Never Never by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

let Declan go off by himself? The poor bastard was probably stumbling around lost in the woods. It was all well and good to treat Declan as if nothing had happened and he wasn’t changed, but dammit, that wasn’t the truth.
    Mike alternately turned in his saddle to watch the road behind him to catch a glimpse of either Gavin or Declan, or stare at Sarah’s ramrod straight back as she drove her wagon and pretended Mike wasn’t riding behind her.
    He’d get it sorted out once they were settled at the new place. Plenty of time for dealing with all this shite then . And who knows? Maybe she’d be over it by then. Maybe things would be back to normal.
    Sarah stopped her wagon. When Mike looked up to see why he saw that all the wagons were stopped. She twisted around in her seat to look at him. The sudden cessation of movement seemed to wake up the little ones who’d been napping and now Mike heard whimpers and whines erupting from most of the wagons.
    Up ahead, he saw Fiona was standing on the seat of her wagon, her hands on her hips. Hoping she’d set the brake first, Mike trotted up to talk with her.
    â€œWhere’s Declan?” she demanded. “He’s been gone too long.”
    â€œNo worries, Fi. I sent Gavin back to collect him.”
    She nodded as if this information was exactly what she already knew, handed the reins to Nuala, and climbed down from the wagon.
    â€œNow, Fiona,” Mike said with exasperation. “This isn’t necessary…”
    Fiona grabbed the reins of Declan’s horse from Mike’s hands and mounted up. Not bothering to adjust the stirrup lengths, she pulled both leathers up and crossed them in front of her on the saddle, turned the horse’s head and put him into a canter back the way they’d come.
    A part of Mike knew she was right. Declan had been gone too long.
    â€œMike,” Nuala said from the wagon. “I can’t drive this thing and hold the baby too.”
    â€œThe brake’s on,” Mike said. “Just sit tight.” He trotted to the end of the line of wagons.
    Sarah was standing up in her wagon now. “Where did Fiona go? What’s going on?”
    â€œDeclan might have gotten disoriented in the woods. Fiona’s gone to find him.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t have let him go alone.”
    She was right but Mike felt his defenses shoot up.
    â€œWould ye have me hold his knob for him, Sarah?”
    She flushed at his language but didn’t back down. “I’m just surprised you thought he could handle peeing by himself.”
    â€œI’ll not row with you here,” he growled.
    A couple men from the other wagons walked up to Mike.
    â€œWhat do you want us to do?” one of them asked.
    Surely the worst that could have happened was that Declan was lost? Was it possible he was hurt?
    Mike looked down the road as if he could somehow will the three to appear.
    â€œTerry, take over,” he said finally to the oldest of the men. “Keep everyone in the wagons. Do not move from this spot, ye ken?”
    â€œAye.”
    â€œI’ll be back.” Mike put his horse into a fast trot down the road. The further he rode, the more amazed he was that the wagon train had travelled so far in fifteen minutes. He figured he should be able to see Fiona and Gavin around the next bend in the road. He took the turn faster than he should’ve and felt his horse’s hooves slide on the slippery leaves, losing traction with the road.
    Mike’s heart beat in his throat as he loosened the reins, trying to let the animal sort himself out and gather control again. His horse found his footing just as Mike saw Gavin and Fiona’s horses standing in the middle of the road.
    Both riderless.

8
    M ike swung down from saddle , his heart hammering in his chest, his agitated breathing so loud he couldn’t hear any other sound. When he got closer he saw the reins of Fiona’s horse