Her Fearless Love_Seeing Ranch Mail Order Bride

by Florence Linnington

  A gust of wind whipped through the trees and Bonnie tucked her chin and braced herself against it.

  “God,” she whispered, “please let this work. It is my last resort. Please.”

  She fixed her gaze on Mr. Percy’s house, but her vision began blurring with fatigue. Bonnie rubbed her eyes again and again, forcing herself to keep them open. It was so cold, and the ground so hard, but still her body argued for sleep.

  Bonnie stifled a yawn, her chin drawing closer to her chest.

  Suddenly, she jerked, and the back of her head thwacked against the tree trunk. Biting back a yelp of pain, Bonnie rubbed the sore spot above her tangled braid.

  Had she fallen asleep? And for how long?

  Mr. Percy’s cabin was dark, his lantern extinguished.

  Bonnie sucked in a sharp breath. She’d fallen asleep! How could she have been so foolish? Suppose he’d gone out somewhere, and she had missed it? She could be in his cabin, finding the murder weapon! She could be following him onto the Hawkins’ land!

  A dark figure moved to Bonnie’s left, out on the road, and she held her breath. Too scared to make a sound. Pebbles crunched under boots, and the figure passed right by Bonnie. But they weren’t alone. They were with...

  No. Bonnie squinted against the dark. They pushed something. A wheelbarrow.

  Mr. Percy?

  It was impossible to say, for it was too dark for Bonnie to make out any features.

  Bonnie’s pulse drummed in her ears, and she stayed absolutely still as the mystery man pushed his wheelbarrow down the hill. Bonnie did not know what time it was, as she could not tell how long she had been asleep, but it had been close to nine when she left the hotel.

  Why would someone be carting a wheelbarrow around in the middle of the night?

  Bonnie could find no answer, but the fact that the act was suspicious was good enough for her. She released the breath she had been holding and stood up. She took a careful step in the direction of the man, making sure to not break any twigs and announce her presence.

  Down the road, toward town, the man went. Behind him, keeping as close as she dared so as not to lose him, Bonnie followed.

  39

  39. Bonnie

  Chapter thirty-nine

  If Bonnie had been nervous before, now every inch of her skin crawled. Sweat collected under her clothes despite the cold night, and each breath was painful and too loud.

  She held onto Steve’s revolver as she crept behind the dark figure. She lost sight of him several times, but he always reappeared again just ahead of her.

  The wheelbarrow creaked and bumped as it rolled over rocks and the occasional root. Through town the man took it. Past the dark hotel where Bonnie was supposed to be sleeping and past the general store, church, saloon, and the schoolhouse.

  The road dipped sharply south of town, as well as became wider. Bonnie walked closer to the line of trees. If the man suspected he was being followed, she could use the woods for cover.

  Gaining a bit of ground, Bonnie looked for the limp she knew Mr. Percy had. She did not detect one.

  How far was he going? Where had he started? And what was in the wheelbarrow?

  Questions swirled in Bonnie’s head. She needed to decide how far she dared to follow the mystery man. Each step away from town took her farther from other people and put her in more danger.

  But how far could a man pushing a wheelbarrow travel? Indeed, whatever was in that wheelbarrow had to be heavy, for the man’s pace had progressively slowed.

  The road curved, and Bonnie squinted at what she thought was the rock face on her left. If she was correct, they were about a third of a mile south of town, at the spot where the road bent sharply.

  Abruptly, the footsteps and wheel crunching ahead of her stopped. Bonnie halted midstep and crouched down low. Had the man heard her?

  All he would need to do to discover her would be to walk back a few yards. He might not be able to tell who she was, but her following him would be obvious. For some people, that would be enough justification to shoot.

  Bonnie swallowed nervously, trying to decide whether to make a run for the woods or remain still. She bit her lip, eyes darting to the trees on the side of the road. It would be so easy to become lost in there... but better lost than shot dead.

  “Not much, is it?” a man’s voice asked.

  Bonnie sucked in a breath and remained crouched where she was.

  “It’s heavy,” a second man answered. “What do you expect?”

  There were some jostling sounds and then a light glowed ahead, allowing Bonnie to better take in her surroundings. She had been correct: they were at the bend in the road. In fact, she was on one end of it, and the two men were on the other. The lantern they’d lit glowed through the thin swatch of trees that lined the sharp curve.

  Bonnie’s heart pounded like a wild stallion attempting to break free from her rib cage, but she ignored the fear and shuffled closer to the trees. Staying hidden behind a trunk, she peered around the corner and took in the two men. One of them who was young and brawny and with blonde hair, she’d never seen before, but the second man looked familiar.

  But from where?

  Bonnie studied his face, trying hard to remember who he was or where she’d seen him before.

  The man she recognized wiped sweat from his brow. “It’s almost dawn.”

  “Yup,” the man holding the lantern agreed. He took a look in the wheelbarrow and made a face. “I hope there’s gonna be more next time.”

