He grabbed her hand. “I have a general idea of where we are, but let’s hope those bastards following us are running around in circles.”
“I guess that’s good although I would have preferred you’d said you knew exactly where we were. I don’t hear them anymore. Maybe we lost them.”
“Maybe, but we can’t bet on it. Let’s keep going, but first, let’s get you out of those wet clothes. You’re shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm.”
“But I have no clothes. You threw my valise away. Remember?”
“I remember.” He tugged the slicker over her head and hid it behind a tumble of rocks. With a smug smile, he pulled a shirt from his saddle bag, handed it to her, and turned his back. “I’ll be a gentleman and not look.”
With a laugh, Naomi removed the bandage, shrugged out of her wet shirt and slipped into his. It was so big on her the sleeves came almost to her knees. She buttoned the shirt and turned up the cuffs. “You can look now, but you can’t laugh.”
But when she caught his gaze, there was no laughter in the blue depths. The heat of his gaze sent her thoughts in the wrong direction, a direction she’d promised herself she wouldn’t go.
He locked gazes with her for several long moments, then shook his head as if to clear his mind. “We’d best be going.”
But when he didn’t move, Naomi stepped toward him. For a long moment, she stared into his eyes, trying to decipher the look there. “Wes?” When he said nothing, her hopes faded. With a sigh, she grabbed the horse’s reins and headed down the shadowy path.
For another hour, Naomi followed the lawman through the tunnel-ridden canyon. Some dank and musty, some sun-dappled. On some of the cavern ceilings, great teardrops of stone hung precariously while ancient drawings filled the walls. Sightless hunters on horseback chased huge bison across an endless prairie.
Just as she was about to voice her fear that they’d never find a way out, a sun-filled clearing appeared. With a sigh of relief, she walked out into the open and stopped to survey the area. A path up to the canyon rim caught her attention. She pointed it out to Wes. He nodded, not at all surprised. “You knew it was there all along, didn’t you?”
A smile touched his lips. “Did you doubt me?”
“I must admit I did.”
“Well, we’re not out of the woods yet.” He removed the blanket strips from the horse’s hooves and hid them under a clump of brush. He led the horse across the sandy ground and motioned for her to follow. After she did so, he grabbed a dried tree branch and wiped out their tracks. “Probably won’t fool them none, but it might give us a few extra minutes.” He climbed into the saddle, held his hand out, and pulled her up behind him.
The path to the rim led straight up. Several times, the horse faltered, slipping on the rocky ground, sending a flurry of pebbles onto the floor below. She tightened her arms around Wes’s waist, closed her eyes, and held on for dear life. Finally, they reached the top. To her relief, a glance over her shoulder showed no one following them.
“Oh, Wes, we made it. Thank God.” She slumped against him. “I’m so tired I couldn’t have lasted much longer.”
“You’ve got to hang on for just a little while longer. The Rocking R Ranch isn’t too far. We’ll be safe there. If we don’t run into any trouble, we should make it by nightfall.”
In about an hour, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the Rocking R Ranch came into view. The windows of the huge ranch house glowed warm with inviting light. A corral full of horses sat to one side while a bunkhouse was positioned to the right of it. Cattle grazed for miles and miles.
Relief, along with trepidation, washed over Naomi. This would be her first contact with the outside world for three years since her imprisonment. How would they receive her? Would they censure her because she had been Roy Brecker’s wife, now his widow? She stiffened her resolve—it didn’t matter. Nothing would deter her from her revenge.
****
As Wes neared the main house, doubts surfaced. The Rocking R had been hit hard by the Brecker gang on more than one occasion. The outlaws had rustled Rocking R cattle and stolen their payroll. Should he have come here? Maybe he should have tried to go on to town, but Naomi was at the brink of exhaustion, mentally and physically. Besides, with his horse carrying double, they couldn’t have gone much further either.
Would Robert Caine turn Naomi away? She’d been hurt enough. Hopefully, no one would recognize her. He chewed on his bottom lip as he debated whether or not to give her name. He’d make that call only if he had to.
