Summary

With her name smeared by her ex-fiancé, school teacher Linda has no choice but to escape town. With no family to run to, the only choice is to become a mail-order bride to the West. She expected hardships, a schoolroom that was just a shack, but what she got was a husband with secrets that endangered her. Will she be able to handle the new dangers, or will she choose to run back to the scorn of the people she’s known all her life?

PROLOGUE

Odell was a one-horse town where men and women came to be forgotten. A place where those who were born here fought to get out. Rick had always assumed that his father was one of the few who had been content to live and die here.

His father had been a good man, never hurting anyone and content with life on their small farm. Just like Rick. Now here was this city lawyer telling him things he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Things that changed how he saw his father.

Why would his father have lied to him in this way? He’d convinced Rick that he’d been born here and never wanted to leave, which had instilled the same desire in Rick.

He felt lost as he stared down the dry, dusty street that was all there was to this town. If his desire to stay in this small town on his small farm came from his father and was a lie, did that mean his entire life was a lie? Was he sure he wanted to stay in these parts?

He could no longer trust what his father had taught him since he had lied about his identity. Was Rick even the same person he thought he was? And what if he chose to leave this land that had been bred into him? Could he transform himself into one of the men he’d always considered weak?

Even though he wasn’t given to drink, his gaze was drawn to the Hanged Man, the saloon at the end of the street to his right. He could easily lose himself in the rundown establishment that stood at the centre of their town as if it were its heart. Forget the rage that was building up inside him as he remembered how his mother had died.

She’d been the most sainted Christian woman he’d ever known. Yet despite having the means to buy her the life-saving medicine she had required during Rick’s twelfth year, his father had watched her waste away.

“Mr Alderson,” the big city lawyer’s cultured voice intruded, and Rick gnashed his teeth to keep from venting his rage on the hapless man. “Your father and grandfather both had pride; don’t let your own get in the way of claiming your birthright.”

“Well, as the good book says, Mr Briggs, pride precedes destruction, and a haughty spirit precedes a fall,” Rick responded before picking up his heavy rucksack and slinging it over his shoulder. That had been one of his mother’s favourite sayings.

Yeah, he couldn’t give in to the temptation to go to the Hanged Man, not with a hundred and twenty-five eagles weighing his weathered leather sack. There was no telling who had heard the news of his newfound fortune. The wild land they lived in was made for hard men. Rick had grown to be a man who trusted few people, and the shady man who passed as the town lawyer was not one of them.

“Are you going to take your rightful place within your family?”

“I have your address, sir,” he said, taking the three steps down to the dust road. “I’ll write to you once I’ve made up my mind.”

Rick made his way to the post where he’d tied his horse without looking back to see what the city lawyer was doing or thinking. His horse, Thunder, was a roan stallion with a fiery temper who would not let anyone near him. A good horse to have in an area where horse thieves were common.

As Rick approached, he snorted and tossed his head. Because the ornery beast was unpredictable, he made sure to keep within the horse’s sight and move with caution. Thunder was still prone to buck or bite him even after two years of his riding him.

He spoke in a hushed, soothing voice to the horse until it was still, and then attached his sack to the saddle, repositioning the few things he had bought before going to the lawyer’s to balance off the weight. Stepping into the stirrup, he swung his lean frame onto Thunder’s back, then rode off down the street. Despite his eagerness to depart, it was not prudent to hasten away with one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars worth of gold.

As his heart lightened, a smile spread across his craggy features. It wasn’t much compared to the majority of what his father had left him – through his grandfather – but it was sufficient for his needs. Clint and Timothy, his two friends, had been trying to persuade him to join them in purchasing the parcel of land that had lain farrow all these years and joined their small properties.

While the other two were doing well, he had been struggling. Coin was scarce this far from the cities, and he had lacked it while the other two did not. Rick was proud enough not to want them to cover his expenses. But he wasn’t too proud to accept the money from his own father, that his father had refused.

Chapter 1

I want you out by the end of the day,” the sour-faced woman said, glaring at Laura as if expecting her to run off with the silverware.

She kept her head high even as the insult stung. Only a month ago she had been Mrs Goldsmith’s favourite tenant at the boarding house. Now, the woman could no longer stand her presence.

“I paid through to the end of the month, which is in five days. I shall be staying until then,” she said, despite the fact that she was ready and willing to leave.

Laura almost smiled as the woman became apoplectic, her bosom rising and falling quickly in response to her outrage as her skin turned an unappealing shade of purple.

“I run a respectable boarding house, and I will not allow you to scandalise the God-fearing ladies who live here!” she screamed. “You will leave my house this instant!”

Laura raised her brow in the arrogant manner she’d witnessed the overseer of the girls’ school where she’d taught used to. It was intended to demonstrate superiority, to undermine the other person’s confidence with minimal effort.

“You’d rather be known as a woman who cheats others when she feels justified?” she mocked. “What exemplary Christian values.”

“How can…you…I never!” The woman sputtered, her hand going to her chest as if to contain her rage. “You are the devil’s offspring!” she accused. “ You will come to a bad end, believe me. I thank the good Lord Mr Turner had the foresight to cast you aside.” With those fateful words, the boarding matron turned on her heel and marched down the corridor they were in.

Laura kept her back straight and her face composed, even though she was aware of the cracked doors as the other tenants watched her to see what she would do. These altercations with Mrs Goldsmith had become quite routine, providing entertainment for those who had once been her friends but now despised her.

Never before had an altercation been so heated. She took out her key and unlocked her door while maintaining her calm demeanour. Because the boarding house faced south, the sun barely shone inside during the afternoon, making the house somewhat dark. They were not to light the lamps during the day because Mrs Goldstein was a frugal woman. Laura no longer cared about the lady’s rules.

Laura, feeling a little rebellious, lit the gas lamp next to her door so she could see better in the dim light.The room was gloomy, with gold wallpaper that had long since faded. The drapery over the ineffective windows and the canopied bed were threadbare and faded in colour, the red no longer as red. Despite the matron’s claims that she ran an excellent establishment, it had all the hallmarks of desperation.

The lump in her throat nearly choked her as she felt embarrassed about how she had spoken to Mrs Goldsmith. Laura had always been a respectful person, but she was now forced to be rude in order to be treated fairly. Everyone she knew, with the exception of her friend Erin, had turned against her because of her former fiancé.

Why had she been so oblivious to the type of man he was? She had taken pride in her intelligence; after all, she was a schoolteacher and a good one at that. How could she have missed the man behind the charming Charles Turner? Was she so unaware that she had wasted half a year being engaged to him and not known who he was?

Most importantly, how could she have been so naive as to believe their community would not turn against her? Yes, Charles had spread lies about her, the most egregious of which was that he had broken their engagement, but she had never imagined they would turn against her with such venomous hate.

These were the same people she’d grown up around, people she had helped in many different ways. It hurt that they were determined to drive her out of town; not even the shop she had used her entire life would now serve her.

Opening her reticle, she took out the ticket she had just purchased to take her to Texas. That wild and unruly land where men were said to be just as wild and unruly. She shivered as she considered the man she had agreed to marry in a week. Would he be any better or worse than Charles?

Laura had no choice in the matter now, whatever it turned out to be.

“Oh Mama,” she wailed, her voice trembling. “Why did you and Papa have to leave me alone?”

She knew that if her parents had been alive, they would have stood with her. They would have assisted her in exposing Charles as the liar he was. If the world had still turned against her, she would have had them by her side. She jumped in fear as the door behind her suddenly opened, her head whipping back to see who was there.

“Are you certain that you want to go through with this idiocy?” With her hands fisted against her hips, the fiery redhead who’d just barged into her room demanded.

“Please come in, Erin,” she invited dryly. Then winced as her friend slammed the door closed with such force that it could be heard echoing down the hall. “Mrs Goldsmith is already upset with me, please don’t make it worse by destroying her property.”

“Did I not warn you from the start that the woman was a witch?”“Erin!” she chastised.

“Mrs Goldsmith is a God-fearing woman, regardless of how she reacted to my situation.”

Her friend clomped her way to the bed and flopped onto it with all the grace of a duck. She was dressed carelessly, as usual. The skirt was threadbare and had been overly patched. Her dress shirt was soiled, and the boots she had on were scuffed to the point of having holes not only in the soles but also in her toes. The socks that poked through were no better.

Her curls were wilder than they should have been, indicating that her friend had neglected to comb her hair. Her friendly face was streaked with mud, as it had been since they were children. Erin was Irish, from a large family who owned some land outside of town and did some farming to make ends meet.

“How can you go through with this?” Erin insisted.

Laura walked over to the only chair in the room and sat down. “What am I supposed to do, Erin?” she asked, her voice small and showing the pain she was trying to hide. “I’m no longer welcome; no one wants me here anymore.”

“I want you here,” her friend exploded. “You’re my only friend.”

Tears filed her eyes, and she swallowed hard. “If I find life in Texas palatable, I will send for you.”

“And what will I do there?”

“I shall find you a good man to marry.”

Erin laughed at that. “Who would want to marry me?” she tried to be careless about it and Laura felt for her. But she knew better than to call attention to it.

Like her, Erin wasn’t welcome in society, but in her case, it was because of her family’s extreme poverty. Laura had been the only one willing to befriend her as children. Even when her parents had died and she had become almost as poor people had still accepted her, but never Erin.

“I will find you a handsome cowboy who will appreciate a hard-working woman like you.”

Erin giggled. “I hear the men in the west are desperate for women to marry. Maybe I will become a mail-order bride like you.”

It was a painful truth, but Laura forced herself to giggle with her friend. She shifted to the bed and lay down beside her friend and allowed herself the comfort of the only person she still had in the world. Her hand sought and clutched that of her friend. There was as much desperation in Erin’s grip as there was in hers, but as always, they both pretended otherwise.

“I wonder if he will be a handsome one.” Erin said with enthusiasm.

Laura couldn’t help the nervous laugh that had her grip on her friend’s hand tightening. “It’d be wonderful if he were, wouldn’t it?” she sighed dreamily despite the thrill of fear dashing up and down her spine.

“What do you think your mama would’ve said if she were here?” her friend asked the one question Laura had avoided thinking of.

“If mama and papa were alive, they would not have wanted this.” she whispered to hide the clog of tears in her throat.

“He has his own piece of land and reads like a handsome fella.” Erin comforted. “You will not be struggling to establish your land or anything. He wrote that he has a nice house and everything.”

A smile lifted the gloom that had almost wrapped around her and tentative excitement shivered inside her. Even knowing that his looks might have been exaggerated, Laura chose to believe otherwise.

“He’s tall, handsome with dark brown hair and the most brooding blue eyes.” She recalled the description in the letter he had sent with his response to her advert, the feminine hand of the reverend’s wife. The same reverend who was to marry them the day after she was set to arrive. “He is a God fearing man who shall make you an excellent husband.”

Erin gave into a contented sigh, one that Laura’s heart echoed. “Surely a man who would ask such a Godly woman to write a reference would be an excellent husband.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “I shall be happily married and will soon have children of my own to teach and guide. No more dealing with the spoiled misses that do not wish to learn.”

