Jamie told him.
'I believe you.' The chief moved forward, and he and Jamie clasped
hands.
Then Nalte swung his newly acquired mount around and his men raced off
behind him. Jamie watched them disappear in a cloud of Texas dust, then
he looked at Tess.
'This is it. We're almost home.'
'Perhaps we should go into town'
'No. We'll head to the ranch.'
'But I need to put this in the paper' -- He swore, roughly, violently.
'Tomorrow, Tess! We're going home. I tried to make a few arrangements
for help.
You can't go into town alone, and I have to get back to the ranch!
Got it?'
'Got it!' she shouted back.
They weren't far. She swung her Apache mare around and nudged her to a
fleeting gallop. She raced for a good ten minutes before she pulled up
suddenly, a feeling of utter joy encompassing her heart as the ranch
came into view. It was still standing. No one had burned it to the
ground.
Smoke was spewing from the chimney; Dolly or Jane must be cooking
something inside. Life had gone on while she had been with the Apache.
And the people who loved her had held on.
Jamie was behind her. She turned and shouted to him. 'It's still
standing!'
'Yes,' he began.
She didn't let him say more. She nudged the mare hard again with' her
heels and thundered toward the ranch. She passed the paddocks and the
beautiful mares with their foals and she felt joy cascade throughout
her. Von Heusen hadn't beaten them--not yet.
She reined in the mare as she came to the house. Dust flew as the little
horse pawed the ground. Tess leaped down and went racing for the front
door.
'Dolly, Jane, Hank!' She stood in the entryway, looking at the large
desk, at the stairway leading to the second floor, at the furniture in
the parlor, at the dining table. She was home.
'They're here! Someone is here!' a voice shouted. It was an unfamiliar
voice. Tess stared in astonishment as a tall, slim blond woman came
hurrying down the stairway. She was followed by a handsome little boy of
about five, then a second blond woman with a serene and beautiful face.
'Miss. Tess!'
Tess swung around as Jane hurried from the kitchen, throwing her arms
around her.
'I knew you'd come back, I just knew that you would!'
'Well.' The first woman had reached the entryway.
'I knew that Jamie wouldn't come back without you, of course,' she said.
'Where is he?'
Tess stared with astonishment at the two women and the little boy.
Then the door burst open behind her. Jamie had arrived, but he wasn't
