The Cowboy's Convenient Proposal

She pressed her hand to her throat. “So you’re really turning me over to a hangman? This was all just a ruse to get me to come along.” Belle’s hands dug into Red’s ribs. She shouldn’t let her anger make her forget to guard her words. “It’s okay, Belle. I’m not going to hang. Now or ever.” She yanked on the reins and jabbed her heels into her mount’s ribs. The animal jerked so hard, Red almost came unseated, and then it took off in a bone-pounding trot. She kicked again. “Faster, you lazy animal.”

But faster wasn’t something this horse understood. She’d do better to try to escape into the trees, and she pulled the horse off the trail. It went reluctantly, crashing through the brush. Red ducked to avoid branches. Belle clung to her, a high-pitched sound whistling from her.

The horse jerked to a halt and stood quivering, surrounded by trees. Despite Red’s urging, it refused to take another step.

“Get down, Belle. Hurry.” She held out an arm to help Belle to the ground, then dropped down beside her, grabbed her hand and raced into the trees. They were making too much noise. Ward would have no trouble tracking them. She stopped. “We have to be quiet.” To their right was a thicket of bushes. “There. Crawl in out of sight.”

Belle clung to her. “Me?”

“I’m coming, too. Hurry up.” They fought through the tangles and crouched on the ground. She wrapped her arms about Belle and held her tight. Red panted, the sound ragged and loud. She forced herself to breathe slow, deep.

The soft thud of horse hooves approached. The leather of a saddle squeaked.

Red didn’t move, didn’t release the air in her lungs.

No sound came from the horse or the cowboy. How long could she hold her breath? Her head felt funny.

“I know you’re in there and I’m not leaving.” Ward sounded so sure of himself that she wanted to jump out screaming and scare his horse so Ward would get dumped off.

She let the air whoosh out of her lungs. Stupid man probably wouldn’t get thrown no matter what she did.

“I’m not about to get myself hanged.”

Belle twitched and turned toward Red, her blue eyes big and full of fear.

“Nobody is hanging me,” she assured her little sister.

“I doubt Eddie will want to hang you.” Ward didn’t need to sound so regretful.

“You might as well come right out and say you consider it foolish for him to show any leniency.”

“Yeah, well, he hasn’t had to fight you every mile of the ride.”

“You tricked me.”

He groaned. “I thought you might like a meal. There’s little in way of supplies at the cabin.”

“I’m awful hungry,” Belle whispered.

Red considered her options. They were pretty unappealing. Either hide in the bushes while Ward waited, determined to take her to the ranch, or admit defeat. Either way, she was destined to go to the ranch.

“Let’s get out of here,” she whispered to Belle, and they scrambled from the bushes. She drew herself up tall and straight. She’d go to the gallows, she’d face her punishment. But no one would see a shadow of fear on her face.

“We’re ready.” She marched back to the trail where the horse munched on grass. Stupid animal. If it had run like a horse was supposed to, they would be far away now.

Ward swung to the ground and came to assist her back to the saddle.

She grabbed the saddle horn and pulled herself up without assistance, but as she reached for Belle, Ward swung her up. Red didn’t wait for Ward, but headed straight for Eden Valley Ranch and whatever justice Mr. Gardiner would mete out.

She kept her attention on the trail as they edged downward, passed empty corrals, clattered over a wooden bridge and turned toward the big house. But with each step forward her enthusiasm and determination weakened.

Ward drew abreast of her. “He isn’t going to let you hang.”

“I guess not. Who would look after Belle if he did?” Did she manage to keep a defensive note in her voice?

“I expect Linette would give her a home. She’s given Grady one.”

Red had seen a little boy previously but assumed he was Linette and Eddie’s son. “Good to know someone would show my sister some Christian charity.”

Ward sighed long and loud. “Linette is a very sweet, patient woman.”

He didn’t need to say what he really meant. That Red wasn’t. But before she could point out that it was hard to be sweet and patient under her particular circumstances, the cowboys poured from the building she knew to be the cookhouse. They didn’t make a sound.

“They’re staring.” Belle sounded scared.

“Guess their mamas didn’t teach them it was rude.” She kept her attention fixed straight ahead.

The door in the house up the hill opened and Eddie stepped out, Linette on one side and a little boy on the other. They waited as Ward escorted her toward them. They stopped ten feet from the watchful trio.

Ward swung from his horse. Red would have dismounted on her own, but her skirts made it awkward at best and with Belle pressed to her back, impossible. So she allowed Ward to grasp her by the waist and assist her. It meant nothing that his hands were steady, and his shoulders where she was forced to rest her hands, solid. As soon as her feet touched the ground she sprang away, brushing her skirt clear up to her waist trying to flick away the feel of his touch.

Ward’s eyes narrowed as if realizing what she did. Then he quirked one eyebrow and lifted Belle down so quickly she didn’t have time to protest. But she skittered over and grabbed Red’s hand, burying her face in the brown cotton of Red’s borrowed dress.

“It’s okay, honey. You’re safe with me,” Red assured her.

“With me, too,” Ward said, his voice so quiet she could almost persuade herself she didn’t hear. Just like she could almost believe he wasn’t more than a bit offended that she tended to put him in the same category as a man like Thorton. Not that she really thought he was. But still, he was a man and she and Belle were at his mercy and that of his boss. She intended to be cautious around them.

“I see you found them,” Eddie said.

“You have a child.” Linette sounded every bit as sweet and patient as Ward said she was and it almost made Red want to weep.

Ward turned to his boss. “This is Belle, Red’s sister. They both need a home. You have your horse and saddle back so if you’re okay with that, I plan to take them to my cabin.”

Linette sprang forward and grabbed his arm to shake it. “You’ll do no such thing. It’s isolated up there. They’ll stay here with us.” She reached for Red’s arm, but Red backed away.

Isolated sounded about right to her. “That’s very generous of you, but we’ve already accepted Ward’s offer.” Once Linette heard where Red had spent the last few months, she’d want her as far away as possible.

“I won’t hear of it.” Her eyes flashed determination.

Ward neglected to say his sweet, patient boss’s wife was every bit as stubborn as Red. Red allowed herself a moment of admiration for the woman before she rallied her arguments.

“Belle’s been through a difficult time. I think she needs some time alone to get over it.”

Linette studied Belle, who buried her face in Red’s skirts. Each breath released on a shudder. “The poor child.” She nodded as if she’d made up her mind. “If you think she needs time alone, then you can live in the little cabin across from the cookhouse.” She pointed to the place.

In the dusky shadows, Red saw a tiny log cabin facing the roadway that ran through the midst of the ranch buildings but tucked into a cluster of trees that went on and on to the river. It was almost tempting to live where she could dream of finding friends. But once they knew the truth, no one would accept her. Better to be isolated.

Linette, guessing at Red’s resistance, spoke to Ward. “I won’t hear of her living alone in your cabin.”