“They’ll find them.”
The voice drifted out of the dark, taking him by surprise. Adella? Buck knew who it was. He couldn’t see her, and yet he knew. She stood outside the light from the lantern he’d carried with him to the bathing pool.
“Come join me, Adella. I could use the company. I can’t sleep.”
“It’s warm tonight,” she said, stepping onto the platform in her slipper-encased feet.
Her silver hair was in a braid over her shoulder, and she was dressed in a light blue wrapper. Adella Millican hadn’t changed much since he’d first met her out there on the streets of Baker City. She’d been a girl of fifteen. Hell, it was almost twenty-eight years ago, but she looked like a kid tonight.
“I couldn’t sleep. Edditha left for a walk in the moonlight with Cornell. I don’t understand my daughter at all sometimes. I guess he’s going to leave before daylight for Baker City to go get his father and bring him out here. I don’t suppose Doreen or Rafe are sleeping either. I lay in bed for a while thinking about Gabriel and Van out there looking for those girls. Then I thought of you, and how worried you must be. And I put myself in your place, and thought if Jo were my daughter I’d come out here to this wonderful place to search for a little peace of mind.”
He offered her a smile and a nod. “You’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”
“I have, Buck, I have indeed. I’ve come to the conclusion I need to make myself happy. Edditha is old enough to know what she wants. I don’t need to worry about her, and she doesn’t want me to worry about her. She and Gabriel are a little confused right now, but they’ll figure it out once Birdie and Jo are back here safe and sound. And they will get back here safe and sound, Buck. Van and Gabe will see to it.”
Buck hoped she was right. “From your lips to God’s ear.”
She sat down next to him and tucked her knees up into her chest like a little kid. Buck put his arm around her shoulder, and she snuggled into his side. “Listen to the sounds the water makes. Petra taught me how to listen. I didn’t always pay attention to such things. I heard a frog plunk in the water a few minutes ago. The breeze started up. The ripples echoed out and licked the deck. We have crickets by the thousands, all of them singing in chorus. A pair of owls have a nest up there in the tree. Another couple have a nest over by the barn. They converse with one another, back and forth. The bats are busy tonight, diving and dipping over the water, chasing a meal.”
Adella squeezed his hand. “I see Petra everywhere, out here by the pool, inside the cabins, in the house and the garden. I didn’t know her, but I see the woman’s touch, Petra’s touch.”
Her observations caused his heart skip a beat. “Yeah, she’s here. She called it paradise. She didn’t want to go. She fought hard, but the cancer spread fast. It’s been hard for all of us to go on without her.”
Beside him, he heard Adella take in her breath. She held it for a few seconds and then sighed. “I didn’t really love Mr. Millican. Oh, I respected him, had a high regard for him. He was a kind man, and he took good care of me, gave me a lot of latitude. But I think I disappointed him by not giving him a son. He was middle aged when I married him. After he passed on, my life continued on much the same as it had when he was alive. Edditha though, she misses him. He doted on her—called her his princess.”
They sat listening to the owls and watching the bats. Adella broke the companionable silence. “From my short acquaintance with your Jo and Birdie-Alice, I would say they are two young women who know how to take care of themselves. I admire your daughter, Buck. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and capable. And Birdie, I’d wager anyone who tried to do her harm would soon be sorry. She’s quite a feisty young woman.”
“Birdie’s the spitting image of her mama Doreen, is what she is. Doreen could handle even the roughest sidewinder.
But some men are animals. They can’t be stopped. I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stop thinking about Jo with a pole-cat like that hurting her…breaking her…”
Adella held his face between her hands, forcing him to look deep into her eyes. “I came out here because I felt it would help to reason this out. I think someone is trying to make a point. It’s a cowardly show of force, taking those girls. Whoever took them did it to strong-arm you into compliance, for whatever reason.”
She lowered her hands to his chest, and he savored the warmth and comfort they offered. Her calm, rational voice soothed his soul.
“Kidnapping the sheriff’s daughter, that’s a big mistake. This person obviously doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. Let’s assume he’s a stranger to this part of the country. He had to have help. I think we can assume whoever helped him knew the girls and followed us. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn the dunderheads who did the actual kidnapping had their own grudges against you, or against the girls. No, I don’t believe any harm will come to those girls. They want to scare them—scare you. I don’t doubt for a minute the girls are uncomfortable, and their dignity sorely tried, but they’ll not suffer for long. Van and Gabriel will have found them by now. Whoever took them had to know Van and Gabriel wouldn’t stand around wringing their hands. They would track them down.”
Buck stared into her eyes, wanting to believe every word she said. He put his lips to hers and held his breath. The kiss was soft and warm—a sweet kiss meant to soothe his worries. He pulled back and put his forehead against hers. “You smell good, Adella. And you make damn good sense.”
“Lily of the valley and orange blossom.”
“Hmm, I like it. I like the kiss too.”
“Hmm, me too. I started fantasizing how it would be to kiss you, make love with you, Mathias Buxton, when I was fifteen. I have never stopped. I believe the real thing is going to be so much better than I could ever imagine.”
Buck heard himself chuckle. “Are we going to make love, Adella? I thought it was just a kiss.”
“I want to make love, Buck. But only if you want to.”
“Oh, lady, I want to. And it comes as a complete surprise to me. I didn’t think I’d ever want another woman. But I want you. But not out here. I’m too old, and these hard boards are murder on these old bones.”
“I can’t think of a better way to spend a night worrying than to spend the night worrying together in your bed.”
“What will your daughter think?”
“After today, she can think whatever she likes. She’s a woman grown. She has to live with her decisions, and I will live with mine. I’m going to live out my fantasy tonight.”
“Whoa, I don’t know if I can live up to your dreams, Adella.”
“We’ll take it one step at a time, Buck, one step at a time.”