Somewhere close, a dog barked, alarming the ranch hands. Lights appeared in the main house and the bunkhouse windows. Men filled the yard. The sound of weapons being cocked sent alarm washing over him. He held up his hands. “Hello the house. It’s Wes Cooper. I’m coming in. Don’t shoot.”
“Marshal? Is that you?”
“Yeah, Robert. Okay we come in?”
“Sure.”
A large, gray-bearded man materialized out of the darkness, a rifle in his hand. Wes lifted his leg over the saddle horn and slid to the ground. “Sorry to bother you at this hour, Robert, but we’ve been riding for quite a spell.” He shook the man’s hand. “We’re exhausted and hungry.”
“We can take care of that, Coop. We was just sitting down to dinner.” Robert motioned at two young men by his side. “You remember my two sons, John and Joseph. Boys, meet U.S. Marshal Wes Cooper. Best damned lawman in the country.”
Wes grinned. “That’s a mite overrated, Robert.”
“Not a bit. Who you got there with you?”
“A lady I’m escorting to Gila Bend. Robert Caine, meet Naomi.” As he lifted her from the saddle, she swayed against him.
“Howdy, ma’am. Come on in the house.”
“Thanks, Robert,” Wes said, “but first, do you think you could get a couple of men to stand guard. We’re being chased by some pretty bad hombres.”
The older man shot him a sharp glance. “Sure. How many of them are there?”
“Not sure. Four, maybe five.”
“Five, huh? Okay. Pete, you and Bob take a few men and be on the lookout. Fire one shot if you see anyone, and we’ll come running.”
“Sure, boss.”
As Wes followed Robert toward the house, he almost had to drag Naomi behind him. Even in the gray light, he saw her bite down on her bottom lip. With his shirt hanging to her knees, she looked very young and vulnerable. He wanted to put his arm around her shoulders and assure her everything would be all right, but he didn’t dare because things might turn out to be disastrous.
A tall, raw-boned woman waited at the door, gray hair pulled tightly back. Sally Caine wasn’t a pretty woman, but she had a heart of gold. Many times she’d welcomed Wes like a member of the family. He could only hope she’d do the same tonight. Naomi faced ostracism in Gila Bend—he wanted her left alone for this evening.
Sally hugged him, then turned to Naomi. “Cooper, what have you done? This poor child looks worn out.” She huffed out a breath. “Men! Not a brain between you. You come with me, honey. I’ll see you get a bath, some hot tea, and something to eat.”
“But—”
“John, have Cook fix a steak for the marshal.”
“Yes, Ma.”
As her son headed for the kitchen, Sally hustled Naomi through the hallway and up the stairs.
“Come on in the den, Wes,” Robert said. “You look like you could use a glass of something a little bit stronger than tea.”
“Sure could.” He laughed and rubbed the stubble of his beard. “Maybe more than one.” He followed the men into the den.
As Robert sat behind the big mahogany desk, he motioned toward a huge leather chair. “Try that one, Coop. It’s good for sitting.”
Wes slumped into the chair, sinking into its soft depths. He stretched out his long legs. “Ahhh. That’s a helluva lot more comfortable than my saddle. Best thing about getting in a saddle is getting out of it. You’re not a lawman until you’ve developed a cast-iron backside.”
“Or a rancher.” Robert laughed as he retrieved a bottle from the liquor cabinet and splashed the amber liquid into four glasses. His other son returned, and the older man handed a glass to each one of them.
Wes gulped it down, then grinned and held out the glass. “That cuts the dust nicely. Hit me again.”
With a wry smile, Robert refilled the glass. This time Wes sipped the potent drink.
“Who’s after you, Coop?”
Wes stretched, stalling for time, trying to determine how much to tell him. But since Robert was giving them sanctuary, he deserved the truth. “I don’t really know who the bastards are, but they’re after the woman.”
Caine’s bushy gray eyebrows lifted. “The woman? Hell, I figured they was after you. What in tarnation are they after her for?”
“Her name is Naomi Brecker, Roy Brecker’s widow. He also went by the name of Roy Barker.” He waited for the news to sink in. It did—quickly.
