He wasn’t the kind of man to shout at a woman, but right now, he was past the point of being a gentleman. The gnawing worry that had been eating at him since he’d first walked into his cabin was starting to build, and he wasn’t in the mood for any games.
She opened the door all the way and let him in.
“You may as well come in and sit down. I have a feeling you’re not going to be happy with what I’m about to tell you.”
Annie chastised herself for not having paid more attention the times she’d gone out to the village with Malcolm. She’d been so sure there was just one path she’d have to follow, but as soon as she’d struck out this morning, she’d soon realized there were more paths than she had realized.
She tried not to let herself panic because that wouldn’t help anyone. The fact that the sled was still holding together was the only thing that seemed to be going her way.
As soon as the thought passed through her mind, it seemed the sled wanted to prove her wrong. A rock came out of nowhere and with a loud crack, one of the runners split in two, leaving the sled leaning to one side.
The dogs stopped, their sides heaving from exertion. She looked at the sled and knew there was no way it was going to make it any farther. She didn’t have a clue how to untie the dogs, but she couldn’t just leave them here like this. They’d be at the mercy of any wild animal that came along if they were tied together.
So she tromped through the deep snow to the front of the sled, looking at the lines that were holding the dogs together. If she could get them unhooked, they could make their way back home, and maybe someone would know enough to come and look for her.
She’d never felt so helpless. Here she’d been trying to help Lily, and now she was going to be no help whatsoever. And worse, she was going to cause even more work for the Mounties, having to find her now too.
She cringed as she thought about how angry Malcolm was going to be with her over everything. She was almost certain he’d be sending her back to Miss Hazel’s as soon as he could get her to the train in Cochrane.
And she couldn’t really blame him.
She finally got the dogs free from their lines, so at least they wouldn’t be at the mercy of any predators if they came along. She didn’t know if they’d just sit there and wait for someone to find them, or if they’d head for home.
One of the friendlier ones came over and rubbed against her leg, so she reached down to stroke the thick fur. “I guess I led you guys into some trouble today too, didn’t I?”
She could feel tears threatening to spill over, so she reached up to wipe at the wetness. She was going to be no help to anyone now and the truth was, she was worried about what would happen to her out here on her own.
The dogs were looking around as though they weren’t sure what to do either, but suddenly they must have all decided en masse that they weren’t going to be stuck out here anymore. They were free, so they took off, and all she could do was hope they’d find their way home.
She plunked herself down on the broken sled and put her head in her hands. She was already feeling chilled, and she knew the longer she sat without moving, the colder she would get. But she was afraid of wandering off and getting herself even more lost.
A noise on her left, just into the deeper part of the bushes, made her lift her head. Her heart started to race as she scanned the trees to see what it was. She had no way of protecting herself out here if it was a large animal intent on hurting her.
She slowly stood, ready to run if she had to. Although with the snow, her skirts, and her fear, she knew she couldn’t outrun a snail at this point.
When a familiar white figure emerged, standing off to the side and pawing at the ground, Annie let out a loud breath, thankful it was just Finnegan. Seeing him was like seeing a long-lost friend. “Finnegan, you scared me. I should have known you wouldn’t be too far away.”
She brought her still trembling hand up to her chest to try slowing down her racing heart.
But as she watched him, she noticed he was acting funny. He continued pawing at the ground and turning slightly as though he wanted to go that way, but wasn’t going to unless she followed him.
She stood, hoisting her skirt up in her hands and carefully made her way through the snow toward where he stood. At this point, she had nothing to lose anyway. She was already lost, and at least with Finnegan she didn’t feel quite so alone.
The white fox took off, staying far enough ahead of her that she couldn’t catch up completely but he would turn every so often to make sure she was still following. Finally, after what seemed like she’d been walking through the deepest snow imaginable for hours, he stopped in front of some rocks piled in front of an embankment.
“Is this your home, Finnegan?”
She figured if no one was around to hear her talking to a wild animal, no one would think she was crazy.
He stood off to the side, pawing at the snow until she got closer. He backed away, careful not to let her get too close to him. As she got closer to the opening, she heard a noise inside.
It sounded like someone crying.
“Lily?” Her heart jumped into her throat as she crouched down and peeked inside the opening of the rocks.
“Annie?” A scared little voice reached her ears as she pushed her way completely inside. There wasn’t much room, but the girl was sitting in the corner, wrapped up in the blanket Finnegan had stolen from her.
Tears fell as she sobbed with happiness. “Oh, Lily, you don’t know how happy I am to see you!”
Taking the child in her arms, she kissed the top of her head and rocked her gently back and forth. As she offered Lily warmth, holding her close against her chest, Annie glanced at the opening into the sunlight reflecting on the snow outside.
Finnegan sat watching them, then turned and ran off.
She didn’t care what Malcolm said. After what this animal had done to keep Lily safe, she’d be feeding him more than just table scraps from now on.
Finnegan would be getting the finest food she could give him.
