Her Bodyguard Read online

  The shop specialized in saltwater taffy rather than chocolate, but similar to Mari’s shop, refreshments were served at a half-dozen small round tables placed both inside and out on the boardwalk in front of the store. Mari ordered mint iced tea and a small assortment of taffy, then took a seat outside in the pleasant breeze. She questioned her server about the night of the fire.

  “Yes, I’m sure we were open that night. We do more business during the nighttime stopovers than the daytime ones. You’ll want to speak with my sister. She works that late shift.”

  “Where can I find her?” Mari asked, hope blossoming anew. Kat absolutely adored saltwater taffy.

  “She’ll be here before long. Twenty minutes at the most. Why don’t you just sit back and enjoy your tea and candy, and I’ll have her visit with you the moment she arrives?”

  Happy with that plan, Mari sat back in her chair, sipped her tea and watched the bustle of Main Street, Trickling Springs, Texas.

  In front of the livery, a boy threw a stick for a long-eared mutt to chase. Young matrons exchanged pleasantries on the sidewalk outside the seamstress shop, and a pair of elderly men set up a checkerboard beneath the red-and-white-striped barber pole. Young girls giggled and horses snorted, dogs barked and from the steps of a church house at the north end of the street came the a cappella chords of a men’s choir singing “Amazing Grace.” It was, Mari thought, a nice little town.

  She took a bite of peppermint taffy and nodded with approval as creamy flavor melted throughout her mouth. She twisted her head to ask the shopkeeper a question about her flavoring when, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Luke Garrett exiting the telegraph office. He stepped out into the street, glanced toward the general store, then, to her surprise, turned in the opposite direction.

  Mari forgot all about peppermint as she watched him head south down Main. Soon he’d passed every building in town except for the two-story house constructed just beyond the outskirts of Trickling Springs.

  As her bodyguard climbed the steps of the Social Club, Mari wondered why Luke would pay a call on the whorehouse. Had he decided to check there about Kat and his brother, after all? Did it have something to do with his mystery telegram?

  Or was the purpose behind his visit of a more ordinary variety?

  Her mouth went tight. Her stomach did a roll. How dare he go from her bed to a whore’s!

  In a manner of speaking.

  Mari drummed her fingers on the table and told herself not to jump to conclusions. She should be patient. He’d have an explanation for leaving her alone and unprotected despite the fact that he was supposed to be her bodyguard. Besides, she didn’t truly want him hovering around her all the time, did she?

  She didn’t want him hovering around other women, ever.

  “Miss McBride? I’m Polly Hartwick. My sister said you wanted to ask me a few questions?”

  “Yes. I do.” Dragging her attention back to important matters, she motioned toward the opposite chair. “Please join me.”

  Polly Hartwick was an attractive brunette with lovely green eyes, near Mari’s own age. They exchanged brief pleasantries, then Mari got down to business. “On May thirtieth, the night of the Texas Spring Palace fire, I believe my younger sister eloped with an actor who used the name of either Rory Callahan or Rory Kelly. They would have arrived in Trickling Springs on the late-night train. I’m trying to find evidence that she was indeed here that night. She has a strong sweet tooth, so it’s logical she might have made a purchase here.”

  Miss Hartwick shook her head. “That was a long time ago and we get so many people through here.”

  Nodding, Mari said, “She’s eighteen years old, with hair color similar to mine and eyes the color of yours. She’d have been wearing a necklace similar to this.”

  Mari tugged on the chain around her neck and revealed her sapphire pendant. “My sister’s was—”

  “Green,” Polly Hartwick finished. “I remember it. I’ve never seen an emerald that big before.”

  Her voice trembling, Mari asked, “You remember her?”

  “I recall thinking that the necklace matched her eyes. That was the night the train was delayed for repairs. She was with the most handsome man. They stayed here quite a long time, and they bought an entire pound of butterscotch taffy.”

  Butterscotch taffy. That sealed it. Goosebumps shuddered their way up Mari’s arm. “It was her. She is alive. My sister is alive!”

