The Ruby Brooch (The Celtic Brooch Trilogy) by Katherine Logan Read Free Book Online

offered plates of food. Kit had seen politicians work crowds, but this part-Highland-bard, part-American-cowboy seemed to have disarming charisma. She stopped twiddling and watched the ease at which he moved—relaxed, yet with an air of confidence.
    She shook her head, baffled, not only by the Highlander, but also by the magical stone. Why didn’t the brooch send her directly to South Pass instead of putting her through an eight-week journey that forced her to impose on people she didn’t know? Granny Mac would tell her if she stayed preoccupied with the questions, she might never discover the answers.
    Oh well. She went back to twiddling and hummed a little rock and roll .
    Cullen reached the Barretts’ campsite and assisted a broad-shouldered, barrel-chested man heaving sacks into a wagon. When the work was done, the two men leaned against the tailgate and crossed their arms across their chests. The man she assumed was Barrett lit a pipe. As he smoked, he occasionally pointed in her direction with his pipe-holding hand.
    Jeez, she’d love to be a hub in the wheel and hear the conversation. I bet Montgomery is telling him I’m a helpless widow? The thought sparked a kick-ass reaction—a need to prove she was the least helpless female she knew. She tapped her foot and twiddled so fast her thumbs rammed together. As soon as I secure a spot on the wagon train, I’ll set Montgomery straight. She’d wager a sack of gold coins that she could shoot straighter, ride faster, and hum Bach concertos he’d never heard before.“Helpless. Pshaw.”
    Then it occurred to her that Barrett might think she’d be too much trouble if she were so helpless. Then it’s time to set them both straight. She swung her leg back over the side, but reined herself in when a woman and a teenage boy wearing an out-of-control cowlick joined the two men. The stocky youngster had to be Barrett’s son. His coloring, facial structure, and broad shoulders bore a striking resemblance to his father.
    The woman scrunched her brow and glanced in Kit’s direction. Then she something that made Cullen laugh.
    And what’s so damn funny?
    He placed his hands behind his back and perused the small group. Although she couldn’t hear him, she could tell from his audiences’ rapt attention that he was speaking slowly and deliberately to each one. What was he saying? She watched his full lips hoping to pick up a word or two. Where did she get the notion she could trust him to plead her case? He’d been no help at the freight office. Just because he volunteered to assist her now, didn’t mean he had her best interest at heart.
    Her foot pounded against the floorboard, rocking the wagon. “Come on. Come on. What’s taking so long?” She fingered the brooch in her pocket and wondered if Elliott knew she was gone yet. Did she make a mistake not including him? If he had come, she wouldn’t be sitting there feeling helpless.
    While she was second guessing herself, the powwow concluded and Cullen sauntered back to her wagon with the man and boy in tow. If body language cues remained constant throughout the centuries, then in Cullen’s pointed gaze, she read success. From all appearances, she was on her way to South Pass. She loaded a smile with a spoonful of conjured up confidence, gathered her skirt, and climbed from the wagon.
    “Mrs. MacKlenna, this is Mr. Barrett and his son, Adam. We talked about your predicament and worked out an agreement that will satisfy Captain Peters.”
    It didn’t matter what the terms were, Kit would agree to anything. Then she remembered the way she’d been treated in the freight office and decided to listen, evaluate, and then make a decision. The terms might be more restrictive than she could live with.
    She folded her arms across her chest. “What are they?”
    “ A dam will drive your wagon and take care of your stock for a salary of one hundred dollars. He’s to be paid twenty-five dollars now, twenty-five when we reach