Free Reckless Destiny by Teresa Southwick

high-spirited boy to deal with, I’d be at my wits end without him.”
    “He’s very capable,” Cady answered.
    There was an edge to her voice that Kane knew meant she was still anything but happy about his involvement in the fight.
    The woman smiled at Cady. “When R. J.’s not chopping wood, he’ll get to know his room a lot better, Miss Tanner.”
    “My first name is Cady, Mrs. Wexler.”
    “We’re not formal out here, except maybe Captain Carrington, who does everything by the book.” She smiled at Kane. “Call me Betsy.”
    “I’d like that,” Cady said.
    The other woman frowned as she looked at Cady’s eye. “It looks terribly painful, dear.”
    Cady shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m more concerned about your confidence in my ability to keep order in the classroom. I assure you nothing like that will happen again.”
    Major Wexler joined them. “Indeed it won’t. My son is learning the error of his ways.”
    “So I heard,” Cady said.
    The major nodded. “Losing his riding privileges will hurt the boy more than anything and teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget.”
    “It would me,” Cady said, nodding in understanding.
    “Do you ride, Miss Tanner?” the major asked.
    “I do, sir. And I’ve missed it.”
    “My son is confined to the fort, and his horse is going to need exercise.” The major looked thoughtful. “Would you be interested in riding Prince, Miss Tanner?”
    “Oh, yes, sir,” she said, without a moment’s hesitation or deliberation. “May I?”
    Just what he needed, Kane thought. She was enough trouble inside the fort. Now she was planning to go gallivanting around in the desert.
    “I have no objections.” Major Wexler looked at Kane. “Do you, captain?”
    “No, sir. Not if she stays within sight of the fort.”
    The other man nodded. “I agree. Some of the young Indians on the reservation are feeling their oats, getting restless. Geronimo’s escapades are stirring them up too.But if you stay close by, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be safe.”
    “Thank you, major. I’ll look forward to the exercise.” She smiled at him and then at Kane.
    To everyone else, her expression appeared sweet and innocent. Kane saw a triumphant look that told him she discounted all his warnings. Damnation. This would feed her starry-eyed optimism and convince her she’d done the right thing in coming out west. But that would change. Idealism wouldn’t be enough when loneliness and boredom set in.
    The oil lanterns hanging on the walls around the room picked out the gold in Cady’s hair and set it to gleaming. Kane’s gut twisted at the thought of her beautiful hair on the end of an Apache war lance. “Just a word of caution. Stay alert.”
    “I’ll do that, captain,” she said, raising her voice over the other conversations nearby.
    “Betsy, let’s take Miss Tanner around and introduce her.” The major took his wife’s elbow. “There are a few men who have been waiting anxiously.” He grinned at Kane. “You’ll excuse us, captain?”
    “Of course.”
    His teeth set, Kane watched Cady as she moved across the room, smiling sweetly and shaking hands as introductions were made. It irritated the hell out of him that every other man there was watching her too. The straight line of her back and her slender waist made his hand itch to curl possessively around her. Her golden brown hair was tightly braided and pinned up on her head, and he had the most insane impulse to unweave those controlled strands and run his fingers through the mass until it was wild and free.
    Damn it to hell! He knew each man there was thinking the same thing.
    The realization made him crazy. Cady seemed to captivate every man she spoke with, but that didn’t surprise him. She was a fascinating mixture of eager young girl and sophisticated lady. With every last ounce of his being he wished she were a fat horse-faced hag. That would make his promise to Jack and to himself much easier to