Chapter 37

37

F ranklin didn't stay with the other ranchers any longer than it took him to warm up enough to get home. When he rode Major out of town, he gave the stallion his head. He knew the horse wanted to reach the barn as quickly as he wanted to see Lorinda. This time, he'd keep a tight rein on his anger and really listen to her.

As he rode down the lane leading to the ranch house, he noticed lights shining from every window. Something must have happened. Could something be wrong with Lorinda or one of the boys? Or even Mrs. Oleson? His pulse accelerated. Please God, don't let anything be wrong with Lorinda. The last words I said to her were hurtful.

When he stopped at the gate to the front yard, Rusty rushed out the front door. "Boss, what are you doing here?"

That wasn't the welcome he'd expected. What a crazy question.

"Where's Mrs. Vine?" Rusty's second question hit Franklin like a well-placed punch in the gut.

Franklin ran up onto the porch. "What are you talking about? Isn't Lorinda here?"

Rusty shook his head. "A boy from town brought a note saying you'd been hurt and needed her. She rode out to help you."

Franklin headed through the front door. "I'm freezing. Let's talk in here."

Mrs. Oleson must have heard his voice, because she came out of the parlor, holding a baby in each arm. Both of them were fussing. "Where have you been, Franklin? Are you hurt?" Her gaze swept past him as if searching behind him. "And where's Lorinda?"

Rusty had followed him in and shut the door.

"Okay." Franklin looked from one to the other. He didn't think he could live with losing Lorinda knowing he hadn't expressed his deep love for her. "Someone tell me what's going on."

Mrs. Oleson handed baby Michael to him, and his son rested his head on Franklin's cold shoulder. He slid the baby inside his coat and focused his attention on the housekeeper.

She pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from her apron pocket and handed it to him. He read the words that didn't make a lick of sense.

"Where did this come from?" He was trying to keep his anger under control, but it was getting hard. That's what brought all this on, him losing his temper.

"A boy from town. One of the raggedy ones who's always roaming the streets." She cuddled Andrew closer and patted his back.

"How long has Lorinda been gone?" He crushed the paper and dropped it on the table near the front door.

"Way over an hour, maybe even two." Mrs. Oleson looked flustered. "I've lost track of time, trying to appease these babies."

She did look harried, which was unusual for her.

"Rusty, what do you know about this?" Franklin wanted to get to the bottom of it as quickly as he could.

"A boy, maybe even the same one, brought this letter and gave it to me when I came out from checking on the horses." He handed the envelope to Franklin. "Golden Boy wasn't in the barn, and I came up to see if the women knew where he could have gone. That's when I found out where Mrs. Vine went."

Thoughts in Franklin's head swirled like a dust devil. "Where did she go?"

"Well, that's the thing." Rusty rubbed the back of his neck and studied the carpet. "We don't know."

Franklin tore the envelope open and released a single sheet of paper. I have your wife, Franklin, and I'm going to keep her until you give me what I want. Mike Sullivan owed me some money and when you pay me $20,000, I'll give her back to you. If you don't do it in the next forty-eight hours, you'll never see her again. MP

"MP? That's got to be Marvin Pratt." Franklin crumpled the sheet of paper and started to drop it beside the first one. Then he tried to get the wrinkles out before he laid it on the table. "He's kidnapped Lorinda, and we have to find her. According to Miriam, Marvin is a murderer, an arsonist, a cattle rustler, and who knows what else?"

Rusty grabbed his coat and hat. "What do you want me to do?"

"Ride to town as fast as you can. Ask the sheriff to form a posse and bring them out here." Franklin wasn't going to wait for them to get here to start looking for his wife. "Oh, and see if one of the nursing mothers in the church can come to help Mrs. Oleson with the babies."

"Sure thing, Boss." Rusty hurried out the door and headed toward the barn.

Franklin knew his ranch hand was glad to have something to do to help. Now, what am I going to do? He couldn't just go off half-cocked with no plan in mind. He knew he'd be looking until he found her. He gathered blankets, food, and a jar of hot coffee. When he went to gather more warm clothes, he found that some of his long underwear were missing as well as some of his outer clothing. Thank goodness, Lorinda dressed warmly before she left. And she did it to try to help him. Surely, she had some kind of feelings for him. He hoped that was a good sign. The sooner he found her, the better.

