by Diane Darcy
Shorty, his back to her, growled.
“If you will just open the windows and let a breeze in, I’ll swear not to say another word.”
The man quickly crossed the room, shoved open the window, and then turned to glare at Lucy.
She didn’t say one word.
Boone was on the steps of the courthouse with the mayor and the sheriff, his guns strapped on.
The sheriff was addressing the gathering crowd. “As far as we know, this is a real threat. No one has seen the new schoolmarm about town, so we have no choice but to believe this is real. If anyone has seen or heard anything that could help us find Miss Rickman, please come forward now.”
More people were running to join the crowd, and Boone saw Mrs. Collier, and some of her borders show up as well.
Boone was getting frustrated with the sheriff, and the complete lack of results.
“I saw her at the church earlier,” someone called out.
There were murmurs of agreement.
“I saw her walking with Boone Jackson! I saw them walk by my window.”
Boone bit back sharp words. “And after that? Did anyone see her after that?”
Everyone looked around at each other, but no one spoke up.
There were children crying in the crowd.
A man wiped his brow, catching Boone’s eye. He looked slightly nervous, and Boone caught Samuel’s gaze and nodded in the man’s direction.
With a nod, Samuel joined him and they headed out to talk to him.
Chapter 14
It was hot in the cabin, and Lucy was sweating.
She’d freed her hands, finally, but she didn’t dare bring them in front of her, and kept them behind her back, gripping the rag she’d been tied with.
She was trying her best to look drowsy in case either man looked in her direction but her heart was thudding hard in her chest as she considered her options.
Shorty had left to go and see what was going on with the money.
The other man had blockaded the door and was now dozing on the bed.
He’d offered to share it with her earlier, but she’d politely declined, making him grin.
The question was, was he faking sleepiness? Waiting to see what she would do?
Her only option was the larger window. Taking the items away from the door would take too long, and make too much noise.
The other man had been gone a long while, and she was worried that he could come back at any moment.
This might be her only chance.
Once the other man returned, or the other woke up, she wouldn’t get another opportunity.
As quietly as she could, she stood, and hurried toward the window, and somehow, she rolled right out of it.
She’d replayed the action in her head a hundred times, but she was so stunned when it worked that when she landed on her feet on the other side she didn’t move for a moment.
And then she was off and running, expecting that at any moment she would hear a shout, or run into Shorty.
She wanted to run down the road, but didn’t know which direction to go, or if she’d run directly into her captor, so she ran for the trees.
She’d barely gotten to them when she heard the sound of a horse returning.
Luke and Samuel herded the nervous man from the rest of the crowd.
“You look like you want to tell us something,” Boone said, trying to keep his voice calm.
The man, tall, thin, and unwashed, swallowed hard. He glanced at their guns. “Two men have been bragging that they was gonna to do this.”
“Who?”
The man’s eyes darted between the two of them. “They’ll kill me if I tell.”
“I’m waiting,” Boone crowded the other man. “My girl is with them. How are they going to kill you if I get to them first?”
The man swallowed again. “Good point. It’s Frank and Archie. I don’t know no last names.”
When he told them the names, Boone realized they were men his foreman had fired in the last year. So, it was him they had the beef with.
“Where are they?”
“I’m not sure, but there was mention of a cabin in the woods to the south. Is there a reward?”
“We’ll talk about that if we find her.”
They quickly told the sheriff what they knew, came up with the most likely place, and the three of them took off on horseback to find the cabin.
He pictured the rough-looking men he’d fired.
If they hurt her… if they dared…
Lucy stayed hidden in the woods and watched Shorty return. She stayed still, afraid she’d be spotted if she ran, but just as afraid she’d be captured if she didn’t.
She hid behind a large rock, and took off the moment she couldn’t see him anymore.
She still heard the yelling, banging, and then gunshots ring out a moment later.
They were looking for her.
Did she try to hide, or did she just run?!
If they saw her, they might be able to run her down on horseback. Or, more likely, they could simply outrun her.
She raced down the hill, and the moment she knew she was out of sight, sprinted as fast as she could.
Should she climb a tree?
If they spotted her, they could shoot her down.
Up ahead she saw a pond, full of dirty, stagnant water, algae growing along the edges.
There were two logs floating out in the center.
If she could get to them, duck down behind them, perhaps no one would suspect her of hiding there.
It might prove to be the most imprudent, or the most intelligent thing she’d ever done.
She’d know soon enough.
She waded into the cold, murky water as quietly as possible.
It was a good thing she knew how to swim.
Chapter 15
Boone headed out to the second likely cabin, Samuel and the sheriff with him. The first one had been long deserted, with no sign of life.
He was ready to tear heads off.
They arrived to find men with guns arguing outside. Frank and Archie. There was no sign of Lucy.
The three of them drew their own weapons as they approached on horseback, ready for anything.
Boone pulled up. “We’re looking for Lucy Rickman and she’d best be unharmed.”