“And I shall be their godmother.” Erin stated.

Laura turned to meet her friend’s gaze. “You will visit, won’t you?” she asked.

Erin gave her the bright, carefree smile she had that Laura loved so much. “Nothing will keep me away.” she promised

Chapter 2

‘I hate having to be here when there’s proper work to be had.’ Rick grumbled to himself as his gaze swept over the place.

It was always dusty in town, but that was nothing compared to the station on the day the train passed through Odell. Though the town had grown around the station house, it wasn’t much to write home about. Nothing more than two small rooms for the master and an extended porch where passengers awaited the train or for their transport once they embarked from the train.

Rick stood at the corner of the porch, his tall frame leaning against the wall with his Stetson, putting his face into the shadows. His left foot was braced against the wall, whilst he had his hands folded at his waist. An unlit cheroot played between his lips to the prodding of his tongue as he watched the crowd from beneath his hat.

Most here were waiting to board the train and gave him curious looks, but none dared to ask him his business. He hadn’t breathed a word about his bride to anyone except the reverend and his wife and he preferred for them not to know what he was about. Had it not been for his mother teaching him better, he would have just sent his carriage for her and met the female when she arrived at his farm.

‘A sane man would’ve sent someone else,’ he thought to himself. ‘Maybe that new wrangler.’

Impatience rode him despite his relaxed pose. There was too much to do on the farm. It was calving season and the need for feed was more pressing, as was the need to ensure they didn’t lose many of his cows and or calves. Even knowing his men were competent enough to handle any problems, he still had an itching need to be there.

The shrill whistle of the approaching train relaxed his tensed muscles as relief washed over him. The train was not yet in sight, but the whistle was to tell people to clear off the tracks, not that anyone was in them. Hopefully, once the train stopped here, the disembarking would not take too much time. He also hoped the female wouldn’t have too much baggage with her.

The undercurrent of excitement that had been on the porch became more pronounced. A shift that thrummed the air with anticipation. The women around him preened, straightening their clothing as if they were awaiting the imminent arrival of some royalty. The men on the other hand stood taller, their faces taking on masks of self-importance.

Rick gave a small shake of his head as he watched them. ‘Peacocks, just like pa always said.’ He thought to himself unable to understand why people still treated train travel as if it were still some novelty. The rail had been there before Odell formed around it, yet every time the train passed through, people acted as if it were an act of God.

Probably because nothing much happened in the town, which was just the way Rick Alderson liked it. When the train finally stopped, he watched as the passengers got off. None of the females that disembarked fit the description his bride-to-be had given him. Most of them were either too old or came accompanied. Not that there were many females getting off the train.

Then she got off, the last to do so. She was graceful and cultured in her poise as she took in a deep breath once she was out. A baggage man stood a step behind her with a large suitcase as she looked around. She was a little on the short side, but stood tall and confident.

“I hope my luggage is not too heavy for you.” Her soothing voice carried to where he was and he found himself reacting not only to its sweet timbre but to her concern for the man.

A travel cloak covered her frame, but he could tell she still had her girlish figure. And her face was exquisite, fine-boned in a way that he associated with the rich ladies of leisure. Her hair was dark and curled and she had a large-rimmed hat atop it. With her hands clasping a lacy, beaded reticule, she was the picture of a demure schoolteacher.

A small smile teased his hard lips as he saw her drawn to him and their eyes met. His were shadowed, but he had no doubt it didn’t matter. If she had told him the truth, which seemed to be the case so far, her eyes would have. The distance didn’t seem to matter as they were caught in the moment. The attraction between them was instantaneous, visceral.

Rick pushed off the wall and made his way towards her, all the while holding her gaze captive. Whatever might turn out to be, he wasn’t going to let his bride go.

Chapter 3

Her heart raced as she sat still in her seat, her hands folded on her lap like a demure miss. Her throat was still dry regardless of the number of times she’d taken a drink from her canteen. So much so that she had given up on relieving it. Even the talking to she’d given herself had failed to calm the nerves she was experiencing.

‘This is it,’ she thought.‘I shall meet my soon to be husband now and tomorrow we shall be married.’

The second whistle sounded, and she knew the conductor could now see the station house. A part of her was relieved that she would now have time to stretch her legs, but for the most part, she was reluctant to have the miserable journey end.

“We are now stopping at the Odell train station!” the man who walked the carts with whenever they reached any of the stations announced. She wondered if he bellowed as much in the richer carts.

Laura had opted for the economy ticket and the cart she was in was rather cramped without much room to stretch or walk about. Which made his walk about quite uncomfortable. Though some of the passengers had already disembarked at their stops along the way.

The five days she’d spent confined with the other passengers had been an exercise in patience and fortitude. Yet she found herself afraid as the third whistle sounded and the train slowed down at the station.

Her palms were sweaty, her skin shivering with the icy touch of fear. The same ice that traced the line of her spine. As much as she had determined this was her only option, there was every chance that things would turn out worse than they were back east.

“This be yea stop miss Washington?” the sweet little girl she had taken to teaching on their long journey asked with a toothy grin.

She smiled down at the seven year old blonde child. “Yes Sarah, it is”

Her smile widened. “Pa says our stop be next and uh can still come about to Odell for your lessons with a wagon once a week.”

“I will look forward to that.” she told the girl with genuine pleasure.

Laura loved teaching and she hoped her new husband would not be opposed to her continuing. Odell would most likely have its own teacher but she hoped she would help those like little Sarah Farell whose families were going to places not yet settled.

As she bid the family leave, she wondered if her soon to be husband would be there to receive her or if he would send one of his men. Mr Alderson had said he had a small farm with just a handful of cowboys working for him. Laura had no idea which she would prefer. If he came for her, then she mattered enough for that consideration, but he had also told her he was busy. It would be understandable for him to send someone.

The train came to a stop with its now accustomed wheezes and whistles. Laura gathered her portmanteau and coat before standing up. A few others stood up with her and followed the porter as he led them out. She straightened her clothing, putting on her coat and following the others.

“Bye miss Washington!” little Sarah shouted out once more.

Laura turned to smile at her. “I shall see you soon.” she replied hoping it would turn out to be true. Settling in for the family would take much work and they might not have time to send the girl to her.

Along the way, the train had made stops where the passengers had been given time to get off and walk about. The time had never seemed long enough and the fresh air was all the sweeter for it. Knowing that she had arrived, the presence of peace overcame her and she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. There was a sense of rightness in being here, as if it was meant to be. As if all the paths she may have taken in her life would have led her to this moment. Like destiny.

“I hope my luggage is not too heavy for you.” She said to the baggage man who had been assigned to it.

“No miss.” he promptly replied.

Laura’s eyes fluttered open as she sensed someone looking at her. Her gaze flickered across the station, taking in the people eager to get aboard. None of them was the one she sensed. Then her eyes caught the cowboy who was leaning against the wall with his hat covering most of his face, and she knew.

‘Oh my heavens!’ she thought to herself as her heart raced at the sight of him.

He wore a pair of waist overalls, the new type of trousers that had been made for hard-working cowboys. His dockers were dusty, as were the hems of his trouser but otherwise, he might have been one of the men milling up to board the train. His shirt was a lighter material of the same vein as his overalls and stretched over his wide shoulders. Even without seeing his eyes, she knew he was staring right at her.

He fit the description that the reverend’s lady wife had written of Mr Aldelson but nothing she had told her came close to the reality of who he was. A sense of danger surrounded him, as he was tall and lean. A predator stalking its prey. His stillness showed a readiness for swift action unlike any man she’d ever met.

With slow deliberation, he pushed off the wall. As impossible as it was, he became that much more taller, towering over the men who were still about. As if aware at some primal level that danger walked among them, they pulled away from him as he sauntered closer to her.

Laura felt like a captive as she froze in her tracks. Her gaze fell to the pair of guns holstered at his waist and she shivered before her frightened gaze shot up to his. She still couldn’t see his eyes, but she felt them to the core of her being. They held her with absolute command, and she found herself helpless.

She trembled as he came closer, a part of her willing her to jump back onto the train and escape. Yet she was just as drawn to the need to stay. Here was a man who knew what he was, who would fight for what he felt was his and make no apologies for it.

At that moment, Laura understood what people back east spoke of when they said men who lived in the west were not to be trifled with. She was a confident woman, secure in her capabilities and ability to stand before anyone. This man brought out fears she was too stunned to even start reasoning out.

His eyes, when she saw them, were a blue so deep and yet clear. His hair was a dark blonde and longer than was fashionable. Though it fit him quite well. The face beneath the hat was chiselled, with a jaw that was square and clean cut, a handsome face. Her breath caught as she was mesmerised by the presence he held.

“Miss Washington?” he questioned as he came to a stop a respectable distance from her. His voice was like a deep whiskey smooth rumble and she founded herself yearning for him to say more.

“Yes,” she breathed out, all the firmness of voice she had adopted when she started teaching, deserting her.

His hand went to the brim of his hat, and he tipped it at her. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Rick Alderson.”

“A pleasure to meet you sir,” she replied, not sure how they should go on as she was used to having to be introduced to a man before anything else.

“Shall we?” he indicated towards a horse-drawn cart that was standing to the side of the station. “I understand you have a bit of luggage with you.”

She nodded her head as she followed with the baggage man. “Just a few pieces left over from my parents’ estate. I hope they will not be inconvenient.”

After the man had put away her portmanteau, he went back and arranged for the rest of her things to be loaded. All the while Laura chanced covert looks at the man she was going to be marrying. He was larger than life, which left her feeling out of her depths.

Then he caught her gaze and held it for several heartbeats. “I have made arrangements for the wedding to take place tomorrow morning. I hope that is acceptable to you.”

Her heart squeezed itself inside her chest and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. She had been engaged for half a year and the wedding had been a way off yet. Now she had just met this man and on the morrow, a wedding was to take place.

“That is acceptable.” she agreed.

The cart he led her to was well built with a hide covered cushioned bench just before the open wagon where her things had been loaded. The seat saved her comfort as they rode down the uneven road towards his farm. Still, Laura gripped the sides to steady herself as they seemed to hit every rock along the way.

There was land as far as the eye could see, dry in the summer heat with shrubs dotting the landscape along with tall grass. Houses were far apart, more so the further from town they got. They also became smaller, shabbier for the most part. Her focus on her sorroundings relieved the silence that Mr Alderson maintained.

He appeared to be a man of few words and she wondered how they would get on. Laura turned to study him as he concentrated on the road. Up close the sense of him was overwhelming, it had her body flushing as if she were coming up with a fever. Had the sun not been pleasantly shinning she might have worried. And had she not felt overheated only when she looked at him she might have panicked.

As if he felt her scrutiny, he turned to meet her gaze and once again the breath left her. She felt vulnerable yet excited in a way that she could not explain. Her heart raced as her palms became sweaty. Of their own accord, her lips parted, softened.

Those intense eyes of his dropped to them then flashed back to hers. Only this time there was heat in them that confused her even as if curled something deep in her middle. She felt her face flush, embarrassed and knowing she should be afraid of that look. Yet she found herself dawn to him more, excited even for something she could barely reason.