  Mari flung herself across the table and gave Polly Hartwick a quick, hard hug. “Thank you. Oh, thank you so much. All this time, my family thought she died in the fire.”

  “Really? Oh, I’m glad I could help.”

  “Do you remember anything else? Anything she said? Did she seem happy? Did she mention their destination?”

  The other woman thought a moment, then regretfully shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just don’t recall anything else.”

  “That’s all right. It’s fine. Everything’s wonderful!” Joy bubbled inside Mari like champagne, her mind whirling as she tried to decide what to do next. “I knew she was alive, but it’s so good to have confirmation. I need to tell Emma. Send her a telegram. And Luke. He’ll want to know about Rory.” Standing, she gave Polly another hug, then reached into her pocket and pulled out Luke’s wad of bills. Peeling off a couple larger denominations, she set them on the table saying, “Let me—”

  “Oh, no. I can’t take your money for this.”

  “Then take it for…for…” Mari spied the boy playing with his dog. “I’ll buy candy for the children. It’s a celebration. Katrina McBride is alive!”

  Mari laughed aloud as she hurried toward the telegraph office. She pictured Emma’s expression when she opened the telegram, imagined the thrill her sister would feel upon realizing their hopes had come true.

  Mari fantasized her parents’ reaction when they first laid eyes on the daughter they thought they had lost.

  “But first I have to find her,” she murmured, and as her mind returned to the purpose of her journey, a sense of urgency gripped her. She wanted the train to get here. She wanted to get on with the search. She wanted to find her sister now.

  And she’d lost a full day because her bumbling bodyguard had thought the train was being robbed.

  She stopped mid-step, her attention shooting toward the Trickling Springs Social Club. Was he still there? Still…busy? Maybe not. Maybe she’d missed his leaving. She had been distracted, after all.

  Oh, well. She wouldn’t think about that now. Why waste any of this happiness on feeling angry?

  She bounded up the telegraph-office steps, then breezed inside. “I need to send a telegram, please. To Mrs. Tate at Willow Hill in Fort Worth, Texas.”

  The operator, a bewhiskered gentleman with kind brown eyes, smiled at her, set a blank sheet of paper on the counter, then gestured toward a pencil. “Happy to help you, pretty miss. Just write out your message and we’ll get it sent.”

  Mari took but a moment to frame her news, then wrote: Kat confirmed alive in Trickling Springs morning of May 31. Hurrah! She handed the paper to the operator with a flourish, then paid the fee from Luke’s roll of cash.

  She watched as the operator tapped out her message to her sister, then, filled with a sense of satisfaction, departed the telegraph office.

  Warm summer sunshine beamed down upon the street. Today promised to be a scorcher. Mari made a mental note to add a parasol to her shopping list, then checked her watch. Less than an hour before the train arrived. She had just enough time to visit the general store and purchase supplies.

  As she walked toward the store, she again noted the whorehouse. Was he still there? Why did she care? She shouldn’t care if he wanted to disport himself with painted ladies. She didn’t care. She didn’t!

  With a toss of her head, Mari decided to spend all the money he’d shoved at her before sauntering away. On herself. If he wanted fresh clothes, he could have his “hostess” wash the ones he was wearing.
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br />   Upon entering the Trickling Springs general store, she headed directly for the small section of ready-mades. She paid little attention to the other customers in the building as she selected lingerie, then worked her way outward, choosing three complete changes of clothing and two pairs of shoes. She experienced not one bit of guilt. It was Luke’s fault she needed clothes, after all. Train robbery, indeed. He could darn well pay for them and the new suitcase she purchased to carry them in.

  Wearing one of the new outfits, a pretty blue print that matched her eyes and fit loose for comfortable traveling, Mari paid for her purchases and thanked the female salesclerk for her assistance. She carried the new carpetbag in her left hand as she stepped outside and turned right toward the train depot.

  As she crossed a narrow alley between the dry-goods store and an apothecary shop, a man sidled up beside her on the left, surreptitiously took her arm and forced her into the alley. “Hey!” Mari protested.

  “Where’s Luke Garrett?”

