To Tame a Renegade (37 page)

Chad gave her a grin and a hug and handed her a stick of jerky and a piece of bread. She bit off a tiny hunk of bread, gnawed at the jerky, swallowed, and waited for her stomach to rebel. When it didn’t, she finished off every morsel Chad had placed in her hands.

“Do you want more?” Chad asked. “It looks to be bringing some color into your cheeks.”

“Not now.”

“Then I reckon we’d best be on our way. I hope Major Dalton hasn’t moved his camp.”

He helped Sarah to mount, jumped astride his own horse, and broke a trail through the snow. Sarah followed close behind. They continued on until dusk, then Chad found shelter beneath a protected ledge and placed their bedrolls side by side in front of the fire he had built for warmth. Then he wandered off, returning a short time later with two plump rabbits. That night they dined on roasted rabbit, washing it down with strong coffee. When Sarah offered to clean up, Chad declined. He finished up quickly and joined Sarah, who was already half-asleep.

Chad rolled over to take her into his arms, frowning when she resisted. When he persisted, she pushed him away. “I don’t want you to touch me, Chad. I don’t even like you anymore.”

“You don’t mean that, sweetheart. You’re angry right now, but that will change when Abner is back with us again. It won’t be long, you’ll see.”

“No, Chad, I don’t see. All I know is that you took me away from my son.”

“An Indian camp is no place for a pregnant woman. You’re no strapping Indian squaw who can drop a baby and walk ten miles in the same day. You’re delicate and more fragile than you think.”

Now Sarah really was angry. “I’m not at all delicate. I’m strong. How do you think I survived all these years?” She didn’t appreciate Chad’s assumption that she was weak simply because she was a woman.

“Why can’t you understand my concern for you? I love you, for God’s sake! Your pregnancy makes you doubly precious to me. I’d die if anything happened to you or to our child.” When he withdrew his arms from around her, she suddenly felt cold.

“Your judgment is flawed,” Sarah charged.

“Very well, Sarah, if that’s the way you want it. But I’m not going to let you pull away from me. Go to sleep. Tomorrow promises to be a long day. Pray that it doesn’t snow.”

Chad arose before Sarah, brewed her tea, and made her drink it before she was fully awake. A few minutes later her stomach was settled enough to accept a hunk of dry bread.

“I hope Major Dalton is still camped nearby,” Chad said as he helped Sarah to mount.

“Maybe he has taken his men back to the fort,” Sarah replied hopefully.

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

As it turned out, they found out sooner than expected. They met Major Dalton’s column late that afternoon, heading in the direction of Cunning Wolf’s camp. Dalton halted his troops and waited for Chad and Sarah to approach.

“Delaney,” Dalton greeted, “we meet again. And I see you found your fiancéee. I must admit, I had my doubts. I’m sorry about the boy. By now he’s probably out of my jurisdiction. I’ll wire authorities to be on the lookout for him when I return to Fort Ellis. They might be able to intercept Jackson”

“Much obliged. Major,” Chad said evenly. He didn’t want to let on that he knew where Abner was. A confrontation between Cunning Wolf and the army could end in disaster for the boy. Sarah would never forgive him if that were to happen.

“Has your mission been successful?” Chad asked.

“Almost. We found Yellow Dog a few days ago and convinced him to return to the reservation. We located Snake just yesterday. He was a little harder to convince, but he finally saw it our way. It won’t be long before we track down Cunning Wolf and send him back where he belongs.”

Chad sent Sarah a silent warning when she made a strangled sound deep in her throat. “That won’t be necessary, Major. We ran into Cunning Wolf and his people yesterday. They appeared to be headed back to the reservation. We hid behind some rocks until they passed so they wouldn’t see us.”

“Are you sure?” Dalton asked sharply.

“As sure as I can be. There appeared to be sickness within their tribe. Perhaps they were going back to seek medical help from the reservation doctor or from their own medicine man.”

“Sickness? Could it be smallpox?” The men behind him stirred uneasily. “The disease has been spreading like wildfire among the Indians. Few of my men have had smallpox themselves and are scared to death of it. Are you sure of what you saw?”

