HisBootsUnderHerBed (17 page)

R
ory woke up to the sound of Garth whistling outside. She quickly pulled on her stockings and boots and went out to join him. Bright sunshine indicated the start of another hot day, and she paused in the entrance of the cave to watch Garth.

He was shirtless and had already worked up a sweat chopping wood for the campfire he had built. He had such a beautifully proportioned body. Broad shoulders, a powerful chest, and slim hips. Fascinated, she watched the corded muscle ripple across his tanned shoulders and biceps with every swing of the ax.

Closing her eyes, she recalled the strength in those arms, the feel of them around her, and knew that after last night, she could never deny that man anything he asked of her—especially her body.

The day suddenly became much
warmer
.

Rory noticed he had restrung the blanket over the rope, so she went to her pack and got what she needed.

Garth put aside the ax and smiled at her when she came over to the fire. “Good morning. How are you, this bright and cheery morning?”

“Fine. I thought I’d like to ah…clean myself up after last night.”

“I figured you would, so I put the blanket back up. As soon as you finish, I’m going to wash up, too.”

She ducked behind the blanket and shed her clothing, then quickly washed away the remnants of their lovemaking, brushed her teeth, and washed out her underclothes.

By the time she was through, Rory felt ready to face whatever lay ahead of her today.

Garth had brewed a pot of coffee and she poured herself a cup. After several sips of hot coffee, watching his flexing muscles, and his shirtless chest, she felt like racing over to the waterfall to cool off again.

“This is a luxury for me,” she said. “I’m used to having to build a fire and make the coffee in the morning.”

“It might be a good idea to wake Paddy. The sooner we eat and finish packing up, the sooner we can head back.” At her look of despair, he leaned down and kissed her lightly. “Hey, why so glum this morning?”

“You heard Pop last night. He’s a stubborn man. What if he refuses to leave?”

“I think I would like to hear the answer to that from you, Rory.”

“I think he’s too ill to travel.”

“You need your eyes opened. If he’d run out of whiskey, you’d see him tearing down this mountain like the hounds of hell were yapping at his feet. He’s perfectly capable of traveling; he’s only playing on your sympathy. The best thing you can do for the both of you is call his bluff and leave. You’ll see him come running.”

“I’m staying, Garth. I’m not leaving him,” she declared flatly.

“Damn it, Rory, that’s just what he wants. And he knows exactly what he can get from you.”

“And last night, didn’t
you
get what you wanted from me?”

“So
that’s
what this is all about—morning-after guilt? Sorry, I’m not buying it. You came to me, remember? And all of this outburst because you know your father is too stubborn to leave. Rory, I won’t try to deny that in the beginning I believed you playing the blushing virgin was just some more of this act to bamboozle me; and I’m sorry, I misjudged that; I was wrong. But when we made love last night you were into it as much as I was, so don’t imply now that it was against your conscience.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. Was this the same man who had made such tender love to her? “Last night meant nothing to you, did it?”

“Of course it did. Last night was wonderful.
You’re
wonderful. It was the best sex I’ve ever had. What are you asking? If you want me to say it was the most emotional moment I’ve ever known, the answer is no. But physically, nothing can compare to it.”

“Last night I came to you with the only thing I had to give—my virginity. The one thing I was saving for the man I hoped to marry one day. And now I find out it didn’t mean anything to you other than
the best sex you ever had.
” She couldn’t bear to even look at him, and turned away.

“Rory, what did you expect from me? Surely not marriage; You know my thinking on that subject. And when that wedding day you dream of finally comes, you won’t be less of a woman, love him less, just because you’re no longer a virgin. Surely you don’t believe he’ll be coming to that wedding bed a virgin himself?

“Frankly, I’ve never understood why a man should expect a woman to deny herself the same bodily pleasures that he enjoys, any more than I can understand a woman who doesn’t enjoy that pleasure.”

He came over and tried to take her in his arms. “Honey, I’m sorry if—”

“Don’t touch me!” she cried, and shoved him away. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

A glint of anger flared in his eyes. “Considering last night, it’s a little late for that now, isn’t it? We both know we can’t keep our hands off one another. But we’ll discuss this later when you’re in a better frame of mind. In the meantime, I’ll assume we’re not leaving.”

“There’s nothing keeping you here. Go with my blessing,” she snapped.

“Right now you’re not only battling Paddy and me, Rory, but your conscience as well. Why you feel any guilt is beyond my comprehension, so I’ll leave you to that labor.” He went back to chopping wood.

