She leaned against a tree and closed her eyes. No matter how she looked at it, his death was going to shatter her.
She wasn’t aware of Toby on the hill, the way he squinted his old eyes and looked down the long, rutted road. She wasn’t aware of Sam, following Toby’s look, and also standing. Maddie was too immersed in her own grief to be aware of much of anything.
She felt his presence before she saw him. Slowly, she turned and there he was. ’Ring was dirty and his clothes were ragged and he was carrying something wrapped in a blanket in his arms, but all she saw was him. She walked to him and put her hand up to his cheek. It was scratched, with long furrows running down the side, and some of the scratches were still bloody.
She stood there, touching him, not saying anything, just looking at him until tears began to form in her eyes.
He grinned at her. “I’ve been out fighting dragons for you.”
She didn’t hear him at first. She was too glad to see that he was alive to be able to hear.
“Here,” he said, and then he dropped a heavy bundle into her arms.
She staggered under the weight, but ’Ring caught her before she fell. It took Maddie several moments to realize what the bundle was.
’Ring pulled the blanket back and Maddie saw the sleeping face of her pretty twelve-year-old sister. Maddie hadn’t seen her for years, but she’d recognize her anywhere, and she was wearing the diamond and pearl brooch that had been given to Maddie by her grandmother.
Maddie looked up at ’Ring in wonder.
“She’s a terror,” he said, rubbing his cheek. “I don’t know why anyone in his right mind would kidnap her. Personally, I’d rather take on a couple of grizzly cubs than that one.”
Maddie just looked down at her sister, then up at ’Ring. She couldn’t yet believe that either of them was safe. “She…she scratched you?”
“Nearly tore my eyes out. I kept telling her that I was sent by you, but it seems that her kidnappers had also told her that. She bit Jamie.”
“Help me with her,” Maddie said. “Is she well? Has she been hurt? Has anyone harmed her? How did you find her? Oh ’Ring, I—” She couldn’t say any more, for the tears were too strong.
’Ring caught both Maddie and Laurel, then helped lower them to sit on the ground, Maddie in ’Ring’s lap and the sleeping Laurel on the top. Maddie leaned back against him and held Laurel tightly to her.
“She must be awfully tired.”
“It’s hard work terrorizing two grown men.”
She leaned her head back against his shoulder. “Did she really put up a fight?”
“I’m bleeding from a dozen places.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“No, not now. Now I want food and sleep and you’ll want to talk to your hellion of a little sister. Have you got enough room and food for two men?”
“If I have to shoot a buffalo myself, I will.”
“I’d laugh if I didn’t know you were telling the truth.”
“Who helped you?”
’Ring nodded toward the road, and she looked up to see a man coming toward them, limping slightly as he walked. She recognized him immediately. He was the man who had robbed them and left them in the mountains with nothing. As he approached, he drew his gun and pointed it at them. Maddie stiffened.
“Put that gun down,” ’Ring snapped, and the man, with a grin, put the gun back in his holster.
“You asked a robber to help you?” Maddie asked.
The young man grinned at her. “I prefer highwayman.”
“Ha!” ’Ring snapped. “This is my infant brother Jamie. He enjoys playing dress-up and trying to frighten women.”
“It seems to run in the family.”