“Get out of here, Joey!” Holden shouted.
“But he’s goin’ to kill—”
“There won’t be any killing here,” Constantine said. “Put down your gun, boy. And you,” he said to Sean, “get off your horse.”
Sean didn’t move. “You’re going to need my help to bring Renier in, Constantine,” he said. “I have proof that this man murdered my uncle and conspired with this woman—”
“He’s lyin’!” Joey shouted. “I found Jed’s saddlebags! Charlie was a traitor, Holden! I caught him runnin’ away from Dog Creek like a no-good polecat, ’n I made him talk. He started the fire so’s he could put the saddlebags under your bunk without anyone seein’. He put blood all over ’em, too.” He gestured wildly with the rifle. “Sean planned to make it look like you killed Jed to get the money, but he’s the one who killed him!”
“Whatever happened here will be dealt with after I take Renier to jail,” Constantine said. He looked at Sean. “I don’t need your help. Get off that horse and throw down your gun.”
Sneering in contempt, Sean dismounted. “You’re making a mistake, Constantine.”
“Gavin,” Heath said, “take my horse and get Rachel out of here.”
Gavin took the reins of Heath’s horse and led it toward Rachel, careful to keep his free hand away from his body. No one else moved. When Gavin reached Rachel, she bent her head and removed the sling from around her neck.
“Take Gordie to your family,” she whispered. “I can’t leave Holden.”
He met her gaze. “Heath wouldn’t want—”
“I know. But Gordie will be loved. That is all that matters.”
Gavin searched her eyes for a moment longer, then took the baby from her. He secured the sling around his neck and mounted.
No one seemed to notice him. Constantine was still aiming at Holden, but his gaze was fixed on Sean, whose smile hadn’t faded. Joey remained at the top of the hill. Rachel walked out from behind the cairn.
“Mr. Constantine,” she said. “Please listen to me.”
He turned his head slightly. “I told you, ma’am…”
“Rachel, get out of here!” Holden snapped.
None of them were looking at Sean when he drew the tiny pistol from inside his coat and aimed it at Rachel. Holden moved before Sean could shoot, throwing himself in front of her. Constantine aimed his gun with precision and shot Sean through the heart. Sean fell, an incredulous expression on his face. Rachel looked away.
“He shouldn’t have done that,” Constantine said. “You were a witness, boy,” he said to Joey, who looked as if someone had knocked all the air from his lungs. “If I need your testimony, I’ll send word.” He jerked his gun at Holden. “It’s time to go.”
“No!” Rachel cried. “How can you turn on your own kind?”
“I can’t let you take him,” Joey said, raising his rifle.
“Don’t be a fool, boy,” Holden said. “You got your whole life ahead of you. All I care about is that you and Gordie and Rachel are safe.”
Joey hesitated, his face wet with tears. Rachel pushed her way between Holden and Constantine.
“You want Heath Renier for the things he’s done,” she said, “but he isn’t that man anymore. He could have killed Sean before, but he didn’t. He saved Joey and me.” She stared into Constantine’s golden eyes. “He’s spent his whole life running because of what he is, because people tried to kill him for it since childhood. How can you not understand?”
Genuine regret flickered in the bounty hunter’s eyes. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t let him go.”
“But you can! You can pretend you never found him. You can ride away and let Holden start over with the family he’s been denied all his life.” She clasped her hands like a supplicant. “Do you know what it’s like to be robbed of your family, your own kind? To lose every shred of hope?”
His eyes answered for him. He did know. And that was her only hope.
“Rachel,” Holden whispered.
She wasn’t listening. “If you have ever wanted the chance to start over,” she said, “you must let him go. If you’ve ever loved anyone…”
Constantine stared over her head, past Joey on the hill and up to the blue sky beyond. Rachel looked at Holden. His eyes were as eloquent as Constantine’s, begging her to let go and find the new life he had wanted for her. Rachel had begun to despair, when Constantine slowly holstered his gun.
“Pity,” he said. “Seems Heath Renier and Sean McCarrick shot each other in a standoff when no one was watching.”
Rachel sagged. Holden caught her and held her close.
“Constantine—” he began.
Their gazes locked. “If I ever hear you’ve committed one more crime, even if it’s stealing a piece of licorice from a candy jar, I’ll kill you,” Constantine said. “Now go, before I change my mind.”
“I won’t forget this, Constantine. If ever you need my help…”
Constantine didn’t answer. He and Holden looked up at the same time and stepped apart, Holden pushing Rachel behind him. Joey turned his horse around, rifle raised.
The riders came at a trot around the hill, three dusty men on sweat-stained horses. They stopped, drawing up in a row and taking in the scene with expressions of bewilderment.
Constantine pulled his gun again and held it pointed at Holden’s head.
“If you want to get out of here,” he whispered, “play along.”
The riders exchanged glances. George Saunderson dismounted, his hand on his gun, and walked toward Sean’s body. He crouched beside it, turned Sean over and shook his head. John Powell stared at Constantine.
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
With his free hand Constantine reached inside his waistcoat and withdrew a badge. “My name’s Jacob Constantine, Texas Rangers. I’m taking this man in for murder.”
So he was not merely a bounty hunter after all. Rachel stood close to Heath, though his eyes warned her away.
“You all right, Mrs. McCarrick?” Finn O’Hara asked.
So Sean hadn’t told them who she really was. She lifted her head. “I am perfectly well. And I am not Mrs. McCarrick. My name is Rachel Lyndon.”
