He looked dusty and tired, but he smiled when he saw her. He held out his arms, and she rushed into them. “I missed my girls,” he said.
“We missed you,” she told him. “Did you find Cochise?”
He shook his head. “Not a trace. He hides in those Dragoon Mountains like a snake.” He removed his hat and followed her inside. “How did you get along with the widow? I don’t even know her name.”
“It’s Myra Trimble. She’s still very distressed.” She wanted to blurt out her fear of the woman, but what if he thought she was being foolish? It would be better if he saw for himself.
“Is she still here?” Jasper looked past her into the kitchen.
“Yes. She has a brother in Tucson, but she hasn’t seemed in any hurry to go to her family. I’m not sure why. She hates Eve.”
He frowned then. “Because she’s Navajo? Not surprising under the circumstances, I guess. What about Ruthie? Is she all right with her?”
“I’m not comfortable with the way she looks at the baby,” Bessie admitted. “She’s so strange, Jasper. Full of bitterness and anger. She hates God.”
He hugged her. “Sounds like you’ve been under siege.”
“It’s felt like it at times.”
“Where’s my girl? Sleeping?”
Bessie nodded. “I’ll get her.”
“No, don’t wake her up. I just was wondering if she’ll recognize me. She’ll be cranky if you wake her.”
She laughed. “That baby doesn’t have a cranky bone in her body. She’s outgrown that cradle, too. Her feet were sticking out the ends, and her poor little head bumped the headboard. I’ve had her sleeping with me. I pushed the cot up against the wall so she won’t fall out.”
“I’ll have her another bed by tomorrow,” he said.
His gaze brought the heat to her cheeks. Did he mean to begin their marriage in earnest tomorrow? Her mouth went dry. Surely not. Myra would be in the next room. It would be too embarrassing. But soon, his expression promised. She smiled uncertainly.
“I think I’ll check on Ruthie.” She could sense his gaze on her as she hurried from the room. Why did she always run when things got too intense? She was a coward. She should have stayed, melted in his arms, and kissed him.
She opened the door to the bedroom and stared at the bed blankly. Was Ruth covered by the blanket? She couldn’t see even her little rump sticking up through the bedclothes. Bessie went to the bed and felt it. Empty. She whirled and looked around. Had Ruthie fallen out? Bessie looked under the bed and over every inch of floor space before she began to panic.
“Jasper!”
He came immediately. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I can’t find Ruthie,” she gasped. “She isn’t anywhere in the bedroom.”
“She has to be,” he said reasonably. “Let’s look again. Was she in the bed?”
Bessie nodded. Perhaps she was mistaken, and she had put Ruthie down for her nap on the cot in the parlor. But the tiny parlor was as empty as the bedroom. No Ruthie.
“She has to be here. No one would take her.” Jasper joined her in the parlor.
At his words, the blood drained from Bessie’s face, and she felt faint. “Myra!”
eleven
Jasper tried to tell himself that no woman would harm a child, even her worst enemy’s. But Bessie’s terror soon communicated itself to him. He sent for Eve. She could help keep Bessie calm while he mounted a search.
“It’s my fault, my fault,” Bessie wailed. “I knew she was unbalanced. I didn’t like the way she looked at Ruthie. I should have known to keep the baby with me at all times.”
“It’s not your fault,” he told her. “You couldn’t have known she would take the baby with you right there in the house.”
“Lieutenant.”
They both looked up at the sound. Rooster stood in the doorway, his face filled with concern. “I’ve found tracks, Sir. They’re heading toward the Dragoon Mountains.”
“On foot?” Would Myra be so crazy?
“No, Sir. She’s mounted. She stole a horse from the corral while Private Montel took a siesta.”
Which just proved her craziness. What person in her right mind would head off into the desert during the worst heat of the day in the hottest month of the year? Jasper’s fear for his adopted daughter increased. What did the woman plan to do? And why head right into Cochise’s territory? It was madness.
Eve rushed in the door, and Bessie threw herself into her arms. “She’s taken my baby,” she sobbed.