“We shall be married tomorrow morning and I will answer the question you have in those eyes.” his voice rumbled in a caressing tone that played havoc on her already confused body.

“What questions?” her question came out breathy, a whisper tone that she had never dared utter. One that coloured her cheeks even more.

He smiled down at her and she gasped. There was something predatory in the smile, yet that wasn’t what shocked her. It was the strange reaction that her body went through with it, the thrill and anticipation she felt.

“In time,” he whispered back. “You will understand the questions you have enough to voice them.”

Laura frowned up at him, unable to understand what he meant even as she found herself curious and yet too shy to ask. His smile turned gentle, yet the heat in his eyes deepened. Laura couldn’t take her eyes away from him, couldn’t seem to think beyond her awareness of the man who even now seemed to tower over her. To take up so much of the space that he became all she could see.

When he released her gaze to once more watch the road, she found herself relieved at the same time disappointed. A part of her wanted the intense awareness that resulted when their gazes met to never end. Another was confused and overwhelmed.

Her ruminations came to an end as she decided to turn away from him and once more look at their surroundings. She gasped as she saw the house they were now approaching. Laura had been so taken with him that she hadn’t realised when they had turned into the driveway of the farm.

The house before her was no mere cabin like what she had been expecting. “I thought you said you had a small farm.” she was stunned into saying, a tinge of accusation in her tone.

“Everything in Texas is on a big scale.” he shrugged.

She frowned at that. True she hadn’t seen how large the land he owned was, but the two storey house, excluding the attics, that stood before them was hardly the type to be found in these parts unless the owner was a big time farmer or rancher. What else was the man hiding from her?

There were even some cottages in the distance of a size that she thought would match a small farm. Looking up at his passive face, Laura wondered at what he thought constituted a few workers.

“Miss Washington, if you please,” he said as he held out his hand to help her stupified self down. She gaped down at his amused face, wondering when he had disembarked from the cart. Without thought, she took his hand and let him help her down. “Welcome to your new house.” he said as he led her to the door.

Chapter 4

Laura had come with the last of the furniture left over from her parents’ estate and arranged it on her side of the room. Though it was improper for a maiden like her to share a room with a man she was as yet unmarried to, this was far from the halls of the world she had been born into.

With nothing else to do, she made her way downstairs, admiring the workmanship of the smooth walls and especially the railing on the stairs. She once again wondered at the great house she found herself in when she had expected to rough it. Was what she had heard about the conditions here a lie? Or was her husband to be a wealthier man than he had led her to believe?

If the latter was true, what more had he kept from her? Would he, like Charles, have a trollop on the side and expect her to be fine with it? Would he have a common-law wife and want a proper catholic wife? Or maybe he could even have a native wife and children living with her clan.

Even as her mind raced to come up with even more horrendous scenarios, she shook her head to clear it of the nonsense. Her father had taught her to find proof of something before wasting her time on speculations. Yet that very same attitude had led to her heartbreak at the hands of Charles Turner.

Well, at the very least, her pride had been hurt. Given the immediate attraction she had felt for her husband-to-be, there was every chance her feelings for her former fiancé had not been what she had thought. This brought up the question of why she had agreed to marry the man if she had not felt as she should.

Laura had believed in marrying for love and she had thought she had found that feeling with him. Her hurt had been in part to the fact that she had loved him, or so she thought. Now she wondered if she even knew what that feeling was.

Surely if she had loved her fiance, no other man would attract her so soon after the breakdown of her engagement. And the wonder of it was that she felt a level of excitement at the thought of Mr. Alderson that she hadn’t felt at any moment for Charles. So how was she to know if she was in love?

The novels she loved to read from Minerva Press spoke of women knowing with a look that they loved the man they were to marry. Did that mean she was already in love with Rick Alderson?

After all, Charles had never had her palms feeling sweaty. He had never sent shivers down her spine with just a look. His presence had never left her so aware of the fact that she was a woman. Nor had she ever had the ridiculous notion of appearing helpless just so that he could come to her rescue.

Even now, knowing he had work to do on the farm, she wished he would come back and talk to her. Which was utter nonsense. She was a reasonable woman who should know better than to entertain such foolish thoughts.

Holding herself to the correct posture, she made her way to the back of the house where the kitchen was to be found. For all the house was big and well kept, there were no servants employed here. From what little Mr Alderson had told her, there was a woman who came twice every week to clean the place.

Now that she was here, it fell upon her to make the food for her and her husband-to-be. She came to a stop at the door into the kitchen. Like the rest of the house, it was well appointed, with all the improvements that could be found in better houses.

“Ma told pa she wanted her house to be as good as the one her pa had in Boston.” The voice was unexpected that she staggered out of the kitchen a step before catching herself.

Her eyes searched the kitchen until they settled on the young woman who stood next to the Dover stove where she had been putting more wood to relight the fire. The girl could not be older than ten and five and wore breeches and a boy’s shirt. Her hair, a pale blonde that could pass as white, was done in a careless braid that reached to her waist.

Her skin was weathered to the point where she could pass as a Mexican, were it not for her hair. Then there were her eyes, a blue so deep she might have thought them dark had she not just seen the same in Mr Alderson’s face. These ones though, looked at her with evident dislike.

“Oh,” Laura exclaimed with a nervous laugh. “You scared me there.”

“Aye,” she agreed in the same hard tone she had first used. “’Tis what’s to be expected of a woman from the East. Y’all are flirty like a filly in heat.”

Laura drew back as if she had been hit by the crude description. More so since it was coming from a young lady, though the breeches should have told her differently. Even Erin at her most cantankerous, had not come any close to such language.

“I beg your pardon?” she exclaimed.

“You can beg it all you want, doesn’t change the fact that you don’t belong in these here parts.” She snorted.

Laura straightened to her full height, which wasn’t much, and as the other female towered over her a bit, it didn’t make much of a difference. Still, it gave her a mental advantage as she confronted the girl. “Mr Alderson seems to think differently.” She stated, keeping her tone and voice even.

Another snort. “Our ma was of your ilk. Men seem to want to marry women like their mothers. Our pa did all this,” she indicated to the house. “Just to please her and it left Rick with debts he’s still paying. You’ll be no better.”

She tucked that piece of information away so that she could examine it later. “Is that why you are trying to speak in that improper way? Are you trying to be like some man’s mother so that he can marry you?”

The glare from the girl became thunderous and she shoved the piece of wood she had still been holding into the stove before slamming the door shut. With her fists clenched, she marched over to Laura. It took all the courage she had, plus her years of teaching unruly females, to stand her ground.

“I ain’t tryin’ to be nothin’ but what I am!” she said through her teeth as she loomed over Laura’s smaller frame. “You don’t know anything ’bout me.”

“Neither do you know anything about me,” Laura replied with calm. “And yet you have already decided I will bring more debt to your brother.”

“I know your kind.”

“And you were raised in the same house as your brother and yet your speech is different from his. Since you brought up the fact that you think men marry women who remind them of their mothers, it stands to reason there is a man you are trying to attract.” Laura explained.

The girl ignored her logic and moved even closer until they were a mere breath apart. “If you think you can come here and take over this house, then you are sadly mistaken. You don’t belong here. This isn’t some fancy place where you get to order servants around whilst drinking lemonade in the shade. People here work for a living and it’s a hard living we have.”

Laura wanted to cower away from the younger female, but she knew better. If she did that, she would lose ground and find it harder to regain it. “Hmm,” she mused. “Isn’t it funny that your accent has changed?”

“Maybe you should still be lying down,” the girl said instead. “After all, it was such a long journey here. You ought to be tired.”

“Yes,” Mr Alderson’s voice intruded on them and the other girl flinched before affecting a casual poise and pulling away from Laura to look over her shoulder. Laura also turned to meet the man’s deep gaze. “I had thought to find you resting from your journey.”

She managed a credible smile. “I am a bit tired but after sitting and sleeping for most of the last five days, I find it hard to keep doing so.”

A hint of a smile flashed across his eyes, but never saw the light of day. “Then might I interest you on a tour of the farm?”

The smile on her face became natural instead of strained, and she accepted the hand he held out to her. “That would be lovely.” She agreed as she allowed him to draw him away.

He looked over her shoulder to his sister and Laura watched as his craggy face softened. “Thank you for keeping my bride company, Suzie.”

“’Twas nothin’” the girl said in an amicable tone.

“Your sister was quite charming.” She informed him, her voice holding a bit of irony intended for the other female. He laughed as he led her out.

Suddenly, Laura found herself feeling shy as he kept hold of her hand. His hand was calloused, showing him for a man who worked hard. There was strength in his grip even as it was gentle. Once more her breath caught and she was overheated as her skirts brushed against his trousered leg.

“Did you find the room to your liking?” he questioned.

“Yes, thank you.” she replied then blushed at the inadequate reply. “What I mean is, the room is quite lovely.”

“I’m glad.” he rumbled in that deep voice of his that did something to her every time. “I had thought to find you resting after your long journey.”

Laura gave in to a tinkling laugh, the kind she had been taught a proper miss should use and had thus become a part of her. “Oh no sir, I’ve had enough of sitting still and sleeping.” The train had been one of the new one that now had sleeping carts, though the ones for economy people had been cramped.

“Am I to understand then that you are an active person?” he queried.

“Hardly that,” she replied with a smile and a glance his way. “I was taught that it is good health to be active and we did not get much space for it on the train.”

Even though they walked the farm, Laura and Rick were too engrossed in getting to know each other that neither of them looked about as they did. Laura was aware that he made an effort to engage in conversation even though he was clearly a man of few words. She also knew that the work on a farm was never ending.

Which made her treasure the fact that he took time to court her. Something that she had thought he would think unnecessary as she was already agreed to his suit. Which made her all the more surprised when he halted suddenly and looked down at her with those penetrating eyes of his.

She stopped and gave him a puzzled look as he searched her face as if he was looking for something. Whatever it was, he seemed to find it and that smile of his came briefly to his lips.

“I have not asked you in person miss Washington, will you do me the honour of being my wife on the morrow?”

Her heart seemed to melt inside her chest, her legs having a hard time holding her so much that she feared she might just end up having the vapours. Laura was made of sterner stuff though and even as she felt faint with some emotion she could not even begin to guess at, she firmed them and her back.

Her voice came out barely audible. “I will be honoured to be your wife, Mr Adelson.” she assured him and for a moment as his head dipped a bit, she thought that he might dispense with propriety and kiss her.

“I am honoured miss Washington.” he told her in a voice that for some reason was deeper than it had been before. “Shall we see to having our supper?” he asked as he held out his arm to her.

Laura placed her hand into the crock and wondered how a man who lived so far from civilization, who had been born in these wild lands could be so well mannered. After all, he knew she had nowhere else to go so he couldn’t be pretending.

Right?

Chapter 5

Laura wore her mother’s wedding dress as she stood facing her husband-to-be. It was a delicate thing made of spun lace in cream over delicate silk. She remembered her mother telling her the story of how she had taken a year to spin the silk in preparation for her marriage.