“I know what I saw,” Chad lied. It seemed as if he’d hit a raw nerve when he’d mentioned illness.

“Did you see the same thing, Miss Temple? Was Cunning Wolf heading back to the reservation with his sick?”

Sarah wasn’t very good at lying. She always stuttered when she did. “I… yes, I mean, it appeared th-that way.”

Dalton appeared not to notice her hesitation as he mulled over the information he’d just been given.

“If what you say is true, I think we can safely assume that Cunning Wolf will cause us no more trouble. Smallpox is a terrible disease, it could decimate his entire tribe. I think I’m justified in taking my men back to the fort. I don’t want to expose them unnecessarily to disease. Can we assist you and your fiancéee in any way, Delaney?”

“Much obliged, Major, but we’ll be home in a day or two, providing the weather cooperates.”

“Good luck to you,” Dalton said. “I hope you find your son, Miss Temple.” Reining his horse around, he returned to the head of his patrol.

Sarah nearly collapsed with relief. “At least we don’t have to worry about a clash between Dalton’s troops and Cunning Wolf.”

“No, but we have something else to worry about,” Chad said, glancing up at the lowering sky.

Sarah followed Chad’s gaze, gasping in dismay when she saw ominous dark clouds gathering below towering snow-capped mountain peaks. New snowfall could slow them down, preventing Chad from meeting the deadline set by Cunning Wolf.

That night they slept in a cavelike opening carved out between two boulders. This time Sarah didn’t protest when Chad took her into his arms. She was so cold she didn’t think she’d ever be warm again. Although she was grateful for the fire Chad had built, and the shelter he had found, she still found it difficult to forgive him. Oh, she knew his motivation, but that still didn’t make it right. Chad might think she was going to marry him but Sarah was no longer sure it was what she wanted. It had taken her a long time to learn to trust Chad and he had damaged their tenuous relationship, perhaps irrevocably.

The world around them was clothed in white when they awakened the next morning. Sarah gazed around her in wonder. The earth appeared new and pristine, almost like a rebirth. How could anything so beautiful be so treacherous?

Chad stirred up the fire and asked if Sarah wanted a cup of Spotted Deer’s remedy. Sarah sat up, felt bile rise in her throat, and nodded. The water in the coffeepot was already boiling as Chad dropped in a pinch of herbs to steep. A few minutes later he brought Sarah a mug filled with the fragrant liquid and watched as she drank it.

“Can you go on?” Chad asked with concern. “Dammit, Sarah, I get mad whenever I think about you taking off after Jackson by yourself. That’s my baby you’re carrying.”

Sarah closed her eyes and let the hot liquid soothe her. When she opened them again she felt better able to cope with Chad’s anger. “Hashing over this is getting us nowhere. What’s done is done. I’m here, I’m pregnant, and I’m not going to lose this child. Besides,” she added, glaring at him, “it’s my child. I’m the one who will nurture him for nine months. I can raise him alone, just as I did Abner.”

“By taking in laundry?” he asked sarcastically.

She saw the rapid pulsebeat at his throat, and the quick darkening of his eyes, and she knew he was angry. Her chin lifted to a stubborn angle. “If I have to.”

“Like hell! You’re going to marry me. We’ll raise our child together and that’s the end of it. Are you ready to go on? I want to reach home by tomorrow.”

Sarah wondered how she could have thought she was in love with Chad. He was overbearing, domineering, and arrogant And he felt no remorse over striking her. Her jaw still bore the imprint of his fist.

“What are you thinking, sweetheart?” Chad asked when Sarah continued to brood in silent rage.

“You don’t want to know. Is there any rabbit left from last night?”

“Getting our appetite back, are we?” Chad teased as he handed her a piece of stale bread and a hunk of meat he’d warmed over the fire.

Sarah disregarded his question as she bit into the meat. She’d ignore him altogether, if she could. But without Chad she had virtually no hope of getting Abner back. For now she needed him, but that didn’t necessarily mean she’d always need him. He’d have to earn her trust once more, and the way she felt now, it wasn’t going to be easy for him.

