Page 104 of My Heart Will Find You

For the first time, he responded more fully. “Then you will go without me and my men. You have two choices—with men and guns, or with women with your hat pins. The choices will not be combined. If there is to be a battle, women will not be present.”

Etta put her hands on her hips. “Women can fight. We can—” When she looked at his face, she knew she wasn’t going to win. She sat down on the bed beside him. “I can help. Please let me go.”

“No,” he said.

It was obvious that twenty-first century ideas of womanpower didn’t work with a nineteenth-century man.

He stood up. “Are you done now?”

She nodded. She was truly exhausted. The mountain had won.

After he left the room, she got undressed, put on a nightgown, and got into bed. She didnotlike fighting with him.

When he returned, she pretended to be asleep. He got in with her, and she held her breath.

How angry was he?

But Max pulled her into his arms, and they clung to each other. “I hate it when you cry,” he said.

They didn’t make love, but fell asleep wrapped about each other.

In the morning when she woke, he was gone. Feeling very bad, she got out of bed.

Alice threw the bedroom door open so hard it slammed against the wardrobe. “Pat and Max are gone.” Her voice was accusatory. What she was really saying was,What the hell have you done now?

“They’re with the Kanzas. There’s a rumor that they’re going to be attacked today.”

“The men said it was because you killed so many buffalo.” Alice was very angry.

“I didn’t—” Etta began, then stopped. “Whatever the reason, I agree that it’s all my fault. If anyone is hurt, it’s because of me.”

Alice gave a snort of derision. “There’s nothing I hate more than self-pity.”

Etta turned to her. Alice not only looked like Etta’s little sister but sounded like her. Sisters took no prisoners. “Said by a woman who wouldn’t leave the house because her twisted foot wasn’t pretty.”

Alice, who had never had a sister, looked shocked. Then she almost smiled. One warrior to another. She calmed somewhat. “Pat told Nellie that we’re to go to the church.”

“And men must be obeyed,” Etta muttered.

“When it suits us, yes.”

The change in tone was familiar. For all the times she and her sister had fought, they had often bonded against whatever decree their father had made. “Have you heard anything from them?”

“Nothing. I don’t like this.”

“Nor do I,” Etta said. “Help me with the corset. Does Rufus have the buggy ready?”

“He’s gone. All the men went with Pat and Max.”

Etta sighed. “He said he’d take them. Can you drive a buggy?”

“No, but Nellie can.”

Etta thought how much male and femaleneededeach other.Not like in my time, she thought.

As they drove through town, they saw that there were no men. Saloonkeepers, lawyers, criminals, cowboys, shopkeepers were missing. All the men were gone.

The women who were left behind stood along the street and glared at Etta. Even the ones who’d liked her now let her know of their anger. Because of her, the men had left to go to a possible war. Again. It hadn’t been long since they’d returned from the War Between the States.

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