She snorted. “Do you think I want to spend the rest of my life wondering if my husband is imagining all sorts of bad things about me? Is perhaps following me around to prove him right?”
Michael reached out and touched her hand. “Just talk to him. Hear his side of the story. Give him a chance to make it up to you.” He stood and offered Rachel his hand. “I know you very well. You are in love with that man. Sometimes love has to take a leap of faith.”
“He has no faith in me!”
“Maybe his faith was a bit shaken. But you have to have faith that your love for each other can handle whatever problems come up. I’ve told you many times before. Will needs a father. I think Rusty would be a great one.”
They started back to the boardinghouse. “And if I don’t forgive him, will you come after me with a shotgun?” Her smile didn’t quite make it.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
***
Two days later Rusty snapped at another of his men, then stormed off. Hell, if he didn’t get Rachel out of his mind he would be left with no employees at all. He was pretty damn sure his men had taken about as much as they would. Even Mac threatened yesterday to drag him behind the barn and beat the living tar out of him.
If only that would solve his problem. What he needed was for someone to take hold of that stubborn woman and shake some sense into her. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he had plans for Mrs. Stevens. He’d arranged for Mac to fix him a picnic basket, and even if he had to tie her up, she would go with him for an afternoon out and listen to what he had to say.
Things had gotten so desperate that even Amelia warned him she would ride into town and tell Rachel how difficult Rusty had become to live with. The only good thing to come of Rachel’s desertion was how he and Amelia were getting on. Having her in the house with him, without Rachel to buffer them, had done a lot for their relationship. They’d had several long talks, and he was almost confident that things would work out between them.
He strode into the ranch house and made his way to his bedroom where he gathered clean clothes and headed for the outdoor shower. Washing all the dirt and dust from the ranch off with soap and cool water did a bit to quell his temper as well. He tossed his clothes into the laundry basket by the back door and sat at the long kitchen table with a cup of coffee and the sandwich Amelia had left for him. He opened his ledger book and flipped to the last page, his finger tracing the numbers.
Once in a while he glanced up and watched dust motes dance in the sunlight coming through the back window. His chest swelled with pride as he surveyed the ranch through the large window. In a matter of several years, with a lot of hard work and economy, this would be his. He was well on his way to realizing his dream.
The sun was just beginning its descent behind the trees when he was jarred from his work by a panicked feminine shout. “Rusty!”
Rachel.
He hopped off the bench and strode to the front door. She was already pacing in the entrance hall, wringing her hands. She looked up at his arrival, tears streaking down her cheeks.
Walking up to her, he took her ice cold hands in his. “Rachel, what is it?”
“Is Will here?”
“Will? No. Why?”
“Oh, God.” She collapsed against his chest, gripping his shirt, trying desperately to get some air into her lungs. “He’s gone.”
Chapter Thirteen
“What do you mean, gone?”
“He’s run away. We had a terrible fight this morning.” She pushed away from him and continued her pacing. “He accused me of hating him because I took him away from . . .” She looked up, misery plain on her face. “From you.”
“Go on.”
“I’m afraid I was a little hard on him. I told him you weren’t his father, and he better get used to the idea of not having you every minute of his day. Then he grabbed his schoolbooks and stomped out of the house. I went to work, certainly not feeling good about the way we parted.”
She wiped her nose on the hem of her apron. “Then this afternoon he never came home from school. I went to the schoolhouse, and Mrs. Davies said he hadn’t been to school all day.”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I thought for sure he was headed here, that I would find him with you.”
“No, honey. I haven’t seen him.” He put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the kitchen. “Here, sit down and catch your breath. We’ll put our heads together and I know we’ll find him.”
“If he’s not here, then where is he? He’s only a little boy, he could be lost, or kidnapped. It’s all my fault.”
“Honey, you’re getting yourself worked up for no reason. I’m sure he’s fine, and we’ll find him.”
“But it’s getting dark.”
“How well did you search along the way here? Did you come by horse, buggy, what?”
She accepted the handkerchief he handed her and wiped her nose. “I was so sure he was with you that I probably didn’t look too well on the way here. I borrowed a horse from the livery.”
“All right then, this is what we’re going to do. I’ll grab a couple of coats for us and a blanket for Will. It’s getting chilly outside. I’ll have Amelia come down here to the kitchen in case Will shows up while we’re searching. She’ll take good care of him until we get back.”
Rachel looked wide-eyed at him, hanging on his every word. She appeared lost and scared to death. He didn’t feel that confident himself, but he needed to be strong for her. Too many things could happen to a child all alone between town and the ranch.
“Go to the stable and have one of the men tack up Blazes for me. I’ll meet you there as soon as I talk to Amelia and get the things we’ll need.” When she didn’t move, he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her cheek to his chest. “We’ll find him, darlin’, I swear to you it will be all right. Trust me.”
Trust me.
The words echoed in his head as he took the stairs two at a time and gathered the coats and a blanket from his bedroom. He asked Rachel to trust him with finding the most important person in her life. Yet he’d proven his lack of trust in her when he hurled the accusations that had driven her away.
