Hired Gun

by Bobbi Smith

  Dr. Murray decided to take the carriage on this trip, so the girls could ride with him while Zach rode along on horseback.

  “I want you to remember Mason has been through a lot. The wound was serious, and it’s going to take a while for him to make a full recovery. Keep your visit short. We don’t want to wear him out,” her father advised.

  “Do you think he’ll be glad to see us?” Katie asked.

  “I’m sure he will,” Dr. Murray reassured her. “This is a very troubling time for him—for his whole family. We need to do whatever we can to try to lift his spirits. It won’t be easy, though—not with what he’s facing—but just knowing he has friends like you will help.”

  Mason heard the sound of a carriage coming in. Rose had told him Dr. Murray would probably be out that day, so he wasn’t surprised when he heard a knock at his bedroom door a short time later. He was feeling a little stronger, and hoped the doctor would give him permission to get up out of bed for a while.

  “Come in,” Mason called out.

  The door opened and, as he’d expected, Dr. Murray came in with Rose.

  “Good morning,” Dr. Murray greeted him. He had wanted to make sure Mason was properly situated in the bed before he admitted the girls to the bedroom. “I have a surprise for you this morning.”

  “A surprise?” Mason frowned.

  “It’s all right to come in now,” he called to Larissa and the others.

  “Who’s here?” Mason asked.

  When Larissa appeared in the doorway, Mason smiled for the first time since the attack.

  “Larissa.”

  “Mason.” She breathed his name as she got her first glimpse of him. She was used to him being strong and vibrant. Her father had warned her of his condition, but still, the sight of him looking so pale, with his chest swathed in bandages, startled her. Her heart ached for him.

  “Larissa’s not the only one who showed up,” Zach said, coming to stand with her. “I’m here, and so is Katie.”

  “Come on in,” Mason invited.

  Dr. Murray was pleased to see that Mason seemed a bit stronger. “I’ll wait until after your visit to change your bandages.”

  He left them alone to talk for a while.

  Larissa wasted no time pulling a chair up to sit beside the bed. “We’ve been so worried about you. How are you? How are you feeling?”

  He looked over at her, his dark-eyed gaze meeting hers.

  “I’ve been better,” he answered, not wanting to admit just how bad he really was feeling.

  “Will you be up and around soon?” Zach asked.

  “Doc hasn’t said yet. I’m hoping I won’t be stuck here in bed too much longer.”

  Katie asked the question that was on everyone’s mind: “Have you had any word back from your sister yet?”

  “No. Nothing. I tell you, this waiting and not being able to do anything is hard—real hard,” he admitted in frustration.

  Impulsively, Larissa reached out and took his hand in hers. “We’re here for you if you need anything.”

  “I know—and I appreciate it. Just seeing you today helps; believe me. I’m not used to sitting around waiting for things to happen.”

  “I heard Cal Harris talking about the man you hired to do the tracking, and Cal seems to think that Trent Marshall is the best,” Zach offered.

  “I hope Cal’s right,” Mason said.

  They changed the topic to try to lighten the mood of their visit. They spoke of events in town for a few more minutes until Dr. Murray returned.

  “I think that’s enough excitement for Mason on this trip,” he told them.

  “We’ll be back to see you again,” Larissa promised, getting up to leave.

  “I’m glad you came. It was really good to see you.”

  Dr. Murray closed the door once they were gone from the room.

  “So, how have you been feeling?” he asked as he unwrapped the wound.

  “I’m a little stronger, I think. How soon can I start getting up and moving around?”

  “I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t push yourself too hard. You’re better off in the long run to take it slow.”

  His advice wasn’t what Mason wanted to hear, even though he knew the doctor was probably right. He’d never been shot before, and it was troubling to him to discover he was, after all, human. He’d always believed he was strong enough to do whatever he wanted to do when he wanted to do it, and up until now he had been. It wasn’t easy for him to accept his limitations.

  Dr. Murray checked his wound. He cleansed it and rebandaged it.

  “If you want to try to get up and sit in a chair for an hour or two each day, start with that. I’ll come back again toward the end of the week and we’ll see how you’re holding up.”

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  “You take care.”

  Dr. Murray stopped to talk with Rose for a minute while Larissa and the others went back in to say good-bye. When they came out again, it was time for them to go.

  It had been hard for Larissa to leave Mason. She could see the pain and sadness in his eyes, and she wanted to stay there with him, to try to cheer him, but she knew she couldn’t. She was only a friend to him—nothing more.

  As they were riding home in the carriage, Larissa asked, “Is Mason really going to be all right?”

  “As long as no infection sets in, he should be,” her father reassured her.

  “You can tell this has been really hard on him,” Katie said. “Do you think they’ll ever find Abbie?”

  “I hope so,” he answered. “Faith is a strong woman to be out riding with the tracker herself. She won’t give up as long as there’s any hope of finding her sister.”

