Timeless Passion: 10 Historical Romances To Savor

by Rue Allyn

  As the man began to get his horses under control, he reached for a rifle near his leg. Two guns near him clicked open and prepared to fire. He raised the rifle slowly, staring directly into the hard-set face of Ben Byler. The man had no choice, and tossed his rifle to the ground. Roger ran to pick it up and then to help calm the horses.

  “Hey, I know you!” Ben said as he stepped closer to their captive, a man dressed in dirty, tan-colored clothing. He hollered up the mountain, “It’s Gibb Tucker. This here’s the stagecoach driver!”

  “Well, that’s right funny,” Lee called back, stepping stone by stone down into the tense scene. “You might say we’ve been waiting on you. But it appears you’ve lost something. I don’t think your boss is going to like you coming in without that fancy box or them paying customers.” He grinned at his own humor and Ben laughed out loud.

  Lee frowned when the rider didn’t cut a smile. His next words turned harsh. “Let go them horses.”

  The man named Gibb slowly uncoiled several reins from his pommel. “I’ve heard horse thieving’ll get a man killed,” he said, handing the lead ropes over to Roger.

  “Sometimes a smart mouth’ll do the same.” Lee’s gaze narrowed. “Where’s that payroll box?”

  Gibb Tucker started to say something, but Roger hollered out, “Here it is!” He’d found it strapped to one of the horses.

  “I don’t guess today’s your lucky day, then, neighbor,” Lee said, smiling again. “We hadn’t planned to entertain company. But we sure do appreciate you bringing this by to us.” Lee glanced over at his siblings; they communicated with a single, decisive look. “Step down off that horse, friend.”

  Tucker moved slowly. He slid one leg over his mount and eased down into the left stirrup. Then he slapped the horse on the butt, and hauled toward the desert for all he was worth, with himself riding on the low side of the pony.

  Two gunshots rang out. The horse stumbled to the dry red earth, collapsing on Gibb and trapping his lower body. “Help me!” Gibb called. “I’m hurt. Help me!”

  Lee Byler remained where he was. He clicked open his pistol and spun the chambers in the bright sunlight. He smiled and squinted, showing his teeth and staring at the miniature reflection of himself in the butt of the gun. “Take care of that, Ben. You know I don’t like the messy work.” Both brothers laughed as Ben stalked off. Lee watched in irritation as his younger brother covered his ears and swiveled away just as a piercing shot silenced Gibb’s pleas.

  Lee, the oldest brother, leader of the group, coolly reloaded his own weapon. When Roger turned back, Lee was holding the revolver just inches from the boy’s face. “Little brother, it’s time you decided which side of the gun you’d rather be on.” Roger swallowed and nodded, then jerked at the string of horses, leading them past his brother and into the open area.

  • • •

  “It’s empty!” Ben shouted. He stood over the open payroll box, both feet planted on the dusty red clay.

  “What?” Lee marched over to look for himself. “They’ve sent it some other ways! We’ve been tricked.” He took off his hat and scrubbed his forehead. As he did, he heard a soft moan. Whirling, he marched over to where the man in brown lay dying in the dirt, still captured beneath the huge horse. When he reached him, Lee grabbed Gibb by the collar and jerked him up, shaking him. “Where’s the gold? Where’s that gold!”

  “I don’t … oooh … I don’t know.” The dying man had bubbles of blood running from his mouth.

  “What do you mean you don’t know? That’s my money!” Lee dropped the man and stepped back. He fired a single shot into the man’s arm.

  Gibb started to cry. Huge tears made tracks down his dust-covered face. “What’re you doing to me? Can’t you see I’m already dead? I don’t know where … ” he swallowed heavily, “ … your gold is … but I hope … you never … find it.”

  Lee rammed the nozzle of his gun into the man’s furrowed, sun browned forehead. “Say that again.” Gibb’s eyes closed. Lee shoved him harder. “Say that again, I said!”

  Ben pulled at his older brother. “He’s gone, Lee. Come on. He didn’t know nothing. Let’s go. We’ve got to go.”

