The Iron Horseman (9 page)

“You
did well with the sheriff tonight,” he said, kicking at the dirt. “I think
you’d get along well with my oldest brother, Raine. He’s a deputy in Stone
Creek where we’re from. And Rafe. He’s a bounty hunter. I know they’d like
you.”

“I’m
sure I would.” She placed a hand on the door knob. “Especially, if they are
anything like you, Mr. Redbourne.”

Levi
didn’t know what to say.

Cadence
released the door handle and stepped to the edge of the boardwalk, just inches
away from him, and leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek. He closed his
eyes. She smelled like honeysuckle and he couldn’t help but wonder if she
tasted like it too.

“Thank
you for all of your help today. You are quite the gentleman.” Her words were
quiet. She turned quickly and disappeared through the door.

How
was he going to get any sleep now?

Cadence
closed the door to her bedroom and leaned up against it. Her chest heaved from
her hasty flight up the stairs. She’d kissed him on the cheek. What had she
been thinking? He wasn’t her assignment and allowing him to be a distraction
would be dangerous. He was the kind of distraction that led to a permanent arrangement
and she wasn’t ready to go down that road again. Not yet. But he smelled so
good. Looked so good. How was she supposed to avoid him over the next few days
of being confined on a train with him?

He
knows my father
.

She
pushed away from the door and quickly changed out of her skirt and blouse into
a comfortable night shirt. She reasoned that maybe she’d met Levi for a reason.
Maybe he could help her find her father. Or maybe one of his brothers could.
He’d mentioned two of their names, but right now she couldn’t remember them.
She thought hard about their conversation, but had been thinking more about
watching his lips move than the actual words that had come out of them.

Stop
this, Cadence
,
she chastised. She needed to focus on getting to her father and all of the
sudden, morning didn’t seem soon enough. She needed to get to Bryan and the
sooner, the better.

Beams
from the morning’s soft light spilled through the partially opened curtains in
Cadence’s room. It hadn’t taken as long as she’d thought it would to get to
sleep. Although she couldn’t remember her dreams, she felt light and carefree.
They must have been good.

The
train whistle blew.

What
time is it?

Cadence
threw the covers off her and jumped out of the bed. She couldn’t be late or
she’d never hear the end of it. It had already taken some coercing to get her
and the other detectives on the non-passenger train to begin with and she
didn’t want to find out what would happen if she missed it.

A
few moments later, she was dressed in her new earth-colored skirt and pink
blouse. Her everyday boots had dried enough to travel, so she tossed the
others, along with her wadded up dress from yesterday morning into her trunk
and glanced around one last time at the room. She was ready.

When
she got down to the street, the Redbourne’s were waiting just outside the
hotel.

Cadence
breathed out slowly. She hadn’t missed it.

“Allow
me,” Cole said as he scooped up her trunk and slung it up over his shoulder and
onto his back.

“Thank
you,” she said, amused by the youngest Redbourne brother’s over exuberance.

“We
thought we would escort you to the train—though I believed you would have been
down here long before us.” Levi smiled teasingly.

Stop
that
,
she wanted to tell him. He had to know what that smile was doing to her
resolve.

Cadence
watched as a dozen or so men loaded livestock and horses, including Apollo and
the mare she’d ridden from the livery, into the supply cars at the back of the
train along with a few head of cattle and sheep.

“All
aboard!” the conductor sang from the platform next to the train.

“I
guess that’s us,” Levi said as he turned to his brothers. “It appears the
blacksmith was able to figure out how to make a new part for the pump.” He
looked around. “I haven’t seen the sheriff yet this morning and I’d like to
speak with him before we leave.”

“Levi,”
Sheriff Richards called as if on cue. He ran toward them. “Mrs. Olson recalled
seeing a stranger hanging around the bank yesterday, but couldn’t tell us for
sure if it was someone she recognized, just that he was thin with suspenders
and an odd twill hat. We talked to the group of men staying in those tents last
night, but no one seemed to know anything. If whoever started that fire is on
that train with you, then you best be careful. No tellin’ what he’ll do next.”

“Thanks,
Sheriff,” Levi said, extending his hand. “You’re doing a fine job here. I wish
I could stay and help, but my duties take me elsewhere. I know I’m leaving this
town in good hands.”

Sheriff
Richards nodded. “Thank you,” he said, then stepped back into the small crowd
that had started to gather there.

Cole
set Cadence’s trunk down on the platform and pulled Levi into a big hug. “It’s
never the same without you, brother.”

Levi
clapped him on the back. “I’ve missed you too.”

Tag
raised a hand toward Levi and they clasped each other by the forearm before
Levi pulled his twin into his embrace. Cadence couldn’t be sure, but she
thought she saw him wipe away a tear before breaking their hold.

“Until
next time.”

“Goodbye,
Miss Cadie Walker,” Tag teased. “We hope to cross your path again someday. Make
sure you take care of this rascal, you hear?”

“Yes,
sir,” she said with a salute. “And it’s Cade.”

They
all laughed and Cadence smiled. She waved as Taggert and Cole untied their
horses from the hitching post in front of the station and mounted.

