The Rancher Takes a Cook (22 page)

More time passed, and the sun continued
beating down, but Anna found it bearable. All she could do for now
was watch and wait.

A shot ripped the air and Anna jumped. Men
shouted and more revolver shots fired. Anna craned her neck, but
the thin layer of trees blocked her view. She tried to call out,
but the gag stopped all but a faint moan. The thud of heavy boots
running through the leaves rose above the din of bullets and she
tensed, not sure whether it would be friend or foe. A dark Mexican
sprinted from tree to tree. Every few seconds, he would turn and
aim his rifle at something behind him. He looked like the same man
who had appeared to be in charge earlier.

Following about thirty feet behind, another
man darted through the woods at a faster clip, shooting as he ran
toward them. His gait was a bit gangly, and reality washed over her
like the thaw from an iceberg. Edward.

Anna tried to scream at her brother, but the
gag swallowed her words.
Run, Edward! Get far away from
here.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion now. Her breath
stopped as her brother approached, ducking low to avoid the rifle
shots aimed right at him. Panic rose in her like a wild animal, and
Anna wrestled against her bindings. She had to get to Edward. Get
him out of this place. Get him to safety.
Oh, God. Where are
you?

Cast your burden on the Lord.
The
verse came back to her, but Anna fought against it, still pulling
at her ropes. Edward dropped out of sight through the trees, and
Anna’s stomach dropped with him.
No!
His head reappeared,
and she began to breathe again.

But the salvation of the righteous is
from the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble.
With that verse, a trickle of the peace that had come earlier
washed over Anna.
God, I can’t do this. You have to save my
brother!
Panic threatened to overpower her again.

I will trust in the shadow of your
wings.
Another verse, but she had no idea where it had come
from.

You have to help me, God. Help Edward. I
can’t do anything.
Her shoulders slumped, and Anna was barely
conscious of the tears rolling down her cheeks. She was broken. Had
nothing left to give. There was nothing she could do.

The bandit was just a few feet away from her
now, and one final lunge would bring him within arm’s reach. As the
man left the cover of his tree, Anna curled into as much of a ball
as she could manage while restrained. The sound of gunshots was all
around her now, and she kept her eyes squeezed shut, preparing for
the sharp pain of metal piercing her flesh.

A scream rent the air. A crash beside her.
Then the closest gunfire stopped, although it still raged in the
distance. She forced her eyes open. The Mexican lay moaning on the
ground while holding his lower leg. Blood oozed from the wound.

Edward ran the last few feet to the man,
picked up the revolver that had dropped to the ground, and tucked
it into his belt. He then stepped backward away from the wounded
man until he reached Anna. He never turned away from the outlaw but
bent down to loosen first the tie around her mouth then around her
arms.

“Are you okay?” he asked, even before the
gag was loose.

Anna still couldn’t speak, even after the
cloth was removed from her face. She nodded hard but kept her eyes
on the man still moaning on the ground. At last, Edward finished
with the rope.

“Stay here for a minute.” Edward picked up
the heavy cord that had been tied around her wrists and bent down
to secure the man’s hands behind his back. The bandit let out a
painful groan, but her brother didn’t flinch. He tested the knot
he’d made, added an extra loop, then turned back to Anna, leaving
the man still curled on the ground.

“Can you stand up?”

“Yes,” Anna croaked. Her throat was so dry
it hurt to speak.

“Come on, then.” Her little brother, now her
protector, grabbed both of her hands and hauled her up. She swayed
a bit, so he positioned a hand under each of her elbows to hold her
steady. She wasn’t sure if her light-headedness was coming from the
fact that she’d been tied in the sun all day without water, or from
the sight of the blood oozing out of the man’s leg not five feet
away from them. She became conscious of the bullets still being
fired from several directions. They were getting closer.

“We need to get out of here.” Edward’s voice
was low, urgent. “We’re going to run, so stay with me.”

He grabbed her wrist and moved forward
several steps, then looked back as if to make sure she was
coming.

“I’m right behind you.” She spoke with as
much confidence as she could muster. The gunfire continued to close
in. How many more bullets could the men have?

