Chase the Wind (Apache Runaway Book 2)

by Madeline Baker

  “I’m afraid it’s my fault,” Lester said. Sitting back on the sofa, he stretched his legs. “I’m sure you can understand my desire to have my daughters at the wedding.”

  “Of course,” Ralph said.

  “I know we originally set the date for the third, but it seems my daughters can’t be here until the eleventh.” He lifted his hand in a gesture of appeasement. “I thought we could have the wedding the following Saturday.”

  “But…” Ralph glanced sharply at his daughter. She would be of age on the fifteenth. Should she refuse to marry Lester as planned, there would be little he could do, especially in front of a chapel filled with guests.

  “You needn’t worry, Papa,” Beth said. “I’ve promised to meet Lester at the church on time.”

  “Indeed?”

  Beth nodded. “And now I give you my word that Lester and I will be married on the seventeenth.”

  “You swear it to me, on your word of honor?”

  “Yes, Papa, on my word of honor, I swear to be married that day.”

  Ralph considered that for a moment. “Very well. The seventeenth, then.”

  “Tell me, dear,” Theda said, “where do you and Lester go every day?”

  Beth blinked at her mother several times as she searched for an answer.

  “We’ve been looking for property,” Lester injected smoothly. “I’m thinking of moving here, to Twin Rivers, and we’ve been looking at land.”

  “Moving here?” Ralph Johnson asked. Leaning back in his chair, he folded his hands over his ample girth and regarded Les with interest.

  Lester nodded. “I find I quite like this country. Lots of room for growth. The people are friendly. I think my girls and I would be happy here.”

  Theda beamed at Lester. “I think that’s a simply marvelous idea,” she said.

  “Do you intend to open a law practice here?” Ralph Johnson asked.

  “I do indeed,” Lester said. “I’ve noticed that’s the one thing this town lacks.”

  Theda Johnson smiled at Beth. “I knew this would all work out for the best. Didn’t I tell you it would?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “Well,” Lester said, rising to his feet. “I think I should be going.”

  “I’ll walk you to the door,” Beth said.

  Lester shook Ralph Johnson’s hand. “Good night, sir.”

  “Good night, Harbaugh,” Ralph replied. “There’s a vacant building near the bank. If you want, I’ll ask around and see if it’s for sale.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Lester took Theda Johnson’s hand in his. “Good night, ma’am. Thank you for a lovely evening.”

  “Good night, Lester. I’m sure we’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Lester smiled. “Indeed, you will.” He turned to Beth. “Walk me to the door?”

  Beth nodded. Hand in hand, they left the parlor.

  “Thank you,” Beth whispered. “You saved my life in there.”

  “No problem.”

  “Are you really thinking of moving out here?”

  Lester nodded.

  “But why?”

  “I have my reasons,” he answered mysteriously. “And you’ll find them out soon enough.”

  “Les!”

  “That’s all I’m prepared to tell you right now.” Bending down, he brushed his lips across her cheek. “Good night, Beth. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow,” Beth echoed, and wondered what secret he was keeping from her.

  * * * * *

  Jenny and Ryder sat side by side on the sofa, enjoying the warmth of the fire, listening to the sound of the rain.

  “Well,” Jenny said, snuggling against him. “It’s been quite a day.”

  Ryder chuckled softly. “Quite.”

  “What do you think Les is planning?”

  “I don’t know. I got him alone for a few minutes before they left for home, but he wouldn’t say.”

  “I just don’t see how it can work out.”

  Ryder shrugged.

  “Do you? I mean, the wedding is only a couple weeks away. It doesn’t make sense to keep planning for something that isn’t going to happen.”

  “Maybe that’s his plan,” Ryder said with a wry grin. “Maybe he’s going to surprise us all by marrying her.”

  “I can only hope you’re joking,” Jenny exclaimed, punching him on the arm. “What would that solve?”

  “Not a darn thing.” Gathering Jenny into his arms, he began to nuzzle her neck. “I’m tired of worrying about Chase’s problem. He’s a big boy. He can work it out.”

