Not that Samuel would let him get away with that. But she’d still be dead.
But Howard was drunk. So drunk he was swaying where he stood. If she was silent and did nothing to attract his attention, maybe he wouldn’t notice her.
Samuel’s voice filled the silence. “Drop the gun and put your hands up where I can see ‘em!”
A warm wind blew across the dirt street, kicking up a cloud of dust that made it harder to see Samuel’s face. But his determination came through loud and clear.
“Drop it, Stevens. I won’t tell you again. A man lies dead in front of you. You shot him in front of witnesses. There’s no escape for you now.”
Howard’s voice, slurred by liquor, filled the air, “He called me a cheat. I had to duel with him. It’s a matter of pride. You, of all people should understand that, Deputy. You took my brother’s life in just the same way?”
“And I answered to the law for that, as will you, Howard. So drop the gun and let me take you in,” Samuel shouted.
Howard pointed his gun straight at Samuel and refused to back down, but so did Samuel.
Samuel yelled, “I don’t want to kill you, Howard.”
Howard laughed. “You kill me! That’s a joke! You may have gotten the drop on my idiot brother, but you’ll never get it on me. I’m quick. Wanna try me?”
He laughed a deep, guttural sound and took a couple of wobbly steps backward. Toward her. She bolted, but in spite of his apparent unsteadiness, Howard grabbed her by her hair and yanked her back. Pain screamed through her scalp as she struggled to get free.
Howard quickly put the gun to her head. “Teach you to give me trouble,” he slurred.
Samuel lowered his gun. “Okay, Howard. Let her go.”
“You killed my brother, I kill your wife. That’s fair, isn’t it?” Howard’s breath was hot on Mabel’s neck as his mouth was so close. He stank of whiskey and cigars and sweat.
“You will hang if you hurt her.” Samuel placed his gun on the ground in front of him and took two steps back from it.
Howard laughed and stumbled a bit, and forcing her to step forward and then back to keep from being dragged off her feet.
“Whoa, there,” he said as he regained his balance.
Mabel whispered, “Give yourself up. The investigation will be fair.”
Howard,sniffed her neck, making her flinch. “You smell good. Better than that other girl I roughed up. Maybe I should take you inside the saloon and get a taste of you before I shoot your husband.” His tongue touched her neck.
Samuel’s calm finally broke. “Let her go!”
Mabel slammed her elbow hard into Howard’s stomach and stomped on the top of his foot at the same time. She was pushed forward as he lurched. Her hands and knees skidded in the abrasive dirt as she tried to catch herself.
A gunshot rang out.
Harold dropped beside her with a heavy thud.
There was a big ugly red hold in the middle of his forehead.
She threw up.
Strong arms lifted her. Warm hands patted her face. She opened her eyes. Samuel.
“Mabel! Are you alright?”
She gave him a nod, and he picked her up in his strong arms and carried her towards their home as she buried her head in his broad chest and cried. The town’s people came out and surrounded the couple.
Mikey appeared in the crowd—someone must have let him out. Mabel looked at the boy, then up at Samuel. “Put me down.”
He set her on her feet. She grabbed Mikey up in an embrace.
“I was so afraid for you, Miss Mabel!”
She hugged him and said, “It’s all over now, Mikey. Your uncle will never hurt you again.”
Suddenly the boy looked abashed.
“I—I still have to keep my promise. I don’t want to. But…”
“What exactly did you promise your mother?”
“That I would avenge Da’s death by challenging the deputy to a duel.”
Before Mabel could point out how futile that was, Samuel broke in. “I accept.”
“What do you mean, you accept?” Mabel gasped.
Samuel got down on one knee and offered Mikey his hand. The boy looked dismayed—he’d been hoping there would be another solution as well. But, slowly, he shook Samuel’s hand.
“Samuel, please,” Mabel begged. This couldn’t be happening. Samuel couldn’t mean to shoot the boy. But letting the boy shoot him wouldn’t be any better. Shooting Samuel in a duel would doom the boy to a life on the run, even if it didn’t leave Mabel a widow.
Was he mad?
“As the challenged, choice of weapons is mine,” Samuel said solemnly. “This is my right.”
The boy nodded.
“I choose…a deck of cards. If you beat me at a game of five card stud, your father’s death is avenged, and you’re free to stay or go as you please.” Samuel paused. “If you lose, we adopt you.”
Mikey looked like he was trying not to cry. He was doing better than Mabel—she couldn’t stop the tears streaming down her face.
“If I win,” the boy asked in a dignified voice that barely wavered, “and I want to stay?”
Samuel looked up at Mabel. “What do you say? You mind if we start on that family a little earlier than expected?”
Beaming through her tears, she knelt and spread her arms to embrace the family she’d been praying for all her life.
“Who am I to argue with God’s plan?”
Want to be notified when Faith
releases a new book or holds a giveaway?
Sign up for her newsletter at:
www.faithparsons.com
The Mail-Order Brides of Salvation series
Winning the Deputy’s Heart
Winning the Rancher’s Heart
Winning the Doctor’s Heart
Winning the Bounty Hunter’s Heart
Winning the Blacksmith’s Heart
Winning the Wrangler’s Heart (coming in January 2016)
Winning the Homesteader’s Heart (coming in January 2016)
The Mail-Order Brides of Resurrection series
Seven Brides for Seven Lawmen
Samuel’s Secret
Ethan’s Duty (coming January 2016)
Dear Reader,
If you enjoyed reading this book, would you please take a moment to help others discover it by leaving a review?
Best wishes,
Faith
Samuel's Secret (Mail-Order Brides of Resurrection 1) Page 5
