“Mr. Kincaid!” Oscar called to the man in the distance. He was still a hundred yards away, but he wanted to alert both Logan and anyone that might be lurking in the brush and trees. If scoundrels were thinking of stealing the cattle, they’d have more than one man to contend with now.

Logan was a few years younger than Oscar but looked a little older, with a handsome, weather-beaten face and brown hair beginning to go gray. He looked up, took off his hat and waved it in greeting. He didn’t hurry his charges along, so Oscar kicked his horse into a canter to close the gap. A few of the cattle mooed in protest at the intruder’s fast approach, but otherwise stayed together.

Oscar made sure he slowed his horse to a walk when he got closer. “Mr. Kincaid,” he said again.

“Oscar, you old scoundrel. I hope you have a batch of those rolls of yours in the oven!”

“Later,” he said as he brought his horse alongside Logan’s. “I came to escort ya in,” he said quietly. “There’s been some trouble.”

“Trouble?”

“Eli Turner showed up on our doorstep this mornin’ after getting’ hit on the head. He thinks some outlaws abducted his sister and are comin’ after these.” Oscar nodded to the cattle.

“What?!”

Oscar scanned their surroundings. “I thought it best we get these home and get some food in yer belly,” he said louder.

Logan’s eyes darted here and there. “I’ve seen no one but the normal stagecoaches on this road,” he whispered. He knew what Oscar was doing. “That and a rancher or two.”

“No trouble, then?”

“None. What’s this about Emeline?”

“I ain’t sure – what Eli’s sayin’ don’t make much sense. But we figgered if the outlaws got her, better to have them come to us than us runnin’ all over the countryside tryin’ to find her.”

Logan thought a moment. “I can see that. And Eli can’t track them if he’s got a knot on his noggin. Still … yeah, you’re right – something’s not making sense. If anyone wanted these beeves, they could’ve done something about it days ago. There are several spots along this route perfect for an ambush – I’m always extra cautious when I pass through them.”

“That’s what I was thinkin’ on my way to meet ya,” Oscar said. “From the sounds of things, Eli got clobbered ‘bout ten miles or so from the stage stop.” He looked at the mid-afternoon sun. They wouldn’t reach the stage stop until dark – and then only if Logan thought it safe to drive them in by moonlight. Eli must have ridden all night to get clonked on the head and still stagger to the stage stop first thing in the morning … “Ya know, it might’ve been somewhere right ‘round here.”

“I see.” Logan stilled as he studied the road in front of them, then pulled his Sharps rifle from its scabbard and readied it. “Let’s go.”

Oscar did the same with his two Winchesters. If there were outlaws waiting for them somewhere, they’d see that the two men were ready for the scoundrels.

The men drove the cattle down the road for hours, undisturbed. “I don’t know what Eli was talking about,” Logan said. “Like I said before, if there were outlaws after these cattle, they’d have set upon me a long time ago. Unless they’re waiting for dark, but stealing them so close to the stage stop?”

“I know, it don’t make no sense. But maybe they ain’t that smart. I’ve dealt with dumb outlaws before.”

Logan chuckled. “So have I.”

“But dumb or not, I don’t want them near my wife or family,” Oscar added, an edge to his voice.

“I pity the man who gets too close, my friend. I take it you’re enjoying married life?”

Oscar looked at him and smiled, but said nothing.

“Yep, nothing like a fine woman to make your life complete,” Logan commented with his own smile.

At dusk they reached a small stream that ran parallel to the road for a short distance before meandering off. They watered the animals, let them rest a bit and continued on. If they could just make it to the stage stop unscathed, Oscar could rest easy. But that still didn’t explain things.

* * *

Anson paced inside the barn, shotgun in hand. He’d seethed over their predicament all day – now that it was well after suppertime, he realized he’d wasted precious energy worrying about something he had no control over. Eli had finally been coaxed into eating something by Lily and was still babbling all sorts of things that made no sense. Ma said he must have gotten hit harder than she first realized. At one point he said he wasn’t tracking his sister, just her horse. At another, he couldn’t remember tracking anything.

“Give’im a few days, son,” Ma had assured. “He’ll be hisself again.”

“Fine for you to say, Ma,” he’d told her. “What happens to Emeline in the meantime?” Had those low-down stinking snakes had their way with her? Was she even still alive? Women were still scarce around here, and men could get desperate for one. After all the things Anson managed to conjure up in his head concerning outlaws and Emeline, he would think she’d have shot herself by now.

