“Strange,” Vanessa glances around.
“Not really, I suppose. Towns are popping up all over Wyoming.” He glances down the track with a worried glance, and they turn and follow the tracks for a few minutes.
With a glance around the terrain ahead of them Harris notices the change. The valley where the buffalo grazed is behind them and ahead of them are the foothills of the mountains. It’s a relief in one regard that means more cover for them, but it will be harder on the horses.
Kimani glances around and points to a hill ahead of them. “Look up there, Harris. That would be ideal for us to stop and make camp.” It’s covered with trees high enough to give a good vantage point in all directions.
“Good eye, we can make camp there.”
They work together quickly to set up camp. Luckily, it has a few large boulders to provide a visual break from the other side. Kimani makes a small fire next to a boulder to reflect the heat, while Harris takes care of the horses. She glares angrily at the skirt she’s forced to wear and wishes desperately for her regular clothes. They were more comfortable and less restricting. Harris grabs the bedrolls and places them close to the fire.
Night will be on them soon, and she grows nervous just thinking about it. Sitting next to the glowing fire, she builds it quickly as she was taught. When she hears a rumble in the distance, she quickly tosses a handful of snow dampening the flame.
“What is it?” She whispers, moving to his side. Harris grabs his binoculars from his bag and moves to the ridgeline overlooking the valley they left behind.
“A train!” He urges, “Get down.” Harris stares at the train and frowns. It’s clearly marked Army on the side of the cars. He slides down and waits for the train to pass.
“I thought the Fort was abandoned?” she whispers.
“So did I,” Harris replies. An active train track indicates something else.
“We must be getting close to the Fort by now?” Kimani asks.
“I’d say another ten miles, maybe. Let’s get some rest and eat. In the morning we can ride further down the tracks and check it out from a distance.”
Kimani doesn’t argue. “I’m exhausted. That sounds like a good idea.”
Harris frowns as she gets up and stretches, wincing at the pain in her back. “If you handle the bedrolls and fire, I’ll water and feed the horses.”
She nods and gets to work without complaining. Harris guides the horses further down the rise, allowing the hill to provide visual protection. When he returns to camp, he is surprised to find her asleep in her bedroll, next to the fire.
Harris walks over and kneels down beside her. The low fire flickers, painting her hair with caramel highlights. She shivers and curls up tightly in an attempt to get warm. Grabbing a blanket from his bedroll, he drops it over her and stares down at her. He’s always felt protective of her, but things have changed, and he can no longer picture his future without her in it. Kimani stands up for her beliefs, fights for what she wants, is smart, funny, and sexy as hell. Before he can plan a future with her, he needs to get her to safety.
Doubts plague him. There’s always the back-up plan, but can she make it to the mountains? He scrubs a hand over his face and rises to make a quick meal.
When he hears the rumbles a second time, he hurries to watch from the same spot as earlier. The sun has set, but he can see enough to read the word Army on the side of the train. After returning to camp, he eats and settles down next to her to sleep. Harris lays beside her and drags the blanket over the two of them. Kimani frowns and curls into his body, using his arm as a pillow she grabs his arms and pulls them tightly around her body.
Harris sighs, content to hold her safely in his arms and kisses the back of her head. She fits his body as if carved just for him. He sleeps with a smile on his face.
Two more times, during the night, he wakes to the rumble of a train. Each time, he expects Kimani to wake, but she rolls into his body and sleeps deep. He holds her tight and secure and waits for dawn.
The wolf pads through camp stopping to look down at Harris holding her in his arms. His head drops low and his lip curls back in a low snarl. Harris jerks awake, and his eyes fly open wide in horror. It takes a second for his mind to register what he’s seeing.
Death glares at him, with steam coming from his nostrils and drool dripping from his sharp canines. Harris edges his hand down, reaching for his pistol beneath the blanket.
A loud snarling growl rips from the beast’s throat waking Kimani with a start. She gasps when she recognizes the wolf. “Harris don’t shoot him,” Kimani pleads, but when she attempts to move both man and beast snarl at her.
Kimani huffs out a breath of frustration. “I’ve seen him before,” she explains softly. “He’s warning us of something.” The wolfs brown eyes dart to hers, he stops growling and backs up a step. “Lower the pistol and let me up,” she hisses at him.
Harris is trembling with the urge to shoot and protect first, but the wolf sits down and cocks his head sideways, carefully watching him. Kimani slowly untangles herself from Harris’s protective embrace and stands up.
“Hello again,” she murmurs and before she can take a step towards him, sounds of wood creaking, squeaking, plodding horses fill the air. “What’s that noise?”
Harris rises slowly afraid to take his eyes off the
