A Ransomed Heart Read online

  It didn’t take Mama too long to enter the room with dinner and her knitting. She ignored the look Annabelle threw her, instead she kept her smile in place. The girl took the bowl of stew from her and shoved a bite in her mouth. The time had come to set a few things straight. Logan wouldn’t like it, but he was gone now and Annabelle was under her care. She could only hope when Annabelle knew the truth, or most of the truth about things, that it would aid her in the decision she needed to make. Settling herself in the chair she looped the wool over her needle and started back on the project. She could feel Annabelle looking at her, it was time.

  “Logan seemed pretty upset when he left here, wanna tell me why?”

  She grunted and shoved another spoonful of food into her mouth.

  “Have you worked out all the possibilities?”

  The spoon came to rest in the bowl and Annabelle sniffed back a tear.

  “Yes.”

  “So you think you have made the right choice?”

  “Yes. But Logan didn’t understand, no one seems to understand, I made a promise to my family and I cannot break it.”

  The woman’s fingers flew, wool over needle, needle under needle, wool over needle, they click-clacked softly as they moved. “Logan doesn’t understand family, honey.” Her voice was soft.

  “Why not? Everyone has a family.”

  “Not Logan.”

  Annabelle was confused.

  “Let me tell you a story about a boy I know. Came here a couple of years ago, lookin’ for a new life. Well, he found one and he fit right in.”

  Her meal had been forgotten.

  “That boy has been through a lot. His Pa ran off when he was little and his mother had to turn him over to an orphanage because she couldn’t support him. Over the years he learned to do without or figured it out himself. Years later after his mother had died, he came out west to start over. Of course Mr. Sevier was the wealthiest man around and was always looking to hire new cowboys so the boy got a job on the ranch. Things were going real well, he was making money and had a place to live, more comforts than he had ever known.

  Then one day he noticed something wasn’t right. When he confronted his employer about it, he was told to mind his own business. For a while he did, again he had more now than he had ever imagined. But as he looked around at those who were being hurt he could see his own face on those little boys and his mother’s face on those wives who had lost everything, even husband’s and children. And at that moment, the boy became a man. Finally something was more important than what he thought he had to do, it became something he wanted to do for his heart.”

  She put her needles down and stood, taking the bowl from Annabelle she went to the door. “Annabelle, sometimes you need to follow your heart, even if it is hard, and I promise there will always be a way. Now get some sleep.”

  Annabelle watched the empty door frame for a moment, and then she slid carefully under the covers. Now she knew how he must have felt, finding out things are different then you figured they were. The truth about her and her family must have been a shock, just as his past was a shock to her. No wonder her loyalty to her family seemed so crazy to him. She felt sad for him and for those people in his life he never knew, or who never knew him. He was a kind and gentle man. She should have been kinder to him, but she didn’t know. It wasn’t as if she could be upset with him not telling her, after all she had kept her own secrets. Even when she tried closing her eyes she saw nothing but his dropped shoulders and heard the sadness in his voice, it was going to be a very long night.

  The men were exhausted, but by the time the sun colored the ridge, they had arrived. Perched on a plateau they looked down at the wagon and dark caves. There was a large canvas which obviously covered something large in the back of the wagon. Near that was a campfire smoldering a little in the chilly morning air. Two bedrolls lay around the pit and everything was still. Even the horses tied to a nearby tree had their heads bowed in sleep.

  Logan motioned for his men to rest for a time, once they figured out what was in the wagon they would determine if they waited some more or hijacked the wagon and headed back to town. His men settled themselves quickly against any boulder they could and tipped their hats, catching a bit of sleep before their return trip. Even the anxiousness they felt for accomplishing their goal wasn’t enough to keep them from dozing. It had been a hard night’s ride and now it was all coming to an end.

  No matter how he tried though, Logan could not sleep. At first he had been angry, upset, furious even, that Annabelle was being so silly about her promise she had made. Why would anyone want to put their own happiness at risk for another persons, especially a family who cared little enough about her to send her away? It made no sense to him and why should it? But the anger had subsided and now only a deep, aching hurt lingered in his chest. If she felt the way he thought she did, why would she reject him?

  No matter how he tried to comfort himself with excuses, it just came down to him. It was apparent he had little to offer, but if she could only know how much he loved her, that would make all the difference. It frustrated him he had not told her, he should have. What was it about him that kept him from telling people how much he cared for them? Even Kit and Mama had never heard words like that from him. Inside he knew why, but those memories were so painful he hated to think about it for too long. Again he had to remind himself he wasn’t like that man and he had made his choice, he shouldn’t dwell on it, but every now and then he couldn’t get away from his faults, genes did count for something.

  So instead of sleeping he made a plan. Once the men woke up, and if they went back into the caves, his men would sneak in and take the wagon. Of course they needed to wait for the horses to be hooked up again, and whoever was driving was planning on leaving today. Lots of things rode on perfect conditions. Logan could only hope and pray the stars were with them and this would go the way he wanted it to. If they could get home in time tonight, he would tell Annabelle that he loved her, and he would ask her to stay with him, then if she refused, he would know it wasn’t his fault. If she didn’t love him, then there was no reason for him to keep her any longer from her goal. The idea stung a bit, but it is what needed to happen and he knew it. Drawing a deep breath he steadied his nerves and prayed for help.

