At night, the forest shrieked with life. Every sound was magnified. A twig snapped nearby and she flinched, her heart pounding frantically. She was certain an animal had made the noise, and she began to fervently pray it wasn’t anything bigger or more dangerous than a rabbit. God only knew what she would do if a mountain lion or a bear wandered into her camp. The idea of becoming some animal’s next meal didn’t sit well with her, and she began to imagine all sorts of horrible ways she would die.
She began to hum one of her favorite hymns to take her mind off her dark thoughts until she realized the hymn was about death and redemption. Then she stopped and sagged against the tree behind her. She slowly stretched her legs out, crossed one ankle over the other, and willed herself to stop having such crazy thoughts. She would get through this night the same way she’d gotten through the past two. She would keep her eyes open and her wits sharp. Sleep was out of the question.
She never heard Adam coming. One second she was all alone, and the next he was sitting beside her and had her gun in his hand.
She was so startled to see him she screamed. She jumped back, struck her head against the tree, and cried out again. Her heart felt as though it had just leapt into her throat. How in heaven’s name had he managed to drop down beside her without making any noise? As soon as she could find her voice, she would ask him that very question.
He didn’t say a word to her. She watched him drop the gun on the ground between them. She stared stupidly at the weapon for several seconds before she turned to look up at him.
She had never been so happy to see anyone in all her life. He didn’t look happy to see her though. His anger was more than apparent in the darkening of his eyes and the set of his jaw.
She wanted to hug him. She frowned instead and put her hand over her heart. “Adam, you scared me.”
He didn’t have anything to say about that. She took another breath and then admitted, “I didn’t hear you coming.”
“You weren’t supposed to hear me.”
They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed an eternity without saying another word. He was trying to calm his temper and kept telling himself that he had gotten to her in time, that nothing godawful had happened to her, and that she was all right—for the moment. Relief intensified his anger, and, honest to God, he wanted to kiss her and shake some sense into her at the same time. He didn’t give in to either inclination.
She was so thankful not to be alone any longer, tears welled up in her eyes.
He saw them. “What are you doing out here?”
“I’m camping. What are you doing here?”
“I came to get you.”
Her eyes widened. “You did? Why?”
He didn’t explain but asked another question instead. “Why did you leave the ranch so abruptly?”
She turned away and stared at the fire. “I felt it was time for me to leave.”
“What kind of answer is that?” he demanded.
“Lower your voice,” she whispered.
“Why?”
“I don’t want to . . . The animals will . . .”
“What about the animals?”
“If they hear us, they’ll know we’re here and they might come into camp.”
He tried not to smile. “Animals are also directed by scent.”
“I heard a mountain lion a little while ago.”
“He won’t bother you.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
She visibly relaxed and leaned into his side. Her arm rubbed against his when she turned to him again. “There aren’t any stars out tonight.”
“Why did you leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone good-bye? Why were you in such a hurry?”
He already knew the answer, but he was curious to find out if she would tell him the truth. If she did, it would be a novelty, he decided. His frown darkened as he thought about what an adroit liar she was.
His scowl was hot enough to set her hair on fire. Her spine stiffened in reaction. “I know you’re angry, but—”
He cut her off. “Hell, yes. I’m angry.”
“Why?”
He shook his head at her. “Don’t you realize what could have happened to you? A beautiful woman like you can’t go riding off in the wild without escorts. Do you have some sort of a death wish, Genevieve? Is that it? I know you’re smart, but honest to God, I can’t figure out why you would do such a foolish thing. Don’t you care about the danger you’re in?”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and if you came all this way just to give me a piece of your mind, then it was a wasted trip. Go back home.”
She had tried to sound as angry as he had, but she was so rattled at the moment she didn’t know if she’d accomplished the feat or not. He thought she was beautiful. The comment, made so matter-of-factly in the middle of his blistering lecture, took her by complete surprise. No one had ever called her beautiful before, and she had certainly never thought of herself that way. She was built all wrong. She was too tall, too thin, and her hair was too short. Yet Adam thought she was beautiful.
He couldn’t figure out what had just come over her. She was staring off into space, a dreamy expression in her eyes. A hint of a smile crossed her face, and if he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she was daydreaming.
He heard her sigh. It was long and drawn out, the kind of sigh a woman makes after she’s been satisfied. Ah, hell, he thought to himself. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about such things.
“You were about to tell me why you left the ranch in the middle of the night without a word,” he reminded her in a voice that sounded like a bear growling.
The reminder jarred her out of the fantasy she was having about living happily ever after.
“It wasn’t the middle of the night. It was evening, and I wanted to say good-bye, honestly I did, but I was in a hurry and there wasn’t time.”
“Obviously not,” he said. “Do you want to tell me why you were in such a hurry?”
