Authors: Jennifer Jakes
“Be careful.” She traced the lines around his eyes.
“You look so tired. Maybe you should wait until tomorrow.”
“You know you wouldn’t let me get any rest if I stayed here. Insatiable woman.” He grinned when she gasped, then gave her another kiss. “I’ll be fine. Lock the door behind us.” He turned to Wolf. “Come on, boy.”
****
Rafe stopped at noon to eat. It had been a good day so far. The travois was half loaded with firewood.
He pulled the food from his pocket and sat under a large spruce tree similar to the one he had loved Maggie beneath. Images of her filled his mind. He could see her body, slick with sweat from lovemaking, her blue eyes glazed as she smiled at him…Damn. His cock hardened.
He was going to have to learn to control his thoughts or he’d be constantly stiff.
Giving Wolf half the bread, Rafe gulped the lukewarm coffee left in his canteen. The snow had let up for now and peaceful silence surrounded him. He yawned. Hell, he was tired. Too many nights of missed sleep, but God, it had been worth it. He grinned and leaned his head against the tree. He would just rest his eyes for a minute.
He woke with a start. Damn! How long had he slept?
The cloudy sky offered no hint as to the time.
“Why did you two let me sleep so long?”
Wolf raised his head and yawned.
Moses opened one heavy lid and nickered.
“Well, we’ve got to hurry now. Otherwise Maggie will be worried.” Rafe picked up his canteen and grabbed his ax.
With luck he could be to the cabin in an hour.
A twig snapped behind him as he checked the travois straps. He stiffened and reached for his pistol.
“Well, well. Look who we have here. The man with the winning bid.”
Rafe’s heart skittered to a stop. He knew that cultured accent. Slowly he straightened, forcing a nonchalance he didn’t feel.
“Yup, just the man we wuz lookin’ fer.”
Rafe turned, praying he was wrong. Damn it! Skinner Joe nodded as Rafe faced him.
“Didn’t think I’d come here, did ya, blue belly?” He gave a low laugh. “But I ain’t scared of you, and we gots unfinished business.”
Michael stood back in the trees holding their horses.
A nd a gun. His grip appeared loose on the rifle, but it was primed and ready to fire.
Rafe’s pulse hammered, but he kept his expression bland. “You’ve got no reason to be looking for me. We finished our business in Cougar Creek.” He held the ax in front of him, hiding his gun hand.
“Naw. We ain’t near finished.” Joe grinned and fingered the trigger of his pistol. “Seems your gal has something that belongs to Mr. Monroe. He wants it back real bad.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t pretend she hasn’t opened the satchel.” Michael stepped forward. “That bitch is always drawing a damn picture.”
Rafe swallowed hard, his mind racing for an answer.
Joe motioned at Rafe with the barrel of his gun.
“Might as well make this easy on yourself. You’re gonna die here today.” He smiled and spit a stream of tobacco on to the snow. “Mr. Monroe gets his papers,” his voice was pure evil, “and I get the bitch.”
Rafe stiffened, ready to draw. “I don’t think so.” No way in hell would he let them near Maggie. “Wolf, come!” The dog bounded out of the trees.
“Fuck!” Michael screamed as he struggled to control the horses as they spooked. “Shoot that thing.” Joe turned and took aim at Wolf.
Rafe dropped the ax, drawing his gun the same time as Michael raised his.
Two shots rang out.
Michael looked stunned. The rifle dropped to the snow as he looked at the stain spreading across his shirt.
White hot pain burned Rafe’s temple. His heart pounded. Sweat poured off him. He blinked as Joe’s image blurred, then disappeared. Black dots danced around him. Nausea threatened to buckle his knees.
Where was that bastard? Rafe wiped his brow. Why was his hand covered in blood?
“Goddamn it.”
Rafe spun in the direction of the voice. Joe crouched behind a tree, shaking his gun as if it had jammed.
Shaking, Rafe took aim. Please, God. Please. He fired.
Joe screamed as two of his fingers were blown apart by the bullet. Rafe swayed, then fell to his knees. His body shuddered so hard he couldn’t feel the gun in his hand. Had he dropped it? He squinted to focus.
