High Plains Heartbreak (Love On The High Plains Book 3)

by Simone Beaudelaire

  He pulled his carpet bag out from under the bed and began stuffing his clothing into it. He was short on money to stay at the rooming house, and with the first of August approaching, it was time to pay up or move out. He opted to stay with Addie, since they were leaving this town anyway. The gossips could all go fly a kite. There's no hiding the facts anyway. She's starting to look pregnant all the time. He thought back to the previous night, when he'd undressed her by the light of the lamp and caressed the growing swell. It struck him with awe, the undeniable evidence of their passion, yet another of the many priceless gifts she'd given him. And he'd rewarded her with the tenderest pleasure, making her cry out in ecstasy several times before finally joining their bodies together. Down boy, he thought, pushing against the sudden erection that strained his jeans. Packing, Jesse. Think about packing. You can have Addie tonight.

  And he would, too. Tonight. Tomorrow night. Every night. She'll be my wife. He smiled and returned to his task.

  A few minutes later, a nagging sensation brought him out of his chore. Something seemed to be missing.

  The wash, you dunce. He'd had his clothing washed in anticipation of travel, and it was hanging on the line, surely dry after most of the day. Grumbling at the thought of leaving the shade of the room for the heat of the out-of-doors, he clomped down the stairs and exited.

  A breath of stale, hot wind stole the air from Jesse's lungs. He inhaled deeply to dispel the momentary choking sensation as he crossed the low stubble of dead grass and dry patches of brown, bare dirt around the side of the structure that had been his living space for the last few months. A three-story edifice, once a stately family home, had now mostly gone to ruin, its paint peeling in flakes of sage green. Several had drifted to the ground to reveal dry, weathered boards beneath. The once-gracious porch listed in a creaking pile of rotting boards.

  The place looked like what it was: a rooming house for men without much in the way of resources. Shiftless drifters, mostly. That's what I was, all those years, only thinking about myself. I made some money, and I made some friends, but mostly I just rode wherever the wind blew me. Maybe I made a difference, helped the cause of justice, but I didn't accomplish anything permanent. There will always be another criminal on the run, another sunset to chase, and one day my luck would have run out. But no more. At last I have the chance to accomplish something lasting, something of value, contributing to a town, to a community. Adding my skills to their efforts to keep a little patch of civilization on the vast, untamed prairie safe. And with Addie at my side, I can add citizens too. Once upon a time I wanted that. Once, before dreaming died. Before hope was buried in the little cemetery at the edge of town.

  Every day seemed to Jesse to be brimming with new hopes and dreams. Far from dead, the gates to his heart burst open to vibrant life. Where had this upswelling of joy come from? From Addie. She's like the earth itself, the source of life. And he loved her.

  The thought staggered him. He literally missed his next step and had to grab a rotting porch spindle to stabilize himself.

  “You okay, Mr. West?” Josiah Hilliard, the owner's teenaged son asked, looking up from a nearby fence he was whitewashing. Jesse waved him away with a smile that felt somewhat less than sincere.

  How the hell can I love Addie? I loved Lily. And he still loved Lily. The uncomplicated adoration he'd always felt for his angel, his perfect lady, had not diminished one iota. But that in no way stopped him from loving Addie with all his heart. He didn't understand what was happening, how it was possible. Guilt and joy mingled in a strange mixture of unsettling emotions that set his heart churning. Is it true? Can I truly love another woman? No, not just any woman. But Addie… Loving her seemed not only possible, but inescapable. Setting aside the feelings of guilt and confusion he embraced the joy, as he had embraced the news of Addie's pregnancy. Life changed. Everything changed. But change didn't mean for the worse. Not necessarily. I'm ready for a change.

  Striding to the clothesline, he began pulling pins, dropping them into a sack hanging from the line, and pulled his stiff, dry garments down. I can't wait to finish packing. He grinned. Going home felt right in ways he couldn't explain.

  A strange sound in the woods captured his attention. If he didn't know better he would have sworn something big was crashing heedlessly through the undergrowth. No animal moves like that unless it's in pain. The sound of twigs snapping was now joined by breathless squeaking. Whatever it was, it was hurting bad. He peered through the trees, trying to see if he was in any danger, only to have a small, red-haired figure burst into the yard and hurl herself at him.

  “Addie? What the hell?” he demanded, clutching his lady to his chest. She grabbed his shirt, gulping and wheezing. He lifted her face. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and fresh ones trailed constantly from the corners of her eyes. Her hair stood on end in places as though it had been crushed. Somehow the shoulder of her shirtwaist was torn open. A spreading ring of red circled a deep slash through her skirt.

  “Addie, what's going on?” he demanded. Her body began shaking hard, so hard he couldn't merely support her. He had to lift her clean off her feet. “Addie, can you try to answer me, sweetheart?”

  “The…” she choked on a sob. “The… the house.”

  “What about the house? What happened?” Oh God, was there an explosion?

  She began to babble a string of incoherent words, in which only two registered on Jesse's senses. 'Bear' and 'knife.'

  “Whoa, honey,” he insisted. “Did you say Bear came to your house with a knife?”

