Chapter Twenty-Two
Standing on the boardwalk, Clay McCord’s hand stilled on the door of the general store. Whipping around, he focused his gaze on the hill behind town. Another shot rang out, confirming what he’d heard moments before.
“Did you hear that?” Bernie ran out of the telegraph office, waving his arms.
“Find Sheriff Evans and Beau. Send them up the hill toward Brandt’s house.” Jumping off the boardwalk, Clay ran to the stables behind the livery, taking mere minutes to saddle his horse. By the time he started up the trail, at least two more shots pierced the morning air, his chest tightening with each bang. He’d seen the sign saying the livery was closed, knowing Noah left mid-mornings on Saturdays. Sending up a prayer, he spurred his horse on, anxiety gripping him at what he expected to find.
Bernie burst into the Dixie, seeing Gabe and Nick talking near the bar.
“Sheriff! Shots are being fired up the hill to the Brandt place.”
Not waiting, Gabe rushed out of the saloon, Nick close behind.
“Clay McCord is already heading up there,” Bernie called to their backs, doubting either heard him in the rush to grab their horses.
“Where’s Beau?” Nick sucked in a breath as he saddled his horse, working as fast as possible to keep up with Gabe.
“Rode out an hour ago.” Swinging into the saddle, he reigned Blackheart around to see several townsfolk clustered outside the stable gate. “Get inside the buildings and wait there,” he shouted as he rode past, Nick a few yards behind.
Fear wrapped around Gabe as he encouraged Blackheart up the wide trail toward Noah’s house. The ride seemed to take forever, even though only minutes had gone by before he spotted a man kneeling beside two inert bodies. Drawing his gun, he pointed it at the man.
“Put your hands up and step away.”
Clay raised his hands, standing, turning so Gabe could see him.
“Clay?”
“I heard the shots and sent Bernie to get you.” His rough voice and somber face signaled what Gabe feared. “It’s bad, Gabe.”
Nick reined to a stop as Gabe slid from his horse, dropping to his knees next to Noah. A feral scream wrenched from his chest at the blood pooling around him. Seeing the other body, he gasped at the sight of Bull, blood covering his shirt.
“Both are still breathing, but we need to stop the bleeding.” Clay pressed his hands against Bull’s wound, Gabe doing the same with Noah, applying pressure to what appeared to be the most life-threatening wound.
“Nick, we need a wagon. Then get Doc up here and ride to the Pelletier’s. We’ll need Rachel.”
Clay and Gabe did what they could, neither Noah nor Bull responding to their efforts.
“They’re both still breathing.” Clay’s ragged breaths spoke of the effort needed to stop the bleeding. “Just barely,” he muttered.
“We will not lose them. We can’t,” Gabe ground out, ripping off his shirt and pressing it to Noah’s wound. I can’t lose you, he thought, an agonizing pain squeezing his chest. “Hold on, buddy. You can make it. You’ve got to.”
“I wonder what’s gotten into him.” Lydia rocked Gabriel, trying to pacify him. A few minutes before, he’d woken up screaming, his face red, arms flailing.
Abby sat down, adjusted her clothing, then reached out. “Give him to me, Lydia. Maybe he’s hungry.” A few minutes later she looked up at Lydia, shaking her head. “He’s not interested.”
“I can take him out in the sunshine and walk with him. He always likes being outside.”
“Like his papa.” Abby stood, buttoned the front of her dress, then checked the time on the wall clock. “I wonder what’s keeping the men.”
“You know how they are. Probably got to talking about something and lost track of time. They’ll be here.” Lydia walked through the front door, taking a seat on the rocker Noah had built for Abby on the porch. Bull had already told her he planned to build one for them. They both loved children and wanted a houseful.
Gabriel began to settle down as Lydia continued to rock. Within minutes, they were both asleep. Which is how Lena and Suzanne found them when they arrived an hour later. Stepping down from the wagon, they glanced at each other, neither wanting the job they’d been given by Nick, yet knowing the news would come best from them.
“I thought I heard a wagon pull up.” Abby looked down at Gabriel sleeping in Lydia’s arms as she walked through the door. Warmth spread through her as a smile curved her lips.
Glancing at Lena and Suzanne, her smile froze, then slipped completely when she saw the somber expressions on their faces. Her hands began to shake as she walked down the steps to meet them. The men were long overdue, her worry increasing with each passing minute until she’d made the decision to ask Lydia to ride into town and find them.
“What is it?” Abby’s voice shook. Reaching out, she latched onto Suzanne’s hand. “Tell me.”
Suzanne had known Abby since she was a young girl and looked after her for a while after her mother died, until Abby had been sent back east to school. Her heart broke looking at the fear on her face.
“Let’s sit down.” Suzanne tried to guide her back to the porch, but Abby pulled away.
“No. Tell me.”
Her distressed demand woke Lydia. Seeing Lena and Suzanne, she stood, careful not to wake Gabriel. “Is something wrong?”
Lena looked between the two women. They couldn’t afford to waste more time.
“Both Noah and Bull were shot and are at the clinic.”
