Baby On Her Doorstep

by Rhonda Gibson

  Laura held Selina’s limp body on the horse, wishing she would wake up and tell them where Hope was. Blood dripped from the wound on Selina’s head. “We’d better hurry. The sooner she’s awake, the sooner she can tell me where Hope is.”

  Clint grabbed the horse’s bridle. “I know you want to hurry, but we can’t jar her too much. She might have broken bones.”

  Even though Laura wanted to race into town, she knew Clint was right. If she did have broken bones, such as a rib, it could be fatal to the other woman.

  Clint walked beside the horse, helping Laura hold Selina upright in the saddle. The young woman practically laid across the horse’s neck, but there was no helping that.

  Laura chewed on the inside of her lip as they slowly advanced into town. With each clop of the horse’s hooves, Laura asked herself, where was Hope? Had someone stolen the baby from Selina? Had Selina hid the little girl somewhere? It was obvious that Selina had run into someone who had beaten her up. But who? Who would do such a thing to a woman with a child? There were so many questions racing through her tired mind.

  Tears slipped from Laura’s eyes as she realized Hope could be lost to her forever. What would she do if the baby was hurt somewhere? Or worse, dead?

  * * *

  Clint patted her leg. “Don’t cry, Laura. We’ll find her.”

  He prayed he was telling her the truth. His own heart ached at the fact that baby Hope was missing.

  Thankfully, they arrived at the doctor’s office and Selina was still breathing. They needed her to give them some answers. “Stay with Selina while I get the doctor.” At her nod, Clint hurried to the front door and knocked loudly.

  A sleepy doctor answered the summons. “What’s going on out here?” he asked, looking past Clint to Laura and Selina on the horse. A tired sigh escaped him.

  “I’ve brought you a patient. We found her on the road to town,” Clint said. He stepped to one side so that the doctor could get a better look at the women.

  Now fully awake, the doctor pushed past Clint. “Well, don’t just stand there. Let’s get her inside where I can look at her.”

  Clint followed him to the gelding. Together the doctor and Clint moved to take Selina from Laura. The horse took a step sideways, throwing the two men off. Clint patted the mount’s neck. “Hold him steady, Laura, while we get her down.”

  Laura nodded. Her jaw was set, and tears no longer flowed down her cheeks.

  The doctor stood back as the young woman slid into Clint’s arms. “Bring her inside,” he ordered, leading the way.

  Clint was aware of Laura climbing off the horse and tying the reins to the hitching post in front of the doctor’s house.

  The doctor followed him inside and walked past him. “Bring her into the examination room. Who is she?”

  “Selina Morgan.”

  Laura entered and shut the front door. Clint looked over his shoulder and saw her slump into a chair beside the door.

  “What happened to her?” The doctor was examining the cut on Selina’s forehead.

  Clint turned his full attention back to the doctor. “We don’t know. She kidnapped Hope, and we were following her to town. We found her lying in the road like this.”

  The doctor took a cloth and washed the cut above Selina’s eye. Satisfied it was clean, he tossed the cloth into a nearby basin. “Where’s Hope?” he asked, running his hands up and down Selina’s arm.

  “That’s what we’d like to ask her. Can you get her to wake up?” Clint watched as the doctor ran his hands down Selina’s sides.

  “I can, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. She has a head injury and a couple of broken bones.” His gaze met Clint’s.

  Laura rose and came into the room. “Doctor, I realize you don’t want to cause her pain, but I need to know what she did with my daughter. Hope is out there somewhere, alone.”

  He nodded. “I’ll wake her up.”

  Clint looked to Laura. His brown eyes begged her to believe and trust him. “We’ll find her. I promise.”

  Laura tried to smile. “You will try, but until she can tell us where Hope is, I’m afraid we won’t be able to find her.”

  Selina gasped as she came to. The doctor stood beside her holding a cloth close to her nose. Whatever was on the rag the doctor held was enough to wake Selina. Her gaze jerked frantically around at the people in the room.

