The Bounty Hunter's Bride

by Victoria Bylin

  Goose grunted. “I’m sick to death of this canyon.”

  “Me, too,” said Andy.

  Clay crouched by the fire and poured himself a cup of hot coffee. It tasted good. He hadn’t enjoyed coffee in a long time. Feeling generous, he looked at his former partners. “I’m giving you two a chance for a clean start. Take it.”

  “What about you?” Goose asked.

  Clay smiled. “I’m going to church.”

  Andy smirked. “You’re going after Morgan.”

  “That’s right.”

  Only Clay knew he’d be going unarmed. He knew from Andy that Morgan would bring the woman and the girls to church, but that he wouldn’t stay. Clay planned to slip into a back pew, listen to Reverend Blue and even sing a hymn or two. When the service ended, he’d turn himself in for Lucy Morgan’s murder. It didn’t matter if he hanged or went to prison. He’d found peace.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Beau had been gone for six days when Dani heard a knock on the parsonage door. She opened it with a prayer on her lips. Please, God…Let it be him.

  Instead of Beau’s broad shoulders, she saw Howie Dawes with mussed hair and windburned cheeks. His horse stood behind him, glistening from a fast ride.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “It’s Daff. Her udder’s hot.”

  “Come inside.”

  As she held the door, Adie came out of the kitchen. “What happened?”

  “It’s one of the cows.” Dani explained Daff’s history. “We could lose her. I have to go.”

  More than Daff’s milk was at stake. Dani had spent hours with Adie, praying and trying not to worry about Beau. What if he didn’t come back? She’d been with the Blues for six days. Tomorrow would be the seventh. Without Beau there would be no wedding. Without a wedding, she’d lose the girls. Dani would fight for them, but it would take a miracle for a judge to rule in her favor. If she lost a cow now, she wouldn’t stand a chance against Harriet Lange.

  Dani hoped Adie would understand. “The girls and I need to go home.”

  Her brow creased. “What about Beau?”

  “He knows where to find us.” Dani turned to Howie. “Would you hitch up the surrey?”

  “Sure.”

  As the boy walked to the stable, Adie touched Dani’s arm.

  “Will we see you in church tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be in church, but I won’t be getting married.”

  “Don’t give up,” Adie said.

  “I already have.”

  She’d spent six days worrying about Beau and praying for him. She’d begged God to keep him safe and give him the peace he couldn’t find on his own. She’d prayed for the girls, too. They needed protection, the kind she couldn’t give alone. Beau had let them down, but Dani had her faith. The future belonged to God, not Beau Morgan.

  “There’s still time,” Adie said. “If he—”

  “It’s too late.”

  Dani went to the backyard to fetch the girls. When she told them they were going home, no one said a word. They said goodbye to Stephen, then went to the guest room to gather their things. The girls understood the impact of Beau’s absence as well as Dani. Harriet Lange loomed like a specter.

  Dani had more than a few harsh words for the man who’d put them in this position. Even if he made it back in time for a wedding, she had doubts about the marriage. Beau had chosen Clay over her. His decision hung like a cloud, but so did Harriet Lange and her threats. With two bad choices—marrying Beau in spite of her resentment or saying no and fighting Harriet Lange—Dani thought of Josh’s sermon about a man walking by the light of his own fire. Right now, she had no light at all.

  As she guided the girls into the yard, Howie drove up in the surrey. “Are you ready, Miss Baxter?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  He climbed down from the seat and took off his hat.

  “Would it be okay if I went to see my ma?”

  At the sight of Howie’s eager expression, Dani felt her heart crack with longing. She wanted children who’d call her mama and be eager to see her. “Of course. In fact, you can stay home until Monday.”

  “Thanks!” The boy climbed on his horse and rode off.

  Adie hugged Dani. “Stay strong, honey. Beau’s a mere man, but the Lord won’t let you down.”

  The girls said goodbye to Adie and climbed into the surrey. Dani steered for home. The future loomed like a long night, but she wouldn’t be facing it alone. Even in the dark, the Lord was at her side.

