Rachel nodded.
He smoothed his hands down her arms in a loving gesture. “Rachel honey, you might be scared about what the town will think or say about us, but they’ll just have to work that out for themselves. I’m not worried about any of that. All I know is that I want you for my wife and I’m not going to hide it anymore! I love you now and I’ll love you forever. The question is, is it worth it to you? Is our love worth risking the town’s judgment and possibly their rejection?”
He knew he should tell her about the plan to capture Milton and make him confess, but he had to know if she was willing to take a risk for him and their love.
“Yes,” she said simply. “Our love is definitely worth it.”
They were just about to kiss when they heard a voice behind them.
“Well, hooray! And now that you two have kissed and made up, do you mind stepping out of my alley, please? All that sweet talkin’ and sparkin’ is upsetting my prisoners,” Lee said with his usual dry wit.
Caleb and Rachel looked in the direction Lee had pointed. Sure enough, there were three barred windows; and in two of them there were scruffy-looking faces pressed against the bars, giving them their rapt attention.
Lee thought it was hilarious. Caleb didn’t really care. But Rachel thought she’d simply expire of embarrassment.
Caleb shook his head, took Rachel by the arm, and escorted her back to the mercantile.
Lee’s laughter followed them all the way.
Chapter 16
When Rachel and Caleb arrived back at the mercantile, Caleb greeted Addie and Caitlin. Addie inquired about the children, and he told her that the Widow Miles was watching them for him.
She took off her apron and tossed it on the counter. In her usual direct style, Addie bluntly said, “Well, I guess you two will want to kiss and make up, so I’ll just go upstairs. Holler when you’re done.”
With that, she and Caitlin left the room.
Caleb rubbed his chin and chuckled. “The woman never ceases to amaze me!” He looked down at Rachel with laughing eyes. “Now about the kissing and making up, it sounds like a good idea to me!” he teased, his eyebrows moving up and down.
Rachel put her hand up as if to stop him. “No kissing until you tell me what you were doing in the sheriff’s office!”
Caleb shrugged cautiously. “Lee and I are friends.”
She studied him a moment and decided that he was acting too casual, as if he were trying to hide something.
“Caleb, I want to know what is going on. Are you having trouble with those outlaws that you once knew? Because if you are, I would like to know!”
Caleb could see that she was becoming upset, so he took her hand and set about calming her. “This is about Milton Pierce,” he told her truthfully.
She was confused. “What about him? I thought he was off in Houston somewhere.”
Caleb shook his head. “He’s been running with the Jenkins gang. Apparently he got himself shot while running from a stage robbery. They didn’t catch him, but they knew he was hurt pretty bad. Lee just found out that he’s gone to his father’s ranch.”
Rachel’s eyes grew large. “Is he going to be arrested?”
“Just as soon as Lee can get to him. But the sheriff thinks he may have a tough time. Jebediah’s hiding him, not admitting to anyone that he’s there.” He paused and looked at her seriously. “We’re going to go in and get him.”
“We? Tell me you’re not going with the sheriff, Caleb. You could get yourself killed. Jebediah’s probably got his men guarding the place! What if—”
He let go of her hand and placed his hand across her mouth. “I know what I’m doing, Rachel. I feel like I need to do this. For you … and for me, too. He deserves to be behind bars, not only for his recent crimes, but for what he did to you. I aim to help make sure that he gets his due.”
Taking his hand away from her face, she put both her arms around him. “Caleb, I understand, but I’m scared for you. I wouldn’t want you to get killed for me. He’s just not worth it.”
He wrapped her in his arms and held her close. “I love you, Rachel, and I’m not going to do anything foolish. All right?”
She nodded against his chest, but he could feel her shaking. He could tell her that they were going to try to get Milton to sign a confession about the rape, but he didn’t want to get her hopes up. Instead, he comforted her the best way he knew how. And that was to make her laugh.
He leaned back from her embrace and arched a brow. “We could try that kiss now. You know we’ve been accused of kissing or wanting to kiss twice now. I don’t think we should disappoint our accusers, do you?”
