“I have a ranch in Wyoming and I was going home.” Thorpe figured it was no one’s business why he’d traveled to Missouri, so he didn’t explain.
Lily returned with the coffeepot, and when she glanced Stone’s way, she saw the wound on his forehead when he removed his hat. “Let me have a look at that.”
“It’s just a scratch, nothing serious,” Stone said.
“A scratch can get infected. It needs to be cleaned. I’ll get some soap.”
Stone stared after her as she walked to the wagon. “She’s the prettiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“There aren’t many like her; that’s for sure.”
“Is she spoken for?” Stone surprised himself asking that question, but it wasn’t every day he met a woman as beautiful as Lily.
“I’ve not asked.” Thorpe had asked if she was married, but he hadn’t asked Lily if she had someone special waiting for her.
“Too bad I’m never in one place long enough to settle down. All three of these women are real pretty. You married?”
“No.”
“And you haven’t tried to get to know that little lady any better? Or are you interested in another one?”
“Nope. I’m not looking for a wife.”
“I’m not either, but looking at these ladies might make me change my mind.”
“Well, these women are the marrying kind.” Even though he might be stretching that statement considering Dora’s past, he thought he would set Stone straight on that score. “Unless you have matrimony on your mind, you’ll have to steer clear.”
Stone didn’t reply because Lily returned with Dora and Isabelle right behind her carrying pans to place over the fire.
“No doctor that ever tended me was as pretty as you,” Stone commented when Lily kneeled beside him to take care of his wound.
Lily blushed, but she didn’t respond. She pushed his dark blond hair from his forehead and scrubbed his wound. “This doesn’t look bad now that it’s clean.”
Thorpe wasn’t sure why it irritated him to see Lily tending Stone, but it did. He walked to the wagon to pull out a bottle of whiskey from his supplies. He thought Stone could use a stiff drink after what he’d been through. Once he returned to the fire, he filled two tin cups to the brim and offered one to Stone.
“Thanks. I appreciate this,” Stone said.
“Jed, how about you?” Thorpe asked.
“No, sir. I don’t believe I do.”
“How about me? I could sure use some whiskey,” Harlow said.
“No,” Stone said.
“You’re gonna have to untie me so I can eat dinner. Of course Lily could feed me and I wouldn’t mind.”
“I told you once to mind your manners. Unless you want a bandana tied around your mouth, you best heed my warning,” Stone said.
Thorpe settled himself near Harlow and leaned back on his saddle. Blue and Spirit nestled beside him. He ran his hand along Spirit’s back. “You’re putting on some weight, girl.”
“Mr. Thorpe, my dear mother always said you should never say that to a lady,” Jed teased.
Thorpe laughed. “Sound advice.”
Lily was placing some corn bread over the fire and heard Thorpe’s comment. “She is looking much better. Her eyes have life back in them.”
“And she looks real pretty since Mr. Thorpe brushed the mud off of her,” Jed said.
Isabelle explained to Stone how they came to find the dog and the puppies.
“Seems like you folks have picked up a lot strays on your journey.”
Lily didn’t comment, but she wondered why Stone and Harlow had been sent to them. Her grandfather always told her people came into one’s life for a reason. He’d said all you needed to do was wait and the reason would be revealed. Just like Thorpe had come into her life to help her on this journey, she was certain these new strangers had arrived for a reason.
When their dinner was ready and the ladies were filling the plates, Stone untied Harlow’s hands. “Don’t push your luck with me,” he warned.
Lily passed out the plates of food, and when she handed a plate to Harlow he latched on to her wrists. “Why don’t you sit down by me, honey? It’s been a long time since I had a pretty gal beside me.”
Before Thorpe got to his feet, Blue leaped to Lily’s side and clamped down on Harlow’s hand, not hard enough to break skin, but with enough force to let Harlow know he’d better not move. Thorpe was beside Blue in an instant, ready to haul Harlow to his feet and beat him senseless.
Lily shook her head at Thorpe. “One word from me and Blue will rip your arm from your shoulder, Mr. Harlow.”
Harlow’s eyes shifted from Blue to Thorpe. He didn’t like what he saw in either set of eyes. He opened his fingers, releasing Lily’s wrist.
