that."
"I know lots of things," Nathan agreed, finally stepping out of the doorway. "If you have questions... ask."
Another challenge, this one more direct. "So, did you get all the supplies you needed?"
Nathan's expression was devoid of emotion, but he couldn't hide the flicker of surprise that lit his dark gaze.
"I have everything I need," he agreed. "For now."
Chase nodded. "I was admiring your handiwork -- the sketches as well as what you're doing for the refuge. I didn't realize you'd gone back to your art."
"A new project," Nathan said. "I got inspired."
"By anything in particular?"
"Now, if I said, 'by the possibility of making money,' you'd be disappointed, wouldn't you?"
Not really an answer. And Chase knew he wasn't going to get one that was any more direct.
EXPERIENCE HAD TAUGHT KATE that tracking down Sage's band wouldn't be too difficult. The tough part had come in calculating how to glean any information she might have missed. The last time, the images had flown by too quickly. Deciding that if she wanted to see more -- the villain, hopefully -- she needed to keep the mare calm. She'd asked herself what Doc would do and immediately thought of the treat that had been his favorite to dispense.
Sweetened grain mash. Evidence had shown he'd brought along a bucket of the stuff the night he'd died.
Balanced on a boulder next to the creek, she dangled her pail before her. "You know what this is, don't you?" she cooed.
Having answered her whistle, Sage and the other girls had come trotting to visit, yet remained at some distance. Considering what had happened last time, she didn't blame them. But upon seeing the bucket, Sage lifted her nose and sniffed, then meandered toward her, looking this way and that, much as a cat would do to pretend disinterest.
One of the other mares was not so reluctant, and within seconds, Kate was surrounded, her filled palm snuffled by a velvety nose. She made certain the girls shared whether or not they wanted to.
"C'mon, Sage, stop being a party-pooper."
The mare finally made up her mind and shouldered her way through the others. Eyeing Kate with only a touch of suspicion, she dipped her head and lipped the grain mash.
"Thata girl. I knew you'd like it."
Kate scooped a larger handful and carefully set down the bucket. Snorting, Sage went for seconds, while Kate slid her free hand along the silky neck. Then, conjuring an image she'd seen a million times -- Doc with bucket in one hand, a horse eating from the other -- she closed her eyes and concentrated, zeroing in on Doc's smiling face, silently telegraphing the image to the mare.
They connected...
. . . and suddenly Doc appeared older... the indigo sky behind him streaked with sheet lightning... her being bumped by other horses...
Excitement rushed through Kate as she realized this was an earlier memory, one preceding the stampede. Calming herself, she tuned back in.
. . . a howl... followed by a different sound... Doc turning away...
Pulse thrumming, Kate recognized the chugging noise. The engine of a truck. Not a personal vehicle but a commercial one.
. . . high beams... Doc limping away from the corral... panicked whinnying...
The warning set Kate's neck hair to attention.
Chapter Ten
KATE STEWED WITH HER NEED to talk to Chase all through her family gathering. Though she'd tried calling him several times to share her new insight before sitting down to the dinner table, he'd remained elusive. She only prayed that Nathan hadn't walked in on Chase going through his things...
So distracted, Kate only gradually became aware that -- between bites of roast beef, seasoned potatoes, a snap bean casserole, fresh biscuits and other treats -- her cousin Keelin was doing a fine job of engaging her father in conversation whether he'd meant to speak to her or not.
"Despite the many miles between us, Uncle Charlie, our families have much in common," Keelin was saying, a sweet smile lending a radiant beauty to her somewhat ordinary features and lighting her soft gray eyes.
"How so?"
"My siblings and I grew up on a dairy farm, while you raised your children on a cattle ranch. There are three of us, as well."
"I expect that makes us similar to a good percentage of the families in the civilized world," Charlie said gruffly.
Kate exchanged a look with her brother Neil, who choked down a smile until he glanced at their Irish cousin. Then he couldn't help himself. Keelin's dark auburn hair rained down along the shoulders of a loose dress the yellow of sagebrush buttercups found in the wooded, marshy areas of the Black Hills. Kate thought she'd bring a bright spot to the darkest day.
"Tis true," Keelin went on. "But is it not
a grand feeling to know you have such connections?"
"My connections are all right here," Charlie argued. "Except for Quin, who keeps running around getting himself into hot water, of course. Next thing I know, you'll be comparing me to James McKenna!"
