Shotgun Bride (Book Six of the Brides of the West)

by Hestand, Rita

  "How did you happen to know about that verse in the bible?" Shannon asked as she rode up beside him.

  Jesse looked down the long canyon. "Same verse they read over my daddy, many years ago. It was his favorite too."

  She seemed to study him for a moment, then nodded. "It was a beautiful verse. I'm going to have to take up reading that book."

  "It's a good one to read…" He remarked.

  They moved, but slower now. Their eyes were on the rocks and on the shadows in the woodlands.

  Danger was all around and fear built.

  "Why don't they attack and get it over with?" Billy asked his voice rising to near hysteria.

  "Don't worry about that, they will. But they'll wait until they have the advantage. So keep your pistol ready." Jesse advised.

  "What about us? You just gonna let us die?" Thornton hollered a frown growing on his face.

  "When the time comes, Darrel will throw you a gun. Not until. Understood?" Jesse hollered back at them.

  "What if they kill you first?" Thornton asked.

  "Then you'll have to figure it out yourself, Thornton. I'll be dead." Jesse smiled.

  Jesse reined his horse in by Shannon. "Here, keep this for yourself. Use it if you have to. Don't think about it, just use it. Okay?"

  She nodded taking the gun from his hand. She slipped it inside her saddlebag though.

  Darrel looked behind him at Susan. "Reload for me, when it starts."

  She nodded.

  They were going down a steep and dangerous hill when the Indians attacked. Hollering and whooping, they jumped out of nowhere. Arrows whizzed by as they scrambled for some kind of cover.

  One Indian jumped on Darrel, knocking Susan off the horse and the baby yelled and screamed as they nearly tumbled down the cliff.

  Susan tried to comfort her child, while Darrel struggled with the Indian. Over and over they rolled, dust flying, rocks scattering, and blood gushing.

  Darrel was able to force the knife in the Indian's hand into his side and he keeled over dead. Susan turned her head away.

  Darrel ran to Susan's side, covering her and the baby.

  An arrow pierced Shannon in the shoulder and she managed to shoot an Indian that was trying to force her off her horse, before she bent over in agony.

  Jesse was shooting every which way and glancing at her too. He saw the arrow sticking out of her shoulder and tried to get to her, but a brave jumped on him. With one right hook, Jesse sent him down to the ground, and then moved his horse to trample the Indian.

  Shannon was almost losing consciousness.

  "Hang on Sweetheart," Jesse called to her as he blasted another brave who attempted to scalp her.

  Billy was firing his gun that Darrel tossed to him when he heard Jimmy John. He swiftly grabbed his rifle and threw it at Jimmy John.

  Catching it, Jimmy John began firing at the Indians.

  Elmer saw Billy trying to throw him a gun and he missed catching it. The Indian in front of him caught the gun and shot Elmer dead on the spot. Out of bullets, the Indian tossed the gun down.

  Thornton was hiding in the bushes.

  When Jimmy John saw one of the braves trying to scalp Shannon, he shot him dead. Jesse saw it and nodded to Jimmy John.

  It was a long heated struggle but in the end, they managed to run the braves off after a half a dozen lie on the ground, dead.

  It had been a small party and Jesse was thankful.

  Jesse ran to Shannon and took her off her horse. "Let's get you taken care of." He whispered near her ear as he carried her in his arms to a rock and leaned her there.

  While she was out of it, he jerked the arrow out of her shoulder and laid his hand over it, to stop the bleeding. Not having the proper tools to work with, he looked around for something to help him stop the bleeding.

  Jimmy John saw what he was doing and hollered at him. "In my pocket, there's some tobacco that will stop the bleeding for a while. I've used it many a time."

  "Thanks Jimmy John." Jesse stared at him for a moment. "I owe you."

  He rushed to put it on her shoulder and stuffed it on the wound. The bleeding began to slow.

  As he glanced around, he soon realized it was too quiet and he almost knew what was coming before it hit.

  Jimmy John still had the rifle. Thornton came rushing out of the brush at Jimmy John, knocking him down and grabbing the rifle. Jimmy John struggled with him for a while, and then Thornton knocked him out and stood up over Jesse and the others.

