Defiant (13 page)

“I pray you’re right,” Martin said, silently offering up a prayer for his family’s safety.

“So do I.”

The two men said no more as they rode out of town.

Clint was awake as the eastern horizon grew lighter. The old wooden chair he’d passed the night in definitely hadn’t been made for comfort, but even if he’d had a clean bed, he doubted he would have gotten any rest. His thoughts had been too troubled.

Looking over at where Rachel lay sleeping, he
felt a stirring of emotion deep within him. Last night in the storm, he’d found excitement and pleasure in her arms. She was beautiful and passionate and innocent—and she’d just spent the whole night alone with him in this cabin.

Clint knew they’d really had no choice. It was a new day now, and what was done was done, but the time they’d spent together unchaperoned didn’t bode well for her reputation.

She was the preacher’s daughter.

Clint frowned. He was troubled by the thought of what she might face back in town. He feared her reputation would be ruined even though nothing had really happened between them and he wondered how he could make amends. There was no doubt what his mother would have expected him to do.

With the thought of his mother, memories returned, and with the memories came the cold, driving fury that was his motivation now.

He had come to Dry Springs to find the Tucker Gang.

He was going to finish what he’d started.

Tearing his gaze away from Rachel, Clint got up and went outside to check on his horse. The sooner he got Rachel safely back to Dry Springs, the better—for both of them.

As he saddled Shadow, Clint found himself wondering if any of the Tucker Gang had shown up in town while he’d been away. He hoped they had, for the waiting was getting to him. Once they showed up, it would be just a matter of playing
his cards right to work his way into the gang and learn who their real leader was.

When Clint realized he’d thought of dealing with the outlaws in terms of gambling, he grimaced. After the luck he’d had last night playing poker with Rachel, he knew he should probably give up gambling on anything for a while.

Clint knew it was time to see if Rachel was stirring yet. With daylight upon them, there was not a moment to lose.

Rachel had come awake to find it was morning and she was alone in the cabin. She was surprised that she’d actually fallen asleep. She’d been so excited by all that had happened, she hadn’t expected to get any rest at all. She lay there quietly for a moment, thinking of the night just past. The memory of Kane’s kiss and touch still had the power to leave her breathless. It had been thrilling to be in his embrace. She would have been happy to stay in his arms forever. This morning she understood far more clearly the meaning of temptation.

Rachel smiled at the thought of the lessons she’d learned the past night. She’d learned that being in Kane’s embrace was ecstasy, and she’d learned how to play poker—and win. She would always treasure the time they’d had together and what they’d shared, but she understood just how easily some people might be lured into a way of life that would ultimately bring them nothing but heartache and pain.

Getting up, she went to the window and saw Kane leading his horse around front. A tingle of excitement went through her at the sight of him—so tall and powerful. He moved with an easy male grace that left her mesmerized as she watched him. Rachel wanted to rush outside and throw herself in his arms and never let him go. She began to tremble in anticipation of being close to him again, and the thought came to her—

I love him
.

Rachel was stunned by the revelation. Did she love him? She barely knew him, and yet there was no denying the power of her emotions. She did love him. She smiled and started toward the door as Kane came in.

Clint was surprised to find Rachel up when he walked in.

“Good morning,” he greeted her with an easy smile. His gaze went over her, and he thought her even more lovely this morning, though he didn’t know how that could be possible.

“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “It isn’t raining.”

“The sky is clear, but there’s been some storm damage. Several trees are down here, so I don’t know what we’ll find as we get closer to town. Are you about ready to ride out?” He wanted to get her back home as early as possible.

“Yes,” she said as she crossed the room to stand before him. “But there is one thing—”

“What?”

Rachel reached up and linked her arms around his neck, drawing him down to her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, and then she kissed him.

Clint allowed himself to enjoy the pleasure of her kiss for a moment, but as the heat stirred within him, he knew he had to break it off. They were going to be riding together on the same mount, and it wouldn’t be easy to ignore her, pressed against him as she would be. With great regret, he ended the kiss and put some distance between them.