  The sun was creeping its way to the sky when Logan and his group inched closer to the wagon. Their descent had been slow and deliberate, they didn’t need to be found out by the two cowboys who milled around camp, hooking up the wagon and making breakfast. They were close enough now when the men talked their voices floated to them on the wind. Logan could feel his heartbeat in his chest and tried to steady his breathing so he didn’t make any sound. Kit and Little Bear were close behind; the other men had stayed with the horses. Three men were far quieter than the whole group.

  As they eased ever closer, they caught a break, one of the men headed into the darkness with a lantern and soon the other man followed suit. There was no telling how long they would be gone, and it seemed to be the chance they were waiting for. Quickly the men hurried forward towards the buckboard, but suddenly Little Bear stopped and stooped down to the ground. The other men followed and looked anxiously around, were the men coming out of the cave? Logan found a little comfort when he saw the Indian studying the ground. When he looked up his dark eyes were full of confusion. He motioned to the back of the wagon and Logan slid over and lifted the canvas. There wasn’t anything there but a few rolls of rope and some shovels propped against three large milk tins. Silently Logan reached over and tried to move one, they were empty.

  He swore under his breath and motioned for the men to come together.

  “There ain’t nothing back there.”

  “Maybe they haven’t unloaded it yet,” Kit volunteered.

  Little Bear shook his head. “I think there was a second wagon.” He pointed to the ground near the wagon and it did appear it had been pressed down by another wagon.

  Logan bit his lip and
looked around pensively. “Do you think it is gone then?”

  The other two shrugged their shoulders. “Maybe there was so much they needed two wagons.” Kit looked hopeful as he said it.

  Logan nodded, that could very well be the case, but there was no way to tell unless they went into the cave. He thought about it for a moment but it wasn’t really a question of what to do, they had to find out what was going on. Quickly he held up one hand signaling the group above them to wait. Then Logan and Kit drew their Colts and Little Bear drew a large knife with a bone handle and they scurried into the caves. Only a few steps in they were plunged into darkness. The cavern was cool and Logan shivered involuntarily. He didn’t like being blind, but he turned his ears to every sound around him. He acclimated himself to the sound of his companion’s breathing and footsteps, it would be best if he knew exactly where they were at all times.

  As they crept forward Logan pressed one shoulder against the wall, putting one foot carefully in front of the other; these sandstone caves were known for potholes in the floor which dropped hundreds of feet, they would need to be extra careful because none of them were familiar with this particular set of caves. As their boots slid across the gravel Logan looked for any sign of the light the other men had carried in with them. Luckily with their extreme caution he heard the men before he saw the light. They were talking about something but he couldn’t understand. Slowing down even farther, he had to brace himself against Kit’s eager movements as he tumbled into Logan’s back. There was no time for apologies and the men kept moving.

  Finally they were close enough Logan could see inside a large cavern which was lit with the dull light. The men seemed to be filling in a hole, but as far as he could see the room was empty. His fears were confirmed when he overheard one man mention how unfair it was that Mr. Mousse got to leave with the loot and they had to stay back for clean up. He growled lowly under his breath, foiled again. There was no point in wasting time here now; he needed to get back to Hope and work on something new, as well as getting Annabelle back to the life she belonged in.

  Because he had lost his concentration, Logan stepped backwards and directly on to Kit’s foot. Then like a horrible game of dominoes the men tumbled back onto each other, clattering against the stone walls and falling into a heap. Instantly, Logan knew their cover had been blown. Gun shots rang out of the cave and ricocheted off the walls. It was a blessing the men were on the ground because they would have been hit by the flying shots. Scrambling back down the corridor, Logan fired back, his percussion revolver jumping in his hand. Somewhere in the darkness he heard someone cry out in pain, but the sparks from his gun fire lit up the ground around him enough to make him a brief target for the offenders to shoot at. Again shots rang out and this time Logan felt the familiar burn of a gunshot. His left arm across the top of his bicep had taken a shot and he cried out in pain, but the burning subsided quickly and he was sure the wound was superficial.

  Kit was standing now and he reached down and hauled his friend off the ground. Returning fire, all the men tumbled toward the entrance of the cave. Bullets hissed past his head and he ducked, doing his best to get Logan out of the cave. Because of the darkness it was hard to see how badly Logan was hurt, but Kit could feel the hot sticky blood on his hands. Little Bear led the way and soon they burst out of the darkness and into the light. Their pursuers were farther behind and so the three men were able to scramble up onto the face of the ridge and find sufficient hiding spots.

  The two men came out, guns raised, ready to shoot the men they were sure would be waiting. One of the men had a dark wet spot down the length of his leg; Logan’s bullet had found a home in the man’s leg. That is what had probably slowed them down, and it was lucky because Logan, Kit, and Little Bear would soon be out of range of the pistols. The two cowboys scoured the area like wild animals looking for their prey. As it became apparent the men they sought would not show, one man filled his lungs and yelled out into the empty air.

