To Capture the Sky (Choices of the Heart, book 2)

by Jennie Marsland

  “That’s not all I want. You took my daughter from me. I want her back. You tell her that if she isn’t here with you by noon tomorrow, your wife will be dead.”

  “And after you get Holly and the money, what happens?”

  Simon smiled. “We ride out of here with your wife. I’ll leave her at a place I know a few miles out. I’ll tell you more tomorrow. You’ll find her, but it’ll take you a while. Long enough for me and Holly to put some distance behind us, and for your wife to find out what thirst is. It’s been a hot summer.”

  Trey spread his hands in surrender. “Like I said, it’s your game.” He swung Cloud around and looked over his shoulder. “I’ll be here tomorrow at noon. Take care of yourself, Beth.” He turned a lethal look on Simon. “If you hurt her, if you touch one hair on her head, you’re a dead man.”

  * * *

  Forcing himself not to look back, Trey rode down Simon’s lane. John, Nathan and Logan were waiting for him a short distance down the road. Trey lit into Nathan with a vengeance. “You useless son of a bitch, why didn’t you shoot the bastard while they were still in town?”

  “Because he had a gun on your wife,” Nathan shot back.

  Trey rode closer, putting himself in Nathan’s face. “I swear, if anything happens to Beth I’ll kill you and Simon both. He’s just about scared enough to snap. She’d be safer with a real criminal than with a gutless coward like him. He’s going to leave her in some hole miles outside of town if he gets what he wants.”

  John urged his horse forward, but Nathan held up a hand. “He’s not going to get that chance, Trey. We’re going to get her out of there safely tonight.” He met Trey’s gaze, making it a promise. “Lena told me once that you ended up in the army after all. Ever do any night work?”

  Cooperate with Nathan, or shoot him? It wasn’t an easy choice, but they didn’t have time to waste. Trey backed Cloud off a step. “Yeah, some.”

  “Good. John and Logan can back us up. We’ll go as soon as it’s dark. We’ll get Neil to come along, too, just in case someone gets hurt. Beth will be all right in the meantime. Simon knows he’s dead if he hurts her, and she’ll give him something to think about.”

  Trey gave in. If Beth didn’t come out of this, he’d deal with Simon and Nate both, and then… nothing would matter then, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. He didn’t care if he had to work with the devil himself to free her.

  “I’m sure she will.”

  “Yeah. Blood will tell,” Nathan said softly.

  Back in town, a knot of men stood in front of the Bakers’ store, armed and angry. They surrounded Nathan as soon as he was off his horse.

  “What kind of town have we got when decent women aren’t safe on the street in broad daylight?” Ed Barron demanded.

  Jack stood right beside his father with his rifle. “We aren’t going to put up with this, Mr. Munroe.”

  Nathan pushed through, climbed the store steps and faced the crowd. “I’m only going to say this once. I’ll shoot the first one of you who leaves town. All you’ll do is get that woman killed. Her husband and I will take care of it. You folks can plan the ceremonies for afterwards.”

  Frank Baker glanced toward the tall pine that shaded the town well and smiled, a cold smile with no pity in it. “With pleasure.”

  * * *

  Beth started rummaging through the boxes on Simon’s counter. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on going hungry,” she told him coolly when he grumbled. “You don’t know Trey very well, but I’ll tell you this. If he gets me back in good shape, he’ll probably be thankful enough to leave it at that and let you find your own way to the devil. If he doesn’t, you’ll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life, and that probably won’t be very long. So, do you want to eat or not?”

  “You watch your mouth,” Simon muttered. “You’re in no position to talk smart. There’s some beans in that pot that I put in to soak this morning. Cook those and shut up.”

  Beth kindled a fire in the stove and got the beans in the oven. It seemed silly, but she felt a bit better with something to do. Simon kept glancing out the windows, looking more and more frightened. Beth retreated to Holly’s room and quietly looked for something, anything she could use to defend herself if necessary. All she could find was a broken brick that served as a doorstop.