It worked. She laughed. “You are a crazy man, Caleb Stone!”
He grinned. “Do you like to kiss crazy men?”
“I like to kiss this crazy man,” she said saucily. She surprised him by standing on her tiptoes and kissing him sweetly.
He returned her kiss and stored it in his memory so that he would be able to recall it later that night if things got tough.
Okay. So maybe that wasn’t his only reason for kissing her.
It was nighttime when they rode up to the ranch. They had the place completely surrounded with eight men. Lee and Caleb would do the confronting. The others would back them up.
Thus far, they’d only seen one of Jebediah’s men. They had him covered; but Lee thought there would be at least three men, according to one of Jebediah’s former ranch hands.
A bird whistle sounded, alerting Caleb and Lee that another man had been spotted.
One to go.
Quietly, they crept behind a wagon, then darted behind a bush along the side of the house.
“Now what?” Caleb asked.
“I don’t know,” Lee answered. “I’m worried about there being another one of his men about. Chances are he’s not even out here, but I hate to take that chance.” He studied the windows and roof line of the house.
They sat there for another ten minutes; and when it appeared that all was clear, Lee gave the signal and he and Caleb ran for the door. They were almost there when they heard a warning whistle. Without thinking, they dove to the ground just as a gun fired.
“Aargh!” Lee cried and grabbed his shoulder.
Caleb looked his way, then turned to see if another shot was coming. One of Lee’s men had taken care of the gunman, though, by clubbing him over the head with the butt of a pistol. Caleb hoped that was the last one because, danger or no danger, he had to see about Lee.
He crawled over to where the lawman lay on his back, writhing in pain. Caleb quickly tore open his shirt and checked the wound. Thankfully, Caleb found that the slug had gone all the way through and the wound wasn’t bleeding too badly. He ripped the rest of Lee’s sleeve off and tied it tightly around the wound.
Lee had managed to bring himself under control, although his shoulder hurt like the dickens! “I’m all right. Just let me up.”
“You need to stay put or you’ll bleed to death!” Caleb argued.
Lee winced as he sat up. “Just who’s in charge here? Me, the sheriff, or you, the preacher?”
Caleb snorted and gave him a hand. “All right, you lead, and I’ll catch you when you pass out.”
Lee didn’t find that funny. He shrugged off Caleb’s hand.
With his good arm, Lee banged on the door. “Open up, Pierce. I know that you can’t be so deaf as to not have heard that gunshot, so come on out here!”
Sure enough, Jebediah’s voice came from behind the door. “I ain’t got nothing you want, Sheriff. You got no right to be on my land.”
“Pierce, I’m standing here with a bullet hole in my shoulder and I’m not in the mood for games. Now, either you just open up this door or my men are going to just start shootin’ until you do!” Lee ordered.
Slowly the door opened, and Jebediah came around it, holding his shotgun at the ready. He looked at the pale, wounded sheriff and then at his partner.
His eyes grew wide
as saucers. “Brother Caleb?” he sputtered with disbelief.
Caleb shook his head in disgust and came forward. “Put that gun away before you hurt somebody else, Pierce.” He took Lee by the arm and pushed Jebediah’s gun aside. Caleb helped Lee inside the house to a chair, then lowered him down into it.
He checked the wound and saw that the bleeding had slowed. Absently he asked Jebediah, “You got any whiskey on hand? We need to make sure that wound doesn’t get infected.”
Pierce took offense at the question. “I don’t keep spirits of any kind in this house, Brother Caleb!”
“No, you just harbor criminals here, eh, Jebediah?” Caleb shot back.
Lee pushed Caleb’s hand away. “Stop fussing around me like an old woman, Preacher. I told you I was all right; I just need to sit down a moment. Now, let’s get what we came here for.” He turned his irritated gaze to Jebediah. “Where is he, Pierce? And don’t tell me you don’t know what we’re talkin’ about.”
