“Well, city woman, let’s go. Just follow me and don’t complain and don’t ask questions.”
“Wait.” She grabbed her purse and the sweater from the car. She tied the sweater around her neck and slung the purse over her shoulder. Then she got in line behind him as if they were going on a march or something. He shook his head and started off.
For the first thirty minutes she followed on his heels, but the longer they walked, the farther she trailed behind. She was getting tired and wouldn’t admit it, so he slowed down to give her a break. The problem was, they wouldn’t make it far enough to get cell reception before dark.
The woods were beautiful this time of year. The browns of fall and winter had turned to lively shades of green. New life. New season. New beginnings. Rabbits and squirrels scurried about and birds chirped in perfect harmony, the best music to guide their way. A snake slithered up a tree, but he didn’t show her. He feared she might freak out. He glanced back to check how far behind she was, and saw the sun setting in the west. Without thinking, he pointed.
She gasped as she viewed the beautiful oranges and reds that emanated from the large, fiery ball. “How beautiful. It looks as if the woods are on fire.”
He never grew tired of watching the sun set in Texas on Rebel Ranch. It made him aware that there were more important things in the world than his tiny problems.
“We might as well bed down for the night.”
She stared at him with something close to shock in her eyes. “Out here? Maybe our cells will work now.”
“They won’t. We didn’t make it far enough.”
She reached in her purse and pulled out her phone. After several attempts to call, she gave up. “Can we keep walking?”
“It’s too dangerous at night. We’ll stay here and start again in the morning.”
“I went camping once when I was a kid, and I didn’t like it. I don’t think I’m going to like it now, either.”
He laid his rifle on the ground and removed his duster. He spread it out on the sparse grass. “We can rest on this.”
Without a word she sank onto it. Her breathing was labored. “I don’t mean to complain or anything, but water would be heavenly.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” He knelt and fished a canteen from the pocket of the duster.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a collapsible canteen. See—” he unfolded the durable plastic “—we have something to drink out of.”
“But we have no water.”
“There’s a natural spring not far from here.”
She got up on her knees. “You’re not going to leave me here?”
“I won’t be far. Just holler if something happens.”
She sank back on the duster as if in defeat. He watched her for a moment and thought she was holding up well for a city woman.
It didn’t take him long to find the spring. He filled the canteen and drank from it, and then filled it again for her. When he returned, she was sitting on the duster with her arms wrapped around her waist, watching the woods warily. It was getting dark now and her eyes lit up at the sight him. He realized for the first time they were blue—a brilliant, beautiful blue, like a field of Texas bluebonnets.
He sat beside her as she drank the water.
“This is divine.”
“It’s springwater and the best there is.”
She handed him the canteen and he shook his head. “I drank at the spring.”
“Wait.” She dug around in her purse and pulled out two chocolate bars. “I forgot I have Kit Kat bars. I never go anywhere without chocolate.”
“No, tha—”
She held one in front of his face. “Eat it. It’s all we have.”
Before he knew it, he was eating a candy bar with her.
The darkness closed in like a wall, isolating them. It was a dark night and they couldn’t see beyond their hands as crickets serenaded them. The quarter moon hung like a big, bright banana and served as a small spotlight of reassurance that the world was still out there.
She scooted back on the duster. “Thank you for doing this.”
“Yeah.” What else did she want him to say?
“I don’t think we introduced ourselves. You said you worked on Rebel Ranch. Do you know the Rebel family?”
“You could say that. I’m Egan Rebel.”
“Oh, are you Phoenix’s brother?”
“Yes.” It felt a little strange that she knew his family.
“He was in my class in school. He spiked the punch at one of my parties and got everyone drunk.”
“That’s Phoenix. The life of the party.”
“He was always fun to be around, but he was one of the wild boys the girls were told to stay away from. All the Rebel boys were known for that, but it didn’t keep the girls from talking about them or wanting to go out with them.”
“Did you want to go out with Phoenix?”
“No. He really was a little wild for me. I was timid in school.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“It was twelve years ago. I’ve matured and now wild boys don’t scare me at all.” She scooted forward. “I’m Rachel...Rachel Hollister.”
Egan’s chest caved in. It took a moment before he could speak. She couldn’t be... No way. But he had to ask the question. “Are you Judge Hollister’s daughter?”
“Yes. Do you know my father?”
Egan was a mild-mannered man and hate didn’t come easily for him, but he hated Judge Hollister. The man had sent him to prison without any hard evidence. He’d sent him into the bowels of hell and Egan had barely escaped with his life. It seemed surreal that he was sitting here with his daughter. A daughter the man loved. For a brief moment he wondered how Judge Hollister would feel if he lost his daughter. Egan wanted him to feel some of the pain he’d felt.
Could he be the criminal Judge Hollister had branded him?
“I can’t sleep.” The woman twisted and turned.
“Just be still.”
“I’m trying, but the ground is so hard.” She sat up and untied the sweater from around her neck. Wadding it into a ball, she placed it on the duster and used it for a pillow. “That’s better.”
After a few minutes she grew still and Egan knew she was close to sleep. The temperature had dropped for the evening and it was cooler. She curled into a ball with her arms wrapped around her waist. He reached over, grabbed the end of the duster and pulled it over her legs so she wouldn’t be cold. When he did that, he knew he couldn’t harm one hair on her head. He wasn’t that type of man. No matter what Judge Hollister had done to him, he had no desire for revenge. At least, not that type of revenge.
“What time do you think it is?” she asked, surprising him.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“No. I’m just tired.”
“Rest, then.”
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“In