A Heart Divided (26 page)

“I’m really looking forward to Pastor Ferguson’s Sunday sermon,” Emma interjected just then. “He always has such thought-provoking things to say.”

“Yes, he certainly does,” Nick added. “I’m so glad he’s blessed Ashton with his ministry.”

As Sarah drove along, she was grateful for Emma and Nick’s attempts to keep the conversation going. They had become such good friends and confidants. She appreciated their wisdom and gentle, nonjudgmental insights. If only her relationship with Cord was like the ones she had with Nick and Emma . . .

Sarah sighed. Would they never have peace between them? Would things always be so problematic, so volatile? If so, it didn’t bode well for a happy marriage.

Of late, she’d been considering what she would do if things continued so poorly between her and Cord. Going back home wouldn’t be good for Danny. But what other options were left them? Maybe she could get a job in town. But doing what?

There weren’t many decent jobs for single women in a small but growing town like Ashton. It already had a schoolteacher. And it wasn’t as if Sarah had the money to buy some empty house to set up a boardinghouse or start a dining establishment. But Ruth Ann
had
made mention, that day at the Wildflower Café, that she needed to hire an extra cook to help her in the kitchen. Maybe
that
might be the answer to her growing concerns over her and Cord.

Sarah spent the next half hour considering all the ramifications of possibly leaving the Wainwright ranch, and they were soon pulling up before Ashton’s whitewashed, clapboard church. Some of the church elders came out and assisted Nick in getting into the building, and the next hour was spent in prayer, song, and hearing God’s Word.

In the meanwhile, the weather had taken a decided turn for the worse. One look at the dark clouds churning overhead, and Nick made the decision to depart immediately after the services. Danny, he said, would just have to understand. Halfway home, a rider suddenly appeared from some trees near the creek and headed their way, racing toward the road before them as if to cut them off. Nick leaned over and pulled the rifle up from beneath the seat.

“I don’t like the looks of him,” he muttered. “He doesn’t resemble anyone I—”

Sarah pulled back hard on the reins. The horses came to a jerky halt.

“It’s okay, Nick. I know him.”

He gripped the rifle on his lap. “Who is it, Sarah?”

Her heart thudding in her chest, she swallowed hard. “It’s my brother.”

“Land sakes,” Emma whispered beside them. “Land sakes . . .”

“The one who’s still free?” Nick asked. “Caleb?”

“No.” Sarah shook her head, not quite certain she should believe what she was seeing or what it meant. “It’s not Caleb. It’s my other brother. Noah.”

15

“Sarah!” Noah’s voice echoed off the mountains looming behind him. “I need to talk with you. It’s important!”

He nudged his horse forward. “I just want to talk. That’s all.”

“Angel, I don’t think it’s a good idea to let him get too close,” Nick said beside her, warily eyeing Noah’s approach. “Best we just send him on his way with a little warning.”

She laid a firm hand on his rifle’s barrel as he began to lift it higher. “I’ve got a better idea. You cover me while I go and see what he wants. He won’t try anything foolish with you holding that rifle.”

“Child, I agree with Nicholas.” On her other side, Emma gripped her arm. “This could be some sort of setup, or even a trap. You don’t know if your brother came alone or if there are others hiding in the trees.”

“You’re right.” Sarah shot the older woman a quick smile. “I don’t know anything about why Noah’s here. But it’s obvious he’s escaped from jail. And with Gabe and a posse likely hot on his trail, Noah wouldn’t risk this if it wasn’t of the utmost importance. Besides, he won’t hurt me. You know that as well as I.”

Nick sighed and shook his head. “I don’t like it, Sarah. And if Cord finds out . . .”

“Well, I’m not asking you to keep secrets from him.” She wrapped the reins around the brake handle, stood, and climbed down from the carriage. “And it’s not as if either of you can stop me. So, let me bear the brunt of Cord’s ire. In fact, I’ll be the first to tell him what I did.”

“Make it fast then.” Nick raised his rifle and made a great show of cocking it before lowering it back to his lap. “Nothing good is served, for any of us, lingering out in the open.”

