High Desert Haven (The Shepherd's Heart)

by Lynnette Bonner

  Shock spread across Jonas’ face as he gaped at Vanessa. His bullet obviously hadn’t been meant for her.

  Tom blinked once, and then his bullet took the man through the forehead.

  Jonas toppled, his gun sliding across the room and thudding to a stop against the bureau.

  Tom stared at it in stunned silence. Resting there. A snub-nosed derringer. So oddly out of place against the beautiful grain of the oak flooring.

  Reality slammed home, and he sank to his knees at Vanessa’s side. The blood drained from his face at the sight of her body, cocked at an odd angle, lifeless eyes staring at the wall.

  “Dear God! What did they do?” Tom clutched his head, his eyes darting about the room in wild panic. He couldn’t live without Vanessa. “Vanessa!” He reached for her, pulling her against his chest as he buried his face in her hair.

  This was his fault. He should have taken care of things himself instead of trusting to William!

  “Vanessa, forgive me.” He choked on a sob as full realization of what had just happened penetrated. He held her for a long time, until finally his shock hardened into brutal anger.

  Hands shaking, he laid her back down, covering her carefully with a blanket. He had some revenge to take.

  Nicki glanced from the gun to William’s face and stepped down from the corral fence, her fists clenched by her sides. Dear Jesus, dear Jesus, dear Jesus. She was holding her breath, she realized, and slowly let it out, lifting her hands. “William, whatever this is about, we can work it out.”

  “Shut up! Just shut up. Get over here, now!” He gestured with the gun, his eyes flicking back and forth between her and the door to the soddy.

  Nicki trembled even as she moved to comply. How had she thought she knew the man so well?

  “Up on the horse!” he commanded, jabbing the barrel of the gun painfully into her ribs as soon as she was out of sight of the house.

  Heart thundering, she climbed into the saddle. In a flash, William swung up behind her and kicked the horse into a gallop. The horse dashed up and over the hill—only visible to the house for a few seconds as they crested the rise.

  They rode hard for 10 minutes. With each passing moment Nicki expected to hear her rescuer’s hoofbeats behind them. But none came. None.

  William reined the horse down into a little gully and leaped down, roughly pulling her after him.

  Her foot caught in the stirrup and she almost fell but was able to maintain her footing. She blinked back tears, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, even as fear slammed through her chest.

  He took her by a shoulder and squeezed, the fingers of one hand digging into her flesh like fiery daggers. The point of the gun bit painfully into the soft flesh under her chin. His voice shook. “Blasted, confounded woman! Why didn’t you just let me marry you and have done with it! I was trying to protect you! Now—”

  He jerked her after him down a barely visible trail. Her arm flung backwards and she stumbled several steps before settling into a jog behind him.

  “Now, there’s just me to worry about. I have to protect myself, you see. With you out of the way, and me offering to run the ranch until Sawyer comes of age, well, you can see how that will work for my good, now, can’t you?” He stopped at the base of a small hill and swiveled toward her so quickly that she smashed into his chest with a whimper. His voice softened. “Why wouldn’t you just marry me?” He laid the barrel of the gun alongside her temple, his eyes roving over her face with odd detachment. He swallowed thickly and his grip tightened. The point of the gun dug into her temple.

  Nicki closed her eyes. Her body shook like the last leaf of fall in a windstorm. She was going to die. She and her baby. Who would take care of Sawyer? Mama? Papa? Would Jason even know how to find her family? Had she said enough about them for him to be able to find them?

  “Answer!” His hot breath slapped her in the face.

  She flinched.

  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The words whispered through her soul as though Jesus Himself were right there, with His arms around her, His mouth pressed to her ear. Blocking any threat that could come from William.

  And with sudden clarity, like a pinprick of light that shows the way in a dark cavern, she knew peace. She had been searching for peace ever since John Trent had ridden into her life from the brazen heat of a California summer. And now, like refreshing water in the desert, it filled her soul, bubbling over and spilling into her fingers, cascading down her legs, giving them strength. It didn’t come from being in control; it came from letting go of control to the only One who had any control in the first place. Her trembling stopped, and she opened her eyes.

