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Maddie grinned. She had no doubt the brothers would assure the mine continued to be profitable, and was more than pleased with the agreement they’d made. The brothers hadn’t even seemed surprised when she’d approached them, and she was overly thankful for that. She certainly didn’t have time to haggle over details. Getting Lucky away from Mad Dog as soon as possible was her one and only focus.
“I’ll see they do,” Abe answered, taking a bag from Sylvester and setting it in the boat. “Won’t let them get on the ship until they do.”
“You take care of yourself,” Maddie told Tim as he took her hand to help her into the boat. Of all the brothers, she’d miss him the most.
Tim let out a barrel laugh. “We will. You take care, too.” He gave her a wink then. “Don’t worry, we’ll see each other again someday.”
“We’ll get word to you,” Lucky said, taking her other hand. “Let you know where Maddie builds her big house.”
Maddie’s heart skipped a beat. She’d told the brothers about her goal, her big house, but now, leaving them, that house had lost some of its appeal. Actually, it had lost most of its appeal over the past few months. That, as well as the fact she didn’t know what would happen after they sailed south and met up with Trig, made her stomach flip. She knew one thing, though. Mad Dog would follow wherever she went. Leaving here would mean the miners were safe, and that was what she’d have to do after paying off her debt to Trig. Leave. That would be the only way to keep Lucky safe.
He aided her steps over the sacks containing their possessions, and the tears she’d been holding at bay burned harder. Yet the way he was still holding his ribs with one hand told her this was how it had to be.
As Lucky settled her onto one of the bench seats, she turned her blurry-eyed gaze to the boat beside them. Jack was piling stuff into Truman’s boat, and Homer had already made himself comfortable on the pointed front of the boat. She was glad they were leaving, too.
The boat rocked slightly as Lucky sat down next to her. Sylvester and Abe gathered up the oars in the front and back of the boat while Tim and Albert gave the craft a mighty shove, sending it out to catch the southbound current. The two then pushed out Truman’s boat, with him and Gunther rowing and Jack, Homer and the doctor as passengers.
Maddie waved at the men lining the shore and cracked a smile as Homer squawked a garbled farewell. She tried to hold the grin on her face when Lucky looked at her, but it wobbled and she had to close her eyes against the tears that still persisted.
He wrapped an arm around her and encouraged her to rest her head on his shoulder. She did so, too distraught not to. Mining had been a tremendous adventure, and she’d found gold. Lots of it. She’d found other things here, too. Friends. People she cared about. Yet in reality, she was no different than the girl who had left Colorado. She was still running from Mad Dog. That, it seemed, would never end.
It was almost dark when they arrived in Bittersweet, and from the looks of him, Lucky was hurting. The doctor noticed it, too, and didn’t listen to Lucky’s protests. With Maddie’s persistence, Lucky finally held still long enough for the doctor to check the bandage wrapped around his ribs.
“I don’t think they’re broken,” the doctor said. “But you’re mighty bruised up. One or two could be cracked. A few days in bed is what you need.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lucky insisted.
“They’ll be staying at my place, Doc,” Truman said. “I’ll see he gets some rest. You can stop by tomorrow and check on him.”
Grateful for the other man’s kindness and support, Maddie smiled at Truman as she took Lucky’s arm. It was a fair way to the store, yet she said, “It’s not far. We’ll go slow.”
“I’m fine,” Lucky told her before he said to Truman, “Make sure Gunther follows us.”
The marshal and his men had stayed at the mine, still searching the woods and creeks for Mad Dog. Maddie now wished they’d rowed to town, to keep an eye out here. Gunther, as well as everyone else, including her, had their guns handy, but Mad Dog was sneaky.
Sylvester managed to secure a team of mules hitched to a wagon, and once all of their belongings were transferred from the boat, she pleaded with Lucky to climb onto the wagon seat. He refused, but finally conceded to sit on the tailgate. They’d barely gone a few yards when he leaped off. She jumped off, too, taking his arm.
When Sylvester slowed the wagon, Lucky waved him on. He turned to her then. “It’s easier to walk than ride on that bumpy thing.”
