By evening, they’d made good time, traveling significantly further than Colin’s projection and, assuming they could continue at this pace, saving themselves at least two days on the trail. It also put them a day’s ride from Mindell and the girls.
Glancing around at the clearing near a stream, Colin turned to Quinn. “Let’s stop here for the night. We’ll get settled, eat, then I’ll talk with Sarah about the girls.” Sliding off Chieftain, he helped Sarah down, pulling her to him for a long kiss, unmindful of those around them. “We’ll take a walk after supper.” He gave her a meaningful look, seeing the understanding on her face before her lips tilted into a playful smile.
“Well then, I’d better start supper.”
The men started a fire, then laid out the bedrolls while Geneen and Sarah unpacked the remaining food. Tonight would be the last night they’d have a regular meal before resorting to hardtack, jerky, and dried fruit.
“Smells wonderful, ladies.” Caleb lowered himself onto a log near the fire, brushing his hands down his trousers. Removing the lid on the large pot, he moaned at the aroma.
“Enjoy it as it’s the end of what Geneen and I prepared.” She glanced up as Colin, Quinn, and Brodie joined them, plates already in their hands. Each of them packed their own, cleaned up after themselves, then stored them for the next meal. “Eat all of it. There won’t be enough for another meal.”
Colin finished first, settling a hand on Sarah’s back as she took her last few bites.
“Come. Walk with me.” Standing, he held out his hand. “We’re heading toward the creek,” he called over his shoulder, grabbing his rifle before they disappeared into the trees. When out of sight, he turned her to him, letting his hands drift up and down her arms, his gaze raking over her body before he lowered his mouth. Seconds passed as the kiss deepened. He could already feel his heart hammering against his ribs, the result of the acute anticipation he’d fought all day. Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. “We need to get further away.”
Walking at a brisk pace, he led her toward the creek. Looking up and down the bank, he found what he wanted—a row of rocks creating an easy path across the water. Stepping behind Sarah, steadying her so she wouldn’t slip, Colin followed her to the other side, then continued on a deer trail toward a small opening in the trees. He set the rifle aside, slipped off his coat, laying it on the ground, then turned a heated gaze toward her.
“Come here.” Colin reached for her hands. “We have little time…” His voice drifted away as he dropped her hands, cupping her face. Reclaiming her lips, then moving his hands to her back, he crushed her to him.
The kiss was hungry, demanding, not at all slow and savoring as she’d come to expect. She gave herself over to the heated passion as an acute craving spiraled through her. Gripping his shoulders, she matched his urgent need. Her lips parted, allowing him the access he sought, their tongues tangling in a savage intensity. Her knees trembled as wave after wave of his fiery possession overtook her.
Without breaking the kiss, Colin’s hands moved lower, resting on her hips, gently easing her down onto his coat. Moving a hand between them, he unbuttoned her dress, interrupting the kiss to push the material aside. Gazing down at her, his breath hitched at the sight of her chest heaving, straining against the thin fabric of her chemise.
His tongue caressed the soft column of her neck, taking his time placing feathery kisses along the swell of her breasts. One hand slid down to rest on her stomach, moving lower to the swell of her hips, then to her stockinged legs. Bunching her skirt, his hand moved under her dress to skim her hips and rest on the heated skin of her thigh.
A moan escaped her lips as his gentle massage created a surge of desire. Wrapping her arms around him, she drew him down, caressing the hard planes of his back. Feeling heat radiate off him, she squirmed to get closer, pulling him against her warm, pulsing body.
On a ragged gasp, she pulled back. “Colin, please…”
He chuckled, knowing what she wanted and having every intention of providing it. “I know, lass…” he breathed out, unable to hold back any longer. Hovering above her, his eyes searched hers, chest tightening from the love he saw on her face. “I love you, Sarah.”
