The Unexpected Bride (16 page)

Haydon? Why did his name bring such a jangling in her spirit? After all, it was silly of her to worry about him. He was a man who could handle himself, but still, the unsettled feeling in her stomach said all was not right with him. She hoped during her walk she would run into him, but so far she had not seen any sign of him.

Her throat felt scratchy and her mouth was as dry as the hard-crusted ground beneath her. She reached for her canteen and tilted it to pull in a long drink, enjoying the sweet taste and the feel of the liquid as it glided down her throat.

She heard something in the distance and stopped to listen.

A harsh male voice carried its way through the trees, but she could not make out what he was saying. Her skin
prickled. Whoever belonged to that ill-tempered voice was not someone Rainee wanted to meet.

She made haste in screwing the lid back on the canteen, shoved it in the food sack and looked around for a place to hide. Trees rustled as she buried herself into their thickness and stopped.

“You’ll never get away with it.”

That sounded like Haydon talking. She moved closer toward the angry voices.

“That’s what you think. I’m here ta do a job and I aim ta do it right.”

Raucous laughter followed. She steeled herself. Now was not the time to lose her nerve. Easing her way through the thick brush heading toward a cluster of cottonwood trees, she could hear the voices more clearly.

She froze, knowing if she got any closer they would surely see or hear her. Her gaze trailed up a large cottonwood tree and then down to her skirt. A plan formulated in her mind. If she thought about it, she might talk herself out of the crazy idea, so she started acting on it. Making haste, she pulled the back of her skirt between her legs and tucked it securely into the waistband as she had done long before she became a lady.

Placing her foot carefully and securely, Rainee climbed up the tree, like she had so many times before. Unbeknownst to her mother, when Rainee was a little girl, she had mastered the art of climbing trees in dresses. She could scale them as quietly as a cat sneaking up on its prey. Good thing Mother could not see her now. She would be appalled.

No time to think about or concern herself with propriety now.

Rainee lowered herself onto her stomach, and like a
caterpillar, she inched her way out onto a sturdy limb. She scanned the area until she spotted Haydon propped against a tree in a small clearing near the river. His legs were stretched before him, tied with a rope. And from what Rainee could see, his hands were bound behind his back.

Who would do this to him? And why?

Rainee held her breath as she looked for the person responsible. When he finally came into view, she could not see his face because of his hat.

Something seemed vaguely familiar about the man’s stance and clothing.

Her mind scrambled to figure out where she might have seen him before.

She sucked in a breath and quickly pressed her mouth against her arm lest he hear her.

It was that ruffian from the stagecoach stop.

The very one who had accosted her.

The man she had hoped she would never see again. The man the sheriff called Ben. Just the thought of how he treated her sent a wave of shivers throughout her body.

She shifted her head, trying to get a better view of the layout. A flash of silver reflected off the gun in his hand, and that gun was pointed at Haydon.

Her heart slid into her toes. Surely he did not plan on using that thing on Haydon. Then she remembered Ben saying they would be sorry they ever messed with him. She closed her eyes for a brief moment as she realized he had followed through with his threat that it would not be the last they would see of him. She had to do something to keep him from carrying out the rest of his threat.

From the way he had treated her and Haydon at the
stagecoach stop, she knew Haydon’s life was in danger. Somehow she needed to come up with a plan to help Haydon escape. But what could she possibly do? Her first thought was to run back to the house and get help, but by the time she made it to Jesse’s and back, the man might kill Haydon. That thought brought a rush of boldness descending on her. She would not let that happen.

L
ying motionless on the limb, watching and praying for the right time to make a move, Rainee forced herself to stay calm. With each minute that stretched by, her hope of setting Haydon free slipped further away.

But she was not about to give up. She watched patiently until the man grabbed his canteen and headed toward the water.

Now was her chance.

Careful not to make a sound, Rainee wormed her way back down the limb and tree trunk. Hunched over, she wove her way to the tree where Haydon sat.

Ben turned his head in her direction as if he had heard something.

