Grandpa patted the side of his bed. “Come sit fer a spell, Ray.”
Rachel gently eased down on the bed, hoping to not hurt his splinted leg. She thanked God his color had improved and his appetite had returned. Micah and Sam had even helped him out to the porch last night so he could get some fresh air. A smile tilted her lips as she remembered how Grandma Stafford had insisted on bringing him some hot tea and cookies then sat with him until the sun set.
“Sure feels good to be feelin’ good again. Thought I wudn’t gonna make it there fer a while.”
Rachel studied him as he rubbed his thigh. “Does your leg hurt much?”
He shrugged. “A tad bit. Eleanor’s been making me swallow this nasty-tastin’ tea stuff. Just ain’t right fer a man to be drinkin’ tea, though it does seem to ease the pain.”
She bit back a smile. “How long do you think it’ll be ’fore you can travel?”
“Why? You anxious to be movin’ on? Thought maybe you’d decided to stay.”
Rachel blinked. “Why would you think that?” With Grandpa laid up, he had no way of knowing about her attraction to Josh.
“Just seems to me a certain young cowboy’s mighty interested in you. I figured you might return his affections.”
“You have been laid up in this room all week. How do you know if Josh is interested in me?” Rachel eyed him with curiosity. He always had this uncanny way of knowing what she was going through.
He struggled to scoot up on the bed. She hopped up and fluffed his pillow then helped him ease back against it. “I’ve had me some visitors. Josh’s been by a few times and played checkers with me while you was helping in the kitchen. He’s pretty good fer a young whippersnapper. Ain’t seen him around for several days, though.”
“He’s gone. Out checking one of the herds somewhere.” Rachel broke his gaze and plucked a piece of lint off her skirt and dropped it on the floor, wishing she could discard her troubles as easily. “He left the day after the shindig.” She tried not to wince, knowing she was the reason he was gone.
“I’ve talked with Eleanor, too. She seems to think the boy’s a goner for you.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Rachel couldn’t look at him and stared at her hands, hating that she told him a falsehood.
“Why not? You have feelings fer him—or am I mistaken?”
Rachel heard a sound at the door and looked up to see Lou entering. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. Ready to go?”
Rachel nodded. “I’m going to town with Lou and Deborah, Grandpa. We’ll be gone most of the day.” She leaned forward and kissed his whiskery cheek.
“I’ll meet you at the wagon,” Lou said as she slipped out of the room.
“Give me my boots.” Grandpa flicked his hand toward the corner.
Rachel eased off the bed, grabbed his boots, and handed them to him. He reached inside one and pulled out a wad of dollars. “Here. Been saving this in case we had us an emergency.” He unrolled several bills and stuffed them in her hand. “Get us some clothes and whatever else you think we gotta have.”
“You’ve been holding out on me, Grandpa.” Rachel smiled, relieved that she wouldn’t have to take any money from the Staffords for the things they needed to finish their trip.
“We’ll talk later, sweetheart.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Grandpa.”
His knowing smile told her that this wasn’t the end of the conversation.
Lou slapped the reins of the two horses pulling the buckboard to speed them up the hill as they left the small town of Petunia behind them.
“I love getting away from the ranch. It’s probably the last time I’ll get to go before the baby comes.” Deborah patted her swelling stomach.
“You got some darling baby clothes. I love that snow-white christening gown with the soft lace.” Rachel smiled.
“Soon as we get home, we’ll have to get busy sewing some more clothes and diapers out of that soft flannel you bought. We’ve only got a couple of months ’til the baby comes.” Lou glanced at Deborah, who sat in the middle of the wagon seat. “Oh! Deborah, have you seen the beautiful roses that Rachel sews? Wouldn’t some small ones be precious on the yoke of an infant gown?”
Deborah nodded. “Oh, yes!” She turned to Rachel. “Would you mind sewing a few on some gowns—or at least showing me how?”
Rachel tightened her grip on the side of the wagon and pressed her foot to the floor to brace herself as they rolled down the gentle hill. “I’d love to sew some for you or teach you how, either one. I’ve never made tiny roses, but Lou’s right. They’d look precious on an infant’s gown—as long as you have a girl.”
“Oh, Micah insists it’s a boy. I don’t know what he’ll do if I have a girl,” Deborah said.
Lou giggled. “Can’t you just see his face if you have a boy and we dress him in a gown with roses on the bib?”
The three women laughed aloud. “Maybe we’d better make some gowns without flowers, just in case.” Deborah smiled.
“Yeah, we could sew tiny little bows made out of pink ribbon on the chest instead.” Lou snickered, her eyes gleaming.
The women laughed again. Rachel loved their easy camaraderie. They had become good friends in a mere week. She wanted so badly to stay and make a home with the Staffords. With Josh. If only Grandpa would, too. But what was there for him to do at their ranch? Would the Staffords let him stay if she and Josh were to get married? She knew they would.
