A Heart Renewed (8 page)

The shock of what just happened wore off and reality started setting in.  Julia felt the steady movement of the horse beneath her.  A trot was as fast as Adam would let them go on his prize horses.  In the darkness of night, she could barely make out Adam or his horse in front of her.

She could not breathe.

Her brother ruined her.  How could he do that?  Did he have no morals at all?  What kind of monster was he?

She wanted to throw herself in a river and scrub every inch of her body, washing away any hint of the horror of the past few hours.

Bile rose to the back of her throat.  She was going to be sick.

Yanking back on the reins, she pulled her mare to an abrupt stop.  She was too dizzy to dismount properly, so she swung both legs to one side and slid off the horse.  She could not breathe.  She could still feel the weight of Reuben’s body on hers.

“Oh, God!” she cried.

Falling to her knees, Julia bent in half with her face to the ground.  When she lifted her head, she felt sick.  Then she lost the contents of her stomach.  There, crouching on the ground she wanted to cry out to God—to ask him how he could allow such evil to befall her.  But she had no words.  No feeling.

She felt dead inside.

Dropping her head into her hands she sobbed.

Adam turned his head to the side when he thought he heard a noise.  He caught the sound of Julia’s horse stopping.  He turned around to find her.  She was crumpled on the ground next to her horse.  He heard the unmistakable sound of her retching.

I did not even think to see if she was injured before we left.  Stupid.  She could be in need of a doctor and here we are fleeing to the middle of nowhere.

Locating her canteen, he dropped to his knees next to her.  She began to sob uncontrollably. 
What exactly did Reuben do to her?
  He started to wonder.  Not certain of what to do, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

As he handed her some water, he spoke softly, like he would when he was trying to calm a frightened horse.  “Here.  Take a few sips.”

She drank a few sips between sobs, but still her body shook.  His fingers brushed hers when she handed him the canteen.  Her hands were like ice!

What should he do?  They needed to get moving, but she could not ride her horse like this. 
Lord, give me wisdom.

Taking her in his arms, Adam gently rocked her back and forth.  He whispered words of comfort in soft tones.  When she started to calm, he continued the motion, waiting patiently.

After a few more minutes, he said, “We must press on.  Can you ride?”

No answer.

“Julia?”

Only soft, steady breathing answered.  She had fallen asleep.

Now what?  After trying to rouse her unsuccessfully, Adam decided he would have to carry her in his arms on the same horse, tethering the other horse behind.  It was either that or slump her over on her stomach on her horse.  Thinking of how humiliating it would be should she wake up, he decided against it.  She had been through too much already.

Standing, he tried to figure out how he was going to hold Julia, mount the horse, and grab the reins for both without dropping her.  He picked her up.  When she unconsciously placed her arms around his neck, he was relieved.  That should help.  Balancing her in his arms, he held the reins for both horses in one hand and the horn of his saddle in the other.  Placing one foot in the stirrup, he pushed up.  The first try he did not push up with enough force to clear the horse’s flank.  On the second try he was successful.  Getting settled in the saddle, he readjusted her so she would be as comfortable as possible.  She still clung to him as he started the horse out at a walk.  He knew better than to try to press for anything faster in this challenging situation, despite the urgency to cover as much distance as possible.

The further they rode into the night, the more her closeness stirred him.  Her hair smelled like vanilla as it rested between her face and his chest.  A few tendrils caught by the wind tickled the side of his neck.  Her side pressed against his torso forever altering his view of this childhood friend.  He no longer struggled with seeing her as woman instead of a little girl.

He would do whatever was necessary to protect Julia Colter and see her safely to the Arizona Territory.

“Papa!  Papa, wake up.”

His little girl’s voice invaded Reuben’s slumber.  Slowly opening his eyes, he squinted at the light shining in through the window.

“Papa!  Auntie Julia is gone!” little Elizabeth cried.

Shooting upright in his bed, he grabbed his daughter by the shoulders and shook her.  “What do you mean Julia is gone?”

Elizabeth dissolved into tears, failing to give him the answers he needed.  He shouted at her to leave his room then grabbed his trousers and a shirt, dressing hastily.  His head pounded with his swift movements, causing him to slow his pace.

“Mary!” he hollered for his wife as he approached the kitchen.  “Where is Julia?”

“How am I supposed to know?  She’s your sister.”

Getting nowhere, he ran to Julia’s room.  A flash from his drunken stupor the night before danced across his vision.  A brief pang of regret threatened near the surface.  He was sorry it took such extreme measures to temper his sister.

