Texas Mail Order Bride (25 page)

Brett rose from a corner chair. Delta hadn't noticed him sitting there. When he left the room, she followed him.

“Wait a minute, Brett. Who shot Rand?”

“Don't know exactly, but I can guess. Shot came from a high ridge.” His dark eyes met hers. She admired his quiet strength. The woman who caught him would be a fortunate lady.

“And Cooper? Where is he? Why isn't he with you?”

The youngest brother laid a warm hand on her shoulder. “Don't worry, he's fine. He rode up to that ridge to try to intercept the shooter. I volunteered to bring Rand into town.”

“It's dangerous out there. This is the sheriff's job. Cooper is no lawman.”

Brett chuckled softly. “Try convincing him of that. I gave up a long time ago.”

“He invented the word
stubborn
, all right. We've been dancing around several issues ever since I stepped off the stage. I swear, finding out what he's thinking will take an act of Congress. Lord knows, he's sure not saying.”

“Coop has deep feelings for you. I can see it in his words, his body, and especially his heart.” Brett's soft words came as a surprise.

“I love him,” she whispered. “I can't stop it. But I know he'll never give up his bachelor ways.”

“Don't be too sure. One thing I learned a long time ago is to never give up on anything or anyone.”

“You're a good man, Brett Liberty. I wish you well.”

Delta watched him stroll toward the café, his carriage tall and proud. His wisdom and the way he had of looking into a person's heart were rare gifts. She prayed he'd find someone to love and share his life with.

***

Daylight faded fast. Cooper squatted next to a stream and filled his canteen while his horse drank his fill.

A bad feeling sat in his gut like a jagged knife.

What it meant, he didn't know. Guessing Early's next move was like trying to rope the wind.

He was bone weary. What he wouldn't give to see Delta. Lying next to her was heaven. If only he could spend the rest of his days waking up in her bed. He couldn't imagine anything he'd rather do, if it were possible.

She was surely ingrained into the fabric of his soul.

It had taken every ounce of strength to keep from saying the words she longed to hear. But giving empty promises wasn't in his nature. If the day ever came where he let himself say the words, they would come directly from his heart.

He went about the task of gathering wood for a fire. Rand was on his mind. He prayed the wound wasn't too serious. At least Doc would fix him up and he and Brett would rejoin him as soon as they could.

After getting the fire going, he rummaged around for his coffeepot. Camping next to a stream had advantages and soon he had coffee, a fresh fish, and a can of beans. Not too bad.

Lying on the cold ground a little later, his thoughts again turned to Delta.

She'd given the people of Battle Creek something they'd never had—hope. She made them see that anything was possible, that they could achieve so much if they all pulled together. And where on earth had she gotten the idea for a seed library? He'd never even heard of such a thing. He burst with pride. He had one smart lady.

Yes, Delta Dandridge had shown him a good many things.

Made him eat his words too.

He smiled into the darkness, feeling her lips on his, feeling himself slipping into the warmth of her tight sweetness.

And feeling her love wrapping around him.

***

Delta pushed open the Richardsons' barn door and moved everything they'd need inside. Mabel, Naomi Ratliff, and Violet were among the Women of Vision who accompanied her. Violet's hat, a creation of long drooping plumes and big flowers, made Delta smile. Certainly not the thing to wear to a barn cleaning, but she would take all the help she could get.

Readying the structure enough to hold school in it would be a chore. But the more they worked and raked and swept, what they needed became clear to Delta.

Fresh hay. Lots of it.

Excited, she turned to Violet. “We'll spread a thick layer of fresh hay on this dirt floor. It'll mask the animal odors and make everything smell good. Mr. Fletcher just cut his hay. Maybe he'll donate what we need.”

Violet beamed. “Of course, that's just the thing. I'll ride over there and ask him right now.”

One by one the women left to go take care of their children and husbands. When Delta looked up, she was alone.

Deep shadows drifted across the structure, bathing it in smoky grays and piercing blacks. Why hadn't she brought a match to light the lantern she found hanging on a nail? Walking to the door, she peered out into the purple haze of growing darkness.

Then she froze.