“My God.” Abby’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes tearing. “We have to go.”
“Abby, wait.” Suzanne stepped close. “You both need to know. The men are in very serious condition. Doc doesn’t know if either will make it.”
Lena dashed to grab Gabriel as Lydia’s arms began to give out. The young woman’s shoulders slumped as panic surged through her an instant before a calm resolve stilled her features.
“We must leave right now.” Lydia hurried to the wagon, climbing into the back as Suzanne helped Abby onto the seat, then climbed up next to her.
Lena handed Gabriel to Suzanne, then squeezed herself onto the seat, grabbing the lines. Her throat tightened as quiet sobs came from the back of the wagon. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Lydia swipe at the tears streaming down her face.
Why? Lena thought as anger spread through her. She felt like screaming at the injustice, knowing her rage would change nothing. Steeling herself, Lena guided the wagon back to town, sending up silent prayers the entire way—for Noah and Bull, for Abby and Lydia, and for the entire town who had become her family.
They rode close to the cabin, finding an area where the snow wasn’t as deep. Ground tying Hunter, Cash walked around Joker, reaching up to help Alison down.
“I’m perfectly capable of getting off a horse.” She ignored his gesture, tugging up her dress and swinging a leg over the back of the saddle, stumbling a little as she landed. Untying the satchel from behind the saddle, she lifted her hem, strolled past him and through the open doorway. The door still rested where it had fallen the first time Cash brought her here. Glancing at the bed, her face flushed at the memory, wishing she could take that day back and start over.
Cash came in behind her, grabbing the chair and setting it down next to the bed.
“Have a seat, Alison.” He gestured toward the bed, then pulled over a chair for himself and sat down.
Pursing her lips, she pulled her coat tighter, taking hesitant steps to the bed, sitting on the edge. Gripping her satchel on her lap, she sucked in a deep breath, letting it out in a slow whoosh. Directing an unwavering gaze at Cash, she began.
“My name is Alison Burns McGrath. I’m twenty-two years old. My father was killed in the war, my mother is still living on our farm in Kentucky, and my brother was killed during a bank robbery in Splendor.”
Cash stared at her, his face a mask. She saw no anger, no condemnation, and more surprising, no shock at her confession. Her eyes widened a little before her gaze shifted to the floor, then back up to his face.
“You knew all this already, didn’t you?”
Cash could barely talk for the relief he felt. She’d laid it all out, didn’t try to hide behind more secrets. Her candor stunned him.
“Yes, I knew.”
She leaned forward. “Yet you wanted to ride all the way to the cabin to hear me say it?”
“We needed privacy.”
“I could’ve told you all this at the shop.”
He stood, closing the distance between them, holding out his hands. Setting the satchel on the bed, she placed her hands in his, allowing him to help her up. Hope surged through her for a brief moment at the look he gave her, so much like what she saw in his eyes when they’d made love.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he drew her aside, opening the latch on the satchel with his other hand and reaching inside.
“Do you always travel with a Colt .45, Allie?” Not loosening his hold around her waist, he held up the gun. “Fully loaded, I see. What were your plans for this?”
With a strength she didn’t know she possessed, Alison wrenched herself free, taking several steps away. “I know you won’t believe me, but I brought it for protection.”
“Protection?” His voice oozed with sarcasm. “From who?”
“You.” She took another step away, seeing his cocky smile slip.
He placed the gun on the bed, then turned to face her. “Why would you need protection from me?”
Grasping her hands in front of her, she licked her lips. “You shot Bobby. I thought…”
The fear on her face hit Cash for the first time as he realized what she was telling him. He stepped toward her, only to watch her back up against the wall.
“I’d never hurt you, Allie.”
A grim laugh escaped her lips. “You already did when you refused to listen to my explanation. I knew you were angry at the way you discovered I wasn’t a widow, but I thought you’d at least give me a chance to explain.” She placed a hand on her heart, as if the gesture would still its pounding.
“You’re right. I should have given you a chance to explain. It was my mistake pushing you away.” He glanced at the bed behind him. “That still doesn’t explain the gun.”
She pushed away from the wall. “I didn’t know what to expect from you today…riding out of town to a cabin no one but you visits.”
“You didn’t come here to kill me?”
“What? No. I lov…” She clamped her mouth shut, realizing what she’d almost admitted.
Closing his eyes, he mumbled a curse, scrubbing a hand down his face before looking at her. Taking a step toward her, he held up his hands, palms out, when she looked as if she wanted to run.
“Come here, Allie.”
She shook her head, refusing to move.
“Allie, please. Come here.”
Lifting her chin, she walked forward, stopping a couple feet away. “What?”
“Closer.”
“I don’t need to be closer to hear what you have to say.”
“Allie, come closer.”
Letting out a frustrated breath, she crossed her arms and glared at him. “Why?”
The smile spreading across his face caught her by surprise. Moving to within inches of her, he rested his hands on her shoulders.
“Because I don’t want to tell you I love you from across the room.”
Her jaw dropped, her eyes flying open. Recovering, she stared at him. “You love me?”
“I do. Please tell me I’m not alone.”