  “If you are here about the money, it’s gone. Mr. Mousse took it into town; it will be in the bank by tonight. As for the girl, Sevier wants her by tomorrow, by noon, in the middle of town. If not, her entire family will die and their farm will be burned.”

  With that they cautiously climbed up into the wagon and snapped the reins. One man drove the wagon while the other kept an eye out for any intruders, his rifle in ready position. Quickly, the horses pulled the men away from the cave and down the small incline, then up the other ridge and out of sight. Twenty minutes later the three men had made it back to the group, Logan clutching his arm to stop the bleeding. Little Bear assessed the wound and determined it was not too bad. Logan ripped off a piece of his shirt and tied it tightly around the wound. It was clean enough it would not get infected. Sitting down hard on the ground, he removed his hat and ran a hand though his hair. He was tired of playing games, he was tired of being worried about his friends, his family, and he was tired of being afraid for Annabelle. The only way to end this was to meet Sevier in town and spill his secret.

  It didn’t take long to decide what he needed to do. Standing, he called his group together and within ten minutes, everyone was riding back in the direction of home with the exception of Logan, Kit, and Little Bear. They planned for a few seconds, then Little Bear and Logan handed Kit the remainder of their rations. Little Bear leapt up onto his paint horse and flew off in the direction of home. Kit and Logan headed off together, waving a goodbye to their friend.

  They rode in silence for a while and then it was time to go separate directions.

  “You stay safe, ya hear.” Kit looked worried at his friend.

  “You, too, and may your horse be fast and sure.”

  “Logan, don’t do anything rash.”

  He looked at the young man who had become as much of a brother to him as anyone could. Then he smiled a rueful smile and reached his hand out to Kit.

  Taking it firmly they shook across the open plain of the badlands. “See you in a couple of days…brother.” There was a question in his voice.

  Logan nodded his head and drew his hand back, “You, too, brother.”

  All was still as if the world had stopped to witness something wonderful. They both looked fondly at each other and then tipped their hats. There was no telling what two days from now would bring. Logan’s plan was dangerous to say the least, and if things did not go well, Kit would be left to pick up the pieces. They both shouldered a heavy burden. But sunlight was scarce and there were miles to cross so the moment had to end. Pushing their hats farther down on their heads, both men gripped the leather reins of their mounts and dug their heels into the animals’ sides. They both sprang forward with their riders holding on for dear life. The race had begun.

  Soon the sound of Kit’s horse disappeared under the drum of his own animal. He leaned forward in the saddle urging his mount ever faster. He had a day and a half ride ahead of him and he was determined to make good time. With his hat pulled down around his ears, he could see the landscape whipping past him and feel the hot air press against his face. His body was tense and eager and he had to remind himself to pace his trusty horse. It would be a grueling ride for both of them, but his horse was born on this land and captured by Logan at a young age. He was a mustang through and through and his legs and barrel chest were designed for running. He probably could outlast Logan and Logan knew it.

  As he rode, he envisioned the scene that would play before him. There was a great possibility it would be his last, that he would never again see his friends, his brother Kit, or Little Bear, or Mama. Hope would be left to fend for itself. Hopefully the people would be able to stick together and make it in this harsh place. It pained him to think about leaving them alone to fight this very unfair battle, but he had little choice. The one thing he refused to think about was if he would ever see Annabelle again. Would he ever talk with her or watch her wrinkle up her nose? Would he ever touch her, or hold her, or smell her sweet scent? This was by far t
he most painful thing he could think about, being without Annabelle.

  It seemed so strange that up until a few days ago he had no idea of her existence. He didn’t know there was a woman who was so beautiful, but so perfect for him. How was he ever to believe, that in such a short time he had not only fallen for the girl, but actually fallen in love? As the rhythmic pounding of hoof beats resounded off the valley walls, he pondered his life. He had never been in love, not with anyone or anything. He didn’t know how it could tangle up your insides and make you think things you would never consider. For once in his life he wanted to let someone love him, to be a husband and a father. He was shocked; he wanted to be a father.

  His horse was panting and frothy around the mouth. It was time to slow down. He pulled the animal to a slow trot and let his mind return to its previous course. He, Logan Bailey, wanted to have babies with Annabelle. He nearly laughed out loud at the idea. Never in his life had even considered being married, but to bring a child into the world with anyone was so far from anything he ever dared to believe, it was almost laughable. Of course the thought of it brought back a painful memory.

  He was sitting with his mother, not much older than four of five. She crumpled up a letter and let it fall to the floor. He couldn’t read it of course, but he recognized the signature. It was from him, his father. The look on his mother’s face would never leave his mind, not until the day he died. His worried little blue eyes searched hers and found nothing but anger. She looked at him hard in the eyes and smiled a crooked smile. Then her voice rang in his ears. “He isn’t coming back.” It wasn’t long after that when she deposited him at a home for children and left, never even looking back.