Immortal Cowboy

by Alexis Morgan

  His heart broke as the darkness washed over him.

  * * *

  The next time Wyatt grew aware of his surroundings, aware of himself, it was late in the day, getting on toward dinnertime. He was walking down the street in Blessing on his way to the mercantile to pick up a length of fabric that Amanda had ordered to make new shirts for both him and Billy.

  Before he got that far, he spotted that sneaky bastard Earl ducking into the saloon. What was he doing back in town? He veered off his intended path and followed Earl inside.

  The old clock on the wall said it was after five. In less than twenty-four hours from right now, he’d be dead and buried up on the hillside. Regrets wouldn’t change a thing so he ordered a beer and walked over to sit down with Earl. Even though he already knew the answers, he’d buy a few rounds to loosen up Earl’s tongue and start asking questions.

  Come sundown, he’d run the bastard out of town with a special message for the rest of the gang. They wouldn’t listen, not when they thought the town was easy pickings. Fine. At least he’d warned them.

  If this played out the way he expected it to, tomorrow they would die. Soon, the dust in the streets of Blessing would soak up their blood and their dying screams.

  Chapter 19

  Rayanne used to think Uncle Ray’s cabin was cozy and comfortable. She’d been rattling around inside for hours now, alone and lonely. She missed Wyatt. Plain and simple. If he hadn’t asked her to stay away until tomorrow, she would’ve headed straight for Blessing hours ago.

  She considered the wisdom of digging out her uncle’s old sleeping bag and camping out on the hillside overlooking the town. Anything to keep from missing a single minute of the drama about to unfold. But no, she’d promised to stay away today. For Wyatt’s sake, she’d stay right where she was.

  There had to be something to do. She considered stripping her bed and washing the sheets, but they carried Wyatt’s scent. She wasn’t ready to lose even that much of him.

  That left Uncle Ray’s room. She’d put off cleaning it out long enough. Bracing herself, she opened the door and took a determined step across the threshold. Listening to the silence, she realized the room now felt empty, abandoned. The memories were still there, but they were comfortable and familiar, their pain no longer fresh.

  She started by emptying the closet, sorting out the clothes that were usable from those that should have been tossed in the trash years ago. When that was done, she started on the chest of drawers. One glance in the top drawer had her grinning. How many pairs of socks did one man need?

  An hour later, everything was bagged up, labeled and sitting out on the deck. Eventually, she’d haul it all to town. After a quick break for lunch, she turned the mattress and made up the bed with fresh linens and another of the old quilts from the linen closet.

  Already the room seemed brighter, welcoming. Maybe it was time for her to leave her childhood room behind and move into this one. She’d think more about that later. Right now, she needed to go through the bedside table and the bookshelves, which didn’t take long. She set aside a few photographs that her mother might want along with some of Ray’s favorite books. By the time she was finished, the sun was setting.

  She’d worked herself into a pleasant exhaustion. Maybe she’d be able to sleep, after all. Food held little appeal, but as Wyatt had told her yesterday, she’d need all her strength to get through the next day—and all those days afterward.

  Thinking of Wyatt made her chest ache. She stared at the grainy photograph she’d kept pinned to the wall. He looked so grim in the picture, as if he’d forgotten how to smile. She knew better.

  She’d made it through twenty-four hours without him. The prospect of an entire future of such days weighed her down until it was hard to keep moving. After putting soup on to heat, she walked out onto the porch to watch the sun set. The spectacular display did nothing to lighten her mood.

  Where was Wyatt right now? By this time, that guy he used to ride with should have arrived in town. What was the man’s name? It started with a vowel. Irving? Ed? No and no. Earl. That was it. The two of them would share a few drinks, Wyatt buying them both shots of whiskey to lull Earl into revealing what he and the others were up to.

  Was Wyatt thinking of her at all? Could he even remember who she was now that he was caught up in his own life again? Was it selfish of her to not want to be the only one who hurt this much? Probably.

  With that cheery thought, she went back inside. She curled up on the couch, looking around for some kind of distraction. Nothing in Ray’s movie collection held any appeal, and she couldn’t focus well enough to follow the plot in the mystery she’d been reading.

  Finally, she reached for Ray’s journal. Maybe now would be the right time to finish reading it. Her heart hurt over the loss of her uncle, but she suspected that pain would pale in comparison to how she’d feel losing Wyatt, as well.

  At first her tears blurred the words on the page, but she blinked hard until Ray’s writing came back into focus.

  My time on the mountain is growing short. The doc says my heart is worn out, and I can’t say that I’m surprised. He tried to get me to move closer to town, but I’ve found it peaceful up here on the mountain and see no reason to change things this late in the game. I could probably live down below now, but maybe not. I know my sister has never understood my love for this place, but that’s all right. She never once felt the power of the mountain and the people that it claims as its own.

  I only catch the occasional glimpse of them passing through the woods, mostly in the summer as the time grows near for tragedy to play out again. I’ve gone years without watching it all happen, but I did climb to the belfry one final time last summer. I felt I owed Wyatt McCain that much for keeping me company for all these years. Granted, I didn’t talk to him much, but that was just me.

