by Jodi Thomas
Finally, sometime long after dark, he slept. Sage laced clean bandages over the wounds she'd packed with a poultice of powdered paper and tobacco to draw out the infections. She stood and told Myron to let the fire die down. She knew the count would sleep the night, and tomorrow they'd operate to remove the bullet.
Myron brought her what looked like a tablecloth and draped it around her like a shawl. "No one, not even me, sleeps in the count's house, but I've told the guard to take you somewhere safe.” He patted her shoulder. "I'd never hurt you, dearie, and Luther won't either, unless he has to. He's not cruel for no reason like some of them are”
She nodded and followed the guard down the dark street to the building that looked like a boardinghouse. They went in a side door. He lit a lantern and motioned her forward. Sometime during the day he'd stopped bullying her and started treating her with a small degree of respect. After Charlie and his gang, even a small allowance was appreciated.
"Thank you," she said when he opened the third door they passed.
There, on the first floor was a line of rooms that looked like cells, boarded in on the sides, but barred at the door and window. Inside her cell was a bed with blankets, a tray of food, and a small bathtub surrounded with all she'd need.
"Myron set this up for you. He said after what you did today, you deserved a little peace.” The guard backed away. "I'm the only one who has a key to this cell and the door beyond, so you can sleep until I cum get you”
When she heard the door lock behind her, she knew she was being locked in for her safety. She tossed the shawl over the window and took a bath. Then she ate everything on the tray and crawled into bed, loving the luxury of covers. For the first time in a week she slept soundly.
CHAPTER 18
IT WAS ALMOST MIDNIGHT WHEN BONNIE FAYE FELT HER cowboy pull the reins on his horse and stop. She'd been sleeping in his arms as they'd traveled, loving the blended sounds of the night and his heartbeat. Even though they might not have enough in common to carry on much of a conversation, his nearness made her feel safe, truly safe.
He hadn't said much to her all day, but his touch was gentle. They both knew what was expected. She'd agreed to be his lover until dawn, and he'd promised to give her a night she'd remember.
They'd made love for the last time at dawn, a sweet kind of love that made her cry as a gentle rain tapped against the cabin windows. Neither talked afterward, but he'd held her to him until she'd drifted to sleep.
When she woke, he had the horses ready. The cold, gray morning reflected her mood as she stepped outside. The plainness of his land, now brown with fall and dead all around, made her feel sorry for him. A lonely man on a lonely spread. She fought not to show how she felt, but he probably read it in her eyes. This isolation would be a dull kind of hell for her.
She tried to ride the horse he'd saddled for her, but after a few minutes, it was obvious she knew nothing about handling a mount, so he climbed up behind her, and they'd ridden double, switching horses every time they stopped.
Neither had wanted to eat, and he made no attempt to kiss her when they stopped. It was as if the storm had passed, and they were once again two strangers. He'd left his land holding her tight, but now there was a formalness about his touch.
"Galveston's just up ahead." he said when she raised her head off his chest. "Do you want me to take you to the Ranger station or the hotel?"
For one wild moment she considered telling him to take her back to the cabin. One wonderful night could never be enough. She realized they didn't even know each other. The shyness she'd always had around men blanketed her. She couldn't talk about what they'd done, couldn't even think about it without blushing.
"The station," she whispered. "They'll know about Sage and the Smith boys."
She didn't say anything about how she'd explain the time she'd been gone. She couldn't tell him what it had meant to her. She could have told him their night was her first and probably her only time to be loved, but he knew. He understood what it had meant to her, just as she knew how it had changed him.
She smiled. He'd called her Pretty Lady and touched her as if she were a treasure.
He nudged her head with his chin. "Look at me.” he said. She looked up; the flickering lights of town sparkled in his eyes.
"I want to give you something.” He reached in his pocket. "So you'll remember me and our one night.”
"Oh, no. It's not necessary.” She'd never forget him.