Blue maintained his hold until Lily said, “No.” Blue opened his mouth and Harlow jerked his arm away from Blue’s sharp fangs.
Blue listened to Lily and walked away from Harlow, but Thorpe wasn’t so inclined. He grabbed Harlow by the shirt, jerking him off the ground. “There won’t be another warning. I won’t be like Blue and let you go.” When Thorpe released his shirt, Harlow dropped back to the ground. It was hard to say if he was intimidated by Thorpe because he was laughing, but the way Thorpe looked at it, he’d given him fair warning.
Thorpe sat back down and listened while the women peppered Stone with questions, much like they had done to him. He noticed Dora sat beside Stone, and he wasn’t going to complain if she redirected her attention on the marshal. Thorpe recalled the first night she’d come to his wagon under the pretense of waking him for his watch, she’d made it clear she was interested in getting to know him better. He told her in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t interested in what she was offering. But she hadn’t given up, and anytime he was in the wagon alone, she made it a point to invite herself inside. It also hadn’t escaped his notice that Lily wasn’t taking watch with him any longer. He wondered if Dora told Lily that she was interested in him and that was the reason she’d avoided him like the plague. Perhaps Lily thought he had a mutual interest in Dora. He found himself missing his nightly conversations with Lily. Now that his shoulder had healed nicely, he rarely had a few minutes alone with her. Just as he was formulating a plan to get Lily alone so they could talk, he heard her say she’d take first watch and he saw his opportunity. “I’ll stay up with Lily.”
“I can take a watch,” Stone offered.
“You rest up tonight, I’ll take second,” Jed said.
“Jed’s right. You need a good night’s sleep,” Thorpe told him. “We’ll see how you are doing tomorrow.”
Lily didn’t comment, but she was surprised Thorpe offered to stay with her. She’d thought he’d been trying to spend time with Dora.
“Well, you’re probably right. Since I’ve eaten so much I’d probably fall asleep in five minutes. I’ll make sure you folks are reimbursed for our food when we get to the first town that has a telegraph. If it makes you feel any better, I’m mighty handy with a rifle, so I can shoot what we need.”
“Lily is very handy with a rifle,” Isabelle said.
“Thorpe told me she is an excellent shot.” Stone directed his gaze on Lily. “I see you use a Spencer repeater.”
“Yes, my grandfather gave it to me,” Lily replied.
“It’s an unusual woman who is handy with a gun.”
Thorpe thought Stone was showing Lily too much attention, so he asked, “How many men bushwhacked you?”
“Ten. I winged one, but I don’t know if I killed him. Joe Martin killed one before he was shot dead.”
“What did they do?” Dora asked.
“They held up a stagecoach and killed three passengers. That’s just the latest in a long line of robberies they’ve committed.”
“That’s terrible,” Lily said.
“Yeah. They killed a woman and little girl on the stagecoach.”
“I keep telling you people that I’m the marshal. I never ki
lled anybody,” Harlow said.
Thorpe glared at Harlow. It was evident the man was bad news, and Thorpe didn’t like having him around the women. Knowing the crimes these killers committed worried him. The list of dangers they might face on the way to Wyoming was growing by the day. He hoped Harlow’s gang stayed well ahead of them. “Stone, you can sleep in the wagon where I sleep.”
“Thanks, but I don’t mind sleeping by the fire.”
“You can do that once you’ve rested up.” Thorpe wanted time to speak to Lily alone to see if she had any misgivings about Stone and Harlow traveling with them. At least that’s what he told himself was the only reason he wanted to talk to her.
“What about me?” Harlow asked. “One of you ladies want to share your wagon?”
“I’ll tie you to the wagon wheel,” Stone replied.
“It’s too cold to sleep on the ground,” Harlow retorted.
Stone stood and scowled at Harlow. “That lady and that little girl are cold in their graves. Those two marshals are cold in their graves. You’ll get no sympathy from me.”
Before Stone walked away, Lily handed him two blankets.
“I know you think I’m a hard man, ma’am. And maybe I am. But he killed a woman and her little girl. The woman’s husband showed me a painting of them. The little girl was the sweetest little thing I ever saw. The locket the killer pulled from the woman’s neck had a miniature of her husband and her little girl inside. The stagecoach driver described Harlow as the one that pulled the trigger. Frankly, I don’t give a hoot if he freezes to death out here.”
