by Bobbi Smith
“What happened?” he asked.
“Rattlesnake,” Lone Eagle told him, pointing it out.
Little Dog bent down to pick it up. He was smiling as he tossed the knife back to Lone Eagle and then stood up, holding the nearly severed snake by its tail. He took a step closer to the Golden One and enjoyed the look of fear that showed in her eyes as he waved the rattlesnake close to her. Little Dog’s smile broadened. He walked away, carrying the dead rattler.
Lone Eagle untied the Golden One’s ankles and helped her get to her feet. He unfastened her wrists and retied them in front of her so she would be able to ride.
“Come. We must go.”
“What was all the gunfire about? What did you do?” she asked.
He ignored her questions as he led her down to where the others were waiting. Abbie had not known what to expect after hearing all the shooting, and she was startled to see that there were two other female captives sitting on horseback with their wrists tied before them, just as hers were. Their clothing was torn as hers had been, and they had been beaten, but they did not look too seriously injured. She noticed that they seemed just as surprised to see her, but none of them spoke. Abbie looked at the older of the two women and saw pain and devastation in her eyes. Abbie acknowledged her with only a slight nod before mounting her own horse. She hoped that later, when the warriors stopped for the night, they would have the chance to talk.
“Over there!” Faith shouted. “I think I see something!”
She wasn’t sure what it had been—just a quick glimpse of color—but it had stood out on the rocky landscape. She rode away to check on it, leaving the men to follow.
The piece of cloth was caught in a low-growing shrub, but Faith recognized it as she got closer, and distress filled her. She jumped down from her horse and ran to tear the material out of the bush. She began to tremble as she stared down at the piece of cloth. There was no doubt it was from the blouse Abbie had been wearing the day she’d disappeared.
Trent, Jake, and Hank were there beside her in what seemed like an instant.
“Is it Abbie’s?” Hank asked.
“Yes,” was all she could manage in a choked voice as she lifted her gaze to stare off in the direction they were heading.
Abbie was out there somewhere close.
Now there was no doubt.
After a moment, Faith looked over at Trent. “You are as good as everyone said you were. Let’s ride.”
She tucked the cloth into her pocket and went to mount her horse.
Trent looked around the area, studying the ground before mounting up again, too. “Let’s spread out, and keep a close lookout for a trail. Abbie was around here not too long ago.”
They circled out, searching for the tracks from the raiding party, and Jake shouted excitedly when he came upon them leading off to the southwest.
Trent studied the trail, and he had a feeling he knew where the renegades were headed. A part of him hoped for the sake of the folks on the ranch up ahead that he was wrong, but he didn’t think so.
Faith’s heart had been racing ever since she’d found the cloth. She told herself to stay calm. She told herself not to get too excited, but this was the first real proof that they were closing in on Abbie and the raiding party. Faith couldn’t deny that she was worried about Abbie’s blouse being torn, but there was no blood on it, and she hung onto that consolation.
Jake had been furious when he’d first seen that Abbie’s blouse had been torn. Had someone’s hands been upon her, abusing her? He was filled with the driving need to protect and guard her. After his initial anger over the discovery passed, he was able to calm himself down. He reassured himself with the realization that it was a relief to know they were heading in the right direction, and that Abbie was still out there somewhere—alive.
“What’s ahead?” Jake asked Trent as they rode on.
“There’s a ranch. We’ll reach it in the next day or two.”
“Do you think they attacked them, too?”
“I guess we’ll find out.” He was grim.
Jake understood his mood and fell silent.
They rode until dark, making camp near a watering hole.
“This is the first time since we’ve been on the trail that I’ve really believed we’ll be able to find her safe and sound,” Faith offered, holding the scrap of material in her hands. “I’ve always held on to the hope that Abbie was still alive, but now, after finding this piece of her blouse, we have evidence that she came this way.”
“How close do you think we are, Trent?” Jake asked.
“They’ve still got at least a day and a half on us.”
“But we’re closing on them,” Hank added.
“Yes. We are,” Trent said, believing it.
Abbie and the two new captives were forced to sit close together, bound hand and foot before the campfire. She hadn’t had the chance to say much to the other women yet, but she could tell they understood just how dangerous their situation was. Only when the warriors moved off to tend to the horses did they finally have the opportunity to talk.
“I’m Abbie Ryan,” Abbie told them softly.
“I’m Ellie Gray, and this is my daughter, Caroline. They raided our ranch today and killed our ranch hands,” she said in a strained, emotional voice.
“What are we going to do?” Caroline whispered. She had been crying almost nonstop since she’d been taken.
“There’s not much we can do right now,” Ellie whispered back. “Just pray that your father gets home quick and comes after us.” She looked at Abbie. “Where did they capture you?”
“On my family’s ranch up near Coyote Canyon. They shot my brother and took me. We’ve been riding south ever since.”
“Was your brother killed?”
Abbie paused as the pain of the memory assailed her. “I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry,” Ellie told her. “What do you think they’re going to do with us?”
“I wish I knew.”