  Addie nodded wildly.

  “Are you okay? Did he cut you?”

  She nodded again.

  “Aw, shit.” Now what do I do? “Addie?” Her eyelids fluttered, as though she was about to pass out. Jesse patted her cheek with a bit more force than he liked. At the sting, Addie's eyes flew open and she shoved at his fingers. He moved to her cut, pressing with the heel of his hand in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She hissed and winced at the pain. “Addie, did Bear hurt you anywhere else? Did he…” The words refused to come out. Even the thought of what he didn't want to say seemed to tighten his throat.

  “He threatened me. Threatened to…” she gagged and Jesse moved her away from him slightly, knowing what was coming. He supported her while she emptied her stomach, and then half-carried, half-dragged her away from the mess. Addie took several unsteady breaths and then visibly seemed to be forcing herself under control.

  “He grabbed me by the hair and tried to force me to end my engagement with you. And then he threatened to cut the baby out of me.”

  Baby? “How did he know about the baby? Did he undress you?” Her shredded clothing worried him greatly.

  She shook her head. “I didn't let him.”

  “Is he still there, Addie?”

  “Yeeeees,” she broke off in a whimper.

  “I'm going to deal with him. I'm going right now. No one roughs up my girl.”

  He whipped his pistol out of its holster and made sure it was loaded. If that bastard was anywhere near Beth's house, he wasn't going to see the light of day.

  “Go… ing?” Addie burst into hysterical laughter moments before she fainted dead away.

  “Damn,” Jesse cursed. Scooping his lady into his arms, he carried her into the parlor of the rooming house. Taking a seat on a threadbare red brocade sofa with heavily scarred arms, Jesse cradled Addie's cheek against his shoulder and rubbed her back in slow circles. At last she stirred, shaking her head fitfully from side to side.

  “Addie, honey are you back with me?” he asked.

  She started violently, almost knocking herself to the floor.

  What on earth could have happened to upset Addie so badly? She's a sturdy girl. Her growing hysteria worried him. Is this the girl who faced down a knife-wielding bandit? What the hell is going on?

  “Hush, now, Addie. Calm down. It's Jesse. I've got you.”

  “Jesse?” She sounded so lost.

&nb
sp; “Yes, love. I'm right here. Can you tell me what happened?”

  She drew in a shuddering breath and began, “Bear came to the cabin and walked right in. I didn't have the door locked.”

  “I understand. It's rarely locked, isn't that right?” He wanted to be sure she knew he wasn't upset about that.

  “Not during the daytime. He threatened me, tried to force me to agree to marry him.”

  She shivered and Jesse pulled her a little tighter against him.

  “When I refused, he became violent, pulling my hair and threatening me with a knife.”

  “Oh, Addie,” Jesse exclaimed. While he knew she had been cut, he'd been hoping it was an accident.

  “I know. He said he was going to cut the baby out of me.” She sobbed. “I couldn't let him do that.”

  “Of course not, honey.”

  Addie was beginning to hyperventilate. Fearing she would pass out again, Jesse cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “Breathe, Addie. You need to remember to breathe.”

  He reminded her with slow respirations until she seemed calmer again.

  “Did he assault you?” Jesse asked at last. So far, while he could see her experience had been upsetting, it was no worse than the time she'd been grabbed by the bandit, and she hadn't reacted this badly. She wasn't pregnant then though.

  “I grabbed a kitchen knife,” she said.

  He nodded his approval. “Good. So you ran him off, or did you just get past him and come to me?”

  “Neither.” A whimper swallowed her words. Bravely she pushed on, struggling to speak. “He rushed me with his own knife… I… I cut his throat. He's dead, Jesse.”

  For a moment the world seemed to stop spinning. Jesse's breath caught in his throat. Even his heart ceased to beat. It restarted with an uncomfortable thump and he gasped. “Addie, what?”

  “I killed him.” She began to cry.

  Jesse's thoughts began whirling. Addie killed someone? My Addie cut a man's throat? How is that even possible? She must be mistaken. She must have scratched him and run away. I mean, she's a capable girl, but she is still a girl. What girl could take down a hulk of a man like Bear Mills? I need to get to the bottom of this. “Is he still there?”

  She lifted her head and stared in disbelief. “Of course he is. He's dead. I can't move him. Where else would he be?” By the end, she was shrieking.

  “Calm down, Addie. Calm down. It's okay. You're okay. I'll just head over there and see what's what.” He ran his fingers up and down her back.

  “I killed him, Jesse. They'll string me up. I murdered a man.” She whimpered.

  “Addie, if you defended yourself against an attack, that's not murder, honey.” How many men have I killed… have I brought to justice knowing they would be hanged. Taking a life never gets easier. Pray God it never does. Now his sweetheart had to cope with that very thing. I should have protected her, dammit. I should have been the one to do this for her. What's one more death on my soul? But not my Addie. She's already suffered too much.

  Unable to stop his insanely circling thoughts, he blurted out, “I need to go there. I'll take a look at the situation and contact the sheriff. I'll make sure you're safe, sweet girl. Will you trust me?”

