Summary: Gabriella, the middle Cartwright stepdaughter, gets captured by outlaws and her family and fianc\u00e9, Candy Canaday search for her.<\/p>\n
Rating: T<\/p>\n
Word Count:16,327<\/p>\n
Note: The Cartwright Gals trilogy is a spinoff series for Romancing the Ponderosa and it focuses on Ben’s three adult stepdaughters. It should be read in chronological order, starting with “Mrs. Little Joe”.<\/p>\n
Romancing the Ponderosa series:<\/strong><\/p>\n Mrs. Little Joe (Book 1)<\/a> Cartwright Gals Trilogy:<\/strong><\/p>\n A Romancing the Ponderosa – Spinoff Book 1<\/a> <\/p>\n Captive Heart\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Chapter 1 \u201cOh, Ellie, it\u2019s beautiful!\u201d I<\/span> breathe, running my hand down the front of the white lacey wedding dress. Ellie, Madeline\u2019s good friend and Virginia City\u2019s dressmaker, stands behind me adjusting the back, trying her best not to prick me with a pin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBrie, hold still or you\u2019re going to get yourself jabbed.\u201d She laughs as I try moving to see a different angle in the mirror. \u201cI just need to take it in about an inch around the waist and then I think it\u2019ll be finished.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDid you finish Jewels\u2019 dress yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI finished it last night,\u201d she points to a box on her cutting table as I step out of my dress, \u201cit\u2019s in that box.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI just know she\u2019s going to love it.\u201d I quickly pull on the light green dress I wore to town. I step up to the table and open the box to pull out the light blue dress that I had Ellie make for my youngest sister. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful, just like everything else you make, Ellie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d She sits down at her sewing machine and begins to push the pedal, making the final adjustments to my dress. \u201cAt least you gave me more time to make these than Madeline gave me to make her wedding gown.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, she had to hurry or she would\u2019ve become a spinster.\u201d I joke as I fold the blue dress back up. Madeline, who\u2019s now twenty-eight, was very close to becoming a spinster but that all changed when she became friends with Kevin. Those two have a very sweet, endearing sort of love and it\u2019s precious to watch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Leaning on the table, I watch Ellie as she continues with her stitches. Instinctively my hand moves to the locket around my neck and I brush my fingers over it. When Candy proposed to me on Christmas, he didn\u2019t have a ring but he promised to buy me one as soon as he could. A few days later he asked me what type of ring I wanted and I surprised him by saying I\u2019d rather have a locket. It confused him at first but when I explained that I could get a small portrait of him and wear it around my neck, right next to my heart, he agreed, especially after I pointed out that I was going to get a wedding band after our marriage and that I really didn\u2019t need two rings. The locket he bought me was simple yet beautiful. He had our initials carved on the front and I painted a small portrait of him to put inside. Flipping around the silver heart in my hand, I gently open it and look yet again at the likeness of the man who\u2019s captured my heart.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to take this home with you today?\u201d The sound of Ellie\u2019s voice brings me back from the little place my mind had drifted. Looking up, I quickly shut the locket and drop it back onto my chest. She gently folds my dress and lays it in a box, it\u2019s new home until I wear it in two weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf course I do.\u201d I giggle, excitement bubbling up in me again. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to show it to Mama and Jewels.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m guessing Madeline will have to wait.\u201d She teases, tying a ribbon around the box to keep it closed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot too long though, she\u2019s supposed to come over sometime soon.\u201d I pick up both boxes, the one with Jewels\u2019 dress and then the one with mine in it. \u201cI better get home. I\u2019ve been in town so long now I\u2019m surprised Pa and Candy haven\u2019t started a search party to hunt me down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou better get a move on it before they think you vanished on them.\u201d I walk across the room towards the door. \u201cSee you soon, Brie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBye, Ellie.\u201d Waving over my shoulder, I step out the open door. I walk up to the hitching post where I left my brown mare, Callie, and rub her neck as I slip the boxes into the big saddle bag Pa let me borrow. After I untie the reins from the post, I nimbly swing mount into the saddle. I can still remember Pa\u2019s face the very first time he saw me mount a horse that way; he was shocked to say the least. I guess he was surprised that a girl could do something that he really only saw Little Joe do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I turn Callie in the direction of home and wave to a few friends who I pass on the street as I ride out of town. The road is empty as I make my way home but after I\u2019ve ridden for about fifteen minutes or so, I hear galloping horses behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see three horses speeding towards me so I quickly pull Callie to a stop on the side of the road. But instead of continuing on past, like I thought they would, they pull up short beside me. All three are somewhat rough looking men, which makes me realize how alone I really am out here.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEh, lookie what we\u2019ve found, amigos.