by Amy Sandas
Terms that did not involve personal relationships of any kind.
Which was why his reaction to Eve was so disturbing. When he’d met her wide, glistening gaze across the fire that first night, he’d felt something—a hard, swift tug below his rib cage. Even when he’d seen her fear, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from going to her.
He experienced that same inexorable pull whenever their eyes met. She drew on something inside him that he’d thought no longer existed. The desire to understand. To protect. To know the secret fears and yearning another person carries.
He should feel no such desire. It served him no purpose and her even less.
By all appearances, she should have someone willing to pay handsomely for her safe return, yet she’d stated twice that she wouldn’t be ransomed. She clearly had no wish to be returned to the place from which she’d come, but why? Where was she heading on that train?
And why did her eyes seem to hold so many shadows?
They were questions Luke would need to have answered before he decided what he’d do with the woman. But Gabriel felt a need to know for other reasons entirely.
Whatever power this young woman held over him, he needed to keep it under control. His responsibility for her well-being would be short-lived. Her fate would soon be passed into someone else’s hands.
* * *
The next morning dawned with a crisp, white sun.
Gabriel moved silently about camp as he spread out the glowing coals and kicked dirt over them to smother their heat.
There would be no coffee this morning. Only hardtack and jerky with what water he had left. He would have gone a bit out of his way to fill his canteen last night if he hadn’t been worried about pushing the woman past her endurance.
He was settling the blanket on his horse’s back when he suddenly knew she was awake.
She hadn’t made any sound—no shifting in her blankets or swift breath, but Gabriel knew all the same. One moment there was silence inside him, and in the next, a surge of awareness, like the tumbling of swift rapids, flowing from head to toe.
He continued at his task as he said, “We leave soon.”
Silence greeted his words, but after a bit, he heard her moving. A moment later, he knew she had stepped beyond the bushes for privacy. He had removed the rope that secured her to the rock earlier. Though he didn’t believe she would run, he still listened intently for her return.
Gabriel was kneeling on the ground, rolling up the blanket she had used, when she stepped back into camp several minutes later. He looked up and allowed himself a moment to take in her appearance.
The fine dress she wore—proof of her wealth and the likelihood of a promising ransom—now held very little of its original elegance. Dusty from riding and wrinkled beyond repair from sleeping on the ground, its quality was still evident to anyone with eyes. The woman herself was looking just as worn and ragged. If she’d once had gloves or a hat, they’d been left behind on the train, and dirt had started collecting under the perfectly curved crescents of her fingernails. Her pale-blond hair was still held securely in a twisting bun at her nape, but wispy tendrils had slipped free to brush against her face and neck. Dirt smudged the crest of one fine cheekbone, and her weariness was evident in the downward turn of her mouth.
Still, she walked into camp with a serene and regal air that defied her rough appearance. No matter what this woman wore or how trying her circumstances became, there would be no mistaking her worth, a diamond in the dirt.
There was a great deal of dignity and pride contained in her slight form.
Her gaze was unwavering as she approached. He found it unsettling how she looked directly at him. Even when he returned her stare, she did not glance away. Many others would have.
He knew the fear was still there, carefully banked behind a calm facade, but there was determination in her as well. And that subtle thread of strength and courage never wavered.
Gabriel finished tying up the blanket and rose to his feet.
Her gaze flickered as he stood.
He tried to ignore the clenching in his stomach at her reaction.
Even if his size was not capable of making people wary of him at a glance, there were many people who distrusted and feared him based solely on his native heritage. He’d grown to accept it, refusing to assist people in altering their prejudices. He’d created balance in his life that didn’t rely on other people’s opinions of him. It had been a long time since he’d wished he could be judged by his actions rather than appearances.
There was no reason to wish the woman approaching him might see him in a way many others could not.
He tucked the bedroll beneath his arm, then scooped up the sheepskin and gave it a few hard shakes to dislodge the dirt. With a nod, he gestured toward the hardtack and jerky he’d set aside for her. “Food and water. We head out in five minutes.”
He expected to reach Bitter Creek that night, but it would require some hard riding. He hoped the woman was up for it after the long day yesterday. Something told him he wouldn’t hear a word from her even if she wasn’t.
She stepped up beside him just as he got everything strapped into place. Her sudden nearness and the charge of physical awareness it brought had his core tightening and his muscles tensing.
Her lashes swept down over her gaze just before she reached him and handed him the canteen. There hadn’t been much water left in it, and he’d figured she’d need it all. When he took the canteen, however, it wasn’t empty.
She’d left some for him.
He acknowledged the gesture with a spread of warmth in his chest as he raised the canteen to his lips to claim the last swallow. Lowering the canteen again, he noticed that she’d watched him drink. His body reacted instantly to what he detected in the depth of her soft blue eyes, despite her carefully controlled expression.
He quickly tried to douse the flames that leapt to life within him. It was the second time he’d caught a glimpse of that quiet, smoldering look in her eyes. And the second time he’d had to forcefully deny his natural reaction to it.
