further they rode into the night, the more her closeness stirred him. Her hair smelled like vanilla as it rested between her face and his chest. A few tendrils caught by the wind tickled the side of his neck. Her side pressed against his torso forever altering his view of this childhood friend. He no longer struggled with seeing her as woman instead of a little girl.
He would do whatever was necessary to protect Julia Colter and see her safely to the Arizona Territory.
“Papa! Papa, wake up.”
His little girl’s voice invaded Reuben’s slumber. Slowly opening his eyes, he squinted at the light shining in through the window.
“Papa! Auntie Julia is gone!” little Elizabeth cried.
Shooting upright in his bed, he grabbed his daughter by the shoulders and shook her. “What do you mean Julia is gone?”
Elizabeth dissolved into tears, failing to give him the answers he needed. He shouted at her to leave his room then grabbed his trousers and a shirt, dressing hastily. His head pounded with his swift movements, causing him to slow his pace.
“Mary!” he hollered for his wife as he approached the kitchen. “Where is Julia?”
“How am I supposed to know? She’s your sister.”
Getting nowhere, he ran to Julia’s room. A flash from his drunken stupor the night before danced across his vision. A brief pang of regret threatened near the surface. He was sorry it took such extreme measures to temper his sister.
Elizabeth’s words came back to him, reminding him that Julia was gone. He searched through her things, noting an empty space in her dresser and the missing carpet bag.
Bursting out of her room, he stormed to his office. Pacing back and forth, he tried to decide what to do. If she left after he fell asleep, she would have nearly half a day head start. And where would she have gone? To the Larsons? To Will?
Rubbing his palm against his pounding head, he knew he had to send someone out looking for her. He had to get her back. Rushing out to the bunkhouse, he found his foreman and instructed him to send someone trustworthy to speak with him for a special assignment.
Half an hour later, Bates appeared in the doorway of his office.
“Please take a seat,” Reuben said, unable to hide his tenseness.
Bates did as instructed.
“It seems my foolish sister has run off in the middle of the night. I suspect she may have headed to Larson’s ranch. I need you to ride out and bring her back.”
“Yes, sir,” Bates said, rising.
Gideon Bates mounted his steed, still puzzled over why Colter would choose him to go after his missing sister. In the year he worked on the Star C, he spoke to him only once—and that was to secure his employment away from Will Colter. Other than that brief conversation, he had no contact with Reuben.
Nevertheless, he had been sent to fetch his boss’s sister.
He had seen Julia Colter in the pastures. Not the typical female. Sure to be a thorn in any man’s side. He could understand Reuben’s frustrations with her.
When he arrived at Larson’s ranch, the place seemed deserted. He dismounted and headed toward the barn but didn’t find anyone.
Ambling toward the ranch house, Gideon paused. Odd that the youngest Larson boy wasn’t working with the horses. He thought the young man practically ran the horse side of the business. Reaching up his hand, he rapped on the door twice.
A young blonde woman answered the door. “May I help you?” she asked.
“Ah, yes, Miss…?”
“Larson. Caroline Larson.”
“Miss Larson,” he nodded. The defiance written in her stance told him he might have a better chance using a heap of sugar with this one. “Might you have a moment?”
“Certainly, Mr…?”
“Bates. From the Star C.”
A brief shadow passed across her features before she offered him a seat on the front porch. “What brings you here, Mr. Bates?”
“Well, seems Miss Colter has
He would do whatever was necessary to protect Julia Colter and see her safely to the Arizona Territory.
“Papa! Papa, wake up.”
His little girl’s voice invaded Reuben’s slumber. Slowly opening his eyes, he squinted at the light shining in through the window.
“Papa! Auntie Julia is gone!” little Elizabeth cried.
Shooting upright in his bed, he grabbed his daughter by the shoulders and shook her. “What do you mean Julia is gone?”
Elizabeth dissolved into tears, failing to give him the answers he needed. He shouted at her to leave his room then grabbed his trousers and a shirt, dressing hastily. His head pounded with his swift movements, causing him to slow his pace.
“Mary!” he hollered for his wife as he approached the kitchen. “Where is Julia?”
“How am I supposed to know? She’s your sister.”
Getting nowhere, he ran to Julia’s room. A flash from his drunken stupor the night before danced across his vision. A brief pang of regret threatened near the surface. He was sorry it took such extreme measures to temper his sister.
Elizabeth’s words came back to him, reminding him that Julia was gone. He searched through her things, noting an empty space in her dresser and the missing carpet bag.
Bursting out of her room, he stormed to his office. Pacing back and forth, he tried to decide what to do. If she left after he fell asleep, she would have nearly half a day head start. And where would she have gone? To the Larsons? To Will?
Rubbing his palm against his pounding head, he knew he had to send someone out looking for her. He had to get her back. Rushing out to the bunkhouse, he found his foreman and instructed him to send someone trustworthy to speak with him for a special assignment.
Half an hour later, Bates appeared in the doorway of his office.
“Please take a seat,” Reuben said, unable to hide his tenseness.
Bates did as instructed.
“It seems my foolish sister has run off in the middle of the night. I suspect she may have headed to Larson’s ranch. I need you to ride out and bring her back.”
“Yes, sir,” Bates said, rising.
Gideon Bates mounted his steed, still puzzled over why Colter would choose him to go after his missing sister. In the year he worked on the Star C, he spoke to him only once—and that was to secure his employment away from Will Colter. Other than that brief conversation, he had no contact with Reuben.
Nevertheless, he had been sent to fetch his boss’s sister.
He had seen Julia Colter in the pastures. Not the typical female. Sure to be a thorn in any man’s side. He could understand Reuben’s frustrations with her.
When he arrived at Larson’s ranch, the place seemed deserted. He dismounted and headed toward the barn but didn’t find anyone.
Ambling toward the ranch house, Gideon paused. Odd that the youngest Larson boy wasn’t working with the horses. He thought the young man practically ran the horse side of the business. Reaching up his hand, he rapped on the door twice.
A young blonde woman answered the door. “May I help you?” she asked.
“Ah, yes, Miss…?”
“Larson. Caroline Larson.”
“Miss Larson,” he nodded. The defiance written in her stance told him he might have a better chance using a heap of sugar with this one. “Might you have a moment?”
“Certainly, Mr…?”
“Bates. From the Star C.”
A brief shadow passed across her features before she offered him a seat on the front porch. “What brings you here, Mr. Bates?”
“Well, seems Miss Colter has
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