Montana Surrender

by Simmons, Trana Mae

  So much for that idea. Prudence would never turn her away, but how could she know what Tobias had heard about the incident in town? Probably nothing, her mind insisted, since it was fairly clear no one came out to his ranch very often, but she couldn't take that chance. If he had heard, Tobias wouldn't want an lawbreaker around Prudence.

  Jessica wearily saddled Cinnabar and rode him around the edge of the hilltop. An hour later, she looked back from the bank of the Little Big Horn River to the cliff face beyond Tobias's cabin. There. That had to be what she remembered.

  Though it had been shadowed somewhat, since she had first seen it close to sundown, now full daylight shown on the cliff face. And a face it definitely was. She had studied that landmark on the map for hours, trying to decipher it. The moment she had glanced at the cliff from Tobias's porch, something had clicked in her mind.

  The craggy cliff had the look of a man's face. Shaggy eyebrows lay over two holes in the hillside and an outcropping between them could be a nose. The stratums of rock beneath the nose curved upwards into a mouth, covered by a line of trees — the mustache.

  The nose on that face pointed directly to where the gold was buried. She could see the dotted line in her mind, though the map still lay in the saddlebag. She and Cinnabar splashed across the Little Big Horn and headed toward where the smaller river intersected with the Big Horn River, somewhere in the distance. It couldn't be too far, if she would still be able to see the cliff face from the bank.

  Scarcely two hours later, Jessica pulled her gloves on and turned over a rock on the river bank. Swallowing the gorge rising in her throat, she forced her fingers to pick up one of the leeches clinging to the underside of the rock. It wriggled and squirmed in her fingers, and she quickly threaded it on her hook, then turned to toss her fishing line into the river.

  Almost at once she felt a tug on her line and had a fat trout flopping in the sand at her feet. That darn gold could just wait a while longer. First, she desperately needed to fill her stomach. She cleaned the fish with sure strokes of the knife she removed from her saddlebag and spit it on a green stick over her fire. One fish might not be enough. While the first one browned over the flames, she caught several more — enough for her supper also.

  Jessica finally leaned back and patted her full stomach. That had to be the best trout she had ever eaten — even without the benefit of any salt or pepper. The rain seemed to be holding off, too, so maybe her luck was changing.

  She scanned the area around her. The river lay at a much lower elevation than the hills she had ridden through, the peaks of the hills catching the storm clouds behind them. She squinted her eyes, but no stretch of the imagination showed her the cliff face she searched for. Giving a sigh, she rose to her feet and whistled for Cinnabar. Several canyons intersected the river and their sides were higher than where she made camp. She would just have to search until she found the one shown on the map.

  To Jessica's delight, the first canyon ridge she rode along just had to be the right one. The clouds in the hills dissipated and she could make out the cliff face in the far distance. She stopped Cinnabar when she thought her own nose was pointed directly at the nose of the cliff man and turned to look behind her.

  There. She marked the place in her mind. A bubbling creek ran across the rocks in the canyon bottom and the spot she stared at lay just on the other side. She wouldn't know for sure until she climbed down and checked the distance to the river, but it just had to be it. No way, though, could even the sure footed Cinnabar manage the steep canyon sides. She would have to leave him on top.

  Jessica slid to the ground and opened her saddlebags. She pulled the map out, along with a small hand spade she had brought with her. Then she patted Cinnabar on the nose.

  "You stay here, boy," she said. "I have a feeling that, in just a few minutes, you're going to have a very rich mistress."

  Cinnabar tossed his head at her and gazed up the canyon. When Jessica left him and started down the steep canyon sides, he whickered after her. A second later, he neighed shrilly and moved over to the edge of the canyon. His front hoof pawed at the ground, knocking a shower of stones down on Jessica.

  "Cinnabar, quit it!" Jessica called up at him. "Settle down!"

  Cinnabar reared and neighed loudly again. Jessica thought she heard someone call her name, but it couldn't be. She was alone out here. She determinedly began making her way on down the canyon bank.

  "Jessica! Don't, Jessica!"