  Beau stopped to rest his horse, but he didn’t indulge in real sleep or eat more than jerky. At the spot where he’d gone fishing with the girls, he washed the mud from his face and arms. His clothes were caked with it, but he didn’t bother to change. He had to get home to Dani. He had amends to make and he knew it.

  What he didn’t know concerned Clay Johnson. Why hadn’t the man fired his rifle? Beau didn’t know and the lack of understanding troubled him. Johnson had shown him the ultimate mercy. He’d spared Beau’s life. Beau wouldn’t have been so kind. All the way down the trail, he’d thought about the look in Johnson’s eyes. If it hadn’t been for his promise to Dani, he would have followed Clay into the canyon.

  But for what purpose? Beau didn’t know what to think. Was he supposed to be grateful to Clay for sparing his life? He wouldn’t have been there if Clay hadn’t killed Lucy in the first place. It added up to one big tangle. Beau intended to marry Dani and stay with her, but a piece of his soul had ridden into the mist with Clay. He didn’t feel at peace with God, either. The Almighty had saved his life twice, but Beau still hadn’t hit his knees. Had justice been served? God had spared Clay, too. Beau wanted finality. Instead he had more loose ends than ever.

  Riding into Castle Rock, he tasted his old bitterness. Johnson and his men were still wanted for raiding the Rocking J, so Beau rode to Dawes’s office and went inside. Instead of the sheriff, he saw Ace at the desk with his feet up. The deputy saw Beau and smirked. “You’re a mess.”

  Beau ignored the barb. “I found Johnson.”

  “Where?” Ace slammed his feet to the floor.

  “Deep in Sparrow Canyon.”

  “Did you get him?”

  Beau grunted. “My weapon misfired. He got away.”

  “Tough luck,” said the deputy. “Though it might explain Baylor’s horses.”

  “What about them?”

  “They showed up at the ranch. All of them except a gray.”

  Beau knew the horse and who was on it, but he didn’t know why Clay and his partners had turned the horses loose. He’d expected them to ride south. It didn’t make sense. Beau didn’t think Clay would come after him, but he couldn’t be sure. That moment in the canyon had been crazy, even unreal. For three days, Beau had struggled to make sense of it. Maybe Clay had done the same thing. Maybe he’d changed his mind about killing Beau. Maybe he liked the chase and had let Beau live just to torture him.

  “Where’s Dawes?” he asked.

  “Having supper.” Ace stood and reached for his hat. “He needs to know what you saw. I’ll take you to his house.”

  “You tell him.” Beau headed for the door.

  He had to get to Dani. He didn’t expect Johnson to go after her, but neither could he rule it out. With the sun hovering above the hills, he urged the roan to the parsonage. Expecting to stay for supper, he led the horse into the stable where he saw Josh’s rigs but not the surrey. Beau could think of only one reason for the surrey to be missing and he didn’t like it. Dani had gone home. Leaving his horse saddled, he strode to the parsonage.

  Josh stepped through the front door. Crossing his arms, he looked Beau up and down. “Did you crawl out of a grave or dig one?”

  “Both.”

  “I take it Clay’s dead.”

  Beau chuffed. “Not hardly. Where’s Dani?”

  “At the farm.”

  “I told her to wait here.”

  “One of the cows had a problem. She went
to tend it.”

  Beau worried about Daff. As he turned to leave, Josh kicked a chair away from the wall. “Sit down.”

  The minister wasn’t prone to foul moods, but he was in one now. Beau raised one brow. “Is that an order?”

  “Only if you want to get married in my church.”

  “It’s God’s church.”

  “And he put me in charge.”

  Thanks to Harriet Lange’s interference, Beau needed Josh’s approval. He feared for Dani’s safety, but the odds of Clay beating him to the farm were slim. Beau had ridden hard. The Rocking J lay on the opposite side of Castle Rock. Beau strode up the steps and sat. “Make it quick.”

  “What happened?” Josh stayed on his feet.

  Beau told his friend about the flood, the mud and the misfire. “He could have killed me, but he didn’t.”

  “What do you think stopped him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Josh lowered his voice. “It was a long time ago, but I planted seeds in Clay’s life. He knows about God’s grace. Maybe those seeds finally sprouted.”