Rainee dropped to the ground and flattened herself in the tall grasses behind a bush. She could still see him, but she prayed he could not see her. When he turned back around and squatted to fill his drinking vessel, Rainee dug her elbows into the ground and inch by inch she wiggled forward until she came to the base of the tree.

The tall grass concealed her as she peeked around the side of the tree, the side away from the man’s view,
to make sure the coast was clear. “Psssttt, Haydon,” she whispered as loud as she dared, without letting her nerves come out through her voice.

Haydon’s shoulders stiffened, but he did not move his head.

She glanced at the river where Haydon’s kidnapper was still crouched. It looked like he was having trouble removing the lid from his canteen. Good, she hoped the thing was screwed on tight. “Do not move while I untie your hands,” she whispered again. Only this time she was unable to keep the quavering from her voice.

He gave a quick nod.

Rainee tugged and pulled at the knot but it would not budge. Ben had tied it tight. As fast as her fingers would move, she continued working at loosening the knot, while her eyes vacillated between the rope and the gunman.

Ben started to rise just as Rainee freed the last knot. She quickly worked her way back through the brush.

Several yards away, she hid behind a thick bush, keeping her eyes fixed on Haydon.

Ben glanced over his shoulder at Haydon. With his back still facing Haydon, Ben tipped his canteen and took a long drink.

Quietly Haydon hunched over and stretched his arms toward his feet. His large hands tugged at the rope binding his ankles together.

Crouched like a lioness ready to pounce and forcing air in and out of her lungs as quietly as possible, Rainee watched and waited for Haydon to make his move. Her blood pumped through her ears so hard and fast she thought they might burst at any moment now.

Behind her, a twig snapped.

Rainee darted her neck around and frantically searched for the source of the noise.

If she thought her heart was pounding hard before, it was nothing compared to what it was doing now. Her instinct was to flee, but the last thing she wanted was to reveal her whereabouts in case she had to run back to the ranch for help.

She scoured the ground searching for something to use as a weapon. A broken tree branch would work. Quietly she picked out a sturdy one.

Armed and ready, she watched, waiting to see what would emerge.

A pig’s head came into view.

A scream hitched into Rainee’s throat but it did not escape.

She watched in horror as the pig, which she now recognized as Kitty, trotted toward Haydon grunting, oblivious to the danger that lay ahead.

Ben whirled.

His canteen flew from his hand and hit the ground with a watery tin echo.

He fumbled to free the gun from his holster.

Rainee’s hand flew to her mouth, and she bit into her flesh to keep from screaming out.

Quick as a gunfighter’s bullet, Haydon leapt up, tackled Ben to the ground, and knocked his gun a good six feet away from them.

Between the leaves of the thick bush, Rainee struggled to see what was going on, but she could no longer see the two men.

Not knowing what was happening, she could no longer stand it. Without thinking things through, she rushed through the bushes.

Branches scraped at her face.

She ignored them and the pain they brought and continued to plunge forward.

Spotting the gun, she kept her gaze locked on it as she rushed to it and snatched it up.

Fists hitting flesh echoed in her ears.

Haydon and Ben rolled over and over.

“Stop! Or I’ll shoot!” she yelled with more confidence than she felt. Her knees were seconds away from buckling, though her hand held steady as she aimed the gun at Ben’s head.

Ben froze. His sinister dark eyes turned on her, burning right through her. She wanted to toss the gun aside and run, but Haydon’s life depended on her remaining brave. That was all it took. Her courage rose to the occasion.

With a quick jerk of the gun to let him know she was in charge and that she meant business, she stared Ben down.

Haydon jumped up, jerked Ben up by his vest and shoved him the opposite direction from Rainee.

Arms thrashing, Ben tumbled backward. He tripped and fell over Kitty.

Kitty squealed and ran toward Haydon, who had moved next to Rainee.

Before Rainee had a chance to react to her fear of the pig, Haydon spoke, “Don’t let her frighten you, Rainee. Keep the gun on Ben, while I tie him up.”

Rainee pressed her shoulders back and pointed the weapon at Ben. Her hands clutched the gun so tight her fingertips turned white.

