Chapter 26
Shadow Valley, Texas 1870
They sat in silence for the majority of the way back to the ranch. Halona sat between the children, her arms wrapped tightly around their small frames. Megan, exhausted by the ordeal, drifted off to sleep, her head lolling against Halona's chest. The rhythmic clip-clop of the horses' hooves seemed to echo the pounding in Halona's head, a dull ache that throbbed with every bump on the road.
As they rounded the bend that brought the ranch into view, a wave of relief washed over her. But the sight of Buck rushing out of the house, his face etched with worry, sent a fresh jolt of tension through her. He looked like a man caught in a nightmare. She knew that look all too well.
"What happened?" Buck's voice was rough, laced with barely contained panic.
"It's alright," Jimmy said, his voice a steady counterpoint to Buck's agitation. "Everything is under control."
Halona forced a smile, her lips feeling stiff and unnatural. "Isaac, sweetheart," she said gently, "why don't you head upstairs and get into your pajamas?" Halona handed Megan to Buck, who was still fast asleep.
Buck's gaze snagged on the angry red gash above her eyebrow, his eyes widening in alarm. "Halona, what happened?"
"Just a little souvenir from our trip into town," she replied, her voice flat. The anger she'd managed to suppress on the ride home threatened to bubble to the surface.
"Tell you about it later," she mumbled, turning away from him. "I'm going to put this food away."
"You go in and wash that cut, sit down. I'll take care of this." Jimmy took the sack of carrots from her hands and pushed her gently towards the house.
She didn't have the energy to argue. Her body ached and her head throbbed. She stumbled into the kitchen and filled a large pot with water before carefully carrying it into the parlor and setting it next to the fireplace. She settled into Buck's favorite chair, sinking into the plush cushions that still held his familiar scent, bringing a sense of comfort. With her eyes closed, she let out a deep sigh and drifted off to sleep in the warmth of the fire.