Rory worked off her anger by continuing to vent as she started to unpack the mule. The physical work also helped calm her down. Within minutes she regretted her outburst.

She walked over and put a hand on Garth’s arm. He looked down at it, then swung his gaze up to hers.

“I’m sorry, Garth. Please forgive me.”

He put his arms around her in a bear hug. “I understand, honey. You just haven’t had that second cup of coffee this morning.”

“Top of the morning,” Paddy greeted, suddenly appearing at the entrance of the cave.

“Good morning!” Rory exclaimed. She and Garth exchanged astonished looks. “You must be feeling better this morning, Pop.”

“That I am, darlin’. That I am. Fit as a fiddle.” He kissed her on the cheek.

Rory felt his forehead. “And you don’t feel feverish—but you sure are acting that way.”

He gave Garth a pat on the shoulder. “And how be you this fine morning, me boy?”

“Fine, Paddy. Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

Paddy rubbed his stomach. “Better, and hungry enough to eat a horse.” He grinned at Rory. “Darlin’, what’s holding up breakfast?”

“Pop, you haven’t eaten breakfast in days,” Rory said.

“All the more reason why I’m hungry for one now.”

“Well, we want to get started back to the mission, so we planned to eat only jerky this morning.”

“Ah, yes, leaving. ’Tis the very thing I want to discuss.”

Rory shook her head. “I’m not taking no for an answer, Pop. You’re coming with us, so I don’t want to hear another argument on the subject.”

“Will you listen to the girl?” Paddy said to Garth. “Ah, it would bring a tear to her sainted mother’s eye to hear her. Put your hands over your ears, Katie love,” he yelled skyward.

Arms akimbo, Rory declared, “You keep my sainted mother out of this, Pop. I don’t want to hear any of your schemes, so save your breath—because we’re not staying.”

“Garth, me boy, you’re an intelligent, level-headed young fella, with a fine head on your shoulders.”

“Well, thank you, Paddy.”

“Will you sit down and listen to what I have to say?”

“I’ll listen, sir, but I have to tell you, I agree one hundred percent with Rory. And there’s no better time to leave than now, while you’re feeling well enough to travel.”

“And that’s me very question, me boy: if I’m feeling well again, why
are
we leaving? Didn’t we all come here to find a gold mine? Well, we’ve found the mine, and we’ve found the gold.

“So why leave now?” he continued. “Did you not say we don’t have to fear any further bandit attacks?”

“That’s only an opinion, Paddy. I said I think it’s unlikely, because if there were any others around, they would have discovered us by now. Although there have been a couple times when I suspected we were being watched.”

“But nothing’s come of it, has it?”

“Well, no,” Garth said.

“So there you go, me boy. Just what I said. Now, I agree to us being partners. ’Tis a grand idea. We’ll work together and split it down the middle.”

“What I found is no big bonanza. It’s a narrow vein, Paddy.”

Paddy’s eyes widened hopefully. “’Tis big enough to make us rich, isn’t it?”

“Certainly big enough for us to live comfortably the rest of our lives.”

Paddy exuberantly rubbed his hands together. “So why leave it behind?”

“Pop, Garth said that once we get back down to the mission, he’ll come back here and finish mining.”

“But we’re here now, the mine’s here, the gold’s here—so why all the coming and going?”

“I can see the logic to what you’re saying, Paddy, but there are other kinds of dangers up here. Wild animals. Accidents. Landslides. As well as another attack of your illness. I don’t want to be responsible for your lives.”

“Garth, me boy, life’s a risk no matter where we’re at, but it doesn’t stop us from eating and drinking to stay alive, now does it?” He winked at Rory. “So what do you think, darlin’? Stay or go?”

“If you don’t mind, Pop, I’d like to talk to Garth privately,” Rory said.

“Sit down and drink your coffee while we’re gone,” Garth suggested. He took her hand and led her over to the privacy of the trees.

“Does what he said make any sense to you, Garth?” Rory asked.

“It’s logical, but not sensible when putting your life at risk is the issue. If sense was involved, we’d get out of here without giving it a second thought.”

“Well, how much longer do you figure it will take you to finish off that vein?”

He shrugged. “With not having to cook or gather wood, I could probably finish it in about a week.”

“Do you think you could put up with Pop and me for another week?”

