Jeremy came to a small creek and let the horses drink. He’d cross the Guadeloupe River in a few hours. By then it would be very hot and he’d be ready for a quick dip in the April-cold water. The horses would need a little break, too. They’d been pushing steadily.
He checked his watch and urged his horses forward. He was pushing them hard, he knew, but if he played his cards right, he’d have the woman he pursued, and then Ellie’s horses could be returned to the pasture for a good rest.
For the moment, though, he had to ride hard, fast and with extreme caution. He couldn’t afford to approach Anna Red Shoes with less than total concentration.
ANNA STOPPED at the river and unsaddled Calamity. It was time to change horses, but she also needed a break. It was well after noon and she hadn’t eaten all day. The horses, too, needed some grass.
By her calculation she was at least eight hours ahead of Jeremy. No matter how good a tracker Jeremy hired, they couldn’t travel any faster than she was going. In places the terrain was too rugged. The ground was dry and hard, and on the steep inclines, the shale broke loose under the weight of her horse. That made going slow. But it would be as slow for her pursuers as it was for her.
She had time for a little bite to eat and, maybe, to stick her toes in the river. The Guadeloupe was a beautiful crystal-green, and though she knew the water would be cold, it was also inviting.
Once she removed the saddle and packs, the horses rolled in the grass that was just turning green. For all of the trouble she was in, the sight gave her a rush of pleasure.
The land around her was not familiar, but Anna didn’t doubt her ability to find her way to Maria Gonzalez’s spread. It was due west. To confuse the posse that she knew would be after her, she’d zigged and zagged a bit, but she was still on course.
She gave the horses a meager ration of the grain she’d brought and took out a peanut butter sandwich for herself. She wanted a cup of coffee, but she had no intention of taking the time to build a fire. Later, when she camped for the night, she’d indulge in something hot.
Sitting on a flat rock in the sun, munching her sandwich, Anna had a twinge of conscience. Jeremy Masterson had gotten what he deserved, but it bothered her just a little. She wasn’t in the habit of tying men up and abandoning them.
She hadn’t had any choice. Still, it worried her. It was early spring and therefore unlikely that snakes would be out—but anything could happen. She shook her head. Jeremy was too tough to attract a predator. Not even a bear could stomach that man!
Still… She stood up, unable to relax. Ultimately she’d have to answer for her actions. And for the accusations that had been hurled unjustly at her. When she did, she wanted a good lawyer at her side. History was not going to repeat itself.
She forced herself to sit down and lean against her saddle. The sun was warm. She was content with the food she’d eaten. She closed her eyes and tried to summon the serenity to rest for a few moments. The horses needed a break, and it behooved her to try and grab twenty minutes, too. Then she could wash her face and get back on the trail.
Anna heard the call of a red-winged blackbird, and that was the last thing she remembered until she opened her eyes. She could tell by the sun that at least two hours had passed. Her first impulse was to panic, but then she realized she was still far ahead of the men who would be tracking her.
Calamity and Allegro were grazing peacefully only ten yards away. Everything was fine.
She walked down to the river and took off her boots and then her pants. Sticking her toes in, she realized the water was even colder than she’d assumed. Too cold for a swim, but perfect to wash the sleepiness away. She knelt down, cupped her hands and brought the water to her face.
She was beside a clear pool where the current gurgled and sang, and she listened to the tune of the river. Her grandfather had once told her a story about a young maiden who’d looked into the water and seen her lover’s face. It was a romantic but lovely story… Anna bent lower, staring into the crystal water.
She was completely unprepared when her feet slipped on the rock. Before she could catch herself, she tumbled into the icy water. The shock was so intense that when she came up for air, she was gasping.
Anna felt as if she’d been shot. Her flannel shirt, sopping, tugged her beneath the surface. She worked the buttons and slipped out of it, flopping it up on the rock.
The current was stronger than it had first seemed, and Anna clutched at the rock until she regained her wind and her composure. The moment struck her as funny, and she chuckled at the stupidity of her situation.
Now that she was over the initial shock of the water, she found that it wasn’t as cold as she’d first assumed. In fact, it was downright pleasant, even if the current was a little fast for her taste. She let go of the rock, swam to the center of the deep pool and began to swim against the current. After the long hours in the saddle, the free sensation of swimming was wonderful.
Realizing that she hadn’t packed additional clothes, Anna took off her under-things and threw them up on the bank in the sun. She wanted to dry them before she rode on. Naked, she gave herself to the cold water and the hot sun and memories of a childhood of freedom.
FOAM LATHERED Jetta’s neck as Jeremy pushed the mare harder. He was closing in on Anna. He could tell. On the top of a rise he pulled to a halt and scanned the small valley below him.
The Guadeloupe shimmered through a break of cottonwood trees. On his first examination, Jeremy spotted the Appaloosa grazing on the bank of the river. He had found Anna Red Shoes!
“Easy, Jetta,” he said to the mare as he backed her away. The horse he was leading had pricked up her ears and was getting ready to call out to the horses by the river.
“Shush!” he ordered, turning his mount away and heading both horses back down the hill. When he came to a grove of cedars, he got off and tied them up. The rest of the journey he’d make on foot.
He pulled the Marlin 30-30 out of his sheath, and checked it and his pistol to be sure they were loaded. Even as he did it, he felt melodramatic. Anna Red Shoes might be the granddaughter of a famous Native warrior and a murderer, but she was just a woman.
One that had bested him already, he reminded himself. She wasn’t someone to play around with. He hefted the rifle and a pair of binoculars, and started back up to the hillside.
He traveled north along the crest of the hill until he found several large rocks and some scrub cedars that made a good hiding place. He wedged himself among the boulders and pulled out the binoculars.
His gaze swept over the horses, grazing peacefully. Luckily his approach had been downwind or Anna’s horses would have smelled his. As it was, the little scene in the valley looked awfully quiet.
Anna was nowhere in sight, and he continued to search for her. She had to be nearby. She would never have left her horses alone.
Movement on the edge of the river caught his attention and he focused the binoculars there. His heart slammed hard against his ribs as he watched a tall, slender woman—dark hair dripping a curtain of water—climb up onto a rock. She was completely naked and seemed absolutely comfortable with her lack of clothing.
He held his breath until he thought his lungs would burst. Anna dove back into the river. It was a beautiful, controlled dive that revealed every inch of her perfect body.
Jeremy fought against the sensations that seemed to hit him with the force of a lightning bolt. He was a man who loved women, and he was always aware of their beauty. But he’d never had a reaction like the one Anna evoked.
He desired her. But he also held her in a certain awe. She was so much a part of the landscape. She belonged to the water of the Guadeloupe and the sun and the rocks in a way that