He cupped her chin. “I love you, Rosie.”
Tears spilled down her face and she pressed her forehead to his. Even though he felt half-dead, just being near her gave him a surge of life, of hope.
“Am I to treat her or not?” Doctor Ramsey interjected.
“Hold your water, fool. Can’t you see they’re talking?” Tyler snapped. Noah closed his eyes for a moment, grateful to have Rosalyn beside him again, thankful her heart still beat beside his.
“I brought the doctor, sweetheart. He’s going to treat your burns and make sure you’re okay.” He kissed the tip of her nose, the only place that didn’t look like it was burned.
She mouthed “okay” and squeezed his hand.
Noah looked up at his father. “I need to move so the doc can get to her.”
Tyler scooped him up again and brought him to the rocking chair in the corner. His father knelt down and put his hand on Noah’s knee, his blue gaze serious.
“Being a lawman isn’t an easy job. My pa did it until he died doing it. I’m right proud of you, son.” A suspicious gleam appeared in his father’s eyes, but he stood before Noah could get a good look.
His mother came to stand beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder with Tyler on the other side. A roomful of folks who cared about him seemed like paradise on earth.
If only someone hadn’t just tried to kill him and Rosalyn, life would be about perfect.
———
An hour later, the doctor left, his nose in the air again. Noah made a note to himself to find a new doctor for Chancetown. That one was obviously not a keeper. By then, Noah had drunk some coffee and eaten one of Elsa’s biscuits. He felt much better and was able to walk over to the bed without help.
Marina and Elsa took his parents downstairs for a late breakfast, leaving Noah alone with Rosalyn.
He sat on the edge of the bed and took her bandaged hand in his. Her violet gaze stared at him with so many emotions, he drowned in their depths.
“We’re a pair, aren’t we? Bandaged, burned and smelling like we got stuck in the oven.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Love you.” It was weak and so scratchy he barely heard it.
“I love you too, Rosie. You think you might see your way clear to marry me? After my hair grows back and the bandages come off?” His body shook with the thought that he’d just stepped off the cliff of safety and into the world of real life. No more drifting and trying to find the place where he belonged. He’d found it, right in the arms of the black-haired waif who chopped off her hair and dunked him in the trough.
Tears pooled in her eyes and she nodded slightly.
“Was that a yes?”
“Yes.”
Although neither one of them could move or breathe easily, Noah stretched out next to her and tucked her under his arm. This is what he wanted each and every morning and night. Noah had finally come home. It was only after he could touch her that he was able to sleep.
———
Noah didn’t leave Rosalyn’s side until late afternoon. Being together had been a healing in and of itself. He walked down the stairs slowly, holding onto the wall for support. The smells of supper cooking, perhaps a stew, made his mouth water. They had barely eaten during the day and his stomach yowled.
He found his parents in the dining room, sitting by the window at a table drinking coffee. They both glanced up when he walked in, relief still evident on their faces.
“Where are the young’uns?” Noah asked as he sat down.
“Mama is watching them. Let me tell you, your brother Logan almost got a whooping for trying to sneak off with us.” Nicky shook her head.
“That boy is just like his father.”
Tyler snorted. “Like hell, magpie.”
Logan was eight and as full of fire and sass as his mother. The thought of the boy he’d known and the young man he’d become made Noah’s heart skip a beat. He’d missed his sisters too, Rebecca and Frankie. Three years was a lifetime to a child. Regret coated his tongue and it took him a few minutes to be able to speak.
“I’m sorry I haven’t contacted you in six months. I’ve been trying to find the place I belong—”
“You belong at home with us. We adopted you because we love you like a son, Noah.” His mother’s green eyes flashed with confusion and hurt.
“I know and for that, I will always be grateful. You both gave me life, like I was born on that fall day when I saw Pa riding toward me.” Noah’s throat got tight. “I love you both very much, but I had to leave. Working the ranch didn’t give me everything I needed. Then when I screwed up and Hercules almost k-killed Pa…”
Nicky covered his hand with hers. “You didn’t mean for any of that to happen. There’s no blame here. He survived because of what you did for him out there on the range.”
