Tykota's Woman(72)

"I saw him change with you, Makinna. I saw love and hope in his eyes. You gave that to him. Will you take it away?"

"He does love me, Mrs. Silverhorn, and I love him, but we walk in different worlds. I can't live in his, and if I asked him to live in mine, he would one day regret it."

Hannah pressed her hands to Makinna's cheeks. "What a wife you would have made for my son.

Makinna held back tears, not wanting Tykota's mother to see her cry. "Try to make him understand that I loved him enough to let him go."

"My dear, if it is meant that the two of you should be together, you will be."

She hugged the little woman and moved down the steps to the buggy. John helped her inside and urged the horses forward at a trot while three outriders rode alongside.

Although Makinna knew that Mrs. Silverhorn was watching them from the front veranda, she did not look back, because she knew she would cry if she did.

Adelaide squeezed Makinna's hand and Makinna gave her an encouraging smile. She needed to be strong for her sister.

Makinna was grateful that John was so sympathetic to Adelaide. He spoke to her in soft tones, and there was tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her. It wasn't long until Adelaide warmed to his kindness, and he even made her smile when he related some of the adventures he had had with Tykota in the London school they attended. He spoke of the difficulty his teacher had trying to teach a slow-talking Texan to speak what they considered "proper" English.

John laughed as he urged the horses up a hill, driving the buggy slowly and trying to avoid as many bumps as he could. "And, as you can hear by my speech, they failed miserably."

Adelaide joined his laughter. "They seem to have succeeded with Tykota."

"That they did. But I suspect that was because he learned English from Mr. and Mrs. Silverhorn, who were British. Whereas my parents came to Texas from Tennessee." He winked at Adelaide. "We all know that Texans and Tennesseans can't speak English."

Makinna fanned herself with a handkerchief and shook away the dust that had settled on her gown. "I love Texas. I hadn't expected to, but I do."

"I suspect Tykota has something to do with your view," Adelaide remarked.

John studied Adelaide's face carefully. "How would you feel about making your home here, Mrs. Johnson?"

"Like my sister, I do love this land, when, like her, I had not expected to."

John looked pleased. "Could you... would you feel it an imposition if, after a while, I came to San Francisco and called on you ladies?"

Makinna realized that John Kincaid was developing a fondness for her sister, even though Adelaide was unaware of his feelings. She spoke up before Adelaide could answer. "We would be delighted, Mr. Kincaid, if you would call on us. We will want you to bring us all the news from Texas."





When they reached El Paso, Makinna stared at the mud-colored huts on either side of the narrow, dusty streets. In the distance she could see young children splashing and playing in the shallows of the Rio Grande. This was to have been her destination those many weeks ago, when the raid on Adobe Springs changed her life forever.

John stopped the buggy before the Central Hotel, helped the ladies with a room, and arranged for their luggage to be brought in. "I'll just go on down now and see to your tickets on the morning stage," he said, setting his hat firmly on his head. "I wonder, would you be wanting to eat in the dining room, or would you like me to arrange for something to be brought to your room?"

Adelaide smiled sweetly at John. "You are kindness itself. Speaking for myself, I would prefer the dining room. If you would care to join us, we will dine around eight."

"I would be right pleased, ma'am." He smiled and backed away. "Yes, ma'am, I surely would."

When she closed the door, Makinna walked to the window, watching drovers herding cattle down the street. "Texas is like nowhere else," she mused.

"Makinna?"

She turned to her sister.

"I... thank you for coming with me. We are alone in the world now, just the two of us."

Makinna went to Adelaide and put her arms around her. "We are fortunate that we have each other."

"I want to tell you something."

Adelaide looked dejected, and Makinna waited for her to continue. "Is something bothering you?"

"It's Tom. I can't feel anything for him."

"When Mother died, I felt numb at first. I suppose that happens when you lose someone you love."

Adelaide sat on the edge of the bed and buried her head in her hands. "It's nothing like that. I stopped loving Tom a long time ago."

Makinna knelt down beside her. "Do you want to talk about it?"