  The other man growled. “What’s it matter? You get your cut any which way.”

  “Yeah, and I’m risking my neck doing so, so I might as well be getting a pretty penny. Can’t you hire someone else to help you out?”

  “No.” The man’s face was tight, and like a flash of lightning, a memory came back to Bonnie.

  She knew where she’d seen this man. He was a miner. Bonnie had caught sight of him the first time she visited the mine, on that day she brought Steve his lunch pail.

  “Besides,” the miner added, “this is close to the last of it anyhow.”

  “What’s that now? What are you talking about?”

  “There could be more, there could not be.” The miner shrugged. “Just take this, all right? And hurry up. It’ll be dawn soon.”

  “I ain’t taking it all the way into Pathways tonight. Do I look stupid? I got a place to stash it.”

  Bonnie’s fingernails dug into the tree trunk’s bark. What were they talking about? Hide and stash what? What was in that wheelbarrow?

  “Don’t test me,” the miner grumbled.

  “Or what?” the other man countered. “You’re gonna kill me, too?”

  In the blink of an eye, the miner had his hands on the blonde’s shirt collar. He pulled the man to him, and the lantern swung in his hand. Bonnie gasped and quickly covered her mouth, afraid she would be overheard.

  “You want to say that again?” the miner barked.

  A tense silence followed as neither man moved. Finally, the blonde shook his head, and the miner let him go.

  “Take this,” the miner said. “And don’t you give me no more lip. You hear?” His hand hovered dangerously close to his holster.

  The blonde grunted noncommittally.

  “What’s that now?” the miner asked.

  The blonde hesitated. “Nothing, Sonneborn,” he said bitterly. “Nothing.”

  “That’s what I figured. Now get on out of here.”

  The blonde extinguished the lantern and set it in the wheelbarrow, which he then took hold of and began pushing down the road. The miner--Sonneborn--stood where he was a moment watching the other man disappear into the night.

  Bonnie’s head throbbed it was so full. Kill? That is what the blonde said. He’d asked the Sonneborn man if he was going to ‘kill me, too?’

  Had the miner killed before? Had he been the one to kill Mr. Hawkins?

  Bonnie couldn’t think straight. This new information was too muc
h to handle. If these two men were somehow involved with Mr. Hawkins, which meant she’d been following the wrong trails all along. Mr. Hawkins’ death had nothing to do with Margaret or Mr. Percy.

  An urge to shout with joy filled Bonnie, but she bit it back. This mystery was not over yet, but for the very first time since Steve found Mr. Hawkins dead, Bonnie felt hope.

  Just knowing this relaxed Bonnie. She leaned back on her heels without thinking, and a stick snapped under her boot.

  Bonnie held her breath, fear shooting through her. Had Sonneborn heard that?

  She stayed absolutely still, too terrified to peek around the tree trunk. She strained her ears listening for footsteps, but none came. Where was he? Had he walked back to town without her noticing?

  And then footsteps crunched in the leaves. Far too close for comfort.

  Sonneborn had entered the swatch of trees. Was he looking for her?

  Bonnie pressed her palm against her mouth, afraid she would scream without warning.

  Please, God. Don’t let him find me. Take me out of here. Take me home. Back to Steve.

  She could see her fiancée in her mind’s eye. Not in the jail cell, but in the cabin. In their home. Bonnie let that image fill her head and seep into her heart. It became so vivid that it was really happening, and she knew then with all the certainty in the world that the vision would come to pass.

  Footsteps sounded again, but this time they were moving to Bonnie’s left. Sonneborn was cutting through the trees, parallel to the one Bonnie hid behind. She followed the steps with her ear, carefully scooting along the trunk the smallest bit to ensure they were on opposite sides of the tree.

  The night was slowly fading away to the coming dawn. As Sonneborn exited the trees and stepped back onto the road, Bonnie caught a glimpse of his holster.

  His holster... his gun...

  That day at the mine, she had heard a snippet of Sonneborn’s conversation with another miner. He’d been talking about something he owned that was rare, saying it was something like ‘one of a couple thousand.’

  Had it been... Could it be he had been speaking of a Folsom 1890?

  Bonnie stayed close to the tree as Sonneborn walked at a fast pace toward Whiteridge. Even after he had disappeared, she stayed where she was, just in case he still suspected someone hid in the woods and returned to surprise them.

  After what felt like hours, but couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes, Bonnie straightened up. Her back ached something awful, and her mouth was dry from the fear she’d experienced, but she had vital information. She had answers.

  Lifting her skirts, Bonnie scurried toward town. The sunrise burst across the road, bringing to life a new day. In the middle of the dirt, something glinted. She stopped to pick up the rock.

  Except it was not a rock. It was too bright.

  It was gold. A nugget of it no wider around than Bonnie’s thumb, just sitting in the middle of the road.

