Rachel Donnelly (5 page)

A faint tingling shiver ran through her at the thought. Fear must be making her brain go soft. Getting involved with a man like that would be a serious mistake — a risk too great.

Besides, he was an arrogant bully.

She dragged her resentful gaze away, stifling a huff of exasperation. She’d wait for now. But, if he didn’t take action by the time the sun set — she would. Come hell or high water, she was getting Leigh out.

The red sun slowly disappeared over the horizon.

Christie kept her gaze pinned on the old shack, trying not to focus on the impropriety of her situation. But being alone with a border ruffian was the least of her troubles right now. Somehow she had to save Leigh.

She pressed her back against the massive boulder, tense and uncertain, her gaze ever straying to the bounty hunter.

He continued to sleep, propped against the makeshift headboard of the cottonwood, hat tilted down over his face, long legs stretched out before him.

If he had a plan, he wasn’t sharing it. In fact, he hadn’t moved a muscle. He might have expired for all she knew.

She fished inside the pocket of her cloak to check her small brooch that doubled as a timepiece. Almost a half hour had passed and no movement. What if the Everetts weren’t down there? What if some other shady deal of Leigh’s had gone wrong, and he was lying in a pool of blood on the floor of the shack?

She pushed herself away from the boulder, then paced back and forth. Not knowing was driving her mad. She couldn’t wait any longer. Her gaze fell on the rifle slung across the bounty hunter’s saddle. If her derringer wouldn’t do the trick, perhaps it would. She’d never fired a rifle before, but there was always a first time. How hard could it be? It was only a matter of pulling the trigger.

She marched forward, gaze fixed on the weapon.

An owl hooted.

She hesitated, then, a movement out of the corner of her eye brought her up short.

She turned to find the bounty hunter on his feet, dusting the seat of his trousers with his hat.

Relief washed over her, followed by a quick spark of irritation. He hadn’t been asleep after all. He was just ignoring her.

He lifted his head, locking his cool blue gaze on her.

Her cheeks flooded with heat.

He wore a half-knowing smile, as though he’d guessed what she’d been about to do. She hadn’t felt this guilty since Evie burst into the parlor and caught Doctor Turner holding her hand.

She resented Randall for making her feel that way — resented the way he stared at her now, with that slow insolent smile.

She looked away, shaking off any misgivings. His inaction had prompted her desperation. In any case, she would have only been borrowing the rifle. She wasn’t a thief.

He strode to his horse to retrieve the rifle himself, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of brass.

Bullets!

Why hadn’t she thought of that?

The gun wasn’t even loaded.

The amusement in his eyes when he looked up after loading the gun made her want to grind her teeth. What pleasure it would give her to wipe that smug look off his face.

“If you’re ready to proceed,” she said testily. “Now would be a good time to tell me what you want me to do.”

“Stay with the horses.”

“What!” She couldn’t believe her ears. “You’re not leaving me here!”

“Keep them calm and see that they don’t run off.” His tone turned low and soothing, as though speaking to one of the horses.

“But you can’t go down there alone!” Was he mad? “They’re desperate outlaws! You said so yourself. You need me. You’re outnumbered.”

“I need you to stay out of my way and keep your head down.” His voice grew stern. “Is that understood?”

“But —

His blue eyes glittered. A suppressed violence clung to his words. “Look, let’s get one thing straight. I don’t give a damn about your cousin. I’m here for the Everetts.” He continued in a milder tone. “If I don’t come back, head to town for the sheriff. Follow the river and you won’t get lost.” He thrust the rifle at her. “Take this. You might need it.”

She accepted the gun, cradling it uncertainly, as though it might combust in her arms.

When she looked up again, he was gone.

Confound him!

He acted as though he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. How dare he ignore her like that! Just who did he think he was? Stay out of his way indeed! She’d stay out of his way alright. As soon as this was over, she never wanted to lay eyes on him again.

All of that worry — all of that anticipation. For what? For nothing! She wanted to stomp in frustration. Why had she let him bully her? He didn’t care about Leigh. All he cared about was capturing the Everetts. She should have ignored his orders and followed him anyway.