Eve patted her back and soothed her. “I was with my brother when Jasper sent for me. My brother has gathered some braves, and they are searching, too. He will find her.” Eve’s eyes met Jasper’s, and he saw fear. The desert was a big place, and Ruth was just a tiny baby at the mercy of a mad woman. What if Myra got it into her head to leave the baby somewhere to die in the heat? The thought tormented him. He thought of their laughter the day she learned to roll over, the little birthmark shaped like a butterfly on the inside of one chubby knee, and the way her brown eyes widened when she saw him, followed by her slow smile and reaching hands. He had to find their baby.
Bessie followed Jasper to the door. She thrust a full pillowcase in his hands. “Here, take this. There are diapers, clean clothes, and her bottle. It’s full.”
She buried her face in his shirt, and he hugged her fiercely. “Pray, Bessie. Pray for all you’re worth.” He kissed the top of her head and left her with Eve.
The scorching sun beat down, and he flinched at the heat. How could a frail woman withstand hours of this with no shade? She did not even have a hat. He found his mare already saddled and led the detachment toward the Dragoon Mountains. Rooster could follow a hawk’s shadow where it fell on the sand, or at least that’s how Jasper felt sometimes. The old man was the best tracker Jasper knew.
They had followed the trail for fifteen minutes when Rooster pointed. “Sandstorm coming.”
“We have to find them before it hits!” Jasper was frantic. The storm would wipe away any trace of prints. It would likely kill Myra and the baby, too. She didn’t have enough sense to seek shelter, what little shelter there was.
Rooster pointed again. “We can shelter there, behind the horses.”
Jasper knew Rooster was right. He was responsible for the safety of his men, but his heart was almost unbearably heavy as he turned his mare’s face and led the men to the rock face Rooster had pointed out. All hope was lost. What could he tell Bessie?
They positioned the horses in front of them and knelt and covered their faces with their coats. The wind was upon them in moments, driving the sand into any exposed skin like tiny biting insects. Jasper prayed as he knelt there. All he could see was Bessie’s face when she realized the baby was gone. She would blame herself if he didn’t find Ruth. He didn’t think she could live with that.
The storm was over nearly as quickly as it started. The sun came out and the wind died down. Jasper stood and ordered the men to saddle up and get ready to ride.
“Where to, Lieutenant?”
Rooster’s eyes met his, and he nearly flinched at the resignation he saw there. They might never even find the small corpse. “All we can do is go in the direction we last saw her tracks,” he told him.
Rooster sighed. “Even the biggest ball of twine unravels,” he said. “But with the good Lord’s help, maybe we can rewind this one.”
Jasper looked at him askance. “This was a small storm. With a bit of luck we may pick up their trail on the other side.”
Jasper didn’t think Rooster thought it a likely occurrence, but it was better than no hope at all.
They plodded through the rocky sand but found no trace of a trail. At dusk Jasper knew he had no choice but to call off the search for the night. The thought of little Ruth spending the night in the desert was almost more than he could bear. Dangerous creatures came out at night. Rattlesnakes and scorpions. He prayed for her safety as he unrolled his bedroll and lay ou
t under the stars.
§
Starting at every sound, Bessie paced the floor restlessly. How could Ruth still be alive? But the tiny flame of hope refused to die. Jasper would find her. He loved her, too. So did the men. Rooster could track anything, and they had some of their best men with them. If anyone could bring back her baby, that detachment could.
Eve refused to leave her, although Bessie urged her to go home. Several of the soldiers stopped by to see if they could do anything for her. Even Major Saunders sent over a note urging her to call on him if she needed anything. She knew many of them thought she should not have kept Ruth, but in this hour of need, they rallied around her.
Four days and nights had dragged by. Bessie couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. If she just knew what was happening. If only Jasper had allowed her to go! She understood, of course, that it simply was too dangerous. But that fact did not make the wait any easier. Eve talked her into going to bed, but all she did was doze off and on.
