The Tracker (9 page)

Ellie unlatched the gate and opened it. Nick emerged with two horses. His black mare, Aurora, pranced and bobbed her head, but she stayed steady as Nick guided the animal past Ellie and into the corral. He turned the mare and a gelding named Timmy loose and hurried back outside the fence. She closed the gate.

Thunder boomed over their heads. “I’ll bring the others,” Nick shouted. More lightning sliced the sky.

Nick emerged with more horses. Ellie took the reins of the first, a gelding called Brown Spots, as Nick turned the other, Joey, loose in the corral. Brown Spots pulled at his reins, nearly knocking Ellie over.

“Settle down,” Nick shouted to Brown Spots. The animal quieted immediately.

“Yeah, he’s good at ordering folks around,” Ellie said to the horse.

The raindrops pinged faster against the earth. Soon, the rain was coming down in sheets and the dry earth quickly became mud. The water beaded on Nick’s coat, but mud quickly coated Ellie’s boots and the hem of her dress.

Nick let Brown Spots loose. Ellie, knowing they had little time, headed to the barn to get the remain
ing horse—Onyx, who was skittish on the best of days. Onyx left his stall with no trouble, but when they got outside in the wind and rain, he pawed at the dirt. Of all the horses, she liked him the least. And he felt the same about her.

Ellie tugged at the noose around Onyx’s neck. “Do us both a favor and follow me to the corral without giving me trouble.”

Rain had her eyes narrowing as she guided the horse to the corral. Ellie had nearly reached the gate when thunder clapped.

The horse reared, desperate to get free. Ellie would have let the animal go, uncaring if she ever saw it again, but Annie had taken a liking to Onyx.

The muscles in her arms tightened as she struggled to hold on to the rope. Her grip slipped. Her foot caught on the hem of Nick’s coat and she lost her footing. She went down to her knees. Fearing the horse would crush her skull with his hooves, she struggled to stand.

Nick pushed her hand aside and, with a jerk of the rope, commanded the horse to stand still. It did. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

He led the horse inside the corral. She slipped a second time before she managed to stand and head toward the porch at the same time as Nick.

The fabric of Nick’s shirt clung to his body, exaggerating his broad shoulders and large arms. He took her breath away.

The rain had not enhanced her appearance, however. She was drenched and coated in mud.

“You have a tub?” he asked.

She tried to brush the mud from her skirt but only managed to smear it more. “There’s one out back hanging on the wall,” she said absently.

“I’ll fetch it. You’re a mess.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m not afraid of a little dirt.”

“You’ll catch your death if you don’t get warm and put on dry clothes.” As if to demonstrate, he unbuttoned his shirt, shrugged out of it and hung it on a chair.

“I’ll be fine.” She didn’t want to change into the dress Annie had given her. It was far too fine for everyday chores.

“Damn, woman, but you are stubborn.” Without waiting for her, he retrieved the tub and set it in the kitchen by the stove. He returned with a large pot from the stove and then set it out in the rain. It quickly filled and he brought it back inside.

Panic flickered in Ellie. “I’m not stripping down and bathing with you in the house.”

“I’ll stay outside and give you all the privacy you need. I give you my word.”

“Your word. What good is that to me?”

He lifted the pot full of rainwater and set it on the stove. “Now is as good a time as any for you to learn that you can trust me.”

Gooseflesh puckered Ellie’s chilled skin as her gaze dipped to his bare chest. The thought that he’d be even within shouting distance of her while she undressed seemed too much to consider. “No.”

He leaned forward a fraction. “Suit yourself, but when you get sick, and you will, then I’m going to have to strip you down myself, wash you off and put you into bed.”

Her heart pounded against her ribs.

“And,” he added, “I will have to take care of Rose. I’ll feed her and keep her changed, but I don’t know anything about really mothering a child.”

Her indignation softened a fraction. “A little mud and water aren’t going to make me sick.” She tried to speak with confidence, but he’d hit a nerve.

Nick found a towel and dried his black hair. He went to his saddlebag, pulled out a clean shirt and within minutes looked as if he’d never tussled with a couple of horses in the rain.

