Mary Connealy (61 page)

“Move away from the girl.” The man stayed across the small clearing, well out of reach but not so far he could miss with a shotgun.

“We’re going back to her village.” Trying to talk sense to the man, Wade saw the viciousness in the gunman’s eyes.

“I’ve given her the choice whether to live with her Flathead family or not, and she’s chosen them.” Wade knew he intended to try harder to convince her. If he’d kissed her, held her, spoken of love and marriage, would she stay in his world? If she wanted him to, would he join hers? If her tribe would allow it, Wade knew he’d go with Glowing Sun.

“That ain’t no choice. She’s wild. She don’t have the sense to pick right. She’s going with me. I want her, and she’ll be mine.” The greedy, hungry eyes told Wade that this man wasn’t interested in rescuing Glowing Sun at all. He had terrible plans for her.

Something hardened inside of Wade…pushed out the taunting voice and brought his courage forward in a way he’d never felt. He could do it. To save Glowing Sun from the dreadful fate this man had in mind, he could pull the trigger.

Dear God, help me protect her. Help me save her.

Wade knew he would die for this. This man would get his gun fired first. But Wade would take that lead shot and still get his own gun into play. He’d give his life to protect this beautiful woman.

“Please, just go.” Wade had to try reason again. “I won’t let you take her.”

Cruelty leeched through the man’s laughter.

Wade flexed his fingers, close to his holster, but not close enough. The man raised his gun.

Wade slapped leather. A shot rang out before Wade could get his hand on his gun.

So intent on rescuing Glowing Sun, Wade fought through the expected impact. He pulled his gun and leveled it—to see the man drop to his knees.

Stunned, suddenly aware that no bullet had struck him, Wade watched the man fall, and as he dropped, Wade saw a man behind him holding a smoking pistol. The saddle partner who’d helped capture Glowing Sun to begin with.

The man slipped his six-gun into his holster and raised his hands. “Don’t shoot.”

Wade realized he had his gun leveled straight at the man’s heart. He lowered his weapon.

“I knew he was up to no good.” The man walked up to his partner and prodded him with his toe. “We split up right after you’d taken the girl back. I’d only been riding with him for a couple of weeks since we finished a cattle drive. I didn’t like the way he treated the girl, but I thought it was right to take her back to her own people, so I went along.”

“He wasn’t here to return her to anyone.” Wade felt his hand begin to tremble. He hadn’t needed to take that shot, but he knew, deep in his gut, that he would have. He should have been proud of that. Instead, he felt changed, scarred, ashamed. “He wanted her for himself.”

“I heard. And I’d figured it out myself. He was loco to beat all when you took her. Way too hornet mad to explain him wantin’ to help her.”

“Thank you. You saved my life. You saved both of us.”

The other man nodded. “I’ll stay to bury him. Reckon I can do that one thing for him. You go along and take the girl home.”

Wade nodded then looked once more at the man who now lay still and lifeless on the ground. It was awful to kill a man. A terrible thing to carry on your soul. Wade thanked God he didn’t have to do it. Knowing he would have done it was burden enough.

He prayed silently for the man who did take that shot.

Then he turned.

In time to see Glowing Sun vanish into the woods.

B
elle didn’t scream. Mainly because she took one look in Lindsay’s eyes and knew it would do no good.

It wasn’t just determination, though there was plenty of that. In fact, more than determination, Lindsay just had a solid, settled look that said she was getting married. With or without Belle’s blessing.

Belle could go along or be trampled, so the only real choice Belle had here was in how much she hurt her relationship with Lindsay.

But even that wasn’t the look that stopped Belle in her tracks. Lindsay was in love. It shone out of her.

For one second, Belle remembered how she’d felt about William at the very beginning. No one could have stopped her. And William wasn’t half the man Roy was. Whether Belle liked it or not, her daughter was getting married.

Silas’s firm hold on Belle’s hand grew tighter until he might have been the only thing holding her up. Belle gave one hard jerk of her chin, and that was all she could manage.

Lindsay laughed and threw herself into Roy’s arms as joyfully as if Belle had clapped and yelled with delight at this wedding. A bright girl, Lindsay knew this was the best she was going to get from her man-hating ma.

