General Barclay believes he’s gotten away with killing her tribe. If she can make it to Washington, she can tell them about the massacre. Slipping silently into the barn she finds a stall open with a saddle mare inside. “Pehnaho,” hello, she whispers and rubs her nose, “I’m going to borrow you.”
“Going somewhere, Kimani,” Harris asks quietly from behind her.
Vanessa whirls around and glares at Harris, leaning against the darkened stall next to hers.
“Kwita!” she fumes.
“That’s not nice,” Harris chuckles, inflaming her anger. “I didn’t know Vanessa could say dammit in Shoshone?”
“Why are you following me?” She snaps, ignoring his taunt and turns to grab the reins.
Harris shoves away from the wall and stalks over to her, snatching the reins from her hand.
“I’ve known you for damn near twenty years. Did you really think I wouldn’t know you’d try this?” His smile fades as he backs her up to the wooden wall inside the stall.
“It’s none of your business…”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” he growls, gently grabbing her upper arms. “I rode across Wyoming for days terrified I’d come across your dead body, mutilated in the snow and ravaged by wild animals.” Steele blue eyes fill with unvoiced emotions and his voice breaks, “You’re not leaving me behind, ever, again, Kimani.”
“Harris,” tears fill her eyes at the emotion radiating from him, but she must protect her heart.
“Don’t Harris me, I mean it Kimani.”
“V-a-n-e-s-s-a,” she says slowly enunciating every letter.
“We are leaving together, Vanessa.” He is furious that she would try to leave him.
“Harris, I couldn’t sleep, that’s all. You misunderstood.” When she tries to pull away, he walks her backward until she bumps against the stall wall. He releases her arms and cages her in with one arm on either side of her body.
“Liar,” he leans down until his mouth is a fraction away from hers and he hears her breath catch in her throat. “We’re leaving together. Did you not wonder why she’s saddled?”
Her eyes drop to his mouth, “You can’t come with me!”
Harris smiles, “Try and stop me. Mount up, before we wake everyone. My horse is waiting out back.”
Harris pulls back and watches her try to mount before he grips her around her waist and lifts her onto the horse. “Thank you,” she murmurs, “these clothes are strange.”
“You look beautiful in anything. Don’t thank me yet, we have a three-day ride to the next town. I’m not going to risk going back to Riverton.”
“But that’s where Barclay is!” she snaps ignoring his compliment.
Harris guides her horse outside and mounts his before answering her. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”
“Harris, if I can get to Washington and tell them about the massacre, they could…”
“I thought about it, Kimani, but until we know who else is involved it will be safer to get you somewhere you can heal. You need to trust me.” Harris trots out of the yard, holding onto her reins and doesn’t notice the look on her face.
‘You will trust me little butterfly.” Ahote’s voice echoes in her mind, and she replies.
“The last time I trusted someone, Harris, everyone I loved ended up dead.”
Harris’s halts at her flippant response and pierces her with his steel blue eyes, “Not everyone, Kimani.”
She blanches at his words, realizing how true they are. Tears threaten, but she pushes them back. “Aren’t we going to say goodbye?”
“I already did.” He kicks his mount into a trot.
“Where are we going?” She asks following him away from the ranch.
“I have a plan, but for now we need to ride.” They ride quietly for a few minutes before she snaps at him.
“Is this like the plan you had when you were seventeen?”
“You’re never gonna let it go, are you?” he demands with a fake frown.
Vanessa giggles, “No. You should have listened to me.”
“Probably. That moose only got one good kick in before Dad shot him.”
“You were lucky. I told you that your clothes were noisy and smelly.”
“Smelly! Now that I take offense at. What teen boy doesn’t smell?”
Vanessa laughs, “One your size smells worse than…” Harris groans and nudges her horse with his. “I learned a lot from that hunting trip. Like never take a girl with us.”
“This girl got two bull moose that summer. You’re just jealous; all you got was a youth.”
“Definitely. No man likes his moose to be called small.”
Vanessa slaps a hand over her mouth in shock while Harris laughs out loud at her embarrassment.
“Harris Rivers! I’m telling your Nan.”
“Nan will just agree with me,” he teases.
“I miss her,” her soft laughter makes him grin.
“You will see her soon.” He decides that making her smile and laugh is his new goal. “I love your laugh,” he tells her.
Vanessa glances at him, thinking of his family, “Thank you.”
“Wait till you see Dalton’s triplets! The girls are crawling everywhere now.”
“I’m happy for them.” They fall quiet as they ride.
“Now, will you tell me where we are going,” she teases a few minutes later.
“Like a dog with a bone,” he murmurs. “Sutton drew me a map to Fort Conner. It was abandoned after the treaty was signed. We should be able to rest in one of the cabins on the property before we move on to Fort Steel. It’s a day’s ride past Conner.”
“Harris, I don’t understand. If Ahbe’ signed the treaty, why did they attack? I have so many questions.”
“I know, and we will get some answers, I promise.”
They can only ride for three hours before they are forced to