  At that moment, Faith wasn’t feeling very strong, not that she would admit it to anyone. Trent had been serious when he’d told them at the onset that he rode hard and fast. He was proving to them just how tough he was, and she had to admit to herself that she was impressed. Faith had always considered herself just about any man’s equal, and she was determined not to show any weakness around Trent. She knew he hadn’t wanted her along, and she wasn’t about to give him any reason to ride off and leave her behind. The endless hours in the saddle were taking their toll on her, but she would make it. What she was going through was nothing compared to what Abbie had to be suffering.

  “How did you come to be a hired gun?” Faith asked as she rode beside Trent.

  Trent glanced over at her as he answered, “Some years back, I caught a killer and got the reward for bringing him in. I was glad to see justice done, and getting paid just made it that much better. It seemed a good way to make a living, so I’ve been at it ever since.”

  “Where did you learn how to track?”

  “A friend—Old Jim. He was part Comanche. He taught me everything. He rode with me for quite a few years early on.”

  Faith understood where his confidence came from now. “Do you know this territory? Have you ridden this way before?”

  “Once, a few years ago. There’s a ranch not too far ahead. We can stop there and see if they’ve had any run-ins with the raiding party.”

  “What if they haven’t?”

  “Then we’ll keep riding.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Trent had to admit to himself that he was impressed by Faith’s stamina. She was keeping up with him without complaining. He could tell just by looking at her that she was tired, but she never suggested that they rest.

  Trent saw them first. He didn’t want to believe it, but there they were—buzzards circling in the distance over some unseen carcass. A sense of dread filled him as he imagined what their party was about to come upon. He reined in, drawing puzzled looks from the others.

  “What’s wrong?” Jake asked quickly.

  “Stay here with Faith while Hank and I ride ahead,” he ordered.

  “Why?” Faith demanded. She could tell by his tone that something was wrong.

  Trent looked over at her. He knew there
was no way to break it to her gently. There never was with this kind of news. “There are some buzzards up there—”

  “No!” It was torn from her.

  “They’re circling just over that rise. Wait here.” He said no more, but urged his horse on.

  Hank looked over at Faith. “Trent’s right. You stay here.”

  Trent and Hank disappeared from sight, leaving Faith and Jake tense and uneasy.

  “It can’t be Abbie,” she said, trying to convince herself. “It can’t be.”

  “I’m praying you’re right,” Jake said solemnly.

  Trent led the way, keeping an eye on the buzzards overhead. He wasn’t sure what he was going to find, but whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be pretty. As they drew nearer, Trent realized there had been horses through the area not too long before, and he was torn between excitement that he might have picked up the trail again and fear of what he was about to discover.

  “Do you think it’s Abbie?” Hank asked grimly. Tracker that he was, he’d seen the trail, too.

  “With the trail here—” He broke off uneasily.

  Both men fell silent as they continued on.

  And then Trent spotted them—the naked bodies of two men.

  “It’s not Abbie.”

  They dismounted and went to examine the bodies.

  The scene was horrible. They could tell the battle had been fierce and bloody, and then the buzzards had set upon the dead men. Their flesh was torn, and their eyeballs were missing.

  Trent was glad he’d ordered Faith to stay behind with Jake.

  “It was the raiding party, all right,” Trent said with certainty as he looked over the area, studying which direction they’d ridden out.

  “What should we do with these two?”

  “We’ll bury them.”

  Hank had thought Trent would want to ride on immediately, and he was surprised that the other man was willing to take the time to do the right thing. “Any idea who they were?”

  “No. There’s nothing left to identify them. Ride on up and tell Faith and Jake what we’ve found, while I start digging the graves. You might want to keep Faith away as long as you can.”

  “I’ll try, but you know how she is.”

  “I’m finding out,” Trent said grimly, then set to work.

  Faith and Jake had been waiting tensely to hear what the others had discovered. They saw Hank on his way back, looking grim, and shared a troubled look. They weren’t sure what he was going to tell them.

  Hank knew what they were thinking and wanted to ease their worry. As soon as he was within earshot, he called out, “It’s not Abbie.”

  “Thank God.” Faith was so relieved she almost burst into tears. Somehow she controlled herself.

  “Who was it?” Jake asked.

  “Two men. The raiding party killed them.”

  “So we’ve found their trail again?” Faith asked quickly, torn by terribly conflicting emotions. A part of her mourned the murdered men, but a part of her rejoiced that they might have found the trail again.

  “It looks that way. Trent wants to bury them before we head out.”

  “We’d better help him,” Jake said, then looked at Faith. “Do you want to wait here?”

  “No. I’ll come with you.”

  It was a gruesome task, but they managed to bury the dead. They stood quietly over the unmarked graves as they each offered up a silent prayer for the brutally murdered men.

  “Let’s ride,” Trent said.

  They were soon heading out.

  “Looks like you were right to trust your instincts,” Hank told him.

  Trent ignored his praise. They hadn’t found Abbie yet.

  Faith had been deeply shaken by the events of the day, and she could tell that Jake had been, too. When they made camp for the night, Jake wandered off to be alone for a while, but this time Faith went after him. She understood far too well what was troubling him.

  “Jake.” She said softly as she found him sitting on a rock, staring off into the darkness.