She probably looked like a rat that had been dragged out of a flooded mine shaft.

Ellie sighed. She was being foolish. If she did catch a chill and got sick, Rose wouldn’t have anybody. “Fine.”

Nick shrugged. “You’re not doing me any favors.”

She sat on the crate by the front door, unlaced her boots and set them side-by-side next to the door. She peeled off her wet stockings. Her skin puckered with the damp cold.

The idea of a hot bath tempted her so.

“Do you have anything else to wear?” he said. He set another pot out in the rain to collect more water.

“Annie gave me a dress.” She’d never put on the store-bought garment. There’d been enough times she’d touched the fabric and dreamed of wearing the dress, but the occasion had never seemed special enough.

She went inside to the trunk at the base of her bed and opened it. She pulled out the simple blue calico. The material felt soft and the fabric smelled clean and fresh instead of like bacon grease and biscuits.

Nick set the second pot of rainwater on the stove. It would take a half hour before the two pots were fully heated—time enough to brush the tangles from her hair.

From the chest, she dug out the ivory comb Annie had given her and then sat by the stove, soaking up the warmth into her chilled skin. She started with the ends of her hair, knowing it would take her a good half hour to work her way up through the tangles.
Lord, if she’d only been blessed with straight hair, her life would have been a dozen times easier.

Nick sat with his book and opened it. He turned a page and her gaze was drawn to his long fingers. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing the dark hair of his forearms.

A strange warmth spread from her belly through her limbs. Just looking at this man put her senses on alert.

This was bad. Very bad.

F
RANK HUDDLED
under a horse blanket as the rain pelted him. They way he figured it, he was about five days from the town of Thunder Canyon. There he’d get some real grub and find out if anyone had seen Ellie. The good thing about that red hair of hers was that folks rarely forgot it. He sure hadn’t.

Water dripped from his nose and he shifted, burrowing deeper under the blanket. He’d been on the move since the night he’d shot Monty and he was getting damn tired of the hard living and the loneliness.

And the truth was, he missed Monty. Since they was kids, they’d been two peas in a pod. There’d been many nights that he sorely regretted killing him. If he hadn’t been so mad, he might not have shot him. But when he’d found out that Jade and Monty had run off with the gold, he’d gone a little crazy.

Now his temper had cooled. And he knew deep down Monty wasn’t bad. He was just a fool. Nothing had been right since Monty had met Jade. Jade had figured out what he’d liked and from then on had led him around by his Johnson. “Poor, dumb clod,” Frank muttered. He hugged his blanket tighter.

Fact was, it was his fault Monty had met Jade. He’d been the one who had insisted they stop by the Silver Slipper when they were in Butte. Frank had a fondness for the redhead who’d worked in the kitchens. He’d never had the nerve to talk to her, but he liked being close to her. Her lily-white arms and the freckles on her nose warmed his heart. He liked it especially when she cooked those apple pies in the fall. He could close his eyes and imagine just for a moment that he was home in Missouri. In those days, his mama and pop were still well, and life was simple and clean.

Monty had met Jade at the Silver Slipper. And from the moment she’d got her hooks into him, it had been all downhill.

And now he was alone.

A cold chill shuddered down Frank’s spine.

He closed his eyes and pictured Ellie. She had eyes as green as moss, though you had to look close to see them. She always kept her head down. Though she didn’t talk much, he’d heard her speak to Adeline. Her voice had been as clear as church bells.

The night he’d shot Monty, there’d been terror in her eyes and he knew he’d been the one to put the fear in her. That, he regretted. She had a good, clean heart and he hated exposing her to such evil.

But he intended to make it all right between them. Ellie deserved better than the Silver Slipper and he aimed to see she got the better things in life.

Once he found Ellie, everything would be all right. He knew deep in his bones that his Ellie was the key to the gold. She’d been holding Monty’s baby—his own flesh and blood—and she’d been the last to see Jade.

Frank didn’t blame her for running. She’d been scared.

But once he found her, he’d explain everything. And once he had his gold, he’d have the means to ask for her hand in marriage. Together, they could raise Monty’s baby.