  No mistake this time. And if she didn't know better, she would swear she recognized Storm's voice. How had he found her? If he thought he could keep her from the gold, he would have to think again, she told herself as she continued her climb down the canyon.

  No way in hell was she going to allow Storm to hogtie her and carry her to the train — not when she was only a few feet from her goal. Uncle Pete had meant for her to have that gold, though Pete couldn't have imagined at the time that she would also desperately need the gold to clear her lover's name — and hers.

  Jessica heard her stomach rumble again. She paused a few feet from the bottom of the canyon and shook her head. She couldn't still be hungry. It must be thunder. She would have to hurry before the rain hit again.

  But thunder didn't go on and on. Suddenly it dawned on her what the noise had to be. She glanced down at the creek at her feet and saw it already beginning to swell with new water — dirty water. Dirty water rumbling down on her with the speed of a freight train from a flash flood begun up in the hills.

  Jessica's throat constricted with terror as she tried to scramble back up the side of the canyon. Her fingers grabbed at bushes on the bank, more than one of them pulling loose, causing her to slide back down each time she gained a few feet. The easy downhill path proved dangerously treacherous on her return trip.

  The thunder of the water rose until it drowned out even the sound of Cinnabar neighing shrilly above her. With a final surge of effort, Jessica managed to grasp a rock and pull herself upwards. She glanced to the side in horror to see the wall of water only a few yards away. She threw herself down and tried to work her way on hands and knees up the side of the canyon. The rocks bit into her knees and palms, splitting them open and leaving behind spots of blood on the area she crawled over.

  "Jessica! Jessica, I'm coming! Hang on, darlin'!"

  Storm appeared on the top of the canyon wall. He scrambled over the side, but the wall of water hit Jessica full force, tearing her violently away from her hold on the rock and sending her tumbling through the surging current. She surfaced briefly once, gasping for air. The floodwater carried with it everything it found in its path and buffeted her from every side with small rocks and even trees. She went under again and fought her way back to the surface.

  A huge tree trunk bore down on her just as her head split the surface again. She gasped in terror and tried to dive under the tree, but it hit her squarely on the head. A peaceful blackness descended as she went limp.

  Never had Storm been so glad of Spirit's speed. The stallion hit the riverbank running full out just as the floodwaters entered the river. Storm headed Spirit into the current, his eyes frantically searching the violently roiling flotsam around him.

  She had to be here. He couldn't let himself think about her lying battered and broken under all this. Spirit dodged around a tree and Storm felt a rock hit his leg, sending a shooting pain up his thigh. He gritted his teeth and pulled Spirit's head back around when the horse tired of fighting the current.

  Oh, God, maybe he should have waited to see what happened to her after the wall of water hit. But all he could think about was getting to the river in time to pull her out. He would have wasted valuable time scrambling down the bank and into the water himself.

  A huge tree trunk swirled toward him, and Storm felt Spirit swerve under him to miss it. A branch protruded from the side and Storm instinctively reined Spirit further aside to miss it. A flash of white caught his eye. Jessica had worn a white blouse!

 
He frantically pulled Spirit back into line with the tree trunk. The limb swept by him and he reached out. His fingers closed around the scrap of white cloth and he curled them into the fabric and pulled with all his might.

  Jessica's head surfaced and lolled back into the water. Storm gripped Spirit with his knees and reached out with his other hand. He caught her arm and managed to bring her onto saddle in front of him. Spirit willingly turned back to ride with the rushing current and swam with sure strokes toward the bank as soon as the current slackened somewhat.

  Keeping a firm grip on the cold body in his arms, Storm slid down from Spirit. He knelt and cradled her close, his hand stroking the side of her icy cheek. Her lips were so blue — she lay so still. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be!

  "Jessica! Oh, God, darlin', what have you done to yourself? Nothing's worth your life."

  When she didn't respond, Storm forced himself to loosen his hold on her and turn her onto her stomach. He knelt over her and pushed against her ribs. Once. Again. Jessica lay without moving under him.

  Storm sobbed once, then raised his head.

