by Vivi Holt
“What’s going to happen to us?”
He shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out soon ‘nough.”
“Aren’t you afraid?”
His eyes narrowed. “Afraid of what?”
“Angus O’Leary. He said he’d kill us if we tried to escape Kellogg again.”
He kissed her gently on the forehead. “Come, let’s sit over here.” There was a rocking chair across the room, and he sat in it and patted his lap. She lowered herself there, her heart pounding, realizing she’d never known a man like him before. He was so tender with her, so gentle. She knew she should guard her heart, but there was something in his smile that made her forget her fears. When she was settled, he put his arms around her waist.
She studied his face, then let her gaze meet his. “Why did you come to Cheyenne?”
He frowned, then answered, “A reckoning.”
She shook her head. That was no explanation, and he knew it.
He sighed. “Angus O’Leary came to Paradise Valley. He killed the woman I intended to marry and left her baby to perish in the cold.”
She gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
He nodded, his eyes glistening. “So I came here to set things right.”
“You mean revenge.”
He nodded. “Yes. So what do you plan to do if Angus finds us?”
She frowned. “That’s not the same. You know I’d do whatever it takes to keep Gracie safe. But I won’t seek him out.”
He shifted and stared into the empty fireplace. “We should light a fire.”
“Not just yet. Tell me, why do you think revenge will help?”
He shrugged. “I don’t guess it will. But I was so angry …”
“I know how that feels.”
“Tell me, what would you do then, if you met Jack right here and now, the man who took Gracie from you all those years ago?”
She froze, biting her lip. What would she do if Jack turned up? His scruffy beard and stained teeth skimmed across her mind’s eye. “I don’t right know.”
He squeezed her to him. “Maybe it ain’t right. Maybe I should let it go. But how? How do I forget what he did?” His voice wavered.
She stroked his cheek with her fingertips. “Did you love her?”
He shrugged. “Love? I dunno. I cared about her and her baby. They were all alone, and I coulda given them a home.”
She sighed and stood to pace the room. “Do you think that this is what she’d want for you? To hide in a hotel room while the man who killed her hunts you down?”
He ran a hand over his hair. “I dunno what she’d want. All I know is she’s gone and she left a baby girl behind.”
“Where’s the baby now?”
“I left her with a family I know in Bozeman. They’re takin’ good care of her. But she’ll never know her ma.”
That cut Claudine to the quick – she knew exactly what that was like. She’d been yanked from her own mother’s breast as a baby, then had the same thing happen with Gracie. Nothing devastated a young soul more than being forcibly separated from a mother.
He stood, his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry.”
She paused, her head cocked to one side. “What are you sorry for?”
He sighed. “For everythin’. For draggin’ you into my mess. For leavin’ you alone when I shoulda stayed put. For talkin’ ‘bout Dolly …”
“That was the woman’s name?”
He nodded.
“You talk about her all you like.”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
She continued pacing. “Why should it bother me?”
“Because we …”
“We what? We shared a kiss? That’s all. There’s nothing more to be said on the matter. Really …”
He reached for her hand and tugged her into his arms. “That ain’t all.” He kissed her softly on the lips again, his gaze lingering.
“But we can’t …”
“Can’t what?”
“Dan, I’m not that kind of girl.”
He chuckled. “I know just what kinda girl you are. I know you better than you think I do.”
She bit her lower lip. “I can’t …” There was nothing else to say. She didn’t want the words spinning around in her head to spill from her mouth, didn’t want to hurt him or say something she’d regret. But she also couldn’t be with a man so intent on vengeance.
“What’re ya afraid of?” he asked.
“So many things. I’m afraid for Gracie. I’m afraid of losing you.”
“You won’t lose me.”
“You’re purposely confronting a cold-blooded killer!”
He reached for her hand, but she stepped backward. His eyes narrowed and he put his hands on his hips. “What do you want me to do, Claudine?”
“Forgive.”
“You want me to forgive the man who killed Dolly and left Emily an orphan?” he cried, his voice breaking.
She threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know! I don’t know what you should do. But I know revenge won’t work – you’ll end up dead or in jail and you’ll be miserable. I’ll be miserable.”
He stepped closer, even as she pulled further away. “You want me to forgive?” he hissed.
She nodded, her heart in her throat. “It’s your life. But if you want me and Gracie in that life, you’ve got to let this thing go. I can’t risk her.”
He sighed. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do it.”
She frowned. “You’ll forgive the man just because I’m asking you to?”
He chuckled. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because you rode all this way and …”
“In truth, I’d kinda been losin’ the taste for it already.”
Her eyes widened. “Truly?”
He nodded. “Once the rage died down, it did start to look like more trouble than it was worth. But you should know … back at the ranch house there was a shootout, and Kellogg was killed. Least I think he was – I shot him in the chest. I meant to do it when I first went in there but then I’d about changed my mind when Angus came in and recognized me, and he started shootin’ and …one thing led to another. I had to defend myself.”
She gasped and covered her mouth. “Kellogg’s dead?” Her heart raced – what would that mean? Would they let her and Gracie be? Or would Angus come after them now harder than ever, with no one to temper his intentions for them? “What now?” she asked, her thoughts in a whirl.
He shook his head. “If you still wanna go north, we can catch the first train headin’ that way. Or just take the first one that comes through town tomorrow, wherever it’s goin’. I don’t know what Angus might do with Kellogg gone. Regardless, we gotta get out of this territory.”
She stared into his eyes, noticing for the first time how warm they looked in the flickering lamplight. “Canada, then.”
“Canada. At least for a while.”
She arched an eyebrow.
“It’s just that Montana Territory’s home to me. When it’s safe, I’d like to go back there.”
“That sounds perfect.” Claudine stepped forward to rest her head on Dan’s chest as his arms circled around her. All the worries and fears that had flooded her mind were gone. She could hear his heartbeat through his shirt and closed her eyes, a smile forming slowly on her face.
“In the mornin’ we’ll get the horses and leave first thing,” he said.
Her smile widened. “Let’s build a fire in the fireplace. It’s cold in here.”
The door to their room burst open. Two shadows loomed in the doorway. Dan stood in front of her, shielding her from them. “What’s goin’ on?” he demanded.
A man wearing a black vest with a star pinned to it sauntered in. “Sheriff Willie Fisher, Mr. Graham – ya may remember me? And this is Deputy Abe Miller.”
Dan nodded as Claudine hurried to the bed to rouse Gracie. The girl blinked open her eyes and stared blankly at her mother. Claudine
shushed her, pointed to the men, and Gracie gasped and scrambled to sit up.
“Why are you burstin’ into my room in the middle of the night, Sheriff?” asked Dan, his fists clenched at his sides.
“I heard a report ya might be here to cause some trouble. And we don’t take kindly to troublemakers in Cheyenne.”
“No trouble, Sheriff. In fact, we’re leavin’ town first thing tomorrow mornin’. All we want tonight’s a good sleep, then we’ll be on our way.”
The sheriff paced in front of them, while his deputy stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over a barrel chest. “That ain’t what I heard …”
“What’d you hear?”
“I heard ya killed a man tonight.”
Claudine’s stomach lurched. Dan would hang for this, and they might just string her up right alongside him. She clutched Gracie to her chest and stroked the girl’s hair.
“It was self-defense.”
“We’ll see ‘bout that.” Fisher pushed Dan against the wall and ran his hands up and down his body, then patted down each of his legs. He found Dan’s knife in a sheath on his belt and tugged it free with a smirk.
“So am I under arrest, Sheriff?”
The sheriff straightened, his beady eyes raking the three of them. “Yer all comin’ with me.”
The thud of boots on the wooden floor of the hotel’s hallway resounded through the building. A second deputy burst past the first and into the room, gasping for air, and whispered something in the sheriff’s ear. The sheriff grimace and waved him away. “Deputy Schroder’s just brought somethin’ to my attention.” he growled. “Get your things – we’re leavin’.” He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Schroder followed him, but Miller remained in the doorway, blocking any escape.