He smiled as if reading her mind, then tugged her hand up and slid a thin ring on her finger. "This was my mother's. It ain't much, but I want you to have it. I've been married twice, but tonight was the first time I felt like…"
He didn't finish. He couldn't find the words.
She looked down at the tiny bands of gold that had been laced together. It wasn't a wedding ring, but it almost could have been.
"Thank you," she managed, knowing he'd be insulted if she even tried to give it back. "I wish I had something for you”
"You gave me enough. I've never been worth much, but for one night I was all you needed”
She wrapped her arms around him, and he urged the horse toward the lights. When they reached the Ranger station, he climbed down and slowly lowered her beside him. For a moment he hugged her as if he couldn't let her go, then he turned her toward the door and pushed her forward.
She took two steps and glanced back.
He was gone. Vanished into the night.
Bonnie fought back tears and touched the ring. He'd saved her; that's all the Rangers needed to know. The rest was hers to hold in her heart.
She'd had her storm to remember.
Walking into the station, she saw the Rangers stand in surprise. When she stepped into the light, they all rushed toward her with questions. Where had she been? How had she managed to stay alive? Was she with Sage?
Bonnie asked her own questions between answering theirs. After almost an hour, the captain woke the Smith boys. They ran to her and hugged her. Bonnie fought back tears, because she was exhausted. She'd never lived so much in such a short time.
"Don't cry." Will put his arm on her shoulder. "We're all right. We was just waiting here until you and the doctor came for us." He pressed close to her ear. "We been taking good care of the mutt and your cat. You'll be proud of us."
"I already am," she whispered back. "Thanks.”
Harmon asked if she'd like someone to see her and the boys back to the hotel.
Bonnie shook her head.
He knelt and held Will and Andy by the shoulder. "When you're full grown, come find me," he said. "I'd be honored to have you ride with the Rangers.”
Will straightened with pride. Andy leaned against her skirts, looking tired.
Harmon asked again if she wanted someone to walk her back to the hotel.
Bonnie looked around at the faces of the Rangers and saw it then. The look men had always given her. That invisible look that told her she was a woman to be polite to but never to flatter or flirt with or even talk to more than necessary.
"No. thank you. Captain. I'll be fine." She took the boys' hands. "I've got these two to watch over me."
He saw her out the door and as far as the lights of the hotel before he turned back to go to work on all he'd learned.
Bonnie walked, her head high, knowing somewhere in the night was a man who'd wanted her, who'd loved her, who'd thought of her as beautiful.
She touched the ring, knowing he'd always be with her. Her father often said she was a woman meant to be useful, but for one night she'd been cherished. She'd been a woman to be loved.
CHAPTER 19
DRUMMOND ROAK FOUND A MAN'S BODY LYING beside a cold campfire just before sundown. He'd seen a buzzard circling up ahead and feared he'd find Sage dead. He'd been trailing the gang for days, watching for every sign.
Sage's small footprint had given him hope. She was with them, surviving.
He grinned. Knowing her, she was torturing the men as much as p
ossible.
When he'd found the campsite, he wanted to rush in, but he took his time moving up. He stared down at the body of the outlaw. The man of about forty had been shot in the head, but judging from the look of him, it couldn't have been more than eight, maybe ten hours since he'd died. If he'd spent a night out here, animals would have already begun to pull him apart. As it was, only one lone buzzard had dinner plans.
Drum tugged a paper from his hand and read it. A deed, made out to Solomon and Bradford Summerfield, for a piece of land back two days' ride in the direction of Galveston. If this man had died because of this paper, he'd been the only one who thought it valuable.
Drum tucked it in his saddlebag; figuring one of the names on the deed was probably staring at him right now with dead eyes.
He studied the rest of the camp, reading it easily, thanks to the damp earth. Five men rode out. Spotting Sage's shoe print, he let out a long breath. She was still with them, still alive.
Kneeling, he picked up a slice of her handkerchief spotted with blood, and he swore. All five men who rode out with Sage would be dead soon. He'd see to it.