Elizabeth’s words came back to him, reminding him that Julia was gone.  He searched through her things, noting an empty space in her dresser and the missing carpet bag.

Bursting out of her room, he stormed to his office.  Pacing back and forth, he tried to decide what to do.  If she left after he fell asleep, she would have nearly half a day head start.  And where would she have gone?  To the Larsons?  To Will?

Rubbing his palm against his pounding head, he knew he had to send someone out looking for her.  He had to get her back.  Rushing out to the bunkhouse, he found his foreman and instructed him to send someone trustworthy to speak with him for a special assignment.

Half an hour later, Bates appeared in the doorway of his office.

“Please take a seat,” Reuben said, unable to hide his tenseness.

Bates did as instructed.

“It seems my foolish sister has run off in the middle of the night.  I suspect she may have headed to Larson’s ranch.  I need you to ride out and bring her back.”

“Yes, sir,” Bates said, rising.

Gideon Bates mounted his steed, still puzzled over why Colter would choose him to go after his missing sister.  In the year he worked on the Star C, he spoke to him only once—and that was to secure his employment away from Will Colter.  Other than that brief conversation, he had no contact with Reuben.

Nevertheless, he had been sent to fetch his boss’s sister. 

He had seen Julia Colter in the pastures.  Not the typical female.  Sure to be a thorn in any man’s side.  He could understand Reuben’s frustrations with her.

When he arrived at Larson’s ranch, the place seemed deserted.  He dismounted and headed toward the barn but didn’t find anyone.

Ambling toward the ranch house, Gideon paused.  Odd that the youngest Larson boy wasn’t working with the horses.  He thought the young man practically ran the horse side of the business.  Reaching up his hand, he rapped on the door twice.

A young blonde woman answered the door.  “May I help you?” she asked.

“Ah, yes, Miss…?”

“Larson.  Caroline Larson.”

 “Miss Larson,” he nodded.  The defiance written in her stance told him he might have a better chance using a heap of sugar with this one.  “Might you have a moment?”

“Certainly, Mr…?”

“Bates.  From the Star C.”

A brief shadow passed across her features before she offered him a seat on the front porch.  “What brings you here, Mr. Bates?”

“Well, seems Miss Colter has wandered off.  Mr. Reuben is mighty worried.  You wouldn’t happen to know where I could find her?”

Miss Caroline Larson folded her arms across her chest and stood.  The defensive posture contradicted her words.  “I have no idea where Julia is.  I haven’t enjoyed her company since before Reuben started trying to marry her off to the most unsuitable of suitors.”

“I see,” Gideon said, rubbing his hand across his jaw.  “Any idea where she might have headed?”

“No.  None at all.”

He stood.  “Well, I guess I best try the place up the road.  Seems I’ve taken enough of your time.”

She eyed him warily as he mounted his horse.  He started to turn to leave, when he noticed the fresh tracks headed north up the road—the opposite direction of town and the most likely destination for anyone traveling from their ranch.  He paused, turning his face back towards her.

“Noticed your brother ain’t training any horses today.”

“Papa sent him out on an errand,” she replied too quickly.

She knew something.  He was sure of it.  He was also sure he wouldn’t get much more from her.  Whatever she knew she was holding on to something fierce.  No matter.

Turing the horse back to the Star C, Gideon covered the ground quickly.  After tying his horse to the rail, he sought out Colter in his office.

“Didn’t find her at Larson’s,” Bates said.  “But, I did find that the younger son was gone.  And there were some tracks headed north from their property.”

“Adam is gone?” Reuben failed to hide his surprise at this announcement.  He never thought Larson would be bold enough to help her flee.

“Yup.”

Reuben remained silent for a few moments, gathering his thoughts.  If Julia fled with Larson headed north, it was clear they were planning a permanent move.  But where?  And why north?  Nothing readily came to mind.  Heading west would have made much more sense.  He would have assumed they were headed to Will.

Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out the stack of cash, stopping short.  The stash was much smaller than last night.  His blood boiled.  That shrew!  She stole his money!

When he pounded his fist down on the top of the desk, Bates flinched.  He was ruined.  Completely and utterly ruined.  With most of his financial resources drained and with Julia gone, he would be a dead man.  Norton or one of his creditors was sure to take payment with blood if he failed to produce it in currency.

His one last hope would be if he could find Julia in time.