The captain smiled and touched his hat.
"We'll be leaving you now. Keep a sharp eye out."
He reined his horse around and the troop trotted after him. They quickly melting into the heat waves again.
Pete squinted up at Bordeaux. "You reckon them Injuns knew we was around?"
"Hard to tell," Bordeaux mused, still watching the retreating troop. He finally glanced down at Pete and straightened in the saddle, removing his leg from the horn and placing his foot in the stirrup.
"It wouldn't hurt to be watchful, though."
Pete nodded and glanced up at Cassie. "You don't be wandering away from the wagons."
"Yes, sir."
Hearing the concern in Pete's voice sent a chill down her spine. Anything that troubled Pete gave her reason to worry. He had guided wagon trains across Indian Territory and battled the Cheyenne. That much she knew from a conversation she had overheard between two men in Ashley. He was reputed to have kept a cool head during battle and wasn't easily intimidated. Had he hired Bordeaux? No, he didn't know about the Indians until now - or did he?
She watched Pete's bowlegged figure lurch back to his wagon. He was like a grandfather to her. There had been an instant bond between them from the day they met. That bond and the unswerving praise of Mr. Fulton at the bank was probably why she was given the job as cook. She watched him climb stiffly into his wagon and knew a moment of sadness when she remembered that before long she would be leaving and she would never see him again.
She turned around and picked up the lines. Releasing the brake, she slapped the lines on the back of the mules and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. The wagon strained forward. Bordeaux turned his mount to walk beside her.
She glanced down at his averted face. Was he also concerned about the Indians? Her face felt hot when she thought of how she had spoken of him. He was no greenhorn, but what was he doing in the desert? She cleared her throat.
"You used to be in the army?"
He didn't look up. "I scouted for the army a few years."
"You said you had a job. Did Pete hire you as a scout?"
"No."
She waited for an explanation, but he rode on in silence.
"What kind of a job do you have now?"
"Looking for someone."
She frowned. "You're a bounty hunter?"
He finally looked up. The bright blue eyes regarded her thoughtfully. "I suppose everyone has their rewards for what they do."