A Hero's Heart

by Sylvia McDaniel

  Wade had gone to visit Frank. The children and Becky were down at the river. Being alone was a rare luxury, and for a moment, she leaned her head back and let the peace wash over her.

  When he returned this evening, Wade has been as warm as a snowflake on a frostbitten day. The warm lover of last night had disappeared with the dawn, and now, her dreams were evaporating into thin air. She had gambled her heart and virtue. And the gambler had taken his winnings and left the table.

  The sounds of footsteps interrupted her peaceful moment. Rachel opened her eyes to see Toby hurrying toward her, a worried frown upon his face.

  “Rachel, I can’t find Grace,” he cried. “We were all down by the river. She just disappeared. I’ve looked everywhere.”

  “Where’s Daniel?”

  “I left him with Mary,” Toby replied.

  “Good. Grace has to be nearby,” Rachel stood up from the rocker. “What were you doing down at the river.”

  Toby pulled Rachel toward the tree-lined riverbank. “I was watering Wade’s horses.”

  The river’s noisy splashing over rocks sped her feet toward the water. “Is Becky searching for Grace?”

  “Uh—I don’t know where she is. She left me to watch the kids,” Toby said as he followed her.

  “What was so important that she left you with two little children on a riverbank?” Fear sharpened Rachel’s voice.

  Toby glanced away. “I don’t know. She didn’t say.”

  The river stretched ahead, the water rushing past. She couldn’t think about Becky when Grace needed her full attention.

  “Where did you last see Grace?” Rachel fought to keep the fear from her voice. Surely, Grace couldn’t have wandered far.

  “She and Daniel were playing down by the water. I tried to watch them, but the horses needed a rubdown. Last I saw, she was picking flowers near the bank; then she was gone.

  “Are you sure she didn’t fall in?” Rachel asked, her heart almost stopping at the thought.

  Toby’s eyes grew large with fright. “I didn’t hear a splash or a scream.” His shoulders started to shake as tears welled up in his eyes. “I called and called. I ran up the river, all the way to where it curves into the canyon.”

  Rachel gave him a comforting pat as she tried to rein in her building panic.

  “Grace,” she called, her voice echoing from the canyon.

  The wind whistled through the thick pines, making them rustle, while the river rushed over rocks and around the bend. The echo died into a lonely silence with no response. Her heart pounded in double time as Rachel realized there were many places a child could get lost or hurt.

  “Wade will find her,” she said in a shaky voice. “Come on, Toby, let’s get him.”

  Picking up her long skirt, Rachel ran to Frank’s wagon.

  “Wade!” she cried as she rushed into camp.

  Long seconds passed before Wade ran around the back of the wagon, a frown darkening his green eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  She ran to him, her breathing painful. “Grace is missing.”

  “When did she disappear?” he asked, dropping the shaving tool beside Frank’s broken wagon wheel.

  “About ten minutes ago, down by the river.”

  Toby ran up beside her. “I turned my back on her for one second, and she just disappeared.”

  “I sent Becky down there with you kids. Where in the hell was she?” Wade demanded.

  Toby swallowed, his face a brilliant red. “She left.”

  “Damn!” Wade swore. “I’m going to—”

  “Wade,” Rachel pleaded. “Not now, we have to find Grace.”

  “You’re right. It’ll be dark soon.”

  Wade turned, his quick stride carrying him around the back of Frank’s wagon. The two of them returned at once.

  “You go ahead. I’ll call the men together. We should find her before dark,” Frank reassured Rachel. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Ketchum. She’ll be okay.”

  “Thank you, Frank,” Rachel said, fear shaking her voice.

  “Toby, saddle Sadie and bring her to me.”

  The boy scurried off, eager to do Wade’s bidding.

  Wade pulled Rachel toward their wagon. “When Toby gets back, I want the two of you to search along the river. Maybe by the time you search there, the men will be ready to check farther downstream. But I’m not waiting, I’m heading out now.”

  “Do you think she fell in?” Her heart’s wild action squeezed air from her lungs.

  He looked over her head. “It’s possible.”