  There was a small window in the room, not too small for Beth to get through. She kept that in mind as a last resort in case Simon really panicked, but Trey and Nathan would be making plans to get her out of here and they’d expect her to be in the house. A part of her wished she could see them having to work together.

  Simon left her alone. Late in the afternoon when the beans were ready, she put coffee on. When it started to perk, Simon came to the table. He didn’t speak or look at her as she dished up the food. Beth knew he was listening for anything unusual outside.

  By the time they finished eating, it was getting dark. When Beth got up to go back to Holly’s room, Simon reached for his rifle. “You stay where you are. I want you right here in case someone out there tries something stupid.”

  Beth sat again and tried to hold his gaze, without success. “It seems to me you’re the one who’s done that. You know, Simon, we did take Holly from you. If this ended right now, I’d bet a judge would take that into account in giving you a sentence.”

  Simon’s head jerked as his gaze kept darting to the windows. “I’m not going to prison on account of your interference. You’re going to be my ticket out of here with Holly.”

  “And how long do you think you’ll keep her? Holly still cares about you. If you hadn’t done this, you might have had a chance to win her back. Now there’s only one end to it, unless you ride out of here right now and give yourself a few hours’ head start. If you did, I don’t know if anyone would even bother to follow.”

  She was trying to offer escape, but he wasn’t listening. Simon rose, swung his rifle up and held it to Beth’s temple. “That’s right,” he said when she turned white and closed her eyes. “You think about it. If you want to see tomorrow, you do what you’re told and shut up.”

  CHAPTER 22

  Trey clenched his fists on his knees and stared out the window of John’s front room at the darkening street. He’d given up trying to fight his impatience, but the waiting was almost over. The moon would be up soon and they’d be smart to get themselves in place before then.

  John and Logan sat across from each other at the corner table under the lamp, playing cards to pass the time. Nathan leaned back on the sofa under the window, smoking his pipe, looking as relaxed as if they were planning to spend the evening here socializing. Trey wanted to plant his fist in the man’s face. Of course, it wasn’t Nate’s whole life sitting out there at the whim of a frightened, angry weakling.

  At last, Nathan looked up and nodded. “All right, I guess it’s time.”

  The horses were waiting in the forge yard. Neil would join the group at the saloon. When they mounted, Nathan gave Trey a sudden, sharp glance. He ignored it. Then they were finally moving. Trey forced himself to relax. As long as they were doing something, he could stay in control.

  At the edge of town, Nathan urged his horse into line with Cloud. “Strange to think about it. You gave me the worst beating I ever got in my life because you didn’t believe in the war, and then you ended up fighting after all.”

  Trey held down his irritation. Why couldn’t the man leave him alone? “Yes, on the other side.”

  “Well, is that a fact? I’ve been wondering about that ever since I found out you’d been in the army.” Nathan chuckled softly. “Wouldn’t it have been something if we’d ended up shooting each other?”

  “Yeah, it would have.” Trey nudged Cloud into a trot, hoping to end the conversation, but Nathan kept pace with him.

  “Were you at the Wilderness? That was a piece of hell, I’ll tell you.”

  “I was there.” Alarm bells started going off in Trey’s mind. He’
d always assumed that some of his old neighbors were with Justin on the road to Spotsylvania the night he was killed, but if Justin hadn’t known Trey at a distance, it was unlikely that any of the others had. There had never been any love lost between Justin and Nate, but they’d served together. If Nate knew the truth about Justin’s death, there was no telling how he felt about it.

  “You ever go home, Trey? It’s still there. Dad postponed tearing the house down, thinking he’d wait till the war was over, and then we lost our place for taxes. Your house was sold with everything else.”

  So, home was still standing. He’d probably never see it again, but at least Trey would have the comfort of imagining some other kids growing up there as happy as he and Chelle had been. His mother would like that. “No, I haven’t been back. How could I? Do you know what became of Cathy Sinclair?”

  “She married Tony Bascomb. They’re living on his father’s place. It’s a lot smaller than it used to be, but it’s still going. So is the Sinclair place. Cathy’s folks are still there.”

  He’ll think it’s strange if I don’t ask. “What about Justin?”

