Chapter Twenty-Seven

"I want her sleeping here tonight," Carol stubbornly stood her ground.

"Fine." Ace shrugged, relenting to her demand. "We'll both stay here."

"No. You will stay at your cabin. I want to stick with at least a bit of tradition. You won't share a home or a bed the night before your wedding and you won't see each other until she walks to you in her dress."

Ace was momentarily distracted by the idea of Penny walking toward him in all that lace. Surrounded by wildflowers, with the sunlight glowing off her golden hair—damn she'd be a sight to behold.

Then he remembered the battle of wills he was in with Carol Anderson. "Aren't you the one who encouraged us to move in to the cabin together? Now you're worried about tradition?"

Color rose to his mama's cheeks. "Just make your mother happy. Please?"

"And what about me? I won't be happy," Ace countered. "How am I supposed to sleep without her next to me?"

Carol stomped her foot. "It's just one night!"

"One night too many," Ace stood his ground.

They had drawn a bit of attention to their spot on the porch. Ed pointed at Ace as he came to stand beside Carol. "Do as your mother says, boy. Go get your woman, eat some dinner together, and then you go home and she stays here until tomorrow. If you want to lock yourselves away for a week afterward that's up to you, but you'll do as your mama says right now."

Well hell. How was he supposed to argue with that? His daddy hadn't scolded him that soundly since he'd been a boy. Plus, his father had given him permission to stay home for a full week and avoid work while focusing on Penny. Ace sighed. "Fine. I'll go home, clean up a bit, bring her back for dinner and then spend a night flipping, flopping, and getting absolutely no rest because I'm all alone."

"Sounds like every man's pre-wedding night," Ed assured him. "Your brothers could always take you into town for a bachelor party on your last night as an unmarried man."

"No," Ace quickly shook his head. He might let loose at the ranch some nights but he wasn't about to go into town and do something that would cause Penny to doubt him—he wouldn't hurt that woman for anything in the world.

"Never thought I'd see the day Ace Anderson turned down a trip to the saloon," Luke muttered, stepping onto the porch.

"I didn't turn down a trip to the saloon, I turned down a trip to the saloon with you," Ace assured him. "You honestly think I'd take Gregory and Luke 'killjoy' Anderson with me when I'm supposed to be partying?"

"Well why don't ya'll just quit your yapping!" Maggie grumbled, stomping up onto the porch. "I'm starvin'. Go get your woman, Ace, so mama can get supper on the table and we can eat."

"What's put her in such a mood?" Carol asked after Maggie had disappeared inside.

"She didn't get to go see Jeremiah today," Ace informed his mama. "It's got her feathers good and ruffled."

Carol frowned. "Are things that serious between them?"

Ed grumbled. "No. And they won't be. Ace go get Penny. It's time to clean up and get some supper."

Ace saddled Blackey and hopped on. He grinned as he headed toward home. He'd let Penny help him get cleaned up—that always led to one hell of a good time. Memories of that might just get him through a night without her.

Ace's first inclination that something was wrong occurred when that old hound he'd gotten from the ranch wasn't barking as Ace neared the cabin. Maybe Penny had gotten lonely and let the beast in while Ace had been gone.

Quincy was agitated when Ace hitched Blackey beside the barn. "Don't worry, Quincy, your woman will be out to see you soon."

Something didn't feel right in Ace's gut. Something was wrong. He turned quickly and headed for the porch stopping dead in tracks when he saw the hound laying there. Someone had kicked the poor things brains in and killed it—there wasn't a thing Ace could do for it.

Penny.... Dammit! What if they'd done the same to Penny? He knew he shouldn't have left her out here alone but he hadn't thought there was any real danger! The front door was ajar and Ace swung it open. "Penny?!" he called.

His cabin had been ransacked. Cabinets and drawers were all pulled out and their contents were scattered throughout the floor. The brightly colored quilt Penny had draped over the sofa had been thrown in the floor and stomped. All of her sewing supplies had been spilled all over the floor. "Penny!" he called again.

A quick look in the bedroom told Ace that Penny wasn't there. Whoever had done this to his house had taken her. Goddamn rustlers!

