The Outlaw's Heart

by Amy Sandas

  Eve had no idea how or why Alexandra happened to be there with her husband, but she was intensely grateful. While Alexandra and Warren knelt over Gabriel and Eve huddled not far away, Malcolm took the time to verify that Matthew—as well as the men he’d hired—were dead.

  Eve had suspected as much.

  So much death. Eve felt sick. Her head was cloudy, and her stomach rolled with the scent of blood. Alexandra suggested she step outside, but she wouldn’t move an inch farther from Gabriel’s side. She couldn’t.

  Once Warren was satisfied that the bleeding had stopped and he had done all he could at the moment, they loaded Gabriel, still unconscious, into the back of a wagon they found in the barn. Eve cradled his head in her lap on the drive back to town, where they got him settled in a room at Warren’s home before Malcolm went to report the deaths to the local sheriff. He sent notice to the law up near his and Alexandra’s place and Courtney’s ranch so the men Matthew had stationed there could be located and either scared off or brought in, depending on their criminal history.

  The sheriff of Chester Springs was a man nearing eighty who had no desire for more work than necessary. Malcolm Kincaid’s reputation from his former life as a bounty hunter—along with Warren’s well-respected position as the town doctor—were more than enough for the sheriff to take their word about the unfolding events at the ranch.

  Eve could barely bring herself to care.

  Matthew would never hurt her again. She was finally free.

  But it seemed such an inconsequential thing when put alongside the possibility of losing Gabriel.

  Warren tried to get her to retire to another of their guest rooms to sleep, but she couldn’t even bother to acknowledge him. Eventually, Alexandra and Honey were both required to convince Warren to leave it alone and let Eve stay at Gabriel’s side.

  She sat in a chair pulled up to his bed, his hand clasped in both of hers, her gaze locked on his face. He was still so large and forbidding, even as he lay unconscious in the narrow bed. But there was no way to ignore the wide, white bandage wrapped around his chest.

  She could hear the others moving about the house, their voices low and reserved—even the children. Eve realized she would have to give some sort of explanation, and she would, but right now all that mattered was seeing Gabriel open his eyes again.

  Though she didn’t intend to, she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, she was being pulled back to awareness by a strong squeeze of her fingers and Gabriel’s low, murmured voice.

  She lifted her head from where it had been resting on her folded arm.

  He looked at her with tired, pain-filled eyes.

  “Gabriel.” She sighed as tears clogged her throat and slid down her cheeks.

  With a tense grimace and a tightening of his mouth, he brought his hand to the side of her face and brushed a tear away with his thumb. “My heart.”

  Eve held back her sob as she turned to press her lips to his palm.

  “Your husband…is he dead?” Gabriel asked.

  She nodded.

  Gabriel’s eyes fell closed again. “Then you’re free,” he muttered just before his hand dropped to the bed and he slipped back into unconsciousness.

  Throughout that day, Warren monitored him for signs of infection, and Alexandra showed Eve how to administer small and careful doses of medicinal tea. As the hours passed without the heat of infection entering Gabriel’s body, Warren grew in confidence that Gabriel would make a good recovery. By the next night, Alexandra finally convinced Eve to get some real rest by promising to stay with Gabriel herself in Eve’s absence. Eve only managed a couple of hours of sleep before she awoke with the need to return to Gabriel’s side.

  Alexandra—loyal, fierce, and wonderful Alexandra—looked up as Eve entered the room.

  Eve went to her first and gave her cousin a heartfelt embrace, realizing that as close as they had been as girls, they had never fully embraced. As Eve felt her cousin’s love and support, her throat grew tight with regret.

  Pulling back, she met Alexandra’s bright-blue eyes and confessed, “I should have told you—and Courtney—what was happening with Matthew. I should have trusted your friendship. I’m so sorry. I should have—”

  “Stop it, Evie,” her cousin chastised gently. “You have nothing to apologize for. Come now. Let’s leave him to rest and go talk.”