\u201d The Mexican looking one closest to me scans me up and down. Fear begins to pump through my veins as he pulls his horse closer and blocks my way back to the road. Now I know how Madeline felt that time when she got hounded by those drunks in town; only these men are sober and dangerous looking and there\u2019s no one to butt in and get them away from me. The other two follow suit, moving in closer and completely blocking me from getting away.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a pretty senorita, ain\u2019t she, Carlito?\u201d The blonde one farthest to my right laughs as he leans forward in his saddle to get a better look at me. The way all three of them keep looking at me makes me feel like a bug stuck under a magnifying glass.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSi.\u201d The Mexican, whom I\u2019m assuming goes by Carlito, swings his right leg over his saddle. As his feet hit the ground, I realize that they have no intention of letting me go home. He steps up to me and lays one of his dark tan hands on my thigh. My insides recoil as I try to shift Callie away but his hand grabs my thigh in a grip that\u2019s nothing but painful. I try not to gasp and quickly swallow down the pain and fear slowly making their way up my throat as the blonde man lets out a chuckle.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, Carlito, what do ya say,\u201d he asks, \u201cit\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve had a pretty face to look at or do you think with her havin\u2019 red hair\u2019ll make her too much trouble for ya?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Carlito turns towards his blonde partner and lets out a string of Spanish that I\u2019m glad I can\u2019t understand because if the look on the other man\u2019s face is any way of telling, I figure it was nothing but curses. His mouthful of Spanish spoken, he turns back to me, hand still on my thigh but thankfully no longer bruising it, \u201cYou are a quiet senorita, what\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat is none of your business.\u201d The fear pulsing through me makes it come out almost a whisper, but it\u2019s still loud enough for the other to hear. He chuckles quietly but quickly stops when Carilto\u2019s head swivels back in his direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYour name, senorita.\u201d This time he growls it at me and I realize I better tell him or he might smack it out of me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBrie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBrie, it\u2019s a pleasure to meet you.\u201d He tips his hat. \u201cNow, if you would be so kind as to turn your horse in the other direction, we\u2019ll be on our way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUm, excuse me?\u201d I ask, confused, yet not completely surprised.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat he means, Brie,\u201d the blonde man says as he leans a little closer, \u201cis that now that you\u2019ve seen us, we have to take you with us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut why?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s simple: you\u2019d tell the sheriff that you passed us on the road and we can\u2019t have that.\u201d With his words, I fully realize my situation. Apparently they\u2019re some sort of outlaws on the run and I just happened to be in their path.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCome now, senorita,\u201d Carlito says again, \u201cturn your horse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I know that if I put up a fight I\u2019ll only get myself in deeper yet I have to do something, so I quickly lift my right leg over the saddle. If my horse comes home without me, my family will know something\u2019s wrong and come looking for me. Before Carlito has a chance to react, I leave my left foot loosely in its stirrup with my right one nearly touching the ground as I slap Callie\u2019s rump as hard as I can. I quickly leap backwards so I don\u2019t get dragged along as she takes off at a gallop towards home. A mixture of Spanish and English curses fly through the air around me as Carlito roughly grabs my arm and spins me around to face him. Continuing to curse at me, he slaps his hand hard across my face before dragging me the few feet to his horse. He grabs me around the waist and I\u2019m practically thrown into the saddle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLet’s get outta here.\u201d He swings himself up behind me. Kicking his horse into a gallop, he heads west away from the Ponderosa with his two partners close behind. As the wind whips past me it makes the pins holding my braid on my head loosen as I fight back tears of fear and dread.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Chapter 2 Stepping out of the barn, my chores done, a flash of brown zips past as Little Joe runs in the direction of the water trough. I glance over to see what his hurry is all about and see Lilia Marie splashing happily in the murky water as he quickly scoops her up before she topples in head first. Apparently she got away from him again. Ever since she started walking six months ago right after her first birthday, she\u2019s turned into a little tornado. Joe and Hannah are constantly chasing her around trying to keep her from getting hurt or into trouble. But Joe\u2019s on his own today since he brought Lilia Marie over by himself because he wanted to give Hannah, who wasn\u2019t feeling well, a break.