He thought he knew what desire looked like in a woman’s gaze. He’d seen it frequently enough. He’d become accustomed to seeing that gleam of excitement and understood what it meant.
But what he saw—what he felt—in this woman’s gaze was different. It hit him deeper, struck harder. Because it was quiet and gentle and filled with uncertainty.
If it was desire, it was the reluctant sort. It was quite possible she didn’t even know that’s what she was feeling when she looked at him.
Or she knew exactly what she was feeling and preferred to deny it.
With a flicker of her lashes, the glimmer in her eyes was dulled once again.
After tucking the empty canteen into his shoulder bag, Gabriel turned and leapt up onto his mustang’s back. Keeping the eager horse under control with a gentle command for patience, he extended his hand to the woman still standing on the ground.
With only a brief hesitation, she placed her hand in his.
Gabriel lifted her easily to sit in front of him. She settled into place with her spine straight and her gaze trained forward. He knew she was doing all she could to avoid touching him any more than was necessary, and he did his best to respect the boundaries she’d set. More than once the day before, he’d wanted to suggest that she relax back against him. As the hours had gone by and her fatigue had become more and more apparent, he was tempted to offer himself as support. But the words never rose to his lips.
She would have refused.
Her pride would never allow her to take even that simple comfort from him.
The landscape they traveled through was rough and rugged, but Gabriel knew the terrain well. He refilled their water supply at the first available stop and knew just where to find food worth scavenging. By late afternoon, they’d reache
d the twisting banks of an ancient creek that was fed by a spring high up the mountains. From there, they continued to follow the creek upstream into the foothills. Just a few more hours of hard riding, and they should reach Maddy and Jane’s before nightfall.
The original plan had not included taking Sarah Cummings all the way to the valley. A separate location had been set up from which Jackson and Old Pete would have managed the ransom. But with Ramsey’s ridiculous mistake, the plan had changed. While ransoming this woman appeared to be a good idea at a glance, nothing was done in Luke’s gang without his say-so.
Taking the woman up through the mountain passes to their hideout would not be a simple task. She’d need a horse of her own—a hardy mountain horse. And she’d need proper clothing.
That meant a stop at Bitter Creek Ranch.
Maddy and Jane were as close to allies as anyone they had outside the gang, but the two women had limits on what they were willing to risk for Luke and his men. And they didn’t take kindly to unexpected visits in the dark of night.
The sun was already low in its descent as Gabe crested the ridge that overlooked the ranch. The woman seated in front of him tensed at the first sight of civilization they’d encountered in more than two days.
“We’ll stop here for the night,” he said.
She didn’t ask any questions, but her tension was evident as they neared the cattle spread.
They’d been spotted some way out, so Maddy and Jane were already waiting on their front porch to greet them as they rode into the yard stretching between the ranch house and the fenced riding arena.
Maddy watched their approach with a faint smile of curiosity. She was the older of the two, in her midforties. A tall woman with a full figure and stately bearing, her tightly curling black hair was liberally threaded with gray and pulled back into a bun on the back of her head. Wearing an apron over her blue flowered dress and wiping her hands on a towel, she looked like she’d just stepped from the kitchen.
Jane stood beside her with her hands planted in narrow hips and no smile on her face. She was younger than Maddy by nearly ten years, and where Maddy was all friendly warmth and open smiles, Jane was fierce grit and ready action contained within a compact frame. She preferred pants and men’s shirts to skirts and kept her hair cut short like a boy’s. She was straightforward in her speech and sparing in her trust.
Jane was the first to speak as Gabriel approached. “We weren’t expecting you, Gabe.”
He nodded. “Sorry to impose. I would’ve sent word if I’d been able.”
Before Jane could reply, Maddy said, “You’re always welcome, Gabe. Is there something we can do for you?” Her gaze slid to Eve with a lift to her brow.
“A bed for the night. A bath maybe. And we’ll need some proper attire for the lady and another horse.”
Jane frowned. “You’re taking her into the mountains?”
Gabriel nodded. “Everything borrowed will be returned.”
“Of course. We know that,” Maddy assured him as she sent a pointed look in Jane’s direction. “Why don’t you both come on in. There’s just enough time to wash up before supper.”
Without dismounting, Gabriel offered his hand to Eve. After only the briefest moment of hesitation, she settled her hand in his. He clenched the back of his teeth together to keep from showing how the soft, warm slide of her palm against his pulled something tight inside him. With care, he eased her to the ground.
When he didn’t dismount after her, she looked up at him in question. “Maddy will get you settled,” he said. “I’ve gotta see to the horse.”
There was a flicker of something deep in her gaze as she glanced toward the women on the porch. But then she turned away from him to stride toward the house with the grace and dignity he’d come to expect from her. Gabriel watched as Maddy led Eve inside with a wide smile of welcome.