§
The morning after the sandstorm, Jasper awoke gritty-eyed and discouraged. He dumped the spoiled milk, and they quickly broke camp and mounted up. As dusk fell for the second night, he knew they would have to start back if they did not find sign of Myra tomorrow. They were almost to the Dragoon Mountains, and he didn’t have enough men to hold off Cochise’s warriors.
As they were saddling up the next morning, the scout gave a shout. “Indians, Lieutenant!”
Jasper vaulted into his saddle and grabbed his rifle. As he wheeled to face the charge, he realized they weren’t hostile Indians. The Indians plodded toward them without weapons drawn. He shielded his eyes and tried to see what they were up to.
As they came nearer, one held up a hand. “Lieutenant Mendenhall!”
They knew his name? This one spoke perfect English. Jasper squinted in the bright morning sun. The man looked vaguely familiar. With a start, Jasper realized the Indian reminded him of Eve. This must be her brother. As they came closer, he saw the man was holding something. A glimpse of dark hair brought his heart to his throat. Was that Ruthie?
He urged his horse toward the band and stopped in front of the leader. The man was smiling, and Jasper could see the resemblance to Eve even more clearly.
The man reined in his horse and held out the baby. “Is this small one what you searched for?”
Jasper took her and snuggled her close. She opened her eyes and smiled her slow smile and gurgled. Tears pricked his eyes, and he struggled to thank the other man. “How can I thank you?”
The man smiled. “I am Ben, brother to Eve. You have been kind to my sister. We always pay our debts.”
“What about the woman Myra?”
A mask of stone came down over Ben’s face. “She is no more. Cochise and his warriors found her before I did. She resides beneath the earth with her husband and son now.”
Jasper searched for the capacity to feel pity for the woman and was surprised to find himself capable of it. She had been driven mad by grief. “How did you get Ruthie?”
“I told Cochise she had been stolen from her mother, and I would return her. She cried, and he was glad to give her to me.” Ben grinned and patted Ruth’s silky head. “He did not ask about the mother, and I did not tell him.”
Jasper held out his hand. “Thank you, my friend.”
Ben shook it. “You will need this for the trip.” He handed a sheepskin of milk and a cup made out of a gourd.
“Can she drink from the cup?” Jasper asked doubtfully.
“She does not like it, but she drinks,” Ben said. “It will do until she is in her mother’s arms.” He nodded to the Navajo braves with him, and they all filed away.
Jasper tucked Ruth in his left arm. The sooner they got to the fort, the better.
§
Bessie woke when the sentry called the midnight hour. She sat up and looked around. Something had awakened her. What was it? Not the sentry; she was used to that. She listened closely, then went to the door. It sounded like horses and voices.
At her first movement, Eve opened her eyes on her pallet on the floor and joined her at the door. Bessie opened the door, and they both stepped out onto the front stoop. The moon was so bright it was almost as light as dusk.
“What is it?” Eve whispered.
Bessie squinted through the moonlit night and thought she saw horses milling around in front of the stagecoach station. She was still dressed, even down to her boots, so she started across the parade ground. Eve followed her.
As she neared the group, she heard a familiar cry and then Jasper’s voice. Her pulse beat wildly in her throat, and a sob burst from her lips. Jasper heard and turned with Ruth in his arms. He grinned from ear to ear.
She leaped forward with arms outstretched. “Ruthie!”
The baby gurgled and reached out chubby fingers for her. “Mummm, mummm,” she chortled.
Bessie gathered her into her arms and buried her face in the baby’s chubby neck. She smelled like sweat, urine, and sour milk, but Bessie had never smelled a flower or a sachet that smelled more wonderful. She kissed her over and over again while Jasper looked on with an indulgent smile. Ruthie soon tired of the attention and began to fuss.
Bessie turned to Jasper with shining eyes. “I knew you would find her.” Her smile encompassed all the tired men. “Thank you all so much. I’ll never forget what you’ve done.”
“I wish I could take the credit, but you have to thank someone else.” Jasper nodded to Eve. “Her brother Ben found her. Cochise’s braves had already killed Myra, and they had Ruthie. They’d been taking good care of her; she was clean and well fed. They even sent back some milk for her, but it’s all gone now, and I ran out of clean clothes. She’s probably hungry. Ben managed to talk Cochise into letting him take the baby.”
