Chapter 25
They heard him before they saw him. Kade threw out his arm, halting Mark’s progress. He leaned forward in the saddle, his body tense, listening.
“Ole Dan Tucker,” a voice sang out. “Mmmm, mmmm, it hummed. “Damn what I wouldn’t give for a frying pan. I sure wouldn’t wash my face in it. I’d cut me one of these willows and rig a pole. Saw that done once in a movie. Fry me up a nice fat trout.”
Silence. Then the sound of a rock plopping in the water reached them. “No pole, no line, no skillet and,” the voice raised in anger, “nothing to eat. I’m so hungry I could eat a bear. That measly packet of Kool Aid I found in this jacket’s pocket gave out early yesterday. Gaaa, grape Kool Aid. Makes me want to puke, but I haven’t got anything down there to puke.” Another rock hit the water with a thunk.
Slowly, and with great stealth, Kade and Mark dismounted, and leading their horses, silently drew closer to where the willows parted, and they had full view of the stream. A boy sat on a boulder, dangling his bare feet in the water, chunking rocks into the deep pools.
At first glance, Kade thought it was a man, but a second look confirmed the boy’s youth. Kade guessed him around sixteen. He was thin and tall. He wore a jacket that barely stretched across his back. The ragged sleeves stopped midway down his arm. His hair stuck out in unruly spikes and his jeans were patched and torn, ending at bare ankles. His shoes lying beside him were a mystery, appearing to be more shoelace and tongue than sole. All-in-all he looked unkempt, abandoned, and tossed aside.
On the bank, a campfire burned alarmingly close to several clumps of dry brush. Next to the fire lay a thin blanket sporting more holes than cloth.
Kade dropped Xanthous’s reins, and in a quick spurt of motion, reached the campfire. He began stomping it out, kicking what dry dirt there was over the glowing embers.
The boy jumped at the noise, standing on the boulder, rock in hand.
“Don’t you dare try to run, boy,” Mark shouted. “You’ve led us a merry chase, and by damned that’s come to an end. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
Intent on eliminating the fire’s danger, Kade raised his head, taking in the boy’s rigid stance. Then before he could question the action, the boy drew back his hand and let the rock fly.
“You’re not taking me back. I ain’t ever gonna be under his rule again,” he yelled as the missile reached its target.
Kade’s head snapped back at the impact of the sharp rock. Blood spurted from the jagged cut above his eye, momentarily blinding him. Wiping the blood away with his forearm, he plowed through the water toward the boy. In a blur of motion, he reached him and simultaneously grabbed the drawn back arm before the second rock could be released. His long fingers painfully tightened around the thin wrist.
“Let me go you . . .” Words spilled from the boy’s mouth that would make even the most seasoned cowhand blush.
“You watch that filthy mouth of yours. I ought to . . .”
The boy ducked his head, his shoulders hunched, waiting for the blow. His thin body trembled.
In a whimper, the boy pleaded. “Don’t hit me. Please don’t hit me.” Kade knew it was a plea often made.
“I’m not going to hit you,” Kade said grimly. “I don’t make it a practice of hitting kids, although you deserve a good smack.” The cut was bleeding profusely, and blood coursed down the side of Kade’s face.
“Fires and rocks. What kind of stupid brat are you?” Mark called out.
A scared one, Kade thought. This boy’s been hit more than one time, I’m guessing. He’s afraid.
Kade dragged the protesting boy to the bank only loosening his grip slightly.
There he let go, and giving the boy a steely look, asked, “What’s your name, son?”
“I sure as hell ain’t your son,” the boy snarled in a show of bravado.
“Thankfully,” Kade muttered. “Answer me,” he said more forcefully.
“Jesse.”
“Jesse what?”
“Ain’t telling you anything more. You can’t make me go back.”
Kade realized they were operating from different manuals. “I’m not planning on making you go back. I don’t even know where ‘back’ is.”
The boy looked at him suspiciously. “Then why’d you come after me?”
“Well, for one thing, I don’t appreciate having my head opened up with a rock.”
“Sorry,” he said, not meeting Kade’s eyes. “Didn’t aim for your head.”
“No? Well, you sure could have fooled me.”
“Kade,” Mark interrupted, “we’d better tie him onto one of our horses and get back to the ranch. That cut’s going to need stitches.”
