by Ana Leigh
“Sure.”
“Then why are you frowning?”
“I believe flowers should remain where they grow. Once they’re picked they wither, and their beauty and life is destroyed.”
Jenny raised an eyebrow and glanced at the fish flopping on the ground beside him. “Just like those fish? Or the quail you shot yesterday? And the cattle my father raises to be driven to slaughterhouses? How does that differ from picking a flower?”
“Eating is necessary to our survival. Flowers are not.”
“I disagree. I believe beauty in all its forms is necessary to life, as well. And new flowers will grow to replace those that are picked—just as new animals will replace those we eat.”
She changed the subject. “Where did you grow up, Rico?”
“I was raised in a Catholic mission in California—El Misión de La Dueña de Esperanza.” The name rolled off his tongue melodically.
“What a lovely name. What does it mean?”
“The Mission of the Lady of Hope. Legend has it that a young Indian girl saved some missionary priests from being slaughtered by the Indians. In gratitude, the priests built the mission and named it in her honor.”
“So you were raised in a mission. Were you orphaned at an early age?”
“No, my mother was the housekeeper there. My uncle, Father Chavez, was in charge of the mission.”
Jenny marveled at the change in his expression. The tenderness in his eyes made him so handsome.
“And what about your father?”
“He died before I was born, so I never knew him.”
“I never knew my mother, either. She died giving birth to me. Were you happy as a child, Rico?”
“I was. There were times I yearned for a father, but Father Chavez was a kind and loving man, and he tried to fill the gap.”
Jenny nodded. “That’s how I feel about Andrea. She’s always been more than an aunt; she was the mother I turned to.”
“I guess we were both lucky to have them in our lives.”
A distant rumble of thunder reminded Rico of the approaching storm. “We’d better get back to camp before the rain starts.”
Jenny lost her balance when she rose to her feet and fell against him, their mouths so close their breaths mingled. His gaze shifted from her parted lips to her eyes, and for a breathless moment he read the anticipation in their emerald depths.
“Like I said, Miss Jenny—you make it hard for a man to remember his good intentions.” He released her and turned away.
Shaken, Jenny quickly gathered up her clothing. She had wanted him to kiss her, and was annoyed at herself. Fearing he had guessed her mounting attraction to him, she was too mortified to even look at him when she handed him the wet clothing.
He silently tied the string of fish to the saddle, then stuffed her clothes into one of the saddlebags. Grabbing the canteens, he hurried back to the stream to fill them.
“What the hell?” Rico murmured, as he stared at the ground. He squatted down for a closer look.
“What is it, Rico?” Jenny asked.
“These are horse tracks. Quite a number of them. And fairly recent.”
“Maybe they’re from wild horses?”
He shook his head. “No, the horses were shod.” Standing, he grabbed his rifle from the sling. “Stay here.”
He walked around until he found another sign to examine, and gazed thoughtfully in that direction for a moment before hurrying back to Jenny. “Let’s get out of here.”
They reached the campsite just as large raindrops began to fall. Rico made quick work of getting Bucephalus into the lean-to where Andrea had already staked Don’s horse.
Then he entered their shelter and dumped his saddle and saddlebags in the corner and glanced at the pile of wood stacked neatly at the foot of the cot.
“It was wise to bring the wood in here to keep it dry, Andrea.”
“I didn’t build a fire because I wasn’t certain where you wanted it,” she said. “You built a good house, Rico. It’s not even leaking in here.”
He laughed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t rain any harder, or it soon will be.”
“All that wood certainly takes up a lot of space,” Jenny complained. “There’s no space to move. We’ll have to crawl over each other to get in or out.”
“That won’t matter, because I’m building the fire at the entrance,” Rico said. “At least we’ll stay warm tonight.”
“I had hopes of spreading out my clothes to dry.” Jenny sighed. “After being stuffed into the saddlebag, they’ll be totally wrinkled. I just didn’t think about that rain.”
