Ana Leigh

by The Mackenzies

  “I think he’s getting better.” Suddenly her legs felt like they couldn’t support her, and she sank back down on the chair.

  “Rose, this is my cousin Cole.”

  “Ma’am,” said the younger man who had followed Josh into the room. Tall and rangy, there was no mistaking him for anyone but a MacKenzie. The two men leaned over the bed. “He sure don’t look too perky,” Cole said.

  “I can assure you, he looks a hundred percent better than he did yesterday,” she said. “He came to earlier, but the doctor’s given him an injection to help him rest more comfortably. How did you fellows even know where to find us?”

  “My dad. I’d sent him a telegram about where Cole and I were staying for the night. When he got the news about Zach, he wired me back and said that Zach was here, wounded, and needed help. We’d gotten Zach’s telegram before, and Cole and I were headed for Brimstone. We were lucky enough to catch a train and double back. When there was no sign of Zach at the hotel, we figured we’d check out the doctor’s office.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, Josh. The four men who are trying to kill Zach are in town. They don’t know we’re here, though.”

  “I thought the Tait gang was after him. There’s five of them,” Cole said.

  “Zach killed Jess Tait in Brimstone.”

  “And the others came all this way just to get even? That sure don’t sound like the gang I knew.”

  “Tait had stolen money from a rancher before killing him. We escaped on Tait’s horse, and the money was in the saddlebags. They’re after the money.”

  “Where is it now?” Josh asked.

  “I burned most of it.”

  “You what?” Cole exclaimed.

  “Zach was burning up with fever, but shivering with cold. I had to make a fire, and I used the money to get it started.”

  “Miz Dubois, did you ever hear of wood?” Cole asked.

  “I was desperate.”

  “Where is this gang now?” Josh asked.

  “I have no idea. Cynthia Kincaid said she saw them ride into town when she was at the telegraph office.”

  “Cynthia Kincaid is here!”

  “Yes, so is Beth Carrington. They’re upstairs sleeping. If it weren’t for them, we’d never have made it this far.”

  Josh shoved his hat to the top of his forehead. “Well, I’ll be damned!” His warm chuckle was so like Zach’s that her breath caught in her throat. “Rose, I don’t understand why you didn’t ask for help from the sheriff. Ben Morgan is a tough old lawman who runs a clean town.”

  “Cynthia checked. He’s out of town and due back in the morning.”

  “Maybe we should look up this gang, Josh. I used to ride with them, so I know what they look like,” Cole said.

  “No, let the law handle this. It’s almost daylight. We’ll just sit tight right here with Zach until the sheriff gets back. If the gang shows up before he does, then we’ll handle it.”

  “What’s going on here?” Dr. Serene stood in the doorway.

  Josh and Cole pivoted, their pistols clearing their holsters as they turned. Seeing the irate little man in a belted robe, his gray hair disheveled from sleep, they uncocked their Colts and holstered them.

  “Get away from my patient,” the doctor ordered.

  “Dr. Serene, these are Zach’s cousins. They’re here to help him.”

  “Then they can help him by not disturbing him. If you’d all step out of the room, I’d like to examine Mr. MacKenzie. Mrs. King is preparing coffee. I suggest you go into the dining room.”

  They filed out, and Rose led them to the dining room. By the time the coffee was ready, Cynthia and Beth had come downstairs.

  Rose sat with her elbow propped on the table and her head cradled in her hand. Half-asleep, she listened to their chatter. She was glad there was someone else to fill in the details for the new arrivals. Dr. Serene soon joined them, and Mrs. King brought in heaping bowls of oatmeal and a large platter of scrambled eggs and fried ham.

  After a few bites, Rose lost her appetite and shoved back her chair. “Dr. Serene, is Zach awake?”

  “He slips in and out, Rose. At this stage it’s due to the medication, but I don’t want to withhold it, because he needs it to fight the infection.”

  “He hasn’t eaten in days, other than a few bites of my sandwich last night. Should I try to feed him?”

  “You might try the oatmeal and some liquid, of course. Liquid is the most important thing, to avoid dehydration. I don’t recommend anything much heavier on his stomach until he’s able to sit up.”