Joe hit him like a train, knocking him back in the snow. He straddled Rafe and drew back the knife. “You’re a dead man, you son of a bitch.” He pulled a knife from the sheath on his hip. “I’m gonna cut your damn heart out.” He pressed the bloody remains of his hand against Rafe’s throat.
Rafe struggled to breathe as he fumbled for the pistol he kept hidden in his coat. Where was it? Where? He struck Joe repeatedly, trying to dislodge the big man, bucking under the heavy weight. But that didn’t stop the knife. The blade sliced into Rafe’s shoulder just above his heart. Red-hot pain shot through him.
Joe smiled. “Maybe I won’t finish you. The animals can have you.” He drove his fist into the wound. “Maybe I’ll go comfort your gal.”
Like hell he would. Rafe’s fingers curled around his pistol. He didn’t bother to pull it from his pocket. The shot echoed like cannon fire.
Joe looked down as the knife fell from his fingers.
“But…” Blood gurgled from his mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell over into the snow.
Rafe closed his eyes.
It hurt to breathe, but he gulped in the cold evening air and tried to clear his head.
Goddamn it, he couldn’t die. Maggie would be so scared. He couldn’t leave her alone. He turned to his side and tried to sit up. Nausea rolled over him. He clawed at the snowy ground, crawling a few feet…Damn.
“Moses. Come here,” he wheezed. The horse took a few steps. The reins dangled within reach. Maybe he could grab them.
He wrapped his hand around the leather and pulled himself up. The landscape blurred. His body trembled.
Disgusted, he fell to his knees.
Wolf ran out of the woods. He whined and pressed his cold nose into Rafe’s palm.
“I can’t make it.”
Wolf pressed again and barked encouragingly. Rafe stroked the thick fur.
“Good boy. Go to Maggie.” Wolf cocked his head.
“Go home. Take care of her.” Wolf walked a few feet, then looked back. “Go,” Rafe said with as much force as he could muster. He let himself fall back on to the cold, wet ground.
“I’m sorry, Maggie,” he whispered. Chills racked his body. He let his eyes drift shut.
What a damn stupid way to die.
****
He would be furious if she went to look for—
She jumped when a thud hit the door. Wolf whined, begging to be let inside.
“Thank God,” she muttered as she undid the bolt.
He pushed past her and barked, running in a circle around her legs.
“Hello, boy.” She peered out the door. “Where’s Rafe?” The barn door was still closed; no light showed from beneath.
Now, don’t panic. Maybe Wolf just ran ahead.
She took a deep breath and closed the door. Wolf stopped beside it and howled, scratching to get out.
Her heart pounded. Fear clawed its way down her back. Something had happened to Rafe. She could feel it.
Wolf came to her feet and whined, pawing at her leg.
His foot left dark smudges on her pants—darker than mud.
Blood! She knelt and dug through his thick fur searching for a wound. There was none. The blood had to be from something else. Someone else.
Oh, God!
“Let’s go.” Her voice cracked with fear. She grabbed her coat and hat. What supplies should she take? A gun.
She raced to the larder and seized the pistol, then tucked some toweling into her pocket. Out in the barn she grabbed a rope, the lantern and some Lucifer sticks.
Wolf led the way. Maggie trudged through the snow trying to keep up. Occasionally he would stop, look at her with exasperation, then bark as if telling her to hurry.
Light flakes drifted around her like feathers, but the peaceful beauty of the night was gone, replaced by turmoil and confusion. A ll she could think about was Rafe. How badly was he hurt? Would she be able to find him in the dark? Horrible images filled her mind. She couldn’t allow her thoughts to wander or she would panic. Her heart pounded with exertion and fear. Wolf stayed close to the creek. She tried to gauge how far they’d come, but in the dark it was hard to tell.
Why hadn’t she gone with Rafe today? The one time he actually needed her, she let him down.
Her throat ached with unshed tears. “Please, God. Let him be all right.”
Wolf stopped at a large tree and barked excitedly.
