by Lopp, Karen
“And you?”
Mike shrugged. “I didn’t really give it much thought until—” He stopped.
“Until what?”
Mike ground his teeth. “I’ve had a long time to think about it, that’s all.”
He studied Kathleen’s reaction. The tight lines around her eyes softened and her white-knuckled grip on the windowsill eased. Good. Maybe now he could coax a smile from her.
Chapter 8
The rest of the trip had gone smoothly with no more interruptions as Mike had managed to wipe away Kathleen’s fears, convincing her he wasn’t some hard-hearted soul and he’d even made her laugh.
As the sun dipped low in the sky, a low growl from Kathleen’s stomach suggested suppertime when the stagecoach lurched to a stop in Raton. The streets were empty except for two rough-looking characters with shotguns loitering about.
“Aunt May’s serves delicious food and the hotel is a nice place to stay.”
Heat stung her cheeks. He must have heard her stomach rumble. “Food sounds wonderful, but I’m rather skeptical about hotels.”
“I’ll be there.” Mike unfolded from the seat, pushed the door open, and hopped out. He turned to help her down and she froze at the ominous sound of a shotgun being cocked. Did the violence never stop? Maybe she should rethink that offer to purchase her land.
“Drop them guns now, mister.” A gray-headed, scruffy man held a shotgun pointed at Mike’s back. A younger, sandy-haired man pointed his shotgun at her.
“Take it easy.” Mike raised one hand and with slow movements unhooked his gun belt. The muted thud as it landed at his feet sent her thoughts into a whirlwind. She shivered.
An unarmed Mike terrified her. He raised his other hand and glanced up at her, brows drawn into a deep crease.
The sandy-haired man pointed a finger at her. “Jump down an’ git yore sorry self over hayr.”
Fear rippled up her spine and curled a noose around her throat. Small bursts of breaths matched the wild thump of her heart. Kathleen’s bones melted and she gripped the doorframe for support.
“Move!”
She flinched and clambered down on unsteady legs. Back pressed up against the coach, Kathleen slid a step to the side.
The younger of the two shoved his gun in her ribs. “Don’t try it.”
Kathleen quailed. The other attacks had been close calls. This time the cold, unyielding press of the gun, sent a chilly sheen of sweat flowing over her body. Her legs trembled like a sapling in a strong wind.
“Go ahead, Pa.”
The older cur spat a stream of brown tobacco at Mike’s feet, and then gave her a toothless grin. “Keep yore hands high and turn around feller.”
Mike eased around.
The gray-haired man scowled at her. “You’ve done run out with the last feller this time. I warned you over an’ over, I wouldn’t put up with your loose-moraled ways no more. Yore brother an’ I come to put a stop to yore nonsense right now.”
She gasped and furtively glanced around to decipher who they were talking to. The only other person in hearing distance was the driver but he just climbed down and let his gaze wander over the group.
“This some family business?” the driver asked.
“Shore is.” The blond yanked his head to the side and the driver scurried off.
“We ketched you red-handed this time and I ain’t havin’ you disgrace the family name no more. So unless you want me to beat the livin’ daylights outta you an’ cut this feller in half, you’ll march right over yonder to that thayer church house and get yore-self hitched.”
As the older of the two delivered this speech, Kathleen’s jaw went slack. She felt Mike’s anger and didn’t have to glance his way to see the hostile glare he pinned on her. He cursed. Volubly.
The younger man snickered and stepped closer to Kathleen. “Your lover didn’t expect to get caught, did he?”
She stared from one man to the other. They must be insane. The gray-haired, toothless maniac believed she was his wayward daughter.
Kathleen clutched the wheel behind her for support. “He’s not my lover.” Her words came out in sputtered shock.
“Then how do you explain the vulgar kissing on the sidewalk last night in Trinidad?”
Kathleen didn’t need a mirror to see her skin lose all color. The blood leaving her face was filled with shards of ice and stabbed at her chest as it drained lower.
“Answer yore brother, girl.”
“He’s not my brother.”
