The older boy couldn’t resist the challenge. “I’m not afraid.”
“Come on, then.” Yale kept the torch high, illuminating the darkness, and led the way, with the two children following. Every so often he would wedge the torch into a niche in the wall and light another one, moving deeper into the mine with each one.
“Is the gold just lying here?” Cody asked. “Or is it under the ground?”
Yale grinned. “If gold could be found lying around, this place would be swarming with prospectors, instead of being abandoned. The gold lies deep in the ground. Some of these mines go down hundreds of feet.”
Cody’s eyes lit with sudden excitement. “Do you think the miner might have missed a few nuggets?”
“Are you thinking you’d like to dig and see what you find?”
He nodded. “Could we?”
Yale shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” He pointed to a rusted shovel resting against a timber. “Maybe the two of you could take turns seeing what you can dig up.”
While Yale anchored the torch, the older boy picked up the shovel and began to dig. By the time Yale walked away the two children were eagerly sifting the loosened dirt between their fingers, examining every stone and rock with barely concealed excitement.
When he returned to unhitch the horse, Cara looked around anxiously. “Where are Cody and Seth?”
“Digging for gold.” When he saw her arched brow he winked. “I figured it might help them pass the time.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “I can’t think of a better way for them to spend the day. In fact, I was just wondering how I could take their minds off the fact that they’d be spending so many hours in a mine shaft.”
“It can’t be easy for them.” Yale poured water from a canteen into a bucket for the horse. “They’ve been through a lot in a short time. But they’re bright enough to think of ways to fill up the hours.”
Cara sighed as she began cutting venison into bite sizes. “You can’t imagine what a comfort they’ve been to me in the past year.”
“Is that how long it’s been since Wyatt died?”
She nodded.
“Why didn’t you return to Misery?”
“There was nothing left for me there. With my parents gone, I have no family left. The ranch was gone.” She looked away, avoiding his eyes. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I told myself I was staying because Wyatt’s ranch was my home now. But the truth is, the town of Misery always made me think of you. And that always made me sad.”
Her honest admission caught him by surprise. “Well, now. I wouldn’t want you to be sad.” He ignored the sudden hitch of his heart and turned away.
Seeing him heading toward the mine entrance she started after him. “Now where are you going?”
“Just out and about. I need to scout the area.” Seeing the little frown between her brows he touched a finger to the spot. “Don’t worry, Cara. I’ll be back before you’ve even had time to miss me.”
She caught his arm. “Promise?”
His eyes narrowed. And though he hadn’t meant to, he found himself dragging her close for a hard, quick kiss. “You have my word on it.”
There it was again. The heat, the flash, the fire that always seemed to assail him the moment he kissed her. The hard, quick bounce of his heart in his chest, and the thrill he felt as his hands moved over her.
No other woman had ever affected him like this. One touch of Cara and his mind was wiped clear of all thought. Need pulsed through him. The need to taste all of her. The desire to touch her everywhere. The thought of taking her here, now, was like a living, breathing pressure building inside him.
It would be so easy. He could tell, by her response, that she was as affected by this kiss as he was. That had him taking it deeper, until he could hear her breath shudder. Could feel her pulse throbbing with the same intensity as his.
It took all his willpower to release her and walk away.
Yale crouched behind some rocks and peered into the distance. Far off he could see a faint cloud of dust. At the sight of it, his eyes narrowed in frustration.
The feeling in his gut told him it wasn’t a stage, or a couple of prospectors. It was Will Fenner and his men, following his trail. He’d been so careful, sticking to high, rocky ground. Still, even if they hadn’t found the distinctive wheel marks of Cara’s cart, there were other signs a good tracker could follow. The fresh droppings of the plow horse, for instance.
If he’d been traveling alone he would have taken the time to conceal such signs. But he’d had to concentrate all his energy on keeping up the spirits of Cara and her children while staying one step ahead of his enemy.
His enemy.
He’d known that Will Fenner was a man who would never forgive or forget an act of disloyalty. In Fenner’s eyes he had committed the ultimate betrayal.
Not that he’d had any choice. Though it had been years since he’d allowed himself to think about his childhood, the pain was still there. It had been buried deep, but the scars were still tender when probed. The thought of his uncle Junior’s fists had his own tightening. The thought of his mother’s death along the trail had a muscle working in his jaw. The minute he’d heard Fenner plotting against a helpless widow and children, the decision had been made for him.
It was a decision he would never regret.
Feeling weary beyond belief, he made his way back to the mine entrance, taking care to cover his tracks before slipping past the boulders and brush.
“Did you see anything?”
He nodded. “Dust from a number of horses. Headed this way. They should be here in the next couple of hours.” He glanced at the bearskin. “I think I’d better grab a few minutes of sleep. I want to be fresh when they get here.”
Cara watched as he dropped down on the fur and tipped his hat over his face. Within minutes he was fast asleep. She watched him for some time, aware that her heartbeat had begun to speed up the minute he’d drawn close.
She picked up a bundle of meat and made her way deep into the mine shaft, following the sound of her children’s laughter.