  "Well now ranger. I'll thank you kindly if you'll undo these ropes." Thornton pointed the gun at Jesse.

  Billy came out of the brush and laughed. "I knew you'd take over soon. Just wondered what took you so long."

  Billy smiled sarcastically and laughed as he watched him. "Untie mine while you are at it."

  Jesse stared at them a minute, hoping Darrel hadn't been shot so he could get the upper hand on them.

  Thornton spotted Susan and headed straight for her. He grabbed her by the collar and held her against him. "Well now, lookie what I got."

  Darrel was now behind him, he rose up and looked at them, they hadn't paid any attention to him so he had an advantage.

  "Put the gun down, Thornton." Darrel stood up and faced them, his gun barrel in Thornton's back. His face was a wad of frowns and concern. "You're not going anywhere. Susan…move away from him, slowly."

  "You're kidding, right?" Thornton shot him a glance, as he kept the gun on Jesse.

  "Nope…put it down." Darrel's facial expression never changed.

  Jesse watched for a minute then moved toward Darrel.

  Darrel threw him a gun and once more Jesse had control of them.

  Billy stood stunned. "I thought you was our friend, Darrel."

  "Thanks Darrel." Jesse nodded with a smile.

  "I was waiting for him to try something." Darrel shook his head and lowered his pistol he grabbed Susan protectively to him. "I knew he would."

  Jesse took the rifle from Thornton and looked at him. "Nice try, Thornton. Guess we know how far we can trust you, don't we?"

  Elmer lay dead at their feet, and Jesse looked down at him. Elmer had never given Jesse a moment's trouble. Jesse felt something close to sadness creeping up on him as he stared at the old man.

  Thornton snarled. "I'll get you yet, ranger."

  Jimmy John was coming to. He rolled over, got to his feet in a hurry, and shot Thornton a glace. "You do that again Thornton and I'll kill you myself."

  "Ah…you wouldn't kill me. You had your chance at killing. I saw how yellow belly you were. You're all mouth."

  Susan quickly ran to her baby.

  Billy lowered his gun, and stared at Darrel. "Damn Darrel, I thought you were with us?"

  "You thought wrong. I got a chance to lead my life, and I'm taking that chance. You had the same choice Billy, but you chose differently. From now on, I'm with Jesse. And you better remember that."

  Thornton frowned. "You turncoat son of a bitch." Thornton yelled at Darrel.

  He looked at Jimmy John. "Some kind of leader you are. Why didn't you kill them when you had the chance?"

  Jimmy John got to his feet and looked about. "Is the doc gonna be all right?"

  He totally ignored Thronton.

  Jesse heard the concern in Jimmy John's face and was a bit surprised, but otherwise pleased by it.

  "I think so…" He sat down beside her.

  Jimmy John let out a smile at Jesse and sat down by the boulder to watch them.

  "You give a damn about that bitch?" Thornton wailed.

  "Look at Billy," Jimmy John studied Thornton. "She made that kid well, didn't she? Could you do that? She sewed up the ranger, helped Darrel. And you want to know why I want her alive? She's a doctor for goodness sake. The way things are going, we might need her. Those Indians aren't gone for good. That kid over there is the chief's grandson. He won't let him go…We need the doc. If you used your head, you'd know that." Jimmy John shook his head in d
isgust. "Besides, I like the doc. She's got a lot of guts for a woman. She came out west to make an honest living and nobody would give her the chance. But I would. I seen what she can do. That transfusion brought Billy back to life. Before, he was near death. Now look at him, as cocky as ever. And ungrateful little whimp."

  "I don't trust a one of you…" Thornton yelled.

  "Your choice, Thornton. But Jimmy John is right. They'll be back." Jesse nodded. "We'll be lucky to get out of this alive and with our scalps intact."

  He put a blanket over Shannon and built a fire. The feelings surging through him right now shocked him, because he felt so protective of her. Those feelings were foreign to him. He'd never been involved with a woman before, not that he didn't like them, enjoy them and appreciate their beauty, but he never let himself get tangled with one. He preferred whores because with them he knew he didn't have to feel anything. However, with Shannon, it was different; he had no choice in the matter. She was his wife, and nothing could erase that, right now.

