Moon Racer (27 page)

Fort Fannin, one of the more picturesque forts of
Texas, had been constructed of limestone because
the stone littered the area and was easily accessible.
The entire outer wall of the fort was stone and
virtually impregnable when manned by guards. The
officer's quarters were actually a two-bedroom
house set apart from the other dwellings.

Abby was seated in the back of the buckboard
beside Patricia when the guard on duty waved them
through the gate. As they drove in, she entered a
world she could never have imagined. Soldiers
were marching on parade, and they stopped and
turned in the general's direction, standing at
attention.

The general smiled because he knew the tribute
was for him. He saluted, and the sergeant at arms
had the men stand at parade rest.

The ladies had been helped out of the buckboard
by two eager troopers, so the general could turn his
full attention to the honor his son's troops were
offering him.

"Sir," the sergeant said respectfully, "would you
care to inspect the troops?"

Abby wondered where Jonah was. She had
expected him to be there to greet Patricia upon her
arrival.

After the general had done his duty by inspecting
the troops, they were escorted to Jonah's quarters.

The main room was spacious, with spears, lances,
and other Indian artifacts adorning the rustic walls.
A colorful woven Indian rug covered the middle of
polished wooden floor.

Sergeant MacDougall appeared at the door and
greeted them with a smile. "The major sends his
regrets, sir, and begs to be excused until tomorrow.
He said I was to explain to you that he had been
called to Fort Worth on army business." He waved
forward the men who were carrying the trunks. "I
was asked to put the ladies in the back bedroom,
and you can have the major's room, sir. He's been
bunking in his office since he took command here,
and never actually used the room."

Abby didn't have long to consider whether she
had done the right thing in coming, because Grant
appeared at the door and she was happy to see him.
She smiled and clasped his outstretched hands.

"Look at you, all dressed up," he said, kissing her
cheek.

Remembering her manners, she introduced
Jonah's father and Patricia to the ranger.

"The fort's been buzzing with word of your
arrival, sir," Grant said, shaking the officer's hand.
"Most of the soldiers have never seen a real general
before."

"Sergeant MacDougall, Mr. Zachary, suppose the
two of you show this general around the post. I
have been looking forward to seeing the fort my son
commands."

Grant looked at Abby as he walked to the door.
"I'll want to see you tonight."

She nodded. "You can tell me all the news."

Grant had been escorting Abby around the fort, and
they had just come out of the infirmary. He steered
her toward the stables, where they saw several HalfMoon-trained mustangs. She saw the U.S.A. brand
on a brown filly she had trained herself and felt
great satisfaction.

"What are you doing here, Grant?" she asked,
turning to the tall ranger. "Did you find the men
who had robbed the payrolls?"

"I didn't, but Jonah did. He's one smart man,
Abby."

"Yes," she said, looking down at the toe of her
slipper, "he is."

IIe tilted her chin upward. "What's wrong,
Abby?"

"Everything and nothing."

"That's not an answer."

She looked into his earnest eyes and wished with
all her heart that she loved him instead of Jonah. He
was safe and familiar, and he didn't stir passion in
her like Jonah did. "Grant, there is really no one I
can talk to about what I am feeling."

"You can talk to me."

She walked into his arms. "I have never been
ashamed of my actions before now. I feel like I
have betrayed Patricia, and I don't know if the
feeling will ever go away."

"Do you mean because you are in love with
Jonah?"

... yes."

"Abby, none of us can help who we love. You
don't need to feel guilty about that."

"I shouldn't have come here."

He held her away from him, studying her
expression when he asked, "Why did you come?"

"Jonah asked his father to bring me. I could have
refused, and at first I did." She looked at him
pleadingly. "What am Ito do?"

He watched her face closely when he said, "You
could always fall in love with me."

She smiled at his teasing. "I wish I could."

He tugged at a stray curl. "I was almost in love
with you, but not so deep that I couldn't climb out."
He grinned. "Course, if you were to give me the
least encouragement, I could be hopelessly lost in
those green eyes."

"I don't want you to love me, Grant. And I don't
want to love anyone."

"Well," he said, steering her out of the barn with
his hand at her waist, "now that we've settled that,
you can go riding with me tomorrow."

She laughed up at him. "I would love to."

Patricia was waiting for Abby when she returned
from her walk with Grant. "Mr. Zachary seems a
very nice sort of man."

"He is. Some woman is going to be very
fortunate to have him for a husband."

"But not you?"

"No. We're just friends. I like him too much to
marry him without loving him."

"Yes. That would be a 'tragedy for anyone."

Abby settled on the bed. "Show me what you are
going to wear tomorrow night."

Patricia opened her trunk and spread a pale
yellow creation across the foot of the bed. Abby
touched the delicate fabric and smiled. "You are
going to be so pretty in this."

Patricia folded her gown and laid it back in the
trunk. "Let me see your gown."

Abby had to think for a moment. She had
hurriedly collected her gowns from Mary Herbert
the day before they left town, and she hadn't looked
at any of them except the wine-colored traveling
dress she now wore. "I don't know what it looks
like. I remember the material was green."

Abby placed the box on the bed and opened the lid
to find a note lying on top of the gown, and her
curiosity was piqued. Unpinning the note, she read
aloud: "`Abby, I don't usually do this much work on anyone's gown, not even my own. But this is my
way of saying thank-you for what you did for my
son, Rob. I know his gift to you was one of Clover's
litter-mine is this gown and the gloves. I only wish
I could see you in them. You have a true and loving
nature, and you are my son's friend for life.'"