  “I guess so. I saw Martha Crenshaw in town yesterday.”

  “Oh?”

  “She looks awful, Ryder. Old. I stopped to talk to her for a minute, and she said the bank’s talking about foreclosing on their ranch.”

  Ryder grunted softly. “Can’t say as I’m surprised.”

  “She’s got no family, nowhere to go.”

  “Yeah, well, her husband should have thought of that before he took to horse stealing and shot Ned Greenway.”

  “She’s not to blame for what Rance did. And what about her boys? Where will they go if she loses the ranch?”

  Ryder shook his head. Jenny had the softest heart in the whole world. He’d once claimed that she’d feel sorry for a snake, and she had replied, “Maybe, if he was sick and hungry and all alone in the world.” She’d been referring to her first husband at the time, but he knew it applied to anyone who was down and out.

  “We have so much, Ryder. It breaks my heart to think she might lose her home.”

  “Jenny, what do you want me to do?”

  “Talk to Ralph Johnson. Ask him to give her an extension.”

  “You know how I feel about Ralph.”

  “I know.”

  “All right, all right. I’ll talk to him next time I go to town.”

  “Thank you, Ryder. I knew I could count on you.”

  “Don’t you think I deserve a little reward for being so agreeable?”

  “What kind of reward?”

  “I’ll show you,” he said, and leaning forward, he kissed her. With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

  “We’re home alone,” he murmured. “And I hate to see that fire go to waste.”

  Holding her in his arms, he slid down to the bearskin rug that covered the floor in front of the hearth.

  “Ryder, not here,” she protested softly. “What if someone comes home?”

  “Let them find their own rug.”

  “You always were incorrigible,” Jenny murmured.

  “And you always loved it.”

  “And you.” She slid her hands under his shirt and raked her nails over his back. “Were you ever sorry, Ryder?”

  “Sorry about what?”

  “About settling down.”

  He lowered her to the floor, then gazed into her eyes. “A little late to be asking such a question, don’t you think?”

  “I know, but I’ve always wondered. You were such a wanderer when we first met. I know how you hated the thought of settling down. I remember one night I asked you if you missed the freedom of your old life.”

  “And do you remember what I said?”

  “You said there was a lot of pretty country out there. You talked about canyons and mountains and the beauty of wild places where no one else had ever been.” She blinked up at him. It had been so many years ago. A lifetime ago. At the time, she didn’t think she could love him more, but she’d been wrong. What she’d felt then paled in comparison to the love she felt for him now.

  “And do you remember what I told you?”

  Jenny laughed softly. “I remember.”

  “So do I. I told you that you had hills and valleys that put the Paha Sapa to shame.”

  “I’m afraid my hills are sagging,” Jenny muttered ruefully, “and my valleys have filled with flab.”

  Laughter rumbled deep in his throat.

  “Are you laughing at me?”
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  “I wouldn’t dare. After all, I don’t claim to be the same mighty warrior I was back then, either. But I love you, Jenny girl. More than my own life.”

  “And I love you,” Jenny replied tremulously. “So much. So much.”

  “If Beth and Chase are half as happy as we’ve been, they’ll do fine.”

  “And Dusty and Rebecca,” Jenny said.

  “And Les and Dorinda.”

  “Les and Dorinda! Do you think so?”

  “Are you blind, Jenny girl? They can’t keep their eyes, or their hands, off of each other.”

  “I guess I was so caught up in worrying about Chase and Beth I didn’t pay any attention, but now that you mention it, I think you’re right.” Jenny smiled at him. “Quite a crop we’ve harvested, Mr. Fallon.”

  “Well, they come from good stock,” Ryder replied. “What can you expect?”

  “I expect you to shut up,” Jenny said, slipping her arms around his neck and drawing him close, “and kiss me.”

  “Always willing to oblige a lady,” Ryder said, his voice suddenly husky. “All you had to do was ask.”

