“You do as your father says, Jack, and everything will be fine.” It was all Nick could say before Willie sent him an arrogant glare.
Moving his gun from Jack to the men, Willie mounted. Without another word, the two disappeared down the trail.
~~~~~
Chapter Twenty-Four
“What’s taking them so long?” Lena paced around the small clearing several yards from the trail, her arms crossed. Glaring at the two men tied and gagged a few feet away, she shook her head, wondering what kind of men could kidnap a young boy and woman.
“They’ll be along. You need to be patient.” Noah gripped the sharpshooter rifle resting in his hand, marveling at how it still felt like a part of him after all this time.
“It’s been hours and still no sign of them. Maybe I should ride—”
“Absolutely not. You’ll stay here until Gabe comes back.” He saw the flash of anger in her eyes, knowing he’d see the same in Abby’s if she were in this position. “It’s best this way, Lena. Gabe will return as soon as he has Jack.”
“And if Willie gets away?” She stopped pacing long enough to shoot him an exasperated look.
“Then I’ll stop him.”
Noah’s confidence comforted her. She knew most everyone in Splendor thought highly of him and would trust him with their lives. She had no reason to doubt him now.
“A rider is coming from the north.” Dirk reined to a stop and jumped off his horse.
“Just one?”
“That’s all I saw.” His gaze shifted from Noah to Lena, then back to Noah. “It’s Carlyle. Jack is in the saddle with him.”
Noah cursed, then stood, pointing a finger at Lena. “Stay behind those boulders and don’t make a sound, no matter what you see or hear. Do you understand me?”
Nodding furiously, Lena scrambled behind the rock formation, saying a prayer as she waited.
“Get the others in position and stay quiet. My best shot will be if he has no idea we are here, waiting.”
“He’s all yours, Noah.”
Sobs from inside the shack had Nick running, shoving the door open, seeing Travis holding Isabella close, trying to comfort her. Smoothing her hair with his hand, Travis whispered that all would be well and they’d get Jack back. He watched a moment, seeing the concern in Travis’ face as he comforted her. He knew they weren’t strangers. As a key part of Luke’s horse breeding business, Travis bunked at the ranch and often took his meals with them, the same as Isabella had been doing. The tender care with which Travis held her created a lump in Nick’s throat.
Kneeling down, he grasped her hands in his. “Isabella, it’s Nick.”
Her eyes, red-rimmed and glassy, searched his. “Find him, Nick. It will kill Lena if anything happens to Jack.” She clutched the front of Travis’ shirt as if he were her lifeline.
“We’ll get him. That’s a promise.” Nick stood, looking at Travis. “You stay with her. I’m counting on you to get her safely to Splendor.”
“I’ll take care of her, Nick. Don’t worry.”
Giving Travis a quick nod, he dashed outside.
“Saddle up.” Gabe had waited as long as he could before giving the order. “Nick, what about Isabella?”
“Travis is with her. He’ll get her to town. I’m going with you.”
Willie’s arms tightened painfully around Jack’s chest. “Stop squirming or I’ll throw you off the cliff over there.”
Jack’s eyes widened as he looked in the direction Willie nodded. Sure enough, the ground dropped off, but he couldn’t see how deep it went. Clamping his mouth shut, he settled down, fear consuming his young body. He hated Willie. His mother and Isabella had always told him his father would come for him some day. With eager anticipation, he’d looked forward to meeting him, wondering what he’d be like. Now, he despised him.
Jack willed himself to be strong and glanced over his shoulder. “Where are we going?”
Willie thought to ignore the question, then changed his mind. “I have a place over the border in Idaho.”
“Will we live there?” Jack’s voice wavered. He didn’t want to go to Idaho, whatever that was, and leave his mother behind.
“For a while, then we’ll move on.”
“What about Mother?”
“If you behave, I’ll send for her. If not, you’ll never see her again.”
Jack’s anxiety doubled. He’d have to be good if he ever wanted to see his mother again. His young mind couldn’t stop there, though. What if he wasn’t good enough? It would be his fault she couldn’t find him. He’d never see her or Aunt Isabella or Uncle Nick again. He swiped at the tears forming, determined not to let his father see his fear.
