Sagebrush Bride

chapter TWENTY FIVE





Distracted by the unusually thick crowd milling around the platform, Elizabeth looked around her and reasoned that the throng awaiting to board the train might be a result of the recent end to the war. The station was teeming with Union soldiers who were evidently still trying to get home. A small group of uniformed men caught her eye, as she noticed them laughing at something farther down the track. Following their gazes, Elizabeth spotted a plump man, red in the face, trying desperately to shove his cow into one of the compartments. She smiled and then, turning her attention to Cutter who stood beside her, she found him watching her intently.

Feeling like a ninny, Elizabeth stood, her fingers intertwined with Katie’s as she and Cutter simply stared at each other. Strange that, after being together almost every waking moment, this brief separation felt like good-bye.

But it wasn’t, she reminded herself.

“So... we’ll see you on the train?” she said, more for her own benefit than for Katie’s. A faint light twinkled in the depths of Cutter’s black eyes, as though he knew her thoughts. Flustered by it, she averted her gaze, glancing down at Katie.

As though by cue, Cocoa nickered impatiently, saving Elizabeth from an embarrassing moment.

Cutter chuckled at her look of relief, glancing over his shoulder at the querulous Cayuse. “Keep your shirt on, Brownie,” he muttered.

Katie burst into giggles at his ridiculous remark, and Elizabeth gave him a narrow-eyed look. He was teasing her, she realized—affectionately, not maliciously—and she found herself smiling against her will. “Cocoa,” she corrected. Amazing, she thought, how that causal wit of his had once annoyed her so much, because now she found she enjoyed the sparring immensely—though she’d never actually admit it.

“If you say so,” Cutter allowed, reaching down to catch Katie beneath the chin. “Think you can take care of your aunt till I get back?” he asked her with a wink.

Katie rubbed at her eyes tiredly. “Oh, yes!” she assured him.

“That a girl.” He shook her head gently, releasing it as his gaze reverted to Elizabeth. “I’ll be aboard as soon as I get the animals settled in,” he told her, sweeping his hat from his head and swiping his arm across his sweat-dampened forehead. But having said that, he stood, turning the hat in his hands.

Elizabeth nodded but didn’t move, unable to tear her gaze away. At their feet, Shiftless began to yap impatiently, and Katie immediately shook her hand loose from Elizabeth’s, bending to give him a pat. “Don’ worry, Shifless... don’ worry,” she crooned. “Uncle Cutter will take care of you! Right, Uncle Cutter?”



Reluctantly wrenching his gaze away, Cutter looked down in time to see Katie grin up at him, and the wink she gave him was priceless—the longest, most innocent, wink he’d ever been the recipient of. Charmed by it, he stooped to pat Shiftless’ head right along with Katie. “That’s right,” he told her. Glancing up at Elizabeth, he passed on the wink, feeling more lighthearted than he’d felt in a lifetime. The answering look in her eyes made both his heart turn over, and his body tighten at once. Grimacing, he switched the weight to his right foot, and giving the dog a last pat, he rose to face her.

Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “Cutter? Are you all right?”

“Fine,” he told her with a tight smile. She looked at him a little doubtfully, prompting him to add softly, “Never better.” And it was the truth; things had gone so smoothly, so well, that he’d not wanted to spoil it by getting sick on her. The last few days had given him more pleasure than he’d ever thought possible. Reaching out, he smoothed a tendril of hair from her face, his expression softening.



For Elizabeth, every sound seemed to fade away in that moment as Cutter’s dark eyes held hers—all sound except for the pounding of her heart. Somehow, as they held each other’s gazes... somehow, without a word being spoken between them... she knew. There would be no more good-byes between them. Not ever. It was time to let go of her fears.

“Cutter,” she began, and then losing her nerve, she bit into her lower lip, glancing away. Cutter’s fingers gripped her waist in that moment, lightly, so very lightly that her heart jolted at the feel of it. Elizabeth was unable to bear the incredible intimacy of his touch; her eyes fluttered closed and she stood there, her knees going weak, as the world vanished.

They could have been alone, in that instant, or not. It wouldn’t have mattered.

