Wild Winds

by Janelle Taylor

  “That’s true, Maggie,” Abby said shyly, “but if Mother and Father see you out, they’ll know you left us alone here.”

  “If Matthew promises to be a gentleman,” Maggie said, “then I promise to stroll in the opposite direction from theirs.”

  “Hard as it will be with a beautiful and special lady beside me, I’ll behave myself during your brief absence,” Matthew teased with a broad grin.

  “I’ll take you at your word, Matthew, because a true gentleman would never deceive a lady.”

  Maggie exited the hotel and headed toward the Colorado River. She didn’t get far before a horse’s neighing caught her attention. She looked in the corral next door and saw a magnificent black animal standing at the fence, his head pointed in her direction. When he tossed it backward several times as if summoning her, she couldn’t resist the pull, so she walked to him. “Hello, you handsome boy. Are you bored with nothing to do?” He seemed to accept her company and didn’t give any signs of tension. His ears didn’t stiffen and his gaze was calm and clear. “Would you rather be galloping across the countryside?” she asked as she stroked his neck several times.

  “You must have a magical hand, ma’am, because Diablo doesn’t allow anyone except me to touch him unless I’m around and give the okay.”

  Recognizing that stirring voice, Maggie half-turned as the handsome stranger joined her, and the horse instantly moved close to its master who touseled its forelock with apparent affection. Today, he was attired in a just-aboveknee black frock coat, pale-blue shirt, dark-blue jeans, red bandanna, clean black boots, and dust-free black hat. He was wearing two pistols on a brown leather cartridge belt, yet there was nothing about his voice, expression, or manner to indicate he was a cold-blooded or cocky gunslinger as most were she’d seen during her travels.

  “I can see you survived your collision with me yesterday. I realized afterward that I didn’t introduce myself: I’m Hawk Reynolds.”

  Maggie extended her right hand to let him know it was all right to shake it, as a real gentleman knew it was improper to reach for a lady’s hand before or unless she offered it to him, which he hadn’t. As he did so with a gentle grasp, she responded, “My name is Miss Margaret Anne Malone. I’m visiting the Mercers; Mr. Mercer’s daughter and I are old and close friends.” If he had a reputation as a gunslinger, she hadn’t heard of him; neither had she met him before Yuma, as he wasn’t a man any woman would forget.

  She blushed as she realized she had given more information than necessary to a stranger during a casual encounter, especially her marital status. “Do you live in or near Yuma, Mr. Reynolds?” she asked.

  Hawk was surprised and oddly pleased by her openness and honesty, and he was warmed and baffled by the slight pink glow which came to her cheeks. “Nope, just passing through.” As he propped one boot on the fence’s lowest rail and his elbows on the top one, he added, “Actually, I came to Yuma to solicit business, but I haven’t found anything useful here, so I’ll be heading for Tucson on Tuesday to do the same thing.”

  “What type of business are you in?” she asked in rare boldness.

  Hawk chuckled and said, “I have one of those kinds of jobs that a lot of people frown at; I hire out as a bounty hunter sometimes; a tracker, at others. Seems as if somebody’s always losing somebody or something they love and want returned. I do a lot of missing person jobs, and I sometimes escort travelers through perilous or unknown territory.”

  Maggie liked the fact they had something in common. “That sounds like interesting work to me, stimulating and exciting.”

  “It can be; mostly it’s just a lot of time alone on the trail in all kinds of weather, but the pay’s usually good and I get to be my own boss.” You’ve made your clever points, so ride another trail before she gets suspicious. “I take it you know and love horses from the way Diablo responds to you.”

  Surely a man with his job couldn’t be married or stay in one place long enough to have a sweetheart. “I was born and reared on a ranch before my father died and my mother sold it years ago. I was a pretty good cowpoke as a young girl, and I love horses.”

  Hawk smiled. “I’ve been a pretty good cowpoke in my day, too, but years ago. That surely explains why he took to you so fast and easy.”

  “What kind is he? How long have you had him?”

  “He’s a mustang; I roped him, broke him, and trained him myself. I couldn’t have a better mount or friend. Diablo and I have been together for nine years, since I was eighteen.”