“Rachel, I don’t know what you’re thanking me for, but there’s something I need to say, too.”

“What?” She looked up at him, wondering what he meant.

“I’m sorry,” he said simply.

“You’re sorry for what?” Rachel was confused.

“We should have returned to town last night when the storm ended.”

“But why? We talked about it. We both knew how dangerous it might be if there was flooding, and you just said there are trees down nearby. We did the right thing staying here,” she insisted.

“I know, but I’m worried about your reputation. We did spend the night alone together.”

“I’m the preacher’s daughter. Nobody’s going to think bad things about me. You saved me from the storm after my buggy was wrecked. That’s what happened, and that’s what matters.”

“But what about your parents?”

“They’ll believe me.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

“Then we’d better get going.”

They gathered up their few possessions and rode out.

Martin and Bill were keeping careful watch as they traveled the road to the Franklin ranch. The storm’s devastation on the countryside was evident, and with each passing mile Martin’s concern for his family grew. In his heart, he prayed unceasingly that he would find his wife and daughter unharmed.

“What could have happened to them?” Martin worried aloud. “It just doesn’t make sense for the horse to come back to town unhitched that way.”

“I don’t know, but we’ll find them. Don’t you worry about that.”

They came around a curve in the road, and it was then that they spotted the wrecked buggy.

“Oh, my God!” Martin cried out as he spurred his horse to a run, leaving Bill to follow in the buckboard.

When he reached the wreck, he threw himself off his horse. Dread filled him as he ran toward the buggy. Were his wife and daughter there, injured or dead in the wreckage?

The relief that filled Martin was great as he reached the broken vehicle and discovered no sign of Anne or Rachel. He offered up a quick prayer of thanks to God that they weren’t dead, and then immediately realized his worries weren’t over.

“They’re not here!” he shouted to Bill as the other man reined in nearby.

“Then where could they be?” Bill asked, coming to look things over with him.

Martin lifted his troubled gaze to stare around the landscape. A sick, worried feeling haunted him. “I wish I knew. As bad as the storm was, if they were abandoned out here all alone . . .”

“There are no homes nearby that they could have reached on foot in the midst of that storm.”

“The nearest ranch is the Miller place, and that’s at least three miles south of here.”

“Isn’t that old abandoned Harris place still standing?”

Martin was thoughtful. “I’m not sure, but it’s worth taking a look. They might have been able to get there on foot.”

Bill climbed back on the buckboard and Martin mounted up, ready to check out the abandoned cabin. They’d just started to ride when Bill noticed a horse with two riders coming over the hill.

“Martin! Look!”

Martin couldn’t believe his eyes. Even from this distance, he recognized his daughter. “It’s Rachel!”

Clint had just crested the hill when he spotted the horseman and a man driving a buckboard near the wrecked buggy.

“There’s your father,” he told her.

“It is!” She was delighted. She knew her father must have been worried sick about her, but the fact that they’d found each other now made everything all right.

Clint urged his horse on, and they rode down to meet her father and the buckboard.

The minute Clint reined in, Rachel slipped down from where she’d been riding behind him and ran to her father, who’d also dismounted.

“Thank heaven, you’re here and you’re all right!” Martin said, hugging her to his heart. “I’ve been so worried about you. When Bill told me the horse had come back without you—”

“I know—it’s been an ordeal. The weather was so terrible last night—”

“Where’s your mother?” Martin asked, looking around but seeing only Kane McCullough with her.

“She’s still out at the Franklin ranch. They needed her help, so she decided to stay a few extra days. I was on my way home last night to let you know when the storm came up and the horse panicked and took off.”

“Were you thrown from the buggy?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “It was scary, but I wasn’t really hurt.”

“Thank heaven.”

“Kane showed up a short time later and rescued me just as the weather started to get really bad.”

Martin looked up at the man who’d saved his daughter from almost certain harm. “Thank you, Mr. McCullough.”