  She looked him in the face, took in the bushy red eyebrows and the long, thin scar running diagonally across one cheek. He was one of the men from the train. One of the men. The train robbers.

  Oh, no. Mind racing, she tried to delay by asking, “Pardon me? I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t appreciate being manhandled.”

  A second man—the silver-haired fellow with the Irish ring on his hand—appeared on her right and spoke in a low, threatening tone. “Answer the question, lady. We know he’s in town, and we’ve pieced it together. You’re the harpy from the train. The man you were hen-pecking was Luke Garrett.”

  “I don’t henpeck,” Mari said with false bravado. She couldn’t believe this was happening. What should she do? How should she react? Where was Luke when she needed him? Then, just as she decided to fight back by swinging the suitcase, she felt the barrel of a gun press against her side.

  The second man added, “Now tell us where he is.”

  “A gun,” she muttered in disbelief. He was pressing a gun against her body. Her body that was supposed to be being guarded. Only her guard was off dipping his wick at the local whorehouse.

  Suddenly, Mari had had enough. She struggled fiercely in their grip. “You know what? I don’t know where Luke Garrett is, but if you two are out to kill him, you’ll just have to wait in line behind me.”

  She wrenched from their hold and managed two steps away before they grabbed her and hauled her back. She continued to thrash about and drew a breath to scream, but one of them clamped a hand over her mouth. She bit him.

  “Goddammit,” he cursed, then shoved her against the building. She got out a squeal before the one without the gun pressed a knife against her cheek. “Settle down or I’ll cut you. It’d be a cryin’ shame to scar up that pretty face of yours. Now, where the hell is he?”

  Fear sizzled down her spine. “I don’t know.”

  She felt pressure against her cheek, a sting. “Honestly, I don’t know! He said he’d meet me in a little while at the train station.”

  The knife eased away. “Train station is too public,” the silver-haired man said to the other. “I’d prefer this to happen away from town.”

  “All right.”

  He’d prefer what to happen? Mari thought about asking the question aloud, but then she figured out she didn’t really want to know.

  “Yeah, go ahead and take her.”

  Take her? Take me? Where? Why? “Why would you take me?”

  “So he’ll come after you.”

  Oh. Mari blinked twice. Thought about it, then shook her head. “He won’t come after me. He’ll be glad to be rid of me. He doesn’t even like me.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You’re his, and I’ll have you. Luke Garrett won’t like that one bit. He’ll come after you.

  And then…” His mouth stretched in a wicked smile as he took the pendant of her necklace in his hand. He yanked hard, broke the chain and added, “Then I’ll kill him.”

  LUKE CHECKED his pocket watch, then made one more stroll around the station, his unease growing with every minute that passed. The train had arrived at the station over half an hour ago. It was due to depart in less than ten minutes. Where the hell was she?

  He dared not leave the station himself to go looking for her. Knowing his luck, he’d walk out one door while she walked in another.

  He had a bad feeling about this. When he’d arrived on time to find he’d beat her to the station, he didn’t think much about it. When fifteen minutes passed and she still hadn’t shown, he decided she must have gotten tied up shopping and lost track of the time. He’d made a quick run to the general store to look for her, but his effort proved fruitless.

  That’s when he’d felt that first niggle of worry. Something wasn’t right. Mari wouldn’t miss this train unless she had found her sister or something bad had happened.

  Life had taught Luke to bet on the bad.

  Yet, he wasn’t ready to give up. He paid the conductor to board the train and walk every car paging Mari McBride. He paid a teenage boy to do the same, in as loud a voice as he could manage, up and down Main Street. Then, because he knew those efforts would prove futile, he planned his course of action, all the while mentally cursing himself for his poor decision to leave her on her own while he took care of business regarding the Brazos Valley gang.

  He’d discovered that yesterday, the gang had left the train at Trickling Springs. Kid Carver had purchased six horses at the livery stable, but only he, Frank, Hoss and Harry had been seen riding out of town. That left Finn Murphy and Clay Burrows unaccounted for.