  Another shot rang out from Lee’s pistol. “I told you to take care of him to start with!” Lee said, turning on Ben. “I didn’t mean no gut-shot. Both of you are little children! Next time, I’ll leave you home with your Momma.”

  Both Roger and Ben were silent as they gathered up their own horses and the new ones, and prepared to head out. Lee went to stand on a small rocky outcrop, surveying the area. I’m King of this Mountain, he thought. That’s my gold … and I aim to find it.

  Chapter Six

  Mindy wanted to beg to be carried. With each turn in the rocky road, she prayed for the signal to stop, but none came. She prayed for the call that water had been reached, but none came. Instead, she felt more drained each passing moment beneath the sizzling, scorching sun. Her cheeks burned, her lips were swollen and ached with a fierceness. Her hair hung down in tangled, ratty waves and her hands throbbed from the cuts and bruises she had sustained during her many trips and falls — they cried out with angry voices at the ends of her arms. The dress she wore was filthy and tattered at the hem. And still, the ragged tracks in the ground went on. Her legs now moved independently of thought.

  Each time she imagined her endurance had reached its end, the evil-eyed Tormentor cast a glance her way. Her back stiffened and her steps quickened. She would not be considered a hindrance; he’d eat his words.

  Her thoughts were as tangled as her hair. Her mind drifted from the present to the past and back again. She remembered arguing with her mother.

  “It’s not right,” her mother had said. “It’s simply not done. A young lady does not travel alone. I won’t have it!”

  They were seated in their comfortable parlor, and to Mindy, the trip had seemed nothing more than a slight inconvenience. She didn’t understand her mother’s objections.

  “Travel is much safer these days, Mother,” she had countered. “It’s not as if I would be headed into uncharted territory. And who else is there? Surely you can’t think to take everyone — the cost would be exorbitant, and imagine the younger children on an extended journey!”

  Her mother had sighed. “No. That wouldn’t do at all. They can barely tolerate a trip to your Aunt Sarah’s. Or, should I say, I can barely tolerate them.”

  “Exactly, Mother. There is no other choice. I’m an intelligent woman, and you’ve often said that intelligent women can handle anything a man can. Will you deny those words now?”

  “Of course not. It’s true and you know it.”

  “Then there’s no argument. It’s not as if we still live in the dark ages. People travel from one coast to the other with regularity. It’s a simple journey. I’ll be traveling by train most of the way.” She didn’t mention to her mother that one leg of the journey would be by stagecoach, no need to have her worrying. Melinda wasn’t concerned — she actually bubbled with excitement.

  Finally, a chance to leave Rockland and see some other part of the world!

  Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but a man’s voice came out: “Buzzards.”

  Mindy was startled from her reverie by the men’s conversation.

  “Low flying. That’s not a good sign.” The leader, Lucas, someone had said, stopped and placed one hand to his forehead to block the sun. “Probably just some animal, but it’s a bad omen.”

  “Not far away, neither,” another man said.

  They didn’t walk much farther before they stumbled upon Gibb’s body, still pinned under the horse. The birds had done their work and his body was riddled with holes from their sharp beaks, his flesh ripped and torn.

  Stanton, walking alongside Mindy, held her back when she would have stepped closer. “You don’t want to see that, ma’am. What them buzzards’ll do to a creature ain’t fit for you to look at.”

  Mindy turned away in disgust and remorse.

/>   “Gunshot. Hard to tell, but looks like he’s been shot three or four times,” Lucas said from his position near the body. Mindy’s mind raced. What if she had insisted upon riding with the stagecoach driver? Would she be lying alongside him now?

  “Horses are nowhere to be seen. I’m sure that whoever did this took ’em. I guess the money’s gone too.”

  “Looks like,” said the whining man named Byler. He wore a peculiar smirk.

  Lucas looked around at the group of men. “We can’t just leave him here. We’ve got to bury the body. Anybody got suggestions?” It wasn’t as if they had tools with them.

