Nolan fought against the doors like a madman.
“She’ll be rescued,” the captain said, prying him away. “Let the cavalry do their job. They’ll save her.”
“I can’t. I have to try.” Nolan spun around and searched the cell. The bars were solid. They’d tried everything else the day Caroline had gotten stuck. He nudged the piece of flooring he’d cut out. “This wood is rotted through in some places.”
He searched the ceiling and traced the watermarks down the walls. Once he discovered the worst of the damage, he dropped to his knees.
Eleanor sniffled. “What are you doing?”
“These buildings were built in a hurry. The foundations are raised off the ground with a space beneath the floors. Tilly discovered the space the hard way.”
“Are you certain?”
“There’s a wooden bib covering the foundation. If I can break through the floorboards, I can crawl out from beneath the building.”
“That might work.” The captain tested the floorboard with his foot. “We need a pry bar.”
The two men glanced at the rickety cot at the same time. They quickly disassembled the legs and set about levering the floorboards loose.
Despite the rotted wood, the floorboards were remarkably stubborn.
The captain mopped his brow. “The men who built this jail obviously didn’t want anyone escaping.”
After the first board came free, two more followed in rapid succession. The captain peered down into the space.
“There’s standing water.”
Nolan rolled to his side, his arm stretched above his head. He’d have to wade through a tight, muddy dark space to free himself.
Marvelous.
The nightmare of Tilly’s situation was far worse.
He quickly pried another board free. There was no way the standing water had been there before, or the buildings would have collapsed by now.
“I wasn’t lying before,” he said. “The river is on the verge of flooding. When the cavalry arrives, have them take you to higher ground as quickly as possible.”
He stretched his torso through the opening, and his hands sank to his wrists in the soft mud. Nolan grimaced and crawled forward. The space was tighter than he’d thought. In order keep his face above the water, he had to crawl on his elbows.
The captain stuck his head through the opening. “You’ll need this.”
Nolan accepted the pry bar with a curt nod. “Whatever happens, take care of Eleanor and the girls.”
“I will. Always.”
Nolan shook his head with a half grin. The captain was love-struck. He’d never believed in love at first sight, but the pair made a good match.
His knees and arms sank with his stuttering progress. The walls closed in around him and the breath locked in his lungs. His vision blurred and he felt a scream rising in the back of his throat.
Tilly’s face swam into his vision. His chest seized. She’d sacrificed herself for Caroline without a second thought. He was a coward for hesitating. Swallowing back his panic, he searched for the glimpse of daylight he’d seen ahead. His head grew cottony. Using all his mental strength, he fought against the physical reaction. After taking several deep, heaving breaths, he moved forward.
The bib covering for the raised platform had been exposed to harsher weather than the floorboards. Using the pry bar, the first board splintered. He removed the next two and squeezed through the narrow opening. His shirt caught on a splinter and tore. His bare skin scraped against the jagged surface, drawing blood.
He stood and hooked his bloodied fingers over the high, narrow window ledge.
“I’m free,” he shouted. “Follow my escape route and get the girls to higher ground.”
His first instinct was to blindly rush after the outlaws. Instead, he staggered toward the livery. After retrieving the gun Lieutenant Perry had left him, he chose the fastest mount and hurriedly saddled the horse with shaking fingers.
The outlaws couldn’t go backward, which meant they’d move forward. They’d cross at the ferry and cut the lines to slow their pursuers.
The ride to the river took an eternity. Rain sluiced across his face, obscuring his view. By the time he reached the ferry crossing, the men had loaded their gear and their horses onto the platform. He could only assume they hadn’t left a lookout because of the hasty escape and hazardous conditions.
All three were concentrated on controlling the ferry against the swollen river. Even with the outlaws distracted, he couldn’t risk being seen. Once again he corralled his instincts. If he stormed the outlaws without a plan, he risked Tilly’s life.
His heart racing, he secured his horse out of sight behind a copse of trees and belly-crawled toward the rise of a small embankment.
Tilly sat alone on the shore, her hands bound before her. Her chin was set at a defiant angle. His blood chilled and he concentrated on his objective. He’d take out their leader first, and then he’d aim for Charlie. Dakota Red’s brother was a wild card, the most likely of the bunch to shoot first and think later. Nolan was counting on Charlie’s first shot going wild.