Wearing the dress gave her the sense that her mother was with her on this day. The one comfort she clung to as the reality of what she had done set in. As lovely as the farm was, it was a far cry from what she had known all her life. Even the farm her friend Erin lived on appeared quite different from the half-wild reality she now lived.

She looked up through the veil covering her face to meet the gaze of her soon-to-be husband. How did he do that? She wondered. Even the veil wasn’t a shield to his piercing intensity.

He stood proud and tall, his shoulders thrown back and his head held high. His suit was new looking and dapper, crisp. He had on a starch white shirt, the collar held together by a bolo tie with a silver clasp. His sun-lightened brown hair was slicked back to show the strong lines of his face.

He looked extremely handsome.

The reverend stood between them to the side with his bible open and a smile on his kindly face. “The bible say that, ‘He who finds a good wife finds a good thing.’ Rick Alderson has found a good woman in miss Laura Washington and has brought her before the Lord to join together.

You have come to bear witness before the Lord as he joins this couple in his name. What the Lord has put together, let no man put asunder.” He turned to Mr Alderson. “Rick, you have chosen to take this woman as your wife according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto pledge your faith.”

He turned to Laura, “Laura you have chosen to submit your life as his wife in accordance to God’s holy ordinance, and thereto pledge your faith.” he turned back to Rick and asked him for his vows, then asked Laura for her own. Then he had them exchange their rings.

The Reverend looked to their audience and his smile widened. “May the Lord keep and guide you throughout your marriage. You may kiss the bride.”

Her heart raced as he took hold of the veil and unveiled her face before leaning over and kissing her. Laura had never been kissed before. She had been a proper lady during her engagement. Nothing in her experience had prepared her for what she experienced.

Heat raced through her, sensations she could not even begin to understand. She trembled, her mind wondering at the softness of his lips when everything about him was hard. He had his arms around her, holding her to his hard chest. Never had she felt so secure in her life.

His lips feathered over hers before he pressed them upon hers. Then he explored her with a tenderness that pierced her heart. Her hands clutched at his shoulder as her legs weakened and he drew her closer. Time seemed to stall as she became lost in the pleasure she had never dreamt of.

Finally, she understood why young girls were warned to guard their virtues so close. There was something addictive about the act of being kissed. Which had her wondering what more there was between a man and a woman.

When he pulled away from her, their eyes held, and a new awareness sizzled between them. Something secret that she couldn’t guess at and yet knew to the core of her being. It was something that was so private it didn’t need words. She blushed as she recalled they had an audience.

“I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Rick Alderson.” the Reverend announced, and the small crowd broke into cheers as Laura’s eyes fluttered down in a shy manner, unlike her character.

His mind was still caught up in the forbidden realisation she’d just had. The fearful thrill of what was to come now that she was a married woman. It was hard to believe that just yesterday she had arrived at this farm and already she was the lady of the house.

She chanced a look at her new sister-in-law and saw her glaring at her. A look that swiftly shifted when her new husband chanced to glance Suzie’s way. The young girl was the only problem so far in her new life, and Laura vowed not to let her dampen her wedding breakfast.

The wedding had been conducted in the house parlour, with the screens open to the outside to give more light and air to the packed room. A smile graced her face as Rick guided her out of that room and into the dinning where there was a seated arrangement set aside for the two of them.

A long table filled most of the room, on which a scrumptious buffet was laid out, and he settled her in the middle before he sat beside her. After which their guests came in and he introduced them to her as they congratulated her on their marriage.

This was the first time for her meeting the people of Odell and Laura found them both charming and as rough as she had been told. Yet, unlike the horror stories she had heard, they were not as uncouth. What they were was genuine in a way people back East had not been. They didn’t waste time with words they didn’t mean and if they didn’t like you, they showed it.

Laura was surprised at how much she appreciated them for that. In some way, they reminded her of Erin and her family. She had always known where she stood with them. As someone who had spent some time in front of students and talking to parents, she was comfortable meeting new people, until he introduced her to his friends.

The two men were as tall as he was, as lean. With that dangerous edge to them that was tempered with a steadiness she couldn’t quite reason. They were watchful, aware of their surroundings and they assessed her with that wariness.

She felt nervous but managed to be as gracious as she had been with all the others even whilst she shook inside. As her new husband stepped aside with the pair, she got the sense they were more involved in his business than she had believed. There was something intense in their stances as they leaned in together to discuss something.

There were other men in the small crowd that seemed dangerous, yet they didn’t have the virility of the three. That sense of men who would see whatever they sought to do to its inevitable end. She shivered as she once more wondered what kind of man she had just married.

She was aware of the glances the other guests gave them, of the wary respect they were afforded. Was that because there was something in them to fear? Without any way to find out one way or another, Laura turned her smile to their guests and became the perfect hostess. There would be time enough to find the truth, for better or worse.

Chapter 6

“So how do you like being a married woman?” Catherine, the good reverend’s wife asked as she sipped her tea and looked at Laura over the rim of her cup.

Married life was a mystery she was still trying to piece together. “As you wrote me, he is quite the good husband you thought he would be.” Laura said as she set down her own cup and smiled at the other woman. She was a few years older than her and had been married to the young reverend for almost five years now.

“Yes, I was only too happy to pass on the recommendation after he asked me to help him chose between the adverts. I am pleased to see you are everything I hoped for him.”

Laura’s brows rose in surprise at that. “He asked you for advice?”

“Yes,” Catherine laughed a bit. “I’m sure Rick hasn’t told you that we are third cousins once removed from his mother’s side.”

Laura shook her head. Her husband was thoughtful, and attentive and yet she still knew so little of him. He was a man of few words, but he was respectful of her as his wife and made sure her needs were met.

“No, he hasn’t.”

Catherine nodded. “My cousin is a man of few words.” she placed her cup down to the saucer. “And the teaching? Are you happy with our more primitive classroom set up?”

Rick had suggested that she apply to become the school mistress since the one before had left some months back. Laura had been accepted with such alacrity that she had been a tad bit embarrassed. Now she was teaching the few kids in the area their letters.

“The ones that should have started advanced classing are a bit of a problem but nothing that I cannot handle.” she smiled at her new friend before taking a sip of her lemon tea.

They were at an age where they should have been in advanced classes, but the lack of excellent teachers had stunted their learning. As much as they tried her, she was now used to adversity.

Nothing would hurt as much as having to stand up to people she had loved her whole life. So these juveniles were nothing to fear. Her short stature led them to believe she was someone they could intimidate, but she stood up to them enough to get a grudging respect. Laura knew that in time they would stop their belligerence, but for now, it was a struggle.

“And Suzie?” Catherine asked in a diffident tone. “Is she still resenting you being here?”

Her sigh was answer enough. Her sister-in-law was a hard case. Laura could not reason why the younger woman disliked her. Was it because she behaved more like a lady than the girl? Yet Suzie had disliked her even before she got to know her. The worst of it was that whenever Rick was about, she acted rather cordial.

“I cannot reason why she has such a dislike for me.” A hesitant look marred Catherine’s lovely face at that and Laura knew her friend knew something she was unsure of telling. “Please Catherine, whatever it is you have to tell me before it becomes a thorn in my marriage.”

“You mean before she becomes a problem.”

“It amounts to the same thing, please…”

The good wife sighed and placing her cup in its saucer sat back in her seat. “You must realise that Rick is unaware of what I’m about to tell you.” she warned.

Which brought pause to Laura’s desperate inquiry. Her heart constricted in fear at the idea of possibly concealing something from her husband. As the other woman watched her she pondered the situation for a moment before meeting Catherine’s eyes.

“I do not think I can keep a secret from my husband if it affects him in some way.”

A smile bloomed on the other woman’s face, a pleased one that had Laura wondering if it had been a test of some sort. One she had apparently passed.

“I believe it is past time he knew.” Catherine stated. “You have to understand that our family is rather prominent in Boston. We are descended from a second son of an earl so we have always been part of the elite. Rick’s grandfather though, was a prospector who struck gold in the hills of California.

You can imagine our family did not approve of the match but my cousin, Emily, insisted and they allowed the marriage. Luke, Rick’s father, was at odds with his own father as he put his mines above his family and everything else. Concerned only with how much money he could make.

When he was negligent enough to cause the death of close to a hundred men, Luke had a row with him unlike any other. The upshot of which led to him leaving the family and swearing never to come back.

Despite it all, our family decided to distance themselves from Rick’s parents. They gave Emily her inheritance from which she and Luke bought and built this farm and built the house. Luke loved her so much that he kept away from the rest of his family when since she held a bitter grudge against them for the loss of her family.

Even when she fell sick and Luke’s father was the only one willing to give them the money for the proper medication she would not accept it. She died for the lack whilst they had the money for her treatment. Luke was never the same after that and Suzie blames it all on her mother. A woman she thinks you take after.”

Laura shook her head at that, her heart pained at the hurt caused to both families. As far as she could tell, Emily had been rather unreasonable and she could not think why Suzie would assume they were alike. Laura was not from a wealthy family. Suzie herself had had a better life than Laura.

“Why would she think that?”

Catherine gave her a rueful smile. “You come from a big city, you have manners more strict than she does, just like the mother she’s only heard about. She thinks you will break Rick the same way her mother did her father, that you will distance her away from him.”

Laura was truly shocked at that. She had lost her entire family to death, what she had longed for in this marriage was to have another. The last thing she would ever do was divide the last of Rick’s family. “I would never do such a thing.” she protested, her voice threading with the pain she felt at the inadvertentaccusation.

Catherine nodded her assent, her expression serene and reassuring. “And in time she will come to realise that. I believe you just have to be patient with her.”

Still, the hurt would not leave her at the assurance and she took up her cup for a dainty sip as she tried to calm herself. If, as her new friend had said, it was just a misunderstanding she could be patient with the girl. Which she realised wouldn’t be easy. A part of her she couldn’t reason against desperately wanted Rick’s sister to like her.

“How is it that Rick is unaware of his family history and Suzie is?” she asked at length.

Her friend sighed and a mild frown marred her face for a moment. “My father came to visit a couple years ago and Suzie was excited to meet one of her relatives. He was not as eager. When she introduced herself, he was scathing in his denouncement of her parentage, telling her she was a disgrace to our blood. For a while she didn’t want to have anything to do with me and she decided not to hurt Rick with the truth. I felt it wasn’t my place to tell him.”

Laura nodded her understanding just as she heard a clutter of horses coming up the driveway. It was brick paved and the shod hooves of the horses were clear to hear, at least two from what she could hear.

“Were you expecting guests?” Catherine asked.

“No,” she answered with a frown as she turned to the window whose lace curtains allowed them a clear view of the driveway but not one of them from the outside.

Chapter 7

The men who rode up to the house were ones she’d never seen about, in or around the town. Laura knew not to entertain men she didn’t know, especially here, where the neighbours were far off from each other. Of the cottages around the house, all were empty, as the men were at work.

There were three of them, riding good horse flesh. There was something rough about them, as if life had been rough with them and they had, in turn become just as rough. It was more than the hardiness that men got in these parts. There was something in their faces that told a tale of men who cared nothing about any other. And Laura and Catherine were alone in the house.

