The Shepherd's Heart Series: A Boxed Set Book Bundle Collection Volumes 1-4

by Lynnette Bonner

  Hannah smiled and angled a glance toward the heavens whispering, “Lawd, You surely is good. Yes, suh, You surely is.”

  At the back of the church, she parted from the crowd and headed across the street instead of around the back of the building. She couldn’t suppress the sigh of relief as she left the cemetery, and the gaping hole now exposed at its center behind.

  Ever since that day when she’d had to dig two graves and bury the two people who’d meant the most to her in this life, putting people in the ground was something she tried to avoid if at all possible.

  She hurried down the boardwalk, her boots clicking out a hollow rhythm. It wouldn’t be long before everyone would be over. She mentally ticked off the things she would need to do as she fumbled for the center’s key in her reticule. “Where is that key?” She peered into the dark depths of the bag.

  Just ahead of her the café door opened and she collided with a man coming out.

  “Oh, I’m so sor—” She felt all the blood drain from her face. The man before her was one she’d hoped to never see again, one she’d prayed to exorcise from her dreams at night, one who could only bode ill will wherever he went.

  “Huh.” He grunted. “Watch where you’re going, darkie.”

  And with that he gave her a wide birth and strode away.

  For one long moment Hannah simply stood there, frozen, staring after him. He hadn’t recognized her? The man turned right and disappeared from sight around the corner of the mercantile without so much as a backward glance, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was indeed Simon Saunders.

  Hannah’s heart gave one giant thud. And then another. Her breaths came in short gasps. Dark spots swirled in her vision. The thwack of her reticule hitting the boardwalk jolted her back to her senses. “Oh Lawd Jesus!” she whispered, “He done found her!” Bending, she snatched up the bag and hurried off down the boardwalk.

  24

  Simon rounded the corner of the mercantile and burst into a sprint, his heart hammering like a judge’s gavel in an unruly court. She had recognized him. Her jaw had dropped and a look of shock had etched her features for just a split second. It had taken him several moments to realize who the black woman he’d just bumped into was, and then it had been all he could do to walk casually down the street as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

  Turning onto Second Street, he bolted up the boardinghouse steps to his room. He needed to gather his things and quickly. He only had moments to come up with a plan and it would now have to be bold and daring or all his years of hunting and searching would come to naught.

  Snatching up his valise, he jerked open the dresser drawers and tossed his clothes inside. From under the bed he pulled his gun-belt and slung it around his waist. He wouldn’t need his disguise now. With luck he’d be out of town by dusk. Pulling the clerical collar from around his neck he threw it into the suit case and undid the top button on his shirt splaying the buttons and feeling like he could finally breathe for the first time in days.

  He picked up the key on the nightstand and shoved it in his pocket as he glanced around the room and then snatched up his bag. Giving a low snort, he turned and stalked down the hall without a backward glance.

  One valise, all he had to his name, seemed a paltry amount of possessions for a man of his age.

  But if things went as planned, that was about to change. A jolt of sheer excitement surged through him. After all these years… today, today was the day.

  As the members of Brenda’s family approached the grave to sprinkle dirt on her coffin Rocky squeezed the back of Victoria’s neck with one hand and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I’m going to slip away to the office. Could you please go talk to Sharyah? I know she is taking this hard.”

  Victoria nodded, her fingers fiddling with the pendant at her throat as she stared down at the coffin in the earth.

  He gave her another gentle squeeze. “She’s in a better place.”

  She swallowed. “I know.”

  “When you get done at the hall have Jimmy drive to the office. I should be able to get away a little early tonight so we can all go home together.”

  “Okay.” She gave him a tremulous smile, tears welling up in her eyes.

  He sighed, knowing how she felt. He glanced at Cade and Smith, once more. Lord, see them through.

  Jimmy peered around Victoria. “Can’t I come with you?” Pleading eyes begged not to be left with the women folk.

  But someone needed to be there to drive Victoria and the girls when the time came.