He slipped his hands around her waist. “I figure I can. Besides, we still have a lot more unfinished business to complete, don’t we?” His lips grazed her earlobe, her cheek, and then took her lips with a demanding mastery that left her wanting more. “So keep that kiss on your mind, sweetheart, because I’ll be doing the same for the rest of the day.”

They went back to the campfire, where Paddy waited anxiously.

“Okay, partner. You’ve got a deal,” Garth said.

A monumental weight had been lifted from Rory’s shoulders, and she smiled from ear to ear as the two men shook hands.

As for her feeling of guilt, well…Didn’t Garth’s words make sense? Why
should
she feel guilty? And he’d said it was the best sex he ever had. So as far as the unfinished business between them was concerned…Her eyes sparked with devilment and she started to giggle. “I think I can handle that, too.”

Throughout the day, the feel of Garth’s kiss remained on her lips. And that evening, as soon as Paddy passed out in a drunken stupor, the outcome was inevitable. They made love throughout the night, long glorious explorations of one another, and quick couplings when they’d awake from dozing with flared passions that demanded instant satisfaction.

By the time the first rays of a rising sun appeared on the horizon, Rory knew she was in love.

S
he sighed and shook her head when she heard Pop exchanging cross words with Garth for disturbing his sleep so early.

“Liquor and anger make for an explosive combination, Saddle,” she said as she prepared breakfast. “I’ve seen plenty of that in the saloons I’ve worked in.

““You understand, boy, Pop has always been as endearing as you are when he’s sober. But whiskey’s always had a bad effect on him. I have to find where he’s stashed it!”

Saddle wagged his tail and she tossed him a bite of bacon. “I’m sure going to miss you when we leave—both you and that big galoot you adopted.”

Garth stopped working long enough to eat breakfast, and Saddle trailed after him when he went back inside the mine. As soon as her father walked away, Rory followed him to find out exactly where he went when he disappeared—which, no doubt, was where he had his whiskey hidden.

She stayed a safe distance behind him, following the route back to Herbert Forsen’s mine. He continued on a little farther and stopped in a copse of trees. She remembered the area well. It was where they had buried those four bandits who had attacked them when they first arrived. She had purposely avoided that area after they had buried the dead bandits.

Rory watched as he retrieved a flat stone from the bushes and scraped away a corner of topsoil from one of the graves. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

So that’s where he’s hiding it! The sly old fox.
To her further surprise he also pulled out a flat pan, then refilled the hole and walked away. She rushed over to the hole, scraped the dirt away quickly, and pulled out two remaining whiskey bottles. Then, curious to know where he was going with the pan, she hurried after him.

As she followed, she opened the bottles one after the other and dumped them out. “Thank goodness that’s the end of that,” she said with satisfaction, after she tossed the last bottle away.

Rory had never been on this part of the mountain before. Well off the beaten trail, it was lined with many crags and bluffs.

She followed Paddy up the rocky slope. The incline was steep and she couldn’t imagine how her father did this daily.

When she crested the slope to the plateau above, she saw that her father had knelt by a narrow stream. When he dipped the pan into the stream and shifted it back and forth, it became clear to her.

He’s panning for gold!

Rory couldn’t believe that was what he’d secretly been up to. The question was: was he having any success?

She made her way back down the slope toward camp. She wanted to hold off telling Garth until after she’d spoken to Pop. Not knowing what he intended to do with the gold he panned, it would be wiser to hear the full story first.
Oh, Pop, the fur’s really going to fly on this one.

As she neared the Forsen mine, Rory paused to admire a wildflower growing among the scrub. The colorful little floret was a comforting reminder that there was still some beauty in the world.

As Rory rose to her feet, she heard a loud rustling in the tall foliage nearby.

“Pop, is that you?” she called out.

When there was no answer, she began to back away, her gaze riveted on the area where she had heard the noise. The sound came again, this time louder, as if something or someone was thrashing around in the brush.

“Pop?” she called out.

The brush parted, and two little bear cubs about the size of Saddle broke through.

“Oh, you darlings, you gave me such a fright.” She froze at the sound of a chilling growl, and screamed when a huge grizzly bear lumbered out of the brush. The bear rose up on its hind legs and growled again, its mammoth jaw opened to reveal sharp, yellowed teeth.

She had never seen anything so tall and frightening, and she screamed again, then turned and bolted. The bear thumped after her on all fours with long, loping strides.

Rory headed for a pile of boulders that led to a bluff above, in the hope of scaling them before the animal caught up with her.

Panic-stricken, she scrambled up the rocks, but her foot slipped and became wedged between two of them.

