TWELVE
Colt didn’t know howmany times he cursed his cousin, father, and old coot, who considered himself their grandfather. But cursing his family wouldn’t remove his binds any quicker. The clock on the mantel chimed the hour of four o’clock. The wedding would be starting now.
Taking deep breaths, he held back his tears. He couldn’t cry yet. Maybe something would happen to stall the ceremony until he arrived. But, if Blaze thought he had left town, she would proceed with the wedding.
As the clock chimed the fourth time, Colt released a loud yell, angry that fate was doing this to him. For all these years, he’d tried to protect his heart, not wanting to fall in love for the fear that he’d lose her just as his father had lost Colt’s mother. Unfortunately, he fell in love, anyway. Being with Blaze last night had been a dream come true. He always enjoyed talking to her, and now he looked forward to kissing her whenever he wanted.
That wouldn’t happen now. Not until he could get out of here and stop the wedding.
He rolled and scooted toward the door. Using his feet, he pounded against the hard piece of wood, hoping someone in this place would see what was happening. As he kicked, he yelled for help.
Time seemed to go slowly, yet it was going too fast when he looked at the clock. He wasn’t going to make it in time, but he had to try. He couldn’t give up now.
Finally, he heard heavy footsteps coming up the hallway. Stopping his kicking, he listened. When someone knocked on the other side of the door, Colt almost cried with relief. “Help me, please. I’m tied up.”
He scooted aside as the door slowly opened. One of the hotel porters looked at Colt. It only took seconds before the young man’s face paled.
“You’re bleeding, sir.” He hurried inside and knelt by Colt, reaching toward his head.
“Don’t worry about my head,” Colt snapped. “Untie me. Quickly!”
He rolled to his side as the younger man loosened the ties at his hands. Colt yanked free of the binds and reached down to untie his feet. “Is there a sheriff in town?”
“Yes, sir. Sheriff Darcy.” The man’s head bobbed.
“Go fetch him and tell him to get to the church as fast as he can. There’s an injustice being done, and it needs to be stopped.”
“Yes, sir.” The porter sprinted out of the room.
Colt jumped to his feet. He swayed but quickly placed his hands on the wall until the swimming in his head disappeared. He took deep breaths as he convinced himself he could do this. He didn’t know how badly his head had been cut and bled, but it didn’t matter. Blaze needed rescuing, and he was going to do it.
He glanced at the clock on the mantel again.Four-fifteen.
“No!” He cried out, darting out of the room.
As he ran from the hotel, the pressure in his head threatened his vision, but determination guided his footsteps toward the church. Nothing would stop him. Not even a bullet could slow him down now.
I’m coming, Blaze, my love!
Finally, he reached the church. Out of breath, he pushed open the double doors and came to a stop. Rose petals littered the aisle from the doors to the pulpit where Pastor Collins would stand. But nobody was here. From the looks of the floor and pews, the guests had been here but were gone.
Colt’s throat restricted as tears filled his eyes. No! This can’t be right. He hadn’t lost her forever, had he? And, even if she was a married woman now, she could get a divorce.
He must believe that she didn’t hate him for doing this to her. After all, if Kent hadn’t knocked him out last night, Colt would be married to his true love by now.
His stomach churned as he turned and walked away from the church. He searched his mind with the conversations Lisa and her children had about Blaze’s wedding, but Colt hadn’t been listening. Jealousy had plugged his ears to anything about Blaze’s wedding. Now he didn’t know where to look for her. Kent mentioned that he wasn’t coming back to the hotel, so where else would the married couple go for their first night as husband and wife?
The thought made Colt gag. He couldn’t think like that. He must try and stay positive that he would find her before tonight. Hopefully, she would forgive him and divorce her rotten, deceiving husband.
As he neared the barn, his legs felt as though he’d been dragging a whole wagon by himself. His body was weak, and he fought with his mind to stay alert. His mental and physical exhaustion didn’t matter right now. Finding Blaze was all he cared about.
Up ahead at the house, he noticed a one-person buggy – the same one he saw before at Doctor Hamilton’s office. Had something happened to his father? Or was it Blaze that the good doctor had come to visit?
Pushing himself harder, he hurried to the house, rushed inside and stopped. Voices from the parlor were the first things he heard. He headed toward the room, and the closer he came, the voices sounded as if people were crying.
When he entered the room, he noticed Lisa’s children sitting on the couch and chairs. Each one held a handkerchief to their mouths as they cried. Emma was the first one to see him. She jumped up and came toward him. Her tears multiplied the closer she got.
“What’s happened?” he asked tightly.