  She looked into his eyes, and he could see her soul bleeding. Her leg, thankfully, seemed to have stopped. “Don't leave me, Jesse.”

  “You won't be alone, I swear. Mrs. Hilliard! Josiah!”

  In answer to his shout, the pounding of feet sounded on the echoing floor boards. “Don't tell them anything, Addie. Not a word. I'll take care of everything.”

  Hard as Addie was crying, it didn't look like she'd be able to say anything anyway.

  “What's going on, Mr. West?” The careworn caretaker of the rooming house pattered into the room, followed by her teenaged son. He rose at her entry.

  “I'm not sure,” he replied. “Something happened at the McCoy cabin. Until I'm sure it's safe, I can't let my intended go back there. Can the two of you please stay with her until I get back? Try not to upset her with a lot of questions. I'll let you know what happened as soon as I return.”

  Blinking at the rapid delivery of instructions, the woman could only nod. Jesse turned back to Addie, taking her hands in his. “Sweetheart, Mrs. Hilliard is going to sit with you, and Josiah will make sure you're safe. Just try to calm down. I'll take care of everything. Okay?”

  Addie just cried.

  Jesse hugged her tight. “I love you,” he murmured in her ear before rising and leaving the rooming house. He didn't bother saddling Mercury, just swung onto the horse's bare back, the way Addie liked to do, and rode out down the narrow path toward the cabin.

  Chapter 16

  Addie cried a while longer, vaguely aware of Mrs. Hilliard milling around the room, fluffing stained sofa pillows and whisking dust off end tables. At last, as the terrified girl began to calm – which in this case meant running out of strength to cry any longer – she began to be more aware of the room. The hulking shape of Josiah Hilliard standing by the door almost seemed threatening, until the sun streaming past the faded draperies revealed a baby face thick with pimples and a chin which had barely learned to sprout stubble. Though physically imposing, he was clearly a boy, not a man.

  Addie took several deep breaths and tried to contain herself. Her crying jag had left her feeling numb, though a bit fragile.

  “Are you better now, miss?” the landlady asked, extending a handkerchief. Though mended in several places, the scrap of fabric was scrupulously clean. Addie wiped her eyes.

  “A bit, I suppose,” she said. “I've had a terrible shock. And…” she broke off, remembering too late that her pregnancy was not yet open for discussion. But it was too late. Mrs. Hilliard had already seen her free hand move in the vicinity of her belly. She nodded, but her expression turned stern.

  “We're getting married,” Addie insisted, “as soon as Aunt Beth comes home.”

  “See that you do,” Mrs. Hilliard replied. Without another word she swept from the room. Addie almost felt relieved at the older woman's prudishness. It meant she wouldn't be bothered with a passel of irritating questions. Curling into a ball on the sofa, she stared out the window, wondering what would happen next.

  Jesse gawked in speechless amazement at the gory spectacle laid out in the kitchen of Elizabeth McCoy's cabin. As Addie had said, Bear Mills lay contorted on the floor, a sharp paring knife stuck into his neck. The pool of blood around the corpse boggled the imagination. No surprise. She must have slashed across his throat and then stuck the blade in. What can I do about this? The sheriff will need to know. Someone like Bear goes missing, people are bound to notice. But will they believe it was self-defense? Most people assumed Bear was slow, made allowances, but Addie never felt that way.

  And he hadn't listened when she tried to tell him either. For shame, Jesse.

  Walking away from the carnage, he returned to his horse and began the ride toward town, all the while thinking over to himself how he could present this information without implicating the girl he loved.

  Addie sipped a cup of hot tea her unwilling host had presented her. The beverage warmed her insides, but she still remained numb. She'd had no trouble forcing her mind to stillness. Her eyes remained fixed on the window, watching a bright red cardinal hop around the yard, occasionally pecking in the dirt. I wonder what he's finding out there. She longed for the open sky. For the freedom of a bird to come and go and never worry about what others might think. Life was better when Jesse and I were on the move alone together. I don't know if I'll ever settle completely into town life. But with all he was sacrificing to keep her safe, she had to try. If I'm not hanged for murder. The tea sloshed in her belly and threatened to reappear. She swallowed hard.

  A clatter of boots and male voices on the stoop alerted her to the fact that Jesse had arrived, and by the sound of it, he'd brought the sheriff with him. Her calm dissolved instantly into a panic. What would she say? What would she do? Her t
houghts circled around and around like a dog chasing its tail, and with about as much purpose.

  The men clomped into the room and Jessie hurried to Addie's side, setting aside the cup and placing their hands on her leg to hide the bloodstain.

  “Addie, I hope you're okay, sweetie. I got the sheriff, like I said I would, and I showed him what we saw at your aunt's cabin after I walked you home.”

  Addie met his eyes with her own wide, confused ones.

  “Sorry, Sheriff,” Jesse said. “She's still in shock. Here we thought our biggest problem was getting her home without people realizing we'd been alone together, and then … that happened. Poor darling. I can't imagine what must be going through her pretty head right now. No lady should ever have to witness such ugliness.”