  * * * * *

  Thanksgiving dawned cool and cloudy. By afternoon, it was raining. Beth fretted over having to stay home and eat dinner with her parents. It was a holiday, and she wanted to spend it with Chase.

  Lester came over late that afternoon, bringing a box of candy for her mother, a box of cigars for her father, and a frilly pink bonnet for her.

  Sitting in the parlor, Beth kept staring out the window, wondering what Chase was doing, wishing she could go out to the Fallon ranch. She was certain the Fallon family was having much more fun than she was. Her mother was crocheting an afghan. Her father and Lester were playing chess. Was there ever such a boring game?

  With a sigh of exasperation, he picked up the book in her lap and tried to read, but she couldn’t concentrate of the words, couldn’t think of anything but the minutes slowly ticking by.

  Once, Lester looked up and caught her gaze. Giving her a half-smile, he shrugged, as if to say, “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

  Might as well grin and bear it, she thought ruefully, and staring down at the book in her hands, she read the page again.

  * * * * *

  Chase regarded his family as they sat around the dining room table after eating a huge meal. He hadn’t seen so much food at one time since he’d been a boy back in Rainbow Valley. Dorinda sat beside him, looking forlorn because Lester was spending the day at the Johnson house. Dusty and Rebecca sat across from Dorinda and Chase, smiling foolishly at each other every few minutes. Ryder sat at the head of the table, Jenny at the foot.

  “I’ll bet the Indians on the reservation aren’t celebrating today,” Ryder remarked as he sat back in his chair.

  “Now, Ryder, don’t start,” Jenny admonished. She tossed her napkin on the table, then began stacking plates.

  “Well, it’s true. Hell, if the Indians had been able to see into the future, they would have killed the Pilgrims and burned the Mayflower.”

  “Here, here,” Dusty said. “And we’d all be living wild and free and feasting on buffalo hump and tongue instead of turkey.”

  Chase grinned. Even though he’d just eaten his fill of turkey and ham, his mouth watered for the taste of fresh buffalo meat.

  Jenny glanced at Dusty, and then at Ryder. “I hate to bring this up, but neither one of you would be here if the Indians had burned the Mayflower,” she remarked dryly, “or have you both forgotten that you’re only part Indian?”

  “I haven’t forgotten,” Ryder muttered.

  “And you,” Jenny said, her eyes twinkling as she poked Ryder on the shoulder, “wouldn’t have me.”

  “Okay, okay, I give up,” Ryder said, grinning at his wife. “Maybe burning the Mayflower wouldn’t have been such a good idea.”

  “I hope you all saved some room for pie,” Jenny remarked as she carried an armload of dishes into the kitchen. “’Cause we’ve got apple and pumpkin.”

  Chase watched his sister get up and begin helping their mother clear the table. Dorinda had hardly said anything during dinner, and he knew she was thinking of Harbaugh, wishing he could be there. In the short time since Chase had met his sister, he’d grown to love her. She had a quick smile and a wry sense of humor. He thought it odd, considering that they hadn’t been raised together, that they shared the same ideals, that they held the same views on a good many subjects.

  Chase looked out the window, the conversation at the table fading into the distance as he wondered what Beth was doing. He should be able to get along without seeing her for one day, he thought ruefully. But it seemed as though it took hours for the minutes to pass and he resented each second, each minute, that kept them apart.

  The depth of his feelings for her amazed him. He had never thought to fall in love, especially with a white woman, yet Beth filled his every thought, his every dream for the future. If she wanted to spend her life here, he would do it. If she decided she wanted to move to the East, he would take her there, though it would kill him to leave this land.

  Beth. Her love had filled his heart, obliterated years of loneliness. Only a few more weeks and she would be his for all time.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  With Thanksgiving over, plans for the wedding became uppermost in everyone’s mind.

  The dress Beth had ordered arrived from New York on December 1. It was the most exquisite thing she had ever seen. Made of soft white satin, it had a square neck and long fitted sleeves. Hundreds of tiny seed pearls adorned the bodice.