“Shall
we?” Levi asked, picking her up by the waist and setting her on the platform.
His hands felt good. Warm.

Many
of the townsfolk Cadence recognized had joined them at the station and were
waiving their well-wishes. She knew they were there for Levi, but they greeted
her as well.

“Last
call,” the conductor boomed.

Levi
picked up a large traveling case and slung his satchel over his neck, then
grabbed the handle of her trunk.

“Better
board,” he said, pointing with his chin. He looked so handsome in his big black
hat that Cadence had a hard time looking away as she walked until her shin
smacked into the large open metal steps.

“Ouch.”
Heat flooded her face. Not again. He was going to think she was a complete
imbecile. No one would believe she was a capable and highly skilled Pinkerton
now, if her life depended on it.

“What
is it with you anyway?”

Cadence
wanted to offer some witty retort, but thought twice about it. She could be the
smooth Cade Walker that Mr. Pinkerton had chosen to do this job, regardless of
the man accompanying her. The commemorative golden nail was tucked safely in
her trunk and it would only be a matter of days before she reached Bryan and
she could find out what had happened to her father.

Levi
would be stopping in River City for a few days and then on into Laramie, but
maybe she could persuade him to help her with her cause first. Once she found
Detective Eamon Walker, she would meet up with Mr. Durant and would escort him
the rest of the way to the meeting of the rails. Everything would be back on
schedule.

It
wouldn’t be long before the transcontinental railroad would be complete and her
mission would be over. Then, and only then, could she entertain the idea of
actually falling for one Mr. Levi Redbourne.

Once
the makeshift station of Flat Plains was nothing but a speck, Levi climbed up
the metal stairs and into the only passenger compartment on this five-box
train. He’d not really thought much about it before, believing Mr. Durant to
have something to do with it, but now he wondered how Miss Walker had been able
to secure passage on a supply train or why Mr. Durant would have wanted it. He
wasn’t at all sure that Eamon knew his daughter was attempting to join him at
his place in Bryan. After all, the railroad Pinkertons did not generally stay
in one place for long—at least they wouldn’t until the route was complete.

Durant
was the only one with the pull to get her on the train and he realized there
may just be more to her story than he’d first believed.

What
aren’t you telling me, Miss Walker?

Levi
shook his head.

Sleep
had eluded him over the last few days—especially last night with thoughts of
Cadence invading every precious moment of silence—and he wanted to crawl into
the bed in his quarters and get some sleep before they arrived in River City.

However,
he glanced over the car and realized there were two men he didn’t recognize
sitting in various seats along the compartment. They weren’t crew, so they had
to be more of the passengers James had warned him about. Then it dawned on him.
The men must be the Pinkerton agents assigned to this run.

Something
wasn’t right and he casually slid his fingers across the cool steel holstered
at his belt. He needed to be alert. With a possible arsonist on board, he would
feel better if Cadence stayed close to him. He looked down at his bewitching
traveling companion who’d sat down in one of the benches and was looking out
the window.

Luckily,
this train had been mostly stocked with supplies and some livestock, but
despite the two conspicuous strangers in the seats, there were no additional
passengers to please or entertain. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief and moved
to the seats on the opposite side of Cadence and dropped their luggage on one
of the benches since they wouldn’t fit on the overhead racks.

They
sat together in a comfortable silence. Levi studied her face while she watched
the scenery outside as it slipped past at a steady speed. Her features were
soft, almost glowing, and her mouth naturally turned in an upward direction.

This
was going to be a long train ride if all he did was sit and stare at the
prettiest girl in town like a school boy.

“You
must spend a lot of time on this train, Mr. Redbourne.” Cadence spoke, but did not
turn away from the window.

Levi
thought for a minute. “This country is growing and I want to be a part of it.”

“Do
you ever miss your family?”

“Every
day. But seeing people like Bessie and Earl Cavanaugh have a good home to live in
or someone like Emaline to be able to open a restaurant and hotel of her own,
makes it worth the sacrifice. Besides, it won’t be forever.”

“What
do you plan on doing when the railroad is complete? From what I understand it
isn’t too far away.”

“As
a matter of fact, we’re hoping the route will be completed within the next
couple of weeks. Promontory Summit, Utah. We got word not too long ago.”

“Will
you be there?” She turned to look at him for the first time since boarding the
train.

“Yes,”
he affirmed.

She
smiled and a few more moments of silence passed between them. Their
conversation seemed so easy and light, but Levi couldn’t shake the feeling that
she was hiding something. Cadence turned her body to face him and with her
hands in her lap leaned forward.

“Do
you know Mr. Thomas Durant?”

Levi
squinted his eyes at her.

She
does know the doctor.
Not that the swindler practiced any type of medicine anymore. Levi suspected he
just liked having a title. He didn’t care much for the man.

“Yes,
I’ve worked with him over the past couple of years. How do you? Know him, I
mean.”

“Know
him? Oh, I’ve never met the man, but I’ve heard that he is quite brilliant when
it comes to business matters.”