Rocky Mountain Oasis

by Lynnette Bonner

  Brooke raised the wavering gun a little higher. Whoever he was, she wouldn’t be going with him.

  “Don’t move, Mister, or I will shoot!” She tried to sound authoritative, but the words rasped in her throat.

  He chuckled. “Well, that’s some greeting for the man who just rescued you,” he said in an affectionate tone.

  She lifted one hand to shade her eyes, squinting against the light streaming in from behind him. It couldn’t be him. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. She cocked the hammer.

  “Brooke, honey, it’s me.” Sky stepped toward her and she tried to focus on his face. Kneeling down, he removed the gun from her shaking hands, released the hammer, and laid it on the ground. He stroked her cheek tenderly. “I didn’t know what a monster I was creating when I taught you to use that gun.”

  Running her tongue over dried lips, Brooke pulled back, desperately trying to make out his features. Percival had just killed him, hadn’t he? She swiped at the tears running down her face, trying to clear her vision.

  Carefully, he eased his hands under her knees and behind her back. “Come on, Mrs. Jordan, let’s get you outside.”

  A sob escaped Brooke’s throat and she raised one hand to her mouth. It was him! It was really him! Only he could say those words in such an endearing manner. “I thought he killed you. I heard him say…he said…”

  “Shhh,” Sky shushed her, “it’s all right, honey. I’m here now. It’s all right.”

  Sky tried to keep all concern from his voice and the conversation light as he addressed Brooke, lifting her gently and carrying her outside into the sunlight.

  She passed out almost the moment he picked her up. He knew she had to be exhausted from her loss of blood and the stress of the last two days.

  The first sight of her had sent his heart plummeting in his chest, but not until he got her into the light did he see the true extent of her injuries. His fear for her life blazed anew.

  Gingerly, he laid her on the ground, easing her head down and wishing he had his shirt to pillow her head. The wound on her forehead had begun to bleed again, and he knew she couldn’t stand any more blood loss.

  Grabbing his knife, he sliced a long strip of material from her petticoat and used it to clean the dirt away from the nasty cut. Cutting another strip he wound it firmly around her head, knowing that the pressure would stop the bleeding.

  Standing, he turned toward the cave to see if there might be any water there. Something tugged at the muscle just below his shoulder. He frowned, looking down even as he heard the report of a derringer. He took an involuntary step backwards. A puncture wound oozed blood and briefly bewildered him, but almost instantly he knew his mistake. Dropping to one knee he lunged to his right.

  The action saved his life. He felt the whip of a second bullet flying past his head and then he crouched down and ran.

  How could he have made such a critical mistake? In his hurry to make sure Brooke was all right he had not checked Percival for any more weapons, nor bothered to restrain him, and now he was conscious and armed.

  The bare hillside provided no cover. Sky sprinted in a crouched position, zigzagging to make it harder for Percival’s aim to find its mark and to give himself a few seconds. Palming his Colt even as he ran, he spun toward Percival and launched himself into a back-flip. His legs framed Hunter’s form for a split second, and Sky fired. He landed painfully on his shoulder blades but used his momentum to push himself over in a reverse somersault and come up on his knees, his gun extended in case he needed to fire again.

  Sky’s bullet knocked the derringer out of Percival’s grip and he screamed in pain, spinning around and shaking his wounded hand. Then, unexpectedly, his body jerked again and he fell over backwards, staring lifelessly at the sky.

  Sky blinked, looking long and hard at the man. Though Sky had only fired once, Percival had been shot through the heart.

  Suddenly weakness washed over him and searing shards of fire flashed through his body. Sky looked down. Blood seeped from the bullet hole in his shoulder and soaked his chest and pants. His shoulder pulsated in a spasm of pure agony and every movement he made sliced a dagger of pain through his body.

  Holstering his gun, he moved forward awkwardly on one hand and his knees, favoring the injured arm. This time he took no chances, even though he could clearly see the man was dead. Pulling the derringer away from the body, he patted Percival down, checking for any more weapons. He found none.

