Forever in Texas

by Jodi Thomas

  Her charcoal sketches came to mind. She’d drawn what she’d seen, Ford was sure of it now. Somehow she’d witnessed a murder and would pay with her own life. He’d thought she was running from the law. It had never crossed his mind that she might be running because the law couldn’t protect her. If Gavrila’s letter had been mailed to a sheriff and ended up in the hands of these men, maybe Hannah was running because she didn’t feel she had anywhere else to turn.

  Ford leaned lower, encouraging the bay to move faster. He must get back to her. Whatever the problem, they could face it together. If he had to, he’d sell his land and relocate with her somewhere safe. They could start anew in a place where she didn’t have to live in fear.

  The bay stumbled and panicked as his back legs slid out from under him.

  “Whoa,” Ford tried to calm the horse. “Easy, boy.”

  But the bay jerked wildly, trying to climb to higher ground. The rocky edge of the canyon gave way and the horse and rider tumbled.

  Chapter 22

  FORD LAY VERY still, knowing he was in too much pain to be dead. The bay and he had rolled like tumbleweeds down the rocky slope of the canyon until finally they’d hit hard on a ledge. He could feel the weight of the horse on his leg and hear the animal’s heavy, painful breathing.

  “You’re hurt bad,” Ford whispered between clenched teeth, “aren’t you, boy?”

  The bay jerked his head toward the sound of Ford’s voice. He struggled to get up, but the effort was too much for the old horse.

  Ford knew that the animal’s legs were broken and he knew what must be done.

  “It’s all right.” Ford put a hand on the horse’s mane as he pulled his Colt from its holster. “We’ve been together a long time; I’m not going to let you suffer now. Easy boy…it’s only going to hurt a moment longer.”

  Tears blended with the rain on his face as Ford lifted the gun to the horse’s head.

  Before he could force himself to pull the trigger, a mighty shake ran through the bay, as if death jerked life from the powerful beast in one great pull. The animal stilled, no longer hurting. The weight of the bay seemed to double against Ford’s leg as he lay the gun aside and let pain wash his mind into blackness.

  * * *

  Just as White was opening his store, Hannah and Uncle Zachery reached town. Hannah pulled up beside the porch and leaned out of the buggy. She tried to keep dry, but the effort was useless. She only hoped Zachery was nestled far enough back in the buggy to have been spared the icy rain. “Any word from Gavrila, Mr. White?”

  The store owner leaned out as far as he dared without getting wet. “Alamo Rogers brought her in half an hour ago, safe and sound and yelling to high heaven. I figured Ford and the others would be home by now. Can’t believe this storm hasn’t let up. If it gets any colder, we’ll have snow.”

  She didn’t want to talk about the weather, but politeness demanded she agree. Hannah was thankful Gavrila was safe…and that she’d missed Ford’s homecoming. Hannah wasn’t sure she could face him and tell him she had to leave. He’d probably want to stand and fight and she had no desire to put his life in any more danger because of her. “Did they catch the three men?”

  “No,” White answered. “Appears those men were looking for someone else and picked up Gavrila by mistake. When they realized it, they just left her out on the plains. She told me she would have died for sure if Alamo hadn’t saved her.” White laughed. “She was hugging the poor man like he was last Christmas’s favorite toy.”

  Hannah didn’t know if she felt happy for Gavrila or sorry for Alamo Rogers. “Post a notice at the school for me, will you, Mr. White? Say that we’re not having classes for the next few days.”

  “Sure thing,” the storekeeper agreed. “After the scare the kiddies went through yesterday, they need a few days off. This weather will keep all but the town pupils at home, anyway.”

  Hannah fought down a sob. “And would you mind telling Ford I’m taking my uncle by train to Fort Worth and that I’ll be back as soon as I can?”

  White shook his head. “Ain’t nobody leaving by train today, so you’d be wasting your time riding all the way over to the station. A rider was by about sunup and told Jinx that a section of the track got washed out a hundred miles south of here. The rider said he heard no one was killed, but five carloads of barbed wire marked for the JA Ranch are down in a wash so far they’ll never be retrieved. I’d suggest you take the stage, but it won’t be by until tomorrow morning—if it comes then, what with the roads all muddy.”

