Heart of the Wild (26 page)

"But son—"

"Tanka, congrats again to you and Gina. It's about time you made an honest woman of her, you rascal. I just hope she knows what she's getting herself into. Rosie, you're a lovely hostess as always, and Kasie, you are an experience I won't soon forget." He winked at her and turned around and walked off.

Walked off. Just like that. No more fighting.

Kasie's mouth was still hanging open. She plopped down in the chair, flabbergasted! He was leaving her, just like that. Everything else between them had been a fight, why not this?

"Now, why on earth would he leave this early? It's not like Chay at all. I hope he's alright. He wasn't injured from that rescue, was he?" Margaret was fretting.

Tanka shook his head and smiled as though he knew something everyone else didn't. "No, no injury, at least not physical." He glanced at Kasie and nodded. "I'm surprised he stayed this long. Chay's not a party animal, you all know that. Probably got something on his mind, is all."

John glanced sharply at his daughter. "Did the two of you have words, Kasie?"

"Words?"

"Again?" someone echoed.

"Words?" she screamed this time. She'd been as charming as she knew how to be. She hadn't uttered one ugly word to anyone, and yet, they all looked at her as though she had brought his departure on. Her fists came down on the table to beat it. Her nervous foot stomping the floor, "No, father, we didn't have words. He simply told me he loved me, and that I could go home now. That's all! Does that make sense to you?"

"Loves you?"

Her voice had risen, and the entire room hushed.

"Now, see here, Kasie. Exactly what did go on in that cabin?" John Douglas demanded to know starting to get to his feet.

"Go on?" her voice still rose. "Go on? Think the worst of me. But the answer is, nothing, Father. But I'll guarantee you one thing, the next time you see me, you better have a preacher with you!"

"Kasie!" John Douglas shot to his feet, his face red, but with anger or embarrassment, she didn't know.

And with that the whole place began to cheer her onward in her quest.

Kasie ran out the door, hoping to catch up to Amory, but he was out of sight. The night was clear, and the moon shone like a beacon.

Without forethought, she marched right back inside, demanded her father's keys, and marched back out. It didn't dawn on her how quickly her father had thrown her the keys to his new jeep. Nor did she notice how his scowl had suddenly turned to a big grin. Not until she was miles up the mountain did she realize her father had already given his approval.

John had stood up, and turned Kasie to meet his gaze. "Where are you going?" He had demanded.

"To find him, of course."

"What for?"

"To tell him exactly what I think of him."

"Good girl," John suddenly smiled into her eyes and let her go.

Tanka and Gina smiled at each other, knowingly.

And Rosie, who was sitting in Corky's lap, laughed aloud, "I knew it. I knew I was right about that one. It's a boomerang. That's what it is."

John Douglas looked at Rosie and smiled. "Rosie, old girl, I think you just hit the nail on the head."

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Chapter Thirteen

The cabin was surrounded in darkness when she arrived. Kasie slowed the new jeep to a crawl as she glanced about. Most of the snow had begun to melt, and it looked entirely different now. Not that it had been so long ago. There was a light mist in the air.

Kasie knocked on the door, but there was no answer. The thud of her fist made a lonesome sound in the night, like the dull thudding of her heart as she realized she had somehow missed Amory.

Dear God, had she traveled half the night, and he wasn't here? She sighed heavily, cursed under her breath, stomped one foot and turned to get back into the jeep.

"You know you cuss too much? And that stomping has definitely got to stop," came a voice from the edge of the forest, as she was about to put her foot up to the jeep. She stepped down, and looked about.

It was only a shadow, but a big shadow, one she recognized easily, standing against a tree, smoking a cheroot. She took one step closer to the shadow.

"And you smoke too much."

"So we both have bad habits," he said with a curious smile.

"Y—yes,"

Then suddenly she noticed a dark shadow beside him. She moved closer and then squealed aloud. "It's the lab, isn't it?"

"That's why I was late getting in, I stopped off at Homer's and picked him up. Decided I needed a little companionship. It seems a little lonelier up here now."

"Oh," she murmured and backed away, "he's beautiful."

"I thought I'd call him Brat."

"That's mean."

"Oh, I don't know. I'm rather fond of the word. What would you call him?"

She stammered a moment, then crunching down in a squat position, she petted the animal and smiled, "I'd call him Blackie."

"I like Brat better."

She shrugged, and stood up again. "He's your dog."

Amory nodded, and took him to the cellar. "Here's a bone for you, Brat. Now you stay put until I can get your feed and water and a rug for you in the house."

"You're not going to leave him out here in the cold, are you?"

"For a little while, yes." He glanced at her, his eyes raking her with one glance. "You know you're very sensitive to the wilderness, aren't you Kasie? In fact, you are sensitive to everything around you, except maybe me. But animals and nature especially. You like it here, don't you?"

"Sensitive? Like it here?" she repeated.

A long silence prevailed, and Kasie began to pace about, not sure whether to just leave or have it out with Amory.

"So why'd you come?" he finally asked.

When she didn't answer, he moved to go past her. "Look, it's getting late, you should be home packing."

"Should I?" she challenged.

He was at the front door, unlocking it, but glanced over his shoulder. "Yes."