  Sitting down, he reloaded the spent chamber in his six-shooter. He did not know who had killed Percival, but he didn’t want to take any chances with the fact that he might need his gun again very soon.

  The sound came sooner than he expected. Footsteps behind him. He spun, cocking the gun as he moved. Gritting his teeth against the flames in his shoulder, he leveled the gun at the chest of the approaching figure.

  He paused. He knew this man, but it took him a moment to recognize him. Trace Johnson moved up the hill, using his rifle as a crutch, his face badly lacerated and swollen.

  Relaxing, Sky sat back and then lay all the way down, resting his head on the ground for a moment. Trace collapsed onto the ground beside him, glancing over at Percival’s body. “Did I kill him?”

  Sky nodded.

  “I was aiming just to injure him and give you some time to gain control of the situation, but when you shot the gun out of his hand, he spun around and it was too late. I had already pulled the trigger.”

  “Where you been?” questioned Sky.

  “I headed for your house like we talked about. But as I was riding down the trail, someone up on the embankment stepped out from behind a tree and clubbed me in the face, leaving me for dead. It all happened so fast that I never even saw the fella, sort of like this situation.” He swore. “Now I’ll never know for sure whether he was the man I was looking for.”

  “He knew you were on to him. Maybe he thought you were getting a little too close. I’d be willing to bet that girl back east will recognize him if you show her his picture. At least she will get some of her family jewels back.”

  Sky’s eyes closed as he spoke.

  Trace grunted. “Well, this is not the way I like to close a case. But I suppose it’s the best I’m gonna get this time.” He glanced over at Sky and stood to his feet. “Come on. We need to get that bleedin’ stopped.”

  24

  Brooke awoke in the dark, pain washing over her as she tried to move. A low moan escaped her throat. Instantly she heard movement and the room flooded with light.

  She blinked several times in succession, trying to keep her eyes open against the blinding glare, and looked up into the worried faces of Sky and Rachel.

  Sky fingered the hair just behind the bandage that encircled her head, his eyes questioning her, seeing if she was all right. Rachel moved to the stove.

  Sky smiled. “It’s good to see you’re awake.”

  “Did you arrest Percival?” she questioned in a dry, raspy voice.

  “How are you feeling?” He ignored her question.

  “Sky.” She cleared her throat, trying to remove some of the scratchiness. “I need to tell you something.”

  “Shhh, dear, don’t try and talk.” Rachel straightened the blanket with one hand, holding a bowl in the other. “Sky, honey, I need to sit there so I can feed her some of this broth.”

  Sky glanced up at his mother and then back at Brooke, rising reluctantly and stepping away from her. Their conversation would have to wait for later.

  Nothing had ever tasted quite so good as the cool water and warm chicken broth that Rachel trickled into her mouth off a spoon. When she finished eating she felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than to fall back to sleep, but she needed to make a trip to the outhouse.

  She started to rise, and Sky, who hadn’t taken his eyes off her for a moment since she awoke, was instantly by her side. “What do you need?”

  “I need to go out.”

  “Brooke, you’ve been unconsciou
s for a day and a half. You are not going anywhere but back to bed.”

  “Sky, I need to go out,” she repeated, embarrassed to say more.

  “And I said—”

  “Sky,” Rachel broke in, giving him a pointed look.

  He glanced back at Brooke, still uncomprehending, and then sudden understanding lit his face. “Oh! Well, come on, I’ll take you.”

  Brooke, mortified to feel him lift her up into his arms, tried to get down, pushing against his shoulder.

  “Brooke, hold still,” he commanded with a painful grimace.

  “Sky, do you think you should be—” Rachel started in an anxious tone.

  “I’m fine, Ma,” he said, cutting her off.

  Brooke glanced back and forth between them and finally gave up her struggle. Every move she made only caused Sky to hold her tighter and sent shooting pains along her temple. And even in her pain-filled state, she enjoyed the feel of his arms about her. She laid her head on his shoulder and allowed him to carry her to the outhouse. He deposited her right at the door and stood waiting for her just outside. He insisted on carrying her back to the house.