“There are three men and one woman. They won’t be expecting trouble.” Ralph, a short, round man with thick black stubble crouched low, glancing over the shoulders of his two companions. “Pretty even match, Clem.” He looked at the tallest and oldest of the three Baldwin brothers. They’d parted ways with the gang they’d been riding with after relations went sour. Although they’d pulled a couple good jobs, they’d ridden out with little.
“Did you see any guns?” Clem asked. They wouldn’t have stopped when they saw the light from the fire, except they needed food, water, and money.
“Each is wearing a gun, and I spotted rifles near their gear.”
“What do you think, Emory?” Ralph asked the middle brother. Quiet and thoughtful, Emory was also the most ruthless of the three.
“We need food and money to make it up to Portland. Don’t know what other chances we’ll get before we reach River City. I say we take what we can get.”
“Then it’s decided.” Clem stood, checking his gun, motioning for his brothers to fan out.
Moving at a slow pace, the three surrounded the camp, Ralph and Emory nodding to Clem when they were in place.
“Don’t anyone move.” Clem’s voice boomed in the quiet night. “If I see you go for your guns, the first bullets will hit the woman.”
Everyone froze, except Quinn, whose hand slowly moved toward his gun.
“Don’t be stupid, mister.” Clem swung his gun toward Quinn. “If you give us what we want, no one will get hurt. Take your guns out of the holsters and drop them on the ground.”
Doing as he asked, the three men glanced at each other, knowing the other’s thoughts. All carried knives strapped to their belts, hidden underneath their coats.
“What is it you want?” Brodie shifted, looking around him. He could see the outlines of three men, but not their faces.
“Food and money. Give us what you have and we’ll ride out.”
“We don’t have much other than hardtack and jerky. Same with money, but we’ll give you what we have.” Caleb glanced at Quinn, seeing him nod.
Clem looked at Caleb, signaling with his gun. “You, collect the money and get the food. The rest of you stay where you are.”
Caleb moved from Brodie to Quinn, taking the money each pulled from their pockets.
“Now get what you have in the saddlebags.” Clem nodded toward the gear on the ground near the horses.
Mumbling a curse, Caleb checked each saddlebag, taking out as little as possible without raising suspicion.
“What about the food, Clem?” Ralph asked, feeling the pangs of an empty stomach.
He looked at Geneen. “You, pack up your food. All you have.”
Standing, she crossed her arms, face red with anger. “No. You’re taking our money, but I won’t give you what little food we have.”
“Watch them,” Clem instructed Ralph and Emory as he stalked toward Geneen. Reaching for her, he grabbed the back of her hair, drawing her close. “You’ll do as I say, little lady, or you’ll wish you had.” He shoved her away. When she still hesitated, he took a menacing step toward her. "Now!”
Chapter Fifteen
“Sarah, wake up.” Colin tightened his hold around her waist, brushing a kiss on her shoulder.
They’d fallen asleep under the stars, talking of their wedding and future. Colin didn’t think they’d been napping long when the sound of male voices woke him. Sitting up, he’d listened, unable to understand what was said, but certain the discussion wasn’t friendly.
“Sarah, lass, we need to get back to camp.”
Her eyes opened on a low hum of satisfaction. “Can we not stay here longer?”
The sounds came again. This time Colin stood, extending his hand to her. “Something isn�
��t right at camp. We need to return. Now.”
Picking up his coat, grabbing her hand, he moved through the brush. The voices grew louder as they approached the camp. Glancing over his shoulder, he put a finger to his lips, then crouched low when he saw three strangers, their guns trained on his family. Containing the fear ripping through him, Colin turned to Sarah.
“Do not move from this spot unless they come after you. If that happens, run.”
Grabbing his arm, Sarah’s fingers dug in, forcing Colin to look at her. “I know you have two guns. Give me one. I’ll help.”
Cocking his head, he cupped her face in his hands. “Nae, Sarah. You stay here.”
