by Rye Hart
Marianna saw that, even after all these years, the loss of his wife still pained him. "I lost my fiancé to a carriage accident." She hoped that by offering him a glimpse into her own struggles, he might not feel so alone in the ache that comes from missing a loved one.
He nodded. "Mrs. Cavanaugh said as much. I'm very sorry," he offered.
They stood in silence for a moment, neither one knowing the right words to say after such an intimate moment.
Larsen was the first to speak. He chuckled slightly, breaking the awkwardness of the moment. "Yet here we are, still standing despite it all," he said with strained amusement.
Marianna felt the corner of her mouth turn up into a faint smile. She covered her eyes from the glare of the setting sun and looked up at Larsen. "That is one way you could put it," she agreed.
"Well," Larsen said a little too quickly, "I best head off. You let me know if there is anything you need."
"I will," Marianna promised.
As Marianna watched Larsen walk away, she couldn't help but compare the man to her late fiancé, Kevin.
Kevin had been a soft-spoken intellectual that had come from an upper-class family. Larsen, on the other hand, was a bit rough looking, with a thick beard and a deep voice. His occupation as a ranch owner in Texas was the exact opposite of Kevin's safe job in an attorney's office. Marianna knew that it wasn't fair to compare Larsen to her deceased fiancé, but Kevin had passed away less than two months ago and his memory was still fresh in her mind.
Yet, the difference between the two men wasn't what held her back from fully committing to marrying Larsen Dover. She was struggling with the isolation that came with choosing to come out west. Back in Valley Springs, she had her sisters and a few friends to help her through the difficult loss. Here in Texas, she had no one. She craved the intimacy that came from friendship, but on a ranch full of men, she had yet to make a single friend.
At least Elijah and Marshal were sweet. The boys had taken it upon their small shoulders to make sure Marianna was comfortable in her new home. Every morning they asked her how she was and whether or not there was anything they could do for her. In a way, it almost broke Marianna's heart that they were already so attached to her — and her to them. A part of her wanted to stay just for them. But instead of making her decision easy, it only made it that much harder. She felt torn between her affection for the two children and the family she had left behind.
However, she knew that the deciding factor behind her choice, would be whether or not she could marry Larsen Dover. And at the moment, she was running out of time to get to know him. Soon she would have to make a decision, but she didn't want to do that before she was comfortable in the knowledge that she was making an informed choice. But to do that, she would need to spend more than just a few fleeting moments with the man.
Over the next few days, Marianna decided to seek out any opportunity to have some time alone with Larsen. However, at each turn, he was called away. She knew that he was very busy, but she wasn't about to make a life changing decision without at least trying to get to know him first.
A few days later, an opportunity to get quality time with Larsen came when she overheard him planning on making a trip into town to order the supplies for the new barn. She hoped she could convince him to take her into town with him. She had written a few letters for her sisters that she needed to mail, and figured she could use it as an excuse to tag along.
"Marcus?" Larsen called out to his ranch manager, "I'm going to head into town and put in an order for the supplies. I'll be back by sundown."
Marianna knew that this was her chance; she doubted that she would get another opportunity to have quality time with Larsen. She quickly grabbed her letters and ran out the door, hoping that she could catch him in time before he left. She was in luck, as she stepped off the front porch she saw Larsen saddling his horse.
"Larsen!" she called out to him.
At first he didn't turn around and Marianna worried that he hadn't heard her. With a surprising burst of energy she shot after him, and abruptly tripped over her long city skirt and landed in the dust with a loud thud.
She groaned as she rolled over, her eyes staring up into the blue sky. Her body ached and her hands stung with fresh scrapes. She silently prayed that Larsen hadn't seen her fall.
A shadow cast over her as Larsen leaned over her crumpled body. She looked up into his face, while her own turned hot red with embarrassment.
Larsen knelt down to her level and offered his hand to help. "Are you alright?" he asked as concern spread across his face.
"I think so," Marianna muttered shyly.
"Here," Larsen helped her get up. "What had you in such a hurry?" he asked in teasing voice.
Marianna’s blush deepened and she averted her eyes out of embarrassment. "I was hoping to catch up to you," she reached for her pocket and withdrew two folded envelopes. "I have a few letters I would like to mail to my family." As she spoke, she raised her eyes back up to meet his and their gazes locked.
Larsen smiled. "Sure thing," he said as he reached for the small stack in Marianna's hands.
"Wait," she pulled back slightly.
Larsen gave her a confused look.
"I want do drop them off myself. I was hoping you could take me with you?" she asked nervously.
Larsen cleared his throat roughly. "I don't know, it is a bit of a journey and —"
"Please," she said pleadingly. "I wouldn't mind a trip into town, I didn't get a chance to see it when I first arrived."
Larsen looked at her for a long moment before replying.
"Ok," he gave in.
Marianna's face broke out into a huge grin. It was the first time she had truly smiled in months. "Thank you," she beamed. She quickly stood up and dusted off the dirt that covered her skirt.
Larsen looked amused by her. "Can you ride?" he asked.
Marianna hesitated. She had taken lessons as a young girl, but hadn't ridden a horse in recent years. "A little," she explained.
