Solitude Gorge

by Shirleen Davies

  Staring at the ceiling, she wondered what might have happened if she’d met Ernst first. Closing her eyes, Isabella remembered the one time Travis had kissed her. Not a chaste brush of his lips across her cheek, but an actual kiss.

  The feeling of his mouth on hers had stolen her breath, bringing a most unanticipated reaction. She’d loved her husband, been a devoted wife, enjoying the infrequent times he’d come to her bedroom at night. Until Travis, Isabella hadn’t realized what her marriage had lacked. Passion.

  Gripping her hands in the covers, Isabella shuddered at what happened next. Travis had stepped away and apologized for his advances, telling her it wouldn’t happen again. Even now, a couple months later, her face heated in humiliation.

  She’d done her best to push the impact of his kiss from her mind, burying it in some private place in her heart. Travis could never know the effect he had on her or how much she’d wanted him to do it again.

  What had been a most glorious event for her apparently had little impact on the man she loved. It hurt, knowing the passion she felt wasn’t returned. A few weeks after the kiss, he’d made his announcement, destroying her dreams of any type of life together.

  Then he’d shown up tonight.

  Yawning, she turned to her side, clutching the sheets under her chin. Perhaps he would attend church tomorrow, sit beside her, and join them for supper. A small ripple of hope raced through her a moment before she drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Isabella sat next to Lena, forcing herself to stay calm as her gaze searched the church for Travis.

  “He’ll be here.” Lena’s confidence far exceeded hers.

  “How can you be so sure?” She looked down at the empty place beside her.

  “I know Travis. If he’s made up his mind he wants something, Baron Klaussner taking you to supper isn’t going to stop him.” Feeling Jack tug on her arm, Lena looked to her other side. “Yes, sweetheart?”

  Jack looked behind him, giving a brief wave. “Can Johann come to the house after services are over, Mama?”

  Isabella stilled at Jack’s question. If Johann came, Ernst would accompany him. She wasn’t quite ready to face him after their conversation at supper the night before.

  “We’ll see. His father may already have plans for them.”

  “Can we ask?” Jack kneeled on the bench seat, looking around the church.

  Nodding, Lena patted his shoulder. “Yes, we can ask. Now, sit down and please do your best to sit still.”

  Glancing once more behind her, Isabella’s breath caught when she saw Travis walk into the church. Removing his hat, he ran a hand through his hair, his gaze locking on hers. A faint smile crossed his face as he started down the aisle.

  “Is this seat taken?”

  Pulling her attention from Travis, Isabella sighed, recognizing Albert Payson’s voice. “I, um, well…I believe…” She shot another look down the aisle, her heart stilling when Travis shook his head and took an empty seat a few rows back.

  Her stomach lurched when she saw who sat next to him. Tabitha Beekman, one of the mail order brides, a beautiful young woman with an easy smile. Isabella winced, seeing her scoot a little closer to Travis, flashing him a brilliant smile.

  “Mrs. Boucher?”

  Tearing her gaze from Travis and Tabitha, she looked at Albert. “No, the seat isn’t taken, Mr. Payson. Please…” She tapped the space beside her.

  “It’s a beautiful Sunday, don’t you think?”

  Isabella pushed aside her disappointment, nodding. “Yes, it is.”

  Clutching her hands together, she inhaled a slow breath, hoping the minister would appear soon. Albert had been a wonderful companion when they’d shared supper and watched the show at Ruby’s. As good a time as she had, Isabella didn’t intend to see him again, nor did she want to participate in a conversation this morning.

  Feeling Lena’s hand on her arm, Isabella looked at her friend, unable to keep the pained expression off her face. Lena returned a smug smile.

  “I told you Travis would be here.”

  Nodding, a slight grin appeared on Isabella’s face. “So you did.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “I just wish he wasn’t sitting next to Tabitha.”

  Lena glanced over her shoulder, giving a quick nod when Travis’s gaze met hers. “If he had an interest in Tabitha, he wouldn’t be staring at you.”

