by Clay, Verna
Now she needed Brutus. Reaching under her skirt to her thigh holster, she grasped the handle of her Remington derringer, the action fortifying her courage. At least if he discovers me, I'll send him to hell where he belongs. She had two shots and didn't intend to waste either of them.
Sliding sideways only an inch, she waited a few minutes, and then slid another inch. It took a long time to move far enough away from Cecil before she decided to crawl. Inch by inch, she moved closer to boulders that would hide her. Just when she'd reached the first boulder, Cecil snorted and her heart pounded erratically. Should I make a break for it or wait?
She decided to wait.
When Cecil's snoring resumed, she continued edging behind the boulder. Done. Allowing herself only an instant to lean against the stone that still held some warmth from the scorching afternoon, she inhaled deeply, forcing her mind to focus. Her mind felt clear at the moment, but that could change at any time.
I can do this. I can escape.
Moving quietly, she pushed deeper into the covering offered by large boulders, not allowing herself to dwell on snakes or wild animals. Farther, farther…hope blossomed until Cecil's sudden shout. "Jethro, Hankster, wake up! The bitch is gone!"
His voice sounded closer than she had imagined him to be. Instinct kicked in and she ran, clutching Brutus tightly.
"There she is!" shouted Cecil.
She reached another outcropping of boulders, but there was nowhere to hide. Holding her hands against the rough stones, she ran their length, hoping to come to the end.
A horrible laugh sounded behind her and pain shot from her shoulder to her neck when Cecil's fingers bit into her flesh. "Gotcha! Yer gonna pay fer this! You can bet on that!" Twisting her roughly around and against him, his free hand jerked her head back by her hair and he smashed his mouth against hers.
It was the last thing he would ever do.
Lilah had strategically moved her derringer so that it landed directly over his heart.
She fired.
For an instant he continued the brutality of his mouth, but then he lifted his head, shifted eyes reflecting moonlight to stare into hers, and said, "Did you just shoot me?"
Lilah jerked away from him and watched his expression of shock and surprise, turn to fear, and then a blank stare, as he keeled backwards. Before he even hit the ground, she was again running for her life. The sound of gunfire made her jump and she waited for her body to feel the pain of an intrusive bullet. Another shot rang out. She kept running, running. She fell and recovered herself, running again. She reached a break in the massive outcropping and turned into it. She'd only run a few feet when a strong arm captured her from behind. She screamed and struggled, trying to shoot her captor with her last bullet. He was talking to her, but her mind was too far gone to understand his words. "Noooo!" she screamed. Her gun fired. Had she killed another outlaw?
"Damnit, Lilah. It's Rush. Stop fighting me!"
Her captor held her immovable and said close to her ear, "I want to keep all my toes."
"Wh-what?"
"Lilah, its Rush. They're all dead. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
"R-Rush?" she stammered.
"Yes, darlin', it's me. You're safe."
She stopped struggling and allowed his words to sink in. "I'm safe?"
"Yes."
"The bad men are dead?"
"Yes," he breathed against her ear.
Lilah inhaled Rush's familiar scent—sweat and horse mixed with the outdoors. With an exclamation that sounded like a cross between a sob and a laugh, she turned and threw her arms around his neck and molded herself to his body. For a long time she alternated between laughing and sobbing.
Exhaustion soon liquefied her thoughts and she felt herself being lifted over his shoulder while he explained it was the easiest way to get her to his campsite. She didn't care if he dragged her there. Just knowing she was safe with Rush was all that mattered.
Chapter 11: New Destination
Leaning against a boulder in the waning afternoon, Rush watched Lilah sleep. That morning, he'd removed her dress and undergarments, except for her shift, and washed them in the river, laying them on a rock to dry. For the past sixteen hours she had awakened only when nightmares terrorized her. When that happened he calmed her with soft touches and soothing words until she succumbed to sleep once again. The poor woman was exhausted. Another few days of that brutality would have put her six feet under. Even now, she suffered from sun sickness. Rush swallowed against the lump in his throat. Cooper and Hallie had entrusted Lilah's life to him and he had failed to keep her safe.
