A Promise of Thunder

obviously a savage who knew little of white ways.
    “That marriage is doomed to failure, Martha,” he remarked to his wife as they watched the newlyweds drive away in the wagon.
    The twinkle in Martha’s eyes was unmistakable as she replied, “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, dear.”
    “Harumph. Then you saw something I didn’t.”
    Martha merely smiled in the secretive way of women and left her husband to wonder at the complexity of the female mind.
    Storm was still too numb from the swiftness of events during the past two days to feel anything. She was married, married for the rest of her life to a man who thought and acted like an Indian. She was still pondering the rationality of her decision when Grady stopped the wagon in front of the general store.
    “You’ll need clothes for yourself and things to make the cabin more homey. I know women appreciate such things. Summer Sky took great pride in her home during the short time we had together. Charge anything you need to my account.”
    Storm swiveled her head to look at him. She hoped she wasn’t always going to be compared to Summer Sky, the love of Grady’s life. “Do you have money?”
    “Enough that you can robe yourself decently and fix up the cabin to suit your tastes. I know my cabin isn’t as nice as yours was, but I wasn’t planning on marrying again.”
    Storm let that pass. It sounded as if he was sorry they were wed.
    “There are things I need to do before we head back home. Take your time. When I return we’ll go to the land office. You’ll need to change your name on the deed. You’re Storm Stryker now, not the Widow Kennedy.”
    As if he needed to remind her, Storm thought glumly as Grady assisted her from the wagon. How could she forget being married to a man who was too thoroughly male, too physically disturbing, and much too tempting to ignore?
    Grady watched her enter the store, then turned resolutely away. He had business, all right, and he didn’t want Storm in the way when he conducted it. His first stop was the sheriff’s office, where he reported the acts of arson and presented the evidence to corroborate his claim.
    “Have you any idea who did this, Mr. Stryker?” the sheriff asked.
    “Obviously someone who wanted Mrs. Kennedy’s homestead,” Grady said, “and hoped to scare her into selling. Since I have no proof I’m not naming anyone, but we both know who’s been trying to buy up homesteads in the Cherokee Strip, don’t we?”
    Sheriff Danville stroked his chin, staring pensively at Grady. “I’ll ask around and keep my eyes and ears open. But if we’re both thinking of the same man, I doubt we’ll find anything to connect him to the fires. The man is slick, I can say that for him. Did you know he opened an office in town?”
    “What kind of office?” Grady couldn’t imagine Turner engaged in anything legal.
    “Don’t rightly know, but he calls himself an investments broker.”
    “Maybe I should pay our friend a little visit.”
    “I won’t stand for no trouble, Stryker,” Danville warned. “Let the law take care of it. The town hasn’t forgotten that last bit of commotion you caused a while back. I’ll bet Widow Kennedy hasn’t forgotten it, either. Does trouble always come looking for you?”
    “I’d like to forget the past and look to the future, Sheriff. I’m a genuine homesteader now. And a married man. I’ll be bringing my son to live with me come spring.”
    “Married? When did all this happen.”
    “This morning.”
    “Where is the little woman? Is she one of the squaws from the reservation?” His voice held a hint of mockery, making Grady want to knock the smirk off the man’s face.
    “For your information, I married Storm Kennedy.” He waited for the sheriff’s gasp of shock and wasn’t disappointed. “You could spread the word that anyone who messes with Storm now has me to contend with, and I’ll show no mercy for the bastard who harms what belongs to me.” He nodded, then turned and walked briskly toward the door. Suddenly he stopped and spun around. “On second thought, sheriff, I’ll tell the bastard myself.”
    “Stryker, don’t go breaking the law,” Danville called after him. Grady gave no indication that he had heard Danville’s parting shot.
    Nat Turner’s office wasn’t difficult to find. It was located in a prominent place on the main street between the hardware store and the bank. The outer office was deserted when Grady entered a few