  Daylight streamed through the window by the time Rose returned to Zach with a bowl of the cereal and a glass of milk. She shook him lightly on the shoulder and he opened his eyes.

  “Good morning. Do you feel up to a bowl of oatmeal?”

  “You going to feed it to me?”

  “Like I would an infant.”

  “When do I get the steak and potatoes?”

  “When you can sit up.”

  “I’m ready to do that now.”

  “Sure you are.” She helped him drink the glass of milk, then eat the bowl of oatmeal. By the time he’d eaten half of it, he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

  As she carried the tray back to the kitchen, the bell tinkled above the door. When the orderly opened it, the tallest man she’d ever seen stepped through the door. He wore a star on his vest.

  “Howdy, Robert. Can I talk to the doc?”

  “I’ll get him, Sheriff.”

  “Excuse me,” Rose said, setting the tray aside. “Are you Sheriff Morgan?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, doffing his hat.

  The man emanated such an aura of dignity, she couldn’t help but trust him. His face was tanned and weathered, but whether from age or exposure to sand and wind was hard to say. She guessed him to be in his mid-fifties, but his body appeared to be that of a younger man—solid muscle without a wasted ounce of flesh on it.

  His eyes were the clearest blue she’d ever looked into, and never wavered from her own when she introduced herself.

  “I was told a Mrs. Kincaid was looking for me.”

  “I’m Cynthia Kincaid,” Cynthia said. She came into the foyer followed by all the others, each one trying to be heard above the other.

  “Please, one at a time,” the sheriff declared.

  When he heard the full story, Morgan let out a long, low whistle. “So these fellas managed to flatten Zach MacKenzie. I’d hate to be in their boots if Flint ever runs into them. If the gang’s still in town I’ll arrest them, but I’ll need you three ladies, who were personally involved, to sign complaints.”

  “You need any help with that arrest, Ben?” Josh asked.

  “You’re damn right—I’ve only got one deputy. You and Cole come with me; I’ll deputize you.”

  “I know the bastards,” Cole said. “Bull’s the most dangerous, Joe’s the least. Pike and Cain are downright mean.”

  “If they draw on us, I’ll take Bull. Josh, Pike’s yours, and Cole can take Cain. My deputy can take this Joe. Let’s go.”

  The three men departed before anyone could even wish them good luck.

  Rose joined Beth and Cynthia on the front porch. The men had been gone for fifteen minutes, and Rose waited anxiously for their return. She became increasingly uneasy with every moment that ticked by. If the outlaws had left town, they’d still represent a threat to Zach. She wanted the whole situation to end right now.

  A sudden gunshot rent the air, then a stillness settled over the town. A few early risers came out and looked up and down the street, then went back inside and closed their doors.

  “What do you think?” Cynthia asked.

  “I don’t know,” Rose replied. “I only heard one shot, didn’t you?”

  “Here they come now,” Beth said solemnly.

  They stared as the sheriff and his deputies came down the street with three handcuffed prisoners and turned into the jail.

  “Looks like it�
�s all over but the shouting, honey,” Cynthia said, hugging her.

  “Bull wasn’t with them,” Rose said worriedly. “I wonder why?”

  “Let’s go down and sign those complaints the sheriff mentioned,” Beth said. “We’ll be able to find out then.”

  Beth and Cynthia each slipped an arm through hers and they marched up the street arm in arm.

  The three outlaws looked woefully at Rose from their locked cells. Seeing them behind bars somehow made them appear less ominous to her.

  “Where’s Bull?” she asked. “Did he get away?”

  “Bull wasn’t too willing to come with us,” Sheriff Morgan said.

  “He made the mistake of drawing on Ben,” Josh added.

  “Was that the shot we heard?” Cynthia asked.

  Morgan nodded, and handed them each a paper. “Now, if you ladies will just sign these complaints, our business will be over and these men won’t be bothering you anymore.”

  Rose was anxious to get back to Zach with the good news. She was relieved when they left the jail to go back to the doctor’s house.

  Cynthia slipped her arm through Morgan’s. “Sheriff Morgan, what took you fellows so long to take those men prisoners? We were on pins and needles, not knowing what was happening.”