“Just like those flowers you picked for Captain Masters?” Rico snorted.
“Oh, dear! That’s right, I left them behind. But there’s no need to be so nasty. You’re the one who wanted to leave in such a hurry!”
With her usual efficiency, Andrea already had set about scaling and boning the fish. “If you want my opinion, what there definitely isn’t room for in here is the two of you sniping at each other. Don’t you agree, Don?”
Don tried to chuckle. “I figure all that hot air should help keep us dry until Rico gets a fire going, sweetheart.”
The term of endearment caused Jenny and Rico to glance at him in surprise as Andrea calmly wrapped the pieces of fish in leaves Rico had brought back.
When he went out to feed the horses, Andrea asked Jenny, “What happened between you two today?”
“Nothing. I think he’s upset because he saw some horse tracks when we were leaving.”
“I can understand that.” Andrea looked serious. “I hope it’s safe to have a fire tonight.” Her worried gaze went to Don.
10
Rico returned a short time later carrying several more branches. He shook them out as best he could and brought them inside.
“We’ll have a huge fire tonight!” Jenny exclaimed.
“These aren’t for the fire.”
Jenny exchanged a puzzled look with Andrea, but chose not to pursue it any further. She’d come to recognize when it was wiser not to intrude on Rico’s thoughts.
“The fish is ready,” Andrea said.
The meal of fish and roasted nuts was filling, and despite the dampness, the fire had heated the shelter to coziness. Jenny looked forward to a much warmer night’s rest tonight.
When they had settled in for the night, Rico spread the fire across the whole entrance to thwart anything or anyone from entering. Then he sat down next to Don’s cot.
“It’s not safe to stay here any longer,” he said softly so as not to alarm the women. “I saw some recent horse tracks at the stream today.”
“You figure they’re Slatter’s?” Don asked.
“No. It looked like at least five or six shod horses, so I’m ruling out Indians, too.”
“I doubt it’s an army patrol,” Don said. “If Colonel Hardy sent out a patrol to back us up against the Slatter gang, it would have been at least twelve men.”
Rico nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, too. So I figure it must be bandits.”
“Dammit! We get rid of the Slatter gang and another one shows up.”
“I can’t hunt for food or water and leave you all unprotected, so we’ll get out of here in the morning.”
“You’re right. If I can’t get on a horse tomorrow, leave with the women and I’ll stay hidden for a couple days. By then I should be able to make it out of here on my own.”
Rico shook his head. “You need medical attention, food, and water. Without it, you’d be dead by the time I got back here. And if anyone spots this shelter, they’re sure to check it out.
“I got those new branches for a travois. In the morning I’ll break down this shelter to get the ropes, and tie a blanket to the poles. It’ll be a little bumpy for you, but we can get you out that way.”
“God, Rico, no wonder you wanted to come alone. You said if I was wounded or lost I’d be on my own, and I don’t want to slow you up any more than I have alre
ady.”
“My mind’s made up, so save your breath, Masters.”
“I know you want to go after Slatter. This will delay you more.”
“I’ll still find him. And if he’s not dead, I’ll kill that murdering bastard.”
Rico was unaware he’d raised his voice at the end. Jenny glanced at Andrea and saw her aunt had overheard his last words, too.
The hatred and grim determination in his voice was a painful reminder of how much she abhorred what he did for a living, and her heart ached. No matter how much she quarreled with him, she couldn’t deny this magnetism between them. It was a desire they had shared the first time they looked into each other’s eyes.
But she couldn’t let herself care for a man who didn’t hesitate to kill for money, so she had to face reality. She could not give in to this temptation.
Jenny glanced at Andrea and saw the look of compassion in her eyes. Her aunt had finally come to realize it too.
With a muted sob Jenny whispered, “Do you believe me now, Aunt Andrea? Perhaps you’ll get over those romantic notions you’ve been harboring. Rico Fraser’s only interest in me is the reward on my head—the same as he is in Slatter’s.”
Andrea clasped her hand and squeezed it.
