Trail of Kisses by Merry Farmer Page A

I need to talk to
you,” he said.
    Pete paused as he strode past the depot.
“You’ll have to talk quick,” he said. “I’m on my way to a wedding,
then I’ve got to make sure we’re fully stocked for the next leg of
the journey.”
    “ That’s just what I was doing,”
Cade replied, running a hand across the handle of the Colt at his
waist.
    Pete noticed the motion and frowned. “What’s
all that about?”
    Cade matched step with his as they headed
toward the wagons. Pete Evans was young for a trail boss. He had a
rough and wary look that came from making the trip to the Pacific
coast and back several times in his life, starting when he was a
boy and Oregon City was barely a thought in the back of someone’s
mind. Of all the men Cade had met on the trail so far, he trusted
Pete the most.
    “ I told you that I’m taking Miss
Tremaine to her uncle in Denver City.”
    “ You did.” Pete nodded.
    “ Well, whoever made those threats
against her is in our wagon train.”
    Pete paused to frown at him.
    “ They’ve left a few ‘presents’ for
her.”
    “ What do you mean?”
    “ First, they cut up a photograph
of her father. Got into her wagon somehow to do it in spite of the
fact that I was right there. Then, just now, whoever it is sliced
up my boots while we were down at the stream having a bath.” His
face heated at the memory in spite of the direness of the
situation. It was a reaction he was going to have to learn to
control.
    Pete crossed his arms and rubbed the scruff on
his chin. “Sure it wasn’t an animal that got your
boots?”
    “ You should have seen them,” Cade
sighed. “Animals don’t make precision cuts.”
    Pete nodded gravely and they walked on. “What
do you want me to do about it?”
    “ Keep your eyes and ears open,” he
said. “Watch out for any sort of strange behavior from anyone. I’m
not gonna lie, I think that group of miners we’ve got with us is a
little shifty.”
    Pete huffed an ironic laugh. “Mr. Lawson, I’ve
had my hands full with that lot since the day we set out from
Independence, and they’re only gonna get worse before they get
better. I’ll keep my eyes peeled as much as I can for this sneak of
yours, but I’ve got a couple hundred people in my care to keep an
eye out for too.”
    The comment settled uneasily in Cade’s gut. It
wasn’t a dismissal, but it wasn’t the outpouring of concern and
promise of immediate action he was hoping for.
    Pete must have noticed his disappointment. He
slapped Cade on the shoulder as they reached the edge of the wagons
where the wedding was set up and said, “I’ll do my
best.”
    It would have to do, for now. The best was all
that anyone could hope to do. Or so he had thought. He wouldn’t
fail this time. He wouldn’t let George Tremaine or Judge Tremaine
down. He wouldn’t let a hair on Lynne’s head be touched.
    He edged his way into the small circle of
well-wishers gathered to support Callie Lewis and John Rye as they
did the nearly unthinkable and got married. As far as Cade knew,
they’d hardly spoken a word to each other until a few days ago, and
now here they were, being joined as one. Reverend Joseph looked as
nervous as Cade was sure Callie and John felt as he rushed through
the ceremony. In fact, Callie and John seemed resigned. The
reverend was the only nervous one.
    Cade peeked at Lynne. Dammit, but she looked
beautiful, still damp from the stream, wearing the same soiled
clothes. She looked worried too. It had to be her true feelings
about the threat at the stream showing through. That or concern for
her friends making a major decision about their lives on the spur
of the moment.
    He shifted his stance and stared at her harder
as the reverend stumbled on. Lynne was far and away the most
beautiful woman he’d ever met. She was full of fire. It would take
more than a few threats to subdue her, and he loved that. Loved it. The word dredged up a wealth of feeling in his
chest. He shot a glance to