“Let’s get settled for the night so we can get into Helena in time to sell these cattle tomorrow.” Silas kept hold of Belle’s hand and dragged her away from the tight circle of people talking and laughing and planning.

As Belle moved, she landed her eyes on Emma.

She saw frightened eyes. And Emma never showed fear. Belle tried to tug loose of Silas, but rather than let her go, Silas let himself be dragged to Emma’s side.

“What’s she doing this for, Ma?” Emma let Belle slide her arm around her waist. Looking past Emma, Belle saw Sarah tending the campfire with Betsy on her back. Sarah was crying and salting the stew with her tears.

And why shouldn’t they be terribly upset? Belle had spent all her years as a mother filling her girls’ heads full of dire warnings about men.

“Lindsay will be okay, girls.” Belle didn’t believe it, but she tried to sound convincing. “Roy’s a good man.”

A boy. A young one at that. God, how did this happen? I’m losing my daughters. She’s starting her life out as bad as I did. All my warnings and she up and marries the first man her age she’s ever seen.

Emma didn’t answer.

Sarah kept stirring.

Silas led them back to the campfire in the dusk. “He is a good man, Belle. I’ve taken his measure, and I trust him to do right by our girl.”

It was no comfort. The man who wanted to hold her and kiss her but didn’t want marriage earned no trust in Belle’s book.

“I’ll make the best of it.” Belle pulled away from Silas. “And so will Lindsay. That’s all a woman can do in this life.”

Silas gave her a long look. Then he nodded. “That’s all any of us can do, Belle.” He strode toward his horse. “I’m going to ride a circuit. I’ll be back in time for supper.”

They drove the herd up to Helena late the next night and held them on the flatland south of town.

“Shorty and I’re gonna go into town and hunt cattle buyers.” Silas’s voice from behind her turned Belle around.

He’d quit with his kissing nonsense ever since Lindsay and Roy had announced their engagement. Belle was too upset to miss it.

Truth was, Belle had come to think of Silas as Lindsay’s pa, looking to him whenever her doubts were too much for her. His shared concern gave her strength. He quietly assured her that allowing the marriage was the only real choice. That alone kept her from screaming.

It occurred to Belle to protest Silas handling the sale of her cattle. But she trusted him. It was that simple. “Thank you. I’ll get the camp set up and have supper waiting when you get back.”

“We could be late.”

“We’ll expect you when we see you then.” Belle was struck by this quiet, reasonable conversation. She couldn’t remember talking with any of her husbands like this. She gave orders. They followed them or lit out to hide until mealtime. Th ere was no relaxed discussion of plans and duties. Silas was a good man. She’d finally found one.

And he wanted no part of marriage.

Silas rode off with Shorty.

Belle watched Lindsay and Roy sharing every chore, whispering, excited.

“Let me get that.” Buck came to where she was dipping water from a quiet stream. He reached for a bucket she already had filled.

“You know they’re too young.” Belle scooped the water without looking at the man.

Buck took the pail from her and straightened, holding both, leaving her hands free.

Why had she never been able to find a man who would work beside her?

“I know they’re young. I do. But my son does a man’s work every day. He’s honest, with no vices. I’ve raised him to be a Christian, and he’s taken it to heart. He’ll give full weight to his marriage and keep his vows. And I’ve never seen him so happy. He’s got a powerful love for your daughter.”

Belle heard a twinge of resentment in Buck’s voice. Resentment aimed at Belle because she wasn’t excited about Roy marrying Lindsay. The two of them turned to watch Lindsay and Roy in the distance, chattering and smiling as they rode a circle around the herd.

“It’s not about Roy.” Belle looked seriously at Buck. “He’s a fine young man. You know I like him. It’s just…I married so young. The work was hard and relentless. I wanted my daughter to be a child for a little longer.”

“I’ve been riding with you for two weeks now. Lindsay’s already not a child. She works her heart out for you. I wouldn’t be surprised if her life with us was easier than her life with you.”

“Most likely will be.” Belle sighed. “Her life with me is hard, but it’s…safe. I love her and treat her with respect.”

“I won’t—”

Belle held up her hand. “I’m not insulting you, Buck. I promise I’m not. It’s not you and Roy and Shorty. I’d feel this way no matter who staked a claim on my girl’s heart. I can’t stop this wedding, but I think I’m allowed to hurt a little having to let my girl go.”