  The men decided to cover the body with rocks to protect it from the elements. It took all of them working together to lift the horse in order to drag Gibbs’ body away.

  • • •

  “Water ahead!”

  Mindy wanted to drop to the ground with exhausted delight. The sight of the stream, brown and muddy, was like a gift from heaven. She fell at the edge and scooped up handfuls to pour over her head and arms. They ached upon contact, but there was also a delicious pleasure.

  Dirty though it was, every person in their party was happy to drink the liquid. Minutes passed in silence while everyone had their fill and splashed water onto red, sunburned limbs.

  • • •

  Boone drank until his stomach felt engorged, then sat back and leaned against his long arms. He couldn’t quit eying the young woman. He was shocked at how well she had done on the walk. It had been a tortuous journey and would have broken any other woman he knew. But he reminded himself there was a lot more walking to come — she still might fall apart.

  He studied her near the stream. He couldn’t help thinking that her actions were almost sensual. When he looked around, he saw the rest of the men were watching, too. “All right,” he said to all of them. “That’s enough. Let’s figure out what we’re going to do about eating.”

  Lucas took over from him. “There should be game in these parts. Why don’t you and you go down and see what you can come up with for a meal.” He indicated a couple of the men, who checked their weapons and headed off.

  “The rest of us need to gather wood and start a fire. It will get cooler down here as the sun sets. We’ll cook whatever the men bring back.” Lucas looked around as if he was checking out the spot they had chosen. Then his eyes came back to Mindy. “You stay here. You’ve had a tough time of it — just rest up.”

  • • •

  Mindy wanted to agree but instead her pride stepped up. “I’ll gather wood with everyone else.”

  “Suit yourself, but be sure you go in twos. Why don’t you stick with Boone, there?”

  Her mouth dropped open as she shot a glance at her Tormentor. He smiled.

  “I’d rather … ”

  “Is there a problem?” Lucas asked.

  “No.” Mindy closed her mouth. She wouldn’t create trouble, regardless of the circumstances, but she glared at the dark man, daring him to cause more annoyances. The other men shambled off while Mindy and Boone stared at one another.

  The Tormentor stood. “Well, come on then. Let’s get going … or do you need me to carry you?”

  Angrily, Mindy tried to come to her feet but got tangled in the hem of her dress. She spent a moment twisting and pulling her skirt out from under her. She fumed and fussed under her breath.

  Boone shook his head and cursed. “I’ve watched this just about long enough.” He crossed the distance between them in a couple of long strides, pulling a knife from his pocket and flipping it open.

  Mindy drew back and started to scream just as Boone jerked the hem of her dress out from beneath her. “Stand up,” he ordered. Meekly complying, she watched the knife draw closer.

  Boone made a cut in the lower part of her dress and then ripped off the bottom foot of material.

  “How dare you!” Mindy sputtered.

  “I’ll tell you how I dare, young lady. I’m tired of watching you fall, and I’m sick of you holding us up. This will make things easier on everyone.” He clicked the knife away in one smooth move. “Now come on, let’s get that wood.”

  Chapter Seven

  Mindy wouldn’t admit it aloud for anything, but the loss of the bottom portion of her thick and dirty skirt had freed her legs considerably. Walking without the heavy encumbrance allowed her more ease of movement and enabled her to keep up with the quick moving man at her side.

  She shot him a sidelong glance. He was tall and swarthy, and exuded self-confidence. She bristled. Why did all men think that just because they had been born male it somehow made them more intelligent and important to the world? She huffed.

  “Am I going too fast for you?” Boone asked, without slowing his steps through the brush.

  “Not at all!”

  He grinned and looked at the bottom of her skirt. No doubt taking all the credit for her quickened pace.

  “I’m just happy to be off that road and out of the sun.” Mindy hopped over a fallen log.

  “I suppose so. You are a sight, though.”

  Mindy stopped. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  “You’re a mess. Your face and arms are burned to a fine crisp. Your hair is a rat trap.”

  Mindy’s blood bubbled. “And you think you look better?” She was furious. She was witness to a man who actually did look better. The sun had added to his tan and made him look a bit more rugged.