“Har, har. Just listen to ya. We were both there the day you was borned.”
Run. That was her only option. These men lived under the influence of some delusional brain trauma. She shifted her feet and lunged.
So did her supposed brother. And he proved the quicker. With the force of his weight, the man tackled her. Air exploded from her lungs and bright sparkles of light floated in her vision. Before the ability to breathe returned, she felt herself yanked to her feet as the man twisted her arm behind her back with such force she almost swooned. Moisture pooled in her eyes as pain ratcheted along her arm and stung the left side of her face.
“Lay off, Trigger, we need her conscious.”
“I don’t know who she ran off with but it sure as hell wasn’t me.” Mike’s frigid tone horrified Kathleen. Did he believe these lies?
“Quit yore whinn’, boy.”
Kathleen cast a glance at Mike, sure he would strike the older man. White knuckled, he snapped his mouth into a thin, tight line. She kicked out, but the close proximity to Trigger prevented any real damage.
Trigger bent low and his smelly breath whispered across her ear. “Cooperate, or I’ll break your arm.”
Battered, angry, and frightened, she nodded. She’d give the impression of being docile and bide her time. Somehow she must escape this nightmare. She would not allow her inheritance to transfer to Mike because of this diabolical scheme. Nor would she allow Mike’s problems to ruin her life.
Trigger wrapped his other arm around her neck, the butt of the shotgun balanced on her shoulder and pointed at Mike.
“We got company commin’, Pa.”
“Let ‘em watch. This weddin’ is takin’ place.”
“I. Will. Not. Marry. Her.” Each word Mike uttered blistered the air with frost.
A sharp whack of metal on bone made Kathleen wince, Mike curse, and Trigger laugh.
“Stop it.” The unbidden cry ripped from her.
Blood oozed on the side of Mike’s head. The blaze behind his eyes promised death and a low guttural growl issued from him.
“Let me . . . ohh.” Kathleen whimpered as Trigger yanked her arm higher.
“If you don’t shet your yap, girl, I’ll give you a whoopin’. Yore beau, too.” Trigger snickered. “Then neither one of ya will feel like celebrating tonight.”
Kathleen bit her lower lip to stop the tremble.
People filtered out of the restaurants and places of business. A commotion always brought bystanders. The sheriff came stalking out. “What’s going on here?”
The older man Trigger had called ‘Pa’ shoved the barrel of his gun in Mike’s face.
“This hayr cowboy been foolin’ around with my gal. We’re off to see the preacher, so you just stay outta the way, Sheriff.”
Spittle flew from the man’s lips and he wiped a dirty sleeve across his mouth. “I won’t shoot him if he says ‘I do.’” His coarse laugh scraped across Kathleen’s ears like wind-blown sand. A vine of numbing cold coiled around her neck. No way did she want to be forced into an unwelcome marriage. And by Mike’s bunched muscles and pale face, neither did he.
“I haven’t done anything to this girl!” Mike spoke with such vehemence her blood froze. She darted a glance at the s
heriff.
“He’s—.” Trigger wrenched his arm tight against her windpipe. Her protest cut off in a strangled whiz.
“Quiet, or you’ll be hurtin’ worse, pronto. You just stifle it and go along. All you gotta do is marry the guy.” His whispered command rattled her.
Kathleen didn’t want to marry anybody. Yet. Mike had been kind and helpful. She enjoyed his kiss, but marriage? A lifetime commitment to a man she’d just met a few days ago? No way. It didn’t matter if he had decided to call off his marriage to this Sally woman. His words and actions didn’t suggest he was anywhere near wanting to marry anybody.
“Hey, there ain’t no need to treat the girl so rough.” The sheriff glared at Trigger.
“Don’t go tellin’ me how to treat my own sister. Besides, it’s him”—Trigger poked Mike in the side with his shotgun—“that’s been pawin’ all over her. All we want is for him marry the girl. Can’t blame us for trying to protect our kin.”
“That’s a lie. I never touched this girl. We traveled on the same stage from Dodge City and that’s all.” Mike flicked blood from his brow and a hard glint of anger turned his beautiful eyes to iron.