Lily could tell the marshal was hurting. She couldn’t imagine hunting down a man that had killed a little girl and her mother. She put her hand on his arm. “I don’t think you are a hard man, Mr. Justice. I think you’ve seen things that I haven’t. You do what you want with that those blankets.”
They looked at each other for a long time. Stone wondered if she realized just how beautiful she was. He didn’t think her outward beauty told half the story of the woman she was. He wanted to tell her, but he’d forgotten how to say sweet words to a lady.
“The puppies are in the wagon, but I can move them,” Lily finally said.
“They won’t bother me. It’ll be nice to see some pups.” After some of the things he’d seen recently, Stone thought it would do his soul good just to see little newborn critters. He’d been on the trail of those killers for months, and it’d been a long time since he enjoyed the simpler things in life that other people took for granted. Dealing with killers was taking a toll on him, and he knew he’d developed a hard edge. In his line of work he rarely had time to spend with real ladies. Under the circumstances, he thought meeting up with these folks was just what he needed.
Chapter Nine
Riding ahead of the wagons, Thorpe found two graves and he knew they were the graves of the two marshals. Not far from the graves he found two saddles that were still beside the burned-out fire pit. He could clearly see the hoofprints leading away from the area. Stone said he thought one man in the gang was killed, but he didn’t see a body.
When the wagons reined in at the gravesite, Lily and Stone jumped down to join Thorpe.
After inspecting the graves, Stone said, “Looks like the rocks are doing the job.”
“You did a fine job here,” Thorpe replied.
“Let’s put the saddles in the wagon.” Thorpe turned to grab a saddle, but he stopped when he saw Lily kneel before the graves. He watched as she bowed her head in prayer. Both he and Stone removed their hats and remained silent until they heard her softly whisper, “Amen.”
“Thank you, ma’am. That means a lot to me. And I know Riff and Joe would be real pleased to know someone prayed for their eternal souls.” Stone grabbed the other saddle and carried it to the wagon.
Thorpe settled his hat on his head and walked with Lily back to the wagon. “The weather has been fairly warm, so I thought we’d stop early today closer to the river so we can all have baths.”
“That would be wonderful,” Lily said.
“It’ll be a mite frosty in the river, but we’ll heat the water for you ladies. I know you’re hauling that large tub around for some reason,” Thorpe teased. He thought it was interesting that the women had no furniture, but they had brought that big tub with them.
“Right now I wouldn’t mind jumping in the river even if it is cold,” Lily replied.
Like Lily, Dora and Isabelle agreed a bath would be delightful under any conditions.
“I’ve yet to meet a woman that didn’t like a nice long bath,” Stone commented.
“I think the men get as much enjoyment out of it as we do,” Dora added. In the past she’d had many men who paid good money just to watch her bathe.
Stone chuckled at Dora’s comment. “I expect you are right about that.”
Thorpe knew Dora was right. He didn’t often have the pleasure of seeing a woman bathe, but he would have to say it would be high on his list of pleasurable pastimes. He didn’t have long to dwell on that thought because Harlow spoke up.
“One of you ladies can give me a bath like they do in those bathhouses in Deadwood.”
Harlow was sitting beside Jed in the wagon and Jed pushed him off the seat and Harlow hit the ground hard. “Mr. Thorpe told you to mind your manners, and if you want to ride instead of walk, you’d best listen to him.”
Thorpe smiled at Jed. “You saved me the trouble.”
* * *
Having found a suitable place for the night near the river, Thorpe held true to his promise of a warm bath for the ladies. Along with Jed, they heated water and carried it to the wagon to fill the tub. When one woman finished with her bath, they repeated the process.
The men took turns bathing in the river so two men would be near the women at camp at all times.
Stone stood by the fire after he came out of the river. “I’m glad you got that fire going before I left. That water is too cold to stay in long.”
“But we’ll all smell a whole lot better,” Jed said.
When Jed returned, Thorpe walked to the river, stripped down, and jumped in. Stone was right when he said he wouldn’t stay in the water long. It was freezing, so he quickly scrubbed his body, washed his hair, and dunked under long enough to get the soap out. He hurried to the bank and grabbed his towel. He’d just pulled his pants on when Dora walked toward him.