Without warning, Cutter swung her into the circle of his embrace, his hat at her back, and bent his head slowly, twisting to fit his mouth over hers. Her heart somersaulted as his lips descended, brushing tenderly over her own, the sensation too heady to bear. Helpless to contain it, she moaned at the velvety caress of his tongue, her heart leaping into her throat as the kiss deepened, reaching clear into her soul.

Suspending time.



With a reluctant groan, Cutter wrested his mouth free. Resisting the urge to sweep her up and carry her away to some secluded spot, he rested his forehead against the top of her head. “Elizabeth,” he whispered hoarsely. “You make me lose control, gal.” Gripping the back of her neck, he bent to taste her lips once more, closing his eyes, as though drugged by the scent and taste of her. His breath hissing through his teeth, he placed tiny kisses upon her chin, her neck, nibbled her ear...

A sudden urgent tug on his pant leg caught his attention.

“Uncle Cutter! Uncle Cutter!” Katie shrieked in panic. “I think... I think you hurt Shifless’ feelins!”

As absorbed as he was in the kiss, it took Cutter a long moment to regain his senses, another to digest what Katie had said. He looked down at her with an expression of stunned surprise on his face, having actually forgotten she was even there.

Elizabeth didn’t suffer the same disorientation. Startled by Katie’s voice, she pulled away from Cutter at once. Bending to take Katie by the hand, she looked up at him guiltily, then back to Katie. “Shiftless?”

“Yes!” Katie wailed, pointing. “See! He’s running away! An he won’t come back!”

Cutter looked over his shoulder in time to see the dog’s wagging tail end disappear into the crowd. “Aww hell!” he exclaimed, sweeping his hat back to his head, adjusting it quickly. “Go on, get aboard!” he told her as he started away. And then he came back suddenly, snatching Elizabeth into his arms to kiss her soundly. Releasing her abruptly, he seized up the reins and sprinted after the dog, both horses at a slow trot behind him.



Elizabeth watched only a moment longer as Cutter dodged his way through the cram of people, away from the train, noticing his limp for the first time. They’d spent so little time together in the last days, because he and Elias had been busy repairing fences. She’d seen him only briefly during dinner, and then at night, but as far as she could recall, he hadn’t complained of any leg pain. Her brow furrowing with concern, she ushered Katie aboard the Gulf Mobile Ohio. “Come on, now, sweetheart,” she said. “We’ll go find a seat by the window. All right?”

“All right—but what about Shifless?” she wanted to know.

“Don’t worry. Cutter will get him,” Elizabeth assured her. “Now, up—and watch that next step—careful now.”

“I never fall!” Katie exclaimed, her little hand gripping Elizabeth’s fingers tighter.

Elizabeth chuckled softly. “Of course you don’t,” she agreed with a smile. “But you should never say never. Once I said I’d never eat a rattler, you know... but guess what?”

“What?” Katie replied automatically, and Elizabeth proceeded to tell her, as they made their way down the aisle, all about the rattler she’d been forced to eat.





Alternating between whistling and cursing, Cutter weaved his way through the depot, away from the train. No matter how loud he called, Shiftless seemed not to hear him—or not to want to. Confounded dog raced like a bullet out of blazes, and kept running, his tail wagging wildly.

Just when he came close enough to catch the dog, Shiftless darted beneath a dozing horse. The animal startled, its ears perking and its nostrils flaring. Knowing it was alarmed and sensing danger, Cutter gave it a wide berth, taking his own two mares through a thick crowd of people in order to dodge it.

When finally he worked his way out of the mob, he spotted at once what it was that Shiftless was after.

Elias Bass. He was coming down one of the side streets, his rifle under his arm, and was still whistling through his fingers as the dog leapt up, thrashing its tail in welcome. Elias ignored the mutt. For some reason, seeing that Shiftless had come alone seemed to make him all the more agitated.

“Elias!’’ Cutter shouted in greeting.

Hearing his name, Elias turned, but the moment he saw Cutter, his face screwed with anger. He said nothing, just commenced marching in Cutter’s direction. When he was within five feet, he picked up his pace. When he was only two feet away, he hurled his gun to the ground. Heaving himself at Cutter, he tossed a punch at Cutter’s middle.

Surprised by the attack, Cutter released the reins he held in his hand, falling backward holding his gut. His back slammed the ground, knocking the breath from his lungs. Clutching his chest, he managed to roll free of the horses.