The wagon she'd borrowed from Rand was gone.

Fear tiptoed up her spine, along with Cooper's warning to stay in town and keep an eye out for Early.

She'd been so wrapped up in making the barn into a school she'd forgotten to take heed. Recalling Early's late visit to the mercantile and how he'd caught her alone increased the icy fear that chilled her through and through.

“Stop that this instant,” she admonished herself. She was only a half mile outside of town. She could walk easily.

It would just take a second to go back into the gloomy interior for her shawl, then she'd be on her way.

But things didn't always go according to plan, she found.

Just as she retrieved her shawl from a nail where she'd hung it, a man stepped from a far back corner.

“So we meet again,” he said.

The gravelly voice paralyzed her. She wanted to run but her feet wouldn't move. A scream froze in her throat.

Only a handful of people knew where she was.

“I'm not afraid of you, Early,” she bluffed. “Cooper will be here any second.”

“Nice try. I know he's nowhere near this place.”

When he stepped closer, she saw the rope in his hand. In the other, he held that bowie knife.

Run!

Fighting rising panic, Delta sprinted for the open door.

Early threw the rope and caught her around the neck. He pulled the rough hemp tight, choking her.

Struggling to breathe, she sagged to the dirt floor.

When Delta came to, she found herself bouncing around the bed of a wagon as it moved down the ruts of a road. A wooden crate shared the space with her. Sharp pain tore through her.

Early had bound her ankles to her neck from behind using the length of rope, tightened so that it drew her legs up. He'd also tied her wrists and had crammed a gag soaked with some sort of vile liquid into her mouth. As the wagon came to a stop, she feigned unconsciousness and readied to make her move. She might only have one chance to escape.

From beneath lowered lids, she watched Early remove the crate. The rope cut into her wrists in the struggle to free herself. But no matter that she used all her strength, the knots refused to loosen.

Footsteps crunched on the ground as Early returned. He uttered a loud curse and removed something from beneath the seat.

Delta's stomach tightened with fear so overpowering she could taste it. She didn't know what Early planned, but she knew him capable of anything, even torture and murder.

Please, Cooper, find me.

But he wouldn't know where to start. No one knew.

She rose as far as the ropes allowed and looked around. Early strode into a ramshackle structure.

Who knew what the sinister man had in mind? Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

Desperate, Delta began to think. She found that by twisting and turning she could push herself toward the end of the wagon. Once there, she could fall off onto the ground. Hopefully Early wouldn't hear the sound of the thump from inside the old structure. And with any luck it would help loosen the ropes.

Inch by inch she worked herself toward her goal.

Her heart echoed in her ears like pounding hooves.

Then came the falling part. She stilled her fear and braced herself for impact. With one last twist, she propelled herself over the edge. The blow knocked the wind out of her. Bruised and battered, she lay there for a moment, struggling to fill her lungs.

Stifling her whimpers, she assessed her situation. She'd landed in a clump of low vegetation.

But as she tried to regain her momentum, her skirt snagged on a jagged branch of the brush.

Stuck.

Unable to move, she contorted her body this way and that.

The noise couldn't be avoided. She just prayed Early wouldn't hear and come out of the barn.

Please, God, just give me one chance.

Precious seconds ticked by. Knowing she had only a few moments before he detected her, she used all her remaining strength and slung her body sideways. She rolled, ripping the fabric free.

Quickly, she maneuvered herself into a nearby thicket and wriggled into the shielding greenery. Then she set to work on the bindings at her wrists. But without her teeth or an implement of some sort, it seemed hopeless.

Yet she couldn't give up.

Straining and pulling against the rough hemp, she made a bloody mess of her hands.

Still the bindings held fast. Hopelessness washed over her.

Before she could do more, Early stalked to the back of the wagon.

Delta lay perfectly still and held her breath.

The man cursed loudly, kicking the ground. He looked beneath the wagon and then searched the surrounding growth.

“Come out, girlie,” he called. “I know you can hear me. I'll find you, make no mistake about that.”

Silent tears ran down Delta's face. Prayers that someone would find her before it was too late formed in her heart. She didn't want to die this way.

