Page 31 of Redeeming the Outlaw
“Did you mean what you said before you left this morning? Or was it just for show?”
“When I said I loved you?” She nodded her head against his chest. “I meant every word. I love you, Esther Billings.”
Esther took a deep breath, praying for strength. “I love you, Whit,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “We may not have much time left, and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving this world without telling you how I truly feel.”
“We’ll have whatever time God gives us.”
Esther had just finished gathering firewood when Whit told her to get the water buckets. As they walked through the thick trees, memories flooded back to her from the time the gang kidnapped her.
The campsite was familiar. Although a lot had changed in just one week since they had been there. The surroundings looked as if it had been neglected for years; an old lantern with rusted metal, a broken chair, a pile of wooden buckets, and some cans of food scattered among the overgrown brush were all the remains from their previous visit.
“I’m going to get water, and Esther is going with me,” Whit announced, his tone brooking no argument. Brodie eyed him suspiciously but gave a curt nod of approval.
Esther’s hands trembled as she grabbed two wooden buckets from the stack left behind. They walked along the waterway, their feet sinking into the soft mud with each step. Whit’s horse was tethered to some bushes ahead, and Esther couldn’t help but notice it had no saddle on its back.
“Why isn’t your horse saddled?”
Whit effortlessly swung onto the horse’s back and reached for the buckets in Esther’s hand. “Hand me those,” he said, taking the buckets before hoisting her in front of him. “We’re going for a ride.”
“Won’t they get suspicious?” Esther questioned, glancing over her shoulder.
“No need to worry,” Whit reassured her. “I put a dead deer in the water earlier. We just need to ride far enough away so we can fill these buckets with no one seeing us.”
Esther gripped the buckets as the horse lurched into motion. She had never ridden bareback before, and Whit’s brawny arm around her waist was the only thing keeping her steady. Closing her eyes, she let out a content sigh as she nestled into his embrace, feeling the warmth of him against her back. She leaned back, resting her head against his chest, and breathed in his familiar scent.
“I wish we could stay like this and ride directly to town.”
“We can’t be too long, or they’ll send someone after us.” He nuzzled her ear with his nose. “I need you to pay attention to where we are going.”
She opened her eyes. “All right. Where are we going?”
“The camp is back that way. What I want to show you is up this way.”
Whit expertly guided the horse down the winding trail, pointing out familiar landmarks along the way. As they reached a low point in the creek, he turned to Esther and asked, “What did you see before we crossed?”
She scanned the surroundings, noting the trees, bushes, and glistening water.
“Bushes,” she replied uncertainly.
“No,” Whit said, turning the horse back to where they hadentered the water. “Look around.”
She saw nothing unusual. There was the typical landscape of rocks jutting from the dirt. “Rocks?”
“What about them?”
“That one there is black. The others are all brown.” She furrowed her brow in confusion as Whit smiled proudly at her observation.
“Good girl.” He gave her a quick kiss. “When you come down this path, you do not want to cross the creek until you see that black rock.”
“Cross at the black rock. What am I looking for?” She squinted her eyes as they broke through the bushes into the bright morning.
“Look there,” he whispered, pointing to a house surrounded by fields in the distance. Several large boys were tending to animals, their laughter echoed across the field.
“Who are they?” she asked. Their laughter was a soothing balm to her weary soul. She felt Whit’s hand on her arm, drawing her attention back to him. His blue eyes held a serious glint.
“Esther, listen to me,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “If anything should happen to me, you need to run to the farm as fast as you can. The woman who lives there can get word to the marshal and my family.”
His words sparked anxiety within her, but she nodded solemnly. She would do whatever it took to keep them both safe.
