a head start, but he would never stop pursuing them.
They rode to the creek where they would be out of sight of the town’s people. Ryder followed them into the water, spray flying up from the racing hooves. He swiped the moisture from his eyes and prayed for his horse to get the speed of a bird. And for Miss Morton not to fall off the back of the horse.
The robbers, and now kidnappers, veered to the right where a rocky incline led from the creek.
Ryder’s heart stopped as Miss Morton fell to the ground. She landed hard. He jumped from his horse and rushed to help her to her feet. Quickly he removed the binding ropes.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” She rubbed her hands together. He wondered if she knew it indicated that they stung.
“Can you make your way back to town?”
“I’m not going back. Take me with you.”
“You’ll just slow me down.”
Something flickered through her eyes. Doubt. Suspicion. He couldn’t be sure, but when determination filled her gaze, he recognized it.
“You go back to town.” He swung into his saddle.
She rushed to his side and grabbed the saddle horn. “You aren’t going without me.”
“We’re wasting time.”
“We wouldn’t be if you’d help me.” She tried to pull herself up behind him.
Taking her seemed the fastest way to get going. He lifted her up.
She sat astride the horse, her arms around his waist. “Let’s get going.”
“That’s exactly what I have in mind.” The horse struggled up the incline and then Ryder kicked him into a gallop. The pair ahead ducked into the trees.
Ryder didn’t want to slow down but he didn’t want to ride into a trap either, so he pulled back on the reins.
“What are you doing?”
“We want to catch them on our terms.”
“Huh. I want to tear their eyes out.” Her hot breath warmed his shoulder. “Why did they take the children?”
“Didn’t you say someone had kidnapped them before?” He moved forward slowly every nerve alert.
“Their uncle. To sell them. But he’s thousands of miles away.”
His insides burned at the idea that the men might have taken the children for some other, horrible reason. He preferred to think they were more valuable alive than dead. “That doesn’t mean he can’t pay someone to do his dirty work.”
She pressed her head to his back and was silent. A fact which bothered him a whole lot more than her stubborn arguing would have.
“We’ll get them back.”
“I was supposed to protect them. That’s why we moved so far west. Will they never be safe?”
“Why wasn’t the man charged last time?” Perhaps if he kept her talking, she wouldn’t panic about the children.
She straightened. He could almost picture her shoulders going back, her face filling with determination. “He paid someone else to it, and they paid the price. He got off because no one could prove anything. Just like he couldn’t be charged with Sophie’s murder, because he had an alibi. No one can ever prove anything against him.”
A murderer and a kidnapper? The man was despicable. “We’ll get the children back. I promise.”
“How do I know I can trust you? Maybe you are part of this scheme.” Even though her words were soft, almost apologetic, they stung, like being attacked by a thousand bees.
“I know it’s hard for you to trust anyone, but if you want to get the children back, I think you need to accept my help.”
He didn’t have to see her to know she mulled over his words, and then she sighed.
“I’ll accept it.”
The rest she left unspoken. She’d accept his help but wouldn’t trust him. Fair enough. All that mattered was getting the children back safely.
They had reached the path in the trees and he stopped again to study the lay of the land.
Miss Morton leaned around so she could see what delayed him. “I don’t see anything but trees.”
“There’s a narrow animal trail. It’s where they went. They must know the country.” They’d likely been learning all about it in the days following Ezra’s robbery. “We don’t know what lies ahead so we’ll have to proceed with caution.”
“What if they get away?”
“We can’t help them if we’re injured.” He let that sink in a moment. “Or dead.” He met her eyes and saw the shock in them. “Sorry to be so brutal, but you need to understand the reason for caution.”
She held his gaze. “Why are you doing this? Taking a risk?”
“For the children.”
He eased onward.
She leaned back and held tightly as they rode into the canopy