Several curses spewed from the older man’s mouth. Even his sons grimaced. “That bastard. Can’t say it pains me to hear he’s dead. Stole cattle from me, as well as payroll. Shot a couple of my men. He even put a bullet in John here. How dare you bring that woman to my house.”
“Because that’s his widow, not him.” Wes leaned forward in the chair. “She’s alone and helpless, with four cutthroats following her, trying to kill her. Besides, after being with her these last few days, I’m convinced she didn’t know who he really was or anything about his…illegal…activities.”
“And what convinced you, Marshal? That pretty face? I couldn’t help but notice she had your shirt on.”
“Now, you know I haven’t ever let anything stand in the way of me doing my job.” Wes rose to his feet, the muscle in his jaw clenching. “But if you want us to leave, we’ll ride out immediately.”
Another curse.
“I don’t want to bring trouble to your house,” Wes added, “or your family. You know that, Robert.”
“Hell, Coop, it ain’t that. My men can handle them. It’s just—oh, never mind. John, go see if that steak is ready for the marshal.”
“Yessir.” The young man scurried from the room.
“Thanks, Robert.” Wes gave a silent sigh of relief. “We won’t stay any longer than necessary. We’ll leave at first light.”
“No need for that. That girl looked plumb tuckered out. Why are they after her?”
“Don’t know for sure, but it’s my guess they’re after money. The Army payroll was never recovered, nor all the money from the banks they robbed—if there’s any left. I’d hazard a guess there isn’t any.”
“And they think she knows where it is?”
Wes shrugged. “The governor thinks so, too. He sent me to investigate. She swears she doesn’t know anything about it, and I believe her.”
“Steak’s ready, Pa,” John said from the doorway.
“And so am I,” Wes added.
Chapter Seven
As Naomi followed the older woman up the stairs, her hands trembled. She stuck them in her pockets to hide her nervousness. The fact that she wore Wes’s shirt weighed heavily on her mind. It surely looked like something had happened between the lawman and herself. Exhaustion had her on the verge of tears, but she steeled her resolve. She would not cry and show her weakness. Mrs. Craine led her down a carpeted hallway to the door at the end, opened it and motioned for Naomi to enter.
A porcelain tub with claw feet sat in the middle of the room. A soft sigh escaped Naomi’s lips. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Just wait ’til it’s filled with hot water. It’ll look even better.”
“Oh, that will be divine.” Tears misted in Naomi’s eyes. “Mrs. Craine, I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
“No thanks necessary,” the older woman said and patted her shoulder, “and call me Sally.”
“You’re very kind.” Naomi slumped down on a chintz-covered chair. “I don’t think I could have ridden another mile.”
A knock sounded at the door, then it slowly opened. A young girl entered, carrying a tray which contained a teapot, a cup, spoons, and a sandwich. With a shy smile at Naomi, she sat the tray on the table, poured the tea, and scurried from the room.
“Your daughter?”
“No. The housekeeper’s.” Sally picked up a spoon. “Sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
As Mrs. Caine stirred the tea, Naomi fought to remember her manners. She wanted to grab the hot beverage from the other woman’s hand and gulp it down. Instead, when Sally handed it to her, she sipped it. “That’s heavenly. My insides still feel as cold as a winter blizzard. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Naomi, was it? I didn’t catch your last name.”
At her words, Naomi almost spilled the tea. She took a deep breath. She hadn’t done anything wrong—she didn’t intend to hide. Besides, she’d best get used to it. “My name is Naomi Brecker.”
“Thought I recognized you.”
Naomi rose to her feet. “I’ll leave…if you like.”
“Don’t be silly. Sit down, child. Nothing is ever as it seems. There were a lot of unanswered questions at your trial. Question marks tend to make me nervous.” She gently pushed Naomi down into the chair.
Naomi’s mouth gaped open. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this reaction. “Thank you, Mrs. Craine…Sally. I didn’t know my husband was Roy Barker. I didn’t know about his activities or that he was…an outlaw and all the horrible things he and his gang did.” She raised tear-filled eyes and locked gazes with the older woman. “I swear it.”