  "Damn you!" His voice echoed throughout the river valley. "Damn you!" he screamed again. "Let her live! Let me at least know she's alive somewhere and I'll never touch her again!"

  His head fell back down onto his chest and he pushed again on Jessica's ribs. Suddenly a gush of riverwater erupted from her mouth.

  "Yes! Oh, yes, baby," Storm said, forcing himself not to push too hard on her as a surge of hope rushed through him. "Come on, pretty lady. You can do it!"

  Jessica coughed and more water flowed out onto the sand under her mouth, mixed with the contents of her stomach. She stirred under Storm. He leapt off her and pulled her into his arms again.

  "Jessica. Come on, pretty lady, open your eyes."

  Though her chest rose and fell rhythmically with her breathing, Jessica still lay unmoving in his arms. Storm laid her back down and quickly ran his hands over her body. He couldn't detect any major injuries — though her arms were scraped and bruised, her fingernails broken. Finally he cupped her head and tenderly massaged his fingertips through her hair.

  Jessica moaned in pain when his fingers encountered the huge knot, but her eyes remained closed. Noticing her still blue-tinged lips, Storm gently lowered her to the ground. He had to build the fire up quickly, or she still might die.

  A sense of deja vu stole over Jessica when she opened her eyes. Storm sat beside her, bent over, with his arms propped on his knees and his head hanging down. A fire flickering on the other side of her gave some light to the darkness, but Storm's hair hid his face from her.

  She turned her head slightly to try to see him better and pain shot through her temple. A moan of distress escaped her lips.

  Storm immediately threw his head up and scrambled to her side. "Jessica! Jessica, are you awake?"

  "Uh huh," she said softly. "It hurts when I move, though."

  "Don't move, darlin'. Stay quiet and I'll get a cool cloth for your head."

  Jessica opened her eyes to see Storm's face hovering over her. "Well, I'm damned sure going to move," she said with determination. "I'm hungry. I've been hungry for two days and I finally managed to get something to eat. Now I feel like I didn't even eat at all."

  "Honey, I've already got a pot of soup on the fire. You don't have to move. I'll get you some." He started to stand up, but his legs felt like the water in the river behind him. He took a steadying breath and reached out to lay a hand on her cheek.

  "Oh, pretty lady," he said quietly. "I thought I'd lost you. No amount of damned gold could be worth your life."

  Jessica gasped and winced in pain as she tried to sit up. She pulled against Storm's hand for a moment when he held her down on the blanket, unable to overcome the weakness in her body. The pain pounded in her temple, but she forced out her question.

  "How did you know about the gold?"

  "I wasn't sure just what it was," Storm admitted. "Now I know."

  "The map. You found the map while you had Cinnabar and you knew where I'd be going."

  "Right. And I'm damned sure glad I did."

  Jessica reached up and laid her palm over Storm's hand on her shoulder. "I am too, Storm. I am too."

  Storm turned his hand over and squeezed Jessica's before he rose to his feet. "I'll get you something to eat, honey. You just lie still."

  A moment later, Storm sat beside her and tenderly lifted her into his arms. When Jessica reached for the spoon in the bowl, he shook his head and laid her hand back on her stomach.

  "I'll feed you, honey. I don't want you to exert yourself right now. That blow on your head could still be mighty dangerous if you try to move around too much."

  Jessica sighed complacently and lay back against his arm. She opened her mouth after Storm picked up a spoonful of soup and blew on it gently before holding it out to her.

  "Ummmm. Oh, that tastes good."

  "Well, enjoy it. It'll probably be fish again tomorrow."

  "Again!? You saw me catch those fish?"

  "Uh huh. I've been waiting here for you."

  "F...umph!" The spoon cut off Jessica's words and she had to swallow before she could speak again.

  "For how long?"

  "Only a couple hours before you showed up. I staked Spirit back a ways and went to get him after I saw you ride toward the canyon. Just as I got my saddle cinched up, I heard Cinnabar neigh and saw you disappear over the edge of that damned bank."