  Beau flashed on Clay lowering the gun. Josh’s explanation made as much sense as Beau’s belief that Clay had gone crazy. Either way, the outlaw had lost his mind. For good or for evil? It remained to be seen.

  “You know the parable,” Josh said. “Some seeds fall on good soil and grow. Others break through but die when the weather turns bad. Some don’t grow at all. Frankly, Clay struck me as hard soil, but dirt changes with time and bad weather. So does a man.”

  Beau thought of the storm in the canyon. Rain had softened the earth to mud. Water had moved boulders and ripped away trees, changing the course of the stream and its very nature. The rain had blurred Clay, as well. Even with his gun in hand, he’d seemed as formless as his name.

  Josh’s voice dipped low. “Be careful, Beau. I hope Clay’s changed, but we can’t know for sure. Nothing’s more dangerous than a man who sees the light and then turns his back.”

  Beau had made that choice when he’d left Dani. She’d offered the light of love. He’d chosen the darkness of his hate and had almost destroyed their future. He’d never make that mistake again. Before this night ended, he’d have that overdue talk with the Lord. In the meantime, he needed Josh’s help.

  “I know about turning my back on the light,” Beau said.

  “I’m home to stay.”

  “That’s good news.”

  “It’ll be even better if you’ll agree to marry Dani and me.”

  Josh looked at Beau with an expression befitting the seriousness of the question. “Do you love her?”

  “I do.”

  “Will you raise your nieces as your own?”

  “You bet I will.”

  “I have another question,” Josh said. “A hard one.”

  “Ask it.”

  “Do you love them enough to forget Clay Johnson?”

  Beau hadn’t seen the question coming. “I won’t lie, Josh. I’m not done with it. I don’t understand what happened in that canyon, but I know one thing. Dani matters more than Clay.”

  “You need to tell her.”

  “I will,” Beau answered. “Will you do the ceremony?”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  Josh’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll do it, but I’m not the one you have to convince.”

  Beau pushed to his feet. “Say a prayer. I have some apologizing to do.”

  “It’s good practice.” Josh chuckled, but Beau barely heard it. He’d already gone down the stairs.

  He didn’t have to push his tired horse. When they reached the road to the farm, the roan went into a lope. As they passed the charred pine, Beau thought of his brother. This journey had begun with his passing, but it wouldn’t end in sorrow. Silently he promised Patrick that he’d love Emma, Ellie and Esther like his own children. He didn’t mention Dani. She was Beau’s alone.

  He rode into the yard and swung down from his horse. The front room and kitchen were dark. So was Dani’s window. Beau looked up to the second floor where he saw a lamp burning in the girls’ bedroom. He pictured Dani reading them a story. Someday she’d read to a child carrying his blood.

  That is, if she’d have him.

  Needing to care for his horse, Beau headed for the barn. As he gripped the reins, his gaze landed on a gold triangle stretching from the open door. A shadow—Dani’s shadow—inched into the light. He took in the length of her body, her crossed arms, the tilt of her chin as she spotted his horse. She stopped at the threshold. “You’re back.”

  Beau stopped, too. “I kept my promise.”

  “I see.”

  “If you’ll have me, Josh will marry us tomorrow.”

  Dani didn’t know what to say. Six days ago, Beau had left the farm as Cain, a man doomed to wander without God. He’d come back for the sake of the children, but had he come back for her? Even more important, had he come back with the piece of his soul he’d given to Clay Johnson? Looking at him in the moonlight, she couldn’t tell. He’d pulled his hat low, hiding his eyes but not his ragged jaw. His duster, blotched with mud, looked as stiff as his spine.

  She wiped her hands on her apron. “I’m still milking.”

  “I’ll help.”

  “It’s not necessary. Buttercup’s the last one.”

  Beau’s brow creased. “Josh said a cow was sick. Is it Daff?”

  “She’s fine.” As soon as Dani had arrived at the farm, she’d checked the fussy cow and found nothing. Daff, she decided, had missed her family. Looking at Beau, she wondered if he felt the same way.

