The One Who Waits for Me by Lori Copeland Page A

missed his guess, some man—or men—had abused the sisters. Their father? The uncle? They had mentioned that they picked cotton for Walt, and even a fool could see that he and his son scared the wits out of the girls.
    Pierce and Gray Eagle approached the end of the stream and still the women weren’t in sight. Pausing, Pierce’s eyes skimmed the area. “Maybe they took a different path back to camp.”
    â€œMaybe—but they would have had to cut their way through.” The men’s eyes roamed the thick vegetation.
    â€œYou wouldn’t think they would have wandered this far downstream.”
    Gray Eagle looked down at the still waters. “There could be gators in there.”
    â€œYou think those women would take a bath if they saw gators? They would have screamed.”
    The scout’s eyes scanned the murky water. “Looks a little snaky too.”
    â€œYou afraid of a snake?”
    â€œNo, but I’d as soon not share a bath with one.”
    â€œI’ll take the opposite side, and you walk back the way we came. They have to be here somewhere.” Stripping off his boots and socks, Pierce stepped out into the shallows. A water moccasin didn’t bother him, but he also didn’t cotton to taking a bath with one. Something brushed his leg and he paused. A log floated by.
    Gray Eagle called from the opposite bank. “Jumpy, Montgomery?”
    â€œI wasn’t checking for snakes.” Pierce smothered a grin. “I stepped on a rock and I’m tender footed.”
    â€œYeah.”
    Pierce reached underwater, found a good sized rock and pitched it up onto the bank. Gray Eagle jumped as if he’d been shot.
    â€œSomething in the bushes, Gray Eagle?” Pierce called.
    â€œI’ll break your neck, Montgomery.”
    Grinning, Pierce waded across the stream and sat down on the opposite bank to put on his socks and boots. Half an hour later, both men stood in the camp, puzzled.
    Gray Eagle spoke. “They wouldn’t have run away. They were too desperate for help.”
    â€œAnd they wouldn’t have left Trella behind if they feared us,” Preach added.
    Pierce agreed with both men. Neither sister would desert Trella. That left only two options: They had either wandered off the main path and were lost in the thicket or…
    â€œThe uncle.”
    Preach tossed out the coffee dregs from his mug. “You think their menfolk caught up with us?”
    â€œEither that or Beth and Joanie have become lost.”
    â€œIt’s possible.”
    â€œSpread out. We have about fifteen minutes of light left.”
    Trella appeared. “What’s all the commotion?”
    â€œBeth and Joanie are missing.”
    â€œThey’re taking a bath—”
    â€œHow long does it take to bathe? They’ve been gone the better part of two hours.”
    Uncertainty entered the woman’s eyes. “I drifted off to sleep and didn’t realize they’d been gone so long. That isn’t like them.”
    â€œWe’re going to look for them. You stay put.” Pierce handed her a loaded pistol. “Do you know how to fire this?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIf they come back to camp, fire once into the air.”
    â€œAll right.” She gripped the pistol handle.
    â€œDon’t leave for any reason.” Pierce rechecked his rifle.
    â€œDo you think Beth and Joanie got lost?”
    Pierce met her stricken eyes. “I don’t know what’s happened to them, Trella. Stay close to the campsite and fire that pistol the moment they come back.”
    Wordlessly, she nodded.
    When he walked away, Pierce tried to concentrate on his original purpose, which wasn’t babysitting three women and a newborn. He just wanted to get home, claim his land, and live in peace.
    Suddenly his life was more complicated than a traveling minstrel show.

Eight
    F ull moon.
    Beth searched her mind for a reason other than