by Marie Piper
Haven reached out a hand to touch his arm for a moment. He looked like he’d explode from happiness at her touch, which surprised her. “Don’t shoot the cowboys.”
He winked back at her. “I will try my hardest. I make no guarantees.”
A woman’s scream split the air.
All eyes turned to see Callie Lee in a thin pink nightgown struggling with a man in his long underwear on her balcony above the saloon. She fought like a wildcat, but the man was bigger and stronger. He punched her in the face. Callie stumbled back into the railing.
“Those damn McKenzies!” Luke thrust the reins of his horse into Haven's hands and ran toward the fight, Matthew following close behind.
Haven froze in fear as she watched Callie wrestle with the man. The blonde succeeded in flipping the man off her balcony. He fell to the street one story below, staying still for a moment before he tried to get up. Callie hollered a string of obscenities down at him, and she continued yelling until her voice was hoarse.
Hank charged out of the saloon doors, on the man in a flash. He grabbed the man’s shirt in his hands, threw him back to the ground, kneeled on him, and punched the man repeatedly. It took both Luke and Matthew to pull Porter back–he was powered by such strength and anger. Things happened fast. As if Hank had opened the floodgates, men poured from the saloon. Soon the street was a cloud of dust and fists and feet and hollering as a mass of men fought two sides of a battle: the men of the town, and a group of newcomers Haven recognized immediately as cowboys. Most likely they were from the McKenzie drive. She sought out faces she knew in the crowd.
A man charged Matthew like a bull, but the deputy knocked him down quickly.
“Matthew!” Haven called in alarm.
Matthew looked back where he’d left her. “Get back!” Fighting men came closer to her, and Haven quickly tied the horses and scrambled off the street, jumping up on the edge of a trough to watch what was happening. When Matthew saw that she was out of the way, he went back to the fight, concentrating on bringing down the cowboys, or at least subduing them.
Haven marveled at how quickly the street filled with brawlers. The quiet town had become an all-out battleground in just a few minutes. Even Hill Hilton and his boys left the bar to jump in, the three of them going after an especially big man together.
“Haven,” Doc said as he rushed to her side, “are you all right?”
Haven nodded, and found Matthew in the crowd. He seemed to be enjoying himself a little. Next, she located her father. A good fighter, and not one to waste punches, Luke had one of the men on the ground with his pistol cocked and ready.
Doc headed into the fight, marching up to one of the cowboys and throwing a punch. Haven's eyes darted around the brawl, hoping for the best for all of them.
She saw her father look over to Doc and call, “Behind you!”
Doc heard Luke’s words in time to turn and dodge a running man, who blew past him and right into Matthew’s fist. The young man grinned at the older one before turning back to hit another of the cowboys in time to knock him to the ground. Matthew drew his gun, which forced the man over to Luke. Soon the Sheriff held down two men with a pistol and a face that challenged them to try to get back on their feet.
As Haven watched, a man came around the edge of the fray and set his eyes on Luke’s back. Haven recognized the cowboy.
Theo McKenzie was about to attack her father. Theo, who’d given her that creepy look before Matthew had shoved him out the door of the jail and on his way.
Haven’s anger got the better of her; she moved before she thought. She jumped to the ground, grabbed a board leaning on the edge of the trough, and plunged into the fight just in time to whack Theo in the back before he could take a crack at Luke.
Haven hit as hard as she could, but it wasn’t enough. Being small was a curse sometimes. He stumbled and turned toward her.
Theo’s face broke into a horrible grin when he saw who’d hit him. Haven remembered the way his eyes had run over her body with no shame, and she felt herself grow cold with fear. Picking a fight with him was a bad idea.
With one hand, Theo easily grabbed the board from her and tossed it aside.
“Stay away from me,” she ordered.
He jerked toward her, pretending he was going to grab her. When she screamed, he laughed, and she turned and ran toward the clinic. If Haven could get inside, she could quickly bolt the door, get the pistol Doc kept in the clinic, and she would be safe. She ran, but Theo was faster. Arms wrapped tightly around her. They fell in a heap onto the clinic steps, and Haven struggled against his weight. She felt the wood of the steps press against her back as he held her shoulders down.