When he would have urged his horse toward the barn, Jane spoke in a stern tone. “Just a minute, Gabe.”
He waited, figuring he knew what the woman would say.
“Now, you know Maddy and I are willing to help you boys out when we can. But you also know there are certain things we won’t stand for.” Her black gaze turned hard and flinty as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Because I trust you, I won’t ask what you’ve got going on with that lady in there. But if I find out the situation is less than civil, our association will come to a full stop. You hear me?”
Gabriel had always admired Jane’s forthrightness. Though nearly half his weight in muscle, she’d never hesitated to speak her mind to him or any of the others. If it came down to it, Jane wouldn’t hesitate to enter a fight either for or against them, depending on the side of the line where her sensibilities and conscience landed.
He gave a short nod.
Jane smiled. The act brightened her face, showing a softness to her features that she didn’t often reveal. “Good. Now get your horse settled and come in for some supper. And don’t forget to wash up first. You know how Maddy is about dirt at the table.”
Ten
Eve allowed herself to be guided into the neat and tidy little home. The woman beside her exuded warmth and kindness, and it baffled Eve why she would be associated with an outlaw.
Unless she didn’t know of the man’s criminal behavior.
“This way, honey,” the older woman said with a smile. “My name is Maddy Jones. And you are?”
“Eve.”
Maddy lifted her brows at the lack of a surname but did not press the issue. They passed through a parlor that contained a couple sofas, a desk in the corner, and two cozy reading chairs.
“Supper will be a little while yet, but I’m thinking you might like a bath first.”
“That would be lovely,” Eve replied as they started down a hallway, passing a kitchen on the right. The idea of a bath honestly had her heart racing with anticipation. Her last real bath had been so long ago she could barely imagine what it’d feel like to be clean again.
“The bedrooms are this way. I’ll let you get settled in while I draw some water from the well and set it on the stove to heat. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with a hip bath.”
“That will be just fine, Miss Jones. Thank you.”
The corners of her rich brown eyes crinkled with her smile as the woman replied, “Just Maddy, please. And here we are.” She turned and entered a bedroom with a narrow bed set in the corner. A small chest of drawers rested against the wall across from it, and a chair stood in between. A single window over the chair let in the rich golden light of the dying sun, and a red handwoven rug covered the wooden floor.
“Go ahead and have a bit of a rest while your bath is readied. We’ll see you freshened up in no time.”
Eve had never been so grateful for such a simple kindness. Surely, this woman would not condone kidnapping and whatever other criminal activities outlaws engaged in!
As the older woman started to back from the room, Eve stepped toward her. “May I ask you something…” she began but hesitated, unsure how to properly broach the subject.
“What is it, honey?”
The unmistakable compassion in the woman’s voice convinced Eve to continue. “Do you know Mr…ah…Gabriel well?”
Maddy sighed and gave a warm smile. “I’m not sure anyone can say they know Gabe well, but we’ve been acquainted for several years now.” She tilted her head in concern. “Are you in some sort of trouble, honey?”
“I’m not sure,” Eve answered honestly.
The older woman smiled again. “Well, if it’s any help, I can tell you Gabe is one of the most honorable men I’ve ever met. If you’re looking for someone to trust, he’s a good choice.”
A weight settled heavily in Eve’s stomach. Maddy was clearly loyal to Gabriel. Of course, she should have known he wouldn’t bring her somewhere there might be potential for her to es
cape.
“Now,” Maddy said as she crossed the room, “I’ll be back soon to get that bath filled for you.”
She left the door open, and Eve didn’t bother going to close it. Instead, she walked to the bed and sat down on the edge.
She was alive.
Matthew was far, far away.
And so far, Gabriel had done nothing to negate the promise that she would be unharmed.
There was still hope.
Not quite five minutes later, Jane appeared in the doorway, carrying a copper hip bath. She nodded toward Eve as she set the tub in the middle of the room and left again. She returned several times carrying buckets of water. Cold water first, then the water that had been heated on the stove, until the tub let off a gentle, beckoning steam.
Maddy reappeared with a cake of soap and a towel. “I’ll just set these here for you. Jane went to look for some clothes more appropriate for heading up into the mountains this time of year. I’ll make sure your dress is cleaned and packed for you before you go.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your kindness.”
“It’s no problem, honey. We take care of each other out here. Life is tough, but it can be made a little easier every now and then by good friends.”
The woman’s words made Eve ache desperately for her own friends. But Alexandra and Courtney had left Boston for new lives of their own. As much as she wished to, Eve couldn’t risk contacting them. It’s exactly what Matthew would expect of her, so she had to stay as far from her old friends as possible. It was undeniably the hardest thing she’d had to do.
“Are you gonna need any help with your things?”
All her life, Eve had had a personal maid to assist her with bathing and dressing. After her marriage, only Lettie had been allowed to attend her.
Eve shook her head. “I’ll manage.”
“All right then. Once you’re finished, we’ll sit down to supper.” With another warm smile, Maddy left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
