He rippled the reins across the backs of the horses and they stepped out.
She didn’t speak to him again until after they had passed Apache Springs.
“You know who I am,” she said. “You know my name.”
He said nothing.
“I don’t know yours.”
“No.”
“Do you mind telling me who you are? What is your name?”
“Cody.”
“Just Cody?”
“Zak Cody.”
“Zachary?”
“No, just Zak.”
She spelled it: “Z-A-C-H?”
“No. Z-A-K. My father couldn’t spell too well.”
“Cody,” she said. “I’ve heard that name before. Somewhere. From my brother Ted, I think. Do you know him?”
“No, I don’t.”
“That’s odd. I’m sure he’s mentioned you. It’ll come to me in a minute.”
“It’s not important,” he said.
“It is to me.”
“Why?”
“It might tell me who you really are. You don’t talk much.”
“When I have something to say, I talk.”
“You’re not in the army.”
“No.”
“But you were.”
“I was.”
“Ah, that’s at least something.”
“Is it?”
“Why, yes. It explains why you’re going to Fort Bowie.”
“Does it?”
“Well, I would think so.”
Cody said nothing. A cloud passed below the sun, throwing a shadow over the trail. They both listened to the creak and clank of the coach as it rumbled through rough, rocky country that was almost flat and seemingly endless, with only cactus and mesquite to break the monotony.
Cody did not know why Colleen’s brother might have mentioned his name, and it wasn’t important. But if Ted O’Hara knew who he was, then some of his past might come out and he couldn’t help that. A man carried his past with him. It followed him like a shadow.
“General Crook,” she said.
“What?” Cody said.
“Were you with General Crook?”
“Yes, I was.”
“I remember now. Ted said you saved Crook’s life once. Is that true?”
Cody shrugged. “Who knows about such things?” he said. “I won’t claim credit for such.”
But she looked at him with different eyes now, as she recalled what her brother had said once, when speaking with other officers. Zak Cody, she decided, was no ordinary man. From the tone of Ted’s voice, from the obvious respect and admiration implied by what he’d said, Zak Cody was almost a legend. But that was all she knew about him.
And, she wanted to know more.
Much more.
Chapter 3