  Hannah only half listened. Her mind was searching for a way out of town and out of Ford’s life. She couldn’t go back to the ranch and she didn’t have enough money for a hotel room near the station. The rain was so bad she wasn’t sure how long a buggy could negotiate the roads up ahead. There had been several times even between the ranch and here that she hadn’t been sure the wheels would stay on the muddy road. If White was right and the rain started freezing, she’d be fighting mud in places and ice in others.

  Looking to Zachery for an answer, Hannah felt panic deal her another blow. He was slumped in the corner with a thin line of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Except for the places on his face that were bruised and cut, his skin was pale white.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, finally able to control her voice. “Uncle Zachery?”

  Slowly he opened his eyes and whispered, “I’ll make it, girl. We got to get you to safety.”

  But she knew he wouldn’t survive. The rocking of the buggy would kill him even before they made it to the train—if there was even a train to catch in the next several days. Hannah fought down a scream. Her world was turning even colder than the weather, and she had no place to run for shelter. She couldn’t go on and she couldn’t go back. She’d spent all these weeks running, only to be trapped now by a storm. Harwell’s men would have an easy time locating her. They would ride in and shoot her before anyone had time to react.

  “You all right, ma’am?” White leaned farther into the rain.

  “I’m fine,” Hannah lied. “Thank you.” She had to think of something. If she was trapped by the storm, the riders might be also, at least for a few hours. “Do you know if Jinx is over in the post office?”

  White pulled back into the shelter of the porch. “I think she’s down at Gavrila’s place helping out. I heard her say she’d check on the woman, then she planned to ride out to your place if the weather lightened up a bit. She’s fit to be tied ever since she heard Zachery was beaten. Says she only let him out of her sight for an hour yesterday and look what happened to him.”

  “Thank you, Mr. White. We’ll find her. You stay dry.” Hannah didn’t wait for him to say anything more. She knew he wanted to be in out of the rain, even if he was a talker most days. She drove the buggy through town and turned into the final gate. The last place she wanted to go was Gavrila’s house, but it seemed the only refuge.

  * * *

  Ford woke with a stream running beneath his arm and rain pounding on his face. Several yards up the canyon, water cascaded off the prairie flatland in a long, thin waterfall. Pebbles and pieces of grass danced in the silver sheen as they tumbled along with the water toward the canyon floor.

  Grabbing hold of a root, Ford pulled himself inch by inch from beneath the dead horse. When he was free of the weight, he rolled onto his side, pulled his hat over his face, and tried to get air into his lungs without taking in too much rain. Part of him wanted to curl up beside the bay and wait out the storm, but he knew he must keep moving if he was going to be any help to Hannah.

  Suddenly the memory of her washed over him, warming him from deep inside. It had only been hours since he left her and already the ache to hold her again was strong. He just wanted to be in the same room with her so he could smell her presence. Ford longed to stretch out beside her and tell her about how he felt finding Gavrila and having the bay die. He needed Hannah in every part of his life, in every part of his being, un
til there was no point where he stopped and Hannah began. He wanted to do the little things that made him smile deep inside, like telling her to put her arms around his neck and then feeling her grant his request.

  Ford didn’t feel the icy rain or the pain from several bruises and scrapes. All he felt was his longing for Hannah and a consuming sadness that she would never be his wife for every day left in his life, even though he knew they were married until death in his heart. She’d made it plain from the beginning that she’d be leaving him when the month was out. Though he knew she enjoyed their lovemaking, he couldn’t ask her to honor a marriage she’d been forced into. She might like being in his bed, but there was much more to marriage than mating, and he couldn’t sentence her to having to look across the table at him for three meals a day until one of them died.

  Ford rolled to his feet and began to move slowly. What had taken him a few hours to cross on horseback would take him three times as long on foot. The rain washed away direction and time. Ford’s head throbbed. He touched his forehead once and felt blood, but nothing mattered except fighting his way back to Hannah.