It was a Saturday and school was out, but the farm had no days off. Her husband also had whatever deal he was working with his friends going on. He was away from the farm and the farm hands were too far to hear anything. Suzie had gone to visit with some of her friends, which left her completely alone.

They saw them from the window of the parlour and watched as they dismounted and two of them walked over whilst the third held the reins. She looked to the corner of the room where her husband kept a shotgun leaning against the wall. As she heard the knock on the door, she stood up and went for the gun.

“You will have to stay back and go for help if they mean me harm.” she told Catherine in a calm voice that was far from what she was feeling.

The other woman was pale, her face bloodless as a sheen of sweat formed her brow. “No Laura you can’t.” she chocked out in a whisper as if afraid the men would hear her.

“They know I’m here and I expect they think I’m alone. Which makes your presence fortuitous since you can get help in time for me.”

Taking a pair of shells, she made sure the gun was loaded before going to the door, ignoring Catherine’s unlady like squeak of fear. Though it wasn’t in her nature to handle guns, Rick had insisted that if any stranger came to the door, she should go and answer it armed.

When she opened the door, both men eyed the gun in her hand and took steps back. Laura let go of the door and braced her other hand on the gun as she placed her finger on the trigger and pointed it in the general direction of the men. She’d never fired a gun before, had never handled one until she came here. What she knew was that people responded to confidence, so she just had to look like she meant business.

“Yes?” she demanded instead of a greeting, her heart pounding so hard against her chest that she wondered how the men failed to see it.

“Well now,” the taller of the two men drawled. “That’s a mighty big gun fer such as little lady like yer.”

There a was a mocking sneer in his voice, as if he knew she had no idea what to do with the thing aside from how to hold it. He was old, maybe in his late thirties, and had muscles that seemed at the edge of bursting out of his shirt. A shirt that had been washed one too many times and yet was still sturdy enough.

There was a hard glint in his eyes, a calculating gleam that told her he was assessing her and the situation they found themselves in. Laura was glad she had listened to her husband instead of keeping to the rules of hospitality she had been taught. Everything about this man told her she should not be in his company for long.

Her gaze flashed to the other man and saw he was just as attentive. His jaw was hard as he stared at her with an unblinking gaze that sent shivers down her back. He was still, unnaturally so, with his arms at his side not far from the pair of colts holstered at his waist. He would be the one to shoot her, she realised, but only if the other male allowed it.

She was quaking but firmed her back as she looked back at the first male, meeting his eyes. “I can handle it.” She affirmed, amazed at the calm her voice held.

“Well, there ain’t no need for that little lady. We just be having a little message fer your husband, that’s all.”

“If you know anything about him, then you must know he wouldn’t be here at this time.” She replied in a dry voice, belying the terror that was coursing through her.

He smiled, something that was surprisingly charming, but she recalled the many times she’d been taken by Charles Turner’s charm and she found it unsettling. “We had ye pegged fer a weak filly from back East. Wasn’t expecting no real gun-totting woman.”

Laura frowned at the man. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, ye see here ma’am, news ‘bout town is that yer husband be in the possession of some real nice gold.” he had been standing with his back straight and shoulders thrown back and now leaned closer to her. She stiffened, struggling to keep her ground and not show her fear. “We be wantin’ it.”

“If it’s in his possession, then it’s got nothing to do with you.” she reasoned.

“That ain’t how it works in these parts. A man takes and keeps what he can. The law ain’t big enough here to make something of it.”

“Well, this isn’t your property and I’m holding my law right here,” she warned him, taking the words from one of her favourite books. “I’m enough of a shot to take you before your man can draw his gun.” that was a bluff, but she had been a teacher long enough to be good at it.

The man seemed delighted at her words. “Aye, yer quite the woman,” he complimented with admiration in his voice. “Next time we be coming fer ye.”

At that, Laura felt the blood leave her face, but she held the man’s gaze. His smile remained as he looked her over with admiration before meeting her eyes again. He tipped his hat at her. “Ma’am,” he said farewell then turned to his partner. “C’mon Lewis. Tell yer husband Truman wants the gold,” he added as they reached their horses.

She watched them mount and ride off before she took a few steps back into the house and leaned against the door just before the strength of her legs gave way. Her body shook uncontrollably. Knowing that she might end up harming herself, she put on the safety for the shotgun but kept her hold on it.

Nothing in her life had ever prepared her for this. She couldn’t believe she had survived the incident in one piece, that the three men hadn’t even tried to harm her. Though their presence and words were frightful enough. And the way both men had looked at her! She shuddered as she recalled it.

What was she going to do? There would be times when she would be at the house alone. It was inevitable. Not only that, but she rode to the school on her own and Truman or any other man could come upon her. Was she now supposed to carry a gun?

Her thoughts chased each other until she found herself with a migraine and had to go up and lie down. She kept the gun with her, unwilling to part from the only thing she had to protect her.

As she lay on her bed unable to fall asleep as fear held her in its grip, she saw her mother’s bible where she had set it on the side table. Since she had lost them, it had become the one comfort she had with her mother’s handwriting on the margins. Her father had bought the book for her and written a dedication to her on the first page.

Opening that page, she ran her hands over the bold script that her father had had. It brought the sense of comfort and safety she remembered from him. Then her hand traced to the bottom of the page where her mother had written a verse from the psalms. A verse that always gave her comfort.

‘Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.’

She read it several times before her heart quietened from the race it had been performing. Her headache seemed to lessen as she calmed. Still, she held on to the gun as if it were her last bastion of safety. The last time she had read the bible, she had left a marker, so she went to it and continued reading.

That was how her husband found her, reading the bible with a gun held tight to her. Until then, Laura had thought she was past the trauma of what had happened. As she caught sight of him, she sat up, then jumped off the bed to rush into his arms as the tears she hadn’t cried poured out.

“Laura?” he questioned. “What is it?”

She couldn’t speak as she quivered at the memory of the fear she had felt when confronted with three strangers who meant her harm. Knowing he was here, that he was holding her and she was safe seemed to open the floodgate for the tears she hadn’t cried even after the men had left.

Rick lifted her into his arms, then walked her to his bed where he sat down with her still clinging to him. He held her and murmured soft words to her as she cried out her terror. After which she told him what had happened.

The anger he displayed had tremors flittering through her body. His face hardened until it was something she barely recognised. It reminded her of the day she had first met him and the impression she had had. That he was a dangerous man.

But could he stand up to the cruel disregard of life she had seen in Truman’s eyes?

“He said he’d be coming for you?” he demanded, his voice full of ice.

“Yes,” she confirmed in a small voice that had her feeling ashamed of the fear she was showing.

“I will not let anything happen to you,” he vowed before leaning down to kiss her.

Laura gave in with a relieved sigh, welcoming the comfort that came with it. She relished the warmth that came with the rock steadiness that was her husband. After her husband comforted her in the way only a man can comfort his wife, Laura finally drifted to sleep.

Rick though, spent a lot of time thinking of ways to protect his wife and defeat the gang of bandits. He knew about Henry Truman. The man had left his wife and son to fend for themselves whilst he took up the life of a lawless man. Rick hadn’t known he was back in these parts. Nor did he know who might have told him about his money.

Whatever the case, Rick was a man who kept what belonged to him, and he wasn’t going to let this bandit have his way.

Chapter 8

Tension thrummed through the household until Laura felt like something was going to break soon. It had been close to three weeks since Truman had made his threats and she and her husband were living on a razor’s edge.

It didn’t help that her sister-in-law had scoffed at the incident and called her weak for being upset. She had gone as far as to claim Laura had exaggerated the incident. Unwisely, Laura had recalled the night she and Rick had gone to the restaurant and she had seen Suzie with a young man who had resembled Truman. Since Laura had not known about the gold, it stood to reason that Suzie had been the one to alert Truman to it.

Her husband had not been pleased with that information. As he refused to talk about the issue, she wasn’t sure if he thought she was making up stories or if he thought a woman should not know much about such things. Either way, the joy she had experienced in the first days of her marriage had come to an abrupt end.

Laura didn’t know how to feel as the meal progressed. It was relaxed, with none of the formality she had expected, but it was better for it. His friends were engaging, Clint Westhoff more so than Timothy Clayton. He told stories that had her laughing for most of the meal. Timothy was quieter, not as much as her husband was, but it was noticeable when compared to Clint.

A part of her was gratified, whilst another feared their marriage would be even more strained after the relaxing night. Both of them even more aware of the gulf that was between them.

His friends were as tall as her husband, Timothy being the tallest and Clint a breath shorter than Rick. Like her husband, Clint’s hair was a dark blonde, but he had grey eyes to Rick’s blue. On the other hand, Timothy had midnight hair and brown eyes so deep they appeared black in certain light. As handsome as they were, Laura thought her husband was the best-looking of them.

“However did you escape?” she asked as he told her about one of their childhood escapades.

“Well ma’am, that is not a story for your ears.” He told her with a secret smile.

“Why sir, you are the one who started with the tale, so you must finish it.” She insisted.

“Only because you insisted I tell the story.”

“And how, pray tell, did I know you had such a story?”

“It is a well-known fact that school mistresses have some kind of unfair mental prowess.”

Laura laughed at that. “You sir, must have been quite the rogue in your school days.”

“He was.” Timothy agreed with a smile of his own. “And we were the sorry fools he got into trouble with him.”

“What he means is that he and Rick used to blame everything that went wrong on me.”

The pious look on his face made that assertion hard to believe, and Laura laughed at the look of innocence she was used to seeing in most of her students. As she did, her eyes met those of her husband. In his enigmatic gaze, she was reminded of the tension between them and she almost faltered. Until she remembered that she was the hostess and expected to be charming and engaging.

“I’m inclined to believe you Timothy,” she stated as her husband and the gentlemen themselves had given her leave to use their Christian names. “His stories all seem to paint him in great light and as a teacher, I know better than to believe such.”

Clint clutched his heart as if he had just been shot. “You wound me madam, I fear I shall never recover from the blow of such a beautiful woman doubting me. Rick please, save me from your wife believing the lies our friend tells.”

A faint smile graced her husband’s face. “I think I shall be better served by saving her from your lies.”

Clint shook his head in a mournful manner. “What is this world coming to that a man’s friends will so easily turn against him?”

There was another round of laughter before Laura stood up to get the desert that she had prepared. Suzie had decided to visit with one of her friends and stay overnight and the lady who had been invited to make their sixth had sent her regrets at the last moment.

Laura was therefore the only woman at the dinner. Something that the people in polite society would have frowned upon. She had come to realise that here in the untamed lands, people didn’t adhere to the rules of society so closely. So long as her husband was present, it would not be seen as inappropriate for her to be the only woman.

Just as she was setting the desert down, something shattered and she felt the wind against her cheek before a thud overcame the suddenly silent room. She blinked, wondering what could have broken. She looked around the room in confusion, noting from the side of her eye that one of the lamps seemed to be brighter than the others.

“Rick?” she questioned in her confusion.