  “What is it, Faith?” His shoulders were slumped as if they carried the weight of the world upon them.

  “Do you want to talk?”

  Jake drew a ragged breath as he glanced over at her. “I thought Abbie was dead today. I thought we were going to find her there.”

  “But we didn’t,” she reassured him. “There’s still hope.”

  He looked away again. “I should have told her. . . .”

  “Told her what?”

  “The night of the social . . . I should have told her that I loved her,” he said, agony plain in his voice. “I wanted to propose to her, but I was afraid she wasn’t ready to hear it yet, so I waited.”

  “Oh, Jake—I’m so sorry.” She understood his pain. “But we’re going to find her. I know we are, and when we do, you can tell her then.”

  “I want to believe what you’re saying, but with every day that passes, the chances of finding her get worse. Who knows how far ahead of us they are?”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’re going to catch up with them. Trent’s going to lead us to her, and she’s going to be fine. You’ll see,” she said, voicing the hopes she held in her heart.

  Jake only nodded and got up to return to the camp. “You coming?”

  “In a while,” she answered.

  Faith watched him walk away, her heart filled with great sadness. The events of the day suddenly and completely overwhelmed her. A pain deep in her heart wrenched at her, and she knew she needed to be alone for a while. She told herself she had to be strong—that there was no alternative. But in spite of all her determination to stay in control of her fragile emotions, the memory of the fear that had jolted through her when Trent had pointed out the circling buzzards left her devastated.

  Unable to stop herself, Faith started to cry. She tried to muffle the sound, not wanting anyone to know of her torment. Alone in the night, she wept, giving vent to all the sorrow she had tried so hard to deny.

  When Trent saw Jake returning, he asked, “Where’s Faith?”

  “She said she was going to sit out there by herself awhile.”

  Trent understood the torment she was going through. He got up and went to find her. As he walked in the direction from which Jake had just come, he heard her crying in the darkness. She hadn’t heard his approach, and he stood there silently behind her for a moment, giving her the time she needed.

  “Faith,” he finally said softly.

  “Oh . . . I didn’t hear you coming,” she said, nervously turning to face him.

  “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I was just worried about you. I know it’s been a rough day.”

  “I’m all right,” Faith said, trying to deny the pain she was feeling.

  “Are you sure?”

  “No . . . no, I’m not sure. I don’t think I’ll ever be sure of anything again. I was so scared this afternoon when you saw those buzzards.” A shudder racked her at the torturous memory. “I was so afraid it was Abbie.”

  She felt totally vulnerable as she relived that horrible moment in her mind.

  “But it wasn’t,” he reassured her.

  “I know, but those poor men . . .”

  “There’s nothing more we can do for them. We have to concentrate on finding your sister.”

  “If we can ever find her.” The despair within her could not be denied.

  “We will.”

  She looked up at him. He sounded so confident, so sure. She wanted to believe him. She had to believe him. “Oh, Trent . . .”

  Trent saw her need and closed the distance between them. Without saying another word, he took her in his arms and held her close.

  Faith had never known such a safe haven. Trent was strong and powerful. He was a shelter against the harshness of the savage world that surrounded them. Weary of her own struggle to be strong, she clung to him, needing the strength and reassurance she felt in his embrace. Her troubled spirits eased as she gave herself into his
keeping.

  Trent sensed her surrender, and he gathered her even closer, holding her to his heart. A shuddering breath racked her as she surrendered to the peace that came with being in his arms. He sensed the change in her as he held her close, and lifted one hand to her cheek to tilt her face to him.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice husky with emotion.

  “I am now,” she whispered, looking up at him.

  In that moment, as their gazes met there in the quiet peace of the night, she felt drawn to him. Trent felt it, too, and without speaking, he bent to her and claimed her lips in a soft, tender kiss.

  It was heaven—a pure sanctuary being close to him, and she lifted her arms to encircle his neck.

  At first Trent had been hesitant to deepen the kiss, but at her move he gave in to his need for her. He kissed her hungrily, his lips moving over hers in a possessive exchange.

  Excitement coursed through Faith. She’d been kissed by other men before, but no kiss had ever affected her like this. Trent’s kiss was pure ecstasy. Lost in the pleasure of his embrace, she responded eagerly.

  Trent had known from the first moment he’d seen her at the social that he was attracted to Faith, but he’d never known how much until now. His body ached with his desire for her. He could feel the enticing crush of her breasts against his chest, and her hips nestled against his.

  His need for Faith was powerful, but Trent was a man who prided himself on being in control. He knew he had to end the kiss and put her from him. He didn’t want to. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and make love to her, but this was not the time.

  They were on a hunt to find her sister. He couldn’t take advantage of Faith’s emotional vulnerability by making love to her now. She might hate him afterward if he did.

  Reluctantly, Trent ended the kiss and set her away from him.

  Faith had been caught up in the passion of his embrace, and she was confused when he ended it. She looked up at him—at his ruggedly handsome features and firm, sensuous lips—and wanted to go back into his arms and kiss him again.