by Paty Jager
A lump of fear lodged in his throat. He fell to his knees and pulled her up into his arms, batting at the smoldering skirt.
“Are you okay?” He looked at her soot-covered face and disheveled hair and thought he’d never seen anyone so beautiful.
Darcy coughed and looked at him with such sweet innocence it made his gut twist.
“I knew you’d find me.”
He wanted to kiss her; instead he pulled her to her feet and inspected the still smoldering skirt.
The thunder of hooves reminded him who they followed. Before he could look up, Darcy was swooped out of his hands. The object she clutched to her chest fell to the ground at his feet. He looked up into the wicked eyes of Tobias Craven.
“I got your girl, so don’t try to follow me.” The man looked down at Gil with wide, wild eyes. “I know you’ve been following me. Don’t do it anymore or she gets killed.” Craven squeezed Darcy around the middle, and she squeaked.
Gil moved to drag her from the horse, but Craven shoved a foot in his chest. “I mean it. Don’t follow me or I’ll kill this harlot.” Craven jabbed his heels into the horse, and they disappeared out of sight through the trees.
“Gil! Gil! Are you okay? Where’s he taking Darcy?” Jeremy ran out of the trees as Gil bent to pick up the object Darcy dropped.
His eyes misted when he recognized his mother and father. How had she gotten a tintype of his parents? And how had she realized who they were? He looked down at his parents. They appeared happy and full of love. Searching their beloved faces, he tried to find traces of disapproval on their faces. In his dreams, they were always disappointed in him. He’d failed them. Because he’d wanted to catch a frog, he’d left the mine and his parents and younger brother alone. He knew the older boys blamed him for not being there to help when the Indians came through and killed them.
He saw it in their eyes when he came whistling back from the pond, and they all stood there red eyed from crying and thinking he had been taken by the Indians.
He looked down at the tintype and all the old feelings of regret and recrimination flowed through him. He’d let his family down.
Jeremy tugged on his shirt.
“Are we going after Darcy?”
Gil rubbed his coat sleeve under his nose and looked at Jeremy’s worried face. Here was a chance to make things right for this family. He wouldn’t let Darcy and Jeremy down. Retrieving his horse’s reins from the boy, he looked in the direction the scoundrel disappeared with Darcy.
Craven called her a harlot, which meant he still didn’t know who she was. That was one thing in Darcy’s favor, as long as she kept her mouth closed, he shouldn’t figure it out with the dress and the soot all over her face.
He looked at Jeremy and ruffled his hair. “We almost had her.”
“We’ll get her this time.” Jeremy grabbed his hand. “Come on.”
“Not so fast, Craven said if we follow he’ll kill her. We have to go slow and follow his tracks so we don’t get too close too soon.” Gil ran his fingers over the tintype. They were so happy together. He looked up at the boy’s expectant face.
“Come on. Let’s see how easy a trail he’s left us to follow.”
They led the horses to the edge of the clearing where Craven disappeared. Gil smiled. If the old man held Darcy for long like he carried her when he left, his arm would get tired in a hurry. She may not weigh much, but a man like Craven wasn’t use to such work. Especially after digging that hole earlier. Gil led his horse, watching for broken branches and—he reached out plucking a scrap of scorched cloth from a limb. Yep, they would eventually catch up.
*****
Darcy lay limp across the horse’s neck. Craven carried her dangling from his arm for a while, then unceremoniously plopped her over the horse’s neck. She could tell by the way he patted her backside every now and then he didn’t know he patted his marshal. He thought she was a prostitute, giving him the right to put his hands on her anywhere he wanted. She wanted to slap him and tell him to go to hell. But knew she’d be dead if he figured out her true identity. She lay still and dragged her feet through as much brush as she could, hoping if she didn’t break branches she at least left something for Gil to follow.
She smiled. Her heart hammered in her chest thinking of the glimmer in Gil’s eyes when he looked at her back at the cabin. She’d seen love shining out at her. She may not have seen it a lot, but she remembered her father looking at her mother that way.