He found his warmest wool scarf and wrapped it around his neck and across the bottom of his face before putting on his heavy coat and gloves. He hefted the pillowcase of provisions over his shoulder and went to the barn. Rusty had put some oats in Major's feed trough, but he'd left the stallion saddled. His long-time ranch hand knew he would be leaving soon.

Franklin loaded the saddlebags evenly with the provisions and tied the blankets on behind his saddle. He assumed Lorinda did the same before she left. He had to believe that...and that she was somewhere safe and out of the deadly cold.

Lorinda's kidnapper had been gone for at least an hour when she heard someone riding into the tunnel toward her. She was tired of being alone, but she didn't really want Marvin Pratt here with her. What terrible plans did he have for her now? She knew he was still mad at Mike for deceiving him, and she was pretty sure he didn't like Franklin either. Would he take out his wrath for her two husbands on her?

Would she ever see the babies again? Even though she tried to keep them corralled, tears streamed down her cheeks. She wanted to wipe them away before he saw them, but she couldn't with her hands tied up and wrapped in blankets.

He dismounted from his horse and led him to the other side of the large area. There he tied the reins to one of the rough stalagmites, down near the bottom, so the horse couldn't work it loose. Then he looked straight at her.

"Missed me, huh?" He stared at her face, his eyes following the trails of tears.

She dared not say anything to upset the man. No telling what he would do.

He came over and unwrapped the blankets from around her, then untied her hands. When he did, blood rushed into her fingers, making them prickle with pain. But soon they felt better.

"Don't get all excited. I only untied them so you can eat. I don't want you dying on me. Not yet, anyway."

His words sent another chill through her. He could kill her at any time. Please God, protect me.

He started toward where the supplies she'd brought with her were stacked against the wall. He picked up the jar wrapped in towels. "Well, looky here. Coffee." His cackle sounded demented.

However, he did pour some into two tin cups and give one to her. The liquid soothed her dry throat.

Next he dug out two large roast beef sandwiches. He unwrapped one and shoved it into one of her hands.

He bit into the other one and chewed with his mouth open.

She looked away to keep from gagging.

"I really like me some good roast beef. Must be some of Franklin's fine cattle. Miriam and I enjoyed one of the yearling I stole from him a while back."

Lorinda tried to ignore him and ate her sandwich in silence. She was very hungry, and she savored every bite.

Soon he came closer than she wanted him to. "You sittin' there hoping Franklin will rescue you? Ain't gonna happen. Jist gave him several false trails to follow b'fore I came back. And it started snowin', so even those'll be covered soon. He'll git you back when he pays me th' ransom, and not a bit sooner."

Her heart dropped to her stomach, making her want to throw up every bite she'd taken. God, I trust You, but I'm getting scared. Please help Franklin find me.

As Franklin rode out, snow began to fall. He knew the trail would soon be covered. He couldn't let it get him down, but he had to find his wife as soon as possible.

Thoughts jumbled in his brain. How could he have been so fooled by Marvin? They'd played together, gone to school together, gone to church together. He remembered vividly the day both he and Marvin walked that aisle during a revival and asked Jesus into their hearts. At least he invited Him in. Did Marvin just go down because he did? Was he just making a show?

How could the boy who'd been his best friend turn into a hardened criminal who robbed and murdered and deserted the woman who carried his child? Why didn't he respect her enough to marry her before he seduced her? Maybe he just wanted Miriam because Franklin had her. Marvin hadn't ever exhibited any tendencies toward sin and lawlessness before he enticed her to fall for him instead of Franklin. Or maybe there had been signs and Franklin didn't have enough sense to recognize them. He thought Marvin was the same kind of boy that he was. But he had been so wrong. Franklin had never seen him again after Marvin and Miriam left, so he didn't see the man change even more.

Miriam paid the price for Marvin's sins. Franklin realized he hadn't really loved her the way a man should love his wife, but he'd never wish the kind of life she'd lived on any woman.

He wondered if there was an event that turned Marvin away from the Lord. Had Marvin turned his back on God, or had his heart never let God inside in the first place? Franklin didn't figure he'd ever know the answer to this question.

But even more important, what was Marvin doing to Lorinda? The thought soured his stomach, and his heart bled for his wife. Lord, I'd give my life in exchange for hers. Our sons need her.

I need her.