“They’ve beaten you.” Ellie could see the bruises on her face.
“I tried to escape.”
“You were brave to try that all by yourself.”
“I had no choice, but it didn’t matter. They caught up with me.”
Ellie looked down at Caroline and then over at Abbie. Fearing for her daughter’s innocence, she asked, “Did they . . . ?”
“No,” Abbie answered quickly before Ellie could say more.
They fell silent as one of their captors returned.
Little Dog had heard the women talking and wanted to frighten them. He took out the dead snake from where he’d stowed it and, keeping it hidden from view, he walked toward them. He could see the fear in their eyes as they watched his approach, and he enjoyed the feeling of power their terror gave him. He particularly liked taunting the Golden One. She was watching him warily, her hatred for him open in her gaze, so without warning, he threw the rattlesnake directly at her. He laughed aloud when she cried out in shock.
Lone Eagle heard the Golden One’s cry and rushed back to find out what had happened.
“What have you done, Little Dog?” he demanded. The longer they rode together, the less he trusted the other warrior.
Little Dog was still laughing as he pointed to the dead snake. “I gave her a present.”
Lone Eagle didn’t respond. He just walked over and picked up the snake. He carried it away from the campsite and threw it into the brush.
The three women stared up at Little Dog, unsure what he might try next. Their relief was great when he walked away.
“What are we going to do? How are we going to get away from them?” Caroline asked her mother.
“Your father will save us. He’ll come after us,” Ellie said reassuringly, hoping all the while that what she was saying was the truth.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It was the middle of the night when Faith awoke. She lay there on her bedroll, staring up at the clear, moonlit night sky. It was a
heavenly sight. The stars twinkled brightly and the half-moon gave off a soft glow.
Faith had always considered herself a fit woman. She knew she could ride with the best of her men and keep up, but after all these days on the trail, traveling so hard and fast, she was coming to recognize her limitations—not that she’d ever let Trent know. She’d told him she could keep up with him, and she was going to—no matter what.
She admitted to herself that she was sore all over. Every inch of her body ached, but what bothered her more was that she hadn’t had the chance to wash up properly since they’d left the ranch, and she knew she was filthy.
An inspiration came to Faith as she lay there, thinking about the long, hot, dusty days to come on the trail, and she knew what she wanted to do. Quietly sitting up, she looked around and was glad to find that Trent, Jake, and Hank were all sound asleep. She knew then that her timing was perfect. Since they’d camped near a small watering hole and the men were all sleeping, she would have the privacy she needed to sneak off and wash up without their ever finding out.
The watering hole wasn’t big enough or deep enough for a real bath, but Faith didn’t care. She would be satisfied with just washing off what trail dust she could for now.
Ever so carefully, she took what she needed out of her saddlebags. She got her handgun, too, just in case she ran into trouble, and then stood up and moved silently from the camp to the watering hole which was only a short distance away. When she got to the water’s edge, she took one more quick look around to make sure she truly was alone, and then stripped off her blouse and knelt down to start scrubbing herself clean as best she could.
The cool water felt glorious, so she took her time. Bathing this way was a far cry from her usual warm soak in the bathtub at home, but she was still enjoying every minute of it. Just having some time by herself away from the men helped to make the moment special. Faith sighed in contentment and continued to work at washing away the many days’ worth of dirt and grime.
Trent wasn’t sure what woke him, but he suddenly found himself wide-awake in the middle of the night. He lay still, listening and waiting, trying to figure out what had roused him from his sleep. All seemed quiet. He heard nothing unusual, yet his instincts were telling him something was wrong.
Troubled, Trent sat up and looked around the campsite. Though the campfire had burned down low, it still gave off enough light for him to be able to see, and he noticed right away that Faith was missing from her bedroll. He realized it was probably her moving about that had awakened him, so he stretched out again to await her return.
When Faith hadn’t come back after a few minutes, Trent grew concerned. He got up and decided to take a look around to make sure nothing had happened to her. He grabbed his sidearm and moved carefully off into the darkness.
Trent hadn’t gone far when he heard a faint splashing down by the water. He moved cautiously toward the watering hole. He was hoping that it was Faith, but he didn’t let his guard down, keeping his gun in hand—just in case. He had learned that a smart man was always careful.
The sight that greeted Trent when he reached a vantage point over the water stopped him in his tracks. There before him, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, was Faith, and she was partially undressed.
Trent didn’t move. He remained where he was, gazing down at Faith, visually caressing her. He’d known from the first moment he’d seen her at the dance that she was a tempting beauty, and as he watched her now, he felt the heat of his need for her rise up within him.
Trent knew he should turn away and give her the privacy she needed. He knew he should return to camp and wait for her there, but he couldn’t. He moved forward.
“Faith.” He said her name quietly, so as not to awaken the others.
“Trent.” Her heart jolted at the sound of his voice so near, and she turned quickly to find him there. Trent’s tall, broad-shouldered presence sent a shiver of sensual awareness through her. He was a strong man, a powerful man, and she was drawn to him as to no other. Memories of the kiss they’d shared the last time they’d been alone played in her thoughts.