  Moving endlessly, he forgot the rain-covered familiar landmarks. He stumbled more times than he could count, sliding along the canyon walls sometimes for several feet. Slowly, he began to climb. His survival depended on him reaching the top.

  The sky turned from gray to black by the time Ford finally reached the rim of Palo Duro Canyon. His head was still bleeding and he’d scraped most of the hide off one arm. His leg throbbed in pain and he could no longer move the fingers of one hand. But he’d climbed the endless walls of the canyon and made it out.

  For some time he stumbled in the blackness, hoping he was heading in the right direction. Normally, he could walk four, maybe even five miles an hour, but now he had no sense of time, and he knew he was moving slower than usual.

  Finally, Ford saw the twinkling of several lights in the distance and headed toward them. He thought for a moment that he’d reached Saints Roost, but as he drew closer he realized his mistake. This was not even a town, but a collection of tents built in a circle.

  Ford forced himself to move forward, even when he recognized the place. It was a tiny town constructed of canvas so the residents could pack up and move rapidly. The men in Saints Roost who had heard about this place spoke of it only in whispers when no ladies were within hearing distance. Folks called it Feather Hill because of the mattresses used by the women to practice their trade.

  Though he’d known of its existence, Ford had never even ridden by. A town of gambling and drinking and other sins…as evil as Saints Roost was good. His father would have called it a Sodom in modern times.

  Ford wanted to turn from the evil place, but he knew he had to get help if he was ever going to make it back to Hannah. Maybe he could borrow a horse. Maybe someone would help him if they didn’t rob and kill him first. He had no idea what kind of wicked people must fester in a place like this one.

  Tripping over one of the ropes holding a pole to the first tent, Ford fell face first into the flap marking the front entrance. His head hit something hard and he rolled in pain as women screamed and light blinked for a second. Then everything went black for the second time in hours.

  * * *

  Hannah sat beside Zachery’s bed and tried not to think about her need to get out of town. Her needs had to wait. The doctor had checked Zachery carefully and told Hannah she had done a fine job of nursing, but the old fellow shouldn’t be moved for several days. Her drive in the rain had cost him dearly, and another outing in this weather might kill him. He needed rest and a warm bed to heal.

  Hannah fought back her tears with her last bit of energy. She was so worried about Zachery and terrified that at any moment Harwell’s men might arrive that she couldn’t get her heart to stop pounding. If the buggy ride didn’t kill him, Harwell’s men surely would. How could she have ever thought she’d get away from them? They were paid killers and she hadn’t even fired a gun more than a few times in her life.

  Zachery touched her hand. “It’s all right, girl. You go on without me. I’ll be fine here. Jinx’ll watch my back if trouble comes.”

  She shook her head. Even without the killers chasing them, she wouldn’t leave Zachery here in the house with Gavrila. That’d be a fate worse than a bullet.

  Jinx had met her on the porch and helped carry Zachery to the extra bedroom upstairs. While they dried him and waited for the doctor, Hannah could hear Gavrila crying through the wall. She’d gotten more upset by the hour, it seemed, and now wouldn’t allow anyone but Alamo near her. His mother came over and tried to help, but Gavrila had screamed until she’d left the room.

  Hannah knew she should go to her sister-in-law and comfort her, but couldn’t bring herself to. Each time a friend tried to enter the room, Gavrila would scream with fright and order them out, then she’d demand Alamo stay beside her. He was her hero, it seemed, and the only person she trusted.

  Jinx saw the doctor out, then walked Hannah across the hall to Ford’s office.

  “We need to talk,” Jinx began.

  Too tired to think of a story that made sense, she might as well tell everyone that she was the one the kidnappers were looking for. Then they could sacrifice her and they’d all be safe again. When Harwell’s men came, she’d go with them. They didn’t know Zachery had seen the murders; they must have thought he was simply traveling with her. Maybe if they killed her, they’d go back to Fort Worth.