Chapter 17
Malcolm couldn’t get his thoughts straight as he raced over the snow, calling Annie’s name until he was sure his throat was raw. They still hadn’t found Lily, and now they were out looking for his foolish wife too.
He tried not to let himself think the worst, but after talking with Gemma and getting the full story about Annie’s father, Malcolm’s stomach had been clenched in knots. If that man had come here and done anything to hurt Annie, Malcolm wouldn’t rest until he caught him and made him pay.
The thought of what she’d gone through growing up with that man angered him unlike anything he’d ever felt in his life.
But why hadn’t she told him the truth? He would never have blamed her for what her father had done. Cringing slightly, he knew he probably wouldn’t have been as understanding as he should have though. When it came to criminals, it was always black or white to him. And he knew he probably hadn’t given Annie much confidence to confide in him.
He tried not to be angry, because at the moment all he wanted to do was find her and pull her into his arms. He wanted to tell her all the things he should have said by now. All the things he hadn’t even realized to be true until he found out she was missing.
His heart had been torn in two, and he’d realized with a sickening thud that he was hopelessly in love with his wife. And the thought of never being able to hold her in his arms again was making him ill.
He had to find her in time.
As he rounded a bend in the trees, he was startled to see four sled dogs sniffing around and playing in the snow like they didn’t have a care in the world. Of course, they weren’t aware of anything going on around them other than the fact they weren’t tied up and they were taking advantage of that fact.
He slowed down and looked around for tracks that would lead him to the sled. Why were the dogs set loose? And where was the sled they were supposed to be attached to?
&n
bsp; The dread in his stomach kept building as he scanned the ground looking for some kind of clue.
Where was she?
Finally, as he rounded some trees onto one of the old trapper’s paths, he saw the broken sled. His heart jumped as he raced toward it. “Annie!”
Surely she’d know enough to stay put so it would be easier to find her. She had to be close by. It would only have been a few hours now according to Gemma since she’d taken off, so she’d be cold but at least she’d be safe now.
He wouldn’t let himself consider the fact her father might have already found her.
Moving quickly, he looked all around the area, calling her name. He wasn’t sure if he found her at this moment if he’d be more apt to give her a piece of his mind for the worry she’d caused him, or grab her in his arms and never let her go.
He decided the woman had most certainly made him crazy.
But if he couldn’t find her, he knew things would be much worse. The thought of losing her was more than he could bear to imagine.
“We’ll just stay here until someone finds us, Lily. You’re a very clever girl to know to get inside this little cave to stay warm.”
The child had finally stopped crying, knowing now that someone was here to help her. But she was still clinging to Annie as though she was never going to let her go.
“The white puppy showed me. He stayed here.” She pointed to a spot just at the opening of the fox’s den. There wasn’t much room to sit up inside, but it was warm and dry, and Annie knew if not for this place, Lily wouldn’t have survived the night.
Her heart swelled with pure love for the animal who’d taken care of Lily. Even though it was a wild animal, it had sensed the child’s need and kept her safe.
She looked down into her tear-stained face. “Lily, why did you run away?”
Lily looked down at her hands. “Because those boys said I talked funny. I was angry, so I ran into the bushes to get away from them.” She looked up at Annie then, her eyes wide. “But I wasn’t going to go far. I was going to come right back. Except then the bad man grabbed me and took me. He dragged me away and kept going. I was so scared, but then the white puppy came and started to growl at the man. He was going to shoot the puppy!”
As the words sunk in, Annie’s blood rushed from her face. “What bad man, Annie?”
But she was sure she already knew.
Lily just shrugged. “I don’t know him. But I kicked him, and then the puppy ran away so I followed him. I hid for a long time until the man was gone, then followed the puppy here.”
Annie pulled the girl in tight again, resting her chin on the top of her head. Her heart was racing as she tried to understand everything and figure out what they should do.
If her father was out here somewhere, he might find them before anyone else did. And she had no way to protect them.
A low growling sound outside sent her heart plummeting. Could things get any worse?
As a shadow moved in front of the opening, she realized they could. The growling wasn’t a wild animal, it was Finnegan, and he was growling at the man who was crouching down in front of his den.
She pushed Lily behind her and moved closer to the opening, ready for her father to look inside. As soon as she saw the face move into view, she sprung into action. Kicking hard, she flung her boots straight toward him. The sound of her heels connecting with his face was followed by a loud groan of pain.
As he stumbled backward, reaching up to protect his face from further assault, Annie grabbed Lily’s arm and pulled her out of the den as fast as she could move. She knew it was a long shot thinking she could stand up with Lily in her arms and get away from him. But she wasn’t prepared to just sit trapped inside the den and wait for him to get them.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Finnegan standing to the side still growling at the man. She would be devastated if the poor animal was hurt because of them, so she shouted for him to run, hoping it would scare him away.
She didn’t have time to see if he did as she hoisted Lily into her arms and started running as fast as she could through the deep snow. With a sinking feeling, she knew she’d never get away from him.
When an arm came out and wrapped around her, pulling her backward onto the ground, she knew she’d been right. As she hit the ground, she twisted to face him, ready to tell him how much she hated him.
