Page 140 of The Cowboy's Unshakeable Love

“Okay. Tanner said to tell you that Ford hasn’t seen anything.”

“I want to tell those guys to come back this way – I’m convinced she’s headed south, but …”

“I think so, too, but we’ve got this direction covered – might as well let them cover the options.”

~ ~ ~

Retta was almost too tired to keep moving. Her mind was foggy with pain, but she couldn’t let that stop her. She just had to keep dragging herself back down toward the road. She was covered with deep scratches and bruises. Her leg was screaming, and her head was pounding, but she was still alive, still moving, and somehow, she just knew that Travis was going to find her.

It wasn’t just a hope – wasn’t something she was telling herself so that she wouldn’t give up. She somehow just knew, right down to her bones that her man wouldn’t stop until he found her. All she had to do was keep herself going until he did.

Ever since Callie’s dad had walked out when Callie was just a baby and Retta herself was still a girl, she’d prided herself on not needing anyone. She made her way through life by herself. She might not have done a great job of it much of the time, but she’d survived, and she’d raised a wonderful daughter – all by herself.

Now, she was no longer by herself. Travis had walked into her life and made himself part of it in a way that let her know that he’d always be there – like Trip had told her; she’d never be able to shake him. He was coming for her; she knew it. And while she was still determined to get as far as she could under her own steam, the pressure she’d put on herself her whole life just wasn’t there anymore. She was capable, she was as independent as she wanted to be – but now, she had that big, beautiful man. Somehow, she just knew in her heart that he wouldn’t let her down when she needed him the most.

She started moving again – the road was getting closer now.

~ ~ ~

Travis peered out through the windshield as Trip drove slowlyacross the Ziller ranch. He was convinced that the tire tracks on the dirt road were recent. Jamie had brought Retta up here, he knew it.

Trip brought the truck to a stop and looked over at Travis when they reached a fork in the road.

“That way leads to the old ranch house.” Trip pointed to the right.

Travis nodded. “And this way leads up into the foothills.” He pointed. “I still think those tracks are Jamie’s.”

Trip raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment. There were tire tracks on the other fork of the road, too – they could both see that.

Travis called Zeke. “When you get onto the Ziller property and you reach the fork in the road, go right, we’re taking the left.”

“Will do.”

When the road curved around and entered the forest, Travis leaned forward in his seat. “She’s here somewhere. I know she is.”

Trip drove slowly, and they both peered out through the windows.

“There!” Travis shouted. “The shack!” He jumped out of the truck before Trip had stopped and ran to the dilapidated building by the side of the road. He tugged at the door, but it didn’t open. He kicked and kicked until his foot went through one of the rotten boards. His heart was pounding as he pulled the door open, but it sank when he saw the inside of the shack. Retta wasn’t there – it didn’t look like anyone other than mice had been there in years.

Trip peered in over his shoulder. “Come on, let’s keep going.”

When they got back to the truck, Travis looked closely at the tire tracks they’d been following. They’d stopped here, too. And they didn’t continue on the road. He looked all around and noticed flattened undergrowth and broken branches.

“Retta!” he yelled as loudly as he could.

He closed his eyes and waited, willing her to hear him and shout back.

Only silence echoed in return.

He yelled again. “Retta! Where are you, darlin’?”

Trip gave him a sympathetic look, no doubt thinking that he was just yelling out his frustration.

It was more than that, though, she was out here somewhere, Travis just knew it.

His heart leaped into his mouth, and he started running through the trees when he heard her.

“Trav! Travis! I’m here!”

---