Linda Ford Read Free Page B

fury. She settled for simply nodding—let him think what he wanted from that—then lowered her gaze and studied her fingers, noting how they twisted together until there were spots of white and red. Let them think what they wanted about that, too. Put it down to tension or pain. They would never guess how worried she was.
    Ward finally left, his footsteps echoing down the hall.
    Determination filled her, giving her strength to remain sitting upright. “I’m fine,” she insisted.
    She had to get her strength back. But with Linette hovering, she couldn’t move. “I think I’d like to rest now.”
    Linette hurried to her side and held her elbow.
    She let Linette ease her to the inviting bed, and snuggled down like she meant to have a long sleep. Linette spread an afghan over her, then tiptoed from the room. Red sighed. It was tempting to close her eyes and give in to the lethargy of her body.
    But that would not get her back to Belle.
    She remained tense, waiting for Linette’s footsteps to fade, then she pushed herself to the side of the bed and took deep breaths to stop the dizziness. Holding carefully to the frame on the foot of the bed, she again made her way to the window and rested her forehead on the glass. Men went back and forth outside. Too many for her to slip away unnoticed. Even if she had the strength.
    But she must find the strength somewhere. Somehow.
    Too bad she no longer believed God would help her or she would pray for His intervention.

Chapter Two
    “B oys.” Eddie stepped into the cookhouse as the cowboys ate their breakfast. “Red is missing.”
    Ward dropped his fork and stared. Yesterday she could barely stand. Now she was gone?
    Eddie continued. “Her room was empty when we got up this morning. I’m telling you, Linette is some concerned about her. Figures she’s lost her memory again and is wandering about, lost and alone. Or worse, passed out somewhere.” He scrubbed at his neck. “Boys, we have to find her before Linette gets it into her head to go looking. We can’t have that. Especially in her condition.” Linette was in the family way, and Eddie worried constantly about her.
    Ward was already on his feet. “I’ll check the barn.” He was out the door while Eddie ordered men to various corners of the yard to search for the missing woman.
    Ward raced to the barn. Had she wandered out in the dark? Fallen in the river? He shuddered as he imagined her alone. Further injured. Suffering. He’d rescued her from a harmful situation. He could only pray she hadn’t fallen into a worse one. The door squawked a protest as he pushed it open and stepped into the warm, dusty interior. “Red,” he yelled, wondering if she could hear his voice. Would she respond even if she did? He headed down the alley, paused at the first stall. It was empty. The horse that should be there was gone.
    Gone? Had the animal let himself out? Probably not, since it was Moon that should have been in that stall and Moon liked the comforts of the barn too much to wander.
    Suspicion crept into Ward’s thoughts. Red kept saying she wanted to go back. He went to the tack room and counted the saddles. Sure enough. One missing.
    His jaw clenched. Even though he knew it was useless to search the rest of the barn, he did so. More out of wishing she was here than thinking she was. Then he headed back to the cookhouse. Eddie paced the floor, waiting for someone to return with good news to ease his wife’s worry.
    “’Fraid I have bad news,” Ward said. “There’s a horse missing. And a saddle.” Even though Eddie looked ready to chew nails, he might as well tell it all. “There were small footprints in the dust. Lady-sized.”
    Eddie groaned. “She stole a horse? Don’t hardly call that gratitude. Do you?”
    Ward didn’t say one way or the other. “I’ll ride after her and get the horse.”
    “You do that.”
    Ward hesitated. Did Eddie want him to turn Red over to the Mountie as a horse thief? Though Ward