Distraction (14 page)

The man hovered a moment longer and then walked
away.

“And Libby wonders why I didn’t want to come
tonight,” he said quietly.

“If it makes you feel any better,” I said, not
lifting my face from his shoulder, “I’m truly glad you came. I
badly wanted the evening to end until I saw you, my knight,
striding across the floor to save me.”

He laughed and his warm breath caressed my forehead.
“Considering I came with the sole purpose of seeing you, it worked
out well . . . for both of us.” His arms tightened around me.
“Knight, huh? I like that.”

I smiled as I pressed my face into his shirt and lost
myself in his embrace again.

The song finished and the band took a break. Cade
took my hand and pulled me through the press of bodies to the open
door where Libby stood chatting with two other women. I hadn’t
realized how warm and stifling the room had become until a
refreshing breeze floated in from outside.

Libby pulled herself away from her friends. “What did
Carson want?”

Cade shrugged. “Just wanted to strut that fancy star
of his, I guess.”

“And don’t you forget he’s wearing that badge. You
know he’s just waiting for you to give him a reason to take you
in.”

“Damn, not you too, Libby. You’re just parroting
Charlotte, and I can’t take two of you squawking at me. Remember, I
didn’t want to come in the first place.”

“Fine, I won’t mention it again.” Libby reached over
and fixed a curl of my hair that had come loose. “Are you having a
good time, Poppy?”

“It’s very nice,” I lied.

Cade chuckled at my forced response.

“Speaking of Carson. . .” Something across the room
had caught Libby’s attention. “What do you suppose he could be
talking to Virginia about? She certainly has his undivided
attention.”

Both the man with the moustache and Virginia cast
several curious glances our direction.

I could feel Cade tense next to me. “I’ve got an idea
what it might be. I’ll be right back.”

Libby grabbed for his arm, but he had already moved
out of reach. With the slightest flicker of movement, I saw the man
with the star slide his hand over the gun he wore in his belt.
While I was certain the movement was so subtle only a person
staring directly at him could have seen it, the entire room seemed
to fall silent. Charlotte scurried over to her friend and grabbed
Virginia away. Samuel met his brother as he reached the man they
called Carson.

Tension swirled around the three men as they spoke.
Libby’s face tightened as she watched. The man with the star looked
my direction three times during their conversation, making it quite
obvious that I was the topic. Libby and I sighed simultaneously as
Cade left the trio and returned to where we stood. His expression
was hard to read.

“Well?” Libby asked. “What happened?”

“I told him to mind his own damn business.” Cade
glared back at the man as he spoke. Samuel seemed to be trying his
best to placate Carson.

“It was about me,” I said.

Cade looked down at me. “I won’t let anything happen
to you.” He looked so confident and I felt extraordinarily safe
with Cade, but deep down, the gnawing truth pained me. Cade
imagined himself protecting me from another man, a mortal man. But
the man I was hiding from was more dangerous than a thousand mortal
men. The truth was always there, I’d just chosen to ignore it. For
Cade’s sake, I had to leave him long before Angus found me. I was
slowly giving up hope that Nonni would find me first. I was certain
she would have come for me already, and the longer it took her, the
better the chance that Angus would get to me first.

“Maybe Deputy Carson can help us find Poppy’s
grandmother. Surely he has contacts with the sheriffs in Salem.
Perhaps he could get word to them.” Cade had obviously not told
Libby that I was hiding from someone.

“No,” I blurted, “my grandmother will find me. I
won’t be a burden much longer, I promise.”

Libby put her arm around my shoulder. “You’re no
burden, Honey. In fact, I’ve never had such an industrious and
pleasant helper. But I know you’re homesick. I can see it in your
face sometimes when you don’t know anyone is looking. And if I were
your grandmother, I’d be worried sick about you.”

“I’m sure I’ll be with her soon.” Even I could hear
the lack of confidence in my tone.

The music started up again, and I wanted nothing more
than to leave. Within moments, my wish was answered, although not
in the way I’d planned.

“My ankle!” Charlotte cried from across the room.
Samuel held his wife’s arm as she hobbled to a chair and sat down.
Libby pushed through the crowd. Cade and I followed.

“I told you not to wear those silly new shoes,”
Samuel scolded as we reached them.