He turned to the mouth of a canyon called Skull Alley. Every outlaw in the state had heard of the place. It had been around for ten, maybe fifteen years. Only the lowest of the low lived there, men so worthless any organized gang wouldn't bother with them. Somewhere inside Skull Alley lay the rough makings of a town that was run by an insane Englishman who thought of himself as royalty. The only reason the army or the Rangers hadn't gone in to clean it out years ago was that the opening was a natural protection better than any fort.
Drum folded the lace handkerchief and slipped it into his pocket. He'd been a boy when his mother brought him here for one winter. She'd heard the whoring was good, and he guessed it had been. She'd stayed busy most of the time, and he'd roamed the land. He'd found a way out without going through the passage that was guarded by three layers of riflemen. The count's orders to the guards were simple: shoot anyone they didn't recognize on sight, and question the rest.
Drum figured he could bribe his way through the first guard, maybe even the second, but the third line of defense was said to be men who had been with the count for years. Their families lived in the camp, and the men knew their wives and children would be killed if the wrong man managed to get through.
Pacing, he weighed his options. If he went straight in, he'd be spotted, questioned, and probably shot. If he tried to find the path he'd used to climb out unnoticed years ago, they'd know he was sneaking in and shoot him on sight. He'd been a kid then, half the size he was now. It wouldn't be easy slipping past the guards and, if he didn't make it, they wouldn't bother asking questions. Either way, he'd be of no use to Sage.
Knowing it was too late today for either action, Drum spent the rest of the daylight burying the stranger. He tied his horse in the trees a few hundred yards from the entrance to the canyon and tried to get some sleep. He felt like he hadn't slept in days, but tonight, knowing that he was close, helped him to rest easy.
Late into the night he woke to the even sound of a low growl. Drum didn't move. The sound came again. He rolled onto his side and cocked his gun as he searched the darkness with eyes honed to the night.
The low sound came again, more like a snore than a growl. Could a wild animal be sleeping three feet away? Maybe the animal didn't notice him and bedded down in the trees as he had. No, that would be impossible, and what was even more impossible was the possibility that Drum hadn't heard anything.
His eyes adjusted enough for him to see the long form wrapped in a blanket about five feet away. The snore came again, muffled by a tan hat. Drum thought of shooting whoever it was just to teach the fellow a lesson. Then he noticed the spotted pony staked out not far from Satan.
"Daniel Torry," Drum bellowed. "What in the hell are you doing here?"
The young Ranger woke and stretched. "I figured if I bedded down close, you'd notice me before leaving in the morning.” "How'd you find me?"
"You were so busy following the outlaw trail, a duck could have tagged along behind you. Only problem I had was trying to stay awake to keep up. Didn't anyone ever tell you a man has to sleep now and then? If you hadn't stopped tonight, I would have fallen out of my saddle, and I doubt hitting the ground would have woke me”
"You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"
Daniel stretched and lay back down. "I thought I'd help. I didn't want to say anything back at the station, but like you, I've been to Skull Alley and lived to tell about it."
"You have?"
"My dad used to run a liquor wagon in there every month. They probably could have made their own rotgut, but the count wanted the good stuff. Soon as I was big enough to look like a man riding shotgun, my pa would take me along.”
"I heard no one comes out." Drum believed Daniel, but he still asked. "I thought you said your pa was a preacher?"
"My pa would drive the whiskey wagon and preach to me at the same time." He laughed. "Too bad I took to the drink and not the preaching.”
Roak leaned back, knowing Daniel would get around to telling him the facts directly.
"From what I remember," Daniel said, "only two groups do manage to ride out. My pa, who brings whiskey, and the last few years the count lets a group of gamblers ride in about the same time.”
"I figure Shelley Lander must have been one of them at some point. They come in, hold a big poker tournament while the liquor is running, let one of the men from the camp take the main prize, and fleece the others. My pa said that way the count makes sure his men don't squirrel up enough money to leave. I figured the gamblers gave the count a cut, so I put the facts together and decided that maybe that's why the men came after Shelley. Maybe he left without donating his share to the boss, so the count sent his men to take it. They left him alive so they could drop by and visit him regular."