“Quiet now, or I’ll start thrown’ you all in jail for disturbing’ the peace. Now, you”—the sheriff pointed at the older man—“what’s yore story, an’ be brief, my dinner’s gettin’ cold.”
“Wal you see, this hayr gal is my daughter and she’s done gone and run off with this smooth-talkin’ hombre. She ain’t so smart in the head and can be talked into ‘most anything.” He smirked, then glared at Mike. “But that’s no excuse for him to take advantage of her.”
“You’re lying.” Mike’s words, delivered in such a cold voice, made Kathleen shiver.
The man spat at Mike’s feet and grinned. “I saw ‘em with my own eyes, in Trinidad, walkin’ arm-in-arm, all cozy-like. I knew I had ‘em then, but he must’ve seen me, cause he turned tail and ran before I could get to him. So I figured I’d hightail it over here so’s I could be waiting for ‘em. And shore ‘nough, I ketched him. An’ this time by golly she’ll get wed or so help me, he’s a dead man.”
“Pa’s telling the truth.” Trigger’s grin matched his father’s. “I saw him kissing her. Right out in the open, under a streetlight. Ask anybody in Trinidad.”
The sheriff turned to Mike. “Were you with her in Trinidad?”
“I walked her to the hotel because it was dark when we got in and my mother taught me some manners.” Mike glared at her as if it were her fault. “That is all.”
Unable to move, Kathleen blinked at Mike’s cold lie. He squared his shoulders and shot her an I-dare-you-to-disagree look.
“Well, young lady, what have you got to say for yourself?” The sheriff’s loud voice rose above the whispers of the assembled crowd.
“It’s all—”
Trigger’s grip cut off her air and the world dimmed as she sagged against him.
“See what you done? The poor girl is overcome.”
Trigger’s voice grew far away.
Mike’s heart faltered when Trigger’s grip on Kathleen’s neck squeezed the air from her lungs and she crumpled against the cruel man’s side. Kathleen never mentioned a family and what little he did know certainly didn’t suggest a dull-witted mind. This whole set-up reeked of falsehoods.
“I say we get to the church or get the preacher here and get on with it.” Trigger loosened his hold and Mike watched as Kathleen sucked in a much-needed breath, her face pale and drawn.
Mike felt like he stood in quicksand with no way out. He tuned to the sheriff. “Look, Barker, you’ve known me for a year. These men are lying. Why? I don’t know, but I didn’t do anything to this girl.”
Barker rubbed his chin as Willie stepped beside him and shot Mike a sinister grin.
“Where’s Miguel, Mike?” Willie hitched up his pants and rocked back on his heels.
Lines furrowed Barker’s brow. “This ain’t social time, Willie.”
“Wasn’t intended to be.”
Barker swiveled his gaze to Willie. “Then what’s your point?”
Willie shifted his feet. “Miguel told me how Mike was sniffing after this girl back in Dodge. How Mike threatened him. And I saw Mike drinking.” Willie waved a hand. “Go look whose body is on one of the horses tied behind the stage.”
Barker snapped a hot glare on Mike. “That true?”
“I never threatened Miguel, and I only had one beer.” Mike’s stomach twisted like a bucking bronco. “But Miguel and a man I’ve never seen did attack us on the north side of the pass. Check with the driver, he can verify it.”
“What’s this Miguel look like?” Trigger asked.
“Dark skinned, black hair, black eyes, medium height. Why?” Willie asked.
“Heard a coupla fellas spouting off about a stage robbery at the saloon. I just figured they were drunk. But that don’t excuse Mike’s behavior toward my sister.”
Mike squinted at Trigger. The man could come up with lies quicker than a rattler’s strike. Marriage, however, was better than being hanged for murder.
Sheriff Barker turned to Mike, his tone sharp. “There’s been a lot of rumors’ flyin’ around about you ever since some of the boys returned from the drive. How you went wild in Dodge. Drank heavily. Had a fling.”