“I’ll be good.”
“Then you and I won’t have any problems, will we?”
Jack shook his head. He’d do whatever his father said, anything to see his mother again.
Willie dug his heels into the horse, moving him as fast as possible down the winding trail. He knew the trail south wasn’t far ahead. They’d have a hard time finding him once he took the turn.
The sound of a horse whinnying caught his attention. Pulling up, he scanned the area, listening.
“Did you hear a horse?”
“No,” Jack lied, hoping it was his mother.
Willie looked around again. After hearing nothing for several minutes, he nudged the horse forward.
Noah’s hands clenched the rifle at the sound of their horses. Hidden well off the trail, he knew Carlyle wouldn’t see them if the Pelletier man could keep the animals quiet a little longer.
Focusing on the trail, Noah spotted movement. Dirk had been right. Jack sat in front of Carlyle, one of the man’s arms wrapped around his waist, holding him in place. As Noah watched, Jack squirmed a little. It wouldn’t seem like much to most people, but to Noah, his movements could mean the difference between a clean shot and a miss. He had to take Carlyle in one shot.
“Jack…”
Noah glanced behind him to see Lena a few feet away, her gaze fixed on her son.
“Get back. Now.”
Lena glared at him, but took a couple cautious steps backward, watching in terror as Noah lifted his rifle, aiming at Jack.
“No! You’ll hit him.” Lena started to reach out to grab Noah’s arm before a strong hand wrapped around her, pulling her away.
“Let him do his job,” Dirk ground out as she struggled to get away. “I swear I’ll gag you if you don’t stop.”
Noah ignored the activity behind him, not taking his face from the stock as he waited. There it was. The shot he needed.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied the rifle, narrowing his gaze, letting everything around him fade away. Squeezing the trigger for the perfect shot, he twitched when an anguished scream came from behind him.
“No!” Lena squirmed, wrenching herself from Dirk’s grasp and running forward. What she saw sent terror through her. Willie and Jack lay on the ground, both covered in blood, neither moving. Running toward her son, she dropped down next to him, taking him into her arms as Noah came to a stop next to her.
“You shot him.” She glared up at him
“No, I didn’t. But I could have the way you panicked.”
His words fell on deaf ears. Rocking Jack, her body shook, believing her son gone.
“Mama…”
Hearing the weak, frightened whisper, she pulled back, looking into Jack’s eyes.
“Where were you hit?” She lay him down, frantically searching for a bullet wound.
“I hit my head, Mama.”
“I know, sweetheart.” She continued to search, finding nothing other than a small bump forming on his scalp. Her body trembled in relief as she stroked Jack’s hair, then turned to find Noah and Dirk crouching next to Willie.
“He’s dead. One shot, Noah. Good work.” Dirk slapped him on the back and stood.
“Not where I aimed. It should have been a head shot, not through his neck.” Noah shook his head.
“Dead
is dead, my friend.” Dirk walked over to Lena at the same time Gabe and the others rode up.
Gabe didn’t wait to rein Blackheart to a stop before jumping off and running to Lena, his gut churning at what he saw.
She looked up at him, her tear-streaked face recognizing his alarm. “He’s fine, Gabe. It’s Willie’s blood, not Jack’s.”
Gabe fell to his knees beside them, placing a hand on Lena’s shoulder. A grim smile touched his face as he looked down at the boy he had yet to meet.
“So this is Jack.” He stared down at the young face, a tiny frown creasing Jack’s forehead.
“Jack, this is Sheriff Evans. He helped save you.” She reached over and gripped Gabe’s hand, squeezing it.
“Hello.”
“Nice to meet you, Jack. Now, let’s get you cleaned up, son. Then we’ll ride back to town.” He placed his arms under Jack, carrying him toward Blackheart, then setting him on his feet.
