Jesse slept very little last night and now today as he drove the wagon into the small settlement, disappointment and exhaustion rode him hard. Yet, Dora sat her horse, her back straight, her head held high and all the puzzle pieces of this woman seemed to be coming together.
No wonder she reacted to his nieces and nephew the way she did. Part of him felt broken. Having his own family had been his dream for so many years.
Traveling with Dora, he began to think that maybe he had found a woman he could love for eternity. Now he was a mass of confusion.
When they pulled up in front of the sheriff's office in Fremont, Texas, he set the brake and turned to Grace. "Stay in this wagon. Don't move. If you get out, there will be serious consequences."
"What's conseces," Ella asked.
"A spanking," he said, glancing at Grace. "You're in charge."
"Yes, sir," she said.
Dora stepped out of her saddle and walked toward the door to the sheriff's office. He quickly followed her inside. They had covered the dead bodies with blankets to keep the children from seeing the men.
"Can I help you?" the small-town sheriff asked.
"I've got two dead men, plus Roy outside that I want to know if there are any bounties on them."
The man looked at her stunned. For the next twenty minutes, they explained what happened and then the sheriff stood and followed them out the door. As they walked outside, Jesse noticed the wagon was empty.
Cursing beneath his breath, he left Dora to deal with the law. He had three stragglers to find and he just prayed their father was not in this one-horse town.
Searching up and down the street, when he walked around the corner, Leo had Ella standing on a box with him.
"This is my daughter and she is going to take a sip of my miracle cure to show you I have my own kids drinking this stuff."
His heart jumped into his throat, his stomach cramping with panic as he ran toward the horse and pony show. Damn Leo for doing this to his own children. Why would he risk their lives if he loved them? Why?
"No, Papa," Ella said, shaking her head. "I don't like the taste. Remember what happened to Momma."
Leo's face turned red and he smacked her bottom and whispered something to her. Terror gripped him and Jesse ran as fast as he could.
"Stop," he screamed. "Stop. Ella, don't drink that stuff. You know what it did to your mother."
The child glanced up at her father and poured the liquid on the ground. "No, Papa. No."
Pushing through the gathering of people Jesse looked at the crowd. "My sister died drinking this miracle cure. Don't buy this poison. Go home."
Leo tried to punch Jesse, but he grabbed his hand, twisting it behind his back. "You're a cold-hearted bastard. Where are Grace and Ben?"
The man ignored him. "Stop."
"Where is Ben?" he asked Ella who was staring at him, her eyes wide, her bottom lip trembling.
Grace came from behind a building holding Ben's hand. "What's wrong? We just came to hear Daddy."
Not wanting his nieces and nephew to witness what he'd like to do to their father, he dropped Leo's arm, who shook the limb and glared at him.
"Young lady, I told you to stay put. Now take the children and get back to the wagon, right now. You will be punished."
Her face went white with fear. "I'm staying with Papa."
"No, you're not."
"Honey, if you want to travel with me, you can. I’m your father. This is just your crazy uncle," he said, packing up his wares.
Oh, Jesse was crazy all right. Crazy enough that he walked over to Leo and whispered, "Dora is at the sheriff's office right this moment, with the three thugs you sent to kill her. Two of them are dead from her gunshots and the third is in there singing like a bird."
Leo's eyes widened.
"She's trying to convince the sheriff to issue a warrant for your arrest because of your hired murderers. If you're a smart man, you will hightail it out of town as fast as possible. Taking three kids with you is only going to slow you down."
The man's eyes grew large and Jesse knew fear gripped Leo as he started throwing his stuff into his wagon.
Leo stepped in front of Grace. "Honey, now might not be the best time for you to go traveling with your papa. But we'll do it real soon."
His words were a lie and sooner or later, the children were going to figure out their father could not be trusted. Sooner or later, he was going to hurt one of them, if Jesse wasn't careful.
"You've got five minutes before I tell the law."
"Gotta go, sugar," he said as he jumped in his wagon, clicked to the horses, and left his three kids standing in the dust.
It had taken every ounce of strength inside Jesse to keep from killing him, right here and now. But soon, Leo would be in front of him without his children protecting him. Soon nothing would stop him from either capturing or destroying Leo.
"Dada," Ben said, frowning as the wagon drove off.
Jesse turned on the kids, their questioning eyes staring up at him. Being a parent was turning out to be the hardest job he'd ever held. They were innocents in a game he was trying to protect them from.
"Grace, you will receive a spanking for not minding me tonight."
"Uncle Jesse, we saw Papa and came to say hello," she said.
"And he tried to give your sister some of that vile juice he's selling. Next time, you will mind me."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but he refused to let them affect him. The sight of Ella and the glass of dreadful poison frightened him. Hopefully, he scared enough people today to stop them from buying Leo's miracle cure. Hopefully soon, Leo would be crafting cons from prison or swinging from a rope.
Chapter 8
Dora walked out of the sheriff's office, smiling. For the first time in her life, she had earned some cash. The two dead men were wanted, and once Roy confirmed they had been sent to kill her, the sheriff happily paid the bounties.
