by Robyn Corum
Jumping up, she began running through the woods. Branches and briars pulled at her dress and her flesh, but she was unmindful. “Boone!” she cried. “Boone, where are you?”
After a few yards, she picked up a faint trail made by deer and followed it, hoping Boone would have done the same. She continued to holler his name as she ran. Finally, she stopped. The trail had played out. “Boone!” She glanced around her, and spied the rabbit trap. She knew he was close by.
Mindy began making an ever-widening circle. “Boone! You idiot, don’t scare me like this! Where are you?” Panic had begun to set in.
Creeping through the brambles and branches, Mindy almost stumbled over him. His lifeless body was laying partially hidden in a close copse of trees. She fell to his side. There was a wound to the left side of his head. He had been struck by a bullet — the wound was deep but she hoped not life-threatening. Blood still poured from it, a good sign.
Mindy’s vision was clouded by tears. “Boone! Wake up! Wake up.” She crumpled onto his chest. “Wake up,” she cried. “You big oaf, quit scaring me! You can’t die!”
Boone moaned. Mindy sat back up and took great gulps of air, hiccupping. “Boone. Can you hear me? Look at me!”
Though slight in form, she suddenly had added strength. She grabbed Boone by his shirt collars and shook him. “Wake up!”
Chapter Fifteen
Boone grunted.
Mindy fell on his chest crying with relief. “Can you hear me?” she asked. “I need you! You have to be all right.”
“I’m not … too good, actually.” Boone struggled to sit up. Melinda grabbed his arms and pulled him upright.
“What happened?”
“The Byler brothers came by … for another visit.” He glanced around dazedly, seeking his discarded vest. Picking it up, he checked the linings. “They took the money.”
“To the dickens with the money, Gary Boone!” She snatched the vest away and pressed it to his wound. “You’re bleeding like a stuck pig. We’ve got to get you back to camp.”
“I would be a dead man if that Byler fellow had been shooting with his good hand. I don’t guess he’s as good an aim with his left. He had the right one bandaged.”
“It’s bad enough as it is! Can you walk?”
Boone struggled to stand. Mindy grasped him around the waist and he leaned his weight against her. She bent down and grabbed his hat.
“Did we catch a rabbit yet?” Boone’s lips went up in a smirk.
Mindy started crying all over again. “I don’t know, you idiot. I don’t care about food right now!”
“Really? What is it you care about? I sure didn’t think you’d care if I was shot dead.”
“Of course I’d care! What do you think I am? I need you!”
Boone’s eyebrows lifted.
“That is, I need you to help me care for Lucas.”
“Oh. Of course.”
“What did you think I meant? Just for hunting food?”
“No. Never mind.”
They arrived at the campsite to see Lucas sitting upright against a fallen log. He was poking the fire and adding twigs. When he saw them coming, he attempted to stand.
“No, no.” Boone waved a hand and then gestured to Mindy. “I’m okay. I’ve got the doctor here.”
“What happened?” Lucas asked. “I woke up when I heard a gunshot. I assumed it was you hunting for supper, but I take it our friends have been back?”
“Yeah, but they didn’t know you’ve been shot. They weren’t interested in coming here. They just wanted the money.” He limped to the log and sat down, weaving slightly.
“What money?” Lucas asked with a guarded look.
“Oh, this cunning thief here has had the money all along!” Mindy said.
“What? You’re the reason everyone’s getting killed?”
Boone cursed. “No, of course not. Those men planned to rob the stage. We would have all been killed.”
Mindy stood with her hands on her hips. “Well, what am I supposed to do now? I’ve got two cripples on my hands!”
“I’m not a cripple!” both men said together.
“Wait just a cotton-picking minute, little lady,” Boone said. “Have I asked anything of you? No, I haven’t, and I don’t plan to!”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Of course, I’ll take care of you … both, but at this rate, we’ll all be dead before we arrive in Tipton!”