“I’m coming.” She stumbled over a small hill and almost tripped over a man’s body. Michael! Blood covered his shirt, but his hollow rasps filled the silent night.
“Maggie.” He wrapped a bloody hand around her ankle. “Help me. That bastard shot me.”
“Who?” A nd where was Rafe?
Wolf barked again. She spun toward the creek. Moses stood with his reins dragging the ground. Wolf ran to the water and barked at her.
Oh, God. No! There were two more bodies. She pulled free from Michael’s hold and ran across the frozen ground. The man beside the creek was large and hairy.
A nd smelly. The angry man from the auction. The other man…Shudders rolled over her, and she closed her eyes.
If she didn’t look, it couldn’t be Rafe. It couldn’t be. But like a sleepwalker she moved to the man. He was face down in the snow, but…
“Rafe!” Her cry tore through the night. Her eyes filled with tears. She dropped to her knees beside him. He didn’t move. Was he even breathing? Her hands shook as she tried to light the lantern. Wolf whined and hunkered down next to Rafe. Once the flame caught, she reached to roll him over.
“Please be alive.” His hands were ice cold. “Please, please,” she whispered. “Don’t leave me.” Her heart ached with fear. She gripped his body and heaved with all her might. He moaned when she rolled him. A lump formed in her throat. “Thank God.” Hot tears rolled down her frozen cheeks.
She turned up the wick on the lantern and leaned over him. A scream caught in her throat. Blood covered the side of his face and soaked his left shoulder.
She peered at his head and lifted his blood matted hair. Lord, there was a crease as big as her finger above his temple, a crease the size of a bullet. She pressed a kiss to his still mouth. “Rafe. It’s Maggie. Don’t worry.
I’m here now. You’ll be fine.”
She forced frozen fingers to unbutton his coat, then ran her hands over his chest. There were no bullet holes, but his shoulder was sliced open above his heart.
He groaned when she moved his left arm.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
She didn’t want to hurt him but needed to see the wound. Holding the lantern up high, she pulled back the coat. Light glinted off a knife that lay between Rafe and Joe.
Stabbed!
Blood seeped from the wound again. How much could he bleed and still live? Fresh tears burned her eyes.
She unbuttoned her coat, took out the towels, then pressed them against the gash. It would need to be held tightly. The rope was too long, too bulky. Besides, she would probably have to tie him on Moses for the ride home.
She stripped off her coat, then her shirt. The night air cut straight through her union suit. Shivering, she pulled her coat on and tore a strip from her shirt, then fastened it around his head.
“Damn it,” he cursed. His breathing was uneven.
“I’m so sorry,” she told him as she wrapped the shirt around the towels and tied the sleeves together. “A lmost finished.”
His eyes cracked open. “Maggie?” He sounded as if he didn’t trust what he saw.
“Yes. I’m here.” She buttoned his coat, trying to preserve any body heat he had left. “You’re going to be fine. We have to get you home now.” Cupping his face, she brushed her lips over his. He took a ragged breath.
“Can’t…make it,” he whispered. His lids slid shut.
“You have to make it.” She kissed him again. Her tears dripped on to his face. “I love you.” He looked at her, then raised his hand to her hair.
“Don’t cry, Maggie.” His hand slipped down until it found hers. “I love you, too.” A chill shook his body.
“Cold,” he muttered as his eyes drifted shut.
“Rafe!”
He groaned. “Maggie. I’m gonna die—”
“No. Stop it. I won’t let you.”
He gave a thin smile. “Shoulda known you’d argue.
But I don’t think—it’s your…decision.”
How could he just give up like this? A nger surged through her.
“Then fight, damn you! Don’t leave me. I love you more than anything in this world,” she sobbed. “Please, Rafe. Please don’t die.” Shudders racked her body as she curled up in the ground next to him.
“Damn it,” he cursed, then moaned in pain. “Go home.”
“No. I won’t leave you here.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, sharing her warmth. If he was going to die here, then so was she.
“But I can’t ride.” He coughed. “I sure as hell can’t walk that far.”
She scrambled to her feet. Relief flooded through her. If he would just try, she would do the rest.