She somehow didn’t blush at his question; instead she ignored it and perched on the side of the bed. He took her hand, which was warm and so alive. A rush of emotion washed over her, and her eyes pricked with tears.
“Don’t cry for me, honey. I’ll live.”
She couldn’t explain what made those damn tears appear, and she wished they’d go back where they came from. However, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, and she was still on foot. Chloe shook her head and pushed back against the emotions swirling through her.
“I ain’t crying for you.”
“Good to know. I wouldn’t want to be the one who made you cry.” He squeezed her hand.
“You’re not, so don’t worry.” His humor allowed her self-control to take over again. “You in pain?”
He tried to shrug but managed only to wince. “Some.”
“Doc give you something for the pain or do I need to?” She remembered too vividly how it felt to be in pain and have the laudanum in her system. Gideon deserved a dose of that himself.
“Yes he did, no need to take revenge.” He knew her too well already.
She stared into his blue eyes, lost in the depths. “You make me crazy.”
“You make me want to get drunk.”
“You boss me around too much.”
“You argue too much.”
This time when she laughed, he smiled at her, and the beauty of it made her breath catch. “I love you, Chloe Ruskin.”
She had held back much of herself, had spent so long worrying about her family, and his softly spoken words broke the dam within her.
“I love you too, Gideon Blackwood.”
Chloe finally let the walls fall away and gave her heart and soul to Gideon Blackwood. As she laid her head beside his on the cot and let his warmth seep into hers, she knew she’d found where she belonged.
* * * * *
Gideon woke to the sound of someone clearing his throat. He cracked his eyes open to find all four of the Devils standing over him. If he was a lesser man, he might have been afraid, but he knew they were just checking on him.
“I’m still alive, so go back home.”
Zeke scowled deeply. “Not funny, Captain. We came to help you, and we’re not leaving. I will travel home with you by my side or not at all.”
“My sentiments exactly.” Nate crossed his arms and joined in the staring.
“He needs to stay in Tanger.” Lee sat on the only chair in the room, his back against the wall.
“I’d be happy if he did.” Jake grinned at him. “Now that he’s found himself a woman, I think we can count on it.”
Gideon was glad of their loyalty, but sometimes it was too much. “You ought to be nicer to me. I’m wounded.”
They all laughed, finding humor in his feeble excuse. He’d definitely been wounded much worse and gotten up on both feet to fight before a bandage ever touched him too. The thought of being taken care of by Chloe while he healed, however, made him almost glad he’d been wounded.
“I’ll stay in Westville until Chloe is ready to leave.” Gideon pushed up into a sitting position slowly, glad the room didn’t spin anymore. The laudanum must have worn off. “Zeke, what happened to Adam and Tobias?”
“They’re in the jail. The sheriff wired the district judge. He’ll be here in a couple of days to decide whether or not to hold them over for trial.” Zeke shook his head. “Shame that two good Southern boys turned rotten.”
“What about Chloe? How is she doing?”
“She’s fine. We made her lie down in the parlor. She’s in there snoring now, so we snuck in to see you. That little woman is a fierce guard dog.” Jake patted his leg. “When you’re ready, we’ll take you over to the hotel and get out of this doctor’s cave. He isn’t the nicest sort, is he?”
“No, but he patched Gid up.” Lee got to his feet. “He would’ve had some trouble if he hadn’t.”
Gideon stared at them one by one, noting the furtive glances between them and what they weren’t saying. “Why are the four of you really here?”
“We’ve never seen you act like you do with her.” Zeke jerked his thumb toward the door. “Can she be trusted?”
Gideon swallowed the bark of annoyance that threatened to pop out of his mouth. Zeke was only concerned about Gideon, not talking badly about Chloe. After all, Zeke didn’t know her or anything about her other than her brother and cousin were potential murderers.
“Yes, with my life.”
“Good enough for me,” Jake piped up. “Besides, I like her.”
The rest of them murmured their assent. The knot in Gideon’s stomach loosened. “I’m going to marry her.”
“We heard.” Nate smiled. “Unusual place for a proposal. The bloody needle dangling from your shoulder will live in infamy.”
Gideon laughed. “At least she said yes.” He grinned, letting the memory of her softly worded I love you too float through his memory.
“About time too. We were getting tired of the bachelor in the family.” Lee punched his good shoulder lightly. “I thought I’d be the last one to get hitched.”
“I’m glad for you, cousin. Really glad.” Zeke squeezed his arm.
“Wait until the women hear about this.” Jake chuckled. “Your wedding will be a regular town event. You bringing her grandmother and the two little girls with you?”
“I want to, but I haven’t talked to Chloe yet.” He thought about what the three of them had been through and wondered just how much damage the Ruskin boys had done. As soon as he could, he’d find time to talk to Granny.
“A family.” Nate smiled and shook his head. “Another family to take care of.”
“Ah, but this is different.” Gideon pointed at his friend. “These ladies aren’t lazy good-for-nothings who whine all the time.”
That started a tussle between the two of them, and within minutes they were all laughing and smiling like crazy men. Gideon looked around at his family and knew they had all finally conquered the damage done to them during the war. He was whole again.
