Page 88 of On the Mountain

He nodded. “We figured they had something to do with it.”

“And the constable.”

Wade froze.

“He was there. He killed those women.” Her voice cracked, recalling the hateful memory.

“Anna,” Kathleen interfered. “Don’t think about it now. You still need your rest.”

Wade felt a heated rage building up inside. He had felt there was something suspicious about the constable, which had only been reinforced with his disappearance. But he never imagined he actually had anything to do with the massacre.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded and looked like she wanted to cry again.

He reached out and touched her leg covered by the bed sheet. “Kathleen is right. You need your rest to rebuild your strength. I brought some coffee, but if you wouldn’t mind waking Elizabeth, Kathleen, maybe she would be so kind as to make Anna some breakfast.”

His sister nodded, then hurried out of the room. When she was gone he stood there silently, not looking at Anna.

“Kathleen told me you saved my life.” Her speech was hushed and his eyes automatically swung back to her face. “Thank you.”

He felt a stab of pain and looked away. Her gratitude was just salt in the wound.

“I’ve sent for the doctor.” He steadied his voice before looking back down at her. She lay peacefully in his bed. Her beautiful face pale against his dark pillows. His eyes shifted and he noticed the purplish swelling of her fractured jaw and felt a rush of emotion. Involuntarily, his gaze drifted up and settled on her pale lips.

“Wade?” It was just a small whimper, but there was definitely a trace of longing.

His heart felt wretched as he forced his eyes back to hers and saw the desperate look in her eyes. From deep inside, he felt a stirring response. Then the moment was shattered when Prescott came flying into the room and Wade looked away.

“It’s true. You’re awake. Thank God.”

“Hello Prescott.” She attempted to offer a smile, but her jaw was obviously too painful.

His brows shot high. “And speaking. My God, how wonderful.”

She actually blushed and put color into her cheeks for the first time. “Yes.”

Wade stepped away from the bed. “I’m going to ride over to the RCMP station and let them know what you told me about the constable.”

Her eyes flew to his face and he could tell she didn’t want him to leave, but Wade headed for the door without looking back.

“What’s this about the constable?” Prescott inquired, obviously perplexed.

“Anna can inform you,” he told his brother and bid them farewell. “I’ll be back in several hours.”

Without another parting glance, he left them and headed for the barn to saddle Sty. He couldn’t allow his mind to recall the suffering in her eyes, for at that moment he felt like a murderous man. If the RCMP did not reach the constable before Wade tracked him down, he had every intention of making the lawman his third victim.

* * *

Anna attempted to eat the breakfast that Elizabeth had made, but found it far too difficult to swallow. Her jaw throbbed painfully when she tried to speak so found she did little of both after Wade hurried out of the room. She had wanted him to stay but knew what she wanted and what Wade wanted, differed greatly.

Kathleen proved a boundless outlet for information. She talked for the entire duration it took for the doctor to arrive and filled in missing gaps of time for Anna. Not surprisingly, she was shocked to discover that she had been unconscious for nearly two days. Both Kathleen and Elizabeth had been her main caregivers to which Anna was eternally grateful. Though she was covered in a borrowed night gown, she wasn’t sure how she felt if either Wade or Prescott had ministered to her while she was unconscious. In particular, Wade. She already burned bright red from the knowledge that it was he who had carried her naked body up from the river.

She thought the doctor had arrived when the lower level of the house broke out into a loud commotion. The woman sitting across from her frowned, as she had heard it as well, then got up to investigate. She had just reached the corridor when Prescott came running up the back staircase. He was breathing hard and sounded excited. However, not in his usual Prescott way. Instead, his voice was laced with concern.

“Neil said he saw Wade and a bunch of the ranch hands heading out of town, north of the Durand Pass.”

Anna frowned and listened closely.

---