Wildest Dreams - By Rosanne Bittner Page 0,166

won't ever forgive you this time! We both know what could happen to Katie. When and if you get her back, she is going to need a woman, preferably her own mother—and God knows I understand rape better than anyone! I can help her."

Luke closed his eyes and turned away, his hands forming into fists. "Not my little girl. Not Katie! I have to kill them, Lettie! I have to find a way!"

"Wait until you can talk to Tex and Runner. Whatever you do, I'm going with you. They won't question why you'd want to bring Katie's mother."

Luke turned to face her. "They could rape and kill you, too, if I'm unable to get you out of there."

"I'll take the risk. I know what Katie is going through. Besides, I can shoot pretty well myself, you know. Please let me go with you, Luke!"

Luke threw back his head and took a deep breath. "I could lose both of you. I'd kill myself if I lost you, let alone another child."

"You probably wouldn't have to. If Zack Walker kills Katie and me, he'll probably kill you, too. We're all taking a chance. Maybe after you talk to the men at the ranch, you can come up with a way out of this."

Luke studied her by the light of an outdoor oil lamp, surprised at how well she was holding up. "You've grown a lot stronger, Lettie."

She put a hand against his chest. "Because of you, and the love this family has found these past few months. We've come too far to let the likes of Zack Walker defeat us now, Luke. We'll find a way to help Katie. At least we know where Walker is holding her. That's a start, isn't it?"

Luke's eyes began to glitter with hope. "You're right. He told us more than he should have. He ought to realize how well I know my own land. I know every inch of Pine Creek Canyon."

"He's meeting you on your own territory. A stupid move by a stupid man."

He smiled through tears, touching her face. "I'll be damned. What would I do without you, woman?"

Lettie could hardly see the front of the bank for the tears in her own eyes. In spite of what they had suffered settling here, they had been blessed with one very important gift, the gift of true friendship, love, and support from people who pulled together when times were rough. What they were seeing now, people lined up to withdraw their life savings and hand it over to another in a time of need, this was Montana... the people, not the land. She took great hope in what they were doing. Surely God would not let this come to a terrible end. Please comfort and protect our Katie, she prayed silently, and let us get her back.

"We'd better get over there," Luke said. They walked together to the bank, and as soon as they entered, an old widowed woman named Tilly Gray handed Lettie some money. "Here's fifty dollars," she told Lettie. "I hope it helps."

Lettie embraced the woman. "Thank you, Tilly," she said softly.

Lettie had never felt so alone and exposed. She rode beside Luke across the wide, flat grassland that led to Pine Creek

Canyon, now only about a half mile distant. Already she could see someone standing on top of the eastern canyon wall, watching them. She had never even been this far west on Fontaine land. Luke had owned this piece only four years, and since it was so far from the main ranch, and in the opposite direction than she would take to go to Billings, she simply had never had reason to come here. Here was where Luke and the vigilantes had hanged the Walker brothers nearly a year ago, where poor Will was buried. And here, they hoped, their daughter waited, alive and well.

The carpetbag full of money hung over Luke's saddle horn. Her own heart pounded with fear, not for herself, but for Luke and Katie... and Runner, Tex... and Ty. Ty had demanded to be allowed to be a part of Luke's plan to capture these men, although they had no idea just how many men they were talking about. Luke and Ty had argued, but Ty was so upset about his sister that Luke had not had the heart to forbid the boy a chance to help. He had allowed Ty to be a part of his plan to save Katie and the money, and to