  Eve looked at Gabriel. “But…”

  “He is doing well. Trust me. Your Gabriel will make it.”

  Eve felt a slight loosening of the binds around her chest as she went to his bedside and bent forward to place a kiss to his lips. They were warm and soft. “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered before straightening to follow Alexandra from the room.

  They sat together in the dark of the front parlor, not bothering to light any lamps. When they were younger, after Alexandra had first come to live with her in Boston, they had often shared a bed, telling secrets in the dark until morning arrived.

  “Warren is worried about you,” Alexandra said. “He hates not having a concise explanation for the events that took place, but he can see that you have suffered.”

  “It’s over now,” Eve replied, wanting to assure her friend and herself. Sometimes, when she thought of it, it was hard to believe Matthew could never hurt her again. There was no need to run or hide any more. She supposed eventually she would feel relief for that, but not until Gabriel was well again.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Alexandra whispered. “It took so much courage to leave.”

  “To run away,” Eve corrected.

  “Yes,” Alexandra insisted with a squeeze of Eve’s hand. “To seek the freedom and happiness you deserve. And you do deserve it, Evie, so very much.”

  They lapsed into silence for a bit, then Alexandra, who never could contain her curiosity for long, asked, “Do you love him?”

  Eve answered readily, “So much it hurts sometimes.”

  Alexandra gave a soft laugh. “I know how that feels.”

  “Oh, Alexandra, your Malcolm must think me so rude. I have barely acknowledged him.”

  “Oh goodness, don’t worry about that. Malcolm isn’t exactly a paragon of manners.” She grinned. “But I adore him anyway.”

  “I am so unbelievably grateful the two of you are here. I owe you both so much.”

  “You owe us nothing,” Alexandra insisted. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

  * * *

  The next few days brought further improvement. Gabriel awoke more frequently and stayed awake longer each time. Long enough for him to manage some more fortifying foods. Eve continued to stay close, but so did Warren. After a while, Eve began to wonder if her brother’s attentiveness was all part of his doctoring or if some of it had to do with not wanting to leave Eve alone with Gabriel.

  She realized Warren had to know that Luke and the others who lived the valley were outlaws. She wondered if that was the reason he felt a need to chaperone her interactions with Gabriel. His constant presence was frustrating, but she kept her mouth shut since Warren was Gabriel’s doctor, and as long as he did his job in that regard, she would have all the time in the world to be alone with Gabriel in the future.

  On their fourth day in town, two newcomers arrived in Chester Springs.

  Apparently, Courtney and her husband, Dean Lawton, had left their ranch in Montana the day they received the telegram from Alexandra stating that Eve had been located.

  Courtney swept into town with her usual exuberance and charm. Once a society princess in Boston, she had settled down as the wife of a cattle rancher just a year ago, and her life clearly suited her. Courtney’s husband was nearly her opposite; socially reserved with an air of understated confidence, he balanced Courtney’s impulsive, winsome nature perfectly.

  Courtney and Dean rented a room in the hotel where Alexandra and Malcolm w
ere staying and promised to stick around as long as Eve needed them. Eve couldn’t believe how blessed she was to have her two dearest friends at her side once again.

  Eventually, she managed to explain some of what she’d endured in her marriage—avoiding the harsher details—and her decision to run away. She was surprised by the fury she saw behind Warren’s fierce scowl and was even more surprised when he wrapped her in his arms and held her tight for a long moment.

  He had sent a telegram to their mother days ago, letting her know Eve was safe, and Eve followed it up with a long letter that told her mother everything, along with a request that she seek out a young maid in Matthew’s household named Lettie and see to the girl’s well-being. Finally being honest with her family and friends about something she’d hidden for so long was healing in a way she hadn’t expected.

