Chapter Thirteen
Jared stopped before the place where he’d seen someone moving and peered into the darkness.
“Come out of there now!” he demanded, and then he waited, nerves on edge, to see who would emerge.
The sound of crying surprised him.
“What the . . . ?”
Jared moved in closer, and bent down to try to see under the porch. It was then that he made out the boy cowering there, trying to hide from him.
“What are you doing hiding under there, boy? I’m Marshal Trent. You come out of there now, unless you want me to crawl in after you!”
The crying stopped, and he heard rustling as the child slowly emerged from his hiding place. He looked up at the tall lawman, his expression fearful.
“What’s your name?”
“My name’s Rusty—Rusty Lucas, but I didn’t mean nothing by it, Marshal Trent. I just needed the money.” Rusty sobbed. He’d been hiding ever since Boyd had ridden away with Miss Tessa.
“Needed the money? What money? What are you talking about?” Jared hunkered down in front of the child so he could get a better look at him. He was young. Jared figured he wasn’t much older than six. He was dirty, and his face was tearstained.
“That man . . . he made me do it!”
“What man? What did he make you do?”
“He made me tell Miss Tessa a story—that my ma was sick,” he sputtered in between his sobs. “I didn’t know—”
“You didn’t know what?” Jared asked tersely, running desperately short of patience.
“I didn’t know he was going to hurt her!” Rusty blurted out miserably.
“Oh, God.” His instincts had been right! It had been Boyd in the crowd. Jared swore under his breath as he realized that it had all been a trap. Boyd had deliberately revealed himself to lure him away from Tessa’s side, just so he could get to her while she was alone. “What did he do with Miss Tessa?”
“He hurt her.”
“How?” He went still at this news.
“I don’t know,” Rusty cried. “He was holding her real tight, and then she fell down, and she was just lying there. He took her away on a horse. He told me if I told anybody about her, he’d come back and hurt me, too! But Miss Tessa is a nice lady. He shouldn’t have hurt her.”
“Son, I need to know where he went with Miss Tessa. Did he mention where he was going?” Jared said. He was barely in control. He wanted to leave that instant, but realized the child might have heard something more, something that would help him find her.
“No, but they rode out that way.” Rusty pointed in the direction Boyd had gone.
“How long ago?”
“I dunno.”
“Ten minutes?”
Rusty nodded.
Jared heard the sound of horses coming. He looked up to see Nathan riding up, leading Jared’s horse. He was pleased the deputy had followed his orders. Jared stood up, his posture rigid. His expression was dangerous, his eyes glittering with the power of his fury.
“Did you find her?” Nathan asked.
“Boyd’s got her,” Jared told him, and he quickly explained all that had happened.
“What do you want to do?”
“You take care of the boy, then get a posse together and come after me. I’m riding out right now,” he said as he strode to his horse and swung up into the saddle. “And I’m not coming back until I’ve found her.”
Jared put his heels to his mount’s sides and galloped off in the direction Rusty had indicated. He was glad there was a full moon tonight. He was going to need all the help he could get to track them down.
Julie and her parents had gathered supportively around Maggie as they waited to hear what had happened to Tessa. Jim and Will were there, too.
“Do you think we should go back to the house and wait for them there?” Jim suggested.
“No!” Maggie said fiercely. “I’m not going anywhere until I know my Tessa is all right.”
More than half an hour had passed before Deputy Wells finally returned.
“Mrs. Sinclair?” Nathan said gently. “I need to speak with you privately.”
Maggie pierced him with a feverish, emotional look. “No. Tell me here,” she said.
Jim took her hand, and she gripped it tightly. Deputy Wells looked uncomfortable.
“Where’s Marshal Trent?” she asked before he could begin.
“He’s gone after your daughter, ma’am,” Nathan began to explain. “It appears she’s been abducted by Boyd Wilson.”
“Oh, my God, no!” Maggie turned to Jim, her tears falling freely as her worst fears were realized.
Will stepped forward, furious that this could have happened in the midst of such a crowd of people.
“How did Boyd get her? What are you and your marshal doing about it?” he demanded.
“Marshal Trent’s already gone after her. He rode out immediately,” Nathan said. “I’m rounding up a posse right now. You want to ride with me?”
“I’ll get my horse.”
“We’ll leave from here in twenty minutes.”
Will turned to Maggie. “We’ll find her,” he said solemnly.