Larsen raised a curious eyebrow. "Well then, if we are going to do such a long trip into town, it might be best if we ride together." He moved toward his horse and beckoned Marianna to follow.
Marianna suddenly felt hesitant about being that close to Larsen for the whole journey. Her fingers tingled every time Larsen touched her hand, now her stomach did somersaults as she thought of climbing behind him and wrapping her arms around his solid waist.
The sound of Larsen clearing his throat broke her train of thought. She blushed as she looked up and saw him watching her from where he stood next to the horse. This was going to be an interesting trip.
Chapter Eight
As they rode into town, Marianna made every attempt to keep conversation going. However, Larsen didn't make this easy.
"So why did you choose Texas to start a ranch?" she asked several miles into their ride.
He grunted and shrugged his shoulders. "Heard good things about this place."
"And?" she pressed further.
"That's it."
"Oh," Marianna said, slightly disappointed. She wondered how she would ever crack the hard shell that was Larsen Dover.
They reverted back to silence for most of the trip. The only sound was of the horse's heavy breathing and the rhythmic pounding of his hooves as they beat the hard ground. Marianna took the time to admire the gorgeous scenery. She hadn't realized how beautiful the land was. Although it was quite different from the familiarity of her quaint town of Valley Springs. Texas held a certain untamable mystique that intrigued her, much like the enigmatic man she was accompanying.
As the ranch behind them disappeared on the horizon, Marianna was sure that the rest of their journey would continue in silence. And in that moment, she made a silent plea to the heavens that something would happen to crack the wall that Larsen had built around himself.
Her wish was answered, although not in the way she had expected, when the sound of a gunshot startled the horse
and caused the animal to almost throw both of them. Before Marianna had time to register what had just happened, Larsen had already spurred the horse into a full gallop.
As memories of the last time she took the same path at a breakneck speed raced through her mind, she had no choice but to hold on to Larsen with all her might. He heart pounded, while her mind raced with fear as the horse sped along.
A second gunshot was accompanied by the sound of pounding hooves behind them, which solidified Marianna's fear that they were being pursued.
A third gunshot came dangerously close, as the shell exploded in the dust next to them. There were shouts behind them, which signaled that a small gang was following them. Marianna dared not look back, but her curiosity got the better of her. As she peeked over her shoulder, she saw what appeared to be a group of bandits racing after them in pursuit. She had no idea why they would be the target of thieves, as they didn't carry anything of value with them.
Besides our lives, Marianna thought morbidly.
A sudden jolt in the horse's step brought her attention back to focusing on one thing: holding on for dear life. Her teeth rattled in her jaw and her fingers ached from where she gripped Larsen's shirt. Her heart beat louder in her chest as she heard the bandits gain speed up them. They were, after all, not two to a horse.
"Surrender your goods or we'll shoot the girl!" cried one of the bandits.
Fear raced through Marianna, she wanted to urge Larsen to ride faster, but instead he chose to slow down in response to the threat. They were instantly surrounded by a group of five men.
"Hold fire!" yelled the bandit that appeared to be the leader.
Larsen slowed the horse down, but didn't completely stop. She could feel the tension ripple off his body as he kept the horse in a canter and turned to face the men that had them surrounded.
"You may have our saddlebags, but there is nothing of value," he spoke stiffly to the group.
One of the men continued to hold a revolver pointed at them, while the 'leader' descended off his horse. "We will see about that," he said dryly as he advanced toward them. "Now get off the horse," he commanded in a harsh tone.
Marianna could feel Larsen's body stiffen next to hers, but he didn't say anything. "Larsen?" she said softly, unsure of what she should do.
"Do as he says," Larsen said in a voice that toed the line of danger.
Marianna slowly slid off the horse and Larsen quickly followed. He slid his arm protectively around Marianna's waist, his body upright and his gaze locked in on that of the bandit, whose face was mostly concealed by a heavy bandana and hat.
"Step away from the girl," the leader demanded.
Larsen hesitated. "I told you, you may take what we have, but there is nothing of value," he repeated in a dangerously calm tone.
Marianna watched the event unfold before her.
"Step away from the girl," the bandit repeated, "or we will be forced to shoot her as well."
Marianna tensed. As well? Her mind raced with the implication of those words. These men were not here for the small amount of money they had brought with them, they were here for something else. Larsen. A cold coil of fear began to unravel in her stomach.
Larsen regarded the bandit coolly. "I'll give you one warning, either take the saddle bags and leave, or leave empty handed."
Marianna's eyes widened as she stared up at Larsen's cool face. He appeared to not be fazed by the bandit's threat to shoot him. Or her. He continued to take stock of the gang with a cool, calm demeanor. Marianna didn't know how he was able to be calm, as she herself was barely holding it together.
"Larsen?" she nudged him gently, "what are you doing?" she whispered through gritted teeth.
"Exactly what needs to be done," he said with a wry smile.
Marianna's heart sank; he knew that they were not here for their money, but for their lives. She suspected Larsen was not the type to go down without a fight, but the odds were against them as they were heavily outnumbered.
