by Cyndi Raye
Salem left, grinning from ear to ear.
Chapter 7
Sophie held on to Salem’s arm as they made their way across the prairie towards the river’s edge a quarter mile from town. She had to do this, now, before the wedding. Even though it was her suggestion to be married by the river, it was so thoughtful of Salem to want her to face things before then. Well, for his bride to be married by the river.
“I always think I’m so brave and independent, Salem. Now I realize I never could do this alone. Thank you for being here with me, for suggesting we take this walk.”
He patted her hand in a tender way. “My pleasure, Sophie. I’m just so grateful you are allowing me to marry my bride on your property. By the way, I’d get with Max Ward and have his agent make you a new deed right away before someone tries to claim it.”
“The new land agent is staying at our boarding house. I’ll speak to him in the morning.”
They came upon a blackened area that made Sophie cry out. Her hand flew to her mouth. The cabin they had called home was no longer there, nothing left but burnt ground. Salem told her, his words precise, his tone, gentle, “You don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready.”
She stiffened, straightened her back and nodded. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Her eyes scanned the area. “That’s funny, that lean-to wasn’t there when we lived here.”
Salem stared at the area she pointed to. “Maybe you hadn’t noticed before. It is common, many settlers build wooden structures to protect the cut wood from the elements.”
Sophie began to walk towards the wooden structure. “I don’t believe so. I was always outside, helping Pa, even carrying the wood after he chopped it. We propped it against the side of the cabin, out of the way.”
Salem went to investigate. “You are right. This is recent. It looks like someone is staying here. We should go.”
“Salem, it’s my land. Why leave in such a hurry?”
“We didn’t come armed. It was stupid of me to leave town without a weapon.”
“It’s not like there’s an outlaw hiding out on my land, Salem. Even you know how ridiculous that sounds.”
There was a rustle in the area behind a tree. “Not as ridiculous as you may think,” a voice growled. Immediately, Salem pushed Sophie behind his tall frame.
“We’re just passing through here, fella. No harm meant.”
“I heard every darn word the two of you said. You do own this land, girlie. I know it as a fact. Didn’t expect you to ever come back.”
Sophie, hiding behind Salem, peeked her head around his shoulder. Her eyes widened then flashed anger when she saw who hid behind the gun he had pointed at them. Her hands flew to her hips. She took a step toward the outlaw. Emotions flooded her, causing her to ignore the fact the gun in his hand may be deadly. “Why, you no good rotten murderer!”
Salem reached for her. “Sophie, get back here, what are you doing?”
“It’s non other than Uncle Kenneth. My father’s brother. He was with the gang that shot and killed my Pa. His own flesh and blood done Pa in. Now, I’m gonna get you good.”
Before Salem could stop her, she flew towards the man. He stank like high heaven which caused her to stumble at first. Then she took her nails and ran them down his cheek, trying to distract him when she realized the gun could bring them both to harm. He jumped back. “I ain’t never shot a woman but your fixin’ to get kilt! Now hold off a minute! I didn’t have no part of killing your Pa!”
“You were there, I saw you! Hiding behind the horses. I saw you!” She wasn’t about to let him get away with this.
“I didn’t kill your Pa! He was my brother!” He pointed the gun at her.
Salem spoke, his voice cautious. She felt him more than saw him behind her since her eyes were locked on Uncle Kenneth. “Sophie, let’s back up a bit. You’ve shocked him. We don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”
Before Salem could move an inch, Sophie dived for the gun. She wrestled it from her uncle’s hand, surprised it had been so easy to do.
Now it was her turn. Sophie gripped the gun with both hands. They shook so bad she didn’t have the capacity to aim the gun right.
“Now hold on, girlie. I’m your daggone uncle! It happened so fast, no one was supposed to get kilt.”
Her feet spread, she held the gun strait out in front of her, her elbows locked. Taking deep breaths, anger and revenge seeped through her core like nothing she had ever felt before. If it weren’t for this man, her Pa would be alive. He had caused the death and destruction of her family.
“Sophie, I’m behind you. Take a deep breath and think about this. Killing him will not bring your Pa back.”
“I know you’re right, Salem. I know it but I am on a course I am not sure I can come back from. He is the reason my family is dead.”
“No, I’m not. I know I’ve been the bad egg, running with the likes of the folks who kilt your Pa, but, I’ve changed, Sophie. Believe me, I am a redeemed man.”
She tisked. “If that’s so, what are you doing with a gun? Honest men don’t go carrying guns around if they are innocent?” She wanted to shoot him so bad but knew it was against her morals. Dear God, she prayed, take this awful hatred from my heart. I’m human, I hurt so bad. I know shooting him won’t make a difference so stop me from making a bad decision.
A voice from behind spoke up. “He carries a gun to protect himself from the likes of us since he ran out on us with all of our money.”
Salem swore before turning slowly. Sophie, the gun still aimed at her uncle, turned to see two men on horses behind them. “What do we do?” she whispered to Salem.
“Hold tight.” Salem lifted his hands in the air. “We’re not here to cause any rift between any of you. Let the lady be on her way.”
“You got a sheriff in that town?” One of the outlaws, dressed in rugged pants, a torn dark brown shirt and haphazard vest, asked.