"Your pa still making the runs?"
"Far as I know. We had a fight a few years back, and I left home, if you can call the back room of a saloon home. Haven't seen him since. He'd be real unhappy to know I became a Ranger. If he's still delivering, he should be here in a day or two. It's getting close to the end of the month."
"Have any idea what day it is?" Roak asked.
"Nope. I lose count when I'm not in town to be reminded.”
"Me too” Roak answered. "But I think it's the twenty-ninth. You think your pa would take me in?" Drum asked.
"He might, but if you're thinking of hiding in the wagon, how are you planning to get out? Going in among the boxes might work, but the guards are bound to notice three of us in the wagon coming out”
"I think I can find how to get out. I found a back tunnel when I was a kid. I slid down the side of one of the walls north of here. Problem I have is that I don't think I could climb that ledge and, if I did and managed to get Sage out and back down, they'd spot my horse from above. There's no cover for a mile. We'd be sitting ducks.” He thought about it for a while, then said, "We ask your pa when he comes by. It'll be the quickest and safest way to get in: then I'll worry about getting out."
"My old man will probably let you ride if you got money and we convince him you're not the law. He hates lawmen, says they're a plague to business. Claims he can smell them. For half my life he was a preacher, then when Ma died, he set the Lord aside and decided he'd campaign for the devil selling whiskey. In a way, I guess he's still recruiting, just for a different location.”
"I got money," Drum answered. "And I'll take a bath first light to wash any smell away."
Daniel laughed. "Mind if I go back to sleep? I'm out of whiskey, so all I got to do is dream of my next drink. My pa told me once that whiskey don't make nothing better. I agree, but it sure blurs the eyes so that the problems don't seem so bad”
"You going to talk all night?" Drum liked the young Ranger, but he could see trouble coming his way one day if he kept drinking.
Daniel put his hat over his head and within m
inutes he was back to snoring. Drum didn't go back to sleep; he had plans to make.
CHAPTER 20
THE GUARD NAMED LUTHER MARCHED SAGE BACK TO Count Hanover's house the next morning without a word. She tried talking to him, but he didn't answer.
She found the count sitting up in his bed, eating a breakfast of toast and tea.
His eyes were more alert. He watched her as she walked into the room. "You look better today” he said. "Myron tells me the bullet is still embedded, so your work is not done. I do feel better, however. I suppose I have you to thank for that."
"You look better," she answered truthfully. He had a bit of color in his cheeks. They'd made a little progress yesterday.
He waved his tray aside. "The bullet still hurts like hell, but the poultice you put on and the lancing of the festering wounds has eased the pain some." He nodded, offering her a seat beside his bed. "Today you'll operate”
"Yes," she said. "And then you'll let me go, correct?" He frowned. "Of course. As soon as I'm well”
It wasn't much of a promise, but Sage knew better than to push the point. She waited until early afternoon when she had the sun's light in the windows. The count, despite all his talk of wanting the surgery, grew more and more hard to talk to as the day aged. She was glad when she started the opium. If he'd had to wait another hour, he probably would have had to kill something or someone.
There was a good chance she could heal the wounds on his back, but the poison in his mind would still be there. He saw himself as ruler of his tiny kingdom, and he allowed no one to question him.
Myron acted as her assistant, and Luther watched her every move. If she cut too deep and left the count paralyzed, she had a feeling she wouldn't have to worry about getting home.
She wasn't aware of time passing until Myron lit the lamps. Sage forced her hand steady as she worked as fast as she could.
Finally, the bullet pulled free of bone and tumbled out. Next she had to clean the wound and stitch him up. When she finished, they didn't offer to take her back to her cell; the guards assumed she'd stay beside the count's bed all night. Myron offered her supper and a blanket.
