It was obvious by the way Lionel and Alicia kept looking at her during breakfast that they knew something was afoot.
She sat at the head of the table and waited for them to finish eating. Clasping her hands on her lap, she cleared her throat. “I need to talk to you about something,”
“Is it about the bad man?” Lionel asked.
“No, no, it’s about your pa,” Ellie-May said. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “We love him very much even though he can’t be with us. And he loved us.”
“He was a hero,” Alicia said proudly.
Ellie-May smiled at her daughter. “Yes, yes, he was.” She’d hoped and prayed that Alicia would always think of her father as a hero, but that now seemed unlikely.
Lionel’s face was as serious as an old clock. “That bad man said Papa stole his money.”
Alicia folded her arms across her middle, a defiant look on her face. “Papa didn’t take anything that wasn’t his. He wouldn’t!”
“Why did he say those things about Papa?” Lionel looked to Ellie-May for an explanation.
The words she’d rehearsed now seemed all wrong. There was simply no way of explaining the stage robbery without destroying the memory of the father they adored, and that she couldn’t do.
“I don’t know,” she said. It was the cowardly way out, but it was the best she could do for now.
“What did you want to talk to us about?” Alicia asked.
“I…just wanted to tell you that you’re not going to school today.”
Lionel frowned. “Is it cuz that bad man wants to get us?”
Alicia gasped and looked close to tears. “I don’t want him to get us, Mama.”
Ellie-May reached over to squeeze her daughter’s hand. “No one’s gonna get you, dear heart. We just have to stay in the house until Matt…Ranger Taggert says it’s safe to leave.”
Lionel gave his sister a sympathetic pat on the arm. “Don’t worry. If that bad man comes back, I’ll save you.”
Lionel’s promise seemed to satisfy his sister, but an uneasy tension filled the air for the rest of the morning. Ellie-May tried to carry on as usual. After washing the breakfast dishes, she had the children help her roll out dough for pies. But every sound, either real or imagined, sent her flying to the window, heart in her throat.
The rest of the day fared no better. The hours trickled by slowly, and still nothing happened. The wait was pure torture.
Ellie-May had no idea what to expect once news of the stolen money became known. Would angry citizens flock to her door? Would they tear down Neal’s statue? Storm the new school? What?
Following yet another sleepless night, Ellie-May sent Anvil into town to see if there was any news.
“Nobody knows nothin’,” he said upon his return. “Don’t know what your Ranger friend did with the money, but he sure hasn’t told anyone about it.”
Ellie-May chewed on a fingernail. “That means Roberts is probably still in the area.”
Anvil looked about as serious as she’d ever seen him look. “Could be, but don’t you go worryin’ none. Taggert’s got two men watchin’ the place just as he promised.”
That relieved her mind a little but not completely. “I need to talk to Matt. Would you mind watching the children while I go to town? Promise me you won’t let them out of your sight.”
“Don’t worry,” Anvil said with a determined nod. “I’ll watch them like a hawk. There ain’t nobody gonna get to them as long as I’m around.”
“Thank you, Anvil. You’re a good friend.” She then hurried to her room to change.
Less than an hour later, Ellie-May arrived in town and headed straight for the hotel. Matt wasn’t in his room, and the desk clerk had no knowledge of his whereabouts.
“Where are you?” she muttered to herself as she stormed out of the hotel. “Where are you?”
So deep were her thoughts that she almost bumped headlong into Jesse. He looked almost as startled as she was. “Oh, sorry,” she said and frowned. The boy looked close to tears. “Are you okay?” she asked in alarm. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said with a quick swipe of his eyes.
She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Jesse, you can tell me. I’m your friend. Please. I can see that you’re upset.”
He hesitated for a moment before answering. “It’s Pa.”
She drew her hand away. “What about him?”
“Ranger Taggert arranged for him to stay with Doc Avery, but he refuses to go.”
“Why Doc Avery?” she asked. “Is your pa sick?”
“He’s not sick. It’s cuz he drinks too much.” Jesse gave her a hopeful look. “Doc Avery thinks he can help people like him.” He sniffled as if to hold back tears. “Do you think he can?”
“I don’t know, but if anyone can, it’s Doc Avery,” she said. “Maybe…maybe your pa just needs time to think about it.”
“He said he won’t go, and nothing will make him change his mind.” Tears glimmered in the depth of Jesse’s eyes.
Feeling bad for him, Ellie-May tried to think what to say to make him feel better. “Has Matt…Mr. Taggert talked to him?”
Jesse shook his head. “He thought it would be better if I talked to Pa first.”
She squeezed his arm. “Don’t give up, Jesse. Give your pa time. He may change his mind yet.”
Jesse blinked and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “I don’t think so, Mrs. Blackwell. Pa’s not like that. If he says he won’t do something, he means it.”
“Where is your pa now?” she asked.
“He’s at the Wandering Dog Saloon.”
Ellie-May drew in her breath. “What do you say we stop at the Feedbag for ice cream.” She was anxious to return home to her children but didn’t want to leave Jesse in his present condition. “We can talk there. Maybe we can think of a way to make your pa change his mind.”