“I’ll be quick. I promise.”

With that, she set out at a slow run across the snowy ground, heading straight for her brother. As she neared, she scanned the trees at the base of the mountain, searching for sign of others. There was no one there.

Relief filled her. If her father or Caleb had been hiding, just waiting until she was safely away to ambush Nick . . .

Even the consideration of such a possibility sent a shudder through her. Out here in the open, they were all sitting ducks. And if anything should happen to Nick, she’d never forgive herself.

“Well, what is it, Noah?” Sarah demanded, finally drawing up before him. “What have you gone and done to get out of jail and end up here?”

Her brother’s mouth quirked sadly. “A fine way to greet me. I thought you of all people would be happiest to see us free again. Considering what sort of fate awaited us at trial.”

“Oh, Noah! I’m sorry.” She expelled an exasperated breath. “Everything’s becoming more and more dangerous and complicated by the moment.” She paused to once again study the trees. “Where’s Papa and Caleb? Are they here too?”

“No, they’re not here.” Noah’s expression grew serious, worried. “Caleb was shot helping us break out. He’s with Pa at our hideout. Caleb’s shot bad, Sarah. Real bad. And though Pa’s not hearing any of it, I don’t think Caleb’s going to make it.”

“What?” For an instant, the world spun wildly and Sarah had to grab hold of Noah’s stirrup to steady herself. “Caleb’s d-dying?”

He nodded. “I’m no doctor, but he’s gut shot. And the blood . . .” Noah swallowed hard. “No matter what we try, we can’t stop it for long.”

“Then you shouldn’t have wasted your time on me. You should’ve gone straight for Doc Saunders!”

“As if Pa or I could’ve gotten close to Doc.” He laughed unsteadily. “That new deputy of Gabe Cooper’s a crack shot. We left a trail of blood behind us, until Pa finally packed enough snow in Caleb’s wound to stop the bleeding for a while. Even then, we had to back track a lot, and ride down a couple of streams before we finally lost them.”

“So, why are you here? What can I possibly do?”

“Caleb keeps calling for you, Sarah. I think he knows he’s not going to make it, and he wants you.” He paused, gazing down at her with imploring eyes. “Will you come?”

It took only the space of an inhaled breath for Sarah to decide. Her brother might be dying, and he needed her. What else
could
she do?

“Of course, I’ll come.” She lifted her hand to him. “Help me up on your horse, will you?”

Noah bent down, took Sarah by the hand, and pulled her up behind him. He then glanced back at her.

“Ready?”

“Just one minute more. Ride closer to Nick, will you, so I can tell them what I’m doing and why.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” her brother said. “How good is he with that rifle?”

“Very good. But Nick’s not the sort to back shoot a man, so you’re safe.”

“Guess I’ll have to trust you on that.”

“Just get closer, will you?” Sarah wrapped her arms about his waist. “Time’s short, if we’re to make it to Papa and Caleb before dark and”—she lifted her gaze to the ever-darkening clouds—“before this storm comes in.”

“You’re right about that, little sister.” As he talked, Noah urged his horse toward the carriage. “We’ve got a new hideout, and it’s even farther away than the old one.”

“I figured as much.”

His gaze narrowed, Nick watched them approach. Finally, he motioned with his rifle.

“That’s close enough.” He locked glances with Sarah. “What’s going on?”

“My brother Caleb’s been shot and is in a bad way. He’s asking for me, Nick, and I’ve got to go to him. Tell Danny . . . well, tell him that his brother’s sick and I’ll be home soon.”

“And what do I tell Cord?”

What indeed
, Sarah thought.
Will he even care what my reasons are, once he hears what I’ve done? Likely, he’ll imagine I’m relieved that Noah and Papa made good their escape. And a part of me
is
relieved, even if the other part dreads that now it’s going to start all over again, the feuding, the thieving, and the killing. Especially if Caleb dies. Oh, dear Lord, especially if Caleb dies!

