Epilogue
Two months later…
Cash watched Allie move about the crowded yard of Redemption’s Edge, hugging people she barely knew who’d come to celebrate their marriage. His love for her had swelled each day since she’d agreed to become his wife. Some thought his decision to wed her had been too quick. He knew differently.
Not one to believe in love at first sight, he always thought the woman he married, if he ever did, would be someone he’d known for months, maybe years. A friend who turned into a lover. His thoughts changed the moment he met Allie.
“You look like a man well and truly caught.” Noah held a cane in his left hand, bracing himself, letting his right arm hang loose at his side. He’d spent two weeks in Doc’s clinic before being released. The last six weeks had been dedicated to recovering the use of his right arm and hand. He’d had a small measure of success each day.
“Is that how you felt when you married Abby?”
“I felt that way within moments of my first glimpse of her.” Noah chuckled, remembering their rocky courtship. “I just never thought I’d be lucky enough to win her.”
Cash’s gaze moved over the crowd once more, resting on Bull standing with his arm around Lydia. “Bull seems to be recovering.” Cash knew he’d gone back to work at the Pelletier ranch a week after the shooting. “Alison told me they’ve set a wedding date.”
“He told me early summer.” Noah shifted his weight, grimacing at the pain. “It’ll be a great day when I can throw away this cane. Dang thing reminds me how much work I have ahead of me.” He glanced at Cash, seeing the confusion on his face. “I’m doing everything Doc recommends. So far, I don’t see much improvement.”
“It’s going to take time, Noah. If anyone can turn this around, it’s you.” Cash thought of his friend, Stephen, having only one leg and an arm which hung limp at his side, knowing there was no hope of ever getting full use back. At least Noah had hope, and Cash knew he’d do all he could to recover what he’d lost.
Noah returned a grim smile, his eyes reflecting the true burden he faced to get back the life he had before the ambush.
Cash opened his mouth to say something more when he spotted Alison and Abby walking toward them.
“Gabriel is asleep, Noah. I thought you might want to ask me to dance.” Abby slipped her hand in his and squeezed, even though he couldn’t return the gesture.
“Abby, I—”
“No excuses, Noah Brandt. You can do anything you put your mind to. Right now, your wife wants to dance with her husband. So put your mind to it.”
Cash draped an arm over Allie’s shoulders, both laughing as Abby dragged Noah toward the band.
“Where do you think the orphans are off to?” Cash asked, seeing Lydia’s younger sister and brother, Selena and Sam, dash toward the bunkhouse with Billy and Margaret Zales. All except Billy had been living at Redemption’s Edge since a group of men, including Bull and the Pelletiers, found them living in a cave over a year before.
“Seems they’re just being kids, Cash. Having a great time at our wedding.”
He nodded, ignoring the prickly sensation which always signaled danger.
“You aren’t worried about them, are you? They’re at our wedding. What could possibly happen?”
Shaking off the unnerving sensation, Cash smiled. “You’re right.”
Allie reached up, stroking a finger along his jaw. “Let’s not think of anyone except us the rest of today, Cash.”
Clasping her hand in his, he brought it to his lips, kissing each finger, then burning a trail across her palm to her wrist. Shifting her in front of him, he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.
“Concentrating on you the rest of the day sounds real good, Mrs. Coulter.” Hearing the band start a new song, he smiled. “Will you dance with me?”
They found an open spot on the dance platform next to Bull and Lydia, who seemed too lost in each other to notice anyone else. The band broke into a lively number, people whooping and clapping as the dancers tried to keep up with the beat.
Cash pulled Allie to him as laughter filled the air. Ignoring anyone who might be watching, he brushed a kiss across her lips, then repeated it until she placed her palms flat on his chest to stop him.
“Mr. Coulter, I do believe you’re trying to seduce me.” She flashed him a brilliant smile.
“You would be right, Mrs. Coulter.” Cash started to lower his head again when ear-piercing screams had him stepping away, pulling Allie behind him.
“Help! Someone help us!” The panicked cries came from behind the barn.
“My God, Cash. It’s the children.” Allie started to dash toward the barn when Cash pulled her back.
“You stay here, Allie. Let me see what’s happening.” Cash didn’t wait for a response as he, Bull, and most of the men took off at a run.
Rounding the barn, they stopped at the sight before them. Billy lay on the ground, blood flowing from a gash on his head.
“Somebody get Doc Worthington,” Dax shouted as he dropped to a knee next to Billy, checking his pulse, then tearing off his shirt, holding it to the wound. “He’s alive.”
Jack, Lena and Gabe’s seven-year-old son, stood ramrod straight, his gaze focused on the horizon, pointing. Selina, Lydia’s eleven-year-old sister, stood beside him, her face streaked with tears.
“Jackson?” Gabe knelt beside him, drawing the boy to him. “What is it, son?”
Jack’s vacant gaze moved to Gabe.
“They took him,” Selena sobbed.
“Who, Selena?” Bull asked, kneeling down, turning her toward him.
Her panicked face, flushed and wet with tears, tore into Bull.
“Sweetheart, tell me what happened,” Bull coaxed in a soft voice as Lydia ran up to them, placing an arm across her sister’s shoulders.
Glancing around, Lydia’s heart began to race when she didn’t spot her brother, fifteen-year-old Samuel. Her voice shook as she turned Selena to face her. “Where is Sam?”
A haunted look crossed Selena’s face. “They took him, Lydia,” she choked out. “The Indians took Sam.”