The horse stopped. She held her breath and waited. The vulgar man dismounted and pulled her down off the horse. Her numb feet and shaky legs caused her to fall against Craven. Her back pressed against his round belly. Turning her head, she looked up into his pudgy face. His yellow-stained mustache made her stomach churn. She could tell by the look in his eyes, she wouldn’t like what was coming.
He pulled her closer, his hands on her breasts. Darcy bit her lip, forcing herself not to say anything. He slipped a hand into her bodice and pulled a breast out. When he bent his head, his mustache poked the delicate skin. She jumped out of his grasp.
“Get back here bitch. You lost me money setting that cabin on fire.”
Darcy trembled. She didn’t want this man touching her. But she didn’t know how to keep him from doing what he wanted. He was a lot bigger than her. Even though he wasn’t strong, his sheer size could easily out handle her.
“Your mustache poked me,” she said in a breathy whisper.
“Oh, sorry.” He smiled apologetically and stepped closer. He grabbed the breast hanging over the bodice and pulled her body to him. His other hand grabbed at the junction of her legs. Darcy squeezed her eyes shut and tried to make believe it was Gil, but that only made her mad. This man had no right to touch her so, even if he did think she was a harlot.
She raised her knee fast and hard connecting with his crotch. A rush of putrid air blew in her face as he bent to clutch his prized manhood. She bent to look at his face contorted in pain. The sight made her smile.
He squinted at her, growled an oath, and slapped her hard across the face.
The act stunned her. No man had ever hit her. Lifting her skirt, she pulled out the pearl handled pistol. His face paled when she pointed the barrel at the spot between his bushy eyebrows.
“Don’t you come after me or I’ll shoot you where I kicked you.” She backed away with the gun aimed at his crotch. When she was a good distance, she turned and ran back the way they’d traveled.
She heard him yelling, “When I catch you bitch, you’re dead!”
Darcy ran as hard as she could with the remnants of the dress catching between her legs. If he followed, he’d have no trouble catching her. She had to get back to Gil. He loved her and would protect her.
When her legs collapsed and her lungs burned from sucking air, she clutched the gun to her and collapsed in a heap at the base of a tree. Curling up in a ball, she wished her parents hadn’t died, and she hadn’t been born with bad luck.
Chapter 15
Gil didn’t take any chances. He moved cautiously through the trees, noting every broken branch and piece of cloth they found. Darcy had left him a good trail to follow. No one traveling through trees and brush could leave this many clear signals unless on purpose. He smiled. She was smart and brave. Wait till he took her to the ranch, the other hands would fall all over themselves they didn’t meet her first.
He chuckled and Jeremy looked at him.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, just thinking about the ranch hands where I work.”
“Is it your family’s ranch?” The wistfulness in the boy’s voice matched Gil’s own longing to belong to the ranch.
“No. I’m hoping to make foreman when I get back.” That was if he brought Pete back.
“You got any family?” Jeremy pulled his horse up alongside Gil.
“I have four brothers. But I don’t see them much.”
“How come?”
“I haven’t lived at home for
a long time.” Gil hadn’t returned since his parents’ deaths. He knew he wasn’t wanted. “We don’t get along like you and Darcy.”
“If I had four brothers I’d want to see them all the time. I’ve always wished for a brother.” He looked sheepish. “Don’t tell Darce that or she’ll knock me six ways to Sunday.”
“She’s one tough lady, your sister.” Gil reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. “We’ll find her, and she’ll pry be spitting mad when we do.”
Jeremy smiled. “Yeah.”
Gil rounded a large bush and spied something green piled at the base of a pine. He stopped his horse and motioned for Jeremy to do the same. The green pile didn’t move and it had a startling resemblance to the dress he’d last seen Darcy wearing. His chest squeezed with fear. Did being cautious leave Darcy vulnerable? As much as he wanted to race forward and see if it was her, his instincts told him to take his time and view the situation from all sides. He studied the area.
