“You can’t stop me.”
“Watch me.” He shot back.
The president of the school board balked at hearing one of his new teachers needed time away from the classroom. Eventually, he relented and found Mrs. Bailey, a retired teacher, to take over until Tori returned. Michael would handle Hunter and Ellie.
The last rays of sunlight had long since departed by the time Tori and Jesse finished their preparations. They’d spoken to the train master who had sold Rachel a ticket to Arkansas City. Jesse won another argument when he’d convinced her to set out first thing in the morning.
“I’m not about to go stumbling around in the dark. It’s too dangerous.”
Tori wrung her hands. “But we’re losing time. She’s probably already in Arkansas City. She could be hurt, or bothered by strange men.” Thoughts of her pretty niece wandering around Arkansas City by herself caused her to break into a cold sweat.
Jesse ran his hand over her upper arm. “Honey, leaving in the dark, with a chance of one of the horses stepping into a rabbit hole isn’t worth the risk. She’s a resourceful girl. You said she took money from your cookie jar. Most likely she’s right now resting on a comfortable bed in a hotel with a full belly.”
“Don’t call me honey.”
The next morning, Tori dressed hurriedly and gulped a cup of coffee, her stomach rebelling at the idea of food.
“Michael, be sure Ellie and Hunter get their homework done. Oh, and Ellie has my permission to go to a birthday party Saturday.” She shook her head. “Never mind, we’ll be home by then. Or maybe not. I’m not sure.” She stood, wringing her hands, as she tried to give last minute instructions to her nephew.
Michael put his hands on her shoulders. “We’ll be fine. You concentrate on getting my brat of a sister back. If you don’t tan her hide, I will.” His smile belied the concern in his eyes.
She finished with Michael and paced in a circle while Jesse checked the horses they were taking to Kansas. Then she helped him load bedrolls and the food she’d prepared. A shiver ran down her spine when he checked and loaded his rifle.
“Come on, we have to go!” Tori raced up to Jesse, tying the strings of her bonnet. Jesse must have noted her flushed face and rapid breathing, because he smiled and said, “Okay, take a deep breath. Everything’s gonna be all right.”
She turned to the children and gave each one a final hug. “I’ll be back in no time, you’ll see. And we’ll have Rachel with us.”
She caressed Ellie’s pale and drawn face. “I’m scared, Tori. I shouldn’t have waited until supper to give you the note.”
The poor girl had had so much disruption and fear in her short life. Tori gave her an extra hug and bent to her level. “You did nothing wrong. And I know you’re scared, but you must be brave. Michael will take good care of you, like he did in Kansas before you came here. And in a couple days, we’ll all be together again.”
Michael put his arm around Ellie, and hugged her close. These children meant so much to her. With Rachel missing from the group, her stomach knotted again.
Please God, let us find her safe and sound.
She mounted the horse, not waiting for Jesse to get on his horse, and headed toward the main street out of town. Over her shoulder, she saw Jesse wave at the children and take off after her.
Jesse rode his horse up to join Tori. This stunt of Rachel’s proved to him without a doubt the girl’s relation to Tori. Neither one of them knew anything about the hazards facing a woman traveling alone. Unsuccessful attempts to suppress images of what sort of trouble Rachel may be in clenched his gut.
He found humor at Tori’s suggestion she dress as a man again. Her idea of a compromise. Hah! He nixed that idea. The image of her lying in her bedroll, massaging her breasts at night, while he groaned five feet away, scared the hell out of him.
They were well outside of Guthrie and deep into land that had been sporadically settled. Small houses with new farms dotted the landscape. Neat rows of buds peeked out of the red earth. They raced along, immersed in the scent of air freshened by recent rains. The deep blue of the cloudless broad sky met the recently awakened trees and grass as their horses pounded along the flat land.
Although breathtakingly beautiful, the churning in her stomach kept Tori from enjoying the early summer blossoms and the soothing warmth of the sun. Late morning, they stopped near a creek to give the horses a rest while they ate a small meal.
“You go ahead and eat, Jesse,” she said, “I’m not hungry.”
“You may not be hungry, but you have to keep up your strength. Here, try this cookie. It’s from The Café. I hear they buy their cookies from the best baker in town.” He winked.
She attempted a smile at his teasing, but fell short. Reaching for the cookie anyway, she nibbled at the edge. Had Rachel had anything to eat since she left? Tori did her best to swallow the crumbs, but her dry mouth needed large gulps of water to get it down.
Tears slid down her face. Jesse eased her into his arms. “Don’t worry, honey, we’ll find her. I promise.”
She responded automatically, her voice shaky. “Don’t call me honey.” Her shoulders slumped. “I’m such a failure. I was so intent on getting us here, I paid no attention to Rachel’s concerns. Then when school started it kept me so busy, and with the baking for the restaurant...”
He leaned back to cup her face in his hands. “We’ve been over this. You did what you had to do to put food on the table. Give yourself some credit.” He used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears.
She laid her head against his chest, comforted by his scent. A mixture of soap and male sweat drifted toward her. His chest was so warm and strong, she wanted to stay there forever. She closed her eyes. Everything would be all right with Jesse here. He rubbed circles on her back as she leaned into him. Oftentimes she’d rub Ellie’s back to relax her when she couldn’t sleep.