But in what hecouldsee, there was no sign of movement. No beautiful blonde hurrying back to a sister in the midst of childbirth.
Panic flared through him.God, not for me, but for Dinah. And Naomi and that tiny life she’s struggling to birth. It’s too early. Help. Please.
At the peak, he reined in Pinto. The opposite side of the mountain didn’t contain nearly as many trees, and he could see the road winding down into the valley beyond. It would take an hour to travel that distance, even if they rode at a fast clip.
And there was no sign of anyone, as far as he could see.
He turned Pinto to stare at the route they’d just traveled.What now, God? Where is she?
Something had happened to Dinah. Something awful, but he was powerless to know where she was or how to get to her.
He plunged his heels into Pinto’s sides, maybe harder than he should have, for the horse charged down the slope, back toward Missoula Mills. Jericho sat back, steadying the gelding.
He needed to search both sides of the road carefully. Should he call for her? He hadn’t done that yet. If a man had taken her, alerting the scoundrel that Jericho was searching for them might put Dinah in even more danger. Or at least make it harder to find her.
But he had to try something different, so he raised his voice. “Dinah!”
The word echoed across the open area around him. Only the sound of his horse’s hooves filled the air, pounding against the hard-packed dirt and rock.
He called again, louder this time. “Dinah!”
Still no answer.
He scanned the trees and brush for any sign of her. Through the areas where thicker growth lined the path, he reined Pinto slower.
As he passed the place where Gil and the children stayed with Naomi, he called out to ask if Dinah had returned there yet.
"No." Gil's voice sounded through the branches. "We haven't seen her."
A cry of pain echoed after his words, gripping Jericho's chest. "Do you need me to come help?" Though what could he do? He had no way to bring relief to the woman or the babe determined to come into this world.
"Find Dinah." Gil's tone sounded resigned but held an edge of panic.
Jericho pushed Pinto forward again as he scanned from one side of the road to another. He couldn’t miss hoofprints where she'd turned off the trail.
The slope eased the farther he went, and he'd nearly reached level ground when a patch of bare ground grabbed his notice.
There.
How had he missed the gap in the trees ? Wagon tracks and hoofprints pressed into the ground, but without dismounting, Jericho couldn't tell how many animals had come through.
He couldn't waste a second though. Someone had forced Dinah to come this way—every instinct within him confirmed that as fact. What had they already done to her?
Bile rose up to his throat, but he swallowed it down as he guided Pinto over the trail. He had to focus on following the tracks.
CHAPTER30
As Jericho turned into the opening, the path leveled out. The grass had grown high, but no trees obstructed the trail. Maybe this had once been a narrow wagon road. He scanned both sides, watching for motion among the trees or a sign that a person had split off from the path.
He didn't spot the wagon and mule team ahead until the entire rig was fully visible. A familiar horse stood tied to the rear.
Dinah’s gelding.
He jerked hard on his reins and raised the rifle to his shoulder. His gut twisted as he scanned the wagon and the trees beyond. No sign of movement except the animals.
He nudged Pinto forward but kept the gelding slow. Every one of his senses strained for a hint of threat.
Nothing moved, save the stamp of the gelding’s hoof. The mules raised their heads to watch his approach, and when one of them released a high-pitched bray, he swung the rifle and nearly fired at the poor beast.