  From the look on Laura’s face, Selina was in for a tongue lashing of the worst kind. Clint said a silent prayer that the woman would tell them where to find baby Hope.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Where is Hope?” Laura demanded.

  Selina looked at her. Tears streamed from her eyes and into her hair. “I don’t know.”

  Panic dripped from Laura’s lips. “How can you not know?”

  Selina wept harder and curled onto her side. “I gave her to my husband. I’m so sorry, but he made me.”

  Clint stepped up beside Laura. He placed an arm around her shoulder. “Who is your husband?” His arm offered comfort.

  Selina kept her eyes locked with Laura’s. “Jerry Roberts, Hope’s pa.”

  Laura sagged against Clint. Jerry had come to get Hope, but as her pa, why hadn’t he just come and claimed her? Why send Selina to kidnap her?

  The only person who had answers to those questions looked as if she might be drifting back to sleep. Selina closed her eyes.

  Straightening her spine, Laura used her best schoolteacher tone and demanded, “If that’s true, why didn’t he come get her himself?”

  Selina jerked at the sharpness in Laura’s voice. “He is going to demand that the banker pay to get her back.”

  So that was the reason he’d had Selina kidnap Hope—money. As her father, didn’t he realize Hope’s grandparents would have given him help in raising their granddaughter? She didn’t have time to question Jerry Roberts’s reasoning. Instead she snapped at Selina to get her full attention, once more, “Where did he take Hope, Selina?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.” Fresh tears flowed from her eyes. “He never told me that part of the plan.” Selina reached up and touched the side of her head. “All I know is he wants the money. I told him I didn’t want to do this anymore, but he wouldn’t listen.” Fresh tears of pain and regret poured down Selina’s pretty face.

  Clint asked. “How did you end up hurt?”

  Selina cried bitterly. “I met him as planned but told him I didn’t want to take Hope from Laura. I told him we could give her back and go back to Denver. He wasn’t as loving as I remembered and said that if I didn’t want to continue with the plan I didn’t have to. Then he hit me.”

  The doctor spoke up. “I’d say he hit you several times.”

  Laura swallowed. Jerry Roberts had beat his wife so that he could take Hope and then demand a ransom from his child’s grandparents. What kind of parent did such a thing?

  Selina sank back into the blessed darkness where she no longer felt pain. Laura wanted to wake her up again but knew that would be unkind and that the young woman had probably told her all she knew about Hope’s whereabouts. Which, from what they’d gathered, was nothing.

  The doctor looked to Clint. “I won’t wake her again. She’s been through a lot tonight. You need to get over to the sheriff’s office and let him know what’s happened. Tell him I’ll hold Mrs. Roberts until he tells me to let her go.”

  Clint nodded. “I will tell him.” He looked at Selina. “Take care of her, Doc. She might be able to help us yet.” Clint pulled Laura from the room.

  “How can he do that to his wife and child?” she asked, looking up at him. Confusion filled her mind; even when Charles had been the most angry over his loss of an heir, he’d never hit her.

  Clint shook his head. “I don’t know, but the doctor’s right. We need to get to the sheriff’s office and let
him know what is going on.”

  Laura felt as if she were in a daze. So much had happened in just the last day. What were Hope’s grandparents going to say when they found out she’d allowed Hope to be kidnapped? And, if they did get her back, would they give her back to Laura after what had happened? But, right now, Laura decided that wasn’t important. What was important was finding Jerry and freeing Hope from him. It didn’t matter that the Maxwells might take their granddaughter from her; what mattered was that Hope be returned and in good health.

  Laura was surprised when they got to the sheriff’s office. She hadn’t even realized they’d walked the short distance. Mentally she told herself to wake up. Hope needed her to have a clear mind. She preceded Clint into the sheriff’s office.

  Matt looked up from a stack of papers on his desk. One glance at their faces and he was standing. “What’s happened?”

  Clint pulled out a chair for Laura to sit down in. His warm brown eyes looked at her with worry. Was she scaring him by her distractedness?