“You take care of Lucas! I’ll see to myself,” Boone growled. He staggered to his feet and lurched to the edge of the stream. He dug his hands into the water and splashed the cooling liquid against his face and head.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mindy said, walking over to him. “Here, let me see it.”
“Get away from me! Go tend to Lucas!”
“What’s wrong with you? I’m only trying to see how bad the wound is!”
“It’s fine. Just a graze.” He pulled a bandana out of his back pocket, drenched it in the creek, and then tied it around his head. “See? All better. Go back to your other patient.”
Mindy whirled away and stomped back to the fire site. “Patience … and faith,” she mumbled. “Lord, please give me patience and faith! Men!”
Back at the waterside, Boone was holding his wounded head. “Women!”
• • •
Mindy went to check on the horses and came back looking dejected. “Well, we’re on foot again.”
“They took the horses?” Boone guessed.
“Yes. How are we ever going to make it?” Mindy slumped to the ground. “I’ve had it. I’ve had it with this trip, with you men, and with dodging bullets every other minute. Please, someone tell me this has all been a bad dream.” She gazed over at the men’s solemn faces. “I’m sorry.” Mindy lowered her head into her hands.
Boone walked over to her and stood awkwardly. He didn’t know whether to sit down or continue standing. She looked up at him. “It’ll be okay,” he said. “We’re still alive. It’s not that much farther to town.” He wanted to be tender and kind, but knew by now that Mindy would respond better to a challenge. “You don’t need to start your caterwauling now!”
“I’m not caterwauling! I’m fine,” Mindy said. She raised her head and looked deep into Boone’s eyes. “Why didn’t you just give them the money before?”
Boone didn’t answer. He cursed and walked away.
• • •
The next morning, they set out as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon. Lucas struggled but remained upright, moving slowly. They had traveled approximately a mile when they heard a shout: “Hello! Is anybody out there?”
The trio exchanged glances. The immediate desire was to call out in response, but prudence stopped them.
“Hello?” The call came again, closer this time, and from above. “If you can hear me, holler out! It’s okay! I’m with the stage line! Hello!”
Mindy’s shoulders dropped in relief. Boone and Lucas smiled. “Here! We’re down here!” Lucas called back. “Down by the water!”
“Hold on,” said the voice. “I’m coming down!”
In a moment, a horse and rider came through an expanse of trees. He stopped short upon seeing the three. “What the heck happened? Where are the rest of the passengers? Where’s Gibb?”
“Dead. They’re all dead.”
“Dead!” The man was a wiry thing. He looked ancient, with gray hair and kind eyes. “Was it thieves?”
“Yep. They got the money,” Boone said. “I’m Marshal Gary Boone. I was along for the ride and supposed to be guarding it. You could say we ran into more than we bargained for.”
Mindy’s eyes had widened with the knowledge that Boone was a member of law forces. “You’re a marshal? Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Drop it, Mindy. I had a job to do. All that matters is I failed.”
Chapter Sixteen
There was one more night to get through in the journey toward their destination. The scrawny old man had promised t
o send help by the morrow. Mindy had been given the option to ride along, but wouldn’t leave her charges.
Lucas and Boone began to grow antsy and ill-tempered as they realized they would soon be home. They were ready to be on with their lives.
As dusk turned into a deepening twilight, the three sat fireside, studying one another, lost in thought. A chilly wind had swept in and they were huddled close to the warmth of the flickering flames.
“So, you never told us what you were doing on this trip in the first place,” Boone said, looking at Mindy. “Why would a young lady be traveling alone?”
Mindy sniffed. “It was supposed to be a simple trip from Mississippi to Kansas to pick up a title to property left us by my uncle. Have you heard of The Blue Saloon? That’s where it’s being held.”
“A saloon? Well, that’s a great way to end a trip like this!” Boone said, with fire in his eyes.
