Gideon's Bride

by Amelia Autin

  He pulled off one glove to check his daughter’s pulse and breathing. He heaved a great sigh of relief when he discovered both were steady. He looked over his shoulder at Rennie.

  She crept to his side on hands and knees, then sat back on her heels. She touched him comfortingly, feeling the tense muscles beneath his jacket. “I’ve been checking her every few minutes,” she said softly. “I went over her carefully earlier, and I did a reflex test. But if you want to see for yourself, go ahead.”

  He hesitated. “It’s not that I don’t trust your judgment, but...”

  “I understand, Gideon. I’d want to check for myself, too.”

  He was quick about it, but thorough. Then he stood and helped Rennie to her feet. “You’re right. I can’t find any broken bones, and I don’t see any sign of swelling or internal bleeding, either. My guess is concussion is the only thing we have to worry about. But that’s bad enough.”

  “I asked Emily to call for a stretcher.”

  He nodded. “I know, and I think you did the right thing. The stretcher’s on its way here.”

  “So now we just wait?”

  Gideon glanced up at the sky, then eastward toward the horizon. “Sun’ll be up soon.” He turned back toward Rennie. “When the stretcher arrives, we’ll take Nicki up the trail, not down. There’s a place not far from here where a helicopter can land—barely. Before I came down I told Emily to have the chopper meet us there in about an hour.”

  He grasped the rope he’d come down the cliff on and started tying it around Rennie’s waist. “In the meantime,” he said brusquely, “I want you safely off this ledge, and I want you and Emily to go back to the Holden ranch.”

  “But—”

  “There’s not a lot of room to maneuver on that trail up there, and I’ve got four men with me. There isn’t anything you can do for Nicki right now.”

  “But I—”

  “Damn it, don’t argue!” Pent-up fear, relief and frustration combined to make his tone harsher than he intended.

  “All right,” she said, her voice shaking slightly as despair bit into her soul again. What she desperately needed right now was for him to hold her and tell her how brave she was, instead of looking as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of her.

  She shivered, only partly from the cold, then rubbed her arms to warm herself. Gideon shrugged out of his jacket. “Here. Take this.”

  She shook her head. “No, you keep it. You’ll need it.” She glanced down at her borrowed jacket tucked around his daughter. Her eyes widened and fear coursed through her as all at once she realized how close they were to the edge. She began to inch toward the wall. She swallowed dryly and croaked, “It’s way too big for me, anyway.”

  “Then take this one back,” He leaned over, removed the jacket that covered Nicki, and replaced it with his own. When he straightened, he saw that Rennie had backed all the way to the wall. Then he noticed her expression.

  “You’re terrified,” he said softly, wonderingly. Then with dawning understanding his eyes followed hers to the edge. “You’re scared to death being on this ledge, and yet you still...”

  Rennie didn’t say anything, averting her face from his, ashamed of her fear. Gideon took the half step that brought him to her. He dressed her in Emily’s warm sheepskin jacket, buttoned it up to the neck, then tilted her chin up and stood looking down at her for several heartbeats.

  “You are one hell of a lady, you know that?” His lips claimed hers, a gentle kiss that somehow made up for his earlier behavior.

  A voice from above intruded. “Hey, down there! Gideon! Hey!”

  She was shaking when he let her go. He whispered, “You okay?” and waited for her nod before his voice rumbled upward. “Yeah, Mike. What is it?”

  “We’re ready any time you are.”

  Gideon checked the rope around Rennie, then said, “I’ll call you from the hospital to let you know how Nicki’s doing.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Be careful going back.”

  “I will.”

  He turned her around to face the cliff, bracing her against his body. “Don’t look down,” he murmured in her ear, his warm breath sending tingles up and down her spine. He dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “See you back at the ranch.” Then he raised his head and hollered, “Ready!”

  Rennie clung to the rope and felt herself being pulled up, slowly, steadily. Despite Gideon’s warning, halfway up she stole one downward glance at him, but he was kneeling beside Nicki and he didn’t look up.

