Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
S ampson huddled beneath the furs, his breath forming clouds in the frigid air. Pain throbbed through every limb. He gritted his teeth against it. At least the snow had stopped falling. The crackling fire sent a fair amount of heat to this makeshift shelter where Two Stones had left him.
Worry gnawed at his belly, almost as intense as the pain in his ribs and left shoulder. Were Grace and little Ruby all right? Had Jedidiah returned to Missoula to have his lackeys do something awful to them?
He had to stop worrying or he’d drive himself mad. Two Stones would get them out. Surely. God had brought the man in time to save Sampson’s life, so surely He’d be there for Grace and Ruby as well.
Besides, Sampson had other concerns to focus on. This late in the afternoon, Jericho and Dinah might arrive soon, if they’d pushed hard.
He wasn’t altogether certain they’d do that, though. His family might have given up on him by now. Decided he wasn’t worth so much extra effort. He’d been gone for months, and the few times he’d seen one of them, he’d taken pains to tell them to steer clear of him. To leave him alone and go home.
Really, he’d just needed them to stay as far away from McPharland and Jedidiah as possible. The entire operation was dirty. He’d planned to find a weaknesses himself and stop them, but he couldn’t let anyone he loved get hurt. Gil had already paid the price. Thank the Lord he’d gotten away with only a beating.
McPharland had been furious at Gil’s escape, especially when his brother took the man’s daughter with him. He didn’t forgive and forget well. Sampson’d had to prove his loyalty to Jedidiah even more after that fiasco.
The crunch of hooves in the snow jolted him from the turmoil of those memories. He reached for the rifle on the fur beside him. He’d already propped himself up enough to see anyone who approached…and shoot if he needed to.
A voice drifted through the trees—a woman’s. He eased out a breath. Then Jericho’s strong baritone sounded, and Sampson’s chest tightened again. He laid the gun aside.
He would have to face them.
The riders appeared through the trees—Jericho, Dinah, and Heidi. She must be exhausted after riding all the way to the ranch and back, probably without a rest.
Jericho stepped into the circle of the camp first, then halted as he took in Sampson, lying in the shelter. Dinah pressed through just behind her husband, but she didn’t stop to study him. Just charged forward with a bag slung over her shoulder.
The widening of her eyes as she drew near told him just how bad he must look. “Sampson. What’s happened to you?” She dropped to her knees by his side.
He managed a weak smile. "Good to see you, too, Dinah." The words rasped out, his throat raw from the cold.
She frowned, her face etched with concern as she reached for the furs covering him. "Let me see."
He flinched, more from the gentleness in her voice than any pain. "It's not as bad as it looks."
She ignored his words, just pulled back the fur to see his upper body. “Where does it hurt? Heidi said something about your arm and ribs?”
Two Stones must have seen swelling in those areas. The man knew his way around an injury.
“Just my ribs and that left shoulder.” He glanced down at the spot but couldn’t see much with that left eye swollen nearly shut.
Jericho stepped closer, his expression tight. "Where's Two Stones?"
Sampson shifted as Dinah pressed on his shoulder. He had to fight to keep from jerking away from the pain. From crying out. Through a clenched jaw, he managed to speak. "I sent him to Missoula. Someone’s there who…might not be safe…without me around."
He had to focus on breathing to keep the pain from blinding him. Dinah had stopped touching the arm, but his ribs pounded with a fury now.
Dinah was probing them, but thankfully, she kept her touch lighter this time.
Jericho’s spoke again, but Sampson squeezed his eyes shut as he focused on each breath in and out. “Should I go after him to help?”
Sampson shook his head, though that might have been a poor choice, considering how it made his head throb. “No.” He managed to push the word out, and finally Dinah moved her poking down to his belly. There couldn’t be broken bones down there. Just bruises, from the feel of it.
Jericho held his tongue, but that didn’t mean the questioning was over. At least Sampson didn’t have to face both tortures at the same time.
After Dinah worked her way down his legs, she sat back on her heels. "These ribs are definitely broken. And your shoulder...it looks like there’s a break." Her gaze shifted to his face. “We'll wrap your abdomen and brace the arm against your body. After that, do you feel up to riding back to the ranch?”
No. Not for a few months at least. “Sure.” He didn’t have a choice, did he?
“It’ll be dark soon.” Jericho stepped in once more. “Might be best to get a good night sleep and start back in the morning.”
“I’ll give you something for the pain, then we can clean and bandage you.” Dinah turned to open the satchel at her side.
Pain medicine. That was the best news he’d had all day.
After Dinah had him swallow a liquid, Heidi brought a pot from the fire to place beside him. “This water should cool quickly.” When she glanced up at Sampson’s face, she winced.
He must really look rough.
Jericho crouched by his head, and Sampson tipped his chin up to see his eldest brother. With his swollen eyes, he couldn’t focus enough to gauge Jericho’s gaze—a small blessing.
“Who did this to you, little brother?” For once, Jericho’s voice wasn’t hard and commanding. It held a tenderness Sampson hadn’t heard in years.
“I…don’t know. I can’t remember.” That was a truth he could be thankful for just now.
“Do you have an idea? An inkling?” Jericho sounded patient, but he didn’t seem to buy the amnesia excuse.
Dinah lifted his shirt and began rubbing a wet cloth over his belly. Sampson sucked in a breath. Though the water was warm, the moment the icy air hit his damp skin, it felt like it turned into icicles.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “I’ll be quick.” She was rubbing at a particularly sore spot, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from pushing her away.
At least his shoulder didn’t hurt quite as bad. Maybe the medicine was working already.
“What’s the last thing you recall?” Jericho wouldn’t give up with the questions.
He let his eyes close again. “I was driving a wagon. Out of Missoula.” He strained for more. He could decide whether he’d tell his brother anything else if he remembered new details, but…nothing came.
He opened his eyes. “I can’t remember anything after that.”
Jericho squinted at him, definitely not liking the answer. “Do you have a sense whether the man who beat you was a stranger on the road or someone you knew?” He still didn’t sound angry. Maybe more worried than anything.
“I…don’t know.” That wasn’t quite the truth. He was pretty sure Jedidiah had something to do with this. And he’d not mentioned the fact that Jedidiah was riding with him.
Jericho blew out a breath. His voice gentled when he spoke to his wife. “Anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head, lowering Sampson’s shirt before she pulled the fur up over his belly. “I need to clean his face before we wrap him. It’ll be a few minutes.”
Sampson let his eyes drift shut. Sounded like he had plenty of fun coming. At least a bit of warmth had crept into his bones. And the hurt had begun to fade everywhere. Maybe once Dinah finished all her fussing, he could sleep.
Two Stones would be with Grace by now, and maybe they’d already left Missoula. She and Ruby were safe. Two Stones wouldn’t let anyone touch them.
He could finally manage a full breath, and he drew in another dose of clear air. He’d have to tell his family about his marriage. Maybe Two Stones would do that for him if he reached the ranch first.
Sampson should tell Jericho and Dinah before then.
Tomorrow morning. He didn’t have to give them all the details. They wouldn’t understand, but they couldn’t change anything.
And he didn’t regret for a second making Grace his wife. The farther he could get her from her father, the safer she and the baby would be.