A Heart's Blessing - Linda Ford Page 0,43

hand to Delcie.

Her heart in her mouth, she followed. Solid ground met her feet. And now she could see a narrow trail, invisible until she was on it, leading downward. Solid grass-covered wall on one side, a drop-off on the other. “Come, horse.” The animal balked, but the man slapped its rump and the horse took a faltering step.

Inch by inch, they crept down the slope, the horse whinnying in fear.

Delcie hoped the horse wouldn’t bolt, pulling them both to their deaths.

Several times in the descent, Ryder reached back to steady her over a difficult spot. She clung to his hand for more than assistance. He was the only thing that seemed solid, that stood between her and despair. She still harbored doubts about him. But it didn’t seem he would risk his life this way if he was in cahoots with the kidnappers. His admission that he’d had a little girl had shifted her perception of him.

By the time they reached the bottom and solid ground, she was shaking. Partly from release from the tension she felt descending the hill and partly from fear about what had happened to the children. Her ankle hurt but she ignored the pain.

She turned to their captor. But her fury must have shown on her face. He stepped aside and lifted his gun to Ryder.

“Youse make any funny moves and he’s a dead man.”

Ryder stood motionless, his arms out to show the man he wasn’t about to do anything. He looked at Delcie. “The children.”

She understood his meaning. Their only hope was to keep going where the man said in the hopes they would find Sally and Kent. She ducked her head in what she hoped would look like submission though she would never submit to this man unless it was required to save the children.

“Tha’s good. Now head that direction.”

Delcie hurried forward to be at Ryder’s side. “Where are we going?” she whispered.

“Hopefully, where they have the children.”

“I can’t imagine how frightened they are.” Her voice caught

“Nuff jawin’.” The two horses followed Sam.

“How will we rescue them?” She kept her eyes forward and her whisper low enough the man behind them couldn’t hear.

“I think we need to wait until we see them to evaluate the situation. But somehow, we’ll find a way. One step at a time.”

So many doubts and fears and questions raced through Delcie’s mind. But he was right. They needed to make decisions as they got information.

Where was this man taking them? Were they going to the children?

“Stop,” Sam called.

They stopped, facing a thicket of bushes with no trail through them, but she had learned that didn’t mean there wasn’t one.

The man edged past them and moved aside a bush to reveal a trail. “Get goin’.”

Ryder went first, reaching back to take Delcie’s hand. She clung to him as they ducked through the scratchy bushes. Suddenly they broke through into a clearing filled with afternoon shadows.

“Auntie.” Kent’s yell of relief made Delcie forget everything else. He and Sally stood across the clearing. She rushed toward them only to be stopped by the sandy-haired man standing in her path. His scowl and threatening posture sent fear skittering through her veins. She read him as a man who wouldn’t hesitate to be cruel.

“Why’d ya bring them? Ain’t we got ’nough trouble?” He looked ready to fight with his partner or—a thought that iced her insides—do away with them because he deemed them a nuisance.

Sam paused long enough to tie the horses. “Thought o’ shootin’ ’em but might be heard by somebody.”

She almost wished he had shot—oh, not killed either of them—but fired his gun. The sound would have alerted searchers. Men from the town were most certainly looking for them at this very moment. If she didn’t fear who would pay for her actions, she would scream until her throat bled.

Sally sobbed softly. The sight of an angry red mark on the child’s cheek, the shape of a man’s hand, filled Delcie with fury.

Ryder must have seen the same thing. He grabbed her hand. “Steady.” The way his voice growled she knew he’d had the same gut-wrenching reaction.

Kent’s face was tear-streaked. He also had a red mark on his cheek.

Fear widened the eyes of both children. Fear of what these men would do. Fear of incurring their wrath by wailing. Delcie was within a few feet of them and longed to comfort them.

“You’ll be all right.” Her words scratched her throat. How was she to help them? “We’ll figure out something.”

Both