“I only plan to pick up the title, not apply for employment.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you can be a little stupid? A nice lady doesn’t travel alone in these parts. She certainly wouldn’t visit establishments like that, either. Have you thought about what would have happened to you if you had ridden along with Gibb? Have you considered that at all?”
“Yes,” Mindy said. “I thought about that as soon as I saw him. I could have been lying there alongside him.”
“Only if you were lucky! Those men would have carted you off with them … for more than an afternoon ride into the country.”
Mindy blanched. That thought had not occurred to her.
“What if Lucas, here, or — me — weren’t gentlemen?”
She snorted. “Perhaps I would have been better off with the Bylers, if you represent a gentleman.”
Boone stared hard into her green eyes. “I’m being serious. You have to be more careful. What if we leave you in Tipton and you go off on another harebrained adventure?”
“I don’t plan to go off on another adventure, Gary Boone! I didn’t plan on this one! And besides, when I get to Tipton, I’ll be no concern of yours, anyway. What do you care?”
Rubbing his hands and holding them in front of the fire, Lucas joined in. “You two never stop, do you? Can you leave go for a while, at least?”
“Stupid,” Boone said. “You can’t fix stupid. My momma always said you can love it and you can pet it, but you can’t fix it.”
Mindy’s body drew up into a hard line. “How dare you say something like that! You don’t know me! You don’t know anything about me!”
It was Boone’s turn to snort. “I reckon I do. We’ve spent every minute together for the last … six days. I’ve seen what I need to see to sum you up pretty well.”
“Well, that makes two of us! And do you want to know what I’ve decided? You’re a heathen! A filthy, good-for-nothing heathen! You can’t see anything past the end of your nose!” Mindy stood up and walked off into the woods.
The two men stared at each other. “Do you think she’s gone off to take care of business, or decided to walk on to Tipton without us?” Lucas finally said.
Boone cursed and stood up. He stalked to the edge of the forest line. “Mindy! Mindy?” He glanced back at Lucas, then straightened his shoulders and strode into the brambles.
Boone heard the sound of sobbing and it wrenched his gut. How many times had she cried in the last few days? Enough to wash away every sin he’d ever had, that was for sure. Too bad it wouldn’t work. He crept up to her softly. “Mindy, are you okay?”
“Yes! Of course I’m okay! I’m always okay! That’s my lot in life. When my brothers got hurt and had to be stitched up, it was my job to do it. When my friends got married and asked me to stand beside them, it was my job to do that, too. When my dad died and my mom fell apart, who took care of her — even though I was falling apart inside? Me! And I was fine. I have to be fine. There’s no other choice.”
Boone stepped up to her, backing her against a tree. “You don’t have to carry the weight of the world, Mindy. You could ask for help.”
“From who, my little brothers? You?”
“Maybe.” He leaned in and looked into her eyes. The night enveloped them, creating a quiet place where nothing moved. He raised a calloused hand to her cheek. “So pretty.”
“Pretty?” Mindy said, with a voice that trembled. “Not me. Never.”
“Yep. Even with the mud and the mess, you’re one of the prettiest things I ever saw.” Boone smiled, and Mindy stared into his black eyes.
Boone leaned in closer … closer. Softly, his lips touched hers, surprised when her lips turned up to tentatively meet his. He stepped closer, placing one hand on her slender waist. As she leaned into the kiss, he pulled her even closer, deepening the experience for both of them.
Mindy made a small sound at the back of her throat, and Boone’s head started to burn. He placed his arms around her and pulled her against him, changing the small, innocent kiss into something more. He swam in the moment. Plunging headfirst into waters that he knew were dangerous. His heart stepped in, crinkling in an odd sort of way as it dashed itself against the rocky borders of possibility.
Reluctantly, Boone pulled back. He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing deeply.
• • •
Mindy gasped. “What was that?” she said softly with a faint smile. Her breath whispered past his face.
