“I’m riding up top,” Sparky said. “Feel better being in the open.”
Louise wondered if Nate would refuse Sam’s offer, but after a pause, he nodded. “Thanks.”
In a moment they were all back inside. Missy and Miss Rolfe sat side by side. Louise and Nate sat facing them.
Several times as they continued on their way, she felt his gaze on her, and when she turned to meet his look, he smiled—mostly with his eyes.
Was he worried about her? Well, no more so than she was about him. He’d been shot defending her. She couldn’t say what it meant except it felt good. And right.
She turned to stare out the window. Right? Everything about them was wrong.
Pretend. Lies. And yet, for just a little while, she’d felt as if she mattered to someone. Enough for that person to do something to protect her.
It was a new feeling and she liked it.
Even though she knew it was only temporary.
* * *
Nate’s pulse still thundered in his ears. Almost as loud as it had when he’d seen the road agents approach. He’d expected Vic to be one of the men, and he knew he’d shoot the man before he’d allow him to take Missy and Louise. Trouble was, he didn’t wear a sidearm. His pistol was in his saddlebag, and by the time he could get it out, he knew the robbers would be upon them. He’d turned into the trees, keeping out of sight as he pulled out his gun. They had reached the stagecoach before he could stop them.
It hadn’t been Vic and an accomplice, but men every bit as bad. When one of them yanked Missy out and then Louise, not even allowing her to get her feet under her, a feral growl had come from his throat and he’d sprung forward, acting out of sheer instinct.
He would not let them hurt his wife.
His wife.
When had he started thinking of her in those terms? They were married, but she wasn’t his wife. She was his best friend’s wife carrying his best friend’s baby. He would see her to safety, then his obligation, his duty to the past, would be over and done with. As it should have been years ago.
He’d tried for the past three years to put the past behind him. But it was impossible to dismiss a friendship such as he and Gordie had enjoyed, equally impossible to forget he owed the Porter family for opening their door to him. Taking care of Louise and the baby would be payback for their kindness.
But getting Louise to Eden Valley Ranch in one piece was becoming more of a challenge than he’d anticipated. Not only had she confronted some bad men, he had seen the strain in her face and understood travel was very uncomfortable for her. He’d asked when the baby would be born and she’d assured him it wouldn’t be for a while.
He could only hope she was right and they’d make it to the ranch before that event.
They reached Fort Benton late in the afternoon. The dusty frontier town bustled with activity, and the aroma of several thousand oxen and mules assaulted them with every breath. Few of the bull trains would be ferrying freight north during the winter. Instead, the animals were corralled in town.
The stage pulled up in front of the Overland Hotel. He sprang from the coach and helped the women down, making Louise wait until last so he could pull her to his side. He led them inside and registered Louise and Missy into a room. He would sleep in the stables or the empty warehouse he’d slept in on his way down.
The proprietor handed them a key. “Dinner will be served in half an hour. Gives you time to wash up. I suggest you get there right off or the men will clean up every bite.”
“Louise, I’ll take you upstairs to your room,” Nate said.
She turned. “Nate, you look terrible. Go wash up. Maybe sit down before you fall down.” And with that, she turned and lumbered up the stairs, Missy right behind her.
“I’ll be back in half an hour,” he called.
“Fine.” Her voice drifted down the stairs.
She couldn’t be feeling too bad if she could still be bossy, he realized. Hiding a pleased smile, he trotted out to his horse outside the jail where Sam had taken the robbers.
Nate took the animal to the stable and brushed it down, ignoring the sting in his injured arm. Only after he fed and watered his mount did he wash himself and find a shirt without blood soaking the sleeve. He looked at the wound. It was only a graze, not worth taking note of even. Hardly hurt at all. Nevertheless, he tied a clean neckerchief around it so it wouldn’t ooze blood onto his shirtsleeve. He donned his clean shirt and hurried back to the hotel, knowing the half hour had come and gone.