Chapter Forty-Seven

Cool night air blew across their bare skin as Samantha lay wrapped in Zachary's arms beside the river. The chill caused her to tremble and bumps to cover her skin. Zachary quickly grabbed the blanket laying discarded and forgotten beside them and wrapped it tightly around them.

"Better?" he questioned, his deep voice muffled in her hair as she lay upon his chest.

"It's going to be getting too cold at night for this soon," she stated, hating the truth.

Zachary used his free arm to toss a piece of wood on the roaring fire. "Until then, I'll keep you warm."

Samantha smiled and gazed up at the sky. The stars were bright dots in the black sky and the moon was full and shining. "The sky is beautiful tonight."

"I never feel more peaceful than when I'm laying with you in my arms this way. The night sky above us and the breeze blowing on our skin. You're my world, Sam."

Samantha raised her head and lost herself in those dark brown eyes, illuminated by the dancing flames beside them. How had she gotten so lucky? "And you're mine."

His hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her down, pressing their lips together and drinking her in. Slowly, he pulled away and she once again rested her head against his chest. She felt so relaxed and at peace that she nearly fell asleep until Zachary's deep gentle voice began naming constellations and telling stories about the stars.

At one point he paused and Samantha raised her head. "How do you know so much about the sky?" she asked, smoothing a lock of black hair from his brow.

His eyes never left the stars above them, and she could see a bit of pain etched in his face as his brow furrowed. "My mother. She loved the stars. My father bought her a telescope and she would sit outside for hours on clear nights with her books and study the sky."

"And she taught you?"

The ghost of a smile softened his face. "Yeah. Learning the constellations and planets from her is one of the best memories I have of my mother."

Sam kissed his stubbled jaw. "Then I'm glad you have that memory. Where is her telescope now?"

A sigh heaved from his chest. "Gone. It was stolen when.." His voice tightened. "Well, it was stolen."

Samantha laid her head back on his chest and caressed his stomach with her fingertips. Damn Clinton Matthews and his men for taking so much from Zachary. Not only did they take his family, they also had to take his favorite memory and taint it.

After a few more moments of silence, Zachary went back to talking about the sky. Samantha simply listened. She felt more than blessed to have Zachary opening up and sharing with her. She knew it was hard on him to speak about his family and the memories he had of them.

"Tim and I have to make a trip to Anbarina in a couple of days."

Zachary's sudden change of topic had Samantha frowning. "You do?"

"We have to pick up a load of things for their house since construction is complete and we need to sign some contracts with the army for cattle and wheat for the next couple of years."

Samantha nodded. Timothy and Eleanor had been living with them for about a month and a half as their house had been built. Samantha had loved having the company of another woman during the days—though Eleanor's pregnancy was taking a toll on her and she was on fairly strict bedrest. Samantha spent her days making sure Eleanor was taken care of—at least until Timothy came home from working on the house and took over. He truly was a devoted and loving husband. Eleanor could not have done any better.

"How long will you be gone?"

His grip on her tightened. "I don't want to leave you at all."

Samantha swallowed back her own worry. She hated that she felt the fear she felt. She was not a weak woman but could somehow never completely shake the fear that Clinton Matthews would someday find her—would come for her. She knew that Zachary worried as well and so she didn't voice her fears often—she didn't want to worsen his anxiety.

"Eleanor and I will be just fine," she assured him. "How long do you and Tim have to be gone?"

"Shouldn't be any longer than two days. I could send him and stay here. Technically he's half owner of the ranch..."

"Yes, but the people you're doing business with will recognize your last name. You need to be there and so does Tim."

"I don't like the thought of leaving you here alone..."

Of course he didn't. The last time Zachary had left his family for a few days he'd returned home to find them murdered. But they couldn't live in fear. They couldn't spend their entire lives terrified of the demons of their past.

"Everything will be fine," she assured him, finding his hand and running her fingers along his. "Eleanor and I will stay here at the ranch, I'll keep my gun handy, and Creed won't let anyone sneak up on us. You and Tim need to go to Anbarina together and take care of the business and get what they need for their home."

"What if..."

Samantha silenced him with a quick kiss. "What if? We can't live our lives full of what ifs. Didn't we agree that we weren't going to let the past control our lives? It's been close to a year since I've seen or heard anything from his men," Samantha refrained from saying the name because of the anger that shone from Zachary's eyes each time he heard it. "Life goes on, Zachary."

Zachary was silent for a moment, his eyes simply locked on the stars above them. "You promise you'll keep your gun with you? Even when you sleep."

She nodded. "Promise."

"I'm still not sure about that marshall...."