“Mama, what’s going on?” whispered Gracie.
She took a quick breath. “I don’t know, honey, but the sheriff wants us to go with him. Let’s pack our bags and do what he says.”
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know.” Claudine’s heart pounded in her chest and she breathed slowly in an attempt to calm it. What was going on? The sheriff should have arrested Dan, shouldn’t he? Instead, he was taking them all … somewhere. Her gut roiled at the idea. They shouldn’t go with him, but what choice did they have? She reached for her carpetbag and stuffed the few things they’d taken out back into it. Gracie retrieved the coats and carpetbag from the floor against the wall, and they put on their coats.
Claudine sighed. She’d been so happy in Dan’s arms, so elated, only minutes earlier as they whispered together about the future. Now she felt numb inside.
12
Dan tugged on his coat and picked up his saddlebags. The rest of his tack was in the livery with the horses. He wondered if the sheriff intended to walk them back to his office or had other plans. There was something about his manner Dan didn’t like. He knew the sheriff’s office was tight with Kellogg – that had been made abundantly clear – and Fisher had just said he’d heard Dan had killed a man. Obviously someone had told him about the gunfight at the Kellogg ranch, and that Dan had been involved. So why not just arrest him?
The deputy stepped aside, letting Sheriff Fisher back in. “Let’s go. Are your horses in the livery next door?”
Dan nodded. “They are.”
“Get ‘em. Deputy Miller here will go with ya. We’re all takin’ a ride.”
“Where to, Sheriff?”
The sheriff glowered at Dan. “Wherever I say.”
“Leave the woman and the girl be. They got nothin’ to do with this –”
Sheriff Fisher yanked his gun from its holster and pistol-whipped Dan across the face.
Dan heard Claudine gasp and Gracie whimper behind him. He rubbed his throbbing cheek. It had happened so fast, he hadn’t had time to react.
“They come too,” the sheriff stated, his eyes glimmering with fury.
Dan took as long as he dared getting the three horses saddled and ready to leave. He strapped his saddlebags onto Goldy’s back and paused to stare at Deputy Miller, who watched over Claudine and Gracie just outside the stable doors. They were waiting for him, with Deputy Schroder and Sheriff Fisher likely not far off. His mind raced, flashing over ideas for escape.
But in the end, he knew anything he tried would be risky. And he had Claudine and Gracie to consider as well. How could he get them all to safety with a sheriff and two deputies watching over them, all three of the men armed? Silently he cursed his foolishness in checking in his six-shooter. He’d hoped it would draw less attention and maybe the law would leave them be. But now it meant he couldn’t defend himself or the women – though if he’d tried back in the hotel room, likely he would’ve gotten them all shot.
When he led the horses out, Claudine’s gaze met his. She nodded and touched his arm.
The action seemed to enrage Deputy Miller. “C’mon, get movin’,” he snarled, roughly shoving Claudine in the back.
Dan’s eyes narrowed. “Hey, don’t push her!”
“I’ll do what I like to her, boy, and ain’t nothin’ you can do to stop me.” The deputy chuckled, studying Dan for a reaction.
He got one. Dan moved like lightning, punching the deputy in the nose. Miller shook his head a moment, stepped back and swung at Dan, stumbling past him with a curse when Dan casually side-stepped the strike. Dan smirked, then punched the hulking man in the gut, making him wheeze. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Claudine hurrying Gracie out of the way, leading the horses with them. Good.
“You rotten …” Miller ran at him, but Dan danced out of the way with a laugh. The deputy smacked into the wall of the livery and stepped back, rubbing his head, his lips moving silently. Dan’s gaze fell to the man’s holster, and the gleam of the revolver’s silver handle made him swallow hard. But the deputy seem to have forgotten his weapon.
Miller’s eyes narrowed, and he landed a jab on Dan’s cheek, right where the sheriff’s pistol had left its mark. Dan saw stars and scurried out of the way to gather his wits, then charged him with a growl, fists flying. He grunted as the deputy caught him in the abdomen, but sent him staggering back with a left uppercut. A right jab to the nose made the lawman reel, and he shook his head as if to clear his vision. Dan gasped for breath, bracing himself for the deputy’s next charge.
