Mary Connealy (110 page)

Wade called after Tom. “I’m not going with you. No sense both of us trying the same place.”

Tom stopped and turned back. “Where else then, the Hardens’?”

Wade couldn’t answer that. “I’ll head that way. Then I’ll see where I’m led.”

“Where you’re led? What does that mean?”

“It means I’m praying as hard as I can for inspiration. But if she did what I’m afraid she did—”

“What’s that?” Tom’s eyes sharpened, reacting to Wade’s obvious dread.

“Headed out to live in the mountains alone.”

Clenching his fists, Tom said, “No, no one’s that stupid. A woman can’t live out there alone.”

“Abby could. On her own she’d be fine. Your sister is the bravest, toughest woman I’ve ever known. She could live off that land, even in those rugged mountains. It’s just that—”

“Just that what?”

“Lonely as it is up there, there are still men who might hurt her.” Wade thought of the rustlers who had escaped. He thought of the men who had massacred her village. “If someone finds her before we do and gets that knife away from her, she’ll be at his mercy. With all that wild country to cover, the two of us will never find her.”

“There’ll be more than two of us. My men and I will split up and go south and west of town, toward the Dawsons’. You go north.” Tom whirled toward his horse, yelling for his men as he ran.

“Did you hear that the wild woman ran off?” Paddy sidled up to Sid at the breakfast table. Paddy heard a lot more living in the bunkhouse than Sid heard in the foreman’s cabin.

“No. She’s out alone?” Sid knew this might be his only chance to catch that woman. He’d been watching her all week and she never strayed farther than the garden. He’d planned to waylay them on Sunday morning, but he hadn’t liked the plan any too well.

“Yep, and Wade took out after her. Mort told Chester when he went in to give the week’s accounting last night.”

“So they’re together?”

“Nope, don’t sound like it. She went without him and he went hunting her.”

All their targets were separated, alone. Even Mort in the house with only Gertie was defenseless. Sid wanted to charge into that house and put a bullet in that stubborn old man. But he couldn’t do that now. Too many cowhands around. The West was still untamed, but even out here there was a limit to cold-blooded murder. Killing Mort Sawyer in front of twenty witnesses was well beyond the limit. He’d have to pick a better time. For now, he had his chance at Wade and the wildflower.

“Saddle up. I’m telling Chester we’re riding supplies out to the line shack.”

“Are we really going there? Boog’s the best tracker among us.”

Nodding, Sid said, “I think that little woman wants her wild life back. And if she ever gets to that high valley and sees her Flathead tribe is there, she might just move right in with them.”

“Well, then let her go. If she goes off with the Indians, our problem is solved.”

“Not as long as she’s out there, able to recognize Harv’s face. And Wade’s sweet on her. He’ll be going to try and bring her back. No, we can’t have her running around. This is our chance to finish Wade, too. Then we’ll come back and pick our moment with Mort. If we find the wild woman first and use her to set a trap for Wade, then kill Mort, we can take over this ranch in a couple of days.”

Paddy’s eyes narrowed. Hunger and greed glowed like lantern light out of his beady eyes. “Let’s go.” He whirled to saddle up their horses while Sid told Chester his “plans” to go to the line shack.

Chester didn’t like it, but Sid wasn’t interested in what Chester wanted. Firing Chester was the first thing Sid planned to do when he took over.

A
bby felt as if she shed her white skin as she strode along in the early dawn.

She had days to walk to return to her high valley, but she’d learned to walk tirelessly with her nomadic tribe. And time mattered nothing to her.

No one waited. She simply needed to care for herself, only herself. The very thought was like a huge weight lifting off her shoulders. She could breathe again.

The summer day promised heat, but the early morning air had a bite to it. She loved the breeze that cooled her muscles, and she rushed along, her long legs swinging under her doeskin dress. The pretty beads she’d sewn around the neck reminded her of the quiet time spent with her tribal family, learning at her mother’s side.

She was at peace.

Except for Wade.

She missed him.

At the same time, she was glad to be rid of him. She never should have allowed him to lure her with his confusing kindness and tempting kisses.

She remembered the path they’d taken from her high valley. Her dead reckoning told her she might cut the distance by striking out straight north. But the mountains she had to pass in that direction were daunting. Better to veer west a bit and take the trail past the Griffin place, through the gap into the Harden ranch and out the other end of that. If she was careful—and Abby knew how to be very careful—no one would see her as she quietly walked home.

If she set a fast pace, the Griffin house would be an easy point to reach by dark. Abby glanced to the west and knew a storm was possible. The sky was gray and overcast, but no rain was falling so far. Rain didn’t scare her. She could move along soaking wet as well as dry. She admitted to herself that if the house was empty and the night was stormy, she might set aside her contempt for the foolish house and wait out the storm.

Increasing her speed to a ground-eating lope, she smiled as her muscles stretched and became fluid. She felt at one with nature like any other wild thing running free.

