by Linda Broday
The angry words her father had flung at her haunted her mind. You should’ve been the one to die.
Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Yes, it should’ve been her.
“Why did you stay so long in the mountains, Sierra? You were miserable.”
“I got stuck with no way out, and no place to go even if I had the freedom.”
“We do tend to get stuck.” Sam’s arm tightened around her. “Do you mind if I kiss you? I seem to have a great need for the taste of your lips.”
His hoarse voice held a strange longing, almost as if he thought he didn’t have a right to ask.
“I’d like that.” Her words came out breathless and quiet. She wasn’t about to admit that her own needs made the yearning for him unbearable.
A smile curved his mouth. He gently cupped her jaw and brought her face toward him. Sierra held her breath as his lips touched hers.
The slow kiss was like a caress, reminding her of the way the wind sighed through the tall pines—gentle and scented with nature’s fragrance. Sam’s lips, his tender touch, his gray eyes that saw past her failings, all blended, mixing with the night.
Warmth rushed over her, settling into the cold, frigid parts of her body where terror and despair dwelled. The heated flush swimming through her veins thawed a little of the ice gripping her. A quickening lurched in her stomach as the kiss sent jolts through her. Her heart fluttered wildly.
This kiss was different from those they’d briefly shared. This one shook her to her toes and seared into her memory. Excited tingles swept along each nerve ending as his scent mingled with wild sage, saddle leather…and the desperate hope in her heart.
She’d dreamed of finding such a man, but had long given up. Sam’s tender touch made her feel beautiful and desired. With him, she wasn’t the sad little girl with an absent father and a mother so locked in grief she would rather die than live.
With him, she was welcomed, embraced as someone of value. And with him, she’d never be forgotten.
Surrounded by the whispers of animals scurrying in the predawn hours, Sierra slid her hand around Sam’s neck. The soft strands of his dark brown hair wound around her fingers.
“I’ve been looking for you all my life,” Sam murmured against her mouth. “Where have you been?”
Waiting for him, despairing of him ever coming along.
Sierra laid her hand on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart beneath her small palm. So strong. So sure.
Sam Legend was scarred. So was she. But he was everything she wanted.
He seemed to need her. And she for sure needed him. Never could she imagine going back to the shambles of her pitiful life without him.
Closing her eyes, she soaked up his feathery touch as his hand slid down the column of her throat to the collar of her dress. If this was a dream, please let her not wake up.
Nothing would bring greater joy than spending the rest of her life wrapped in Sam’s strong arms. Yet her heart told her the odds were stacked against her.
“You make me feel safe for the first time in my life,” she whispered.
“My plan’s working then.”
Sierra heard a smile in his voice. She glanced up, and by the flickering light of the fire, saw the twinkle in his eyes. For a split second she could almost picture herself by his side forever.
Almost, but not quite.
She was smart enough to know that could never be. Too many things stood in the way. She had nothing, no home, no belongings, no family who claimed her. Except maybe Rocky, but he’d disappeared and was most likely dead. From what little she knew, Sam came from wealth and circumstance. He was a dedicated lawman.
She was probably just a woman he felt obligated to save. She was merely part of his job. Still, she savored the strength of his arms and the kiss that made her glad to be alive, to have survived those horrible, hopeless years.
But in a few hours this, too, would end. It would have to, when she refused to cross the Brazos River.
It’s there they would part. She intended to stay behind. It was the only way.
“Have you ever wondered what you might’ve been if you weren’t a lawman, Sam?” Her whispered question brought a scowl.
“Nope.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the tips of her fingers. “Joining the Texas Rangers is all I ever wanted. What about you, pretty lady? What dreams filled your head?”
“I wanted to be a schoolteacher, write a book one day about the real American West, and tell folks back East that it’s not exciting or a place of adventure—misconceptions all.”
Have a good friend—maybe two—who would accept her as she was. A house she’d never have to leave. These secret wishes she didn’t mention.
She paused then went on, “Run my own newspaper, and not just work for my brother. Then of course, I’d love to be a mother with children of my own and a husband who adores me.”
In her dream, she’d cherish each child and show them they were loved, not simply tell them. Words so often failed.
Sam tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You have no idea how beautiful you are by moonlight.”
She shook her head. She was a mess to be sure with her uncombed hair, layers of dirt, torn dress, and a jagged scrape down one arm. Memories of the mountain men’s wives she encountered during her travels came to mind. She probably looked like some unkempt mountain woman with manners to match.
Sierra opened her mouth to remind Sam of the sleep he needed, but she never got the words out. He slanted another kiss across her lips, and she forgot everything except her racing pulse and the heat that crashed over her in waves.
When his palm slid to her waist, she sank against the hard wall of his chest, praying…
That these predawn hours would never end.
That she wasn’t dreaming.
That Sam could be the man she hungered for.
She desperately needed permanence and love. Only…when Sam learned the rest of her secrets, how fast would he run?
Twelve
The huge orange ball of the sun hung midway across the sky by the time the three of them reached the Brazos. It had taken longer because of stopping often to let Weston rest.
