Rescuing the Pastor's Daughter Read online

  What to do with her was his problem. He could hardly leave her out here on her own. If her injuries were not too bad, he might be able to take her back into Calico Corner. It might cost him the chance of collecting the bounty on Clampett’s head. After what that vermin had done out here today, he would hunt him down for no reward. I want to see him hang.

  “Stay here. I’ll get my horse.”

  “Don’t leave me, please.”

  “I’ll only be gone a few minutes. Don’t move. I promise I’ll come back for you.”

  He hated leaving her alone, hurt and frightened, but had to collect Maverick. It was the only way he could get her back to the cave. She was only a little slip of a gal, but he doubted he could carry her that far. Besides, he had to find something to cover the pastor with, so as not to leave him to the mercy of the buzzards. He was tempted to fire at the filthy scavengers to frighten them off. It would only be temporary, as they would be back within a short time to recommence their feast, and he would have wasted bullets.

  “Don’t move, okay?” He patted her head before standing. “I won’t be long.” He strode toward the wagon and found the scorched blanket Mary must have hidden under. Picking it up, he went over to Pastor Schultz and covered him. He placed rocks along the edge of the blanket to hold it in place, then placed rocks on the top. By the stench of kerosene near the wagon, he realized Clampett must have drenched the canvas and set it alight. If there was any left, he could sprinkle it around the body, which would be something else to keep the buzzards at bay until he returned. There might even be salvageable supplies.

  Finding a half empty tin of kerosene, he took it over to the body and splashed it around. It was the best he could do for now.

  Chapter Three

  Finn strode off to collect Maverick, who was grazing a couple of hundred yards away. Once he was mounted and riding back to the still smoldering wagon, he tried to work out what to do. Where had the pastor been heading? Was there a Mrs. Schultz? If there was, surely she would have been with them and Mary would have said something. He had no idea what would become of her. Hopefully, she would have relatives who would take her in, or other church people.

  The Lutheran church was a German one, if his memory served him correctly. Not that religion had played much of a part in his life after his mother died.

  “You and me, Finn, my boy, up against the world,” his father had said, poking him in the ribs. They were never close because his father was too eaten up with the lure of gold, which blinded him to everything else. While ma lived, there was some semblance of normalcy in their lives but after she died, it took a downward spiral.

  He would have liked to have gone to school more regularly as he had liked book learning, but pa needed him, or so he said. Thinking back on it, he guessed the old man had done the best he could under the circumstances, although by his reckoning it was nowhere near enough.

  Mary had not moved so much as an inch from where he had first found her. Maybe she was unable to move. He had not thought to check her for injuries, other than the facial and arm ones. Even then he had only given them a cursory glance.

  “I’m back,” he called out so as not to frighten her.

  She glanced up and if it were possible, the swelling around her eyes was even more pronounced, the bruising starting to appear also. Something had certainly smashed into her face with force. It was lucky her nose had not been broken.

  She turned her head toward his voice. “You were away a long time. I thought you might have gone off and left me.” She sounded so sad his heart almost broke.

  “I wouldn’t have done that.” He dismounted. “I never break my word.”

  “Maybe God was watching out for me after all.”

  He unhooked his canteen and stepped over to her. “What?”

  “God sent me a guardian angel.”

  He laughed. “That certainly isn’t me. Here, have a drink.”

  “My father, is he….?”

  “He’s safe until I can come back and bury him.”

  She cried out with pain as she tried to lift her burned arm, so he held the canteen to her lips. “Drink slowly, otherwise you’ll get sick. We’ll go to my camp and work out what to do.”

  Placing a hand on her waist, he grasped her arm and gently raised her, causing her to let out a whimper.

  “My face, is it badly burned?”

  “I’m not sure, it doesn’t appear to be, but you’ve either had a beating or something has smashed into your face.”

  “I felt a terrible pain when I rolled out of the wagon and fell on the ground.”

  He whistled Maverick over. “Right.” He sat her sideways on the horse and swung up behind her. “It isn’t far. I don’t like riding double, especially over rough ground like this but there is no choice.” Had he not needed to hold her up, he would have led the horse.

  She leaned back against him, her bright plait a stark contrast against his black duster. What would she look like if her face wasn’t battered? He should not be thinking like this. He had no time for women, particularly a pastor’s daughter. She would be far too genteel for the likes of him.

  “I can’t see. Do you think I’m blind, Finn?”

  “No, your eyes are swollen shut. Don’t try to force them open, or you could damage them.”

  A faint whiff of lavender from her hair, mingled with smoke, infused his nostrils. She would have to stay the night at the cave. It was too risky trying to get her back to Calico Corner in the dark. With Maverick carrying double they would have to take it slowly, maybe even stay overnight on the trail.

  He cursed under his breath. Clampett was getting further away, while he was playing nursemaid to Mary, a pastor’s daughter. He had to keep reminding himself of who she was and what he did for a living. In her eyes he would be a no-good killer. For the first time in years he regretted the path he had chosen. What was wrong with him?

