San Antonio Rose (Historical Romance) (35 page)

Silence was his only answer.

"Please," Emerada said, holding her arms
out to him, "cut me free and give me a gun."

He shoved her aside. "Whoever it is has
killed Chavira and Martinez, and they will kill
us, too. If only I knew how many there were."
Fear caused his voice to tremble. "What do
they want with us?"

They both heard the sliding stones that
alerted them that someone was coming down
the cliff. Emerada braced herself against the
tree and rose unsteadily to her feet. She inched
in the direction of the horses, knowing that Ortega's entire attention was focused on the unknown enemy who stalked them from the
darkness.

Ian watched Emerada mover toward the
horses. She was out of the line of fire, so he
didn't have to worry about a stray bullet hitting
her. He heard a horse gallop away-she had
managed to escape. He'd catch her later.

"What do you want?" Ortega called out. He
was also moving toward the horses. "Show
yourself so we can talk. I can offer you gold. I
am a friend of Santa Anna's."

"A questionable honor." A cold voice spoke
from the darkness at Ortega's right. "If you believe in God, start praying."

Ortega went down on his knees, trying to
conceal his gun in the folds of his shirt. "Do not
kill me, senor! We are not enemies."

Ian stepped into the faint light given off by
the coals that had reignited the dry wood. "You
are mistaken, Ortega. You are my enemy-you
took my wife."

"You're the Raven's Claw!" He looked confused. "San Antonio Rose is your wife?"

"That's right."

Beads of sweat formed on Ortega's upper lip.
This was Houston's man-he was dangerous
and not to be underestimated. Not even Santa
Anna's threats would have made him take the
woman if he'd known she was Ian McCain's
wife.

Ortega knew in that moment that if he didn't
act quickly, he was a dead man. The hand that held the concealed gun trembled as he pulled it
out of his shirt and fired.

Ian laughed as the shot went wild. "It seems
you missed. Now it's my turn, and I almost
never miss."

With anger in his heart, he raised the rifle
and fired. Ortega was yanked backward as if by
some invisible hand and slammed against the
oak tree. He slid forward and lay still, his life
blood spilling into the dirt.

Ian moved quickly toward the Mexican's
horse, knowing there was no time to lose if he
was going to catch Emerada.

Emerada was having a difficult time staying
astride the horse with her hands tied. She
heard the two gunshots, and a sob caught in
her throat. They would be coming for her soon,
and she could not outrun them with no saddle
or bridle to guide the horse.

A few moments later she heard a rider coming-only one, from the sound of it. No matter
who had won the gun battle, none of them
would be a friend to her. She kicked the horse
in the flanks and gathered the flowing mane in
her fingers. Brambles cut into her face, and
once she was almost unseated by a heavy
branch, but she ducked just in time. She could
barely make out the fallen tree trunk just
ahead, and there was no way to guide the horse
around it. The rider was getting closer now, and she closed her eyes, hoping the horse could
make the jump across the wide trunk.

The horse did take to the air, but Emerada's
hands slipped and she was falling. She covered
her stomach in an attempt to protect her unborn baby. She hit the ground hard. Pain so
sharp she could not breathe cut through her
body like a knife.

The last thing she remembered was the
sound of the rider getting closer, and then
blackness engulfed her.

Ian saw Emerada fall. Had he saved her from
the men, only to lose her now?

Ian leaped from his horse and knelt by Emerada, lifting her head. When it fell limply back
against his arm, he feared she might be dead.
Pain hit him like shards of glass. He lowered
his head to her chest and was overcome with
joy when he heard the strong rhythm of her
heart.

He gently examined her for injuries. He
knew by the twisted position of her right arm
that it was broken. He swore under his breath.
Both he and Emerada had ridden bareback. He
had nothing with him to set her arm.

He had to think clearly. He couldn't move her
until her arm was set. He couldn't even build a
fire.

With the need to hurry, he used his knife to
hack two limbs from the fallen tree. Ripping
his shirt into strips, he was ready. He was glad
Emerada was unconscious.

Feeling gently along her arm, he located the
break. Grasping the upper and lower arm, he
yanked hard and heard it snap into place.
Emerada screamed, her eyes opening wide. He
would rather have ripped his own arm off than
cause her pain.

"No." She moaned. "Why are you hurting
me?" She closed her eyes and grabbed her
stomach. "No. Not my baby."

That was the first time since finding her that
Ian had thought of the baby. "Emerada, I had
to set your arm. Its broken."

She tried to rise, but fell back against the
ground. Her eyes were glazed with pain, and
she didn't seem to know him.

"Don't move, Emerada. I have to make a
splint. Do you understand?"

She went limp again, and he hurriedly
placed the splints on either side of her arm and
bound them tightly with the strips from his
shirt. When he was satisfied that the splints
would hold until he could get her to a doctor,
he fashioned a makeshift bridle out of the rest
of his shirt and slipped it over the horse's head.
He had to have some control over the animal.
If only he'd gone back to get his own horse! But
there wasn't time now.

Ian mounted the horse with Emerada in his
arms and rode in the direction of Talavera.

Suddenly Emerada twisted in his arms and
cried out in pain.

He drew her closer to him, cradling her lovingly. "I know it hurts, my love. Try to bear it if
you can."

She looked up at him, but it was plain she
didn't know who he was in the darkness. "My
baby, I am going to lose my baby!" Her hand
went to her stomach, and she moaned as another
pain hit her. "Help my baby," she whispered.

Ian felt as if his heart twisted violently inside
him. "Oh, God, no-not the baby!"

He would ride the horse to death if he must.
He had to find help for Emerada!

