A Journey of the Heart Collection (20 page)

Rand glanced around the throng of people skating along the Laramie River. Jessica had been here just a few minutes ago, but she had disappeared, probably chatting with an admirer or two. Most of the soldiers envied him his fiancée, but he was beginning to weary of her constant jealousy about Sarah.

He saw a flash of blue on his left and turned to see Sarah skating toward him. Her green eyes held confusion, and she looked away when she saw him.

He skated to meet her and offered her his arm. “Care to skate with me? Jessica is nowhere to be found.”

She bit her lip, then put her hand on his arm. “Of course.”

Tendrils of her red-gold hair had escaped their pins and curled around her face. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, but he wanted to be polite since she was alone. They pushed off from the shore and joined the skaters in the middle of the river.

“Where's Jessica?” she asked after a long moment.

“I'm not sure. Maybe her mother wanted to talk to her.”

“I don't think so.”

He wasn't sure about the tone in her voice. Was that a challenge? “Did you see her?”

She shot a glance at him. “How well does she know Ben?”

He frowned. “Ben? I don't think she's met him at all.”

She stumbled a little as she skated. “This is probably none of my business.”

“It's a little late now. You saw her with Ben?”

She nodded and pointed with a mittened hand. “Back in the trees. They were talking about some plan.”

“What plan?”

“I don't know. They didn't say, but they seemed to be well acquainted.”

“I'll ask her about it. I don't like her spending any kind of time with Croftner. Maybe she doesn't know how many lies he's told and how he's wrecked my life.”

She stopped in the middle of the river and grasped both his hands in hers. “Did he ruin your life, Rand? When you say it like that, I almost hear regret in your voice.”

He wished he could forget about the way their hearts had seemed knit together by the Almighty. Forget the way her hair smelled and the way her lips tasted.

THREE

R
and walked Jessica home in the twilight. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and her eyes sparkled. And no wonder. Nearly every soldier on the river had asked her to skate with him. He found he didn't have a speck of jealousy about it either.

Seeing Sarah with Isaac was another matter.

He stopped on her porch and pressed her hand. “I'll be gone tomorrow for a few days. I have wood detail.”

She gave a pretty pout. “I'll miss you.”

“Will you?” He stared down at her. Would she tell him the truth if he asked her about her conversation with Ben?

She tipped her head to one side. “Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have a smudge on my cheek?”

“I didn't know you knew Ben Croftner.”

Her eyes widened. “I know everyone at this post, Rand. Surely you're not jealous. Papa asked me to deliver a message to Ben if I saw him. He was at the river so I did as my father asked. Was that wrong?”

“Of course not.”

She was lying. He could see it in the way she cast her gaze at her boots, then looked back up at him with a calculated smile. She was so used to using her beauty to blind the men around her.

“Ben lied about me many times. I don't like him, and I don't trust him. I'd rather you never speak to him.”

Color tinged her cheeks. “Very well, if you're going to pout about it. I'll tell my father to deliver his own message next time.”

He squeezed her mittened hand. “Ben hurts anyone he comes in contact with. I don't want you to be one of his casualties.”

Her expression cleared and she laughed, then went
up on her toes to brush a kiss over his cheek. “I love it when you're possessive. There's no one I want but you, Rand.”

He released her hand. “I'll see you when I get back.”

Her eyes were hurt and questioning as she turned to go inside. He had handled that badly. It wasn't her fault he hadn't realized there was more to a happy marriage than similar goals.

Two days later the afternoon sun warmed Rand's face as he led a detachment into the forest for wood. It had to be close to seventy degrees, and winter had given up without a murmur. Pools of water and mud stood where snowbanks had once piled.

They had four huge stacks of wood cut and were about to load it onto the mules and travois when loud yells sounded from down in the ravine to their right.

“Injuns!” Rooster grabbed his rifle and vaulted onto his horse.

There was a wild scramble as the rest of the men clambered onto their mounts and followed Rooster's mad charge.

“There's only three of them,” Rand muttered as he fell into line. But the rest of the Sioux were hiding. As the main force leaped out from behind bushes and rocks, the charge of the cavalry faltered. Instead of three, there were at least twenty-five.

“It's a trap,” Captain Brown shouted. “Retreat! Retreat!”

But Rand was in the front line, and retreat would invite an arrow in the back. He slid off his horse and flung himself down behind a boulder. He took aim and began shooting desperately, pushing away the reality of his own situation. He would get his company safely away, then he'd worry about how to get out himself.