Her head spun. She’d never expected to hear those words from him, never thought she’d ever be alone with him again after today.
“Allie?”
Her mind clearing, she looked into his eyes. “I love you, too, Cash.”
Wrapping her in his arms, he drew her close, lowering his mouth to hers.
“Well, now. Isn’t that the sweetest thing you ever heard, Harry?”
Breaking the kiss, Cash pulled Alison behind him, recognizing the two men from the wanted posters.
“Milton and Harrison Penderville. What a surprise.” Cash backed up toward the bed. Alison backed up with him, as if she knew he wanted her closer to the gun.
“He knows us, Harry,” Milt sneered. “Guess our reputation is getting around.”
“Let me be clear, Penderville. It’s not a good reputation.” Cash let his arms hang loose at his sides.
Harry’s gaze narrowed. “Take out your gun and lay it on the floor.”
“No.” Cash ignored Alison’s gasp at his refusal.
“We’ll kill you if you don’t.”
“You’re going to kill us whether I remove my gun or not, Milton.”
“It’s Milt. Now, get rid of the gun.”
“Not going to happen.” Cash knew he could take one of them, even with guns already in their hands. He didn’t know if he could keep Alison out of the crossfire. “I’m surprised you came all this way up the mountain. I’d have thought you’d take the opportunity to rob the bank while I’m out of town.”
“We care nothing about the small amount of money in your bank. We’re here because you killed one of our men. A good friend of our brother.” Milt stepped aside, letting Monty move next to him.
“Hello, Deputy Coulter.”
Cash’s eyes narrowed. “Brother?”
“Thought you’d be surprised.” Monty drew his gun and walked forward. “I asked a lot of questions while working for Silas. I needed to know who killed my best friend, Bobby McGrath. Imagine how I felt when I learned it was you.”
Leaving the safety of Cash’s body, Alison glared at Monty. “Bobby would never have been friends with a group of killers.”
All three brothers laughed before Monty responded. “We were friends all right. Real good friends.”
“I don’t believe you. Bobby wasn’t a killer. He wasn’t like you.” Alison’s voice trembled as she tried to deny the truth about her brother.
Monty’s face hardened, the smile he always wore disappearing. “I’ll tell you what Bobby was. He rode with us for months. Robbed banks and used his gun. He did everything my brothers asked, never flinching. You may believe your baby brother was a saint, but he wasn’t.” He shot a hateful look at Cash. “He still didn’t deserve to be executed by a lawman.”
“There was no execution, Monty. I gave Bobby several chances to lower his gun. It didn’t matter what I said, he still refused to toss it aside. He gave me no choice.” Cash stepped in front of Alison, attempting to shield her from the gunmen. “Your friend didn’t have to die that day. He chose to die.”
“Shut up, Coulter. Bobby didn’t choose anything. You shot him in cold blood.” Monty raised his gun. Like Bobby, his hand shook, but he didn’t fire.
“Shoot him, Monty.” Milt stood beside him, his voice cold and unemotional.
“Do it, kid. It’s what he deserves.” Harry watched Monty’s gun shake as sweat formed on his brow. “You know it’s what Bobby would’ve wanted.”
“That’s. Not. True.” Alison’s shout echoed in the cabin as she took a step away from Cash.
“Alison, get back,” he ordered, praying she’d listen.
Before either could say another word, a shot slammed into Harry, sending him sprawling. Cash drew his gun, firing a shot at Milt, hitting him in the chest. Before he had a chance to fire at Monty, Alison moved in front of him, aiming her Colt at Monty.
“Drop the gun, Monty,” Cash warned, trying to nudge Alison aside.
“You killed my brothers.” His voice was flat, devoid of emotion as he stared at Milt and Harry, both dead at his feet. Whipping his head up, he aimed the gun at Cash. “It’s your turn, Coulter.”
Cash pointed his gun, but before he could fire, a shot rang out. Monty staggered backward, looking down at the red stain growing on his chest. Eyes wide, he sent an unbelieving look at Alison.
“But…he killed your brother…” Whatever else he wanted to say died on his lips. His knees buckled, his body convulsed, then Monty Penderville joined his brothers.
Turning to Alison, Cash saw tears streaming down her face, her arm shaking from holding the heavy weapon in front of her. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he reached out to her with the other.
“Give me the gun, Allie.”
She didn’t look at him, her gaze fixed on the men in front of her.
“I killed him.” Her trembling voice cut through him.
“I know, sweetheart, but it’s over now. Give me the gun.”
She blinked several times, her entire body shuddering as her knees started to give way.
Wrapping his arm around her waist, he tightened his hold, grasping the gun a moment before her grip gave way. Turning her to him, he tucked her head under his chin, listening as quiet sobs wracked her body. Looking up, his gaze landed on Beau standing in the doorway.
“I had a feeling you’d follow me.”
Beau kicked each of the bodies, making sure the job was complete.
“Couldn’t let you leave me as the only deputy in Splendor.” He nodded toward Alison. “She going to be all right?”
Cash stroked her hair, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Yes. She’s going to be fine.”