  Despite or maybe because of how the gunfight turned out, I’ve always felt a certain kinship for the man who put his own life on the line to protect the others in Blessing. I know all too well the cost of being a warrior in this world. Eventually, my heart will simply stop, and I will finally rejoin my unit.

  Rayanne, if you’re reading this, know that I loved you, and I’m so damned proud of the woman you’ve become. It’s my greatest hope that you’ll find a way to lay Blessing’s past to rest once and for all. That last summer you visited, you not only saw Wyatt McCain, but he heard and saw you. Your warning didn’t change the final outcome, but it did change a few things.

  I tried for years afterward to do the same, but with no luck. I have to think that somehow you managed to forge a special connection between you and Wyatt. Not sure how or why. Maybe because you still had the innocence of a child.

  One thing I do know is that a man’s soul can’t find peace until he forgives himself for the things that he’s done in his life. Once I managed to do that, the ghosts of my past finally faded away.

  But enough of this. Embrace the mountain, Rayanne, because it has chosen to share its secrets with you.

  Uncle Ray

  She reread the last few paragraphs, their truth resonating with what she believed. Wyatt needed to forgive himself because no one else who mattered held him responsible for Billy’s death. Amanda certainly hadn’t blamed him, and Rayanne knew the price he’d paid for his mistake. A hundred-plus years of Wyatt reliving his own personal hell was punishment enough. She could only hope that her love and her promise to try to save Billy would finally help Wyatt let go of his pain.

  An hour later she crawled into bed, breathing deeply of his scent on her pillow. It eased her heart almost as if he’d been there to hold her close all night long.

  But only almost.

  * * *

  By the time she awoke the next morning, the sun had already cleared the horizon. Realizing how late it was, she lurched out of bed and gra
bbed some random clothes and ran for the bathroom.

  How could she have slept so late on such an important occasion? She’d meant to be in town before sunrise, hoping to watch it all unfold. What if she’d already missed her chance to affect the outcome of the day’s events?

  She ran a brush through her hair and charged down the steps to the kitchen. Pausing only long enough to grab a couple of bottles of water and a box of granola bars to shove in her pack, she headed out the door.

  To her horror, she wasn’t alone. This time it wasn’t the ghostly remnants of Blessing standing in the meadow outside of the cabin. No, the three people climbing out of the car were far scarier. Her parents were bad enough, but it was the third member of the group that left her mouth as dry as cotton.

  She walked down the steps, her heart in her throat. Rather than try to talk when she wasn’t even sure she could swallow, she stopped to take a swig of water first. It didn’t help much. “Mom, Dad, Dr. Long, what an unpleasant surprise. I’m assuming you’ll be leaving soon.”

  Judging from the looks and nods they exchanged, that wasn’t the smartest approach she could’ve taken. Her father stepped forward, clearly planning on being the spokesperson for their group.

  “Rayanne, I’m sorry we came unannounced, but we all know you would have told us to stay away. Your mother has been very worried about you.”

  Oh, brother. Her own worry for Wyatt lit her already short fuse.

  “Why? Because I inherited Uncle Ray’s estate instead of her? Or because I didn’t leap at the chance to sleep with Shawn when she sent him up here, hoping I’d do just that? Hell, the only thing that he was missing was a big red bow with an ‘Open me next’ tag on his shirt.”

  Her mother gasped in outrage. “Rayanne! I did no such thing.”

  “Then how did he find his way up here, Mom? I sure didn’t tell him where to find me. That alone should have told you that there was nothing serious between the two of us.” At least not on her part.

  Her father shot his ex-wife a dark look. “Is that true, Lana? Did you send him up here without asking Rayanne how she felt about him first?”

  “Well, she never even gave the man a decent chance. While she spends all of her time caught up in research, life is passing her by.”

  Then her mother did an end run around her father to get right in Rayanne’s face. “Shawn is perfect for you. I thought if the two of you spent some time together away from the college and away from this place,” she snarled, pointing at the cabin, “that maybe, just maybe, you’d come to your senses. Obviously, that didn’t work.”

  Rayanne rolled her eyes. “No, it didn’t. Three points for the melodramatics, though. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

  When she started past them, her father blocked her path. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but even if your mother made a mistake with this Shawn guy, that doesn’t mean she isn’t right about the fixation you’ve developed for this place. It’s not healthy for you. Just ask Dr. Long.”

  For the first time, the psychiatrist spoke up. “Rayanne, it is my opinion that the death of your uncle may have caused you to have a relapse. With prompt treatment, we should be able to keep this episode from becoming as severe as the one fifteen years ago. I’ve already blocked out two appointments a week for the next month for you.”

  She could only laugh. “Nice that you can make a diagnosis without ever speaking to the patient, Doc. Well, sorry, but you can take those appointments and pills and...”

  Rayanne paused to rethink what she was about say. Calm was far better than hostile. “And cancel them. Please.”

  Her mom started in again. “Rayanne, I will not watch you go through that hell again. I’ll have you forced into care if that’s what it takes.”

