The Sheriff's Outcast Bride by Margaret Tanner

Author:Margaret Tanner [Tanner, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2015-11-29T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Saturday morning. A gusty wind buffeted the shack, driving dust through the cracks in the walls.

Ryan had loosened every board in readiness for them to slip into the cavernous hole. Where it led they had no idea. A commotion outside had them stepping over to the door.

“Pa’s dead,” Cal yelled. “Wes Carstairs refuses to pay the ransom.”

“Goddam sonofabitch,” one of the men snarled. “Were ya followed?”

Amidst the cussing, Becky heard Cal say. “I’m gonna kill her.”

“We’ve got the sheriff as well,” another said.

“Get some of that dynamite we found and blow them to smithereens,” another voice growled.

“I wanna do it,” Cal shouted. “They killed Pa.”

“We have to get out of here now,” Ryan said, grabbing Becky’s hand. They rushed to the back of the shack, desperately ripping at the boards. He pushed her through the gap. She stumbled and fell to her knees. He dived in and landed on top of her. Sure footed as a cat he rolled off her, jumped to his feet, dragging her upright, and dashed to the back of the cavern. It appeared to open up into a narrow tunnel.

A massive explosion threw them against the rock wall. The noise of the blast almost deafened Becky. Her mouth filled with dust. A low rumbling noise was followed by crashing rocks.

“Sonofabitch, part of the wall must have caved in.”

“We’re entombed,” she shrilled, her nerves shredded by the explosion and days of incarceration.

“No, there will be another entrance. Come on, darlin’. You’re safe, I won’t let anything hurt you.” His words sounded distorted, but he held her close, wrapping his arms around her. She buried her face in the warmth and strength of his chest.

“I wish you hadn’t seen me in such a filthy state.”

He burst out laughing. “So like a woman. We beat death by mere inches and all you can worry about is your appearance.” He stepped back. “Come on let’s take a look around. There must be an opening somewhere, otherwise it would be pitch black. Stay here and I’ll check the front first, see how the shack and surrounds fared.”

“Be careful, my love.” She whispered the last two words. She was beginning to suspect that even as a child she had harbored feelings for Ryan. It would explain why she acted so cheeky and brattish in front of him. She had wanted him to notice her, like her even, only it had backfired, made him dislike her.

After he left Blackwood she always hoped he would return. As the years passed and he stayed away, she had gradually started to have feelings for Jase. After Vaughan turned on her she became even more dependent on Jase. Oh, she had known he was weak and shallow, spoilt outrageously by his father. The only thing he ever defied his father over was his friendship with her. If she had let him have his way with her, would he have cast her aside, even if Lucinda hadn’t come on the scene?

“Dammit,” Ryan’s snarl interrupted her musing. “There’s a mountain of rock blocking the entrance.

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