Tyler’s words echoed in Laney’s mind. These drives were dangerous, and accidents happened all the time.
“Are you threatening me, Gabe?” She glared at him with what she hoped was anger in her eyes, rather than the rising fear that enveloped her. She couldn’t allow him to see the panic that raced through her. He was consumed with anger. There was no telling what a madman would do.
“Barn fires can kill a person, too.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
“You set that barn on fire?” Her eyes widened, then her forehead furrowed. She shook her head. “But you helped Tyler get the horses out. You told him I was in there.”
Laney stared up into the face of a desperate man. Although he acted crazy, and had given her the creeps over the weeks she’d known him, she’d never considered him dangerous.
“I hadn’t planned on you being in that barn, Laney. But you’ve interfered enough. I’m going to bring Tyler to his knees one way or the other, and you’re going to help me, just like I intended all along.”
“I’m not going to help you, and you can’t force me back to the future.” She glared at him. She had finally found happiness. How could it all end like this, so abruptly?
“If you want Tyler to come back from his delivery alive, you’ll do exactly that,” Gabe sneered. “We’re going to ride into town, and you’re going to tell the good reverend to send you home. I’ve already got your mare saddled. No one’s gonna come to help you. I’ve got Sammy and Eddie patrolling the north fence today. They ain’t gonna be back until sundown.”
He shoved her roughly toward the barn door. Laney dug in her heels, dragging straw and dirt along the ground.
“I’ve never struck or otherwise hurt a woman, Laney,” Gabe warned in a deep and quiet tone. “My momma taught me better than that.”
“Well then I guess you’re going to have to now,” she challenged, glaring at him. “If you think I’m just going to come with you because you say so, you’re dead wrong.”
Gabe’s jaw clenched. He yanked her up against his solid chest. “If you want Tyler to come home safely, I suggest you do exactly as I say. If something happens to him, it’ll be in your hands.”
Laney swallowed. His features gave no indication that he was bluffing. His eyes, so much like those of the man she loved, reflected no emotion.
“You can go back to your time or wherever it is you came from without making a fuss, or your man ain’t comin’ back alive,” Gabe continued, driving home his point. “Either way, the two of you ain’t gonna stay together. When we get to town, you’re going to march into that church, and you’re going to tell the good reverend to do whatever it is he needs to do in order to send you away.”
Laney swallowed back the apprehension in her throat. Could she risk Tyler’s life? She had no choice but to believe Gabe’s warning. Reluctantly, she nodded her head, then bit her lower lip. Bile rose in her throat at the thought of what she had to do to ensure the safety of the man she loved.
Chapter 26
Tyler’s gaze roamed the valley below him. The ranch buildings that sprawled out before him were the most welcome sight he’d seen in months. His pulse increased with anticipation, almost as much as it had the first time he’d caught a glimpse of his wife stepping off that stage in Landry. His eyes lingered on the house. Laney would be waiting for him. He couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms. The last eight days had been the longest of his life.
Tyler patted Charlie’s neck, and guided the weary gelding down the slope toward his home. Beau and the rest of his wranglers had stopped in town for a drink at the saloon. They had been paid well, and needed to celebrate a successful horse drive and sale.
In hindsight, Tyler wished he had taken the time to stop at the bathhouse and wash away the dust and smell of eight days on the trail, but the desire to return home had overruled his rational thinking. He smiled. Laney would forgive him for looking and smelling worse than if he’d fallen into a hog pen. He only wanted one quick kiss, then he’d go clean up. If she didn’t forgive him, well, there were ways to make her come around.
He chuckled. If his charms didn’t work, surely the new pair of britches he’d bought her at the mercantile in Bozeman would make her forgive his indiscretion. The proprietor had told him that he needed a larger size, and Tyler had almost said that the britches were for his wife, but caught himself just in time. He’d eyed several of the dresses and fancy underclothes on display, but he was certain that Laney would appreciate a pair of britches more than anything frilly or fancy he could ever buy.