  No one pressed Eve to tell them if she intended to return to Boston or stay in Wyoming, though she had seen the urge to pry in her brother’s narrowed eyes on more than one occasion. She had her sister-in-law, Honey, to thank for the fact that he didn’t push. Eve had caught Honey’s forbidding expression directed toward Warren often through those days, and she was grateful for it.

  It was hard to believe Honey and Luke were twins. They looked nearly nothing alike and had very little in common in terms of temperament.

  It was equally hard to believe that Luke hadn’t suspected Eve was Warren’s sister right from the start. Especially considering her brother had a photograph of her as a schoolgirl on his mantel beside an old image of their parents. Assuming Luke had been to his sister’s home a time or two, he would have seen Eve’s image and likely wouldn’t have missed the resemblance when she showed up in the valley.

  The fact that Luke had suggested she accompany Gabriel to town made it clear that he had intended the reunion all along.

  After those first couple of days, Gabriel began to improve quickly. He was soon on his feet and moving around. Eve worried that he was doing too much too soon, but Warren assured her it was good for him to walk around if he felt up to it.

  Each day that passed, Gabriel continued to get stronger. He joined them in the parlor when everyone gathered in the evenings, though he kept to the edge of the room and observed more than participated in the socializing. Whenever he was present, Eve was at his side, ignoring the furrowed-brow looks from her brother. Warren would have to learn to accept that her loyalty to Gabriel was not a fleeting thing.

  When Gabriel needed rest, Eve spent as much time as she could with her friends, knowing that once they left Chester Springs, it might be a long time before she saw them again. She got to know Honey and truly came to adore her niece, Stella, and nephew, Thomas.

  With so much constant activity in the household between the guests and the children and Warren’s frequent checks, it was difficult for Eve to find time to talk to Gabriel as she wanted to. There was so much she wanted to say, but she had to content herself with brief conversations and long looks that made her chest tighten with emotion.

  Though no words were spoken about their future, everything she yearned for was still there in his eyes.

  But then one morning just over a week after he’d been shot, she woke up to find that he had gone.

  Thirty-Nine

  “He truly didn’t say a word?” Courtney asked in astonishment. “He just left?”

  Warren was at his office for the day, and the children were occupied with a baking project in the kitchen. Malcolm and Dean had remained back at the hotel so it was just Eve, her two best friends, and her sister-in-law in the parlor. Honey had made some tea, and upon learning of Gabriel’s sudden departure from town, Alexandra promptly added a good dose of whiskey to their cups.

  “I’ve noticed he isn’t one to say much,” Alexandra stated in an indignant tone, “but the man at least could have said goodbye.”

  Eve shook her head. “That’s not his way.”

  “Is it his way to be heartless?” Courtney asked in a smart tone, clearly irritated on Eve’s behalf.

  “No, he could never be heartless,” Eve assured her. “He’s the most compassionate, utterly selfless man I’ve ever met.”

  “It’s a good thing you think so,” Honey said thoughtfully, “because I believe it’s safe to say that man is madly in love with you.”

  Eve’s cheeks warmed, but she didn’t deny it.

  “Whenever he’s in the same room with you, his gaze follows you like a hawk watching his dinner,” Alexandra added with a knowing smirk.

  Courtney lifted a haughty brow. “Then he should have stayed.”

  Eve’s heart welled with gratitude for her friends’ staunch loyalty, but it was important to her that they fully understand.

  She took a long breath. “I think he wanted to allow me the freedom to decide my own path,” she explained, her throat thickening with a swell of emotions she wasn’t quite sure she’d be able to put into words. “He’s showing me that he understands how important it is for me to have my family and friends again. By leaving, he’s honoring the possibility that I might choose not to return to the valley. When I join him, it will be because it’s solely my desire to do so.”

  Alexandra’s eyes were wide and glistening. “For a man who rarely speaks, he sure says an awful lot in a single act, doesn’t he?”

  Eve’s laugh sounded awfully similar to a sob. “He does. I love him so much.”