  “That means you’re twenty-seven,” she unintentionally figured aloud.

  “I will be in three months. Where do you live, Miss Malone?”

  Maggie went on alert, knowing it was unwise to reveal too much about herself to anyone, so she half-lied, “I came here from Sante Fe.”

  “That’s a nice town; I’ve been there a few times in the past. How long will you be visiting in Yuma, if that’s not being too nosy?”

  Impolite? You have wonderful manners, Hawk Reynolds. You seemgenial, educated, and respectful. “I’ll be leaving this week. Where was your home before you went on the road?”

  Hawk knew he was being studied and appraised on the sly, which was exactly what he was doing with her. Want to ask somebody to check up on me, do you? “I’m from Wichita in Kansas, but I’ve been gone for a long time.”

  “Speaking of being gone for a long time, I have to get back to my friend. I told her I was only going to take a short walk to settle my dinner, but I didn’t get past Diablo’s summons. It’s been pleasant talking with you, Mr. Reynolds. Good-bye.”

  “Been a pleasure talking with you, Miss Malone. Goodbye.”

  Maggie and Abby sat cross-legged as they faced each other on Maggie’s bed, their skirts laying neatly across their laps to keep them from wrinkling. Matthew had left ten minutes ago, but the Mercers had not returned from their visit.

  “Tell me everything,” Maggie coaxed. “Did he kiss you? Did he ask you to marry him or hint in that direction?” She saw Abby’s face and gaze glow with exhilaration and heard her voice fill with joy when she responded.

  “I shall love you forever for giving us our first minutes of privacy. Mother and Father would be vexed with us if they discovered that secret, but if they do, it will be well worth their anger. Oh, Maggie, he’s absolutely wonderful, a dream come true. I felt weak and hot all over when he held me and kissed me. He said he loves me, and I told him the same thing. He said he’s going to approach Father about asking for my hand in marriage if I agreed to his proposal.”

  “Which I’m certain you did, right?”

  “Without a moment’s delay,” Abby admitted.

  “When is he going to take that huge step?”

  “In a month. We decided we should wait a while longer and see each other regularly for appearance’s sake. Since we’ve only been courting for a short time, my parents and others might think we were being too hasty . It will be difficult to wait, especially since we won’t get any more privacy after you leave. We decided, if my parents agree, we’ll become betrothed next month and get married Christmas.”

  “What a marvelous holiday gift that will be for both of you. That means, by next Christmas, I should be an aunt,” Maggie jested.

  “If you get busy and find a good man like mine, you could be married by then yourself. Too bad you’re leaving soon and won’t get a chance to see that handsome stranger again.”

  “I’ve already seen him again; his name is Hawk Reynolds; he’s from Wichita; and he has a job similiar to mine, except he’s self-employed.”

  “When and how did you learn all of those facts?”

  “During my stroll.” Maggie related the unexpected episode to her friend. “I like him a lot, but this isn’t the right time or place to begin a romance, and he might not be interested in one with me or any woman. He struck me as being a loner and wanderer, not the settling down type. Besides, it would be wrong to get involved with any man when the matter of Ben Carver is looming ov
er my head. I must wait until that matter’s resolved.”

  “By then, dear Maggie, he could be long gone and lost forever.”

  “If that’s true, then we weren’t destined for each other. But aren’t we talking awfully serious about a man I just. met? For all I know, he could be a villain who’s only wearing a handsome and clever disguise.”

  “You can pretend to be joking, but I know you well, Maggie Malone: you want him badly, my friend. Why not give up your work, stay here, and go after him? I bet he would be responsive. You got Ben out of jail, so let some other detective try to exonerate him.”

  “I can’t do that, Abby; I gave my word. I started this job, so I have to finish it; I have to either prove he’s innocent or return him to prison if he isn’t.”