Moving to the fire, he turned the rabbit he was roasting to its other side. Over the past few hours he'd gotten Lilah to eat a few bites of meat he'd pulled into tiny strips, and although she needed nourishment, she needed rest more.
Soon he would apply more balm to her face. Seeing the sun's damage made him want to cry, and he never cried. She would heal just fine, but the fact that she had suffered so much after selflessly giving herself as a hostage, agonized his soul.
Throughout the rest of the evening he ministered to her needs: feeding and coaxing food down her, applying a wet bandana to cool her fever, and always speaking uplifting, comforting words.
After dark, when the temperature dropped, he slipped inside the bedroll with her. When he'd first done so the night before, he'd worried that his being so near would frighten her, but she had not shied away and had, in fact, pressed closer to his body.
It must have been after midnight when he felt her shift position and then say in her rational mind, "Rush?"
"Yes, darlin'?"
She remained silent so long that he thought she'd fallen back to sleep, so he closed his eyes.
"Rush, I've never had to relieve myself so bad in my life."
Encouraged by her words, he chuckled. "Honey, you don't know how glad I am to hear you say that. Let's get you up and behind a bush."
Standing, he reached and gently helped her to her feet, but when he loosened his grip, she started to topple.
"Whoa, girl." Lifting her into his arms, he said, "I'll carry you to some bushes and help if need be." Before she could protest, he quickly added, "And now don't you feel embarrassed. You've been wrung through a ringer backwards and I promise to keep my eyes averted."
She sobbed, "I-I feel so weak and helpless. I-I just want to t-thank you for following those men and s-saving me." She started to shiver and Rush wanted to curse. He sure hoped it was because of the cold and not another fever.
When they reached some bushes, he stood her up and waited a few seconds before letting go. She started to tumble again and began crying.
"Lilah, please don't cry. I promise it will be okay. Can I lift your skirt?"
She sobbed, "Y-yes. I just have to go so bad."
Between the two of them, with Rush continually assuring her that he couldn't see anything in the dark, she accomplished her business. The effort took the last of her strength and when he lifted her, she became limp in his arms. Quickly, he returned her to the bedroll and crawled in beside her, warming her with his body. Already, she had fallen back to sleep.
* * *
Lilah's eyelids felt so heavy and for a long time she just listened to sounds. Mostly, she heard rushing water. Occasionally, a bird's cry mingled itself with the water sound. Then she heard a clink followed by the smell of coffee. It smelled really good and she decided it was worth the effort to open her eyes. They felt sore and gritty, but finally she pried them apart. Focusing took some time. Someone was stoking a fire and then squatting beside it. She squinted to better focus. Rush was lifting a tin to his mouth.
"Can I have some, too?" she croaked.
He jerked to face her and smiled his heart-stopping smile. "You sure can."
Slowly, she attempted to sit. Rush poured her coffee and then waited until she was upright. He said, "Good. Your strength is coming back. I figured after you woke up last night, you'd probably be showing a lo
t of improvement this morning."
"I don't remember waking up."
"Ah, well, it'll come back to you, I'm sure." He handed her the coffee tin. "Stay the way you are and I'll place my saddlebags behind your back to support you."
After she was resting comfortably, she sighed and said, "I'd forgotten how lovely the sound of water is."
Rush returned to the fire and squatted again with his own coffee in hand.
Lilah sighed and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Rush. No doubt I'd be dead right now without you. I owe you my life."
"Darlin' you don't owe me anything. I should have stopped those men before they took you. I'm so sorry."
Lilah frowned. "They knocked you out. It wasn't your fault."
"Perhaps. But I still feel responsible."
