“The men need to rest, but once we can get new horses and ourselves organized, we’ll head out in search of Norton,” the Sheriff stated.
“I’ll be going with you,” Quinn declared.
The Sheriff looked at him incredulously. “Are you sure? You don’t look up to much.”
“I’m well enough to ride. I want to be there. I want to see Victor finally get what he deserves. It’s been long in coming and I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Quinn continued.
The Sheriff nodded. “Very well, then. Seems only fair that you be there to see him apprehended. You’ve given five years of your life to pursuing him. I think you earned the right to see this through.”
“Thank you, Sheriff,” Quinn answered.
The man nodded. “Well, I best be goin’ and let you get your rest. You’ll need it to be ready for the long ride ahead of us.” He turned to Zoe. “I think you need to rest, too, Miss Ferguson. You’ve been through enough.”
“Thank you, Sheriff,” Zoe replied. “I’ll see you out.”
Quinn watched as Zoe walked the Sheriff to the door. His eyes lingered there long after she was gone. He wished things could be different and that he could snap his fingers and his anger could dissipate entirely, but he couldn’t. He had to see his feelings through, just like he had to see this case through.
Chapter Sixteen
Zoe never felt so wretched in her life. Quinn’s anger was more than she had imagined but no less than what she deserved. Still, his accusations went above and beyond being fair. He accused her of plotting with Victor, of reveling in his hurt, and being complicit to her own kidnapping. She knew it was his anger and hurt talking, but that didn’t make it easier to bear. Her one consolation was that he was glad she was safe.
Guilt weighed heavily on her as she walked from his room, back down to the saloon floor.
“Miss Zoe?” Wiley called when he spotted her. “I thought yah be restin’.”
“I need the Sheriff,” she explained.
“Well, I can get ‘im for yah. It’s best yah stay put,” he instructed as he stepped out from behind the bar and led her to her back office. He held her by the arm as he guided her, and Zoe, who was usually so independent, let him. She didn’t have the strength or the will to protest. She was tired and her heart hurt.
“Now wait right ‘ere, and I’ll be back,” Wiley stated with a smile. He was so happy to see her. If only Quinn felt the same.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of the greeting she’d received from him, and how things had changed. Maybe she should’ve told him? But if she had, then where would they be? A shootout in the streets of Shaniko, with one or both of them dead? It wasn’t a scene she wished to witness.
There was only one way to make this right, one way to mend the breach between her and Quinn. She had to prove to him that she was true. She had to show him she wasn’t connected or loyal to Victor. Leading him to the hideout would do that.
Zoe sat at her desk and began to map out in her mind the journey she took with Victor. She remembered a few of the sights along the way, but it was the maze of turns in the gorge itself that she needed to focus on. She hoped Victor wouldn’t be there when they arrived.
Despite what she said, Zoe didn’t want this war between Victor and Quinn to end in death, as it was sure to. If they attacked Victor, and he felt cornered, there was no telling what he would do. It would be a bloody mess and they’d be burying people before the day was through. No, Zoe wasn’t going to let that happen. She would lead them, but she would delay their arrival and give Victor time to get away if he hadn’t already.
Wiley returned with the Sheriff a short while later, and Zoe led him to Quinn’s room. She listened as the two men spoke and gave her own input where necessary. The plan was set. The men would rest up and go back out after Victor. It was perfect. It was a further delay that should hopefully put space between Victor and them.
Zoe would never forget the glint in his eyes when he called her bait. If this was his plan all along, then she wasn’t going to play into his hands and lead the men of Shaniko to slaughter…Quinn to slaughter. Despite what he thought of her, she cared about him. She never wanted him harmed. The delay could work in all of their favor. If Victor waited, it might convince him that no one was coming and he would leave. Zoe only hoped, that whatever the circumstances, things would end well.
She was allowed one day of rest before the men were recovered enough to return to their search for Victor. Zoe used that day wisely and slept. She was never so tired in her entire life. She never left her bed, or the comforts of her room, for that whole day. Wiley waited on her hand and foot, and wouldn’t allow anyone else to take care of her. He kept the other employees away so she could rest, and wouldn’t even allow Weyland to bring up her meals.
Zoe was weary, but she was also sad. Somewhere along the way she had lost her mother’s brooch. She had no idea where it went, but her heart was broken over it. It was the only thing of her mother’s that she had. She was so meticulous with its care, and now it was gone, probably forever.
She lay on her bed and hugged her pillow. “I’m sorry, Mama,” she apologized. “It was the one thing you gave me, and I’ve lost it.”
In the six years Zoe lived in Shaniko, she never wanted to go home to Boston, but as she lay there thinking of her mother, she suddenly wanted to. It was so long since they saw each other. She hugged her pillow tighter and forced herself to go to sleep. There was no going home.
