Free His Brother's Bride by Denise Hunter Page A

scooted back his chair and brushed the crumbs from his lap. They were fine. It wasn’t that late.
    An hour later, he walked out to the porch, peering out into the growing darkness. He could still make out the silhouette of trees and hills, but soon the night would cover the land like a heavy shroud. If Emily or Adam were lost, they would never find their way in the dark.
    His feet beat a path to the barn. He had to do something. Enough of this sitting around and waiting. He couldn’t take it any longer. Once inside the barn, he grabbed the tack and headed to Sutter’s stall. The horse blinked lazy eyes his way.
    Where would he go once he got saddled up? To Mara and Clay’s house? She couldn’t be there. If she’d lost track of time, it surely would have dawned on her when Clay arrived home for supper. The mercantile was closed, so she couldn’t be there.
    Where is she, Lord? Keep them safe. The thought of Adam hurt or worse twisted his gut. Fear sucked the moisture from his throat, and his heart quivered in his chest. Calm down, it’s going to be all right.
    But memories of another night assaulted him. Another night when he’d thought everything was going to be all right. And that night had ended with a dead wife.
    Blinded by worry, Cade opened the stall door and tossed the saddle blanket over Sutter’s back. As he smoothed the blanket flat and saddled her up, his mind played cruel tricks. What if he found them dead somewhere? Ingrid’s still form flashed in his mind, and his limbs grew cold. He couldn’t lose Adam, he couldn’t.
    And Emily. The thought of something happening to her made his heart hurt. He didn’t know where he would look, but something had happened or Emily would have brought them home. He would search all night if he had to. Maybe he should go to Clay and Mara’s house first and get some help.
    He heard the noise just as he pulled Sutter from the stall. He stopped, going still to listen. Hoofbeats. His heart gave a jump of hope. He left Sutter and trotted to the barn door.
    Darkness had swallowed the yard, and the only light came from the lantern he’d lit in the barn. His gaze detected a shadowed movement, and he focused on that spot until the object moved into the circle of light.
    His breath left his body in a sudden gush. Bitsy sauntered toward him, Emily and Adam perched on her back. He searched their bodies for any sign of injury, but found no evidence. Even in the dim light, he could see they were both coated with filth.
    When Emily noticed him, her eyes widened, then her chin tipped down.
    â€œPa!” Adam’s weary shoulders straightened, and he held out his arms for Cade.
    When Bitsy stopped, Cade pulled his son into his arms, holding him tighter than necessary. Thank You, Jesus. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
    â€œNuh-uh. We got lost in the cave, and it was dark!”
    Cade’s gaze found Emily, but her gaze was averted. “A cave?”
    â€œWe were looking for treasure!” Adam said.
    Emily’s gaze darted to his this time, and he studied her face.
    Adam dug into his pocket and pulled out some marbles. “And I found ’em all again, didn’t I, Ma?”
    As the relief drained away, something rose up in its place. Something deep and unsettling. She’d taken his boy on some foolhardy treasure hunt and gotten them lost so he could fret for hours? So he could sit around and worry that they were hurt or—or dead? It was dark and late, and who knows what could have happened to them, traipsing around the countryside all alone?
    Heat coursed through his veins, penetrating his limbs. He narrowed his gaze on Emily. “You’d best get inside and get yourself cleaned up.” His voice grated across his throat. What he’d like to do is put her over his lap and give her a sound whipping.
    She clambered down from the horse and pulled Adam from his arms. When Cade set him on the