“Let’s keep going,” Oliver said. “We’ll find Sheriff Ramsey. He’ll know where Dan and Charles are.”
Nodding, she joined him and they continued on toward Garretsville. Her vision blurred with tears, and she stumbled over a protruding stone. Oliver caught her before she fell, and he continued to hold her arm as they went on in silence.
They were almost to Garretsville when they were met by a wagon hitched to a horse heading their way. Meredith cried out. Daniel sat beside Fred Klein, who held the reins. She broke free of Oliver and ran toward Daniel as he climbed down. The came together like opposite poles on two magnets.
“I was so worried,” she cried. “We saw blood on the ground, and I … I was so afraid,” she said, as a sob broke free. She drew back studied him, looking for signs of injury.
“I know. I know, love.” Daniel drew her back into his arms and held her, catching the tears on her cheeks with kisses. “I’m fine,” he murmured, rocking her back and forth as she cried on his shoulder.
“Charles was wounded, but the doc says he’ll recover all right so long as we keep an eye on the wound to make sure it doesn’t fester.
Frederick cleared his throat. “So the rumors about the two of you are true,” he said.
“Aye, the rumors are true,” Daniel confirmed. He released her and stared deeply into her eyes. Cradling her face between his hands, he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.
“Gonna be a wedding soon?” Frederick asked. “Prudence and I love weddings, and it would be a fine way to celebrate catching those thieving murderers.”
“That is my hope and my dearest wish,” Daniel said, his gaze still boring into her.
“My Prudence will bake you two a fine wedding cake, and we can scare up a few musicians for a dance,” Fred continued. “Seeing you wed will make my wife happy. Don’t know why exactly, but she’s always had a soft spot for you and Charles.”
Maybe on some level Prudence sensed that Frederick’s life had been saved from a horrible fate today, and Daniel and Charles were responsible. She hoped the couple would have many more years together. Meredith placed her hands on Daniel’s chest. “Where is Charles?”
“He’s in the back of the wagon. Doc gave him laudanum to keep him asleep and out of pain during the ride home.” He took her by the hand and led her to the wagon. “Come on, Oliver. You can sit on the buckboard with Mr. Klein. Meredith and I will ride in back with Charles. Let’s go home.”
“Where are the mules?” Oliver asked as he took his place on the buckboard.
“They’re stabled at the livery in town. Lucy took a stray bullet, and the livery owner knows quite a bit about doctoring animals. He’s tending to her.”
Daniel helped her get settled before he sank down beside her and took her hand in his. “I left both mules there for the time being. They don’t like to be separated, and Lucy will heal better if Harriet is nearby.”
Oliver snorted. “You named one of your mules Harriet?”
“Not that it makes any difference, but they’d already been named when we acquired the pair.” Daniel leaned back against the side of the wagon and closed his eyes. “Lord, I’m spent.”
“Stress will do that.” Meredith sniffed and swiped at her eyes, glancing at Charles’s prone, sleeping form. “I don’t suppose you have a handkerchief. I can’t seem to stop these tears.”
“I’m sorry, Meredith. I didn’t think to put one in my pocket this morning.”
“Here you go, Miss MacCarthy,” Frederick said. He handed her a neatly folded square of cotton.
“Thank you, and please call me Meredith.” I know your great-great-granddaughter. She longed to tell him, but couldn’t. She accepted the handkerchief, wiped her eyes and blew her nose, but still the tears kept coming. All the pent up fear and worry must be seeping out of her in a single deluge.
“We did it, Daniel. We stopped the trio of terror once and for all.” She hiccupped. “We’re going to have to boil some water and sterilize a bunch of bandages.” She glanced at poor Charles again. He was going to be in a world of pain once he woke, and she knew few doctors in this era paid attention to cleanliness when it came to treating wounds. As many soldiers who fought in the Civil War died from infection