  And then he shook his head…that was it! She was his 'wife'. Women were wives and mothers, and healers. And they brought beauty into the lives of the men who loved them.

  They weren't all cold and unfeeling like his stepmother had been. Some of them were like Shannon, soft, and comforting, and all the good things in life.

  The feeling of belonging took hold of him and made his emotions surface.

  All the while his mind wandered. He couldn't help but marvel at how Jimmy John had helped Shannon, Jesse couldn't forget that. It changed things. Despite his training, despite his upholding the law, his actions changed Jesse's mind about him. Shannon changed his mind about all of them to some extent…except Thornton and Billy. He knew they were hard cases.

  And then there was Wes' confession, that Jimmy John didn't kill anyone. That shocked Jesse.

  Thornton was guilty, in every respect. Billy would probably one day be another Thornton from the looks of it. But when the judge sentenced them, Jesse wondered how either of them would hold up to it.

  Thornton deserved whatever he got, but the only other one he had to worry about was Billy. It seemed even with all of Darrel's good intentions; Billy refused to take the high road.

  And Jesse had offered it to both of them. From the looks of it, Billy was one of those kids who thought he knew everything…and really knew nothing.

  As they made camp, Susan offered to help prepare a meal and showed them some things she learned in the Indian camps.

  "Thanks for the help" Jesse told her.

  "We gotta eat…" She sighed. "Besides, I owe you a lot."

  "You don't owe me anything." Jesse told her.

  He went to get water for more coffee and Darrel watched Susan prepare a meal for them as he watched over the baby. Jimmy John and Thornton settled down.

  "You missed your chance." Thornton snarled.

  "Right now, we got no chance, Thornton." Jimmy John promised.

  Jesse put the coffee on, and then he went to dig a grave for Elmer.

  He studied the old man's face. There was a certain kind of peace that seemed to surround the old man. As though maybe his last days were his best ones.

  "It's over for you Elmer, no more suffering for you." Jesse murmured.

  When he finished everyone gathered about. "Anyone want to say some words?"

  Darrel nodded. "Yeah, I will. Lord, Elmer wasn't a bad sort. He even had a little religion. I guess you know that better than we do. We're sorry to see him go, and we hope he's going to the right place. Amen."

  "Right place…hell you mean?" Thornton acknowledged. "Elmer wasn't a sinless person."

  "No one is…" Jesse murmured.

  "Maybe not, but I got a feeling Elmer might just make it up there…" Darrel smiled and looked to the sky.

  "He was guilty as sin. He would have hung if he'd have lived, and the devil would have hold of him. He ain't goin' to heaven. If there's no such a place."

  "You don't believe in heaven Thornton?" Darrel asked.

  "Maybe, maybe not."

  Billy joined them. "Why was you hidin' in the bushes, Thornton, I thought you had more guts than that."

  "Didn't have a gun. I'm not stupid." Thornton hollered. "I didn't bring these Indians down on us. That girl and her baby did. No use me dying for that. She ain't worth it. Why don't you give 'em what they want, Ranger?"

  "If you think that, why did you want her while ago?" Billy asked with a smart smirk on his face.

  "Because she's pretty, and so long on the trail makes me rangy, that's why."

  "It's over boys," Jesse came to stand before them, looking down on them as they spread out on the ground. "I'm dead tired, and I don't want to listen to anymore tonight. Get some sleep. Jimmy John, I'll remember what you did. Maybe you won't hang after all."

  Jimmy John eyed Jesse a minute and nodded. "Mighty decent of you ranger."

  "You really think he'll stand up for you?" Thornton shot Jimmy John a disgusted look.

  "Don't know, but I'd be obliged." Jimmy John nodded at Jesse. "Maybe I'm like Darrel; I'm getting tired of this life. Mighty tired. We rob a bank then spend six months to a year runnin' from it. Never seems to be a time to enjoy the money. Always havin' to look over our shoulder for the law. Yeah, a fella can get mighty tired of that, Thornton."

