Chapter Thirty-Eight

Ance drew in small breaths to combat the stench as he glanced at Audrey. He had given her his bandana and it was tied around her mouth and nose but he could see the discomfort and tears in her brown eyes.

The scent of decaying flesh, both horse and man, was strong around them and Ance knew the sights of the rotting bodies was going to plague Audrey's nightmares for a long time to come. He remembered his first time seeing a rotting corpse when he'd been ten years old--now and then it still haunted his dreams as well.

Old Man Thompson's cabin came into view and Irish called out. "I'll be stayin' back here," he stated. "I've seen about enough for now and I can't fit this here wagon through all these holes and traps. Take the wee lass with ya if she wants to go."

Ance turned his gaze to Audrey who sat stiff backed in the wagon seat. "Do you want to come? You don't have to. I can take care of this myself," he assured her.

Audrey shook her head. "I'm coming," she insisted, her voice muffled beneath the red bandana.

Despite his trepidations, Ance nodded. If there was one thing he'd learned about Audrey, it was that once the woman had her mind made up about something it was pointless to try to change it. He rode up alongside the wagon and gently helped Audrey onto the saddle behind him. It had been nearly a week since he'd been stitched up and his wounds were healing but still tender and he was careful to keep from tearing the wounds and undoing all the knitting up they'd done so far.

Together the two rode in silence toward the cabin. Ance was careful to sidestep any remaining traps and he did his best to keep Audrey away from the grisliest of the bodies. His mare was clearly less than happy about the smell as she tossed her head but Ance forced her onward.

He dismounted slowly when they reached the porch and pulled Audrey down. "Are you sure you want to go in? I can take care of this myself..."

Audrey's brown eyes, while red-rimmed and sad, were also full of determination as she looked up at him. "I want to come in, Ance. Stop trying to protect me."

Ance grumbled under his breath and waved his arm toward the door. "After you then. I won't be caught protecting you again."

Audrey glared at him, clearly not happy with the snark in his tone. Ance wasn't pleased with it either. With a sigh Ance grabbed her arm gently. "I'm sorry," he ground out, unaccustomed to apologies. "I think we both need to finish this up, finish the rest of our business and then take a good and proper rest."

Audrey leaned into his touch and laid her fingertips against his beard. "I think you're right."

Happy to have the snappiness behind them, they walked hand in hand into the cabin. Ance felt Audrey stiffen as the scent assaulted their scenses. It was as if they'd run into a brick wall of decaying flesh and Audrey pulled out of his grasp, turned on her heel and dashed outside before losing the contents of her stomach on the porch.

Ance sighed and followed her out. He took the bandana from her hand, went to the hand pump well and cleaned it off before taking it back to her and laying it across the back of her neck as she sat in a rickety rocking chair with her head between her knees.

"I'm sorry, Ance.. I thought I could but..."

"Don't you worry about it none, Audrey. I'll take care things."

"I don't want to cause you any extra trouble..." Audrey insisted, never looking up from her boots.

Ance patted her shoulder. "If there's one thing I know about females, it's that they're nothing but extra trouble."

Ance saw her lips twitch with a hint of amusement and that made him feel comfortable enough to leave her sit while he went in search of a shovel.

Ance took care of the task of burying Old Man Thompson quickly and he tied together two sticks with some leather cord to make a cross to mark the grave. Once that was done, Ance went back to the front of the house and led Audrey around back so she could see the gravesite. He left her standing beside it as he went back in and found a doll which he assumed was the one Penelope had forgotten.

"You ready to be moving on?" Ance asked quietly when he rejoined Audrey outside.

She nodded, her eyes instantly going to the doll in his hands. "Yes. And Penelope will be so happy to have her doll back, Ance. Thank you."

"She'll be getting this doll soon enough," Ance agreed. "But first we have things to be taking care of in Grandy."

Audrey tilted her head and let out a tired sigh. "Grandy here we come."

***

Audrey sat up abruptly, unsure what had awaken her from such a sound sleep. The first thing she realized was that she was lying upon the bedrolls alone. Ance was not beside her. She glanced to the other side of the fire and saw Irish snoring soundly.

