Page 85 of A Rugged Beauty
Godhadprovided for her, kept her these many years.
But she’d wanted a future with Hollis.
“Hollis doesn’t want me for a wife.” Admitting it made more tears flow.
Felicity had tears in her eyes, too. Her lips pressed together before she spoke. “God has a plan for him, too. Maybe you are meant to be the healing he needs.”
These wise words from Felicity settled deep inside Abigail’s heart. Hollis was burning up from the inside out. Lost to his grief. Could Felicity be right that Abigail was meant to bring him healing? How?
Abigail had gone into this marriage intent on helping him. Her motives had gotten muddled as her feelings for the enigmatic man had deepened.
Loving someone meant wanting the best for them, didn’t it? Hollis had suffered—and deserved every good thing he could have.
Could she give selflessly, knowing her heart would be broken at the end of this journey?
Seventeen
Lightning flashed,a bright strike flaring through the building clouds in the south.
The storm was heading this way. Hot wind gusted into Hollis's face, offering no relief. He felt a stirring of unease, as if they might face a flash flood like before, but he reminded himself the company was on a plain, not down by the riverbed where there might be flooding.
From up ahead, August motioned to his right from the back of his horse. Hollis leaned down to see the crushed grass that might mean a horse had passed this way.
It might've also meant a deer. Or buffalo. Or wandering cow.
August had felt well enough to go scouting this morning but had returned to camp quickly, asking Hollis and Owen to accompany him.
Now August reined in, Hollis and Owen just behind him. The two men had resolved their differences and it felt good for Hollis to be able to trust his captain again, even if his other personal concerns remained unresolved.
What had August found? The remains of a campfire—abandoned quickly.
"Up on the bluff," August pointed to the embankment a half-dozen yards above.
The three of them tromped up the incline to the small plateau that created an overlook.
August went on, “There's a place where it looks like he laid on his stomach and watched our camp."
Owen sent a concerned glanced to Hollis. "You were right about someone following us. He's been careful to cover his tracks—until now."
"If he's after the ruby, why didn't he come into camp while everyone was sick?" August wondered aloud.
"He's cautious,” Hollis mused. "Maybe he was biding his time. Left when the soldiers rode in."
Owen wore a look tinged with appreciation. "I guess that's another reason to thank you for coming back."
Hollis paced away, scuffing his boot through the grass, looking for any clue the man might've left behind.
"Maybe we can convince Collin to just give it to him," August said to Owen, their voices carrying to Hollis as he moved all the way to the edge of the bluff.
There was a clear view into camp from here. Would be more detailed if the man following them had a pair of field glasses. If he'd spent days camped here, watching, he'd have had time to note all the watches, see the family relationships, know everything about them.
"How would that work?" Owen asked skeptically. "Besides, it's Stella and the girls you'd have to convince."
The jewel didn't belong to the Fairfax women, but it'd ended up in their possession. Hollis would be happy to be rid of it. He didn't need anyone chasing them for the piece of stone stolen from a wealthy Eastern family.
Lightning struck again, lighting up the entire sky, even the side the clouds hadn't covered. It jagged straight to the ground,followed by a boom of thunder so loud it seemed to shake the ground beneath them.
One of the horses whinnied.
