“Not funny.” She held the reins in her left hand and ran her fingers gently over the swollen spot on her arm. “Not one thing funny about that man.”

And still, she smiled. “It just made me happy to realize I’m never going to have to call that man Mr. Hawkins again.”

The four of them lined up. Win rode between Kevin and Molly with Wyatt on Molly’s right. Win looked at Molly and gave a firm nod of her chin. “And I’m never going to call him Pa, either.”

She reached out her hand, and Molly clasped it as they rode along.

“How far were we from this place when Wyatt was shot?” Trust Kevin to think of something to worry about.

“Not that far.” Wyatt rubbed his shoulder and started looking behind him. “Let’s pick up the pace.”

Twenty

The conductor called Bear Claw Pass, and Cheyenne gave Rachel, who was groggily sitting up, a worried look. “How are you feeling?”

Rachel blinked at her owlishly and didn’t answer.

“The doctor told me before I left that she needs quiet. A blow to the head like that can make the brain swell up inside her skull. She could feel poorly for a week.”

“A week?” Cheyenne gave her head a violent shake.

“I told Doc Reynolds when she came around that sounded too long. He said we have to keep an eye on her, make sure she eats and drinks if she’s too addled to do it for herself. Mostly, she needs rest.”

“Hogback at the diner has a wagon that doesn’t get much use. I’ll go ask if we can borrow it. Better yet, maybe he could drive us out to the RHR and then he could take his wagon back.”

The train slowed. Cheyenne was on her feet the second it stopped, heading for the door, Falcon right behind her with his armload of injured woman.

They descended and tried to arrange with Hogback, who had just closed the diner after the noon meal, to drive them home with Rachel tucked in blankets in the back. He refused, apparently fond of his idle time, but let Cheyenne borrow it, on the condition she bring it back tomorrow.

“I don’t need to lie down. I can sit on a horse,” Rachel said.

Cheyenne ignored the unsteady woman and got her into the back. The fact that Rachel didn’t fight over it told Cheyenne how bad the poor agent was feeling.

Cheyenne drove the wagon hitched to Hogback’s swaybacked mare. A horse by all appearances as fond of idle time as her master. Falcon rode his horse so he could keep an eye on Rachel and lead the other critters stretched out behind the wagon.

They made slow time because Cheyenne was taking great care.