  It was beautiful, if a trifle snug. Thank goodness the wedding was only a few weeks away. In another two months, the dress wouldn’t fit at all.

  She was standing in front of the mirror when her mother entered the room.

  “Elizabeth, how lovely you look,” Theda exclaimed. And then she frowned. “Did they send the right size? It looks a little small.”

  Beth swallowed hard as her mother tugged at the material.

  “We’ll have to have the seams let out a little. I’ll have Mattie see to it tomorrow. Hurry and change now. Lester is waiting downstairs.”

  Theda walked to the door, paused with her hand on the knob. “You’ll be a beautiful bride, dear,” she murmured, and left the room.

  Beth stared after her mother. Compliments from her parents had been few and far between.

  After removing her wedding gown, she put on a blue wool dress, brushed her hair, then hurried downstairs to meet Lester.

  It struck her again that he was quite a handsome man. The time they’d spent driving back and forth to the Fallon ranch had tanned his skin, making his blond hair seem even lighter.

  Dressed in a dark-brown suit and tie, he looked quite dashing as he sat in the parlor, conversing with her father.

  He stood up when she entered the room. Crossing the floor, he took her hands in his and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He was enjoying this, she thought. No doubt he found it quite amusing to play the part of her fiancé when she was in love with Chase, and he was in love with Dorinda.

  Imagining what her parents would think if they knew the truth made her smile.

  “Good afternoon, Lester,” she said. “Are you ready to go?”

  He nodded. “Best take a coat, Elizabeth. It’s cold out.”

  “All right. See you later, Father.”

  “Have a good time, Elizabeth. By the way, Harbaugh, I checked into that vacant building next to the bank. It’s available. I think you can get it for a good price, if you’re looking to buy.”

  “That’s good news,” Lester said. “I’ll stop by the bank tomorrow morning and we can discuss it.”

  Ralph Johnson nodded, pleased at the prospect of having a successful lawyer in the family.

  “Well,” Les remarked as they drove out to the Fallon ranch. “Who’d have ever thought things would turn out like this?”

  “Who, indeed?” Beth said. She chuckled softly. “If I hadn�
�t met Chase first, I think I would have fallen in love with you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. You’re quite charming, Mr. Harbaugh,” she remarked candidly, “and easy to talk to.”

  “And handsome,” Lester added, throwing her a self-mocking grin. “Don’t forget handsome.”

  “And handsome,” Beth agreed, grinning back at him.

  “Why, thank you kindly, Miss Johnson.”

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Harbaugh.” She watched the scenery pass by for a few moments, then placed her hand on his arm. “I really mean it, Les. Dorinda is a lucky girl.”

  Lester shrugged one shoulder. “I think you and I would have been happy together, Elizabeth. I’m sorry we never really had a chance to find out.”

  Beth nodded. “I want you to know how much I appreciate your help in all this.”

  “It was nothing. Sort of exciting, all this sneaking around. Do you think you and Chase will stay here in Twin Rivers after you’re married?”

  “I don’t know. I’d like to. I think he would, too. I guess it all depends on my parents.”

  “Your parents? How so?”

  “If they won’t accept Chase, our living here could be, I don’t know, awkward, I guess. You know what I mean?”

  “I think so.”

  “What about you? Are you really going to settle here, or did you just say that to throw my father off?”

  “No, I meant it. See that?” He pointed at a stretch of land to their left. “Twenty-five acres. I bought it day before yesterday.”

  “You did?”

  Lester grinned at her. “I’ve got an architect drawing up plans for a house.”

  “Have you told Dorinda?”

  “Not yet.”

  “What will your children think about moving West?”

  “My oldest isn’t very happy about it. She doesn’t want to leave her school or her friends, but she’s still young. She’ll adjust. At least I hope she will. The younger ones are excited about being able to have all the animals they want in the backyard.”

  Beth laughed softly. “When my father first told me about you, I pictured you as short and fat and as old as my father.”

  “No wonder you didn’t want to marry me.”

  “I hope you’ll be happy here.”