He’d have his family back.

E
LLIE SAT
on the kitchen chair, her eyes closed, still combing tangles from her wavy hair. Every nerve in her body tingled at the thought of bathing with Nick so near.

She dreamed of him working the suds into her hair and over her skin. She thought about the feel of his lips against hers. The touch of his fingertips against her skin.

Her eyes snapped open. She was acting like a fool.

How many times had she vowed never, ever, to fall for a man like Nick Baron? A million? Two million?

Nick Baron’s breed of man lived by his own rules. He was driven by private demons and he did what suited him best. If she let him into her heart, he’d use her and toss her aside.

Annie’s man Mike was a rare breed: a good fellow. He showed his love for Annie in a million dif
ferent ways—a touch, a look, a smile. He brought her candy from town. His gaze lingered on her when she wasn’t looking.

Nick Baron had offered Ellie money for an hour in bed. And she’d be wise to remember that the next time she started dreaming about him touching her.

“Water’s ready,” he said.

His raspy voice startled Ellie. She glanced into the kitchen and realized Nick had lifted one of the steaming pots from the stove and had started to pour its contents into the tub. The muscles in his forearms were taut.

Her pulse thrummed at her wrists as she thought about those arms around her. She swallowed, shocked by her own weakness.

She stood quickly. “I can take care of the bath from here.”

His eyes gleamed. “I’ll finish it up. Just let me mix in some cold rainwater and then you’ll be set.”

Her mouth went dry. “Thanks.”

When he’d poured the water into the tub and mixed it with his hands, he looked up at her. “Need any help getting undressed?”

The image of his hands soaping her naked back returned. “No!”

The edge of his mouth rose as if he were pictur
ing the same scene. “Just offering.” He moved toward the door. “If you change your mind, I’ll be outside.”

“I won’t change my mind.”

He chuckled.

T
HE RAIN CONTINUED
to come down heavy and hard, trapping Nick outside on the porch. And as he listened to Ellie’s wet dress hit the floor, he knew the true meaning of hell. He’d said he’d stay out on the porch and give her privacy, and he’d keep his word. Even if it killed him.

But no promise could stop his mind from wandering in erotic directions.

He leaned back and closed his eyes. Ellie’s skin would be pale as porcelain and he imagined the freckles on the bridge of her nose spread all over her body. A man could spend a good deal of time counting and kissing each and every one of those freckles.

Her rosy-tipped breasts would skim the surface of the water as she lathered soap over her lean arms. Her waist would be trim and her hips and bottom gently rounded. He remembered with excruciating clarity what it had felt like to drape his hand over that waist.

Her prim-and-proper attitude didn’t fit his image
of a sporting girl. She may have had sex, but he wondered if Ellie had ever known pleasure in a man’s arms. If she’d ever moaned when her breasts were kissed or her body stroked.

Nick’s body hardened and he stood. He strode toward the edge of the porch and stared out over the distant mountains. He’d gotten himself into one hell of a mess.

Through the open front door, he heard the baby coo and giggle. Curious, he moved into the house a few steps. He stopped when he glimpsed Ellie’s naked back. She’d gotten the baby from her cradle and brought her into the bath with her. Drawn by the scene, he moved to the right to get a better look. Ellie cradled the child’s wobbly head as she dipped her little body in the water. The baby grinned and kicked.

The sight took his breath away. And for a moment his chest ached. He thought of Crystal and the baby she’d borne. How old would the child be now? Nine? Ten?

When he and Crystal had married, they’d wanted a baby so much. They’d lain awake at night dreaming of their children, naming them and imagining what they’d do with their lives.

Nick shoved his hands into his pockets and turned. Lightning cracked across the sky. He cursed
the rain that kept him bound so close to Ellie. The woman stirred things in him he’d long thought dead and buried with Crystal. And he didn’t like it one bit.

He thought about his book sitting by the hearth. He’d have liked to have it now so that he could lose himself in the pages. But that would mean going back into the cabin, and he’d promised not to.

Nick closed his eyes and pulled in a deep breath. “Come on, Frank. Hurry up so we can get this over with.”