  Rocky opened his mouth to protest but Victoria laid a hand on his arm. “He could walk back over to the hall to get us a little later. Why don’t you let him come with you for a few minutes?”

  Rocky settled his gaze on the boy and made a split-second decision. “Alright.” He glanced back at Victoria. “See you tonight.” Resettling his hat, he gestured for Jimmy to follow him as he headed into town.

  “Yes!” he heard Jimmy’s characteristic exclamation of happiness and allowed a grin to tug at the corners of his mouth. Jimmy stretched his stride out to match his own longer one and Rocky subtly slowed his gait to allow the boy to keep up without getting winded.

  “Pa and Sky have been keeping the jailhouse running all week while I took some time to get to know you all, so today it’s my turn.” He gave the boy a sideways glance. “You any good at scrubbing out jail cells?”

  Jimmy’s features tightened and by the look on his face Rocky could tell he hadn’t counted on being put to work. He held back a chuckle. A little hard work never hurt a boy, but…

  “Tell you what,” he dropped one hand onto Jimmy’s shoulder and held out a nickel, “why don’t you take this over to the mercantile and get yourself a piece of hard candy from the jar on the front counter. Grab a couple for the girls too. Then meet me back at the jail ready to work, alright?”

  “Yes, Sir!” Jimmy snatched the coin and darted off across the street.

  Rocky resettled his hat as he watched the boy’s departure. Jimmy leapt from the road to the boardwalk without touching a single step and Rocky grinned. Wasn’t so long ago that he and Cade would have responded just the same way had someone done something similar for them.

  Just as Jimmy disappeared inside the mercantile, Rocky felt the cold press of metal against the back of his neck. He froze in his tracks, his hands lifting to shoulder height by instinct.

  “Good thinking. Now lower your hands nice and slow and undo your gun.” The voice was all too familiar. Baxter Cane.

  Rocky complied and Baxter, or whatever his name was, took the belt from him when he held it off to one side.

  “Good. Quickly, now. Into the alley.”

  Rocky’s eyes dropped shut for just a breath, and then he studied the length of the town. The street was deserted with everyone still at the funeral. But if he stepped into the alley he’d have absolutely no chance at anyone seeing him. He remained where he stood.

  Baxter jabbed the gun again. “I said move!” His voice, while low, held a note of desperation.

  “I think I’ll stay out in the open. You’re less likely to try and kill me out here where there could be people watching us from any one of those windows.” Rocky flicked his fingers in the direction of the buildings across the street, but was careful to keep his hands raised.

  “Fine you want to do this your way? That your boy who just went into the mercantile? Be a shame if something were to happen to him the moment he came out. Something like having a bullet split open his skull.”

  Rocky clenched his teeth, the muscle in his jaw working in and out, even as he turned toward the alley in compliance.

  “I thought you might see things my way. Now we are going down the alley all the way to the end. And no sudden moves or your brain will no longer be able to communicate with the rest of you.” The last statement was emphasized with a sharp jab of the pistol.

  As Baxter prodded him along, Rocky was careful to keep his hands plainly visibl
e. He wracked his mind for a way of escape, but Baxter kept the pistol pressed firmly to the back of his neck. His knife was in his boot, but there was no way to get it just yet. He’d have to bide his time.

  “You’ll never get away with this, Cane.” He needed to keep the man talking. That would be his best shot at catching him off guard.

  “Shut your trap.” Baxter peered out onto the street and glanced both ways.

  Rocky grimaced at this bad luck. Not a soul in sight.

  But just then a shout rose from just behind. “Hey!”

  That was Jimmy. Rocky felt his first jolt of terror since this ordeal began even as both he and Cane spun around as one. No no no no.

  Jimmy’s arms arched in mid-swing with a thick stout stick, but Baxter, surprisingly quick on his feet for a man of his size, stepped inside the swing and jammed the barrel of his pistol up under Jimmy’s chin. “Drop it!” He glanced over his shoulder. “Jordan, one move and the kid loses his head.”

  Jimmy went wide-eyed and slowly dropped the stick.

