The next two minutes were agonizing as they made their way toward the hole in the wall. He wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the skin-ripping wood and nails. When he was nearly through the hole, he used every ounce of strength he had to push her up and through to safety.
Clint picked up her limp form and headed for the front of the building. Spencer helped Adam since his legs didn’t seem to want to work.
“Hang on, cousin. I’ve got you.” Spencer pulled him through the whole the rest of the way. After he got to his feet, Adam lurched forward. He would have landed on his head if Spencer hadn’t stopped him.
Adam spotted Clint carrying Eve toward a waiting Elias and Tabitha. Then blackness overtook him and he knew no more.
Chapter Fifteen
Eve coughed so hard she thought perhaps her lungs might be expelled through her throat. She was grateful for a glass of cool water and a wet cloth on her face.
“You’ll be all right, Eve.” Elias’s voice was calm and soothing in her ear. He was a very good doctor. She’d seen evidence of that already, of course, and now he was doctoring her.
She tried to pull in air, but her body rejected it. Eve coughed until she almost vomited. She heard voices talking around her while her head buzzed and she drifted in and out of consciousness.
“I need to see her.” A raspy voice pulled her from the dream state she floated in. “Please, I need to see her.”
“You’re a stubborn cuss, you know that?” Tabitha spoke to the man. “You need to let Elias take care of both of you. She was in the smoke longer and needs more help. If you’d lie still, you might not bleed to death.”
Eve told her eyes to open. Her thoughts were jumbled, but she knew she had to tell them what she knew. “Reverend.” The word jumped out of her mouth, but it sounded more like a croak.
“What’s that?” Tabitha leaned closer, her brown eyes concerned. “I’m here, Eve.”
“She’s awake?” The raspy-voiced man grew closer.
“Oh hell, he’s crawling to her.”
“Someone help him before he does damage to the wounds he already has.”
“Adam, let me help you.”
“Stubborn fool.”
Eve was confused by all the words flying around, but then there was a warm body beside her. She knew who it was without seeing him.
“Adam.” It was a whisper, but he must’ve heard her.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry.” He sounded like he’d been gargling rocks instead of collecting them.
Tears burned her eyes. “It was the minister.”
“I know.” Adam’s words didn’t make sense. “Spencer figured it out. We were trying to find him when we saw the fire.”
She pressed her head into his familiar shoulder. He smelled of smoke, sweat and blood, but she didn’t care. He smelled alive.
“You saved me.”
“Spencer and Clint helped me. We took you out through a hole in the wall.” He coughed and she heard the same struggle in his lungs she was feeling.
“You two are terrible patients.” Elias knelt beside them, his face highlighted by the fire across the street and the lanterns around them. “You won’t sit still and let me doctor you.”
Adam groaned. “If you can see your way to helping us now, I’d be grateful.”
Eve waited while Elias checked both of them. He was very thorough and gentle.
“If you hadn’t been on the floor, you probably would be dead.” Elias listened to her heart with a stethoscope. “The air down low is cleaner. The pain you have in your lungs right now is from the smoke.”
She held back a cough as he finished his examination. Then he moved to Adam.
“You tore up your skin pretty good. I’ll need to stitch you after I pick out all the splinters.”
“She’s worth it.” Adam kissed her hair, no matter how dirty it was.
“I’m going to get the wagon to take you two home.” Elias got to his feet and left the two of them lying in the cool grass alone. The sound of the fire fighting continued around them.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” She barely recognized her own voice. Both of them sounded like different people. Perhaps they were, after all they’d been through. She had had her world turned upside down. Again.
“I told you I’d keep you safe.” He sounded like his tongue was heavy and he couldn’t make it work well. “Love you, Eve.”
She let the tears fall, unable to contain the emotion she felt for this man. “I love you too, Adam.”
Silence met her confession. She managed to get up on one elbow, only to find Adam unconscious. He was still breathing, but she was worried he’d been more injured than she had.
“Fight it. Don’t give up.” She kissed his sooty cheek. If she wasn’t careful, she would lose the man she’d come to love. No matter what his uncle threatened her with, she had realized when she was facing death, Adam was her future. Without him she would be lost.
Life was so close she could almost touch it. She only hoped they would both survive long enough to enjoy it.
* * * * *
Adam awoke in the back of the wagon as he bounced through the streets of Tanger. The horses were moving at a slow pace, but there were always holes to navigate. Full darkness had fallen and the lightning bugs flew through the air around them. Eve lay beside him, still but alive. He closed his eyes again.
When he awoke a second time, he blinked and realized he was alone.
He sat up and saw he was at his house. Lights blazed as he saw the men carrying Eve up the front steps. He lay back down and waited. His lungs burned, along with the skin on his hands and torso. He was thankful to be breathing and complaining to himself about the pain. Eve was alive too. She would need care, but she would survive.
Thank God they’d arrived there in time and had gotten her out before the fire killed her. The good reverend now had arson and attempted murder to hang on his shoulders. Adam would make sure the man paid for what he’d done.
“You’re not dead, are you?” Uncle Zeke leaned over the side of the wagon, half his face hidden in shadows.