“Stop it!” he told himself as he continued to pace. “This is gettin’ ya nowhere.” Indeed, at this rate he’d be no use to Emeline when they rescued her … if they could find her. The woods were dense and thick for miles around. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Ma was right – best use the Cookes’ cattle as bait to draw the outlaws out, catch one or two and have them lead Anson, Oscar and Logan to wherever they were keeping Emeline. But the waiting was killing him.

How could he be so sweet on a woman he’d seen only once nearly a year ago? Okay, over the course on one day. Still, he was smitten and had been unable to drive her from his mind ever since. But here he was, armed and ready to spring to her rescue and make any man that dared to harm her pay dearly.

Fueled by Lily’s words, he was more determined than ever to make Emeline his. She must have seen something in him, too, that fateful day they spied each other on the front porch of the stage stop. Why else would she be “quite emotional,” as Lily put it, after receiving his letter? Then again, what if she didn’t want to hurt his feelings and didn’t know how to tell him she’d just as soon marry a coyote as him?

Anson stopped his pacing and groaned. It could be one as easily as the other. But right now that didn’t matter – she was in trouble, and he aimed to rescue her from it. Making sure Emeline was safe and sound no matter what she felt about him was what was important, not to mention reuniting her with her poor brother. Someone would have to look after Eli if his condition didn’t improve.

He quickly sent up a prayer to that effect. His heart might be set on Emeline, but he didn’t want to have to wonder if he could call on her because she was taking care of a … “No! He’s going to be okay, Emeline’s going to be okay and I’m …”

An odd sound caught his attention from behind the barn. Maybe he should’ve lit a lantern – at least he’d be able to see. Then again, you couldn’t sneak up on an outlaw without being in the dark. His eyes had adjusted well enough that he could see just fine by moonlight.

Gun at the ready, Anson crept out of the barn to investigate.

* * *

“How is he?” Sadie asked quietly as she stepped into Eli’s room.

“I think he’s better,” Lily whispered. She met Sadie halfway between the door and the bed. “Ma said she thinks it’s safe to let him sleep now.”

“Poor man. I hope he wakes up with all his faculties. All that babble about Emeline … I don’t know what to think.”

Lily shook her head in dismay. “Neither does Ma. He made sense earlier, but now I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

“You’d think she was sitting home working on the sewing circle’s new quilt the way he talked this afternoon. He’s worse than we thought, even if Mrs. White does think it’s safe to let him sleep.”

Lily raised her hands helplessly. “All we can do is wait and see. I don’t know anything about medicine, except what I saw during and after the war.”

Sadie studied her a moment. “It was horrible, wasn’t it? The war?”

Lily nodded. Sadie wouldn’t know firsthand – she came to Oregon before the war, back when it was still a territory, and her father still lived in west Texas. Even when he’d later moved his cattle and household into the territory to be closer to her, both were far from the battles. But she didn’t want to talk about those days, especially not once she’d finally been able to move on and start her new life with Oscar. Speaking of Oscar … “I wonder if my husband and your Mr. Kincaid will get in tonight or tomorrow.”

“I’m hoping tonight, but mostly I just want them to get here without any trouble. What about Emeline?”

Lily stared at the sleeping form on the bed. “We’ll have to wait for Eli to wake up – maybe he’ll be able to make better sense of things by then. From the sound of it, I think we’re only getting half the story.”

“If that.”

A shot rang out, making both women yelp with surprise. Only after did they realize they’d jumped into each other’s arms. “Goodness, what was that?” Lily asked as she pulled away.

“A shotgun, from the sound of it.” Sadie looked at Lily. “Are you all right?”

Lily hugged herself to still her trembling. It had been a long time since she’d heard gunfire, but she was still skittish around it after all these years. Could anyone really forget the ravages of war?

“No return fire,” Sadie said. “We’d better find out what happened.”

Lily nodded, glanced at a still sleeping Eli and nodded again. Together they went to the door then cautiously made their way down the hall to the staircase. Ma was at the foot of the stairs, a revolver in one hand, the other on her heart. “Ma!” Lily hurried down to her. “Are you all right?”

“Yep, but Henry ran outside.”

“Oh no,” Lily said. “What if it’s the outlaws?”

“Anson’s out there. He was checkin’ th’barn. Hope they don’t stumble o’er each other in th’dark. Henry sometimes gets too excited ‘n trips hisself.”

“Should one of us check?” Lily asked.

“I’ll do it,” Sadie said. “I’m no stranger to a gun.”

Lily felt a pinch of envy. “You’re not?”

“No. You?”

Lily swallowed and started trembling again. “I’ve held one before. Fired a few times.” She closed her eyes against the memory. She’d taken a shot at one of the men setting fire to her home with a pistol, and missed. Badly. She hadn’t expected the weapon to have such a kick. After all, she’d seen the men in her family shoot plenty of times and none of them got nearly knocked off their feet.

