“Whatever happens today, she does not get left behind. Harris, I need a promise that you will get her to safety,” he demands.
Her protests are ignored as Harris interrupts, “I promise, Dalton.” One by one, each brother echoes the sentiment.
“Good Lord, I am outnumbered!” she moans. They all laugh until Chase speaks.
“We need to move,” Chase prods. “They have reached the top of Warrior's peak. Once they reach the bottom, they will have to cross the plain. It will dry out fast now that the sun is up. You must have really done a job for them to go to such trouble.”
“It was a real blast, wasn’t it, Cassie?” Dalton quips.
“You're never going to let it go, are you?” she stomps over to her mare and snatches the reigns from him.
He is laughing as they head outside to mount up. Her lips curl into an answering smile, and Cassie blinks against the brightness of the sun. She pauses outside and allows her eyes to adjust. Steele and Chase lead the way, followed by Dalton and Cassie. Pierce and Harris bring up the rear, and they begin to ascend the mountain.
It is a steep climb, and the horses struggle under the crumbling mountain path. They ride for two hours until finally reach the trail. It’s like the other pass, and Cassie is looking up the side of the mountain when Dalton calls to her.
“Do you think we should block it, Cassie?” She turns to look at him, and he is grinning at her.
“Shut up,” Cassie grumbles and refuses to smile back at him. “You didn’t complain a few days ago.”
They stop for lunch on the other side in the shade of the mountain.
“Exactly how did you block the Warrior Peak Pass?” Chase demands. As a soldier, he is curious how this small female stopped a band of Cherokee.
Cassie looks at him and finds all of the brothers are looking at her expectantly. She glances at the curious faces and smiles. “Dynamite. Two sticks, perfectly timed. One in the air to cause a small rock slide, the other stick placed at just the right spot to crumble the larger boulders and cause a slide to block that narrow canyon.”
They stare at her in shock, and it is her turn to laugh. “What can I say, I like to blow things up too!” she says as she moves away to find privacy for a moment.
Steele is the first to respond. “Where did you find her?”
“She found me,” Dalton answers proudly.
“Lucky bastard,” Chase teases.
Alone for a moment, Cassie takes care of personal business and then stands to stare in awe at the view from the side of the mountain. Beautiful mountains are in the distance, but the spread of land below is magnificent. Lush green, plains. Rivers twist and turn through the land, and a herd of wild horses runs wild and free across the land. Overhead a hawk floats on the band of air, soaring as though showing off.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Dalton asks. “I was five the first time my father brought me here. He wanted each of us to see how beautiful this land truly is. We own five thousand acres of the Wyoming Territory. I want to share it with you, Cassie.”
“It is magnificent, Dalton. From up here, I feel hope. Hope that my problems are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I don’t understand, why did you lie to your brothers about us, Dalton? We aren’t married.”
“Who said I lied?” Before he can continue a whistle cuts through. Tension returns and Dalton spins to go back to his brothers.
“What does that mean?” she wonders as she follows him.
When they return, they find the brothers deep in conversation. “We have company, coming.” Steele points off into the distance. Cassie strains to see anything. On the horizon she sees movement, but she can’t clearly make it out.
“Who is it?” Cassie asks? No one answers immediately, and her stomach drops.
“Chase?” Dalton asks.
He runs a hand through his dark hair before answering. “Two possibilities. Bandits drawn by the blast or Indians attracted for the same reason.”
“Options?” Harris demands.
Pierce looks down the mountain and then back at the brothers. “We have two options, we make it to the foothills and try to outrun them, or we take a stand and fight back.”
Everyone falls quiet, and Cassie waits, listening. Her mind is spinning while they begin to discuss plans. Monsieur Constant said her gifts would grow. Is it possible that she could influence their minds? If she could, she could make the men coming think they see something that isn't real? If so, how long could she hold it and how close would she need to be? Would Dalton's family be so understanding of her gifts?
Dalton is worried. To be caught between two bands of Indians is the worst case scenario. He listens to his brothers before looking through the binoculars once more. “We make for the ranch. We are only thirty miles from home. We should be able to make it.” Dalton decides. Everyone mounts up, and they continue down the mountain. They make good time, and once on the ground, Cassie is shocked that the land is not flat. In the background are the largest mountains, with the smaller hills, which look like small mountains to her, rise up in front of them.
Two of the brother's scout ahead and two bring up the rear, while Dalton stays by her side. At this pace, they should make the ranch by nightfall. The men push hard, aware that they are being closed in on all sides.
Cassie feels the stress beating at her from all of them. They are worried about Indians, bandits, bears, snakes and how long till he can press his mouth to her…? Embarrassment ripples through Cassie and