  If Grace had fallen into the river, the swift current would have quickly carried her away. A small child wouldn’t last long battling the strong river.

  Toby rode atop Sade. He jumped out of the saddle, handing the reins to Wade. Rachel stared. Two months ago, Toby couldn’t saddle, let alone ride, a horse.

  Wade put his foot in the stirrup and pulled himself into the saddle. He looked down at Toby and Rachel. “We’ll meet back here after dark unless we find her earlier. I don’t want you to wander from camp. Search for her in this area only.” He leaned over the saddle, and squeezed Rachel’s hand. “Try not to worry. We’ll find her.” Wade rode away toward the canyon.

  “Come on, Toby. Let’s get started. You walk along the shore of the river, and I’ll climb up to the top of the hill and look along the ridge. Yell if you find her.”

  “Rachel?” Toby studied his feet. “When Becky left I should have brought the kids back to camp. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right, Toby. Let’s just find Grace, then we’ll deal with Becky. Grace is probably huddled out of sight, playing with her dolls, forgetful of the time.”

  Rachel prayed they would find Grace, hidden by the trees or the rocks, playing a practical joke, but she couldn’t quite believe it. “I’ll meet you at the crook in the river.”

  “Okay,” Toby said as he started off walking along the shore.

  Rachel watched him for a few moments, then began the long climb to the top of the hill hugging the river. The canyon sloped gently, with rocky outcroppings and tall pine trees sparse along the sides. Searching in every nook, Rachel climbed to the crest, calling to Grace.

  She clambered among the rocks, watching for snakes, looking for any place a child could hide. Panic had risen to her throat.

  When the wind blew, she could hear, very faintly, Toby’s voice, and every few minutes she shaded her eyes to spot the boy.

  The breeze blew the sound of laughter, soft and tinkling like a child’s, in her direction. Rachel hurried forward, her determined feet carrying her toward a large, jagged rock. When she found Grace, she would hug her, then give her the spanking of her young life.

  Rachel’s boots slipped in the soft dirt, and she almost tumbled down the side of the hill, sending rocks rolling and clattering down the hillside.

  The laughter came again, emanating from the rocks ahead. Scrambling up the hill, Rachel found a crevice just large enough for a person to slip inside. She wiggled through the opening, certain she would find Grace with her doll. Instead, the scene sucked the wind from her throat.

  Ethan and Becky lay entwined together on a blanket, their clothes in disarray.

  “Dear God,” Rachel gasped as she reeled back in shock. The involuntary words silenced Becky’s giggles.

  At the sight of her sister, Becky’s eyes widened in fright. She jerked up, pushing Ethan off of her, her naked breasts falling out of her unbuttoned bodice.

  “Rachel!” Becky screeched. “What are you doing here?”

  Shocked, Rachel backed away. “How can you do this?”

  “How did you know we were here?” Becky pulled her bodice together, looking smug rather than ashamed.

  “I didn’t. Grace is lost.” Her voice was shaky with anger and a bone-deep fear for the missing child. “While you were out satisfying your lust with a married man, Grace disappeared.”

  “Wait Rachel!” Becky called to her.

  “I have to find Grace b
efore dark. I suggest you leave at once. These woods will be swarming with people searching for her,” Rachel warned, hurrying from the scene.

  Tears of anger at Becky and Ethan welled up, but Rachel refused to let them flow. She had to think of Grace.

  She should have known better than to trust Becky to watch over the children. But she’d never imagined her sister would be this irresponsible.

  Rachel rushed from tree to rock in a frenzy of guilt, desperately seeking the child, feeling somehow responsible for her disappearance. The crook in the river where she was to met Toby loomed ahead, without sight of Grace.

  “Rachel,” Toby yelled.

  She picked up her skirts and ran, hurrying over the rocks, sliding down the hill as she scurried toward him.

  “Look what I found,” he called, holding up a small brown boot, identical to the ones Grace wore.

  “Where did you find it?” she asked, her heart pounding in her ears as she reached his side.

  Eyes wide with fright, he pointed down to the swirling water. “It was stuck in the mud, on the bank of the river.