Except a wild shot risked Tilly’s life. Nolan closed his eyes and willed her to run once the bullets started flying. She was smart and he’d never seen her panic. She’d keep her head and scramble out of the way. He was counting on it. He was counting on Tilly.
The water had crept over the banks and partially submerged the ferry dock.
The violent current tugged the lead ropes taut, and the men struggled against the swiftly flowing current. Nolan checked the pistol. He had six shots against the three men with an innocent hostage in their midst.
If they crossed the river, he’d never catch up with them, and she’d be as good as dead.
Despite the odds, he had to act.
His elbows sank in the mud. He flexed his bloodied and mud-splattered fingers over the gun barrel before carefully setting his sights on Dakota Red. After pinpointing his focus, he took a steadying breath and fired the shot.
Dakota Red slumped forward.
The horses bucked, throwing the ferry off balance. Tilly took one look at the prone man and frantically crawled higher up the embankment, away from the river.
“Good girl,” Nolan muttered to himself.
As Snyder struggled with the horses, Charlie fired off a shot. The bullet ricocheted near Nolan’s head, splattering his face with mud. He swiped at his cheek and aimed once more. Charlie was focused on Tilly’s escape. With a snarl the outlaw lunged toward her from his perch on the ferry.
Nolan easily picked him off.
Snyder drew his weapon and began firing blindly. Another bullet ricocheted off the ground near Nolan’s head.
The spooked horses bucked and lunged. One of them bumped into Snyder, knocking him sideways. The outlaw tripped backward over the rigging and tumbled into the river.
Nolan emerged from his hiding place and sprinted down the hill. He quickly covered the distance, his feet splashing in the rising water. Dakota Red had tumbled into the river along with Snyder, but Charlie was still a threat.
Nolan discovered the outlaw on his back, his eyes lifeless. With a grimace he tossed his coat over the man’s face.
Tilly had crawled several yards away. He dropped down beside her and she threw her tied wrists over his head.
His heart in his throat, he crushed her against him. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” She sobbed against his neck. “How did you escape?”
Relief flowed through his veins. “I used the Matilda Hargreaves escape.”
“What’s that?”
“I went through the floorboards and broke out.”
“But you hate small spaces.”
“Turns out, I only needed a fraction of your bravery, and I did just fine.”
She pulled back and stared at him, a half grin on her face. “You’re filthy.”
“I know.”
He absently swiped at his face.
She pressed her forehead against his. “You’ve made it worse.”
Moisture seeped through his pant legs and Tilly shivered. The river was rising. They weren’t out of danger yet. He ducked from her hold and fought with the knots at her wrists. She was muddy and bedraggled and absolutely beautiful. He cradled her face and kissed her lips after untying her.
She pulled back and stared at something over his shoulder.
“He’s still alive.”
Nolan followed her gaze and discovered Snyder clinging to the ferry. His eyes were wild and desperate. Of all the outlaws, Snyder was the only one who had shown them any mercy.
“Stay here,” he ordered Tilly.
Nolan jumped from the bank onto the ferry and leaned over the side. Snyder had hooked his arm over the tow rope.
“I can’t swim,” he shouted. “Help.”
“Give me your hand.”
Nolan caught the man’s arm and hauled him onto the ferry platform.
“You owe me,” Nolan said. “Remember that.”
Snyder gasped and coughed. “I won’t forget.”
“You’re not going try and kill me now, are you?”
“No. I’ll take the ferry across the river, and I won’t stop until Canada.”
“You’ll never make it.”
“I’m gonna try. You won’t see me again.”
Strangely enough, Nolan believed him. The man had nearly fifty pounds on him, but he hadn’t attacked. The outlaw grasped the ferry rope and heaved. Nolan left him and returned to Tilly’s side.
“You’re letting him go?” she asked.
“I have more important things to worry about. We have to fetch the others and get to higher ground before the river floods.”
He helped her upright and held her upper arms until she’d steadied herself.
She took a halting step and gasped. “I’ve hurt my ankle.”
He kneeled at her feet and studied her dainty ankle. “I don’t think it’s broken. Only bruised.”
He stood and hoisted her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You can’t carry me. I’m too heavy.”
Nolan glanced down. The water had risen to his ankles.
“No argument. The river is flooding.”
He set her astride the horse and mounted behind her, then kicked his mount into a canter. By the time they reached Pyrite, the cavalrymen had arrived. A dozen men on horseback had mustered outside the jailhouse.
