by Peterson, Tracie; Davis, Mary; Hake, Kelly Eileen; Stengl, Jill; Warren, Susan May
“You tried your way, now I’m doin’ it mine.” Wylie snatched up his gun and stormed into the house.
Marty smiled at him smugly, knowing she got the better of him.
“After you, miss,” Mr. Keegan said, unfolding his hand toward the doorway.
Marty stood straight and marched into the house.
Davey was sitting on the floor holding Logan on her lap while he sucked his thumb. Dani stood beside her with a hand resting on her twin sister’s shoulder for moral support. Aunt Ginny was already tied to a chair, and Wylie was tying Cinda to another chair.
“Leave her alone! She’s with child!” Marty stepped toward him but halted when he pointed his gun at her.
“I ain’t hurtin’ her none.” Wylie sneered.
“I’m fine,” Cinda said. Her sad eyes said what Marty was trying to deny herself. We’re going to lose them.
No! Marty wouldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t.
“Is this really necessary?” Mr. Keegan ground out between his teeth.
“Yes.” Wylie pushed Marty down in a third chair and tied her to it. “You don’t want them sending a posse after us before we reach the first ridge.”
Mr. Keegan clenched his fist, then raked his hand tensely through his hair, knocking his hat to the floor. He looked frustrated, like her brother did when things were out of his control. “If you had let me do this my way, there would be no posse.”
Marty’s mind raced. What could she do? She had to do something or they would take Dani and Davey.
“Is this all you can do, pick on women and children?” Marty asked. Wylie tied the ropes tighter in answer. “I’ll fight you for them. A duel. Unless you are afraid a feeble female can wup you.”
“I ain’t scared of no calico, and I ain’t never kilt a woman before. It don’t sit right with a man to be killing women and children. But if you like, you can be the first.”
He was no man. He was a varmint. “I ain’t scared of the likes of you.” Marty struggled against the ropes.
Wylie let out a boisterous laugh at her paltry attempt at freedom.
“You’re just a yellow-bellied coward,” Marty said.
His outburst stopped abruptly, and anger flashed across his face. He didn’t like being called a coward.
“Coward,” Marty taunted. She hoped she could goad him into the duel and untying her. “Coward, coward, coward.”
Wylie grabbed a dish towel and gagged her with it. He secured it tightly, then grabbed her chin firmly in his strong hand and said through gritted teeth, “I ain’t no coward.”
Marty growled in response.
“That’s enough!” Mr. Keegan anchored his hand on Wylie’s shoulder. “Leave her alone.”
Marty was taken aback and not sure how she felt about a man sticking up for her. It had never happened before. Any man around here knew they would get twice what was being given if they did.
“You two better leave, and fast, before the menfolk return. Leave those little girls with us, or you will be sorry,” Aunt Ginny said in a moment of bravery. She had backbone, Marty had to give her that.
“Would that be the honorable sheriff and his brothers on the cattle drive?” Mr. Keegan looked sorrowfully at Marty. “I don’t think they will be getting here any time soon.”
Marty closed her eyes and dropped her head. They were at the mercy of these rats. All she could do at this point was hope they would change their minds and leave without her nieces. Since that wasn’t likely to happen, she started planning how to get loose as soon as they left. Then she would go after them and make them sorry for tangling with the Rawlings family.
“I don’t want to go with you,” the girl with the one braid yelled, holding fast to the little boy who looked to be about three. The only way Reece could tell the two girls apart was that one had a single red braid down her back and the other had two, one on each side of her head.
Wylie was trying to get the child free from the girl with one braid, and the other was helping her. “You’re a bad man, and I don’t like you.”
Reece didn’t much care for him, either, but was unfortunately stuck with him.
“You don’t have to like me, kid, you just have to shut up and do as you’re told,” Wylie snarled.
“I won’t. I won’t.”
Wylie reached to pry the squalling child from the girl’s grasp. The girl screamed. Logan cried louder.
Wylie covered his ears, moving away from the piercing noise, and shouted, “Stop it!”
