Read Online Texas Brides Collection by Darlene Mindrup - Free Book Online
Authors: Darlene Mindrup
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whirled and walked inside.
Ma stood in the cabin, still dressed in her nightgown, sleep etched on her face. “Chet’s here?” she asked, combing her fingers through tousled brown hair.
“Yes, ma’am. He and Pa are talking outside. Not all of it about me. Chet said someone trailed Pa here last night and—”
A rifle shot split the air. Serena’s gaze flew to her ma’s. Color drained from her face, and Serena felt her heart seemingly leap from her chest. They scrambled through the door. Fear for Pa and Chet ran deeper than anything awaiting them.
Not forty feet from the cabin, Pa lay on the ground, one hand clutching his side and the other wrapped around his rifle. Blood oozed through his fingers, forming a crimson pool beside him.
“James, no!” Ma’s screams pierced the air.
Serena lost any thoughts of danger, and despite her ma’s and both men’s protests, hurried to his aid with her ma close behind. She and Serena bent behind his head and each grabbed under an arm to pull him from the blood-caked earth toward the cabin.
With one hand on his rifle, Chet peered in the direction of the barn and helped drag Pa on to safety. Another shot clipped Pa’s leg.
“We got you, Talbot,” a man’s voice called in a heavy Mexican accent, “right where we want you.”
Raucous laughter rang from the barn, enough to tell Serena more than one man lay in wait. Terror ripped through her body. For a moment it paralyzed her thoughts, except for a need to help get her pa inside. She caught his dulled gaze before he closed his eyes with the pain obviously wrenching through his body.
Chet snatched up a pistol then his gun belt and powder horn from his saddle. He fired again just before another shot zinged over his head. Stepping inside the cabin after Serena and her ma, he slammed the door shut.
Ma gathered up clean rags and pressed them against Pa’s side. “It’s gone clean through,” she said, her features rigid and her hands trembling. “Good, I guess…no bullet to remove.”
Serena lifted her pa’s rifle from his arms and laid it on the table. “His leg’s not bad, Ma. I’ll wrap it.”
“Cursed
bandidos,”
Pa managed, biting his lower lip. “We should have chased them into Mexico and ended it.”
“They’ll wish they’d stayed there by the time I’m finished with them,” Chet said, staring out the window. “I counted three of them, Cap’n.”
Ma used her apron to wipe the sweat trickling down Pa’s face. She took a clean piece of muslin from Serena and dabbed at the blood running down his leg. “Who are they?” Ma asked.
“What’s left of a murdering bunch we chased across the Rio,” Chet replied, searching the area between them and the barn.
“We got two bloodthirsty Texans,” the unseen man called out, his boasting echoing around them. “You both come out and the women go free.”
“Do they think we’re stupid?” Serena asked, picking up Pa’s rifle and toying with it in her hands.
God, help us. I’m scared, real scared
. Bloodstains on the wooden floor tore at her senses.
“Give me my rifle,” her pa said, his words raspy and labored. He lifted his arm, but his strength failed him.
“No,” she replied, feeling a strange mixture of anger and courage. “You aren’t in any shape to help Chet. Besides, I’m a ranger’s daughter, and I know how to use this.” She turned her attention to Chet and hoisted the rifle into her arms. “Pa knows I’ve beat him a time or two at target practice.”
“Sere—” But Pa couldn’t finish. He’d passed out.
“All right,” Chet began, still keeping watch through the window. “We can handle this. Mrs. Wilkinson, I need you to keep the guns loaded for Serena and me. Looks like three apiece.” He glanced about him. “Do you know how to measure the powder and load them?”
“Yes,” Ma managed, not once taking her sights from Pa’s face. “I…I can keep them loaded.”
“Serena, take the window in the other room.”
Ma stood in the cabin, still dressed in her nightgown, sleep etched on her face. “Chet’s here?” she asked, combing her fingers through tousled brown hair.
“Yes, ma’am. He and Pa are talking outside. Not all of it about me. Chet said someone trailed Pa here last night and—”
A rifle shot split the air. Serena’s gaze flew to her ma’s. Color drained from her face, and Serena felt her heart seemingly leap from her chest. They scrambled through the door. Fear for Pa and Chet ran deeper than anything awaiting them.
Not forty feet from the cabin, Pa lay on the ground, one hand clutching his side and the other wrapped around his rifle. Blood oozed through his fingers, forming a crimson pool beside him.
“James, no!” Ma’s screams pierced the air.
Serena lost any thoughts of danger, and despite her ma’s and both men’s protests, hurried to his aid with her ma close behind. She and Serena bent behind his head and each grabbed under an arm to pull him from the blood-caked earth toward the cabin.
With one hand on his rifle, Chet peered in the direction of the barn and helped drag Pa on to safety. Another shot clipped Pa’s leg.
“We got you, Talbot,” a man’s voice called in a heavy Mexican accent, “right where we want you.”
Raucous laughter rang from the barn, enough to tell Serena more than one man lay in wait. Terror ripped through her body. For a moment it paralyzed her thoughts, except for a need to help get her pa inside. She caught his dulled gaze before he closed his eyes with the pain obviously wrenching through his body.
Chet snatched up a pistol then his gun belt and powder horn from his saddle. He fired again just before another shot zinged over his head. Stepping inside the cabin after Serena and her ma, he slammed the door shut.
Ma gathered up clean rags and pressed them against Pa’s side. “It’s gone clean through,” she said, her features rigid and her hands trembling. “Good, I guess…no bullet to remove.”
Serena lifted her pa’s rifle from his arms and laid it on the table. “His leg’s not bad, Ma. I’ll wrap it.”
“Cursed
bandidos,”
Pa managed, biting his lower lip. “We should have chased them into Mexico and ended it.”
“They’ll wish they’d stayed there by the time I’m finished with them,” Chet said, staring out the window. “I counted three of them, Cap’n.”
Ma used her apron to wipe the sweat trickling down Pa’s face. She took a clean piece of muslin from Serena and dabbed at the blood running down his leg. “Who are they?” Ma asked.
“What’s left of a murdering bunch we chased across the Rio,” Chet replied, searching the area between them and the barn.
“We got two bloodthirsty Texans,” the unseen man called out, his boasting echoing around them. “You both come out and the women go free.”
“Do they think we’re stupid?” Serena asked, picking up Pa’s rifle and toying with it in her hands.
God, help us. I’m scared, real scared
. Bloodstains on the wooden floor tore at her senses.
“Give me my rifle,” her pa said, his words raspy and labored. He lifted his arm, but his strength failed him.
“No,” she replied, feeling a strange mixture of anger and courage. “You aren’t in any shape to help Chet. Besides, I’m a ranger’s daughter, and I know how to use this.” She turned her attention to Chet and hoisted the rifle into her arms. “Pa knows I’ve beat him a time or two at target practice.”
“Sere—” But Pa couldn’t finish. He’d passed out.
“All right,” Chet began, still keeping watch through the window. “We can handle this. Mrs. Wilkinson, I need you to keep the guns loaded for Serena and me. Looks like three apiece.” He glanced about him. “Do you know how to measure the powder and load them?”
“Yes,” Ma managed, not once taking her sights from Pa’s face. “I…I can keep them loaded.”
“Serena, take the window in the other room.”
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