  Catching her lower lip between her teeth, Isabella felt her face heat. “He is?”

  Lena chuckled. “I’m pretty sure he’s not looking at me or Albert.” The entire church quieted as Reverend Paige entered the sanctuary from a side door. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “This is going to work out for you and Travis. I’m quite certain of it.”

  “Do you have plans for supper, Mrs. Boucher?” Albert walked behind her as they left the church, stepping out into a bright, cloudless sky. Summer in Splendor could bring blistering heat. Today, the moderate temperature signaled a beautiful day.

  Isabella cringed. Not from Albert’s question, but at the sight of Travis and Tabitha standing several feet away.

  “I’ve made plans with Lena and Gabe.” She knew her response sounded sharper than intended. Isabella didn’t have it in her to soften her tone. “If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Payson.”

  She glanced once more at Travis, seeing his head tilt back as he laughed at something Tabitha said. Turning away, Isabella searched for Lena, who’d left the church through a side door with Gabe and Jack. Hearing her friend’s laughter, she shifted to see Lena talking with one of Gabe’s deputies, Cash Coulter, and his wife, Allie.

  Refusing to look back at Travis, she moved toward Lena, her footsteps faltering at the sound of gunfire. Before she could figure out where it came from, strong hands pulled her toward the church, then shoved her to the ground when the shots continued.

  Heart pounding, Isabella tried to raise her head and dislodge whomever held her down.

  “Don’t move, Isabella.” Travis’s forceful voice washed over her.

  “What’s happening?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She felt his weight ease at the same time the firing stopped.

  “Come on.” Travis helped her up, wrapping his arms around her as he guided her back inside the church, now full of people with confused, scared expressions. “Are you all right?” His gaze wandered over her, searching for wounds.

  “I’m fine, Travis.”

  “Are you sure?” The strain on his face spoke of the depth of his concern.

  She nodded. “I’m sure.”

  He sucked in a breath, giving her a curt nod. “Stay in here. I need to find out what’s going on.”

  Isabella started to follow him. “But—”

  “Stay here, Isabella. Please.” He bent down, placing a kiss on her cheek, then gestured to those around them. “See if there’s anyone who needs your help.”

  Ignoring her fear, she nodded. “Be careful.”

  A grim smile curled the corners of his mouth before he hurried to the door. Lifting his gunbelt from a hook, he looked outside then turned back to scan the inside of the church.

  Travis searched for Tabitha. He’d left her to find Isabella a few moments before the shots rang out. Finding her huddled in a group inside the church, he switched his attention to anyone who might be injured.

  Doc Worthington tended to an older man with an injury to his arm, while Doc McCord wrapped a bandage around the leg of a young boy. Children cried, clutching onto the skirts of their mothers, while men rushed around, seeing who they could help. Gabe, his deputies, Dax, Luke, and other townsfolk huddled near a wagon, strapping guns around their waists and grabbing rifles. Travis did the same, rushing up to them.

  “What can I do?”

  Gabe turned toward him. “Did you recognize the men who rode past?”

  Travis shook his head. “I heard the shots and went for Isabella.”

  Gabe nodded toward his deputies. “We’re going after them. I’d a
ppreciate it if you’d stay here with the Pelletiers and the other men to keep watch over the women and children. Get them all inside the church until we return.”

  Travis gave a curt nod before walking to where Clay McCord lifted the injured boy into his arms. “I’ll take him, Doc. You go ahead and check the others. Gabe wants us to get everyone inside the church.”

  Handing the boy over, Clay searched the surrounding area. “Have you seen Olivia?”

  “Olivia Barnett, Nick’s daughter?”

  Clay shrugged out of his coat, dropping it to the ground before rolling up his sleeves. “I was talking to her a moment before the shots started. I lost sight of her…” His voice trailed off as he continued to look for her.

  “She’s probably already in the church, Clay. I’ll find her, make sure she’s all right.” Travis shifted the boy in his arms, taking the steps into the church, the boy’s mother right behind them.