“Look, Ma.” Seeing her, Cody held up a rusty nugget. “Think it could be gold?”
She examined it by the light of the torch, then handed it back to him. “I wouldn’t know a gold nugget from a stone. But I think you ought to keep it in your pocket, just in case.”
“You do?” Her older son’s eyes were wide with excitement as he closed his hand around the pebble. “Can I take it to Yale? I bet he’ll know if it’s gold.”
“You can show it to him later. Right now he’s catching some sleep. And I think it would be wise if we keep our voices low so we don’t disturb him.”
Cody nodded and tucked the nugget into his pocket. When he looked at his mother, his tone was cautious. “Yale thinks you’re pretty.”
She could feel the heat rush to her cheeks.
“Did Pa think you were pretty, too?”
She met his assessing gaze. “I should hope so.”
“Did he ever say so?”
She shrugged. “I…guess he did.”
“Did you ever kiss Yale?”
Cara was grateful that she could speak the truth without evading. “No, Cody. Your pa was the first man I ever kissed.”
“Do you think, if you’d kissed Yale first, you might have married him instead of Pa?”
She took a deep breath. “I’m afraid that’s one thing we’ll never know. I’m not sorry I married your pa.”
As her words sank in, she could see the relief in her son’s eyes.
She opened the bundle to reveal bite-sized chunks of venison. “Now, how about some food before you go back to mining?”
The two boys were grinning happily as they set aside the shovel and sat down to eat. A few minutes later they returned to their work, taking turns with the shovel, before sifting through the dirt.
Cara watched them for nearly an hour before she turned away and returned to where she’d left Yale sl
eeping. She was surprised to find him up and drinking from a canteen.
“That wasn’t nearly enough time to sleep, Yale. If you’d like I’ll go to the entrance of the mine and keep watch while you get a little more rest.”
He shook his head. “No need to worry about me. There’ve been plenty of times when I’ve gone without sleep for days, if the other players were willing.”
“You’d take such punishment for a game of cards?”
He grinned. “You call it a game. I consider it my livelihood. And when the stakes are high enough, I’m willing to forego a little sleep.”
Before she could reply he touched a finger to his lips and lifted his head, listening intently.
“What is it, Yale? What do you…?”
He lifted a hand and whispered, “Bring the boys here. Tell them not to make a sound.”
Minutes later she returned with Cody and Seth following.
Yale held up a gold coin and whispered, “Want to play a game? The winner will get this.”
“What do we have to do?” Cody asked, eager to play.
“First you have to sit over there on the bearskin, while I extinguish all our torches. Then you both have to stay absolutely still. The one who can remain that way the longest will win.”
Cody waited until Seth had hurried off to the fur before saying, “You might be able to fool my little brother, but you don’t fool me. Are the bad men back?”
Yale nodded. “They are. And I need you to help me, Cody. If Seth should cry out, or make any sound at all, it might give away our hiding place. Do you understand?”
The boy nodded before turning away.
As he hurried around extinguishing their torches Yale called softly, “You’ll hear some sounds. You may even hear voices. But no matter what you hear, you can’t move or speak. Do you understand, Seth?”
The little boy nodded.
“Good.” He handed a rifle to Cara, touching a hand to her arm as he did.
There was no time for words. He managed a quick grin before picking up his rifle and heading toward the outer entrance to the mine.
Minutes later they heard the unmistakable sound of horses’ hooves thundering directly toward them.
While Yale peered through the brush that covered the entrance, he could see Will Fenner and his men pass within mere inches. Suddenly one of the horsemen urged his mount up the steep incline until he was passing directly overhead.
The children’s eyes were wide with fear. Little Seth actually opened his mouth to cry out. But Cody clamped a hand over his brother’s mouth and reminded him about the glittering gold coin awaiting them when this ordeal was over.
The two children watched as shadows danced overhead.
Soon there were more horses scrambling up and over, while the men talked among themselves.
“Looks like a miner’s shack.”
“What’s left of it,” came Will Fenner’s voice.
The sound of it had Cara shivering. Seeing her reaction, Yale moved as silently as a cat until he was beside her. Without a word he took her hand in his, linking their fingers.
The minute he touched her she willed herself to stay calm and focused, for the sake of her children. But her finger tightened on the trigger of her rifle.
“Think Conover came this way?”
“I’m sure of it,” Fenner shouted.
“Then why can’t we find any trace of him? Not so much as a footprint.”
“I don’t know,” Fenner snarled. “But I can smell him. He’s somewhere nearby. Let’s fan out and see if we can pick up his trail.”
Minutes later the hoofbeats faded as the men began circling around, hunting for anything that might lead them to their enemy.
Yale and Cara and the children remained perfectly still, watching the shadows that drifted across the upper timbers, at times obliterating the sunlight, at other times permitting it to reappear.
When the voices faded and the hoofbeats could no longer be heard, they all gave long, drawn-out sighs of relief.
Yale’s voice held a trace of a smile. “I seem to be traveling in some mighty fine company.” He dug into his pocket and removed two coins. “Once again it seems we have two winners.”