“Because you taught me what to do.” His knowledge of how to treat wounds had literally saved him from making the biggest mistake of his life—causing his father’s death.
“How did you become sheriff?” His father watched him with his never-miss-anything gaze.
“That’s a long story and for that I need food. Is Elsa around?” Noah glanced toward the kitchen.
“She’s feeding Mark Jackman back there.” Nicky pointed.
“Marshal Jackman is here?” Noah was impressed the other man had gotten there within days of the telegram. It shouldn’t impress him though—it was standard for the big marshal to move quickly and with deadly speed.
“That’s why we’re here.” Tyler raised one ebony eyebrow.
Noah should have expected that. His father and Mark had known each other more than fifteen years and were as close as brothers.
Tyler continued. “Mark hightailed it to us when he got your telegram. Nearly rode his horse into the ground. We came here together about ten minutes after that.”
“It wasn’t ten minutes.” Nicky frowned.
“Okay nine and a half. She couldn’t get her guns strapped on fast enough.” His father winked at his wife. “Nothing like a woman wearing iron that makes a man sit up and notice.”
“Oh, I don’t need to hear this.” Noah rose and headed toward food.
“I’m going to get some supper and then we can talk.”
Mark Jackman was a blond version of Tyler Calhoun. Big, mean and bad enough to scare criminals into giving themselves up. He’d worked with the ex-bounty hunter some years back and they’d become friends. Mark had visited the Bounty ranch where the Calhouns lived over time and Noah had followed the lawman around like a puppy during those visits. He was another man Noah had hoped to emulate.
Perhaps it was then that being a lawman had settled in Noah’s head and arriving in Chancetown was no accident. Someone or something must have guided him into town to not only find the woman of his heart, but become the man he was meant to be.
Mark stood and whistled as Noah walked in. “Damn, boy, you turned out almost as big as your pa. At the moment, you look like a burned piece of toast though.” He stuck out his hand and pumped Noah’s hard enough to knock him off balance. “Sorry about that, kid. Your folks told me about the jail fire. Damn bastards.”
He picked up his plate and sat again. “Tell me what’s going on here, Noah.” His gaze had turned serious and alert.
“I’ve got to have some food first, then I’ll tell all three of you the story. Just know that some money-grubbing bastards have been up to no good and I need to catch them and put their sorry asses in jail.”
Elsa walked through the back door. “Glad you’re not dead, Sheriff. I’d hate to break in another one after you worked out right good. You want some supper?”
“Yes, ma’am. Anything you’ve got. My stomach is yowling something fierce.” Noah eyed the biscuit Mark was currently eating and wondered if he could snatch the other off the marshal’s plate before he noticed.
Mark shook his head, as if he’d sensed what Noah was planning.
“Don’t even think about touch
ing my food, boy.”
“No fighting, boys. I’ve got a plate in the warming oven for you.” Elsa bustled over and used a towel to pull a heaping plate of ham, potatoes and biscuits from the oven.
“Elsa, if I didn’t love Rosalyn, I’d marry you.” He kissed her wrinkled cheek.
“Oh, get out of here before I take you up on that.” She waved her hand in the air, but Noah swore he saw a touch of pink on her wrinkled cheeks. “I’ll bring you some coffee out in the dining room. Marshal, why don’t you head out there too. I’ll bring a pot.”
The two men walked into the dining room and settled at the table with Tyler and Nicky. Everyone spoke of nonsense while Noah shoveled the food into his yowling gullet. It tasted like ambrosia, sweet, salty and heavenly. He washed it down with three cups of coffee and followed up with a resounding belch.
Mark and Tyler laughed while Nicky frowned.
“Why do men think that burping and farting are something to crow about?” She gave each of them a quelling glance. “Next thing you’ll be having a booger-flicking contest.”
