The Matchmaker's Match

{Chapter} 29

Katie groaned. “Already?”

Rawhide narrowed his eyes at her. “Pardon?”

“Nothing.” Katie waved him off with her hand.

She walked back to the chuck wagon and lifted a starving Justin Cade into her arms.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered beneath his cries.

She closed her eyes and prayed that God would keep her three friends safe.

Lord, I don’t know what went down. I don’t know where they’re headed or how they’ll end up. I just ask that You be with them. You know the fear in my heart, and you know how to calm it. Please send me your peace. Please grant your safety.

Katie rocked Justin back and forth. Her eyes caught on the trunk that Adam had broken into to retrieve his gun without Toni’s permission. Counting the number of guns, she found that six were missing. That would include Mark and his four men.

What kind of match was Adam’s Colt to five other guns?

Her heart sank into her stomach and she rocked Justin harder, willing his cries to cease while her own tears rolled down her cheeks.

Fear took hold of her so hard it made her tremble. She could nearly see Adam with a bullet through his head - the same fate that had killed Ben. Her silent tears turned into sobs.

God, please grant us a miracle. Please don’t let them catch up with Mark and his men.

**********

Adam tracked and tracked until darkness settled over Oklahoma and he could no longer see.

“I can’t believe that man!” Toni tore off her hat and threw it to the ground.

She continued to spout of her grievances with her uncle while Adam paced the ground.

Erik had started a small fire to tide them over until they could return to camp in the morning; the crackling noise of it didn’t bring its usual comfort, and its warmth held no reassurance.

“Furthermore I can’t believe the two of you kept this from me. Don’t you realize that we could have stopped this?” Toni’s voice held more annoyance than a momma bear that lost a cub as she dusted off her hat and replaced it.

“How? How do you think we could’ve stopped this? If we confronted him from the start he more than likely would have gathered up all his men and picked us off one by one,” Erik reasoned.

Ever since they had lost the gang, the two had been at odds with each other. Adam was nearly crazy from their incessant bickering.

Toni rolled her eyes. “If you had trusted me more…”

“Shut up!” Adam yelled, his voice echoing into the still night air. “Just stop bickering for two seconds so we can hear our own selves think!”

Toni and Erik stared at him as if he were a ghost.

“Incase you haven’t noticed, this is not the time to be turning on each other, “ Adam continued. “We’ve got five men to track, an outfit to get into Texas, and we’ve gotta survive doing it. Either the two of you shut up or I’ll ride out of here on my own.”

Toni and Erik glanced at each other. Toni crossed her arms and Erik directed his gaze back to the fire.

Suddenly, Toni’s eyes widened.

“Oh, for the love of…” She tore off her hat and threw it into the dirt again.

“What now?” Erik and Adam asked in unison.

“Look at me! I’m miles away from my baby who I haven’t fed all day.” Toni grabbed her saddle and started toward her horse.

Erik’s eyes met Adam’s in a panic. “I forgot about Justin.”

Adam felt his heartbeat quicken and beat into his ears.

“We can’t see at night. We’ll get lost,” he reasoned.

Toni walked up to her husband. “Give me your shirt.”

“What was that?” Erik asked.

“I need your shirt to make a torch with.”

“Why mine?”

“Because it’s your son we’re trying to get back to and-” Toni leaned closer to Erik, “- it’s not like I can take off my own.”

Erik sighed and took off his shirt while Toni rummaged around for a stick. Adam helped her find a stout, sturdy one, then went to saddle the horses.

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Erik asked, not shirtless.

“It has to. I’ve got to get back to my baby,” Toni said determinedly.

She tied the shirt into a mound at the end of the stick and lit it on fire.

“I’m such a terrible mother,” she whispered.

Thoughts of Mark and his men disappeared as all of their energy was focused on finding their way back to camp.

**********

It was past midnight when Katie was still trying to rock Justin to sleep. His wails had kept most of the cowboys up, but Rawhide was snoring so loud it rivaled Justin’s cries. Her worried heart beat louder with every passing hour that Toni, Erik, and Adam didn’t return. She had begun to imagine the worst. She could see it all in her head.

Adam’s lone gun was no match for Mark and his men. Their horses’ hooves thundered as speed became the main objective in the animals’ minds. Mark would twist in his saddle and squeeze off shots behind him at the three people in hot pursuit. First, she saw Toni fall off her horse and crumple on the ground. Next came Erik, who fell the same way as his wife. Then there was Adam, fighting the evil alone. He tried his best, but he was overtaken. Katie shook her head as the vision on her mind of his death was more bloody and gruesome than the other two combined.

Suddenly, the sound of horses approaching brought her out of her sickening thoughts. Her heart picked up with hope and she slip off the tongue of the chuck wagon.

Toni and Erik were walking toward her. Katie averted her eyes from her cousin’s shirtless husband and chose not to ask questions. She was so happy to see them alive.

She gave Justin to his mother. “Where’s Adam?”

“He’s taking care of the horses,” Erik answered, as Toni was already rushing off to the chuck wagon to tend to her baby.

Katie took off in a run toward the horses. She just had to see that he was alright, that he wasn’t hurt. She looked around for him, and found him stripping the leather off Toni’s horse.

“Adam,” She breathed.

Adam turned to her just in time to catch her as she fell into his arms.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” She said into his shoulder. “I was so worried. I kept seeing things and envisioning things. Terrible things. Things like what happened to Ben and I couldn’t even think of that happening to you…”

Adam pulled back and put a finger over her lips to stop her rambling. “I’m just fine, Katie. Nothing’s wrong with me except that I’m tired.”

Katie nodded and wrapped her arms back around him. She didn’t even think of Mark or what dangers might lay ahead of them. She simply breathed a prayer of thanks for God’s protection.

　

　

　Ba-doom-doom-doom-chshhhh

So there is Chapter 29. If you're reading this, it means that you've made it this far in my story. I'm so proud of you! You, my friend, are an awesome person:) Thanks so much!!!