“How about a kiss?” Theo leaned into her with breath that smelled like rotten meat and beer. Frantically, Haven moved his face away by digging her nails into his dirty skin. She kicked and clawed and drew blood to hold him back as she tried to free herself.
His hands grabbed at the skirt of her dress. Haven remembered advice from her father about what to do if a man ever tried to grab her. With all the force she could muster, she brought her knee up between his legs.
Theo’s eyes widened, and he grunted in pain. Haven felt victorious, until fury came over his face and he raised a hand as if he meant to strike her.
She braced herself.
***
Matthew
“Get your hands off her!”
Matthew threw Theo off Haven and to the ground. Theo didn’t go down easy, even though he was smaller. He landed a good punch in return, and the two young men struggled. Matthew was stronger and sober, but Theo was angry, drunk, mean-tempered, and likely had much more experience in brawls.
Matthew wanted to kill him. The minute he'd seen Theo go after Haven, he began fighting as hard as he could to get to her. The men who fought between them faced his wrath, and he got to the clinic steps just in time to see Haven knock Theo McKenzie right in the manhood. It was a smart move; one he hadn’t expected from her.
He hit hard and aimed for the most painful places. The fight was rough, and Matthew took punches as well as gave them.
Theo pulled out a large knife.
Matthew reached for his gun. He wouldn’t shoot the other man, but he needed to stop Theo from trying to use the knife. It was a sad truth of being a lawman; sometimes you needed a weapon to restore peace.
From out of nowhere, a stranger landed a blow to the side of Theo’s face, which knocked the knife wielder to the ground. The punch landed so hard, Matthew heard bone break.
Matthew looked from Theo to the face of the helpful stranger. The man turned away and darted back into the fight, but not before Matthew saw that he was tall and wore glasses. His stomach fell, and he looked around quickly for Jack Braxton, wondering if he'd seen the same man the bounty hunter had come looking for.
“Matthew!” Haven rushed over to him, putting a hand against his chest. At her touch, all thoughts of Braxton and Walker left him.
“Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
Haven shook her head. “Does it hurt?”
“What?”
“Your nose. It’s bleeding.”
Matthew went to wipe it with his sleeve.
“Stop. It might be broken.”
“It’s fine,” he insisted. Haven gently checked anyway. With her so close to him, he felt incredible relief. Dirt streaks covered her cheek and forehead, and his heart thumped. Something terrible had nearly happened to her, and he’d stopped it. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I landed hard on the steps. But I’m fine. I really thought you were going to kill him.”
“Me too.”
Impulsively, he pulled her against him in a tight embrace. She didn’t argue, but lay her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.
Matthew glanced at the remnants of the fight, which had come down to one last duel. Braxton was engaged one-on-one with the man who had started the whole brawl in the first place. The cowboy
was back on his feet after Hank's first beating, swinging and growling like a wild beast even as his mouth and nose bled. He pulled out a knife and jammed it into Braxton’s thigh. The bounty hunter roared with pain and doubled over. He brought up an elbow right into the cowboy's face, which sent the beaten man sprawling into the dirt.
The cowboy didn’t try to get up. As fast as the brawl had begun, it ended.
Luke held down two men with twin pistols. Hank had another man held by the hair. Hill and his boys guarded two more. A few lay unmoving on the street, and a few citizens of Cricket Bend looked tired and fight-worn.
Jasper even had a man on the ground. When he saw the brawl was done, he let a whoop.
Theo McKenzie moaned in agony. Matthew looked at the man on the ground, barely remembering their fight. He’d been so angry he’d been ready to kill to protect Haven, and he'd come damn close to letting himself lose control of his senses. If the stranger hadn’t appeared, Matthew didn’t doubt he would have killed Theo McKenzie right in the street.
“What happened to him?” Doc asked as he approached.