  Her words cut like shards of glass, sending Rayanne staggering back several steps. “Mother!”

  The shock on her father’s face was too genuine to be faked. “Lana! Now you’ve gone too far.”

  It was all too much. Maybe they’d be able to mend fences later, but right now there were more important matters that needed Rayanne’s immediate attention.

  Before she walked away, though, she laid it out plain and simple for all of them. It took every bit of willpower she could muster, but she kept her voice even, her manner nonthreatening, when what she really wanted to do was shake some sense into the lot of them.

  “Dad, I’m very sorry you made the trip up here because of Mom’s hysteria. I understand that Uncle Ray’s death hit her hard, and that has intensified her worry about me being up here. But truly, I’ve been working hard to complete my research on the town before the end of the summer. Go home. I’ll call you when I get a chance.”

  What could she say to her mother that wouldn’t permanently damage their relationship?

  “Mother, this is my home, and you are no longer welcome here. Don’t come and don’t call. If necessary, I will get a restraining order. I’d rather not involve my attorneys, but I will if you force my hand. I know you have issues with this place, but that’s not my problem. It’s yours, plain and simple. Don’t push me on this. You won’t like what happens.”

  Her mother flinched as if Rayanne had actually struck her. It was tempting to relent, but right now it was more important that the three intruders leave.

  Finally, she turned to the final member of this little party. “Dr. Long, thank you for your concern, but let me make something clear. I’m a historian, and studying a place like Blessing is what I do for a living.”

  She glanced back at her mother before once again meeting Dr. Long’s gaze head-on. “If you’re planning on billing somebody for this little trip up the mountain, it better not be me. After all, I have not been your patient for fifteen years.

  “Now, if you all will excuse me, I’m going to return to my research. I will be eternally grateful if you are gone by the time I get back.”

  Then she turned her back and walked away.

  * * *

  That calm lasted less than half the distance to Blessing. As she walked, she scrubbed at her face with the hem of her shirt to wipe away her acid-hot tears. If only she could do the same with her memories. Right now, she needed all of her wits about her just to get through the rest of the day.

  She’d just reached the edge of the slope leading down to the town when the sound of running footsteps brought her to an abrupt halt. They coasted to a stop a short distance behind her. She forced herself to turn around.

  “Dad—”

  He held up his hands to cut her off. “I just wanted to make sure you’re all right. You know, after that debacle back there. Your mom knows you don’t want to see her right now, but she wanted me to tell you that she’s sorry. Hell, even Dr. Long seemed impressed about how well you handled the situation.”

  His mouth quirked up in a half smile. “He also said to tell you that he wouldn’t dream of billing anyone for a nice drive in the mountains.”

  Okay, that helped.

  “Thanks, Dad. Tell Mom...” She paused while she tried to find the right words. She settled for, “Tell her I’ll call when I’m back in town.”

  “Do that, honey. I know you like to putter around in places like Blessing, but it’s hard not to worry about you being up here all alone in those derelict buildings.”

  Then he frowned as he stared past her toward the town. “That’s odd. I know it’s been years since I’ve been up here, but I don’t remember there being that many buildings still standing.”

  Oh, God. Rayanne had been too caught up in her pain to even notice. The last thing she needed right now was for her father to get curious. All her efforts to convince him and the others that she was fine would go to hell in a handcart if she pointed out that her ghost town was currently full of ghosts—real ones.

  “I think maybe Uncle Ray had done some restoration wor
k since you were last up here.”

  That wasn’t even a lie. He’d replaced those steps in the church. That counted.

  Her father smiled at her. “Maybe sometime you’ll take me through the town. I’d like to see it through your eyes.”

  As peace offerings went, it was a good one.

  “I’d love that, Dad. Now you’d better get back to Mom.”

  He gave her a quick hug and hustled back the way he’d come. She waited impatiently until he disappeared behind a bend in the trail to take off running for Blessing, praying she wasn’t too late.

  * * *

  Bert, the saloon owner, poured Wyatt a shot of whiskey from a bottle he normally kept under lock and key. He thanked the man and savored the burn on its way down his throat. He didn’t often get to enjoy the good stuff. When Wyatt tossed a couple of coins on the counter, Bert shoved it right back toward him.

  “Your money’s no good here today, Wyatt.” He picked up the bottle. “Want another one?”

  It was tempting, but Amanda was already mad at him for smelling like cheap liquor when he went back to her cabin last night. He didn’t figure on surviving the day. But on the chance he was wrong about that, he didn’t want to provoke her temper unnecessarily.

  She’d already torn a strip off his hide with that sharp tongue of hers for what he was about to do. The woman had strong opinions on many subjects, one of the reasons he liked her, and evidently him facing off against his old gang was one of them. He’d tried to explain that the thieving bastards would keep coming and coming if someone didn’t put a stop to it. She didn’t understand why Wyatt had to be that someone.

  In truth, he didn’t want to be, but he was the only one in town with any chance of reasoning with Earl and the rest. If words failed to convince them to leave, he was also the only one with the ability to state his case with bullets.