Finally, the day arrived and Zoe was ready. She was dressed for the ride this time. She wore pants, something that wasn’t common in Shaniko, but it was gaining in popularity and it made the ride much easier. She stepped out of her room and was met by the sight of Quinn coming out of his.
He looked up at her from across the hallway. Their eyes lingered on one another. They hadn’t spoken since she came to his room when she returned. She didn’t know what to expect now, or over the next few days when they would be always together. She lowered her eyes and walked towards him.
“Good morning, Quinn,” she said softly.
“Miss Zoe,” he answered in an equally low tone.
“How are you today?” she asked. The tension was palpable between them, and Zoe hated it. She wanted the easiness of their previous meetings. Could it ever be that way again?
Quinn answered solemnly. “I’m doing all right. And yourself?”
“I’m well,” she answered gently. She looked at him. He had a crutch and was leaning on it heavily. “Do you want some help?”
“I can manage,” he answered, as he proceeded to walk past her.
“Quinn,” Zoe called as her hand reached out to take his arm. He turned and met her eyes. “I know you’re angry with me, and you should be, but please believe I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted you to be hurt.”
Quinn said nothing. His eyes lingered on her face, and Zoe wondered what he was thinking. His hand rose to hers, and the moment it covered her own, Zoe felt a sense of relief but it was fleeting. Quinn wrapped his hand around hers and then removed it from his arm.
“The Sheriff is waiting.”
Zoe stood agape as Quinn turned away from her and proceeded on his own down the stairs. She forced back the tears that wanted to fall. She would not allow this to break her. She would make amends. She would prove to Quinn her sincerity and her trustworthiness. She would make him see that she was still the same women he talked with every day. She marched down the stairs after him.
Half the town was present as they mounted their horses. Most came to see her and wondered why she was leaving again. They called her brave, but Zoe felt only shame at their praise.
“Take care of everything, Wiley,” she instructed her friend as he looked up at her.
“Sure thing, Miss Zoe,” Wiley answered. “Yah don’t have to worry. I can handle everythin’ here.” She smiled at Wiley. He was a true friend.
Zoe turned and found herself being watched. Quinn’s eyes
were on her. She looked away. The men had assisted him onto the horse, much to his chagrin, she was sure. Quinn wasn’t a man used to seeking or needing help. She could only imagine what his ego felt having to be lifted on to the back of a horse with so many people there to watch.
“Let’s move out!” the Sheriff called and one-by-one they started toward the edge of town.
They rode for several days toward the gorge, through the area of huge boulders, to the painted hills, their striped rocks awe-inspiring, and finally to the walls of green rock, with bighorn sheep peering down at the posse.
The Sheriff stopped her several times to ask her questions. Quinn always came close to listen, but he said very little. However, Zoe could feel his eyes on her at every turn. She wanted to look at him, but she couldn’t. She had to make things right. She had to restore what was between them.
Since moving to Shaniko, Zoe never felt anything for anyone. Life was her work and she was content with that. Quinn changed everything. Despite all of her defenses, the man who now watched her with cold distance, had gotten into her heart and turned it upside down.
They arrived at the gorge from above. Zoe looked down at the massive expanse in wonder. How had God created such a thing? How had He imagined it? She sat on her horse, looking down in wonder when Quinn rode up beside her.
“I stared at it the first time I saw it, too,” he commented.
Zoe turned to him. He was looking down, not at her, but he continued to speak and she kept silent to hear him.
“It’s amazing to think that something this big could exist,” he commented. “Or that there could be such a visible distance between something.”
Quinn’s eyes remained on the gorge, but she believed he meant more than just the awe-inspiring sight before them. He meant between them.
“But people cross it all the time,” she answered. “It takes a while, and it isn’t easy, but they do it. If they want to bad enough.”
Quinn turned to her, his dark eyes meeting hers. “The question is whether that’s a good idea or not. If you can trust the way.”
“You don’t know until you try,” she replied. “Sometimes things happen, but you have to decide whether the end is worth the journey or not.”
Zoe’s words were laced with hope. She wanted forgiveness and she would do what it took to get it. Quinn just needed to give her a chance. He would see this wasn’t deliberate. He would see that she did this for him, despite what he believed. Even now, as she delayed their progress, it was for his sake.
“We better get down there,” Quinn replied, as he turned his horse toward the other riders. Zoe followed him, but as they made their way down into the canyon itself, the Sheriff called her to lead them. Quinn followed close behind. He looked tired. Zoe could tell the ride had taken a lot out of him. He even looked pale. If he met Victor in such a condition, he would be no match for the other man.
Zoe began the task of leading the group astray. She weaved her way slowly, telling the Sheriff that she was trying to remember the way. She turned one way and then another, riding in circles sometimes before she got back on the right path. Some of it was deliberate, but some of her confusion was sincere. She hadn’t gotten a clear understanding of where they traveled, but there were a few things that did seem familiar. She only hoped they weren’t several of the formations of similar appearance, or it may take them a lot longer to get to the cabin and get out than expected.