She still wasn’t high enough to escape the bear, and she frantically struggled to free her boot, but her foot was held too securely. Horrified, she screamed again as the animal reared up and approached, prepared to attack.

Garth tossed aside his pick and came out of the mine. The vein had finally run out. There was no sense in trying to squeeze another grain out of it.

Seeing no sign of Rory, he stuck his head into the waterfall spray to rinse off the grit. Saddle came trotting up with a fish between his jaws and dropped it at his feet.

“Don’t tell me you and Rory went fishing.” He picked up the fish and tossed it into a nearby bucket of water. “Thank you, oh mighty hunter, but we’ve had enough fish for a while. How about some meat? Since the fire, we don’t have any little critters coming around to trap,” he said, shaking the water out of his hair. “And where’s Rory? You’re supposed to be looking after her.”

Saddle suddenly stiffened and perked up his ears.

“What is it, boy?”

Suddenly a scream rent the air.

Saddle raced off in the direction of the scream, and Garth followed, crashing through the brush. When Rory screamed again, raw terror in the sound, he was petrified that he wouldn’t reach her in time.

He could barely keep Saddle in sight as the dog sped ahead of him.

Saddle charged directly into the path of the bear advancing on Rory. His sudden appearance distracted the huge beast, and with a low growl, Saddle leaped at it. The bear swiped at him with deadly claws that would have ripped him open, but Saddle dodged them and crouched to spring again, just as two rifle shots kicked up dust at the feet of the bear.

When Garth reached the scene, he drew his Colt and was about to shoot when two more rifle shots hit the ground on each side of the animal. The bear plopped down on all fours, raised its head, and emitted an angry roar as it backed away. Several more shots kicked up the dirt around it again. Nuzzling and shoving the cubs ahead of her, the bear disappeared into the brush.

Damn, this was one time he was glad Paddy hadn’t listened to him about not firing a rifle!

Garth ran to Rory and she flung her arms around him and began to sob. He kissed her and held her in a tight hug until her trembling ceased, then stepped back slightly.

“Oh, my God, baby, are you hurt?”

“No, just scared,” she managed to say. “My foot’s stuck and I can’t get it out.”

“Let me look.” He knelt to examine her foot. After several useless minutes of trying to free it, he stood up and carefully lowered her to a sitting position.

“I can’t budge it, either. Honey, I’m going to have to go back to get Boots and some rope. We’ll have to move that rock away enough for you to slide your foot out. Tell Paddy I’m going to need his help.”

Fear filled her eyes, and he drew her into his arms again. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said tenderly.

“What if the bear—”

“The bear won’t come back,” he assured her. “She’s got her cubs to protect.”

Slipping on the rocky surface, Saddle reached them and Rory opened her arms. “Thank you,” she cried, hugging him. “That bear could have killed you.” The thought made her tear up again.

“Saddle’s not exactly a knight in armor,” Garth said to lighten her mood, “but he’s a real dragon slayer. What in hell is keeping Paddy?” He handed her his Colt. “Use this only if you have to. Saddle, you stay here with her.”

Garth jumped down and took off at a run, not seeing the man who suddenly appeared on the bluff above.

Rory watched with apprehension as the stranger climbed down to her. He had the same long-legged, broad-shouldered, and slim-hipped build as Garth. Straight dark hair hung almost to his shoulders beneath a sombrero, and a dark mustache dropped below his lower lip.

There was a warmth in his brown eyes that belied his menacing appearance as he patted Saddle on the head when he reached them. “¡Hola, amigo! You showed much courage, my furry friend.” Saddle’s tail wagged in response.

“He appears to know you,” Rory said, keeping the pistol raised.

His teeth flashed against his dark skin. “Sí, señorita, the perro and I have become great friends since we met earlier.”

“Who are you?”

The man removed his hat. “I am called Rico, señorita.”

“Was Saddle your dog?”

“No, but we have met before on this mountain and know each other well.”

“So it was you shooting at the bear.”

“Yes, I did not wish to kill her, just drive her away. She was protecting her cubs. Who would protect them if she was dead?”

“She was about to kill
me
!” Rory exclaimed.

“Let me assure you, I would have prevented it. I see you have a problem.”

“Yes, my foot’s wedged between the rocks. Garth’s gone to get some rope and his horse.”

“Señorita, I would be grateful if you would lower that pistol you are pointing at me,” he said with an engaging grin that reminded her of Garth’s.