Jebediah looked from the preacher to the sheriff and let out a defeated breath. He motioned toward the hallway.
“He’s in the last bedroom on the right.”
Lee got up, and he and Caleb walked back to where Pierce had directed them. They let themselves in and saw Milton lying in bed, his arm in a heavy bandage. He was still asleep, and it gave Caleb great pleasure to wake him.
He yanked the covers off the bed and pulled Milton’s skinny legs to the floor.
“Hey, what’s this all about? What are you doin’?” he muttered as he rubbed his eyes and pushed his hair out of his face.
Caleb was the first person he was able to focus on. Milton sneered, “What are you doing here, preacher man? Heard that Jenkins was out for your hide? I’d be running scared if I was you.”
Caleb just looked at him, stone-faced. “Jenkins is a sad, pathetic man who uses men like you to do things that he’s too chicken to do himself. And you, Milton. You’re a selfish man who thinks that he can take what he wants and do what he wants without paying a price for it. You believe Daddy will always get you out of a fix. Well, this time it ain’t gonna happen. This time, you will pay.”
The click of a gun switched Milton’s attention to the second person in the room. He’d not even noticed him there.
Lee, his gun cocked and aimed, said dryly, “I still think you missed your calling, Preacher. I couldn’t have said it better myself.” He bent down and picked up a pair of wrinkled pants from the floor and threw them at Milton. “Now, stand up real slow and nice, Pierce. We’re gonna take a little ride and lock you up in a nice cozy cell. How does that sound?”
Milton threw Lee a look of hatred but didn’t say a word. He stood, yanked on his pants, and let Lee escort him out of the room.
When Caleb came back into the parlor where Jebediah still stood, he stopped. “You have never done him any good by taking up for him when he didn’t deserve it. You’ve let him get away with rape, and you almost let him get away with thieving and robbing.”
Jebediah looked older than his fifty years. “He’s my boy, Brother Caleb. It was my obligation to look after him.”
Caleb shook his head sadly. “To look after him, yes. To lie and cover for his bad behavior, no. Milton has a lot he’s going to have to answer to the law for. You, Jebediah, have to answer to God for what you’ve done.” He gripped the man’s arms. “It’s not too late, Jebediah. It’s never too late with God.”
Jebediah looked up at Caleb, then looked away and gave him a vague nod. It would take time, but Caleb was not about to give up on the man. God could work a miracle in Jebediah’s life just like he had in Caleb’s own.
That night, he let himself into his empty house. The kids had spent the night with Mrs. Miles; and for the first time in a while, he was all alone.
He readied himself for bed; but before he lay down, he fell to his knees and prayed.
He prayed that God would take away the bitterness he felt for Milton and Jebediah. He prayed that God would allow Milton to sign a confession about the rape so that Rachel could be free of the stigma she’d lived under.
And last, he gave thanks to God for the wonderful woman He had given him and prayed that he could be the man she desired and deserved. Someone who could help erase all the hurt and pain she’d felt over the past three years. Someone who would give her all the love and devotion that she’d always dreamed of.
He was such a different man than he used to be—he’d learned that tonight. He didn’t feel the need to use his gun to settle a score or to use physical force to get his point across to Milton. Instead, he felt like he was in control of his anger and his emotions.
He was growing. Maturing. And hopefully he was becoming the man God wanted him to be.
Rachel was still awake, though the hour was late. She’d been worried about Caleb and had been praying that he would be all right.
What a man he was. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he was real. He was a man who would always be her champion, who would always cherish and protect her, and who would always show her how much he loved her. He already did those things. He was her love. He was her very best friend.
She thought back to the prayer she’d prayed just three years before. Please give me one more chance, God….
And He had given her His best.
Chapter 17
As Caleb entered the jail cell occupied by Milton Pierce, he noticed that Milton’s eyes were bloodshot and that his hand shook as he ran it through his greasy blond hair.
Lee, who’d insisted on being there despite his pain, motioned for Caleb to sit on the chair across from Milton.