Although his horse had to be worn out from the many miles they’d covered, Charlie’s strides quickened the closer they came to the house. The gelding was as eager as he was to get home.
The bunkhouse door opened the moment he rode into the yard. Eddie darted out, his large frame moving faster than Tyler had ever seen him move. The wrangler ran a few paces from the building, then stopped. Even from a distance, the stricken look on his face was visible. Tyler frowned, and his heart sped up inexplicably. Something was wrong.
Tyler dismounted his horse, and loosened the cinch on the saddle.
“Tyler, am I ever glad to see you,” Eddie panted. “We wasn’t expecting you back for another day.”
“What’s wrong?” Tyler glared at the burly man, then his eyes roamed the yard. Everything looked to be in order. His gaze lingered on the house. Laney hadn’t come out to greet him, as he expected her to.
“Well, ah . . . Tyler.” Eddie pulled his hat from his head, and gripped it tightly in front of him. He didn’t look at him.
“Spill it, Eddie. What’s going on?” Apprehension flooded him. Had something else happened to his horses while he was away?
“It’s Miz Laney, Tyler.” Eddie’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets when he met Tyler’s stare. “She’s gone missing.”
“What?” Tyler roared. The blood drained from his head, and his pulse drummed fiercely in his ears.
“What the hell do you mean, missing?”
“No one’s seen her in five days. Gabe and Sammy are out looking for her again. They told me to stay here in case you came home.”
Laney was missing. Impossible. She wouldn’t up and leave. A multitude of thoughts raced through his mind. She was happy here. He’d made sure he’d made her happy, dammit! She hadn’t wanted him to go to Fort Ellis. He refused to believe she’d just up and left.
The hazy image of his mother swam before his eyes, coupled with his distraught father, after she’d simply left one day. No, dammit! He refused to believe Laney had left like his mother. She was missing. A cold wave of dread and worry doused him. He tossed Charlie’s reins at Eddie, then ran for the house. He pushed the door open, his head darting from the kitchen to the living room, and down the hall. Nothing was out of place in his house. In fact, he’d never seen it cleaner.
He rushed to his room. One quick glance told him what he already knew. Laney wasn’t there. On impulse, he opened the door to his parents’ bedroom. A bucket of dirty water stood in the middle of the floor. Sunlight streaming in through the window illuminated some chards of broken glass on the ground, making them shimmer like little jewels. Tyler’s forehead wrinkled. He stepped further into the room, his eyes quickly scanning the interior. His gaze fell to the picture frame on the dresser. He’d found the source of the broken glass. Tyler held up the photograph of his parents. That image had been captured around the time his mother disappeared. His father, although unsmiling, still looked content. So did his mother.
Tyler ground his teeth in frustration. Why would a photograph prompt Laney to leave? He set the broken frame back where he’d found it, and rushed out of the house, back to the barns. Riders approached from the east. Tyler headed for the corrals and selected a chestnut gelding. He led the animal from the pen, when Gabe pulled his mount to a stop in front of him.
His face looked as somber as Eddie’s had.
“Eddie told you?” Gabe asked, dismounting his horse.
>
“Why didn’t you keep an eye on her, Gabe?” Tyler glared at his foreman.
Gabe removed his hat and slapped it against his chaps. “I can’t keep an eye on that woman, Ty. She does whatever the hell she pleases. I told her not to go off riding while no one was at the ranch. She wouldn’t listen and told me to mind my own business.”
“I trusted you to look out for her.” Tyler’s voice raised in renewed anger and frustration. He refused to believe that Laney left him. Something bad had to have happened to her. Gabe just confirmed that she’d gone off riding. Dammit! He’d specifically told her not to.
“You also told me to keep an eye on the fences. I can’t be in two places at once, Ty. How was I supposed to know that she would make a run for it and leave?”
Tyler’s head snapped toward Gabe. “What makes you think she left? She’s gone off riding before. Have you searched for her?”
“Sammy and I have been over every inch of this ranch. She’s nowhere, Ty. The mare came back the following day.”
