Before he could saddle his horse and attempt to follow them, they'd disappear into the darkness. Emily's pounding heart gradually slowed to its normal rhythm, her whole body suddenly feeling limp and weak with relief.
"I let his horse loose," Zach whispered, as if he'd read her mind. "He won't be chasing us for a while."
"I would have stayed," Emily said, "if it would have distracted them long enough for you to get Mary Ann to safety."
Zach snorted. "No way! Jake would have left you with Hulk or Bucky and gone on trying to get Mary Ann back. 'Course if he knows she's sick, he might have second thoughts. I hear he's about ready to leave town-having trouble getting people to gamble with him now. Word's out he cheats."
Before long, Zach slowed his horse to a walk. Not only was it easier on the animal but it was quieter so he could listen for pursuit. Moving slowly now, they followed a faint trail that wound among the hills in a southeasterly direction, the horse's hooves making only soft, muffled plops in the white dust.
His thoughts whirled in frantic circles. Where should he go now? If it was back to Tombstone, he'd have to find a seldom-used path where he'd be sure not to meet Jake. He was not sure either Emily or Mary Ann were safe at Nellie's, but he could not think of a better place to take them, especially since Mary Ann was still not well.
If he explained matters to Nellie, maybe she'd keep a close watch on Emily and not send her on any errands away from the boarding house. So long as she stayed inside, perhaps Jake would leave her alone.
The fact he was as concerned about Emily as he was about Mary Ann took Zach by surprise. Mary Ann was his sister; he'd been responsible for her for much of his life. So how had Emily achieved a place of equal importance in the few short days he had known her?
Certainly she was an unusual young woman, spunky and bold, very different from any of the ladies with whom he'd had anything to do in the past. Maybe it was just the novelty. She sat quietly in his lap now, leaning against him and apparently completely at ease.
She had one arm clasped around his waist, and her head rested on his shoulder, a few wisps of her hair tickling his throat and jaw. There was something very trusting in her posture and calmness. As small as she was, it was almost like holding a child-but Emily was no child and his body knew that very well.
Whether or not she was really from the future, this was not her fight, but she'd been drawn into it and then made it her own. Zach vowed to himself to see she came to no more harm as a result of that involvement. That was the least he could do.
~*~
Emily, worn out buy the harrowing experiences of the day and lulled by the gentle rocking movement of the horse's ambling walk, dozed off. With Zach holding her securely, she felt oddly safe, in spite of the fact they wandered who-knew-where in the darkness with a bunch of outlaws on their track, no doubt bent on violence.
But this was an adventure, an adventure like none she had ever dreamed she'd have. Someday perhaps she could tell her grandchildren about fleeing from bad men in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. They'd probably think she was telling tall tales!
Even if she never did get back to her own time, in fifty years she knew how different life would be-automobiles and airplanes, radios and movies and dozens of things no one had more than imagined yet. In 1939, this time would seem almost as remote as it did in 2000-or as 2000 did from this moment.
She sighed and burrowed her head into the hollow of Zach's shoulder. He might think her bold and fast, snuggling up that way, but it felt so good, so comfortable. Right now, that was all that mattered. Some inner sense told her she could not be safer in the care of anyone on earth, either of her time or his.
~*~
At the sudden cessation of motion, Emily snapped fully awake. Glancing around, she found they were in a narrow arroyo, the banks hardly an arm's length to either side and reaching high enough to cut off her view of a good deal of the star strewn sky.
"What..."
"Shh," Zach's warning was a barely-voiced whisper. He eased himself out from behind and under her to swing to the ground. As soon as he lit, he reached to put his hand over the bay's muzzle.
Emily clutched the saddle horn, feeling dizzy and exposed without Zach's warm presence beside her. Then she heard the clatter of hoof beats pounding up the broad wash they had been following. If that was Jake and his friends, they were really pushing to catch up. She wasn't sure how long she and Zach had been riding, for her intermittent naps had played hob with her normal awareness of time passing.
