She released him, daring one more glance at the bloody ground before she turned back to the gelding she now rode. Slipping her boot into the stirrup, she pulled herself upright. The effort seemed harder than usual as weariness weighted her bones and stole the strength from her muscles.
Just as she settled in the saddle, a squeal erupted from the mare Isaac was checking. The horse crow-hopped, sending her back legs high in the air and jerking her front hoof from Isaac’s hand.
He stumbled backward, but something tripped him, and he landed on his backside.
Joanna screamed as the mare half-reared, then crow-hopped again. Isaac’s legs were still practically under the horse, and she couldn’t tell if he was being trampled or not.
She slid from her mount and sprinted toward the frantic mare, who was still tethered to Isaac’s gelding. The front horse was shifting dangerously, and a squeal erupted from his nose. She had to get them separated before a kicking match started.
Isaac was already scooting backward as she reached the mare’s head.
“Easy, girl.” Joanna grabbed the halter and reached to untie the tether strap. The mare stamped hard with her right back leg but didn’t kick out again.
The gelding in front, however, was still fully riled. The mare’s antics had been enough to frustrate him, and as much as Joanna tried to keep the mare quiet, the animal stomped again, and the movement caused her to bump against the gelding’s hindquarters.
He struck out with a hard backward kick, and Joanna jerked away just in time to miss the blow. The mare squealed in rage, and for a second, it looked like the two would have a fierce kicking match—all while tethered not more than an arm’s length apart.
“Quit,” Isaac barked as he limped toward the mare. With a quick motion, he pulled out his hunting knife and sliced the leather holding the two together.
The mare jerked away, and Joanna reached for her halter, catching it with two fingers. “There we go, girl. Settle down now.” She led the horse away from the others, then rubbed down the length of the mare’s neck and chest to calm her, checking for wounds as she worked. “What’s bothering you?” There had to be a problem with that back leg—maybe a horsefly or beesting—for this girl was usually so laid back. Maybe Isaac had seen the cause.
She glanced over to see if he was coming to check the mare, or maybe he still had his hands full with the gelding.
Neither was the case.
He was seated on the ground again, his right leg extended in front of him as he pulled up the hem of his buckskin trousers. Fear pressed anew in her chest. She’d never seen Isaac shirk responsibility to tend to his own needs.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Her voice came out reedier than she meant it.
His mouth formed a thin line as he examined the whitened flesh above his boot. He didn’t answer her question.
Lord, please don’t let him be hurt. She moved toward him, keeping a tight hold on the mare. As she neared, the swelling on the side of his calf became clear. Was it broken? Or merely sprained?
The mare had finally settled, so Joanna released her to graze. She needed to focus on Isaac just now.
She dropped to her knees beside him. “Did she step on you?”
“Yep.” The word was terse, no more than a grunt. “Not sure if it’s a break or just a hard bruise. The leg doesn’t wanna hold my weight though.”
She exhaled. God, not this, too. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she pushed them back. All she wanted was to wrap her arms around her son, but one obstacle after another kept delaying them, widening the chasm between her and her baby, a divide that was splitting her heart in two.
Isaac’s breathing had taken on a rough quality, sawing through the air as she peered at the leg. The swelling definitely seemed focused in one area and was growing with each second. She couldn’t tell for sure if the bone was straight or not.
She glanced up at his face. The strain lines at the corners of his eyes had deepened. “It’s probably a break, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “I’ve had broken bones before, and this hurts like it.”
She sat back on her heels, willing her mind to focus on what should be done next. It needed to be splinted. The position of the sun marked midafternoon. By the time they had the leg secure, would it be late enough that they should camp for the night? Would Isaac even be able to ride a horse? Why, God? If she could scream to release her frustration, she would.
“If you can find a straight stick the size of my lower leg, and also the roll of leather strips in the rear pack on the mare, I’ll wrap this up and we can get going again.” Isaac’s breathing was still rough, but the determination marking his face gave her a bit of hope.
She pushed to her feet and strode off into the woods. She’d never actually set a broken bone before, although she’d seen it done a couple of times. Lord, give me strength. And wisdom.
Within a few minutes, she’d found both the leather and a stick she hoped would work. She also grabbed a cotton tunic from the pack, because he’d need some padding between his skin and the rough wood. A glance at the sweat beading on his face made her veer toward the gelding he’d been riding to retrieve his water flask.
“All right.” She dropped to her knees beside his leg and handed him the drink. “Have you ever set a broken bone?”
He nodded, uncorking the canteen and taking a long guzzle. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he lowered the flask and returned his focus to his leg. “I think it might be just a partial break, so that won’t require a true setting. Just need to strap the wood to the leg to help support it.”
As she set to work, positioning the shirt to protect his leg, then wrapping the leather strips around and around the pole and his calf, she couldn’t help but feel the warmth of his skin as her fingers brushed it. This man was pure, virile male, with a strength she’d only guessed at before.
Something fluttered in her midsection. Something she’d rather not acknowledge, and she was careful not to glance at his face again. Was he aware of each sweep of her fingers the way she was? Surely not, given the pain he must be suffering. She tightened her jaw and focused on finishing up the task. There was too much at stake on this journey to let herself fall for him. Even though he’d proven himself a friend these past months, he’d come along on this trip merely to help her recover her son and friend—which was one more reason he seemed to embody everything she could respect in a man.