"You were getting even all the time, weren't you?" she demanded, stomping her foot into the ground without thinking.

He turned around and looked at her, "You've got a bad habit of doing that."

"Doing what?" she asked with impatience.

"Stomping your foot, like a child."

"Amory!"

"My name is Chay! Say it!" he demanded, as he came closer. He was right in front of her. Those bedroom eyes seem to sizzle. She felt herself weakening in his presence.

"Chay!" she managed in a small voice, as other emotions began to take hold of her. His eyes seemed to devour her, but his words didn't acknowledge her. She couldn't think straight with him this close.

"Better," he said with a grin, lifting her chin so the moonlight shone in her face. "That's much better. And yes, I guess I'm a little guilty in that regard. I deliberately planned that moment at the Inn. Right down to the nail, Kasie. You've got me dead to rights. I wanted some strange kind of revenge for the torture you've put me through. I thought it would be sweet. I thought it would wipe you right out of mind and heart."

She gasped.

"Now, did you ever ask yourself why I might have done it?"

"Because you loathe me. You wanted me to hurt—like I hurt you."

"No, I never loathed you." He almost turned away, then glanced at her again. "I wanted to knock some sense into your head. Shock you. But why, Kasie? Why does anyone want revenge?"

"Be—because I hurt you," she heard herself admit, the air rushing out of her lungs.

"Right again, sweetheart. You stole my heart eight years ago. You took all my dreams away. I was crazy in love with you, but like a jug head, I couldn't tell you. Pride, fear of rejection, stupidity. I didn't know then what I do know now."

She looked deep into his eyes, searching. "You should have said something. You never—"

"I know." His voice grew distant as he turned away, his shoulders tensing. "You were so damn young though, and it all happened so fast. I wasn't sure you'd believe me."

"I don't know. Maybe if we had talked about our feelings a little more. Dad was a wonderful man, but he didn't know much about raising a girl. I knew very little about being a woman, and I've got to admit that was part of the reason I ran away was because I wasn't sure of myself. I didn't think I could be enough woman for you. I wasn't ready for marriage." She glanced at him sadly. "So now, your revenge is complete. I'm in love with you." She cried, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You asked me to marry you, asked my father for my hand, but you never said the words. And now—"

He turned around, hearing the hurt in her voice, seeing the truth in her eyes, and he gathered her against him. "Don't you see, Kasie? You never believed in those words until now."

Her mouth flew open, and he suddenly covered it with his own. "God, how I've wanted you, Kasie. Missed you," he muttered raggedly against her lips. A wild unleashed kiss sweeping away doubts, full of old hurts, new joys, and a promise.

When his lips moved against her cheek, he uttered the words she had so longed to hear. "I do love you, Kasie, I always have. And I always will."

"I'd hoped, I wanted—to believe, but my father had done most of the arranging in my life back then. I couldn't even think for myself. When I heard him talking about wanting you in the family as his son-in-law. I thought the wedding was all his idea. I couldn't face you. But, I've done a little growing up since I've been here," she said slowly, keeping her eyes closed as he continued to kiss her nose, her eyes her cheeks, her chin, and finally her lips again.

"Yes, I guess you have at that. And a little forgiving, too." He finally whispered as he held her tightly in his arms.

"Yes—."

"And love, Kasie?"

"Love is an emotion that hurts most of the time. It's so elusive you're never sure if it's there. It's like the emotions I feel about my parents. It's there, but it's so vague, sometimes. I'll admit I'm afraid of it. Afraid to be too happy. Oddly enough, it was my mother that taught me that. I love her so, and I'm not sure she's ever noticed. I wanted her to forgive me for choosing to live with dad. It wasn't that I loved one more than the other, it was that I liked his lifestyle better. And I guess I'm as guilty as you, I never told her."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I never really realized what a girl must go through, especially without a mother there to help her."

"She was so beautiful, so talented, and so unapproachable. I knew love existed, I saw it in other people. My father loved me, but he's a busy man. He never took time for love. I'm just afraid of it. Afraid of never having it for my own."

"It doesn't have to hurt—if you give into it a little. And you've had it for a long time, sweetheart. I'm just sorry I never told you in so many words before. I thought it was the Indian in me that kept you so removed from me."

"Chayton, I never dreamed that's what you thought. You must have thought that's why I left. I think being Indian is wonderful. It's the most romantic heritage a person can have."

Chayton stared into her eyes, and a slow burning smile crept upon his face. "You know, a man doesn't seek revenge when he doesn't feel anything. I didn't want to marry you because of your father. In spite of, not because of. In fact, in the beginning I fought the urge to even ask you." He shook her in his arms and smiled into her questioning face. "I fell in love with a naive little tomboy. Crazy in love. I'll admit I was afraid to touch you back then, but only because my hormones were raging out of control."

"But I was such a mess back then, such a tomboy, how could you possibly love me like that? Mother said men don't love tomboys, they feel sorry for them."

"You were beauty and innocence rolled into one. I loved your spirit for life, your love of nature, everything about you, Kasie. Not just the way you look on the outside, but the way you look on the inside. I wasn't out to buy a package. I wanted you, the girl I fell in love with."