Please, God, she needed to tell Cooper how much she loved him before the light went out in her eyes.

Early stomped through the dense thicket where Delta hid. Suddenly he reached down and grabbed the rope that cut into her throat. Only she, and God, could hear her silent scream.

“You know better than to hide from me.” He yanked her up and dragged her toward the barn. “A little birdie told me you came into some money. Too bad you won't live to spend it.”

Delta fought, jerking and thrashing about as much as the rope allowed. If only she could free her feet. Or a hand. Or her mouth. Anything.

But in the end, she could only succumb to his strength and watch in horror as her hell unfolded from Early's evil, twisted mind.

“Won't anyone think to look for you here, girlie.” He dropped her to the dirt floor and laughed. “Not Thorne. Not his meddling brothers. Not anybody.”

She looked around, trying to discover where she was. Some abandoned farm, judging by the decaying wood.

Every bone cried out.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and ran down her face.

Praying she'd meet a swift end, she closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

Moments later, new fear lodged in her throat as she watched him sling a long rope over a rafter. Whimpers of despair penetrated the gag. Her eyes widened when she watched him set the wooden crate on end beneath it.

Oh God, he meant to hang her.

Unable to speak, she resorted to loud grunts of protest. If only he'd remove her gag so she could bargain. She'd give every bit of money she had to her name in exchange for her freedom. She'd gladly part with the windfall.

Everything that money had represented—independence, finally being a woman of substance, doing good for so many people—it meant nothing now.

Early cut the rope binding her legs to her neck and yanked her up onto the narrow box.

Only the arches of her feet found purchase, leaving her toes and heels hanging off. The whole thing wobbled, threatening to tip over.

“Don't panic an' you'll be all right,” Early said. “It's up to Thorne how long you have before your legs give out or you topple the box over.”

Delta took a deep breath and forced a calm she didn't feel.

But when Early knotted the noose around her neck and hoisted her up so only the tips of her toes touched the crate, she trembled violently from one end of her body to the other.

Dear God, how would she live through this?

***

Sleep wouldn't come. Cooper rose. Dousing the fire, he pulled up camp and rode to the only place that gave him peace.

The boardinghouse was dark. He climbed to Delta's window, but she didn't answer the tap on the pane.

Odd that her curtains were open and the shade up. Clearly she wasn't in the room, even though it was after midnight.

Had Jenny's condition worsened?

Panic gripped his throat, blocking the air he needed.

Climbing down, he went around to the back door. Luckily Mabel had forgotten to lock it. Darkness bathed the kitchen.

As quietly as he could, he found the stairs and went up. He opened Jenny's door and looked in. She was asleep in her bed. Tiptoeing down the hall, he rested his hand on the knob of Delta's room and steeled himself for what he might find.

But everything was neat and tidy, not in disarray as he'd pictured in his mind.

It felt as though someone had drenched him with a bucket of icy water. Fear raced along his spine. No time for quiet now. He needed answers and he wasn't going to wait until morning.

Cooper strode down to Mabel's room and knocked.

Mabel opened it and glared. “What are you doing, trying to wake the dead?”

“Delta's missing,” he barked.

“What do you mean?”

“Gone. Bed hasn't been slept in. When did you last see her?”

Mabel scratched her forehead. “This afternoon, I guess. I thought it odd that she didn't show up for supper but figured she must've lost track of the time.”

“Where was she?”

“At the Richardson place. We worked in the barn, getting it fixed up to hold school for when we get a teacher.”

“You didn't leave together?”

“No. I had to come back and fix supper for my boarders.”

“Thanks, Mabel.” He whirled and thundered down the stairs.

Vaulting into the saddle, he turned the horse toward the Richardson place, riding full-out.

The moonlight cast a pall over the barn, which sat eerily quiet. The door stood wide open. He leaped from Rebel before the animal stopped, and raced inside.

Quickly, he located the lantern and lit it. Bloodstains on a wooden railing brought crushing pain.

Then he saw drag marks in the dirt. His hands curled into a tight fist.

Someone had hurt her.

Delta only wanted to make things better for people and the town she'd adopted.

Now she was at the mercy of a madman.