Carol Finch

by The Ranger's Woman

  For sure and certain, Penelope was coming back to Galveston to resume her rightful place as heir to the Sullivan fortune. As far as Roarke was concerned, her no-account husband could sit out here by himself and rot. The man should be shot for forcing his blue-blooded wife to endure such a dismal existence.

  Captain Matthew Duncan better believe that Roarke was going to have a few things to say about dragging Penelope out to hell’s fringe and forcing her to live like a commoner!

  Chapter Eleven

  Piper was enormously relieved when the procession veered down from the treacherous stone ledges and V-shaped ravines to follow a broad valley that led southwest. When Quinn noticed riders approaching from the west he grabbed one of the Mexican’s wide-brimmed sombreros and crammed it on Piper’s head. She stared curiously at him when he draped one of the men’s grimy serapes over her shoulders.

  “No sense putting you at risk,” he explained. “The disguise isn’t as effective as the snippy old widow Agatha’s, but this will keep you from drawing unwanted attention. Just keep your head down.”

  Piper ducked her head and pulled the foul-smelling serape around her. She made a mental note to rent a hotel room in the community where Quinn said they would stop. The hat and garment reeked of whiskey and sweat and she couldn’t wait to cast them aside, draw in a fresh breath of air and enjoy a long-awaited bath.

  Her attention shifted to the six rugged-looking riders that trotted toward them. She watched interestedly when a smile kicked up the corners of Quinn’s mouth and he raised his hand in greeting.

  “Well, if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes,” the man with the salt-and pepper-colored hair said as he halted beside Quinn. His sharp-eyed gaze settled on the Mexican captives. “Looks like you’ve been busy. We’ve been searching the area for the past few days and we seem to have been a few steps behind the road agents.” His disapproving stare landed squarely on the Comanche warriors. “Why aren’t these renegades bound up?”

  When Quinn gestured for the riders to follow him out of earshot, then motioned for Piper to join them, she trotted forward. She was inordinately pleased that Quinn was considerate enough to include her in the conversation. She wanted to reach out and hug him, but she ducked her head and hunched her shoulders forward instead.

  “I deputized these warriors,” Quinn announced. “They are former acquaintances. They also know this country as well as I do. I request that you pull a few strings, Commander Butler, and take advantage of the expertise they can offer during the strike against the bandits’ hideout.”

  Piper blinked, suddenly aware that this ragtag group of men was a battalion of Rangers. They wore no distinguished uniforms to set them apart from brigands. They looked as hard-bitten and well armed as Quinn. She assumed they made it a practice to conceal their badges until proper identification was necessary.

  “What tribe do they hail from?” Butler questioned as he carefully studied the warriors’ buckskin garments. “Look like Comanches to me.”

  “They are.” Quinn smiled wryly as he glanced back at Red Hawk and Spotted Deer. “They pointed me in the direction of the Knights’ stronghold in Dead Man’s Canyon. They also helped me scout the hideout in preparation for our attack.”

  Commander Butler eyed the warriors speculatively. “Are you sure they are reliable?”

  Quinn nodded. “I will take full responsibility for them. Their English is practically nonexistent, but you can communicate with them in Spanish.”

  After the company of frontier fighters nodded agreeably, Butler shrugged. “If you can vouch for them, then they are hired as scouts.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Quinn frowned curiously at the assembled battalion. “I thought you were waiting for my missive before you rode out here. What changed your plans?”

  Butler pulled off his dusty hat and slapped it against his thigh. “We were sent out to locate a kidnap victim. So far we haven’t had any luck tracking her down. Which doesn’t bode well for the poor woman, I’m afraid.” He arched a questioning brow. “Ever heard of the Sullivans from Galveston?”

  Piper jerked up her head, her confused gaze darting to Quinn who wore a carefully neutral expression. Kidnap victim? Where had that ridiculous rumor come from?

  “I’ve heard the name,” Quinn replied blandly.

  “According to the girl’s father, she was abducted and was presumed to have been on a stage bound for Fort Davis. Can’t fathom how Mr. Sullivan knew that, but he sent us to rescue the girl.”

  Quinn smiled faintly. He could fathom how that might have happened. No doubt, Roarke had twisted the story a bit to make sure that he acquired the assistance of the Rangers.

  The man didn’t waste time with underlings, Quinn mused. Roarke had gone straight to the top to enlist the services of the state’s most reputable fighting force. Then he must have decided to head west to be on hand when Piper was located—if she were located.

  “Unfortunately,” Lieutenant Vance Cooper spoke up, “we have reason to believe that she might have disguised herself to elude her captor. We found evidence of a woman passenger on the doomed stage that wrecked on a cliff.” He grinned in relief. “We figured you might be on the same stage and we were damned worried about you, Cal. Guess you’ve got as many lives as a cat or you wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “I was on that stage,” Quinn confirmed. “Close call.”

  Butler’s thick brows rose sharply. “Was there a female passenger with you? Did she mention that she escaped from her captor? Do you know if she’s still alive?”

  Quinn reached over to pluck the sombrero off Piper’s head, allowing her curly blond hair to cascade around her shoulders. All six men’s eyes popped in surprise as they stared at her. “Does Piper fit the description you were given?”

