Tracie Peterson (12 page)

Minutes later, Daughtry and Riley emerged from the jail to find the small crowd still lingering to learn what they could. Daughtry refused to listen to Riley’s suggestion that he get another man to go with him.

“I know our land better than anyone here in town,” she protested with hands on her hips. “And, unless you plan to lock me in a cell with those two, I’m going to find my husband and father.”

Riley ran his hand back through his gray hair and stared at Daughtry.

“Remind you of someone?” Zandy questioned, coming up behind her husband.

“Frightfully so,” Riley replied with a look at his wife that told her he real
ly didn’t mind the comparison. “Poor Nick.” Zandy giggled at her husband’s mock horror.

“Well?” Daughtry questioned. “Are you coming with me?”

“Of course I am,” Riley responded. “Nicholas will have my hide over this and rightfully so, but I’m getting too old to fight the feminine wiles. Could you manage to stop long enough to arrange for Zandy to be taken to your folks’ place first?”

“Certainly,” Daughtry said with a smile. “My Aunt Lillie—well she’s real
ly not my aunt, but she and my mother are like sisters. Anyway, she lives in that house right over there. She’s married to the town doctor, so there’s always someone there. Just tell her who you are and what you need. She’ll see to it that you get there.”

Zandy smiled and nodded. Daughtry moved to retrieve Nutmeg’s reins and motioned to Riley.

“You’d better saddle up one of their horses, Riley.”

Riley gave Zandy a quick kiss, then did just as his daughter-in-law instructed. “Nicholas certainly has his work cut out for him,” he muttered
under his breath, and Zandy’s laughter caused Daughtry to wonder at the
murmured words.

Chapter 19

L
ess than a half-hour after Gus and Jeb had ridden out for town, Nicholas had managed to free himself from the ropes. Crashing the ancient chair’s rickety frame against the wall until it fell into pieces, Nicholas had managed to work his arms and shoulders loose.

“If you back up here,” Garrett suggested, “I can probably pull those knots free with my teeth.”

Nicholas nodded and pushed his hands, still bound behind his back, up to meet his father-in-law’s mouth. Garrett worked at the ropes for only a moment before managing to pull the first knot apart. After that it was only a matter of teamwork and they had themselves free.

Rubbing his wrists and the spot in his shoulder that ached from the only sign of age he’d allowed himself—rheumatism—Garrett smiled at his son-in-law. “I guess we’ll be quite a surprise for old Gus and Jeb.”

“More than they can imagine,” Nicholas said, returning the grin. “The way I see it, we’d be wise to lay a trap. There’s no way of knowing if they’ll
come back alone, and I intend to round up every one of those good-for-noth
ings so I can get on with my life. I can’t go on having to look over my shoulder every time a twig snaps, and I’ll certainly not subject my wife and kids to it.” Looking intently at Garrett for a moment, Nicholas grew sober.

“I’m really sorry for the danger this has placed you and your family in,” he began. “I have to admit that one of the reasons I agreed to winter with you here was because I was worried something like this would happen at our place. I figured, and selfishly so, that they’d come around and find our place deserted, with no forwarding address or knowledge of where we’d gotten off to, and they’d give up and go home. I don’t want to be responsible for killing any of them, but I won’t let them kill my family.”

Garrett reached out and put his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “You did what you had to do. I would have done the same thing, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of in thinking of Daughtry first.” He grinned, breaking the tension between them. “I put her mother first, often to my detriment and, sometimes, my distraction.”

Nicholas laughed. “Yes, Daughtry can be a real distraction too.”

“Don’t I know it,” Garrett said, joining his laughter.

“What are we going to do about this?” Nicholas said, sobering once again.

“We’ll have to take them when they come back. We can watch and see if more than just the two of them come back and judge the situation accordingly. The way I figure it, it’s going to be about dark before they can make it back from Bandelero. We can use that to our benefit by leaving the place dark.”

“Makes sense,” Nicholas replied, sizing up the range shack. It was a single room, with little more than fireplace, table, and chair. The other chair, now good for little more than kindling, lay in a heap beside a small metal cabinet. “What’s in there?” Nicholas questioned.

“A bit of food, some bandages, that sort of thing. No weapons, except maybe a knife.” Garrett strode over to the cabinet and opened it. “Looks like Gus and Jeb cleaned it out. There’s bandages and some liniment. Nothing else.”

Nicholas nodded and continued to stare out the window. His mind immediately drifted where he didn’t want to dwell. Daughtry was somewhere out there. Maybe she was alone and hurt or maybe she’d made it back safely to the ranch. Either way, not knowing was killing Nicholas.

“You love her a great deal, don’t you, Son?”