“But—”
“I’ll waste no more time on this,” he hissed. Pulling from her grasp, he moved closer, watching as Caleb stood, then walked to Quinn and Brodie, taking money they pulled from their pockets. Colin saw their guns on the ground and knew each had a knife. He didn’t know about Caleb, but Quinn and Brodie were quite skilled. Moving quietly, he stopped behind a thick bush several yards behind the tallest of the outlaws. If he could distract them, disable or kill one of the robbers, Quinn, Brodie, and Caleb might have time to draw and throw their knives, surprising the other two men.
He held his gun steady as the oldest man ordered Geneen to pack their food. Colin held his breath, hoping she’d do as the man asked, getting her out of danger when the fight started. He cringed when she stood, hands on hips, and defied the man. However, the outlaw’s threats had her changing her mind and moving toward the pack animal carrying their supplies.
Moving to get a better shot, Colin’s gaze shifted when Caleb crouched by the saddlebags, taking out the money each had stored inside. Before he stood, Caleb’s head turned to the side, then nodded. Looking past Caleb to the bushes on the other side of the camp, Colin cursed as a patch of white fabric disappeared into the darkness. Sarah. They’d have a stern discussion when this was over.
Standing, Caleb looked at the tallest outlaw, then behind him, sending Colin a slight nod when their eyes locked. Opening his hand, Caleb held out the money.
“This is all we have.”
Clem sneered at the pittance, turning his attention to his brothers. “Ralph and Emory, why don’t you two go through those bags and see what else you can find?”
His gun moving away from Caleb was all the break Colin needed. He aimed and fired at Clem’s back, sending him sprawling seconds before Caleb drew his knife and sent it flying toward Ralph. The outlaw grabbed the protruding handle, then collapsed to the ground, the blade buried in his throat. The distraction gave Quinn and Brodie the time needed to draw their own knives and hurl them toward Emory. Both lodged in his chest.
Colin moved to kneel next to Clem, checking his pulse. Finding none, he watched as his cousins shook their heads, indicating neither of the other two had survived. He started to dash toward the last spot he saw Sarah, then let out a breath when he saw her arms wrapped around Geneen, both of their faces blank, as if in shock.
“Are you two all right?” Colin rested a hand on Sarah’s shoulder.
Swallowing the fear she’d felt moments before, she turned toward him, shifting her embrace from Geneen to Colin. Stroking her back, he placed a kiss on her forehead, then stepped back.
“I’d better help them with the bodies.”
“Do you know who they are?” Geneen asked Colin, her voice surprisingly calm.
“Nae. Do you recognize them?”
“I’ve never seen them. The oldest is named Clem. He called the other two Ralph and Emory.”
Colin nodded. He needed to speak with the others, decide what to do with the bodies, then find where they’d left their horses.
“What do you want to do with them, Colin?” Quinn checked his knife again, then slid it into the sheath.
“Search them for anything that may identify who they are. We’ll bury them here and let the sheriff in Mindell know what happened. He can decide what to do next.”
“Cursed outlaws,” Brodie muttered. “I hate wasting good time burying such scum, but guess it has to be done.”
Colin slapped him on the back. “That it does, lad.”
It took several hours for them to dig shallow graves, then toss rock, branches, leaves—whatever they could find—on top. They’d done what they could. If animals got to them, so be it.
Collapsing on their bedrolls, they slept a few hours, then ate before riding south. From what Colin could tell, Sarah and Geneen seemed fine given all they’d been through. Neither had slept while the men worked, using their time to provide coffee, then helping gather rocks and branches to mark the graves.
Today, he rode alongside Sarah in the front, while Brodie rode by Geneen in the middle. Caleb and Quinn stayed at the back with the pack horses and the three mounts the outlaws used, their usual banter giving way to stoic silence. Although proficient with their knives, none of the three had ever used them to kill a man. It wasn’t a sight they’d soon forget.
Reining Chieftain to a stop at the top of a hill, Colin took a breath, his gaze settling on the town of Mindell a couple miles below.
