by Multiple
“Yes,” Cody’s tone was hot. “Three got away.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“Cody,” Scarlett murmured.
“Right here, darling.” Cody knelt in the dirt, resting her head against his leg.
“Is it bad?”
“Nah. You’ve done worse cliff diving into the lake.”
Laughter hurt, so she choked it off and nodded. “I’m cold.”
“I know. We’re going to warm you up in a moment, Noah’s going to clean that gash out first. Okay?”
“Is it going to hurt?”
“You tell me.” Noah teased and poured something wet over her side. The wet sizzled and the burn punched through her side like a mule kick.
Breath hissed through her clenched teeth. “I think I hate you.”
“There’s our Scar,” Jimmy’s voice carried a tinge of humor amidst a sea of relief. “Okay, let’s get the wagons straightened out and figure out what we do next.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sam kept a firm eye on Scarlett. She was bundled up and tucked in next to a roaring fire. They’d not really wanted to chance it, but she was too cold otherwise. The firelight glowed warm against her softened expression. He wasn’t sure what Noah had done, but the hot pink of her skin had returned to normal and the lines of pain around her mouth eased.
Kid and Buck returned at dusk. They’d found one of the three men and buried him. Sam had appointed himself the task of dealing with the three men Scarlett burned. He’d never forget the sight of those twisted, charred bodies for as long as he lived. But, they would still be alive if they hadn’t taken shots at her.
It was a fair trade in his opinion.
Noah assured him that Scarlett’s wound was just a shallow cut, but she’d lost a lot of blood. Ike and Micah had tended the horses, built a fire and started passing out food. As if by unspoken agreement, none of the men ate until Scarlett was full.
“How’s her horse?” Sam kept his voice low. Cody tipped back a canteen to drink and shrugged.
“Noah says it hit bone. But she’s better now, we won’t have to put her down.” It was a relief to all of them. No one had wanted to shoot the horse, but if the injury was too bad, they would have been forced too. “We’re going to have to find a place to keep her a spell and let her heal the rest up. Noah took care of the worst, but she still needs a few days.”
Sam’s mouth twisted and he pushed his hat back to scratch his forehead. “Scarlett can’t stay a few days, Kid said he spotted Ryker. So those were his men.”
“You know him?” Cody’s head tilted, his eyes wavering between blue and yellow.
“Yeah. He’s a rat bastard. Cobb sent word that he’d rousted some of the town to go on the hunt. They want the reward money associated with the gold.” Scarlett’s association with the reward stuck like a stone in Sam’s throat. If he’d held off just a couple of days on sending word to the judge, they might have avoided all this.
“How many men?”
“Twenty.”
The men shared a grim look. Jimmy walked over to join them, dumping the contents of the tin cup before setting it on the back of the wagon. “Ike and Noah can take the mare up into the hills. There are plenty of secure places they can camp until she’s well enough to travel.”
They’d found plenty of shelter and at least one of those rock caves had boasted fresh water running in an aquifer through the back passages.
“And if Ryker and his men come back?” Of the twenty he left with, Ryker had at maybe eleven men in addition to himself.
“Saves me the time of hunting them down.” Cody grinned, the wolf in him baring its teeth. It was odd, Sam was starting to recognize the differing signs of personality between the man and the wolf and moments like these when the two were in tight agreement.
“Them coming back isn’t the problem.” Jimmy leaned back against the wagon. The other horses, though spooked, were fine and the holes in the wagons wouldn’t hamper their traveling plans. “The problem is if Scarlett is here when they do.”
Sam’s gaze wandered back to the woman in question, she was nestled amongst the blankets with Rudy fussing over her. The brothers had all taken turns sitting with her, fetching her food or water and making her smile. “I’ll take her. We’ll cut north from here and edge up into the painted desert before we turn east.”
“That’s Comanche territory. They’re likely a lot further north still, it’s too early in the season for them to have migrated back. But they sometimes send raiding parties down past the river.”