She nibbled her lip, trying not to make a sound as she breathed. The rhythm of her racing heartbeat thundered in her ears. The horse shifted slightly but Zach held him steady. As the other riders passed the mouth of their hideaway, Emily realized they'd traveled several hundred feet up the smaller gully, probably around a bend or two, for the sounds were muffled. She could hear voices but could not make out the words or identify the speakers.
Zach stood unmoving, his hand over the bay's muzzle until the sounds of the other riders faded into silence. "Whew," he said. "I'm glad they were making such a racket. And glad I noticed this little side canyon, too."
A chill settled in Emily's stomach at the thought. Jake would not take kindly to being foiled. She didn't envy The Hulk right now, as he'd probably borne the brunt of Jake's wrath, but she had no desire to share in it. "Do you think they'll come back?"
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"No, I don't think so," Zach replied. "There were enough tracks in the wash-cowboys and maybe cavalry-I doubt they'll realize they missed us before morning. Rusty is getting tired. The best thing we can do is go a little farther up this wash and rest until daybreak." As he spoke, he turned and started off, leading the horse.
"I can walk, too," Emily offered. She lurched in the saddle as the bay stubbed a toe on a rock and stumbled.
"No, you're so light he doesn't even know he's carrying anything. It won't be much farther."
True to that prediction, Zach rounded another bend and stopped. There the smooth sandy wash-bottom ended in a short cataract of stone. Occasional running water had dug out a basin at the bottom of it, which had half filled with soft sand. He dropped the reins to ground tie the bay and turned to lift Emily down.
As her feet touched the ground, she wavered a minute, her legs numb and stiff from the long ride. He held her until she steadied.
"There, are you all right now?"
She nodded. "Just took me a minute to get my land legs back."
Zach turned away to unsaddle the bay, slipped off the bridle and put a pair of hobbles on the horse. He patted the gelding's sweaty neck. "Sorry, old boy. I wish I had some oats for you, but we'll get to a stable tomorrow."
Zach turned back to Emily. "This is not going to be too comfortable," he said, apologetically. "But you can use the saddle blankets to soften the ground a bit and lean on the saddle for a pillow."
"How about you?"
"I think I'd better stay awake, just in case..."
Emily stiffened indignantly. "We can take turns keeping watch, then. Don't try to make a pampered lady out of me!"
"And there might be snakes or something," Zach added. "The cowboys say this helps." He released a coiled lariat from the saddle and made a large loop, which he placed on the ground, encircling the saddle and the makeshift blanket bed.
"They say a snake won't crawl across the rope."
Emily could not restrain a slight shudder. "Well, I hope they know what they're talking about. I don't like the idea of sharing my bed with a snake!"
She sat down, leaning back to wriggle into a halfway comfortable position and tried to relax. For a few minutes, Zach paced up and down in the little sandy pocket, but then he too settled down, sitting near Emily, with the saddle between them.
"You really should try to nap a bit," Emily said. "I think I slept about half the time since we left Jake's cabin, but you were picking the way and staying alert. I'll wake you if I hear anything."
Zach was clearly reluc
tant to accept her idea. "Are you sure? It doesn't seem right..."
Emily snorted, exasperated. "I don't know why not! We're in this together, and I'm more than willing to do my fair share."
Finally he agreed, reclining to rest his head on the saddle. Emily sat up, locked her arms around her knees and gazed at the star jeweled sky overhead. It had to be well past midnight, but she had no idea what the hour might be. There was yet no trace of dawn, which could mean it was any time from midnight to four or five in the morning. She knew the sun rose about five thirty and that it started getting light some time before that.
In spite of how hot the afternoon had been, the temperature had dropped many degrees since then. A thin breeze drifted down the canyon, raising chill bumps on Emily's bare arms and making her shiver. She huddled down, trying to find shelter behind the saddle, but that did no good.