Enough was enough! Reece pushed past him and knelt next to the frightened girl. “What’s his name?” He pointed at the child she held.
She stopped screaming and stared at him. “Logan.” Her voice was small and frail.
“Logan, that’s a mighty fine name,” he said tenderly. “Logan is pretty scared by all this screaming and noise, don’t you think?” When she nodded, Reece continued, “Logan’s going to stay here with his mama, and you and your sister are coming with me.”
“Why do we have to go? I want to stay here, too.” Her lower lip quivered, and Reece wanted to grant her request, but he was honor-bound by the law.
“Because Judge Vance said it’s time for you to live with your other relatives. They get a turn to see you.” He slowly took the crying child from her lap and set him aside. Logan ran over to his mama and climbed on her lap. “Do you remember your Uncle William?” Reece went on, trying to recapture the girl’s attention.
She shook her head.
“He remembers you, and he really wants to see you. Judge Vance said he could see you, and you and your sister would live with him.”
“Why can’t the judge say we can stay here?”
“Because it’s your other uncle’s turn to see you.” Reece held out his hand to her. “He can’t wait to see you.”
Tears pooled in her young, terrified eyes as she reached for his hand. “After we see him, then can we come back home?”
His heart ached for her. “Maybe.” Reece led her toward the door.
Marty managed a muffled moan. He looked at her as her chair thumped back and forth in protest. Her wild eyes nailed him. If she were a man, he would be afraid of the murderous intent he read in her eyes.
The other girl started crying. “I don’t want to go.” She rushed over to Cinda and fell to her knees, burying her face in the woman’s side. “Please don’t let them take us.”
Wylie grabbed her by the arm, yanking her toward the door.
“Ease up,” Reece warned Wylie. “Things are bad enough. Don’t make it worse.” Things were happening too fast and way out of control. How could he be caught up in a kidnapping? That was what they were doing after all. He could think his way out of this, if he had a little time. But legally he had a right to take the girls…by force if necessary. And Wylie had made it necessary.
“Please don’t hurt them. They’re just little girls,” Cinda begged with tears running down her cheeks.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. We won’t hurt them,” Reece said. Before he followed Wylie out the door, he gave Marty one last look as he picked up his hat. He wished he had met this courageous young woman under different circumstances. She intrigued him.
Chapter 3
Before the lawyer could get to the door, the ugly one staggered back in with a shotgun aimed at his chest.
“Keep your hands where I can see them,” said the old man holding the gun. “You, too, mister,” he said to Mr. Keegan.
Dewight! All was not lost after all. Relief swept through Marty. He wasn’t much in the way of help, but he was help nonetheless. Although he wasn’t related, he was treated like one of the family. He was in his sixties and wore tattered but clean clothes.
Marty’s oldest brother, Lucas, had rescued Dewight from freezing to death one winter. Like a cold lost puppy, he hung around after that. They weren’t even sure if Dewight was his real name. But right now he was the only help they had, and Marty would take advantage of it if she could.
“We
don’t want no trouble here, old man.” Wylie kept Dani as a shield. He was such a weaseling coward. Given the chance, she could take him easy.
Dewight looked over at the women. “It looks like there’s already been trouble. Now, leave my family alone and get off my land.”
“Your family? Your land?” Mr. Keegan narrowed his eyes at Dewight, sizing him up. “Mr. Rawlings?”
“I’m not Rawlings.” Dewight turned to Mr. Keegan and cocked his head as if trying to figure out a puzzling riddle. “Rawlings died. His children need looking after. I be doing the looking. My place in the hills is where I watch from. I gotta look after them young’uns.”
Oh no, Dewight was losing it. Marty could see it in his incoherent gaze. He had that far-off look when he slipped from reality to reality. If she weren’t gagged, she could talk to him and keep him in this reality.
“If you’re not Mr. Rawlings, then who are you?” The snake Keegan could sense Dewight’s disorientation.