“Broken jaw, I reckon,” Matthew answered.
Doc knelt beside Theo. He touched the man's jaw, and the young man hollered. “I reckon you’re right.” He looked up at Haven. “You wanna see to him?”
“I’d just as soon wrestle a rattlesnake,” Haven said as she gritted her teeth.
“He went after her,” Matthew explained.
“There’s plenty of other men to take care of. Why don’t you start with Mr. Braxton?”
“Who?” Haven asked.
“Bounty hunter.” Matthew pointed to the man. “Took a knife to the leg.”
Before Haven could take a step, Callie ran out into the street, crying, and dove for the man who’d slugged her. Like a madwoman, she screamed and tried to attack him, but Jasper held her back. Her scream got Hank's attention. He rushed to take the shaking woman in his arms and carry her inside the saloon.
“Everyone go back to your business,” Luke called. “Hill, you boys care to help me get these troublemakers over to the jail?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Matthew, you all right?”
“Yep. We’ll see to Braxton, then I’ll join up with you.”
A string of profanities came from Braxton’s mouth as they approached him, and he didn’t stop when he saw a woman listening.
“Come on,” Matthew linked an arm under Braxton’s, helping the man to the steps outside the clinic while Haven went for her bag and returned to them. Matthew stepped back to give her room to work, unwilling to leave her side.
She knelt in front of Braxton and pushed back the sleeves of her dress.
“Ain’t you a ripe little peach,” he winced at the pain, even as he looked her over.
Matthew nearly decked him, but Haven gave him a look that said not to bother. She reached for the handle of the knife. “This’ll hurt.”
Braxton grabbed her hand and scowled down at her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Mister, there is a knife in your leg and it needs to come out.”
“You make a habit of pulling sharp objects out of men?” He winced as he spoke, his hand still tight on hers.
“You’d be surprised.”
Braxton looked at her curiously. “Never known a woman doctor before.”
“I’m not a doctor,” she replied. “I just help.”
“I bet you could help a man with a lot of things.” Braxton looked down at Haven.
“Hey now,” Matthew protested as he tried to step in.
Before he could say more, Haven stood up and grabbed her bag. “Fine. I’ll leave that dirty knife in and you can get a nasty infection and lose your leg and die for all I care. Have a nice day, sir. Enjoy your gangrene.”
She was two steps away before Braxton laughed loudly. “All right. Don’t get so uppity.”
“Everything all right here?” Doc asked as he approached, warily eyeing the stranger on his steps.
“There’s a knife in my leg,” Braxton said. “This little lady was trying to take it out, but I’m a stubborn son of a bitch and put up a fight.”
“I reckon she’s faced ruder men than you.” Doc crouched and got to work on Braxton’s leg. The bounty hunter stomped his other foot on the step as the knife came out. He growled and cursed, but he rode out the pain. Haven assisted Doc, getting him what he needed and holding a cloth in place to stop the bleeding. Over her shoulder, she nodded to Matthew. Knowing Doc was with her, Matthew felt safe in leaving to go to the jail and help Luke.
All in all, nine cowboys wound up in the Cricket Bend jail. The two cells were about to burst, and all nine prisoners started yelping and whining. Luke led his compatriots out of the jail and thanked them all for their assistance.
Matthew took a deep breath and followed Luke to where Doc and Braxton sat side by side, sharing a canteen outside the clinic.
“Mr. Braxton, seems we owe you a debt,” Luke began. “You didn’t need to jump in our fight, but I’m damn glad you did.”
“Man hits a woman, he deserves what he gets,” Braxton answered as if his words were the simplest truth in the world. “Happy to help.”
Luke held out his hand to the wounded man. “You going to be around a while?”
“Yep.”
“Then why don't you come out to my place tomorrow night for dinner? I bet it’s been a while since you’ve had a meal like what my daughter can make, and you can tell us more about this Walker.”
Braxton accepted Luke’s hand. He looked around at their faces. “If it’s no trouble.”