Caleb thought about what he was feeling as he sat down across from the man who had all but destroyed Rachel’s life three years ago. He had thought he’d feel rage, but at the moment he felt nothing but pity.
Lee looked at the man and started the meeting. “Pierce, I know you’re aware that the penalty for your crimes could put you in a hangman’s noose if you’re convicted. And since we have two reliable witnesses who have placed you at two of the stage robberies, your chances of being found innocent are practically nil,” he told the man bluntly. “You do understand this?”
Milton, his face pale with fright, nodded.
“I want you to testify against Jenkins and any of his men that we manage to arrest. But that’s not all we want from you.” He looked at the preacher and then back at Milton.
“From your response to him last night, I know that you’re aware that this man is Reverend Caleb Stone. You also know that he’s acquainted with Jenkins and he’s been helping me with this case. But he also has an interest in one of your crimes that has apparently gone unpunished.”
Milton turned his suspicious gaze to the intimidating man sitting beside the lawman. “I know what you want. Yancy told us how you’ve been sneaking around and seeing her. You ain’t the first one that’s seen her,” he said crudely, with a nasty smile on his face.
All pity he’d felt for the man fled. He leaned forward in his chair, and Milton was no longer facing Caleb Stone the preacher. Milton was facing the man that Jenkins and the boys had said was colder than ice and harder than nails. He knew he was looking into the face of C. J. Stone.
“Let me tell you what’s going to happen, Pierce. Lee’s going to hold a town meeting in about an hour. At that time, I either read a signed statement saying that you’re guilty not only of robbing those stages but also of the assault and rape of Rachel Branigan, or that judge is going to find himself with absolutely no mercy. If that happens, before you can so much as sneeze, you’ll find your scrawny neck inside a hangman’s noose!”
Milton swallowed hard and began to sweat. “What do I get out of this … this deal?” he asked nervously, his eyes shifting back and forth between the two men.
Lee took over the conversation. “If you agree to testify and sign a confession to the rape, I can guarantee you a minimum of seven years in a state prison; and then you’ll have to sign a statement that you’ll never c
ome within two hundred miles of Springton before you can be released. If you do, the original charges will apply, and you’ll be prosecuted and returned to prison.”
Without hesitation, he agreed.
Rachel stood in front of Prudence Primrose’s door and lifted her hand to knock. She couldn’t think of why Prudence had sent her the note asking to see her. She hoped it was because she was now sorry for threatening Rachel. It would be wonderful if she and Prudence could talk this out and come to an understanding.
But it wasn’t Prudence who greeted her at the door. It was a man. A man with a gun pointed right at her chest.
“Get on in here, woman, but walk in nice and slow,” the man growled at her from under his bandanna.
Terrified, Rachel did as she was told. She was then shoved roughly to the floor. Painfully she sat up and looked around the room.
Prudence was standing on the other side of the room, staring at her. Confused, Rachel looked back at the gunman. “What’s going on?” she cried.
They ignored her, and Prudence walked over to where the gunman was. “I’ll just be leaving now. You’ve got what you wanted.”
Yancy Jenkins laughed an ugly laugh. “You ain’t going nowhere.” He grabbed her by the arm, ignoring her protests, and shoved her on the floor behind Rachel. With swift movements, he tied their hands together behind their backs.
He checked them carefully; and after deciding that the ropes were secure, he left the house.
As soon as the door closed, Rachel asked, “What is this all about?”
“Don’t get all huffy with me, missy. I don’t know what they want. All I know is that they made me write you that note and promised that I could go free once you got here.”
Rachel wondered how much of a hardship it had been for her to write that letter. “Why you? Why are they here?”
She felt Prudence shrug. “I suppose they stopped at the first place they came upon that was away from town. I’m just glad that Patience is off at a friend’s house this morning.”
Rachel realized that these men must be the gang of outlaws that Caleb told her about. And if that were true, Caleb was in trouble. Please, God, she prayed, protect Caleb.
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