by Bobbi Smith
“Do you need another drink?” Josh asked.
“Yes,” George answered quickly.
“I’ll get it for you,” Millie offered. She asked Josh, “Do you have some whiskey here?”
“In the cabinet by the sink,” he answered.
Millie and Emmie both left the bedroom to give the men some time alone. When they’d gone, George looked up at his brother.
“What did you find out?”
“It’s not good.”
“What?”
“He wasn’t a rustler.”
“Then, who was—”
“He was a bounty hunter,” Josh said tersely.
George was shocked. “A bounty hunter? How did you find that out, and why was he after me?”
Guilt assailed Josh as he answered, “He wasn’t after you. He was after me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Josh pulled out the wanted poster and showed it to George.
“Who would have done this?” George looked up at his brother, angry and confused.
“That’s what I’m going to find out—now that I know you will be all right.”
“What are you talking about?” George asked worriedly.
“I’m going to Sundown.”
“You can’t,” George started to protest. “You don’t know what you’re riding into.”
“It won’t be the first time.”
“No, I don’t suppose it will be.” George was well aware of the dangers Josh had faced during all his years working as a bounty hunter, but he also knew how good Josh was at bringing wanted men in. “How soon are you leaving?”
“In a day or two. I’ve got a few things to straighten out around here first.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Get well.” Josh met his brother’s gaze. “And pray.”
“But what about Emmie and your wedding?”
“She already knows what I have to do.”
“Josh, think about what you’re doing.”
Josh looked down at his brother. “I already have.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
Josh left George to get some rest and went out to the small sitting room. He’d expected to find Emmie there with Millie, but Millie was alone.
“Where did Emmie go?”
“She didn’t say,” Millie answered as she got up to go back to George’s bedside.
Josh had a good idea where Emmie had gone. He left the house and made his way around back. He saw her there in the distance, sitting on the ground near her father’s grave.
Josh knew in that moment that leaving Emmie was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life, but he also knew he had no choice. George had almost lost his life today, and Josh feared that no one around him would be safe until he’d confronted those responsible in Sundown.
“Emmie.” He called her name softly as he went to stand behind her.
She looked up at him, and he could see that she’d been crying. Without another word, he sat down beside her and put his arm around her.
Emmie leaned against him, feeling his strength and love in his embrace.
“Thank heaven George is going to be all right,” she told him.
“I know. When I heard the gunfire, I thought he’d run into some rustlers. I never dreamed it was a bounty hunter, or that there was a wanted poster out on me.”
Emmie turned to him and drew him down for a kiss. “None of this is your fault.”
“I know, but I’m the only one who can put an end to it.”
“Do you have any idea who would have done this? Or why?”
“It’s obviously someone out for revenge. I just have to find out who.”
“Take someone with you.”
“Like I said earlier, I don’t want anyone else involved.”
“I’m already involved. It’s horrible enough that George was wounded, but if that had been you…”
He held her close to reassure her. “It’s going to be all right.”
Emmie hoped that was true.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“We’re going to get married as soon as I get back.”
“Then you’d better hurry back fast.”
“Believe me, that’s exactly what I plan to do—especially since I know you’re going to be here waiting for me.”
Josh kissed her again, and they stayed there a while longer, treasuring this time they had alone together.
Emmie was playing her part perfectly. She knew Josh believed she was going to just sit there and wait for him to come back, but that wasn’t going to happen. There was no way she was going to let him ride into a wild town like Sundown alone. She wasn’t sure how she was going to do it, but when Josh left to track down the men responsible for the wanted poster, she was going to be riding with him. He was, after all, her partner.
Chapter Twenty-seven
In the day and a half since the shooting, life had been tense on the ranch. Everyone had been keeping a careful watch to make sure there was no more trouble coming as Josh got ready to leave.
When the time finally came for him to ride out, Josh went into George’s room to tell him good-bye.
George was sitting up in bed, watching his brother carefully as he came in carrying his saddlebags and rifle.
“I’m heading out now,” Josh announced.
“Are you sure you have to do this? Isn’t there some other way?”
“No. Not with the killers I’m dealing with.” His mood was dark and determined. “Take care of Emmie for me.”
“I will,” he assured his brother.
Josh nodded and managed a tight smile. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“We’ll be waiting for you,” George said, angry because he was too weak to accompany his brother. If he’d been physically able, there was no way he would have let Josh ride out alone.
Josh said nothing more as he turned and left the house. He had said good-bye to Kate and the ranch hands, but now came the hard part. Emmie was waiting for him in front of the house with Millie and Miss Harriet.
Leaving Emmie was one of the most difficult things he’d ever had to do, but he had no choice. He set his saddlebags and rifle aside and looked at her. Their gazes met but for a moment, neither of them spoke. Josh took her in his arms to hold her close.