Then the sound and rush of wind repeated and she frowned even more as her husband stood up and Lunged for her. His solid frame collided with her and he pulled her to the floor. She was so stunned that she didn’t cry out.

Still not understanding what was happening she tried to wiggle out of his unseeming hold but he held on to her with enough strength that she felt herself unable to breath. “Rick, I can’t breathe.” she protested.

Still he held her down, silent. It took her confused mind a few heartbeats to realise he was somehow crawling away from the dinning room with her held under the protection of his body. Why would he need to protect her? She frowned as she willed herself still to listen.

The thudding sounds increased, as did the shattering one. The light in the room increased to the point where it was almost blinding, at the same time there was a crackling sound and the heat was uncomfortable. She realised someone had been shooting fire into the room and it had caught.

They were going to burn alive!

“C’mon,” Rick whispered into her ear as she lay there stunned by what she had just realised. “We need to leave.”

She followed after him as he crawled away, her mind too stunned to reason which way they were going. The fire seemed to be everywhere at once and crawling away seemed to take forever,

Laura wanted to cry, to curl up at a corner and forget the nightmare around her. They had been having fun. Why would anyone want to do anything like this to them? What had they done?

Even as he covered her with his body, she wasn’t immune to the heat from the fire. From the harsh sound of it as it engulfed the dry timbers of the house. Smoke stung her eyes even though she had long closed them. Tears racing down her cheeks as she feared they wouldn’t get out in time.

Rick wouldn’t let her go even to drag herself out even though she told him they would make better time. She coughed, her throat itching with the taste of the smoke that seemed to settle there with every on of her laboured breaths. Laura had lost her sense to the point she had no idea where in the house they were.

She was overheated, feeling faint and her mouth too dry that all she could think about was water to drink. Helpless, all she could do was cling to Rick as he made his valiant way out. Trust that he knew where the way out was.

And he did.

It took forever, but they came to a door and Rick opened it before urging her out. She stood up and raced out of the house, the tears she had been holding back falling freely. A distance away from the house, she turned back and saw that they had come out from the back. Her husband though, was nowhere to be found.

Her heart sank at that realisation, her stomach roiling so much that she had to fight not to get sick. Though the back wasn’t burning yet compared to the front where the dinning room was, the house was still on fire and she had no idea where her husband was. Nor where his two friends were.

Chapter 9

As he raced after the men who had dared attack his family, Rick wished he had had time to assure his wife that he would protect her, that things would be alright. He had seen her to safety before he and his friends had left from the front door and gone after the band of bandits.

They had endangered his wife, threatened her before trying to kill her. Rick knew if he didn’t do something fast, they would eventually get to her. She was beginning to mean too much to him.

Should he have waited to have a talk with her before leaving? He had seen the men that worked for him coming to help her put out the fire and thought it best to leave whilst he could see the man hurrying away.

Knowing that it was too late to change his mind, he focused on the men who were riding away from them at a breakneck pace. The ground they were riding across had a lot of brush and rocks that could lame any of their mounts, but Rick and his friends had been riding here all their lives. The chances of them catching up were high.

There was nowhere for them to hide, the only thing that might defeat them being the darkness. The land about was made of low-lying hills and a few buttes too far for any of their horses to reach at this speed. As long as they kept the men in their sight, they would eventually catch them. Especially as their horses were fresh in comparison.

“Is it just me or does it seem like they are not trying to shake us off?” Timothy who was their best tracker shouted the question.

Rick frowned as he tried to note whatever it was that his friend had noticed. It eluded him. “Why do you say that?” he shouted back.

“Their horses are fast, but we managed to catch up to them even though we first had to go to the stables for our mounts.” he replied.

Rick frowned as he thought that over. It would mean the men had ridden at a pace they knew would allow Rick and his friends to catch up. Why would they do such a thing? Were they leading them into a trap? There was nothing in front of them and they outnumbered the two men.

“Are they leading us into a trap?” Clint asked.

“More of their men waiting for us.” Timothy concluded.

“Or…” Rick’s heart shattered at the thought that came to him, a thought that he knew to the core of his being was true. After all, Truman had expressed an interest in his wife. “They’re leading us away from Laura!”

Drawing on his reins, he turned the horse and rode back towards his farm at an even more reckless pace. If anything happened to Laura. If she was taken!

Why had he let his worry over Truman’s band and the gold allow him to draw away from her? Things had been going well until then, until he had got it into his head that he should distance himself from her to have perspective. It hadn’t been her revelation that his sister had been keeping company with Hank Junior, that had caused the rift between them. It had been him, his decisions.

Though his sister had done her best to feed the distance with his wife. How had he failed to notice Suzie had been the problem between the two women? He had thought Laura was having a hard time connecting with a female so different from her. Now though, he had come to realise his sister was not giving his wife a chance. That she was even making life difficult for her.

When had the girl he had loved all his life become this?

He didn’t want to believe that she could have had anything to do with Henry coming back and demanding his gold. She had to know she could have asked for anything and he would have done his best to give it to her. Was he so wrong about the kind of person she was?

He had ridden too far from the farm, too far to get there before they had his Laura, but he had to try. His horse was foaming at the mouth by the time he got to the house. His people were milling about, the fire put out, but with smoke still wafting from the charred remains of his front rooms. The parlour had caught fire along with the dining, but he had shut off the gas so the house hadn’t blown up.

He dismounted before the horse had come to a full stop and confronted the first farm hand he came across. “Where’s my wife?” he demanded.

“She was still out back last I saw.” The man told him.

Rick raced off towards the back of the house, his eyes searching for the light green dress his wife had been wearing. All he could see were his men working to save some of his furniture. He didn’t see his wife. The worst was when no one could tell him where she was. She was just gone.

* * *

He came out of the shadows and placed one of his hands over her mouth, another at her waist. Laura fought the hold, her eyes frantically searching for someone close enough to see her predicament. But she was too far from the men fighting the raging fire. Why had she insisted she would be fine on her own, insisted they all go to the fire?

He had carried her off at a run, her slight weight no hindrance to him even though she fought. She tried to bite his hand, but he tightened it over her mouth, closing even her nose that he almost suffocated her.

Laura lost consciousness and woke up tied to the back of the horse a distance away from the house or anyone else. There was a rag over her mouth, and her feet and arms tied together. Another rope secured her to the horse, and they were riding into the dark night.

She didn’t have her coat on. The fabric of her dress was too light for the chill of the night. The motion of the horse with her head upside down made her sick, but she swallowed hard knowing that if she gave in the vomit might choke her. It took all her willpower to hold back as they seemed to ride forever.

Laura fought to free her hands as she lay across the horse whilst it cantered away from all she knew. Every step had her bouncing hard, and it was very uncomfortable. He had tied her to the saddle of one of her husband’s horses whilst he rode the one he had come with.

When the horse finally stopped, she had all but given up hope that the nightmare ride would ever come to an end. Her body felt bruised, her throat dry because of the rag shoved into her mouth and her nose stuffed from breathing in too much dust. Not to mention the smoke she had been breathing before. Everything hurt.

She was shivering as he took her off the horse; her lashes felt too heavy to open her eyes. Without thinking about it, she huddled into him as he carried her off. She heard a sound as if he had kicked a door and then a crack when it slammed against a wall. Then he kicked it closed and this time she trembled with fear.

What would he do now that he had her alone? What did he want?

Laura hadn’t seen his face, but she suspected Truman. There was only one thing a man who had looked at a woman as he had at her would want. He took her further in before laying her on what felt like a straw bed with a thin blanket on it.

She screamed, finding the strength to fight. He didn’t make an effort to restrain her, and she heard his footsteps as he walked away. Then she heard the door open and close as he left. Which only confused her as she huddled in the corner and tried to see in the dark room she found herself in.

Her wrists felt raw from the rope burning into her fragile skin. Even her ankles were not spared the pain beneath her socks. The rag over her mouth tasted as if someone had used it to clean up some oil. Its taste caused her throat to feel scratchy.

Hearing a shuffling sound from the other side of the room, her gaze focused there whilst sweat beaded her brow in fear. Though she couldn’t see, her eyes did their best to pierce the unrelieved darkness, to no avail. The sound came again, and she did her best to keep silent as she fought to see who it could be that was in the room with her.

“Is anyone here?” the voice was tired and seemed like it had been unused in a long time but Laura recognised it. She made a sound of surprise behind the rag over her mouth. “Oh, praise be to God, I thought I would be alone forever!”

Laura had mixed feelings about that. It was comforting to have someone about when she was scared. And yet the idea that someone else was in as much trouble as she was didn’t appear to be something to be grateful for. Even if it was her sister-in-law.

“Are you tied up as well?” she asked in a voice that trembled.

Laura could only mumble beneath the cloth over her mouth. Even if she could, there was every chance Suzie might have been involved with her being taken. Still, it comforted her not to be alone, especially when the door opened again and Truman stood there with a lamp highlighting his face.

“Well, don’t that be all? The boy finally did right.” He said with a smile that had the chill she had been feeling strike to her heart.

Chapter 10

He was losing his mind.

No one knew where his wife was and there were too many tracks for them to immediately puzzle out where she had been taken. Timothy was looking around for any tracks that might not be theirs whilst Rick slowly lost his mind.

How could she have been taken in the midst of so many people? And why hadn’t someone seen her being taken? There was no doubt in his mind on who had taken her. Rick had already ridden to the Truman piece of land, but the man had not been there. Nor had his son.

How was he even going to start looking for her?

“There were two horses.” Timothy told him from where he was crouched over the ground and studying it. They were a ways away from the house close to a corspe of trees where someone would have hidden a horse. “One from your farm and another that had been hidden here.”

“Where did they go?” he demanded.

He pointed to the east of the farm towards the creek and Rick felt his heart sink. The creek was wide, and he knew most people used it to throw off pursuit, especially in the dark. A rider would go a distance running with the creek before coming out a distance off.

They would have to search the creek rather carefully and it would waste more time. In all that, his wife would be going through things he didn’t want to even contemplate. Time was the one thing he couldn’t afford to waste, and it seemed his wife’s kidnappers had planned for just that.

“Let’s ride.” he told his friends and the few men that were with him. The one thing he was glad for was that his sister had been away, safely with her best friend and her family.

“Are you sure it’s wise to bring the money?” Clint asked.

“It is what they want.” Rick replied through gritted teeth. As painful as the thought of losing the money was, his wife was more important.

“You cannot trust that he will give her back to you.” his friend reasoned.

“One way or another, I shall ride back with my wife.” with that, Rick went to his horse and mounted. He waited for his friends and men to also mount before leading the way in the direction his friend had pointed.

They hadn’t gone very far before a rider raced to catch up with them. He was waving frantically and Rick pulled the reins on his horse to bring it to a stop. “Boss, found this here note left out fer you. Thought it might be somethin’” His wrangler said as he came upon him.

“Much obliged.” he inclined his head at him as he took the note.

Timothy held up the lamp he had been using to study the ground for him so he could read what was on the note. It wasn’t much but once he was done, his jaw was clenched, his nostrils flared and anger filled her eyes.