Rico returned to the fire and began to shave the leaves off the poles and toss them into the fire. He said nothing to them about tomorrow’s plans. Andrea shifted over to Don’s bedside and Jenny curled up in the corner, listening to the rain and watching Rico until she fell asleep.
She awoke during the night and discovered the rain had stopped and the shelter had withstood the storm. Rico was still sitting up at the fire with rifle in hand, a silent sentinel on duty.
As if sensing her stare, he turned his head and looked at her. In the fire’s flickering light his somber expression changed to one of wistfulness.
Or had she imagined it?
Jenny woke up to bright sunlight and the smell of brewing coffee to discover the shelter had been stripped down. Not only was she alone, even the cot was gone. She saw Andrea over near the rocks where a small campfire was burning. Jenny joined her and poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot set in the embers.
“Good morning. What’s going on?”
“Good morning, honey. We’re getting ready to leave. Here’s the last of the jerky; you should eat it before we go. Then finish your coffee and give me the cup.”
“You mean Don’s well enough to ride?”
“Rico built him a travois.”
As if on cue, Rico appeared leading Don’s horse. Trailing behind it, Don lay on the simple conveyance. The two long poles that formed the shafts of the travois were tied to the saddle and elevated slightly to keep his upper torso from lying flat. Rico had tied shorter poles crosswise to the shafts to form a base to support Don’s weight and padded it with a blanket to make it a little less uncomfortable.
“Daniel Boone, you have saved the day again,” Jenny said.
“Or what’s left of it, Princess. I thought you would never get up, and Andrea wouldn’t let me wake you. Do you prefer to ride double with her or me?”
“That question is too silly to answer, Dan’l.” She started to mount Don’s horse.
“I’m flattered, Princess—I’m riding that horse, too.”
“You aren’t riding Bucephalus?” she said, lowering her foot to the ground.
“No, I need to control the horse pulling the travois. You and Andrea will ride Bucep.”
“I’m surprised you let anyone else ride your horse.”
“It’s normally just the opposite: Bucep doesn’t allow anyone else but me to ride him. But I had a long talk with him so it shouldn’t be a problem. Bucep’s very understanding.”
Jenny smiled despite herself. Why did he have to be so darned amusing? “Does he ever talk back to you?”
“Not as much as you do,” Rico replied, with a return grin.
Andrea mounted Bucephalus, and Rico lifted Jenny up behind her. “Your legs are much shorter than mine, Andrea; how do those stirrups feel?” he asked, tightening them.
“That feels fine now, Rico.”
“Then let’s get out of here.” He swung up on the back of the other horse and started to ride on. Bucephalus didn’t budge. Rico turned his head and whistled lightly, and the horse started to follow.
“I thought that you understood this arrangement, Bucephalus. It sure doesn’t look like it to me,” Jenny grumbled.
By noon, the heat bore down on them relentlessly as they slowly wound their way down the rugged terrain.
“I don’t remember coming this way before,” Jenny said to Andrea, looking around in confusion.
“We didn’t. Remember, we just ran to get away from Slatter. I’m sure Rico knows how to get us back.”
“Well, I’m uncomfortable from riding. I think I’ll walk awhile.”
“I will, too. It will give me a chance to see how Don is doing.”
“You can see how he’s doing; we’re looking right at him,” Jenny said. “You should stay off your ankle and let it heal.”
“Maybe so, but I’m getting used to it. So there’s no sense in having a sore rear end too,” she said lightly.
Andrea reined up and they dismounted, then walked up to the travois. Don was awake.
“Are you feeling any better?” Andrea asked.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” he said. “How is your ankle?”
“Getting better.” She put a hand on his brow. “Don’t lie to me, Captain Masters. You’re still feverish. I wish we had a way of cooling you off.” She put the canteen to his mouth. “Drink a little water. Maybe it will help.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he said when he finished. “How much farther to the fort?”
