Page 8 of The Forever Cowboy (Noble Ranch #1)

She’d stolen from the Nobles. There was no getting around that fact.

Violet dragged her skis through the wet snow, the self-reproach of her thieving slowing her down. She’d also gone slower because Hyacinth was behind her and using skis for the first time.

Thankfully, her sister was a quick learner and had easily caught on to the sliding motion of the long wooden skis and the propelling effort with the wooden pole.

Hyacinth hadn’t complained once over the past couple of hours of traveling.

Of course, they’d had to stop occasionally for breaks, especially because their bags were burdensome.

But they’d managed to have some fun skiing down a few of the hills, allowing the momentum to take them faster.

Now, from the widening of the pastureland ahead, Violet recognized the area along the creek and knew they were getting close to the miner’s cabin. They finally had full daylight, with sunlight against the snow almost blinding them. They certainly no longer needed the lantern she’d taken.

Yes, she’d stolen the lantern, matches, and food.

At the time, when she’d been stuffing the few staples into their bags, she had justified her actions, mollifying herself with the assurance that Sterling and the whole Noble family would offer her the goods if they could understand the desperation of her situation.

As it was, Sterling hadn’t believed her and hadn’t cared even the slightest about her predicament. She should have known that would be the outcome of her visit, that he would hate her with as much passion as he’d once loved her.

A part of her had obviously been in denial over how much she’d hurt him. She’d been going about her life and focusing on her own problems without considering the depth of his feelings and his reaction to all that had happened.

With a huff of frustration at herself, Violet dug her pole into the snow and slid forward, first on one ski, then the next, before lifting her pole and repeating the motions, edging closer to the creek.

At least the morning was clear, and although the air was frigid, her limbs and toes and fingers weren’t quite as cold as they’d been last night, probably because the trek had been strenuous enough that, at times, perspiration had formed on her brow.

If only she’d been able to leave Noble Ranch without taking anything beyond the skis. But the need to save herself and Hyacinth had taken precedence.

Even these hours later, after hearing her father’s acquiescence to Claude’s plan, Violet couldn’t grasp just how deplorable it was that the man who claimed to love his daughters had so readily given them over to another man.

Had Father always been so weak? Or had he become that way after Mother had left him?

Because wasn’t that what had happened?—she’d finally had her fill of Father’s gambling and decided to leave him to his own fate.

Maybe she’d been waiting for an excuse to go, and the failed wedding had provided her one.

Whatever the case, Mother had packed her bags and never once looked back, never once talked of returning, and never once mentioned their father.

It was as if she’d wanted to put him out of their lives totally and completely.

Perhaps she’d thought she had. She probably hadn’t told Father where they were or what they were doing.

He’d been cut from their lives until Violet had sent him the telegram letting him know about Mother’s death.

Violet released another breath, a white cloud filling the air in front of her.

She shouldn’t have contacted him. If she’d had any sense about her, she would have realized Mother had taken them far away from Father to protect them.

But she’d been too trusting, too gullible, too easily swayed by Father’s promise to take care of them, and instead of staying away, she’d walked right back into his chaotic life and gotten tangled in his mess.

Running away to this cabin was their last option to try to break free from him.

“I’ll pay the Nobles back,” she whispered. “I vow it.” Someday, when she had her own interior designing business, she might have enough income to cover the expenses. Until then, she could only add the stealing to the list of transgressions she’d committed against Sterling and his family.

She slowed her skis and searched among the pine trees across the frozen creek. The blanket of snow on the branches was pristine, as fresh and untouched as it had been the few other times she’d been here.

Where was the cabin? Had she taken a wrong path at some point? She’d thought she knew the general route into Devil’s Glen. But what if she’d been overconfident?

“There!” came Hyacinth’s breathy call from behind her. “I see a cabin.”

Violet peered in the direction of her sister’s outstretched mittened hand. The woodland ahead blocked the view, but tucked away in a sheltered nook, the log structure was a welcome sight.

“That’s it.” Violet pushed forward again, relief giving her a burst of energy. She was a city girl and didn’t know much about surviving in a cabin away from civilization. But they were also young and resourceful. They’d do just fine. At least, she prayed they would.

As she reached the embankment that led to the creek, she lifted her pole and pointed her skis down.

She leaned forward and let the slick snow carry her faster.