“Here you go.” Nick came up next to them, holding out a water pouch, handkerchief, and old shirt. “It’s the smallest shirt we could find.” He crouched in front of Jack, his chest constricting. Reaching out, he trailed a finger down his cheek a moment before Jack launched himself into his arms and began to sob. “It’s all right, son. You’re safe and he’ll never harm you again.”
Lena stood aside as Gabe removed Jack’s shirt, wiping the blood and dirt from his face and arms before pouring a good portion over his hair.
“Use this to dry him off.” Luke held out another shirt. “You’re looking much better, Jack.”
Jack peered up at the familiar voice, recognizing Luke right away. “Hello, Mr. Luke.”
“Your mother is mighty glad to find you.” Luke saw Gabe’s confused expression at the exchange. “Guess no one told you Isabella and Jack have been staying at our place.”
Gabe shook his head, wondering what else he didn’t know.
“Where’s Isabella?” Lena searched the other riders, then looked up the trail, seeing nothing.
“She’s with Travis. He should be bringing her along any time now,” Luke assured her.
“Is she…”
“She’s fine, Lena. Probably still shaky, but unharmed.” Luke turned to Gabe. “We’ll get Carlyle’s body and his other men secure on horses. Once Travis and Isabella join us, we can head back to town.”
As soon as Gabe finished, Lena wrapped Jack in her arms, closing her eyes at the thought of what might have happened.
“Is he all right?” Noah’s deep voice came from behind her.
Loosening her hold on Jack, she glanced over her shoulder, then stood.
“I’m sorry, Noah. I acted foolish and—”
Noah held up a hand to stop her. “You acted like a mother. Jack is safe. That’s all that matters.”
Resting her hands on his shoulders, she raised up, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
He raised his finger to the brim of his hat in a salute before walking away.
“What did you do?” Gabe asked.
Her eyes warmed as her gaze wandered over him. He and his friends had saved Jack and Isabella. She owed all of them more than she could ever repay.
She intertwined her fingers in his. “I’ll explain later.”
Refusing to intrude, Gabe had given her a week to be with Jack and Isabella. She hadn’t shown her face in the Dixie or tried to get in touch with him, and he hadn’t asked Nick for an explanation. From what he’d heard, she spent her time at Luke’s ranch, staying as far away from town as possible.
As each day passed, the tension he felt increased, believing she may have changed her mind about him. With the threat to her and Jack gone, and the entire town knowing her situation, the need to marry diminished.
He busied himself with his work as sheriff, erecting the new hotel, and the expansion of the boardinghouse. Caro had taken an empty room at Suzanne’s, allowing him to move back into his house. They’d had supper together several times, being joined by Noah and Abby most nights. They’d made the announcement of her pregnancy a week before and no one was happier for them than Gabe.
Caro had also made friends with the Pelletier women during her brief time in Splendor, making the decision to stay over the winter. She’d been fortunate. One of the buyers for Noah’s last remaining homes changed his mind, opening up a place for Caro as soon as they completed the inside.
Recent snow flurries indicated the approach of winter and the need to finish as much of the outside construction on the buildings as possible before a real storm came through. Looking out the jail window, it appeared that time had come.
As the sun fell behind the western mountains, he slipped into his heavy coat, settling his hat tight on his head, then ventured outside, the wind whipping around him, blanketing the street in snow. Winter had officially arrived.
“Gabe, over here.” Nick waved as he walked out of the boardinghouse on his way to the Dixie. “I’ve told the men to close up as much as they can on the hotel and boardinghouse. With any luck at all, we’ll have a few more days to finish outside, then they can work inside as long as possible.” Nick took another look at him, deciding what to say. “Come inside. I’ll buy you a whiskey.”
Gabe followed him, having nowhere else to go. The day before, Cash and Beau had ridden to Big Pine for some well-deserved relaxation. Noah and Abby had already left for their cabin, and Caro had accepted an invitation for supper at Dax and Rachel’s, not planning to return until the following morning.
“Two whiskeys, Paul.” For a Friday evening, the Dixie was quiet, with few gamblers and almost no cowboys braving what looked to be the makings of a nasty storm.