<\/span><\/p>\n I walk over to him and his wild child of a daughter and reach down to grab a handful of water from the trough, splashing it on my sweaty face. Lilia Marie watches me and lets out a screech of laughter. A laugh happily escapes me as I flick the little bit of water left on my fingers in her direction and she giggles even harder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Joe and I turn in the direction of the house as Jewels walks out onto the porch, calling for us to come in with the promise of fresh, cold lemonade. She hands us both a glass as soon as we\u2019re through the door and in the living room. I look around the room and find the furniture pushed all over the place. I can see Hop Sing scrubbing the floor over by the fireplace and Rose is standing on a chair dusting the top of the gun rack. Jewels goes up the stairs with a can of polish and a rag. She starts at the top and makes her way slowly back down, rubbing the polish onto the banisters. I guess they were serious this morning when they said that they were going to clean the house from top to bottom so it would be spotless for the wedding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Feeling lazy just standing here with a cold drink in my hand while everyone else is scrubbing away, I glance over at Joe but he apparently doesn’t feel the same way. He\u2019s plopped himself into a chair and is helping Lilia Marie drink some of his lemonade, obviously in his own little world. I sit my now empty glass back on the tray it came off of and make my way over to Rose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRose, why don\u2019t you take a break for a little bit.\u201d I gently touch her arm to get her attention. \u201cI\u2019ll finish this for you, go get yourself a glass of lemonade and sit down.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think I will sit down,\u201d she puts her hand on my shoulder so she can get off the chair without falling and I quickly grab her other one as she steps down. She smiles up at me with thanks, dusting rag still in her hand as she continues, \u201cbut I\u2019m all finished dusting, so there wouldn\u2019t be anything for you to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Brushing little flyaway hairs off her sweaty forehead, she steps over to the tray of lemonade and pours herself a glass. I glance passed her at the clock on the wall and notice it\u2019s already getting late in the afternoon, \u201cBrie should be getting home from town soon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, she left right after breakfast and she only planned to go to Ellie\u2019s shop.\u201d Rose looks up from her glass.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut, Mama, you\u2019re forgetting something. They might have started talking,\u201d Jewels laughs from over where she\u2019s still polishing the banisters, \u201cand we all know that once those two start, it takes them a while to get it all out.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat is true.\u201d Rose nods, laughing. Suddenly we all hear a horse ride fast into the yard outside. \u201cThat must be her now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I move to get to the door but because of all the furniture everywhere, Joe beats me to it. With Lilia Marie still on his arm, he swings it open and looks out. He quickly turns to me where I\u2019m a few steps behind him and the open door, \u201cCandy!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I can tell something\u2019s wrong by his voice and the look on his face, but I don\u2019t stop to ask what it is and just gently push past him out the door. There prancing around the yard is Brie\u2019s horse, Brie\u2019s riderless horse. I run towards the mare, careful not to spook her, and quickly grab one of the dragging reins as Joe, Rose, and Jewels rush up behind me. Joe and I both quickly inspect the horse and saddle for any signs but there\u2019s no blood, only a thin layer of dust on the seat of the saddle and a thick, sweaty lather on Callie where she must have run the whole way home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRose, did Brie take the normal way to town this morning?\u201d I quickly ask, my thoughts spinning.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen there\u2019s a large chance that she took that way home, too.\u201d All three of them look at me with slightly confused faces, so I explain myself, \u201cShe might have gotten bucked off somewhere on the trail and is just waiting for someone to come get her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd if she\u2019s not?\u201d Jewels\u2019 eyes begin to fill with tears.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCallie might have gotten spooked or something in town and ran home before Brie had a chance to snag her.\u201d Joe offers up another possibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll ride down the road she took this morning and see if I can find her.\u201d I turn and sprint in the direction of the barn. Quickly grabbing my saddle, I begin to cinch it on my horse as Joe walks into the barn. He snags another saddle and picks one of the other horses. \u201cWhat are you doing, Joe?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to ride into town the other way and see if she\u2019s there somewhere.\u201d He calls back across the barn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood idea.\u201d With the saddle all the way on, I walk my horse out into the yard. Jewels and Rose tied Callie to the hitching post where Jewels is now unpacking the saddle bag. I swing into my saddle as Rose steps up to me, \u201cYou better tell Ben what\u2019s going.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry I will,\u201d she nods, \u201cI\u2019m going to send Jewels to get him as soon as she\u2019s finished putting Callie up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt might be a good idea to get Adam and Hoss, too.\u201d Joe walks the brown horse he chose out of the barn up beside us. \u201cHopefully either Candy or I will find Brie but there\u2019s always the chance we won\u2019t. If we don\u2019t, we\u2019ll need to have more people searching. Also someone needs to stay here just in case she somehow makes it home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll stay here and keep a look out for her,\u201d she answers, \u201cI\u2019ll send Hop Sing and a ranch hand to go get Adam and Hoss as soon as you two leave.