"Charlie, hush!"
"Don't hush me at my own table, Rose --"
"Da can be a difficult one," Keelin said, stopping the argument cold. "When he takes a stand, he will dig in. But he is a good man with human failings like the rest of us."
Kate was aware of Keelin glancing at Tyler, giving him a look that was half-reproaching, half-teasing, as if she'd had personal experience with his shortcomings. And yet... she'd married him anyway. Love conquering all?
Unbidden, Chase came to mind.
"And though Da does not often admit when he is wrong," Keelin was saying, her lilt mesmerizing, "his heart has never been the same since his family became... disconnected."
"By me, you mean," Charlie groused.
"By his own weaknesses. Growing up in a country divided by religious and political differences can twist a man's thinking. Perhaps you need to experience such confusion firsthand before you can truly understand."
"The United States has its problems --"
"But it's not at war with itself, Dad," Neil pointed out.
"Not in the same manner," Tyler agreed. "Especially not out here."
Keelin put a hand on Tyler's arm. "I cannot speak for you, Uncle Charlie. I can only say that I would give any decent person who made a terrible error in judgment a second chance." Before he could find a way to object, she turned to her aunt. "Such a lovely dinner, Aunt Rose. I only hope you didn't spend your entire day in the kitchen because of our arrival."
"Oh, no, of course not. This is just a run-of-the-mill Farrell family dinner."
Hand over her mouth so no one would hear her snicker, Kate exchanged another significant look with her brother who was hiding his smile behind a napkin. That their mother glowed from the inside out thrilled Kate. Keelin was good medicine for Mom. And maybe for Dad, as well.
Her Irish cousin seemed to have a keen insight on people... her belief in second chances nagging at Kate through the rest of the meal.
ALL COMPLAINING THEY WERE STUFFED, the men retired to Dad's study, while Mom insisted on loading the dishwasher herself.
Wanting a few minutes alone with Keelin, Kate had volunteered to give her cousin an unofficial tour of the grounds. As they strolled through the barn, both of them handed out carrot sticks to the riding horses, who'd already been brought in against possible bad weather.
"Why are you really here, Keelin?"
"This is my marriage trip."
"You didn't even know Tyler when you came to the States," Kate reminded her, leading the way outside to the accompaniment of snorted protests. "You went to see Skelly and Aileen and Uncle Raymond in Chicago. Now you're here."
"I cannot be fooling you, I see. I want Da, Aunt Rose and Uncle Raymond to be reunited."
Kate grinned. "Good. I was trying to figure out how to get Mom to go back to Ireland for a visit myself."
"So you think she would be amenable?"
"I'm certain she would. Dad's the problem." Kate sighed. "Mom's always had her moods over what happened with her brothers. I think it made her sick inside. And it's stopped her and Dad from being truly happy together. No matter how much they love each other, there's this invisible wall at times... Lately, I think Mom has been worried that if she isn't reunited with James and Raymond soon, it'll be too late."
"My very thought," Keelin admitted. "Da recently had a heart attack."
"Oh, Keelin --"
"He'll be doing fine, God willing. But when he was at his most desperate, he called out for Raymond and Rose. Of course, now that he's recovered, he'll not be admitting to his heart's desire. I know having all his family around him would give Da the resolve to live forever. That's why I want a family reunion. All the McKennas and their loved ones together."
A fleeting image of her holding Chase's hand in the midst of her extended family put a lump in Kate's throat. "When?"
"In time to celebrate our parents' sixtieth birthday."
"Perfect. Exactly what Mom needs." Kate frowned, thinking she should warn her cousin. "If Dad pressures her, I'm not sure she'll agree. Then again... you practically had him eating out of your hand."
Keelin's eyes widened. "And I thought I had irritated him beyond reason."
"Trust me, you did good."
Kate stopped before a fenced pasture where several mares grazed with their foals. The sun was in the process of setting and the sky had darkened to a purple streaked with pink and orange. In the far, far distance, faint streaks of lightning stabbed through thick clouds to touch the earth. Her familiar whistle brought the mothers closer, the long-legged babies shadowing them. Then she clucked softly until a blue roan boldly stuck her nose through the split rails.
Watching Kate closely, Keelin said, "You remind me of my brother Curran. He has a gift with the horses. He trains Thoroughbreds for a well-known Irish stable."