Counting her money, she couldn't help but want to do a little dance in the street. A thousand dollars would go a long way toward her remaining in Zenith. Tonight, she would splurge, and they would all stay in a hotel and even eat a meal at a restaurant.
Looking up, she watched Jesse, a frown on his face, holding Ben in his arms with Elle's hand in his and a sullen Grace following him marching back to the wagon. Right now, the scowl on his face would frighten even goblins.
"What's wrong?"
"We'll talk later," he said. "What happened with the sheriff?"
Definitely something put a strained expression on not only Jesse's face, but the children's as well.
She held up a stack of bills and his eyes widened. "All of us need a night sleeping on a mattress, not the cold, hard ground. Especially since we should reach Dallas tomorrow. We can get baths and have dinner at a cafe."
"No," Jesse said and she frowned at him. "Let's spend the night, but no trips to a restaurant. That would be a treat, and no one obeyed me today. As punishment, we're not eating out tonight."
Stunned, Dora gazed at the children, the disappointed looks on their faces disheartening. Whatever took place had to be really bad, because the grimace on Jesse's face warned them to behave.
"But Uncle Jesse, I'm hungry," Ella cried.
"Did you stay in the wagon like I said," he asked.
"No," she whimpered.
"You're lucky to get a sandwich. After baths, everyone will go to bed," he declared.
Whatever happened, Dora could see Jesse was plenty upset with his little family. Grace stomped past him and hauled herself into the vehicle, turning away from him, refusing to help him with the little ones. He lifted Ella and then the baby, before he climbed into the driver’s seat.
"There's a nice hotel right down the street," Dora said, thinking she needed her own room. The atmosphere crackled with tension and Grace already didn't approve of her. Whatever transpired, the young girl's eyes radiated almost hatred and her mouth puckered into a pout.
Just as d
arkness fell, they checked into the hotel with two rooms. Jesse and the children stayed in one room and Dora in another. Alone she was happy. A door separated their rooms where the kids could come in any time.
Dora helped Jesse feed and bathe Ben and afterward, she went to her own room where she prepared for bed. Last night, she had very little sleep and needed to catch up on her rest. After her bath, she changed into her nightgown, her robe lying at the foot of the bed.
Soon, she heard a light tap on the door. Getting up, she wrapped her wrapper around her and opened the door.
Jesse stood there in pants, no shirt, his hair wet from his bath.
"We need to talk," he said, walking into her room, pacing the small space in his bare feet.
"All right," she said. "From the scowls on your face this afternoon, I knew you were upset. What happened?"
Dora listened as Jesse told her about how he had found the children with their father. The spanking he gave Grace this evening for disobeying, how Leo had tried to use Ella.
"He's going to keep on until someone else dies."
Rage consumed her like an abandoned house fire, her hands curling into fists.
"By the time I got there, Ella kept saying ‘no Papa, no’ as he tried to persuade her to show the people his miracle cure was good," Jesse said, pacing the floor. "How dare he give that poison to his own kids, after his wife died?"
The man was a monster, but his children loved him. Why couldn't she have married someone like Jesse, a man determined to protect and raise his sister’s babies? Why did she have to marry a man who she believed was crazy?
Seeing how frightened and tense Jesse appeared, she rubbed her hand on his back as he stared out the window.
"You stopped him," she said, wishing she had been where Leo was selling his poisonous miracle cure.
"Yes, I told him, at that moment, you were talking to the sheriff. Telling how you killed two of the men he sent to murder you and that the third one was in the office singing to the lawman. He packed up his miracle cure and rode out of town without the girls," he said, sighing.
"Thank goodness for that."
"At first, he was going to take Grace, but when he learned about you speaking to the sheriff, he changed his mind." Jesse's fist clenched. "Right there in front of his children, I so wanted to hurt him, but knew that would be wrong. And he used those kids to his advantage."
Turning toward her, they stood staring at each other, the tension palpable. In the glow of the light, his arms slipped around her and he pulled her against him. "I'm sorry about last night. All day, I waited for a chance to tell you I'm sorry."
Her heart wrenched with pain. Oh, how she wanted this man, but she could not give him what he longed for in life and he deserved his own family. "It's not your fault."
"No, but I'm sure in the last few weeks I've said or done something to make you feel even worse about your situation," he said, holding her to where she melted into him.
Standing in her robe, his chest bare, his scent overwhelmed her. The beat of his heart slammed against her own, her breathing increased, and her blood heated in the center of her body. Leaning back, he stared in her eyes, her mouth dried up and her words did too.
Oh, how she wished her life was different, that she wasn't a married woman, that she could give him what he longed for, a family of his own.
His lips descended toward her and she put a hand on his chest. It took everything in her to stop him. "No, we can't. I'm married."
"Dora, your marriage is nothing. The vows you said meant nothing to Leo."
Yes, it was true, but she would not break her vows. They were her word, her promise, and regardless that her husband didn't care about them, she did.
"I know, but we said the words in a courthouse in front of God and everyone. And I'm not going to be the one to make a mockery out of them. Yes, he cheated, but until the day he takes his last breath, I refuse to go against my revered wedding vows," she whispered. "You and I both know I can’t give you what you truly want. A son of your own."
