“Maybe,” Cheyenne cut him off, “she just doesn’t like cooking and cleaning all day every day. I know I wouldn’t.” Cheyenne’s shoulders slumped as she trudged over to the stove. “She was a schoolmarm back in Kansas. Maybe she just quit a job that didn’t suit her to get one that did.”

Wyatt’s exhaustion slid away as worry and regret gave him new energy, pushing him to find Molly. “I’ll go with you to look for her, Kevin. If you and Molly haven’t talked about how she fits into your future, it’s a big part my fault because she’s been fetching and carrying for me all day long. I’ve been so useless with my arm bound.”

He circled his shoulder and winced. “She’s done so much to care for me, and I don’t know if she realizes how much I appreciated it.” Had he said thank you? Or had he complained about being more or less tied up for six weeks?

And blamed it on Molly and her doctoring, as if she’d shot him and broken his collarbone.

Kevin turned to Win. “You stay here. It’s cold.”

Wyatt turned to Cheyenne. “We can’t all go haring off and leave Win alone at home. It’s not safe. And you’re right. You’ve done nothing to be sorry for. It’s me that needs to go. Kevin may be part of it, but I reckon she mostly just got tired of me.” He thought of her warm and soft against him. “And she was too decent to leave until I was up and around.”

“She made the most delicious thing I’ve ever had for dessert today.” Cheyenne patted her stomach.

Wyatt thought of that custard. He guessed that’d be what they served for dessert in heaven. He could eat that for three meals a day, every day, for the rest of his life, though her fried chicken was the best he’d ever had, too. “We’ve got to get her back just so she can make more of that.”

“We told her thank you, real nice, when she served that.” Cheyenne looked at the tidy counter. “I wonder if there’s any of it left?”

“I think I remember licking out the pan,” Wyatt said with a shrug. The pain from that motion made him immediately regret the movement. “You and Win can get some supper on. We can eat fried eggs and biscuits. I hope to be back in an hour, even if we have to throw Molly over a saddle and cart her home like a felled elk.”

Bear Claw Pass was a half-hour ride if they goaded their horses. So they’d really have to just grab her and run.

“Hey, get out here,” Falcon called from outside. He must have the horses ready.