Gasping with shock, she blinked in confusion at the face she was looking at. It wasn’t her father.
She’d never seen this man before in her life.
But by the look on his face, he might be even more dangerous than her father would have been.
Chapter 18
The sound of an animal yipping loudly drew his attention. He thought he could hear someone yelling something, but he was worried it was just wishful thinking. Whatever it was, he was going to find out. If it was Annie, he just prayed she was calling to be found and not because she was in any real danger.
Pushing his way through the snow, he pulled his gun out ready to assess the situation when he got there. The deep snow was making it difficult to sneak in without being heard.
As soon as he heard Annie’s voice, he had to force his heart back to normal speed. At least she was still fine at the moment. He wasn’t too late.
But he could hear her talking to someone, and when he heard a man’s voice, his stomach clenched. He was trained to deal with the most ruthless of criminals, and it was going to take every ounce of strength he had right now to remember that training. He couldn’t let his emotions take over or he would put Annie in even more danger.
As he got closer, he was sure he was imagining things. The voice he was hearing was one he’d heard before, but it couldn’t possibly be him.
The air flew from his lungs when he came around the tree and saw him standing there with a gun pointed directly at Annie and Lily.
“Albert Jacobs.”
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. The shock of seeing his sister’s husband standing there with a gun pulled on Annie had stripped away all his years of training. He had to fight against the urge to run over and throw the man to the ground, pummelling him into oblivion.
The short man turned to sneer at him. “I thought that was you I’d seen around town. But I never imagined you’d end up out here, the same place as me.”
Malcolm swallowed the bile he could feel in his throat at the sight of the man.
“No one knew where you’d ended up. After Mary died, it was like you disappeared from the face of the earth. I’d hoped that was the case.”
Albert threw his head back in laughter. “You know I’m like a cat. I always land on my feet.”
Malcolm had to restrain his anger. Keeping his eyes on Albert and with his gun pointed to the man, he called to Annie. “Are you hurt, Annie? Is Lily okay?”
“I’m fine, Malcolm. Lily is fine too.”
Albert tipped his head toward Annie. “This your wife? I’d heard that the new Mounties that came to town brought wives with them. She’s a pretty one.” He grinned at Malcolm, knowing he was getting under his skin. Then he reached up and rubbed his jaw. “Although she’s a bit feistier than I normally like them.”
“You’re just lucky I couldn’t get any closer or I’d have made sure I broke your nose,” Annie hissed at Albert.
He didn’t even want to know what his wife had done, but obviously she hadn’t just sat quietly and let him grab them. She was just lucky Albert didn’t shoot her right there and then.
Nothing would surprise him from this man.
“So, what are you doing here, Albert? I thought you’d be keeping a low profile and staying away from civilization, knowing how many crimes you’re wanted for. I’m sure even you can’t remember half of them.”
Albert laughed again. “Oh, you know. Stealing from the rich, and giving to myself. Found myself a nice little woman to spend time with but got out of there as fast as I could once she got pregnant.”
; “You didn’t go far enough, and now you’re going to answer to me.”
Malcolm’s head whipped around at the sound of Hawkeye’s voice coming from behind him.
“Let me handle this, Hawkeye. This man has a lot to answer for.”
“You’ve got that right. What kind of man would steal his own daughter and put her in danger? What were you hoping to get from this?”
Malcolm had to shake his head. He knew he was seriously overtired, but he wasn’t following what was happening. The shock of seeing his sister’s husband here in Ontario was still confusing him, but now Hawkeye had his head spinning.
Hawkeye came and stood beside Malcolm, and must have seen the confusion on his face.
“This is the man who left Ida. He’s Lily’s father.”
Annie held Lily’s hand tightly as she tried to pull away when she saw her uncle come into view. She was slowly inching her way closer to Malcolm, hoping that while the other man was distracted he wouldn’t notice.
When Hawkeye said Albert was Lily’s father, Annie stumbled but caught herself before she fell. She looked at Malcolm and could see the horror on his face too.
Albert was laughing again. “Yes, Malcolm. I’m a daddy. Isn’t that something? Your sister almost did that to me too, but luckily the pneumonia took care of that problem for me.” He looked scornfully at Lily. “And by the looks of this kid here, it’s likely a good thing. Obviously, I’ve got some bad genes or something to end up having a child like this one.”
Annie’s blood rushed in her ears as she listened to him speak. She squinted her eyes together and clenched her jaw in anger. “How dare you? You have no idea how lucky you are to have made this little girl. But she’s the lucky one, because you left and aren’t a part of her life at all. Why didn’t you just stay away?”
Her words were hissed out loudly and she could feel herself shaking with fury as she stared him down.
But he just shrugged. “Well, I got away for a few years, but then ran into some trouble and needed some money. I remembered someone who kept money hidden in his cabin for emergencies, so I made my way back. Imagine my surprise as I hung around and realized I was a father. I figured I might just stick around a while and see what I could do to get a bit more money out of the family before moving on again. The furs from the traps were bringing me a pretty penny.”
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