  When Rennie reached the top, several strong hands grasped her and pulled her carefully to safety. The four men of the search party helped her stand. No one said anything, but their warm, approving glances told Rennie she’d measured up to Wyoming standards and won their respect.

  Their admiration was balm for her wounded heart and restored her spirit. She stiffened her wobbly legs, refusing to let herself be embarrassed in front of these men by collapsing on the ground. But it wasn’t easy. She brushed herself off, then untied the rope around her waist.

  She limped over to where Emily stood by the horses. If the men hadn’t been around, she would have hugged her. But it was too awkward with them there, so she contented herself with grasping both of Emily’s hands in hers and squeezing firmly.

  “Thanks, Emily.”

  Emily cleared her throat, obviously feeling the same emotional tug that Rennie did. She busied herself with tying off a loose leather thong on her saddle. “The helicopter is on its way, just like Gideon asked. Did he say what he wants us to do now?”

  “He wants the men to wait here for the stretcher while you and I go back to the ranch. He’ll call us from the hospital.”

  Emily’s “Humph!” brought a wry smile to Rennie’s face.

  “I know. I felt the same way, as if we’re being brushed aside now that the men are here. But he’s right. There’s only so much room on this trail, and the men are stronger. So it’s only reasonable for us to be the ones to make way. Since Gideon’s with Nicki now, and since I’m sure he’ll be riding to the hospital in the helicopter with her, there really isn’t anything else for us to do.”

  “Except worry and wait.”

  Rennie nodded. “Except that.”

  “Well, I’ve had my share and more of that this past week. Why should tonight be any different?” Emily untied Barnum and Mariah, handing Barnum’s reins to Rennie. She swung onto her horse and Rennie followed suit, her aching body protesting.

  “I don’t know about you,” Emily said, leather creaking as she settled into the saddle, “but I won’t be able to sleep until we hear how Nicki is. So what do you say we head on back, break out Jim’s twelve-year-old sippin’ whiskey, and you can tell me that long story about your honeymoon you promised to tell me sometime.”

  Despite the concern she still felt about Gideon’s daughter, concern she knew Emily shared, Rennie found herself relaxing just a little. “Sounds good to me.”

  “So what are we waiting for?”

  Chapter 11

  Gideon hated hospitals.

  He knew why, of course, but that didn’t make it any easier to bear. And just as he couldn’t escape the unmistakable antiseptic smell, he couldn’t avoid the memories they conjured up. Memories he’d just as soon stayed buried.

  Buried. Like Jo, lying so peacefully in her hillside grave, and all his happiness buried with her.

  Don’t think about that now.

  While the emergency room doctors examined Nicki, Gideon paced the floor in the waiting room, counting floor tiles and hating every minute. He longed for a cigarette. Although he’d given them up years ago and hadn’t smoked since, he really could have used the distraction and calming effect of just one coffin nail.

  Damn it, Lowell, can’t you think of anything except death? Nicki’s going to be fine. The doctor will be out soon to confirm that nothing’s broken, there’s no internal bleeding, and all we have to worry about is a concussion, just like you told Rennie.
>
  Rennie. On the heels of this thought came the picture of her standing on the ledge in the moonlight—hair tangled and windblown, her inexplicably dear face streaked with dirt, so scared and brave at the same time—she’d looked so damned beautiful he ached just thinking about it. The memory had danced in and out of his mind at will while he waited for the stretcher and during the helicopter ride to Casper, teasing and tormenting him.

  He stopped pacing, tucked one hand in the back pocket of his jeans, and propped a shoulder against the wall as he considered everything that had happened.

  You were a real bastard tonight, Lowell. Again. You didn’t even thank Rennie for finding your daughter, or for staying with her even though she was terrified. No, you just ignored everything she’d done as if it were nothing, and told her to go back home like a good little girl. And when she wanted to speak you cut her off and yelled at her. Nice going.

  His self-recriminations were cut short by the entrance of the doctor into the waiting room.

