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Mother had once told her not to pray only in times of trouble, but also to spend time in praise and thanksgiving. Isabella hadn’t prayed much at all the last several years and hoped God would hear her desperate pleas.
She found the main road but then worried about what was to come. There were rocky ledges along the roadway, and rocks often tumbled down onto the road. If she tried to run in the dark, she could trip over debris. On the other hand, if she didn’t pick up her pace, Diego would catch up with her. Fear snaked up her spine. There were also places in the road where the side of the mountain just dropped away. One misstep and she could fall to her death.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and did her best to calm her nerves. She heard something off to her left and hurried farther down the road. She hadn’t gone far, however, when she heard Diego’s voice louder than ever. The glow of lantern light flashed in the darkness behind her. Apparently he’d gone back for a light. Isabella edged closer to the rocks. If she could just find a crevice to hide in, she might still escape him.
Feeling her way with only the tiniest bit of vision in the blackness, Isabella got off the road and worked her way up the rocks. There was no crevice, but the rocks were large. Hopefully if she got behind them and flattened herself against the ground, Diego would never see her.
He was closer than ever. She could hear his footsteps. Isabella closed her eyes, afraid that if she could see him, he could see her. She began to pray, knowing that God was her only hope.
Please, Lord, don’t let him see me. Don’t let him hear me. Please, God.
He was nearly to the place where she had left the road. When she dared to open her eyes, she could see the dim glow of lantern light down below.
“Isabella, I know you’re out here somewhere. You’re going to get hurt. Come on, call to me. You know I won’t hurt you.”
She held her breath until she could no longer stand it, then let it out, muffling it once again in her blanket. Breathing in deep, she caught the faint scent of something she knew quite well.
Aaron’s cologne. She’d never smelled anything more wonderful.
“How about you come and deal with me, Morales?” Aaron called out. “I have a dozen men here with me.”
There was nothing but the sound of someone hurrying away. Isabella figured Diego was probably trying to disappear into the brush or back to the cabin. If he wasn’t careful, he might lose his way and fall off the side of the road. She bit her lower lip and waited to hear what might happen. She knew the men would eventually capture him if, as Aaron said, there were a dozen with him. She hoped he wasn’t exaggerating.
Someone cried out in pain, and there was the sound of a scuffle. A man called out, “I’ve got him, Aaron.”
Isabella got to her feet in the dark and began to work her way back down the rocks. “Aaron! Where are you?”
“Isabella? Keep talking. I’m close.”
“I’m here. I’m here by the rocks.” She heard movement and smelled him. “I do love that cologne.”
He caught her in his arms and held her tight. “I just love you. You and you alone.” He buried his face in her hair and held her for the longest time.
Isabella relished the warmth and strength of his arms. She felt safe there despite the growing ache in her side. Bruised ribs could wait. She laid her head against his chest, knowing that everything would be okay now that he was here.
“Are you all right?” he finally asked.
“Yes, but my ribs are sore from the ride up here.”
He loosened his hold. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No. They weren’t mean or ugly with me, just threw me over the horse like a bag of grain. My ribs took the brunt of it.”
He brushed hair back from her face and found her lips. Isabella felt his tender kiss and dampness on his cheeks. Was he crying? She reached up and touched his wet face. She wasn’t sure that any man, save perhaps Papi, had ever shed a tear over her.
Aaron took hold of her fingers and pressed a kiss to them. “I apologize if my tears are distasteful to you.”
“They aren’t. I’m deeply touched that you care so much. I was just thinking that the only other man who might cry over me would be Papi. No one has ever loved me like this.”
“Aaron, are you out here?” a voice called. “Have you found her?”
“I have her, Jim. She’s safe,” Aaron yelled back.
Isabella heard something, and a light came on. The man holding the Eveready laughed. “These are mighty convenient.”
“I don’t know,” Aaron said, looking at Isabella. “We were doing okay without it.” The man laughed but kept the light shining on them.
She smiled and put her arm around Aaron’s waist. “I want to go home.”