Matthew looked at the grizzled older man and wondered how long it’d been since the bounty hunter had sat at a family table, or if he’d ever known such a thing. Though unkempt and incredibly rude, Braxton had fought on their side, and that seemed to be good enough for Luke.
“She always makes enough for three hungry men. Can’t imagine a fourth will be much trouble.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Haven
The spot on Haven’s back where she’d fallen on the steps throbbed the next morning. She guessed there’d be a bruise for a while, and was glad her wedding dress wouldn’t show it. Still, it was just a bruise. Between the man on the hill, the cattlemen, and the boorish bounty hunter, she’d had enough of rough men and fear for a while. In case of trouble, she made sure to tuck her little pearl-handled knife in her boot.
Wash needed to be done, eggs had to be gathered, a barn needed to be cleaned, and a big dinner wouldn’t cook itself. Never one to waste time, Haven put on a work dress and went about her day. As she did her chores she let her mind roam, and her thoughts kept returning to her fiancé. Though Matthew hadn’t professed love to her yet, and didn’t seem interested in her in a romantic sense, the way he’d fought for her the day before nagged at her. He’d held her so tightly in the aftermath of the fight. He’d looked at her as if he couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Surely those things had to mean something.
Matthew would come to dinner that night. Maybe she could convince him to take a walk with her. He was always on her mind, and she found herself needing to know where she stood. Was their marriage going to be a working partnership, or did passion simmer beneath the surface?
Once, she knew his heart had belonged to her. Time changed people, and it had changed her so much she found herself having inappropriate thoughts about Hank Porter. She remembered the way the rascal made her feel, like she was a desirable woman who could have incredible adventures, instead of just a respectable girl who did chores.
Haven kicked the washtub in a moment of fury, remembering her father’s decree. Without going to the saloon, there was no way to talk to Hank, at least not without fourteen people watching them closely and judging all the while.
Frustration threatening to bubble over, Haven finished hanging clothes on the line to dry, and went back to her kitchen.
Lucy Anderson’s beef stew recipe took hours to cook, and it
simmered until the whole house smelled of the salty dish. Chopping the meat and vegetables gave Haven even more time to get lost in her daydreams of red dresses and scandals.
“Smells like heaven,” Luke said as he came inside, peeking over her shoulder at the stove. “Your mama hooked me with this stew, you know. She’d make it by the barrel and all us hands would come running. The prettiest girl in all of Texas, a real fine young woman—”
Haven loved to hear the stories of her parents’ romance. She continued the tale he’d told her many times. “And of all the shabby, dirty, ranch hands on the place, she took a shine to you.”
Roaring with laughter, Luke ruffled her loose hair. “Guess you’ve heard that one before.”
“I don’t mind hearing it again. It’s nice to think of her.”
“Yes, it is.” When Luke thought of his late wife, sadness always came over him. “She’d be so proud of you.”
“I think she’d be proud of both of us,” Haven replied. “You go get cleaned up. I need to change too.”
In her room, she looked at herself in the mirror. Perhaps Matthew would like her best that way. After all, if all he wanted was a worker bee wife, she certainly looked like one. Her hair was a mess, and her green work dress was faded and in need of mending.
Haven remembered the way he’d come running to rescue her during the brawl.
Maybe a part of Matthew’s heart still belonged to her, and maybe, with a little luck, she could win it over. Funny, she didn’t remember worrying this much about winning his hand. That they would marry had simply always been understood. Whether or not they could love each other still needed to be determined.
By the time Matthew arrived, Haven had changed into a pale pink dress with a cinched waist and a square neckline that left her throat and collarbone bare. Wearing pink seemed silly, but her mother had loved that dress. She'd bought it for Haven as a birthday gift just before she’d passed, but Haven had never worn it. Now seemed as good a time as any.
Instead of pinning all of her hair up, she left part of her curls down to cascade over her shoulder. When she looked at herself in her mirror, she thought she looked as pretty as ever, and hoped that it would be enough.