Sam heard the mighty roar of rushing water long before he saw it. He shot Sierra and Weston a glance, wishing they didn’t have Isaac Ford breathing down their necks. Sam had noticed the outlaws coming fast a few miles back, which prevented them from making camp until the floodwaters receded.
Fear had drained the color from Sierra’s face, turning her lips white. He’d give anything if he didn’t have to force her to do this. She stared transfixed at the water, as though the angry river was a ferocious beast that would swallow her whole.
The sight of the raging current shook Sam too. Moving Trooper closer, he touched Sierra’s arm. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” But she appeared locked in her terror, not flicking a muscle or acknowledging that he’d uttered a word. How was he going to get her, and Weston, across?
Men who rode the trail knew to look upstream for a lower water level to make an easier crossing.
Except he didn’t have time to look. Ford would be on them. Sam swung to Luke and told him about Isaac Ford, then added, “Between you and me, I haven’t seen the river this bad in a few years.”
“Makes two of us. You just take care of Miss Sierra. I’ll manage myself.”
Sam shot Luke a worried glance. He could barely sit on the horse, much less do something sure to challenge a whole man. “With luck, we should be across by the time the outlaws get here,” Sam said. Why had he spoken of luck? That word shied away from Sam faster than a bunch of wall-eyed buffalo in a stampede.
“Sierra’s terrified,” Luke said, low. “We may have trouble.”
“Me, you mean. You’ll be doing good to get yourself
across. If you get into trouble, I might not be able to help.” With Luke looking like death warmed over, Sam wouldn’t want to place bets.
“Just worry about her.”
Sam clasped his hand. “If we get separated, we’ll meet up in Flatbush.”
That was the best he could offer. He watched Luke inch out into the current.
One look behind showed Ford almost within rifle range.
Sam’s brain screamed to go. Now!
With a gentle touch on her arm, he focused on Sierra now. “I need your help, pretty lady.” Her frigid skin told of the severe grip of her fear. When she didn’t move, he asked again a little louder, then added, “I know how terrified you are, Sierra, but do you think you can help me?”
At last she turned her blanched face to him. “Did you say something?”
“I need you to start reciting those Bible books,” he said quietly. “It’s time. You can do this. I’m going to make sure you get across.”
A glance behind showed the outlaws gaining. Two minutes more and it would be too late.
When she raised her glance to him, panic filled her blue eyes. “No, I can’t do this, Sam. I just can’t.”
Sam silently cursed Isaac Ford for not leaving him time to take her in his arms and offer comfort. “I believe in you. I know you’re made of strong stuff.”
“You’re wrong. I’m a coward. You can pretend I’m some noble woman, but it won’t change the facts.”
“Pretty lady, I’ve got you.” He brushed the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips. “I’d give anything to change what happened. But I can’t. I can promise that I will get you safely across this river, and you can count on that.”
With terror-stricken eyes, Sierra shook her head. “Our ways part here. I’m staying behind. I’m sorry, Sam.”
Damn, he was afraid of this.
Sam leaned to kiss her forehead and rubbed his hand up and down her back, praying he could make her see reason. “Ford is almost on us. Do you want him to get you?”
“No, but it’s what has to be.” A sob escaped.
“We have no other choice. They’ve pinned our backs to the wall. I’m not leaving you behind for that sorry outlaw to torture,” he growled. “If you stay, so am I.”
A quick scan of the area didn’t reveal many hiding places. It would be difficult to make a stand here among the thin branches of salt cedar, but for this woman, he would try.
“Don’t you see that I’m only going to get you killed? Everyone I touch dies. My father said so.”
“Get that crazy talk out of your head right now.” Sam didn’t know why her father would say such a thing to his daughter. If he ever met up with the man, he’d damn sure find out—right after he gave him a thrashing.
“It’s true. Look how many close calls you’ve already had.”
“Close doesn’t count…except maybe in pitching horseshoes. I’m still alive. So is Luke.” He smoothed back her hair. “We’re going to get through this.”
“Too many people have died because I couldn’t save them,” she cried. “Please, don’t make me do this.”
What in hell did she mean?
“You’ll never find Rocky. You’ll never save him if you stay here.” He gently wiped her tears. She was mentally fragile, and no way in hell was he going to let her go. More than ever, he vowed to keep her safe. To take her fear as his own so she would be free of its grip. He leaned to brush his lips across hers.
Hoof beats pounded the ground. This was do-or-die time.
“You need to start reciting now. Genesis, Leviticus…uh…you know what comes next.”
“Sam, don’t make me do this.” She whimpered like a hurt animal.
The sound pierced Sam’s heart. “Try not to hate me, pretty lady.”
Making a last-minute decision, he lifted her into the saddle in front of him where he could protect her. Giving a yell, Sam slapped her mare on the rear with his hat, sending the little horse ahead. A second later, he and Sierra plunged into the cold, rushing water of the Brazos.
Sierra screamed, “No! No! Don’t make me do this, Whitney!”
