That was met with a long stretch of silence. “When I finally got to a town I heard rumors that the trail was haunted. That a ghost they’d named The Guardian stood watch over it. I didn’t tell anyone it was me.”
Finally, because she was getting purely cold, Deb said, “I don’t hate you for what you did, Trace. If hate drove you and you feel it was an awful sin, then pray for forgiveness. Ask God to forgive you and learn to forgive yourself. And do it knowing that I hold no sin against you. That’s not really what I came out here for.”
“It’s not?” Trace found his hat where it’d fallen off his head, put it back on, put his hand on her back and urged her back toward the cabin.
“No, I came out because I am going with you tomorrow. You need me. I’d hoped after today you’d know that. You’d realize that—”
“All right, you can come.”
Deb stopped and whirled around to face him. “All right?” She was as stunned now as she’d been after the fall.
“Yes, after today I saw you were right. It made me wary not knowing who the men around me were. I wished you were there to tell me if you recognized voices. I would appreciate it if you’d come. I plan to ride straight to Carson City. Dismal is on south of us, and those men wouldn’t have gone there, not without me knowing. The trail goes too close to my place. And besides they were headed north. You can help me talk to the sheriff. You can describe the man you saw and the voices you heard—it’d be better coming straight from the witness and not passed through me.”
Deb stood speechless. She’d expected to have the fight of her life over this. And she hadn’t intended to take no for an answer. Although she’d have to steal a horse from Trace, and she didn’t know how to saddle one, and she’d have to get past Utah and Adam. Still, she’d planned to go.
This sort of added to having her breath knocked out. “Well, umm . . . good. I’m glad we agree.”
“Gwen will be all right, won’t she?” A furrow formed between Trace’s brows. “She’ll have to care for the children and feed the men on her own. You both work mighty hard to get a meal on for us.”
It was all Deb could do not to throw her arms around his neck. Honestly, he was just the sweetest man. Then she remembered his confession about killing and thought maybe sweet wasn’t the exact right term.
“Gwen will be fine.”
“We’ll have to stay out overnight. I think we can get to Carson City and find rooms there. If we make good time, do our searching there, and move on past it we’ll have to find some proper place for you to sleep.”
“What time do we leave?”
“Before sunup. I’ll knock on your door to wake you, then go saddle the horses while you dress. I’ve got food for the saddlebags.”
“I’ll bring along some more.”
Nodding, Trace said, “That’ll be fine, but we should be able to eat in Carson City so we don’t need too much.”
Deb determined she would be up and ready long before Trace. She wasn’t going to do a single thing that slowed him down.
CHAPTER
18
Trace knocked quietly on the door in the darkness. Deb swung it open, dressed, a bag over her shoulder that Trace recognized from when he’d first come upon her. She carried a canteen in her other hand.
“I haven’t saddled the horses yet.”
“I won’t get in your way, but Trace, when you ever get a spare moment, I’d like to learn to saddle a horse.”
He wondered how long that’d take. She was a greenhorn. “Let’s go. We’ll save saddling lessons for another day.”
They reached the barn, and Utah had both horses ready.
“I’d’ve done it, Utah.”
“I know you would have, Trace. You’re a man who tends his own horse. But this gives me a jump on the day’s building.”
He spoke as if Trace had done him a favor.
Trace boosted Deb up onto the saddle, then swung up on his own mount. Utah had picked well. Deb’s horse was a gentle mare but no slacker. Trace wanted to make good time, and unless Deb wasn’t up to the ride—hard to judge by the ride she’d taken on a horse with four riders—they’d make a fast trip of it.
Heading out an hour before first light, they hit the trail galloping. He glanced at Deb, who never claimed any top riding skills. “Let me know if you’re having any troubles. We don’t need to go at this pace.”
“I’ll let you know.” Her determined expression and her firm jaw told Trace she’d die before she complained. He sure hoped it didn’t come to that!
She had a viselike grip on the saddle horn, which was how greenhorns rode, but she was balanced well.
Trace planned to ride all the way to Carson City and to the north shore of Tahoe. He’d have slept on the trail, but with Deb along, they’d need a hotel. There was a decent little town at the north point.
Surely there’d be no more wagon trains. Even the latest travelers heading for the California Trail to Sacramento had come through by now. Only a fool would try to cross any later. But Trace had learned the hard way there were fools aplenty in the world. If he came across a wagon train, he’d warn them of the danger from the outlaws. He’d also warn them of the danger of rough weather. But he knew they’d press on regardless. By this point in the journey, they were low on supplies and money. They couldn’t afford to lay up over the winter. He’d also make sure to check if a small group was splitting off from the bigger trains.
No one was reckless enough to attack a big wagon train—and the same thought of fools ran through Trace’s head. Some of