Haydon tied Ben up.

“You dirty—” Ben stopped and glared at Haydon. Vile laughter poured from his tobacco-stained mouth.
“Purty bad ya weren’t man enough ta save yourself. A woman had ta do it fer ya.”

“Shut your mouth,” Haydon growled.

“Wassa matter, the truth hurt?” Ben sneered.

Rainee wanted to whack the man over the head with the handle of the gun for talking to Haydon like that. But the risk of Ben possibly taking it from her gave her the ammunition she needed to fight against the urge.

Haydon jerked the rope tight.

Ben flinched. “Watch it, you—” His evil gaze slithered from Haydon to Rainee. “C’mon, sweetheart. Why don’t ya rid yerself of this loser?” Ben jerked his head once toward Haydon. “And hook up with a real man.” Lust-filled eyes raked over her body.

To stop Ben from leering at her, she wanted to hide behind Haydon, but she refused to give Ben that satisfaction.

“I told you to be quiet,” Haydon hissed again.

Along with the cringing going on inside her, the urge to beat him with the butt of the gun grew stronger.

“What’d ya want with a man who cain’t even save hisself? He hassa have a woman do it fer him. I’m twice the man he’ll ev’r be.”

Rainee had heard enough. Beating him with the gun would not be enough to satisfy her anger at him for kidnapping and insulting Haydon. Shooting him, now that just might work. She stepped closer and aimed the gun at Ben’s heart. “There is only one
real
man here. And it is not you. Now, silence your mouth, or I will pull this trigger.” She cocked the gun.

Hearing the gun cock, Haydon swung his gaze toward Rainee. Fire flashed from her eyes. A jolt of shock rushed through Haydon’s body. The woman meant
business. Before she did something foolish, Haydon jerked the last knot tight and rose from his squatting position. He laid his hand on top of hers. Resting his finger between the hammer and the cylinder, he took the gun away and pointed it away from them. With his thumb firmly on the hammer, he pulled his finger out and put the hammer back into its resting spot.

He pointed the weapon at Ben, but his eyes strayed to Rainee.

With narrowed eyes and pursed lips, she glared down at Ben.

For a little bitty thing she sure was feisty. Haydon had never met a woman like her: sassy, intelligent, kind, compassionate and brave. Even her deep-seated fear of pigs hadn’t stopped her from doing what needed to be done. His deep respect for this woman opened his heart up to feel again.

From the corner of his eyes, Haydon glimpsed movement.

Ben was rocking on his backside, struggling to get lose.

“Sit still!” Haydon ordered. “Or I’ll let her have the gun again.”

Ben squirmed, and a hint of fear flashed across his face.

Haydon had to keep himself from laughing. He would no more give Rainee the gun back than he would return the weapon to Ben.

“Rainee.” Haydon looked at her and stopped. His gaze trailed down her arm. He shook his head and chuckled.

Rainee looked up at him like he had gone plum loco. “What is so funny?”

He gave a quick nod toward her hand.

Rainee followed his gaze, and her hand froze. Kitty was leaning against her leg, an inch away from Rainee’s fingers. He waited for Rainee to scream or faint, or both. Instead, she hiked a shoulder, dropped to her knees and threw her arms around the sow’s neck. “Good girl, Kitty. Who knows what would have happened to Haydon if you had not shown up,” she cooed and gave the swine’s ears a good rubdown.

Haydon ran his hand over his whiskered chin. If he himself hadn’t witnessed Rainee showing the pig affection, he would have never believed it. Her concern for him had annihilated her fear of pigs. Not only that, with her skirt tucked into her waistband, she had tossed aside all the rules of propriety to save his life. His insides felt as warm as the noonday sun. In that instant, he decided he would not let her leave, and he would do whatever it took to win her heart. She may have come here to marry him out of convenience, but now he hoped she would marry him out of love.

Before he could put his plan into action, however, he needed to take care of the no-good scoundrel on the ground in front of him.

“Rainee, can you untie the horses and bring them here?”

