Sweet Prairie Passion (Savage Destiny) Read Free Page A

remark about his dead wife had seemed to cut deeply into the man, but to her own surprise, Abbie found that she was glad Cheyenne Zeke was now unattached. The realization that he was a widower and had lost a son besides only melted her heart even more. Jason Trent turned to the others.
    “I say we hire him. Like he says, he knows both sides, and he knows the land. Looks like a good fighting man to me—a brave man. I say we use him. God knows none of us knows his way around out there.”
    “Well,” Kelsoe answered, rubbing his neck doubtfully.“I don’t know. Half-breeds can go either way. Folks say you can’t trust them.”
    “Ain’t so with this one!” The voice had come from outside the circle. It belonged to a big, burly man dressed in skins and a beaver hat who was making his way closer—a white man, overweight but mostly muscle, with a bearded face. He appeared to be about forty, and he was smiling now and putting out his hand to Cheyenne Zeke. “How are you doin’, old friend!”
    Now Zeke broke into a full smile, and Abbie’s legs felt like water. It was just as she suspected. That smile brought a disturbing handsomeness to his face, and her heart pounded so that she put a hand to her chest.
    “Olin!” Zeke replied. “Where in hell have you been?”
    “Just about everywhere—same as you,” the man replied as they shook hands firmly. The new man turned to Trent. “Mister, I’m Olin Wales,” he said, putting out his hand to Trent. “Zeke here—he’s a good man. A good man. Saved my life once. You can bet your very lives that he’ll be one damned handy man to have along on a train. He knows all about everything out there, including the Indians. He’d never abuse a woman or be dishonest or lead you wrong. I’ll vouch for him. I’d stake my life on Cheyenne Zeke. In fact, I wouldn’t mind going along myself—give me and Zeke a chance to catch up on old times, and two scouts are always better than one. I’ve made that trek before, and I’ve trapped in the Rockies for years. How about it?”
    Trent looked relieved, as did Kelsoe. But Connely began to look a little worried. Abbie liked the man lessand less, yet she was not sure why. Perhaps it was the way he had of not looking straight at people, as though he had something to hide. At any rate, once it looked as though Zeke might scout for them, Connely lost some of his cockiness and appeared suddenly uneasy.
    “All right, Zeke,” Trent told the man. “You’re hired. By the way, I’m Jason Trent.” They shook hands, and Zeke’s eyes moved to Abbie again. She felt herself blushing.
    “She going along?” he asked. “And that blond girl I saw?”
    “They’re my daughters,” Trent replied warily.
    “Risky business,” Zeke told him. “Pretty young girls can mean trouble. Best to watch them close.”
    Abbie’s heart pounded even harder. Pretty! He’d called her pretty!
    “I keep a good eye on them,” Trent replied. “And they’re Tennessee bred. They can fend for themselves. And they know how to use rifles.”
    “I don’t doubt that,” Zeke replied, the odd pain returning to his eyes. “But the fact remains … well … a lot of bad things can happen to a woman out there. And it’s not Indians I’m talking about. It’s your own kind. I’ve seen what your own kind can do. There’s men out there who haven’t seen anything prettier than their horse’s—” He stopped short. “Just watch them close,” he finished. “What about their ma?”
    Trent’s face clouded. “My woman died last year—some kind of cancer,” he told the man. “There’s just the two girls—and my son Jeremy. He’s asleep. This man here beside me is Mr. Kelsoe, and he’s got three other men with him—four wagons in all. The … uh… older gentleman there is Morris Connely. Don’t know his business and haven’t asked. It’s his affair.”
    “That’s right!” Connely snapped, turning and stalking off to his wagon. Trent shrugged and