A Bride for Logan by Barbara Goss (free children's online books TXT) 📗

in the morning.  I’ll be tied up, but I’ll send out plenty of men.”

When the three men had reached the lane leading to Logan’s house, Billings waved and rode toward town.

Logan and Alan turned down the lane. “I hope you put the money from the sale in the safe,” Alan said.

“Dagnabbit!”

“You didn’t?”

“I was so worried about Dallas and the blackmailing, I forgot.” Logan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m more concerned about Emma. He can have the blasted money. I want my wife back.”

Logan and Alan tied their horses and walked into the house.

“So, you do care for Emma.”

“I’m not in love with her, if that’s what you mean. I am fond of her, though, and I want her back—unharmed.”

Logan walked into the study, saw the empty box, and groaned. “He found it.”

“So what do we do now?” Alan asked. “How can we possibly find Dallas and Emma?”

“It’ll be dark in another hour—let’s search for her in the morning. We’ll backtrack to where we lost their tracks, and you can take one direction and I’ll take the other.”

“I can be here at six,” Alan said.

Chapter Eleven

Freed from her bonds and captors, Emma wondered where she should go. She stood outside the barn and looked around. She didn’t know which direction led to town or her home. It would be dark soon—did she really want to start walking and get stuck in the middle of nowhere in the dark? She went back into the barn, sat on a pile of straw, and prayed. Finally, she broke open the bale of straw and made herself a bed. Since she was still groggy from whatever it was Dallas had used to knock her out, she fell asleep quickly.

The sunshine streamed through the gaps in the barn walls into Emma’s eyes, waking her. She scrambled to her feet, left the barn, took care of personal needs, and then studied the hoof prints in front of the barn. Emma thought the horses had come from the north the previous day, so she started walking in that direction. She prayed she’d find a house where she'd be able to take refuge.

As Emma trudged along, she realized Dallas had taken her from her home in nothing more on her feet than light slippers. Her feet burned, and she worried she’d wear out the soles. She'd been walking along a dirt road and so far, no travelers had passed her. Emma felt excited when she glimpsed a calf in the field to her left as it meant there had to be a farm nearby. She walked a little faster.

Soon, she spotted more cattle grazing. She walked around a bend in the road and smiled—set on a lane off the main road was a stone house. Someone had planted flowers beside the house and along the path leading to it. It was reassuring, since men living alone seldom planted flowers. Relief flooded through her.

A woman—who looked to be in her early fifties—answered her knock on the door. Her hair was dark brown with a few strands of gray here and there. She was pretty, and Emma could tell she took good care of herself. She was wearing a simple, cotton, pale yellow frock. Colored combs held her hair on top of her head in a loose bun. Emma thought she must have been beautiful when she was young.

When she greeted Emma, her voice sounded just as lovely. “Good morning. How may I help you?”

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Emma replied. “It seems I’m lost, and this is the first house I’ve seen and…well, I need help.”

The woman scanned the area behind Emma as if she were looking for someone that might be with her. Next, she studied Emma’s wrinkled and soiled dress. She seemed to have come to a conclusion, for she opened the door wider and said, “Come on in.”

Once they'd been seated in the delightfully decorated sitting room, the woman introduced herself. “I’m Rachel Bradley.”

“Thank you for inviting me in, Rachel. I’m Emma Jam…I mean, Sinclair; I’ve recently wed, and I almost gave you my maiden name.” Emma hadn't missed the surprised expression on Rachel’s face when she heard her name.

“Do you know the Sinclair family?”

Rachel regained her composure. “I’m familiar with them.”

“I’d appreciate your help in getting home,” Emma said.

“My husband, Tim, is in Dodge City, selling cattle, and he isn’t due back for a few more days. You may stay here until then, if you’d like.”

Emma hung her head in disappointment. “I had hoped…”

“I know. You must miss Logan.”

Emma’s head sprang up. She hadn’t mentioned her husband’s name. “You know Logan?”

Rachel bit her bottom lip. “I know the family. He has a sister, too.” Rachel tapped her chin. “Her name is…Prudence, I believe.”

“Yes.”

“How are Logan and Prudence?”

“Very well. Prudence is married to a man named Hugh, and they have a three-year-old named Billy. They live in Hays.”

Rachel smiled. “How wonderful. And Logan? Tell me how you met.” Rachel stood abruptly. “Oh, I’m sorry. How rude of me. I’ll put the teakettle on and you can tell me everything over a nice cup of tea. Come with me, dear.”

Emma followed her through an immaculate dining room and into a cozy kitchen. Rachel put the teakettle on the large black cook stove, then turned to place cups and saucers on the table.

“I don’t suppose you’ve eaten—would you like a slice of peach kuchen?”

“I’d love a piece. I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday.”

“Oh, dear! I’ll make you a ham sandwich first, then.”

Rachel left the room and came back with a ham. She sliced it and put it between two slices of homemade bread. “There you go.” She poured them each some tea, and then she sat across from her and watched her eat.

When Emma