Both men froze at the unmistakable click of a hammer being cocked. “Enough!” shouted Sheriff Fisher. “Time to go.”
Dan took a deep breath and stumbled over to Goldy. Claudine, helping Gracie onto the gray pony’s back, looking frightened, but he didn’t have enough breath left in his lungs to offer reassurances. Besides, what could he say? He knew what likely lay ahead of them.
The landscape was lit by an almost full moon. The Chinook wind had blown the cloud cover away, and stars sparkled overhead, making the sky burn with brilliant light. Dan closed his eyes and breathed the fresh air deep into his lungs. It was a beautiful night, aside from their current predicament.
An owl called across the prairie as they left Cheyenne behind. They rode briskly, the clip-clop of hooves echoing in the still night air. He glanced back over his shoulder at the now-quiet town. The bustle of the day was past, only a faint buzz from a nearby saloon disturbing its lazy streets. He gazed longingly at the train station in the distance, wishing he’d gotten a chance to at least make sure Claudine and Gracie made it out. He’d failed them twice now, and unless he did something quick, he’d fail them again – perhaps fatally.
He wished the sheriff hadn’t found and taken his Bowie knife. But what he really needed was his guns. They were riding near where he’d buried his other six-shooter and the Henry rifle. If he could just find a way to get to them …
“Stop here,” the sheriff barked. He dismounted and stretched one arm over his head, then the other. With a yawn, he paced in a circle, head down, then glanced up and stopped. He looked as though he was waiting for someone.
Dan scanned the prairie around them, motionless be
neath the bright moon. Clusters of prairie junegrass and bluegrass sprouted in patches of dry dirt. “What’re we doin’, Sheriff?” he asked, but the sheriff ignored him. “Sheriff? What’s goin’ on?”
“Pipe down,” Fisher growled. “You.” He pointed at Claudine. “Cook us somethin’ to eat. I’m starved. You –” He faced Dan. “– make a fire. And don’t get no ideas.”
With a nod, Claudine dismounted and hurried to fetch the cooking supplies from Dan’s saddlebags, her fingertips brushing against his. He squeezed her hand silently, feeling a pulse of love rush through him for her and her daughter. They’d been through so much, and all he wanted was to take them away from there.
Dan dismounted, his heart pounding. “I gotta get some buffalo chips. And there’s a line of shrubs over there – I’m gonna look for sticks.” He pointed toward where his guns lay hidden beneath the dirt.
Sheriff Fisher nodded, waving Miller to follow him. Schroder watched over Claudine and Gracie while Fisher continued to pace. “Hurry it up,” snapped Miller, rubbing his chin.
Dan grinned to himself when he saw the red mark on Miller’s jaw where his fist had landed, and the bruise growing around one of the deputy’s eyes. The man’s shoulders were as wide as an axe handle and he walked with a slow, heavy gait. “Why, you got someplace to be?” Dan replied with a smirk.
Miller lunged for him, but was stayed by Fisher’s hand on his shoulder. “Enough horsin’ around, both of ya. Go get that kindlin’,” he added to Dan before resuming his pacing.
Dan chuckled and scuttled off into the dark prairie. It would take him a while to find a small pile of buffalo chips, sticks and twigs for their fire. There wasn’t a lot of kindling on an open prairie – the line of shrubs where his revolver and rifle were buried was the best source of fuel. He started several yards from the gun, foraging for twigs and sticks. Fisher and Miller soon lost interest in watching him.
Dan glanced at them once more before moving to the crossed sticks. He took them apart, added them to his pile of kindling, then dug slowly in the loose dirt. He pulled the six-shooter free and slipped it quickly into his waistband. He’d have to leave the Henry there for now, since there was no way he could hide it on his person. And he couldn’t take the crooked lawmen on yet, not with Claudine and Gracie still in harm’s way. He marked the place with two new sticks, then gathered his pile, stood and sighed loudly. “Guess this’ll do.”