“Ryker’s not much for creative thinking. He saw her with the wagons, he’ll be coming back for the wagons.” All three studied the darkness around them.
“Rudy’s small enough.” Jimmy mused. “We can dress him in Scarlett’s shirts and have him ride up front.”
“What about her hair?” Micah joined the discussion, nursing his own tin cup of the bitter chicory. It was terrible for coffee, but of all of them, Micah actually seemed to enjoy it. “That hair can be seen for miles.”
“We could cut it off,” Jimmy suggested. “Fashion it as a wig for Rudy.”
“No.” Sam and Cody uttered in one single breath. Micah snickered and Jimmy just looked pained.
“No,” Sam repeated. “Dig out a red bandana, tie it around his head and stick a hat on it. It’ll look like she was trying to bind her hair up from a distance.”
Cody nodded. “If they take a shot at him, he can phase. He’ll have to be watching for it though. And if you’re both prepared, he can phase you too, Micah.”
“Joy.” Micah grimaced. “I’d rather we skip that part.”
Jimmy clapped him on the shoulder. “It only hurts once. Bullets can hurt forever.”
Sam ignored them, meeting Scarlett’s gaze across the campsite. She was watching him, and he got the sense that she was waiting. “She won’t want to leave all of you.”
“No, but she’ll go all the same.” Cody’s tone brooked no argument. “You can both move faster on horses than with the wagons, and if you can get around them, we can deal with them on their next pass.”
“You sure you’re okay with me taking her?” Sam pulled his gaze from Scarlett and focused on the blond. They’d worked a truce since they’d bloodied their knuckles on each other’s faces. Unlike Cody’s, Sam’s injuries were still healing, the bruises a livid color of black and blue on his ribs.
“I don’t have to be to know it’s the right thing to do.” Cody shrugged. “Don’t think we didn’t all see what you did out there today, Sam. You walked right through the fire, right to her and picked her up. You didn’t back away even when she could have lit you up like a bonfire blaze, but she didn’t.”
“Cody’s right, Marshal. The faster you get her back, the safer she’ll be.” Jimmy didn’t quite say she would be safer with him, but Sam heard the tacit approval in both voices. Cody’s had been hard earned, but even the wolf seemed to be coming around.
“Should probably take her straight to the ranch, if Ryker develops sense and goes straight back to town, you don’t want it to be you and Cobb alone against all of them.” Micah added.
He’d already considered that possibility. The Flying K stood more than fifty men. They’d all go for guns if his father asked for it and Ryker would have to be an idiot to go after her there. “Bring the gold there, too. Until we can reach out to the army to pick it up.”
A strange look passed between Jimmy and Cody.
“What?”
“Yeah, about that, Marshal. I’m not sure the rest of us can even go on the ranch.” Jimmy looked uneasy. Sam glanced at Micah, but his younger brother merely shrugged. He had no idea what they were talking about either.
“Why not?”
Cody cleared his throat. “When we came for Scarlett. We couldn’t cross onto your land.”
“What?” Sam repeated the question, frowning. “What do you mean you couldn’t cross?
Kid said you were there.”
“The wolf could cross,” Cody explained. “But I couldn’t not unless I went wolf. None of the others could either.”
“What happened?” Micah pressed forward.
“It was like being stung by a thousand nettles, they dug in until I thought my skin was bleeding. It stopped whenever we pulled back.” Jimmy grimaced. “Damned unpleasant. We rode miles up and down the line, but we couldn’t find a safe place to cross.”
What the hell were they talking about? Sam spared a glance for Micah and scowled at the delighted grin on his face.
“I can’t believe it really worked.”
Resisting the urge to smack his brother, Sam strove for patience. “What really worked?”
“You remember that Shaman that stayed with us when we were kids?” Micah motioned with his hand. “The big guy with the feathers in his hair. We kept daring each other to steal one.”