Trooper trembled violently as the swift current swept his legs out from under him. The screams of both horses matched Sierra’s.
A barrage of gunshots sounded as bullets peppered the surface of the water.
Sam uttered an oath, trying to shield Sierra from the gunfire, praying the shots would miss her, as he tried to settle the horse enough to swim. He cursed the haste that hadn’t allowed him to lash her to him by rope. Damn you, Ford! Damn you to hell! Once their mount battled the current with strong legs, he took his first breath, but there was no relaxing.
More gunshots sent hot lead around them. He didn’t care about himself, just let his pretty lady be spared. That’s all he asked.
Now that Trooper was over his initial panic, the buckskin would carry them across.
His arm tightened around Sierra as he yelled over the roaring water, “Hold on to the mane! Trooper will do the work! I’m right here. I won’t let you drown.”
Her terrified eyes were the only spots of color in her ashen face. Fear had frozen her delicate features into a mask. Her shock was obvious—in this state, she couldn’t hear anything.
The loud rush of the water gobbled up the string of cusswords as they left his mouth and flung them back.
Damn it to hell!
“You can’t have her, you monster!” Sam shouted.
No matter the risk, he intended to get her safely across. He’d promised. And that was a promise he’d keep. Somehow.
He ground his teeth and renewed a tight grip on the reins. The mighty river taunted him for his brave words. Halfway across, where the current was swifter and deadlier, his worst fears were realized. The powerful force stripped her mare’s reins from his fingers.
At the same time, the horrendous energy grabbed at Sierra. He fought in desperation to hold onto her but found emptiness as the water ripped her from his arms.
Sam’s heart froze. He dove in after her. But in that split second, the river carried her out of reach.
He had to save her. Not because of a promise he’d made or that he was duty bound. He’d save her because she’d saved him first.
Giving a shuddering breath, he kicked his feet and made powerful sweeps with his arms, praying to catch her.
A few yards away her head bobbed, barely visible due to the waves and spray. He gave a prayer of thanks that she’d somehow managed the miracle of staying on the surface. She wouldn’t for long if he couldn’t reach her.
A little more. He was close.
But the Brazos seemed in a devilish mood. Each time he reached out to grab Sierra, the monster snatched her away.
Sam knew he had to get to her soon, or it would be too late. His arms and legs became chunks of lead. It was all he could do to lift them.
Soon he wouldn’t even be able to save himself.
Soon the mighty Brazos would claim them both.
Thirteen
Despair swept over Sam. He slapped angrily at the current. He’d given nothing but another empty promise and delivered Sierra to a watery grave.
In the predawn hours she’d said he made her feel safe.
She’d trusted him, believed in him.
Sam had no right to the pride he’d claimed all these years. A Legend didn’t back down from a fight. A Legend would face the Brazos River. A Legend never gave up.
With a sudden spurt of determination, he swam like a man possessed. Within a few seconds, he’d closed the gap separating him from the woman who floated facedown in the water. She’d borne unimaginable sorrow and was far braver than she believed. She would not die here.
Stretching, he grasped her clothes, first with his fingertips then his whole hand, refusing to let the river claim her. When she came within rea
ch, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against him.
“I’ve got you. You’re safe,” he breathed into her ear.
Her closed eyes and gray color froze his heart. He couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead. He had to get the water out of her lungs in time. She’d regain consciousness. She had to!
With a prayer on his lips, he swam for dry land.
Once his feet touched bottom, he pulled her from the water. Gasping for air, he rolled Sierra onto her back and tenderly brushed wet strands of hair from her eyes. Kneeling over her, he pumped her rib cage. He’d seen this done a few times, and once, the person had lived.
Please, God…
It seemed minutes had passed, but he didn’t stop. This was her only chance.
Please let her live.
But still he saw no sign of life. Pain filled his chest until it hurt to breathe.
He’d try just once more. Then he’d have done all he could.
Almost ready to abandon hope, he pumped her chest. Tears ran down his face.
Then he gave a cry as water gushed from her mouth. When she started to choke, Sam quickly rolled her onto her side. He patted her back as coughs wracked her body.
When they eased, he sat and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her wet hair. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Oh God, I thought I’d lost you.”
Sierra spluttered and coughed for a good while before she could finally speak. “Where are we? Why are we soaked?”
Evidently her shock had blocked out the battle with the river monster. That was a good thing. He would hate for her to relive that nightmare.
“We made the crossing and got a little bit wet,” he said, making light of the ordeal that still left him shaken.
“Where’s Luke?” she asked, looking around.
“We got separated.”
Sam prayed Luke made it across. It wouldn’t seem right if the man he’d chased for so long perished now. The toughest rawhide tethered them together. Sam didn’t fully understand their baffling relationship, but it seemed more than lawman and outlaw. Putting that aside for the moment, he wondered how far downriver they’d gone. Possibly two or three miles, maybe more. He doubted Ford’s gang would be able to find them so far downriver. But he was unwilling to risk Sierra’s life on such an assumption.