Salem shook his head. “Not yet. Plenty of guns though. Don’t suggest you ride through. May want to avoid Mill’s Ridge from now on.”
The outlaw who had spoken nodded. “Seems fair enough. You seem like an honest man, mister. Take your lady and be on your way. We got no business with you.” He turned to Sophie’s uncle. “Just him.”
Uncle Kenneth’s face paled. Sophie, her arms raised, let them drop to her side. She felt Salem take her arms as they both slowly began to walk away from the scene.
“Don’t say a word,” Salem warned. Their steps sped up, with Salem almost dragging Sophie from the immediate area. She was still holding the gun by her side when Salem whisked it from her grip. He checked the chamber and tucked it into the waistline of his pants.
The edge of town came in to view. He stopped. Turned her towards him. Fear retched inside, making her belly ache. They had been come upon by outlaws and walked away as if they were taking an evening stroll. “The outlaws will come back, won’t they?” she asked.
Salem shook his head. “No. They won’t. Look at me, Sophie. Look in my eyes and listen to every word I say.”
She did, somehow finding comfort, steadiness there. “I’m OK. Let’s go.”
“I want you to go now, run as fast as you can. Get to the mercantile and lock the doors. Let the others know how close the outlaws are.”
Sophie froze. “Where are you going? Back there? No, Salem! Please! What they do is none of our business!”
“I won’t let a man be shot down without trying to help.”
“But he is a bad man. He is responsible for the death of my Pa!” Sophie was almost hysterical. She didn’t want to lose another person to outlaws, not one more person she loved! “Please, Salem, please! Don’t go! I love you!”
Salem’s hands squeezed her shoulders so hard she cried out. In that very moment, he crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her so hard it made her head swoon. He released her as quickly. “Now, go on! You can help me, Sophie, by warning the rest of the townsfolk! Go!”
She ran without l
ooking back. Sophie didn’t stop until she was inside the mercantile. The older proprietor was sitting on a rocker by the pot bellied stove. Two more men sat around the middle of the store, one smoking a pipe. “Help! Mr. Dunleavy! We need every available man down at the river where my family home used to be! Quickly!”
“Miss Sophie! Slow down, what’s going on?” Mr. Dunleavy stood.
“It’s outlaws! There’s two bad men, no three, down by the river. Salem went back there to keep them from shooting the one bad man, oh my! It’s so confusing!”
“Go on, you two, start knocking on doors. We worked too darn hard to put up with any more outlaws!” Mr. Dunleavy went behind his counter. He looked at Sophie. “You know how to shoot a rifle?”
“I, uh, I suppose!” She wanted to slide down on to the chair by the pot-bellied stove but didn’t dare. A rifle was shoved in both her hands.
“Sit down, right there by the window! Shoot anyone who tries to come through the door that looks like an outlaw!”
Mr. Dunleavy stuck a pistol down the front of his waist while lugging two rifles in his arms. He shouted to others the moment he got outside.
Sophie sat on the chair by the window, watching as two men began to go door to door, trying to recruit others who were able to help. About four or five men followed, rifles in hand as they tramped through the street towards the river.
She let a sigh escape. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. Sophie wiped at it, frustrated. Her only hope was the chaos hadn’t reached the boarding house. There really was no one there to help. As long as Elizabeth and Rose assumed she was out with Salem, they would proceed as normal. She didn’t realize sitting here would be so difficult. There was no way to know if Salem was dead or alive sitting here waiting.
Sophie had a gun. She knew where they were headed. Dang it, she hated her impulsive personality.
Locking the mercantile door, she slid past the other buildings to make her way through the prairie grass towards the river.
Now that it was dark, she was unable to see where the bumps and holes in the prairie were. She hadn’t thought of bringing a lantern along. It didn’t matter, she heard voices in the distance and followed the sound. A tree branch tore at her gown, causing sudden tears in the material. Sophie didn’t care. All she wanted was to find Salem, in one piece. He had gone after the bad men by himself.
God, please protect and keep him safe. I love him. I’ll stop this foolish thinking and marry him without pretence if you bring him back to me safe and sound.
Her Ma had often said to always believe and have faith. Right now, she needed to because the road ahead looked pretty grim. Darkness was all around her, even if she heard voices from afar. Sophie began to think she should turn around and go back the way she came. Which ever way that was.
The smell of the water descended upon her nostrils. Sophie knew she was near the river’s edge. Further downstream from her old family homestead, that much she knew. She heard the men ahead, saw a fading light in the far distance and wondered how far she had managed to go? When she was a little girl her Pa would tell her never to wander so far downstream, the whirling waters would take her away.
She had asked him in her innocence how far. He would tell her she’d go birling so far she’d never find her way home. A shudder went through Sophie knowing she was indeed near those waters. The sounds of men’s voices faded away. The swirling waters rang in her ears.
If she cried out, would anyone hear. Sophie stood frozen, one foot on a large rock while the other stepped down into prairie grass. How had she gotten here? If she did indeed cry out, who would hear her, the outlaws or the men hunting the outlaws? Whose life would she hinder by crying out for help?