  “Well, Miz Kincaid, seems these fellows were spending the night with a few of Comanche Wells’s soiled doves. It took us some time to round them all up.”

  He suddenly looked over to where an engine and several cars had just pulled into the depot. Members of the United States Cavalry were disembarking, leading saddled horses. “What in hell’s going on now? Looks like we’re being invaded.”

  Two men who were not in uniform came running toward them. Squealing with pleasure, Beth and Cynthia ran into their open arms.

  Perplexed, Rose looked to Josh. “Do you have any idea who those men are?”

  “Yep,” he said. “The fellow kissing Beth is Jake Carrington, her husband. And the other guy is Dave Kincaid. He’s married to Thia. I figured it wouldn’t be too long before they’d show up. When you own a railroad, it’s easy to hop a ride.”

  With her hand clasped in her husband’s, Cynthia led Dave Kincaid over to introduce him. Rose’s immediate impression was that Cynthia had not exaggerated her husband’s handsomeness.

  Jake Carrington was equally as handsome. And the love and adoration both men felt toward their wives was evident in their relief over finding them safe and unharmed. They kept their wives hugged to their sides.

  “The family will always be grateful to you for what you’ve done for Zach, Rose,” Dave Kincaid said.

  “From what Thia’s told us so far, it sounds remarkable,” Jake Carrington added.

  “There was nothing remarkable about what I did,” Rose said, blushing. “The remarkable thing was that Zach survived and is on his way to recovering.”

  “I think you’re being much too modest, Miss Dubois,” Jake said. She felt overwhelmed when he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Zach means a lot to all of us.”

  “Speaking of people who mean a lot to us, how are my young darlings doing?” Beth asked. “I miss them.”

  “Your son and daughter miss you, too, Rusty, and I’ve promised them I’ll never let you out of my sight again. Particularly when you’re venturing out with their Aunt Cynthia. She attracts trouble like honey does bees.”

  “Tell me about it,” Dave groaned.

  “Lovely as they are, gentlemen, sounds like the town’ll be better off if your wives don’t visit us too often,” Ben Morgan said with a wink. “We’ve kind of gotten used to peace and quiet around here.”

  As if to dispute his words, the cavalry, now mounted, came riding up amid swirling dust and snorting horses. A young lieutenant dismounted.

  “Wouldn’t he have been better off just walking over here?” Cynthia whispered aside to Rose and Dave.

  “Who’s in charge here?” the lieutenant asked officiously.

  “Reckon I am, right now,” Ben Morgan said.

  “Sir, I’m Lieutenant Keogh. By the authority of the president of the United States, I have been dispatched to the town of Comanche Wells to investigate the condition of Andrew Zachary MacKenzie, and to offer said Andrew Zachary MacKenzie the protection of my command. Can you direct me, sir, to his whereabouts?”

  “Reckon I can, sonny, but you might have to shoot the doc to get to him,” Morgan said.

  “Whatever is necessary, sir,” the lieutenant said. “First four troopers dismount,” he shouted, then started coughing from the dust when a half dozen riders galloped up to them.

  “Are you Sheriff Benjamin Morgan?” the leader asked Ben.

  “Reckon I am. What can I do for you, stranger?”

  “Sheriff Morgan, I’m Evan Bundy with the marshal’s office in Austin. On direct orders from the governor of Texas, my officers and I are to use whatever force is necessary to defend and protect Andrew MacKenzie. Do you know where I can find him?”

  “Reckon so, Marshal Bundy, but I’m afraid you’ll have to fight the U.S. Calvary here to get him.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Sheriff,” Marshal Bundy said.

  “Maybe the lieutenant there will explain it to you,” Morgan replied.

  Marshal Bundy and Lieutenant Keogh began to talk, and soon their voices rose as they argued over whose authority outranked the other.

  “Ten bucks the lieutenant wins,” Jake said to Dave.

  “My money’s on the sheriff,” Dave replied.

  “I might have known they’d show up,” Ben murmured, when six more riders rode up slowly.