  That meant trouble. Luke sensed it from the tip of his hat to the toes of his boots. Murphy was in town, and Mari had gone missing. If Murphy had learned that Luke was in Trickling Springs asking questions about him, then made the connection between the man he’d seen with Mari on the train, the answer as to Mari’s whereabouts was obvious. Murphy had her.

  And Luke’s reinforcements wouldn’t arrive until this evening.

  The conductor approached Luke, shaking his head. “She’s not on the train, Mr. Garrett.”

  “I appreciate your checking for me.”

  Moments later, the train whistle blew and the conductor called, “All aboard.”

  Luke leaned against a post, crossed his arms and waited, hoping, but not expecting, to see Mari rush onto the platform. His tension built with each passing minute. Three passengers arrived late, a mother with a crying toddler and an elderly couple vocal with the excitement of beginning their journey to visit beloved grandchildren. Luke saw neither hide nor hair of a beautiful blonde anxious to continue the journey to her missing sister.

  The moment the train wheels began to roll, he headed out, planning to gather facts and pick up her trail. A woman like Mari McBride wouldn’t go unnoticed.

  He tried the general store again and learned she’d spent a chunk of his bankroll and purchased a floral carpetbag in order to tote her loot around. Quickly and methodically, he canvassed every business in town. His stomach sank upon learning that a mare had gone missing from the livery. Mari definitely had been noticed, but no one had seen her carrying the suitcase. Murphy must have snatched her after she left the general store.

  Luke returned to the store and set about retracing Mari’s steps. The alley beside the apothecary shop provided a prime spot for an ambush, so Luke decided to give it a thorough search. He spotted signs of a scuffle immediately.

  Hunkering down, he studied the patches of bent grass and disturbed dirt. Two men and a woman. Luke muttered an ugly curse. He’d proved a damned sorry excuse for a bodyguard.

  He tracked the trio along a southwest path away from the center of town. As he followed the trail, a hard, hot rage began to churn in his gut. He was frightened for Mari, furious with himself, and he fantasized of drawing a bead on Finn Murphy and blowing the murdering snake away. He should have killed the son of a bitch years ago.

  Recognizing that he needed to maintain his focus, Luke co
nsciously locked away his fears and concerns and studied the trail with a practiced, professional eye. He followed the signs of the trio’s passage for approximately five minutes, and then, beneath a cottonwood along the bank of a dry streambed, he made a disturbing discovery.

  Mari’s necklace hung from a leafy limb and swayed slowly back and forth in the gentle summer breeze. The chain was broken, knotted and threaded through a small piece of paper.

  Luke’s hand trembled ever so slightly as he reached up and removed the necklace from the tree.

  The note consisted of a single sentence: She sure is a pretty one.

  Luke’s blood ran cold.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  MARI WAS HOT. SHE was hot and thirsty and alternately angry and afraid.

  They had her mounted on a docile sorrel mare led by the silver-haired man’s more spirited gelding. Her hands were crossed at the wrist and tied to the saddle-horn. They’d taken her shoes and made unsettling promises about the consequences she’d face should she act in any way to impede their progress.

  They rode for hours beneath the blazing sun, their route taking them deep into the Texas Hill Country. They forded creeks and trotted across meadows painted orange and yellow with butterfly weed and Mexican hats. They pushed their way through a thicket of blackberry vines that snagged and stained her new dress. Pain radiated from Mari’s thighs, hips and bottom—it had been years since she’d spent this much time on horseback—but it took the ruin of her new dress to actually bring her to tears.

  Since one man rode in front of her and the other behind her, little conversation took place. It wasn’t until they finally stopped to rest that the men spoke of anything of consequence. Then she wished with all her heart that they’d kept their mouths shut.

  “We’ll lead him into Cedar Canyon,” said the silver- haired outlaw. His name was Murphy, Finn Murphy, and Mari had realized early on in her abduction that he was the obvious leader of the pair.

  The second villain, Clay Burrows, scratched his neck and pursed his lips. “Lookout Rock,” he mused. “You thinking to take the high ground, then shoot him when he rides by like we did with that Pinkerton fella?”