Libby placed an arm on Samuel’s shoulder. “That is
certainly not going to help matters now.” Libby leaned down and
pressed on the ankle. Charlotte sucked in a sharp breath. “We need
to get her home so I can get a salve on it.”

Samuel scowled down at his wife. “Home, so soon?
Maybe if you just rest it, you’ll be better in an hour.”

Virginia looked over our shoulders. “Yes, perhaps if
she just rests it.”

Charlotte’s eyes watered, and the usual pink in her
round cheeks had vanished. She’d not been overly kind to me these
last few days, but I felt truly sorry for her now. Her husband
showed absolutely no sympathy for her at a time when she was in
obvious distress. In fact, he seemed far more upset about having to
leave the dance early.

Samuel’s sigh dripped with irritation. “Fine. Put
your arm around my shoulder, and I’ll help you to the door so we
can hoist you up onto the wagon.” His description made it sound as
if she was a sack of flour.

“You know, I think I’ll get a ride home with the
Edmonds,” Virginia said casually. “I mean, no sense in all of us
leaving so early.” Loyal friend that she was, she hurried away. It
seemed my second wish of the evening had been granted.

Cade stepped forward. “Get her wrap, Libby.” He
leaned over, swept Charlotte up into his arms, and carried her
through the maze of spectators and out to the wagon. Libby and I
grabbed up our shawls and hurried behind. Charlotte was no small
woman, but Cade carried her easily up to the box and lowered her
gently to the seat. I handed him up her wrap. Charlotte looked up
at him admiringly as he covered her shoulders.

A figure walking up the dimly lit road caught Cade’s
attention. He finished tending to Charlotte and then nodded at the
man. “Evening, Sheriff Stanton.”

The man, who had now reached the wagon, had shoulders
as broad as the width of the wagon bed and a full head of white
hair. He wore the same silver star as Carson.

Cade looked pointedly at the long gun hanging from
the man’s hand. “You going out hunting at this hour?”

Sheriff Stanton picked up the gun and placed the
barrel over his shoulder. “As a matter of fact, I am. James
Perkins, out on the west road, saw a wolf tonight. Said there was
something strange about the animal. Rabid, no doubt. Came to find
Carson.” The man nodded at Libby and then looked up at Cade again.
“I was hoping I’d find you too. You’re the steadiest hand and best
marksman in town.”

Cade nodded. “I saw the animal on the road north of
my ranch. We can start there. I’ll get my rifle. Jackson is inside.
He’s great at tracking them.” He jumped off the wagon and put out
his hand for me to take. There was a glint in his green eyes as he
helped me up into the wagon, and his hand lingered on mine for
longer than necessary.

Samuel helped Libby up and then climbed up himself.
He pulled a rifle from beneath the wagon seat. “I guess I’d better
have this handy in case we meet up with the wolf on the way
home.”

Cade looked up at his brother. “Don’t hesitate to
shoot. It didn’t look rabid, but it was the biggest wolf I’ve seen
around these parts.”

I leaned over the side of the wagon and looked down
at Cade. “Be careful.”

He smiled up at me. “I plan on it.” He smacked the
side of the wagon. “You’d better get Charlotte home, Samuel. And
keep out a watchful eye.”

The four horses seemed to sense danger as we headed
down the road. River held his head uncharacteristically high, and I
had to hold him back. Even at a walk, the nervous horses lifted
their legs faster than necessary. Hooves pounded the hard ground,
alerting the prey to our presence. Carson, who normally despised
having me near, appeared more than relieved that I was going along
on the hunt.

We headed back toward the ranch to retrace the path
I’d taken when I first saw the wolf. The wagon was well out of
sight and hopefully very near home by now. I had hated leaving
them, but Samuel was skilled with his hunting rifle. I assured
myself over and over again that they would be fine.

“Where did you say you saw this beast?” Sheriff
Stanton asked.

“Just up ahead here. It was hiding in the shrubs
watching the road with odd blue eyes. Big one too. But I didn’t see
any signs of it being rabid. It ran off once it saw me.”

“We’re probably just chasing shadows,” Carson said.
“It’s probably long gone by now.”