The captain stood in the center, his weight leaning heavily on a stick as he shouted orders to his men. Seeing Nolan and Tilly, he stepped away from the cluster of horses and soldiers.
“What happened?”
“Dakota Red and Charlie are dead,” Nolan said.
“What about the big fellow?”
“Last I saw, he was taking the ferry across the river. Don’t know how far he’ll make it. The river is over the banks and the tow lines are stretched thin.”
“If he manages to make it across the river alive, we’ll catch up with him later. Our concern now is getting these women and children to Yankton before the river floods.”
The cavalry officers mounted and the girls were divided among the men. Captain Ronald kept close to Eleanor.
Nolan tightened his hold on Tilly’s waist.
She glanced at him, and her hair whipped across his face. “What happens now?”
Her words held a deeper meaning and greater question—a question he wasn’t ready to answer. “I’ll see you safely to Yankton.”
“And then what?”
“We have a long way to travel today,” he said evasively. “We have to move fast to stay out of the river’s path.”
He felt her stiffen and he didn’t dare look at her. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to follow through on the promise he’d made to himself.
* * *
Because of her injury, Tilly rode with Nolan. As Nolan had predicted, the water rose swiftly. The fort was on the other side of the river, but Snyder had cut the ropes on the stagecoach ferry crossing. They stayed on the south side of the river and made their way toward the ferry crossing in Yankton.
They moved quickly, wanting to ensure they made the crossing near Yankton. The captain predicted that the large basin where the Missouri River met the Niobrara would mitigate the worst of the flooding. They switched horses at least once during the day in deference to the added weight.
Since they’d gotten a late start, the cavalrymen made camp that evening on a hill overlooking the bend in the river just before the Missouri. Captain Ronald waved them over.
“Come look at this.”
The river was twice the width as when Tilly had passed by the first time. She’d expected the rising water to be noisy and agitated, but the wide expanse was remarkably calm. Save for the enormous trees washed from the banks that floated along the surface, she might not have realized the extensive damage.
The captain pointed at a crook in the river where debris had piled up. The growing mound was as large as a building.
It took Tilly a moment to make out the shapes. “Is that a roof?”
“Sure is.”
Nolan squinted. “I think that’s part of the relay station.”
“Looks like it.” Captain Ronald chuckled. “You’re out of a job, West.”
She grasped his arm. “I’m so sorry. You’ve lost everything.”
“Not everything.”
The captain tilted his head. “My offer still stands. I could use a man I can trust.”
Tilly held her breath and waited for his answer.
“I’m looking at a job in the Wyoming Territory.”
She quickly masked her disappointment and turned away. She’d thought something had changed between them. An understanding. But Nolan had grown distant. He was polite and solicitous, looking out for her needs, but she sensed he was pulling away from her.
Both physically and mentally exhausted, she returned to the camp the cavalrymen had hastily erected for the evening.
She was staring into nothing when Eleanor took a seat on a blanket beside her. “I wanted to speak with you. I wanted to apologize.”
Shaken from her troubled thoughts, Tilly blinked. “For what?”
“You were right. I was far too critical of you. When mother was dying, she asked me to look out for you. I took my job too seriously. I was too young to know any better.”
“You were too young to be given such a grave responsibility.”
“Yes. But I should have known better as I grew older. I set a high standard for myself, and I expected too much of the people around me. Even the girls. You showed me that.”
“They’re fine girls, and they adore you.”
“I should have trusted you more with them. When Victoria was born, I’d never felt anything like what I felt for her. I wanted to protect her and shelter her. I hardly even let Walter near her. I wouldn’t be separated from her. I thought I was being a good mother.”
“You are a good mother.”
“But I drove Walter away. I thought our lives would be better once he returned from the war, but he never felt a part of our lives. We grew apart while he was gone. I’d become accustomed to doing everything for the girls myself. He didn’t have a place anymore.”
“What an odd thing to say. Of course Walter felt as though he was part of your family.”
Eleanor’s smile was tinged with sorrow. “The girls and I had our own way of doing things, and we excluded him. I think that’s part of the reason he wanted out of Omaha. He thought we could start over. The change didn’t help. After we moved to Virginia City, we rarely saw him. I felt as though I was married to a stranger.”
Tilly covered her sister’s hand. “I’m sorry. I wish you would have said something. I didn’t know how difficult these past few years have been for you. I’m sorry about Walter.”
“I was angry when he died.” Her lips tightened. “Angry that he’d thought so little of the girls and me that he’d leave us destitute.”