  “Mr. Lowell?”

  Gideon straightened. “That’s me.”

  “I’m Dr. Forbes, the resident on duty.” The woman offered her hand and Gideon shook it. “Your daughter is one lucky little girl, considering what happened. As you suspected, she suffered a mild concussion, but that’s the worst of it. Her X rays were negative. She’s got some bad scrapes and she’ll be bruised and sore for a while, but nothing to be concerned about. She regained consciousness before we brought her down for X rays. She was alert and responsive to stimuli, which is a good sign, but she didn’t answer any questions.”

  “I told the woman who admitted her that—”

  “She doesn’t speak. Yes, I know. But I checked your daughter’s medical records. Since her original loss of speech was diagnosed as hysterical in nature, that is, caused by shock, there’s always the chance that another shock to the system would break down the mental barrier.”

  “But it didn’t.” Gideon’s disappointment was obvious.

  “No, I’m sorry. It did not.”

  “So what happens now?”

  “We’ll keep her overnight for observation. And they’ll probably want to run some tests tomorrow, just to be on the safe side. But I think she’ll be ready to go home the day after that.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “Of course. They’re taking her up to her room right now, so give the nurses a few minutes to get her settled, then check with the clerk over there. She’ll direct you.” Dr. Forbes smiled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other patients waiting.”

  She left. Gideon stood there for a moment, letting everything sink in. Nicki was going to be all right. She really was. He’d told himself that ever since he’d examined her on the ledge, but he’d been afraid to believe it. Now a great weight lifted off his shoulders, and he wanted to share his profound relief with someone who would understand. Rennie. He needed to talk to Rennie. Gideon looked around, then headed for the nearest pay phone.

  * * *

  Nicki lay in her hospital bed and gazed listlessly out the window. The smell of the freshly laundered sheets reminded her of the time two years ago when she’d woken up in the hospital and learned that her mother was dead. She’d hated the smell ever since.

  The door to her room opened, but she didn’t turn her head. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father come around the curtain and stop for an instant. Then he sat in the chair between her bed and the window. He didn’t say anything, just took her hand in his much larger one and looked at her with tired, sad eyes, the same way he’d looked at her in the hospital two years ago. She hated that look, too. And this time, just like last time, she was the one who put that look on his face.

  “I’m sorry, Nicki. Sorry I broke my promise,” he said finally. “But why did you run away?”

  She wanted to tell him. Oh, how she wanted to tell him. But she couldn’t. Not now, not ever. Because if she did, he wouldn’t love her anymore. And then he’d go away with Rennie again, just like before, only this time he’d never come back. So she closed her eyes and hardened her heart.

  * * *

  Two and a half days later, Gideon drove up the last hundred yards of the dirt road leading to the Rocking L. At his side sat Nicki—pale, bruised and sporting a two-inch scrape across one cheek, but otherwise completely recovered from her ordeal.

  He parked the brand-new Chevy Blazer in front of the house and glanced over at his daughter, who resolutely kept her face turned away from him. He reached over and tucked her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ear as he so often did, but this time Nicki shrugged away from his touch.

  Gideon sighed deeply. He’d talked to Nicki again this morning about what she’d done. He’d told her how badly she’d hurt everyone, including herself, and he’d explained the danger, the risks she’d taken, not only with her life but with the life of her beloved horse. There had been a flash of remorse in her eyes when he mentioned Cheyenne, but beyond that he knew he hadn’t reached her.

  He made a sound of frustration and jerked the keys out of the ignition, then got out and came around to open Nicki’s door. But she hadn’t waited for him, and was already halfway up the porch stairs.

  “Nicki!” She paused, then turned, a stony expression on her face. “Your Aunt Emily said she was coming over this afternoon to see you, and to help Rennie settle in.”

  Nicki stiffened, but no other response was forthcoming.

