Read Scars of the Heart for Free Online

he looked at his companion, the boy averted his eyes. Squatting by the small blaze, Kade studied the little man. “What’s your name?” he asked suddenly, startling the lad.
    “Car—Carl. Carl Dawson.”
    He wouldn’t meet Kade’s gaze. Kade knew he made the boy uncomfortable, but if they were going to travel together, they might as well get somewhat familiar. Perhaps it would settle the skittish kid down a bit. “Well, Carl Dawson, how did you come to be in the company of a man like Tiny?”
    Carl seemed to ponder the question as he surveyed the clearing. He drew his knees to his chest and hugged them as he balanced on the rock.
    “There was an Indian.”
    The voice sounded very small and barely reached Kade’s ears. “An Indian?” That statement piqued his interest. He stopped rotating the meat and gave the boy his full attention.
    Carl jumped to his feet. “Do we have to talk about this? Is it necessary for you to know every detail of my life?” He shivered, as if at the shrillness of his own voice.
    After a long moment, Kade shook his head. “No, we don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to talk about.” Once again, the lad astounded him. The emotional outbursts were more than Kade wanted to deal with. “It’s just that you don’t seem good for much.” He fumbled awkwardly for the right words. “I mean, much good to a man like Tiny. You’re nothing but a table scrap. You can’t cook, and—”
    “I thought we were finished with this conversation?”
    Kade stared at the defiant set to the slender jaw, then stood and walked to his horse. From a saddlebag he pulled a faded red garment. After a moment’s hesitation, he tossed the cloth to Carl. The boy caught the offering and unfolded it. His green gaze rose in question.
    “It’s a shirt. A clean one. I cut the bottoms off my old long johns. It’s not much but a sight better than what you’re wearing. I’m afraid it’s the best I can do for now.”
    Carl studied the garment and then Kade. Finally his expression softened. He turned and started off through the woods.
    “Where are you going?”
    The boy seemed to search for an answer, then pointed toward the stream.
    “I, uh, thought I’d clean up some.”
    Kade reached back into the saddle bag and retrieved a small bar of lye. He pitched the soap to Carl. In his haste to catch it, the boy nearly dropped the shirt. With wide, round eyes, he spun and hurried through the trees.
    “Use it sparingly. It’s all I have left,” Kade called after him.

#
    Carly shivered as she shrugged the tattered garment from her back. Checking over her shoulder, she removed the old hat and hurried to the water’s edge. She sucked in puffs of air as the cool liquid splashed over her. She looked behind her again and wondered about crossing the creek, affording herself a better view of the trail.
    But that would allow anyone on the trail a better view of her as well. She’d be smarter leaving her back to the path. The man knew she wanted to wash up. If she hurried, he wouldn’t have any reason to come after her.
    She ripped a sleeve from the old shirt and rubbed it on the cake of soap until thin lather formed. Kneeling on a large, flat rock, Carly leaned over the rippling stream and bathed herself quickly. She longed to scrub the grime from her hair but couldn’t risk taking that much time. Without drying, she donned the red undershirt. Even though the large garment hung on her slender frame, the soft cotton material clung to her breasts as the other shirt hadn’t.
    Damn! What was she going to do? She couldn’t continue wearing the old shirt. Her keeper would want to know why, and she had no answer, especially since she’d just torn off one of the sleeves. Carly stared at the tattered garment lying on the ground. An idea formed.
    Scanning the length of the pathway once more, she swiftly ripped the old material into strips, an easy task since Tiny’s quirt had started the job. Peeling off the new