Tyler cursed again. He ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“When Beau and the others get back, organize another search party. I’m heading out on my own.”
He had to find her. If she’d been thrown, she was probably hurt, or . . .
Gabe grabbed his arm. The serious expression on his face was so unlike the carefree look he usually wore. “She left the day the stage came through, Ty, and I already asked in town. She wasn’t one of the passengers.”
Tyler yanked his arm away. “Organize that search party, and comb through every inch of this property again,” he said forcefully. He swung his saddle onto the chestnut’s back, and tightened the cinch. Without another glance at his men, he leapt onto the horse’s back, and kicked the gelding into a run.
Tyler raced his horse off the main road toward Ian’s ranch. The older man appeared surprised at the news that Laney had gone missing.
“No one came to tell me, or I would have conducted a search myself,” Ian said. “I’ll get some of my men together, and we’ll comb the hills. How long did you say she’s been gone?”
“Apparently she disappeared two days after I left for Fort Ellis.” Tyler rubbed his hand across his weary eyes.
Coming home to Laney missing was the last thing he ever expected. His insides churned with dread.
“That’s more than five days ago.” Ian shot him a worried look. He didn’t need to say what was on his mind. Five days was a long time. If she had been thrown from her horse and injured, she would probably be dead by now.
Tyler kicked at the dirt on the ground outside Ian’s house. He grabbed for his horse’s reins, and swung up into the saddle.
“Where are you headed?” Ian asked.
“I don’t know.”
Ian grabbed for the reins of Tyler’s horse. “I’ll ride into town, Tyler. You look like you’re about to fall from the saddle. You need rest.”
“I ain’t resting until I find my wife,” Tyler growled.
Ian smiled uneasily. “I’m glad to hear you’re not going to do what your father did, which was allow his anger to take over. But you’re not doing yourself or Laney any favors by running yourself ragged. Go home, and rest. I’ll ride into town and make some inquiries.”
Tyler nodded silently. He couldn’t think straight. He ran a hand over his sweaty face.
“All right,” he conceded quietly. Gabe had already been to town. What would Ian hope to find there, anyhow?
“I’ll ride out to your place if I have any news,” Ian called to him.
Tyler reined his horse in the direction of home, and nudged him in the sides. A sense of loss and helplessness unlike anything he’d ever felt overtook him.
****
Tyler sat on the front porch bench, staring at the sun as it set into the western horizon. The fiery ball cast a golden glow across the valley. He fisted his hands in his lap, his arms trembling as he squeezed his fingers together. He blinked away the moisture in his eyes. This had always been one of Laney’s favorite things to do in the evenings. They would sit on the porch together, hold hands, and watch the sun go down. Her hair would shimmer like spun gold.
He gritted his teeth. Finally, he ran a shaky hand across his grimy face. He forced his stinging eyes shut, but no matter what he did, the vision of Laney’s face remained right in front of him. His fingers tingled from the memory of her soft skin, and for a moment, he could almost feel her presence sitting next to him, her head on his shoulder. His arm lifted away from his side, ready to wrap it around her, but he was only met with emptiness.
He hadn’t slept in two days. Along with Gabe and the rest of the crew, he had searched non-stop for her all day. His men hadn’t spoken much to him, passing looks of sympathy between each other when they thought he wasn’t looking.
Never in his life had such a feeling of complete helplessness and despair taken over his mind and body. His muscles tensed with the need to strike out at something in frustration. Not knowing where Laney had gone and what had happened to her was killing him. Was she alive? Had she run off like his mother had done so many years ago? Tyler shook his head. No, dammit! She wouldn’t have left him. Why hadn’t he taken her with him to Fort Ellis?
He abruptly rose to his feet. Slamming his fists against the porch rail, he growled in renewed frustration and anguish. He gripped the rail with both hands until his knuckles turned white, and locked his elbows. Leaning forward, he stared off into the distance. Gabe emerged from one of the barns. He stopped and looked his way, then headed for the bunkhouse. Tyler was in no mood to talk to anyone. He needed to be alone with his grief. Grinding his teeth, he turned and headed for his front door. He pushed it open, and was about to step inside, when the sound of hoofbeats caught his ear.