“Are we close?” Quinn asked weakly. He was sweating a bit and didn’t look well.
“You all right there?” the Sheriff questioned as he pulled his horse back to ride beside Quinn.
He nodded in response, but Zoe wasn’t so sure he was being honest. His determination to get Victor was so profound that she believed he would risk his own health to see the man caught.
When Zoe saw the cabin come into view, her heart faltered in her chest. Was Victor still there?
“Hold,” the Sheriff called and the party came to a stop. He spoke to his deputies and the other men. “You stay here, Miss Zoe,” he instructed as they all began to dismount. Zoe watched them in dismay. She began to pray that Victor was gone and that they would find an empty cabin.
“You stay here,” she heard the Sheriff instruct Quinn. “You can’t be much help now. Leave this to me and my men.”
Zoe could see the reluctant acceptance on Quinn’s face. He looked at her and then watched as the men began to approach the cabin. Zoe listened carefully as they got closer, her heart expecting to hear the sound of gunshots at any moment, but there were none. The silence was almost frightening.
“He ain’t here!” the Sheriff’s voice called out and Zoe turned, startled, as Quinn expressed his displeasure verbally. His words were not profane, but far harsher than she had ever heard him utter. Suddenly, he pushed the horse forward toward the house. Unsure of what to do, Zoe followed him.
“Help me down,” Quinn demanded as he got to the cabin. The other men came to his aid as Zoe swung her leg from her horse’s back. She stood watching as they gave him his crutch and Quinn hobbled as fast as he could to the cabin.
Zoe could feel a sense of fear as she approached the cabin where she’d been held for a week. She stepped in the door and everything was as she left, except for those personal items Victor would’ve taken with him.
The men began to overturn everything in a search for clues, including Quinn, who seemed the most determined to find something despite his condition. He was angry. Every word out of his mouth was evidence of it. He condemned the journey, the time, Victor, anyone and anything to quell the anger and frustration. He wasn’t the only one. All of the men had traveled and searched long and hard for a man who had once again eluded them. She tried to stay out of their way as questions were lobbied at her from both Quinn and the Sheriff.
Eventually, Quinn asked one of the men to pass him something he found on the floor. Zoe peered to try to see what it was, and her heart leaped as she realized that it was her brooch.
“My brooch. You found it,” she said with a smile, as Quinn approached her. He held the brooch in his hands, his eyes concentrated on it as he turned it over and over. She attempted to take it from him, but Quinn closed his hand around it.
“Where did you get this?” he questioned her. There was an intensity in his gaze that Zoe found perplexing. The brooch had nothing to do with Victor. Why did he want to know?
“It was a gift from my mother,” she stated. “She gave it to me to remember her by before I left her. May I have it?” she asked, as she once again attempted to retrieve her property.
“Your mother, you say?” Quinn continued, his hand still firmly closed around the article.
“Yes, my mother,” she repeated.
Quinn stepped toward her as he held the brooch in front of her face. “I want you to tell me everything about this brooch.”
Chapter Seventeen
Anger ripped through Quinn has he looked at the empty cabin. Again? Victor had eluded him again! For the first time in his life, Quinn lost his composure. He began to tear the place apart for any clue to where Victor had gone. He wasn’t getting away again. Not again!
He didn’t care about those around him. They just needed to stay out of his way. He tossed furniture aside as best as he could, his rage dulling the pain that issued from his leg and shot like lightning through him.
Anger began to give way to frustration as his search turned up nothing. Victor kept little and what he had kept, he must have taken with him. There was nothing to give an inkling to where the man had gone or what his plans were next. He questioned Zoe relentlessly, but she had nothing to share, or at least she said she didn’t. Quinn wasn’t sure what to believe of the woman, who had only days before, held a special place in his heart. Now he looked at her with questions. Had it all been a game? He wasn’t sure he’d ever get an answer to that question. If he did, he wasn’t sure he’d believe it.
Looks like I’ll be starting my search with nothing…again!
/> Quinn’s internal lament was halted by the sight of something glimmering near one of the other men. It was half hidden beneath a discarded sack. “Give that here.”
The man, a short fellow with bow legs and a jaw of long dark hair, picked up the item and handed it to him. The moment Quinn had it in his hands his heart stilled, then began to race. It was the brooch that was on Zoe’s dress when she was taken. He stared at it for several long seconds as all of his initial questions returned to him. He looked up at the red-headed woman.
What does this mean?
Quinn’s dark eyes burned and his heart beat like thunder in his chest as he held the brooch before him. He wanted answers and he was going to get them, today. He was tired of this. Victor had escaped him, but Zoe wasn’t about to. He was going to clear up this whole business once and for all. He hobbled toward her, pain more prevalent as his anger began to dissolve.
A Western Tale of Love and Fate: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 14