forward as the horse broke into a labored gallop.
Alarmed, Daisy grabbed the roof support for balance. “What are you doing? Why are we going so fast?”
The buggy rocked wildly as they picked up speed. Behind the seat, Kate awoke with a cry. Clinging to the support with her right hand, Daisy reached back with her left to pin the child to the floor as the buggy careened along the rocky road.
“Slow down!” she shouted at Blake. “You’ll tip us over!”
He swung faster, the whip whistling through the air, making sharp snapping sounds as it struck the horse.
Up ahead, a man ran out of the brush and into the road. He waved a rifle over his head and shouted something she couldn’t hear. She looked at Blake, waiting for him to slow down.
Instead, he laughed and struck the wheezing horse harder.
Daisy tried to grab the whip.
He blocked her with his shoulder, almost knocking her from the buggy.
Two more men ran into the road, shouting, their rifles raised to their shoulders and aimed at the buggy bearing down on them.
Terrified they would start shooting, Daisy made a desperate grab for the reins.
Cursing, Blake jerked his hands aside, causing the horse to stumble. As he sawed on the reins, the horse whipped its head side to side, slinging streamers of bloody foam from its mouth.
“Stop!” Daisy grabbed Blake’s arm.
He shook her off, slamming his elbow into her cheek, driving her hard into the roof supports. Behind them, Kate clutched at the backrest, shrieking.
They were almost on the men now. Blake was laughing, too lost in his own insanity to heed the danger. Panting with terror, her head reeling from the blow, Daisy balled her hand into a fist and drove it as hard as she could into Blake’s eye.
He rocked back, arms coming up. The leathers slipped from his grip. The horse stumbled on the loose reins tangled in its legs as one of the men in the road ran alongside and grabbed for the halter.
The buggy shuddered to a stop.
“What’d you do that for?” Blake whipped toward her, teeth bared. “They wouldn’t have shot at us, you stupid woman!” Snarling, he drew back his hand.
With a cry, Daisy ducked over Kate.
But instead of the expected blow, she felt the buggy rock. Shouts. Then she looked up to see Blake flying through the air. He landed in a sprawl at the feet of three men who loomed over him with rifles pointed at his face.
The next moments passed in a blur of confusion. The men in the road seemed to know Blake. Soon all four men were shouting.
Daisy just wanted out of the buggy. Grabbing Kate and her valise, she climbed down onto wobbly legs as an older fellow walked around to her side. She drew back, one hand clutching Kate, the other ready to swing her valise at his face.
“Are you all right, ma’am?”
“Yes.” Daisy eyed him warily, still shaking from the ordeal. “No thanks to that madman.” She glared over to where Blake argued with the other two ranch hands. “I don’t know what came over him—he’s—he almost got us killed.”
The man must have seen her agitation. “It’s over now, ma’am. You’re safe. The little one okay?”
“Yes.” Daisy took a deep breath and let it out. It helped. Feeling calmer, she lowered the valise and asked the man if he was from the ranch.
He was. And after hearing that she was on her way there to see Jack, he introduced himself as Carl Langley and offered to escort her to the house himself.
Daisy hesitated, wondering if this man was any more trustworthy than Blake. He looked kindly. But she’d thought the same about Blake. “And him?”
Langley glanced over at the disheveled man arguing with the others. “No, ma’am. He’ll be heading back to Val Rosa.” The way he said it told Daisy he didn’t care whether Blake made it back in one piece or not. She just hoped the horse would.
“Can you ride?” Langley asked. It’s only about ten more miles.”
Only? “Yes.” Although it would be difficult holding Kate, Daisy
Alarmed, Daisy grabbed the roof support for balance. “What are you doing? Why are we going so fast?”
The buggy rocked wildly as they picked up speed. Behind the seat, Kate awoke with a cry. Clinging to the support with her right hand, Daisy reached back with her left to pin the child to the floor as the buggy careened along the rocky road.
“Slow down!” she shouted at Blake. “You’ll tip us over!”
He swung faster, the whip whistling through the air, making sharp snapping sounds as it struck the horse.
Up ahead, a man ran out of the brush and into the road. He waved a rifle over his head and shouted something she couldn’t hear. She looked at Blake, waiting for him to slow down.
Instead, he laughed and struck the wheezing horse harder.
Daisy tried to grab the whip.
He blocked her with his shoulder, almost knocking her from the buggy.
Two more men ran into the road, shouting, their rifles raised to their shoulders and aimed at the buggy bearing down on them.
Terrified they would start shooting, Daisy made a desperate grab for the reins.
Cursing, Blake jerked his hands aside, causing the horse to stumble. As he sawed on the reins, the horse whipped its head side to side, slinging streamers of bloody foam from its mouth.
“Stop!” Daisy grabbed Blake’s arm.
He shook her off, slamming his elbow into her cheek, driving her hard into the roof supports. Behind them, Kate clutched at the backrest, shrieking.
They were almost on the men now. Blake was laughing, too lost in his own insanity to heed the danger. Panting with terror, her head reeling from the blow, Daisy balled her hand into a fist and drove it as hard as she could into Blake’s eye.
He rocked back, arms coming up. The leathers slipped from his grip. The horse stumbled on the loose reins tangled in its legs as one of the men in the road ran alongside and grabbed for the halter.
The buggy shuddered to a stop.
“What’d you do that for?” Blake whipped toward her, teeth bared. “They wouldn’t have shot at us, you stupid woman!” Snarling, he drew back his hand.
With a cry, Daisy ducked over Kate.
But instead of the expected blow, she felt the buggy rock. Shouts. Then she looked up to see Blake flying through the air. He landed in a sprawl at the feet of three men who loomed over him with rifles pointed at his face.
The next moments passed in a blur of confusion. The men in the road seemed to know Blake. Soon all four men were shouting.
Daisy just wanted out of the buggy. Grabbing Kate and her valise, she climbed down onto wobbly legs as an older fellow walked around to her side. She drew back, one hand clutching Kate, the other ready to swing her valise at his face.
“Are you all right, ma’am?”
“Yes.” Daisy eyed him warily, still shaking from the ordeal. “No thanks to that madman.” She glared over to where Blake argued with the other two ranch hands. “I don’t know what came over him—he’s—he almost got us killed.”
The man must have seen her agitation. “It’s over now, ma’am. You’re safe. The little one okay?”
“Yes.” Daisy took a deep breath and let it out. It helped. Feeling calmer, she lowered the valise and asked the man if he was from the ranch.
He was. And after hearing that she was on her way there to see Jack, he introduced himself as Carl Langley and offered to escort her to the house himself.
Daisy hesitated, wondering if this man was any more trustworthy than Blake. He looked kindly. But she’d thought the same about Blake. “And him?”
Langley glanced over at the disheveled man arguing with the others. “No, ma’am. He’ll be heading back to Val Rosa.” The way he said it told Daisy he didn’t care whether Blake made it back in one piece or not. She just hoped the horse would.
“Can you ride?” Langley asked. It’s only about ten more miles.”
Only? “Yes.” Although it would be difficult holding Kate, Daisy
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