But the cold look in his eyes had struck fear in her — the same fear that kept her standing here now, rooted to the spot.

She stood for a long moment, staring through the ever encroaching darkness. Pray God he did return. Because if a man like Randall couldn’t stand up to those outlaws, Leigh didn’t stand a chance. The bounty hunter was their only hope, even if he was the most insufferable man she’d ever met.

She lifted the rifle gingerly against her shoulder, then marched back to the boulder to resume her watch.

Time passed slowly.

Eventually, the shack grew fuzzy, until all she could make out was its jagged outline, fading against the shadows of the trees. The air turned cold. She hugged her cloak closer, pressing against the sunbaked surface of the boulder for warmth.

It was difficult to say how long she stood there — long enough for the sun to disappear and a crescent moon to appear behind streaks of puffy grey clouds. The waiting became intolerable, rubbing her nerves raw. Every snap of a twig, every flap of a bird’s wings made her muscles tense.

When a gunshot exploded, her heart jumped clear to her throat.

She leaped away from the boulder, clutching the rifle to her breast.

Dear Lord, help him!

Please save Leigh.

If you could get just get him out of there, I’ll never eat another pickle again!

Loud shouts came from the direction of the shack.

She squinted into the darkness, but couldn’t see a thing.

More gunfire followed.

Blossom nickered in fright.

The horses pranced, pulling at their reins.

Christie set down the rifle to position herself at their heads. She stroked their noses. “Shhh, it’s all right,” she soothed, while little prickles danced over her skin.

The night grew silent — the horses still.

She held her breath and listened.

Time passed excruciatingly slowly with only the warmth of the horses for comfort and the whisper of the wind in the feathery branches of the cottonwoods overhead. She should have stopped Leigh from coming here. She should have told Uncle Will. He might have done something. He might have been able to stop Leigh.

A figure on horseback emerged out of the darkness.

Christie almost sighed with relief. Then realized it wasn’t Leigh or the bounty hunter. It was a stranger, with a long black feather in his hat.

Her stomach gave a sickening lurch.

All the stories she’d heard of wild red-skins attacking white settlers flashed through her brain. An image from an article she’d read in Harper’s Weekly of a family being mutilated and scalped in front of their covered wagon blazed a fiery trail from her head to her toes.

He was dressed all in buckskin except for his blue union coat. His long brown hair was tied back from his face with a piece of rawhide. Though he sat tall and erect in the saddle, he seemed strangely relaxed, as though expecting to find her there. Yet he said nothing. His strong arrogant features remained as still as a mask.

Christie searched frantically for the rifle, then spotted it leaning against the boulder where she’d left it.

Terror clutched her.

She forgot to breathe.

Then, self-preservation took hold. She remembered the derringer. She slid her hand inside the pocket of her cloak, fumbling for the gun.

When he edged his horse closer, she was ready.

She raised the derringer and leveled it at his head. “Don’t come any closer!”

He showed no surprise. Instead, a broad grin spread over his face. He spoke to her in perfect English. “Nat was right, you are a little spitfire.”

Relief washed over her like cool water. “You’re a friend of Mr. Randall?” she blurted.

He gave a curt nod. “He sent me to fetch you.”

“Oh!” Her cheeks suffused with the heat. He’d come to help her and here she was staring at him as though he was a monster. What must he think? “What about my cousin? Is he with him? Is he alright?”

“I expect he’ll be fine.”

She took a great gulp of air. After being starved for air for so long, the fresh rush of oxygen made her head spin. She lowered the gun with a shaky hand. Her legs felt like rubber. It was all she could do not to sob with relief. If her father were there, she’d have thrown herself against his big barrel chest and hugged him hard until the feeling went away. But he wasn’t there. She was alone, so she had to be strong. He would want her to be strong. ‘Only ninnies blubber,’ he’d say. So she never did.

“I’m not a ninny,” she whispered.
Then why are you talking to yourself?
A little devil voice whispered back as she slipped the gun back into her pocket.