  “Maybe not. But I figure you’re headed to greet some man. Why else would you be traveling alone? I don’t think he’ll be too pleased by what he finds at the other end of this trip.”

  Mindy hauled back to slap him, but Boone easily caught her arm and pulled her close. His eyes blazed. “Don’t start something you can’t finish, little lady.”

  “Oooh, if I only had my gun,” Mindy said. “You’d be eating those words.”

  “Well, you don’t.” He spun her away. Just like that, he dropped the subject and glanced around. “This looks like a good place to pick up some firewood. Stand still and I’ll load you up.”

  “I’ll get my own, thanks.”

  Mindy selected a spot on the ground and started choosing wood that would be perfect for building and maintaining a fire. She toted branches and twigs from the trees surrounding the two of them to her pile and was idly waiting for her tormenter to say something derogatory about her process or selections when she noticed him bent over to pick up the pile he had collected. She was overcome by an evil impulse and couldn’t help herself. Picking up a large branch, she whacked him across the back. He fell to the ground and lay there cursing.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry!” Mindy held one hand to her mouth. “Bless your poor heart! Can I help you up?”

  The devil eyed her suspiciously. “No, don’t touch me.”

  “I must have picked up a stick that was too big for little ol’ me … Oops!” Mindy turned to her task again hiding the big smile that bloomed across her face.

  They finished gathering the wood in silence and started back to the clearing by the creek. Boone was grumbling under his breath the whole way.

  • • •

  As they drew closer to the camping area, Boone suddenly threw his pile down and leapt on Mindy, knocking her to the ground. He brought one big hand around to cover her mouth. Startled, Mindy instinctively went into fight mode, sure that the man had gone crazy and intended to reciprocate for her earlier attack. What he planned to do wasn’t clear, but her fears were great. She cried out against his palm, shaking her head and twisting her body beneath his.

  “Shut up, woman!” Boone hissed.

  Mindy realized that his attention wasn’t on her at all. Instead, his gaze was focused into the distance. She craned her head to see what he was looking at, but brush covered the ground around her. As she quieted she could hear the faint sound of men talking.

  “I’ll let go if you think you can be quiet.” At her nod, Boone continued. “You stay here. Do you hear me? Don’t move.” She nodded once more. She wa
sn’t a fool!

  Boone got up on all fours and then to his feet. He crept silently through the woods and Mindy could barely see his backside when he stopped. He listened for a while before backtracking to her.

  “It’s the men who killed Gibb,” he whispered. “They’re looking for the money on the stage.”

  “My bag!”

  “Forget your bag!”

  At that moment, they heard more voices, and then shots rang out through the forest. Mindy and Boone dropped to their faces on the ground. Mindy covered her head and began to cry. Boone scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. “Shut up! You’ll let ’em know we’re here!”

  Mindy stifled her crying by shoving a hand into her mouth and biting on it. In a moment, they heard the sound of hoof beats, which gradually grew fainter.

  “We have to go check on our men!” Mindy cried.

  Boone shook his head. “Not yet. We’ll stay here a minute to make sure those thieves don’t come back. Then I’ll slip up there to check on things and get your bag. Do you have more food in it?”

  Melinda sniffed. “Yes.”

  “We’ll need it. I set it down by a tree; maybe they didn’t see it. For now, just get comfortable.”

  “Well, get off me!”

  “Sorry! I was trying to protect you. I forget you can take care of yourself.”

  Mindy shoved at the man, pushing at his vest. An odd sound resulted, a crinkling, like of paper.

  Her eyes widened. “What is that?”

  Boone’s dark eyes narrowed. “None of your business. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your questions to yourself.”

  “It’s the money from the stage! You stole it!”

  “You, little lady, need to shut up.”

  Chapter Eight

  Boone watched as Mindy rolled to the side, grasping her legs in her arms and sending him a hooded look. He knew she hadn’t trusted him, but figured she hadn’t thought of him as “evil” before. Stealing from the stagecoach would certainly put him in that category.