“Jeremy,” he whispered, pointing to the object. “Go see what that is. I’ll circle around and watch for a trap.”
Jeremy nodded, handing his reins to Gil.
Gil flipped the reins of the two horses over a limb. Watching the boy approach the green pile, he snuck through the bushes to the opposite side of the object.
Jeremy knelt by the tree and said something.
Gil’s heart pummeled his chest when Darcy sat up and hugged her brother. He watched a little longer from the cover, making sure no one came out from the far side. When he was certain it wasn’t an ambush, he made his way to the hugging siblings.
“Darcy, are you all right?” he asked, dropping to his knees beside the woman.
She wrapped her arms around him and wept. He rubbed her back and cooed soft words. He wasn’t sure what he said; only she felt right in his arms.
“There, I’ve got you now and nothing is going to happen to you.” He shifted to a sitting position, pulling her onto his lap. She turned, and he saw a handprint on her soot-covered face as well as a breast poking out of her bodice.
The bastard hit his woman. Gil shut his eyes and ground his teeth to control the emotions ricocheting inside. He would hunt Craven down and kill him.
Thankfully, Jeremy was behind Darcy and couldn’t see her state of undress. Gil didn’t think the boy would understand. The two were close. Riding around with the boy the last two days, he’d learned just how close.
When he could speak in a controlled tone, Gil said, “Jeremy, take the horses about a mile that direction.” He nodded with his head. “Make camp, and we’ll catch up when Darcy feels up to it.”
“Why do I got to go so far off the trail?” Jeremy asked, looking longingly at his sister.
“If Craven comes back looking for Darcy we don’t want to be where he can find us easily. Now do as I say and we’ll be along.” Gil looked down at Darcy’s charred dress. “Leave my saddlebags. Your sister is going to need a change of clothes.”
Jeremy reluctantly followed the orders. When he was out of sight, Gil took Darcy’s head in his hands. He gazed into her wet eyes and gently touched the purple bruise with his thumb. “Why did Craven hit you? What else did he do?”
Darcy avoided looking at him. She gulped and tried to say the words. Her body shook with fear of Carven and fear that Gil would think her the strumpet she pretended. The vile man had put his hands on her—. She felt dirty and unworthy of the concern she saw in Gil’s eyes.
“I know he touched you.” Gil gently cupped her breast in his hand and pulled the bodice up over both his hand and the breast. His hand remained on her skin, warm and comforting.
“He kept patting my backside when he had me sprawled across the neck of the horse.” She looked up into the soothing brown eyes of the only man she ever wanted to touch her.
“What else,” he asked quietly, removing his hand from her bodice and picking up her hand. He twined his fingers with hers and kissed the soot-covered knuckles.
“He—he stopped up there.” She nodded back the direction she had run. “He pulled me off the horse and started acting randy.” She looked into his face. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he stared over her head. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her. “At first I thought, play the part, go along.” She gulped as his gaze locked with hers. “But I couldn’t.” Tears slid down her cheeks. She wiped at them with the back of her hand.
“When he pulled my bodice down and touched…” She hiccupped and turned away from his penetrating brown eyes. “I kicked him like my pa taught me and ran back this way.”
Gil pulled her against his chest and squeezed so hard she could barely breathe, but it didn’t matter as long as she was safe in his arms.
“You’re never getting out of my sight. Not until we have Craven where he belongs, in his own jail.” He hugged her tight before holding her away from his body. “How did your dress catch on fire?”
Darcy told him of the dancing and twirling. She had to smile and laugh as she retold the ordeal.
“Where’re those clothes you were talking about?” she asked.
“In my saddlebag. Wouldn’t you like to clean up a bit before you put them on?”
“How?”
Gil stood, taking her by the elbow. “About a quarter mile that way there’s a lake.” He walked over to where Jeremy had unceremoniously dumped his saddlebag. He flung it over his shoulder and escorted her through the trees.
