Free Glory by Lori Copeland Page B

her eyes wide with fright. The girls leaned out the back of the wagon to see what had gotten into him.
    “Glory!” the girls shouted in a chorus when they spotted her a few feet from the far bank, her head barely above water as she struggled to hold her rifle above her in one hand while treading water with her other hand.
    Glory moved farther into the river where the current strengthened, making it impossible to maintain her balance. Her eyes rounded in panic. When she opened her mouth to call out, she gagged on a gulp of muddy water.
    Jackson guided his mare downstream, anticipating the inevitable, hoping he’d reach Glory in time. Her head disappeared beneath the surface of the water and then bobbed to the surface.
    He urged his horse into what he prayed would be the path of the girl as the river clutched her in its undertow. He would have only one chance to grab her. If she got by him, the current would take her faster than he could follow.
    The mare grunted as something solid collided with her broadside. Jackson plunged his hand into the water and grabbed the first thing he felt. Up came Glory, held tightly by the hair of her head. She sputtered and howled in pain as Jackson drew her up behind him astride the mare.
    For a moment the horse thrashed for a solid foothold under the added weight, then scrambled forward. When he was able, Jackson turned the animal in a slow circle and headed toward the bank.
    The girls had climbed out of the wagon and were anxiously pacing the bank. As the mare drew near, Patience and Lily grabbed the bridle on either side and helped haul the horse up the slippery bank.
    Weakly, Glory slipped off the horse and collapsed on dry ground, struggling for breath. When she lifted her head to look gratefully into the eyes of the man who had saved her life, Jackson seared her with the heat of his scornful gaze.
    “You could have been killed,” he muttered between clenched teeth. He had nearly missed snagging her in the churning water. For a few seconds he had felt helpless to save her, and he hated feeling helpless; it was something he could ill afford when he was responsible for the lives of others.
    “I’m sorry,” Glory choked out, gagging on dirty water.
    “I’m tired of your games.” The rebuke came out harsher than he’d intended, but the little twit had scared him senseless. “Get yourself into that wagon and stay there before you get your fool self killed!”
    Glory met his gaze squarely, her quivering chin the only sign of how much the effort cost her. “I can’t,” she replied in a small voice.
    “Can’t or won’t?” he snapped. He tossed a look to the sky. “Keeping an eye out for you has slowed us down fordays. Thanks to the delay you’ve brought us, we won’t make Council Grove this week.”
    “Will that be a problem?” Ruth asked.
    Jackson shook his head. “It could be.” He shot a glare at Glory. “We’ll make better time if you’re with us than letting you traipse along behind, slowing us down.”
    “I’ll only bring you trouble.”
    “Trouble?” Jackson muttered, glancing away. “What do you call what just happened?”
    “Trouble—but I was trying to stay back!”
    Ruth knelt beside her and brushed matted hair off her face. “Glory, you have to listen to reason. We understand your need for independence, but you must cooperate now. Let’s get you into some dry clothes. After a bite to eat, everything will look brighter.”
    Glory grasped Ruth’s arms. “I can’t join you. Bad things follow me. I’d only bring you harm.”
    Patience touched Glory’s shoulder. “You’re talking nonsense. Now let’s get you into dry clothes before you catch your death.”
    Glory shook her head, staring at Jackson, who was gazing stonily ahead. He knew she realized he thought of her as a burden. She wanted to prove she could fend for herself, but after what just happened, how could she blame him for doubting her ability to survive on her own?
    She struggled to