But she’d had to try and stop those foul men from burning her home. Her poor mother-in-law had already lost her husband, son and plantation to the war and was staying with Lily, hoping against hope that Lily’s brother would make it home safe. He didn’t. Even if he had, by the time the Union soldiers finished their ugly work, there was no place to come home to …

“Mrs. White, you stay here,” Sadie said. “Lily and I will make sure the men are all right.”

“Ya sure ‘bout this?” Ma asked. “I know I ain’t as young’s I usta be, but I know how t’use this.” She held up the revolver.

“I’ve no doubt,” Sadie said with a smile. She looked at the front door, listening. “Still no return fire. Maybe everything’s all right.”

“Then why haven’t Anson and Henry come back inside?” Lily asked with a sense of dread.

“Maybe Anson’s gun went off by accident,” Ma suggested. “If so, them boys o’ mine’re likely out there arguin’ ‘bout it.”

“Yes, perhaps you’re right,” Sadie agreed. “But we’ll be careful anyway. Come on, Lily – let’s slip out the back and go around to the barn that way.”

“Okay,” she said, then looked down at her empty hands. “Um …”

“Here,” Ma handed her the revolver. “Take this.”

Lily made no comment, just took the weapon.

“Ya know how t’fire one o’ these?”

Lily studied it – it wasn’t like her father’s pistols. She shook her head.

“Watch.” Ma took it from her, pulled back the hammer and carefully gave it back. “There. Juss point ‘n shoot.”

Lily gulped, nodded, then followed Sadie to the kitchen.

They slipped out the back door, made a wide circle to avoid the barnyard and approached the barn from the side. The structure had front and back doors, the front usually open, the back closed. They heard men’s voices, more than just Henry and Anson’s and cringed before flattening themselves against the barn’s outer wall. “What do we do?” Lily hissed.

Sadie put a finger to her lips to silence her, and Lily felt the heat of embarrassment sting her cheeks. She should know better than to talk, but doggone it, she was a lady. She was the one that was supposed to get rescued, not do the rescuing! She studied Sadie in the moonlight, wondering if she felt just as scared, but it was hard to tell in the dark.

“Lily,” Sadie said, barely audible. “Does the barn have windows?”

Lily nodded, held up three fingers, then realized Sadie might not be able to see them. “Three,” she whispered back.

Sadie nodded back, then began to slink along the side of the barn to the rear. “What are you doing?” Lily said as quietly as she could.

Sadie motioned her to follow. “I want to see how many men are in there.”

They reached the back corner, where there was a knothole in one of the boards. Lily had noticed it a couple of weeks ago and wondered why no one had bothered to cover it. “No need,” Oscar had told her. “Too high up for a mouse to get to and too small for a rat. ‘Sides, it lets the air in.” She felt along the wall, found the hole and peeked through.

A dim light lit the rear of the barn before it faded into shadow. If the men were standing by a lantern, they must be near the front. “I think they’re by the barn doors at the front,” she told Sadie.

“Okay.” Sadie continued on her way.

“What are you doing?!” Lily said in a panicked whisper.

“Maybe it’s Oscar,” Sadie said.

Lily felt her entire body relax for a second, then tense again. “What if it’s not?”

“Only one way to find out,” Sadie whispered and slipped around the corner.

Big mistake. Two men stepped out the rear barn door, took one look at Sadie and drew down. Lily, watching from around the corner, jumped to her aid, aiming the revolver at one man and hoping Sadie had hers trained on the other.

One of the men smiled. “Evenin’, ladies,” he drawled, then eyed the guns in their hands. He looked dirty, disheveled, his clothes unkempt, like he’d been on the trail for a long time.

“Drop your guns,” Sadie demanded.

Her nerves twanging, Lily almost dropped hers.

“Not so fast,” said the other. “You aren’t being smart about this.” This man was better dressed, not as dirty, but still looked like he’d been traveling for a while.

“I said, drop them!” Sadie shot back, and Lily gave her a sidelong glance of admiration. The woman had grit.

“And I say we’ll shoot your menfolk,” the cleaner man said.

Lily felt a sliver of fear go up her spine. So these were the outlaws – and they had Anson and Henry. Her stomach rolled at the thought. “Ohhh,” she moaned.

“What’samatter with her?” Dirty asked

“What do you think?” Sadie spat.

Dirty aimed his gun at Lily, then looked at Sadie. “Drop yer guns.”

Lily froze. Why couldn’t she move? What was wrong with her? She should shoot him! But she didn’t, just stared down the barrel of his gun like a scared rabbit.

Sadie narrowed her eyes at him, glowered and let the shotgun fall from her hands.