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Chapter 10
Nate was worried. He and Oliver tracked the gang over some of the roughest terrain imaginable with no luck in catching up with them. How they stayed ahead of them like they did was a genuine mystery.
He could not imagine their reasoning for traveling south of their hideout in the hills near Lawton, but that’s what it looked like they were doing. Could they be heading to Mexico?
They needed fresh horses and supplies. He suggested they head to Fort Arbuckle. Perhaps they could recruit a little help with their mission from the army, as well as exchange horses and obtain supplies to continue on.
Although it meant veering to the north a bit, Oliver agreed that it was a wise thing to do. If they could get help, they could split up and cover more ground. He, like Nate, was concerned about the length of time Elise was held hostage. Was she even still alive? If so, what condition was she in?
Oliver
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Paper Widow Chapter 13
Elise put her ear as close to the window as she could. They left her alone for such a long time, she grew bold enough to lower the blindfold and look around. The light hurt her eyes and the world was blurry for such an extended period of time that she began to worry her vision might have been impaired by the constant blindfold.From what she could gather, she was bound and blindfolded for about a month. She did her best to exercise her arms with them bound together like they were, but the rope burns made it difficult. The purplish hue of the raw sores on her wrists concerned her. She did not know much about rope burns, but she guessed that was not a good thing.The shed Elise was locked in was a small distance from the main house of the large ranch they arrived at just the night before. Even so, the sound traveled enough for her to hear a small group on the main house porch arguing about the dangers of bringing her there, the fact th
Paper Widow Chapter 14
Garth McCormick wondered if there’d ever be a time when he did not marvel at the beauty of the sunsets on the Texas plains. Not only were they breathtakingly beautiful, but they brought back memories of his mother before she got sick and died. She used to rush to sit on the front porch in time to catch the sunset. Often, she would pull him into her lap and hug him close while she whispered about how God’s angels were putting the sun to bed for the night and it would shine with equal beauty when they roused it from its slumber the following morning.He was born on that ranch not fourteen years earlier. Tall and lanky, he took after his mother’s side of the family; which was something his pa, Angus McCormick, reminded him of regularly. He did everything he could think of to gain some muscle and fat on his body, but to no avail. In fact, it seemed the more he ate the skinnier he got.He was the brunt of skinny jo
Paper Widow Chapter 15
Nate stepped out of the general store and adjusted the vest, jacket, and wide brimmed hat he just purchased. After talking with the bartender, he and Oliver decided it was best to shed their Pinkerton suits in favor of more casual western wear. Their clothes looked a little stiff and new, but, since they were headed back onto the trail, it would not take long for them to become dusty and lived in.He smiled to himself as he thought they finally might be able to pull one over on the Jefferson gang. Oliver even went so far as to see a barber and have most of his hair cut off. Once Nate recovered from the shock, he agreed Oliver looked better. Even so, when Oliver suggested Nate do the same thing, his friend declined most vehemently.Refreshed and feeling a new sense of hope, they headed back to where they left the trail of the kidnappers. It had only been a few days so Nate was confident he would be able to pick up where he left off.&n
Paper Widow Chapter 14
“What are you smiling about?” Nate asked as he led his horse out of the stable and climbed into the saddle. “You look like the cat who swallowed the canary. Was the whore house that good?”“The sacrifices I make for this job,” Oliver said through his grin.“I’m not in the mood for riddles,” Nate said with a scowl. “I’m glad we’re not staying in that poor excuse for a hotel. I’d been better off staying in the stables with the horses, I think. My back aches from the lumps in the mattress and I picked several critters off my person this morning.”“Did you find out where the ranch is located?” Oliver asked.“If you’d get on your horse, I’ll show you,” Nate practically barked.“Be nice to me or I won’t share my news with you,” Oliver warned in a friendly tone.“I hate it when you do this
Paper Widow Chapter 15
Angus paced the porch nervously while he listened to Garth regale the new arrivals with stories of his growing up on the ranch under the watchful eye of rough and tough ranch hands. They seemed like a decent enough sort. He tested them with handling a few horses and some stock and they held their own just fine. Even so, there was something about the way they looked at him that made him uncomfortable.Maybe it was all in his head. After all, he had only just sent Tom and his gang of hooligans off with their hostage that morning. Maybe he was feeling a little guilty about forcing himself on that helpless widow like he did and then packing her off to be sold as a whore. Garth was sure furious with him. In fact, the boy promised never to forgive him for it. Then, he was young yet. Angus was positive that once he had a few whores under him he would forget all about that dainty widow and maybe even have a good laugh at the puppy
Paper Widow Chapter 16
Tom sent a few men ahead to the store at Doan’s Crossing with a supply list. Angus provided them with enough food to last a week. Because they were mostly traveling off the main roads, he expected the trip to Mexico to take almost a month and he wanted to make sure they could hold out at least during their weeks of traveling through Indian territory without having to search for a supply post. It was bad enough worrying about Indians without worrying about food as well.“Seems like every time I turn around she’s pukin’,” Mike said as he positioned his horse next to Tom’s. “If she keeps it up, I can’t think how much actual we’ll get for her below the border.”“She’s carryin’,” Tom said with a shrug, “it’s to be expected.”“I thought she was untouched?” Mike said with surprise.“Keep our voice down,” Tom urged.
Paper Widow Chapter 17
The few choice words Angus had for Nate and Oliver when they informed him that they were quitting, after only just arriving, sat sour in Nate’s craw. He could understand the man’s irritation over having to shift things around to accommodate the gap in the work detail, but, since he and Oliver were only hired the day before, it shouldn’t have been such an inconvenience to warrant the fit the overseer threw. This showed Nate yet another side of the overseer that he did not like; as if his forcing a poke from Elise was not enough.They were half way into town when they decided it was better to wait until they were in a town that was less apt to report back to Angus that Nate was the new ranch owner and he was wiring the lawyer for Angus’ replacement. It would not do to be absent when Angus learned of his dismissal plans. After seeing the temper Angus harbored, Nate did not trust what he might do if left to his own devices. He could
Paper Widow Chapter 18
Angus scowled as he watched Nate and Oliver slowly walk their horses up the long drive with the Paper Widow sitting snug in front of Nate. As they drew closer, he sucked in his breath at the sight of Elise and Nate. They were clearly in a fight of some sort. Was that blood from a battle with Tom and his gang? His body twitched with nervous anxiety as while he waited for them to get close enough to give him answers.“I’m surprised to see you fellas back here,” Angus growled as Nate and Oliver pulled their horses to a halt just feet away from him.“Help me with her,” Nate said to Oliver.Oliver quickly dismounted and held out his hands for Nate to carefully lower the still traumatized Elise to him. Although she could stand, it was not without assistance, so he held her close to his chest while he waited for more instruction from Nate.Angus watched with silent angst as Nate slid off his horse and r
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