Jesse shook his head. “Sorry, but I have to go to work. Mr. Gordon got a new shipment in and wants me to stock it. I gotta go or I’ll be late.”
Ellie-May watched him zigzag his way through traffic to the other side of the street, and it looked like he carried the world on his young shoulders. It nearly broke her heart to see him looking so dejected. As she stood watching him scamper up the steps to the opposite boardwalk, her pity turned to anger, and something snapped inside.
She whirled about and, after a moment of hesitation, stormed along the wooden sidewalk, her feet pounding the boards like two angry woodpeckers.
Looking neither left or right and pushing her own problems aside, she crossed the Dead Line separating moral businesses from the rest. No decent woman would be caught dead entering this section of town, but she was too incensed to care about propriety. Between concern for her children and now Jesse, she felt as if something was about to explode inside her. If she didn’t do something, she would scream.
She stopped outside the swinging doors of the Wandering Dog Saloon for a moment before barreling inside.
The saloon was dimly lit, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. The bartender looked up from behind the long bar, the corners of his mustache drooping all the way to his chin. He arched an eyebrow as if to question her presence, then went back to drying glasses.
Since the place was almost empty, she had no trouble locating Jesse’s pa slumped over a corner table.
Just as she reached his side, his arm shot out for the half-filled whiskey bottle. She grabbed the bottle first and moved it out of his reach. That got his attention.
James looked at her with bloodshot eyes. “Whatcha do that fer?”
“We need to talk.”
“I ain’t talking.”
“Then I’ll talk and you listen.” She pulled out a chair and plopped herself down. “Jesse said you refuse to accept Doc Avery’s invitation.”
“You don’t understand,” he slurred.
“What don’t I understand?” She lowered her voice. “What it’s like to lose someone I cared about? How it feels to raise children alone?” How it feels to know that your world is about to come to an end? “What?”
James held his head in both hands and said nothing.
Arms on the table, Ellie-May leaned forward. “Penelope was my best friend. She would hate seeing you like this. Hate what you’re doing to Jesse.”
“The boy’s fine. He can take care of hisself.”
Ellie-May pounded her fist on the table, rattling his empty glass. “The boy is not fine. Do you know how he spends his time? How many jobs he works just to support your drinking habit? He’s out all hours of the day and night. Shall I go on?”
James hid his face in his hands. “Leave me alone,” he muttered.
She lowered her voice but spoke with no less urgency. “All Jesse’s asking is that you give Doc Avery a chance.”
“It won’t work,” James said, running his words together. “I can tell you that right now.”
“Maybe it’ll work. Maybe it won’t.” She had no idea what the doctor had proposed, but she trusted him. She’d known him almost all her life, and he was one of the few people who hadn’t judged her for her father’s deeds. “Doc Avery will do whatever he can to help you if you let him.”
James dropped his hands. “Can he take away the hurt?”
The raw agony on his face made her heart ache. “No. No, he can’t,” she said quietly. “Only time can do that.” She covered his hand with her own. “But you alone can ease Jesse’s pain.” She paused a moment before adding, “He hates seeing you like this. He lost his ma, but he’s also lost his pa, and that’s no less painful.”
James failed to respond, and she couldn’t tell by his closed expression if anything she’d said had penetrated his foggy brain. Not knowing what else she could say or do to make him change his mind, she fell silent. For several moments, they sat quietly, each in their own thoughts.
She finally withdrew her hand and stood. “I have to go.” There didn’t appear to be any more she could do there, and she was anxious to go home. She’d been away from her children longer than intended.
Without looking up, James asked, “How long would I have to stay?”
Feeling a flicker of hope, she sat down again. “That’s up to you and the doctor.”
He raised his eyes to hers. “What if it don’t work?”
She patted him on the arm. “At least Jesse will know that you tried.”
They sat side by side, neither saying a word. For some odd reason, she suddenly sensed a change in the room, a change in the air, and when she looked up, she saw him. Saw Matt—and he was looking straight at her.
She couldn’t tell by his face what he was thinking. All she knew for sure was that the mere sight of him made her heart pound and her pulse race.
She leaned closer to James. “You don’t have to do it alone. There’s someone here who will help you get settled.”
“Jesse…”
“Jesse will help you, too,” she said. “All he wants is to get his pa back. That’s all any of us want for him.”
James didn’t agree verbally to go to Doc Avery’s, but his shoulders slumped forward as if in surrender, and a look of submission—maybe even hope—crossed his face.
Ellie-May sought Matt’s eyes and nodded.
Matt joined them. “You did good,” he mouthed, his eyes warm with approval. He then reached for Patrick James’s arm and gently helped him to his feet.
29
Ellie-May paced the floor of the doctor’s parlor, waiting for Matt and the doctor to get Jesse’s pa settled. What was taking so long? She was anxious to go home but needed to talk to Matt.
When at last Matt appeared, he looked surprised to see her still there.
“Is he okay?” she asked.
“We’ll know better in a day or two.” His gaze softened. “You should go home and get some rest.”