  Butler nodded as he stared at Piper in astonishment. “You have been in the wilds with Cal this entire time, Miss Sullivan?”

  “Yes, sir,” Piper replied, then smiled wryly. “It has been an eventful week.”

  “But how did you elude your kidnapper?” Butler questioned, bemused.

  When she squirmed uneasily beneath the commander’s probing stare Quinn spoke on her behalf—and then realized he was probably stepping on her independent toes. “There seems to have been a misunderstanding. Miss Sullivan left on her own accord. Her father must not have been fully aware of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.”

  “That is Callahan’s subtle way of saying that my father obviously resorted to any method necessary to see that you tracked me down,” Piper interjected. “I also know that he was on the stage that was robbed by these Mexican bandoleros. I identified his ring and watch among the stolen items Quinn confiscated from them. I can’t say how much money he was carrying, but I’m sure part of the cash Quinn recovered belongs to him.”

  She frowned worriedly. “Did you send word to my father that I might have died in the stage wreck?”

  Commander Butler shifted uneasily in the saddle. “Yes, ma’am, I did. I’m sorry. But we couldn’t fathom how anyone could have survived that disastrous wreck.” He glanced curiously at Quinn. “Just how did you get out of that stage alive?”

  “Long story,” Quinn said. “I’ll explain it later.”

  The commander opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. Clearly he was curious about the details of the holdup, but Quinn had more pressing matters to discuss.

  “Our foremost concern is jailing these outlaws and formulating a plan of attack,” Quinn insisted. “The bandits will become suspicious when their Mexican cohorts don’t return to the hideout promptly.”

  When the Rangers reined back in the direction they had come Quinn requested that the Comanches bring the prisoners forward. The procession picked up the pace and trotted west.

  “We have received some disturbing information since we last contacted you, Cal,” the commander reported grimly. “We have been informed of a plot to lure in Rangers for extermination.”

  Quinn jerked up his head and fro
wned. “What sort of conspiracy are we facing?”

  “The Knights of the Golden Circle are trying to rid themselves of as many Rangers as possible for capturing and killing their cohorts and kinfolk,” Butler elaborated. “We think the reason for this rash of robberies in the area is twofold. Not only are these bandits padding their pockets with stolen money and the profits from horses and cattle, but also they are trying to gain our attention. They are trying to provoke us into coming after them.”

  “You will understand why they want us to come to them when you get a look at their stronghold in Dead Man’s Canyon,” Quinn muttered. “With its steep cliffs, the box canyon they’ve got set up makes one hell of a fortress. There is one obvious way in and we will be sitting ducks if we strike as a united force.”

  He hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “That’s another reason why the Comanches will be beneficial to our siege. They can lead a flank of men along the little-known trails on the ridges. Our only hope of success is to surprise the outlaws that are tramping all over sacred Comanche burial ground.”

  Butler glanced back at the warriors. “That should guarantee that they don’t try to double-cross us.”

  “Double-crosses are not the Comanche way,” Quinn said in defense of his adopted clan. “It has always been the white man who goes back on his word repeatedly.” Long-held bitterness crept into his voice. “You get the truth from the Comanche, whether you want to hear it or not.”

  The Rangers chuckled in amusement and six pairs of eyes settled speculatively on Quinn.

  “So that’s where that trait of yours comes from,” Cooper mused aloud. “Always wondered about that.”

  Quinn knew he had nothing on Piper these days when it came to outright honesty. She had begun to speak her mind, even when there were times when he wished she would keep some of those unsettling thoughts to herself. He did not, however, voice that comment to his companions. But he and Piper did exchange significant glances. He swore she knew what he was thinking when she smiled impishly at him.

  “I’ve been a Comanche longer than I have been white. But the point is that these warriors are trustworthy, experienced in battle and they won’t betray our cause. I’ll stake my reputation on that.”

  “Then we won’t be wary about relying on them to guard our backs, if necessary,” Cooper declared, then frowned curiously. “How many Rangers do you think it will take to seal off the canyon and make a strike on the bandits?”

  “How many men can we spare for this siege?” Quinn asked.

  “We have a battalion at Van Horn that consists of eight seasoned fighters. It would take at least a day to contact our reinforcements.”

  “If we have explosives and considerable firepower at our disposal, then we should be able to launch an attack,” Quinn speculated. “We spotted two dozen outlaws milling around the hideout. These five Mexicans will be out of commission, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other road agents targeting banks and nearby ranches that have yet to report in.”

  “Oh, good. Outnumbered again,” Butler said, and snorted. “Can’t imagine what it would be like to engage in a battle where we weren’t on the short end of lopsided odds.”

  Piper was greatly relieved when the men picked up the pace. She wasn’t sure where her father was, but if she could reach the garrison before he surprised Penelope she would be grateful. She could only hope that discovering that she was alive would make Roarke easier to deal with. But she had the unmistakable feeling that her near-brush with catastrophe would have the opposite effect on him.

  Quinn dropped back beside her as the procession moved west. “Discovering that you’re alive and well should soften up your father,” Quinn said, smiling encouragingly at her. “Roarke might be so relieved that he’ll be more receptive to your announcement of independence and agree to anything.”