  Rocky’s breath came in short spurts. His hands were still up near his shoulders. Everything had happened in a split second. His knees went weak with thankfulness that Jimmy was alright. For now. “I’m not moving, Cane.” He assessed Jimmy. Except for the terror radiating from his face, he appeared fine. “We’re going to be alright, Jim. Just do what he says.”

  Jimmy gave a barely perceptible nod.

  “Good, now let’s go.” Baxter turned them once more toward the street and their wagon hitched just behind the livery a few buildings down from the office.

  Victoria forced herself to sit next to ChristyAnne and Damera and not pace the room. Where could Jimmy be? Surely Rocky would have sent him over to get them by now. Everyone had left the hall but Pastor and Mrs. Hollybough, who were only waiting around out of politeness, and it was getting a little embarrassing.

  Hannah had been strangely absent from the after-funeral gathering and Victoria wondered what had happened to keep her away. When everyone had arrived from the graveside, the door to the hall had been propped open and the coffee had been made, so she knew Hannah had been here for at least a little while. But it wasn’t like her to disappear without telling anyone where she was going.

  ChristyAnne shifted on her chair and Damera’s head nodded off to one side for the third time.

  Finally, Victoria stood. “You know what? We’ll just walk on over to the Sheriff’s office. It’s only a couple of blocks. I’m sure Rocky has Jimmy doing a chore for him and they’ve both simply lost track of the time.” She bent and gathered Damera into her arms.

  The little girl sighed, wrapped her arms around Victoria, pillowed her head on one shoulder, and promptly started snoring in her ear.

  Victoria grinned and settled her into a more comfortable position. “ChristyAnne, get the pot of soup, would you?” She turned to the Hollyboughs. “I’m so sorry to have kept you. I know you’ve had a very long day helping the Bennetts.”

  Mrs. Hollybough waved a hand and rubbed circles on Damera’s back. “Don’t you worry about a thing, dear. You were a big help with the clean up, here.”

  “Glad to help.” Victoria smiled. “I guess we’ll see you in church on Sunday. And please let me know if there is any other way we can be of assistance to the Bennetts.”

  She hurried the girls to where they had left the wagon before the funeral. She would just drive it over to the Sheriff’s office so that when Rocky was ready they could all get right home. But when she rounded the corner of the livery their wagon wasn’t there. “Strange.” Something wasn’t right. An uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach.

  ChristyAnne looked at her with a worried little frown.

  She smiled and hoped it didn’t look as stiff as it felt. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m sure everything is fine.”

  By the time they arrived at the sheriff’s office, she was ready to hand Damera’s dead-asleep-weight off to Rocky, but she only found Hannah, pacing the walk in front of the locked door.

  “Hannah? I wondered where you were. Have you seen Rocky or Jimmy?”

  “Oh, Lawd Almighty!” Hannah exclaimed. “He ain’t with you? I was hopin’ he was with you. I been lookin’ all over town and when I couldn’t find him I came and have been waitin’ here for him. I put the coffee on over at the hall and then I set straight to lookin’ for him. I arrived here jus’ a few moments after I left the funeral and Rocky never—he never come. When’s the last time you seen him?”

  Uneasiness gripped Victoria. She bent and eased Damera down onto the bench to one side of the office door. “Just after the burial. He said he was coming to the office. I don’t know where he could be. Jimmy was with him. He said he’d send Jimmy over to get us from the hall, but he never arrived.”

  Hannah stepped closer to the wall behind her, darting a look up and down the street and seeming to study every shadow.

  The taste of metallic fear prickled Victoria’s tongue. “What’s going on, Hannah?” She swallowed.

  Without answering Hannah bent, lifted Damera into her ample arms, and marched off down the boardwalk.

  “Hannah!?” Victoria trotted after her, ChristyAnne on her heels. “You are scaring me witless. What is the matter?”

  Hannah paused in front of the bakery and jerked open the door. “Inside, hurry now! Won’t do if he sees me talkin’ to you.”