"Ace?!"

Ace rushed out the door and saw Billy Henkley sitting atop a horse looking red-faced and out of breath. "Dammit, Ace, I rushed here as fast as I could. Did they get her?"

Ace strode to Billy's horse, grabbed the man by the arm and jerked him from the saddle, tossing him in the dirt. "Who took my woman and what did you have to do with it?"

"Nothing!" Billy exclaimed, scrambling away from Ace and to his feet. "I was at the saloon and heard Gavin carrying on into his beer about how he had killed Penny Burkart... He let slip that he'd sold her to some rustlers or somethin' like that..."

"Godamnit!"

"They've got her, don't they? Hell, Ace, I'll help you get her back. I kinda like her."

Ace shoved his hands through his hair and paced back and forth. "I'll have to track them and it's damn near dark. I don't have time to go back and get help...."

"Me and you can do it. I'm sure she's fine. She's a tough heifer. I remember how hard she punches."

Ace chose to let the heifer slide—now wasn't the time.

"I'll go alone. You go let the ranch know and go get Sheriff Potter."

"Ace, I can help..."

"Billy, dammit, just go let everyone know what's going on. I don't have time to argue with you."

Billy nodded and turned his horse, galloping away.

Ace knew his rifle was gone. Looked like he'd have to figure this out with nothing but his revolver. He needed a plan. He was going to have to get close without anyone shooting him.

Going in the cabin, Ace found his fanciest waist coat and jacket still hanging in the closet. He slipped into it, ran a comb through his hair, and clipped his watch to the pocket.

Slinging his gun belt back around his waist, Ace grabbed a deck of cards from the floor and slid them in his pocket. He was a gambler. A gambler on his way to wherever was in the direction those rustlers ended up heading. He'd figure the rest of it out when he got there.

No one was going to take Penny from him. That hoity toity Princess was his.

***

As darkness fell around them, Penny lost any hope that anyone would be coming to rescue her tonight. It would seem she'd be spending at least one night among these nasty, stinky, foul-breathed, horrible men.

They'd spent much of the day riding down the river, staying in the river bed to avoid leaving tracks—now they were camped in a ravine with a small fire and several tents set up. The camp had been here when they'd arrived which let Penny know this is where the rustlers had been staying all along.

According to the big dark man, who was named Franklyn, they'd be cleaning up this camp in the morning and leaving it behind. Penny was bound for a man across the Mexican border who liked to buy women and sell them into whichever work they were qualified for.

Her stomach turned at the thought. For once she hoped that she truly were as ugly as she'd been told she was. That way she wouldn't be qualified for that kind of work.

It also seemed to her that Franklyn had taken a special interest in her. Instead of being stowed away with the rest of the belongings and cattle bound for sale, she had been kept close to his side. She was now sitting beside the fire with him, sipping on a steaming bowl of stew that wasn't as bad tasting as it smelled.

She wasn't as afraid as she knew she should be. Something inside her told her she didn't need to worry. She was sure that she was getting out of this and something told her it wasn't going to take long.

"Sir?" a long haired man with buckteeth approached the fire. "Franklyn, we got a man riding in. He seems to be alone."

Franklyn frowned. "Familiar to any of you on guard?"

"Nope."

"Let him ride in. Keep men posted to watch for more in case it's a trap. I'll deal with him once he gets in here."

The man simply nodded and disappeared into the night. Franklyn turned his gaze to Penny. "Reckon your people found you?"

"I don't see how they would have," Penny stated before taking a sip of her stew. "And there'd be more than one of them I can assure you."

"Well okay then," he chuckled.

Franklyn rose from the log he was sitting on and took several steps away from the fire to greet the approaching rider. The riders head was down, hiding his identity as he held up a lantern to light his way.

"We don't take kindly to strangers mister." Franklyn warned. "Get to telling me who you are and what brings you to my camp."

Slowly the man raised his head and as he did, Penny had to fight hard to keep from crying out. "Name's Montgomery Phillips. I'm nobody important, just a gambler riding for the other side of the border. I heard there was a good game getting ready to start that way."