Bobbi Smith (26 page)

“I was just enjoying the view.”

He finished ridding himself of his clothes and followed her in. No more words were necessary as they came together. Wrapped in each other’s arms, they delighted in the beauty of their love. They clung to each other as the tidal wave of their passion swept over them, making them one.

“We didn’t get much swimming done,” Randi murmured when at last she relaxed against Hawk. She caressed his water-slicked broad shoulders and his chest. “I didn’t know a man could be beautiful, but you are.”

Hawk kissed her as he let his own hands drift erotically over her sleek, silken curves. When at long last they moved out of the spring, they used one of the blankets to dry off.

“We’ve only got one dry blanket left,” Randi remarked.

“I know.” Hawk smiled, enjoying the thought of spending the night sharing one blanket with her.

She returned his smile. “I like the way you think.”

It was late as Jack sat alone in his study. He had a decanter of whiskey and his half-full glass on the desk before him. His mood was as dark as the night outside, and it was growing darker with every passing minute. The days and nights had seemed endless since Randi had been taken from him. Jack could no longer fight off or ignore the dire feeling of loss that hung over him.

Tipping his glass, he took a deep drink of the potent liquor. Randi had to come back home to him; she had to. He had lost her mother—he couldn’t lose her, too.

Jack thought of Hawk and of the way Sheriff Spiller had sung his praises. If anyone was capable of finding her, it was Hawk.

He told himself he needed patience and faith to get through this hard time, but right then he had neither.

Jack told himself he would bide his time for a while longer, but he could not—and would not—wait forever. He would give Hawk another week to ten days to return with Randi. If he hadn’t heard from him or Hawk hadn’t returned by then, he was going to ride out on his own with any of his men who wanted to go with him. And he would not return to the ranch until he had his daughter.

Set on a course of action, Jack drained the last of the liquor in his glass and slammed it back down on his desktop. He got up and staggered from the room. He made it upstairs to his bed and collapsed there, giving himself over to his drunken stupor. At least this night he would get some rest.

Randi and Hawk were up at dawn and riding out a short time later. They were eager to cover as many miles as they could that day, and they did. Traveling at a ground-eating pace, they rode ever closer to the Lazy S.

Each night they spent together on the trail was a testimony to their love. They spent the long, dark hours making love and enjoying the peace and serenity of being together.

As they made camp on their last night out, Hawk knew they had reached the point when they had to deal with the reality of what their lives would become the next day. Soon, very soon, Randi would be home. She would be back on her ranch with her father.

Hawk loved Randi, and he believed she felt the same way about him. She had given him her greatest treasure: she had given him the gift of her innocence. Now he would offer her the gift of his unending devotion. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to make her his wife and to spend the rest of his days showing her how much she meant to him. If she would have him, he would do just that. Hawk only hoped his heritage wouldn’t stand between them. He had to find out what their future was, and he had to find out that very night.

Randi’s mood was volatile as she sat before the campfire with Hawk. The thought that the very next day she would be back home and reunited with her father left her jubilant. Her joy was tempered, though, for fear that returning home meant an end to all that she and Hawk had shared.

Randi’s heart ached at the thought that Hawk would take her home to her father and then ride away and never look back. She loved him. He was the man she’d waited her whole life for. She never wanted to be parted from him. She wasn’t sure what it would take, but she was determined to let him know how she felt. She had given herself over to him in body and soul. She wanted to be with him always and forever.

Randi glanced over at Hawk as he sat before the fire with her. He had hardly spoken a word as they’d eaten the meal. He seemed troubled, and she almost felt as if he were deliberately distancing himself from her.

“Hawk?” she said softly.

He looked up and met her gaze across the low-burning campfire. Still, he did not speak.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He smiled gently at her. “Nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is right. In just a few more hours you’ll be safely home with your father.”

“Thanks to you,” Randi told him, all the love she had for him shining in the depths of her eyes.

“I love you, Randi. You’ve shown me how to live—and love—again. Until I met you I didn’t know that was possible. And now that I’ve found you, I don’t ever want to let you go.”