  He pushed back his hat. “I’m glad Daff’s okay.”

  His concern riled Dani beyond reason. If he thought he could waltz home and she’d fall at his feet, he had some more thinking to do. Dani went back in the barn, sat on the stool and went to work on Buttercup. She had her back to the door, but she heard the clop of hooves as Beau led his horse to its stall. He set the saddle on a rack with a thud, then brushed his horse and gave it a measure of oats.

  Dani lifted the milk bucket and carried it to the can. While she poured, Beau took the cow to the pasture. She covered the milk cans, then went outside to wash the bucket. She finished the chore, turned and saw Beau in the doorway, blocking her from putting the pail away. She wasn’t in the mood for his high-handed ways.

  She marched up to the barn. When he didn’t move, she planted her shoes across from his muddy boots. “I need to get by.”

  “No, you don’t.” He lifted the bucket from her hand, set it inside the door and snuffed out the lamp, plunging them into darkness. Beau touched her jaw. “I love you, Dani. Marry me.”

  He’d said he loved her, but he reeked of mud, maybe death. He’d left his duster in the barn, but she could still smell the rot. She jerked away. Before she let down her guard, she needed answers. “Did you find Clay?”

  “He found me.”

  “What happened?”

  “It’s a long story. Right now, only one thing matters. I’m back. I spoke with Josh. He’s willing to marry us.”

  The girls would be safe.

  He’d said that he loved her.

  Two stars glimmered in Dani’s mind, shedding divine light but not enough to show her the way. Had Beau really changed? Had he made peace with God and himself? She smelled the mud and wondered. “I have to know what happened.”

  With a crescent moon shedding the dimmest light, he told her about the canyon, the flood and the misfire. Her blood chilled with the knowledge that he’d almost died, then warmed with gratitude for God’s mercy. The Lord had been with Beau in Sparrow Canyon. Judging by his eyes, he knew it. Two more stars pierced the dark around Dani’s heart, but she worried when his lips thinned to a line.

  “I won’t lie to you,” he said. “I’d be glad to see Johnson hang. He spared my life, but I don’t know why. I still hate him, Dani. I always will.”

  She wanted Beau’s whole heart, not most of it. What would he do if he ca
ught wind of Johnson in a month or a year? Could she trust him to stay? Promises could be broken as easily as they were made. She watched as he reached into his pocket, then opened his palm to reveal the bullet Clay had left for him. He closed his fingers again, hauled back and threw it as hard as he could into the night.

  “That takes care of Clay,” he said. “Now for us.”

  He reached into his pocket a second time. When he opened his fingers, she saw a silver ring with a blue stone. It made a perfect circle. Endless. Complete. She imagined him taking her work-roughened hand, seeing the calluses and the broken nails, the imperfections that came with being human. That’s when she knew she’d say yes to Beau in spite of her fear that he’d go after Clay Johnson. She wasn’t a perfect woman. She made mistakes every day. Beau would make them, too. Big or small. It didn’t matter. Love, as complete as the circle, covered their failings.

  He clasped her fingers. “I love you, Dani. No matter what happens, I’ll never leave again.”

  Her heart pounded. “I love you, too.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  “Yes, I will.”

  He slid the ring into place. Expecting a kiss, she tilted her face to his. Beau answered with a lazy smile. “I want a son. A boy with your blue eyes.”

  Dani’s heart hummed. “I want that, too.”

  “And another girl.” He grinned.

  She grinned back.

  He kissed her then, a tender brush that made her see stars. A thousand of them—each as bright as the sun—burned away the rest of the darkness, leaving her warm in Beau’s embrace. Tomorrow, she decided, would be the happiest day of her life.

  Chapter Twenty

  Beau walked Dani to the house, kissed her again, then headed alone to the creek. He washed off every speck of mud from the canyon, put on clean clothes, shaved, then sat on a rock. He’d promised to do business with the Almighty and that time had come. With his head bowed, he confessed his arrogance, praised God for his mercy, then looked up and counted the stars. With each one, he thanked the Lord for a different blessing until he reached the one gift he couldn’t understand.