When Kat's Away [Sequel to Anna Doubles Down] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (15 page)

Kat sat up and glared at David. “How about we all check it out?”

David sighed and bowed his head. “Please, stay here where it’s safe.”

She snorted and scooted to the edge of the bed, grabbing David’s shirt before he could. She slipped it on and stalked toward the door. “I could use a glass of water anyway. You guys coming?”

Win grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “You may go with us, but you have to stay behind us or I’ll tie you to the bed and leave you here.”

David snickered when she stamped her foot. “Come on, let’s all go. I’m in the mood for another piece of that pie. I probably just heard some animal outside.” He picked up a match and lit the lamp, stopping to pull on his pants. Picking up the light, he walked out into the hall, Win and Kat trailing behind him. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Did one of you leave the cellar door open?”

Win moved to stand by his side. “No, I haven’t been down there in several days. What about you, Kat?”

“No, it wasn’t me. Do you think someone else has come through the time portal?”

David glanced at Win. “I don’t know, but I’m gonna check it out.” He turned and took Kat’s hand. “Will you please wait here with Win until I see what’s going on?”

“No, I want—” She squealed when Win grabbed her around the waist.

“We’ll wait for you to check it out, David, but don’t take any chances. Go slow and be careful.”

David smiled and then leaned over and kissed Kat and then Win. “I’m always careful.”

He turned and held the lamp in front of him so he could see the steps clearly. He didn’t see anything from where he stood, so he started down, slowly. When he reached the bottom he looked around but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“Anna was unconscious when she came through.”

He walked farther into the room, checking the floor behind the boxes. His eyes narrowed when he spotted a candle lying on the ground next to an overturned box of dishes. Broken plates were scattered across the dirt floor. He picked up the candle, surprised to find the end warm to the touch. It looked like one of the candles they kept on the tables upstairs. Taking another glance around, he walked back up the steps. Both Kat and Win were waiting at the top, peering down into the darkness.

“Well, did you find anybody?” asked Kat.

“No, but somebody was there.” David glanced around and spotted the table with the missing candle. He walked over and placed it back in its holder. “Somebody was snooping around down there and apparently dropped this when they knocked over a box of dishes.”

Kat glanced toward the cellar door and moved closer to Win. “How did they get in?”

Win walked over and tested the front door. “They didn’t come in this way.”

David walked toward the kitchen and glanced down the hall. “They got in this way.” He went to the open door and stepped outside. Gazing back and forth, he listened carefully. There was no sound. Not even the caw of the birds pierced the night. He turned around and looked at Win, standing in the doorway with Kat. “Somebody broke in and was snooping around in the cellar.”

Kat looked up at Win and then back at David. “What would they be looking for?”

David stepped back inside. “I don’t know, but I mean to find out.”

Win examined the frame of the door. “This doesn’t look like anyone broke it. There aren’t any force marks visible.”

David shrugged. “Maybe we forgot to lock this one. We were kind of distracted when we went upstairs.”

Kat giggled. “Should we get the sheriff?”

“No, I don’t think he’s gonna be much help.” David shut the door and placed the brace in position.

Win put an arm around Kat. “Maybe we should keep this among ourselves. It’ll cause your mother great distress if she thinks someone was able to get inside and we didn’t know it.”

“You’re right. No sense in causing trouble if we don’t have to.”

“Hey, guys, Anna’s my friend, and I don’t like the idea of lying to her. When she finds out the truth—and she will—she won’t be happy.”

David moved closer and put his hand on her shoulder. “We’re not gonna lie to her. We just won’t volunteer any information.”

She laughed. “You really don’t believe she’ll let you get away with that, do you?”

He sighed. “No, but maybe we can keep her from finding out until we have an explanation to go along with the story.”

“Fair enough.” Kat grinned. “Let’s go tackle that pie now. I’m actually a little hungry.” She grabbed David’s arm and pulled him down the hall. “You guys have really given me an appetite.”

Win took David’s other arm. “Tomorrow I’d like us to take Kat out to the cabin.”

She stopped and looked up into Win’s face. “What cabin?”

David pulled her toward the kitchen. “It’s the cabin my folks own. It’s been in the family since before I was born.” He gazed at Win. “Why do you wanna go there?”

“I wanna show Kat where I came to be so she has a picture to go with the story of my birth into this family.”

David put his hand on Kat’s chin and tilted her face up. “How about it, love? Do you think you’d like to take a trip out into the country to see where ole Win here made his debut?”

She smiled and took Win’s hand, pulling him down to place a kiss on his cheek. “I’d love to see where you were born.”

David set the lamp on the table. “Okay, then. Let’s get some pie and then we’ll get a little more sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll pack us a picnic basket, and we’ll take a ride out to the old cabin.”

* * * *

Kat held on tight to the seat and glanced at Win riding alongside them on White Socks. “I should’ve made those seat cushions for this wagon.”

David chuckled. “It’s not much farther, just up around that next bend. I guess we’re just gonna have to teach you to ride so you can skip the wagon next trip.”

“Does anybody live there now?”

“No, it’s been empty for a long time. My family still uses it during the summer when we wanna get away from town. We keep a few supplies there, but nothing major. It’s great if you wanna get away for a picnic or just a nice walk in the woods. At least that’s what Mom always said.”

Win moved White Socks closer to the side of the wagon. “It’s not far from the town cemetery, so they keep this road and the trails pretty clear.”

Kat watched the trail and then spotted a small cabin with a stone chimney. It looked old and abandoned, with weatherworn walls that had gaps scattered along the sides. “Looks like it could use a little work.”

David sighed and pulled back on the reins, turning the horses onto a small trail. “Yeah, we need to get out here before winter sets in and plug all those holes.”