“I did not.”
The sheriff raised a hand. “Now, I don’t blame you for cutting loose some. Most bridegrooms have a spell of nerves. But you crossed the line by ruining this girl’s reputation. Her father has the right to demand you marry her.”
“That’s a bunch of lies. You know me better than that, Barker, and so does everybody else.” The ache in Mike’s temple surged to a full-blown pounding as his gaze swept across the crowd. Most just shook their heads and turned away. A few muttered about the wild ways of the young. “Folks have been known to change.”
A wave of heat blew through Mike’s chest, followed by a bone-chilling helplessness. Swapping kisses with a willing girl didn’t constitute marriage. He stared at the sheriff, unable to believe his ears. How could he stop two ruthless men holding loaded and cocked shotguns, Willie and his lies, and an unconcerned Barker?
“Wal, sheriff, ya through jawin’?” the older man asked. “Cause I say it’s time to fetch the sky pilot.”
“Let them go on an’ have a wedding. Now get on home or back to yore work before I arrest someone.” Barker turned his back on Mike and waved the crowd away.
An invisible hemp rope tightened around his throat, depriving Mike of words. He blinked. He blinked again as Barker swiveled on his heel and stalked off. No one. Not one damn soul came forward in his defense. What the hell changed in the short time he had been gone? He’d always believed he’d been accepted in this small, rural community. That he was a part of the town. Sure, he hadn’t been here all that long, but still. He had put roots down. Spent his money here. But not even the merchants where he spent his money offered any words of support.
“Hey, Sheriff, send the preacher to the church.” Trigger’s mirth-filled tone hammered like the fist of a giant.
To be deserted and at the mercy of criminals swirled in Mike’s mind like a tornado on the open plains, twisting his gut into knots.
“Get a move on, boy Pa chuckled as he prodded Mike with the shotgun.
Willie started to speak, but just shook his head and strolled off.
“Bring yore sister, son.”
Kathleen hadn’t moved or said a word since Trigger had almost choked her. Right now her eyes were closed and she breathed deep. Her calmness startled Mike. She either handled a crisis well or the thought of marriage wasn’t such a grim prospect for her.
His pulse jolted. Maybe she deemed him worthy husband material. He grimaced at this stupid idea and kneaded his neck.
&n
bsp; A scuffle broke out behind him.
“Damn it, girl.” Trigger burst out in a rush.
Mike spun.
Trigger lunged.
Mike took a step after Trigger, but plunged to the dirt when a boot landed a blow to the back of his knee.
Kathleen stumbled as Trigger grabbed a fist full of her hair and yanked back. Off balance, she toppled into his arms with a cry. Trigger shoved her down into a headlock. Bent double, she had no choice but to shuffle down the street behind Trigger.
Mike scrambled up and followed. “Takes a damn coward to hurt a woman.”
Trigger braced the gun on his shoulder and grinned. “Bet you do your own hurting soon as the wedding’s over.”
“Stop yappin’ an’ git inside.” The gray-haired man poked the gun barrel in his back.
Mike gazed up at the double doors of the church and took a deep breath. This was supposed to be a place of peace and serenity, not hatred and violence. Each step boomed like thunder as his boots landed on the hard wooden steps one at a time. Was this how someone felt as they climbed the scaffold to be hung? He glanced over his shoulder.
“Don’t get any bright ideas. I’ll cut ya in half before ya can blink,” the old man said.
Mike fisted his fingers. “You better run fast when this is over or be prepared to meet the devil.”
“Ain’t you a funny one?” Another stream of tobacco landed on his boot. “Now, move.”
Mike clamped his jaw and stomped up the remaining steps.
Chapter 9
Father Dan stepped up to the pulpit. “You can release the girl and let’s all be civil about this.”
“Nope. I won’t let go ‘til she’s legally wed.”
Kathleen clawed at Trigger’s arm. “Please, let me go.”
The faint, defeated wail from Kathleen tore a gouge in Mike’s heart. She had been through so much. All because some bastard didn’t want him to marry Sally.