Archie, the short one, looked sick, nervous, his eyes darting to the trees.
Frank looked belligerent. “Why are you looking here?”
“Heard she might be here.”
The one man turned to glare at the other before looking back. “The schoolteacher? Here with us? Chance would be a fine thing indeed!”
“Mind if I have a look around?” Boone was already getting off the horse as the men spluttered in front of him.
He went inside as Samuel and the sheriff stayed with the men.
The place was filthy, dirty, and there was a rag on the floor behind the chair. No evidence at all, but suspicious to his mind. “Lucy? You here?” He called out to her even though he couldn’t see anywhere she could hide.
He searched every bit of the cabin, and even checked the floor for a cellar. There wasn’t one.
Have they been given a false lead?
He didn’t think so. The men were awfully nervous, and jittery.
Still, with them riding up the way they did, it might make anyone nervous.
He headed outside again and checked the wagon. Nothing.
He glanced around the wooded area and saw an old ramshackle shed, but it was falling down. He looked inside anyway.
Where could she be?
He headed back to his horse, and raised himself into the saddle. Now what?
His attention went back to the men, who still looked nervous, and that made him hesitate. “Empty your pockets.”
Shorty laughed nervously. “What for?”
“Just do it and we’ll be on our way.
The men did, and Frank tried to hold something in his palm but a blue ribbon fluttered out one side of his
hand.
Just like the one he’d admired in Lucy’s hair earlier.
Boone was back off his horse within seconds.
Someone was about to die.
Lucy clung to both slimy logs, one hand on each, holding them together and she hunkered down between them.
The water was brackish, full of algae, and disgusting.
If she escaped, it would be worth it.
She heard her name being called, and ducked lower, tilting her head back into the muck.
Maybe the men wouldn’t be able to swim?
They wouldn’t need to. It was shallow. She hadn’t dared remove her dress in the circumstances and the water had never dipped below her neck. She’d had a few harsh moments, and wondered if churning up the water would give her away.
But even still, if they spotted her, they could still shoot her.
Would they? Maybe to get rid of evidence if things weren’t going their way. Or they could just wait until she sickened and died. One thing was for certain, she certainly couldn’t trust in their integrity. She was on her own.
She stayed as motionless as possible, barely breathing, afraid that any ripples would give her away. When she saw movement on the shore, she didn’t even dare breathe.
After a moment, she peeked over the edge of one log, and couldn’t believe her own eyes. Boone was walking away from the pond!
She exploded out of the water, shoving the logs away. “Boone! Boone, I’m here!”
He stared in amazement.
Suddenly crying, she half swam, half waded out of the water toward him.
The stress of the last hours releasing, she started to sob in earnest. “Boone!”
And then he was there, in the water with her, pulling her into his arms, talking sweetly to her, which conversely made her cry all the harder.
Another man was on the shore, and ran into the water to help pull her out, her heavy dress weighing them all down.
Once on shore, Boone hauled her into his arms, sopping wet and all, and started walking in the direction of the cabin.
“No, don’t! There are men there!”
His grip on her tightened. “Don’t worry,” his tone was hard. “We’ve got them. The sheriff is with them now.”
So, it was over?
Finally, she was able to relax, and went limp against him, sobbing softly.
He clutched her close and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so safe.
He’d found her.
Boone had actually found her.
He couldn’t believe she’d gotten away on her own, and was impressed by her ingenuity. Hiding in the middle of the pond? They’d never have located her. He hadn’t even suspected himself.
Her dress was heavy with pond water, but he couldn’t let her down. He was enjoying holding her close, and he needed the connection, needed to know she was safe.
She suddenly pushed his chest and he had no choice but to release her. He gently set her upon her feet, and she stepped a few feet away from him and shouted the words, “Boone Jackson! You are a liar!”
“What?” Astonished, it took him a moment to realize she’d said his last name. His real last name.
Panic rose within him. “Now, Lucy —”
“Don’t you, now Lucy me! What were you playing at? Why were you trying to trick me that way? Why would you lie?”
Panic swirled in his mind and he couldn’t think. “It wasn’t a lie exactly. Honey, can we talk about this later?”
“You gave me a false name. That would be the very definition of a lie. You played me false because you were courting a bunch of other women!”
Back to that again? “No! It wasn’t like that! You’re putting the worst possible meaning on what I did!”
“What else am I supposed to think?”
He was getting mad now too. “Is it too much to ask that you simply believe in me?”
“Is it too much to expect not to be lied to by the men in my life?”
“Don’t bring up your fiancé! That was none of my doing!”
“Ex-fiancé!”
They were both facing off, breathing hard.
Samuel intervened. “Let’s everyone cool down now, all right? You can talk about this later. We need to get Miss Rickman back to her place before she takes sick.”
Lucy nodded once, gave Boone another glare, and then turned away. She started to walk toward the cabin.