  Storm dropped the spoon into the bowl and pulled her tight against him. "Oh, Jessica. When I heard that water rushing down that canyon, all I could think about was how I had only thought my life empty before. I knew that if you died, there'd be no reason for me to go on living."

  "Storm, I didn't die," she soothed as she raised a hand to slide her fingers into his hair. "I'm here, and you're going to play hell getting rid of me the next time."

  Storm chuckled and loosened his hold. Picking up the bowl of soup, he settled it on her stomach and offered her another spoonful.

  "Seems like you wanted to get rid of me, too," he said. "How the hell did you know that mustang herd would be there?"

  "I didn't for sure, but it worked. And as soon as these flood waters go down, we can get what I came after and both go back to Wyoming."

  Storm's hand stilled for a moment, then he tilted the spoon into Jessica's mouth. He silently reached for another spoonful.

  Jessica reached out and stayed his hand. "Storm? You will help me get the gold, won't you?"

  Storm nodded slightly. "If that's what you want. But I'm not going back to Wyoming with you."

  "Why not?" Jessica demanded.

  "I made a vow while you were in the river, Jessica. Look, you wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't gotten mixed up with me, so I promised I'd get out of your life and leave you alone. I'm going to keep that vow."

  Jessica bit back the laugh that tried to bubble up in her throat. How many times had he already said those same words to her — in one manner or another? When he continued to gaze down on her, waiting, she guessed, for her to say something else, she laid her head back against his arm and sighed deeply.

  "You didn't have a thing to do with me climbing down into that canyon when I knew it had been raining up in the hills. Heavens, Storm, I've ridden the outdoors enough to know how flash floods happen. I just didn't think. Thank God you were here.

  "Now," she said after she lingeringly caressed his cheek. "I'm still hungry. And I'm getting awfully cold." She reached for the soup bowl and tilted it up to take a swallow. After she set the bowl down beside her, she sat up, shaking her head when Storm tried to pull her back into his arms.

  "I can finish now," she said. "Won't you put some more wood on the fire? Brrrr. I feel like I've got riverwater running through my veins."

  She watched Storm shrug and stand. While he added more wood to the fire, she quickly scooped the remaining soup into her mouth, then laid down and pulled the blanket over her. Whe
n Storm looked at her again, she shivered and clutched the blanket around her neck.

  "I'm freezing, Storm," she said. "Why." She pulled the blanket slightly away and peeked down inside it. "Why, I don't have any clothes on. Don't we have another blanket?"

  "No, we don't, Jessica. My bedroll got wet when I swam Spirit in the river after you. I'll get you some dry clothes from your saddlebags."

  "If all the other blankets are wet, where will you sleep? If you think I'm going to hog all the warmth while you sit up in the cold, you're wrong. You can share the blankets with me. That way we'll both be warm."

  "I can stay warm by the fire, Jessica." Storm knew immediately he had lost the argument when Jessica pursed her lips into the familiar pout. She started to throw the blanket back and he reached out to still her hand.

  "All right. I told you I didn't want you exerting yourself, and I guess you will if you lay there shivering. Wait until I get my moccasins off."

  "Ummmm, good," Jessica said. "You can snuggle your feet up with mine and keep them warm."

  Chapter 19

  Jessica ran as fast as she could, but the thunder of hoofbeats behind her grew louder. Where was Cinnabar? She couldn't even whistle for him — she needed all her breath to try to outrun her pursuers. Her heart pounded madly, the sound echoing in her mind. She just couldn't go any further.

  Suddenly she didn't need to run. The hoofbeats rose to a crescendo and a hand grabbed her from behind, tossing her over the saddle of the rider's horse. She screamed wildly and pounded her fists against the rider's leg.

  "No! Let me go! I didn't mean to kill him!"

  In the next heartbeat she found herself staring out from behind a set of jail bars. Prudence stood looking in at her, her brown eyes fixing Jessica with a glare and her mouth set in stern lines.

  "You! You killed Mr. Baker, but it is not that you'll hang for! You took Storm from me. For that, you'll never be forgiven!"

  Jessica grabbed the jail bars and shook them. "You can speak now! You don't need him! Please, I love him!"