A tall figure stood near the fireplace. Not Sampson.
Not her father either. In fact, she didn't recognize this man at all.
He must have heard her, for he turned to face her. An Indian? Or, maybe part Indian.
His long dark hair was tied back, and he dressed in leathers like some of the other men around here.
She stayed in the doorway. Was it safe to be alone with him?
“Grace Coulter?” His voice hummed deep, and he spoke in clear English, though there might be a hint of an accent.
“Yes?” She clutched Ruby a little closer, which made the babe start fussing again.
“I am Two Stones. A friend of Sampson.” He took a step closer, and those dark eyes homed on her. “He is hurt. Attacked by men who work for your father.”
She sucked in a breath. No. “What do you mean? Where is he?” She leaned against the door frame, suddenly too weary to stand without help.
Hurt by her father? That couldn’t be possible. There must have been an accident like she’d feared.
“I found him left for dead. He is awake and worried for you, his new wife.” His gaze dropped to the bundle in her arms. “And daughter.”
So many questions swirled inside her. Too many. She couldn’t breathe well enough to think clearly. “Dead? How?”
The man’s expression softened, and he stepped back as he motioned to the sofa. “He is not dead. But hurt badly. Sit. I will tell all I know.”
She needed to sit. Ruby had begun to nuzzle her neck, begging for food. She had nothing to feed her with. The babe would have to wait.
As she moved to the seat he’d indicated, she worked to pull her thoughts together. Sampson was hurt. And this man… She eyed him while she settled, turning the babe to face outward.
Sampson had talked of his family’s native friend, the one who came when they first moved to the mountains. Two Stones had been the name. But maybe she should have this man confirm those details, just to make sure she could trust him.
She released a breath to level her voice. “How do you know my husband?”
The man also sat, facing her as he rested on the edge of an arm chair. “I have known him since the first days his family came to this land. His father was a father to me. He taught me of his God, and He is my God too. Sampson and his brothers are my brothers.” He gripped his hands together in a firm clasp.
She eased out a breath. That’s exactly what Sampson had said. Even the part about God.
The man kept talking. “In the night, I heard the sound of fighting. Of voices. I go closer and see two men beating another. They see he is no more and leave him. I knew the man on the ground. My brother, Sampson.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “He is alive, and my wife gave him the shelter I made for her. She has gone to get his family. When Sampson wakes, he does not remember all. But he begged me to come to you. To bring you and the babe to his family. He will meet you there. You will be safe with the Coulters.”
She had to strain to follow his story, between the slight accent and the unusual way he worded things. She could barely sort through her own thoughts too. He had to be speaking the truth. He knew too much about their situation.
Which meant Sampson must really be hurt. Emotion rose in her throat. “Is it bad? Are there injuries?” She yearned for him to say no. That Sampson had awakened with only a few bruises.
Two Stones dipped his chin. “I could not tell which bones are broken. But he is in much pain. His sister Dinah is a doctor. She will come to help.”
Grace had to go to him. Had to do everything she could for him. She started to push to her feet, but Ruby in her arms made her pause. She couldn’t take Ruby out there, could she? Yet there was no one here to leave her with.
Two Stones leaned forward. “I am to bring you and your daughter to the Coulter ranch. Jericho and Dinah will bring Sampson there to meet you.”
She studied him. That might be better.Ifshe could trust this man to take her there.
He definitely seemed to be Sampson’s friend. But the thought of leaving town, of riding out into the wilderness with a stranger…it terrified her.
She met Two Stones's gaze, searching for any hint of deception. "How do I know you're telling me the truth? That Sampson really sent you?"
The man's expression remained calm and earnest. "He said you might doubt me. That is why he told me things only he would know. Like how you met him near the mine where your father worked. You were changing the child’s soiled clothes. You stayed that night in the old cabin near the road. Sampson heated ham and biscuits to eat that night. Then when you came to your father, he forced the marriage between you." His eyes drifted to Ruby. "Sampson said the child is not yours by blood, but that you love her as your own."
Assurance spread through her with every new fact. There was no way someone would know all those things unless Sampson had told him.
