Boone headed out to the second likely cabin, Samuel and the sheriff with him. The first one had been long deserted, with no sign of life.

He was ready to tear heads off.

They arrived to find men with guns arguing outside. Frank and Archie. There was no sign of Lucy.

The three of them drew their own weapons as they approached on horseback, ready for anything.

Boone pulled up. “We’re looking for Lucy Rickman and she’d best be unharmed.”

Archie, the short one, looked sick, nervous, his eyes darting to the trees.

Frank looked belligerent. “Why are you looking here?”

“Heard she might be here.”

The one man turned to glare at the other before looking back. “The schoolteacher? Here with us? Chance would be a fine thing indeed!”

“Mind if I have a look around?” Boone was already getting off the horse as the men spluttered in front of him.

He went inside as Samuel and the sheriff stayed with the men.

The place was filthy, dirty, and there was a rag on the floor behind the chair. No evidence at all, but suspicious to his mind. “Lucy? You here?” He called out to her even though he couldn’t see anywhere she could hide.

He searched every bit of the cabin, and even checked the floor for a cellar. There wasn’t one.

Have they been given a false lead?

He didn’t think so. The men were awfully nervous, and jittery.

Still, with them riding up the way they did, it might make anyone nervous.

He headed outside again and checked the wagon. Nothing.

He glanced around the wooded area and saw an old ramshackle shed, but it was falling down. He looked inside anyway.

Where could she be?

He headed back to his horse, and raised himself into the saddle. Now what?

His attention went back to the men, who still looked nervous, and that made him hesitate. “Empty your pockets.”

Shorty laughed nervously. “What for?”

“Just do it and we’ll be on our way.

The men did, and Frank tried to hold something in his palm but a blue ribbon fluttered out one side of his hand.

Just like the one he’d admired in Lucy’s hair earlier.

Boone was back off his horse within seconds.

Someone was about to die.

* * *

Lucy clung to both slimy logs, one hand on each, holding them together and she hunkered down between them.

The water was brackish, full of algae, and disgusting.

If she escaped, it would be worth it.

She heard her name being called, and ducked lower, tilting her head back into the muck.

Maybe the men wouldn’t be able to swim?

They wouldn’t need to. It was shallow. She hadn’t dared remove her dress in the circumstances and the water had never dipped below her neck. She’d had a few harsh moments, and wondered if churning up the water would give her away.

But even still, if they spotted her, they could still shoot her.

Would they? Maybe to get rid of evidence if things weren’t going their way. Or they could just wait until she sickened and died. One thing was for certain, she certainly couldn’t trust in their integrity. She was on her own.

She stayed as motionless as possible, barely breathing, afraid that any ripples would give her away. When she saw movement on the shore, she didn’t even dare breathe.

After a moment, she peeked over the edge of one log, and couldn’t believe her own eyes. Boone was walking away from the pond!

She exploded out of the water, shoving the logs away. “Boone! Boone, I’m here!”

He stared in amazement.

Suddenly crying, she half swam, half waded out of the water toward him.

The stress of the last hours releasing, she started to sob in earnest. “Boone!”

And then he was there, in the water with her, pulling her into his arms, talking sweetly to her, which conversely made her cry all the harder.

Another man was on the shore, and ran into the water to help pull her out, her heavy dress weighing them all down.

Once on shore, Boone hauled her into his arms, sopping wet and all, and started walking in the direction of the cabin.

“No, don’t! There are men there!”

His grip on her tightened. “Don’t worry,” his tone was hard. “We’ve got them. The sheriff is with them now.”

So, it was over?

Finally, she was able to relax, and went limp against him, sobbing softly.

He clutched her close and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so safe.

* * *

He’d found her.

Boone had actually found her.

He couldn’t believe she’d gotten away on her own, and was impressed by her ingenuity. Hiding in the middle of the pond? They’d never have located her. He hadn’t even suspected himself.

Her dress was heavy with pond water, but he couldn’t let her down. He was enjoying holding her close, and he needed the connection, needed to know she was safe.

She suddenly pushed his chest and he had no choice but to release her. He gently set her upon her feet, and she stepped a few feet away from him and shouted the words, “Boone Jackson! You are a liar!”

“What?” Astonished, it took him a moment to realize she’d said his last name. His real last name.

Panic rose within him. “Now, Lucy —”

“Don’t you, now Lucy me! What were you playing at? Why were you trying to trick me that way? Why would you lie?”

Panic swirled in his mind and he couldn’t think. “It wasn’t a lie exactly. Honey, can we talk about this later?”

“You gave me a false name. That would be the very definition of a lie. You played me false because you were courting a bunch of other women!”

Back to that again? “No! It wasn’t like that! You’re putting the worst possible meaning on what I did!”

“What else am I supposed to think?”

He was getting mad now too. “Is it too much to ask that you simply believe in me?”

“Is it too much to expect not to be lied to by the men in my life?”

“Don’t bring up your fiancé! That was none of my doing!”

“Ex-fiancé!”

They were both facing off, breathing hard.

Samuel intervened. “Let’s everyone cool down now, all right? You can talk about this later. We need to get Miss Rickman back to her place before she takes sick.”

Lucy nodded once, gave Boone another glare, and then turned away. She started to walk toward the cabin.

Boone didn’t move for a moment, trying to justify what he’d done in his mind. He’d just wanted to be wanted for himself, not for his money. Was that too much to ask?

He felt like they’d been falling in love, but now he was doubting her again.

Did she love him back?

He was following her again before he realized he’d moved, and the thought of losing her had his temper flaring again.

“You lied to me too! You’re not just a schoolteacher! You come from a wealthy family!”

He gave her a chance to respond, but she simply marched ahead of him.

“And you’re too quick to judge me all the time! You believed Dorothy even when I denied her claim! Besides, I never lied! It’s not my duty to show my bank account to every girl I’m courting!

At that she stopped and glared up at him. “Maybe not, but a real name wouldn’t come amiss!”