  On Monday morning, Maggie sneaked down the street while Lucy was bathing, Tom was at the prison, and Abby remained on look out at the hotel. She sent a cleverly worded telegram to her mother and Newl, a preplanned method of getting her out of town so she could begin her investigative work in Prescott. She sent it to the bartender who worked at the Paradise Club in Tucson so the Carver name wouldn’t be on it and perhaps arouse suspicions about her. Afterward, she returned to her room and started packing for her departure tomorrow.

  Maggie went to see Lucy after receiving a response to her wire. “A telegram was delivered to me just now,” she explained. “Mother wants me to join her and my stepfather in Tucson as soon as possible. She said they need me to be with them at this difficult time. I’m sure they’re worried about Newl’s son’s safety, since he’s on the loose and subject to added charges and punishment when he’s recaptured. I’m also worried, ma’am, about the local authorities discovering my identity and causing all of us trouble and embarrassment.”

  “Oh, my word, did Catherine expose your relationship to him?”

  “No, ma’am; she worded the telegram carefully so as to not give away any clues about me, and she simply signed it, ‘Mother.’ I’m sure the men in the both offices didn’t suspect a thing. If I know Mother, she was smart enough to let someone else send the telegram for her.”

  “That’s good. But if there are repercussions, we’ll handle it.”

  “Thank you, ma’am; you and Mr. Mercer have been so kind and wonderful to me concerning this nasty situation.”

  “Don’t worry about it, dear, and tell Catherine we’re thinking about her during this trying period.”

  “Thank you, ma’am, I’ll tell her. I’m going to the depot to check the train’s departure schedule and purchase a ticket. I’ll see you at mealtime downstairs. May Abby walk there with me? We won’t be gone very long.”

  “Of course, she can. You two should spend as much time as possible together until your departure. You’re fortunate we have two passenger trains daily, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding a seat on one in a day or two.”

  Yes, it is fortunate, except for what—no, whom—I’ll be leaving behind forever. Maggie took a deep breath and concluded she and Hawk Reynolds weren’t meant for each othier, much as she wished it were otherwise.

  On Tuesday at one o’clock, as the engineer blew the locomotive’s whistle to signal its impending departure, Maggie took a quick and final look at Prison Hill, then smiled and waved good-bye to Abby and her parents. As the train headed down Madison Avenue at a cautious pace and she was wondering if Ben had made it to Sante Fe and was safe in hiding there, someone tapped her shoulder. After she half-turned, her gaze widened and her lips parted in astonishment. She glanced around to see if any other passenger was observing them, but no one was. She leaned toward him and whispered, “Whatever are you doing here?”

  Chapter

  Five

  “I’m sorry if I startled you, Miss Malone.”

  Maggie gathered her scattered wits and tried to appear poised, though she was thoroughly unsettled by contradictory emotions of joy and panic. “What are you doing here?”

  Hawk perceived her mixed feelings about his unexpected appearance. He was pleased by that effect, as few things evoked slips quicker and easier than being caught by surprise. “I thought I told you I was leaving for Tucson today.”

  “You did, but I assumed you meant overland by horse.”

  “I decided taking the train would be faster and more comfortable for me and Diablo; there’s no need to endure a long and dusty ride when this is faster and easier and don’t cost much. That desert gets mighty hot and dry this time of year.” Hawk grasped the back of the seat and spread his legs to brace himself as the train’s speed increased. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  “Yes, you may sit next to me; I don’t mind, as long as you remain a gentleman.”

  “Thanks, Miss Malone, that’s mighty kind of you, and I will be.”

  After Hawk settled himself, his long legs a little cramped in those less than spacious confines, he told her, “I intended to take the early train, but I had a sudden change of plans. A man hired me to go to Prescott to check on his missing daughter.”

  Maggie went on full alert and three questions raced through her mind as the conductor reached them and checked their tickets. Was this meeting a coincidence? Or was a displeased God going to use Hawk to punish her for the illegal deed she had committed? Or was Fate throwing them together for generous reasons? Whichever was true, his appearance couldn’t be worse timing. She told herself she had to come up with a credible explanation, and fast! When they were alone again, she voiced her question. “You’re heading for Prescott, not Tucson?”