She removed her hand from Kitty. “Sorry, Kitty, I have to stop. Haydon needs me.” She stood and started to swipe the dirt from her skirt. Her hands froze mid-air. She whirled around and when she turned back her cheeks were the color of ripe apples, her skirt no longer tucked in at the waist.

She looked so cute standing there that all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and give her a big hug and maybe even steal a kiss or two. But now was not the
time. He needed to get Ben safely tucked behind bars first. Maybe later. No,
definitely
later.

Haydon smiled and winked at her.

She blinked as if in shock. “I—I will be—” She hiked up her skirt and darted toward the horses, taking his heart with her.

A thousand winking eyelashes fluttered through Rainee’s stomach. How could one smile and wink affect her so? For one second she thought she might faint straightaway. Instead, she bolted toward the horses, only slowing when she neared them. While untying them, she drew in a few steadying breaths before she led the animals over to Haydon.

Her gaze caught his. There was something soft and caring in his eyes. Something that hadn’t been there before. Gone was the aloofness. And gone was her heart. It now belonged to him.

“Here, hold this, but don’t do anything crazy,” Haydon said, handing Rainee the gun. Their fingers touched. Warmth spread through her. “Keep it pointed at him.”

Rainee said not a word for fear her words would come out raspy. Instead, she gave Haydon a quick nod, took the gun from him and aimed it at Ben.

Haydon led Ben’s horse next to him and jerked him up by the ropes. Ben twisted and tossed out obscenities.

Rainee narrowed her eyes and shook the gun at him. “If I were you, sir, I would be still and hush your foul mouth before I decide to pull this trigger.”

He stopped fighting and glared at Rainee. “You wouldn’t dare.”

With Haydon standing behind Ben, a surge of
boldness possessed her. “Try me.” She sent him her cold, crazed-woman stare. The one she had practiced in the mirror. The look she had used to run off unwelcome suitors who only wanted her for her father’s money.

As she continued giving Ben that cold, hard stare, shaking the gun wildly at him, Ben glanced between her and Haydon, who stared at her as if he too wondered if she would do it.

Ben’s shoulders slumped and his steely gaze turned to that of a whipped puppy. She found no pleasure in making a man feel like that, but at the same time, she did find it came in quite handy when a man tended to get rough or forceful with her.

Haydon tied the horse to a tree. He wrapped his arms around Ben’s legs, squatted and hoisted him up and over the saddle.

“This saddle horn is killin’ my side.” Ben kicked and squirmed until his body slipped from the horse and landed on the ground with a thud.

“You should have thought about that before you decided to hold me at gunpoint.” Haydon yanked him up and slung him over the saddle again.

Ben’s belly slapped against the saddle. “Watch it. You dirty, no-good—” He went on and on, swearing until Rainee could stand it no longer. She wanted desperately to press her hands over her ears.

Haydon walked around to the other side of Ben’s horse, shoved his hand inside the man’s filthy pocket and pulled out a stained handkerchief. Rainee wrinkled her nose at the disgusting sight. Repulsion wrinkled Haydon’s face, too. He tossed the vile thing into the river and pulled a clean bandanna out of his own pocket.

Ben continued his tirade until Haydon shoved the
bandanna in the man’s mouth and tied it behind his head. Even gagged Ben continued on, but at least the insulting words were muffled.

Haydon looked as relieved as she felt.

With the same rope Ben had used on him, Haydon tied Ben’s hands and legs together under the horse’s belly.

Haydon took the gun from her and tucked it into his belt.

After untying Ben’s horse, he handed Rainee the reins. He grabbed Rebel’s from her and tossed the leather straps over the horse’s neck. He swung into the saddle and reached his hand toward her. Rainee handed him the reins to Ben’s horse. He kicked his left foot out of the stirrup and with his free hand motioned for her to join him.

She hesitated, wondering how she could manage mounting the horse in her dress with Haydon in the saddle. She looked down at her dress and then up at him.

“Head over to that rock.” Haydon jerked his head toward a large stone.

Rainee walked over to the boulder and climbed on it with as much grace as she could muster.