Caroline and the Raider by Linda Lael Miller

Author:Linda Lael Miller [Miller, Linda Lael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780671676384
Google: _IK2WJ80zQsC
Amazon: B003YFJ1RQ
Goodreads: 74019
Publisher: Pocket
Published: 1992-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

It was the strangest thing, Caroline reflected, as she walked along the dark street with Guthrie, how sometimes God would answer a person’s prayer before it had left their lips and sometimes He would ignore the prettiest pleas and reasonings.

“You’re actually taking me along? I’m going to help you find Flynn?”

Guthrie chuckled humorlessly. “I don’t know how much help you’ll be,” he answered, “but at least I’ll be able to keep an eye on you.”

Tob was trotting along at Caroline’s side, and she touched his furry head just to reassure herself that she was really out of jail. Maybe she’d never have to go back. “Are we leaving tonight?”

Guthrie nodded. “We’ll ride back to the place we lost Flynn and start from there.”

Caroline’s cheeks heated at the memory Guthrie’s words brought to mind. It was generous of him to say “the place we lost Flynn” when in truth Caroline had been the one to bungle the situation. “That’ll take all night, won’t it?”

“Probably,” Guthrie agreed. He glanced up at the sky. “But there’s a moon tonight, so we should make good time.”

They reached the livery stable, where Guthrie reclaimed their horses. The attendant knew Caroline as the illustrious woman prisoner who had helped Seaton Flynn escape, and then climbed out of a privy and made a run for it herself, so he had to be shown a release paper signed by Marshal Stone.

The sense of freedom Caroline felt as she rode along beside Guthrie through the moonlight was so trenchant that she very nearly couldn’t bear it. And she certainly didn’t trust herself to speak.

Guthrie seemed content with just the night sounds himself, though occasionally he whistled tunelessly through his teeth for a few minutes. Even when they stopped to rest the horses Guthrie didn’t speak; he appeared to be in a state of deep concentration.

Finally, just as the moon and stars were beginning to fade in the first glimmers of daylight, they reached the waterfall where Guthrie had had his last confrontation with Mr. Flynn.

“I’m sorry,” Caroline said hoarsely, as she climbed down out of the saddle and stood watching the sun rise over the peaks of the mountains.

Guthrie was already busy leading the horses downstream, away from the small waterfall, so they could drink. “For what?” he asked, in an offhand tone of voice, when he realized Caroline had followed him.

“It was my fault Seaton got away.” She came around to face Guthrie, reached up tentatively to touch the healing wound on the side of his head with gentle fingers. “And I’m to blame for this, too.”

Guthrie treated her to one of his crooked grins. “You do have a gift for showing up at the wrong time,” he conceded, spreading his hands in a magnanimous gesture. “But I’m willing to forgive you as long as you promise not to try to help me again.”

Caroline laughed. “You are generous.”

He touched her cheek with one hand, then thought better of the action and withdrew. “Gather up some firewood,” he said, breaking off a stick and testing it between his hands for flexibility.

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