Snow continued to fall intermittently throughout the day. It was light and fluffy and without substance, which thankfully didn’t impede their progress. The wind remained calm until shortly before dusk, when it began to bluster. They had waded through several drifts when Chad calmly informed her that they were on Delaney land. Sarah wanted to collapse on the spot, but she continued on through sheer grit and determination.

Sarah spied the lights from the house through the blowing snow. The welcome sight brought tears to her eyes. She knew she couldn’t have gone on much further and thanked God for bringing her this far without mishap. They rode into the barn. Sarah dismounted and leaned against a stall while Chad unsaddled their weary horses. She started out of the barn and was suddenly overcome by a terrible weakness. The space around her began to spin and her knees buckled beneath her. She started a slow spiral to the ground and knew nothing more as blackness closed around her.

From the corner of his eye, Chad saw Sarah stagger and begin to fall He reached for her, handily catching her before she touched the ground. Charging out of the barn, he carried her through the swirling snow to the back door and kicked it with his foot until Cookie came to open it.

“Chad! You’ve brought Sarah back. Praise the Lord. We heard that the soldiers from the fort were out chasing renegade Indians who had left the reservation to raid ranches and steal cattle. When Sarah didn’t return home, Ryan figured she must have gone on alone, knowing the army would be of no help to her until the renegades were rounded up. We were worried sick. Ryan blames himself for what happened.”

Cookie’s mouth was going so fast it took a moment for him to realize that Sarah lay unmoving in Chad’s arms. He peered at her anxiously. “Is she all right?” Then he noticed that Abner wasn’t with them and his eyes grew misty. “I reckon you didn’t find Abner. Poor little lad.”

“I’ll tell you all about it later. Sarah’s exhausted. I’m taking her up to bed. We both need something nourishing in our stomachs. Can you rustle up something for us?”

“Darn tootin’, I can.”

“Fix Sarah something light. Her stomach is too fragile for regular fare. Indian food didn’t agree with her.”

“Indians! Well, if that don’t beat all. Get Sarah to bed, Chad. I’ll be waitin’ anxiously for that explanation.”

Chad headed for the stairs. Ryan met him at the top, leaning heavily upon crutches. “Chad! I thought I heard your voice.” His gaze settled on Sarah’s lifeless form. “Is Sarah all right? We’ve been worried sick about her. Where did you find her? Is Abner with you?”

“Later, Ryan”

Ryan moved aside as Chad hurried past him, then followed his brother into Sarah’s room. “What’s wrong with Sarah?”

“I’ll explain later. I want to get her into bed. If you can negotiate the stairs, meet me in the kitchen. After I’ve settled her, I’ll tell you and Cookie everything.”

“Is she going to be all right?” Ryan asked anxiously.

“I certainly hope so.” Carefully he placed Sarah on the bed and removed her coat and shoes. When he began unbuttoning her dress, Ryan beat a hasty retreat.

Chad worked swiftly. In minutes he had Sarah naked and into her flannel nightgown. She barely stirred as he pulled the covers over her and tucked her in. A moment later Cookie stuck his head in the door. “Grub is ready. Do ya want it up here?”

“I think Sarah needs rest more than food right now. I’ll eat in the kitchen. Maybe later she’ll take some broth or something more substantial.”

Ryan was waiting for Chad in the kitchen. He twitched impatiently as Chad tore into thick slices of roast beef left over from supper, biscuits, gravy, and several cups of hot coffee. When Chad indicated he was full, Cookie produced a huge piece of chocolate cake and he dug in with gusto.

“I’ve never seen anyone eat so much,” Ryan said, staring at Chad’s empty plate.

“Trail food gets pretty monotonous.”

“Tell us about the Indians,” Cookie urged as he pulled out a chair and joined the brothers at the table. “We heard that renegades were wandering the area. Did Sarah run into savages?” He sobered suddenly, his face screwed up as if he wanted to cry. “Sarah must be devastated about the boy. Damn shame.”

“Chad, about Abner,” Ryan began. “I don’t know what to say. I’m entirely to blame for his abduction. I should never have left the ranch.”

“I’ll admit I was damn upset with you when I learned about Abner’s abduction. What’s done is done, Ryan. The important thing now is to return with the ransom in time to rescue Abner.”