His heart jumped to life in his chest with the irrational thought that Laney had returned and was galloping toward the ranch. Looking up, he spotted a lone rider approach. Ian Frazier. He hadn’t stopped by like he said he would the day before, and Tyler had no expectations that his neighbor brought him any news of his missing wife.
Ian pulled his horse to a stop in front of the porch, and dismounted hastily. He nodded at Tyler, then glanced over his shoulder toward the barns.
“Ian,” Tyler greeted listlessly. His body tensed. He was in no mood for a social visit.
“You look like hell,” Ian remarked, his hard gaze on Tyler’s face.
Tyler’s jaw clenched. “That’s because I’m in hell. What do you want, Ian?”
Frazier’s eyes narrowed. His lips widened in a sympathetic smile. “I have some information for you that you might find interesting.” He stepped onto the porch.
Tyler’s eyebrows furrowed. “What information?” he asked slowly. His pulse pounded in his ears. Had Ian’s men found Laney’s body?
“I was in town today, asking some questions at the telegraph office. Abner Hodchkins confirmed that Gabe stopped by to ask if Laney had bought a ticket for the stage, which she hadn’t. I went to the saloon, and—”
“Dammit, Ian. My wife wouldn’t be at the saloon.” Tyler’s voice rose in anger.
Ian held up his hand. “I wasn’t implying that I thought she’d be there, but it was worth a shot to check. I’m glad I did.”
Tyler stared at the man. “What the hell are you saying?”
“I was asking Clay if he’d seen a woman matching your wife’s description, since I doubt he’s ever seen her. One of his girls, Alice, overheard me. She came to me and told me she’d seen Laney in town the day she disappeared.” He paused, and held Tyler’s gaze. He looked over his shoulder again. “With Gabe.”
“Gabe?” Tyler choked out his friend’s name. A sinking feeling swept over him, just before renewed anger boiled inside him. Gabe had always acted strange around Laney. Why had he lied to him?
“I suggest you have a talk with your foreman,” Ian said calmly. “There’s something he ain’t telling you.”
Tyler didn’t respond. He leapt from the porch
, and ran toward the bunkhouse. He kicked the door open, his eyes darting around the room. Three of his men jumped up from their seats around the table, Gabe being one of them.
“Tyler, what the—”
Tyler lunged at Gabe, and grabbed a fistful of his foreman’s shirt with both hands. He slammed him into the wall.
“Where the hell’s my wife?” he ground out between clenched teeth, his face inches from Gabe’s. The man’s eyes widened briefly, a hint of panic in their brown depths.
“How should I know?” Gabe choked. He strained against Tyler’s hold on him, his hands wrapped around his wrists to try and break free of Tyler’s firm grip.
“You forgot to tell me that you were in town with Laney the day she disappeared,” Tyler growled in a low voice. “What else are you lying to me about?”
A slow, triumphant smile spread across Gabe’s face. Then he laughed.
“You will never find her, Tyler. That’s the beauty about your wife. She’s gone, and you’ll never get her back.”
Tyler groped for understanding. The man before him became a stranger all of a sudden. “What did you do to her?”
“She messed up all my plans, Ty. I couldn’t let her stay. For a while I thought she’d ruined everything, but I was able to turn the tables on her, and you. You’re going to be miserable for the rest of your life, just like I planned.”
Tyler released Gabe’s shirt with one hand, swung back, and his fist connected with Gabe’s jaw. Blood instantly trickled from Gabe’s nose. He laughed again. Tyler stared into the eyes of a madman. Had the man he counted as his friend killed Laney? The urge to hit Gabe again overpowered him, but he restrained himself. He needed answers first.
“Everybody out,” Tyler bellowed over his shoulder. Boots immediately shuffled on the wood floor. Men murmured behind him, and Tyler waited until the door closed and all was quiet. He pulled Gabe away from the wall and shoved him into a chair, then loomed over him.
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