bring an answer to his fierce need for revenge.
He looked back to see Liz climbing on her own now, giving Red Lady a break. What a trouper she was, not just in climbing this mountain, but in sticking to her guns in her efforts to bring him back to God. She was young, but she sure wasn’t stupid or weak or silly. In a lot of ways she was surprisingly mature, and dang stubborn. Lord knew, when it came to getting through to his heart, it took a woman like that. She’d knocked a hole in the wall he’d built around himself that no one else, certainly no whore or normal decent woman had been able to penetrate.
“Clint, we’re almost there!” Elizabeth shouted, interrupting his thoughts.
Clint looked up. There was the peak, perhaps another half hour’s climb! The sight seemed to pump more blood into his legs so he could keep going. His lungs burned like fire, and he could barely feel his feet any longer. The horses snorted and panted, bolting ahead slightly as though they, too, realized they were almost over the mountain.
“Get up there!” Clint shouted. He turned to yell back to Elizabeth. “Grab Red’s tail again!”
She pushed ahead and managed to get hold of the horse’s tail. She was smiling. Lord, she had to be hurting bad by now, what with that swollen bruise on her cheek and the way her legs must feel. He’d already determined they would camp for a good two days on the other side before heading for Lake Bennett, where they would have a raft built to take them upriver to Dawson.
He could hear some men who’d reached the top shouting and laughing with relief. It was nearing dark. By the time they reached the top it would be completely dark. He’d hoped to get at least partway down the other side before making camp. The higher they went, the colder it got, and another overnight snowstorm could bury them for good up there.
His chest ached fiercely now, and a surge of coughing hit him, but he refused to stop climbing as he coughed. His whole body felt on fire, and he didn’t doubt Liz felt the same way. If it weren’t for having to guide the horses, he’d carry her on his back. He’d do just about anything for her…anything.
Suddenly even the horses sped up, half dragging both Clint and Liz, who screamed and laughed until they reached the peak. Devil and Red kept going, snow flying. Liz fell, and unable to stop laughing, she let Red drag her for a ways, until finally Clint was able to pull and jerk and shout at the animals enough to stop them.
“You all right?” he yelled to Liz. Her laughter exhilarated him. They had reached a much gentler slope, though still in deep snow, and she lay there on her back still laughing.
“We made it!” she screamed. “We made it! Thank you, Jesus!” She started laughing again, and knowing the horses were surely exhausted enough not to go any farther, Clint let go of them to walk over and fall into the snow beside Liz. He grabbed her and rolled her over, looking down at her.
“We sure did,” he answered. He leaned down to kiss her, and they rolled over twice more before he landed on top of her once again.
“We’ll make it all the way, Clint,” she told him with a smile, her nose red and her cheek bruised.
“I think you’re right,” he answered. He kissed her again, passion and desire overwhelming him. He left her mouth and nuzzled her neck.
“Clint Brady, people can see us!”
“We’re married, remember?”
She pushed at him. “But we’re not married,” she told him with a teasing look. “And I will not let you tempt me this way until you are my husband.”
He gave her a look of deep disappointment. “Then be prepared for a hard ride and an arduous trip upriver, because we’re going to make Dawson so fast it will make your pretty head spin. Your brother is a preacher, and he’s going to marry us.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Clint saw the sudden concern come into her green eyes. “Soon as Roland Fisher, God and I get a few things straightened out, because I’ve never wanted anything in my life as bad as I want you right now.”
He kissed her once more, loving the taste of her, the way she responded to him with pure love and innocence. He realized then just how hard the