Boone didn’t move for a moment, trying to justify what he’d done in his mind. He’d just wanted to be wanted for himself, not for his money. Was that too much to ask?
He felt like they’d been falling in love, but now he was doubting her again.
Did she love him back?
He was following her again before he realized he’d moved, and the thought of losing her had his temper flaring again.
“You lied to me too! You’re not just a schoolteacher! You come from a wealthy family!”
He gave her a chance to respond, but she simply marched ahead of him.
“And you’re too quick to judge me all the time! You believed Dorothy even when I denied her claim! Besides, I never lied! It’s not my duty to show my bank account to every girl I’m courting!
At that she stopped and glared up at him. “Maybe not, but a real name wouldn’t come amiss!”
Chapter 16
It was slow going on the way home. The two men who’d kidnapped Lucy shared a horse, their hands bound in front of them, the sheriff leading them by a rope.
Boone was next in line and almost hoped they’d try and escape so he could pound them into the ground. He definitely wanted to pound someone.
He listened for Lucy, behind him, riding with Samuel. She’d been quiet for a long while now and Boone’s jaw clenched. She should be riding with him, and that fact had him feeling upset and ill-used.
He should be glad she was with Samuel. She was wet, and smelled like pond water. But it was just one more thing for him to be mad about.
He’d like to take her home with him. He had the latest in plumbing installed in his house and had no doubt she’d enjoy a hot bath in a huge tub. Or even a shower that blasted her from all angles. He had the sweet-smelling bath soaps his mother had ordered from France, which at the time, had seemed an un-needed frivolity. But with Lucy, just the thought that she might enjoy them, made him glad to have such feminine things available.
If he took her straight to his house, maybe he could keep her there overnight. Then she’d be compromised and have to marry him.
Not that he wanted to marry her anymore. He didn’t. Not if she couldn’t believe in him.
Besides, he didn’t need to compromise her. Her reputation would already be in shreds from being trapped and alone with the two men all day.
Which had his temper rising all over again. It was one thing for him to compromise her. If they’d hurt her… he glared holes into the backs of their heads, willing them to try and escape.
He wrestled with himself all the way home, but in the end, never said a word about taking her to his place, and eventually they ended up at Mrs. Collier’s. The landlady was on her porch waiting for them.
No need for him to hide this time, as Lucy knew exactly who he was.
Mrs. Collier rushed down the steps. “Is she alright?”
“She’s fine.”
And then Lucy burst into tears, making a lie of his words, and making him feel lower than a snake.
She was alright, wasn’t she?
She never even so much as looked at him as Samuel lowered her to the ground and she went into the house, enveloped in Mrs. Collier’s arms.
Once the door was shut, his eyes turned toward the two men who’d taken her. “You hurt her?”
“No!” He could see the whites of Archie’s eyes. “Not like you’re thinkin’. We didn’t touch her.”
Something within him relaxed, and he nodded at the sheriff and Samuel.
He looked back toward the house for a moment, considered going inside, but knew h
e wouldn’t be welcome.
“Let’s get these two to the jailhouse.”
It took everything in him to turn his horse and go the other way.
He’d just left her.
Lucy sobbed onto Mrs. Collier’s shoulder.
“There, there. It’s alright. Everything’s alright now.” She could feel Mrs. Collier’s hesitation, and then the older woman pressed on. “Did they hurt you? Do I need to call a doctor?”
Lucy sniffed and wiped her eyes and nose with a handkerchief Mrs. Collier had thrust into her hands the moment she’d arrived home.
“No. They didn’t hurt me.”
“Lucy, if you’re trying to cover something up, for fear of damaging your reputation, I promise you things are different out here in the West. If you need a doctor —”
Lucy finally met the other woman’s gaze. “No. Nothing like that. I swear, they didn’t touch me. They just tied me up and frightened me.”
Mrs. Collier’s mouth firmed. “Don’t you worry. They will be punished.” She studied Lucy’s face. “At a guess, I’d say you’re crying because it’s over, and you’re safe. I certainly understand that reaction.”
Lucy nodded, the sympathy making her tear up again.
Mrs. Collier grimaced. “I suppose, if you’d like, I could send for your Mr. Newby.” There was distaste in the other woman’s expression and Lucy was touched that Mrs. Collier wanted to help her even though she disapproved of the man.
Lucy’s tears changed to giggles. “I’m sure Mr. Newby would be completely confused if you did so.”
“Why is that? Is he not courting you anymore?”
Lucy shook her head. “It turns out that he never was.”
“What do you mean? He didn’t have anything to do with this kidnapping, did he?”
“No, not at all. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever met Mr. Newby.”
Mrs. Collier led her over to a chair in the parlor and had her sit. “Lucy, are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“You aren’t making any sense.”
“I don’t suppose I am. It’s just, I found out today that the man who’s been courting me is Boone Jackson. I have no idea who Mr. Newby is at all.”