  Mary leaned against the solid wall of Finn’s chest. Her face, head and arm burned with pain. Her heart ached for her father, shot dead in cold blood so an outlaw could steal their two horses. Had the man asked her father, he would have offered him a ride to wherever it was he wanted to go.

  She regretted the harsh words they had exchanged. He was rigid in his views, brought her up strictly after her mother died, but nevertheless, had been a good father. He wanted her safely married off to a man who had the means to look after her. That was important to him, yet not to her.

  She felt safe in this stranger’s strong arms. What was he doing out here? He had mentioned a hide-out. Was he an outlaw, also? Whatever he was, he was a decent man who could have left her out there to die, had he chosen to.

  The swaying motion of the horse made her aching head worse and increased the throbbing behind her eyes. Would she be hideously scarred for life? Maybe it would be her cross to bear for trying to defy her father about Wolfgang.

  The horse finally stopped, thank goodness, as she could not have endured the jarring motion for much longer without screaming in agony. All she wanted to do was sleep so as not to think about what she had lost and what the future held for her.

  Finn dismounted and she felt somehow bereft not having the comfort of his chest resting against her back.

  “Can you walk?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  He lifted her down and her legs buckled. Before she realized what had happened, he scooped her up into his arms and strode off. The moment he stepped into his hide-out, she knew. What kind of place was this? A cave? It was warmer than outside, with an earthy smell and something else, maybe horse manure?

  “You share this place with your horse?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I had to keep him hidden.” He lowered her to the ground, and she sensed him leaning over her. She could still feel the sun, so she was obviously near the entrance.

  “I’ll check your injuries to see how badly hurt you are. Does anything feel like it’s broken?”

  “No, my arm is stinging, but my eyes and fa
ce are burning and throbbing.”

  “You sure made a mess of yourself.” His fingers running across her cheek bones were gentle, his breath warm against her skin. “I’ll light a fire and boil some water, so I can bathe your face. I always carry a tin of salve. I’ll put some of that on, it will stop any infection. Maybe I should bandage your eyes, too, so you won’t feel the urge to open them. Stay here while I get everything I need.”

  She grabbed his hand. “Thank you, Finn. I’m sorry you had to interrupt whatever you were doing because of me.”

  “Yeah, well, it can’t be helped. I’ve probably lost five-hundred-dollars because of it.”

  She gasped at his bluntness.

  “I couldn’t leave you out there to die alone. I haven’t sunk that low.”

  “What is it that you do?”

  When he moved away from her, she instinctively knew it.

  “I’m a bounty hunter.”

  “What!”

  “I chase outlaws who have a price on their head and bring them in.”

  “You, you kill them?”

  “Only if I have to. The man who shot your father is most likely an escaped convict and murderer by the name of Walter Clampett. An evil varmint if ever there was one. There’s a five-hundred-dollar bounty on his head.”

  “I’m sorry.” A man like this Clampett was a fiend, bringing him to justice was not such a bad thing.

  “He deserves a bullet, but I’d rather see him hang.”

  His voice faded away and she knew he had gone outside. Did he plan to desert her? Fear had her breaking out in a cold sweat. She would die out here on her own. Why would he bother bringing her here if he planned to leave her? He could just have left her near the wagon and kept on following this Clampett man to collect his money.

  Chapter Four

  Thou shalt not kill, was one of God’s commandments. Finn had probably killed a few men in his time, yet she instinctively felt there was good in him. She heard a sudden crackle of flame. She would never forget that sound now, even if she lived to be a hundred. It was embedded in her brain, branded on her soul.

  “Do you drink coffee?” he called out, his voice echoing slightly.

  “I prefer tea, although I can drink coffee.”

  “I don’t have anything else. Would you like something to eat? I’ve only got….”

  “Beans.”

  “Yeah, and a few sticks of beef jerky. I try to travel light.”

  “I’m not hungry thank you. We carried quite a lot of food in the wagon.” It hurt her face to speak, but it was worth the pain because when he answered she knew he was close and it comforted her. She felt safe with him. Even though his work was unsavory, he seemed a decent man.

  They lapsed into silence. A cave, that was it. She was in a cave. Stretching out her hand she ran it along the hard, jagged surface. This canyon was full of caves and caverns. A mighty inhospitable place the sheriff in Calico Corner had warned them, saying it was safer to go by the longer route.

  “I’ve got the good book and the Lord to guard me,” her father had said. “And I’m in a hurry.” Her father could be arrogant and stubborn sometimes, and he had become harder after her mother died.

  The hierarchy of the church had wanted him to marry again, but he had refused to replace his beloved wife. This stubbornness had cost him, as he was always passed over when it came to being sent to different parishes. They always ended up going to the insignificant, out of the way places or were sent to do missionary work. All the jobs the other pastors tried to avoid.

  Suddenly, she sensed Finn’s presence in the cave again, heard his movement, then he was beside her.

  “I’ll bathe your face first,” he said. “This might sting, I’ve put a little salt in the water to help stop any infection.”

  Even though his touch was gentle, she still moaned with pain as the water stung her eyes and face.

  “Well, you’re not burned on the face,” he said.

  The stinging was replaced by a cooling salve.