Sam had a vague recollection of an iron-faced Indian, who liked to sit so still they’d thought he was dead until they walked up and his eyes would open. Micah had followed the man around like a hound dog, trying to imitate everything he did. “Barely.”
“His name was George Two-Feathers or something like that. He had another name, but I couldn’t pronounce it and Pa called him George. He stayed the whole winter with us, when spring came, he went out and said he would dance to bless the land, returning the favor of Pa’s kindness. He used to come back every spring, he’d dance, share a drink with Pa and then leave again.”
“What the hell does that have to do with phantom nettles?” Impatience fanned the flames of his own irritation. Micah was practically bouncing in place with excitement.
“Shamans have strong magic,” Buck closed the circle with Ike and Noah in attendance. The men had clearly been listening long enough to follow the conversation. “A shamanic blessing would explain why we couldn’t cross.”
“You want to explain it to the rest of us then?” Jimmy tugged his hat off and slapped it against his thigh.
“You should pay more attention to Father’s lessons.” Buck grinned. “He told us that Shamanic magic can repel us, particularly if it’s protective. My people have had gifted amongst them since Coyote ran with us on the plains and the Buffalo Woman shared her wisdom around the campfires. Protective magic to keep away those who would harm have been handed down through the line of Shamans.”
“That’s amazing.” Micah laughed. “I always thought it was a bunch of hoo wa, but I like the idea that it works. Means the Flying K is a safe harbor.”
“Unless you can’t cross onto it.” Sam pointed out and then cut his hand through the air before someone else could speak. “But if that’s the case, how was Scarlett able to get there? She didn’t complain about nettles when we rode in.”
“You carried her in, Sam,” Micah’s voice was patient and amused. “You brought her onto the land.”
Buck nodded in quick agreement. “And invitation would allow the crossing.”
“Then Kid and I can invite ya’ll in. Problem solved.”
Cody and Sam shared a look of skepticism. It should have surprised him that their thoughts traveled a similar path, but it didn’t. “Fine. Even if it doesn’t work, it will still get the gold somewhere safe and we can figure out the rest later.”
“Agreed.” Cody nodded.
“Only one last thing to decide then,” Noah drawled.
“What’s that?” Sam was tired of the conversation and wanted to check on Scarlett for himself. They were as secure as they could be for now.
“Who gets to tell Scarlett she’s going?”
As if rehearsed, Micah and her brothers all gestured to Sam. “He will.” And then they scattered, leaving only Cody to linger.
Sam waited.
“Take care of her. We’ll take care of Ryker and his men.” Cody said after a long, brooding silence.
“We’ll be waiting for you, all of you, at the Flying K.”
Cody hesitated, as though he wanted to say more, but shook his head and walked back into the darkness. He would shift, prowling their campsite with his ears, eyes and nose on point. Sam allowed the man a few moments to get away before he walked over to deliver the news to Scarlett. Her sleepy face lit up at his approach with a smile so wide it punched the air out of his lungs.
His heart had stopped when they’d heard that first gunshot and refused to beat again until he’d seen her standing out there in the open, with bullets kicking up the earth around her feet. Fear followed hot on the heels of anger had thrown him off his horse and into a dead run. He hadn’t hesitated to pick her up and carry her to safety.
She scuttled closer to him when he sat down.
“Hey.”
“Hello, how are you feeling?”
“Like I’m very tired of that question.”
Sam allowed himself a small smile. “Then don’t get shot next time.”
“I will do my best.”
Was she leaning into him? He shifted and let his arm fall around her shoulders until she was snuggled up firm to his side. One by one the muscles in his neck loosened. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the scent of her, sunshine, wood smoke and just the barest hint of lemon.
“Are you okay?” She asked, the words muffled against his chest.
He turned his head, resting his chin against her hair and sighed. “I’m fine. Not a scratch. Your horse is going to be fine, too.”
“I know,” she smiled, relief plain in her voice. “Micah and Noah told me. She needs time to recover though.”