Nick leaned against the bar, sipping his drink, studying Gabe. He’d been to visit Lena, Isabella, and Jack earlier. They’d all seemed to be adjusting after the ordeal with Willie, Isabella making plans to stay several more months before returning to Philadelphia. He suspected part of the reason had to do with Jack and Lena, while another part might be due to a certain cowboy who worked for Luke and Dax.
“I was out at Luke’s today.”
Gabe’s head snapped up at the comment, but he held his tongue.
“Lena said she hadn’t seen you since bringing them back to town. Is there a reason you’re ignoring her?”
Gabe blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“She’s a little confused, as am I, about why you haven’t visited. Have you changed your mind about marrying her?” Nick almost grinned at the astonished look Gabe flashed, his forehead creasing into a frown. He’d tried to reassure Lena the reason for Gabe’s absence had nothing to do with her. Now he knew he was correct.
“I thought it best to give her time to deal with what had happened.” Staring into his glass, Gabe rubbed his stubbled chin. A slow smile lifted his lips. “I suppose I should ride out there, pay her a visit.”
“It’s getting late. Why don’t you wait until tomorrow when the storm clears and spend the day at the ranch?” Nick looked away, not wanting to give too much away.
“You may be right. I need to spend time with Jack, get to know him. He lost his uncle and now Carlyle. No matter what he did, he was still Jack’s father. It may take him a while to warm up to me.”
“He’s a resilient boy. It may not take as long as you think.” When Nick visited them, Jack had spent most of his time talking about the sheriff, saying he wanted to be a lawman when he grew up. Nick wouldn’t share the information with Gabe, however. It was best for him to see Jack’s admiration in person.
“Guess I’ll head home, warm up some beans and biscuits, and get some sleep. I want to get an early start tomorrow.” Gabe finished his drink, setting his glass on the bar.
“I haven’t had supper. Why don’t you meet me at the boardinghouse in an hour and I’ll spring for your meal? It’s the least I can do after you saved three people I love very much.”
It wasn’t that Gabe didn’t want to share a meal with Nick. Instead, he wanted to prepare for tomorrow. If all w
ent well, it would be a big day. But if it hadn’t been for Nick, he wouldn’t have made the decision to ride out to Luke’s.
“All right. I need to make rounds, then stop by my place.”
Gabe didn’t expect to find anything amiss during his rounds. The storm made the town seem eerily quiet as he passed each business, poking his head in a few, then moving on. He’d change into a clean shirt at his place, meet Nick for a quick bite, then return home. Now that he knew how much he’d misjudged the situation, he planned to start out right after breakfast tomorrow. Gabe didn’t want to waste another minute.
The sky had turned black by the time he stepped onto his small porch. Kicking mud from his boots, he reached for the knob, noticing a light inside. Taking a step backward, he checked the windows. All the curtains were drawn. He didn’t recall leaving them closed.
Drawing his gun from its holster, he held it in front of him, slowly turning the knob. As he slammed the door open, a shriek had him swinging his gun toward the kitchen. His breath caught and his body tightened at the sight of Lena standing near the stove with a spoon in her hand, a hand over her mouth—and not a stitch of clothing on under her white apron. Never in his life had he seen anyone so beautiful.
“You scared the daylights out of me.” Lena moved her hand from her mouth to her chest, taking a breath. “Do you always enter your house that way?”
Gabe hadn’t moved a muscle since seeing her and he sure as hell couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Not taking his gaze from her, he holstered his gun, moving toward her in slow, measured steps, trying to drag oxygen into his lungs.
Lena watched as he stalked toward her, a look she’d never seen on his face. Perhaps she’d made a mistake letting herself into his house, throwing away all propriety by making an impulsive decision to welcome him in such a forward way.
Backing up, her hips hit the edge of the counter as he came to stop inches away. Reaching out a hand, Gabe let his knuckles draw a line down her cheek, along the curve of her jaw, then to the silky skin further down. Leaning toward her, he replaced his hand with his lips, hearing a deep sigh escape as Lena wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her head fall back.
Dixie Moon Page 26