Where was Ance?

Gazing through the darkness and shadows, Audrey eyes fell upon the sillouhettes of two men. One she instantly recognized to be Ance, his broad shoulders and tall build were nearly impossible to miss, but the other was a bit smaller and she would swear that was a feather hanging from his hair....

Indians!!

"Irish!" Audrey hissed. "Irish, wake up.. Ance needs our help."

Irish jerked to alertness and frowned. "What's the matter, lass?"

"Indians..." Audrey whispered. "He's up there with an Indian."

Irish followed her gaze and shook his head as he relaxed back against his bedroll. "Don't ya worry your head about that none. Ance can handle the situation just fine."

Audrey chewed her lip and wanted to smack the loafing Irishman. Those were Indians! They couldn't be trusted! She could only see one but she had heard many times that where you saw one Indian there were always more. Thankfully she'd avoided trouble with them on her ranch but she knew other ranchers, older ones, that hadn't always been so lucky.

Audrey did not draw an easy breath until she saw Ance tip his hat to the Indian and head back her way. The Indian hopped on the horse beside him and rode off into the darkness. "What are you doing awake?" Ance asked as he laid himself down beside her.

"I woke up and realized you weren't here... Ance, what did that Indian want?"

"You need rest, Audrey. You haven't had a decent night sleep since we left that cabin four days ago."

"Ansel Adams, you will answer me now." Audrey exclaimed, feeling her nerves fraying even more. She had always been a level headed person but the constant movement lately, the constant fear, the constant death around her, the nightmares keeping her awake at all hours of the night and the constant separation from her daughter was taking its toll on Audrey.

"Calm yourself down, woman."

"Don't patronize me, man," Audrey snapped. "What did he want?"

Ance snorted and rubbed at his face. "He and his party have been dogging us since we left the fort. They've just been keeping an eye to make sure we don't mean trouble and to keep trouble off our backs as well."

"So they..they're helping us?" Audrey asked with confusion.

Ance nodded as he motioned for her to lay down against his chest. "That's about the size of it. Now lay down here and rest, Audrey."

Audrey laid her head down but couldn't seem to fall asleep. "Are you certain they don't mean us harm?"

Ance sighed. "I trust them more than I trust most white men. Those Indians have never done me a bit of harm and, if not for them, I wouldn't have known that Barnaby had taken you from Old Man Thompson. You owe them your life, Audrey, and Penelope's. You shouldn't judge them so harsh."

Feeling thoroughly put in her place, Audrey picked at the buttons of Ance's worn and stained shirt. She'd cleaned it the best she could in the river but there would be no saving it... They'd reach Grandy in another three or four days and each of them needed a good hot bath and clean clothes before they left there.

"I suppose there are things in this life I just don't know much about," Audrey admitted. "I was always told Indians were savages."

"It's not your fault. That's what most folks want you to think. Just like all Irishmen are drunks and all outlaws are pure evil."

"Irish doesn't do much drinking," Audrey countered. "And you don't have a purely evil bone in your body."

"Well they say that all female ranchers are sharp-tongued harpies with more hair on their chests and chins than most men," Ance added.

Audrey laughed lightly and pressed her lips against his ear. "Is that true, outlaw?" she purred.

"Damn you, woman," Ance growled and just like that, he was taking her into his arms and loving her in the way that only he could. Everything around them was forgotten as Audrey lost herself in his warmth and strength.. Only half aware of Irish turning his back to them and covering his head with his thin pillow.

Audrey had obviously lost all shreds of decency because she couldn't find it within herself to care that they were so near someone else. She had been so long without Ance's lovemaking and all she wanted was to have him take away some of the worry and stress that had been weighing her down for so very long.

Ance pulled the blankets over their heads to offer the illusion of privacy and Audrey's ability to think was lost completely as his lips roamed over her chest.

Audrey let him love her. Her outlaw. He was hers and she was is.... At least until his roaming ways dragged them apart--which was bound to happen before too long.