“Oh, Josh.” Emmie held on to him, never wanting to let him go. She lifted her lips to his and kissed him desperately.
Josh didn’t care who else was there. He crushed her to him, savoring this moment of closeness with her that he knew would be his last for too long. When finally they broke apart, he looked down at her.
“I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
Emmie’s heart was aching. “I’ll be waiting.”
Josh moved away and picked up his gear. He bade Millie and Miss Harriet good-bye and then mounted. He looked down at Emmie one last time before riding away, headed for Sundown.
Emmie was in tears as she watched Josh go.
Millie went to Emmie and put a loving arm around her shoulders as they proceeded inside to see George, while Miss Harriet went up to the main house.
Emmie was discovering that she was quite a good actress. She played her role perfectly, staying on with George and Millie for a while before going on about her ranch business, working with Burley and the boys down at the stable. Emmie knew it was going to be tricky to get away without anyone realizing what she was up to, but she was certain she could do it.
This was the first time in her life that she’d really appreciated the tracking skills her father had taught her. Today being able to follow a trail was really going to come in handy. One thing she knew for certain—she had to be careful not to follow too closely behind Josh, for he might see her and send her home. Then again, she didn’t want to risk being too far back either, for fear of losing his trail. Emmie looked up at the clear sky and said a silent prayer that there would be no rain anytime soon.
&nb
sp; Emmie left the stable and went up to her room to pack the few essentials she would need to take, as well as extra ammunition, just in case. She made sure no one saw her carry the saddlebags out or hide them near her father’s grave. She returned to her room and wrote letters to Millie and Burley, explaining what she had done and asking them to take care of everything for her. Emmie knew that what she was about to do was the most dangerous thing she’d ever done in her life, but she didn’t care. Being with Josh and helping him were all that mattered. She hid the notes under her pillow, certain they wouldn’t be found until later that night. She didn’t want anyone coming after her to bring her back to the ranch. She was going with Josh to Sundown.
It was just after lunch when she went out to the stable and saddled up. There was only one hand there working, and she told him she would be back in a few hours, that she was just going out for a ride. He warned her to keep a lookout for trouble, and she told him she would.
She wasn’t lying.
Trouble was what she was after.
With no one watching, Emmie was free to leave. She rode past her father’s grave and stopped long enough to retrieve the gear she’d hidden there. She climbed back in the saddle and left the ranch to follow the man she loved.
Josh made camp at dusk that night and ate the bacon and biscuits Kate had wrapped up for him. The sparse meal was a far cry from her usually delicious dinners, and he realized how spoiled he’d become living on the Rocking R. Josh knew it would be a while before he got the chance to enjoy one of her meals again. He was just spreading out his bedroll near the campfire when he thought he heard the distant sound of someone approaching. Tossing dirt on the fire to smother the flames, he grabbed up his gun and took cover behind some rocks and brush nearby.
Emmie was feeling good. True, she was exhausted, but the hours of hard riding had paid off. She had almost reached Josh’s campsite, for she could see the soft glow of his campfire in the distance ahead. She could hardly wait to be with him. When she suddenly saw the glow disappear, she began to worry that something had happened to Josh. Drawing her gun, Emmie urged her horse to a gallop.
“Josh?” she called out as she charged into the campsite.
Josh couldn’t believe it when he saw Emmie come flying into the small clearing with her gun in hand. He quickly holstered his own sidearm and, swearing under his breath, stepped out from where he’d been hiding.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded angrily.
“Josh!” Emmie spotted him right away and stopped. Relief flooded through her as she slid her gun back into her holster and jumped down from her horse to run to him. “You’re all right?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I saw your fire go out, and I was worried about you.”
“Don’t you realize you could have been killed? I put the fire out because I heard someone coming. What if this hadn’t been my camp?”
“But it was. My father taught me how to track, and I’ve been following you all day. I knew it was yours.”
“But I could have shot you!”
“Or I could have shot you!” she countered. Then she realized just how deadly the situation could have turned out, and she went into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be. I told you to stay at the ranch and wait for me there.”
“I couldn’t stay behind and just worry about you constantly. I love you, Josh.”
Josh gave a miserable half groan and kissed her. When they broke apart, she looked up at him.
“So you thought I was trouble?” she asked, smiling up at him.
“I know you are,” Josh declared. He was torn between being angry with her for not staying behind and his desire to take her into his arms and never let her go. He gave in to the last urge, pulling her into his embrace and kissing her again, even more passionately.
At the touch of his lips on hers, she forgot everything but the pleasure of being in his arms. She quickly melted against him in sweet surrender. She was with Josh.…
It took a major effort on his part, but Josh finally managed to get control of his runaway desire. He lifted his head to look down at Emmie in the moonlight. “You should go back home. What I have to do is too dangerous.”
“I can’t just wait there, never knowing if you’re safe. If you force me to go back, I’ll just come after you again,” she said defiantly.
