Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch #7)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

T he horses had to drop down to a trot when they entered the woods.

The darkness pressed in around them as they shifted to single file, winding around branches and boulders almost covered by snow. Despite the shelter of the trees, icy wind still whipped against him. Please, God. Let her be all right.

Every few minutes, one of Clara’s cries rose over the crunch of their horses’ hooves in the snow—and the pounding of his heart. Her voice had grown raspy as if she'd been calling for hours.

Maybe she had been.

He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Clara! We're coming!"

Lord, please. Keep her safe until we can get to her.

He didn’t stop to wait for her reply, but after a beat, her distant voice rasped, “Miles?”

The desperation in her voice spurred him on, and he urged his horse faster despite the treacherous terrain. His brothers kept pace behind him. The cries had to be coming from the survey camp. What could have happened there? A bear?

He gripped his rifle tighter as worst case scenarios flashed through his mind. Images of her injured and bloody. Unable to move.

The survey camp came into view across the creek. He called out again. "Clara! Are you hurt? Keep talking so we can find you."

Her reply was weak but close. "We're here! Uncle Hiram is hurt. Please, hurry!"

At last, they broke through the trees into the clearing where the survey camp had been set up. He pulled his horse to a halt, his brothers coming up short behind him.

"Clara!" The place looked empty in the darkness. Deserted.

“Here.” Her voice drew him to the trees. A figure huddled at the base of one of the trunks.

He sprinted to her, rifle in hand. He should have grabbed the lantern from his saddle.

Why wasn’t she moving?

He dropped to his knees beside her, but his mind scrambled to make sense of the metal wrapped around her. Chains? “What happened?”

He had to get her untied. But where was the end?

Jericho appeared at his side, lantern in hand.

Finally, Miles could see better. He followed the chains until he found an end tucked under one of the loops. He and his brother worked quickly to unwind the metal from around her. “Who did this to you? Where are the others?”

“Holloway.” Her raspy voice trembled. "They tied us up and left us."

Fury surged through him. “Why would he do that?”

The last of the chain fell away, revealing rope also binding her to the tree. The man had taken pains to keep her locked tight.

To keep her here, vulnerable. Where she would’ve frozen to death by morning.

He couldn’t think about that. Not yet.

Jericho sliced through the cord with his hunting knife, allowing Miles to focus on Clara.

The terror in her face twisted his insides. “Why did he do this?” He reached to cup one of her dirt smeared cheeks.

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” Worry lined her eyes. “My uncle. He’s tied too, and he’s hurt.”

“Jude is freeing him.” Jericho said as he released the last cord holding Clara to the tree.

She slumped forward, and Miles gripped her upper arms.

“Let me cut the rope at her wrists.” Jericho’s voice halted Miles from pulling her close, but he was ready.

As soon as her arms fell free, Miles pulled her against him, holding her tight. Her shivers vibrated through him, and he rubbed a hand up and down her back, trying to warm her. "You're safe now." He murmured the words into her hair. "I've got you."

She shuddered, and he pulled her closer, shifting from his knees to sit so he could bring her onto his lap. Her shaking hadn’t lessened, and she clung to his jacket, as though she thought he might leave.

She needed a warm fire.

He needed to get her home.

Jericho stood. “I’ll get blankets.”

Miles wrapped as much of himself around her as he could, rocking to soothe her. God, what happened here?

So much turmoil churned inside him. Anger, fear. He couldn’t sort through it all. The only thing he could do was hold Clara. Having her in his arms, being here with her, eased a bit of his panic. But he couldn’t rest until he knew what happened. Knew she was truly all right.

She sniffed, her icy brow pushing against his neck. "I was so afraid," she whispered, her voice muffled. "I didn't know if anyone would find us."

"I'm so sorry I let you leave.” He pressed a kiss to her hair, breathing in her sweet scent. “I should have asked you to stay. I wanted you to stay.”

Jericho returned with blankets and draped them around Clara's shaking form. Miles tucked them closer, cocooning her against his chest.

“We’re getting Hiram warm too.” Jericho crouched in front of Clara. “Are you hurt?”

“No. Is my uncle?” Her voice was so small, and she felt impossibly fragile in his arms.

Jericho lifted his gaze toward where Jude must be helping the older man. “Looks like just a scrape on his face. I can’t tell if the cold’s caused damage or not.” He refocused on Clara. “We need to get you both back to the house. Think you can ride?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Jericho stood. “I’ll bring Miles’s horse over.”

Within a few minutes, they had all loaded on the animals. Miles kept Clara seated in his lap, sideways in the saddle. They’d bundled a blanket around her head and shoulders, and another around her legs.

Father, don’t let her or her uncle be permanently injured.

They kept a steady pace up the slope, the horses as eager as the rest of them to get home.

At last, they entered the clearing where the welcoming glow of lantern light spilled out from the cabin’s windows. The others must have seen them coming, for his family spilled from the front door to meet them.

Dinah took charge immediately. "Bring them inside. Quickly."

Jonah reached up to take Clara from Miles. Part of him hated to let her go, but he forced himself to ease her into his brother’s arms. Then he slid to the ground behind them.