“No. Still kicking.” Adam’s throat burned with every word that he was able to squeeze out.
“Good. It appears your wife was busy burning my jail down.” Zeke was such a serious person much of the time Adam wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.
“Reverend Rockwell.” Adam was taken by a fit of coughing. “Talk to Spencer.”
“My son has been doing my job instead of asking me to do it.” That was definitely anger in the sheriff’s tone. “Clint found me when you, Spencer and Tabitha were gallivanting around after the good reverend. I caught Rockwell and his cohort, Wade, leaving town on some borrowed horses, with enough stolen merchandise to send them to prison for life. Seems the minister has sticky hands and plenty of the missing goods from townspeople were in his saddlebags.”
“It’s worse than that.” Adam’s anger returned. “He was the reason Eve suffered when she was an innocent young girl. And that son of a bitch tried to kill her.”
Zeke patted Adam’s arm. “I got most of the story from Wade. As soon as I arrested both of them, that weasel started blaming everything on the man who ‘controlled’ him.”
“Thank God.” Adam’s eyes burned. “People have used and abused her all her life. I won’t let anyone hurt her again.”
Zeke regarded him with his usual intense stare. “You’d be better off to send her on her way. She’s not good for you.”
Adam struggled to sit up, his body screaming in protest. “You’ve no right to judge her.”
“I’m not judging her. I’m trying to protect you. You’re my nephew and I love you. I barely know her, except that she’s had a checkered past.” Zeke sounded so damn logical. “You’re not really married to her either. I don’t think Reverend Rockwel
l is ordained.”
Adam had already considered that, but it didn’t make a difference. Not to him. “Then I’ll marry her again. I’ll find a damn ship’s captain and get married at sea. I’ll go to the fucking ends of the earth to keep her.” His throat was on fire from shouting, but he couldn’t keep the words inside. “I love her. There’s no logic to it, but I can’t and I won’t stop loving her.”
Zeke nodded. “I thought maybe you’d say that. I tried to scare her into leaving, but she’s still here.”
“You’re a son of a bitch, you know that?” Adam would have punched his uncle if he could have stood up to perform the deed. “Does that mean you were playing with us?” He seethed.
“I was making sure you both were committed. Marriage isn’t for the weak-willed. You started out in a tough place, Adam. Sometimes emotions get in the way of making the right decisions.” Zeke was calm, much to Adam’s annoyance.
He might not ever forgive his uncle. “You know, I listened to my father tell me for years to focus on the mill and stop wishing for something else. Stop playing with rocks and dreaming. I found my dream and her name is Eve. Nobody is going to convince me of anything different.”
“Naomi would tell me to let it go and allow you two to do what you want. I can’t help protecting my family. If you’re sure about her, then I’ll do just that.” Zeke straightened. “I’ve got to bring my prisoners over to the Briar Creek jail to secure them. I sent a telegram to the Rangers and they’re going to meet me there.”
Just like that, the danger and stress from Wade was over. “What about Gonzalez?”
“He’s at the hotel with his sister and Jesse. Appears your cousin and Matilda have gotten cozy.”
Adam was surprised to hear that, given how they’d been sniping at each other earlier. “Does he know about the prisoners?”
“I’m going to stop there on the way out of town. Might be able to convince him to drop the charges against Eve if I can give him the good reverend.” Zeke held out his hand and Adam shook it. No matter what, he knew his uncle did what he did out of love. “You let Elias fix you up. You look like shit.”
With that, Zeke disappeared and everyone returned to help Adam upstairs. Things would be right with the world and he would remarry his wife. The future beckoned, no longer clouded by the past.
* * * * *
The sun shone brightly outside and streamed in through the white curtains in the room. Eve blinked and looked around, disappointed to find herself alone in the room she’d slept in originally. She wanted to wake up with Adam, to feel his strong arms around her.
She was sore from head to foot, as though she’d rolled down a rocky hill. Her throat burned and her chest was heavy and painful, but she was alive. The horrible man who had been the puppet master in her life was gone. Tabitha had told her Zeke arrested the minister and Wade with a load of stolen goods and church money.
Eve was free. She was also not married to Adam. She wondered if he’d realized it yet. She’d been nothing but trouble to him since they met. Their marriage had been an impulse. Now that he knew the truth about her, would he want to marry her again?
She would love him for the rest of her life and she would respect his decision, no matter what it was. She now knew what love was, what family and home meant. He’d given her that gift and she could never repay him for it. That was precious to her.
As she lay in the bed, a knock sounded at the door. “Come in.”
Adam’s beloved face appeared in the doorway. He smiled at her. “Good morning.” His voice was still as rough as it had been the night before, just as hers was.
She smiled back, her heart light. “Good morning.”
He came into the room with his chest and hands wrapped in bandages His face had a few cuts and blisters and one cheek was red, as though he’d been burned.
She’d never seen such a beautiful sight.
“Elias is here checking on Pa. He wants to go to the Founder’s Day celebration and Mama is refusing to let him.” Adam sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “Elias wants to check on you too.”