If he loved her, he had to trust her. It was that simple. Why he hadn’t seen it before now surprised him. There was absolutely no reason to distrust Rachel, because he loved her. It was part of the package.
Despite the anxiety of knowing Will was out there somewhere all alone, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his heart. He loved Rachel and she loved him. And as soon as her son was safe and sound at home, he would sit her down and explain it all to her. This time she would listen because he knew the right words to say.
After giving instructions to Amelia he raced to the stable, grateful for the little bit of moonlight that would help in the search. The dim light emphasized Rachel shivering as she stood alongside Lefty working on Blazes. Rusty walked up to her and draped the coat over her shoulders, helping her into it. She nodded her thanks, her eyes still wrought with fear.
He tugged her close against his side. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Thank you for helping me.”
“I will always help you, sweetheart. That you can count on.”
As soon as the horses were ready they rode to the end of the path from the ranch. Rusty put up his hand to stop Rachel. “We won’t split up. I don’t want you riding around alone in the dark. Plus two sets of eyes see more than one. We’ll go slowly and cover every inch between here and town.”
“How are we ever going to see him in the dark?”
“We have some moonlight, and as I said, we’ll go slowly and call him. He could be hiding, waiting for it to get light again.”
What he didn’t want to add was the boy could have been hurt in any number of ways and might not be able to walk. That thought was best left unsaid.
They spent the next hour keeping the horses at a slow pace, calling for Will, watchin
g for any movement, listening for any sound. Rusty’s muscles screamed for relief from holding himself tightly, straining to hear and see anything to indicate Will was in the area.
Once in a while Rachel would whimper, a reminder that the strain was far worse on her. The next hour proved to be just as unsuccessful as the first one. Full darkness had arrived, but the scant moonlight continued to help. They called for Will, then would stop and listen for a response.
“Where can he be?” Rachel’s voice was thick with emotion.
“We will find him. You have to believe that.”
His frustration was growing. Where could the boy be? They were only a mile or so from town and they hadn’t seen or heard anything. Was it possible he hadn’t headed to the ranch?
“Rachel, does he have other friends whose house he might have gone to? We’re assuming he came to the ranch, but maybe not.”
She shook her head. “No. He has a few friends but I checked with them before I came to your place. You’re the one he missed, the one he prefers to live with. Not me.” She dragged the sleeve of her dress across her eyes.
They reached the edge of town, the only sounds coming from the saloon. The tinny sound of a piano, the sultry voice of a woman singing, and loud conversation spilled out onto the street. The other businesses had closed for the day, giving the main street an eerie feeling.
Rachel turned to him. “I’m scared.”
So was he, but he didn’t want her to know that. They should have heard or seen something by now. “Let’s go back to the boardinghouse and see if he’s gone home.”
She nodded her agreement and they directed their horses away from the town center and rode toward Elm Street where her boardinghouse was. When they reached Elm and Seventh, they both slid off their horses. Rachel hurried up the steps, Rusty right behind her. She burst into the door, glancing quickly around the parlor at the women sitting, reading newspapers, doing needlework, and gossiping. As one, they looked up in surprise.
“Is Will here?” Short of breath, the words barely escaped.
“No, dear. I thought he was with you.” Mrs. Beamer came down the hallway, wiping her hands on a towel and frowning.
“Has Ellie returned from her meeting yet?”
“Not yet. She usually comes in right before curfew. What’s wrong, dear?”
“I thought if Ellie was here she might help us search.”
“Is Will missing?”
Rachel dragged her palm down her face. “Yes. He didn’t go to school and I thought he had gone to the ranch, but he hadn’t.”
“Goodness. That’s terrible.” Mrs. Beamer seemed to notice Rusty for the first time. “Oh, hello. I’m sorry, are you a friend of Mrs. Stevens?”
“Mrs. Beamer, this is Rusty McIntyre. He is the new owner of the Lazy Sunset Ranch.”
She smiled at him, and then wagged her finger. “Oh, you’re the gentleman that Will is always talking about. He is sure crazy about you.”
Rachel groaned and then burst into tears. She turned away, her hands covering her face. Rusty pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Beamer, Mrs. Stevens is quite upset right now. Since Will is not here, we will continue our search.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“A few prayers wouldn’t hurt,” he tossed over his shoulder, noting the women in the parlor who’d stopped what they were doing to watch them. He led Rachel out of the house, her sobs turning to slight shudders as she leaned against his chest.
“What are we going to do now?” She clung to him like a small lost child.
“Well, we certainly aren’t giving up. We’re going to backtrack and return to the ranch. It’s quite possible he’s safe and sound with Amelia right now. But in any event, we will search all night if we have to, and in the morning we’ll contact the sheriff and have him help.”
They mounted their horses and continued on. Going even slower this time, it took them more than three hours to make the trip back to the ranch without finding any sign of Will, stopping to call and listen. Rachel was pale as the moonlight and she shivered against him as they hurried together through the front door.