  “Thank you.” She tried to gather her wits about her but couldn’t seem to get past the screaming thought, Hope is gone. Laura swallowed hard, forced herself to focus and said, “Jerry Roberts had his wife kidnap Hope. He’s planning to ask a ransom for her from her grandparents.”

  “Well, I’ll be dogged.” The sheriff sat back down. “When did this happen?” He began digging through the papers on his desk.

  Clint answered, “This evening.”

  “Was he working alone?” A frown marred his handsome features.

  Laura shook her head. “No, his new wife was helping him.”

  “How do you know this?”

  Clint sighed. “We found her on our way into town to see you. He beat her up and took the baby from her. She claims she was going to bring Hope back, but he stopped her.”

  Matt unearthed a piece of paper. He studied it for several long moments. “Where is she now?”

  “The doctor’s office,” Laura answered.

  The sheriff looked up. “Jerry Roberts is wanted in Denver for bank robbery.” He held the wanted poster for them to see.

  Laura started to cry. She looked to Clint for support. He gathered her into his strong arms and rubbed her back. “We’ll find them.”

  Laura prayed he was right. She couldn’t stand the idea of her baby alone with a wanted criminal. Was she safe? Had he harmed her?

  * * *

  The door to the sheriff’s office opened once more. Laura sniffled and wiped at her eyes as she stepped out of Clint’s embrace. She would have stayed there forever, if it wasn’t improper to do so.

  She turned to see Elizabeth and John Maxwell enter. Elizabeth’s face was splotchy as if she’d been crying. Her gaze moved to Laura, and she burst out crying. “It’s true,” she wailed.

  John Maxwell walked to the desk and thrust a piece of paper at the sheriff. “This arrived on our doorstep about thirty minutes ago. Someone is demanding money for the safe return of our granddaughter.” He looked at Laura. “Please tell me this is a mistake.”

  “I wish I could.” She held her arms out to Hope’s grandmother.

  The older woman hurried to her.

  Matt stood and held the wanted poster out to John. “His name is Jerry Roberts, and he’s Hope’s pa.”

  “How did he know she was here? Priscilla said he didn’t know where she’d grown up,” Elizabeth said, searching everyone’s faces, looking for answers.

  John sighed. “Prissy probably mentioned it sometime during their time together and simply forgot. You know how she was.” He walked over and pulled Elizabeth close to his side.

  She nodded. “Yes. That is possible.”

  “Selina Morgan, his new wife, might have the answer to that question. Of course, she might be Selina Roberts,” Laura said aloud.

  The sheriff added, “Well, how he found Hope isn’t the main question here. Where are they now is.”

  Clint and the banker moved closer to the sheriff’s desk, and then the men began to discuss the possibilities in quiet tones. Laura suspected it was to keep her and Elizabeth calm as they worked to decide the best course of action.

  She felt as if it were all a bad dream and she’d wake up to find Hope sleeping soundly in her little bed with Grace. Elizabeth’s soft sobs didn’t quite seem real either. Oh, she knew they were, and Laura knew that Hope was out there somewhere with an outlaw.

  * * *

  Clint looked to where Laura sat hugging her arms and rocking from side to side in the wooden chair. Her face had grown even paler over the last few minutes.

  Mr. Maxwell’s voice drew his attention back to the men’s discussion. “There are two places he might be holed up. The Joneses moved away a couple of months ago. Their place is vacant. Or, he could be out on the Timberlake’s place up in the hills. They have a shack there that the men use when out hunting. Mr. Timberlake came in and said he wanted to sell it. Asked if the bank would handle the sale.”

  “But would he know of either place?” Clint asked, looking down on the map that Matt had spread out over the desk.

  “Selina Morgan, I mean Roberts, came to see me when she first arrived in town. Said she was looking for a place to settle. I told her about both places.” He ran his hand through his silver hair. “If I’d have known then...”

  The sheriff cut him off. “Did she seem more interested in one place over the other?”