  “Then go to him,” Courtney urged.

  Eve looked back and forth between her two closest friends. Alexandra with her bright-blue eyes and competent manner and generous compassion. Courtney, all fiery hair and flashing eyes, possessing a wealth of optimism and love.

  “You won’t think I’m being foolish for rushing into something so soon after…”

  “Goodness no!” Alexandra nearly shouted. “When a man loves you like that and you love him just as fiercely, the foolish thing would be to waste even a moment apart.”

  “I wholeheartedly agree. You really should just leave right now,” Courtney insisted with a grin.

  Love and gratitude filled Eve’s chest. “I’ll miss you both so much when you return to Montana.”

  “We’re not so far away as Boston. We’ll visit each other all the time,” Courtney declared. “I’m just glad you’ll be safe and happy.”

  “I still have to convince Warren to take me back to the valley,” Eve said with a glance toward Honey.

  “Your brother just wants to know that you’ll be well protected,” her sister-in-law replied, a gleam of determination in her eye as she smiled her assurance. “He’ll take you.”

  * * *

  The midday summer sun bathed the valley in warmth and optimism as Warren and Eve approached the bunkhouse.

  Luke came out onto the porch as they rode up. His hazel eyes were hard but held a glint of mischief as they settled on Warren. Any doubts Eve might have had that Luke had known or at least highly suspected she was Warren’s sister were put to rest by his utter lack of surprise at seeing the two of them together.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Luke? You should have let me know the second my sister showed up here,” Warren accused him without bothering to offer a polite greeting.

  Luke shrugged. There was an anticipatory air about him, almost as though he was hoping for a fight. “She didn’t want anyone to know who she was or where she was. I couldn’t be sure if that included you.” His tone held a distinct lack of concern, even though Warren’s eyes were shooting sparks.

  “If you had just told her you recognized her,” Warren countered sharply, “you could have asked her if she wanted to see me.”

  Luke lifted his brows. “Would she have said yes?”

  Eve had been patient long enough. Whatever issue the two men had with each other, it clearly had nothing to do with her. “If you two wish to squabble over details that no longer matter, that’s entirely up to you
, but it’s not why I’m here.”

  Luke gave a soft chuckle. “You know where to find him.”

  Eve smiled. “Thank you.” Then to Warren, she said, “And thank you for everything you’ve done. I promise, I’ll see you again soon.”

  Warren nodded. “I hope so. Mother will be anxious for more news. You know she’s probably still hoping you’ll return to Boston.”

  “I’m not going back,” Eve replied.

  Her brother smiled. “I know.”

  Eve turned her horse and rode around the bunkhouse, urging him into a trot and then a lope as she passed the barn and continued along the river to the meadow. She slowed enough to cross the shallow part of the river before leaping from her horse’s back. Leaving the animal to graze beside Twig on the grassy bank, she walked up the slope toward the cabin.

  Exhilaration mounted with every step. It felt as though she’d been waiting a lifetime to claim something that had been hers all along.

  She was still several paces away when Gabriel stepped outside.

  Dark eyes met blue. The warmth of the sun bathed the meadow around them, summer insects buzzed, and the grass waved gently in the breeze as they stood for a breathless moment, staring at each other.

  The love, the trust, the peace, the dark quiet of his gaze, and the confidence in her heart all came together in perfect harmony. No matter where she went in life or how long it took to get there, her path would always lead to him.

  Eve was finally exactly where she needed to be.

  Unable to contain the beautiful feelings inside her, Eve curved her lips in an easy smile.

  Gabriel lowered his chin. His answering smile inspired a wave of love so deep it stole her breath.

  She walked toward him, not stopping until his arms came up around her and his head bowed beside hers. She pressed a palm to his chest, anxious for the feel of his heartbeat, strong and steady. Then she tipped her head back to meet his lovely gaze.

  “I choose you, Gabriel,” she whispered. “Always.”