  When he again set her on her feet by the bed, unmindful of the fact that Rachel sat knitting just across the room, she laid one hand gently on his stubbly unshaven cheek, letting her thumb trail over his face. “Thank you.” A tender light leapt into his dark eyes at her words. “We have a lot to talk about.”

  He nodded, raising one finger to gently tap her nose. “Later.”

  “Sky, I—”

  He laid a finger over her lips. “Later. Now, I want you to rest.” Brooke sighed and glanced over at Rachel. “Is he always this pushy?”

  Rachel chuckled, relief washing over her. Brooke would be all right. She had worried, not knowing how deep the infection from the wound on her forehead had gone. But seeing her able to joke eased her mind. With a little care and time, Brooke would get better.

  Brooke fell asleep almost the instant her head hit the pillow and Rachel gestured for Sky to sit down. She helped him remove his shirt, and saw, just as she had expected, that his bandage was soaked with bright fresh blood.

  She gave him a disparaging frown. “You can’t be carrying her everywhere, or this will never heal.”

  He grinned unrepentantly. “It was worth it.” His eyes traveled involuntarily to where his wife slept, the smile still in place, and Rachel couldn’t bring herself to chastise him further.

  Three days later, Brooke was sitting up in bed, sipping a cup of coffee, when Sky entered the house.

  The swelling had gone down in her face, and the bandage she wore no longer extended all the way around her head but just covered the cut. She felt much better and planned to be out of bed by tomorrow and back to her normal routine.

  She had finally managed to get Sky to tell her what had happened up on the hill after she had passed out. He had told her Hunter had taken a shot at him, he had fired back, and Percival, in jerking away from his shot, had stepped into the line of fire from Trace’s gun.

  As Sky entered, she glanced up, wondering if he had learned anything more about the hanging of the five Chinamen. “Any news?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing new. The guards still insist that they were surrounded by a group of masked, armed men, but the evidence doesn’t point to that. We’ve scouted around but can’t find any clues as to what happened.”

  “Did you tell them I saw Percival Hunter right by the bodies?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, but there’s no evidence he was the one who did it. He could have just been in the area. We’ll keep looking for a while, but the longer it takes to find out what exactly happened, the less likely it is that we will.” He changed the subject then. “I have a visitor outside. Are you up to seeing someone?”

  “Oh yes. Give me a minute to get properly dressed and then you can show them in.”

  “No.”

  She blinked at him in surprise. “What?”

  “I want you to stay in bed. You’re finally on the mend, and I don’t want anything to happen that might change that.”

  “Sky!” She sighed in exasperation. In the last three days he had not let her out of bed, except to use the necessary. He insisted on walking with her every time she needed to go outside and even made her take her meals in the bed while the rest of the family ate around the table. He fussed over her like a mother hen, making sure she was warm enough, had enough of this and not too much of that, until he was driving her crazy.

  “Come here.” She patted the edge of the bed, and he came and sat down.

  Placing his hands on either side of her and leaning in, he eyed her questioningly. “I am feeling much better, Sky. By tomorrow I plan on being out of bed and doing the things I normally do. And,” she held up a hand to stop his protests, “you are driving me crazy.” She punctuated this last statement with a sharp jab to his shoulder and did a double take when he jerked and sucked in a breath of pain. “Skyler Jordan! You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

  Gingerly, he rubbed the spot she’d just jabbed. “Uh, yeah.”

  “How? What happened?”

  “I was shot after I found you at the cave.”

  For the briefest of seconds, she couldn’t think of anything to say. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

  He rose quickly and headed for the door. “I’ll give you a minute to get dressed and then bring Jenny in.”

  “Sky!” she cried. She meant for him to stop.

  He merely winked at her and kept going.