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t take her with me and I don\u2019t have time to take her home\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll watch Lilia Marie for you, Joe.\u201d Rose says before he even has a chance to finish asking, \u201cNow get a move on it, you two!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We both turn and ride out of the yard, splitting up once we get to the right place. I kick my horse into a gallop and fly down the road, looking back and forth for Brie\u2019s familiar form. I know based off of the amount of lather that was on Callie that she ran for quite a while, so Brie has to be closer to town than the ranch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before I know it, I\u2019m nearly to town and I haven\u2019t spotted her or even a sign of her. I would look for tracks but this is a main road and I\u2019ve already passed three other people. It\u2019s almost like Brie just vanished but then she could\u2019ve taken the other road home. If she did Joe\u2019ll find her.<\/span><\/p>\n I ride into town and make my way towards Ellie\u2019s dress shop since that\u2019s where she went today. Pulling up to the shop, I feel my heart sink when I see Joe’s horse already tied to the hitching post but I quickly remind myself that it could be a good thing. I hop down and walk into the shop to see Joe and Ellie talking over by her large table, Brie nowhere in sight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t find her?\u201d Joe asks.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d I answer, \u201cI\u2019m guessing you didn\u2019t either.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere wasn\u2019t a single sign or anything on that road,\u201d he runs his hand through his hair, \u201cit looked like no one had even ridden on it in over a week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you going to do now?\u201d Ellie asks.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cKeep searching.\u201d I slap my hat back on my head. \u201cWhat time did she leave here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA few minutes after one o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd now it\u2019s almost five.\u201d I shake my head. \u201cI\u2019m going to ask around town for a few minutes, Joe would you go tell Roy what\u2019s happened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m on my way right now.\u201d He steps towards the door. \u201cI\u2019ll meet you on the outside of town in thirty minutes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Thirty minutes later, I pull up beside Joe and I can tell by the look on his face he hasn\u2019t found anything new either. Everyone I talked to who saw her said she rode out of town around one. That means the only place she can be is somewhere between town and the Ponderosa on the road I took on the way here. It really is beginning to seem like she just vanished into thin air.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 3 After we ride for nearly three hours straight with only a handful of breaks, Carlito pulls his horse to a stop in front of a shady tree. The other two stop on either side of us, dismounting as Carlito swings down from behind me. He leaves me sitting in the saddle, tied hands looped over the pommel. They tied me up after our first break since I tried to make a run for it. The other man, who\u2019s the quietest and gruffest looking of the trio, knocked me to the ground and grabbed me before I even got five feet away from the resting horses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At first it seemed like Carlito was the leader of the gang but now I think that it\u2019s actually the other dark haired man. He hasn\u2019t said but a handful of words the whole time, yet the words that he did growl made the other two tuck tail like chastened puppies. I didn\u2019t catch what he said but apparently he put them in their place. Out of the three of them, Carlito is the only one who\u2019s name I know since he calls both the blonde and the gruff man \u201camigo\u201d, and the blonde hasn\u2019t said anything to the third man, let alone said his name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I continue to sit in the saddle, the heat of the day and the long ride beginning to make me groggy. I hear the blonde man let out a yelp of pain and quickly look over to see him rub the side of his head with the gruff man standing over him. \u201cRyder, I said go get the gal down. I don\u2019t want to listen to your smart mouth, go!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The blonde man, who I now know goes by the name Ryder, hurries over to me. He grabs me around the waist and roughly yanks me down, but he forgets to unloop my hands so I get stuck and this time the yelp of pain comes from me. Hearing me, the gruff man looks up and strides over. With a flick of his arm he shoves Ryder out of the way as he reaches out and unloops my hands. I crash into a pile on the ground but he reaches down and yanks me back to my feet. I feel my locket swing forward and as the sun shines on it, it catches his attention. He grabs it in his mitt of a hand and roughly snaps it open, studying the picture for a few moments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCanaday.\u201d His voice comes out a rough, gravelly growl. I\u2019m surprised he knew who the picture was of, let alone Candy\u2019s name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCanaday?\u201d Carlito asks, as he walks up beside us. \u201cIsn\u2019t that the man who tried to stop us from robbing that bank in Reno five years ago?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he growls again, \u201cI heard that he settled down somewhere near Virginia City after getting himself a job on a big ranch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLast night in the saloon I heard something about a big rancher\u2019s daughter marrying one of his ranch hands sometime soon.