“I thought I would bring you a towel.”
He pulled his towel from his shoulder. “I brought one with me.” He wondered if she’d taken a towel to Stone during his bath.
Dora moved closer and hooked her arms around his neck. “We have some time before we need to get back. We won’t be missed.”
Thorpe pulled her arms from his neck. “I told Harlow to treat you like a lady. Now I expect you to act like one.”
“You know I worked in a saloon,” she said.
“Yeah, I know, but Stone and Harlow don’t. They won’t unless you tell them.”
“You can’t tell me you don’t find me pretty.” Dora was convinced men wanted her; she’d never had one say no. More men than she could count had told her she was pretty.
“You’re pretty, but that still doesn’t mean I’m interested.”
“Why not? Is there someone at home?”
Thorpe thought of his almost marriage to Evelyn, and that was the last thing he wanted to think about. “Not anymore.”
“Then what’s the harm?”
He was losing his patience. He’d made an effort to be polite about his lack of interest, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She obviously wasn’t hearing him when he tried to politely refuse her attentions. Before he spoke more bluntly, Blue startled him when he nosed through the brush and walked to the bank. When Blue looked down the bank he lowered his head and growled low. Thorpe pushed Dora to the brush. “Quiet.” Quickly strapping his holster around his waist, he drew his Colt, crouched low, and made his way to the bank next to Blue. He heard the voices before he
saw the men. He put his hand on Blue’s back. “Shhh. I see them, boy.” He counted nine men watering their horses. He turned to Dora as he slowly backed from the bank. “Get back to camp.” He threaded his fingers in Blue’s fur. “Come on, boy.”
Lily saw Dora walk from the trees and before she could ask her what she was doing wandering off by herself, a shirtless Thorpe appeared behind her with Blue.
“Jed, douse that fire,” Thorpe whispered.
Hearing Thorpe’s serious tone, Lily and Isabelle quickly pulled the pans holding their dinner away from the fire so Jed could kick dirt into the flames.
“Stone, nine men are just upriver.” He glanced at the women to see if they were carrying their pistols. “Get your guns and take cover. Lily, take Blue to the wagon with Spirit and tell him to stay put.”
Stone grabbed his rifle. “It has to be the Black Hills gang.”
“I don’t think they know we’re here. At least not at the moment,” Thorpe said. “Let’s get the animals behind the wagons.”
Overhearing the conversation between Stone and Thorpe, Harlow let out a loud yell. “I knew the boys wouldn’t leave me behind.”
Thorpe stalked to Harlow and leaned over and untied his hands.
“What in the Sam Hill are you doing?” Stone asked.
“Untying him.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t knock the meanness out of a defenseless man.” With that said, Thorpe pulled Harlow to his feet.
Harlow drew his arm back ready to throw a punch at Thorpe. Thorpe blocked his arm and landed his massive fist in Harlow’s jaw, knocking him to the ground.
Seeing Harlow was unresponsive after one blow, Stone dragged him back to the wagon wheel, tied him again, and wrapped his bandana around his mouth. “Think I should tie him behind the wagons?”
“Nope. Leave him there. If we are going to get shot at, then by heaven, so is he,” Thorpe said.
They waited for any sign of the killers for thirty minutes, but nothing happened. “I’ll go back to the river and see if they are still there,” Thorpe said. Slipping silently through the brush, Thorpe made his way to the river. Just a few feet from the bank, he removed his hat and stayed low as he moved to the river’s edge with this gun drawn. No one was in sight, so he remained still and listened. Hearing no sounds other than the birds and the water lapping gently against the shoreline, he decided to move down the bank to see if the men rode to his side of the river. Reaching the area where he’d spotted the men on the opposite bank, he saw the tracks where they had crossed. He waited and listened. Still, he heard nothing. He followed the tracks through the trees and saw they were headed west. He wondered why Harlow’s gang would be hanging around. They’d already killed two lawmen so they knew they would certainly hang if they were caught. Logic told him they were looking for Harlow. They hadn’t left him behind. But why? Was Harlow the leader of the gang? That’s the way most outlaws operated; one man was in charge until the day came when someone questioned their authority.
Christmas at Dove Creek Page 9