The pain radiated through her, almost crippling with the hurt, but the words had to be said.
Stepping out of his arms, she turned her back to him, her voice cracking. "Please go."
As Dora drove the wagon through the streets of Dallas, Jesse rode in front of them, leading.
Dora knew she needed to say something to Grace. The girl had barely spoken all morning. "Grace, there's something you need to know."
The child turned toward her and gave her a look that clearly said she wasn't interested in anything Dora had to say. "I think you're old enough to understand what's going on in the grown-ups’ lives that has brought you to this place."
Since yesterday, Grace had been petulant and mean spirited, refusing to help anyone. Maybe the time had come to give her a life lesson that showed her the truth.
Dora watched as she shifted a little more in her seat, turning to hear her. "Years ago, I was forced to marry a man I really didn't love, but he convinced my father he was the best man for me.
“Because Papa wanted me to, and as women we obey our fathers, I married him. We were together for five years and I never conceived a child. All the time, he blamed me for not getting pregnant and giving him the son he wanted."
She took a deep breath as all the painful memories came back at the way he screamed and yelled at her. Blaming her that he didn't have a son. "One day, my father died suddenly, and I inherited a lot of money. Not long after the funeral, my husband took a trip to Dodge City, Kansas."
Clicking the reins, she urged the horse on and glanced at the girl who stared at her wide eyed. "Several weeks after he left, I received a telegram telling me he was killed in a shootout and they buried him on Boot Hill. Later, I went to the bank to withdraw some cash and learned most of my money was gone."
The young girl gawked at her. "What did you do?"
"The banker said my husband withdrew our money. When I contacted the sheriff of Dodge City, he told me my husband played poker and lost everything."
Dora remembered that terrible day and all the pain came bubbling through her. There had been enough money in the account to last them the rest of their lives and yet somehow Leo squandered it all on cards, except for the land.
"Once again, I was a free woman. Someday, I dreamed, I would remarry and have the family I wanted. In the meantime, he left me just enough cash for me to survive for a while. Five years later, the sheriff of Zenith, where I live, told me he'd seen him in town."
"How can that be? He's dead."
"That's what I thought until I saw him." The words hung in the air, neither of them saying a word until she could see the dawning on the child's face. Only eight, the girl was smart, and she obviously understood the man she adored was not a great man.
"Leo met mother in that town," she said, turning to Dora, she stared at her, tears in her eyes. "Is Leo your husband?"
"Yes," she said quietly. "This is one of the reasons I could never be with your uncle Jesse who is a fine man. But I'm still a married woman."
The girl’s head dropped, and she wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right. You don't have to worry about me taking him away from you. Because I can't."
"Papa married Momma and they had Ella and Ben," she said perplexed.
"Yes, Leo received the son he always wanted with your mother." As much as the words hurt to say out loud, she adored Ben and Ella.
"But..."Grace said, confusion on her face. "So, Momma never was married to Leo?"
"Not legally," Dora said gently.
During this trip, she honestly thought the veil had been lifted from the child's eyes and she was starting to see Leo for the monster he was.
"You can't have children," she said.
"No," Dora replied her chest aching. No longer could she blame her barrenness on Leo. "Once we find Leo, this will all be over, and you and Jesse can take Ella and Ben home.”
A pang of guilt radiated through Dora. That l
and actually belonged to her, and as of now, she had made no decision on what she was going to do about selling the property. The kids would be devastated if they couldn't return home.
Jesse stopped and Dora pulled the wagon in front of a nice home on the east side of Dallas. Far enough from the downtown area, but not out of the city either.
"Wait here," Jesse said as he rushed up to the door and knocked.
"While you're here, watch over your brother and sister and don't let anything bad happen to them. If Leo comes around, don't go near him."
Grace reached over and touched her arm. It was the first time the child touched her, and she gazed at the innocent young girl. "I'm sorry that happened to you. Leo can be very mean sometimes. He used to hit Momma."
This was something Dora was certain Jesse didn't know.
"No man or woman should ever hit anyone," Dora replied.
"She loved him, and he took care of us. Though they often argued late in the night," she said, sounding more like a teenager than a child.
More than anything, Dora wanted Grace to grow up and love a man worthy of her, who would treat her right. "Remember these things, and when your time to marry comes, be certain you're choosing wisely."
An older woman answered the door and gazed out. They sat in the wagon watching as she spoke to Jesse and then hugged him around the neck. He motioned for them to come to the door. Dora stepped down and then reached in the back for a sleeping Ella and Ben.
Gazing at them, she let her eyes drink them in, because as soon as they found Leo...this could be the last time she saw them. It would be in her best interest to put as much distance between them as possible because her heart was becoming attached to them. Jesse, as much as the children.
And it would never be good for her to become involved. That would only lead to her experiencing more pain and disappointment. Something she didn't need any more of.
They visited with his aunt Matilda for over an hour before they made their way to the door. When the children learned they would be staying, they had not been happy. Especially, Ben who let everyone know his displeasure as they walked out.
Lipstick and Lead Series: The Complete Box Set With a Bonus Book Page 111