  “What are you—”

  “Inside!” She flapped her hand as best she could with the child in her arms and tossed a glance over her shoulder, scanning the street once more.

  Victoria had never seen Hannah like this. Her fear radiated like heat waves. The fact that it was level-headed, calm, ever-in-control, Hannah acting this way…. Victoria swallowed and pushed past her, pulling ChristyAnne through the door behind her.

  Mr. Jonas looked up from the table behind the counter where he was wrist deep in a batch of bread dough. “Hello, ladies. Victoria, with the funeral and all I didn’t expect you’d be bringing your rolls today, so I’m making some of my own.”

  His words barely registered, so deep was her concern over Hannah’s strange behavior. “Oh, I didn’t bring any bread, Mr. Jonas. We’re just,” she glanced over her shoulder at Hannah and then out the window before turning to face him again, “stepping in from outside to visit for a few moments. I hope that’s alright?”

  “Certainly! Certainly.” He gestured with the ball of dough to indicate they had the place to themselves and then went back to kneading.

  Lowering her voice, Victoria turned back to Hannah. “So, what is it? Why weren’t you over at the hall for the gathering?”

  Hannah waved away the question. “I need to talk to Rocky. Do you have any idea where he could be?”

  “No.” Victoria pressed a hand to her chest. “What did you need to talk to him about?”

  Hannah pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long breath of air. And when she opened her eyes they were full of so much pain, Victoria took a step back.

  “You listen now, and you listen good. I cain’t tell you the whole story right now. And I only gots time to say this but once.” She bent forward and peered emphatically into Victoria’s face. “I think you might be in danger. Maybe Rocky and Jimmy too, and we gots to get some help.”

  The room turned dark around the edges and started to swirl, but Victoria gave her head a little shake and pulled in a long breath.

  Rocky in danger? Not now. Not again. Just when she’d decided to try to trust again. Just when Rocky had convinced her that maybe God didn’t have it out for her, but had good in mind for her…. She pressed her fingers to her temples, and sighed. “I’m listening.”

  “There’s a man in town. A bad man that I used to know and I got reason to believe he might want to hurt you.”

  “Me?!” Victoria clutched the pendant at her throat, her gaze darting to ChristyAnne and Damera still in Hannah’s arms. “Why would someone want to hurt me?”

  Would they hurt the children too? Wh
ere would the children end up if something were to happen to her?

  Hannah dismissed the shock in Victoria’s tone with a wave of her hand as she bent closer. “Listen now. We gots to get to Sean’s house and give him a message. Simon Saunders is in town. We’ll just tell him that and tell him to come to the office and look through his wanted posters.” Reaching out one hand, Hannah gave her shoulder a jolting shake. “Come on, now. Don’t you pass out on ol’ Hannah.”

  Victoria zinged the pendant on its chain, irritation tightening her shoulders. “I’m not going to pass out.”

  “Good.” Reaching over, Hannah pressed one hand to ChristyAnne’s back and guided her to the door, but her gaze never left Victoria. “Let’s go then. My buggy is next to the church. We’ll talk to Sean and get this all sorted out.”

  “Okay.” Victoria stared out the window. Her feet felt rooted to the floor.

  Impatiently, Hannah nudged her to the door.

  Dust from a passing wagon tickled her nose as she stepped out after Hannah and scanned in both directions. She didn’t even know who she was looking for!

  Her head lolling on Hannah’s shoulder, Damera had not a care in the world. Victoria envied her that.

  Hannah bustled as fast as she could, carrying the sound-asleep child.

  Victoria kept one hand to ChristyAnne’s back, her gaze roving the town. The lid on the soup pot gave a clank every once in a while when the girl was jolted by an uneven place in the boardwalk. The only other sound that broke the late afternoon stillness was the hollow thunk of their shoes and the creaking of Hannah’s buggy as they all climbed aboard and headed it down the road to Sean and Rachel’s place.

  Rachel answered the door within moments of their fervent knock and after one glance took a step back, one hand going to her throat. “Oh my. What is it?”