The Cowboy's Convenient Proposal

He was too close, too big, practically blocking everything else from view. “I still am. Let me show you.” She shoved him aside and swung her feet to the floor, feeling the blood drain from her face. Her skin grew clammy. No way could she stand up without clutching support. For sure she couldn’t do anything nimble. But he didn’t need to know it. She pulled in a breath, sucked strength from it and forced her legs to hold her upright. “See? I’m fine.”

But by the way Ward hovered at her side and the anxious look on Linette’s face, she knew she had not convinced them.

“I’ll just sit a moment on that chair.” She indicated the hardback chair a few feet away.

Ward jerked it closer. She didn’t know if she should be annoyed that he didn’t think she could walk that far or grateful that she didn’t have to prove she could. Her knees waited until she reached the chair before they buckled. Still she sat straight, trying hard to convince everyone in the room she was okay. It was hard to say if either of the others thought she was fine. She knew she wasn’t.

She could not make it back to the saloon without help.

Help was not to be found from Ward or Linette.

Where would she find it?

“I’ll let you handle her.” Ward nodded toward Linette and headed for the door. He paused, turned to consider Red. “I’m glad you’re on the mend and hope you’ll soon feel safe here.”

She scowled at him with all the strength she could summon from her uncooperative body. What right did he have to come into her life and complicate matters? He knew absolutely nothing about what was at stake.

She could not continue staring at him. It made her head hurt like fury. She settled for simply nodding—let him think what he wanted from that—then lowered her gaze and studied her fingers, noting how they twisted together until there were spots of white and red. Let them think what they wanted about that, too. Put it down to tension or pain. They would never guess how worried she was.

Ward finally left, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

Determination filled her, giving her strength to remain sitting upright. “I’m fine,” she insisted.

She had to get her strength back. But with Linette hovering, she couldn’t move. “I think I’d like to rest now.”

Linette hurried to her side and held her elbow.

She let Linette ease her to the inviting bed, and snuggled down like she meant to have a long sleep. Linette spread an afghan over her, then tiptoed from the room. Red sighed. It was tempting to close her eyes and give in to the lethargy of her body.

But that would not get her back to Belle.

She remained tense, waiting for Linette’s footsteps to fade, then she pushed herself to the side of the bed and took deep breaths to stop the dizziness. Holding carefully to the frame on the foot of the bed, she again made her way to the window and rested her forehead on the glass. Men went back and forth outside. Too many for her to slip away unnoticed. Even if she had the strength.

But she must find the strength somewhere. Somehow.

Too bad she no longer believed God would help her or she would pray for His intervention.

Chapter Two

“Boys.” Eddie stepped into the cookhouse as the cowboys ate their breakfast. “Red is missing.”

Ward dropped his fork and stared. Yesterday she could barely stand. Now she was gone?

Eddie continued. “Her room was empty when we got up this morning. I’m telling you, Linette is some concerned about her. Figures she’s lost her memory again and is wandering about, lost and alone. Or worse, passed out somewhere.” He scrubbed at his neck. “Boys, we have to find her before Linette gets it into her head to go looking. We can’t have that. Especially in her condition.” Linette was in the family way, and Eddie worried constantly about her.

Ward was already on his feet. “I’ll check the barn.” He was out the door while Eddie ordered men to various corners of the yard to search for the missing woman.

Ward raced to the barn. Had she wandered out in the dark? Fallen in the river? He shuddered as he imagined her alone. Further injured. Suffering. He’d rescued her from a harmful situation. He could only pray she hadn’t fallen into a worse one. The door squawked a protest as he pushed it open and stepped into the warm, dusty interior. “Red,” he yelled, wondering if she could hear his voice. Would she respond even if she did? He headed down the alley, paused at the first stall. It was empty. The horse that should be there was gone.

Gone? Had the animal let himself out? Probably not, since it was Moon that should have been in that stall and Moon liked the comforts of the barn too much to wander.

Suspicion crept into Ward’s thoughts. Red kept saying she wanted to go back. He went to the tack room and counted the saddles. Sure enough. One missing.

His jaw clenched. Even though he knew it was useless to search the rest of the barn, he did so. More out of wishing she was here than thinking she was. Then he headed back to the cookhouse. Eddie paced the floor, waiting for someone to return with good news to ease his wife’s worry.

“’Fraid I have bad news,” Ward said. “There’s a horse missing. And a saddle.” Even though Eddie looked ready to chew nails, he might as well tell it all. “There were small footprints in the dust. Lady-sized.”

Eddie groaned. “She stole a horse? Don’t hardly call that gratitude. Do you?”

Ward didn’t say one way or the other. “I’ll ride after her and get the horse.”

“You do that.”

Ward hesitated. Did Eddie want him to turn Red over to the Mountie as a horse thief? Though Ward was beginning to think the only place Red would be safe was behind bars.

“Just get the horse back.” Eddie spun about and paced to the far side of the room. He stared out the window as Ward waited. With a gut-deep sigh, Eddie turned. “And bring her back, too, or Linette will have both our hides.”

“Boss, you expect me to tie her to the saddle?”

Eddie grinned. “Ward, charm her into coming back.”

“Yeah, right.” So far neither charm nor superior strength had convinced Red she didn’t need to go back to that man Thorton. “Why in the name of all that’s right would she want to return?”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t make sense. He must have some hold on her, though I can’t imagine what it could be.”

Ward turned and headed back to the barn. Whatever Red’s reason, he intended to stop her. No way he could stand by and see a person subjected to the abuse he knew she received. As he saddled up, he prayed for a way to convince her. And, Lord, keep her safe. In her condition she could have fallen from the horse and received further injury.

Following her tracks presented no challenge and he galloped down the trail. The sun rose higher in the east, bringing with it the promise of heat.

Was Red in that silly dress she clutched in her arms yesterday? If so, she’d soon be burnt a matching color. Though anyone riding back into her situation deserved to suffer some misery. Might make her reconsider her decision.

But worry soon replaced his annoyance. And a large dose of confusion. He knew firsthand the pain and fear of living with someone who controlled with fists to the flesh and a belt across the back...or anywhere it landed. Why would she return to such a situation? Eddie said the man must have a hold on her. But Ward couldn’t imagine what that could be.

He settled into a lope. An hour later he glimpsed her in the distance and urged his horse to a gallop.

As he closed the distance, she turned, saw him and kicked poor old Moon into a jarring trot. Ward knew from experience how rough a ride Moon was and almost felt sorry for her.

He easily overtook her, grabbed the bridle and pulled them to a standstill. “What do you think you’re doing?” At least she’d chosen to wear the brown dress rather than the revealing red one.

“I’m going back where I belong.” Her green eyes blazed with defiance.

“You know the kind of trouble you can get into for stealing a horse?”

“About the same you will be in for kidnapping me.”

“Kidnapping!” She had to be joshing. “I rescued you.”

“Don’t recall saying I needed rescuing.”