  “You’re the one those riders in the yellow slickers were looking for,” Jinx announced before Hannah could state her thoughts.

  “Yes.”

  Jinx put her arm around Hannah’s shoulder. “Don’t look like the first Christian volunteering for the lion’s cage. Ford’s not going to let anyone hurt you, and I’m guessing everyone in town feels the same. It’ll take more than three snakes to kill this nest of doves.”

  “But I’m not what everyone thinks I am. I’m…”

  Jinx smiled. “None of us is, child.”

  “But I lied to get here. I lied to get the job.” Hannah suddenly wanted all the truth out. “Ford met me when I was robbing him in Dallas. I took the man’s clothes, and he didn’t turn me in even when he had the chance. He’s been so good to me—all of you have—and all I do is bring these men here to upset the entire town and almost get Zachery and Gavrila killed. And the poor children must have been frightened out of their minds! Then every man had to ride out in the middle of a storm to look for Gavrila.”

  “Hush now.” Jinx patted Hannah’s shoulder. “I won’t hear anymore. You didn’t hurt Zachery, those low-down varmints did that. And I don’t reckon Ford minded being robbed, or he would have complained a little louder instead of looking at you like he was about to bust at the seams from loving you.”

  Hannah opened her mouth to deny the words, but Jinx held up her hand and continued, “As for the kids, from what I hear, half of them were cheering when Gavrila was abducted. Gavrila’s in there wailing like she’s afraid her shadow’s going to slit her throat. Well, she may just be getting out of this day the very thing she’d been wanting all her life: a real live hero to take care of her.”

  Hannah brushed a tear from her cheek. Jinx had a way of clearing the air. “But I lied. I lied to everyone.”

  The older woman laughed. “Hell, I reckon we’ve all done our share of that. I convinced my first three husbands I was a virgin, and that ain’t no easy lie.”

  Hannah smiled. This woman was so honest even her confessions made you feel like you could tell her anything.

  “All we got to do is keep you safe until Ford gets here.”

  “He won’t come. I told him when I left not to follow. It was part of the bargain we made when we married.”

  Jinx winked. “I got a feeling he’ll come. Until then, you keep a gun close by and sleep with one eye open. I’ll sit up with Zachery. I didn’t survive the War Between the States, Indian attacks, and four husbands to be killed before I marr
y number five. You can count on me backing you up if there’s trouble.”

  “I’ll make a bed downstairs so I can see both doors.” Hannah didn’t feel so alone now. Jinx was making it plain that she planned to stay and help, and somehow the impossible suddenly seemed possible.

  * * *

  “But he’s one of those saints,” Ford heard a woman whine.

  “I don’t care!” yelled another. “Pour some more of that whiskey down him before he freezes his…his wings off.”

  Ford felt fire dribble down his throat and came full awake. He spit and coughed while he fought off the thin arms that tried to hold him down on a feather bed.

  “Get the man some water!” shouted a woman standing at the foot of the bed with a thin cigar in her mouth.

  Ford glared at her and nodded his thanks. Several women were in the room, in total wearing what would make up one outfit, he figured. The leader drew his attention. She wasn’t old, but there was a hardness about her that made her eyes seem ancient. She was wearing a robe Ford could almost see through. And if women were valued by the pound, this one would have been priceless, for her width almost equaled that of the bed.

  “You alive, cowboy?” She pulled the cigar from her mouth and turned her blood red lips into a smile. “We patched you up as best we could.”

  “I’m alive,” he answered.

  “From that bump on your head, we thought you must have taken a tumble in this storm and accidentally landed in our fair Feather Hill. Since I’m the unelected mayor of this here place, I guess I’ll be the one to welcome you. Name’s Felicity. That’s Latin for happiness, don’t you know.”

  Ford’s head hurt too much to remember any Latin, but he had no doubt the woman lived up to her name in many a cowboy’s dreams. “I’m Ford,” he mumbled. “My horse lost his footing and fell in the canyon.” Ford closed his eyes. “I have to get back to my wife.”

  Several of the women laughed.