Abruptly the ceiling gave way.
For an instant Eve felt a crushing weight. Then a tongue of rubble shot forward, taking her with it. She sprawled across the uneven floor of the tunnel and fought for breath.
The first thing Eve saw was Reno’s lantern. The second was Reno’s head and shoulders sticking out of a pile of rubble left by the series of cave-ins. The third thing she saw was that Rafe had accidentally done what the Spanish had done many times by design; he had dug a new coyote hole connecting to the big tunnel.
Eve didn’t know she was crying Reno’s name until the broken echoes came back at her. Coughing dryly, she pulled her bandanna into place and crawled toward Reno through the swirls of dust stirred by the new cave-in.
«Eve!» Rafe yelled. «Are you all right?»
«I found Reno!»
«Is he alive?»
Eve reached out to Reno, but her hand was shaking so badly, she couldn’t tell if there was a pulse in his neck. Then she saw blood welling slowly from a cut on his forehead.
Distantly Eve became aware of Rafe shouting her name.
«He’s alive!» she yelled back.
«Praise God. Watch out. I’m coming through.»
Moments later another shower of rubble spurted from the unstable wall where coyote holes riddled the old tunnel. Stones as big as Eve’s fist hammered down. One of them struck the lantern, knocking it over and extinguishing it. Another struck Reno, who groaned softly. The remainder of the rocks added another layer to the mound covering him.
«Stop!» Eve yelled. «Rafe, stop! Every time you move, Reno gets buried deeper!»
«All right. I’m stopping. What happened to the light?»
«A stone knocked it over and spilled the fuel.»
Rafe swore.
Eve groped in darkness through her pockets. Finally she found the stub of candle that Reno had insisted she carry in case something happened to her lantern.
Suddenly light from Rafe’s lantern poured through the small opening that was all that remained of the coyote hole.
«Can you see now?» he asked.
«Yes. Wait.»
A match sizzled. Soon a candle flame burned cleanly against the enveloping darkness. Eve crawled deeper into the old tunnel and wedged the base of the candle into a crevice.
«I’ve got light now,» she said.
«How bad is Reno hurt?»
«I don’t know. He’s facedown, buried from his heels to his ribs. He’s got a cut on his forehead.»
Rocks fell and rolled as the mine adjusted to its new shape.
«Can you get him out of reach of another cave-in?» Rafe asked urgently.
Eve put her hands beneath Reno’s arms and pulled. He groaned again. She closed her eyes and pulled harder.
The rocks covering Reno barely stirred.
«I’ve got to get the rubble off him first,» Eve said.
«Be quick about it. That opening is damned unstable.»
She worked frantically, pushing rocks until Reno was free to his hips.
«Eve?» Rafe called.
«I’ve got all but his legs uncovered.»
«Want me to try to come through and help?»
Even as Rafe spoke, more rocks came raining down on Reno.
«Stop digging!» Eve said frantically.
«I didn’t move!»
Rocks bounced and groanced and rattled.
«Get up the tunnel as far back from the coyote hole as you can,» Rafe ordered.
«But Reno —»
Another wave of rubble lapped out from the unstable wall as a low, grinding sound vibrated through the mine.
«You can’t help him now!» Rafe yelled savagely. «Save yourself!»
As though in a dream, Eve saw the wall shiver and shift minutely as it began to unravel.
Adrenaline poured through her in a wild cataract. She didn’t stop to think or worry or wonder. She just hooked her hands under Reno’s arms and pulled with every bit of strength and determination she had, dragging him in a single lunge away from the rubble and the unstable wall.
Rocks ground and gnashed and poured out in a wave of debris that lapped at Reno’s boots. Desperately Eve kept backing up, dragging him with her until she stumbled and fell. She struggled to her feet and kept pulling, but her frenzied burst of strength was spent, leaving her unable to budge him. Still she kept tugging and tugging, crying and calling brokenly to Reno.
«It’s all right, Eve. You can let go. You pulled him far enough.»
For a wild second she thought Reno was talking to her. Then she realized that it was Rafe kneeling next to her.
«How…?» Eve’s question ended in a cough.
«When the wall went, it opened up a whole new passage. I don’t know how long it will last, though. Can you walk?»
Shakily Eve got to her feet.
«Take the lantern,» Rafe said. «We’ll be right on your heels.»
He bent, levered his brother into place across his broad shoulders, and followed Eve. Soon they met Caleb and Wolfe, who had heard the rumble in the gut of the mine and had come running.
Fresh air and the jostling that came on the way through the mine revived Reno. He regained consciousness in a haze of pain and dizziness just as he was carried out of the mine. Sunlight was a hammer blow in his eyes. Groaning, he closed his eyes and wondered why the world was bumping so badly.
«Lie still,» said Rafe’s voice. «You’ve been hurt.»
Other voices came to Reno, men’s voices, Caleb and Wolfe talking as they carried him into the shelter of the camp.
Nowhere did Reno hear Eve’s voice, her touch, her scent. When he opened his eyes, sunlight blinded him.
«Eve?» he asked hoarsely.
«Other than being crazy enough to try to cut a deal with Slater, she’s fine,» Caleb said dryly. «Let’s set him down over here. Feet first, Wolfe.»
Reno heard nothing but the words about Eve. They echoed in his mind like the waves of concussion, pounding home the old truth about men and women and betrayal.
Tried to cut a deal with Slater. Cut a deal with Slater. Cut a deal…
The words echoed terribly in Reno’s mind, bringing a pain in their wake that was like nothing he had ever known. When he had felt the tunnel collapsing around him, his last thought was that at least Eve would be safe.
Her first thought had been to take the gold and cut a deal with Jericho Slater, leaving Reno to die in the mine.
«Should have learned…Savannah Marie,» he said bitterly.
«What?» Caleb asked.
«Did that cheating saloon girl…leave any gold?»
Before Caleb could answer, Reno passed out again.
Eve wished she could have done the same. She stumbled as though the ground had been taken away from beneath her feet.
Rafe caught her before she fell.
«Easy there,» he said kindly. «You’re at the end of your rope.»
She simply shook her head and said nothing.
«Who’s this Savannah Marie?» Caleb asked Rafe.
«A girl back home who used to drive boys crazy with her teasing. For a while there, Reno was young enough to think he loved her,» Rafe said as he set Eve back on her feet. «Who is the cheating saloon girl?»
«I am,» Eve said tonelessly.
Abruptly Caleb realized that his words about Eve cutting a deal with Slater had been misunderstood by Reno.
«Reno’s out of his head,» Caleb said roughly. «When he wakes up, I’ll set him straight.»
«It doesn’t matter,» Eve said, turning away.
«Eve,» Caleb said. «Wait.»
She shook her head and kept walking.
Everything that mattered had already been said. Reno might have enjoyed her company, might have been gentle with her, might have shared the most intense kind of passion with her; but he didn’t love her.
He never would. Love required trust, and Reno would never forget that Eve had been a card cheat and a saloon girl.
I understand that women have to make up in cunning what they lack in strength. Understanding isn’t the same as liking.
You can’t count on women, but you can count on gold.
Sugar child, would you feel better if I told you sweet lies about love?