She raised the Colt higher. “Are you a bandit?”

“No, señorita. Will it offend you if I examine your foot?”

“No, but I don’t think it will help. Garth tried to free it and couldn’t.”

His mouth curled into a smile. “And you have great trust in Garth.”

“I do.”

“That is good when two people are in love.”

“In love? What gave you that idea, Rico? You don’t even know us.”

“I can tell from the way you speak his name.”

He got down on his knees to examine her foot. After a short inspection, he said, “Your trust in him is correct. It is going to be very difficult to get you free.” At the sound of a rifle cocking, he raised his hands in the air. “Do not shoot, Señor Garth.”

“Okay, amigo, get up very slowly, and carefully turn around. One false move and I’ll blow your head off. Who in hell are you?”

“Garth, Rico is the one who saved my life,” Rory exclaimed.

“Yeah, and maybe
Rico
had other plans for you. Where’s the rest of your gang, amigo?”

“I have no gang, señor.”

“So you just came up here to admire the view?”

“No, Father Chavez sent me. Now, shall we get on with the task of freeing Señorita O’Grady?”

“Knowing the name of the priest is no proof that he sent you.”

“Your name is Garth Fraser,” Rico said. “The señorita is Rorleen Catherine O’Grady, and her father is Patrick Michael. You came here to find a gold mine that was discovered by your uncle Henry Fraser. The O’Gradys filed a claim on it before you could. Is that enough proof for you, Señor Fraser?”

“I would say so.” Garth offered his hand. “And we’re grateful for your timely arrival, Rico. Do you have any idea how we’re going to get her foot out of that rock? To make matters worse, it’s the same foot she injured recently.”

“A rope will snap before it even budges the rock, even if we had a way of connecting it,” Rico said. “And there’s no way of getting behind to try and shove it away, either.”

“I agree,” Garth said. “So if we can’t pull it, or shove it, that leaves raising it or dropping it.”

Amusement gleamed in Rico’s eyes. “I think you have something in mind already?”

“To drop it,” Garth said. “During the war we had a similar situation in Tennessee. There was a Yankee encampment below us, so we started a rock slide to get away. See how much smaller that bottom rock on the end is? If we could loosen it enough to get it to shift, the ones above it might shift enough to free her foot. We wouldn’t have to even budge it an inch to make it work.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Rico asked.

“I brought a shovel and pick. The object is to dig out the ground around it and let gravity take over. Those rocks are on an incline, so if we can get the bottom to start sliding, the others will, too.”

Garth grabbed the pick and Rico the shovel, and they began to dig away the earth around the base of the smaller rock. They trenched and hollowed out an area about six feet deep to form a downhill chute.

Then they found an oak sapling that looked strong enough to use as a wedge. They dug around it to expose the roots, then tied one end of the rope to the roots and attached the other end to the saddle on Boots.

The horse’s strength uprooted it and dragged the sapling over to the rock pile, where they trimmed it into a wedge and slid it under the rock.

Garth climbed up to give Rory her final instructions. “Honey, all we need is enough of a gap for you to pull your foot out. As soon as that bottom rock starts shifting, the others will follow, so your timing is critical.”

“I understand,” she said. “But what if the rock I’m on starts to slide?”

“There’s no way it can. The gap next to it will only be open for a couple seconds; it can’t slide right or left. We need two men on that wedge to loosen the rock, so neither of us can be up here to help you.”

“I understand. Let’s just get on with it,” she said, her courage dwindling.

“Honey, you’ve held up this long, don’t give in now.” He kissed her and jumped down, then whistled for Saddle, who had lain with his head on Rory’s lap throughout the whole procedure. To keep him from getting underfoot and possibly being injured, Garth tied him up next to Boots.

“Okay, Rico, let’s see what luck we have.”

Moving to the open side of the rock pile, they took a firm hold on the wedge and slid it as far as it would go under the bottom of the boulder, then began to rock it up and down. The effort was strenuous, and the fear that the wedge would snap was foremost on their minds.

Soon some of the earth under the boulder began to crumble, and the granite rock shifted slightly. They continued to jar it, and the rock shifted a degree deeper into the chute they had dug, which started a chain reaction in the ones above it. The instant the next rock shifted down, Rory yanked her foot free before the one above closed the gap.

As soon as the rocks settled again, Garth quickly scaled them, picked up Rory, and carried her down. Once a safe distance from the formation, he put her down.

He and Rico exchanged proud smiles, then reached out and shook hands for a job well done.