“Please, Will,” she said, looking up at him as if he were the most wonderful man in the world.
Will hurried off to get ready. Tessa was going to be his. If he found Boyd Wilson before Marshal Trent did, the man wouldn’t live to see the light of day.
“What should I do?” Maggie looked at Nathan. “I just lost my Michael. If anything happens to Tessa I don’t think I could go on.”
She was sobbing as she clung to Jim, needing his strength and support.
Julie realized someone had to take charge, and she did just that.
“Let’s get you back home, Miss Maggie,” Julie said in a gentle tone. “We’ll wait for Tessa there.”
Maggie looked at the younger woman, needing reassurance. “You really think she’ll be back? That she’ll be all right?”
“I have no doubt whatsoever that Marshal Trent will find her and bring her home safely,” Julie said with certainty.
The older woman suddenly looked frail and helpless. “I hope you’re right.”
Julie stepped forward and took her arm, leading her away from the curious onlookers who were gathering around, wondering what had happened.
“I’m going to stay with Miss Maggie for as long as she needs me,” she told her parents as she passed them.
“Do you want us to come with you?” Adele offered, worried about Maggie, too.
“I think we’ll be all right.”
“If you need anything, just send word,” her father told her.
“I will.”
Shepherded by Jim, Julie walked Miss Maggie home.
Steve had gone to the High Time after his one and only dance with Julie. He had seen no sign of anyone involved with the gang at the dance, so he’d gone off to try to relax for a while. A few drinks and a few poker hands later, he still wasn’t feeling any better about things—and he knew why.
It was Julie.
Steve didn’t want to be attracted to her. He didn’t want to care about her. He had no business even thinking about her. He was an ex-con gunman, and she was a banker’s daughter. Despite his best arguments with himself, though, Steve still found himself drawn to Julie’s beauty and innocence.
Even the liquor didn’t have the power to erase the memory of how it had felt to hold her close. It was almost with disgust that he folded his losing poker hand, drained the last of his drink, and started back to the boardinghouse. Tonight he hoped to get some sleep, but right now he doubted that was going to happen.
Steve was surprised to see that the house was brightly lit as he walked up the street. He’d thought everyone would still be at the dance, and he wondered who had come home so early.
As Steve let himself in, the sound of crying and hushed conversation greeted him. He was immediately concerned. He went straight to the parlor doorway.
“Miss Maggie?”
He looked in the parlor to see Miss Maggie seated on the sofa with Jim and Julie hovering over her. They all looked up when he spoke.
“Steve. You surprised us,” Jim said.
At the sight of Steve standing in the doorway, a sense of relief filled Julie. He appeared so strong, so solid. Instinctively she started toward him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning as he saw the older woman’s obvious distress.
“Let’s go outside,” Julie said softly, nodding to Jim to take care of Miss Maggie. She stepped out into the hall and Steve followed her lead.
“It’s Tessa,” she said when they were finally on the porch, out of earshot.
“What happened?” He went still. “Was it Boyd?”
Julie looked up at him, her wide eyes revealing the terror she was fighting so hard to control.
“Yes, it was Boyd. He set the whole thing up. He lured her away from the dance, and I was right there.” She gave a small sob as she remembered her friend’s determination to help the little boy. “I should never have let her go. I should have made her let me go with her, but she said—”
“How did he do it?” Steve demanded.
She explained what had happened. “Tessa always helps those in need. She never turns down any request for help, and Boyd knew that. Why didn’t I realize—”
“It’s not your fault, Julie,” Steve told her, understanding the guilt she was feeling. “There was no way you could have known that Boyd was behind it. Did the posse ride out yet? I want to go with them.”
“They left over an hour ago.”
“Damn,” he swore softly. He wanted to help them find Tessa before it was too late. He’d known men like Boyd, and he knew how vicious they could be. “I should be with them.”
Julie looked up at him. In the pale moonlight, he appeared fierce and powerful, and she felt a primeval need to be close to him. His nearness, the manly strength of him, somehow comforted her.
“I’m glad you’re not,” she said softly. It was then that her tears came, and she buried her face in her hands, overcome with worry for her friend.
“Julie.” Steve said her name softly, and an ache grew within him.
He wanted to ease her pain, to take her in his arms and hold her to his heart. He wanted to erase the torment he’d seen in her eyes, but he held himself back.
When Steve said her name, Julie’s will to be strong shattered. She turned to him, needing the comfort and reassurance his strength could give her.