  “It stinks to high heaven but has healing properties. I bought it off some snake-oil salesman a couple of years ago. It’s supposed to be an Indian medicine man’s potion.”

  “Is it?”

  “I don’t know; it works though. I think it will be best if I wrap a strip of cloth around your eyes. It will keep any dirt out and let your eyes remain closed. Better for you this way. Other than your arm, are you injured anywhere else?”

  “No, I burned my arm trying to get out of the wagon.”

  “Your sleeve caught fire by the looks of it. You were lucky it wasn’t your bare skin.”

  He helped her out of the three-quarter length coat she wore over her skirt and blouse, then muttered a curse. “You’ll have to take your top off.”

  “I can’t.”

  “It’s either that or I cut the sleeve open.”

  She started fumbling with the buttons. “Close your eyes.”

  He laughed. “Listen, Mary, I need to see what I’m doing. I’m sure you wear undergarments to preserve your modesty.”

  “But….”

  “I’m not about to ravish you, I’m merely doing what has to be done. If the skin is broken, you risk infection. You could lose your arm or worse if that happens.” He sighed. “You’re taking too long. I need to tend to your father and get back here before dark as night falls quickly at this time of year.” He removed her hand, deftly undid the buttons and eased the fabric over her shoulder.

  He hesitated for a moment before pulling the blouse down over her arm and she yelped with pain.

  “Sorry. You’re burned in a couple of spots, but they don’t appear deep.”

  Once again, she felt the cooling salve being applied by gentle fingers. He was so close to her, the stubble on his face brushed against her cheek.

  “I’ll bandage this, too. I’ll take you back to Calico Corner in the morning and you can see the doctor there. Okay?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “I’ll get the coffee for you now, then I’ll head off.”

  She wanted to beg him to stay with her because she was alone, afraid, and blind. Stop being so selfish. Her father was lying out in the canyon at the mercy of wild animals and all she could think about was herself. “You won’t be too long?”

  “I’ll be as quick as I can,” he called out. He moved quietly. She sensed, rather than heard him, return. “Here.” He placed a cup in her hand. “I put a little cold water in it so it wouldn’t be too hot. Hold on to it, otherwise you might not be able to find it if you put it down. Worse still, you could knock it over.”

  “Thank you.” She liked the feel of his fingers as they brushed against hers. “What do you look like?”

  “Scruffy.”

  “I mean, how tall are you?”

  “I’m nearly six-feet tall, dark hair, blues eyes and that’s about it. Nothing special about me.”

  You’re special to me. She nearly spoke the words out loud.

  “I’ll go now. You’re quite safe here as the fire will keep away any animals. I purposely lit it near the entrance. Just don’t move away from here or you could trip over it, or if you made it outside, your skirt could catch fire. If you wandered off, well….”

  “I know. I won’t move from here.” A team of wild horses could not drag her out of the cave once he left.

  “Um. Do you need to, um, relieve yourself before I go?”

  “No.” Her whole body just about caught fire with embarrassment, and she wondered how he felt about asking such an indelicate question. Maybe men didn’t worry about such things.

  “Okay, I’m going. I’ll be as quick as I can. If I’m gone a while don’t panic. The ground could be…well, it might take me awhile. Tomorrow before we leave here, I’ll take you to see where your father is.”

  “Thank you.” She didn’t want Finn to leave her alone, but knew as well as he did that there was no choice. He was gone before she could say anything else. A few moments later came the sounds of hor
se’s hooves on the hard ground, followed by silence. This would have to be the worst day in her life, except maybe for when her mother died. “God, why did you let this happen?” she cried. There was no-one of her blood left now, and only a few friends who were scattered all over the countryside.

  She could do as she pleased now, answering to no one for her actions. To marry an old man like Wolfgang was abhorrent. What could she do? Housekeeping and cooking, she was skilled at those chores. Her father had made sure she could read and write and could speak a little German. She could sew well, milk a cow and make butter and cheese, so surely those skills would help her get a job. Finding a God-fearing, decent husband was another option, but it would be one of her choosing.

  Was Finn married? Betrothed? Why should she care? Once he took her back to Calico Corner, their paths would never cross again. He probably can’t wait to get rid of me. You cost me five-hundred-dollars he had said. That was a lot of money for any man to lose.

  Something woke Mary up. She didn’t know what. Yes, she did, the need to relieve herself. No way could she go outside, even if she could get past the fire without her skirt catching fire. The cave could be close to a cliff, for all she knew. No matter how embarrassed it made her, she would have to wait for Finn. If only he would hurry.

  It was starting to get chilly now, had the fire burned down? I built it up, he had said, to keep wild animals at bay. What wild animals? Mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, she had no idea what lived in this canyon country. Hurry Finn, hurry.

  She had got to the stage of crossing her legs when she heard horse’s hooves. With no sight, her hearing appeared to be more acute. What if it was Clampett or some other unsavory person? An Indian, maybe? Her imagination ran rampant.

  “Mary, it’s me.” She could have collapsed with relief. Finn’s voice was the sweetest sound she had ever heard.

  “Thank goodness you’re back.”