  Piper snorted in contradiction. “If you knew my father you would realize that he will likely blame me for putting him through undue stress. He will be outraged that I put myself in danger.” She frowned contemplatively. “I’m beginning to wonder if the purpose of his journey southwest, upon hearing that I might have perished, is to drag my sister back to become the surviving heir. The fur will fly if Papa demands that Penny pack up and leave her husband.”

  Quinn studied her speculatively. “Perhaps your sister is tired of doing without luxuries and yearns for a more active social life,” he ventured.

  Piper tilted her chin and said, “Penny is devoted to Matthew. It is a Sullivan family trait. We do not bail out when things become difficult. If that were the case, I would still be bawling my head off back in one of those nameless canyons and demanding that you take me to Galveston.”

  Quinn shrugged a broad shoulder. “It wouldn’t be the first time a woman with stars in her eyes came west to join her husband at an isolated fort, then had a change of heart. I’ve seen it happen repeatedly.”

  “We Sullivans are not fainthearted,” Piper said defensively. “When you meet Penny you will realize how badly you have misjudged her.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’ll reserve judgment until then,” he said skeptically.

  “Fine, then prepare to be mistaken. If I, being a Sullivan, announced that I would follow you to the ends of the earth because I loved you, then I would honor the commitment. Penny has done the same thing.”

  Quinn stared pointedly at her. “I would never ask a woman to make such a sacrifice and endure unnecessary hardship.”

  “That’s probably because you have never fallen in love,” she countered. “You would have no problem imagining your life without a woman in it. But Matt rescued Penny from a robbery attempt three years ago. At first meeting she swore she had met her soul mate. After that, she and Matt were inseparable, despite Papa’s objections. They defied him because they are deeply committed to each other and that makes all the difference.”

  Quinn decided that debating the issue with Piper was a waste of time. She stood firm in her idealistic beliefs, but he was a realist and he had seen marriages fail among military officers whose duty it was to defend the frontier. Many of the army wives chose to live in the East and lead separate lives.

  “I still wouldn’t ask a woman to make that kind of sacrifice,” Quinn said, determined to get in the last word—for once.

  She smiled tauntingly at him. “You won’t have to because our arrangement doesn’t require that. I know what you think of me, Callahan. The last thing you want is to have me tagging along behind you indefinitely.”

  She didn’t have a clue what he secretly wanted, he reflected as he watched her nudge her mount to trot up beside Commander Butler. As for love, Quinn wasn’t sure there was such a thing. There was wary respect, sexual attraction, vengeance and several other emotions that influenced a man’s actions. Quinn had no experience whatsoever with love and he wondered if his upbringing had made it impossible for him to feel anything remotely close to that sentiment.

  Furthermore, emotional attachments were painful when they ended abruptly. Quinn had suffered loss more often in his life than he cared to count.

  He was not going to make the foolish mistake of falling in love with Piper and that was that.

  He did admire and respect her, though. And true, he was unwillingly attracted to her. Also true, being with her brought unexpected happiness and unfamiliar pleasure. That is, when she wasn’t making him loco by debating with him or defying him.

  Quinn had never allowed himself to form a strong emotional bond with anyone the past two decades. Aside from Taylor Briggs, of course. He had suffered grief and anger when Taylor died. Quinn had vowed not to make the mistake again because every close association in his life had ended badly. He had endured more than his fair share of emotional upheaval. He was not going to let Piper so close that leaving her behind colored every one of his thoughts and left him pining for things that could never be.

  No, he told himself. He was sticking to his original plan. He would marry Piper for her convenience, if that pro
tected her from her domineering father. But he wasn’t going to get so attached to her that losing her would devastate him and leave him vulnerable and restless.

  The more he thought about it the more convinced he became that it was a good thing the Mexican bandits had shown up when they did last night. He was probably better off not knowing what he was missing with Piper. It would only make it more difficult when they parted company.

  Piper noticed that Quinn had become more standoffish after reuniting with his squadron of Rangers. She also noticed that the lawmen had a great deal of respect for his ideas and opinions. Among his peers he was a valued member of a clan of fighters who had dedicated their lives to protecting helpless citizens from danger. She could understand why Quinn had made a place for himself with the renowned Rangers. It was a life that would never include her, even if she were foolish enough to fall in love with him.

  As if you haven’t fallen a little bit in love with him already, said that annoying voice inside her head.

  Well, it didn’t matter how she felt, Piper told herself as she followed the Rangers into a settlement of adobe and timber buildings that was nestled beside a bubbling spring. Her foremost concern was obtaining a marriage license. The next thing on her agenda was to make the two-hour ride to Fort Davis so she could alert Penny to their father’s imminent arrival.

  When Piper noticed Red Hawk and Spotted Deer’s wary regard for the Mexican and white settlers in Catoosa Gulch she took it upon herself to provide suitable shirts and breeches for the Comanches so they could fit in, now that they had been deputized. The men had supplied her meals, guided and protected her from harm and now she had the chance to repay them—even if the gesture might put a dent in her limited funds.