A Western Romance: Love Storm - Western Historical Romance: (Western Fiction, Western Books, Western Brides) (Leap of Love Series Book 4) (3 page)

Red stood to the side, slightly pulling out her chair so that she could take a seat. She thanked him and waited as he took a seat across from her. She was happy that she could sit calmly without having her legs and arms bound as she partook in a meal.

The food was simple; a hearty meal of potatoes, beef, and vegetables.

"I can't believe that you had time to cook something like this. Thank you."

Red nodded while he continued eating his meal. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth with the napkin that had been sitting on his lap, and swallowed down his coffee.

"Eat up. We are going to be on the trail for a while. May not be able to eat like this for a spell."

"Where is it that we are going again?"

"I never told you. All you need to know is that you will go wherever I go until I get what I want."

Bianca finished the last of her potatoes. "Red Davies. To what do I owe the honor of being captured by you?"

"You ask too many questions."

He hopped up from the table, snatching his plate up and taking it to the sink.

"I just wanted to know what we are doing out here. Don't you think that I should be able to know at least that much?"

Red shook his head. "Not really. Some things are better keep between men folk."

The light bulb went off.

"I should have known that this had something to do with my father." A feeling of frustration took over. Her father, Lou Simmons, was notorious for being a shrewd businessman who had strong political backing and ties that often landed him in compromising situations. Those situations had never directly affected any relationships except for his work associations. Now his penchant for making back door deals and being connected to all the wrong people was catching up to him.

Bianca wanted to scream.

"I never said that it had anything to do with Lou Simmons."

"Who else would it be? My father is one of the wealthiest, connected men around."

Red stared at her plate, and as soon as she ate the remaining portion of her beef, he snatched it from her and placed it in the kitchen.

"So are you going to tell me the truth or not? Does my father have anything to do with your motives?"

The dishes clinked, and Red was silent. Bianca waited patiently for his response. She knew very well that her father and Red were adversaries, and that her kidnapping had something to do with some business that the two of them had at hand.

"Your father is a, well, how should I put this? Lou Simmons has been a thorn in my side for quite some time. He sits on his high horse with more money that any man should ever have to himself. And some of the rest of us have to suffer and scrape to make ends meet. Meanwhile, he cuts corners and doesn't pay when jobs are complete. He owes me money, and I know that he has the means to pay it. Just won't do it is all. The man just has no respect. None at all."

Red came back to where Bianca was seated. She saw the frown lines deepening near the corners of his mouth. He seemed to be drifting off into a long lost memory, jaw clenched with a vein popping out on the side of his right temple.

"I understand what you mean."

"No, really, you can't!" Red was practically screaming, and Bianca was sure that vein was going to burst right then and there.

Red took a deep breath and started speaking slowly. "There is no way that a pampered princess like you could possibly know what it's like to work for anything first off. And besides that, you have no idea what it's like to walk in my shoes."

Bianca sat quietly, letting Red's words sink in. He was correct. She had no clue what it was like to be in Red's shoes, or to live a life like him. She did live the life of a pampered princess, full of luxury. She did not know what it was like to have to work for a living. Her father had forged an easy path for her, and made it possible that she did not have to work, but that she could live a life of leisure, free of complication.

"Red, you are one hundred percent correct. I don't know what it's like to walk in your shoes. My life has been pretty easy, and I won't apologize for that. I also won't apologize for having a father who made it his life's mission to make sure that I had the best of everything.

"What I do know is that if you have an issue with my father, it's something that you should take up with him man to man. Why would you drag other people into this?"

"Collateral damage sometimes happens. It's a casualty of war."

"Is that what my life is to you? A casualty of war?"

"There you go again. Talking too much. Let's go."

Red pointed in the direction of the door. Bianca got up, and headed toward the door.

"Now you can make this easy on the both of us or hard on yourself. Keep quiet and do exactly what I tell you to do, or else you will find yourself in a world of trouble. You understand?"

"Understood." Bianca thought it best to stay quiet and calm and win Red's trust versus fighting with him. She was not even sure how far away from home she was, and the last thing she needed was to be found out in the middle of the forest somewhere, cold, unresponsive, dead, all because she did not keep her mouth closed and play the game.

It was almost dusk, and Bianca was concerned about where they would be traveling so late at night.

"It's getting pretty late." That's all she said, and she hoped that it would get her point across.

"Easier to make way at nightfall."

They mounted the wagon, Red sitting on the bench, ready to steer the horses.

"You will sit in the back. Mouth shut," he commanded.

Bianca did as she was asked. It was fine with her. She wanted to peek out of the back of the wagon to make a note of where they were and where they were going. In order to start marking a trail so that her family could find her, she had to be smart.

She knew that her family would rescue her. It would only be a matter of time.

*

It felt like the wagon was hitting each and every bump along the way, almost as if Red was purposely searching out each bump with the purpose of riding over it. Bianca slid to the back of the covered wagon. She searched to find an opening on the covered tarp. She eventually found a stray portion that was tattered, making it easy to rip.

The cool evening air hit her face as she enlarged the opening. Her view was nothing but trees, an expansive amount of forest. It seemed overwhelming until she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened them, it did not seem as though it would swallow her whole. She quickly searched her surroundings, but became frustrated when she could not figure out exactly where she was.

She thought hard about where she knew a forest would be. Arizona was mostly desert land, arid and full of cacti and tumbleweed. It dawned on her that they must be close to the Pickens homestead. That would make them about twenty miles outside of her home county.