Heartfelt emotion filled her at his words, and tears burned in her eyes.

“You’d better not let me go, Hawk Morgan. You’d better marry me—the sooner, the better.”

Hawk hadn’t been sure what to expect, and he was delighted with her open answer.

“I’d been hoping to do just that,” he told her with a wry grin, moving to take her in his arms. “But Randi . . .” He hesitated before kissing her. “Are you sure?”

Randi looked up at him, seeing the man who’d put his own life on the line to save her from a fate worse than death. He was the man whose very nearness left her breathless with desire. “Oh, yes, Hawk,” she whispered. “I’m sure.”

Ever so sweetly she kissed him, telling him in that devoted exchange the truth of all she felt for him. She loved him with all her heart and soul. She would be his forever.

When the kiss ended, they sat close together in silence, cherishing their love and dreaming of the future that stretched endlessly before them.

“I can’t wait to see my father tomorrow and to tell him our news.” Randi sighed after a quiet moment. She refused even to consider the possibility that her father might not be there at the Lazy S in good health, waiting for their return.

“I hope he won’t have any objections.”

“He won’t. How could he?” She gazed up at Hawk. “He knows what a fine man you are.”

Hawk hoped she was right, but some of his past experiences still left him a bit unsure.

“Just remember, when we ride in tomorrow we’ll have to be careful. We don’t know exactly what’s been going on with Wade while we’ve been away, so stay close beside me and watch out.”

“What do you think could have happened with him?”

“I wish I knew. I was surprised we didn’t run into a search party on our ride back in. I expected your father to have every ranch hand from the Lazy S out scouring the countryside for you. The fact that we didn’t see anyone troubles me.”

“Me, too.”

“We’ll have to be careful. There’s no telling what Wade might try once he sees us.” Hawk’s expression turned fierce as he thought of facing the foreman down.

Randi saw the strength in Hawk and knew he truly was her warrior. She knew he would do whatever was necessary to protect her.

“Hawk?”

He looked her way questioningly.

“How does a warrior get married in the Comanche village?”

“He goes to the girl’s father and usually offers him several horses in exchange for the daughter.”

“There’s no ceremony or anything?”

“No. Once the father agrees to take the horses, the girl goes with the man to his tepee.”

“That’s all there is to it?”

“That’s as much as I remember. Why?”

“I was just curious. I thought maybe if there was only a vow taken between the man and his wife, we could be married tonight.”

Hawk took her in his arms and kissed her deeply. “The only horse I have to offer your father is Phantom. Do you think he’d be happy with him?”

“You’d be willing to give up Phantom for me?”

“Of course. For you, no bride-price would be too great,” he said, just before he kissed her again.

“I love you, Hawk.”

And then she showed him how much.

“Jack!”

It was late, almost dark, when Jack heard one of the hands shouting to him from down by the stable. He hurried out on the porch as quickly as he could to see several of the men crowding around what looked like Hawk’s horse, Bruiser.

For a moment Jack’s hopes soared.

For a moment he believed Hawk had returned. Jack was sure Randi would be with him.

He started running toward them.

And then he got a look at Bruiser and realized the gelding had returned alone, without his saddle or bridle.

Jack stopped in his tracks, crushed by disappointment. He watched as Rob slipped a halter on the gelding and led the animal to him. Bruiser’s gait was uneven, and he favored one leg.

“What happened to him?” Jack asked worriedly.

“It looks like he damaged his hoof when he threw a shoe. Hawk must have removed his tack and the other shoes before he turned him loose, so Bruiser could make his way back here to the ranch.”

Jack’s expression turned stony. He looked out across the land. Hawk was out there somewhere trying to track down Randi on foot. Jack hadn’t thought things could get any worse than they were, but they just had.

Jack knew then that he had only one chance left to try to find Randi. He was just angry that it was so late in the day. It was too dark to do anything until the next morning.

“I’m riding out tomorrow morning, so have my horse saddled up and ready to go,” he ordered sharply.

“But, boss, you’re in no condition—” Rob began.