Finally, when she was sure Zach was asleep, Emily crawled around to his side of the saddle, bringing the lighter of the two saddle blankets. She lay down beside him, unfolding the blanket to cover both of them. Although she had every intention of staying awake, the last thing she heard was the soft shuffle of the horse's hooves as he moved to nibble on some green mesquite leaves. At least she was warm now...and again feeling safe.
~*~
May 17, 1889
Zach awoke with a start, briefly confused as to where he was. The prickly edge of the saddle blanket rubbed his face and he inhaled the scent of sweaty horse and damp wool. And what was that warmth at his side, a soft and yielding warmth that shaped itself to his body?
He opened his eyes, catching the first rosy glow of dawn and a few fading stars overhead. The previous night's events came back in a rush. Emily-the warmth was Emily. He knew a moment's misgiving that they had both slept, no one standing guard except the faithful Rusty, but clearly no harm was done.
When he moved, Emily made a small mew of protest and snuggled closer. Zach smiled at her actions. He turned to look at her. Hair sweetly tousled and her face reflecting the dawn's tender light, she was lovely. Even with a smudge of dirt on her cheek, he'd never seen anything half so appealing. And what a game little trouper she was. He'd heard not one complaint from her in spite of the primitive conditions and the dangers they faced.
At that moment, she opened her eyes and their gazes met, meshed and held. Without any thought, he raised one hand and brushed the hair back from her brow. She smiled, her rosy lips parting and curving into an inviting portal.
"Good morning."
"Good morning to you, too." He had to smile back and then he had to taste her smile. As their lips met, her right arm found its way up around his neck, her fingers tangling in the hair that had begun to grow down over his collar. Her taste was as sweet as her smile, as welcoming and inspiring as the sunrise.
Forgetting all else for the moment, he lost himself in the kiss, feeling, smelling and tasting only Emily. Surely there was not another like her in the whole world. But she was here and for the moment, she was his. What more could he ask?
~*~
Before Zach's lips closed over hers, Emily was only half awake. Upon waking, she'd been caught up in confusion of where she was and why she was not in her bed at Nellie's-if not safely back in an even more familiar place. But at the first timid touch of Zach's warm mouth, every thought fled, replaced by her total absorption in the marvelous sensations the kiss invoked.
This time, fueled by the fear they had both endured and the unaccustomed intimacy of waking together, no shyness or restraint limited them, as it had in their first kiss. Emily slipped her free arm around Zach's neck, first because it seemed the right thing to do, and second to detain him if he showed any tendency to break away too soon.
She soon realized there was small danger of that. He made a leisurely exploration of this kiss, wandering from her lips to her chin, down to the hollow of her throat and back again to her lips, leaving every skin cell tingling with pleasure. Emboldened by the thoroughness of his attentions and the intoxicating way he nibbled and caressed her lips and face, she opened to his kiss and invited him to deepen it.
Just to be sure he got the message, she darted her tongue out to taunt his and withdrew, urging his to follow. He needed no second invitation. As they continued to kiss, they both moved, drawing closer together and tangling limbs. Zach kicked aside the confining folds of the blanket, no longer needed since the heat flowing through their veins canceled any coolness of the hour.
Emily's skirts bunched up around her knees, and then higher, as Zach's knee slipped between hers. The gathered neckline of her blouse slid off one shoulder, taking the strap of her bra with it and baring pale skin that had not seen the sun since her childhood. Zach shifted to rain kisses along her collarbone and the upper swell of her breast, igniting a sizzle of sensation that zinged through her whole body before settling low in her abdomen.
With her eyes closed, Emily could forget the bruises and scrapes that still marked Zach's face, trophies of his fight with the Hulk. She could ignore nagging thoughts of pursuit by Jake, and the danger looming over them still. Apparently the injuries did not pain him as much today, and his lips felt smooth, supple, warm and eager.
Of its own volition, her body arched. She pressed closer to him, flattening her breasts against the solid heat of his chest. He slid one hand beneath her to caress her back, using his leg and another hand to keep his weight from bearing on her too heavily.