Watching the pelting rain turn the dry dust to mud, he lost track of time.

“I’m finished,” Ellie said from inside the house.

Nick turned and went into the house, annoyed he was so anxious to see her.

She laid the baby in the cradle by the hearth. As she straightened, he could see she’d put on a blue calico that, unlike the sack she’d worn before, hugged her breasts and very narrow waist. The blue dress was an inch or two shorter, too, leaving her trim ankles and bare feet exposed.

Stunned into silence, Nick’s gaze slid up and down her body and settled on her face. She’d brushed her wet hair back and tied it with a strip of rawhide. Already it was beginning to curl. With her hair smoothed back, her high cheekbones, full lips and green eyes jumped out at him. The effect was dev
astating. No longer did she look like a scruffy girl, but a woman who could hold her own.

“Must feel good to get the grit off your skin.” His voice sounded very rough.

Her skin glowed, as if she were embarrassed by his staring. “Yes.”

“Annie gave you the dress?” He wished now she’d stayed in the old one. Its shapeless form hid her figure well. Before, putting her out of his mind had been tough; now, it would be nearly impossible.

“She bought it in town to wear to her brother’s wedding but hasn’t worn it since.”

“Suits you well.”

He would like to strip the dress off her right now. He didn’t want to imagine the shapely body underneath, he wanted to see it.

His appraisal clearly put her on edge. Her back was as straight as a board and he could see she wasn’t comfortable. If he acted on the primitive emotions pumping in his veins now, he imagined she’d jump right out of her skin.

And he didn’t want her tense and worried when he touched her.

When he touched her.

Nick realized he would be touching her very soon. When this mess with Frank was over, he’d take her to his bed and he’d spend several days touching her.
Hell, who was he kidding? He could spend a lifetime with her and never get tired of it.

“You’re staring,” Ellie said. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.” He turned on his heel and walked back outside into the rain.

E
LLIE WATCHED
Nick step off the porch into the cold rain. He tipped his head briefly toward the heavens, as if savoring the cold.

“What are you doing?” she shouted.

“I’m going to check on the horses,” he said, straightening.

“But we just put them out.”

“This kind of storm could spook ’em,” he called back. “I better go check.”

He strode toward the corral.

Ellie wasn’t sure what had just happened but she got the sense that she’d said or done something to make Nick mad. “Honestly, a woman could drive herself crazy trying to figure out a man like that,” she muttered.

She glanced down at the baby, who lay in the cradle, bundled in a blanket. “Rose, men are a lot of work and I am not so sure they are worth the trouble.”

The baby gurgled.

Ellie moved to the calendar pinned to the wall by the stove. Taking the pencil that hung on a string by it, she marked off the days since Annie had left. Seven. Lord, had it only been seven days? And still she had two, maybe three weeks before Annie returned. She wasn’t sure if she would make it. The days were long enough as it was. And now, lying handcuffed to Nick would make the nights even longer.

Chores. She had enough chores to choke a horse and she had little time to be worrying over Nick Baron.

Ellie set to work and kept herself busy in the cabin for the next hour until the rain stopped. Anxious to get outside, she decided to collect the eggs from the henhouse. She’d missed yesterday and knew the nests would be full. She rigged a sling to hold the baby across her chest and, with an egg basket in hand, headed out the front door toward the chicken coop.

The afternoon sun peeked out through the thinning clouds. Storms could be violent out here, but they always seemed to go so quickly.

The wind flapped her skirts as she made her way through the mud. She glanced toward the barn, grateful that Nick wasn’t underfoot. Thinking could be hard with him close and his sharp eyes seeming to read her mind.

She moved into the small, dark chicken coop, pausing until her eyes adjusted to the light. The dozen chickens clucked, each in a cubby built into the wall.

A brown hen pecked her hand and she reached for an egg. “Don’t you flap your wings at me, old girl. I’m just here to collect a few eggs.”

Ellie moved down the row, amazed at how efficient she’d become at the new tasks. In the city, there’d been no horses to tend or chicken coops to manage. Butte had just about anything she needed. When she’d arrived at the coach stop, she’d not known how to do much more than cook.