Sophie was in a bind.
The only person to save her now, was herself.
She hadn’t expected anyone else to ever save her.
Except for Salem. He had made sure she was always safe. He hadn’t allowed her to even walk across the street without a chaperone. His obsession to keep her safe was keeping her going.
She missed the feel of his hands on her shoulders.
The ravishing kiss he had bestowed upon her before going after the outlaws.
She missed him.
She wanted to sit down on the rock and cry. Give in to the sound of the running water.
Instead, she kept her focus on Salem. Helping him was the reason she risked coming out in the dark of night. She was not about to let him down.
Forcing herself to step off the rock, Sophie cried out in relief when she felt the grass under both feet. She hurried away from the river’s edge, grateful not to have tumbled in to the cool water. Another tree limb tore at her clothing, leaving swatches of material on the branch.
A series of shots rang out. Sophie jumped. She screamed into the night. It had unsettled her. She turned around several times, trying to find where they were coming from. A flash lit up the darkness, so she turned and ran towards it with all her might.
Sophie stumbled a few times but ran towards the shots. At least she thought that’s where she was running. The further she ran, the more confused she became. It seemed as if she ran and ran and got no further to anything. The sound of the water was once again in her ears. She tried to stop, twisting her body when she hit the rocks under her feet.
It was too late. Sophie went flying through the air, landing in a bed of swirling, raging, white foamy water that tossed her around like a helpless baby.
She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing her end was near. Dear God, please save me! I don’t want to die yet!
Courage like she had never felt before rolled through her soul which kept her afloat. She ripped at her skirts, removing as much as she could while trying to keep her head above the water. Once her legs were free, Sophie blindly reached out for anything to grab. Her body twisted and turned. The sound of the water rushing faster got louder and louder in her ears.
As if God had heard, a large boulder stood out of the water. Her body smacked up against the slimy rock, keeping her from being swept any further downstream. She reached out, trying to pull herself up but the current was so strong. If she could hold onto the rock until daylight, perhaps someone would come along and rescue her.
The notion was futile since no one knew where she was. Sophie had to climb the rock. She needed to get out of the chilly water. With all her might and plenty of prayers, she crawled slowly, pulling herself out of the water until she was free of the river.
Sophie lay on her stomach, afraid to move. Her nails dug into the rock, clutching the boulder, trying to move her body to the middle in order to balance herself. She lay still, knowing in her weakness, if she tried to turn or get up, she may well fall to her demise in the raging river once again. Her hair hung in clumps over her face, no longer pinned. Sophie breathed in and out, trying to steady her racing heart.
For hours she laid on the rock, the water slapping against the rock, sometimes soft, other times so hard she swore the rock shook in the river, no matter how impossible that would be. The night wore on and her body began to wear down. Sophie began to shiver. Her body was cold, her clothes damp. Perhaps if the swirling water would settle down, her clothes would dry but all through the night it kept moving. A few times Sophie wanted to close her eyes for good, let the river take her downstream to her demise.
Except she kept focusing on Salem. A life with him, living in Mill’s Ridge as the sheriff’s wife. A smile tugged at her mouth. He was so brave, going after those men, even though he wasn’t officially the sheriff yet. He had told them he would do it but the ceremony hadn’t taken place yet. The town had wanted to wait until Salem was finished teaching his apprentice how to run the saloon before it became official.
Salem was the man for the job. He went after those outlaws because they were going to commit a murder. Even if the man was her uncle, he was still a bad man. But that didn’t matter to Salem. No, he wanted to restore peace and keep murder and mayhem from destroying Mill’s Ridge again.
Chapter 8
Salem guided three horses down the main street of Wichita Falls. On the back were two of the dead outlaws slumped across the saddle. Behind the bodies, Sophie’s uncle sat on a horse, his hands tied behind his back.
Salem had gotten back to the river’s edge, just in time to spring on the outlaws trying to kill Kenneth. He had snuck up behind the two as they began to point their guns at the other man.
He had warned the two to drop their weapons. They held their arms out to the side, as if they were going to surrender when voices from the darkness distracted everyone. It became apparent Sophie had sent more men to help.
He had everything under control. Now all chaos burst out as the two outlaws began to shoot anything that moved. Salem had jumped out of the way, but not before a stray bullet had grazed his shoulder. He had jerked back. It didn’t do much damage but he knew it needed looked at before it got infected.
The bullets flying all around had caused the death of the two now lying across the horses back. Uncle Kenneth had dropped his weapon, giving up, swearing he’d testify against the men. Salem wasn’t sure how that would work since the two were already dead.
He had spent the rest of the night on the road, bringing the bodies and Uncle Kenneth to Wichita Falls. If he were accepting the job as Sheriff, it was his duty to keep this riff-raff from ever entering his town. Plus, he didn’t want to wait until morning to do so. He knew Sophie was safe at home, after all she had sent the other men to help. He had told one of the others to stop by the boarding house and let her know where he was.
When he got back to Mill’s Ridge they were going to get married. After all, she had told him point blank that she loved him. He wasn’t about to let her forget.
Sheriff Montana strolled out the door when the horses stopped in front of his office. “What you got there, Salem?”