\u201d Carlito rubs his head, thinking, \u201cThey called him Candy, I think, and the rancher\u2019s name was Cartwright.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCandy, that\u2019s him, Candy Canaday.\u201d He closes the locket but doesn\u2019t let it go. \u201cHe\u2019s working for ole Cartwright now, eh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Cartwright?\u201d Ryder asks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBen Cartwright owns the largest spread in all of Nevada. I\u2019ve heard that he\u2019s got three sons who each have their own little spread on their daddy\u2019s land. And this little gal must be one of his daughters, not only one of his daughters but the one Canaday plans to marry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf this Cartwright fella owns that much land, I reckon he\u2019s a pretty rich man.\u201d Ryder snarls. \u201cI figure he\u2019d pay a pretty penny to get back this daughter of his.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat he would.\u201d Carlito agrees, nodding his head excitedly. \u201cHow much do you think we can get out of him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThree thousand dollars.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThree thousand!\u201d Ryder gasps while Carlito\u2019s black eyes look like they\u2019re liable to pop clean out of his head. \u201cShane, I know we didn\u2019t get anything outta that bank in Carson and even though this Cartwright fella\u2019s a rich man, don\u2019t you think that\u2019s asking a little much?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry he\u2019ll pay it, you\u2019ll see.\u201d The gruff man, who I now know is named Shane, still holds my locket in his hand. He rubs it on his palm with his fingers and then before I even have enough time to react, he yanks it towards him. The force of it causes me to stumble forward and the chain snaps at the back of my neck. I let out a small shriek as I feel the chain cut into my neck. He smirks at me as he continues, \u201cThat is, he\u2019ll pay if he wants to see his pretty daughter again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He tosses the locket to the ground, where he spits on it before rubbing it into the dirt with his heavy boot. I feel tears well up in my eyes as I watch my beloved locket being smashed into the ground. It means so much to me and I think somehow Shane knows it, too. It seems like it\u2019s brought him joy to not only bring me pain but to spit and stomp on the picture of a man who stopped him from doing wrong in the past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ryder steps up to me with an open canteen and helps me take a drink as Shane walks away towards the tree. I try to fight my tears but I lose the battle and they silently stream down my cheeks. Neither Ryder nor Carlito give me any pity, just smirks. All I am to them is a way to get a quick and easy thousand dollars each, nothing else. Not a girl with feelings, just a way to get rich quick.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before I know it, we\u2019re back in the saddle again and on our way. Distracting myself from the pain of losing one of my most prized possessions, I try to find the reason why the names Shane, Ryder, and Carlito sound so familiar altogether. I run through all the things Candy\u2019s told me about his past, I suddenly make the connection. He told me that there was a gang of three led by a Shane Wesley. The three of them were mean, vicious, and vile but Shane was the worst of the trio. I reach farther into the memory to try and recall the other two\u2019s last names. Somehow I\u2019m able to remember them, too; Ryder McKenzie and Carlito Vincente. Candy told me the three were known and wanted in many places across the West for murder and robbery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fear quickly replaces the distress and sorrow pulsing through me as I realize with a sinking feeling that those same dangerous men who Candy told me about have now captured me. Not only captured me, but are also holding me hostage for a very large sum of money. All I can do is hope that Pa has the money to pay them or I\u2019m going to be a goner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 4 \u201cHey, Candy,\u201d I glance up and\u00a0 find Joe about a quarter of a mile on the road ahead of me, \u201cI think I found something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I push my horse into a gallop and I\u2019m at his side in a second. I look at the place he\u2019s pointing at and find three sets of tracks veering off the road across the open terrain towards the west. Jumping out of our saddles, we bend down to inspect them. I compare the tracks to each other and discover that one pair is slightly deeper than the others, like someone was carrying something heavy or riding double.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019d you think?\u201d Joe asks from where he looks at the tracks a little further out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s a very large possibility that these will lead to her,\u201d I stand up, \u201cbut she could be home by now wondering where we are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCandy, if she was walking home, one of us would\u2019ve passed her on the way to town.\u201d Joe reminds me. \u201cI\u2019ll ride home and get Pa and the others. You follow those tracks for a while, we’ll catch up to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve only got about three hours of daylight left.\u201d I swing myself back into the saddle as he does the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, we\u2019ll bring bedrolls and supplies with us.