  His troubled gaze met theirs. “Yep, said she liked the idea of living in a cabin. I told her it really wasn’t any place for a lady. Then she nodded and said she’d think on it. That was the last time I saw her in the bank.”

  Clint shoved his hat back on his head. “How long would it take the three of us to ride out there?”

  “About two hours,” the sheriff answered. He walked to a cabinet that set against the wall and pulled his gun belt off the top. As he strapped it on, Matt said, “Ladies, you are welcome to stay here until we get back, or go on home.”

  Laura stood. “I’m going.”

  Clint shook his head. “No, not this time.”

  “But she’s my baby.”

  Elizabeth stood up, as well. “And my grandbaby. We have the right to go help find her.”

  John’s voice came out strong. “No, you both are staying here. If you tag along, you’ll only slow us up, and we’ll be worried sick about something happening to you.”

  Matt handed John one of the rifles that had been hanging on the wall moments earlier. He turned to give the other one to Clint.

  “No, thanks. I’ll use my own pistol. I’m a better shot with it.” He looked deeply into Laura’s eyes. “Please stay put. I’ll bring her back to you. I promise.” Clint just wished he could promise he’d bring her back alive. The truth of the matter was, he didn’t know how they would find the little girl.

  He leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead before whispering in her ear, “Take care of Elizabeth. She needs you right now.” Clint prayed Laura would do as he asked.

  She surprised him by whispering back, “Be safe.” Laura looked up at him with worry and love in her eyes.

  “I will.” He hugged her briefly and then turned to leave with the other two men.

  Mr. Maxwell hugged his wife, as well. “Don’t worry, Beth. We’ll find her and bring her home.”

  Clint saw Laura’s face pale even further. He wanted to assure her that the banker had only meant they’d bring Hope back, not that he planned on he and his wife keeping the little girl.

  Matt opened the door. “We need to get going.” He walked out onto the porch. “Mr. Maxwell, do you have a mount?”

  The older gentleman nodded. “Yes, I told Levi to have it ready at the house when I got back.”

  Laura followed them to the door and now stood in the frame looking small and helpless.

  John reached out and patt
ed her shoulder. “I’ll bring her home to you, Laura. We’ll get through this.” His gaze moved over her shoulder where Elizabeth sat silently sobbing. “Please take care of her until I get back. She’s lost so much already.”

  Clint was proud of Laura as she raised her head, put her teacher’s poise on and said, “I will.”

  John nodded to her. “Thank you.”

  Clint hated leaving her but knew if they were going to save Hope, they had to leave the women behind. As they rode into the night, Clint thought about Jerry Roberts. Could he hurt his own child? The note had said he wanted a thousand dollars or he’d send Hope home in a wooden box. Surely the man wasn’t so ruthless that he’d take his own child’s life.

  Thoughts of Hope filled his mind. She was sweet and shy. He felt the same sense of protectiveness for her that he felt for Grace. Hope was as much a part of his heart as Grace and Laura. What would he do if they found Hope dead? Rage and fear rolled up in his belly, making him a very dangerous man.

  An hour and a half later, Clint knelt down behind a clump of trees. It hadn’t been that long ago that he’d done the same thing. Only this time, instead of looking for cattle rustlers, he was looking for a bank robber turned child abductor. He looked across the way at Matt.

  The sheriff pointed toward the other side of the house and motioned for Clint to move over there. Clint nodded his understanding and crept through the trees. They could see a light in the back of the cabin but couldn’t see inside.

  The banker peeked out from behind a tree. His face looked pale in the moonlight. Morning would come soon, but right now they were all in the dark. They weren’t even sure Jerry was anywhere about.

  But the hair on the back of Clint’s neck was standing straight up. His gut was talking, and Clint was trying to listen.

  He moved from the tree line and ran for the side of the house.

  A shot rang out.

  Clint dropped and rolled until his back hit the wood of the cabin. His eyes frantically searched for the shooter. Was it Matt or John? Or had Jerry seen them and was firing from the woods?

  Matt ran for the house. His breath came hard as he asked, “Where did that shot come from?”