How on earth had they gotten so far away from home? Bianca did not remember much about their trip over the past week, and she was not sure how that was possible. It felt like several days of her memories for the past week had been erased. The only thing she could think of was that Red had somehow drugged her. There would be no other possible way that she could not account for several days at a time. But she would not dare ask him if he had done so. Instead, she would just be more aware of her surroundings.

The wagon hit another bump, making Bianca lose her balance and topple over. She recovered, finding her balance. There had to be a way out of captivity. Bianca Simmons was determined to find it, because her life depended on it.

It was difficult to navigate the terrain, especially because Boyd was not familiar with his surroundings. He hoped that not knowing the land would serve him and his brother well, because they wanted to see the land with clear eyes.

Having Scout with them made them hopeful that they would be able to locate Bianca and find her safe.

They had been on the road all day long. Ideally, they had to contend with the fact that they might be five or six days behind, because Bianca had been missing for almost a week.

"I think we should camp here for the night," Scout suggested.

They had been riding all evening, and along with the fact that they were all tired, they had to consider that their horses needed rest as well.

"I just feel like we should keep going, trying to cover more ground."

"Beau, I understand. But we need to be smart. The most important thing is to find Bianca safe."

Boyd nodded. "I agree with Scout. And we also have to consider making sure that the horses get rest and food as well."

Beau sighed. "I guess the two of you are right. Let's make camp and regroup so we can get moving before first daylight."

The men busied themselves finding firewood and tending to the horses. Scout trapped a squirrel, and they all sat to eat dinner.

"We will find her." Boyd tried to be as reassuring as possible.

"I know this. She is my sister. Bianca is strong. She is quite capable of taking care of herself."

A confused look came across Beau's face. "That description is in stark comparison to what I assumed her to be. If you don't mind me saying."

Scout laughed. "Not at all. Many people assume that because she is the daughter of a wealthy man she is overly pampered and used to be waited on hand and foot. Although some of that is true, she does not give in to all of that pampering all of the time. She likes the finer things, but she also is the type to get out and garden, loves nature, and is not afraid to get her hands dirty."

It was nice to hear a little about the woman that they were rescuing. It made her persona seem more real.

"Scout, if you don't mind, can you fill us in a bit more on your family history? Maybe there is something there that will help us to figure out where she could be. Who could have kidnapped her, or something."

Scout nodded. "Of course. Bianca is my older sister. Older by two years. Her mother had already died by the time that I was born. My mother, Rain, and my father were never in love. They were just two lonely souls who bonded over loss. My mother had just lost her parents and basically everyone in her tribe in war. She found herself in Eagle Valley, and began working for my father as a maid. Once Bianca's mother was killed, my mother became a surrogate of sorts to her. Helping to care for her. My parents bonded over time and became good friends. They remain friends to this day.

"As for my father, he is shrewd, aggressive, and won't take no for an answer in business. It is not only his greatest strength, but sometimes his downfall. It is the reason that people respect his business mind as well as hate him. Needless to say, he has many enemies."

The fire crackled as they all sat around listening to Scout.

"Are there any enemies that stick out in your mind that may be seeking revenge?" Boyd asked.

Scout chuckled. "Many. Red Davies comes to mind immediately, though. He and my father have a long history of animosity toward one another that dates back decades."

"Is it possible that Red has kidnapped your sister in revenge for something your father did?" Beau inquired.

Scout shrugged. "It's very possible. But I'm not sure what kidnapping my sister would prove."

"Several things," Beau replied. "It could be about the money. It could be about a power struggle. There are so many reasons why. Is there anyone else that you can think of that may want to get revenge on your father?"

"The answer to that could be anyone. I don't get too far into my father's business affairs. He has a mind of his own when it comes to those things. I would not necessarily do business the way that he does, so I do not really concern myself with what he does with business."

"That could be smart, Scout. I understand that. But me and Boyd come from a large family, and we worked one on one with our father until he passed away. Sometimes, it pays to know more than you think you want to or need to know. Especially when family is involved."

Scout leaned and stoked the fire, staring into its flame. "You may have a good point there. But I know my sister. Bianca is pretty strong, and she will make sure that we know where she is. My people knew this land well, and my mother made sure to pass down that knowledge to me, and she also taught Bianca quite a bit as well. I have faith that we will find her, and that she will be alive. I also know that we had better make sure that we keep our eyes peeled, because I am sure that she will leave us clues along the way."

"I hope that you are right," Boyd commented. "Let's get some rest. We must get started as early as possible in the morning."

The men made pallets on the ground and lay around the camp fire, taking turns sleeping and keeping watch. Boyd tried to calm his mind, and cool the anxious feeling that was boiling in the pit of his stomach. He craved the adventure, and wanted to make sure he was successful at his job. The trick was to be able to address both equally well.

*

Morning came none too soon. Boyd was the first one awake. Beau and Scout rose as soon as Boyd dowsed the fire with water.

"We should get going. It will be daybreak shortly."

It was not long before they shut down their camp and began moving. Boyd took in the scenery. The red sky, the mountains, and the array of colors that filled the canyon. He had never seen a canyon before, and the amount of dust and dirt was intriguing. He could definitely tell the difference between the land of South Carolina and Arizona.

"So how are the two of you getting along so far? I assume that our land out here is completely different than what you are used to at home."

"Yes, Scout it is. But we have not actually had the chance to really learn the land, as we were assigned as soon as we got off of the train."

Beau agreed with his brother. "I guess that this is the best way to get to know the land, being out here on the open terrain, exploring."

"You will probably get the opportunity to learn more about it than people that have lived here for their entire lives," Scout commented.