The wind soughed around them, plucking and pushing at her. Kate hesitated only a moment. "Speaking of gifts... how well did you know our grandmother?" She gave the mare a carrot stick.
"Better than anyone."
"Could Moira really communicate with animals?"
"Among other talents."
As Kate stroked the mare, she automatically checked her out, turning inward until a feeling of wellness and contentment filled her. She smiled and patted the roan.
"You have the touch, as well, don't you?" Keelin asked, sounding a bit awed.
Surprised that her cousin had known what she was up to, Kate said, "That I do." She distributed carrot sticks among the other mares who'd responded to her whistle.
Keelin laughed happily. "Oh, my, and I thought I was the only one."
"You're able to connect with animals, too?"
"I inherited a different ability from our grandmother." Keelin sobered. "I sometimes dream through another's eyes -- dreaming what they are seeing at that very moment. I don't mind when the visions are pleasant, but that has not always been the case. I've seen terrible things, Kate -- people in desperate trouble."
Lightning flickered in the distance as if for emphasis, sending a chill through Kate and reminding her of her current situation. "I can empathize. The responsibility gets to you, right?"
Keelin nodded. "The first time it happened, I declared that I wanted nothing to do with such a burden. Gran told me that I was chosen because I was strong enough to meet the challenge. No matter. For most of my life, I thought this gift a curse. And yet, if I'd not had it... Tyler's daughter Cheryl had been kidnapped and somehow, across an ocean and half a continent, I saw through her eyes in my dreams."
"That's how you met Tyler?"
"Aye. Thank heaven I helped rescue his child... but only after pushing my gift beyond the boundaries I'd known before."
Suddenly, Kate felt less alone with her own burden. "I'm so glad things turned out for the positive." Both for Cheryl and for Keelin.
The air had turned chilly and damp, and she realized the sky overhead had grown dark. Though often the threatening weather zigzagged around them, there was no use taking chances and getting caught in a downpour.
"Maybe we should get back before the skies open."
"I don't melt when I get wet," Keelin said with a laugh. "Eire has more than its share of rain."
"Not like we have, it doesn't. Have you ever seen hail the size of softballs?"
Keelin went wide-eyed. "Perhaps we should hurry."
Both laughing, they set off arm-in-arm, Kate saying, "You really love Tyler, don't you?"
"More than life itself."
Feeling closer to Keelin than a cousin -- almost as if she'd found the sister she'd always longed for -- she asked, "What if a person you loved did something really awful? Could you forgive him and love him anyway?"
A haunted expression flashed t
hrough Keelin's eyes. "I would consider all the circumstances. And I would look to see what kind of person he really was. I would ask myself which was the more important -- a single deed or the whole of the man. And most of all, Kate, I would ask myself whether or not I felt true love for him."
Keelin sensed what she hadn't want to concede to herself, Kate realized. She'd admitted to being in lust with the man, but... she'd not asked herself how she felt about Chase deep in her heart, because she'd been afraid of the answer. Now she was afraid the answer was becoming all too obvious.
"None of us is perfect or we would all be part of the heavenly choir," Keelin said. "I believe we were put on earth to make ourselves the best human beings possible. Unfortunately, some of us have to work harder than others to become all we can."
And Chase's father had given him a hellish start, Kate remembered. So many victims succumbed to a life of misery and never found their way out. Chase had fought back. Perhaps he hadn't always done the correct thing, but he had kept fighting and he had changed. Any woman should be proud to love the man he had become.
"Kate, may I ask you something personal?"
Thinking Keelin's curiosity was about her relationship with Chase, she said, "Of course."
"Earlier this evening, I sensed you were troubled by something. I was wondering about the source. Perhaps I can help."
Not wanting to alert the rest of her family, Kate stopped in the shelter of an outbuilding before they reached the house. She found herself telling Keelin about the problems plaguing the refuge and gave her a shorthand version of her stormy relationship with Chase Brody.
She told her about Doc and how, through Sage, she'd come to realize his death hadn't been an accident.
And about her determination to bring the villain to justice.
"I can't let this rest, Keelin, no matter how dangerous it might become. I have to keep on for Doc's sake."
"And for Chase."
"And for Chase," she echoed softly, realizing that it was true.
Even knowing that, if the refuge did fail, he might turn around and walk straight out of her life again, she would do anything to help him.
The McKenna Legacy Trilogy Page 54