Steve hadn’t meant for this to happen. He’d meant to keep his distance from her. It was safer for both of them that way, but when she turned to him, he was lost. His arms surrounded her in a protective embrace. He wanted to shield her from pain, to ease the anguish he knew was tearing her apart. She felt small and fragile in his arms, and his protective instincts surged to life. He’d never felt this way about a woman before, and the fierceness of his need to keep her safe surprised him.
“Marshal Trent will find her. You’ll see,” he promised in a low voice.
“He has to. He just has to.” She lifted tear-filled eyes to gaze up at Steve.
Their gazes met and locked. For an instant, time stood still. It was only the two of them, alone in the sweet heat of the starlit summer night.
Steve tried to resist his need to kiss her. He tried to put the desire from him, but Julie was too beautiful. He could no more deny himself her kiss than he could stop breathing. He bent to her, capturing her lips in a gentle, cherishing exploration.
Julie’s eyes slowly drifted shut as Steve’s lips moved over hers. Every fiber of her being was aware of him—of the heat of him, of the iron strength of him. She shifted closer, desperate to be nearer to him, needing to be nearer to him.
At her unspoken invitation, Steve deepened the kiss. Julie responded, lifting her arms to encircle his neck. It was enchantment for them both.
Only the sound of a horse coming down the street tore them apart. They stood in the darkness, panting for breath, staring at each other.
Julie had been spellbound by the feelings that had been surging through her. She’d been kissed by several men, but she’d never experienced anything like Steve’s embrace. All she wanted to do was go back into his arms and stay there forever.
“I’m sorry,” Steve said, his voice low and gruff. The last thing he’d wanted to do was let her go, but he’d known it wouldn’t do for anyone to happen upon them kissing that way. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
His words were a slap in the face to Julie. She had just been thinking about how wonderful he was, and now he was regretting he’d ever kissed her. Somehow she managed not to betray the hurt she felt at his statement.
“I know,” she answered tightly. “You’re absolutely right—it shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry, too. We’d better get back inside.”
Turning her back on him, Julie went indoors. She kept her head held high. Once she was inside, she paused for a moment in the hallway to gather her wits; then, after taking a deep breath, she returned to sit with Miss Maggie.
Steve remained where he was on the porch, standing alone in the darkness.
Boyd had never been so full of himself as he rode at top speed toward the line cabin where he planned to hide out. His plan had worked! Tessa Sinclair was his!
He glanced back over his shoulder. Tessa was tied across the horse with a blanket over her, so no one would be able to see her if he happened upon anyone on the trail. It hadn’t bothered him that she’d passed out. In fact, he was glad that she had. She was less trouble to him this way. He planned to stop and check on her in another hour or so, and if he found that she’d regained consciousness, then he’d let her ride normally. Until then, he was going to keep running. He wanted to put some distance between them and the town.
Once someone noticed she was gone, Boyd knew Marshal Trent would try to find them, but he would never find them where he was going. No one would think to look for them in an old abandoned line shack. It was far enough away from everything and everyone that if the bitch started screaming, it wouldn’t matter. There wouldn’t be a living soul around to hear her.
The thought of Tessa screaming broadened his smile. He was going to love every minute of teaching her a few things. She was a pretty woman, prettier than Sarah even, so he would easily find his comfort between her thighs. In his mind he saw himself forcefully spreading her legs, and he shifted in the saddle. He spurred his horse to a faster gait, wanting to get to the line shack all that much sooner.
Tessa regained consciousness slowly—and painfully. It took her only an instant to realize how perilous her situation was. Bound hand and foot, she was helpless on the jarring horse. Her throat was sore from Boyd’s assault, and she ached all over. She realized she should be glad she was still alive, but the thought was not particularly comforting, considering that her future was in Boyd’s hands.
Swearing to be brave and fight him every inch of the way, Tessa prepared herself for the terror to come. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she would not give in to his brutality. She offered up a silent prayer that someone had realized she was in trouble and was pursuing Boyd right now.
Thoughts of Jared came to her then, and she remembered how he’d broken down the front door the other night in his misguided attempt to rescue her. With all her heart, she hoped he would find some way to save her before it was too late.
Tessa remembered all the tales of horror that Sarah had told her. She knew just how savage Boyd could be. What she was facing would take all of her courage and wits to survive.
Just then the horse stopped.
Tessa began to tremble.