“Tell him I’ve got to do this, Nick,” she finally replied. “Tell him, and ask him to please, please try to understand.”

A pounding at the front door interrupted Cord’s calculations of December’s budget. With an irritated snarl, he shoved back his chair and headed to the entry foyer. With Nick, Sarah, and Emma gone, Manuela and Pedro on their day off, and Danny napping in his room, there was no one left to answer the door but him. Not that he didn’t have his hands full enough right now, trying to squeeze every penny he could from the already skeletal ranch funds.

With a less-than-welcoming attitude, he wrenched open the door. Gabe Cooper, accompanied by his deputy, stood there. Neither man wore a very happy expression.

For an instant, Cord’s heart did a flip-flop. Had something happened to Nick or the women? But that was ridiculous. Nick was armed and an excellent marksman.

Remembering his manners, he swung the door wide. “Come in. No sense standing in the cold, since I know you must have had a chilly ride out here.”

The two men stomped the snow off their boots and walked inside. Cord shut the door behind them.

“Care for a cup of coffee?”

Gabe and Sam exchanged a glance.

“Well, maybe a quick one,” the lawman said. “Then, we’ll need to be on our way.”

“So, what brings you to Castle Mountain Ranch on a Sunday, no less?” Cord asked a few moments later as he poured two steaming mugs of coffee and handed one to each man. “Just in the neighborhood and decided to stop by to warm up a bit?”

“Not exactly.” Gabe finished stirring sugar and cream into his coffee, then met Cord’s inquiring gaze. “We had a jailbreak last night. Though I find it hard to believe that younger Caldwell boy could’ve managed it all by himself, right now it appears that he did. He dynamited the back wall of the cell holding his father and brother.”

The sheriff looked to his deputy. “Sam was on duty that night, and did me proud. The Caldwells got away, but Sam thinks he wounded one of the sons pretty badly.”

The Caldwells
 . . .
free once again
 . . .

For a long moment, Cord stood there slowly digesting the information and its implications. A sense of déjà vu engulfed him. The Caldwells free again . . . The cattle rustling likely to resume . . . And the ranch and its inhabitants once more in danger of their lives . . .

To add to it all, if the one Caldwell son who was wounded was to die . . . Well, there was no telling to what lengths Jacob Caldwell might go to avenge his death.

“Nick’s gone to town with Sarah and Emma for Sunday services,” Cord said of a sudden. “Usually I send several armed hands along with them, but I thought Jacob was locked up and it was safe . . .”

He shot Gabe and Sam a hard glance. “Finish up your coffee and meet me down at the barn. I’m going to saddle up.”

“I think we can escort Nick and the women home without—”

“No.” Cord shook his head. “You’ve got enough on your hands. I’ll take care of my family. In the meantime, you see to getting the Caldwells back behind bars—just as fast as you can!”

As soon as they were out of sight of Nick and Emma, Noah reined in his horse. He dug in his pocket and extracted a long piece of cloth.

“Here.” He handed it back to Sarah. “Cover your eyes with this. Pa made me promise to make sure you didn’t figure out the way to our hideout. Didn’t want to take any chances you’d tell the Wainwrights where we’re at, I reckon.”

Sarah took the cloth, wrapped it around her head several times, then knotted it firmly. “That suits me fine too. I don’t want to be put in the middle of having to lie or have my loyalty to Cord questioned. You’ve got to promise me one thing, though.”

“What’s that, little sister?”

“That you’ll bring me back when I ask you, no matter what Papa wants.” She slid her hands tightly around his waist again. “My primary concern has to be for Danny now, and I won’t leave him.”

“You could always find some way to sneak him back home,” her brother said as he urged his horse forward again. “You’d just have to say the word, and I’d be there to get both of you.”

She hesitated, wondering how to word what she was next to say without angering him. Whether things ultimately worked out between her and Cord, Sarah was determined never to return to her old life. To remain near her father a minute longer than necessary these days was to risk being sickened by the poison of his vengefulness. Maybe she’d already absorbed more of that venom than was healthy, but she’d at least not expose her little brother to any more of it.