Page 71 of At Love’s Command

“If you say so.” Burkett raised a hand in surrender. “I’ll take all the experience we can get. Albert and Eddie are loyal hands and fair shots, but they’re not battle-tested. One can never tell how a man’ll react under fire until bullets start flying. As much as I’m praying for a peaceful resolution, I have a feelin’ lead is gonna be exchanged.”

Matt’s gut concurred. “Protecting Josie is my top concern,” he said. “The money, your men, my men all come second. You good with that?”

“Son,” Burkett said with a raise of his brow, “if your priorities were anywhere else, I wouldn’t be lettin’ you take lead. Now, let’s quit yammerin’ and get on the road.”

It took about an hour to track down the banker and convince him to let Burkett withdraw the bulk of his savings. Charlie must have advised Taggart on the maximum asking price, for Burkett had only $232.17 in his account when they finished. He might make payroll once or twice before his account was completely depleted, but not much more than that. If Taggart escaped with the ransom money, Gringolet would be bankrupted. Burkett, to his credit, didn’t hesitate over shoving the banknotes into his satchel, however. Just stuffed the bills deep, buckled the leather straps, and tied the bag to the back of his horse as if it contained nothing more valuable than hardtack and coffee. Matt supposed the comparison might be accurate when held up against Josephine’s safety.

Nice to know they could agree on one thing, at least.

All right, two things. They definitely shared the same taste in horses. Matt bent forward and patted Percival’s neck as they reached the outskirts of town, then signaled the horse with a squeeze of his knees to open into a lope. The dark bay’s gait was so smooth, Matt nearly forgot about his injury altogether, something that had been impossible with the more jarring strides of the cow pony from the livery. A cavalry regiment outfitted with mounts of this quality would be unstoppable.

Thoughts of horses, breeding, and the army couldn’t distract him for long, however. Matt’s mind continually returned to Josie, wondering how she fared among Taggart’s men. He prayed for her protection every couple miles, and when he wasn’t running rescue scenarios in his head and trying to anticipate Taggart’s strategy, he allowed himself a few blissful visions of what a future might look like with her by his side.

His wife.

The very idea thrilled and terrified him with equal force. He’d never thought himself a settling-down kind of man. His life had been the military, then the Horsemen. Guns and horses were all he knew. All he’d wanted to know. Until he met Josie with her ten-dollar words and her determination to make a place for herself in a man’s profession. She was a fighter. But not just for herself. She fought for her patients, her family, her beliefs.

And she believed in him. There hadn’t been a shadow of doubt in her eyes when she looked down at him from atop Taggart’s horse. Matt had been beaten, bound, and stripped of all means to protect her. Yet when he’d brazenly claimed that he’d find her, she hadn’t batted an eye.

“I know.”

Those two words resonated in his soul and drove him on despite the pain and the weariness that plagued him. He wouldn’t let her down.

They made camp that night along Helotes Creek and set out at first light for Gallagher’s Ranch. Burkett and his two hands kept to the road. Matt and the Horsemen fanned out to the west, using the trees as cover in an effort to keep their presence a secret from any of Taggart’s men who might be spying out the area.

As they neared the meeting location, an uneasy feeling prickled the back of Matt’s neck. It was still several hours before the designated time of the exchange, but Matt hadn’t survived fifteen years in the army by ignoring his instincts.

“Brooks, find some high ground. I need a visual of what’s ahead.”

Jonah guided his mount to a large oak, then used the horse’s back as a leg up into the tree. Their field glasses were with the rest of their stolen supplies in Taggart’s camp, so the sergeant had to rely on the eyesight the Lord had given him. Thankfully, the Almighty had blessed Brooks with a double portion of that commodity, so Matt had no doubt that if there was something to see, Jonah would see it.

“Preach, watch our flank,” Matt said, waving him to the west. “Wallace, signal Burkett that there might be trouble ahead.”

Wallace might not have his trumpet, but his voice was as talented as his horn. He’d arranged an owl call with Burkett yesterday while on the trail, practicing until the sound carried and Burkett recognized it from a distance.

As the men spread out, Matt slid his rifle from its scabbard and laid it across his lap. Leaves rustled above his head as Jonah moved into position. Matt turned his gaze upward and watched his friend climb. He lost sight of him a time or two, but he kept his gaze glued to the tree anyway, as if his attention could somehow aid the ascent.

Fifteen minutes passed before Jonah finally made his way back down to the ground.

“What’d you see, Sergeant?” Matt demanded before Jonah even had time to mount his horse.

“There’s a path veering off toward San Geronimo Creek.” Jonah swung into his saddle and turned his horse so he could face Matt. “It’s just ahead, after a small bend in the road. Someone planted a white flag at the junction to make sure Burkett doesn’t miss it.”

“Any sign of Taggart?” Matt swallowed, his heart suddenly pumping erratically. “Or Josie?”

“I couldn’t make out any outlaws from my position, but a small contingent could be hidden, using the trees and brush for cover like we are. The vegetation thins the nearer you get to the road, though, and I didn’t spot any buildings that could offer more substantial cover. Didn’t spy any horses either, so if Taggart has men out there, it’s probably a small number on foot.”

Matt chewed on that piece of information, not sure if it was good news or bad. Then he noticed the hesitant lines of Jonah’s face. “What is it, Sergeant?”

Jonah shifted in his saddle. “I saw something else, but it was too far away to make out clearly.”

“But you’re pretty sure you know what it was.”

Jonah never reported something unless he was confident in his impressions. He might not have seen every detail, but he knew what was there. Who was there. The fact that he hesitated only made Matt’s gut churn.

“Spit it out, Brooks.”

Jonah met Matt’s gaze. “I saw something that looked a lot like Dr. Jo. Her fancy blue jacket, at least. That black slouch hat of hers too.”