With the cold air slapping at her cheeks, she almost smiled at the memories of skiing with Sterling, how he’d stayed right beside her, watching over her and teaching her so patiently.

The times skiing together had always been enjoyable.

Because of the skiing? Or because she’d been with him?

The bottom of the hill came too quickly, and she turned her skis sideways to stop as Sterling had taught her. But in the next instant, her ski hit something buried beneath the snow. While one ski twisted the way she’d planned, the other went the opposite direction.

The shift happened too fast to stop, and a sharp pain ricocheted through her ankle, as if her foot were being wrenched from her body.

Her leg buckled beneath her, unable to bear her weight.

Even though she tried to hold herself up with her ski pole, she found herself tumbling down and tossing her bag aside.

The fall only bent her ankle all the more, and she cried out, grabbing her foot, trying to unbuckle her boot from the ski and free herself from the agonizing position.

“What’s wrong, Vi?” Cheeks flushed from the cold, Hyacinth came to a halt beside her, her eyes wide and filled with concern.

Violet couldn’t speak past the pain and clawed at her boot, needing to free her foot.

In the next instant, Hyacinth was bending down and helping her, obviously seeing the problem. She worked calmly and methodically, loosening the buckles. As she shifted the boot off the ski, the burning shot through Violet’s ankle again.

“Careful.” Violet grasped the area and tried to draw in a breath. “It’s hurt. Badly.”

Hyacinth gentled her touch, lifting Violet’s foot more carefully. “Does it feel broken?”

“I don’t know how to tell.”

Hyacinth brushed her fingers lightly along Violet’s stocking and then across her boot. “It’s swelling already.”

Violet’s whole leg was beginning to throb, and she felt suddenly weak, almost sick to her stomach.

Her sister glanced in the direction of the cabin, still at least two hundred feet away, across the creek and surrounded by trees. “We need to get to the cabin and take your boot off.”

Hyacinth unbuckled the other ski, then Violet tried to push up while Hyacinth assisted her. As Violet finally stood on one leg with Hyacinth bracing her up, the dizziness and pain were almost too much to bear.

“I can’t move.” Violet couldn’t imagine even standing on her foot, much less walking the rest of the distance. As deep as the snow was, she’d never make it by favoring her good leg, not even if Hyacinth helped bear her weight.

Hyacinth peered around. She’d discarded her hood, probably from the exertion of their trip. Her dark hair was in a single braid like Violet’s, and strands had come loose, brushing her cheeks. At the moment, she’d never looked more beautiful. And innocent.

A surge of protectiveness swelled within Violet again. Father was a monster for even thinking about giving Hyacinth over to men who would pay to hold her, manhandle her, and lust over her.

Hyacinth cocked her head at the low branches of a nearby spruce. “I’ll break off a limb or two. You can get on like a sled, and I’ll pull you the distance to the cabin.”

Would that work? They had to give it a try.

Hyacinth helped Violet sit down. Then she maneuvered on her skis toward the nearest tree.

Violet could only recline in the snow, gritting her teeth through the pain. If her ankle was broken, what would she do? How would she ever be able to travel the two hours or more to town to reach a doctor? She would never consider sending Hyacinth back for the doctor on her own.

Would they be trapped at the cabin? How long could they stay before their food supply ran out?

Violet shifted, and pain shot through her leg and up her body. A groan slipped out before she could stop it.

Hyacinth, nearly at the tree, halted and peered back with a creased brow. “Hang in there, Vi. I’ll take care of you.”

All Violet could manage was a nod.

While her sister wrestled to break the lowest branches off the spruce tree, Violet could feel her body temperature dropping as the cold and dampness from the snow began to creep through the layers of her clothing.

It seemed like ages but was probably only a few minutes before Hyacinth was returning, dragging two large pine boughs. Somehow, with Hyacinth’s help, Violet managed to crawl onto the branches.

Leaving their luggage behind for Hyacinth to retrieve later, they inched toward the cabin, Hyacinth trying to make the ride smooth. Even so, each movement jarred Violet so that by the time they were across the frozen creek, she couldn’t hold back her whimpers.

When they finally reached the cabin, Hyacinth collapsed in front of the door, her breath coming in gasps. Violet could only lie on the boughs and stare up at the sky, the tears silently coursing down her cheeks, leaving an icy trail in their wake.

What had she gotten them into? And how would they ever survive?