  Rachel fell to her knees as she examined the bank. The mud held the indentation of Grace’s shoe. Next to that, the bank had a smooth sheen like a slide-mark.

  “Dear God, she fell in,” Rachel gasped. Fear consumed her, sucking her into a whirring, buzzing vortex. The bile in her stomach rose in her throat. Dizzy, she leaned over and retched in the grass, emptying her stomach until only the pain remained.

  Toby knelt beside her, his eyes brimming with tears. “Are you okay, Rachel?”

  She pulled him onto her lap, holding him like a small child. Great gulping sobs overcame her while she held onto Toby and cried until no tears were left. But the pain of her loss sat like a heavy weight upon her chest. She’d already lost her father this trip, she couldn’t stand the thought of losing Grace.

  “Rachel, let’s go back and see if Wade found her,” Toby prodded.

  “She fell in the river,” Rachel cried. “She—drowned.”

  Toby extracted himself from her arms. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go back to camp, Rachel. Wade will know what to do.”

  Like a sleepwalker, Rachel clutched Grace’s shoe as he led her from the bank. Her sweet, bubbly child was gone.

  * * *

  By the time Rachel and Toby reached camp, the sun had sunk behind the horizon, shadowing the river with darkness.

  Mary rushed forward, a worried expression marring her face. “Did you find her?”

  Rachel held up Grace’s shoe.

  Mary gasped. “Where was it?”

  Rachel tried to speak, but tears clogged her throat and spilled from her eyes. She shook her head.

  “I found it stuck in the mud at the river’s edge,” Toby replied quietly.

  “Dear God!” Mary exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around Rachel, hugging her to her chest. The two women clung to one another. “We can’t give up hope, Rachel.”

  “I’m trying, but that river is so fast. How could she possibly swim in that awful current?”

  “Don’t give up. Not yet,” Mary said, patting Rachel’s back.

  Dearest Mary. Her best friend, whose husband was fornicating with Becky. But she couldn’t think about them right now.

  Toby patted Rachel. “Are you okay?”

  Rachel nodded, trying to regain her composure. Finally she moved from Mary’s arms. “Has Wade come back?”

  “No. And the men rode out over an hour ago,” Mary said, her eyes tinged with worry, her voice filled with sorrow. “Don’t worry about supper. I combined our meals, and I’ve taken care of everything here. Daniel’s been playing quietly.”

  “Thank you.” Rachel stumbled to the rocker, tears flooding her cheeks. She rocked, clasping the tiny shoe, staring into the fire, trying not to wonder if Grace was dead or alive.

  Ethan appeared at her side, looking anxious. Both he and Becky had been in camp when Rachel returned. “Mary told me about Grace. I don’t know what to say.”

  Rachel turned her head away from him. She couldn’t talk to Ethan right now. She couldn’t look at him without seeing him in Becky’s arms, and she didn’t want to waste energy thinking about them.

  “Eat some stew,” Mary said to her as she picked up a linen towel and began to dry the eating utensils. “No matter what happens, you need your strength. Toby and Daniel need you.”

  Rachel had a fleeting thought about her dilemma. How ironic that this woman was offering to strengthen her, when Mary’s own world was based on a lie and could be torn asunder any day now.

  “I can’t. I know I’d be sick.” She sobbed. “I wish Wade would come back.”

  As if her thoughts conjured him up, Wade rode into camp followed by the rest of the men. Their tired, dejected looks answered her most pressing question. What little hope she’d held on to seemed to wither and die.

  Wade threw his leg over his mount and slid to the ground.

  “I’ll take care of your horse, Ketchum, if you want to talk to your missus,” Jack Simpson volunteered.

  “Thanks,” Wade said as he stared at Rachel. Slowly he shook his head and pushed back his hat.

  He strode past Ethan and Becky, ignoring them as if they were specks of dust at his feet, before stopping at Rachel’s side. Rachel looked at him, fear tripping her heart.

  Wade knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. “At first daylight, I’ll be out looking again.”

  “She probably fell in,” Rachel said her voice clogged with tears. She held up Grace’s boot for his inspection. “Toby found her shoe stuck in the bank of the river.”