“No.”
Her abrupt answer didn’t please him. He held his patience and said, “You left something behind.”
“I did? What did I leave?”
“The telegram.”
She closed her eyes. “You read it, didn’t you?”
“Oh, yes, I read it.”
She heard a faint rustling and gripped the branch with both hands as she squinted into the darkness. “I think something’s out there. Did you hear that noise just now?”
“It’s just the wind kicking up the leaves.”
“I’m not so sure,” she whispered.
“I am,” he insisted. “You haven’t done a lot of camping, have you, Genevieve?” His exasperation was obvious.
“No, I haven’t. It’s an adventure for me.”
“You’re trembling.”
“It’s chilly tonight. I will admit I was a little nervous before you arrived. I’m not nervous now. I’m glad you’re here, Adam, even though you’re angry with me.”
“There’s a town less than five miles from here. The Garrisons are a real nice couple who live on the outskirts. They rent out rooms. If you had asked—”
“I can’t afford to spend any more money,” she interrupted. “The trip to Rosehill cost more than I had anticipated. Besides, it wouldn’t have been an adventure if I took a room for the night. I’m experiencing life. I’m not content to read about it the way you are.”
He ignored her barb. “You could probably put that branch down now. What were you planning to do with it?”
She tossed it aside before she answered him. “I was going to swat animals away with it.”
He didn’t laugh at her, but the look he gave her suggested he thought she had lost her mind. She lifted her shoulders. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“You have a gun,” he reminded her.
“I know I have a gun. I hoped I wouldn’t have to use it. I’m the intruder here, n
ot the wild animals. This is their home.”
“Have you ever fired a gun before?”
“No.”
Her answer made him angry all over again. It was a miracle that he had found her in one piece. Didn’t she have any sense at all?
“You’re going to start lecturing me again, aren’t you?”
“You have no business being out here on your own. You’re totally unskilled. Why didn’t you tell me the truth back at Rosehill? Why did you lie?”
“I didn’t want to lie to you.”
“Then why did you?”
She moved away from him and leaned back against the tree again. “My problems aren’t your concern. Your brothers made you come after me, didn’t they?”
The question was so ludicrous he felt like laughing. “I’m here because I want to be here. Who wants to hurt you?”
“Besides you?”
“Answer me, Genevieve.”
“No one wants to hurt me.”
Her hands were clenched in her lap.
“Do you ever tell the truth?” he asked.
“Yes, I usually do,” she replied. “But this is my problem, not yours, and I don’t want you to get involved.”
“Too bad. I’m already involved.”
She shook her head. He nodded. “You are going to tell me everything.”
“No, I’m not, and you have no business trying to interfere in my life. You could get hurt or maybe even killed, God forbid. I can’t let that happen. The less you know, the better. My problems aren’t your concern.”
“According to Lottie, whoever is chasing you is coming to Rosehill. That makes it my concern.”
“That won’t happen. I left the ranch so they wouldn’t track me there. I made sure I was seen leaving Blue Belle, and I left an easy trail to follow when I headed west.”
“Then you backtracked to go south.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about Lottie. Who is she?”
“A friend I met when she joined the choir. She’s very nice, but she tends to overreact.”
“Is that so?”
“Honestly, no one wants to hurt me.”
His hand dropped down on top of hers. “You are going to tell me all about the trouble you’re in, but first tell me who is coming after you.”
She was too tired to keep on fencing with him, and he was as relentless as a devil after a soul.
“The preacher is coming after me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “The preacher?”
“His name is Ezekiel Jones. It isn’t his real name though. One day he decided he had a calling, and he changed his name to Ezekiel to make himself sound more important. He and three others visited the church I regularly attended. . . . I think I mentioned to you that your Mama Rose used to go to that church too. That’s where I met her,” she thought to add. “I never asked her, but I’m sure she liked Ezekiel. Everyone liked him. He was very charismatic and smooth talking.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. Adam let out a sigh, put his arm around her shoulders, and hauled her up against him.
“Why is the preacher chasing you?”
“I sang in his choir.”
He squeezed her to get her to continue. She really was an exasperating woman. Getting information out of her was a difficult undertaking, but fortunately he was a patient man. He reminded himself of that fact when the silence continued.
She outlasted him. “He wants to hurt you because you sang in his choir.”
“I really don’t think he wants to hurt me,” she insisted. “He just wants me back.”
“Why?”
“I’m his meal ticket. When I sing in his choir, the attendance goes up.”
“Ah, now I understand. The donations also go up, don’t they?”
She nodded. “People seem to like my voice.” She sounded embarrassed to admit such a thing.
“I can see why they would.”
She smiled. “You can?”
“Yeah, I can,” he said.
“Do you know what, Adam? You make me feel very safe.”