  She studied his face and saw there a curious mix of emotions. Anger. Fear. Pride. Humiliation. And disquiet.

  “Nothing you do to me will bring you happiness, William. Complete surrender to Jesus is the only thing that will do that.”

  He huffed a breath of disbelief. “You going to turn this into a Sunday school lesson? Save it, Nicki. Turn around.” He pivoted her to face away from him and pulled her arms behind her, lacing her wrists together tightly. Then, gripping her elbow, he pushed her down the trail ahead of him.

  To their right was a short cliff no more than 15 feet high. They passed a scrubby pine tree whose branches overhung the trail and William pulled her to an abrupt halt. Cut into the base of the cliff was a small notch with just enough of an opening for a person’s body to fit through. The inside of the small cavern dipped into the ground and was dark. Nicki couldn’t tell how deep it was. She raised her chin, refusing to look at him.

  “Sit!” He shoved her down onto the cold ground and bound her feet together, then turned her onto her belly and tied the lashings on her wrists to the ones around her ankles so she could not straighten her legs.

  Her heart beat faster. She clung to her promise and repeated the verse over and over to herself. Her hair fell forward into her eyes, but she was helpless to remove it. Any moment now Jason would come thundering around the pine tree and lay William out with one solid punch. Please, Lord.

  Stripping off his bandana, he squeezed her cheeks together and stuffed it into her mouth.

  She gagged and the cloth moved just far enough forward to stop triggering her gag reflex.

  Two rawhide strips cut into the crease where her lips met as he tied them tightly at the back of her head.

  Eyes closed, and cheek pressed into the cold ground, she concentrated on breathing in and out through her nose and tried to ignore the cloying press of the cloth in her mouth and the bite of the rawhide at her wrists.

  Finally, he squatted down beside her. “You should have taken me up on my offer, Nicki.” Without another word he pushed her toward the black depths of the crevice.

  Nicki’s eyes widened and she struggled, but he cuffed her hard at the back of her head, momentarily stunning her as he pushed her belly down, and then forced her, head first, into the dark hole.

  The ceiling of the cave gave way to a black void above her as the ground continued to slope away, sucking her deeper into the heart of the earth.

  Blackness wrapped around her like a damp mist, and a bone-penetrating cold shivered through her as she slid down a shale incline deeper into the darkness.

  Heart thundering and head reared back, she heaved short quick breaths through her nose as she slid. Dear Jesus, save me and my little one. Come to our rescue now in this darkest hour. If ever there was a valley of the shadow of death, this is it. I felt so much peace a moment ago. Where is it now?

  At any moment she could hurtle off a ledge and fall into never-ending darkness! Or she could meet some wild animal. Or maybe I’ll just keep sliding and never stop!

  The incline beneath her grew steeper, and she started to slide faster.

  Her whole body trembled, and her heart threatened to lodge in her throat until she wouldn’t be a
ble to breathe at all. She willed down her panic with a long inhale and a slow exhale.

  Rocks cut into her, slicing through the bodice of her dress. Debris bounced up and pinged off her face. She could feel the bulge of her baby pressing back into her, and tears stung the backs of her eyes.

  She leaned to the left to take the weight of her body off the little one nestled in her womb. Her left arm took the bulk of her weight. Bits of shale ground into her elbow as the material of her dress gave way. Then the rope that stretched taut between her wrists and her ankles snagged on something hanging down from the ceiling, and she was jerked to a halt!

  A loud pop penetrated the darkness, and pain burst into flame in her shoulder. She cried out and dropped her head to the ground as pulses of agony coursed through her, radiating in ever-enlarging circles from her shoulder.

  Another moan escaped as she tried to adjust to a more comfortable position, and realized there was no such thing.

  Don’t move. Just don’t move.

  After spending the day riding the cold range, all the men had gladly crammed into the small soddy to wrap their hands around a warm cup of coffee. Ron had done a good job in his selection of the new hands. The two that were here had proved their worth on the drive back with the herd.

