The Express Rider's Lady. Stacy Henrie

      The older man squinted up at the blue sky. “Let’s see, it’s been about seven years now. Right after my wife died, God rest her soul.”

      “I’m sorry...about your wife. Did you have any children?”

      “No.” A wistful look passed over his weathered face. “Not for wanting, that’s for sure. We hoped and prayed for a family, but we came to realize that God had other plans.” His gaze traveled from her to Myles. “Myles is the closest thing I have to family now. He’s the one who encouraged me to hire on with the Pony Express, despite my being up there in years—as he likes to remind me.” His mouth curved up in a broad smile.

      Delsie rubbed at the back of her neck. As soon as they stopped, she’d wet her handkerchief, as Myles had done yesterday, to help prevent a sunburn. The longer she rode, the more she realized the impracticality of her stylish riding hat. Maybe she could trade it somewhere for a wide-brimmed one like the two men wore.

      “Has he always been...um...” She searched for the right word.

      “Hard-edged?” Amos supplied with a chuckle.

      She bit back a smile and nodded.

      “No, he hasn’t.” Amos wiped at his brow with his sleeve, then tugged his hat lower. “His folks died when he was real young, but he was raised by a good and godly man—his stepfather, Charles Patton. Myles took his stepfather’s death pretty hard.” He glanced at Delsie. She’d told him last night about her mother dying when she was thirteen. “But things really turned bad for him two months ago when his girl, this rich young lady from Saint Joe, refused to marry him after stringing him along for six years.”

      Delsie turned her attention to the man in front of them, riding tall and straight in his saddle. What had the man at the hotel in Saint Joseph said yesterday? Didn’t know you had yourself a new girl, Patton. No wonder Myles had looked ready to pummel him.

      Would Flynn feel the same, angry and bitter, if she returned home and told him she couldn’t marry him? She couldn’t picture him acting that way, but then again, did Flynn truly love her as it seemed Myles had this wealthy woman?

      Flynn had told her she was the most beautiful woman in the world and would make him the happiest man alive she if agreed to marry him. But was it her that he truly looked forward to having or was it her inheritance? She’d been asking herself that question ever since she’d left Pennsylvania to visit Aunt Cissy in Saint Louis.

      Now that Lillie had been struck from their father’s will, Delsie stood to gain a great deal of money. Some she would inherit when she married, the rest she would receive upon her father’s death, and Flynn knew the particulars. Despite her father’s encouragement of the match, the thought that Flynn might be more interested in her wealth than in Delsie herself brought a mixture of unease and confusion to her stomach.

      When they reached the trees Amos had indicated, the older man helped Delsie off her mare. She stumbled forward and braced herself against a nearby tree trunk as she waited for her legs to work properly again. Myles led the three horses to the riverbank and let them drink.

      “Shall we eat the food Mrs. Guittard gave us?” Delsie asked. She didn’t know if it was time for lunch, but the hunger in her middle could no longer be ignored.

      “Fine by me,” Amos said, taking a seat in the shade.

      Myles gave a grunt of approval as he looped the horses’ reins around several low-hanging branches. He removed the simple meal of bread, cheese and apples from one of the saddlebags.

      Delsie eyed the ground, trying to decide if she preferred sitting or standing at the moment.

      “You’re going to get dirty, Miss Radford,” Myles said with a shake of his head, “so you might as well start now.”

      “But I wasn’t...” She pressed her lips over her defense and glared at his bent head as he set out the lunch things. The man could truly be insufferable, even if he had good reason to be.

      Chin up, she stepped away from the tree and plopped right onto the dirt as unladylike as possible. A cry barreled up her throat as pain shot through her spine, but she swallowed it back when she saw Myles quirk an eyebrow at her. Was that amusement or admiration glittering in his dark eyes?

      She accepted the food he handed her, then waited until he and Amos had their portions before she spoke up. “May I say grace?”

      Myles leaned back against the tree trunk and scowled in response.

      Maybe he needed an explanation. “I’d like to give thanks for the food...and for a safe journey so far.”

      “Let her pray, if she wants, Myles.” Amos removed his hat and nodded at Delsie.

      She looked at the younger man, waiting for him to take off his hat, as well. They locked glares for a moment before he removed his hat and dipped his head. Fighting a small smile of victory, she bowed her head, as well. “Thank You, Lord, for this good food. And thank You for keeping us in Thy watchful care. Please bless Lillie and help us reach her in time. Amen.”

      Amos echoed her amen. Myles remained silent as he jammed his hat back on and started in on their meal. At least he hadn’t put up too much protest about her praying. She bit into the homemade bread with relish. Quiet descended over their group, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. A nice breeze gently swayed the trees and cooled her sunburned face.

      Elijah, who’d flown off earlier, landed beside Myles. Something small and limp dropped onto the ground in front of him. As she watched, the bird began tearing into the rodent with its beak. Delsie’s stomach twisted at the sight, robbing her of the rest of her appetite.

      “I think I’ll walk a bit.” She stood and managed to get beyond the trees without limping.

      Out of sight, though, Delsie slowed her steps to a faltering walk as she massaged the backs of her legs. She followed the river, enjoying the chance, however painful, to move on her own.

      The blue sky and rolling prairie were so vast, so endless. Myles might scoff at her for thinking so, at least out loud, but she saw the hand of the Lord in the beauty of it. Something inside her stirred and responded to this new open world—something she didn’t feel at home within the confines of her family’s elaborate parlor or in the midst of a grand party.

      Was it this restlessness that had come over Lillie, prompting her to leave her family and home behind and strike out after her beau, Clay Weeks? Delsie hadn’t understood at the time why Lillie would defy their father’s wishes or ignore his threats to disown her if she ran off to find that farmer. Her older sister had confessed she loved Clay, and if the rigidness of their society life and their father’s disapproval wouldn’t allow her to be with the man she loved, then she’d go West with him. And so she had.

      Now looking over this wide country, Delsie felt for the first time a piece of what Lillie must have felt. Her life at home suddenly felt a bit stale and narrow when compared to what she’d seen and experienced in the past two days.

      A low whistle sounded from behind. She turned to see Myles motioning for her. It was time to ride again. A loud sigh fell from her lips. Too bad she couldn’t walk just as quickly to California. Even the thought of climbing back into that saddle sent tremors of fresh pain shooting through her legs and back.

      “Only for you, Lillie,” she murmured. “And for Mother.”

      When she reached the grove of trees where they’d stopped, she allowed Amos to assist her back onto her mare. Being the first to mount, she decided to move away from the trees to the open prairie, where she’d wait for the two men.

      Delsie nudged the horse forward, dodging tree branches to keep from getting smacked in the face. One particularly long branch she pushed aside as far as she could while she passed by. But instead of swinging harmlessly through the air when she let go, the branch swung back and struck the rump of her horse with a loud thwack. The poor creature reared in fear. Delsie yelped and clung to the reins, her heart crashing hard against her ribs. The mare landed back