By the time Tanner had approached Purcey to tie him up, he’d passed. She’d killed a man, and the single glance she’d caught of his motionless form made her want to cast up her accounts even now. At least he’d been facedown. Seeing his lifeless eyes might have been more than she could bear.
She let her gaze settle on Tanner. It had been to save his life. She would get the full story later, but as they were remounting back there, he’d said they hadn’t planned for him to come out of this alive.
Purcey would have to answer to God for his choices. She’d done what she had to, and the Father had given her strength.
Rosie shot a look over her shoulder. “They’re secure. We’ll go back for them and bury Purcey once we find this last one.” Then her expression softened as she looked at Lorelei. “I’m not turning you loose again.”
Warmth eased through her. She’d proven she could manage just fine, but Rosie’s protectiveness came from love. And having so many people around who loved her was a gift from God.
They continued on. And on. The land around looked far too familiar.
She called up to White Horse. “Can you tell how far aheadhe is?” Could they possibly be gaining on the man? Surely not, since he would be able to travel at a faster clip than them, as they searched for tracks. The only way they could catch him would be when he stopped to rest. And that could be hours. Maybe even tonight.
At last, the trading post appeared in the distance.
Her chest tightened, though part of her was a little relieved. This would be a chance to restock supplies. But they couldn’t stop for long.
As her mind wandered through what they might need to grab at the fort, her heart hitched. They hadn’t told Tanner about the trade room being ransacked. Maybe he’d already seen it. But if this was news, it would be a blow.
She slid a glance at him. “Tanner, when we searched the fort looking for you, we found the trade room in a bit of ... disarray.”
He raised his brows. “Could you tell what was taken?”
She nibbled her lower lip. “Things were strewn everywhere. I think some of the bead necklaces were broken. It’s quite a mess.”
He nodded and turned forward, as though he’d expected as much. Nothing about his demeanor showed distress, or even anger.
“Have you seen it already?”
He leaned forward to help his horse maneuver up the incline. “No, but I figured they’d take as much as they wanted, or at least as much as they could carry. Getting Curly back was more important to me.” He sent her a look soft enough to warm her through. He’d left his entire livelihood behind to be stolen or destroyed to go after what he knew she valued.
She waited till they reached a more level stretch of ground, then nudged her mare close to his mount. She reached out and grasped his hand. “You’re a good man, Tanner Mason, but you don’t always have to sacrifice yourself to make me happy.”
Before he could respond, a sound drifted over the distance. Quiet and familiar but ... different. She looked toward the fort, straining to hear.
“Is that ...?” Tanner’s words drifted away as certainty pressed through her.
She plunged her heels into her mare’s sides and charged toward the fort. Was it possible Anderson had come back here for refuge? Maybe he wanted to steal more from the trade room.
The others had pushed their horses into a run as well, gathering in a pack around her. She had them for safety, along with her rifle.
But Rosie raised her hand and called out, “Slow down. We need to plan our approach.” She motioned for Lorelei to rein in.
Aargh. She could see the wisdom in slowing, but though the cry sounded weak and hoarse, that had definitely been Curly. She could feel it with every bit of her insides.
And he needed her.
She reined her horse to a walk along with the others, but slowing her thoughts proved much harder. At least Curly was alive, though he might be in dire straits. Perhaps dehydrated and starved, and he might have sustained injuries from flopping around on the horse’s back for hours.
But the urgency that overshadowed every notion pressed harder. “We can’t let them get away again.”
Tanner kept his voice low. “Anderson might be holed upin the fort, rifle trained on us. We have to be careful with our approach. I’ll go first. The rest of you stay here and wait. I’ll try to get him to fire his rifle, then close in before he can reload. He only had one gun, as far as I could tell.” He moved his horse around Rosie and nudged the gelding faster.
Her heart surged up to her throat. “Tanner, no. It’s too dangerous.”
He turned back to her with a look both gentle and determined. “I’ll follow the tree cover as far as I can. Pray God protects me.”
Though her chest ached, she nodded. She’d never heard Tanner speak of God, and she needed this reminder.Lord, hide him under the shadow of your wings.