Bring the gold to the old mine at noon or your wife will be dead.

* * *

Laura’s eyes darted to her sister-in-law and saw that she too was tied up just as she was. The cloth that had to have been over her mouth now hung around her neck. She wore another pair of breeches and they were dirty. As if she had been in some sort of a scuffle.

“Now, don’t be feeling sorry for the lass.” Truman said with a laugh. “After all, she be the reason we got you here.”

Laura had suspected as much, but a part of her had not wanted to believe it. She hadn’t done anything to hurt the girl and despite her dislike of her, she loved her brother. Aside from which it took a truly evil person to betray another, let alone their family.

“That’s a lie!” Suzie declared, her eyes glaring at the man as he sauntered the rest of the way into the room until he stood between them.

Suzie was on another small bed that was also set against the wall. The room they were in was small, with no floor to it and a low-hanging roof. The logs they had built it from were not tied together well, so that there were holes between them from where she had seen the shadow of stars before the man had come in.

Dust seemed to have settled the air and aside from the drab blankets on which the two sat, there was nothing else in the room. Not even a window.

“There ain’t no need to lie no more, lass. Ye told ma boy ‘bout the gold yer brother be havin’. Told him ‘bout how he was fixing on wastin’ it on her instead of givin’ ye what yer da meant fer ye.”

Looking at the girl, Laura saw the guilt in her eyes. “But I didn’t help you take her!” she exclaimed still.

“Ye knew me band had come askin’ after the gold and ye still tol me boy stuff’ bout her ‘n yer brother. And when we burned down yer house ye were none to be found, askin’ after me boy still.”

“I didn’t..”

“’Twas a nice idea to have him tie ye up, but there won’t be no need to lie no more. Ye part of the band now.” Truman stated.

“No, I…”

“Enough!” He commanded with a harsh glare at Suzie, who drew back in fear. Turning back to Laura, his face took on a gentle expression. “Now, little love, let’s get acquainted.”

Laura’s eyes widened as he came closer, his gaze brushing over her features with a lust that chilled her to the core, leaving her unable to move or even try to defend herself. He reached out his hand and caressed her cheek. She pulled away from his touch, but he followed her. Brushing her hair back.

“Ye be making a fine wife once yer husband is gone.”

She swallowed the pain that washed over her, the fear. No matter what he did to her, Laura would fight. He was stronger than her, so much so given her small boned frame. She just had to bide her time and watch for an opportunity to escape. Hope that in that time he wouldn’t harm her.

He leaned closer; she trembled as he removed the rag over her mouth. As much as she had wanted it gone, wanted the rancid taste in her mouth gone, she fought to keep it. She knew what he wanted and it had panic almost overcoming her.

Clutching the back of her neck, he kept her head still and leaned even closer until their foreheads were pressed against each other and their lips a breath apart. “Did ye come fer the gold like the lass said?” he whispered to her, his rancid breath wafting to her nose. “Ye ain’t like the money lovin’ doxies I’ve seen,” he continued as his thumb caressed the base of her neck.

“I’ve been watchin’ ye these past weeks and ye know what I found?” she continued, and Laura couldn’t find her voice to answer him. He didn’t seem to mind. “Ye a real fine lady, quality like. And the girl is just jealous.” he licked his lips as his eyes dropped to her lips. “Not the kind to run after a man and make a fool of yeself.”

At that disdainful last statement, Laura had a sniffle from the side where Suzie was. She found herself wondering what had happened with Laura. From the little she had heard between them, it seemed she had been smitten with the younger Truman. Something which the father and son had taken advantage of to get more information on her and Rick.

However, there was still the question of whether Suzie had known what they would do with what she told them. She had to have known that the boy’s father was involved in banditry. So was she just a silly girl who had blinded herself to the nature of the man she loved, just as Laura herself had with Charles? Or was she a hard-hearted woman who would do anything to swindle her brother?

He brought her lips closer to hers, to the point where they were almost touching despite her efforts to cringe away. His breath against her lips was the most unpleasant thing she had ever been subjected to.

“Don’t.” her voice broke out, pleading.

For some reason, he heeded her plea and moved away. He kept his assessing eyes on her, his expression unreadable as he let go of her and moved away. “Time enough for that when yer husband is dead,” he stated before turning around and leaving.

Laura gave in to the tears she hadn’t since she had been taken. She curled into herself as she wept like she had just lost everything. Never had she imagined when she came here that she would be attacked as such. Her virtue was under threat and she felt helpless.

“We are going to be alright Laura.” Suzie’s attempt at comfort fell short given how her voice trembled with fear.

Chapter 11

The storm of tears had given way to a lethargy she could not reason herself out of. Her sister-in-law had attempted to explain herself but Laura had not been able to fathom whatever she was saying. Her mind was troubled by the threat to her husband.

At some point, Suzie had given up and gone to sleep, but Laura could not seem to rest. How could she rest when there was a chance she would lose her husband just as she had realised she loved him? When she hadn’t even had the chance to tell him how she felt. Would he somehow know?

As she moved to relieve the numbness that was taking over her shoulder, she scraped her skin against an exposed nail and winced. Hoping it hadn’t cut through her dress and into her skin, she moved away. It took her a bit of time to reason that she could use the exposed nail to cut through the ropes.

Truman had left them his lamp so she checked to see where the cut would be most effective. Turning on her side to face the wall proved to be quite the adventure, but she managed it after a struggle. Knowing it might be her one chance to escape, she once again looked for the spot on the rope where some of the threads were already frayed.

Laura knew she had to be patient, but it was hard. Each pass over the nail managed to just fray the threads or break a few. By the time she had cut through half the rope, her hands were tired. She wanted to cry again, to give up, she but knew better than that.

It took her what felt like most of the night, but she managed to cut through finally. A cry of relief escaped her just before her hands went numb, then the sensation of pins and needles washed over them.

She closed her eyes until it was over, then struggled to untie the rope at her feet. Once again, there was that feeling of painful pins and needles and she had to wait it out. Laura debated whether to wake Suzie and untie her too. There was still a chance she was part of the plot to steal her brother’s money, but could she stand by and let him be killed?

With no other choice, she went to her sister-in-law, knowing she would never forgive herself if she left her here. When she shook the girl, she woke with a start and opened her mouth to scream. Laura quickly clamped her hand over her mouth and met the terrified blue gaze that held hers.

“Shh.” Laura told her and the girl nodded her understanding. “I’m going to untie you and we will make a plan to escape.” Once more, the girl nodded and Laura removed her hand from her mouth.

“Are you hurt in any way?” She asked the girl.

“No.” there was still a tremble in her voice.

“Do you know where they have picketed the horses?”

Suzie nodded. “They have them at the base of the cliff just behind this shed. It will be hard to get to them without being seen.”

“We’re going to need a horse if we manage to escape.” She fretted.

“Can we even get away?” Suzie asked, fear and despair in her tone.

“We need to have faith, the Lord always provides.” Laura stated, even as that fear tried to take root in her own heart.

“This is all my fault,” Suzie moaned. “If I hadn’t been taken with Hank then none of this would have happened.”

“Maybe, but we cannot know that for sure. They may have found out about your brother’s gold some other way.” Laura soothed though a part of her agreed with the girl. Her mother had instructed her not to hold any grudges or kick someone when they were already down.

“I was so caught up in wanting some of the gold to start a new life with Hank that I betrayed my brother.” Suzie ignored her attempt at comfort. “I did not even ask him about getting us our own spread, even though I knew he would have.”

“Why didn’t you?” Laura asked as she realised the girl needed this.

“I don’t know, I had it in mind that he would think I’m too young to marry. At least that was part of my complaint to Hank. It did not help that he married you and was living happily when I convinced myself I could not have the same because of him.” She looked at Laura with an apology in her eyes. “I took out my anger with him on you and I apologise.

When we get out of here, I will do my best to show you just how sorry I am, to be better. I promise.”

“I will be glad just for a chance to know my sister-in-law.” She smiled down at the now seated girl.

Suzie got up and embraced her. “My brother is very lucky to have you.” She complimented.

A smile managed to cross itself across her face. “Thank you. Now, do you know how many men we have to contend with?” she asked as she pulled away from the taller female.

“There are five of them that I saw, including Hank and his father.”

“If they are all they have, then it will mean there do not have a heavy guard.”

“They will have to have a man just outside the door,” Suzie reasoned.

“And the door will be bolted from the outside.” Laura agreed.

“So what do we do?”

A frown marred Laura’s forehead for a moment as she thought through their predicament and options. “We will need to bring the guard inside, to have him open the door for us, then overpower him.”

“How?” Suzie demanded. “He is a man and there is nothing in this room to use against him. Aside from which he will most likely have a gun.”

Laura went back to the bed she had been lying on and lifted the corner of the blanket. The bed was made from four piles of rocks that had straw bales between them. She removed a couple of the rocks and showed them to Suzie. “One of us will have to hit him with these.”

The girl’s eyes widened and she swallowed hard. “What if we kill him?” she whispered.

Laura shivered at the idea, but she stiffened her back and then looked her sister-in-law in the eye. “If it comes to either one of our lives against his, then we have no choice.”

Suzie nodded her understanding, though her eyes were full of fear and uncertainty. “I will have to do it, I’m stronger.”

“Okay. Now we have to do something so he will come in.”

“Wait, should we not first see if there is someone guarding us that close and if the door is locked?” Suzie asked as she took Laura’s arm to stop her from moving away.

Laura laughed, a scared little sound that she quickly suppressed at the realisation of her mistake. If there was no one immediately guarding them, they might bring all the men holding them if they made any sound. But how would they know for sure if there wasn’t anyone outside?

“Can you see anything from the holes or hear anyone?” she asked.

Suzie went to peer through the small holes between some of the wood pieces just as Laura was doing. As she went from one to the next her heart leapt as he came to a part where the wood had become rotten because of water. It was at the back of the cabin where Suzie had said was close to the place they had corralled the horses.

“Suzie,” she called out in an excited whisper. “We can break through this part and not have to worry about the door and the guard.”

“Really?” was the excited reply. “How long do you think it will take? Morning is almost upon us.”

“Then we must hurry.”

They had to squeeze in as the space between the beds would not allow them to stand side by side comfortably. As they struggled to pull apart the rotten wood, their hands were pierced by splinters but they soldiered on without complaint. Until the hole they made was big enough to fit even Suzie’s larger frame.

It was still dark outside when they finished, and Laura sent a quick prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord. “Take the blanket and cover yourself to protect yourself from the wood splinters.” She advised.

“And your dress is too light.” Suzie agreed. “You go first. That way you can help me should I get stuck.”

Laura nodded before taking up the blanket that was on her bed and covering it over her head. She wrapped it around her form as best as she could before carefully making her way through the hole. Her heart was beating hard against her chest with every second that passed, even after she was through. As she waited for Suzie to come through, she found herself shivering, not with cold, but with the certainty that someone would pass by and find her here.

No one did, and soon, even Suzie was out. Keeping low, they ran towards the horses. All the while, their eyes darting about to see if there was anyone hiding in the shadows. The short distance felt like it took forever, but they finally reached the horses.

