Elise put her ear as close to the window as she could.  They left her alone for such a long time, she grew bold enough to lower the blindfold and look around.  The light hurt her eyes and the world was blurry for such an extended period of time that she began to worry her vision might have been impaired by the constant blindfold. From what she could gather, she was bound and blindfolded for about a month.  She did her best to exercise her arms with them bound together like they were, but the rope burns made it difficult.  The purplish hue of the raw sores on her wrists concerned her.  She did not know much about rope burns, but she guessed that was not a good thing.The shed Elise was locked in was a small distance from the main house of the large ranch they arrived at just the night before. Even so, the sound traveled enough for her to hear a small group on the main house porch arguing about the dangers of bringing her there, the fact th

Nate stepped out of the general store and adjusted the vest, jacket, and wide brimmed hat he just purchased.  After talking with the bartender, he and Oliver decided it was best to shed their Pinkerton suits in favor of more casual western wear.  Their clothes looked a little stiff and new, but, since they were headed back onto the trail, it would not take long for them to become dusty and lived in.He smiled to himself as he thought they finally might be able to pull one over on the Jefferson gang.  Oliver even went so far as to see a barber and have most of his hair cut off.  Once Nate recovered from the shock, he agreed Oliver looked better.  Even so, when Oliver suggested Nate do the same thing, his friend declined most vehemently.Refreshed and feeling a new sense of hope, they headed back to where they left the trail of the kidnappers.  It had only been a few days so Nate was confident he would be able to pick up where he left off.&n

Angus paced the porch nervously while he listened to Garth regale the new arrivals with stories of his growing up on the ranch under the watchful eye of rough and tough ranch hands.  They seemed like a decent enough sort.  He tested them with handling a few horses and some stock and they held their own just fine.  Even so, there was something about the way they looked at him that made him uncomfortable. Maybe it was all in his head.  After all, he had only just sent Tom and his gang of hooligans off with their hostage that morning.  Maybe he was feeling a little guilty about forcing himself on that helpless widow like he did and then packing her off to be sold as a whore. Garth was sure furious with him.  In fact, the boy promised never to forgive him for it.  Then, he was young yet.  Angus was positive that once he had a few whores under him he would forget all about that dainty widow and maybe even have a good laugh at the puppy

The few choice words Angus had for Nate and Oliver when they informed him that they were quitting, after only just arriving, sat sour in Nate’s craw.  He could understand the man’s irritation over having to shift things around to accommodate the gap in the work detail, but, since he and Oliver were only hired the day before, it shouldn’t have been such an inconvenience to warrant the fit the overseer threw.  This showed Nate yet another side of the overseer that he did not like; as if his forcing a poke from Elise was not enough.They were half way into town when they decided it was better to wait until they were in a town that was less apt to report back to Angus that Nate was the new ranch owner and he was wiring the lawyer for Angus’ replacement. It would not do to be absent when Angus learned of his dismissal plans.  After seeing the temper Angus harbored, Nate did not trust what he might do if left to his own devices.  He could

Elise sat on the porch of the great house and gently rocked in the rocking chair that was placed there just for her.  Her eyes were locked on the doctor’s buggy as it made its way down the long drive toward town.  She was given a clean bill of health and was now able to travel.The news that her parents had paid the ransom and not tossed her to the wolves invigorated her spirits and aided in her speedy recovery from the ordeals she endured over the last few months.  She was anxious to leave the wild west and return to the more civilized east.  If she never saw a cowboy or a cow again, it would be too soon.  She longed for pretty dresses, beautiful hairdos, glittery jewelry, and elite balls filled with pomp and circumstance.The closer she got to full recovery, the less she saw of Nate and Oliver. In the beginning, Nate was practically glued to her side with Oliver not far away.  After speaking with the doctor for a considerable lengt