Page 70 of Short-Straw Bride

God have mercy. Travis staggered back a step. How long had she been out here? How long had Meri been out there waiting for help while his locked gate kept Ginger from alerting anyone of trouble?

Stupid! Travis fisted his hand around the pommel and leaned his forehead against the seat. Meri had warned him about the gate, told him he didn’t need it anymore. But did he listen? No. He knew what was best. He knew how to protect those he loved. Idiot!

He raised his head to the sky, not caring about the sleet that stung his face. “Help me find her, Lord. I need you. Please.”

A firm hand on his shoulder brought his head around. Crockett’s determined expression reignited Travis’s spirit.

“Send the paint back toward the barn, then follow me with the horses.” Once again in control of his emotions, Travis handed Ginger’s reins over to Crockett. “Moses,” he called to the man crouched down a few feet from him, examining hoofprints in the mud. “Help me track her.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Travis,” Moses said as he pushed to his feet. “As long as the rain don’t start pourin’, we oughta be able to follow her tracks good enough.”

The men advanced on foot, Crockett and Neill keeping the horses behind the rest to ensure the tracks were not obscured. Travis’s focus remained glued to the ground, jumping from one hoofprint to the next as he half-jogged down the path.

“Here!” Josiah shouted from several yards ahead. “Mr. Travis. Over here. I found where the horse entered the road.”

Travis lifted his head. “You sure?” The tracks were getting harder to spot as the rain wore them down. He couldn’t afford to waste time following a false lead.

“That’s about where me and the boy cut through to go home,” Moses said in a low voice, assurance lending power to his words. “If she done took the shorter route, she woulda been headed here from that direction.”

Careful not to tread on any of the existing tracks, Travis raced up to Josiah’s position. The markings were harder to spot among the pine needles and leaves, but when he examined them, he had to agree that they were most likely from Meri’s horse.

“Good work, Josiah.” Travis braced his palms against his thighs and pushed up from his crouch. He peered into the darkness of the forest, his gut clenching. He should be feeling relief that they were getting close, but all he felt was an increasing sense of urgency.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled his wife’s name into the shadows. “Meri!”

No one moved as they listened for an answer. Nothing came.

“Neill, stay here with the horses.” Travis motioned impatiently to his youngest brother. “Mark our place in case we have to retrace our steps. Moses?” He turned and pleaded with the man he’d come to trust. “Show me the way.”

With a sharp nod, Moses took off through the trees. Travis followed on his heels, scanning the surrounding trees. He called out Meri’s name every dozen steps or so, his heart pleading with his ears to capture a response over the rustling of their footfalls against the leafy ground.

When it came, he nearly stumbled.

“Hush!” he ordered. The men halted abruptly, their labored breathing the only sound beyond the wind and sleet.

“Meri!” He closed his eyes and willed the response to come again. Please, Lord. Help me hear.

A small sound carried above the wind. Soft yet distinct.

Thank you!

Travis sprinted past Moses and veered slightly to the right, something deeper than instinct guiding him. A tiny movement at the base of one of the pines caught his attention.

“Meredith.” Immediately he changed course. He’d nearly passed her by, the dark brown of her cloak blending in with her surroundings. Thank God for white petticoats. If that ruffle hadn’t winked at him from near her boot tops, he might never have seen her.

Travis dropped to his knees at her side. “Meri? I’m here, darlin’. Are you hurt?” He ran his hands lightly over her arms and down her legs, assessing for breaks. Alarm surged through him when he realized how wet her skirts were. Ice particles had collected on her clothing just as they had on her horse’s mane, making the fabric stiff. Her limbs must be frozen through. She didn’t even react when he touched her, as if she were too numb to feel his hands.

“I’m sorry, Travis.” Her voice whispered over him, stilling his movement. He turned his face from examining her leg and watched the hood of her cape lift as she raised her chin. She was conscious. Yet her face was so pale, he feared that state wouldn’t last for long. “The storm came up too fast . . . Ginger fell . . .” Meredith’s eyes glazed. “I didn’t want you to worry . . .”

Her chin slumped forward then, as if it required too much energy to hold up.

Travis levered his left arm beneath her legs and his right between her back and the tree trunk, pulling her tight into his chest. Close to his heart. He pushed to his feet and called to his brother.

“Crockett. The horses. I need to get her home.”

Crockett dashed through the trees, hollering Neill’s name. Travis followed with his precious burden, thinking to save every second he could by shortening the distance between him and the horses. Moses and Josiah shadowed him, their worried faces offering him little comfort.

Thankfully, Neill and Crockett galloped through the trees a moment later. Crockett dismounted and held his arms out to Travis. “Let me take her while you mount. Then I’ll hand her up to you.”