“When I woke up and found you were gone, I got worried about you,” he explained, coming to stand before her. His gaze went over her, over the slender slope of her bared shoulders and down across the tempting swells of her breasts revealed above the simple yet enticing undergarment she wore.
Logic told Trent to walk away from her, to go back to camp and bed down again, now that he knew she was safe. He was a man on a mission. He had no time for any distractions while he was on the trail of the raiding party. Yet a more powerful force than logic had him in its grip.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d clean up a bit,” she explained, feeling breathless at being partially unclothed before him. The heat of his gaze upon her excited Faith. “I guess I’d better . . .”
She started to reach for her blouse to cover herself, but Trent stopped her. He set his gun aside and took her by the arm, drawing her very gently, very slowly to him.
The touch of his hand on her arm sent a shiver of excitement through Faith, and she didn’t resist. She went into his embrace willingly. She wanted to be near Trent. She wanted to be in his arms again.
His mouth covered hers in a demanding, hungry kiss, and she responded fully and without reserve. Wrapped in each other’s arms, they shared kiss after passionate kiss. They clung together, caught up in their need for each other.
When his lips left hers to press heated kisses to her throat, the fire of desire began to grow deep within her, and when his caress swept over her, she thrilled to his touch. Faith had never experienced such passion or delight. She felt alive in ways she’d never known before. She eagerly clung to him, loving the feel of his lean, hard body against her.
Trent rose up and claimed her lips again as he caressed the soft curve of her breast. Faith gasped at the sensations his intimate touch aroused within her, and an ache grew within her. She arched to him, instinctively offering herself to him.
The heat in his body driving him, Trent crushed her closer and kissed her passionately. There was no denying he wanted her. He did, badly, but one last fragile thread of sanity kept him from giving in to his burning desire for her.
This was not the time. . . .
It took all his willpower to break off the kiss. He didn’t put her from him right away. He just stood there, holding her in his arms as he fought with himself to bring his raging passion under control.
For a moment Faith wondered why Trent had broken off the kiss, and then she realized just how caught up she had been in the moment. His touch and his kiss had left her mindless in her need to get ever closer to him. The knowledge that he could affect her this way unnerved her. She had never responded to any man the way she did to Trent. He challenged her and he aroused her. She wasn’t quite sure what to think as she drew back away from him, and she was almost disappointed when he let her go.
Neither of them spoke as she quickly donned her blouse.
“Are you ready to go back?” Trent asked, gazing down at her and fighting the desire to take her back into his arms. She was the most spirited woman he’d ever known, and the most beautiful. It came as a revelation to him that he was falling in love with her, and the revelation startled and troubled him. He put the thought from him. This was not the time, he reminded himself again.
Faith wanted to tell him that she wasn’t ready to go back, that she wanted to stay right there with him. While she was in his arms, she could forget about all her troubles and the ugliness of life.
“Thank you for coming to check on me,” she said softly as she moved past him.
“I’m glad I did.”
Faith stopped and looked up at him. She smiled at him. “I am, too.”
She walked ahead of him to the campsite and settled back into her bedroll, making sure not to disturb Jake and Hank. She turned on her side so she could watch Trent as he bedded down across the fire from her.
Fai
th had never known a man like Trent before. From the first moment they’d met at the dance, she’d known he was special. She’d never dreamed they would meet again after that night, but then he’d ridden back into her life on that terrible day when she’d lost all hope of ever finding Abbie. Because of Trent, hope had been reborn within her, and now she realized there was more to what she felt for him than she’d ever suspected. His kiss and his touch were ecstasy for her. His very nearness filled her with excitement. He had brought hope back into her life—and he had brought love.
She loved him.
She smiled in the darkness as she accepted the truth of her feelings. She knew she couldn’t say anything yet. She would have to keep the knowledge of her love for him to herself for now. For the moment, all that mattered was rescuing Abbie.
Trent stretched out and got as comfortable as he could in his bedroll. He was tired, but after those few intimate moments with Faith, he knew sleep was going to be hard to come by tonight. The memory of her kiss and embrace were going to keep him awake for quite a while.
The recognition of the truth of his feelings for Faith ate at him. The dangerous life he had chosen for himself didn’t allow for settling down. He stayed on the move, tracking down bad men and bringing them in. He worked hard at his job, and he enjoyed seeing justice done.
Trent closed his eyes as the memory of her kiss returned, and he stifled a groan of annoyance at the wayward direction of his thoughts. He needed to concentrate on tracking the raiding party. He told himself that was all that mattered—and he tried to make himself believe it.
It was late in the afternoon when Ward Sykes rode slowly down the main street of Coyote Canyon, looking the town over. He’d been there some years before, and it seemed like not much had changed while he’d been away. He was hot, tired, and hungry as he reined in before the town’s only hotel and went in to take a room for the night.
“Afternoon. Need a room?” the clerk asked.
“Yes.”
“How long will you be staying?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m just passing through,” he answered as he signed the register.