  Jesse nodded. "You know boys, in a skirmish you kind of find out who the good guys are and who the bad ones are. Shannon there, she taught me to not judge people so quickly. She was right. Now Billy, I won't speak up for you at your trial. Not unless that attitude of yours changes and fast. Jimmy John, I will speak up for you. Thornton, you haven't gained my trust, I'm sorry about that. Looks like you'll get what is coming to you, after all. I had you figured as braver than that."

  "Well hell, I didn't have a gun!" Thornton yelled.

  "And that's a good thing." Jesse replied with a smile.

  Darrel came up to Shannon. "She looks a might peaked."

  She came to and saw them all staring at her. "What happened, why is everyone staring at me?" She mumbled then shrieked from the pain in her shoulder.

  "How's the arm?" Jesse walked over to her and stared down at her.

  "It hurts, but I'll mend…in time. Who took the arrow out?"

  "I did." Jesse smiled.

  "Thanks."

  "You just lie down and rest. We are pushing onward tomorrow, I want you feeling better." He instructed. "I'll bring you something to eat."

  "Thanks," she smiled at him.

  After supper, she tried to lie down again, but the pain kept her moving about. Jesse came over to her with a bottle in his hand. "You look like you could use this." He gave her a swig.

  "I'm not used to the stuff." She sipped it slowly, feeling the fire it created all the way down her throat and into her stomach. She gave it back to him in a hurry. "It sure burns on the way down, doesn't it?"

  He pushed her hair from her face, pulled the blanket up over her and leaned over her to kiss her goodnight. Her cheeks flamed. "Goodnight Mrs. Cutler."

  She stared into his eyes that sparkled like diamonds.

  "Night." she whispered. "Mr. Cutler."

  Chapter Fourteen

  The whiskey put her to sleep and despite the fact that she was in pain, she had such a dream. Shannon woke up feeling better the next morning.

  It had rained the night before and everything looked so green. Shannon marveled at the beautiful scenery before her. She'd never seen country like this. Although it was hazardous to travel, it was breathtaking too. It wasn't like Oregon, with its forest and stately views; it was rugged, untamed and oh so beautiful.

  "Did I miss anything last night?" She asked Jesse, yawning and stretching. Her hair was down around her shoulders and she immediately tied it back once more.

  "Kind of. Jimmy John shot the Indian that was about to scalp you. He saved your life. He turned out pretty good. You were right about not judging them." Jesse smiled at her.

  Shannon glanced at Jimmy John who was
still sleeping. "He's a rough one, but I always thought inside, he was gentler. There was always something about him that made me not fear him so much."

  Jesse shook his head and smiled at her.

  "Did we lose anyone?"

  "Elmer. We buried him last night. Darrel tossed him a gun, and the Indian caught it instead." Jesse explained.

  Shannon saw the grave and her eyes misted.

  "The old man was pretty brave." Jesse commented.

  "I'm sorry he's gone."

  "What about Thornton?" She glanced over her shoulder at him.

  "He tried last night, but thanks to Darrel he didn't make it. I was right about him." Jesse sent her a slight smile.

  "You think the Indians will try again?"

  "Yeah…I do."

  "You have any ideas?" She asked.

  "I'm working on that…" He smiled at her.

  As the day wore on, Shannon noticed a lot of difference in the men, as though each one had chosen a side. Jimmy John was meeker now, almost humbled by the last attack. Thornton was hardened, and looked to be plotting his next escape plan. Billy rode the fence most of the time, but from his wisecracking, she figured he sided with Thornton more than Darrel and that was sad for the young man she had saved.

  Susan was quiet now, but she wasn't as relaxed as she had been. The baby seldom cried, and Susan still hovered over him all the time.

  As she went to get water for the coffee, Jesse followed her.

  "Did you sleep alright?" He asked.

  "Yes, of course, why?" Shannon looked at him with confusion.

  "You were moaning strangely in your sleep, just wondered if you were having night mares or something?"

  She tried not to smile or blush. "It was more or something."

  He watched her for a moment.

  "How old are you?" He asked out of the blue.

  "What?" She gasped turning to look at him.

  "Well you are my wife, and I don't know much about you. I don't even know how old you are." He stared at her with a slight smile.

  "I'm twenty five." She said. "Does that bother you?"

  "No…not in the least. Just curious was all."

  He started to turn and leave and she looked up at him. "How old are you?"