Rusty, perhaps growing curious, chose that inopportune moment to shuffle over to them and stick his muzzle down to see what was going on. At first Zach swatted absently at the animal's exploring nose, but then he suddenly seemed to realize where he was and what he was doing. Emily opened her eyes as he surged up to a sitting position and let out a long shuddering breath. He shook his head as if chiding himself as he rose to his feet.
When he finally looked back at her, dismay warred with many other emotions in his expression. "I know I should apologize," he began, "for my mother did teach me how to treat a lady, and I know you're a lady, even if manners are different in your time. But I really can't say I'm sorry. Will you be offended if I admit kissing you is most pleasant?"
"How could I be offended? I enjoyed it, too, whether or not it was quite proper." Emily sat up, trying to wipe the giddy grin off her face. His chagrin was endearing, a refreshing change from the attitude of most of the men of her prior acquaintance who took all they could without so much as a by-your-leave.
Although she felt a sharp twinge of disappointment at the interruption, she knew they'd have been foolish to go any farther. She'd rarely been that passionate with Rich, even after they were engaged.
Guilt assailed her along with a certainty that Zach must think less of her for her wanton behavior. What should she say to him? A sense she dishonored Rich's memory added to her misery. How could she even think of another man so soon? She'd loved him with all her heart, and Zachary Tremaine, though pleasant and charming, was still practically a stranger.
She scrambled to her feet and shook out her wrinkled skirt. What a mess! Between riding and sleeping in the cotton garment, hardly an inch was without wrinkles and even a serious scrubbing would probably not make it clean again. She'd have to buy a new outfit for Angelina-assuming she made it back to Tombstone in one piece and was able to do so.
"For safety's sake, we'd best be up and out of here shortly. Now that it's light, Jake may decide to backtrack and see where he missed us."
Zach's reminder came like a dash of ice water in Emily's face. How foolish to have forgotten, even briefly, the danger that stalked them. She had not meant to fall asleep, either. The realization that someone could have crept up while they slept and captured them or worse sent a chill through her body.
Fighting back tears of frustration and distress, she watched while Zach gathered the tack. He soon had the bay saddled and ready to go. Before he mounted, he offered Emily a drink from his canteen and took one himself. The tepid water hardly made a satisfactory substitute for br
eakfast, but they were both glad to have it.
Even without oats or hay, the bay appeared rested and ready to go. Zach swung into the saddle. Once settled, he extended his hand to Emily. She got a toe in the stirrup, and with his help swung up behind him, bunching her skirt around her legs. By unspoken agreement, they both seemed to realize it would be best if she did not ride any farther in his lap.
Rather than lock her arms around his waist, Emily took hold of the saddle strings at either side of the cantle and held them to maintain her balance. They started off at an easy pace, heading back down the long wash for a short distance and then climbing a hill on the south bank.
Zach stopped short of the crest. He swung his leg across the front of the saddle and slid to the ground. "Wait here," he said. "I'm going to go on up and look around. I can crouch down and be much less obvious than a horse and rider-to say nothing of a horse and two riders."
Emily could not disagree with that wisdom. She took the reins and held the bay still while Zach made his way to the crest of the hill. He disappeared behind a jumble of rocks along the rim. She waited for what seemed a long while before a rattle of stones around the hill, almost out of sight, drew her attention.
Zach emerged and beckoned for her to ride over to him. Without moving into the saddle, she tightened her knees against the bay's round barrel and urged him ahead. He picked his way daintily along the rocky slope, pausing when he reached Zach without so much as a tug on the reins.
"I've decided we'll go to Bisbee," Zach said. "It's a pretty long ride, but Jake won't be likely to look for us there."
Emily digested Zach's surprising announcement in silence. Not go back to Tombstone? Why, when it had to be much closer? "What about Mary Ann?"
Zach hesitated a long moment. "I trust Mrs. Cashman to take care of her, don't you? I cannot imagine even Jake daring to threaten or harm anyone in her care. She has a lot of friends and a great deal of respect among the citizens of Tombstone."
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