Kade fished in his pocket and drew out a clean bandana, tying it around his forehead over the cut. “Don’t doubt it for a minute. Just what I need,” he groused, giving the boy a disgusted look.
“Are we going to need to tie your hands and legs so you can’t run?”
“Guess so, ‘cause I ain’t going back,” he repeated.
“Okay, you’ve got me. You keep saying ‘going back’. Where’s back?” Kade stood close to the boy, ready to grab him if he made a false move.
“You know.” A defiant look passed over his face.
“Well, let’s pretend I don’t,” Kade said.
“Back to Jasper Cool . . .” then he caught himself. “Uh, back to my stepdad’s.” He gave Kade a quizzical look. “You really don’t know? You weren’t sent to bring me back?”
“No.” Kade bit out. “I’m here to stop you from setting a fire and burning up part of my ranch.”
“I ain’t setting no fire. Your ranch?”
“What do you call these campfires? And yes, it’s my ranch, my land, you’re standing on. My creek you’re throwing rocks in.”
“Listen, Mister, I only made a campfire because I was cold. I wouldn’t do harm to anyone’s land.”
“Not purposely maybe, but it’s easy for a fire to get out of hand, especially when it’s laid next to dry brush.” Kade nudged the brush with the toe of his boot. The slight movement made his head spin and vision blur.
“Sorry,” Jesse mumbled. “I ain’t had much experience making a campfire. Anyhow, I’m down to my last match. I’ll be cold tonight.” He looked over at the piece of blanket on the ground. “That rag don’t keep out much cold.”
Kade felt something loosen inside him at Jesse’s words. He was going to get to the bottom of what put this kid on the run. Instinctively, feelings of anger bubbled up inside him. Intense dislike was aimed at the stepfather. Along with those feelings, was a surprised one of protectiveness. He wasn’t going to stand around and let someone abuse the boy. Stepdad or no stepdad.
“That fire out?” Kade asked Mark.
“Yep.”
“Then let’s get out of here. Grab that rag of a blanket and you, Jesse, hop up behind my saddle.”
“Hop up?” Jesse asked with a tremor in his voice.
“Yes,” Kade said, the pain in his head made every word an effort. You’ll ride double with me.”
“Can’t. Ain’t never rode no horse before, and I don’t aim to start now.”
“Fine,” Kade said tiredly. “Mark get the rope. We’ll tie him face down over Xanthous’s rump. Rough riding that way. He’ll probably puke his guts out before we get back to the ranch,” Kade shrugged nonchalantly, never taking his eyes off Jesse’s white face.
Hiding the twinkle in his eye, Mark grabbed the rope from around his saddle horn and took several intimidating steps toward Jesse.
“Stop.” Jesse cried out. “I . . . I’ll ride. Don’t tie me. Please.”
Mark froze. The fear was tangible in Jesse’s voice. It wasn’t resistance to being tied on a horse’s back, it was a voice edged with panic dredged from experience.
“Jesse,” Kade’s voice calm and reassuring, “we have no intention of hurting you. If you’ll cooperate, there’s no need to tie you.”
“You’ll take me back. Turn me over to him.”
“No, you’re wrong. We’re going to ride back to the ranch house where I’ll turn you over to my grandmother, and she’ll feed you. I don’t know your stepfather, and I don’t think I want to. I need to get this cut tended to,” and he motioned to the already blood-soaked bandana. “After that, we’ll talk, and I’ll expect honest answers to my questions. Understand?”
Jesse eyed the large man, sensing this was someone he could trust. In his short life, he’d found few he could depend on to stand by their word, but this tall cowboy seemed to be such a man.
Finally, Jesse spoke. “What’s your name, Mister?”
“Kade McCune, and my ranch is the Double K.”
Kade put his foot in the stirrup and settled onto the saddle. He swayed and grabbed the saddle horn to steady himself. Taking a deep breath, he leaned over and extended a hand to Jesse.
“Grab hold, and I’ll pull you up.”
Jesse hesitated, then put his slim hand in Kade’s large one. Effortlessly, he was lifted up behind Kade’s back.
“Put your arms around my waist.” Kade gulped back anger as he felt the boy’s thin body pressed against him. He’d missed more than a few meals.
“Hungry?” Kade asked quietly.
“Haven’t had anything to eat for longer than I care to remember.”
“Just grape Kool Aide, huh?”
An astonished gasp came from behind. “How’d you know?”
“Lucky guess.”