Free Northwoods Nightmare by Jon Sharpe Page B

Edith said, as if that were cause enough. “And you’re the one who invited them along. You should have thought of their stomachs sooner and shot game for them to eat.”
    â€œNow, Mother,” Angeline said.
    â€œDon’t take that tone with me, young lady. You father can sit here mute if he wants, but I will speak my mind. It frustrates me no end, the liberties our guide takes.”
    Fargo made no attempt to hide his contempt. “I have to hand it to you, lady.”
    â€œHand what?”
    â€œI’ve met some bitches in my time, but you are at the top of the heap.” Fargo left her fuming. People like her were the reason he couldn’t stand civilization for more than short spells. He crossed to the Nlaka’pamux.
    â€œThank you. My grandfather is very fond of coffee.” Tiet paused. “I saw you arguing with the white woman with eyes of flint. Did she not want you to bring these to us?”
    â€œWho cares what she wants?” Fargo sat cross-legged and propped his elbows on his knees. “We need to talk, you and me.”
    â€œWe do?”
    â€œKenneth Havard.” Fargo held up a hand. “Don’t deny you’ve heard of him. I saw your face earlier. What do you know that I should know?”
    Holding the cup in both hands, Teit blew on the coffee to cool it. “I am sorry. If I tell you and his family finds out, there will be much trouble.”
    â€œIs he dead?”
    â€œPlease.”
    â€œIt’s easy to answer. Yes or no. If it’s yes, where’s the grave? I’ll take them there and they can be on their way.”
    Teit lowered the cup and bowed her head. “You do not understand.”
    â€œI’m trying.” Fargo was glad to be proven right but puzzled by her reluctance to say. Then it hit him. “Are the Nlaka’pamux involved? Did he do something to anger them and pay with his life?”
    â€œMy people would never harm Kenneth Havard. His heart, like yours, is good.”
    â€œIs? Then he is still alive?”
    â€œI never said that.”
    Fargo wouldn’t let it drop. “But where did he get to? And why did he stop writing his folks?”
    â€œHe has his rea—” Teit stopped. “Oh, you are terrible.”
    Teit put down the cup and grasped Chelahit’s hand. “My grandfather and I should go. If I stay I might say things I shouldn’t, and upset people I care for dearly.”
    â€œNo. Wait.” Fargo put his hand on her leg, above the knee. So long as they stayed, he stood a chance of prying the truth out of her. “I won’t bring it up again if you don’t want me to talk about him.”
    â€œI don’t.”
    â€œAll right. Not another word.” For a while, anyway, Fargo told himself.
    Teit’s eyes were limpid pools. “But there is something I do want. Something I would like very much.”
    â€œName it.”
    â€œI saw you walk off with the white girl. I would like for you to walk off with me.”
    Fargo was instantly wary. “Just the two of us? Why? What do you have in mind?”
    Teit grinned. “I should think you could guess.” She held out her hand for him to take. “I want you to make love to me.”

9
    Skye Fargo liked women as much as whiskey and poker. Their bodies gave him more pleasure than just about anything. But they also did things that left him scratching his head. They were hard to figure out. Not other men. Men thought a certain way and did things a certain way, and reading them was easy. The same with wild animals. Once you knew an animal’s habits, you knew the animal. But women didn’t think as men did and things they did often made no sense.
    Ask most any man and he would tell you that women were a delight but they were strange .
    Fargo liked the idea of going off in the woods with Teit. She had a nice body. But the offer came so unexpectedly that he was suspicious. It struck him as