  “It fell from the wheelbarrow,” Bonnie whispered in amazement. There was no other explanation. Why would gold simply be lying about?

  Pocketing the gold nugget, which felt heavy in her jacket pocket, Bonnie took off again, heading straight for the saloon.

  40

  40. Bonnie

  Chapter forty

  Like a bat out of hell. That’s what Bonnie’s father said when she was a child and possessed a habit of running into the house for dinnertime. As a little one, she always ran. From school to playtime to home. Everywhere she went, she ran.

  As she grew older, the need to be ladylike beat that habit out of her. This morning, though, as the dew sparkled on the grass and the cold air filled her lungs, Bonnie ran like she had not in years, hope propelling her forward.

  Throwing open the door to the hotel, she burst into the foyer. Wakefield turned around from his ascent up the stairs.

  “I was just coming to check on you,” he said.

  “I’m not... there.” Bonnie gasped for breath. “Listen. I must... tell you something.”

  The front porch creaked behind her, and Bonnie whirled around. Had Sonneborn seen and followed her?

  But it was Neil. He walked into the foyer with a concerned look on. “Bonnie? What is the matter?”

  “Neil!” Bonnie grabbed his arm. “Listen! I need to speak to you both right now.”

  Wakefield peered into the dining room. The sound of breakfast being prepared came from the kitchen.

  “My office,” he said quietly.

  The three of them filed into Wakefield’s office, and Bonnie began talking right away. She told them about everything that had occurred since she left the hotel the night before: about waiting outside of Mr. Percy’s, about Sonneborn and the blonde man and his asking Sonneborn if he would kill him to. She told them about remembering Sonneborn saying he owned something that was only one out of a couple thousand made. She left not a detail out.

  “And then I found this.” Bonnie pulled the gold from her jacket pocket and held it out for inspection.

  Neil’s eyes went wide, and he picked the gold up and studied it in the light. “Where did this come from?”

  “It was in the middle of the road. I think Sonneborn dropped it,” Bonnie said. “He must have. Gold must be what was in that wheelbarrow.”

  “But...” Neil shook his head. “There’s no gold on this mountain.”

  “Not that we know of,” Wakefield, who had been silent up till then, said.

  The three of them looked at each other, and Wakefield took the gold from Neil and tested its weight. He bit into it softly.

  “It’s gold,” he declared.

  “Sonneborn,” Neil muttered. “He must have found a vein of it.”

  “And he is selling it,” Bonnie said. “They mentioned Pathways. But why in secret?”

  “My guess is it’s on someone else’s land,” Wakefield said. “Or maybe in an unclaimed area. Either way, it doesn’t sound like Sonneborn has much of a right to it. You said you thought he suspected you watched him, right?”

  Bonnie nodded. “I think so. I stepped on a branch and then he came into the trees.”

  She shivered at the memory. Crouching behind that tree, she’d been so certain for a moment that her end was coming. It had been God and the vision of a future with Steve that had saved her.

  “What do you think?” Wakefield asked Neil. “You work with Sonneborn.”

  Neil thought that over. “He keeps to himself, mostly, so I can’t say I know much of anything about him. He does his work. Comes home. Talks to few people...” All of a sudden, Neil’s face lit up. “Although he did use to kick around with Hawkins a lot, come to think of it. He was one of few people who seemed able to stand Hawkins.”

  “They were friends?” Bonnie asked.

  “Or work associates,” Wakefield said.

  Neil and Bonnie looked to him in question.

  “I only have a theory,” Wakefield said.

  “Which is?” Neil prompted.

  “Hawkins either found out about what Sonneborn was up to and demanded some money to stay quiet about the vein, or he was in cahoots, and something went wrong.” He looked pointedly at Neil. “What’s a reason a man got to kill for?”

  “Money and women,” Neil immediately said.

  “Right. And I doubt Margaret was running around with Sonneborn. He’s not exactly a prime pick.”

  “I do not think she would be unfaithful,” Bonnie added. “No matter how brutish her husband was.”

  The proof of Margaret’s innocence, added with the prospect of Steve’s freedom, brought Bonnie so much relief she wanted to cry.

  “We need the sheriff,” Wakefield said. “We can’t confront him on our own. Especially not if he suspects someone is on to him.”

  “He must,” Bonnie agreed. “He must have been the person I heard outside of my cabin.”

  Neil’s hands curled into fists. “He could be leaving town, Wakefield. We don’t have time to get the sheriff.”

  “And
if he is leaving town?” Wakefield asked. “You want to go to his cabin and take him in without any backup?”

  “We can get Noah. And there’s...”

  “I get what you’re saying,” Wakefield said. “How about this? You go to the mine as usual. I’ll send a rider to Shallow Springs to fetch the sheriff, and then I’ll go wait for you on the road right before the mine. If Sonneborn isn’t there, come right out and tell me and we’ll head to his cabin. Walker won’t mind. Not once when he finds out what this is all about.”