  “No matter what else, you owe your aunt an apology for running away and frightening her. She loves you very much and she’s done a lot for you. Especially since your moth—” Gideon stopped in mid-sentence at the stricken look on his daughter’s face. He shifted his stance and recovered his own composure. “Anyway, I expect you to apologize first thing. Do you understand?”

  For a minute he thought she was going to be stubborn, but then she nodded. Obviously her anger didn’t extend to her aunt.

  “Good girl.” He smiled, hoping to coax a smile from Nicki in return, but without any luck. She just looked at him, then turned and went into the house.

  He cursed under his breath, several choice words he usually reserved for stubborn horses and sheep. Then he grabbed the small duffel bag he’d gotten the day before when he’d bought clothes for himself and Nicki to wear, and followed Nicki into the house.

  Inside, he hung his Stetson on the coatrack by the front door and dropped the duffel bag beside the hall table. The sound of voices led him to the kitchen. He pushed the door open.

  “Gideon!”

  “Daddy!”

  “Daddy’s home!”

  Trina reached him first, scrambling down from her chair and running across the room. She threw her arms around his leg. Gideon bent and lifted her into his arms, hugging her tightly, kissing her hair as she burrowed against him.

  “Daddy, Daddy, you came back! I missed you!”

  “I missed you, too, sweetheart. Have you been a good girl?” Before she could answer, Andrew was there, tugging at Gideon’s jeans.

  “Daddy, Daddy, pick me up! Pick me up!”

  Without putting Trina down, Gideon grasped Andrew and swung him up, settling him against his hip. Andrew snuggled his head in the crook of Gideon’s shoulder, smearing peanut butter and grape jam on his father’s new shirt.

  His younger children’s ecstatic reaction to his return was just the balm Gideon sorely needed. He ducked his head and kissed his son, not minding in the least the stickiness that transferred itself to his lips. “Hey, champ! Have you been good, too?”

  The little boy nodded, his head bobbing up and down several times for emphasis. “And I dint cwy.”

  Gideon swallowed the lump in his throat and said heartily, “Of course not.”

  Jealous of the attention Andrew was receiving, Trina placed her hand on her father’s cheek and pulled his face around to look at her. “Daddy, guess what?”

  “What?”

  “I drew you a picture. Want to see it? It’s a horse. Rennie put it on the refrigerato
r with tape. And guess what? Rennie and I made lunch, and Rennie said I’m the best helper she ever had.”

  Gideon looked over at Rennie, who stood by the table, watching him with his children. The smile she gave him was hesitant. The smile he gave her was not. It spread over his entire face.

  Her smile deepened before she turned away to clear the table. “Where is Nicki?”

  “She must have gone straight to her room.”

  “How is she?”

  “Fine, physically.” Gideon lowered both children to the floor. “Trina, take Andrew and go find your sister. I think she’s in her room. She really missed you.” He squatted down to their level, rumpled Andrew’s hair, rubbed his knuckles against Trina’s cheek and kissed both of them once more.

  “Wait a second.” Rennie grabbed a clean dishcloth and dampened it under the tap. “Both of you come get wiped up.” She carefully wiped faces and hands, then smiled at the children. “There, all clean.” She playfully swatted their bottoms. “Go on, now. Do what your daddy says. Go see Nicki.”

  Gideon watched as they left the room, hand in hand, then turned back to Rennie. His eyes flickered over her, taking in the picture she made in her snug jeans and loose-fitting cotton shirt. Her hair was pulled back with combs in what he supposed was meant to be a no-nonsense style, but several strands had freed themselves to curl enchantingly around her face. The memory of her face, all flushed and sated after lovemaking, and framed by those same dark curls, flashed into his mind. He clamped down on that errant thought and finished answering Rennie’s earlier question.

  “Physically, Nicki’s fine. The doctors at the hospital all say it was something of a miracle that she wasn’t badly hurt, but she’s really okay.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I know you were worried.”

  He moved restlessly. “Yeah. But she’s still confused and hurt. I tried talking to her this morning, but she doesn’t want to hear anything I have to say, not even an apology.”