“You son of a bitch!” Elias snarled, diving at him again. “You deceiving son of a bitch!” His face scarlet with anger, Elias threw another unexpected jab that landed just beneath Cutter’s eye.

“What the hell’s wrong with you, Bass? You got a complaint with me, spit it out!” Having spent enough time with Elias to know that there had to be a good reason for the man to be behaving so irrationally, Cutter restrained himself.

Elias threw another right that landed at Cutter’s jaw, the force of it snapping his mouth shut. He shook it off, telling himself that there was no way he was going to allow himself to be goaded into thrashing an old man—especially one who likely felt he had good reason to be doing what he was doing. “Damn y’, you old codger!”

“Not so old I can’t clean your plow!” Elias returned, wheezing as he hurled another. “That’s for lying to me, you son of a bitch!” Cutter ducked it.

Swearing, Elias hurled himself at Cutter, grabbing him by the shirt. “Where’s my granddaughter?” He released Cutter’s shirt to take another furious jab at his jaw.

Cutter caught it this time, struggling with it in midair. “She’s fine!” he shot back, beginning to lose his resolve not to fight back. Damn the old man if he didn’t have a powerful right for such a feeble-looking fellow. “All right, Bass, you’ve had your sport. Now, why don’t ya tell me what’s got y’ so riled?”

Elias didn’t answer; instead he hurled his left fist. Cutter blocked it, hurling one back, knocking Elias off with one clean blow. Surging to his knees, Cutter rubbed at his jaw, immediately throwing his hands up into the air when Elias came after him again. “You made me do it once, but I’m not gonna trade punches with you, old man, so you can just calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”

Elias gave him an accusatory glare but held himself in check, his chest puffing with fury.

“Katie’s fine!” Cutter repeated. “Now, what the hell’s the matter with you that you feel you hafta come at me thowin’ punches without explanations?”

His eyes bloodshot with anger, and his lip bleeding from Cutter’s blow, Elias rubbed at his own jaw. “You’re the one that has explaining to do, McKenzie-damned four-flushin’ deserter!” He began to cough violently.

Cutter lifted one knee to rise and then froze. A chill went down his spine, and his brows collided violently. “What’d you call me?”

At this point the crowd was beginning to thicken around them, and there were startled murmurs.

Elias cleared his throat, his eyes watering. “You’re a lying tail-between-the-legs deserter, is what you are!” he spat, wiping the trickle of blood from his lips with the back of his hand.

Black rage shot through Cutter at Elias’ accusation, but it was tempered by the knowledge that those words had to have come from someone else. And it was that thought that set his teeth on edge and raised the hairs on the back of his neck. “Who the hell told you I was a deserter?”



It was the lethal calmness in Cutter’s voice that gave Elias reason to pause. His brows furrowed in confusion over Cutter’s response, and dread trickled down his spine. He met Cutter’s gaze without wavering, wanting to see the truth in Cutter’s eyes. “Lieutenant Sulzberger,” he answered slowly. “He showed us the papers from General Sully and wanted to know where to find you—”

Elias yowled in surprise, closing his eyes instinctively as Cutter shouted unexpectedly, leaping at him. But Cutter never landed.

Elias’ eyes flew open and he watched, dumbfounded, as Cutter surged to his feet and bolted away in the direction he’d come. Shouldering his way through the crowd, he left the horses behind, with Shiftless cowering at their feet.

Elias looked from the whining dog to Cutter’s retreating back, his eyes widening as he perceived the danger. Snatching up his rifle suddenly, he sprinted after Cutter.





“But I don’ see him!” Katie insisted, her nose pressed against the window.

“Don’t worry, Katie. Cutter will catch Shiftless. Come away from the window now.” Katie moved away from the window, into Elizabeth’s lap, and Elizabeth snuggled her closer, thinking that there’d be so much to do once they reached Sioux Falls—in spite of the fact that they’d brought so few of Katie’s things: just a few of her dresses, a small doll, and her dog. Just as soon as they arrived, Elizabeth planned to move her own things into her father’s room. Katie could have hers. And then Elias had promised to bring the rest of Katie’s belongings in the fall, when it would be cooler and would be easier to travel. Her brows knit. What would she say to Elias when he came and found Cutter gone? Well, she’d think of something. In the meantime, she only hoped Cutter would be able to catch Shiftless.