The three men howled with laughter while his mother tried to look as if it wasn’t funny and failing miserably. Lord, Noah had missed the laughter and lightness he got from being around his family. He vowed to himself right then and there that no more than three months would go by without seeing them. Three years had been a lifetime.
“Now that your belly is obviously full, tell us what’s going on.” His mother had turned back into Nicky Calhoun, the former outlaw who had evaded the best bounty hunters for three years using only her cunning intelligence.
“It started ten years ago,” Noah began. He recited the information he’d learned from Johnny Boyton, including the fact that the old sheriff had lined his pockets with money from the sheepherders who had been cheated and terrorized. Tyler remembered Boyton, but hadn’t had more than a handful of dealings with him. Noah told them about how he’d gotten the job and been set up to either be a dirty sheriff or die in a ditch somewhere.
When he got to Rosalyn, he skimmed over the unusual parts of their courtship but included how badly the town treated her because of the sins of her parents. He also revealed that he loved her and had asked her to marry him.
Tyler grinned from ear to ear while his mother hugged him so tightly his ribs almost cracked.
Noah continued on to explain how he’d investigated both Seeger and Finley’s claims of foul deeds and confirmed with the land office that Seeger had lied about land boundaries. With Johnny’s information, he knew that Seeger had also lied about not being the cause of the sheep rancher’s problems.
“Now the crooked bastards tried to burn me alive.” Noah seethed with the knowledge they’d almost succeeded. He and Rosalyn had barely gotten out in time.
“Folks in town are talking about how the sheriff is at death’s door. Had to be carried inside by some man, looking like he wouldn’t make it a day.” His father tapped the wooden table. “I think you can use that to set your trap.”
His mind racing, Noah knew it was a great idea. “That’s perfect. I already talked to Finley about setting up Dickinson and Seeger. We can get both of them at the same time with Mark listening.” Noah coughed. “Elsa can fuel the rumor that I’m dying so they won’t be expecting me.”
“Sounds good. I love the idea of you coming back to life. You’ll need to stay cooped up in here and away from the windows,” Nicky offered while his father nodded.
Noah breathed a big sigh of relief at their approval. He had help and enough of it to catch the dirty bastards. Now he had to heal up and carefully plan what they needed to do.
“I’d say the old sheriff picked the right man for this job,” Mark mused. “My guess is you’ve already got a plan and needed my help to make it work.”
“Exactly.” Noah’s determination to clean up Chancetown finally had a fighting chance. “Will you help me?”
“Are you kidding? Dirty government, crooked sheriffs, murder and mayhem? What’s not to love about it?” Mark laughed and pounded the table with his fist. “When do we start? I’m ready for some fun.”
“Let’s give them two weeks to stew in their own juices and wonder what’s going to happen to me. Then they’ll be expecting my funeral instead of theirs.” Noah rubbed his forehead. “Now I just need to convince Rosalyn to keep her nose out of it.”
He knew it wouldn’t be an easy task. Rosalyn was a strong woman who’d taken care of herself for so long she wasn’t used to waiting for something to happen. Noah respected her for that, but he wasn’t about to risk her life because she was stubborn.
It would be a tricky job to convince her to stay put. However, Noah couldn’t do what he needed to unless he knew she was safe. He’d almost lost her once and couldn’t bear to think about it again.
Chapter Thirteen
It took almost two weeks for Rosalyn to heal enough to do her normal chores. The burns itched as they healed and sometimes she had trouble catching her breath. However, she was alive and incredibly grateful to be so, even more grateful that Noah had survived too. Elsa let Whiskers in to visit at least once a day. The cat’s presence comforted Rosalyn when she felt alone and frustrated, which was a lot lately. She wasn’t a good patient.
Noah’s father scared the hell out of her. He was big enough to fill a room, and not just his physical size either. It was as if the room would never be big enough to hold the man. Noah’s mother was a different story. She was outspoken, funny and dressed in britches with guns strapped to her hips.
Rosalyn adored Nicky.
They’d somehow made it a habit to have afternoon tea—which really meant milk or coffee—and cookies in Rosalyn’s room. Those hour-long visits were something Rosalyn would treasure for a very long time. She could understand how Noah loved his mother so much. She was the backbone of the family.