She reached to brush a tear from the corner of her eye. "Because you're too polite to ask, I want you to know they didn't rape me. I don't want you feeling bad thinking maybe they did. Anyway, let's not talk about them. Let's talk about where we go from here. It suddenly feels wonderful to be alive. Perhaps that's the blessing in this experience. I haven't felt so alive in years." She gave a trembling smile.
Rush returned her smile. "The way I figure it, returning back the way we came is too far. We're close to Laredo, so it's best we go there. After that…" he paused.
Lilah waited, and when he didn't speak, she asked, "Where do we go from Laredo?"
A resolute expression settled over his countenance. "The ranch I was raised on is only fifty miles north of Laredo. We can be there in three days, at the most four, depending on how you feel."
"You have family nearby. That's wonderful."
Rush glanced away.
"Isn't it wonderful?" she rephrased her words into a question.
He smiled sadly. "I haven't been home in twenty years and I didn't leave under the best of circumstances. It's not wonderful, but it's what we need to do."
Lilah wanted to say something—didn't know exactly what—so she remained mute.
Rush stood. "I need to check my horse. You enjoy your coffee and I'll see if I can kill a rabbit for breakfast. If not, we'll be eating jerky and hardtack."
Lilah sipped her coffee and pondered the sudden change in her life from pampered to practically dead. She heard a bird's cry and lifted her head to watch an eagle with outspread wings. The simplicity of watching a bird soar brought a fresh wave of tears.
When Rush returned empty-handed she was still watching birds fly. She said, "I killed that man, didn't I?"
He crouched in front of her. "Yes."
She moved her gaze from the sky to his concerned expression. "Why do some people choose to be so evil?"
"I don't know, darlin'."
"You killed the other men?"
"Yes."
"Have you killed before?"
"Only in self defense."
"Does the feeling of guilt ever go away?"
"Not entirely."
A tear leaked and Rush lifted a finger to skim it away. She said, "I hated him, but I didn't want to kill him. He just left me no way out." Moving to sit on the bedroll close to Lilah, Rush gently pulled her against his chest and stroked her hair.
After a few minutes, she said, "Thank you for helping me with my personal business last night."
* * *
Two days later, Rush saddled the horse Sheriff Connor had brought to the train for use by a posse, and decided to give the faithful mount a name.
He turned toward Lilah sitting on a rock pulling his comb through her hair. It had taken both of them over an hour the previous day to untangle the mass. He hadn't minded.
While he tightened the straps of his saddle he secretly watched her braid the length, tying it back with a piece of leather he'd ripped from the fringe of his jacket. The braid reached the middle of her back.
He tried to concentrate on preparing to leave, but he kept watching her for signs of relapse. Her complexion, although still red, was much improved, and she moved with more energy today. He said, "What do you think we should name this horse?"
She glanced up, surprised by his question, and then said without hesitation, "Rio. Because I was rescued on the Rio."
He looked at the river and back at the horse and laughed. "Okay, Rio it is."
Within the hour, he had Lilah seated on Rio wearing a makeshift head covering from the corset he'd removed from her body that first night. A few slices with his knife and refitting of the strings and she had a strange looking, but very effective, bonnet.
Laughing, she joked, "I hated that corset anyway. It's a fitting end to the torture device. Perhaps when I open my seamstress shop I shall rescue old corsets, only to cut them into fashionable bonnets."
Rush paused the horse, looked up, and said with sincerity, "Lilah, you are one of a kind, and I believe you could do it."
"And you can buy the first one for your lady friend."
"That I shall." Rush made a clicking noise and the horse started forward again. "I didn't know you wanted to open your own shop."
"Oh, yes, I've always loved sewing and created many of my own dresses and since I…"
Rush glanced up when she stopped speaking. She bit her bottom lip and said with a hint of embarrassment, "Since I am now left to my own devices, and I must make a living, I have decided to open a dress shop. I have lady friends who will visit and order gowns and then spread the word. And Mary also sews very well. We shall manage quite nicely."
Rush got the feeling she was trying to convince herself.