“She does.” Sam agreed. “Noah and Ike are going to take her into the hills, camp for a spell and let her recover. They’ll follow along later.”
“What about the men who ambushed us?” Scarlet started to lift her head, but Sam flexed his arm, tucking her closer.
“They’ll be fine. We’ve got a plan and we’re going to split up in the morning.”
The fire crackled, gorging itself on the wood. They’d have to add more fuel soon or it would begin to gutter. But Scarlett seemed warm enough for now.
“Split up?”
“Hmm. You and I are going to have a little adventure together.”
She did lift her head then, gazing up at him part curious child, part disapproving lady and all gorgeous woman. “What kind of adventure?”
“The kind where we ride out and let our brothers take on the ambushers without us.”
“Sam…”
“No.” He shook his head gently, refusing her. “No, listen, then you can comment.”
Her jaw tightened, but she nodded mutely, an obstinate tilt to her chin. He had to swallow a chuckle or risk laughing in her face. He loved her rebellious little puckered mouth.
“You and I are going to take a couple of the horses and ride straight north. Ryker and his men want you, so we’re putting you out of reach. Our brothers know what to expect and they’ll deal with it. We have to trust them to do just that and they have to trust us to keep you out of harm’s way. We’ll be able to travel faster and quieter without the wagons and we’ll meet them at the Flying K.”
“Okay.”
Sam frowned, leaning away to get a better look at her upturned face.
“What?”
“I thought you just said ‘okay.’”
“I did.”
“Where’s the argument?”
“What is there to argue? You’re right. I’ll be safer with you and we can move faster.” Her words should have boosted his confidence, but they left him uneasy.
“Minx?”
“Yes, Sam?”
“Are you planning something?”
“No, Sam.”
Not mollified, he tugged her back against him. “What’s wrong?”
“If I agree with you, something’s must be wrong?”
“No, but I’m not sure why you aren’t arguing. You’ve argued everything else.”
She pulled a
hand out from under the blanket and unfolded her fingers to reveal his Marshal’s star nestled in her palm. He looked from the tin star to her face. His body tightened at the soft smile flirting around the corners of her mouth.
“I want to be alone with you.”
Sam’s groin stiffened and he covered her palm with his, sandwiching the star in between.
That presented him with an entirely new problem.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The sun wasn’t even a promise on the horizon when Sam rousted her from the bedroll. She watched through bleary eyes as he packed up their gear and someone helped her up onto a horse, Jimmy probably. Yawns split her jaw and it wasn’t until Cody squeezed her hand that she really grasped that they were going, leaving their brothers to face the trouble while she scampered off to safety.
“Don’t,” Cody warned when she frowned. “No goodbyes, no be carefuls, no hurrying.” Damn if he didn’t know her well. She nodded solemnly, it was the least she could do.
He tugged her boot when her attention wandered. “Listen to Sam, okay? Don’t decide you know better when you’re out there in the middle of it.”
“You trust him now?” She wasn’t sure what to think of that. Cody’s anger at Sam had been a palpable thing, but since the night at the swimming hole when they’d walked off to ‘deal’ with it, they’d seemed to have made their peace.
“I trust you, too.” He tucked her foot into the stirrup, and put her hand back up on the pommel. “Surprised?”
Speechless was more like it. “A little, yeah.”
“Don’t be. You handled yourself well in Dorado. You handled yourself well during the attack yesterday.”
“Did I? I set the whole ridge on fire.”
Cody shrugged. “Bastards got what they deserved, Scar. Don’t doubt yourself. You don’t hurt people on purpose, not unless they do something stupid and deserve it.”
Scarlett bit her lip, thinking that she’d hurt Cody. As if following the line of her thoughts, Cody patted her leg. “I did something stupid. I deserved it.”
Laughter pinched her side so she settled for a chuckle. Then, whispering, just for his ears, “Cody, I really like Sam.” It was only fair, she’d never thought he cared about her that way until the day at the pond, but she wanted Cody to hear it from her. Before Sam.