As the hours passed, the overcast sky grew heavier. Abby could see rain streaking to the ground in the distance. She could run tirelessly for hours, and she picked up her pace from the comfortable lope, knowing she’d never get to the Griffin place in time but feeling pushed to hurry anyway.

At last, as the wind grew cool and the midafternoon turned dark as dusk, Abby saw the white of the house through the stand of trees. She heard the first sprinkles of rain on the trees overhead, and she made a dash for shelter. She raced under the drooping porch roof with a laugh of triumph and fell against the front door, gasping for air, turning to watch the rain. She’d beaten it. A rare victory against nature.

Suddenly the door behind her opened and she fell backward. Hard hands grabbed her around the waist, and she looked up into the evil eyes of the man who had destroyed her village. His face was nearly healed, but the cut she’d given him had formed an ugly scar and she was glad. She’d enjoy adding to his marks.

She reached for her knife, but a viselike grip on her wrist stopped her. She lashed out with her feet, but a blow to the back of her head stunned her. The world wavered. She shook her head to clear it and only faintly felt the shock of another blow.

The man let go of her, and she sank to the floor. She was fumbling for her knife, but her fingers were stupid and clumsy. Her vision seemed to narrow as if she were looking through a tunnel. The man loomed over her, scarred and victorious, holding his gun so the butt end was handy to use as a club.

As the light faded from her eyes, he smiled at her in evil pleasure to have her in his power.

Wade threw his covers off an hour before dawn.

He’d had to give up the search when darkness fell. He’d hunted the trail to Divide and asked about Abby there then ridden back to the ranch and tried to pick up a trail. Not wanting to sleep in Pa’s house, he’d headed in the waning light for the Griffin place and made a cold camp in the woods, knowing he had to stop. He could ride right past her in the dark. Precious little sleep came his way for worrying and praying.

He circled, trying to pick up a trail, but none was there. Abby was too light on her feet, too woods savvy to leave a single footprint.

Chafing at the delay, he slept a short night then set out for the place that kept coming into his head. The place she thought of as home. That high mountain valley. It was so far away that if he was wrong, Wade would be wasting days in the search.

Lord, let me find her.

Darkness was catching him as he drew near the Griffin place, planning to spend the night there. A storm seemed bent on crashing down on his head when he heard someone coming along the trail. He pulled his horse to a stop and eased off the path to watch.

Red and Cassie rode into sight, and Wade came forward. Red caught sight of him and instantly put his horse between Cassie and trouble to shield her, reaching for his pistol.

Red’s lightning-fast reflexes reminded Wade that his friend, for all his gentle heart and good nature, was as tough as any rancher around, and that included Pa. This was the kind of strength Wade wanted. Strength used to protect and defend rather than tyrannize and terrorize.

Red visibly relaxed as soon as he recognized Wade in the fading light. “What are you doing out here?”

Cassie leaned around her husband and smiled. “Hi, Wade.”

Susannah was riding in front of Cassie, and the little girl waved and bounced as if she wanted to kick the horse into a gallop. The wind was rising and the setting sun was blanketed by gray clouds.

Letting go of his screaming tension for just a second, Wade allowed himself to smile at the Dawson family.

Michael, carried on Red’s back like a papoose, whacked at his father’s hat, and Red grabbed it before it fell. He did it so naturally Wade knew the child had tried that stunt many times before.

Then Wade’s moment of relaxation was over. He pulled up beside Red. “Abby’s run off. She had a fight with Pa last night and she stormed out. No one’s seen her since.”

“She was out overnight?” Cassie’s fair skin seemed to pale in the sunset.

Nodding, Wade said, “Linscott’s whole crew is out hunting for her. I’m riding back to the valley where we found her, hoping she went there. She’s threatened to take off and live by herself in the mountains. She could go anywhere. So I’m trying to pick up a trail, but there’s nothing.”

Red frowned. “We’re on our way to visit the Tanners.”

“Hardens,” Cassie whispered.

“This late?” Wade looked around. “You’ve got hours of riding yet.”

“We got a late start. Trouble with the cattle, then a couple of other little things.”

“I let Harriet out.” Cassie grimaced.

Red smiled at her. “It was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.”

“Big mean piggy.” Susannah’s eyes were wide as the full moon.

Wade could hardly stand to imagine it. That old mama sow was a killer. “You plan on trying to get through that pass tonight with the little ones? The gap into their ranch is pretty steep. You might have trouble with it in the dark.”

“We almost waited until tomorrow to leave, but we finally decided we’d make it. Now, with the storm brewing, we’ve decided to ride as far as Cassie’s old house tonight and bunk there.”

Nodding, Wade said, “Mind if I ride along and stay? There’s no trail to be found this late anyway.”

“Glad for the company.” Red smiled. “It’s your house anyway.”

“You’re welcome to the shelter anytime you need it. You know that.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it. And we can pray together for Abby.”

“We’d better move or we’re going to get wet.” The panic Wade had been riding with all day eased a little now that he wasn’t alone. Maybe he’d go as far as the Hardens and take Red and Silas along with him to search for Abby. Their help might make all the difference.