“I’m sore, but I’m all right.” She sat up, vaguely remembering Rose helping her into a nightgown last night. “Thirsty too.” The memory of the milk laced with opium tried to insert itself into her mind, but she pushed it aside.
Her past had burned with the jail and she wasn’t going to allow it to rebuild itself again. She was stronger than she had been, even if her body was weak.
“Do you want to get dressed and have some breakfast?” He kissed the back of her hand.
“Not yet. I’d like you to sit beside me for a spell.” She scooted over while he crawled into her bed.
“Mama won’t like this.” Adam raised his arm and she snuggled beneath it.
“Because we’re not really married?” The words tasted like sawdust, but they had to be said.
“Because we’re not married.” He kissed her softly. “It doesn’t matter to me. You’re my wife, no matter what.”
Her heart leapt at his statement. “Are you sure?”
“Sweetheart, I spent my life being unhappy with my lot. I didn’t like flour. I didn’t like the mill. I didn’t know what I wanted.” He ran his hand down her arm. “Then I had an accident with a wagon full of flour and found my reason for living in the cloud of white. It was you, Eve. You were what was missing.”
She managed, with effort, to swallow the lump in her throat. “I’m no prize, Adam. You know everything I’ve done.”
“I know that I love you. That’s all that’s important.” He leaned back and looked at her, his blue eyes full of love. He opened his right palm to reveal a green stone the size of her thumbnail. “Will you marry me?”
She thought of all the reasons why she should say no. Of the past she couldn’t erase and of the future she wanted so much. How could she possibly live without this man?
“I love you too.” She took the rock from him with shaking hands. “I’d be proud to marry you.”
* * * * *
Adam waited outside the bedroom while Eve dressed. If they weren’t married, it wasn’t proper for him to be seeing her nude, even though he wanted nothing more than to stay in that room and pleasure both of them. However, neither was in any condition to enjoy it. That would come when they both healed up from the fire.
She joined him, wearing the blue gingham dress she’d worn at their wedding. She’d brushed her hair and secured it in a ribbon. Her face had burns and scratches, but her smile was breathtaking.
“You look beautiful.”
She shook her head. “I surely don’t feel it.” She took his arm.
“You can believe me. You are.” They were walking down the hall towards his parents’ room when Rose burst from the room, her face ashen.
Adam grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. She shook against him and he couldn’t imagine what had happened to upset her. Rose was a tough girl who didn’t let much upset her.
“What is it?” He rubbed her back while she trembled against him.
“P-pa. He was crying. It s-scared me.”
Adam met Eve’s concerned gaze. He took Rose’s hand and walked into the room. She resisted for a moment but then moved back to hang on to Eve’s hand instead.
Elias had just unwrapped Pa’s shoulder. The skin was puckered and angry looking, with dozens of stitches marching up and down his arm and shoulder. There was a chunk of skin missing that Elias had managed to pull the edges together to cover. The only good thing was the wound showed no sign of infection and shone pink in the morning light.
Mama sat on the other side of the bed, holding Pa’s hand. Tears rolled down his face as Elias probed the wound. Bella was in the corner, watching with wide eyes.
“I don’t have to ask if you can feel that.” Elias touched the stitches with only two fingers.
“I can feel it all right. Good thing your aunt is holding my hand or I might punch you.” Pa spoke through his teeth.
Elias glanced at Eve. “Can you help me?” She extricated herself from Rose and went over to help his cousin. “Hold his hand steady while I check the bones.” Elias and Eve examined Pa with patience and gentle touches.
Adam sat in the chair and pulled his youngest sister onto his lap. He heard feet on the stairs and spotted all four of his uncles in the doorway. They met Pa’s gaze and all five of them communicated silently. The Devils had always had a way to speak without moving their mouths.
Adam supposed he had a similar relationship with the six wonders of the world. The cousins were as close as they could be, the product of the five men who’d begun their lives anew in Texas. They’d built their families, their homes and their futures together.
Now their children were following in their parents’ footsteps and establishing their own households. Adam had always considered his family to be loud, noisy and annoying. Now he recognized the foolishness of his juvenile thoughts. His family was the true treasure in his life, along with Eve.
All of them were there for his father, giving him support, even if there was nothing they could do. He wanted to build his own life with Eve and his cousins beside him. There was nothing he couldn’t do with his family by his side.
When Pa moved his arm, everyone clapped and cheered.
“Hell, that hurt like a bitch,” Pa gasped.
Elias smiled. “Good. That means you’re healing.”
A cheer rose up in the hallway and Adam knew his cousins were out there. Everyone was there for Pa. This was what life was all about.
Eve met Adam’s gaze with tears shining in her deep-blue eyes. He smiled at her.
“This is a good time to tell you all that Eve consented to be my wife. Again.” More cheers from the hallway. His uncles all nodded, except Zeke. He inclined his head in Adam’s direction, his only outward sign of approval. “When everyone is healed and on their feet, maybe we can have a wedding with a real preacher.”
Congratulations echoed around the room. Adam reached deep and knew it was time to make another decision to alter the course of his life.
Adam, Devils on Horseback: Generations, Book 1 Page 17