Tilly’s heart softened. “I’m sure he thought the mine would eventually pay out.”
“That stupid hole in the ground. The only thing it ever paid out was heartbreak.”
Captain Ronald approached them, tins of coffee in each hand. “I thought you might like something warm against the cold night.”
Eleanor blushed and accepted the offering. The captain touched his forehead and moved away.
Tilly stifled a smile. “He’s very handsome.”
“Yes.”
“I think he’s smitten with you.”
Eleanor’s expression crumpled. “We’re destitute, Tilly. What man would want to be saddled with a woman and three children, when all we own is the clothes on our backs?”
“I don’t believe he minds.”
“He’s moving to Wichita.”
“Wichita isn’t such a bad place.” Tilly glanced at the cavalryman. “What if he asks you to marry him?”
“I’ve barely been widowed a year. I have the girls to think about.”
“That’s not what this is about, though, is it?” Tilly asked.
“I made so many mistakes with Walter.” Eleanor stifled a sob. “What if I make all the same mistakes again?”
“No one is perfect, Eleanor. Not even you. If you allow someone to love your imperfections, you might be surprised.”
Eleanor blinked rapidly. “When did you grow up?”
“When you weren’t looking.”
Her sister hugged her close. “Thank you. For what you did for Caroline.”
“You’re welcome.” Tilly rubbed her sore ankle. “Before I say anything else, I need to know something. How do you feel about the captain?”
“I haven’t known him very long, certainly, but I think we’re suited.”
“Could you love him?”
“I think I’m already falling in love with him, Tilly. He’s been so good to the girls. After you were taken...” Her voice hitched and she gathered herself. “After you were taken, he was the only thing that kept us going.”
“This is all so sudden.” Tilly assumed the role of older sister for once. “He’s a good man, but perhaps you should spend some time thinking about your future.”
“I’ve been alone this past year. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
Her sister appeared truly fond of the cavalryman, and he obviously returned the sentiment. He was a good man who would treat Eleanor and the children with love and respect. What else did they really need? Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give Eleanor a little nudge.
“That doesn’t mean you have to rush into something you might regret later,” Tilly said.
Eleanor sighed. “All my life I’ve done everything exactly how I ought to. I was the perfect daughter, and I did everything that was expected of me. I married the man Father chose for me. I tried to be the best wife and mother I could. And what has that gotten me? I’m miserable, Tilly. This time I’m going to do what feels right for me.”
Tilly grinned. “Then I think you should marry him.”
“He hasn’t asked.”
“He will.”
Eleanor caught her gaze. “What about you? I’ve noticed you spending a lot of time with Mr. West.”
“I think I love him.”
To her credit, Eleanor only clasped her hand. “How does he feel about you?”
“I think he likes me. I think he could even love me, but he’s unsure of himself.”
Eleanor met her gaze, her expression intent. “I’ll tell you something, and I’m not saying this to be unkind. I’m sharing something I learned over the years. Men don’t change. When I married Walter, I knew he chafed at his work in Father’s law office. I thought he’d change once we were married. I thought he’d change once the girls were born. I thought he’d change once we moved to Virginia City. I was wrong every time. He didn’t change, and neither did I. If he isn’t willing to be with you now, he never will.”
Tilly’s heart squeezed painfully. “I’m afraid you’re right.”
“Then find someone who doesn’t have to change to love you.”
A commotion sounded at the edge of the camp, and they both turned. A man leading his horse strode through the line of soldiers, parting the ranks.
Her heart thumped against her rips and she half stood. “Lieutenant Perry.”
Even as she registered the thought, Captain Ronald strode into view.
The lieutenant took one look at the captain and reached for his sidearm. The captain was quicker.
His men quickly apprehended the lieutenant.
“I thought you were dead!” the lieutenant shouted. “I’ve done nothing.”
“It’s too late, Perry.” The captain gave a sad shake of his head. “You never can trust an outlaw to kill the right man.”
The crowd parted, revealing Nolan, and the lieutenant sagged. There was no escaping his lies.
Eleanor rushed toward the captain. “You could have been killed. What were you thinking?”
The captain caught her against his chest and buried his fingers in her hair. “I would never risk death now that I’ve found something to live for.”
The two embraced and Tilly leaned back on her hands. Eleanor was definitely going to be married. And soon.
She glanced in Nolan’s direction. Where did that leave her?