  Wade picked her up out of the rocking chair, then sat back down, cradling her on his lap.

  “I followed the river around the bend a long ways. I would have found her body if she’d drowned.” He kissed the top of her head, soothing back her hair.

  He was right. A tiny flicker of renewed hope sprang to life. “Then where is she? It’s dark. It’s getting cold. She’ll be so afraid.”

  “She’s a tough little girl,” Wade reminded her.

  “Wade will find her tomorrow, carrying some new animal she wants to keep,” Mary said with a smile of fake optimism.

  His hand caressed her back with gentle strokes. “She’s curled up somewhere, sleeping, knowing I’m looking for her.”

  “Stop it! At least be truthful,” Rachel blurted out. “She could have drowned. She may be dead. We may never find her.”

  His face looked drawn and tired. “We’ve got to have hope or go crazy with worry.”

  “It’s late, and we’re all tired. If you don’t mind, Rachel, I’ll take Daniel home with me tonight.” Mary picked up the fussy little boy. “Try to get some rest.”

  “Thank you.” Rachel could barely meet her friends gaze.

  “You’d do the same for me,” Mary replied.

  Mary took Daniel by the hand walked toward her camp.

  Rachel found Wade’s iridescent green eyes full of unspoken worry. “Come to bed. You look worn out,” he said.

  A lonely, terrifying night stretched ahead, and Rachel needed him by her side. She didn’t want to face her fears alone. “How can I sleep with her missing?”

  “We have to try so that we’ll be alert tomorrow.”

  Wade lifted her from the rocker and set her on the ground. He kept his arm around her as they made their way to the wagon.

  As they passed Ethan and Becky sitting beside the fire, Becky exploded. “No lectures? No scolding? No pointing fingers?”

  With a sigh, Rachel faced her sister. “Grace is missing because of you. She could be dead!” She paused, controlling the urge to scream at Becky. “Until I find her, I could care less what you do.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dawn was fast approaching as Wade, restless thought of getting up and beginning the search for Grace until Rachel nudged her buttocks against him and he knew why he continued to hold her.

  Hours had passed before sh
e’d finally dozed off. And even then, she seemed to sleep fitfully, as if her dreams were more disturbing than reality. Once, she’d sat up, asking how long before dawn, but somehow he’d managed to quiet her, and eventually she’d fallen back to sleep.

  But he knew the moment he moved to dress, she would be awake, worrying about Grace. She needed to sleep as long as possible, before facing a day that could be filled with heartache.

  “Ketchum!” The still morning air was broken by the sentry’s alarmed voice. “Ketchum! Get up. We got company.”

  Jumping up in the dusky light, Wade stubbed his toe on a box, and swore as he reached for his pants.

  Startled, Rachel sat straight up. “What is it?”

  “I’m coming Jed. Let me get my pants on,” Wade yelled.”

  “Make it damn quick, man. There’s a party of Shoshone warriors out here with your daughter.”

  “Dear God, they have Grace.” Rachel threw back the quilts back and jumped from the pallet. She grabbed the shawl from a hook and threw it around her shoulders, covering her nightgown.

  Bumping into Rachel, Wade almost knocked her over as he pulled his pants on over his long underwear. He slammed his feet into his boots, his suspenders hanging around his hips as he crawled out of the wagon, followed by Rachel.

  The purple hues of dawn lit the sky, backlighting the early mist with a nightmarish aura. Along the bank of the river, six warriors sat atop their ponies, clad in buckskin.

  At the sight of Grace, Rachel ran toward the girl, not heeding the Indian holding the child or her long night rail that whipped against her legs. But Wade caught her, pulling her into his arms, holding her in place.

  “Don’t move, Rachel. Look at them. Right now, they’re as nervous as a skunk in the woodpile.”

  “But Grace,” she choked.

  “She’s going nowhere, honey. Let Frank and me handle this.”

  Slowly, he released her shaking body, anxious at letting her go, afraid Rachel would take flight again. Reluctantly, Wade left Rachel’s side and joined Frank to greet their visitors.

  Jed and several of the men stood back with rifles in hand, prepared to do battle.