  Hawk saw her blue gaze widen so he knew that revelation made her nervous and perhaps suspicious. He smiled and hurried on with his fabricated excuse, “That’s right, Miss Malone. She took off with a fancy-dressed and smooth-talking gambler yesterday, and her parents didn’t know about it until last night and they’re worried about her. Her father heard about me from a friend, looked me up just after sunrise, and hired me to locate her. He asked me to see if I can convince her to return home; if not, to make sure she’s safe and knows what she’s doing. By the time I traced them to yesterday’s train using fake names, I almost missed catching this one. I thought they might have taken that steamer that left Yuma yesterday because gamblers love to travel on them and ply their trade during the trip. I’m glad they didn’t, because it would’ve taken them twenty or more days to reach Prescott using that means; that river’s slow, winding, and treacherous; and she makes lots of stops. I surely didn’t want to hang around for weeks awaiting their arrival.”

  The news that he was heading to the same destination told Maggie she would have to be careful not to arouse any suspicions; after all, he was a bounty hunter and she was going after men with big prices on their heads. Though her criminal act had not been detected at this point in time, she might soon be exposed and have a juicy reward put out on her, one he might be tempted to collect! Tension and suspense flooded her as she realized his presence could intrude on her carefully made plans. Just stay calm and clear-headed, if that’s possible around such an irresistible and potent force. “I’m sure her family is terribly worried about her. How old is she?”

  “Twenty-one, and has a slight wild streak according to her father.”

  Don’t you dare let that sexy grin and handsome face distract you and cause a hazardous slip! “She must be impulsive to take off with a gambler—and without being married. I assume they didn’t wed before they left town or her parents wouldn’t be so worried about her?”

  “Nope, I checked with every preacher there. But her note said they were eloping, so maybe they’ll tie the knot in Prescott or in some town along the way.”

  “If they wed, surely you won’t be able to persuade her to return home.”

  “The main thing her family is interested in is her safety and happiness. If she’s made a terrible mistake, they want her to know she shouldn’t be too embarrassed to return home. They don’t want him using her and dumping her somewhere, and then having her being too ashamed to admit her error.”

  “I
’m sure that happens plenty of times to unsuspecting and trusting young women when a ‘smooth-talking’ man sweeps them off their feet,” she said. She knew for a fact that occurred, as she’d had a few jobs that involved tracking down such girls; she’d found several in dire straights and too humiliated to go home. It had required a lot of fast and clever talking to convince them otherwise.

  Don’t give her time to uncloud her wits; just keep her talking. “You heading back home to Sante Fe?”

  Maggie wished she hadn’t mentioned that town to him, not with Ben hiding out there. “No, I’m also en route to Prescott, for a job.”

  Hawk faked a look of surprise. From following her on the sly in Yuma, he knew about an exchange of telegrams and assumed it was with Newl Carver in Tucson. He also knew from eavesdropping at an open window at the S & P depot that she was heading for Prescott. If what Toby Muns had told him wasn’t true, he couldn’t surmise why Ben would return to the scene of his last crime just to rendezvous with her. Yet, he had no choice except to tag along until that reunion occurred. Besides, if Toby told the truth before his death and Ben—not Coot Sayers— had betrayed Barber and Jones, those two snakes should be searching for Ben as eagerly as he was, if they’d heard Ben was on the loose. “You mean we’ll be traveling together for das and wind up in the same town again?” After she nodded, he smiled and said, “That sounds pleasant to me. What kind of work? You already have a job waiting or you’re planning to look for one later?”

  “In a way, neither and both. Actually, I’m from Virginia and did my last job in Sante Fe. Since I was so close to Arizona, I decided to visit my old and dear friend, Abigail Mercer, and to see if I could do another job in Yuma. I have a close friend in the newspaper business.” That much is true, so now comes the lies. “He hired me to write stories about the Wild West. I’m on a year’s try-out basis. While I was visiting Abby, a man escaped from Yuma Prison. I did some checking and realized it would make an excellent story. Since his crime was carried out in Prescott, I’m heading there to talk to the witnesses, judge, lawyers, and maybe some of the jurors and townfolk. I suppose it sounds foolish to you for a woman to want to become a journalist.”