Chapter 8

Lena didn't know how long she had ridden, but she had slowed her horse down enough to not wind him.

It was dark as ever she had ever seen it. Growing up in New Orleans there had been street lights and businesses galore. Oh, occasionally she had gone out in boats and 'swamping' with her friends, but even that didn't seem as dark as this. Of course, that was familiar territory and she usually hadn't been alone. Being on your home ground made a big difference. So did being alone.

She had dismounted and had worked the ropes around her hands loose with her teeth. Leading her horse now seemed the safest thing to do, not knowing the terrain, since she'd hopefully put some distance between her and Mannon.

Walking also made it easier for her to hear any other noises, she hoped, so she would stop periodically and listen for any sounds that might warn her of anything approaching.

If "Junior" was any good at tracking, at all, he could probably find her easily enough, and she wouldn't know it until he was practically on top of her. Some things couldn't be helped. It didn't make sense worrying about it at this point; her options were fairly limited.

She'd thought about turning her horse loose, hopefully leading her pursuer in a different direction, and trying to make it on her own, but that seemed pretty stupid as well. Being afoot so far from anywhere she knew was deadly. She'd starve or die of thirst; she'd lost the canteen when she'd swung it at the horse.

Finding the general direction back was within her abilities to figure out, using the tried and true axiom: sun rises in the east and sets in the west and using a stick to cast a shadow at noon.

Deep down the little girl part of her wondered how much more she would have been able to do if her father had been in her life. Would she be tougher? A better fighter? Or would he have insisted that she was girly-girly. Somehow she doubted that. Dillon had accepted her mother and her powerful personality. Her mama was no shrinking violet, and that made her smile. As far as parents went she had won the genetic lottery.

It had shocked and pleased her that her father had defended her so fiercely when the drunk had tried to pay her to go upstairs with him. After not having a strong male in her life, Lena had to admit that there was something comforting about it. Maybe now neither she nor her mother would have to fight all their battles along. She decided that if she lived through this mess that she was going to try to get along with her father and get to know him, for her mother's sake-and for her own.

Lena decided her best bet was to use all her senses, common and otherwise-especially smell. If there was any water nearby, then there ought to be something growing around it. Then again, if there was water nearby, there might also be other people, both good and bad.

She was damned if she did and damned if she didn't, but, by God, she'd go down fighting and Lena had a strong feeling that it wouldn't be long before someone would be looking for her.

Woe be unto whomever her parents found had taken or hurt her. That thought cheered her up tremendously.

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Kitty came awake suddenly, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest.

She'd had a terrible dream where it wasn't her Mannon had hurt in the Long Branch all those years ago, but Lena. She stood by unable to move and watched him beat and violate her daughter while she cried out for her mama to help her.

"Kitty, what's wrong? Did you hear something?" Matt was awake in an instant, years of sleeping lightly hadn't changed.

"Bad dream," she managed to breath out the word, before she turned into him, a dry sob escaping her.

"It's alright Kitty; I'm here." Matt was doing his best but it wasn't enough.

Kitty shook him off, tendrils of her red hair falling down. "It isn't alright, Matt. Where's our daughter?" She cried desperately.

"I can't lose her. I couldn't live if I lost her."

"I promise you on my life, I will find her. We will get her back," Matt said firmly, and she hoped he believed it as much as he sounded like he did.

He turned her loose long enough to throw a few more pieces of wood onto the fire and the extra light shone on Kitty, making her look even more lovely—and her face visibly tear steaked.

Matt felt his knees ache as he knelt down in front of her on the blanket and opened his arms.

She leaned on her knees and fell into him. "Oh, God, I've missed you, and when I heard that you were hurt and that you might not live and I hadn't told you about Lena…."

Her words tumbled out, all the things she'd been holding in for so long.

And just as suddenly, she seemed to fly into a rage. "All you had to do was give up the damn badge! How hard could it be? Did you never love me? If I had told you would it have made a difference? This is all your fault! Do you hear me?"

She was crying and hitting him and all he could do was enfold her in his arms until she wore herself out.

Matt knew he deserved it and more and Kitty was long overdue for this meltdown after the last two weeks.

Finally the wracking sobs began to ease off and still he didn't release her. Instead he lay down and pulled her back down with him.

He kissed her forehead and wiped away the tears gently with his fingertips.

Kitty responded by reaching around behind his head and pulling his mouth to hers. His body reacted to her the way it always had, with hardening desire.

Fire long banked burst into a conflagration and the world and its griefs disappeared. Before either one knew what was happening, her blouse was open, breasts freed and her skirt was up around her waist.

He was more than ready and so was she. It had been so long but the body's memories hadn't forgotten the touch or the smell or the love and passion. Years fell away as they crashed together, again and again.

Matt pulled her onto him strongly, instinctively, and then Kitty cried out in pleasure and relief, the sound echoing across the prairie.

In the distance a coyote howled along with her, and she fell across him, sighing with relief.

Another coyote picked up the sound and soon it was all around them, and for the first time since they had seen each other in twelve years, they both burst into laughter.

*******Thanks again to all the reviewers and readers. I worked on this chapter going down I-95 yesterday (Florida is a big a** state!) and didn't get to edit and publish until today. It might not be a chapter every day, but I'm giving it my Dodge City try. I won't be home until next week. Please send good thoughts. Peace.