  Jason grinned as he thought of the third hand Ron had hired. Jason had sent him to California to locate Nicki’s family and at least bring her some news of them, if not bring them here. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she found out. That man was the one who’d taught him how to say “Don’t worry” in Spanish.

  Jason took a sip of coffee as he scanned the room. The two new hands, with Ron and Conner, sat squeezed around the table. In the corner, Sheriff Watts had talked with the Jeffries in quiet undertones before taking his leave.

  Jason had remained standing in the kitchen with Rocky. It had been good to hear some news from Shilo.

  He rubbed his jaw, realizing he hadn’t thought of Shilo as “home.” He thought of this as home now. How had that happened in such a short amount of time? Nicki’s face came to mind, and he lifted his head. “Where’s Nicki?” Conversation stopped, and everyone looked around the room. Ron was the first to stand. “She was outside looking at the horses when I came in. I’m sure she’s still out there somewhere. I’ll go check on her.”

  Jason downed the last swallow of his coffee and followed him out the door.

  The yard was empty.

  His heart started pounding harder.

  Conner and Rocky sauntered out behind him, followed by Brenda.

  He glanced at them as Ron headed for the bunkhouse. “She might be down by the creek. I’ll check there.”

  Moments later they all were standing in front of the soddy again.

  Brenda’s voice was quiet when she said, “William was here earlier. ’Bout a half hour ago. He left but…”

  Sick dread dropped into Jason’s stomach like a stone. “Conner, ride after Sheriff Watts. Rocky, I need you circling and finding tracks while I gather our horses. Ron, can you tell the others?” He tipped his head at the house. “We may need every man we’ve got before this is over.”

  Everyone jumped into action at the same time.

  As Jason sprinted toward their horses he prayed fervently. Thankfully, all their horses were still saddled as every man had been in a hurry for some warmth. Gathering the reins of several mounts he noticed that his hands were shaking. Lord, just help me to find her. Please keep her safe.

  Ron and the ranch hands came barreling out of the sod shanty.

  Jason looked at Ron. “Where’s Sawyer?”

  “Brenda’s gonna watch him for a while.”

  “All right everyone, listen. Nicki is not here. We don’t want to jump to any conclusions.” It was obviously Harpster, that dirty rat. “But we are all going to ride out and look for her. Rocky’s a good tracker, and he’s out scouting a circle now. As soon as he finds a trail, we’ll let him take the lead.” And when I find Harpster, I’m going to kill him!

  Rocky gave a shout from behind the barn, and every man mounted up and trotted that way.

  Rocky looked up. “I’ve got a trail here. Looks like one rider came in on this horse, but two riders went out on it. The hoofprints are deeper leaving than they were coming in.”

  Jason nodded. “Let’s follow it. Howard,” he turned to the younger of the two new hands, “can you let Brenda and Rolf know which direction we’re headed so they can let Cade, Conner, and the sheriff know when they get back? Then catch up to us.”

  Howard nodded and reined his horse back toward the house as the other men moved out to follow the trail Rocky was tracking.

  Jason drummed his fingers against one thigh. He hated following a trail. It was always such slow work. He grimaced. Why hadn’t he kept a better eye on her? She’d been worried about William when he’d ridden in with the horses, that much had been clear. In the night and a morning he’d been gone, what had happened to change her mind about the man?

  William watched Nicki’s body slide down the shale floor of the steeply slanted cavern until the darkness swallowed her. He pressed his lips together.

  He probably should have shot her before he sent her sliding into the depths of that cavern, but the sound of a gunshot would alert anyone out looking for her where they were. No. She would just have to suffer the long, slow death that now awaited her. She deserved it anyhow.

  He snorted.

  Life would have been a lot easier if he’d just taken care of her at the same time as John. He should have found a way to do them together, but he’d held out hopes that Nicki would agree to marry him. He spat on the ground.

  “Always was a fool for a pretty woman,” he mumbled.