At last, she sat back and examined her work. That was the best job she knew how to do. She chanced a peek at Isaac’s face. “Anything else you need now?” What she really wanted to ask was whether he was ready to ride, but she didn’t want to sound completely heartless. The man had just broken his leg, after all.
He shook his head. “Better check the mare and make sure she’s not hurt. I’m hoping it was only a beesting that upset her. Then, if you can bring my gelding down here, I should be able to pull myself up. Probably best to tether the mare to your mount for now.”
She rose and followed his instructions. The horse who’d been upset enough to break Isaac’s leg a half hour before now grazed a short way down the hillside, as calm as could be. Joanna grasped her halter and pulled the mare back up to the others. “You’d best not give any more trouble, missy. You’ve caused enough the last few days for an entire lifetime.” It wasn’t the horse’s fault she’d thrown a shoe, but blaming her for the frustration roiling in Joanna’s chest helped a little.
She glanced at Isaac. “Were you able to check the shoe before she lost her composure?”
He nodded. “It should last till tonight.”
Good. She tied her own mount and tethered the mare to the saddle, then turned her focus on Isaac’s horse. The gelding raised his head from grazing when she approached. “Hey, boy. You’re gonna have to be extra good now that Isaac’s hurt. I’m not sure how we’ll get him mounted. By chance, do you lie down on command?”
When she led the horse to Isaac, he was trying to stand. But on the incline and without
anything to help him balance, he teetered like a blade of grass in a windstorm.
“Wait, Isaac. I’ll help you.” She stopped the horse beside him, holding the animal’s head as she studied the best way for Isaac to mount.
He gripped the saddle, hopped on his left foot a couple times, then tried to pull himself up on the horse. His first attempt didn’t raise him high enough to fit his good foot in the stirrup, and he slid back down to the ground.
A grunt issued from him as he landed, his grip on the saddle turning white.
“Isaac.” She stepped closer, the ache of seeing him in pain pushing her into action. “Please don’t hurt yourself worse. Maybe we should just stop for the night.”
He shook his head even as he eyed the saddle. “I can do it.” Tightening his hold on the leather, he bent his good knee and jumped up to lean as far over the saddle as he could.
This time the grunt came from the horse.
Isaac groaned, his face contorting as he used all his strength to pull himself up. Joanna propped a hand under his elbow and pushed. Working together, they finally heaved him into the saddle. As he straightened, she caught her first view of his face, which was bright red from the exertion. Or was it something else?
His breath rasped as he struggled to draw in air. The pain must be radiating through his leg.
Maybe she shouldn’t have let him climb in the saddle so soon. Yet if they didn’t push on, the kidnappers would get so far ahead they’d be out of reach.
As if he could read her mind, Isaac turned to her, releasing a long breath. “I’m ready when you are.”
Was he truly? The solid, steady man she’d come to rely on—the man who made her feel cared for—was no more. For the rest of the journey, she’d need to be the strong one. She’d be the one tending the horses and carrying wood and seeing to all the other chores.
All she could hope was that the pain didn’t gain a hold on his mind in a way that would affect his ability to track the kidnappers. Just the thought of losing his tracking skills filled her with a hopelessness that increased with every step she took toward her horse.
But no matter what happened, she’d find her son. She had to.
EIGHT
Laura might have fallen asleep from the rocking of the horse if it weren’t for the piercing pain in her side every time she slouched. She’d also acquired a cough, which had kept her awake much of the night. Each rough hack was like a bullet in her ribs. Probably why she couldn’t keep from yawning now.
But she wasn’t the only one miserable. An incessant stream of sneezes, sniffs, and coughs flowed from little Samuel, who still rode with Bill in the rear of the group. She could do nothing for the boy except pray that he healed and that his captor didn’t grow annoyed with the mess.
She’d caught quick conversations among their captors about “jobs” they’d completed and a “heist” they were planning, and also something about Aaron’s brother Nate. Those were the words they’d used, and they hushed quickly when she made the mistake of shifting under her blanket as she listened in the darkness.
A curse drifted from Rex at the front of the group, pulling her from the memory. Then he raised his hand to signal a halt. “Hold up. Something’s wrong with my horse.”
She would have sighed in relief if it didn’t hurt so much to breathe. Maybe this meant they’d get a break. And it would give whoever was following them more of a chance to catch up.
Rex dismounted and bent to lift the horse’s hoof, a steady stream of profanities flowing from his filthy mouth. She could only hope Samuel didn’t hear the man. What awful effects would this journey have on the boy? Lord willing, nothing permanent. Nothing more than a few nightmares that would fade after they escaped.
Rex spent several minutes working on the horse, lifting its hooves and pulling it along the side of the mountain. He wasn’t a gentle man under the best of conditions, but the way he vented his frustrations by jerking the poor animal around made Laura cringe. That horse hadn’t planned to injure itself, as the extreme limp proved to be the case.