The look in his eyes and gentle tone of his voice brought her an unexpected jolt of pleasure. She didn’t want it to. She still didn’t trust him—not fully—and it wasn’t just because of the kiss. Matt now knew the full truth about Neal and had within his power the ability to bring her world tumbling down.
She lowered her lashes. “I will,” she said. After taking a moment to regain her composure, she looked up. Reminding herself of all the reasons she had to be wary of him, she said, “But first, we need to talk. Roberts…?”
He shook his head. “Still on the lam.”
Weary with worry, she felt her temper flare. “As long as he thinks the money is at the farm, I can’t let my children out of the house. I’m afraid to even let them out of my sight.”
Hushing her, he motioned her to the door. “We can’t talk here.”
He led her outside, and she whirled around to face him. “If Roberts harms either one of my children—”
Matt pushed his hat back with the tip of his fingers. “I have a plan,” he said, his voice low. “Do you want to hear it?”
She sucked in her breath. “What kind of plan?”
“I will make a call for volunteers to search the farm on Saturday.”
She drew back. “Search the farm? For what?”
“Stolen loot.”
“I don’t understand,” she said and frowned. “You have the money.”
“Yes, but Roberts doesn’t know that. I’m willing to bet he’ll want to beat the crowd and get to the money before they do. When he shows up at your place, I’ll be waiting.”
“That’s it?” Her temper snapped. “That’s your plan? Bring him to the farm and endanger my children?”
“My plan is to catch him,” Matt said, making it sound easy. “So he doesn’t do you or your children any harm.”
She bit her lower lip. “What makes you think he’s still around? He might have left town by now.”
“Possibly. But as far as he knows, the loot is still hidden beneath your porch. Saturday gives Roberts two days to retrieve it. Like I said. When he does, I’ll be waiting for him.”
“My children—”
He took both her hands in his, and the tender look in his eyes took her breath away. “Ellie-May, I won’t let anything happen to them. You know that, right?”
She snatched her hands away, but only so she could think. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Once the truth is known, there’ll be no saving them!”
“We don’t know that. Your husband did a lot of good for this town. People aren’t likely to forget that.” He tilted his head. “Work with me.”
She started to protest, but something in his eyes, his face, his voice stopped her.
“Please,” he pressed, and this time, he held out his hand.
No longer able to deny his touch, she placed her hand in his.
He curled his fingers around hers, jolting her senses and adding to her torment. “Are you sure?”
Against her better judgment, she nodded, but only because she didn’t know what else to do.
A look of approval crossed his face. “You won’t be sorry. I promise, this whole thing will soon be over.”
She hoped he was right, but in her heart, she knew otherwise. Once the truth was known about Neal, it would never be over. Not ever. Alicia and Lionel would always be known as the outlaw’s children, and there wasn’t a darn thing she could do about it.
* * *
No sooner had Matt watched Ellie-May leave in her horse and wagon than he heard his name. Turning, he saw Jesse waving his hat and calling to him from across the street.
“Ranger Taggert!” Ignoring the oncoming traffic, Jesse darted into the street and was almost hit by the hotel omnibus.
“Watch out!” Matt yelled.
The omnibus driver ra
ised his fist and shouted obscenities, but Jesse didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he leaped up to the sidewalk where Matt was standing and surprised him by throwing his arms around him.
As he hugged the boy back, Matt’s memory shifted to another time, another place. It had happened the day his father had been shot and the sheriff had come to the house to break the news.
Charley had flung himself into Matt’s arms, and the two of them had clung to each other as if to never let go. Matt hadn’t known it at the time, but not only had he lost his pa that day but also his brother. For Charley was never the same after that.
Somehow, he’d failed Charley, but he hoped and prayed he didn’t fail Jesse.
With that thought in mind, Matt gazed down at the boy wrapped in his arms. Jesse reminded him of Charley in so many ways. For that reason, Matt feared for him, feared for his future. He now knew how quickly things could go wrong. The best-laid plans could be wiped out in a single day, a single moment. A single heartbeat.
Surprised by the sudden blurring of his vision, Matt swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked the moisture from his eyes. “To what do I owe this?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.
Jesse lifted his gaze to his. “You got Pa to go to Doc Avery’s house.”
“How do you know your pa’s there?”
“Mrs. Avery saw me working at Gordon’s and told me.”
“Actually, it was Ellie… Mrs. Blackwell is the one you should be thanking.”
Jesse pulled away, though he seemed as reluctant to do so as Matt was to let him go. “Do you think the doctor can cure Pa?”
Matt considered his answer with care. He didn’t want to give Jesse false hope. But neither did he want to discourage him. “I don’t know if a cure is possible, but I think Doc Avery can help him.”
Jesse pursed his lips. “How long will he have to stay there?”
Matt laid his hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “I reckon that’s up to your pa, son. All we can do is hope and pray.”
“Is that a rule?” Jesse asked, a glint of humor in his eyes.
Matt laughed. “I guess you could say that.” He tossed a nod up the street. “Here’s another rule for you: never miss a chance to celebrate a good thing. I believe this calls for a big bowl of ice cream.”
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