Rachel thought of Josh’s grin—the one that had so irritated her when she first met him. Now she loved that rogue’s smile. If only …
“What are you grinning at, Rachel?”
She looked at Lou, who had a twinkle in her eye. Her face warmed, and she knew she was blushing. Turning away from Lou’s smug I-know-your-secret expression, she studied the abundant yucca and sage plants off to her right. Two tumbleweeds rolled past as if in a race.
“You know, Deborah,” Lou said, “we just might have to make a wedding dress before we sew those baby clothes. That Irish lace we bought would sure spiffy up a wedding gown.”
“Can you imagine how beautiful a soft-blue or pale-lavender dress would look with Rachel’s roses and seed pearls sewn across the bodice?” Rachel could hear the smile in Deborah’s voice and feel her stare.
“So, we gonna have a wedding, Rachel?”
She desperately wished she could enjoy their good-natured teasing, but the pain of her decision weighed heavily. The sound of galloping horse hooves intruded into her troubled thoughts, and she glanced over her shoulder. “Three riders are coming up behind us, Lou.” She breathed a sigh of relief to be able to change the subject.
Lou turned her head and looked back. “I don’t recognize them. And they’re coming fast.”
“How far to the ranch?” Rachel asked.
“Too far to outrun them. Besides, we can’t take a chance jostlin’ Deborah around with her being in the family way.” Lou pulled back on the reins and slowed the horses. “We’ll just have to take our chances.” She reached for the rifle on the floorboard as the men on horseback pulled up beside them.
“Drop the rifle, little missy.” A man with shoulder-length, dingy brown hair looked past Lou once she set down her rifle and stared at Rachel. Warning spasms of alarm erupted within her. Take the scraggly beard away and she was certain the man was Cyrus Lawton. Pain like a stab from a Bowie knife sliced through her whole being. Rachel gasped. An eerie grin crept across the man’s face.
“That her, Cy?” the slender man on Rachel’s right side asked.
“Yep. Her hair’s shorter though.” He scratched his whiskery chin and grinned. “Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you in town. Thought for sure you’d given us the slip, princess.”
Lou and Deborah both turned to face her. “You know them?” Deborah asked.
Rachel nodded, glaring at Cyrus Lawton. “He’s the man who murdered my father.”
“Well now, murder’s a harsh word, ’specially when the man attacked me first.”
A burning fury almost choked Rachel. She jumped to her feet. “How dare you. You know you murdered him. Papa was just trying to defend me, and you shot him.”
“I don’t recall that you needed rescuing. We were just having ourselves a good time.”
“Liar!”
Cyrus Lawton raised the pistol that had been resting on his saddle horn and waved it in the air.
“Now don’t go doing something that will get your friends hurt.”
She glanced down to meet Lou’s and Deborah’s wide-eyed stares. For the first time since she had met her, Lou seemed speechless. Rachel lifted her chin and met Lawton’s chilly glare. “Your fight’s with me. Let them go.”
“Oh, I don’t know. You got a wagon full of supplies and me a-hankerin’ for a home-cooked meal.”
“I’ll fix you something to eat,” Rachel offered. “Just let them go. Deborah’s with child.” She laid her hand on Deborah’s shoulder. “She needs to get back home.”
“No.” Cy stroked his beard. “I’m thinkin’ you’ll be more agreeable if ’n I take them along with us. Y’all turn that wagon off the road ahead and follow me.” He leaned over, retrieved Lou’s rifle, and holstered his gun. “Carter, you follow along behind and make sure they don’t try nuthin’.”
Lou guided the wagon off the road, following Cy Lawton as he headed toward the mesas in the distance.
“What are we going to do?” Deborah whispered.
Lou shrugged. “You just hold on tight for now, and I’ll try not to jostle you too much, but being off the road will make the going rougher.”
“I’m so sorry about this.” Rachel shuddered inwardly at the thought of what might happen to them. This was her fault. Somehow she had to get her friends out of this mess. Dear Lord, You see our situation. Please help us find a way to escape.
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Deborah’s quote of the Psalms touched Rachel’s heart, bringing encouragement.
“Amen,” she whispered.
Lou gripped the reins so tightly her knuckles grew white. Her eyes flashed daggers at the kidnappers. “Micah and Trent will find us. Don’t you worry.”
“Josh and Sam will help, too,” Deborah whispered.
Cyrus Lawton turned an angry glare toward them. “Be quiet. No talkin’, ya hear?”
What would Josh do when he realized she was missing? Would he even know since he was out working the herd somewhere? Tears burned Rachel’s eyes, and a tightness in her throat threatened to choke off her breathing. What if she never saw Josh again? He’d never know how much she really loved him.
Oh, Josh, I’m so sorry for pushing you away.