When she raised her head, the man was looking at her with interest. “You should sit down. You look a bit peaked.”

She squared her shoulders and forced a small, polite smile. “I’m quite fine, thank you. Please, take me to my cousin.”

He nodded.

Christie wasted no time hoisting herself up onto Blossom’s back, feeling an urgent need to see Leigh and know that he was alive.

Nat’s friend took the black gelding’s reins.

Christie followed behind.

As they picked their way down the hill, it struck her as strange that Nat hadn’t come himself. His friend said Leigh would be fine — not that he was fine. Had he been injured? The closer they got to the shack, the more anxious she became.

By the time Nat’s friend pushed opened the rickety plank door, she was bristling with impatience — ready to take charge. She squeezed by him before he could get through the door.

A crimson pool on the floor brought her to a stumbling halt. She’d never seen so much blood. The acrid smell of gunpowder hung in the air.

Someone had been shot.

Her anxious gaze darted about the small shack. When she spotted Leigh, her heart beat in frantic relief. He sat by a small table on a crude bench with his arm in a makeshift sling.

Christie rushed forward to throw her arms around his neck. “Leigh! Are you alright?”

He groaned in protest, but brought his good arm up to give her a reassuring pat. “I’ll live.”

“He just threw his shoulder out of joint,” Nat drawled. “Though you’d have thought he’d been shot the way he was hollering when I fixed it.”

“You might have warned me before you did it!” Leigh shouted over her shoulder. “You loco bastard!”

Christie swung round to give the bounty hunter an accusing glare.

Nat shrugged, then sent a sidelong glance to his friend. “Holt throws his shoulder out all the time — pops it right back in himself.”

“Holt!” Leigh gave a loud snort. “What kind of a name is that for an Indian?”

Holt’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “The kind my white father gave me when I was born.”

This information caused Christie to give him a closer look. Though his features were slightly exotic, he looked more white than Indian in the soft glow of the lantern-lit room. His eyes were hazel, not brown, and his hair wavy, rather than perfectly straight. If you were to cut his hair and put him in a frock coat, he could easily walk the length of any drawing room in Boston without anyone blinking an eye.

“Don’t let him kid you.” Nat gave a low chuckle. “His father’s more of a savage than his Cherokee mother ever was.”

Christie turned to Leigh with her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you know who these men were? You might have been killed.”

“Like I told Randall, they had me over a barrel.” Leigh’s voice held a hint of a whine. “I didn’t have any choice. It was the only way I could repay my gambling debt.”

Christie stared at him aghast. “Why would you gamble with men like that in the first place?”

“They didn’t give their names, and I didn’t ask. They said they were just killing time until the post office opened. I didn’t know they were planning to rob the place!”

Christie shook her head, not knowing whether to believe him or not.

“I’m telling the truth!”

She raised her eyes heavenward and heaved a great sigh. “We need to get you home.” She was weary of intrigue. Right now she didn’t care if he was lying or not. All she wanted was to crawl into a nice warm bed, where she could pretend she was still in Boston — safe from outlaws and gunfire. “If you gentlemen could help him up on my horse, we’ll be on our way.”

“That little mare can’t carry you both,” Nat said with a note of irritation.

“I don’t mind walking,” she said stoutly.

“You can ride with me.” He didn’t sound pleased.

“That won’t be necessary,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster.

Again, he ignored her as if she hadn’t spoken. “We’d best be on our way. I’d like a few hours of shut-eye before we set out.”

“Fine chance of you catching up with them now.” Leigh’s voice was laced with disgust. “They’ll be half way to California before you can shake out your bedroll.”

The bounty hunter sent him a look that could freeze water. “They won’t get far in the dark, not with one of them wounded.”

When Leigh opened his mouth to reply, Christie glared him to silence. These men saved his life. The least he could do was to maintain a respectful civility. As far as she was concerned, these bounty hunters were the next best thing to outlaws. The blood on the floor gave evidence of that. She had no wish to rile them.

She helped Leigh to his feet, trying to ignore his winces of pain.