This was a debt she could never repay. Bessie turned to Eve. “My friend, what can I say?”
Eve smiled. “There are no words necessary with friends.”
Bessie kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, my friend.” She turned back to Jasper. “She needs a bath and bed.”
He grimaced. “I know. So do I.”
She was stricken with conscience. She hadn’t even thought of how tired he must be. The lines of exhaustion around his nose and mouth smote her like a blow. “I’ll heat some water,” she told him.
He gave her another tired smile. “I’ll be along in a minute.” He turned to thank his men again.
Bessie hurried back home. Home. It truly was home again. Their little family was safe and complete once more. She saw the Indian who worked with the soldiers making adobe and waved. He had always taken a special interest in Ruth; he would be glad to know the baby was safely home. He nodded gravely. Several soldiers had come out to see what the commotion was, and they clapped when she walked by with the baby.
After Bessie fed the baby, she fetched the bathtub down from the wall in the bedroom and poured hot water into it, while Eve hauled more water from the acequia. They filled the washtub for Ruth and the bathtub for Jasper. She stripped Ruth and plunked her into the warm water. The baby gurgled and kicked, and Bessie laughed. Everything seemed so normal again.
Although she didn’t want to let the baby out of her sight, she handed her to Eve to dress and went to lay out a towel for Jasper. She heard him come in while she was in the bedroom.
She was testing the water when he shut the door behind him.
“I’m bushed,” he said. “All I want is a hot bath and bed.”
“Are you hungry?”
He shook his head. “Too tired to be hungry. I wouldn’t turn down a cup of coffee, though.”
“I’ll make some.” She turned to go, but he laid his hand on her arm.
“We’re a family now, aren’t we, Bessie?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “We’re a family now.”
Was a near disaster needed to make them both see the treasure found in these four walls? She felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God that they fin
ally had seen it.
She sensed his eyes on her as she let herself out and shut the door behind her. By the time the coffee was ready, Jasper should be done with his bath. Ruthie was already asleep on the cot in the parlor with Eve.
Bessie’s cheeks went hot. Eve evidently had assumed Jasper slept in the bed with her and thought it would be okay to go to bed with the baby. What was she to do? Her mouth dry, she poured Jasper a cup of coffee and tapped on the bedroom door.
“Come on in. I’m decent.”
She cautiously pushed open the door and found him dressed in long johns, his hair sticking up on end. “Here’s your coffee.”
He took it with a smile of thanks that faded when he looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
Was she that easy to read? She gulped. “Eve and Ruthie are already asleep on the cot in the parlor.”
His gaze grew soft, but he didn’t say anything for a long moment. “The sun took everything out of me. You’re safe. It will be a squeeze, but that cot will hold both of us, if you don’t mind.” His words were gentle.
Her face burned with humiliation. Did he think she planned it this way? They had never had a chance to finish their discussion of her desire for children. He stared at her, but she couldn’t read his expression. “I don’t mind,” she said softly.
His expression softened further. “I’ll be asleep before you ever get ready for bed,” he promised.
She nodded, not daring to meet his gaze. She quickly gathered her things and went to the kitchen. She shivered as she took off her dress, hung it on a hook by the door, and pulled on her nightdress. Then she took her hair down and slipped back inside the bedroom.
Jasper lay along the edge, exhaustion etched in his face. He breathed deeply, already sleeping. Bessie blew out the candle and felt the end of the bed. She crept along the wall to the pillow and then slipped beneath the bedclothes. The desert night was cool, but her shivering wasn’t just from the chill. Her husband’s warmth spread toward her like a welcoming hug, and she snuggled inside.
It felt strange and wonderful at the same time. She allowed herself to relax. Reaching out a tentative hand, she touched his arm. Knowing he was sleeping, she gathered her courage and slid closer and pillowed her head on his shoulder. The sound of his deep breaths relaxed her further, and it wasn’t long before she slipped into the welcome arms of sleep.
To Love a Stranger (Wyoming Series Book 4) Page 10
