A horse charged from the shadows, the rider’s burgundy dress flowing out behind the pair.
Lorelei.
Warmth swept through Tanner. How had she gotten here? She must’ve come with White Horse. It shouldn’t surprise him that she would come after the calf.
A glance ahead at Anderson showed the man and calf were still in sight. If Lorelei kept up her galloping pace, she would reach them.
But she couldn’t follow him by herself. Where was White Horse? He scanned the trees again, searching for any sign of another person.
The approach of Lorelei’s horse made his own mount skitter sideways, bumping once more into the horse they were tethered to. Thankfully, that animal stood squarely beside Purcey’s body.
The man still moaned. Could he sit up and take a shot at Lorelei as she approached? How could he protect her with his hands tied? Helplessness nearly choked him.
Lorelei reined her horse to a walk just before she reached him, and he turned back to face her. Maybe she had a knife she could use to cut Tanner’s ties. He could secure Purcey, then go after Curly once more.
“Tanner! Are you hurt?” Her eyes scanned the length of him, then focused on his face.
Those beautiful eyes made his heart swell even now. He had to get her to safety.
He shifted so she could see the ropes at his wrists. “I’m not hurt, but do you have a knife?”
She nudged her mount forward as she reached to unfasten her saddlebag. Her gaze slid over the two horses, then she must have caught sight of Purcey on the ground. Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to cover her mouth.
He had to keep her attention on getting him free. They had no time to lose. But he kept his voice gentle as he repeated, “The knife?”
She jerked her attention back to him, then scrambled to open her pack. A few seconds later, she pulled out a hunting blade and moved her horse closer to his as she reached out to cut his ropes.
He used the opportunity to ask questions. “Did White Horse come with you? Who shot Purcey?”
Her brow furrowed as she sawed at the multiple layers of cord. “Rosie and White Horse came, but I don’t know where they are. We were separated.” She looked back at the man on the ground, who’d fallen silent. “I shot him.” Her voice dropped a bit with those last words, but she returned her focus to the rope.
His heart plummeted as he stared at her. She’d been the one to aim her rifle at a man and pull the trigger? He knew well how that act could wrench a person’s gut, no matter how necessary. She must be desperate to get the calf back. Why had she aimed at Purcey instead of Anderson, who had the calf? Maybe she didn’t want to risk hitting Curly with a bullet.
The knife finally sliced through the last strand of rope, and he jerked his hands free as the coil fell away. “Let me cut my feet loose too.” He reached for the blade.
Instead of handing it over, she slid to the ground and bent to cut the rope under the horse’s belly. “Are you hurt anywhere? What did they do to you?”
“I’m fine. I’ll take Purcey’s gun and horse and go after Anderson. He has Curly.”
“I know. We can go together. Maybe Rosie and White Horse heard the shot and will come this way to help.” She cut through the rope, and the pressure on his ankles gave way.
Pain shot up both legs, and a prickling sensation began in his calves, moving downward. He might not be able to walk, but he had to try.
Lorelei straightened and looked up at him as she restedher hand on his lower leg. “Can you feel your feet? I suspect they’re numb. Should I rub them to bring the feeling back?”
How could she even suggest that? He had to go after Curly before it was too late. He shook his head and leaned forward to lift his right leg over the saddle and dismount. “I need to get down so I can ride that other mare to catch Anderson.”
“Tanner. If you’re hurting...” Her voice came out with a tinge of frustration, but she stepped back to allow him room.
He gripped the saddle with both hands as he lowered himself to the ground. Knives shot through his legs, and he had to clench his jaw to keep from groaning at the thousand beestings burning his feet. But he forced himself to release the saddle and take a step toward Purcey.
That foot would barely hold his weight, but he made the other leg move anyway.
“Tanner.” Lorelei’s hand settled on his shoulder with enough pressure to slow him down. “Stop and let yourself recover. I don’t even know all you’ve been through. We can wait a few minutes to see if Rosie and White Horse come, then we’ll go after Curly. Together we’ll catch him, I pray. Butyouare more important.”
The earnestness in her voice drew him, made him really listen to her words.
He was more important? More important than getting Curly back? That couldn’t be what she meant.