But then her brows furrowed as she considered another matter entirely. How would she manage Katie and continue her practice at the same time? She glanced down at the small child curled so cozily in her lap and resolved that whatever needed to be done, would be done. If it meant bringing Katie along as her father had done with her, then so be it. And if it meant hiring someone to watch Katie when Elizabeth wasn’t able to, then that could be arranged, as well. In the meantime, there didn’t seem to be much sense in worrying over it. As her father used to say, everything was certain to work out as it should.

“Ma’am?”

Startled from her musing by the deep voice at her ear, Elizabeth glanced up to find a pair of intense green eyes looking down at her. Aside from his astounding good looks, the man wore military blue and a smile that easily disarmed.

“Ma’am?” he inquired again, his lips quirking. “You Mrs. McKenzie?”

Elizabeth hesitated a moment over the falsehood, staring at the man as though she’d momentarily lost her wits. But then she glanced down at Katie, and Katie stared back so expectantly that she turned immediately back to the soldier. “Yes,” she said firmly. “Yes, I am.” She lifted her chin as though to dare him to dispute her. “Is something wrong?”

The soldier smiled. “Well, no, ma’am... it’s just that... well, your husband asked me to tell you that he needed you to join him outside.”

Elizabeth’s brows knit in confusion. “But I don’t understand. He told me to wait aboard the train—that he would join me as soon as he... Oh, no, is that it? Has he had trouble securing passage for the horses?”

The soldier cocked a brow at her, and once again Elizabeth was struck by his remarkably good looks. The only thing that detracted was the fact that his hair was too long over his ears, and a bit unkempt. Other than that, his appearance was impeccable.

“Dunno, ma’am,” he said. “Your husband just asked me to deliver the message, is all. He did still have the horses. But you can ask him yourself, if you like... I’ll escort you right to him.”

Something about the way the man looked at her sent a shiver of apprehension down Elizabeth’s spine. His smile, though warm, didn’t seem quite genuine. Tamping down her sense of unease, Elizabeth shook her self out of her daze, irritated with the stifling sense of paranoia she’d recently developed. Why should she suspect the man wished to harm her? Clearly Cutter had asked him to come—otherwise how would he have known they were man and wife? Playing at man and wife, she reminded herself. Besides, he was an officer of the U.S. Army, sworn to protect... and they would be stepping off the train in the broad light of day, besides. What harm could possibly come to them? “Yes, of course,” she said decisively. “Thank you.” She started to rise at once, rousing Katie and lifting her into her arms.

Katie clung to her. “I hope he didn’t lose Shifless,” she mumbled sleepily.

Elizabeth patted her back reassuringly. “No, sweetheart, I’m certain Shiftless is just fine.” Praying to God that it was the truth, she edged out into the aisle, and readjusted Katie’s weight on her hip.

“This way,” the soldier directed, clearing his throat.

“But I thought the cattle and horses were loaded from the other side,” she said.

“They are,” he said quickly, “but I don’t think he could get them on. Seems everyone decided to ride the rail on the same day.” He laughed and then stopped her as she shrugged and started in the direction he’d indicated, gripping her by the shoulder. “Maybe you should leave the kid here?” he suggested with a curt motion of his head.

“Leave her? Here?” Elizabeth glanced at the seat she’d occupied and then gave him an incredulous glare. “I’m afraid not, Mr.... er…

“Colyer,” the man replied with an engaging grin. “Jack Colyer.”

“Yes, well... ” Elizabeth gave him another reproachful look, and then turned to make her way down the aisle. “I could never leave Katie to wait alone,” she said with certainty.

Katie’s head popped upright, her sleepiness shrugged away for the moment. “Yeah! Because I’m only this many,” she was quick to inform him. She held up five fingers, glared at them fretfully, and then shoved one down.

Colyer shrugged. “Whatever,” he said. Didn’t mean anything by it, kid—just thought you might wanna save the seat for your mother, is all.”

“She’s my new mommy!” Katie proceeded to tell him. “An’ you know what?... We’re going to my new home now. An’ my uncle, you seeeee, he scared away my dog, but don’ worry, he’s gonna get him back,” she assured him brightly.