He laughed. Now that he knew what her problem was, his anger diminished. The trouble wasn’t serious after all. It was just a nuisance, and one he would quickly deal with.
“I make you feel safe? If you knew some of the thoughts I was having about you on my way here, you wouldn’t feel that way.”
She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or not. “What were you thinking?”
“Never mind. Have you told me everything?”
“Yes, of course I have.”
“You didn’t leave anything out?”
“Lord, you’re suspicious,” she said. “I’m not keeping any secrets from you. You know everything there is to know. Truly,” she added with a nod.
“If you were telling me the truth—”
“I was,” she interrupted.
“Then it’s a very simple problem to solve.”
“It is?”
The eagerness in her voice made him smile. “Yes, it is,” he assured her. “I can’t figure out why you didn’t tell me about Ezekiel when we were at Rosehill. It would have made things easier.”
“I explained why I didn’t confide in you. I didn’t want you to get involved. Ezekiel Jones isn’t a very nice man, Adam. He won’t take no for an answer.”
“Did you tell him no?”
She rolled her eyes heavenward. “I certainly did.”
“And?”
“He locked me in a room.”
“Is that so?” he asked in a voice that was soft and chilling.
The look that came into his eyes frightened her, and she realized once again what a dangerous adversary he could be. She was suddenly very happy that he was on her side.
“Yes,” she said. She rubbed her arms to ward off the chill and added, “I had to climb out a window to get away from him and his two henchmen. I tore my best skirt.”
“I really wish you had said something sooner. If you didn’t want to confide in me, you could have told Harrison about Ezekiel. He’s an attorney, and I’m sure he could have taken some sort of legal action to discourage the man.”
“Could he keep Ezekiel from following me or threatening me?”
“No, but I could,” he told her quietly.
“How?”
He wouldn’t explain. She worried about his intentions for several minutes and then shook her head. “I don’t want you to do anything. Ezekiel can’t possibly know where I am now, and when I get to Salt Lake and board the train to New York, I’ll be rid of him once and for all.”
“Genevieve, if I found you, why do you think the preacher won’t?”
“Because you’ve lived in the mountains most of your life and you know how to track, but Ezekiel has always lived in the city. He won’t find me, and he certainly won’t follow me to the East Coast just to get me back in his choir.”
“Salt Lake isn’t right around the corner. You’re going to have to go into Gramby, then over to Juniper Falls, turn south again and pass through Middleton, swing east through Crawford, and then it’s a straight shot down into Salt Lake. Unless you plan to ride hard, that’s a good four days away from here. Jones could catch up to you in any one of those towns.”
“If he were following me.”
“Would you worry if you knew he was only a day behind you?”
“Yes, I would. He can be a real nuisance. If he were tracking me, would you know it?”
Of course he’d know. After living in the territory for so many years, a man developed a sixth sense about such things. The skin on the back of his neck would begin to prickle, and an uneasiness would settle in his bones until he backtracked to make certain his instincts were right. Adam had done just that while he’d been following Genevieve, and that was how he had known that Ezekiel and two others were following her all right. Jones might not know how to track someone down, but one of his cohorts certainly knew what he was doing. If Genevieve stayed right where she was, the three of them would catch u
p with her by late tomorrow afternoon.
Adam considered telling her about Jones now, then decided to let her get a good night’s sleep first. She looked exhausted and needed rest. She could worry all she wanted tomorrow.
She waited for him to answer her question, but he changed the subject instead.
“You could take the coach from Gramby, and it will take you all the way to Salt Lake. Do you have enough money to buy a ticket? You mentioned you were low on funds,” he reminded her.
“I have just enough to buy the train ticket.”
“You should ride in the coach. I’ll give you what I have with me, but it isn’t much. The bank was closed when I left Blue Belle, and I didn’t want to wait.”
She yawned again, apologized, and then told him in no uncertain terms that she wouldn’t take a cent from him. “I’ve never borrowed anything from anyone, and I’m not going to start now. I’ll make do.”
Her head dropped down on his shoulder. He was trying to concentrate on the conversation, but she’d cuddled up against him, and her soft, warm body was proving to be one giant distraction. She smelled so good to him, and her skin was just as silky and smooth as he’d guessed it would be. He trailed his fingers down her arm and smiled when he felt her shiver.
She was as warm as a kitten and as stubborn as a mule.
“I’m very happy you came after me, and I’ll be sorry to see you leave when we get to Gramby. You will have to escort me that far,” she added with a nod.
“Is that right?”
“You’ll worry about me if you don’t go with me to Gramby. Think of it as an adventure, Adam.”
“You like adventures, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then you should be happy you aren’t getting married. You’d have to settle down.”
“With the right man, marriage would be the most wonderful adventure of all, and when I find him, I’m never going to let go.”