\u201d He turns in the direction of the Ponderosa as he calls over his shoulder, \u201cDon\u2019t worry we\u2019ll find her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n With a final wave, we both take off in different directions; him towards home and me on what is beginning to feel like a wild goose chase. I keep my horse at a walk so I don\u2019t miss anything like I did the first time and scan the ground, watching the three sets of tracks as I follow them along.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0After riding for about two hours, I find a spot where it looks like they stopped for a break. By the spaces between the tracks I can tell they were galloping the whole way so I figure they needed to rest the horses. I unmount and begin to inspect the area. There\u2019s four different sets of footprints, which means that one of the horses is carrying double. Three sets of the footprints are large and shaped like my own boot but the fourth one is a lot smaller and dainty like a lady\u2019s boot. Like the boots that Brie was wearing when she left this morning.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0I decide that this spot is as good as any to camp for the night, so I quickly tether my horse and I look around some more before the little bit of daylight left is gone. As I move away from my horse, something in the dirt catches my eye. Stepping over to it, I squat down to get a better look. The ground is smoothed and the shape of a person, like someone had fallen and left an imprint in the loose dirt. Not only is the imprint shaped like a skirt, there\u2019s two handprints where the person caught themself. Being careful not to leave my own handprint in the dirt or mess up any of the imprints, I compare them to my own hands. They\u2019re just the size of Brie\u2019s hands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I get slowly to my feet and look around for anything else that might show Brie\u2019s been here, but not seeing anything, I begin to gather some firewood. The others will be here soon and we\u2019ll all want to eat, plus the night\u2019s beginning to get chilly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I get the fire going as the sun begins to slip out of the sky. Sitting in front of it, I watch the flames eat away at the dry wood, while my mind wanders to Brie. I knew I should\u2019ve gone to town with her this morning even after she insisted that she\u2019d be perfectly fine going by herself. Wanting to kick myself, I wish I could somehow go back in time as I listen to the fire crackle and pop. Over my loud thoughts, I suddenly hear voices and horses in the distance. I quickly leap to my feet and put my hand on my gun, ready to draw.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCandy, it\u2019s just us,\u201d Joe\u2019s voice calls out of the dark, \u201cdon\u2019t start shooting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d I let go of my gun as they ride into the light of the fire, \u201cI couldn\u2019t see who it was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright.\u201d As he swings himself out of the saddle, I glance passed him and see he brought all the men of the family. Ben, Hoss, Adam, and Kevin slide out of their saddles and begin to unpack their bedrolls and the food they brought. Getting my attention again, Joe tosses me my bedroll from off the back of his horse. Before I know it, the smell of beans and bacon is in the air and all of us are laying on our bedrolls as we wait for them to finish cooking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDid you find anything, Candy?\u201d Ben asks after Joe and Hoss quit arguing about the other\u2019s spot being better than his own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it looks like this spot is where they stopped to take a break.\u201d I sit up and wrap my arms around my knees. \u201cI found four different sets of footprints. Three of them are man sized while the fourth one was small and girl sized.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBrie must be with them then.\u201d Adam says from where he lays stretched out on Ben\u2019s other side.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not all I found,\u201d I point behind me, \u201cthere\u2019s an imprint in the dirt over there like someone fell. It\u2019s shaped like the person was wearing a skirt and the handprints in front of it were about the same size as Brie\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut why would anyone wanna kidnap Brie for?\u201d Hoss asks. \u201cShe ain\u2019t done nothin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe three men must be some sort of outlaws.\u201d Kevin puts in, the firelight making his face glow in the darkness. \u201cThey probably took her with them because she saw them and then could identify \u2018em for the law.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHey, I just remembered,\u201d Joe shoots up to a sitting position, \u201cRoy told me that three men tried to rob the bank in Carson City but came out empty handed and that the sheriff said they were headed in this direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat were their names?\u201d Ben asks before I get the chance.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think Roy said, Shane Wesley, Ryder McKenzie, and then the other one was a Carlito something, I can\u2019t remember his last name, it was a strange Spanish sounding name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShane Wesley, Ryder McKenzie, and Carlito Vincinte.\u201d I groan, rubbing my hand down my face.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou know them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe Redhead (Book 2)<\/a>
\nLeo (Book 3)<\/a>
\nRose, My Love (Book 4)<\/a><\/p>\n
\nCaptive Heart – Spinoff Book 2<\/a>
\nRyan & Juliet – Spinoff Book 3<\/p>\n
\n(Gabriella Cartwright)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\n(Candy Canaday)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\n(Gabriella Cartwright)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>(Candy Canaday)<\/em><\/p>\n