“Rico told me that if we get out of this rough terrain before sunset, we could push on and get to the fort around midnight. If not, we can get an early start at daybreak and make it there by noon tomorrow.
“You must be feeling every bump on this trail. I hope none of your wounds break open,” she said worriedly.
“I’m fine, but what about you? You shouldn’t be walking with a sore ankle.”
“It feels a lot better than it did, so I wanted to stretch my legs.”
He chuckled. “And start it hurting again.”
They came to a tree line that offered some shade and Rico pulled into it. “Good place to rest the horses,” he said.
“Are you familiar with this area, Rico?” Jenny asked.
“I tracked a man up this way last year. That’s how I discovered Perdition.” He handed her a canteen. “Sorry I can’t offer you anything to eat.”
“I’m not hungry. All I can think about is getting back to the fort.”
“Tell you what. Tomorrow I’ll buy you the biggest steak in town.”
“With a fresh green salad and baked potato?”
“And a piece of apple pie to top it off.” Laughter showed in his eyes. “What about it, Jenny? Is it a date?”
“The thought is tempting, Dan’l, but I have great expectations of being home by this time tomorrow. Not in town.”
“I think you’re in for a disappointment, unless you intend to leave Andrea behind.” He nodded toward the travois, where the couple were holding hands. “She won’t leave him until she knows for certain he’ll pull through.”
Grimacing, Jenny nodded. “You’re right, I forgot about that. I’d like to know how two people can fall so madly in love in such a short time.”
“Jenny, why do you think Masters volunteered for this job?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it. I suppose because he’s an officer and a gentleman.”
“He’s army, all right, so why wouldn’t he have come with a patrol, in uniform? You’re confident my motive was mercenary, but what was his?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“It should be pretty obvious that he had a deeper motive for volunteering for this mission.” He got up and went over to water the hor
ses.
Jenny sat for a moment, then glanced again at the couple deep in conversation. She jumped to her feet and rushed over to Rico.
“Did Don tell you he’s in love with her? Is that it?”
“You’ll have to ask him yourself.”
“That’s got to be it!” she exclaimed, and clutched his arm in enthusiasm. “That’s wonderful! Andrea thought he’d never be interested in a woman her age, and that his affection now was only due to gratitude.”
“I’ll never understand women. Why would one as lovely as Andrea think a man wouldn’t desire her for a wife?”
Suddenly Rico’s attention was distracted by Bucephalus, whose ears were pricked up alertly.
“What is it?” Jenny asked in a hushed voice.
“I don’t know. Think I’ll take a quick look around. Take Bucep with you and go join the others. Stay down and be quiet.” He grabbed his rifle, and pulled Don’s pistol out of the saddlebags. “Give this to Don just in case.”
Jenny told them Rico’s instructions and they quietly awaited his return.
In a short time, Rico came hurrying back. “Let’s get out of here fast.”
“What is it, Rico?” Don asked.
“There are six riders nearby. I remember seeing a couple of them in that barroom in Perdition. I don’t know if they’re following us, but we’ve got to get off this trail. There’s a coach trail about a half mile from here, and once we reach it we can make better time. Trouble is, getting to it is going to be pretty rough on that travois, because the trail’s practically straight downhill all the way. You’ll be jostled around much worse than up to now, Don, and we’ll be lucky if the damn travois holds together.”
“We won’t know until we try, so let’s get going,” Don said.
“It’ll be wiser to lead the horses, rather than ride them.”
“You won’t get any argument from me on that,” Jenny said.
Rico managed a wry smile. “It could be they aren’t even after us, or probably they wouldn’t have stopped. But we don’t dare take any chances, so be as quiet as possible.”
Rico hadn’t exaggerated the difficulty. They struggled to keep their pace slow and the horses reined in. At times, the animals skidded and almost tumbled over. Fortunately, the damp ground helped to slow the descent. Still, Rico had all he could do to keep the army horse from losing its footing. Andrea and Jenny each held a rein on one side of Bucephalus and were straining to keep the animal’s head up.