Nicky told her all about her family, the Malloys. Rosalyn felt as if she knew each of them personally through the vivid descriptions. She laughed, cried and was enraptured by the folks who had raised Noah. Rosalyn now knew what it was that made Noah who he was—he was truly loved by these people.
It was hard for her to imagine living in a house with so much of everything—and she didn’t mean things like furniture. What she remembered of her own house was darkness, and lots of it. Noah had shown her what it meant to be around people who cared what happened to you, but Noah’s family took that one step further. To a place where Rosalyn now dearly wished to be.
As she listened to Nicky tell a story about Noah’s little sister, Frankie, Rosalyn’s breath hitched. Nicky stopped and scrutinized her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m feeling good. I ain’t scratched once today. Tomorrow I can start working again. The doctor said so.” She didn’t mind the little white lie. No one had to know the doctor hadn’t been back once.
Nicky’s left eyebrow rose. “Somehow I get the feeling you’re not telling me the whole truth, but every woman is entitled to her secrets.”
Rosalyn just nodded, unable to respond. Noah had asked her to marry him and be a part of the family she could now see was like heaven on Earth. What stood between her and that paradise were two men intent on keeping their dirty money and secrets.
“We’re going to stop them right?” Rosalyn blurted.
“You mean those two idiots, Seeger and Dickinson?”
“Yep. Sometimes I just want to ride over there and shoot them.” Rosalyn seethed with rage over what they’d done.
“Me too,” Nicky confessed. “Do you know how to fire a gun?”
“No, I ain’t never held one either.” Rosalyn sighed. “Don’t have occasion to use one on the slops bucket.”
Nicky chuckled. “Would you like me to teach you?”
“Is this a trick?” Rosalyn’s heart leapt at the idea. Nicky was someone she truly wanted to be like. If the older woman was going to teach her to shoot, Rosalyn would be an eager pupil.
“No, no trick.” Nicky
squeezed her hand. “If you’re up to it—” Rosalyn threw back the quilt and climbed out of bed, searching for her blue dress, anxious to wear something besides a nightgown.
“I guess you’re up to it,” Nicky observed. “If you’re looking for your dress, it was destroyed in the fire. Noah brought you something else to wear.”
Nicky pointed to the hooks behind the door. Rosalyn walked over with her stomach quivering and her palms itching. Behind the door hung three dresses, each one a different shade of purple.
“Elsa helped him get the dresses since he can’t be seen in town yet. He was very particular about it and made sure they matched your eyes, depending on your mood.”
Rosalyn held the door for a moment, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked from her body. Noah had gifted her with much more than a few dresses. How had her life changed so much in a month? She blinked back a tear and picked the darkest dress, a rich shade of purple that reminded her of the sky before a twister hit.
She slipped it on over the chemise Elsa had given her. It was a perfect fit again. The soft cotton felt familiar and Rosalyn knew meeting Noah had changed the path of her life, her heart and her view on the world. She was, however, still the same person.
Rosalyn turned to Nicky with a grin. “When do we start the shooting lessons?”
They snuck down the back stairs to avoid any questions by the men. Nicky gathered a half dozen empty tin cans from the kitchen and put them in a sack. After checking her ammunition stores, they stepped outside. Elsa was outside beating a rug when they came out. She glanced at the two of them with a question in her eyes.
“Every woman needs to know how to shoot a gun.” Nicky took Rosalyn’s arm and headed off.
Elsa never said a word.
A bubble of happiness floated inside Rosalyn as she breathed in the warm early-summer air. She was a little stiff, but the walking felt wonderful. It had been some time since Rosalyn had been outside. She wasn’t surprised to find how much she missed it. After all, she’d spent ten years of her life living outside all day, every day.
The sun peeped through the green leaves of the big oak trees as they headed for the open field. The day couldn’t be more beautiful. She took a deep breath for the first time in weeks.
The Legacy Page 15