“Is that it?” Sarah stared into the distance, seeing nothing more than a few buildings in a clearing not more than a quarter mile in diameter.
“That’s Mindell.” He had yet to tell her about the girls. Their time together away from camp the night before had been short and he didn’t want to waste it talking about the runaways. During the ride, he had little desire to talk, his thoughts still focused on what happened at camp. Like the others, Colin had never killed a man, hoping he’d never be forced to. Even though the outlaws had given them no choice, the burden of ending a life would still weigh heavy on him for some time.
“Will we be stopping there?”
“Aye. There are some people we need to see about.”
Sarah cocked her head, waiting for him to finish. Instead, he started down the hill, giving no further explanation.
Deciding to stop at the jail first, he and Brodie reported the shootings, giving the sheriff the names of the outlaws from wanted posters they found in their saddlebags.
“Wondered about those Baldwin brothers. They were a mean bunch. I think they were part of a gang that robbed our bank a few weeks ago. It’s a miracle you and your family got away without them killing anyone. They’d usually shoot first, not worrying about the consequences.” The sheriff wrote down the approximate location of the graves, even though he doubted anyone would care. “There’s a small reward for each. Where do you want it sent?”
“Send it to Reverend Olford, River City, Oregon, with a message to give it to Jamie’s new family,” Colin said before walking out with Brodie.
They headed straight for the church. He’d no more than slid off Chieftain when the door burst open and Coral ran outside, launching herself at him.
“I knew you’d come back, Colin.” Her arms gripped him tight.
“Ah, lassie. I told you we would.” He stroked Coral’s hair, glancing up to see the astonishment on Sarah’s face. He hadn’t anticipated the reception, believing if they hadn’t found homes, the girls would have already run.
“That’s what I told Opal and Pearl, but I don’t think they believed me. But I knew…” Her voice trailed off as she settled her head against his chest.
Squeals from the church, then the sound of running feet signaled the arrival of her sisters. Opal ran up to Quinn, while Pearl threw herself into Brodie’s arms before he swung her in a circle.
“What do we have here?” Geneen walked to Colin, glancing up at Sarah sitting atop her horse, a look of complete confusion on her face.
Gently pulling Coral’s arms from around his waist, he turned her toward Sarah and Geneen. “This is Coral and her sisters, Opal and Pearl. Girls, this is Miss Geneen MacGregor and her sister, Sarah MacGregor. Sarah and I are getting married. That’s the reason Quinn, Brodie, and I rode to Oregon.”
Sarah almost felt bad at the look of total dejection on Coral’
s face. The girl had an obvious affection for Colin, perhaps even believed herself in love with him. Sarah could understand. She’d been in love with Colin from the first day they’d met.
Sliding off her horse, Sarah walked up to Coral. “It’s a pleasure to meet you and your sisters. Do you live here in Mindell?”
Straightening and showing the attitude Colin had seen when they first met the runaways, Coral stared at Sarah. “We’re going to live with the MacLarens at Circle M Ranch.”
Colin settled his hands on his waist, tilting his head up, looking at the sky. Quinn choked on the news, while Brodie crossed his arms and shook his head.
Coral spun around, casting a defiant gaze at Colin. “That’s what you told us. You said if the reverend and his wife didn’t find a home for us, you’d take us to yours.”
“Coral, what I said was—”
“The MacLarens.” The reverend’s booming voice came from the front steps of the church, his arms spread wide. “You are as good as your word.” Walking up to them, he held out a hand to each of the men. “I don’t recall meeting you,” he said to Caleb.
“Caleb Stewart, sir. I met up with the MacLarens in River City and decided to ride south with them. We all traveled west together in the same wagon train a few years ago.”
“Ah, then you know them to be the same fine men I met when they left the girls with us.” Turning to Colin, he looked at Coral. “We did try, but there wasn’t a family able to take all three girls, and they refused to be separated. It’s good you came as I don’t know how my wife and I would have been able to feed them over the winter.”
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