Nicholas didn’t even smile at the reference. “I do,” he whispered. “More than I ever hoped I could love another person.”

Garrett came up beside him and put his arm around Nicholas’s shoulder. “Let’s pray.” With a nod, Nicholas felt hope return.

❧

“We’re about out of light, Daughtry,” Riley called from his mount.

“I know, but we’re nearly there,” she replied in a breathless manner. “We’ll just have to push them a little harder.”

The horses, already more than a little weary from their continuous journeys, were sweat-soaked and starting to lather. Daughtry had never abused a mount in her life, but then, she’d never felt the urgency to save another person’s life. Nicholas and her father might lie bleeding or half-dead, for all she knew. They just had to get to the ranch shack and see that they were all right. After that, she’d give Nutmeg a well-deserved rest, but not until then.

Daughtry felt a wave of nausea run through her, causing her to slow their
pace a bit. She prayed silently that the feeling would pass, and when it did
n’t, Daughtry surprised Riley by pulling up quickly.

“Here!” she exclaimed, tossing her reins to Riley. She barely took four steps before losing the contents of her stomach.

Considerably more pale and slightly weak, Daughtry returned to her horse, ignoring Riley’s shocked expression. She rinsed her mouth out, then took a deep drink from the canteen before remounting.

Meeting Riley’s eyes, she nodded. “We’re going to have a baby.”

Riley’s expression changed from shock to extreme concern. “You can’t be out here doing this.”

Daughtry shrugged. “That’s what my brother said and no doubt what my father and husband will say. I can probably expect my father to suggest a spanking again—that seems to be his answer for wayward children.”

“And rightfully so,” Riley murmured, refusing to give in to Daughtry’s dry amusement. “You could harm yourself.”

Daughtry laughed. “I’m a little more concerned about what Nicholas will do when he sees me out here.” Urging her horse forward, she grinned over her shoulder. “But I guess it’s a little late to start worrying now.”

Riley sat for a moment, still stunned by the news. Nudging the horse in the ribs, Riley caught up with Daughtry and spoke. “You amaze me,” he said to her.

Daughtry was surprised to hear those words instead of a rebuke. She glanced up, still shaky from her bout of nausea. “Sometimes,” she replied, “I amaze myself. I figure God has His hand most firmly on my shoulder, though. I don’t doubt for a minute that He led me to town in order to find those two at just the right time. I was the only one who knew what they looked like.” She paused, looking skyward. “God keeps pretty busy with me, but then I try to return the favor and keep myself pretty busy with Him.”

Riley smiled.
“Remind me sometime to tell you about how busy He had to keep with me.”

Daughtry looked at Riley and nodded. “It’s a deal.”

❧

The mountain peaks greedily sucked out the last bits of light, just as the range shack came into view. Daughtry and Riley did nothing to disguise their approach. They were hopeful that the noise they made would be welcomed by living, breathing souls.

Daughtry refused to listen to Riley’s pleas that she let him enter the shack first. She raced across the ground without even securing Nutmeg to the hitching post. Riley did likewise and was on her heels.

Daughtry burst through the door into the darkness. She opened her mouth to call out to Riley, but someone knocked her down onto the hard wooden floor. While the beast managed to sit itself square on her backside, the cracking thud of a fist to a face left Daughtry little doubt that Riley had been properly subdued.

“Light a lamp,” Nicholas called to Garrett who was now nursing his sore knuckles. Daughtry was so stunned she couldn’t speak. She began to struggle furiously, which only made Nicholas twist around to clamp a hand to the middle of her back.

“Get off of me, you oaf!” she managed to gasp as her father struck a match to the kerosene lamp he held.

Nicholas’s and Garrett’s jaws dropped open with the stunned revelation that they’d managed to capture their rescue team. Without thinking to move, Nicholas stared at the crumpled body of his father, now stirring in the doorway. Daughtry started kicking her legs, but the duster wrapped around them sufficiently and saved Nicholas from any blows.

“Well, I’ll be,” Garrett finally said and motioned to where Riley was struggling to sit up. “You know him?”

Nicholas moaned, but still didn’t move. “Yeah, he’s my father.”

“Figures,” Garrett said, rolling his eyes upward.

“Nicholas! You’re smashing me into the floor!” Daughtry exclaimed.

Finally realizing what he was doing, Nicholas shifted his weight and rolled to the side of his wife. Daughtry just lay there for a moment, trying to take in enough air to fill her lungs.

“I’d say while you have her down there like that—” Garrett began.

“Don’t you dare!” Daughtry interrupted indignantly. “Don’t you dare suggest he spank me. I’m not a child! If you two had bothered to look at who was coming. . .”