Smiling, Buck nodded as they turned together and walked toward the camp. “How about next spring, as soon as calving is done and the snow melts, I send Lindsay and Roy over for a visit. Say the first of June. They can stay for two weeks.”

Belle thought of her ramshackle cabin and wondered where they’d sleep. Maybe Silas would help her add a room. No, Silas would be gone. He’d sell these cattle and ride away. Her hurt over Lindsay multiplied by her hurt over finally caring about a man.

She was tempted to tell Buck the truth, not wanting falsehood between her and Lindsay’s new family. But even that was beyond her as she watched Lindsay and Roy and ached for what lay ahead for her daughter.

Buck didn’t wait for Belle to agree to the visit. He seemed to be satisfied that he’d had his say. He set down the water. “I’ll go spell Emma.”

Belle’s other girl rode the far side of the herd. Sarah puttered around the camp, going about business as usual, talking and being herself. Belle wished herself eight years old again, without a care in the world…except for feeding nine people every day using scant supplies and an open fire, of course.

Emma rode in.

Belle went to her quiet, horse-crazy daughter.

Emma hadn’t said much about losing her big sister. Of course, Emma was quiet in the normal course of things. But she’d been even more so today.

“We’ll miss her, won’t we?”

Emma kept busy stripping the leather off her horse. “I reckon we will.”

“She’ll be okay, you know.”

Emma shrugged then looked up at Belle. “Running the Tanner Ranch took all our energy every day. How can we get by without her? Will Silas stay?”

“I don’t figure that Silas will stay, no. We talked about marriage, Emma. Silas isn’t interested.”

Emma shook her head. “The two of you act married already. Why doesn’t he want us, Ma?”

Belle didn’t know what to say. She’d expected to talk about Lindsay, not Silas. But she’d known from the first that Emma and Silas were close. Emma had opened up to him as she had to no other person. As for wringing a marriage proposal out of the man, Belle had no idea how. No man had ever
not
wanted her. “I don’t know, Em. But he doesn’t, and that’s the end of it.”

Emma’s face crumpled, but she didn’t cry. Belle didn’t think Emma had cried since she was three years old. “I’ll help get the meal.” Emma walked away, her shoulders slumped, shut off from Belle and the whole world. She turned as she reached for the boiling coffeepot and stared at Lindsay and Roy for a minute before she poured herself a cup of the blazing hot brew.

Sarah hummed as she worked over a stew using the last of their jerked beef and potatoes. She mixed up sourdough biscuits and talked at Emma. Emma released Betsy from the pack on Sarah’s back then fussed with her, teasing a smile out of the little one while she sipped her coffee.

Silas and Shorty didn’t come back. The rest of them ate a quiet dinner, and the night sky spread over them and gleamed with a million stars. They all took to their bedrolls except Buck and Roy. Buck adamantly refused to let Emma ride a watch so close to a settlement where strangers might happen by, and he didn’t believe it proper to let Roy stay in with the womenfolk alone.

Belle knew that no chaperone besides herself was necessary. She’d make such a strict watchdog Roy might not survive it.

After the men rode out, Belle heard singing wafting across the night air. The steady noise wasn’t cattle drovers being whimsical, singing the cows to sleep. It covered strange night sounds apt to startle the herd. But it felt like a lullaby. Like a long-lost chance to be a child again and have her mother crooning over her, protecting her against all that was big and bad in the dark of the night.

That kind of safety had ended too soon for Belle with her mother’s death. And now it was ending too soon for Lindsay.

In the sleepless night, Belle was left thinking of her father’s cavalier dismissal of her when he had his long-desired son.

Thinking of William’s unkindness after Belle’s inheritance was lost.

Thinking of Gerald’s drunkenness and his raised fists that she hadn’t dodged nearly as often as she’d let on to her daughters. Too many times she’d stayed behind to give them a chance to run.

Thinking of Anthony’s unfaithfulness and the way he flaunted it, shaming Belle as often and as publicly as he could.

Thinking of Silas and his strength and warmth…and rejection.

It wasn’t fair to measure Roy with such a wretched yardstick, but it was the only one Belle had. She was giving her daughter over to a man because no other choice was forthcoming.