Amelia met them at the entrance, her eyes swollen and red. “Did you find him?”
Rachel slumped against Rusty, who shook his head at his daughter.
“Where can he be?” Amelia wiped the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. The last thing he needed was two hysterical females on his hands.
He tugged on Rachel’s hand and led her into the parlor. Sitting her down on the sofa, he said, “Right now you should try to get some sleep. You’re exhausted and if Will is somewhere between here and town, he’s most likely hiding or asleep. If you get a couple hours rest we’ll start again as soon as the sun comes up. It will be much easier to see what we possibly missed tonight.”
She wrapped her arms around her middle, stubbornly shaking her head. “I can’t sleep knowing my son is out there. I have to keep trying to find him.”
He sat next to her and took both of her hands in his. “It’s only about two hours until sunup. Lie down here on the sofa, and just close your eyes for a minute.” He turned to Amelia. “Get a pillow and blanket from my room.”
“I won’t be able to sleep.”
“That’s fine. Just lie down and close your eyes. Take a short break, anyway.”
Amelia returned with the pillow and blanket. Rusty thanked her and told her to go to bed. “I’m confident we’ll find Will in the morning. You get some sleep now.”
“Will you wake me up when you find him?”
“Yes. Now off with you.”
Rusty placed the pillow on the sofa and Rachel stretched out, then jerked as he joined her.
“What are you doing?”
“Shhh. Just close your eyes.” He pulled the blanket over the two of them, and tucked her head onto his shoulder.
“I should be looking for Will.”
Rusty placed his hand on her head and worked his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp. Within minutes she was fast asleep—right before he joined her.
***
Rachel opened her eyes with a jolt, and the panic hit her.
Will is missing.
The space next to her on the couch was warm, but Rusty wasn’t there. She sat up and held her head, the headache from the day before still with her. Swinging her legs over the edge of the sofa, she stood up and swayed.
“I was just going to wake you.” Rusty entered the room, two cups of coffee in his hands.
“What time is it?” She ran her tongue around the inside of her mouth. Her teeth felt fuzzy.
“Barely after six. It’s just starting to get light outside. I thought we’d grab something to eat and head back out again.”
“I don’t think I can eat. But I’ll take the coffee.” She reached out a shaky hand and took a sip. The warm liquid slid down her throat, offering some comfort.
“Honey, you haven’t had much sleep. You should eat something or you won’t do Will any good when we find him.”
When we find him.
She closed her eyes and two tears leaked from under her lids, tracking down her cheeks. Rusty pulled her to his warm body and enveloped her in his arms. “We will find him this morning, sweetheart. I swear to you.”
“God, I hope you’re right. I’ve never been so frightened in my life.”
He led her to the kitchen where he sat her at the table. Two bowls of oatmeal and a stack of toast almost turned her stomach. “I really can’t eat.”
“All right. Why don’t you splash some water on your face and we’ll set out.”
“You eat. I need a few minutes to freshen up and re-braid my hair. Do you have a comb I can borrow?”
“My bedroom is down the hall on the right side. Take what you need from there.”
Rusty’s room was very masculine—most likely Big Bob had occupied this space. Dark wooden paneling covered the walls, and large chunky furniture took up most of the spacious ro
om.
She found a water pitcher and bowl on a table and washed her face. She used a comb sitting on the dresser to comb out the mess her hair had become and re-braided it. Looking into the mirror over the dresser she cringed at the deep circles under her puffy eyes. She rubbed her teeth with the hem of her dress, then swished water around her mouth and spit it out.
Rusty was placing dishes in the sink when she returned to the kitchen. “I know you’re distracted right now, but once everything settles down, we have a very important conversation coming up.”
She moved into his arms and leaned against his hard chest. The steady beat of his heart and the scent of dust, sweat, and Rusty brought a semblance of peace. She trusted that he would find Will. She had to rely on that trust or she would begin to scream and pull out her hair.
He lifted her chin with his knuckle, brushed her lightly on her lips, then set her from him. “Let’s go find Will.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rachel mounted her horse and headed back the way they’d searched the night before. She felt more confident that they would find Will. Perhaps it was Rusty’s words, bright daylight, or just her mother’s instinct.
They were about an hour from the ranch when Rusty held up his hand as a signal for them to stop. He tilted his head and frowned. Rachel cocked her ear in the same direction and then took in a sharp breath. “I hear him!”
She jumped from her horse so quickly she lost her balance and went down on her knees. Rusty helped her up and they both hurried through the trees, pushing aside leaves, calling out to Will.
Her heart raced as they climbed over branches and ducked under limbs.
“Ma.” His voice was strained, as if he was in pain. They followed the sound, and then burst into a clearing. Will sat against the base of a tree, his dirty face showing tracks of dried tears. He leaned to one side, his right leg bent underneath him.
“Will, oh my God, Will. I was so scared. What were you thinking?” She slid onto her knees and grabbed him around his shoulders.
“Ouch, Ma. Let go, that hurts.” He attempted to wiggle away.
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