She studied the small structure. “You don’t replace the logs?”

“No, we use a combination of mud and straw mixed together to plug any holes. When it dries out, it’s practically weathertight.”

Win guided his horse away from the wagon. “The only problem is it won’t last. We have to plug the same holes year after year.”

They pulled up in front of the cabin, and Win jumped off his horse. He tied the reins to one half of the broken rail sitting out front.

“Whoa!” David stopped the wagon and set the brake. He quickly jumped down and then reached up, grabbed Kat around the waist, and lifted her to the ground.

She felt a shiver run up her back as she looked around. The forest was dense around the cabin, the trees so thick in areas she couldn’t see the trail. Pine cones and needles littered the uneven ground. Her hand brushed back and forth in front of her face to discourage the insects as the gentle breeze stirred the loose dirt on the trail. “It’s so quiet here. I don’t even hear any birds.”

Win looked out into the trees, his hands fisted at his side. “It’s unusually quiet. It’s almost like the wildlife has been frightened away.”

“Because of us?”

“No, I don’t think so.” He walked to the tree line and stared silently into the dense foliage. After a moment he turned and gave David a look she didn’t understand.

“What is it, Win?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing I can sense.”

David took Kat’s arm. “Come on. Let’s check out this place.”

She let David lead her to the cabin, swinging the door in easily. She walked inside and took a moment to look around while Win walked over and opened the wooden shutters latched over the front window.

The cabin was one large room with a raised, rock fireplace. The soot-stained hearth contained the remains of a long-dead fire. A mantle nailed above the fireplace held a black skillet, a couple of plates, and a kerosene lamp. An old coffeepot sat alone on the hearth. Intricate patterns of cobwebs connected all the items. The only furniture was a small table and three wooden rocking chairs. The chairs were badly scratched and covered in dust so thick she could have written her name in it. She jumped back and squealed when a rodent of some kind shot across the floor and disappeared out the door.

Win laughed. “I guess we do scare the local wildlife.”

“Well, what do you think?” David pointed to a spot near the wall. “There used to be an old bedstead there. It was where Moon Dancer gave birth to Win.”

“Yes, my
appe
and
bia’
brought me here so I could see my
nagaha’ape’
.”

“Uh, what did he say?”

David smiled. “His father and mother brought him here so he could see his beginnings.”

“They wanted me to see how the
ainka bambipe wa’aipe’ dedeegi sidei
’.”

Kat sighed. “Translation, please.”

“They wanted him to see how the red-haired woman saved them.”

“What language are you speaking?”

“Shoshone.”

She turned to David. “And you speak it too?”

“Win has lived with us since he was eight years old. He taught me his language, and I taught him English. We agreed to use Shoshone words from time to time so his language wouldn’t die out, and so he’d be able to teach his children someday.”

“That’s what I’m doing now, teaching words to you, Kat. Come, I wanna show you where Anna hid my family from Bart Canders.” He walked to the center of the room and leaned down. His fingers locked into what looked like a gap in the floorboards, and he pulled.

Kat took a step back when a piece of the floor rose up, revealing a hole in the floor. She looked up when David lit the kerosene lantern from the mantle. He walked over and started down some narrow steps she hadn’t noticed. Moving closer, she looked down. The hole was dark and smelled damp and musty.

“Go follow David. It’s safe.”

She hesitated and then gingerly started down the steps, holding tightly to the floor as she descended. Once she was down, she glanced around. Basically, she was in a hole in the ground, and she didn’t like it. The walls and floor were dirt, with cobwebs covering every corner. Her breath came in short, shallow pants, as the walls seemed to close in around her. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she gasped when David swept her off her feet and deposited her into Win’s arms at the top of the steps. She let out a shaky breath when he pulled her through the opening into the main room of the cabin.

David climbed out quickly and shut the trap door. “Kat, I’m so sorry. I had no idea you had a fear of small places. We don’t ever have to go back down there again.”

“It’s okay, David. I didn’t know it was that bad myself. It’s never been like that before.” She glanced at Win. “I can’t imagine how frightening that must’ve been for your mother, especially with a newborn baby.”

He shook his head. “She never said anything about being afraid. She was grateful to be hidden from the white man.”

“Is that why the basement was dug out under the house? Was it for protection from the Indians at one point?”

“No.” David moved to stand in the doorway. “It’s a root cellar. They stored food down there because it stayed cooler in the summer, and it was always dry. Their vegetables would last longer stored down there. It was just an afterthought for them to use it for a hiding place.”

Win took her hand and played idly with her fingers. “It was probably used for safety for the first time during an Indian raid. This cabin is old enough to have been around when the fighting around these parts was heavy.”

“Well, I’m glad Anna was able to use it to save your life. Who knows what that Canders fellow would have done if he’d seen your family.”

“My
appe
, my father, said he would have killed my father and me, and taken my mother as a slave or worse. He wanted to kill Bart Canders when he found Anna, but she talked him into leaving him alone for the
dosa dainape
, the white men, to punish.”

Kat frowned. “But they did eventually punish him, didn’t they?”

David walked over to stand next to Win. “Yes, they caught up with him a few weeks later and hanged him.” He glanced at Win and then back at Kat. “He didn’t exactly get a trial. They already knew from what Mom and Running Bear told them what he’d done to her. That, on top of him setting fire to the mill, was enough to turn the miners into vigilantes. When a group of them caught up with him a couple of weeks later, they upped and hung him without bothering to involve the law. Nobody ever knew which men had done it, so the law just let it go.” He pointed toward the trees. “He’s buried in an unmarked grave over in our cemetery.”