At last, Rex stomped toward the rest of their group. “I don’t think she’ll go any farther today. Better find cover to camp.”
Would the horse be well enough tomorrow to travel? Something about the fierce expression on his face made her think things wouldn’t go well for the animal if it still limped when morning came.
But as much as she didn’t want the horse to be abused, her focus had to be on her and Samuel. As she dismounted from her horribly uncomfortable seat next to the saddle horn, stabs of pain shot up through her lower regions. Could day after day of this ride be causing permanent damage? She could only pray not. The steady bouncing certainly wasn’t helping her ribs heal.
Another round of thick, wet coughs sounded from behind, and she forced her weary body to turn. Deep circles shadowed Samuel’s eyes as he finished coughing, then ran his sleeve across his nose. He looked up at her, sniffling again, and the exhaustion on his face made all the pain she was feeling seem paltry.
She moved toward him, and he met her partway. He pressed his head into her side as she held him close. “I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well.” She kept her voice low and soothing while the men moved around them. Was there anything she could do to help the boy?
He needed warm food and lots of water. Shelter from the elements. The only one of those she could actually provide was the water.
She bit down hard against the sting of tears. She hated this helplessness.
He was slowing them down.
Isaac gritted his teeth as he crawled toward a cluster of small trees the next morning. His leg ached something powerful, but that wasn’t the worst of things. He’d watched Joanna march around the camp for the last half hour tending to his work. Bringing in water from the creek. Seeing to the horses. He’d pulled a little food out of the packs for their early meal, but that’d been the only thing he’d done all morning to lighten her load.
It was well past time they should have been on the trail, but Joanna was just now saddling the horses and loading the packs. If he could find a good strong sapling in these trees, maybe he’d be able to get on his feet again. It would likely help him mount his horse, too.
Trying to climb into the saddle yesterday had been a pitifully embarrassing fiasco, and he wouldn’t let himself repeat it, if there was any way he could help it.
He found a young tree that was reasonably straight, but by the time he cut it down with his knife blade, Joanna approached with the horses. He’d have to smooth the end later so he could fit it under his arm to lean on while he walked.
As he crawled out from the little patch of woods, she turned to him with surprise marking her face. “There you are.”
He gritted his teeth. He hated having to crawl over to her like an invalid, but there was no other way.
“Ready to mount up?” Her voice held a cheery tone that was probably forced. His injury was making her life harder.
Maybe he should tell her to ride on ahead and let him catch up later. That way he wouldn’t slow her down and she could get her boy back faster. But he couldn’t send her deeper into the mountain country defenseless. She didn’t have the experience in this land to foresee the dangers.
And there was no way he’d allow her to face the gang on her own. This evil, one he’d had a part in creating, was something he had to face.
He had to destroy this wickedness once and for all.
Joanna held his gelding next to a low rock embedded in the dirt. When he reached her, she held out her hand to help him stand. “I thought this might be easier, but we can try a different spot if you prefer.”
“This is fine.” He reached for the stirrup, ignoring her hand. He could do this without making her bear his weight. Surely.
He managed to stand by clutching the saddle, but even just resting his injured leg to help him balance shot fire through the limb. If he had to endure a full day of the pain he’d worked through the afternoon before, he might not
make it.
But he had to.
He positioned his grip on the saddle to mount, then bent and forced every bit of strength he had into the jump.
The attempt was almost as pitiful as yesterday’s.
Joanna’s hand came around to grip his upper arm, helping to push him up into his saddle. As much as he’d craved her touch before, he hated that she was forced to reach out to him now. He didn’t want to be a burden to her. He wanted to be someone she could respect. A help to lighten her load, not add to it.
At last he was in the saddle and he straightened, doing his best not to let the strain of the ordeal show on his face.
But the way she studied him, she seemed to see all the way inside. Reading his thoughts. Seeing his darkest parts. The past he’d long since covered over.
He cleared his throat, lifting his eyes to the other two horses. “Ready to ride?”
She didn’t move. Didn’t walk toward her mount. The burn of her gaze almost broke through his resolve. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”
He tightened his grip on the reins, sealing his jaw against a response he’d regret. His condition wasn’t her fault, and he couldn’t let himself vent his frustration on her. So he only allowed one word to slip out. “Yes.”
She heaved out a long sigh and turned away. Without another word, she mounted her horse and turned both animals toward him. “Lead the way.”
Laura eyed the flushed circles on the cheeks of the sleeping boy in the faint dawning light. If she didn’t wake him soon, the men would grow angry. They were already moving about camp, preparing to pack and head out for the day.
That must mean Rex’s horse no longer limped. Or maybe he planned to push the mount regardless of injury. She could well imagine that callous, unfeeling man ignoring his animal’s pain.
She brushed a hand down Samuel’s forehead. “Wake up, honey.” His skin nearly burned her fingers. Not this, too, Lord.
Was a fever merely a side effect of his stuffy nose and cough? Or was his sickness turning into something more? She was no nurse, and had no experience raising a child of her own. She did know the boy needed rest. And water. Warm broth would probably be best for him to eat. But that wasn’t to be had this morning, for the men certainly wouldn’t allow her time to cook it.
Love's Mountain Quest Page 6
