Jackson gave her a vicious shove. Sarah stumbled, righted herself, then dragged herself into the bedroom. Numb with grief, she gathered Abner’s clothing and stuffed it into a pillowcase. Why, after all these years, did Freddie Jackson have to turn up? And why did he want his son? Nothing made sense. Of one thing Sarah was certain. Freddie Jackson wasn’t going to take her son from her without a fight She’d follow him to he’ll and back if necessary.
“Hurry,” Jackson growled.
Sarah grabbed the pillowcase and Abner’s heavy jacket and hurried back to the parlor. “This is everything,” she said, handing the pillowcase to Jackson.
“Tell your mama goodbye, kid,” Jackson said as he dragged Abner out the door.
“Mama! Mama! Don’t let him take me!”
Sarah couldn’t stand it. Disregarding her own safety, she lunged at Jackson, gripping him around the middle in a futile attempt to stop him. Jackson spit out a curse and flung his arm back, tossing Sarah aside like a rag doll. By the time she regained her wits, Jackson had already mounted his horse and had Abner perched in front of him.
Abner was nearly frantic now, trying to dislodge himself from Jackson’s grasp. Sarah shook her head to clear it and picked herself off the floor. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll find you. Be brave.”
No answer was forthcoming. Darkness was all around her, suffocating her as pounding hoofbeats echoed in the distance. Sarah didn’t waste precious time crying and carrying on. She knew what she had to do and there wasn’t a moment to spare. If only Chad were here, she thought dimly. Chad would help her, she knew he would. But Chad had already left and she was on her own. Grabbing her jacket from the nail by the door, she rushed out into the night.
All was dark and silent inside the Barlows’ shack. Sarah knew they kept a swaybacked nag stabled in a small lean-to next to the house and she silently prayed for forgiveness as she saddled the animal and led him away. She hoped the Barlows would understand. Stealing was nothing compared to the lengths she was prepared to go to in order to save her son.
Mounting the horse, Sarah set a course toward Elk Mountain. She couldn’t be too far behind Jackson. With a little luck she would catch up to him by morning. Brilliant moonlight flooded the night as Sarah scanned the horizon. Then suddenly she saw him. He was riding east along a ridge, clearly outlined against the moonlit sky. Sarah offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving and took off after him.
Chapter 6
C had made camp in a canyon beneath a sheltered overhang a few miles east of Carbon. He saw no reason to continue on to Medicine Bow that night He’d all but given up on finding Freddie Jackson. After he made a campfire and ate a meager meal, he retrieved a stack of wanted posters from his saddlebags and sat down on a rock to study them by firelight. Three other outlaws were known to be in the area and he decided to question the leader of the local vigilante group in Medicine Bow in the morning. Perhaps Sean MacKay could give him a good lead on the other men.
Chad built up the fire to ward off wild animals, hoping that hostile Indians, known to be roaming the area, wouldn’t see it. Rolling up in his bedroll, Chad searched for sleep and failed to find it. He was restless and disturbed by things that shouldn’t bother him. Sarah and Abner were nothing to him. He’d given more of himself to Sarah than he’d given any other woman. The day his mother had left three small boys for a lover was the day he’d developed a deep distrust of all women.
Of the three brothers, Pierce had found a woman he could trust, a woman who loved him unconditionally, but Chad didn’t expect miracles where he was concerned. Cora Lee Doolittle, may she rest in peace, had come close to destroying the lives of all three Delaney brothers. Chad vividly recalled the day Cora Lee had died, and the changes that fateful moment had wrought in his
“Hurry,” Jackson growled.
Sarah grabbed the pillowcase and Abner’s heavy jacket and hurried back to the parlor. “This is everything,” she said, handing the pillowcase to Jackson.
“Tell your mama goodbye, kid,” Jackson said as he dragged Abner out the door.
“Mama! Mama! Don’t let him take me!”
Sarah couldn’t stand it. Disregarding her own safety, she lunged at Jackson, gripping him around the middle in a futile attempt to stop him. Jackson spit out a curse and flung his arm back, tossing Sarah aside like a rag doll. By the time she regained her wits, Jackson had already mounted his horse and had Abner perched in front of him.
Abner was nearly frantic now, trying to dislodge himself from Jackson’s grasp. Sarah shook her head to clear it and picked herself off the floor. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll find you. Be brave.”
No answer was forthcoming. Darkness was all around her, suffocating her as pounding hoofbeats echoed in the distance. Sarah didn’t waste precious time crying and carrying on. She knew what she had to do and there wasn’t a moment to spare. If only Chad were here, she thought dimly. Chad would help her, she knew he would. But Chad had already left and she was on her own. Grabbing her jacket from the nail by the door, she rushed out into the night.
All was dark and silent inside the Barlows’ shack. Sarah knew they kept a swaybacked nag stabled in a small lean-to next to the house and she silently prayed for forgiveness as she saddled the animal and led him away. She hoped the Barlows would understand. Stealing was nothing compared to the lengths she was prepared to go to in order to save her son.
Mounting the horse, Sarah set a course toward Elk Mountain. She couldn’t be too far behind Jackson. With a little luck she would catch up to him by morning. Brilliant moonlight flooded the night as Sarah scanned the horizon. Then suddenly she saw him. He was riding east along a ridge, clearly outlined against the moonlit sky. Sarah offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving and took off after him.
Chapter 6
C had made camp in a canyon beneath a sheltered overhang a few miles east of Carbon. He saw no reason to continue on to Medicine Bow that night He’d all but given up on finding Freddie Jackson. After he made a campfire and ate a meager meal, he retrieved a stack of wanted posters from his saddlebags and sat down on a rock to study them by firelight. Three other outlaws were known to be in the area and he decided to question the leader of the local vigilante group in Medicine Bow in the morning. Perhaps Sean MacKay could give him a good lead on the other men.
Chad built up the fire to ward off wild animals, hoping that hostile Indians, known to be roaming the area, wouldn’t see it. Rolling up in his bedroll, Chad searched for sleep and failed to find it. He was restless and disturbed by things that shouldn’t bother him. Sarah and Abner were nothing to him. He’d given more of himself to Sarah than he’d given any other woman. The day his mother had left three small boys for a lover was the day he’d developed a deep distrust of all women.
Of the three brothers, Pierce had found a woman he could trust, a woman who loved him unconditionally, but Chad didn’t expect miracles where he was concerned. Cora Lee Doolittle, may she rest in peace, had come close to destroying the lives of all three Delaney brothers. Chad vividly recalled the day Cora Lee had died, and the changes that fateful moment had wrought in his
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