* * * * *
Chloe walked to the jail with Nate on one side and Jake on the other. True to their word, they escorted her to talk to her family, and their protectiveness gave her some measure of strength to do what she had to do.
When she stepped into the jail, her entire body shook with anger and fear. The sheriff sat behind the desk. He nodded at them but didn’t speak. Adam and Tobias got to their feet as soon as they spotted her. More than the bars of the cell separated them though.
“’Bout time you showed up, Chloe. We need to get out of here. You need to see to it,” Adam snapped. “And who the hell are they?”
She glanced at Nate. “Can you two wait outside while I talk to them?”
He scowled. “Gideon wouldn’t like it.”
“I’m not Gideon.”
“She’s got you there.” Jake squeezed her shoulder. “Just give a shout if you need us.” He pulled Nate out the door, leaving Chloe standing by herself.
Her feet felt nailed to the floor. It was harder to face them now than it had been by the light of the fire days earlier.
“Well? What are you gonna do about getting us out of here?” Adam’s sharp words got her moving again.
She stepped toward them, her throat dry and heart smacking against her ribs. “I want some answers.”
Adam snorted. “I don’t care what you want, little sister. I want to get out of here.”
“Me too.” Tobias had lost all his bravado once he was behind bars. He looked like the boy she remembered too well, wide-eyed and scared.
“Where were you?” The anger began to push away the fear. “We needed you at home, and you never came back.”
Adam snorted. “I didn’t want to come back. There was nothing to come back to. A dirt farm, a pain-in-t
he-ass sister and an old woman? Nothing.”
His words cut like broken glass. “We’re family. We’re not nothing.”
This time he bared his teeth. “I learned how to make quick money, how to take care of me. Ain’t nobody else matters but me.”
“Then I feel sorry for you. Nothing matters but family.” Grief for who he had been and for what he’d become filled her heart.
“Do you know I killed a man for his shoes? It was war, Chloe, and my feet were bleeding. Does that make me a murderer or a survivor?” Adam’s voice started to rise, sounding fractured and frantic. “I did what I had to.”
“No, you had a choice, Adam. I loved you. You’re my brother, and you always had a home to come back to.” She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered at the emotions in the air.
“I had no choice. I did too much, saw too much. I wasn’t going to be the same fool I was when I left home.” His eyes were full of darkness and shadows. Adam was not her brother any longer—he had become a monster.
“Then I feel sorry for you.” Her heart knew it was time to say goodbye to them.
“Fuck your pity.”
She turned to her cousin, who had begun to weep silently. His large eyes were empty and hollow. “Goodbye, Tobias.”
She turned to leave when Adam let loose a string of curses that crawled across her skin. War had truly turned them into ghosts of who they had been. She would grieve for them, no matter what the law decided to do with them.
“Goodbye, Adam.” Chloe held the tears back until the door closed behind her. Nate and Jake never said a word as they handed her their handkerchiefs and waited while she wept in the dirt outside the jail in Westville.
Chloe had finally let go of her past.
Chapter Eleven
Three days later, Gideon was ready to get back to Tanger. Chloe argued with Lee all the time, while Granny argued with Zeke. The girls were running around like wild children, and Nate had taken to hiding with Jake somewhere in town.
Chloe hadn’t left Gideon’s side much, taking care of him. He appreciated her care, but it left him little time to talk to Granny. There was something bothering the older woman, and he wanted to find out what it was without hurting Chloe. She’d already been hurt enough.
That day, they had to face her brother and cousin again. He understood her pain, frustration and confusion at what they’d done. The traveling circuit judge had arrived in Westville, and it was time to hear what he planned on doing with the wayward Ruskins.
As Gideon dressed, his muscles protested, as did his healing wounds. With a few hisses and even more curses, he managed to pull on his trousers. By then he was sweating and regretting the fact he’d even tried. That’s when Chloe walked in.
One brow went up. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to get my damn clothes on.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” She tapped one foot and folded her arms.
“To the judge with you.”
Her mouth formed an O of surprise, and her arms fell away. “Really?”
His heart hurt for her at the idea she wouldn’t expect him to be there when she needed him. “Of course I am. We’re to be married. I’ll always be by your side.”
She looked at the floor and managed a small nod. “Thank you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“You’re welcome. Now help me get dressed before I fall down and make a mess.” He was loath to admit he needed help, but at least it was Chloe and not one of the Devils. They’d never let him forget it.
With her assistance, he was dressed in a few minutes, and they made their way slowly out of the hotel. The judge was waiting at the jail for them, a tall, balding man, and whipcord lean. He nodded at them.
“Miss Ruskin. Mr. Blackwood. I’m Judge Henry. Nice to meet you.”
They shook hands and stepped into the small jail. Gideon nodded at the sheriff. They’d met days earlier, which seemed like a lifetime ago. Chloe’s hand danced within Gideon’s like a trapped butterfly. She appeared as calm and tough as any man in the room, yet she showed him just how scared she was. He squeezed her hand, relieved to feel her return the gesture.
In the back of the building, the two Ruskin men sat in the jail cell, their arms dangling through the bars. They both looked hard at Chloe.