"It's been a month and a half, Zach. He's been nothing but polite and seems to be a better lawman than Hackney has had in a long time. I'm sure Tim was right and he acted a bit odd that day because he'd heard your reputation and you made him nervous." Zachary frowned and she smiled. "You can be rather intimidating."

A chuckle rumbled from his chest as he trailed his fingers down her back and gripped her backside, pulling her body tight against him. "Do I intimidate you?"

"Not a bit," came her breathless reply.

Samantha found herself flipped to her back as Zachary braced his broad, hard body over her. His hungry brown eyes traced her face, her neck before landing on her breasts. Samantha's back arched from the ground as Zachary's mouth closed around her nipple, his teeth grazing the tender flesh.

A whimper left her throat when Zachary ended his assault and pressed his lips to her ear. "You intimidate me, Samantha."

***

Zachary was not happy about leaving. Betty was hitched to the wagon and Blaze was saddled and ready to leave. But Zachary kept dragging his feet and putting off the inevitable. He knew that Samantha was right. He knew that they couldn't live their entire lives in fear of Clinton Matthews. That, however, didn't change the worry that was eating its way through his stomach. Those damn what ifs kept running through his mind and giving him no rest.

What if he left and someone rode in and took his life away from him once again. What if he came home and found Samantha lying in a pool of her own blood? What if Zachary wasn't around to keep her safe? What if....

"Everything will be just fine, Zach," Tim assured him as he walked over and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You've checked the wagon wheels and our supplies, ten times. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back home to our ladies."

"This is... I don't like this," Zachary growled.

Timothy sighed and patted his back. "I get it, Zach. I'm not real fond of leaving them either. Do you want me to stay here?"

Zachary shook his head, even though a voice inside his head truly wanted to say yes. "No. Samantha is right. We both need to be there. We need to start putting your face with the business too so we can take turns from now on when it comes to contracts and deals."

"Alright then." Timothy stepped away and adjusted his gun belt. "Let's get going then. I already said my goodbyes to Ell and nearly made a fool of myself by blubbering like an idiot so I'm ready to go. If we leave now, we can do our meetings tomorrow, gather up the supplies, and be home by lunch the next day."

Without a word, Zachary stepped back into the house. Eleanor was resting on the sofa and Samantha rose from the chair. "Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah. We'll be back day after tomorrow." His eyes dropped to the gun on her hip. "Keep that with you."

A smile curved her lips and her green eyes were full of reassurance. "I will. I promise. And Eleanor will keep the extra rifle near her."

"And make sure you keep Creed close," he added, glancing at the pup who was standing in the corner watching him and wagging his tail.

"He never leaves my side," she assured him.

Zachary nodded before pulling her into his arms and placing a tender kiss to her lips. "Be careful."

Samantha laid her head on his chest and squeezed his hand. "Stop worrying so much, Zachary. Everything will be just fine."

Zachary simply nodded, pressed a kiss to the top of her head and turned and headed for the door. Without a word to anyone he hopped on Blaze and headed away from the ranch, leaving Timothy to catch up. Riding away from the ranch, away from Samantha, was the hardest thing Zachary had ever done in his life. His nagging mind kept telling him that something horrible was going to happen while he was away—but he couldn't trust that feeling. He couldn't trust the fear that came from past experience.

He had to trust that Samantha and Timothy were right. Had to trust that everything would be just fine and he would ride home the day after tomorrow to find his wife healthy, happy, and waiting on him.

But his gut simply wouldn't stop telling him something bad was coming—and Zachary wouldn't be there to stop it.

***

"They just rode out," LeRoy announced riding back into camp. "The women are alone."

Clinton rose from the stump he'd been sitting on. "Good. I was worried he wouldn't leave her. I'm glad he's still just as foolish as he's always been."

Tex stopped whittling on the stick in his hands. "Are we leaving now?"

As much as Clinton wanted to say yes and finally have Samantha in his arms, he shook his head. "No. Samantha has always been good at running and I'm certain Zachary left her armed. If we ride in today her guard my still be too high. We will wait until tomorrow when Samantha and the whore will be a bit more comfortable and relaxed."

"And what's the plan tomorrow?" Leroy questioned, crouching beside the fire.

Clinton sat back down on the stump and stared into the dancing flames. "I'll send three of you in to get her. You can have your fun with the other woman and then kill her. I have no use for her. Samantha is to be brought to me as unharmed as possible—and none of you better touch her in any way that could be considered inappropriate. She is not for you to have your fun with." Clinton clenched his fists and felt want for her rising in his blood at knowing Samantha would be in his arms in only a day. "That woman is mine and mine alone."