Nicholas interrupted as he took Daughtry into his arms and pulled her across his lap. “We did look. We saw that sorrel mare that Gus had ridden out of here and we saw two scraggly looking characters.” Nicholas looked Daughtry over from head to foot, then glanced up at his father. “You gonna live, Dad?”

Riley rubbed his sore jaw. “Your father-in-law packs quite a punch.”

“Don’t I know it!” Nicholas exclaimed, and Garrett turned sheepishly to shrug. “How’d you get involved in all of this?”

Riley tried to smile, but his swollen lip wouldn’t allow for it. “Your mother and I came to town to surprise you for Christmas. We ran into Daughtry at the train station where she’d pinned down your captors.”

Nicholas turned to see Daughtry looking at him rather smugly. “You went into town wearing boys’ pants? After I told you I didn’t want to see you doing that?”

Daughtry groaned in exasperation and tried to free herself from Nicholas’s grasp. He tightened his hold on her, leaving little doubt that the matter was far from settled.

“I saw the men take you and Daddy,” Daughtry explained. “I ran back home and got Gavin and the boys. They’re out there somewhere, even now, looking for you two. I couldn’t just sit at home, and Gavin told me I couldn’t go with them.”

Garrett looked at Riley with a look that only fathers could share. “She’s never been one to follow instruction.”

“Well, she’s going to learn real quicklike,” Nicholas interjected. “Daughtry, you could have been killed. I could have busted you in the jaw like Garrett did Dad. Then what?”

Daughtry opened her mouth to speak, looking first at her husband, then her father, and finally Riley. Finding not even a shred of support, Daughtry crossed her hands against her chest and pouted. “I can’t believe you aren’t even grateful for the rescue.”

Nicholas gently held her under one arm and got to his feet, pulling Daughtry up with him as if she weighed nothing. “I am grateful,” he said softly, “but I’d be a whole lot more grateful if you were safely tucked away back at the ranch.”

He looked at his father, shaking his head. “I don’t suppose she told you that she’s expecting?”

Riley chuckled. “She did. Right after she lost her lunch and we were nearly here. Reminds me of your mother,” he added with such joy that Daughtry couldn’t help but smile appreciatively.

“I will take that as a compliment,” Daughtry replied. “Your wife is a wonderful woman. I imagine she would have come with us if I’d given her time to change.”

At this Nicholas and Riley both laughed, and Garrett shook his head. “Sounds like Maggie. I’m sure if we don’t make our way home soon, she’ll be leading the searchers for us.”

“Those horses are pretty spent,” Riley said. “In fact, I think I’d better make sure they didn’t wander off too far. In our hurry,” he paused with a wink at Daughtry, “we left them to fend for themselves.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” Garrett said, coming forward. “I hope you’ll forgive the greeting.”

Riley patted him on the back. “Forgiven. From now on, we’ll fight on the same side.”

“Agreed,” Garrett chuckled.

When their fathers had gone outside, Nicholas pulled Daughtry to him so tightly she could scarcely breathe. “I was so afraid you were hurt,” Nicholas breathed against her ear. “Thank God you’re all right.”

“I echo those sentiments myself,” Daughtry whispered, lifting her face. “I couldn’t just sit at home, Nick. I love you and I had to help. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I’d done nothing and lost you.”

Nicholas tenderly stroked Daughtry’s dirt-smudged cheek. “I love you, Daughtry. My life wouldn’t mean much without you in it.” He lowered his lips slowly to hers, kissing her long and gently as though gaining reassurance from the action.

Pulling away, Daughtry sighed and leaned her head against her husband’s chest. “I like your dad,” she finally said. “He’s just like you.”

Nicholas chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t have thought that a compliment a few months back.”

“And now?”

“Now, I’m pleased you think it so. He’s a good man, and I’m proud to be his son,” Nicholas admitted.

“You’ll work everything out between you?” Daughtry questioned. “I mean the demands he put on you and such. You won’t hold a grudge or be angry with him? After all,” Daughtry said looking into Nicholas’s dark eyes, “it brought us together.”

“No, I’m not angry with him,” Nicholas smiled. “Grateful, but not angry.”

Daughtry nodded and smiled. “And you aren’t angry with me? I mean, I made a pretty big mess of things back at the house. I’m sorry for that too. I was riding back to apologize when I lost Poco. I just want you to know that it doesn’t matter that you didn’t love me when you married me. All that matters is that you love me now and that you’ll always love me.”

Nicholas kissed Daughtry lightly on the mouth. “I’ll always love you, but I may have to tie you to a chair in order for you to bring our child into the world healthy and safe.”

Daughtry laughed. “I promise from now on, I’ll be good as can be.”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” Nicholas mused in disbelief, “until the next time.”