Darcy looked at their surroundings for the first time and found they were in beautiful country. The tall pine and fir trees whispered to one another as birds twittered and called. The undergrowth wasn’t thick and a person could walk with relative ease. Of course it helped half her skirt was gone, so it didn’t drag the ground and catch on things.
“Where are we?”
“About half way between Galena and Granite. The lake’s called Olive.”
They came over a slight rise and stretching before them was a crystal clear lake.
“It’s beautiful.” She turned to Gil. “How’d you know it was here?”
“Been here a couple times.”
“How far is Granite from Baker?”
“A Good day’s hard ride. Why?”
Darcy slipped a paper out of the pocket of her skirt. “I think Craven is planning on taking the train out of Baker.” She handed Gil a piece of torn newspaper with the train schedule from Baker City. She’d pulled the paper from the man’s jacket pocket when she hung by his side. The sound of rustling paper as her body bounced against his had caught her attention. She’d pulled the paper out planning to drop it for Gil to follow. When she saw it was a train schedule, she stuffed it in the pocket of her skirt.
He looked at the piece of paper and up at her. “How?”
“Just lucky, I guess.”
He grinned and tried to shove it into his pocket. Frowning, he pulled out the tintype.
“How did you know this was my parents?” he asked, stopping at the edge of the water and staring at the picture.
Darcy saw sadness and regret in his eyes. She wanted to hold him, but instinct told her this wasn’t the time. Squatting at the edge of the water, she tested it with her fingers. “You have your mother’s mouth and your father’s eyes.” She looked over at him. “Where are they?”
“Dead.” He shoved the tintype back in his pocket.
“When?” She sat down and unbuttoned her shoes.
“I was Jeremy’s age. I went down to the pond to look for a frog. I wanted to put it in a lunch pail at school that day. When I came back my older brothers were running around looking scared. They’d come back with a load of firewood.” He frowned. “I was supposed to help them, but begged out saying I had a stomach ache.” He picked up a rock and heaved it out into the clear water. “Just ’cuz I wanted to scare a girl.”
“What happened while you were gone?” Darcy pulled her shoes off and looked up at his trouble face.
“We thought some renegade Indians came through and killed Ma, Pa, and my yo
unger brother. And took some things.” He turned the tintype over in his hands. “But if this was with those outlaws… How’d they get it from Indians?”
“You think that bumbling group killed your family?” She started to stand, but he motioned for her to stay. He came over and squat in front of her.
“I don’t know. All I know is my brothers thought I should have been at the house to help protect my mother and younger brother. I saw it in their eyes. Heard it in their voices.” He picked up her foot and rolled the stocking down. “I left after a week, and I ain’t been back.”
“Don’t you want to see them? I’m sure after all this time they don’t still blame you. They couldn’t. It wouldn’t be family-like to still have hard feelings.” She looked down when his hand slide up her leg, relieving her of the long, black stocking.
“Oh.” Darcy sucked in her breath. “I want to talk about you and your family.” His touch ignited small fires of desire. She pulled her foot away. He merely took her other foot.
She looked down at her stockings draped across her shoes and wondered how they both got there.
“I don’t want to talk about my brothers. I want to talk about the woman I can’t quit thinking about.” He reached up, popping the buttons down the front of her bodice.
“This doesn’t belong to me,” she said, watching the buttons, one by one, disappear in the folds of her scorched skirt.
Gil tipped his head back and laughed. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as his chin shook.
“I don’t think whoever it belongs to will want it back in its condition.” He pushed the bodice open with his hands, revealing the lacy chemise underneath. With practiced hands he untied the undergarment and slid both pieces of clothing to her waist, exposing her upper torso to the late afternoon sun.
Darcy wasn’t the least shocked to sit beside a lake in the middle of the day with a man staring at her bared skin. It felt right for Gil to touch her and undress her. She willed it to continue.
“Stand,” he said, standing beside her and helping her to her feet. He unbuttoned the top of the skirt and untied the petticoat leaving them to fall to the ground around her. She stepped out of the circle of garments.