As the boys accepted their reward, Cody dug out his nugget and held it up alongside the coin. “I found this back there in the mine. Do you think it could be real gold?”
Yale held it up to the tiny rays of sunlight that filtered through the rocks and timbers above, turning it this way and that as he scratched at the rusty surface. “Hard to say, Cody. It could be real. Or it could be fool’s gold. I guess you’d better keep it until we can have an assayer take a look at it.”
“You mean it? You think it’s worth keeping?”
Yale nodded.
The boy turned to his mother. “Can we go back to our digging now?”
She shook her head. “It’s too dark back there, and it wouldn’t be wise to light a torch just yet. But if you’d like, you can dig here, where there’s a little light.” As the children started off to fetch the shovel she added, “Remember. You can speak only in whispers. Will you do that?”
The two boys looked solemn as they danced away.
Cara turned to Yale. “Who would have ever believed that they would care more about digging in the dirt than about fretting over a gang of outlaws who are chasing after us?”
“It’s the beauty of being young.” He smiled, and then, because he wanted to gather her close and just hold her, he turned away and called over his shoulder, “I think I’ll stand guard at the entrance. Just in case they decide to circle back.”
Cara watched him walk away, then sank down on the bearskin and rested her face in her hands.
Though she’d forced herself to remain perfectly still for the sake of her children, she’d been absolutely terrified that one of the Fenner gang would discover their hiding place.
What had made it tolerable had been the touch of Yale’s hand on hers. He hadn’t moved. Hadn’t flinched. But she’d seen something in his eyes. Something so fierce, so determined, she had no doubt he’d have found a way to save them.
She was beginning to see that he hadn’t changed all that much from the absolutely fearless boy she’d once known.
Watching him, being with him, made her almost believe they could survive this.
She closed her eyes, willing herself to let go of the terrible tension that held her in its grip. For so long now she’d been forced to be strong for the sake of her children. She’d almost forgotten what it felt like to share the burden with another.
She took a deep breath and decided that, for a little while at least, she would let Yale be strong for both of them. With a hand over her eyes she lay back, emptying her mind until her heartbeat steadied.
Chapter Nine
Throughout the late afternoon and evening they could hear the horsemen backtracking, as they searched for some sign of their elusive prey. Several times the sound of horses’ hooves overhead had their little party dropping to the floor of the mine, where they huddled until the sounds receded.
As daylight faded, the mine shaft was becoming increasingly darker and colder.
Cara was grateful for the deer meat, which she passed around while they sat together on the bearskin. She saw Seth shiver and settled her youngest son on her lap, wrapping her shawl around him. “Is that better?”
The little boy nodded and rested his head on his mother’s shoulder.
Cody turned to Yale. “Will we be able to build a fire?”
“Not tonight, son. I wish we could, but I have a feeling Fenner and his men are going to circle around all night, hoping we’ll let down our guard. I figure, if we can see their shadows down here, they’d be able to see the light of our fire up above.”
The little boy thought a minute. “If they’re your friends, why don’t you leave us and join them?”
“Cody!” Cara couldn’t hide her shock. “How can you ask such a thing after all Yale has done for us?”
/>
“It’s all right, Cara.” Yale stared at the little boy. “Is that what you would do to a friend? Leave him when things got too dangerous, and join forces with his enemy?”
Cody looked down at his hands, then up at the man seated across from him. “No, sir. Not if he was my friend. Is that what you are? Our friend?”
Yale nodded. “I’d like to think so.”
“If those men find our hiding place, are you going to die with us?”
“If I have to. But I give you my word, Cody, I’ll do everything in my power to see that doesn’t happen. You and Seth and your mother have a whole lot of living ahead of you. And I mean to see that you get to enjoy it.”
“What about you? When this is over, will you go back to being a gambler?”
Yale was aware that Cara had turned to look at him. But he kept his gaze fixed on the boy. “That’s what I am. It’s all I know how to do.”
“That’s not true.” Cara couldn’t help herself from coming to his defense. The words seemed to slip out of her mouth before she could stop them. Then, too embarrassed to look at her children, she said, “You know how to trap a deer and skin it and cook it. And you know all about finding safe hiding places. And best of all you know how to make everything seem like fun.”
Yale leaned over and brushed his lips over her cheek. Just the slightest touch, yet they both drew back quickly.
“Thanks for reminding me of that, Cara. I guess I needed to know that I could do something besides win at cards.”
Cody stepped between Yale and his mother. “When this is over, and the outlaws are gone, can we go home?”
“Oh, Cody.” Cara closed her eyes against the pain and rocked her son gently. “Let’s not think about tomorrow. Let’s just get through tonight.”
Seth tugged at his mother’s hand.
Cara looked down at him. “What is it, honey?”
Cody spoke for him. “He wants you to tell us a story.”
“All right.” Cara settled her two sons in the bearskin, then drew the edges around them. When they were warm and snug, she sat beside them, leaning her back against the rough wall of the mine. “Which story would you like to hear? The one about Noah and the great flood? Or Jonah and the whale?”