  He glanced around. He needed to hide the mouth of the cave, and he didn’t have much time. It didn’t take him long to find enough of the plentiful tumbleweeds to pile against the opening so that it wasn’t visible from the small path he had taken. Satisfied, he led his horse a good ways up a hill in the direction of his home, then returned to the tree by the cave. He broke a branch from the scraggly pine and strode fifty yards down the main trail. Bending and walking backwards, he carefully dusted out any signs of his and Nicki’s presence on the trail. He continued past the cave all the way up the hill to his horse.

  Straightening every so often, he checked his work. Only the most experienced of trackers would be able to tell anyone had been here. And that would only last until a gust of wind came along, then all traces of the trail would be gone. He tossed the pine branch on the ground, dusted his hands, and mounted up, cutting across the hills toward home.

  Later, once it had been discovered that Nicki was missing and everyone, including himself, had been given a chance to grieve, he would step forward and offer guardianship to Sawyer.

  He rubbed a hand down his vest and stared out across the juniper-studded landscape. He would miss her. But seeing her in Jordan’s arms this morning had confirmed that she had betrayed him and fallen in love with another. He exhaled. They could have had such a wonderful life together. Now it would just be him and Sawyer.

  Sheriff Watts knew William had been of great help to Nicki since John’s death, so he was a shoo-in for the position of guardian. And even if Sheriff Watts might have suspicions about him, William knew The Stockman’s Association would back him, even to the point of “replacing” the Sheriff, if necessary.

  His thoughts flitted to Tom, and his jaw clenched.

  Tom Roland wouldn’t be so easy to convince. But maybe it was time for Tom to have an accident of some sort. He was tired of that man looking over his shoulder and always pointing out his mistakes.

  A word in the right ears of certain members of The Association should do the trick. All he had to do was convince them that all the failures had been because of Roland.

  He shifted in the saddle comfortably and chuckled, thankful for the day that he’d decided to throw in his lot with The Association.

  The secret, emergency meeti
ng of The Stockman’s Association convened in Rod Signet’s barn. The men filed in silently. Two members were noticeably absent.

  Roscoe Cox was the last to arrive. He stalked in and slapped a newspaper down on the barrel serving as a makeshift table. “Tom done killed the man we sent after him, but not afore his wife, Vanessa, was killed.”

  Thick silence filled the room. The timbers groaned when a light breeze wafted by outside and feet shifted uneasily. Each man knew he had now become a living, breathing target.

  Finally, Rod Signet leaned into the heels of his boots and folded his arms. “I heard Roland used to be a gunman before he became a banker.”

  Each man stared at the floor as they contemplated that information. “What are we going to do now?” one finally asked.

  Roscoe Cox cursed violently and threw his hat on the ground. He paced toward a stall, and then back again, looked up and met each man’s eyes before he spoke. “I’ve known Roland for years. And you’re right—he used to be a gunman and a blasted fast one, too. Tom won’t take something like this lying down. He is going to hunt each one of us down, and we’ll be lucky if he kills us quickly. Slow and painful is more his style. So…” He made eye contact with each man again. “I suggest we all watch our backs, gentlemen.”

  “What about Harpster? Don’t we need to,” Rod cleared his throat, “take care of him?”

  Cox chuckled dryly. “We won’t have to worry about taking care of him. He’ll be the first one Tom goes after because he failed to do the job Tom told him to do. As for me? My place is for sale. Every lock, stock, and barrel on the place. Any of ya’ll interested in buying, you come on by. But I won’t be staying around these parts to be hunted down like a Muley.”

  With that, he scooped up his hat and, pushing back his hair, jammed it onto his head and walked out of the barn.

  The other men shuffled restlessly, no one speaking. Finally, one by one, they trickled out of the barn the same way they’d come.

  19

  A groan rumbled through Nicki’s chest and woke her. She gasped as a knife of pain stabbed through her shoulder. Her eyes opened to complete darkness. Something poked hard into her cheek and she lifted her head to ease the pressure. Stark pain shot through her arms in white hot streaks and she cried out, but the gag blocked the sound and it came out more like a muffled moan.