Rafe had taken the opportunity while Nicole was relieving herself to get the perishable groceries stored away in the refrigerator, since he had a hunch his captive might soon be making a run for it. When she'd been gone ten minutes, he checked to be sure that she'd fled, and grinned ruefully as he realized he had a chase on his hands. Of course, this was just the sort of thing that the Mounted Patrol thrived on. Within a few minutes he'd gone to the small barn behind the cabin, where he had moved two favorite horses and all their tack the day before in anticipation of Nicole's arrival. His sorrel gelding was tacked up in another five minutes, and he was on the trail immediately. The signs were unequivocal that his prisoner had headed North, just as he'd predicted, and he eased the gelding