She looked as if she was going to say something but turned away from them and looked at the judge instead.
Nate stood by, the attorney of the Devils, ready to assist. “Judge Henry, I would not suggest there be any delay in transferring these men to Houston for trial.”
“Let me do my job, Marchand.” The judge’s tone wasn’t harsh, but he obviously didn’t want any advice from Nate. He turned to Gideon. “I spoke to Miss Ruskin and her grandmother earlier about what transpired between you and these two men. I need to hear your tale too, before I make any decisions.”
Chloe, surprisingly, kept silent. He wondered what she’d gone through when the judge talked to her. She hadn’t said a word and certainly hadn’t asked him to be there with her. Gideon had never met a stronger woman.
He told his story to the judge quickly, although he was sweating from the memory of believing Chloe and he had been about to die. A chair was shoved under him, and he sat down heavily. Someone handed him a handkerchief, and he wiped his face.
Judge Ruskin studied him for a few moments. “I believe there is sufficient evidence to hold Adam and Tobias Ruskin over for trial in Houston. I’ll wire for an escort. Thank you both for your time.” The judge murmured something to the sheriff, then left the jail.
Chloe stared at the floor while Gideon stared at her. She had a hand in making sure her family paid for their crimes. He wanted to get her alone so he could find out how she was feeling about that. It had to have been one of the hardest things she’d ever done.
“You bitch,” Adam spat. “You steal my fucking property and that idiot judge has the nerve to send me to jail?”
Chloe looked at Gideon. “Let’s get out of here before I say something stupid.”
Gideon nodded his thanks to Nate, then rose, taking his woman’s hand. As they walked out of the building together, Adam continued to scream at them. To her credit, she flinched only once.
The morning sunshine greeted them as if nothing had happened in the jail. Chloe took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. She squinted up at the sun. “I reckon we need to talk about things.”
Gideon tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and started walking back toward the hotel. “What do you want to talk about?” He’d let her discuss whatever she wanted to.
Chloe had been through hell and back the last week. She deserved his ear, his hand, his heart. She deserved anything and everything he could give her.
“You, uh, asked me to marry you.”
“I did.”
“Did you mean it?”
Her soft question made his heart pinch. There was a plethora of hope and fear in those four little words, and they hit him square between the eyes.
“The only thing I meant more was telling you I love you.” He patted her hand. “I still love you, and yes, I definitely want to marry you.” Saying it out loud again made him smile. How could his life have changed so drastically in such a short period of time?
She let out a nervous laugh. “I just wanted to be sure. I mean, I don’t come from very good stock. And my brother did try to kill you.”
He stopped and turned to face her. “I don’t blame you for anything Adam or Tobias did. Don’t ever think for a moment I would. The war turned lots of men into dark creatures, and there’s nothing you can do to change them back.”
She stared up at him for a beat before she nodded. “I have to ask. I ain’t gonna marry a man who doesn’t know every terrible thing about me.”
“Do I know every terrible thing?” He smiled down at her.
She nodded. “Yep. There’s nothing left to tell.”
With a whoop, he swung her around until she begged him to stop. Then he kissed her in front of the entire town of Westville.
“Will you make Tanger your home with me? I think that town was made for you.” He would go wherever she needed to, but he wanted to stay in Tanger.
“If’n you want to live there, I’ll live there. Martha and Hazel and Granny are included. It’s a package of all four of us.” Her voice had grown stronger, even a bit demanding.
“Hm, four for the price of one? I can’t complain about that.”
She swatted his arm. “You stop fooling with me now, Gideon Blackwood.”
“I’m not fooling.” He pulled her close until they were nose to nose. “I would love for all of you to come live with me in Tanger. We’ll build a house and make babies and have a good life together.”
Her eyes grew bright, and then she smiled shakily. “Let’s go to Tanger.”
* * * * *
It took another two days to repair the damage to the wagon, or rather, that was what they told Chloe. As she walked out of the hotel with Gideon, she stopped dead in her tracks. The wagon had been loaded with all their things. Her voice deserted her.
Tears sparkled in Granny’s eyes as she stared at the belongings she’d thought she’d lost. Chloe’s throat grew tight as she put her arm around her grandmother’s small shoulders. When had she become frail and old? Granny was always the strong one in the family, the rock that Chloe clung to through all the storms.
“Look what those men did for us.” Granny’s voice shook. “I cain’t believe they did that.”
“They’re good folks, Granny.” Chloe kissed Granny’s temple. “I haven’t talked with you yet, but Gideon asked me to marry him.”
Granny turned her head to look at her. “And I hope you said yes, girlie.”
“Not the first time, but I did the second.” Chloe grinned. “He wants us all to live with him in Tanger. I know we were on our way to see your sister…”
Granny shook her head. “Julia died last year. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to leave Virginia, and I knew you wouldn’t go unless there was a good reason.” She swiped at her eyes. “You and those girls, you’re all I have now. I thought Adam and Tobias—” Her voice broke, and Chloe pulled her into a hug. Granny made a small squeak as if she was in pain, and it echoed through Chloe’s bones.
Devils on Horseback: Gideon, Book 5 Page 19