  Seeing that he wasn’t going to discuss it with her right now, she conceded and let the matter drop. This confrontation would have to wait. Still, she couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “My, but you suddenly changed your mind about letting me up, didn’t you?”

  He gave her an impish smile as he stepped outside.

  “That man!” she muttered under her breath as she tossed back the covers and rose to dress.

  A few minutes later Sky showed Jenny into the house, and Brooke’s heart went out to her friend. Jenny’s face appeared worn and haggard, and her usual smile was not in place.

  “Jenny.” Brooke held out her arms for an embrace. “I’m so sorry about Lee.”

  Jenny nodded against her hair, her plump arms pulling Brooke into a gentle embrace. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Brooke said with a pointed look at Sky, who hovered just behind her as though he thought she might fall over at any moment. “Can I get you some coffee?”

  Jenny nodded. But as Brooke turned toward the stove, she found Sky already refilling her own cup and pouring a fresh cup for Jenny. She smiled to herself, having to admit that she really enjoyed his attention, even if it was making her crazy.

  Turning back to the table she sat down across from Jenny. Sky eyed her critically when he set the cups on the table, as though assuring himself that she would really be all right. She set her mouth and raised her brows at him, cocking her head toward the door. He rubbed one hand across his jaw, looking her over one more time before he made his way out the door.

  Jenny smiled sadly at her, taking in her features. “You look better. I see you first day. You not look so good then. I give Rachel herbs to put on cut. They help it heal.”

  “Thank you, Jenny. I feel much better.” There was a short pause as Brooke reached across the table to take one of Jenny’s hands in her own, then asked, “What are you going to do now?”

  Jenny rubbed her finger around the rim of her cup. “I go back to China. See my family.”

  Brooke’s eyes misted. “I will miss you so much. We must be sure to write each other.”

  “I like that.” Jenny smiled.

  They talked for a long time about Jenny’s upcoming voyage, about all the events that had transpired in the last couple of weeks, about their friendship. They reminisced about how they had met that day at the berry patch. Brooke had begun to feel fatigued when Jenny finally rose, saying she must be going.

  “Thank you so much for coming, Jenny. When
do you leave for China?”

  “I already packed. Jed Swanson, he buy store from me. I go tomorrow. Take stage to coast and sail from there.”

  At the news her friend would be leaving so soon, Brooke’s heart sank. She couldn’t stop the tears as she hugged her friend for one last time. “I will pray for you often.”

  “And I pray for you, too.”

  25

  Standing on the porch, Brooke waved to Jenny until she turned the corner and disappeared. She sighed. After Rachel left, she would have only male company again.

  She was about to go in search of Sky when she saw a stranger approaching. Then she recognized him and blinked in surprise.

  Jason rode into the yard. Only he didn’t look the same. He had unmistakably taken a bath. His clothes were clean. The red, stained shirt had been replaced with a fresh blue one, and his hair had been cut. With surprise, Brooke noted how handsome he was; she had never noticed before.

  He grinned sheepishly at her astonished face. “Is Sky around?” Brooke snapped her gaping mouth shut. “Yes. I’ll go find him.”

  Jason stepped his horse forward and held out one hand. “Don’t bother yourself. How are you feeling these days?”

  She paused, surprised by the genuine caring she heard in his voice. “I’m just fine.”

  Jason raised one eyebrow as though to question the truth of that statement but merely turned his horse toward the barn. “Glad you’re feeling better,” he called over his shoulder.

  Brooke smiled softly, amazed by the change in the man.

  Sky was in Geyser’s stall giving him a good currying. “Sky?” Jason called as he entered the barn.

  “Yeah, Jason, I’m in here. How are things going in town?” He bent and lifted the horse’s back hoof to pare and clean it.

  Jason’s saddle groaned as he dismounted and his spurs jangled with each step that brought him closer. “Not good, I’m afraid. It looks like they’re going to drop the investigation. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence to show exactly what happened. Some are saying, though, that maybe the Nez Perce are responsible; that they hung Chang to take revenge for the times he cheated their women.”