“That was a kiss, Mindy. You said you’d never had one, remember?”
Suddenly Mindy remembered the rocking stage and her fear that they were all about to plummet over the edge of the cliff. She remembered her panic and the crazy things she had shouted. They came flooding back to her now and she shrank in embarrassment.
“Is that what this was? A pity kiss?” Mindy took a step back as her face drained of color. Quickly she reached and struck Boone across the face.
“What? Pity? Did that feel like a pity kiss?” Boone demanded, placing a hand to his blistering cheek.
“I don’t know. I’m stupid, remember? How would I know the difference?” She turned from him and marched back toward the fire. Over her shoulder she said, “I’ll be sure and ask your wife when we meet.”
Chapter Seventeen
Boone slapped his forehead. His wife! Of course! He’d forgotten about the picture of his sister, again. There was no telling what Mindy thought of him, after kissing “another woman.”
Figuring she still considered him a shiftless good-for-nothing, Boone shambled back to the clearing where the two others sat. Mindy and Lucas were involved in an animated conversation about their hometowns. Boone was relieved to see that she was no longer sad, but entranced.
“My dad died when I was small,” she was saying, “which meant my mom had the burden of raising six children alone — three girls and three boys.” She sighed. “You’d love my sisters. They’re charming and witty and down-to-earth. They’re beautiful and well-mannered … nothing at all like me. I was raised with my brothers so I was somewhat of a hoyden, to my mother’s dismay.” She laughed, a sweet sound that pulled at Boone’s heart and head.
“I can’t believe you were a trouble to her,” Lucas replied.
“Oh, I was! Always getting into trouble and getting dirty. At church services, I’d run off and play with the boys, then come back with my dress in tatters and hanging with filth. Oh, I was a trial!”
“Well, you’ve grown up now.”
Mindy blushed. “Yes, but I’ve never had my sisters’ easy ways. They married respected young men in our community and take part in the social engagements of the town. They make Mother very proud.”
“And you haven’t got the personality for those things?” Lucas studied Mindy as she formulated her reply.
“It’s just that I seem to want different things. I never wanted to settle down with the fellows that came around in the early days. And as the years went on, there were fewer callers. My mother’s greatest fear is that I’ll end up an old maid like my Aunt Sarah.” She laughed again, holding
her arms around her knees. “She’s probably right. I’d rather travel and see things.”
“Doesn’t it bother you, not having someone in your life?”
“Sometimes. Mostly, I miss the idea of being a mother. But I can play with my nieces and nephews whenever I want.”
Lucas caught her gaze. “It may be that things will change for you on this trip. You may meet someone you can care about.” His implication was clear.
Mindy ducked her head. “I don’t know. Tomorrow should see me into Tipton, finally, and then I’ll be able to pick up that dreadful deed and deal with the property. After that, I’ll be headed home again. Hopefully, the return trip won’t be so eventful!”
From across the fire, Boone tensed. The idea of Mindy on her way back to Mississippi churned his gut. “You plan to travel alone back to Mississippi?” he interjected.
“Of course,” she said. “How else will I get home?”
“I’m not sure, but you can’t still think you can handle whatever comes your way! This trip should have made that obvious.”
“Maybe she’ll find someone to escort her,” Lucas said. “There’s a possibility I’ll be available.” He smiled.
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that!” Mindy said.
“I do a lot of traveling. Let’s just wait to see what the future holds, shall we?”
“That’s enough about me,” Mindy said. “What are you headed to Tipton for?”
“I’ve been there several times,” Lucas offered. “I’ve found it to be a wonderful town. It’s small, but growing. A man could make a good living there. I’ve considered buying property and settling down.”
“That would be wonderful!”
“Yes,” Lucas agreed, “but plans change. I’ll wait to see what happens.”
Boone grunted and jabbed at the fire. “I think I’ll go sleep. Looks like you two would like to be alone.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Mindy asked. “We’re just talking.”