Rooster wheeled around on his horse and fired at a group of Sioux crouching behind a rock. “Git out of there, boy! It's better to say ‘here's where he ran' than ‘here's where he died.' ” When Rand kept firing, Rooster swore, then galloped away, still shouting for Rand to run.

Something bit into his flesh, and Rand grabbed his shoulder. His fingers dripped with blood when he pulled his hand away. A bullet? But these Indians just seemed to have bows and arrows. He heard another shot off to his left and felt a fiery sting on his left temple. Then darkness claimed him.

When Rand awoke he was lying beside a fire. He groaned and tried to move, but his hands and feet were bound.

“So you're finally awake.”

He looked up at the familiar voice. Croftner? Here? Where were the Indians? He shook his head to clear it. He must still be asleep. But a hard boot in his ribs convinced him he wasn't dreaming.

“So we meet again, old friend.” Ben stooped and sneered in his face. A lock of white-blond hair fell across his gray eyes. “Did you really think I'd let you get away with taking my girl? But I'm going to do worse to you, Campbell. When I get through with you, you'll wish that bullet had killed you outright.”

“How—how did you get me away from the Indians?”

Ben smiled, but the expression was a cruel one. “I paid them to stage an attack. They were just Laramie loafers out for enough money to buy some liquor.” He leaned forward and spat in Rand's face. “Are you ready to die, Campbell? You'll pray for death before I'm through with you.” His lips twisted.

Rand held his gaze. “You can't frighten me with heaven, Ben.”

Ben gaped at him, then stood with an angry oath.
“Don't tell me you've gotten religion,” he jeered. “If that doesn't beat all! Hey, Labe, Rand thinks he's going to heaven.” He sneered and spat on the ground. “But he's going to find out what hell's really like before we're through.”

Rand turned his head as Labe shuffled from behind a rock. Labe's dirty-blond hair fell across his face as he fastened his suspenders. “Sorry to see you're mixed up in this, Labe.” Labe's pale-blue eyes widened, but he said nothing.

Ben laughed again, an ugly laugh with no mirth in it. “ ‘Too bad you're mixed up with this, Labe,' ” he mimicked. He tossed a shovel toward his younger brother. “Get digging.”

Labe cast one agonized glance toward Rand's prone figure, then picked up the shovel and began to dig a small hole. He took a stake out of the knapsack beside the fire and pounded it into the hole, all the while keeping his eyes averted from Rand's gaze.

Rand realized what Ben was planning. He was going to stake him out in the sun. A slow death, but a sure one with no water. The nights would be cold too, even if the days were warm. All he could do was pray he died with dignity.

A few minutes later Labe finished his task and threw the shovel down, then wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve. “I'm done, Ben.” He glanced at Rand, then looked away.

“I'm not blind. Grab his feet.” Ben grabbed Rand by his wounded arm, and the men dragged him toward the two posts.

Rand clenched his teeth to keep from crying out from the pain. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought to retain consciousness.

Ben knelt and wrapped a strip of rawhide around Rand's left wrist. “Don't just stand there—help me, you fool,” he snapped.

Labe shuffled forward and knelt at Rand's feet. Ben grinned as he wound rawhide strips around Rand's other wrist. “Think of me with Sarah as you're lying out here, old friend. Stage two of my plan is being put into action right now. Your little fiancée won't be too thrilled with this part of the plan, but her plan for Sarah was pure genius.”

“What are you talking about?” Rand groaned as his wounded arm was wrenched above his head and bound to the stake.

“Your little missy cooked up a pretty good scheme
to help me get Sarah. It's really what gave me the idea for this little rendezvous.”

So this was the plan Sarah had heard them talking about. He should have dug into this more. “What about Sarah?”

“You just stew about it while you're dying. But you can go knowing I'll take good care of Sarah.”

Labe tied Rand's ankles to the stakes, then stood up, dusting his hands.

“If you leave me here, Labe, you'll never get my blood off your hands,” Rand whispered.

“Shut up.” Ben kicked him in the side, then turned to his brother. “Get our things and let's get going.”

Labe's mouth worked soundlessly, and he hesitated. For an instant Rand thought he was going to defy his brother, but in the end, Labe dropped his head and shuffled off to obey Ben.

The two brothers swung onto their horses and looked down at Rand lying spread-eagled on the rocky ground. “So long, Campbell.” Ben's smile was triumphant. “The best man always wins, you know. You were never ruthless enough.”

Rand watched as they rode off, biting down on the pleading words struggling to escape. Wouldn't
Croftner love it if he begged for mercy? He turned his head away from the direct glare of the sun and began to pray against whatever they had cooked up for Sarah.