She had few places to turn for help.Her mother had died young, and her father had left her to be brought up in the house of her mother’s parents.She’d made her decision practically overnight.She left New York, the only life she’d ever known, and boarded a train west.In Denver—a bustling, riotous city—she climbed into a stagecoach bound for Elkhorn and her father.
And here she was, in the wilds of the frontier, kidnapped by dangerous outlaws.But no matter what happened, she hadn’t one single regret about walking away from the future her grandfather had arranged for her.
That realization steadied her.She had not come all this way merely to be afraid.In leaving New York, she had chosen her own path.She would have to keep choosing it, hour by hour, breath by breath, until she found a way free.
A sharp cry startled her.Looking up, she saw two ravens harassing a hawk just above them.She took a deep breath, pushing the thought of her past behind her.The birds disappeared into the trees.
Here, on this mountain trail, there was a comfortable coolness in the air.Except for the dull, clopping thuds of their horses’ hooves, the squeak of leather, and the occasional jibe from Dodger, it was peaceful and quiet.They passed beneath bulging stone ledges and soaring bluffs, through evergreen forests and groves of trees just opening their leaves, through open meadows of silver grass.It was all so different from the smoke and the smells and the constant noise of the city she’d left behind.
It was beautiful, this dangerous country.Beautiful enough to break a heart and strong enough to swallow it whole.
Sheila had lost any hope of finding her way back to Elkhorn, if she were ever able to break away from her captors.She only knew, from the direction of the bright sun, rising above distant peaks, that they were continuing to ride to the north and east.
The sight of her father’s medical leather bag and his surgical case, hanging securely from Wendell’s horse ahead of her, did provide some comfort to Sheila.He had to be alive, or these two wouldn’t bother to bring his things back with them.
She no longer imagined that it was for Wendell’s wife, however.She could only think it was one of their outlaw friends who’d been injured.Whatever role they intended that she play in their nasty game, though, remained a mystery.
Ever since leaving the main road, they’d been riding single file.Lately, however, Wendell had been getting increasingly annoyed when Dodger would fall behind, often out of sight.As far as Sheila was concerned, those were the preferred moments.She would not have lost a wink of sleep if the vile creature had fallen into a ravine or been eaten by wolves.
At the bottom of a grassy knoll, Wendell reined in to wait for his partner to catch up.She heard him cursing under his breath as he looked back along the trail.A moment later, Dodger appeared and rode up to them.
“They know I’ve gone missing,” she said to Wendell before they could start off again.“They’ll come after me.”
“Who knows you’ve gone missing?”he scoffed.“Your own pa didn’t have no idea you was there.”
“Since I arrived, my father’s housekeeper comes every day to check on me.She’ll know right away.You can have little doubt she’ll notify the sheriff.”
She didn’t mention Caleb Marlowe, though she wasn’t sure why.Perhaps because the thought of him searching for her felt too fragile to speak aloud.Perhaps because she didn’t want these men thinking of him at all.
Wendell didn’t seem bothered at all by the threat, but Dodger wheeled his horse and rode back toward the top of the hill, ignoring the call for him to stop.
“Look what you done,” Wendell snapped.“Now he’ll be dragging behind twice as bad as afore.”
She shrugged and directed an accusing look at the man.“Everything you told me back in Elkhorn was a lie, wasn’t it?”
“You’re as green as can be, missy.”He kept his eye on the trail behind them.“Don’t know what it’s like where you come from.But you’ll learn soon enough that, out here, you can’t trust everything you hear.”
“So you intend to let me live?I’ll actually have a chance to learn the ways of the West?”
The hawk eyes flicked toward her and then back in the direction Dodger had disappeared.“Don’t you fret about that.If Doc does what he’s s’posed to do, the two of you will be heading back to Elkhorn in no time.”
“Is this another lie?”
“There you go.”The hint of a grin tugged at his face.“You’re already learning.But this here is the truth.”
The last time he’d lied to her, she was pointing a shotgun at his chest.Now, she was his prisoner.Sheila wanted to think the man had no reason to lie.
“I’d like to trust you, Mr.Wendell.But that friend of yours…” She tipped her chin in the direction of Dodger.“I don’t care for him at all.”
“Yeah.I get it.”He shrugged.“And it’s just Wendell.Not Mr.Wendell.”
The sound of Dodger’s horse approaching drew her attention.
“Ain’t nobody coming,” the younger man said when he rode up to them.
“Of course, no one’s coming, you dang fool.Now let’s git.”Wendell turned his mount and started off again.
The trail was wide enough here for two to ride abreast, and Dodger kicked his horse and rode up alongside Wendell.