The dim room suddenly went almost pitch-black. She whirled around and in the doorway stood Nick. His broad shoulders all but blocking out the bright sun.

“Didn’t you hear me calling?” he asked.

She shrugged. “No. With the wind howling outside the coop, I usually don’t hear much. That’s why I always take the baby with me.”

“When you’re finished, come back inside. We need to talk.”

“About what?”

“When you’re done, come inside.”

Before she could question him further, he was gone.

By the time Ellie collected the eggs and returned to the cabin, her mind had rattled off a hundred dif
ferent topics he might want to discuss. Was his wound bothering him? Had he changed his mind about keeping her here?

Ellie set her basketful of eggs on the table.

Nick stood next to the sink, a cup of water gripped in his hand. His expression was so dark and intense, her stomach tumbled.

She pulled the baby out of the sling and laid her in her cradle. “What’s the matter with you?”

He shoved out a breath. “I thought you’d left.”

She rolled her eyes. “How far do you think I’d have made it without a horse? You were in the barn with them.”

He sighed, the logic of her words seemingly taking the wind out of his sails. “You could have walked.”

“You’re grasping now, mister. I wouldn’t make it five miles with a baby in tow and no horse.”

He gulped down the water and set the tin mug down. He seemed to struggle with his words. “Look, I know you don’t want to be a part of this, but like it or not, you are.”

“That I understand.”

“The reward for Frank is one thousand dollars.”

Her jaw dropped before she snapped it closed. That was more money than she’d see in a lifetime. “A fortune by any standards.”

Her tone sparked annoyance in his eyes. “I’m not
chasing him for the money. I’ve got more than enough money saved up.”

“What are you getting at?”

“If you’ll agree to stay willingly, I’ll give you the reward.”

“You’ll give me
one thousand dollars
if I don’t run?” She laughed. “And I’ve a gold mine in Butte I can sell you for ten dollars.”

He didn’t look amused. “I could continue to handcuff us together at night to make sure you don’t run, but I don’t think either one of us wants that.”

The memory of his hard body spooned against her buttocks last night had her blushing. She’d never been tempted to give herself to a man until last night. Spending another night beside him would not be wise. “No one gives away a thousand dollars.”

“Some might, especially if they were worth a hundred times that.”

She blinked. “You don’t look like you have two nickels to rub together.”

“I’m worth a lot of nickels.”

She shook her head, trying to absorb the information. “Why do you want Frank so bad?”

He straightened his shoulders. “A friend of mine, Sheriff Bobby Pool, was one of the men guarding the gold when Frank and Monty hit the train. Frank killed him.”

“How do I know all this is true? You could be working with Frank.”

“I’m not. I want to see him behind bars.”

His gaze was direct, unwavering and for some reason she believed him. “How do I know you are good for the money?”

“I’m good for it.”

“How do I
know
that?”

White teeth flashed. “You’re about the most untrusting female I’ve ever met.”

“Miss Adeline’s number one rule—never do anything for any man until you get paid first.”

He worked his jaw. “The closest town is Thunder Canyon. After I capture Frank, I’ll wire the marshal in Butte and have your money sent.”

“You could run out on me and not pay.”

“I’ve given you my word,” he said slowly, as if speaking to a child. “And at night you won’t be handcuffed to me, so I’m going to have to trust that you won’t run.”

True. This was an act of faith on his part, as well. The idea of getting one thousand whole dollars boggled her mind. “Why are you making me this offer? You don’t have to.”

“Like I said, you would be helping me and I don’t need the money. You and Rose could use it.”

“I want to keep Rose safe.”

“I will let nothing happen to her, I swear it.”

She believed he would protect Rose with his life. And still, she didn’t want to believe his offer was true. “You don’t really know us. Why give us so much money?”

“You saved my life.”

Not good enough. “I
shot
you.”

“And you could have butchered the hell out of me while you were digging those pellets out, but you didn’t.” He sighed. “I want to see that you and Rose are taken care of.”

Silent, she stared at him, as if somehow she’d be able to peek inside his brain and see what he was thinking.