“I’m S…I’m…D…” Bewildered, Dewight looked at Mr. Keegan. “I’m…I’m…”
Dewight was muddled and unsure of who he was, let alone where he was. And that jerk Keegan wasn’t helping. He was purposely trying to confuse him. Marty made some noise to try to get Dani to come untie her. Dani understood but couldn’t free herself from the weasel’s grip. Davey struggled to free herself as well.
“You let my Essie go,” Dewight said to Mr. Keegan.
Davey freed herself from Mr. Keegan and ran over to untie Marty. “The knots are too tight. I can’t undo them.”
Marty tried to talk, but all that came out was muffled grumbling. Frustration and anger raged inside her at being so defenseless. If she were a man, they never would have gotten the better of her.
Davey loosened the knot on Marty’s gag and pulled it from her mouth.
“Get a knife from the kitchen and cut the ropes,” Marty said hastily.
Davey raced to the kitchen. Dewight’s eyes followed her movement. Wylie pushed Dani aside and rushed Dewight. Quickly, Wylie grabbed the shotgun. They struggled for possession. Dani ran to Cinda and worked at her ropes.
Davey came back into the room. “Hurry,” Marty called to her.
Buckshot sprayed the ceiling and debris rained down on everyone. Dewight fell and hit his head. Davey and Dani screamed.
“Stop it,” Marty scolded. “Just cut me loose.”
With hands shaking, Davey started cutting.
Wylie grabbed the two girls by the arm. He glared down at Davey. “Drop the knife.”
Davey immediately released it. It hit the floor with a silencing thud.
“Leave ’em alone,” Marty warned, “or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what?” Wylie glared at her.
Marty growled at him and rocked her chair back and forth so hard she tipped over.
He laughed at her with a black-toothed grin.
“Wylie, take the girls outside,” Reece said.
“What about the old man?” Wylie asked.
“I’ll take care of it. Now go.” Wylie had caused enough trouble. Reece took off his hat and raked a hand through his hair. The situation was completely out of control. Reece went over to the old man on the floor leaning against the wall and checked out the lump forming on his head. Wylie scooted the whimpering girls out the door.
The old man looked up into Reece’s eyes. “Is the baby gonna die, Doc?”
The poor old fool. “No. The baby’s fine.”
Satisfied, Dewight smiled. He held out his hands with his wrists together. Reece took a dish towel and tore it down the middle. He gently bound the old man’s hands and feet.
“You comin’, Keegan?” Wylie shouted from outside.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” He wished this had all gone according to his plan.
He came over to where Marty lay toppled over on the floor. She had almost reached the knife. He put the knife on the mantle. “So the little one doesn’t get hurt on it.” He set a disgruntled Marty upright. “I’m sorry it has to be this way. I wanted to do this legally, but it’s a little late for that now.” He hoped she understood how truly sorry he was for the way things ended up here. He turned and left.
“You won’t get away with this,” Marty yelled at the closing door.
Wylie stood next to two horses, holding each of the girls by an arm. “They keep trying to run away. I can’t git either one on the horses.”
Reece felt for the frightened pair. He knew it didn’t have to be this way. He could have done this legally, and the girls would have been much happier. He glanced back at the house. Everyone would have been happier. He knelt down by one of the girls. “Which one are you, Daniella? Or are you Daphne?”
She crossed her arms defiantly and stuck her nose in the air.
“So that’s how it’s going to be.” She got her grit and tenacity from the one inside they called Marty. “Then I’ll call you Two Tails.” He lifted her up onto the back of Wylie’s horse. “And you are One Tail,” he said as he put the other one on his horse. The two men mounted and headed west. Reece looked back at the farmhouse behind them before it was completely out of sight. He hoped the women would be all right and that it wouldn’t take too long before they got themselves freed. He’d given them a fighting chance.
He thought of the young woman Marty. She would probably go after her brother, the sheriff, for help. It would take at least a week for her to find him on the range, even if she knew where to look. Reece would be in Seattle by then. It would take another week or so for Marty’s brother to get to Seattle. By then the twins would be in the custody of their uncle, and Reece would no longer be involved.
