He’d have to wait until morning and subdue the man when he came out of the cabin. Deke crept away silently and sat on the ground behind a tree where he still had a good view of the cabin’s door, and he waited for sunrise.
Deke drifted into a light sleep and woke as the sun peeked over the horizon. He stood and stretched. The cabin was still dark and quiet, but he knew that would change soon. He crept back to his spot at the rear of the cabin and looked through the window. Amalie was still asleep on the cot, but her abductor was beginning to stir. When the man started to rise, Deke hurried off to hide behind the outhouse, hoping the man would be out soon to use it.
He didn’t have to wait long before Silas stumbled his way to the outhouse and stepped inside. Deke moved to the side of the door and waited.
When the door opened again, Silas stepped out, stopping dead in his tracks when he heard a pistol cocking behind him.
“I don’t know who you are,” Deke growled, “but you made a big mistake when you took my wife. Now, drop your gun and raise your hands. We’re going to walk back to the cabin to release my wife; then we’re going to town to see the sheriff.”
Silas nodded and moved toward the cabin.
When they reached the weather-beaten porch, Deke said, “You open the door nice and slow and walk inside. Don’t get any ideas about trying to grab my wife as protection. I can shoot faster than you can run.”
Amalie woke when she heard voices outside and saw Silas enter the cabin with his hands in the air. When she saw Deke, she nearly cried out with relief.
“Stay where you are, Amalie, until I can get this fella tied up,” Deke ordered.
Amalie nodded. Tears of relief streamed down her face.
When Silas was properly bound, Deke made his way to the cot and untied Amalie’s hands.
She sprang to her feet and wrapped her arms around her husband. “Thank you for finding me so quickly. That man took me to force you to come here to find me so he could kill you.”
Deke slipped his arms around Amalie, returned her hug, and his heart took a small leap. She felt good and right in his arms, but he wasn’t ready to have a wife—or was he? If he wasn’t ready, why did he have the strongest desire to kiss her?
Deke took a step back and asked, “Did he hurt you at all?”
“No, he said he wouldn’t. He only wanted to kill you for bringing his brother in for trial. He said they hanged his brother, and he’s already killed the sheriff and judge involved. He frightened me. I thought you’d be killed for sure.”
“I can’t be killed that easy,” Deke assured her.
He turned to look at Silas. “What’s your name?”
“Silas Blackburn,” Silas spat back.
Deke thought for a moment and asked, “Mick Blackburn was your brother?”
“Yeah, and you, that sheriff, and judge killed him. You’re gonna pay Sperling, maybe not today, but you’ll pay.”
“Get up,” Deke shouted. “You can tell it to the judge. After what you’ve done, you’ll be lucky to end up in prison if not at the end of a rope.”
Deke and Amalie followed Silas out of the cabin. He mounted Silas’ horse, telling the complaining man that he could walk back to where Deke had left his own horse.
He told Amalie they would stop at the ranch first, and she could wait there while he took Silas into town. “If the sheriff needs to talk to you, we can go into town later. You need to go home and eat and rest first.”
Amalie smiled in agreement. She needed a bath, a warm meal, and to rest where she felt safe.
Chapter Fifteen
Three days later, the sheriff sent word that he’d like for Amalie and Deke to come to town to speak with him. Amalie was nervous, but Deke did his best to reassure her that he’d make sure she was safe.
“When we returned from Cheyenne, you said no one would dare abduct me to get the bounty Rex offered,” Amalie said, doing her best to remain strong.
“I still believe that. By now, word has gotten around that you’re my wife and not Rex’s property. People believe that bounty hunters are a bad breed and some may fill that description, but for the most part, they step in and bring in criminals outside the grasp of the law or those who have hidden themselves well enough so the law can’t find them,” Deke said taking her hand to help her remain calm.
“But Silas Blackburn found me.”
“No, he found me, and unfortunately, he thought he could use you to get to me. He wasn’t coming after the bounty.”
“That’s true,” Amalie admitted. “I must be more worried than I thought. Do you suppose the sheriff has bad news for us?”
“I doubt it,” Deke assured. “It most likely has to do with Blackburn’s abducting you and nothing to do with the bounty.”
He held her hand, and her smile warmed his heart. No, he had to admit that it was more than that. He was losing his heart to his wife. Deke fought it—he had refused to ever love another—but he felt his heart betraying him.
Deke and Amalie sat in two wooden chairs in the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff greeted them warmly and offered