Anna ran behind her brother, one hand
clutching his in a death grip, the other holding up her skirts to
keep from tripping. Branches tore at her face and arms, but she
kept moving forward blindly. A strong force slammed into her left
thigh, leaving a sharp sting. Anna kept running. She didn’t have a
choice. Edward forged ahead like a stampeding cow, pulling her with
him as he went. The stinging sensation became sharper until it
radiated throughout her leg like a swarm of angry bees attacking.
At last, the pain took over and her leg crumpled, taking Anna down
with a gasp. Edward was at her side in an instant, his body
crouched over her like a shield.

“What’s wrong?” he called above the din.

“My leg.”

Edward took one look at the blood stain that
was beginning to show through Anna’s dress where she clutched her
thigh, then scooped her up in his arms and continued running.

At last they made it to the horses, and Anna
was barely aware of Edward shouting to someone as he placed her on
the saddle. Someone climbed up behind her. The awful bouncing ride
began, but strong arms held her tight, keeping her upright. The
pain was taking so much energy now, sapping the last of her
strength. She tried to focus on the house ahead in the distance,
but the edges of her vision were so hazy. The haze grew larger and
larger. Finally, it turned into blessed darkness.

Her leg throbbed like someone was trying to
cut it off at the thigh. Anna sucked in her breath even before she
opened her eyes.

“I think she’s waking up, Doc.”

The voice was familiar and so comfortable.
The sound made the pain in her leg a little less intense. Anna
carefully opened her eyes, afraid to move anything more than her
eyelids. Faces crowded around her bed, a man she didn’t know on her
right, Edward, Aunt Lola, Jacob…

Her mouth was cotton and her throat craved
water. “Drink…”

Jacob placed one hand behind her head to
assist as she took several sips. It soothed like food to a starving
man, but the effort was exhausting. She sank back against the
pillow.

“What…happened?” she managed to croak.

The man on her right answered, “It seems you
got in the way of a bullet, young lady. It passed through the outer
edge of your leg cleanly, so it should heal fine if you give it the
chance. Might be painful for a while, though.”

Anna turned toward the man as he spoke. He
was of medium build with salt-and-pepper hair and round-rimmed
glasses that made him look scholarly. As if he could read her mind,
he smiled. “I’m Doctor Steiner. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss
Stewart, but unfortunate to be under these circumstances.”

She offered a weak smile. “Thank you.”

The doctor turned to Aunt Lola, who was
hovering at the foot of the bed. “I’ve sanitized the wound and will
leave you laudanum to give her for the pain. You’ll need to change
the dressing once a day for the first week. I’ll be out again to
check on her in a few days.”

The older woman nodded. “Don’t you be
afearin’, Doc. We’ll take good care of our girl.”

“I have no doubt.” He nodded and pulled a
small glass bottle from his bag. “One spoonful if the pain gets
bad. I’ve already injected a dose, so she shouldn’t need any more
for a while.”

He turned back to Anna. “Stay in bed for a
full week, then you can move around a little bit with walking
sticks. You’ll need to use them to help you walk for at least two
weeks after that.”

Jacob nodded. “We’ll make sure she gets
plenty of rest and doesn’t overdo things.”

Doctor Steiner looked satisfied and reached
out to shake Jacob’s hand. “I guess I’ll be on my way then.”

“You’ll be needin’ a snack for the road, I’m
a’thinkin’,” Aunt Lola said, leading the doctor out the bedroom
door. “I’ll cut ye a slice of pound cake.”

When the pair left, Edward edged closer to
Anna, opposite from where Jacob stood like a guard on sentry next
to the bed. Edward’s eyes held a hint of worry but also a new
maturity that had not been there before. “Are you gonna be okay,
sis?”

Despite her exhaustion, Edward’s question
sent a warmth through her chest. She reached out to touch her
brother’s hand. “I’ll be fine, thanks to you. I can’t believe you
saved me.”

He dropped his head and scuffed at the
floor, red touching his cheeks. It made him look like the overgrown
boy she was accustomed to. Still, his broad shoulders and muscled
forearms foretold the man he was becoming.