Jack cut him off in a commanding tone that brooked no argument. “I said, I’m riding out. The only hope I’ve got left to find Randi is to follow Bruiser’s trail. If I can find out where Hawk freed Bruiser, I may be able to find Hawk’s trail.”

Rob knew it was a very slim chance, but at least it was a chance.

“I’ll go with you,” he declared. “And I’ll get some of the other boys to ride with us, too.”

Jack looked at Rob, appreciating his loyalty. “Tell them I don’t know how long we’ll be gone.”

“It doesn’t matter. You won’t be riding alone,” he assured him.

Jack turned and went back up to the house to tell Wilda to start gathering all the supplies they were going to need for the trek.

This last disappointment with Bruiser had made up his mind. He was going to find Randi and bring her home—or he was going to die trying. He couldn’t live this way any longer.

Randi’s spirits were high as she rode beside Hawk on the last leg of their journey home. She hadn’t slept much all night and had been up long before dawn, eager to be reunited with her father.

“I can’t believe we’re finally here,” she said excitedly. “There were times when I was with Fred when I didn’t think I’d ever see the Lazy S again.” Randi looked over at Hawk as he rode by her side. “Thank you.”

“I’m just glad I found you.”

“I’m glad you did, too.”

They shared a look of understanding.

Then, as ready as she would ever be for what was to come, Randi drew her gun from her waistband.

“Be careful,” Hawk warned.

“You, too.”

They urged their horses on to an even faster pace as they rode for the ranch house.

Rob returned from the main house to join Wade and several of the other hands out by the corral, where they were getting their horses saddled up so they would be ready to head out.

“We’ll be leaving soon. Jack shouldn’t be too much longer,” Rob told everyone.

“Any problems?” Wade asked. Since the night before, when he had learned of Bruiser’s return, his emotions had been mixed. Obviously Hawk had run into some kind of trouble and was now on foot. Wade liked that idea. It definitely gave Fred the advantage in getting away with Randi. Even so, Wade was still uneasy.

“No, but Jack’s not as strong as he thinks he is, and he won’t listen to anybody.”

The men understood. They all knew how stubborn their boss was.

Rob had just finished saddling his own mount when he glanced up and saw two riders in the distance.

“Someone’s coming,” he called out. He turned to watch their approach, and in that instant he recognized them. “Good Lord! It’s Hawk and Randi!”

Rob ran for the house to let Jack know while the rest of the men left their horses where they were and hurried to welcome them as they rode in.

Wade saw them coming, too, but he chose to hang back. He silently swore to himself. It was Hawk and Randi, all right, and they were back—without Fred.

Where was Fred?

Wade realized Hawk couldn’t have gotten to Randi without facing Fred down. Had there been a shoot-out? Had Fred had been killed? And if Fred was dead, what had he revealed to Hawk and Randi before he died?

Wade wasn’t a man generally given to panic, but he was feeling jittery now. He forced himself to stay calm as he tried to figure out what to do next. He didn’t know whether he should make a run for it right away, or stay around and see what happened.

He looked up toward the house as he heard Jack come running outside, yelling.

“Randi’s coming? Randi’s here?”

Jack rushed down the steps of the porch with Rob following him. His heart leaped as he spotted his beloved daughter riding in with Hawk. The first time he’d seen Randi with Hawk with his shirt off, he’d been furious. Not this time. He was thrilled to see them both.

Word spread fast. Wilda and all the other hands who’d been working nearby came at a run to witness Randi’s return.

“There’s your father,” Hawk told Randi when he saw Jack come out of the house.

“Thank God,” Randi breathed. Her relief was immense now that she knew her father was home and appeared to be in good health.

She was filled with joy.

And then she saw Wade.

Her joy turned to rage in an instant. She was flooded with fury at the sight of him standing apart from the other men, watching them.

Randi gave no thought to her own safety. She gave no thought to anything but getting even with the man who’d betrayed them.

In spite of Hawk’s earlier warning to be careful, Randi decided to take action. She put her heels to Angel’s sides and urged the mare to a headlong gallop. Randi charged forward, never letting Wade out of her sight.