Part 25 (1/2)

Fear iced the blood in her veins.

He glanced down the trail in the direction she'd come. ”You came here alone?”

”No,” she lied. But it wasn't a lie. G.o.d was with her. Help me Help me, Lord. Lord. She stood a bit straighter. ”The dynamite isn't there. Your plans have been found out. The authorities are right behind me.” She stood a bit straighter. ”The dynamite isn't there. Your plans have been found out. The authorities are right behind me.”

She'd hoped her words would make him retreat. Instead he moved closer, and his expression turned angry.

”Then I guess I'd better keep you close.” He pressed the barrel of the gun against her breastbone. ”Hadn't I?”

O G.o.d. Rescue me!

THIRTY-THREE.

Morgan's mouth felt dry, his breathing shallow. Nothing in his life had struck terror in him like the sight of Gwen held captive at the point of a gun. He eased stealthily forward, circling off to the right, away from the trail he'd followed into the forest.

”Let's go,” the man with the gun said, motioning with it to let her know the direction they were to take.

”You cannot think you will succeed.” Gwen didn't move other than to lift her chin in defiance. ”Mr. Carter will see that all the blame falls upon you.”

Morgan allowed himself a grim smile. If she was afraid, she didn't show it.

”If you take me with you, I will only slow you down. You had best get away from here as quickly as you can.”

The man stepped so close to Gwen that their noses almost touched. ”If you don't move now, I'll shoot you where you stand.”

Something in his voice told Morgan he might follow through with his threat. Time was running out.

Gwen's captor spun her around and gave her a push. A soft cry of complaint escaped her, and Morgan's response was quick and involuntary. He hurtled forward, tackling the man from behind and sending them to the ground. The gun went off.

G.o.d, no! no! But there was no time to see if the bullet had struck Gwen. First he had to make certain her attacker couldn't fire again. But there was no time to see if the bullet had struck Gwen. First he had to make certain her attacker couldn't fire again.

They rolled across the trail and slammed into the trunk of a tree, Morgan grasping the man's right wrist with both hands, pounding it against the ground time and again until, at last, the gun flew free. The smaller man fought hard, but he didn't have much of a chance against Morgan's fury.

Morgan rose to his feet, dragging the smaller man up with him. Still holding the fellow's s.h.i.+rt with his left hand, he brought up his right fist, catching the a.s.sailant under the chin, knocking off his gla.s.ses at the same time. He let go of the s.h.i.+rt and followed with two more punches, one to the jaw, the next to his midsection. The other man fell back, his head hitting a tree on the way down. Morgan would have hauled him up again if not for Gwen.

”Stop, Morgan.”

Breathing hard, he turned to look at her. There she stood, the gun now held in her trembling hands. He glanced back at the stranger. Out cold. Then he heard her small sob. In an instant he was beside her, taking the gun from her hands, drawing her to him, holding her there, never wanting to release her again.

If he had lost her...

She'd thought the man would kill her. For all her bravado, she'd thought she would die. But her silent cry for G.o.d to rescue her had been answered. G.o.d had sent Morgan. She'd thought she didn't want or need his protection. She'd been wrong.

”Shh,” he whispered near her ear. ”It's all right. I'm here. The danger is past. The guards at New Hope will have heard the shot. They'll be here soon.”

His words proved prophetic almost at once. In the distance, she heard the sound of men's voices and dogs barking.

”Over here!” Morgan called without loosening his tight embrace.

It wouldn't have mattered if he'd released her. She would have stayed right where she was, her forehead pressed against his collarbone, her hands clutching his s.h.i.+rtfront.

”Morgan?”

”We're here, f.a.gan.”

Gwen rolled her head to the side, enough to see f.a.gan Doyle and three other men - two of them with dogs on leashes - appear through the forest.

”Take this,” Morgan said, handing the gun to f.a.gan. ”And our friend on the ground there. He tried to kidnap Gwen and almost shot her. Tell Sheriff Winston that I think with the right incentive, he might tell us who hired him.”

”And Miss Arlington? Is she - ”

”She's fine. Just scared.” Morgan's right hand stroked her hair. ”We'll join you in town. My car's back on the road a ways. See that one of the men takes her horse and buggy back to town, will you?”

”Aye, I'll see to it, Morgan.” f.a.gan's voice softened. ”Sure and it's good you're all right, miss.”

”Thank you, Mr. Doyle,” she whispered.

Morgan continued to stroke small circles on her back with the flat of his left hand while rubbing his cheek against the top of her head until long after the other men had left the forest and silence had fallen over them like a comfortable blanket.

At long last Gwen pulled back far enough that she could look into Morgan's eyes. ”I was coming to find you to break our engagement. I didn't want anyone telling me what to do.”

”And I was looking for you to apologize for last night.” His smile was tender, his gaze understanding. ”Forgive me.”

”When I faced that man and his gun, I asked G.o.d to rescue me, and He sent you.” She wondered if he understood the importance of that admission. She wasn't wholly self-sufficient. She needed others. She needed Morgan. And sometimes she even needed to be rescued.

He kissed her, brief touches upon her forehead, the tip of her nose, her lips. ” 'And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.' Me and you and G.o.d. The three of us together will be stronger, no matter the circ.u.mstances.”

His image blurred as tears welled in her eyes.

”Gwen, I won't ever ask you to change. I fell in love with a woman who had the courage to leave her home in the East and begin a new life in Idaho. I fell in love with a woman who loves to teach music to children and who cares deeply about her neighbors. I fell in love with a woman with enough confidence to become the first woman mayor in Idaho, maybe in the nation. Don't break our engagement. Don't break my heart.”

She sniffed and swallowed the lump in her throat.

”Say you'll marry me.”

Although she wanted to respond, she couldn't seem to find her voice.

He kissed her again, this time a languid caress that indicated he was willing to stay right there in the forest for as long as it took her to believe him. And when their lips parted, he said, voice husky, ”Madam Mayor, how about a vote of confidence for the man who loves you.”

A cool breeze whispered through the trees and swirled around them, and as it moved on, she felt the last shred of uncertainty, the last iota of insecurity blow away with it. She believed him. She believed him and she loved him.

She smiled, hoping it would tell him more than would her words. ”Yes, my love. I vote yes.”