Epilogue

July 1898

It was the grandest cookout the J&L had ever held. The whole family was there, of course, Katie holding six-month-old Jeffrey in her lap and Sadie Mae pushing around a pram that held Evie and Brian’s new baby, just two weeks old—a son named Cole, for the man who’d been such a good friend to their father. Sadie Mae beamed with pride over mothering her new baby brother.

Most of the ranch hands were there. Teresa, Katie, Evie, and Randy had been cooking and baking for days. Tables made of sawhorses and planks of wood were covered with checkered tablecloths. An entire steer was roasted over an open fire. A few neighbors came. The guest list was long, and included Peter and Treena, Jeff and his wife and two children. Loretta and Annie came, and so did Gretta and Sam. Annie knew the truth now and understood her real mother’s sacrifice. Cole rode in for the affair, and he and Gretta announced they were getting married, which brought rousing cheers from everyone.

Randy started out of the house with another pie in her hands just as Jake came from the upstairs bedroom. He walked up to her and grabbed her from behind before she could get out the door, making her let out a little scream. With the pie in her hands, she couldn’t stop him from moving his hands over the square-cut bodice of her dress.

“Jake Harkner, do you know how many people are out there? Get your hands off my breasts.”

“But I love these babies.”

“And between three weeks at that line shack and what just went on upstairs this morning, you should be able to keep your hands off of me long enough to welcome everyone and sit down and eat.”

“You taste better than any of the food.”

Randy turned her head and looked up at him. He met her mouth in a deep kiss, gently squeezing her breasts at the same time. Randy grinned and wiggled away from him. “Stop!”

“Hell, you shouldn’t have worn yellow. You know how I like that dress on you. And look at you—all filled out again in all the right places. It’s nice to hold a woman with some flesh on her bones and all kinds of soft things to grab hold of.”

Randy whirled around in a teasing dance move. “You’ll have to save the grabbing for later.” She hurried through the screen door just as Gretta was coming up the steps to get more pies. She stopped in front of Jake.

“You know, big guy, that if the light is just right, a person can see right through that screen door. It appears you’ve healed well.”

Jake grinned. “Damn right.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “A man just needs the right motive to get well.”

“Mmm-hmm. And your wife seems very happy.”

“I aim to please.”

“I’m sure you do.” Gretta laughed and walked past him to retrieve more pies. Jake walked out onto the veranda and limped down the steps to join the others.

Everyone sat at the huge length of tables, sixteen different conversations going on at the same time. Even Katie’s parents were there, having moved from Oklahoma to take up residence and help out on the J&L. It was a great relief for Lloyd and Katie, who needed their help with the children. Jake considered Katie’s parents two of the nicest, most unselfish people he’d ever known. He had the men build a cabin for them and liked to joke that if any more people came to live on the J&L, they would simply create their own little town right here. Harkner Acres, we’ll call it, he told everyone.

He still could not quite get over the fact that all of this was because he’d fallen in love with a woman from Kansas almost thirty-three years ago and bedded her one wild night in a covered wagon. His life had never been the same since.

Evie prayed and sang Amazing Grace, everyone’s favorite hymn. They ate…and laughed…and ate…and laughed…and Jake enjoyed teasing Katie into deep blushes, one of his favorite pastimes.

By then, Jake had made all the headlines. Jake Harkner, America’s Last Outlaw, Escapes the Hands of Death! Articles explained how he was saved by an old Mexican healer, a man he would probably never be able to find again if he tried…a man Jake personally believed was sent by God in answer to Evie’s prayers.

Randy sat down next to Jake, and they held hands—often. They kissed—often. They shared looks of desire—often. Not long after he first returned, they’d spent over three weeks at the line shack, making love and making love and making love, some of it quite disrespectful.

Jake’s leg had healed more, becoming a bit less painful, but he feared the pain would never truly go away, and he would always have a limp.

Before dessert was served, Sadie Mae came to sit on Jake’s lap. She showed him an egg she’d snuck out of the chicken coop, but in the next instant, Outlaw appeared between Jake’s legs and snatched the egg right out of her fingers, then ran off.

“Sadie Mae, what just happened?” Jake asked her with a frown.

She whispered in his ear. “I gave the egg to Outlaw. Don’t tell, ’cuz Mommy said I’m not s’posed to feed him chicken eggs.” She covered her mouth and giggled.

“You sure do like secrets, Sadie Mae.”

She nodded her head vigorously.

“I have a secret too,” Jake told her. He whispered in her ear. “When some bad men were hurting Grandpa, I saw a chicken right in front of me. And I said, Jake, that chicken must be little Sadie Mae, come to help you and make you feel better. So you were right there, Sadie Mae, and you helped Grandpa feel better.”

Sadie Mae hugged him around the neck and kissed his cheek. “I’m glad, Grampa. I don’t want you to hurt.”

A buggy appeared over the rise, and Terrel rode in.

“There’s a woman comin’,” he told Jake. “Calls herself Dixie, and damned if she don’t look like a… You know, one of them women.”

“Dixie?” Jake grinned and glanced at Lloyd. “Dixie James is here!” He looked at Randy. “How in hell did Dixie know about this?”

Randy grinned. “Because I wrote to her and invited her.”

Jake rose and handed Sadie Mae to Randy, leaning down to kiss Randy when he did so. “That was damn good of you.”

“Yes, well, just remember who you belong to. We have two prostitutes here who are both crazy about you.”

Jake laughed. “Woman, I’ve always known who I belong to.”

Lloyd grinned and rose to watch the buggy come in as Jake walked out to greet Dixie before she reached the house.

“Who’s Dixie James?” Gretta asked.

“Let’s just say you and Dixie have a lot in common,” Lloyd answered with a grin. “She’s from our lawman days back in Guthrie. You know Pa. He has a natural gravitation.”

Gretta let out one of her loud guffaws. “I think it’s the other way around,” she joked. “The women gravitate toward your father.”

Jake limped to the buggy, and in the next moment, a buxom, blond woman in a pink dress was in his arms.

“Dixie! My God, you came all the way from Guthrie?”

“They do have trains now, love.” She laughed as Jake whirled her around. “I wanted to see for myself that Jake Harkner really did still live and breathe,” she told him. “Besides that, I always wanted to see this ranch I’ve heard so much about and see my favorite outlaw and that gorgeous son of yours.”

Jake set her on her feet. “You’re as beautiful as ever.”

“Me? How about you? My God, don’t you ever age?” Dixie asked. “It’s been years. Hell, I thought I’d come here and find a crippled old man.”

“I am a crippled old man!”

“Not from what I’m looking at.” Dixie ran her hands over his chest and arms. “You haven’t changed one bit. And here I was feeling sorry for you.”

“Don’t be feeling sorry for the likes of me,” Jake laughed. “I have a bad right hip and a bum left leg, but I’m alive and here with my family and friends.” Jake grabbed her close to plant a kiss smack on her lips. “Come and meet Gretta MacBain. You two have a lot in common.”

“I’ll bet we do!” Dixie kept an arm around his waist and let Jake lean on her shoulders a little as they walked to the tables, where some just stared and shook their heads as Jake introduced Dixie and Gretta.

“Good God, Dixie’s damn right,” Lloyd said, shaking his head. “He hasn’t changed one bit. Not even a little.”

Randy stood up with Sadie Mae in her arms. “The man hasn’t changed, Lloyd,” she answered, smiling as Jake introduced Dixie to the men. “It’s the boy inside that has changed. That boy is happier now. That dark place down deep inside is gone.”

They all enjoyed a long afternoon of eating and visiting and celebrating.

Inside the house, Jake’s guns again hung where they always had—over the front door…just in case.