  “Please. You can put him here.” The woman pointed to an empty bench a few feet away.

  He laid the boy down, looking for Olivia in the crowded church. “Let me know if you need more help with him.”

  Sitting next to her son, she touched Travis’s arm. “Thank you.”

  A grim smile crossed his face before he lifted his gaze to search the room. He found Olivia sitting with a few other women, including Isabella. When she looked up, her gaze locked on his, her eyes dark with confusion.

  Slipping between those assembled in small groups, he walked over to her. “Gabe and his deputies are searching for the men who shot at us.” He looked at those around them. “Did any of you recognize the shooters? Remember anything about them?”

  “One was an Indian, Mr. Dixon.”

  Travis turned to see Jack beside him. He knelt beside the boy. “Are you sure about that?”

  Jack’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes, sir. He wore a coat and had a rifle, but he had one feather sticking up here.” He touched the back of his head. “And he had braids down each side of his face.”

  “Have you ever seen him before?”

  Jack shook his head. “No, Mr. Dixon.”

  “Did you get a good look at anyone else?”

  Jack scrunched his eyes closed, trying to remember. Opening them, his eyes widened. “I saw at least five men on horses. One wore a hat like my papa’s.” He looked at Lena. “You know, Mama. The old blue one.”

  Lena nodded. “He means the one Gabe wore during the war, Travis.”

  Rubbing his chin, Travis tried to think of anyone he knew in Splendor who still wore their Army caps. The last ones were a group of outlaws who’d come after Wyatt. They’d been part of a guerilla group of ex-Confederates who refused to accept the war had ended.

  He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Thanks, Jack. You did real good.” Standing, he looked at the others. “If you remember anything, let Gabe or one of his deputies know.”

  Shifting, he spotted Dax, Luke, Bull, and several others standing near doors and windows, weapons ready in case the shooters returned. Taking off his hat, Travis shredded fingers through his hair, trying to push his anger aside.

  “What kind of men shoot into a group of women and children?” Isabella stood next to him, her hand resting on his arm.

  “I don’t know. We might get some answers when Gabe and the others return.”

  Isabella looked around, glad the initial panic had turned to frustration and anger. “Someone could’ve been killed. The boy over there will be lucky if he doesn’t lose his leg.” Her voice broke on the last.

  He’d never seen Isabella lose her temper or cry. Travis studied her, thinking she might be on the brink of both. Putting an arm around her shoulders, he drew her close, placing a kiss on her forehead.

  “Gabe will find out who did this, Isabella. From the little I saw, they weren’t aiming. Just shooting into those congregated outside. We’re real lucky there were just the two wounded.”

  “Doc!”

  Bull’s voice rose above the low conversations in the church. Clay walked toward him. “What is it?”

  Glancing at Dax and Luke, Bull led the doctor outside. “I found one more victim.”

  “Show me.” Clay started down the steps.

  “There’s no rush, Doc. He’s dead.”

  Isabella stared at nothing, still shocked at the news. Albert Payson had taken a bullet in the chest, crumbling to the ground not twenty yards from the church.

  Sitting in the parlor of Lena’s home, she sipped sherry while Gabe, Travis, Wyatt, and Walter talked in the study. Lena and Nora worked in the kitchen, preparing supper with little anticipation the food would get eaten. The announcement of Albert’s death pushed many otherwise rational townsfolk to speak of forming a vigilante committee, calling for those responsible to be found and hung.

  Gabe had returned in time to calm the most outspoken in the crowd, assuring them those responsible would be found and tried for their crimes. Asking everyone to return home, he and his deputies met with the Pelletiers, Noah, Nick, and several others, before escorting his family home. Travis hadn’t considered going back to the ranch until he knew Isabella was all right.

  Walter took a sip of whiskey, his face etched with worry. He and Ernst had been talking on one side of the church, protected from the gunfire. Jack and Johann played several yards away, laughing, running around, unprepared for the violence about to come their way.

