They reached Brownsville with no mishaps. Aiden was reluctant to put Pauline through any more travel by horseback, or even buggy, until she’d been seen by a reputable doctor. His need to get to the ranch as fast as possible posed a problem. He approached Eliza and Angus with the dilemma. It was agreed that he would rent Eliza and Pauline rooms in Brownsville’s finest hotel and have a doctor sent for.  He and Angus would continue on to the ranch and return for them once the renegade threat was dealt with.Although Pauline would have preferred to continue on with Aiden, she wasn’t keen on getting caught up in any more gunfire. Plus she really was suffering from the pain in her hip. Even though she didn’t like the idea of being left without a male protector, she agreed it was the best course of action.Aiden waited to hear what the doctor had to say before he and Angus rode on to his ranch.  Pauline was correct with her self-diagnosis.&nb

Maggie climbed off her horse and handed the reins to Micky before giving the livery man instructions for the horse’s care and assuring him that she’d be less than an hour.  She hated Brownsville with all of its business and bustling of people going nowhere fast. She hadn’t been there in years for that reason.  Whenever something was needed from the shops that carried a variety of worldly goods the ports offered access to, she’d send a ranch hand.  Sometimes Aiden or Angus would fetch it themselves.Now, Aiden was missing and Angus was too injured to come. It was left up to her to inform the women about the happenings with their men.  From the descriptions Angus gave her of Pauline and Eliza’s temperaments, she anticipated it being a lot easier to tell Eliza about Angus being badly injured than it would be to tell Pauline that Aiden disappeared ten days ago and there was still no sign of him. She almost wished it was Aiden inju

Pauline was grateful that the stallion knew his way back to the ranch house.  It was dark before they reached the drive leading up to the house and its surrounding buildings and there was no moon or stars out to illuminate their way.“Who goes there?” shouted someone from a long outbuilding that Pauline guessed was where the ranch hands slept.“I am Pauline O’Malley,” she called out. “I have Maggie with me.  She’s hurt.”Lanterns filled the night and footsteps could be heard running from all directions as Pauline continued to allow the stallion to make his way up the drive.She heard Angus bellowing orders to his men long before she saw him approach the stallion. “Dear lord, gal.  You ride the wildest beast on the property!”“He does have some spunk,” she said as she relinquished Maggie’s limp body to the ranch hands who rushed up to carry her off and then

Pauline sat in the overstuffed wing-back chair next to the unlit fireplace in the main room of the large ranch house as the ranch hands who were going out each day searching for Aiden stood before her with hats in hand. They reminded her of nervous school children as they shifted from one foot to the other while fidgeting with their hats.  She wondered if she really looked that foreboding or if it was simply a matter of them not being used to standing in the presence of an eastern lady.  She hoped it was the latter. After much grilling, she learned that Aiden’s horse returned without him the same day of the ambush.  When Angus was able to speak and told them that he saw Aiden heading for Indian Ridge, they went out each day and searched for him, but with no luck. When she told them she intended to go and search herself, they worriedly warned her of the perils of the Indians who lived in that area.  They claimed they were lucky not to have run i

Parting was more amiable than he would have expected.  The chief was pleased with the quality of horses and saddles that were traded for Aiden. Aiden did his best to hide his emotions as he said goodbye to his prize gelding. He knew they had no other option than to trade for him, but he would miss his old friend. A cowboy and his horse were a partnership. He knew he’d be lost without him for some time.  As for the saddle, of course the chief was happy with it. It was crafted with the finest leather and custom made to fit his horse’s back; like a man would have a shoe made especially for his foot. The saddles on the other two horses were nothing to scoff at. Although they weren’t custom made for the horse, they were of quality.Pauline’s courageous entry into their village also impressed the chief. Not only did he praise her courage, but he expressed his pleasure that she felt she could walk into his village to trade; be it with horses or some