As the first streaks of gold touched the eastern
horizon, Emerada was lost in a world of pain.
She forgot about the pain of her arm because it
felt as if her insides were being ripped out. She
bit her lip to keep from crying out, but it didn't
help. Her cry blended with the morning wind.

Ian watched the woman he loved more than
life experience unspeakable agony, and there
was nothing he could do to help her. They were
still at least two hours from Talavera. He had
heard of women dying in childbirth, and that
was with a doctor in attendance.

He placed his hand on her stomach and felt
it move and ripple from the child inside. "Emerada, can you go on?" he asked, knowing
the movement of the horse must be adding to
her torment.

She finally focused her eyes and recognized
Ian. "I cannot go on. Please put me down."

Ian nodded. He would have to deliver the
baby, and he knew nothing about it whatsoever. On occasion he'd helped a mare give birth
to a foal, but this was the woman he loved and
his firstborn child. What if he did something
wrong? And wasn't it too soon for the baby to
be born?

He dismounted and carried her to a patch of
green grass and laid her down carefully.
"Emerada, I'm going to help you. Don't be
afraid," he assured her.

She nodded, just as her body was gripped by
another pain.

Ian glanced upward and silently begged for
divine guidance.

Emerada stiffened and gripped his hand so
hard that her fingernails dug into him. She
moaned and tried not to scream, but the pain
was excruciating.

"Go ahead," Ian urged her. "Scream if you
want to. No one but me will hear."

And she did. She screamed when it felt like
someone had crammed a hot poker through
her body.

Tears blinded Ian, and he knew he would
never forget the sound of Emerada's scream not as long as he lived. It tore him apart inside,
and he prayed the birth would not last long.
The heavy hand of guilt settled on him. He was
responsible for her pain because it was his
baby that was causing her pain.

When she pushed until her body trembled,
he hurriedly brushed the tears from his eyes.
He didn't even have water to dampen her dried
and cracked lips.

Ian had been so absorbed in helping Emerada that he hadn't heard riders approaching.
When horses neighed behind him, he jumped
to his feet and saw three Indians!

He felt a flood of relief when he saw Chief
Bowles with two Indian women.

"Is this your woman, Raven's Claw?" Chief
Bowles asked, dismounting.

"Yes. She's having her baby here!"

"Help my baby," Emerada said in a whisper.
She was so weak. She could hardly voice the
words.

The chief said something to the women, and
they went to Emerada. Then he motioned for
Ian to follow him. "My wives will help your
woman. Let us leave the birth to them. This is
no place for warriors."

Ian was doubtful about leaving Emerada
with the women. "She might be afraid."

"Not that woman, Raven's Claw. I hear
things. Your woman is not soft, like other white
women."

In her world of constant pain, Emerada
vaguely saw the Indian women, but she didn't
care who they were; she welcomed the helping
hands.

"Please save my baby," she said weakly.

One of them lifted her skirt and positioned
her for the birth. By now the bab's head was
visible, and the other woman took Emerada's
hand and spoke to her soothingly, while her
companion waited for Emerada to push.

With the next agonizing push, the baby
emerged into the Indian woman's capable
hands. She deftly wiped the baby's face with
the edge of a cloth and turned the child over
her shoulder. The baby was so blue that the two
women exchanged glances, fearing it might be
dead.

Suddenly Ian heard a small cry, and nothing
Chief Bowles could say could keep him from
running to Emerada. As he knelt beside her, the
baby's cries became stronger, and unashamed
tears moistened his eyes.

Emerada's eyes were closed, and he quickly
looked at the Indian women. "Is she all right?"

Sensing his distress, they smiled and nodded. One of them handed him the baby. He
glanced down at the now rosy infant and saw
that he had a daughter!

Lovingly he raised the child to his face, amazed by how tiny she was, and stunned by
the sudden love that washed over him. She had
come into the world kicking and screaming.
She was her mother's daughter.

Chief Bowles glanced at the child and
frowned. "Do not feel bad that it is only a girl.
Next time you will have a son."

While Ian held the miracle in his arms, the
chief set about fashioning a crude travois while
his wives wrapped the infant in a bright yellow
cloth. Chief Bowles offered Ian a leather skin
of water and some dried meat. "Take your wife
home, Ian McCain." Then he and his wives
mounted, and the three of them disappeared as
suddenly as they'd appeared.

Emerada opened her eyes and stared at him.
"Ian?"

"Yes, my darling," he said, holding the child
out for her to see. "We have a daughter. And
she is as high-spirited and beautiful as her
mother."

She shook her head. "Did I dream it, or were
there Indians here?"

He laid the baby against her good arm. "You
did not dream it. Our daughter was helped into
the world by Chief Bowles's wives."

She looked down at the baby. "I thought I
would lose her."

"Emerada, do you think you're strong
enough to travel?"

She nodded. "I am strong."

He laughed as he lifted her onto the travois, which he had tied behind the horse. "Oh, yes,
you are, Emerada McCain. I don't know anyone who has your strength."

Her mind was muddled, and she just wanted
to sleep. "Did you say we had a daughter?"

"I did." He supported the baby's head, since
Emerada was beginning to go limp against
him. He had to get them both to Talavera as
quickly as possible. He still didn't know how
badly Emerada might be hurt.

Ian reined in his panic and urged the horse
forward, dragging the travois behind. He had
to get help for Emerada.

It was hours later when they reached the
ranch. He saw a wagon at the stable, and
Domingo was mounted on a horse. When Ian
reached the stable, the big man dismounted
and walked toward him in astonishment.

"Is she all right?" Then Domingo saw all the
blood. "What happened?"

"As amazing as it sounds, Emerada gave
birth to my daughter. Take the child, Domingo.
I'll bring Emerada inside."