  “You already know the answer to that, don’t you?” Nathan moved his horse closer and kept his voice low. “I realized that when I saw you mount up tonight with your rifle in your left hand. I was there the night Justin died. I fired at you. If I’d made a better shot, you wouldn’t be here now. Trey, you did Justin a favor.”

  Trey’s temper snapped. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? He was barely twenty-two years old–”

  “And he was dying.” Nathan was whispering now. “You remember he was sick as a kid. I don’t know if that made any difference, but he got lung trouble. He wouldn’t give in. Said nobody could do anything for him anyway and he’d rather die fighting.”

  Trey froze in the saddle with his face turned away.

  He did know me. He wouldn’t shoot. He let me set him free.

  They rode in silence for several seconds before he trusted himself to look at Nathan. “That would be Justin.”

  “Yeah.”

  Neither of them spoke again until they got to Simon’s lane. Trey wanted to curse Nathan for his timing, but he knew he’d spoken in case he didn’t get another chance.

  It wasn’t something an enemy would do.

  By the time they reached the lane, they were fully focused on the present. They left the horses with Neil and continued on foot, keeping to the shadow of the trees on either side.

  Trey crept to the house, then hurried back. “They’re sitting at the table. Beth looks tired, but I’m a lot more worried about Simon. He looks scared to death.”

  Nathan nodded. “All right. You go back to the right window, I’ll take the left. If you can manage it, let her see you. She’ll keep cool. We’ll wait for our chance. It’s bound to come sooner or later.”

  * * *

  Simon heard a slight sound outside the cabin, grabbed his rifle and rushed to check the windows, then slumped in his chair across from Beth again.

  It’s just some animal.

  He’d never wanted a drink more in his life. He got a glass of water and told himself again to calm down. When a branch scraped the roof, a branch that had been doing that for years, his heart jumped to his throat.

  Suppose they didn’t come tonight. Suppose McShannon did what he’d asked. It would take them a few hours to find Beth tomorrow, and then they’d be after him. The man would never let this go unanswered, whatever that little tramp said. Simon was going to have to take her and run while he still could. They’d pick Holly up on the way. She’d go along to save Beth, and the Kinsleys wouldn’t dare try to stop him. He could dump Beth once they were far enough away. Simon pushed his chair back and reached for his rifle. “Get up, girl. We’re getting out of here now.”

  * * *

  Crouching in the dark by the cabin window, Trey watched the pair inside with growing frustration. He didn’t dare move as long as Simon was that close to his rifle and Beth.

  Beth looked pale, but not hurt in any way. Simon was probably half afraid of her, too. Then the man turned toward the door for a moment, long enough for Trey to show his face.

  Beth blinked twice to let him know she’d seen him, but otherwise she didn’t react. Good girl. Trey pulled further back. His biggest fear was that Simon would hear him or Nathan and panic.

  A branch scraped the roof and the man jumped. Trey’s hands tightened on his rifle, but Simon settled uneasily into his chair again. He couldn’t stay still. A few seconds later he picked up his rifle and motioned for Beth to get up.

  In the next instant, Beth reached for the coffee pot sitting on the stove and flung it in Simon’s face. He screamed and dropped his rifle as Beth dashed for the back room. Shards of glass crashed onto the cabin floor as Trey and Nathan broke the windows at the same time.

  When Simon got his hands on the rifle, Nathan yelled. Half-blinded by the coffee, Simon turned and fired wildly at the sound, then again in the direction of Holly’s room. A muffled cry froze Trey’s blood. Without a second thought, he swung his rifle up, pulled the trigger, and watched Simon crumple and fall.

  That cry had to have come from Beth. Choking with the thought of what he’d find, Trey swiped away glass with his rifle barrel, scrambled through the window and jumped over Simon’s motionless body on his way to the back room. There she was, pressed flat against the wall beside the door, holding a brick. Trey got one quick glimpse of her frightened eyes before she stumbled into his arms.

