The Matchmaker's Match

{Chapter} 15

{Chapter 15}

“I see him. More than likely, he’s just curious. I’m going to fall back just incase. I’ll send a man up here with you” Mark turned his horse around and rode back to where the herd was.

A few moments later, both Adam and Wade rode up beside her.

“Mark sent the both of us,” Wade explained.

“Have you ever encountered Indians?” Katie asked them.

“Nope” Adam shook his head.

“There’s just one, so there probably won‘t be any trouble” Wade told her.

Katie felt her muscles relax a little bit as his words, but the way she imagined the beady eyes of that Choctaw brave staring at them made her shiver.

“Where’s the kid?” Adam asked.

“Back there” Katie nodded to the back of the chuck wagon.

She looked back up at the Indian on a far rise and held her breath. He just sat there atop his horse and didn’t bother moving an inch. His horse’s tail didn’t even swish to get rid of the flies that no doubt plagued him.

Just as soon as he came, he turned his horse around and rode off, disappearing behind the rise.

Katie let out a whoosh of breath and smiled.

Adam looked over at her and a gentle grin tugged at his lips.

Wade turned his horse around and rode back to meet up with Mark.

“You okay?” Adam asked her.

“I’m fine, why?”

“You looked a little scared to me” Adam shrugged.

Katie snorted before she could catch herself. What unladylike pig was she becoming? “I wasn’t scared.”

“See, the trouble with you, Katie, is that your eyes reveal every feeling you try to hide form me.”

“Pssh. My eyes see, and that’s all they do” Katie shook her head as if the idea were preposterous.

“Whatever you say, sweetness. I’ll talk to you later. I’ve got to get out of here before Mark sees me and develops yet another grudge against me” Adam smiled.

Sweetness.

How she had missed that old pet name. Adam had used it more than her actual name all those years ago.

That night, Katie pulled Mark aside from the rest of the cowboys.

“I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me,” she said.

“What is it?” Mark sounded more annoyed than interested.

“What are the chances that we’ll see another Indian?” Katie asked.

“You’re still talking about that Indian? This is neutral territory, Katie. We’ll most likely not see another one” Mark waved her question off with his hand.

“How long until we’re out of Oklahoma?” Katie asked yet another question.

“We should be out of Oklahoma territory in a few days,” Mark told her.

Katie sighed. “Good. Don’t mention these questions to anyone else, hear?”

Mark nodded and went back to sit with the rest of the cowboys.

Katie sighed and went back to the chuck wagon to finish putting the dishes back in place.

“Katie” a hand grasped her arm and pulled her back.