Dream River by Dorothy Garlock

Author:Dorothy Garlock [GARLOCK, DOROTHY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000
ISBN: 9780759522824
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2001-04-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

Twelve

Amy moved silently beside Rain in the darkness, grateful for his presence. He was tense, alert, and he was very angry too. He had not said a word since they left the Frenchman. She was not sure if his anger was directed at her or at Eleanor. Every so often he stopped to listen and then moved on. A half moon was making its way up over the treetops, and the sky was growing lighter. An owl hooted; Rain paused, listened, and then . . . the same owl hooted again.

Eleanor’s voice came out of the darkness ahead, followed by Gavin telling her sternly to be quiet. Gavin had a right to be angry with Eleanor, Amy reasoned. In fact, they all did. Her foolish action earlier had almost cost Gavin his life. He had saved her from certain rape and possible death. Amy did not know how he had managed to evade the killing slash of the knife until she could toss hers to him. And had he been seriously wounded or killed, all that stood between her and that pack of low-life scum, until Rain arrived, had been that one shot in her rifle.

As they neared camp, Rain became more cautious. Finally he stopped and gently pushed Amy against the trunk of a tall aspen that stood like a sentinel in the dim light. He indicated by a show of his palm that she was to stay there and then moved away silently. The minutes were long while Amy waited—long and lonely. Then he suddenly appeared out of the darkness and beckoned.

As they neared the cabin, they heard a steady, evenly spaced sound and a low agonized sob, followed by Eleanor’s pleading voice. Amy knew instantly what the sound was, and so did Rain. It was the sound of a flat hand coming down hard on firm flesh at regular intervals.

“My God!” Rain exclaimed. “Has he lost his mind? She needs it, but—”

“Wait!” Amy put her hand on his arm to hold him back. “She almost got all of us killed tonight.”

“I know. But I can’t allow him to do that.”

“Why not? She deserves every swat she’s getting! Gavin is hurting—bad. He’s got a hundred cuts and bruises because of her stupidity.”

Rain looked down at Amy. She saw a flash of white teeth and knew he was smiling.

“Yeah. She deserves it. I should give you the same. I was so damn scared the hair raised up on the back of my neck when I saw you in the middle of the worst bunch of cutthroats along the river. Didn’t I tell you to stay out of sight and not show yourself in those britches?”

“They were so busy looking at Eleanor they didn’t even notice me.”

“The Frenchman noticed, and he liked what he saw. I don’t like any man looking at you the way that blasted Frenchman did.”

Rain flung his arm around her and, with a growl of impatience, jerked her roughly to him. Silent, joyous laughter bubbled up in Amy’s throat.

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