She had to speak before she lost her nerve.
“Jacob was right.”

Edward’s head shot up, and his eyes drifted
to Jacob before meeting her own.

“I do need to let you grow up and become the
man God has planned for you.” She squeezed his callused hand. “I’m
proud of you, little brother.”

He didn’t hold her gaze long, and she could
tell she’d embarrassed him. It had needed to be said, though.

“Why don’t you head downstairs now? I’ll
just rest for a bit.” Even as she spoke, her eyes drifted
closed.

* * *

Jacob poked his head through Anna’s open
doorway the next morning. “G’morning. Edward said you were awake.
Are you hungry?”

Anna was propped up on pillows and gave him
a smile that seemed to require real effort. “Come on in.”

He maneuvered through the doorway holding a
tray filled with steamed oats, bacon, and tea. “Aunt Lola sent this
up for you. I’m afraid she has her hands full making food for the
men, so I volunteered to bring it up.” He gave her a wink.

“I’m sorry she has to do my work, too.”

“Don’t be feelin’ sorry for her. I think she
likes the challenge.”

Jacob set the tray down on the edge of the
bed and tucked his large frame into the chair next to Anna. The
room seemed small and confining, and he tugged at his collar. He
would much rather be outside where he could have room to breathe
and stretch his legs.

Anna raised a brow. She must have noticed
his discomfort. “You don’t have to stay and watch me eat. I know
you need to get out in the pasture with the men.” Her skin was
still pale except for the pink that spread across her cheeks and
nose from the harsh sun while she’d been tied to the tree.

A wave of protectiveness washed over him.
“I’m not going anywhere for now. You eat up so you can get your
strength back.”

Her eyes widened a bit, but she obeyed and
managed a few bites before sinking back onto the pillows.

She turned to him with questions in her
eyes. “You never told me what happened yesterday. Did they catch
the cattle thieves? I remember seeing one of them wounded on the
ground. Is he okay? Was anyone else hurt?”

The muscles in Jacob’s jaw tightened. “They
caught ’em all. Sheriff Brown has them locked up for now until the
judge comes back from San Antonio to hang ‘em.”

Anna’s hazel eyes widened even more. “You
think they’ll be hung?”

“I’m sure of it. This is the same band that
stole our cattle and tied up Edward last winter. With that and what
they did to you yesterday, they’ll be lucky if a lynch mob doesn’t
take them out before the judge does.”

Her body shuddered.

Jacob stroked a finger over the lines on
Anna’s hand. “You’re safe now.” He looked up into her eyes, and the
haunted look he found there tightened his chest. “I will never let
anything like that happen to you again as long as I live.” He
raised her fingers to his lips and gently kissed them. If only he
could erase the awful memories that would likely haunt her for
weeks to come.

Anna drew a shaky breath. “When I was out
there, tied to the tree waiting for them to come back and do who
knows what, I prayed.”

Jacob kissed her fingers again and murmured,
“I’m sure you did.”

Anna continued, “I prayed and God reminded
me of several verses from Psalms where he talks about saving us
from evil. He gave me this overwhelming feeling of peace.” The
corners of her mouth turned up in the beginnings of a smile. “Then
he sent my little brother to save me.”

“He’s not so little anymore.”

Her long lashes dipped as she blinked then
looked back up at him. “No, you were right. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For helping him grow up.”

A surge of warmth sluiced through him. He
loved this woman with everything inside him. It was way past time
to tell her so and make her his own. He almost opened his mouth
right then to tell her, but one look at her lying injured in the
bed stopped him. Not here. Not like this. He needed to give her
time to recover first. He needed to do this right.

Instead, he reached over and cupped her
cheek with his hand. “Anytime. But now it’s time for you to rest so
you can get your strength back.” He rose and laid a gentle kiss in
her hair, drawing in the sweet scent of honeysuckle he’d learned to
associate with her. “Sweet dreams.” He turned to pick-up the tray
and strode out of the room, an unfamiliar knot tightening in his
stomach.

* * *

When Anna next awoke, sunlight poured
through her windows. Abigail lay curled on the floor and thumped
her tail when Anna’s eyes opened.