He wondered if he were doing the right thing and thought about turning around and returning the girls. If he did, he would surely be arrested and never practice law again. The law was his life. He had studied hard in law school and finished top of his class. He won nearly all his cases. That’s what he did, kept people from going to jail or being hanged. He was good at what he did and proud of his achievements.
They plodded along with Wylie and Two Tails in the lead. As Reece stared at Wylie’s back, mile after mile, he wondered what kind of a man would hire a bully like Wylie to retrieve a pair of little girls. Why hadn’t the honorable Mr. McRae sent his own lawyer or gone himself to collect the nieces he was so concerned about?
Why hadn’t Reece thought to ask these questions before accepting this job? He was in too big of a hurry to get out of town for a little while, to get away from Gina Sadder, one of the few eligible women in town. She had set her sights on Reece and wouldn’t give up until she had him at the altar. Hopefully, in his absence, Miss Sadder would turn her affections toward a gentleman who would gratefully return them.
He had felt like a fugitive leaving Seattle so abruptly. Reece chuckled. He supposed he was now more of a fugitive, and he had a woman angrier at him than a stirred-up hornets’ nest. He hoped she would come to Seattle with her brother, and he could explain the situation and smooth things over with her.
Marty’s glaring blue eyes flashed in Reece’s mind. She would more likely try to kill him again. But a man had to hope for something. Her brother would keep her in check, unless his temper was worse than hers. She had alluded to her brother’s determination to keep the girls. And she did say he was a good deal taller and broader than Reece.
Maybe he had better just keep his distance…if he could.
Chapter 4
Marty struggled against her ropes. It was no use. Wylie made sure she wouldn’t get free. After a half hour of trying, she finally gave up. She needed to rest and think.
Logan looked up into Cinda’s face. “Mama, I hungry.”
“I know, sweety.” Cinda and Aunt Ginny hadn’t had any luck getting loose, either. They all had red, sore wrists.
“Logan?” Marty said sweetly. “Do you want some of the chocolate cake Aunt Ginny made yesterday?”
Logan nodded his head eagerly.
“I’ll give you some, if
you go into the kitchen and get me a knife.”
“Marty!” Cinda exclaimed. “Logan, don’t you dare touch any of the knives.”
“But I want cake. I hungry,” Logan whined.
“Marty, how could you? He’s just a baby. He could get hurt,” Cinda scolded, appalled at the thought of her little boy carrying around a knife.
“He’s the only one not tied up. If we can’t get him to help us, we could starve to death. Have you thought of that?” She could tell Cinda could feel the bite in her words.
A painful expression passed across Cinda’s face as she contemplated their possible fate. “Okay, Logan, go get a knife for Aunt Marty.” Logan jumped from her lap and ran to the kitchen. “But get a little one and be careful.”
The three could hear noises from the kitchen but couldn’t see the three-year-old. They heard a crash.
“Logan!” Cinda screamed.
Marty held her breath. She could never forgive herself if Logan got hurt. She could picture him lying on the floor, bleeding, with a knife stuck in his chest.
“Logan?” Marty called cautiously. “Are you okay?”
Logan came out of the kitchen with a big chocolate grin and two handfuls of chocolate cake. “I doed it myself,” he said proudly through a mouthful of cake, spraying crumbs on the floor.
Marty let out a sigh of relief.
“Good job, sweety,” Cinda complimented through her tears. “Come sit on Mommy’s lap.” After finishing his cake, Logan laid his head on his mother’s protruding tummy and went to sleep. Cinda and Aunt Ginny also fell asleep.
Marty kept working at her ropes to no avail. After an hour Logan woke up. Marty watched him wander around the room. Finally, he settled in the corner where Cinda kept his blocks. He stacked them and knocked them down. The crash woke Cinda and Ginny.
Logan ran off into the kitchen. He reappeared a moment later with the biggest kitchen knife they had. He walked slowly, staring wide-eyed at the large shiny blade.
“Careful, sweety.” The tension in Cinda’s voice sent shivers crawling up Marty’s back.