  No one had been prepared for Albert’s death.

  Gabe rested his hip against the desk, an untouched drink in his hand. “They created chaos, focusing everyone’s attention on protecting themselves while they robbed the bank.”

  Travis nodded, his voice thick with disgust. “They knew most everyone in Splendor attended Sunday services. They also knew most men left their guns outside or in the entry of the church.”

  “And many don’t strap them on until they’re ready to ride out,” Wyatt added.

  Nick looked toward the parlor where his wife, Suzanne, spoke with Isabella. “This wasn’t random. They planned the raid.”

  Wyatt studied the amber liquid in his glass, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Which means we know at least one of them.”

  “What is Horace going to do?”

  Gabe looked at his father. “We have a pretty smart banker in Splendor, although I doubt he’d see it the same way.”

  Walter finished his drink, setting the glass down. “What do you mean?”

  Gabe chuckled, although there was no joy in the sound. “Horace had a bad stomachache Saturday night. He decided to take a walk to the bank, which isn’t unusual. I’ve seen him working well past sunset. He couldn’t explain it to me, but something about the amount of money in the main vault bothered him. Horace left less than a quarter of it there, transferring the rest to the hidden vault he had installed last year.”

  Walter’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know he had a hidden vault.”

  “I believe that was Horace’s intention, Father. It’s best if only a few people know.”

  Adding more whiskey to his glass, Wyatt paced to the window. “I wish I could be there when the robbers find out they got a small amount of what they’d planned.”

  Gabe nodded. “That’s what worries me. If they expected a lot more, there’s no reason they won’t come back to get the rest.” He walked around his desk, lowering himself into his chair. “They took a well-traveled trail out of town, making it easy to combine their tracks with everyone else’s. Cash and Beau are our best trackers. They picked up where the group veered off the trail, then lost them when the outlaws rode into the river. They’re going back out in the morning, but I’m guessing those men are camped well away from Splendor.”

  “Why kill Albert?” Wyatt asked. “He was on his way home.”

  Gabe shrugged. “Albert may have heard the shooting and turned around. Maybe they thought he might recognize them.”

  “Hell, they could’ve done it for pleasure. Men like them don’t need much of a reason to kill.” Wyatt tossed bac
k the rest of his drink. “So, what do we do now?”

  “I’m posting a deputy inside the bank, at least for a few weeks. Horace is going to keep only what money is needed for the next day in the bank. The rest will be placed in the second vault each night. A couple deputies and I will guard him when he makes the transfer. I’ll get the word out to keep watch, have guns ready, and be wary of any strangers. Especially those asking questions.”

  “Nora won’t like it, but from now on, I’m wearing my gun inside the church.”

  Gabe’s brows furrowed. “If that’s your intention, you’d best let Reverend Paige know, Wyatt. But I agree. It’s best we stay armed until we find out who did this.”

  Walter crossed his arms. “What about the women and children? Those men didn’t seem to have any hesitation about shooting into the crowd. It’s doubtful they’ll hesitate the next time.”

  Gabe leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “Most women know how to shoot and keep a rifle or shotgun with them. I’m thinking if they try again, they’ll do the same as the first time.”

  “Or they’ll raid the bank while we’re inside the church, not when we’re leaving,” Travis said.

  Wyatt nodded. “It sure makes more sense to do it when no one is around. Sunday was the perfect day for them to catch us unaware.”

  “I’m going to need every man to be prepared when they come to church. Travis, when you ride back to the ranch, let Dax and Luke know what we’ve discussed.”

  “Sure will, Gabe.”

  “I’m going to send a telegram to the sheriff in Big Pine to let him know what happened.” Gabe glanced up to see Lena walking toward him.

  “Supper is ready, gentlemen. Are you ready or should we wait a bit?”

  Walter stretched his arms above his head. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving.”

  Gabe stood, clasping him on the shoulder. “I believe we all agree with you, Father.”