* * *
Lilah studied the top of Rush's hat as he walked beside Rio and berated herself for feeling jealous when he'd agreed with her reference to his lady friend. She wondered if he was married or ever had been. She said, "So tell me about your ranch and family."
He paused mid-step and then continued walking. Obviously, she'd hit a nerve. She was about to tell him he didn't have to talk about anything he didn't want to, when he answered. "I left home twenty years ago after the death of my wife and I haven't been back since."
Lilah gasped. "I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to talk about it."
Rush adjusted his hat against the sun and glanced up, surprising her with a smile. "It's okay. I've been thinking about returning for a long time. It's just unfortunate the way it happened with you getting kidnapped."
At dusk Rush stopped to make camp. He said, "We'll reach Laredo tomorrow afternoon and I'll make sure you have a room with a nice tub." He helped her off the horse and held her waist until she could stand on her own. He turned his attention to unsaddling Rio, but continued speaking, "I'll wire Sheriff Connor and let him know I'm leaving the robbery stash with the Laredo Sheriff and that the bandits have gone on to their heavenly, or should I say, hellish reward."
Lilah glanced at the flour sack filled with plunder slung over Rio's rump. "I'm so happy everyone will get their valuables back."
"I am too. The folks are lucky; doesn't happen too often that you get your stolen goods returned. Now about Laredo, like I explained, we'll only stay a day or two. The town can be volatile and I'd hate to get caught in the middle of a shootout or rowdy cowboys soused on liquor."
"I understand."
Later, sitting around the fire, Rush drew circles aimlessly in the dirt with a stick and Lilah had the feeling he wanted to say something. Chewing on a square of jerky, she waited.
He wiped the doodles clean with the sole of his boot and finally said, "Ma'am, when we get to the Big G, I just want to warn you that me and my brother have hard feelins' toward each other, and you might feel uncomfortable bein' in the same room with us—there's no love lost."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but thank you for warning me. So that's the name of your family's ranch?"
"Yes. My father was a big man, close to six and a half feet. His name was Gus, but my ma always called him Big G and insisted the ranch have the same name." He laughed, "And my ma usually got what she wanted, not only because my pa was crazy about her, but because she was
a stubborn woman used to having her way. She was the only child of a wealthy family back east. Of course, she was just as head-over-heels for my pa as he was for her. I often heard her say she'd follow him to the farthest corner of the earth if he wanted her to."
"My parents loved each other, too, and Hallie had a wonderful marriage to Thomas, her first husband. But from her letters and what you've said, her marriage to Cooper is just as strong. I've never known…" She stopped speaking abruptly and changed the subject. "How long will we be at the Big G?"
"Probably not long. I just want to see if Pearl, a former slave my parents took in, and some of the cowpokes who worked for pa, are still there. Pearl was a second mother to me while my ma was alive and then raised me and my brother after Ma died of pneumonia when I was fifteen. She and pa didn't have any other children besides me and my brother, and pa never remarried. As for my pa, he died about six months before…" He paused and then finished with, "my wife died. He always preached safety and then he died in a freak accident while rounding up cattle."
Rush's reference again to his dead wife saddened Lilah, but also piqued her curiosity. She mused aloud, "Sounds like we've both tasted our fair share of sorrow."
Rush removed his hat and stowed it beside him, the action sending firelight dancing across his face and glinting off his hair. "Yep. Seems so." After a minute he said, "I'll make my bed over by that rock."
Lilah nodded.
Later, after the fire had died down and the air turned chilly, she said softly, "Rush, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to share the bedroll. We've been doing so for days while I recovered and its mighty cold tonight. That thin blanket can't be warm."
Rush's response sounded like his teeth were chattering. "Ma'am, I'm glad you suggested that." Jumping to his feet, he grabbed his blanket and saddle and strode the dozen steps across camp. Placing his saddle above Lilah's head, he laid the extra covering over her and then crawled in beside her."