Like me, Jackson struggled to keep his horse from
bolting. “I don’t know, Carson, these horses smell something out
here.” Jackson looked up at the night sky. “That sliver of a moon
isn’t going to be much help. I’m going to need to get off and
follow the tracks on foot, but I need to get this horse off the
road. Sheriff, you and Carson ride up ahead and take our horses
with you. They’ll calm down once they are out of smelling range. If
I can find the tracks, we might be able to get closer to its hiding
spot.”

“You’re going to walk on foot out there?” Carson
asked. “With a rabid wolf lurking in the dark?”

“Cade said it wasn’t rabid.” Jackson climbed out of
his saddle and I hopped off River. Carson stared down at him, the
weak moonlight reflecting off his star. “So, you’re going to risk
getting your throat torn out all based on Cade’s word?”

Jackson handed Carson the reins. “Yep.”

I pulled the rifle from my saddle and handed the
reins to Sheriff Stanton. “Now don’t go after it alone, Cade. You
whistle when you need us. We’ll let the horses go if necessary.
They all know how to get home from here.”

Jackson and I hiked through the dry foliage lining
the road to where the ground smoothed enough to see tracks. It was
dark and cold, and I would have much preferred to be home with
Poppy.

“Too bad you don’t have your guardian angel with you
right now,” Jackson commented, as if he’d read my thoughts. “But
then, after the way you walked into that hall tonight, it seems
like you’ve decided to take on the role of guardian.”

“Yeah? I’m surprised you saw me walk in at all the
way you had your eyes glued to Maryann’s cleavage.”

“Can you blame me? I would just love to get my hands
around those plump—”

“Just look for the tracks before we freeze our asses
off.”

Jackson leaned over and examined an area of the
shrubs that was flattened as if an animal had been sleeping on it.
He crouched down and brushed his fingers over something in the
soil. “This drought has made it harder than ever to track anything,
but you were right.” He peered up at me. “This is one massive wolf
we’re chasing.” He stooped over and walked along for several
hundred feet before pointing toward a copse of trees. “It headed
that way. That must be how old man Perkins came across it. His farm
is just past those elms.” Jackson swung his rifle up over his
shoulder. “That beast is long gone. Let’s go home. It’s damn cold
out here.”

We headed back to the road until a snapping sound
cracked the frigid night air. We froze and listened for another
sound. Behind us, feet, or in this case giant paws, crunched the
dry leaves. Simultaneously, we lowered our rifles from our
shoulders.

“Should I whistle?” Jackson whispered.

I shook my head and turned around slowly. A large
wolf stood in the field several hundred yards away. The silhouette
of the animal was black and menacing, and its cold blue eyes
glimmered in the weak glow of the moon. I lifted my rifle and
stared down the barrel at the animal. Its unflinching, hungry gaze
stared me down as if we were in a battle of courage.

“What are you waiting for?” Jackson muttered from the
side of his mouth.

Its white fangs glistened, and it remained still as a
statue, watching us as fiercely as we watched it. I took a steady
aim and fired. It ran off into the darkness.

Jackson stared at me with a look of utter disbelief.
“You missed.”

“Really? What gave it away?”

“I’ve seen you hit a penny off the wheel of a wagon
from three hundred yards and you missed a wolf that was as big as
my horse?”

I shrugged. “Maybe it was the lighting. I’m a better
shot in the daylight.” Truthfully, I was certain I had shot true
and straight.

Horses whinnied on the trail behind us. “Did you get
it? “ Sheriff Stanton called down from the road.

“He missed,” Jackson called back enthusiastically. “I
guess you’re just plain mortal like the rest of us, Buddy.” He
slapped my back.

“Guess so.” We hiked back up to the horses. I looked
back once more to where the wolf had stood. There was something
definitely not right about that animal.

I grabbed the reins and climbed into my saddle. River
had settled down. “That wolf isn’t rabid— just hungry. It’s unusual
for one to get so close to a farmstead and to the road, but I don’t
think it poses any more threat than ususal.”

“Anyhow,” Sheriff Stanton said, “there’s no moon for
proper tracking. We’ll let it be and hope it moves on soon.”

The road back was dark and deserted, but the horses
had apparently spent all their nervous energy on the wolf. Their
big heads hung low as they plodded toward home.