{Chapter 15}

“I see him. More than likely, he’s just curious. I’m going to fall back just incase. I’ll send a man up here with you” Mark turned his horse around and rode back to where the herd was.

A few moments later, both Adam and Wade rode up beside her.

“Mark sent the both of us,” Wade explained.

“Have you ever encountered Indians?” Katie asked them.

“Nope” Adam shook his head.

“There’s just one, so there probably won‘t be any trouble” Wade told her.

Katie felt her muscles relax a little bit as his words, but the way she imagined the beady eyes of that Choctaw brave staring at them made her shiver.

“Where’s the kid?” Adam asked.

“Back there” Katie nodded to the back of the chuck wagon.

She looked back up at the Indian on a far rise and held her breath. He just sat there atop his horse and didn’t bother moving an inch. His horse’s tail didn’t even swish to get rid of the flies that no doubt plagued him.

Just as soon as he came, he turned his horse around and rode off, disappearing behind the rise.

Katie let out a whoosh of breath and smiled.

Adam looked over at her and a gentle grin tugged at his lips.

Wade turned his horse around and rode back to meet up with Mark.

“You okay?” Adam asked her.

“I’m fine, why?”

“You looked a little scared to me” Adam shrugged.

Katie snorted before she could catch herself. What unladylike pig was she becoming? “I wasn’t scared.”

“See, the trouble with you, Katie, is that your eyes reveal every feeling you try to hide form me.”

“Pssh. My eyes see, and that’s all they do” Katie shook her head as if the idea were preposterous.

“Whatever you say, sweetness. I’ll talk to you later. I’ve got to get out of here before Mark sees me and develops yet another grudge against me” Adam smiled.

Sweetness.

How she had missed that old pet name. Adam had used it more than her actual name all those years ago.

That night, Katie pulled Mark aside from the rest of the cowboys.

“I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me,” she said.

“What is it?” Mark sounded more annoyed than interested.

“What are the chances that we’ll see another Indian?” Katie asked.

“You’re still talking about that Indian? This is neutral territory, Katie. We’ll most likely not see another one” Mark waved her question off with his hand.

“How long until we’re out of Oklahoma?” Katie asked yet another question.

“We should be out of Oklahoma territory in a few days,” Mark told her.

Katie sighed. “Good. Don’t mention these questions to anyone else, hear?”

Mark nodded and went back to sit with the rest of the cowboys.

Katie sighed and went back to the chuck wagon to finish putting the dishes back in place.

“Katie” a hand grasped her arm and pulled her back.

Katie resisted a squeal and she spun to look at the person who grabbed her. It was only Adam.

“Adam Sterling! I’m going to murder you,” she scolded.

“Come with me. Hurry before the sun sets” Adam gave her the reins to a horse.

“We’ll get in big trouble if they find us gone together” Katie hesitated.

“So? What are they gonna do?” Adam grinned at her. “It’ll be worth it.”

Just the way he had made her do things when they were younger. Katie shook her head and mounted her horse.

“Where are we going, anyway?” she asked.

“You’ll see” Adam led the way until they came upon the foot of a black mesa.

The flat-topped mountain with hues of orange and tan looked towering and large from where Katie sat, but Adam’s horse went right up a narrow path that led to the top with ease. Katie followed close behind him, refusing to look down. Once they reached the top of the mesa, Adam stopped his horse and hopped down.

“Hurry. The sun’s about to set” He walked over to her and helped her down from her horse.

She ignored the jolt she felt when she slid down the length of his body. Adam took her hand and led her to the other side of the flat top.

Katie stood beside him and gasped at the sight. The sun was just about to sink behind the horizon, but cast its rays wide as they spread across the sky, cutting through the roaming clouds. The sky was a shade of pink and orange and made the world seem brighter from up high. Katie could see for miles this way. She had passed many mesas on the way through Oklahoma, but never thought of being at the top of one.

“Adam… it’s beautiful” she smiled.

“Isn’t it?” Adam grinned.

Katie felt as if God painted the sky just for her and Adam to enjoy. Up as high as she was, she felt like there were no other people in the world… as if it was just her and Adam’s sunset.

Katie couldn’t take her eyes off the scene. She had never seen anything more beautiful in her life

“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” She breathed.

“Yep, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life” Adam said.

Katie kept her eyes straight forward, so she didn’t see that longing look in Adam’s eyes when he looked at her.

Adam watched as the shafts of pink and orange washed over Katie’s face. The shine in her eyes was well worth dragging her up here. She looked happy at that moment. Adam couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

Then it hit him that after the cattle drive, he would be continuing his search for his brother’s murderer. He would leave. He dropped his gaze to the ground, a nagging guilt in the pit of his stomach. For some reason the thought of leaving Katie again didn’t set well with him. It wasn’t like he rediscovered his love for her again, was it? He had laid that love to rest five years ago.

Part of him wanted to tell her the truth. To tell her every detail of what happened that day nearly three months ago about three miles out of town. He had to tell her. She deserved to know, didn’t she? No, she didn’t. He deserved for her to know. He had to tell someone or his guilt would keep growing until it exploded inside of him.

“Katie” he said softly.

She turned her face toward him, the setting sun’s dying light giving a lovely glow to her cheeks. Her brow furrowed.

“What’s wrong, Adam?”

“I… I’ve got to tell you something.”

*********

Toni rocked Justin back to sleep and cooed to him softly. He yawned and closed his eyes, a moment later in a deep sleep. Toni smiled and lay him down on his little makeshift bed. Sliding off the chuck wagon, Toni ran her hands over her jeans on the top of her legs and sighed.

“Toni, come on” Erik walked up beside her and pulled her away from the rest of the camp.

“Why? What’s the matter?” Toni huffed as he continued to pull her away.

“Nothin’” Erik said nonchalantly.

“Then why on earth are you acting so strange?” Toni grew impatient with her peculiar husband.

Once they were out of earshot of camp, Erik stepped behind a tree and pulled her up against him.

“You know I love you, don’t you?” he asked sweetly.

Toni’s irritation flitted away as quickly as it had come.

“Uh huh” She replied. “And you know I know I love you.”

“But what I don’t know that you know I don’t know is if you love me too” Erik teased and touched her nose with the tip of his finger.

“I think you do know, you just want to hear me say it” Toni smiled and leaned into him.

“Maybe” Erik grinned.

“Fine” Toni playfully rolled her eyes. “I love you too.”

“Wasn’t so hard to say, was it?” Erik said as he hand rubbed the small of her back.

“Words are cheap,” Toni said.

Erik kissed the tip of her nose. “That they are.”

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