Saunderson stared at her. The other two men were clearly bewildered. “Rachel Lyndon?” Powell repeated.
“This woman is coming with me as a material witness,” Constantine said. “You take the body, and I’ll return when I can to account for this man’s death.”
A sharp conversation followed, but Rachel hardly heard it. Her heart had no room for such trivial concerns.
Holden was going to be free. Gordie would have a home. And she…
“Rachel,” Holden said. “They’re gone.”
She blinked, clearing the tears from her eyes. The ranchers and Sean’s body had vanished. Joey had dismounted at the bottom of the hill. Constantine stood back, watching silently. Gavin had come out from behind the cairn, cradling Gordie in one arm. He held the baby out to her.
The agony of loss almost brought her to her knees. She took Gordie and gave him to Holden.
“He’s your son,” she said.
He met her gaze. “He’s yours, too.”
She smiled. “You’ve found your true place, and so has he.”
“I ain’t leavin’ you, Rachel.”
“You must. You have your own people now, people who want you. You’ll never be alone again.”
“Are you sayin’ you can’t…” He swallowed. “Did you mean what you said when you talked about love?”
“I…”
“Do you love Gordie enough to accept what he is?”
Yes, she wanted to shout. Just as I accept you. Just as I love you.
But she would always be an outsider among his people. Perhaps they would accept her, but she would always be a burden to him, a reminder of his past. And Gordie would always know she was not his real mother.
She turned away. “I will return with Joey to the ranch and collect m
y things. Perhaps he’ll be willing to escort me to Javelina.”
Holden stepped very close, Gordie’s little body nestled between them. “They know who you are now. They’ll—”
Without another word, Rachel walked toward Joey. He looked from her to Holden in confusion. She had almost reached him when Holden came up behind her.
“If it’s a choice between stayin’ with you and goin’ with Gavin,” he said, “I ain’t goin’.”
“Please, Holden—”
“You want me to think you can’t accept what we are. But I know you accept Gordie. You’d never let him suffer for not bein’ human.”
“He needs his own kind.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around. He had given Gordie to Gavin, and his arms were free to hold her prisoner.
“Tell me you don’t love him,” he said.
She turned her face aside. “Of course I love him!”
“He still needs you.” His voice caught. “I need you.”
“You say that now, but—”
He dragged her against him and kissed her. She melted into him, opening her lips, opening all of herself for one glorious moment.
“You’re my family, Rachel,” he murmured into her hair. “You and Gordie. Oh, hellfire…I love you.”
Her heart burst in an explosion of joy and fear. It couldn’t be true. No one had ever loved her before.
But he does. He does.
“It won’t be easy,” he said, holding her away. “I’ll still be a wanted man. But I’ll do everything I can to keep you and Gordie safe, no matter what.”
“I’ll come with you,” she said. “To your family. If they’ll have me.”
Holden bared his teeth. “They’d better.” His eyes, so full of love, searched hers. “You sure, Rachel?”
She cupped his rough face in her hands. “I love you. I think I always have.”
He shuffled his boots in the dirt. “You reckon…you think you’d still be willin’ to marry me?”
“I can’t go on being a fallen woman, now, can I?”
They held each other for a long time after that, Holden’s face against her hair.
“What should I call you now?” she murmured. “Holden or Heath?”
“You said it yourself, Rachel,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’m Holden Renshaw now. Reckon I always will be.”
She sighed in deepest contentment. “Holden, my love.”
Someone cleared his throat. Rachel opened her eyes to find Constantine standing behind Holden.
“I think you’d better go,” he said.
With a short nod, Holden released Rachel. He walked over to Joey and spoke with him in a low voice. When he was finished, he pulled Joey into a hug. Joey clung to him fiercely. They parted, and Joey mounted his horse.
“Goodbye, Mrs. McCarrick!” Joey called with a wave of his hand. “I’ll be seein’ you!”
With a yell, he kicked his horse up the hill and flew up it at a gallop. Holden returned to Rachel and pulled her into the crook of his arm.
“What will happen to him?” she asked anxiously.
“He’ll be all right. He’s goin’ back to tell everyone about what Sean confessed to him when Sean kidnapped him.” He shook his head. “I reckon they won’t let Joey keep the saddlebags. But he’ll have Maurice, and I’ll see they get some money once I’m in a position to send it.”
“We’ll help in any way we can,” Gavin said, coming to join them.
“I’ll earn my own keep,” Holden said, and grinned. “Honestly.”
Rachel didn’t smile. “What will happen to Dog Creek now?”
“I don’t know. If they can’t find some distant kinfolk, reckon it’ll be put up for sale.” He frowned. “You still don’t think you’d want to go back to Ohio? I can try—”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’d fit in there about as well as a wolf in a schoolhouse, and Gordie needs this wild land to thrive. As for my inheritance, it will be there if we need it.”
Heath pulled Rachel close again and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll still be leavin’ here with nothin’, Rachel,” he murmured. “Just like you came.”
“Nothing?” She reached out for Gordie, took him from Gavin, and smiled up at Holden as the pieces of her heart came together again. “I have everything. Everything in the world.”
Acknowledgment
Thanks to Susan de Guardiola and Jeri and Mario Garcia for their help with the Spanish language.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4966-4
BRIDE OF THE WOLF
Copyright © 2010 by Susan Krinard
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