“Those two are ours.” Suzie pointed to a pair that was standing to the side on their own.

It seemed as if the Lord was with them as they managed to get to the horses without rousing the others or any of the men.

Chapter 12

They spent most of the night tracking the horses that carried his wife away. Rick knew Truman would not bring his wife to the exchange place he had arranged. The best chance to get her back, he had realised, was to follow their tracks.

They rode on through the darkness, quiet for the most part as his mind plotted all the things he would do to Truman for daring to attack his wife. He didn’t want to think about what he might have already done to her. Laura had told him about the lust that had been in Truman’s eyes when he had looked at her.

If he so much as touched her, Rick would skin him alive before killing him.

As they came to a place sheltered from the elements by some flat-topped mountains, Rick saw an encampment in the small valley formed there. The tents the men had were pitched at the only opening into the valley. They could not ride down without being seen, not with the sun coming over the horizon.

“What do you think?” Clint asked as he stopped his horse beside his.

“Now we ride and take them by surprise.” Rick stated before doing just that.

The ground sloped into the valley and made it an easy ride. He watched as the men they were after came out of their tents and raced for their horses. Taking out his gun, he aimed and fired at one of the men just as he open the gate to the corral.

Rick knew the man was still too far for his bullet to reach, but he hoped the sound would scare the horses. He was partially successful as some of the horses bolted and almost trampled over man who had opened the gate.

There was a sense of excitement in the air as the distance between him and his quarry lessened. As his horse ate up the ground, as he settled in the saddle until they were connected in one purpose he felt a thrill shoot through him. A joy at the prowess he and his horse were displaying that he almost gave in to the drive to shout a war cry.

As he came closer, his eyes searched for the man who had started all this. The man who had felt that what belonged to Rick should be his. Rick was looking for blood, for retribution, and he was determined to have it.

Then he saw the man sauntering about the camp and giving orders and his anger overtook him. “Truman!” he shouted his rage, and the man whipped his head towards him.

A look of hatred came over the man’s eyes, a hatred that Rick couldn’t understand. He had never done anything to the man. As far as he could recall, he had never met him. Truman was known to rob banks and money coaches, yet here he was going through all this trouble to get the little gold Rick had in possession of. None of that made sense.

Without hesitation, Truman lifted his arm and fired at him with the colt that he had been holding. Rick had already leaned over to the side even as he fired a shot at the man. He felt the burn of the bullet across his cheek as it grazed him. Truman had moved just as Rick had fired, but the bullet caught him in the arm.

He managed to keep his feet and turned to run towards a small rundown cabin that was built close to the largest of the mesas. Not wanting him to get away, Rick rode after him, but he managed to get to the cabin before he could catch up.

Dismounting from his horse, Rick made his way to the open door with both his pistols held out. Calm settled him as his gaze looked at the windowless cabin for a hole where Truman or anyone inside might ambush him from. The door had been left open, an invitation that only a fool would accept.

“Get out here and face me you coward!” he called out, knowing that no man worth his salt would not respond to such a slur on his manhood.

“You ain’t even a man,” Truman shot back. “Just like your pa.”

“I’m not the one hiding from a true fight.” Rick shot back. “And my pa never hid from one either.”

Truman laughed at that. “Oh, he ran alright. Ran from all the money his pa had made just cause his silly wife told him it wasn’t right money.” Rick frowned, not knowing much about what had happened between his father and grandfather. “I was set to run the mine when yer grandpa sent to take back yer cowardly father. He wouldn’t come back and yer grandpa set me aside. I couldn’t find work anywhere!”

The frown on Rick’s face deepened at that. He had been born here twenty-five years back and Truman had yet to reach his fourth decade. He would have been too young to be trusted as much as he claimed.

“That ain’t got nothing to do with me.” he shot back as he took another careful step closer.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a man making his stealthy way towards him, and he turned and fired. He knew none of his men would be coming at him from that side, and he was right. His shot caught the other man squarely in the chest and he looked at him with a shocked expression, as if he couldn’t fathom how Rick had even seen him. He fell to his knees and seemed to pause before falling on his face, dead.

“Put yer guns away Alderson, I have both yer wife and sister. I caught them tryin’ to escape and had my men take them somewhere else.”

“My sister is safe.” he denied the obvious lie.

Truman laughed again. “I thought ye were like yer pa, too smitten with that little filly of yers but that ain’t it. She tol ye yer sister be sweet on my boy, but ye didn’t hear her. That girl ran off to be with my boy, but I had better use for her.”

Rick wanted to rage at what he was implying, but knew better than to let his emotions get the best of him in a standoff. By then, he was braced against the wall beside the door as he tried to peer into the room to see where his quarry was.

A quick glance around the camp showed him his men and friend already had the other men under control. There hadn’t been many of them and once again Rick wondered at Truman’s attack on him. The man was rumoured to have a large band of men in his gang.

Was there anything true in his assertions? If so, why had he come to attack him with so few men? Was it that he had considered him less of a threat?

Rick chose not to indulge the man and lowered himself to a crouch and listened in to hear where Truman might be. He was now silent and Rick realised he was waiting for him, aiming to kill him the moment he entered the room.

With his foot, he nudged the door further open and waited to see if the other man would fire; he didn’t. Taking a deep breath, he rushed into the room, rolling on the floor to do so. Truman would be expecting him to walk in and if he saw him on the ground, he would be hard-pressed to hit a moving target.

As he came to at a crouch, his gaze darted through the room with his guns at the ready. There was no one in the room. Truman was gone. Rick’s jaw clenched in his anger, his grip on the guns tightening.

The cabin was small, a one-roomed structure that had no back door or even a trap door. He searched it until he saw the hole that the coward had made in the back of the structure. As he dashed out of the cabin and to the back, he already knew the man was gone.

Still, he searched the place for him. The ground was too hard-packed to leave any tracks, and he wasn’t the tracker that his friend Timothy was. All he cared about was finding his wife and maybe his sister if Truman had been telling the truth. Why would she have wanted to run away with Hank? She was too young to marry.

“She was here.” His friend Clint told him as he came over holding a torn piece of the dress his wife had been wearing.

With a hand that trembled slightly, he took the small scrap. She had been here, and he had missed her. Had Truman been telling the truth about sending her off with some of his men? Did that mean he also had Suzie?

If anything happened to them…

Rick closed his eyes and swallowed hard at that. Why hadn’t he told his wife he was in love with her? It might have been the one thing she had to hold on to through whatever she was being put through.

“I found a trail,” Timothy called over.

Rick hardened his heart. “How many?” he asked as he went to the edge of the cliff where Timothy was.

“Two horses an hour ago, followed by fresh tracks a few minutes ago.”

“Let’s go,” Rick commanded before whistling for his house and mounting.

Once more, Timothy led the way, occasionally dismounting to find the trail. It followed in the shadow of the mountain to an opening that could only admit one horse at a time and was slow going.

After a while, the trail they followed led straight towards his farm and they were able to make good time. Rick rode with hope, fighting to take hold of the fear he held that his wife was lost to him. Was Truman once more ridding to assault his home? What did he hope to gain?

He rode on with a dark cloud hovering over him, pain holding his heart hostage. Why had he been so stubborn where his wife was concerned? He would give up every last piece of gold he had just to see her beautiful face once more, to see her smile. He sent out a prayer to the lord, begging him for his wife to be safe.

“Riders ahead,” Timothy shouted back at them.

Rick’s head shot up, his eyes narrowing in on the pair of horses with wilting riders. They were covered in blankets, barely able to sit on their horses. His heart cheered as he recognised the dark curls of his wife’s head and the pale ones of his sister. They were alright.

“Laura! Suzie!” he called out as he raced towards them.

“Rick!” his wife cried out in a trembling voice as she clumsily turned her horse around.

When he reached them he dismounted quickly and caught his wife as she nearly fell off the horse. “I knew you would come for us.” she cried into him.

“Oh Laura.” was all he could say as he held on to her like she was his life.

“I’m okay. I’m so sorry I haven’t been a good wife to you,” she whispered through her tears.

“No, my love, it was all my fault. I shouldn’t have shut you out.” he pulled away just enough to see her face. “Did he hurt you?”

Laura shook her head, even though tears filled her eyes. “No.”

Her hair was dishevelled, her face streaked with dried tears and some dirt but she had never looked more beautiful. Lowering his head, he took her lips in a desperate kiss which she returned with just as much desperation.

“I love you Laura.” he told her once they came up for air.

“Oh Rick,” she cried out, tears filling her eyes. “I love you so much.”

He held her for moments longer before remembering that his sister had also gone through being kidnapped. He pulled her into the hug and held her to him with just as much feeling.

Epilogue

It had been months since Truman had died and his three remaining men, including his son, had been caught. They were now serving time at the county jail. While his tender-hearted wife felt sorry for Truman’s wife for losing the two men, Rick felt no such emotion.

He was quite happy to go on about his life and forget about them all. Rick had accepted his place in his family, his father’s inheritance, and was wealthier than he could ever have dreamt of. Being a farmer, though, was something he was comfortable with so he had stayed instead of moving as they had wanted. He was a simple man who loved working the land, that money would keep.

Rick had found a safe hidden behind a painting in the shell of his dining room once they had started rebuilding the house. In it, his father had explained his decision to walk away from the wealth his family had. And Rick’s mother had had too much pride to accept the medicine bought from his grandfather’s money.

Money that Rick had found hidden in that safe.

Despite struggling to comprehend his mother’s lack of forgiveness, causing her to abandon her four-year-old daughter to grow up without a mother, he came to the realization that holding a grudge against his parents would have catastrophic consequences for his life. As much as their grudge holding had cost them.

And looking at his wife curled up into his side, he smiled his contentment. As traumatic as her kidnapping had been, it had cemented their love, and they couldn’t be happier. He had gone in with his friends to buy the land they had wanted and things on that end were progressing well.

His sister though had decided to leave the farm and go live with one of their aunts in California. Her experiences with Hank had left her with some doubts as to her own character and judgement. She had said she needed the wisdom of a stable matron before she could trust herself again.

“I think I will contract a bride from the east like you did Rick.” Clint stated as he too looked at Rick’s wife. “I see how happy you and Laura are, and I want that for myself.”

They were at his house relaxing after a fine meal that his new housekeeper had prepared. Rick never wanted his wife to be alone again and had even hired men to guard the house. His wife was now with child and had fallen asleep the moment they had adjourned to the sitting room.

“You?” Rick was surprised by that. “I would have thought Timothy would get married before you even thought of it.”

The smile his friend gave him was just a bit too mysterious for Rick’s liking. “I think your wife’s friend Erin would do just fine. Will you ask her to introduce us?”

Rick frowned at his friend. “What are you up to, Clint? I will not have my wife’s good friend trifled with.”

The innocent look on his face was one he knew better than to trust. “I told you, I intend to get married.”

“I will ask her.” he told Clint, though he left out the part where he would warn his wife about his friend’s penchant for mischief. Not that Clint would harm the young lady.

Still, Laura had said her friend would welcome the chance to leave her life. What harm would it be?

The End…