“I was glad to help—and you can call me Kane.”

“All right, Kane. I appreciate everything you’ve done for my daughter.”

Rachel asked, “How are things in town? We were afraid there might be a tornado last night.”

“I didn’t see a tornado, but there might have been one,” Bill put in. “Something bad hit Fred Garvey’s place. I saw him in town real early this morning, and he said he’d lost the roof on his house, and his whole barn.”

“It was a bad storm, that’s for sure, but you’re safe. That’s all that matters.” Martin was smiling at Rachel. “So how were things out at the Franklin place this morning? Is everyone all right? How’d they manage to weather the storm?”

Rachel realized at that moment that her father thought Kane had taken her back to the ranch after he’d found her, and she knew she had to tell him the truth. “I don’t know how they are today. Kane and I couldn’t get back there after the buggy was wrecked. The weather was too violent. We ended up spending the night at the old Harris place.”

Bill looked shocked as he heard the news. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

Rachel had spent the night alone with this man—this stranger.

Bill said nothing, though, waiting to see how Martin would handle the news.

Martin was startled by her revelation, too.

“You two spent the night alone there?” he asked, an edge of caution in his voice.

“We had no choice, Papa,” Rachel said simply. “Last night after the wreck, I was just grateful to be alive, and then when Kane appeared out of nowhere and helped me right in the middle of the downpour—well, thank goodness he showed up
when he did. I don’t know what would have happened to me if he hadn’t been riding by.”

“I don’t either,” Martin agreed, dismissing any thoughts that anything untoward might have happened between them. They’d been caught in a difficult situation, and they’d made the best of it.

Martin walked over to where Kane was still sitting on his horse and extended his hand up to him. “I am grateful for your kindness to my daughter. Thank you.” His words were heartfelt.

Kane shook his hand. “You’re welcome.”

“Martin, do you want to try to right the buggy now?” Bill asked. He was very uncomfortable with what he’d just heard. True, Rachel was the reverend’s daughter and the storm had been a savage one, but a young, pretty, unmarried girl like her should never spend a whole night unchaperoned with a single man. He could imagine what the ladies in town were going to be thinking once the word got out.

“No. There’s no need. I’ll send some men out with an extra horse later on to bring it back in,” he answered. “Right now, I just want to take my daughter home.”

“And I just want to go home,” Rachel agreed.

“Bill, why don’t you ride my horse, and I’ll drive the buckboard back with Rachel?” Martin suggested.

“Sure, we can do that,” the other man said.

A short time later, they were on their way to Dry Springs.

Clint had been surprised by her father’s easy
acceptance of her explanation of the night just past, but he’d been glad it had gone so smoothly for her. The last thing he wanted was for Rachel to end up in trouble because of him.

Chapter Thirteen

When Michelle heard about Rachel’s accident later that morning, she was worried about her friend. She hurried over to the Hammonds’ house to make sure Rachel was all right.

“What are you doing here?” Rachel asked, surprised by her friend’s visit.

“Checking on you,” she answered.

“I’m fine. Really.”

“My mother heard that you’d been in some kind of accident coming back from the Franklin ranch yesterday,” Michelle said as she came inside.

“Yes, but everything’s fine.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Can you stay for a while? Mother’s still out with the Franklins, and Papa went over to the church for a while.”

“Sure.”

They went to sit in the parlor to talk, and Rachel told Michelle all that had happened.

“It’s amazing you weren’t seriously hurt.”

“I know. It was scary. I was very lucky—or should I say blessed? And then, when Kane rode up out of nowhere in the middle of the storm, I was sure he was my guardian angel.”

“Without the wings, of course,” Michelle laughed.

“Of course.”

“I wish Nick would come riding up and rescue me.” Michelle sighed romantically, thinking of the handsome deputy and wishing she could see him more often.

“Just be glad you weren’t stranded like I was. It was really frightening—until Kane showed up.”

“I know you’re right, but just think about it: You got to be alone with Kane all night.”