There were tears in Abby's eyes as she lifted out
the gown. It was made from the pattern Mary had
helped her select, but it didn't quite look the same.
There was a soft fabric drape down the back that
swept to the floor. The neck was low, and the
sleeves were tiny and puffed. Around the hem and
around the band at the sleeves, Mary had
embroidered tiny pink rosebuds. A pair of elbowlength gloves were at the bottom of the box.

"It's so lovely," Patricia said. "Whatever did you
do for her son?"

Patricia looked shocked when Abby laughed and
said, "I taught him to fight."

Abby and Grant had been riding for several hours and
had just returned to the fort when she saw the line of
cavalrymen in the distance. Grant motioned for her to
follow him, and they galloped into the fort.

There was a sudden stirring of excitement as the
soldiers became more alert and watchful and came
to attention. "That would be Jonah," Grant observed
as the blue line of cavalrymen entered the fort.

This was a Jonah Abby had never seen. He
dismounted and two men ran forward to take his horse.
Sergeant MacDougall stepped forward, saluted, and
stiffly reported on all that had happened while Jonah was away. There was something he handed Jonah to
sign, and everyone was quiet as he read it over,
scribbled his name, then handed it back to MacDougall.

"Sergeant, dismiss the troops," Jonah said.
Behind his order was a tone of undeniable authority.

Troopers suddenly seemed to relax and went
about their usual activities. That was when Jonah
turned to Abby. He walked toward her and Grant,
but his gaze was on her. His uniform was dusty, and
he looked weary, she thought.

"You have been riding?" were his first words to
her. "You are wearing a skirt."

She nodded, raising her gaze to his. "Yes."

For a long moment he stared at her with those
sky-blue eyes. He almost seemed nervous, and
Abby wondered why. "You came. I wasn't sure you
would."

She tried to smile but couldn't. "You invited me."
Her gaze went to his shoulder. "How is your
wound?"

He flexed his arm. "All but well."

"I'm glad."

He took a breath and turned to Grant. "I would
like to see you in my office on the matter involving
Williamson."

"How did the trial go?"

"He will spend the rest of his natural life in prison."
He glanced at Abby. "If you will excuse us?"

"Yes, of course."

He turned and walked stiffly away, and
immediately two soldiers fell in behind him to do
his slightest bidding.

"Now, that's a strange situation," Grant remarked
to Jonah as he followed him.

"What?"

Grant noticed that Jonah had come straight to
Abby, and had not gone to the officer's quarters to
see Miss Van Dere. "It's nothing, I'm sure. I was
just thinking aloud and deciding I was going to
back up a bit and watch how things go."

"I don't always understand what you are talking
about."

"I know you don't. But I understand you, though.
You're so mad at me at the moment you could bite
the head off a penny nail."

Jonah didn't deny it as he gazed coldly at the
ranger. "I wish I could tell you to leave her alone,
but I don't have that right."

"No. You don't."

Jonah entered his office and moved to his desk.
"We will speak of the Williamson matter."

Patricia had arranged Abby's hair, and then Abby
helped Patricia with her hooks and laces.

"You look wonderful," Abby said, standing back.
"Jonah will love you in that gown."

"I'm nervous. I know he's waiting for me in the
other room, but I don't want to see him just now."

Abby frowned. "Why ever not?"

She -shook her head. "If you were ready, you
could come with me."

"I still have to get into that gown. He will want to
introduce you and his father to everyone. You don't
need me for that."

Patricia reluctantly left the room, and that puzzled
Abby. She could hear their voices, and she turned to
the window. She would like to go back home and
not attend the dance at all tonight.

Why had she put herself in a situation that could
only be torture for her?

Abby stepped up to the door of the reception hall,
her heart drumming in her ears. She stopped twice
before she entered, knowing that Jonah, his father,
and Patricia would be in a receiving line. This was
such a formal affair, and she was afraid she would
do something to disgrace herself. She wished Grant
were with her. She could use his strong presence
tonight.

Finally she drew a deep breath and stepped
inside. Of course, Jonah was the first person she
saw. He was wearing his dress blues with a scarlet
sash and a silver-handled saber at his waist. She
was barely aware of her footsteps as she approached
him. His head was bent as he listened to what the
lady in front of her was telling him.

When the woman moved on, Jonah turned to
Abby.

Time had no meaning; there was no one else in
the room as his gaze swept over her. She saw a
muscle in his jaw tighten, and a vein in his neck
throbbed. He reached out his gloved hand to her and
held her hand for a moment longer than he should
have.

"Abby, you are looking... beautiful. You take
my breath away."

"You are more than kind."

She quickly moved to Patricia and kissed her
cheek, and then to the general, who kissed her on
both cheeks. He looked handsome and distinguished
in his uniform, and it made her smile that he wore no
medals or adornment on his chest the Tremains of
Philadelphia would not do anything so tasteless as to
clutter their uniforms with decorations.

Unlike Diablo, where few people ever spoke to
Abby, here she was readily accepted. She
exchanged greetings with the wives of officers,
while several young officers lined up to sign the
dance card that Patricia had insisted on giving her.

She tried not to think about Jonah, but his
presence seemed to fill the room. It seemed that she
had danced with almost every officer there, even the
general himself. But the evening was almost over
before Jonah finally approached her. He stopped in
front of her, standing still and rigid, his eyes holding
a hard expression. She wondered what she had done
to make him so angry. If she had acted improperly,
she wasn't aware of it.