Josh was frustrated. Emmie was so hardheaded, he knew she would do exactly what she said. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Kiss me again?”
And he did.
When they finally moved apart, he rebuilt the campfire and then helped her take care of her horse. They spread their bedrolls out close together.
“Have you eaten?” he asked.
“No.”
“Here’s some of Kate’s bacon and biscuits,” he offered.
“Sounds wonderful.” She sat down with him by the fire.
They were quiet for a few moments as she ate some of the biscuits and bacon.
She spoke first, breaking the silence between them. “What’s your plan?”
“I don’t have one yet. Sundown is a wild place—real wild—and the sheriff there is known for being on the wrong side of the law.”
“Have you had run-ins with him before?”
“No, that’s why I’m sure there’s someone else behind this.”
“We’ll find them.”
Josh looked at her, accepting that she would be with him on this hunt. “Yes, we will.”
“Where could she be?” Miss Harriet asked frantically as they all stood together in front of the house.
They had been waiting for Emmie to come home for several hours, and now that night was falling and there was still no sign of her anywhere, they were getting deeply worried.
“One of the boys told me she rode out around midday, and nobody’s seen her since,” Burley said.
“Did she leave a note anywhere?” Millie asked, looking at Kate.
“I looked around the house, but I didn’t find anything.”
“Do you think she might have left deliberately?” Burley put in.
“No, not unless…” Millie suddenly realized what her friend might have done. “Wait here; I’m going to take another look around her room.”
Just then George appeared in the front door of Josh’s house. Millie had told him earlier that they couldn’t find Emmie, and when he’d heard all of them talking outside, he’d managed to work up enough strength to get out of bed and investigate.
“Has she shown up yet?” he called out.
“No,” Millie answered. Then she turned to Burley. “Can you get him to sit down somewhere? I’ll be right back.”
Burley and the others went to tend to George as she rushed back up to Emmie’s bedroom.
Millie wasted no time. She searched through every drawer of Emmie’s dresser and her washstand. She found nothing until she tore the bed apart. It was there that she found the hidden notes. She opened hers immediately and read, Dear Millie: Forgive me for sneaking off this way, but I have to be with Josh. Please tell Burley and George to take care of things on the ranch for us. We’ll be back. Love, Emmie.
Millie hurried back to where everyone was now waiting with George, to let them know what she’d found. “Nothing’s wrong. Emmie’s not lost or in trouble.”
“What are you talking about?” Burley asked.
“She’s gone after Josh,” she announced, handing Burley his note.
The ranch hand opened the letter. “‘Dear Burley,’” he read to the others, “‘I’ve gone to help my partner. Please take over running the Rocking R with George for us. We’ll be back. Emmie.’”
Millie knew Emmie was a remarkably strong-willed, capable woman, but she was still worried. She looked at Burley. “What are we going to do?”
The ranch hand was frowning. “They’ve got a full day’s head start on us. There’s no way we can catch up with them. There’s only one thing we can do,” he said se
riously.
“What’s that?” Millie asked.
“First thing in the morning I’ll ride into town and send a wire to the Texas Rangers to let them know what’s going on.”
George met Burley’s gaze and nodded.
“How early do we have to ride out in the morning?” Emmie asked as they got ready to bed down for the night.
“The earlier the better. We want to get as many miles in as we can before it gets too hot.”
“How long do you think it will take us to get to Sundown?”
“If the weather holds, we should be there in a week, but there is one stop we have to make first.”
“Where?”
“Tomorrow we’ll be near San Luis. We can stop there and find a justice of the peace.”
“Oh, Josh!” Emmie went into his arms.
“You don’t mind not having a fancy wedding?”
“I’ve never cared about that—I just want you.”
Josh bent to her and kissed her then. “Come on. Let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a big day coming tomorrow.”
Emmie didn’t need any encouragement. They stretched out on their bedrolls and she went into his arms. Just being close to him was heaven for her.
“Are you sure you want to go to sleep right now?” she asked, rising up on one elbow to look down at him.
Josh needed no further encouragement. “No…” He drew her down to him and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss. Emmie melted against him as his lips left hers to trace a fiery path down the side of her neck. Josh worked impatiently at the top buttons on her blouse and brushed the garment aside as he pressed heated kisses to the tops of her breasts where they were exposed above her undergarment. Emmie gasped in delight, thrilling to his touch. In her innocence, she just wanted to be closer to him, unaware that her passion was tormenting Josh. He sensed that she was his for the taking in that moment, but he forced himself to rein in his desire for her before he lost all semblance of control.
Emmie was trembling as he shifted away from her all-too-tempting nearness. “Josh…?”
“Tomorrow night, love. Tomorrow night,” he managed. He kept her close to his side as he gave her one last tender kiss and struggled to restrain his need for her.
Josh knew the morning couldn’t come soon enough.