  Trey had thought he knew what fear was, but as Beth’s arms wrapped around him he realized he hadn’t had a clue, not until the moment he’d thought he’d lost her. He let out the breath he’d been holding and turned Beth away from the bedroom door as John stepped into the main room and knelt by Simon.

  “Poor Holly.” Beth started to shake.

  Trey rocked her gently and stroked her back.

  John looked up and shook his head.

  “Sssh.” Trey closed his eyes and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. “Holly lost her father a long time ago.”

  Beth clung to him for a long, steadying moment, then stepped back.

  Trey’s stomach churned again at the sight of blood on her dress. “Beth, you’re hurt. Let’s get you to Neil. You’re going to be all right–”

  “Trey, I’m fine.” Beth’s face grew even paler as she looked him over. “You’re the one who’s hurt. Your arm… I heard you yell.”

  Trey looked down in surprise. For the first time, he noticed the stinging in his right arm and the blood soaking his sleeve. “I must have cut it on some glass on the way in. I didn’t yell. That must have been Nate. I heard it, too.”

  John had taken Simon’s body outside. Trey and Beth hurried out and found the others gathered around Nathan, who lay unconscious on the ground with Neil on his knees beside him. Trey joined them. “What happened to him? He never got inside.”

  “Bullet must have bounced off the window casing.” Neil gave the group an irritated glance. “Somebody go get the wagon and a lantern.”

  When John brought the light, Neil took a closer look at Nathan’s wound and pursed his lips. “I think the bullet’s lodged in his breastbone, but I can’t be sure. This isn’t one for me. I can slow the bleeding, but he needs a surgeon.” He looked up at Trey’s bloody arm. “What about you?”

  “I cut myself getting in through the window.”

  Beth glanced at Simon’s body lying nearby on the grass, shuddered and joined the others. “I’ll wire Dr. Ross. He’s retired now, but he was an Army surgeon and also our family doctor in Denver. He’ll come.”

  Neil nodded as he applied pressure to Nathan’s wound. “Fine. John, can we take him to your place?”

  “Sure. He can have Ben’s room.”

  Still white with shock, Beth looked down at Nathan, at the blood staining his shirt. “A chest wound…”

  Trey put his good arm around her. “Don’t count him out, Beth. You can’t kill Morgan County
stock that easy. Let’s get him back to town.”

  She moved closer and looked up at him. “Seems like some things have changed between you and Nathan. Now let me have a look at that arm.”

  She pushed up his bloody sleeve and winced at the nasty gash just above his elbow. “You’re in for a few stitches, I think.”

  Neil had his hands full doing what he could for Nathan. Trey looked down at his arm and decided he’d rather get it over with. “You might as well do it, Beth. Neil’s got what you need in his kit.”

  Beth straightened her shoulders and set her lips. “All right, I will.”

  Trey had to smile. “You’ve come a long way from Philadelphia, Beth.”

  She found a needle, thread, and a bottle of antiseptic in Neil’s bag and set to work. Trey shut his eyes and thought about Justin. He’d been as good a friend as anyone could have, and now Trey could remember him properly. All the good times. Hell, no one knew half the scrapes they’d gotten themselves into – no one who was here now.

  Except Nathan. It would be good to have someone to talk to about those times again.

  When Beth finished stitching Trey’s cut, she looked as if the job had hurt her more than it had him. She cleaned up his arm, wrapped a bandage around it, and then slipped her arm around him.

  He let out a long breath and pulled her closer. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Beth’s voice trembled again. “Trey, I’m ashamed of myself. I feel like crying good and hard right now. All I could think about in there was you. When I heard Nathan yell, I was so afraid it was you – and now I’m so relieved that it wasn’t. I never thought I could be so selfish and horrible.”

  “It’s normal.” Trey bent to kiss her upturned mouth. The sweet, welcoming taste of her pushed the throbbing in his arm and the fears of the day to the back of his mind. “I think I would have killed Nathan if anything had happened to you. I just wouldn’t have given a damn. It looks like Neil’s got him ready. Let’s go.”

  When they laid him down in the wagon, Nathan opened his eyes. They were hazed with pain, but they widened with surprise when Trey leaned over him.