Missy continued to fight the man, kicking and clawing, which only seemed to excite him further. Louise would not stay here while they bothered her sister-in-law. She couldn’t move fast, but that didn’t mean she had to sit idly by while Missy struggled. She edged forward, intending to jump on the man’s back when the opportunity presented itself.
“Anyone else in there?” the second robber asked.
“One more lady.”
“Get her out.”
The gunman pushed Missy to the ground and returned to the stage.
Louise was on her feet waiting for him, so when he returned, she kicked him in the face. The gun fell to his feet as he grabbed her and yanked her headfirst from the coach.
She landed on her hands and knees. Thank God. Thank God. If she’d landed on her belly...
The outlaw headed toward Louise.
She tried to scramble away.
“Leave her alone.” Appearing from the bushes, Nate sprang forward and punched the man in the nose. Blood spurted from beneath his bandanna and he fell to the dirt, clutching his nose.
The robber growled and Louise heard a gunshot ring out.
Right in front of her, Nate fell to the ground. His eyes were wide and it seemed he had stopped breathing.
Louise’s heart froze within her. Was Nate dead? She began to tremble and had to rein herself in from rushing to his side, but the man on horseback still wielded the gun. Had she been the cause of Nate’s death, and only one day into their journey?
Then she sucked in air and looked at his shoulder. A hole in his coat indicated where he’d been shot.
Despite the danger to herself, and still on her hands and knees, she crawled to his side. “Nate? Nate?”
Before she could determine whether he was alive or dead, she heard another blast of gunfire and a barked order. “Throw down your weapons.” She looked up and saw the driver holding a shotgun, aimed at the man on horseback.
With a curse, he threw his gun to the ground.
Sam gathered up both guns.
The driver threw down rope and the pair were soon trussed up.
She saw it all out of the corner of her eye while she knelt at Nate’s side. She looked down at him and realized for the first time that he was breathing. Only now did she think herself capable of drawing in a breath of her own.
“I’m okay,” he said. “The bullet only grazed me. When I saw them approaching, I took to the trees, hoping to waylay them. They got around me. I tried to get here sooner but didn’t want them to hear my approach.”
“Stop talking.” He’d been nearby all the time. The thought made her feel better. “You’re bleeding.” A dark stain had spread around the hole in his coat, and it was growing larger. “Let me look at it.” She started to unbutton his coat, but he grabbed her hands.
“Never mind me. You took a bad tumble. Are you okay?”
She looked into his eyes. Felt herself sinking into the concern she saw there. He brought his free hand up and cupped the side of her head.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
He sounded as if he cared. As if it mattered to him. More than just keeping his promise to get her safely to the ranch. Her throat thickened. “I’m okay.” Realizing her thoughts were foolish and impossible, she turned back to his coat and worked on his buttons. “Let me look at that wound.”
He sat up, undid the buttons on his own, but let her pull the coat from his injured arm. She tore the shirt to expose the wound. “I’ll mend it for you later.”
She wiped the blood away with her white hankie, the one she’d been tempted to press to her nose all day. “You’re right. It’s only a graze. But I expect it hurts like all get out.”
“No cowboy cries over a flesh wound.” He pulled his coat back on and stood, reaching out to help her to her feet.
She hurt in places she hadn’t known existed, but she would not complain.
Sam grinned. “We’re a tough lot.”
She didn’t know if he meant her, but then he looked at her and she felt included.
“Let’s get this rig on the road again,” the driver called. “Put that pair on their horses. We’ll take them to Fort Benton.”
Sam pushed them into their saddles. When Nate reached for his horse, Sam said, “I’ll escort them. Why don’t you ride inside.”