  Leaning forward, the leader of the latest arrivals casually rested his arm on the saddle horn. “Howdy, Ben. Josh. Cole,” he said, nodding at each of them.

  “Pete,” Morgan acknowledged.

  “Heard you quit them Pinkertons, Josh,” Pete said.

  “Yeah, last year when I got married.”

  “What brings you Texas Rangers this far north?” Ben asked.

  “We’re lookin’ for Zach MacKenzie.”

  Snugly secure in the arms of her husband, Beth turned her head and glanced at her sister. “Thia, just what did you say in those telegrams?”

  Cynthia shrugged, then giggled delightfully.

  “What do you want with Zach?” Ben asked.

  “Went and got himself shot up by four outlaws wanted for murder and cattle rustlin’. Capt’n figured he might be needin’ some help. All I can say is, those fellows better hope we catch up with them before Flint MacKenzie does. Ole Flint won’t take too kindly to ’em shootin’ his son.” The two men broke into laughter over their shared joke.

  “Reckon I saved you boys some trouble. I’ve got those hombres locked up in my jail. Had to shoot one to bring ’em in, though.”

  “What about Zach?”

  “He’s here, but hell, two bullets ain’t enough to take down a MacKenzie,” Morgan said.

  How could they joke over Zach’s wounds? Rose had heard all she could take of this circus. She went back to the doctor’s house.

  When she entered the room, Zach opened his eyes and asked groggily, “What’s all the excitement out there?”

  “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. Go back to sleep, my love.” She climbed into the bed. “We’ll probably wake up to find the bed surrounded by the U.S. Cavalry, but I’m too sleepy to care anymore.”

  Zach slipped his arm around her shoulders as she curled against him. “Welcome home, Rosie.”

  Laying her head on his chest, she closed her eyes and smiled in contentment. Zach was recovering, the Tait gang was no longer a threat to them, and tomorrow . . . tomorrow would be the first day of forever.

  Chapter 29

  Rose jerked awake. She sat up and looked around in confusion at the strange room, then remembered where she was and glanced down beside her. Zach was asleep. She felt his forehead. He was still feverish, but nothing like he’d been the day before.

  Glancing at the clock,
Rose realized it hadn’t been the day before. It was eight o’clock, and sunlight was streaming in the window—she’d slept away most of yesterday, as well as the whole night. What must people be thinking?

  She hastened out of bed. She needed to bathe, and wondered if she could prevail on Beth or Cynthia for fresh clothing again until she could get back to Brimstone. Then she was struck by another jarring thought: would she even be able to return to Brimstone without being arrested by that idiot sheriff? Although the Tait gang was behind bars, there still were a lot of issues to be resolved back there.

  Slipping out of the room, she hurried upstairs and discovered the bedrooms were deserted. With the arrival of their husbands, Beth and Cynthia would probably have gone to the hotel last night. In the kitchen she found Mrs. King, who confirmed it.

  “They stopped by before they departed for Dallas this morning and left you a package and a letter.”

  “Oh my, and I slept right through it,” Rose said, disappointed.

  “They didn’t want to wake you, dear. The ladies felt you needed the rest,” Mrs. King said kindly.

  “I wish I could have said good-bye. I owe them so much.”

  “I’m sure they understand, dear. Would you like some breakfast now?”

  “I think I would like to bathe first. Where did you put the package they left?”

  “In Mr. MacKenzie’s room. Is he awake? The doctor’s hoping he’ll be able to start eating some solid food.”

  “He was sleeping when I left him. I’m going back to get the package, and I’ll let you know. Where is Dr. Serene now?”

  “The doctor was called out on an emergency several hours ago.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. King.”

  Rose tiptoed back into the room and checked Zach. He was still sleeping peacefully, so she picked up the package and letter from the table and left the room.

  As she drew her bath, Rose read the good-bye note. The sisters assured her they’d see her again—at her and Zach’s wedding. And, thankfully, the letter went on to say that besides picking up some toiletries and underclothing for her, Beth had given Rose one of her gowns.

  Inside the package, Rose was delighted to see a green-and-white-checked gown and a white snood for her hair, as well as the other items the sisters had been thoughtful enough to purchase.