“I’ll take the horses.” Eric reached for Miles’s reins.

Miles trudged behind Jonah, and the others filed in with them. Without Clara’s warmth, the icy wind whipped through his coat and trousers.

How cold must she have been, on the ground, exposed to this?

The warmth of the cabin wrapped around him as he stepped inside, chasing away the cold that had seeped into his bones. It didn’t lessen the cold fury surging through him toward the men who’d nearly killed Clara and her uncle.

Dinah directed Jonah to settle Clara on the armchair near the hearth, where a fire crackled.

Gil followed close behind, half-carrying an exhausted Hiram.

Miles sank onto the edge of the two-seat rocker adjacent to where Clara sat, leaving enough room for Dinah to work as she knelt before her.

“Are you hurt?” Dinah reached for the end of the blanket wrapped around Clara’s arms.

She shook her head. “Just c-cold.”

Dinah scanned Clara’s upper body, then pulled the blanket tight again and shifted her focus to the lower covering. “I need to look at your feet.”

As she pulled the blanket up to reveal Clara’s boots, she called over her shoulder. “Na, I need that warm water.”

Naomi appeared a second later with a pan of liquid.

Angela approached from the other side with a steaming mug. “Can you sip this? It’ll warm your insides.”

Clara didn’t try to free her hands to take the cup, just parted her lips so Angela could lift the drink to her mouth.

With the women taking over Clara’s care, Miles’s hands itched to do something. He spoke quietly to Dinah. “How can I help?”

She shook her head as she eased Clara’s bare feet into the pot of water. “Just stay close.”

Clara gasped as her toes hit the liquid, and her mouth formed a thin line. Her eyes turned red as tears pooled in them.

He could stand it no longer. He reached out and brushed the loose hair back from her brow. “I’m so sorry.” If only he could take this pain from her. He knew well how agonizing it could be to warm frozen limbs.

She turned those hurting eyes on him, drawing him closer. He moved his other hand to the blanket covering her, resting it on her arm.

Clara glanced at the seat beside him. “Can I move there?”

His chest squeezed and he looked to Dinah as he stood. She was already shifting the pot of water, so he scooped Clara from her chair.

Within seconds, he had her settled beside him. He wrapped both arms around her as she leaned into him, her head on his chest.

Air leaked out of her in a long audible exhale, and he tucked her closer, pressing a kiss to the blanket still covering her head. “You’ll feel better soon.”

Dinah sank back on her heels to study Clara, then her uncle, whom Naomi and Angela were assisting. Jericho and Jude sat on either side of the man, listening to his quiet murmurings. The rest of their group had gathered around.

Miles, Clara, and Dinah were probably the only people in the room who couldn’t hear his words. Yet as much as he’d like to know exactly what happened—and why—he wouldn’t pass up this chance to hold the woman who’d seeped into his heart so quickly, even before he realized it.

Jericho rose from his seat beside Hiram and came to kneel next to his wife, in front of Clara. He rested a hand on Dinah’s shoulders. “Hiram seems fine, but exhausted. They’re going to help him to bed. How’s our patient here?”

Dinah gave him one of those gentle smiles she reserved for her husband. Once upon a time, Miles would have called the look sappy. But he had a better idea of the feelings behind it now. The intimacy of knowing this person knew and understood you so fully.

Miles stroked his thumb up and down Clara’s arm, a gentle reminder to them both that he was here and wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.

Dinah answered Jericho’s question with, “She’s better.”

Jericho turned to Clara. “Your uncle said Holloway, Tillman, and Whitaker tied the two of you up before they all rode out. He said he doesn’t know why, but that Holloway was having you do something with paperwork.” His voice gentled more. “Do you feel up to telling what happened? We’ll ride after them and see they’re held accountable, but I’d like to know exactly what we’re getting into.”

Clara drew a shaky breath, her body tensing against him.

Miles tightened his hold, letting her know without words that she was safe now. That he wouldn't let anything else happen to her.

She glanced up at him, and he pushed the blanket back a little so he could see her face. Her eyes had turned glassy again, and a tear leaked down her cheek.

“Shh.” He brushed it away with his thumb. “You’re safe now.” Maybe she did need words.

She shook her head, even more moisture welling in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

Sorry? For what?

Something in her tone planted a rock in his gut.

She sniffed and returned her focus to Jericho.

Miles couldn’t see her expression anymore, but he kept his thumb stroking her arm. Whatever she had to say, they’d face it together.

“Several days ago, Holloway asked me to…find something. He wanted me to look for the deed to your property. Here, in your house." Her voice trembled as she spoke. Actually, her entire body trembled.

He was focused so much on comforting her that it took a beat for her words to sink in.

The deed to…their house? To the ranch?

Why would Holloway want it? Had he discovered the sapphires?

He must have.

Had Clara done what he asked?

Of course not.

The man had tied her and her uncle and left them to freeze to death.

The vice clamping his chest eased enough for him to focus on what she was saying.

“He threatened my uncle. And the rest of you. Said if I didn’t find the paper, he’d start causing accidents . That people would get hurt.” Her gaze flicked to little Anna on the far side of the room, and he realized…

And then she tipped her chin up to Miles. “He named you especially.”