She knew that this was it. She should never have left the safe haven of Valley Springs. She had made the journey all the way here, just to be murdered by ruthless criminals in cold blood. Her eyes darted from the impassive mountain that was Larsen Dover and the five men that had them surrounded. Marianna felt like this was the end and she silently accepted her fate.
Her acceptance was cut short when Larsen suddenly whipped out a revolver and pointed it at the leader. The man raised his arms in surprise and backed up instinctually.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned Larsen.
"Doesn't seem like you have given me much of a choice otherwise," Larsen growled. "How about you let me know what it is your are after and perhaps we can work out a deal," he suggested.
"You know what I want," the bandit snarled.
"No," he countered, "I don't."
The bandit gave Larsen a suspicious look. "I want the ranch," he stated.
"Not happening," Larsen replied curtly.
"Larsen?" Marianna whispered. She would give these men a king's ransom just to get out of this situation alive. She couldn't believe that Larsen would refuse them what they wanted.
Larsen ignored her, which made Marianna angry.
"Listen to the woman," the bandit said mockingly.
"It's not her ranch," Larsen replied shortly.
"Just give them the ranch, it can't be worth our lives!" Marianna protested. She couldn't believe that he would be so stubborn. He was going to get them both killed.
"My choice," Larsen stated without taking his eyes off the man he had the gun pointed at.
"This is ridiculous, your stubborn pride is going to get us both killed." In her anger, she moved away from Larsen. This was a mistake, as she no longer was protected by his proximity.
The moment that she was not within reach of Larsen, one of the men behind them jumped forward and grabbed her roughly. It startled her and she screamed, forcing the man to clap a gloved hand over her mouth.
Her scream caused Larsen to look away for a split second. But that moment was long enough for the leader to jump forward. In an instant, Larsen and the leader were ensnared in a battle for control over the revolver. Marianna watched helplessly as Larsen quickly subdued the leader on the ground. The moment he pointed the gun back on the man, three others pointed guns at him. They were trapped.
"Surrender or she dies," the man that held Marianna threatened.
The leader mumbled from where Larsen had his face pressed into the dirt. "If you don't surrender soon, the option to negotiate will no longer be valid."
Larsen took a look at Marianna, his face an expression of sorrow. Marianna knew the instant he had made his decision. With reluctance, Larsen released the leader of the group. The man rose quickly and grabbed the revolver from Larsen's open hand.
"Tie him up boys, we don't need a run away," the man spoke as he dusted off the dirt that had accumulated on his clothing during the scuffle. The other three men quickly tied up the infuriated Larsen. "We will bring them to the boss, he'll decide what to do with them." He turned and gave Marianna a curious look, "Especially with regards to the girl, as our instructions never included her."
Marianna felt disgusted by the man's roaming gaze. Anger welled up in her and she did something very uncharacteristic of her. "Coward," she bellowed and spat in his direction.
The man laughed at her. "I see we have a firecracker." He stepped toward her and brought his hand to stroke her cheek. "I will be very interested in hearing what our boss decides to do with you," he chuckled menacingly.
Marianna tried to turn her head to bite his hand, but the man retreated before her teeth could sink into his flesh.
"I see. If that is how it is going to be,” he motioned toward one of the men. "The Chloroform," he instructed.
Marianna gasped as she realized they were going to drug her. She instantly started to struggle harder against the rough grasp of the man that held her. "Don't you dare," she threatened him.
The moment he brought it to Marianna's nostrils, her world went dark.
Chapter Nine
Marianna slowly opened her eyes and gasped as she realized where she was. She was tied up in the corner of a dark, crowded cabin, and she was alone.
Thankfully, her mouth was not gagged and she was able to suck in a few deep breaths of fresh air as the memory of the strong chemical smell still burned in her nostrils. Only when she regained her bearings, did she take a moment to try and sort through where she was and how she could escape.
A small lamp burned in the corner, offering her a little bit of light to see the interior of her prison. When she took a look around the room, she saw the walls were lined with unidentified wood crates, which naturally piqued her curiosity.
As for her body, her feet were bound tightly together, while her hands were secured in front of her. These were the only bindings on her body, which meant that, if she could somehow free one or the other, she might be able to get out alive.
That is, if she could even find her way back. She had only spent a few short weeks in Texas, and in that time, she barely left the ranch. Marianna had no idea where to go or how to make her way back. And by the lack of light that filtered through the cracks in the door, it was late at night and she would have no sense of direction.
She was trapped and she didn't know what to do. She wondered how she could have ended up in such a situation.
She couldn't make sense of it, unless Larsen was involved in less than legal activities. Had he cheated someone on a deal? Perhaps he was involved in smuggling activity?
"Stop it Marianna," she chastised herself in an attempt to quell her growing distress.
She needed to think of a plan, fast.
She took stock of the items in the room that might aid her ability to free herself. She noticed that a nail stuck out the side of one of the carts placed near her. She figured, if she scooted herself close enough, she might be able to use the nail to hook the rope around her wrists and pull the ties apart enough to free her hands. It was worth a shot and, at this point, she didn't have much else to lose.