Protecting Amy by Susan Page Davis

Author:Susan Page Davis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

ten

Kip quivered, his ears switching back and forth as Amy pulled hard on the reins and circled him at a canter.

“Tom!” she screamed.

Unbelievably, he was on his feet. She saw him run, stooping for his musket, then head toward Buck.

The horse was struggling to rise, but one hind leg wouldn’t hold him.

The three riders were close, the paint horse out in front by several yards, but she was closer. She pushed Kip toward Tom.

Tom stood, his feet apart, using Buck as a shield. She saw the smoke from his rifle before she heard the report, and the big man on the paint jerked and tumbled from his saddle. Tom threw his musket down as she reached him and drew his revolver.

Kip stopped so fast he nearly went over backward. The two remaining riders checked momentarily, just out of pistol range.

Tom turned toward her. “You crazy woman! I told you to go!”

She kicked her foot out of the left stirrup, and he jumped up behind her.

“Go!” he yelled in her ear before he was settled.

Kip bounded away. Amy tried to look back, but all she could see was Tom’s shoulder and his grim face.

“Are they coming?” she shouted.

“Not yet.”

His left arm encircled her waist, and he held her firmly. She pushed Kip on.

“We need to rest,” she said after several miles, turning so he could hear her.

She felt him turn in the saddle.

“Find some cover.”

They were coming into an area of rock formations. Amy guided Kip between two tall columns and eased him down to a walk.

“Whoa, Kip.”

Tom slid down and reached up to catch her as she jumped from the saddle. “Let him breathe.”

“He needs water.”

“I know. We’ll come back to the river after a while. He’ll have to wait until then.” He detached the canteen from the saddle and handed it to her.

“I’m sorry about Buck.”

Tom shrugged, but she knew he felt the loss deeply. She took a small sip of water and offered him the canteen. He took it and put the stopper in without drinking.

“Too bad I couldn’t get that other horse.”

“Did they stop chasing us?” she asked.

“No. I think they stopped long enough to reload and see if their friend was dead is all.”

“Is he?”

“I hit him point blank.”

“So what now?”

“Now I get up on that rock over there and watch behind us while you hang on to Kip. If we lose him, we’ve had it.”

She nodded soberly.

His face was like granite as he stood on the boulder, facing west. He’d lost his hat when Buck fell, so he shaded his eyes with one hand. She held Kip’s reins, and the horse stood breathing deeply, not seeming to care about the parched grass anymore.

She wanted to ask Tom what they would do if Kip fell, but she didn’t want to think about that.

❧

Tom stood immobile, watching, trying not to let his thoughts stray to Buck. Amy led Kip over to the base of the rock. She started to lean against it but jumped away quickly from its fiery hot surface.

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