It hurt to lose the ring, but he’d give up that slim band of gold for her life over and again. “I have a ring in my saddlebag. A marriage band made of gold.”
Miss Timperman’s eyes widened, and Matthew hoped she knew he’d work his fingers to the bone to buy her another one. When Snake held out his hand, Matthew dismounted and extracted the ring from the saddlebag.
“We’ll take the horses too,” the older man said. “Both of them.”
Matthew ground his teeth to keep from telling them exactly what he thought about that. Drawing in a breath, he tempered his emotions and then said, “You may have mine. The other one is for the lady. Surely you don’t expect her to walk all the way back to Pueblo?” Or to Crest Stone, but if Miss Timperman hadn’t mentioned the name of the town where they planned to live, Matthew wasn’t about to share that information with these men.
“She has legs, doesn’t she?” Snake replied with an irritated laugh. “Both horses. Collins!” he shouted to one of the men behind him.
The man Matthew presumed was Collins rode forward and took the reins of Matthew’s horse, along with the one he’d brought for Miss Timperman.
He didn’t want to know how much he was going to owe the livery in Crest Stone for two lost horses. But that wasn’t something he could think on now, considering the older man was eying him in a way that made Matthew feel as if he weren’t done taking yet.
“I have nothing left,” Matthew said, holding out his empty hands. “Not even a canteen.”
“Seems like it’s not much for the life of this woman you claim you want to marry,” the man called Snake said. He turned to the older outlaw. “I say we keep her.”
Anger blazed through Matthew. He’d taken one step forward when Miss Timperman spoke.
“I have money.”
Every gaze turned toward her. Matthew prayed this wasn’t another of her stretched truths. Even if it were meant to save them, he couldn’t fathom how lying about having money one couldn’t produce could be at all helpful.
She leaned down, pulled at a seam on her skirt until it must have given way, and yanked out a wad of bills.
They all stared at her another moment, Matthew in as much surprise as the outlaws. She shook the money, as if she were impatient for them to take it.
Had she a dowry she hadn’t mentioned? Or had she sold something dear and valuable? His questions went unanswered as Snake urged his horse forward and snatched the lot from Miss Timperman’s hand. He flipped through it quickly and handed it to his friend.
“You had that the entire time?” he asked, a laugh lurking at the edge of his voice.
She nodded and then lifted her chin. “It’s more than enough. You don’t want me slowing you down. May we go now?”
The older man lifted his eyes from the bills. “They can identify us.”
“We’re miles and miles from town. Considering we don’t have horses, you can be long gone before we’ve even arrived,” Matthew said.
“Besides,” Miss Timperman added. “All I wish is to be married and to forget this ever happened. I don’t much care where you go, so long as you never bother me—and my husband—again.”
Matthew couldn’t help the little smile that lifted the corners of his lips at his future wife’s courage. From her letters, he’d never imagined Miss Timperman to be one to stare down a band of outlaws, much less volunteer to take another woman’s place as their captive.
“They may not even make it back,” Snake said. “If they don’t find water.”
The older man glanced at Snake, and then nodded. “All right.” He tipped the brim of his hat toward Miss Timperman. “It’s been a pleasure, miss.”
“I won’t say the same,” she replied as she began to awkwardly dismount the horse with her tied hands. Matthew rushed to her side and grabbed hold of her waist before she fell backward into the sand and sage.
“Grab the horse,” Snake called to one of the other men.
“Could one of you cut this rope?” Matthew asked, but the men had already begun riding away.
The last one grabbed hold of Miss Timperman’s horse’s reins. He paused, turned quickly to look at the others—none of whom were facing them—and then tossed his own canteen to the ground in front of them.
“Thank you,” Miss Timperman said softly.
He gave her a smile and then followed the others, leading her horse behind them.
And leaving Matthew to forge his way through the desert with nothing but a canteen and the woman he was planning to marry.
