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“I’ve been happier,” Chris said, searching inside the saddle bags. “I would be extremely happy if Tynan’d bothered to return to his sleeping roll last night.”
Pilar groaned, then asked, “What’s going on now?”
“Ty says he hears someone coming up the trail. I haven’t yet heard anything but he’s gone to see. Ah, here they are.”
“I’m coming with you,” Pilar said and was out of her sleeping pallet in a second and was soon running down the hill behind Chris.
Tynan was stretched out on a rock, as flat and as unnoticeable as a lizard and he had to call to the women before they saw him. “It’s them,” he said with great sadness in his voice. “I knew it would be.” He reached out his hand to Chris for the glasses.
Chris and Pilar climbed on the rock beside him. “You’re sure it’s my father?” Chris asked, excited.
“Whoever it is, I hope they’ve brought us some supplies,” Pilar said.
“From the size of the group, I think Mathison’s brought his entire ranch.”
Chris took the glasses from him. Her father was unmistakable, sitting on top of the horse that looked too small for him, riding with his back as straight as a railroad tie—and even at this distance he looked angry. She put the glasses down and saw that Ty was looking at her with a teasing smile on his face.
“Want to borrow my gun to protect yourself?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Who’s the man with him?” Pilar asked, looking through the glasses.
“Never saw him before,” Ty answered.
Chris heaved herself up from the rock. “I guess I better get this over with. If either of you have delicate sensibilities, you’d better leave now. My father’s temper is…” She couldn’t think of anything that would adequately describe it.
She took a deep breath for courage, then started down the hill toward her father and the men who rode with him. She was hesitant at first, but as he came more clearly into view, she began to pick up speed until he saw her.
Del Mathison spurred his horse forward in a burst of speed that left the others standing.
Chris lifted her skirts and took off running as fast as her legs would carry her—and Del’s horse came charging toward her. When he reached her, he didn’t slow, but extended his arm and hauled her up to toss her in the saddle behind him. It was a trick he’d taught her when she was a child, and it’d come in handy in her life, such as the time Tynan had run his horse through the freight office.
As Chris held onto her father, she saw that Ty had followed her down the hillside, gun drawn, protecting her as she’d run away from the shelter of the camp. She turned to see the man who’d been riding beside her father stop and help Tynan mount behind him.
Del didn’t waste any time when he reached the cabin. Before he even dismounted, he began yelling at Chris.
“Of all the damn fool, stupid things you’ve ever done, this is the worst. So help me, I’m never going to let you out of my sight again. You and your mother’s whole family, none of you ever had a lick of sense.”
Chris stood on tiptoe and put her arms around his neck. She was glad to see that he looked as good as he always did: big, handsome, with the head of a lion, thick gray hair spreading out like a mane around his handsome face.
He hugged her back for a moment, then pushed her away. “Do you know what hell you’ve put me through? Do you have any idea the number of people that’ve come to me and told me you were within inches of being killed?”
“How many?” she asked solemnly.
“Don’t you get smart with me, young lady, I’ll do what these menshouldhave done with you. Where is that young pup I sent after you? He was supposed toprotectyou.”
Tynan stepped forward. The area in front of the cabin was filling with men and their horses. “Are you asking for me?”
Del looked Tynan up and down, took in the dirty bandage on his thigh. “I see she’s about done you in, too.”
Tynan straightened. “I take full responsibility for everything that’s happened. There were several times when I had the opportunity to get her back safely.”
“Hmph!” Del snorted. “You couldn’t very well control her when you were in jail. And what’s this I hear about you two being engaged?”
Chris held her breath as she looked from her father to Tynan. It looked as if Ty weren’t going to say anything, and Chris suddenly realized the seriousness of this moment. If she said they were engaged, her father could send him back to jail. She thought of Ty’s back as it’d been in the rain forest. She thought she could control her father, but she wasn’t positive. What if she were wrong? If she were, then Ty would be returned to prison.
“We’re not engaged,” she said softly. “I just said that to prevent a fight. He’s been a perfect gentleman at all times and he did everything he could to protect me. He even saved me from Dysan.”
Chris watched her father as he continued to study Tynan and after a moment, he grunted, but made no other comment.
