This is a longer version of the final chapter. I had originally thought it was too long and too detailed, but many of you have expressed interest in reading it. I finished it and here it is. I hope you enjoy it.
The familiar spot known to every outlaw who had ever ridden into Devil's Hole as dead line point, loomed before them like the proverbial line in the sand. Once they crossed it, there was no going back. And there would be no changing the possible consequences that came with taking refuge here. If word got out that they were back in Devil's Hole, even if it were just to take refuge, they could kiss their amnesty goodbye. Kid looked at dead line point then at this partner.
"This is it, Heyes. Last chance to change your mind."
"Last chance for you to change yours too, Kid. You don't have to come with me it you don't want to."
"And leave you alone with Wheat and the boys for an entire winter? Heyes, you've suffered enough as it is," Kid cracked hoping to lighten his friend's mood.
Normally, Heyes would have a clever remark to that quip, or at least a smile. But instead he simply nodded, his face emotionless. "Kid, I know the risk we're taking coming back here, but I just don't know of any other place we can go where she won't try to follow."
Kid thought about the courageous young woman who had saved their lives three days ago. Heyes was right. If they went anywhere else she would find a way to get there. "I guess you've made up your mind then. So I guess we're both going in."
Heyes didn't reply. He removed his Smith and Wesson revolver from his holster and fired the three shots required to alert the men on guard that riders were coming in. There was no turning back now.
The pair rode across an invisible barrier that seperated Devil's Hole from the rest of the world.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Heavenly Hills was the perfect name for the sprawling estate where Evangeline's mother had grown up. The three story white mansion with its huge columned front porch shone like a beacon as it sat majestically on the hilltop. Warm, inviting light glowed in the long windows that seemed to cover every wall of the grand house. Livvy watched her niece's face for any sign of emotion. But there was none. Just as there had not been for the three days since Hannibal Heyes had ridden off, leaving her standing in the meadow, confused and heartbroken. Livvy was hoping that coming home, meeting Libby and sharing Christmas with family would help mend some of that brokenness and her heart would begin to heal. She had cried that morning he'd left her until her head had ached and her throat had been sore. She was still sniffling when they had returned to their tent, but she had at least still shown signs of life. But once they had packed up and left Rising Gulch, she had become lethargic. It was if she were in a stupor or daze. A light that had once been glowing inside of her was extinguished.
She offered no measure of resistance or any opinion to any suggestion Livvy made. "Whatever you think is best," were becoming the most frequently heard words from her niece's mouth. The only thing Evie had asked for was that they stop in Tularosa so she could drop off a letter for someone who lived there. Livvy hadn't asked questions, but instead instructed the driver of her private coach to do as she asked. Evie hadn't even protested when Livvy decided it was best if they bypassed going back to Red Rock. There were so many things to remind them both of the past, of happier times and she didn't want to rub salt into Evangeline's wounds. The only small comfort Evie seemed to have was the time she spent with her beloved horse. Livvy had suggested that they have Rusty returned to the ranch in Red Rock. But Evie had said only one word, an emphatic, "No." They had boarded a train in Las Cruses and had arrived in Little Rock yesterday. It was her first train ride. Livvy thought surely she would show a little enthusiasm as the beautiful scenery whizzed by outside the window from the train. But Evie had only stared forward and had not even looked out the window. While waiting for the ferry that would carry them across the Mississippi river into Tennessee, Livvy had decided that taking Evie shopping in some of the many fine dress shops might cheer her up. But she had shown no interest in any of the latest fashions on display. Her token response to every gown that had been shown to her was a flat, "Yes, it's lovely."
Livvy had smiled a secret triumphant smile to herself as they boarded the ferry to cross the mighty Mississippi River. Evie had never seen the Mississippi and Livvy expected Evangeline's mood to change when she witnessed the spectacular sight. But instead she had stared unseeing over the edge of the rail and made no remark or comment. Huge barges loaded with goods and steam ships full of passengers could be seen in the distance but there could just as easily have been a barren desert in front of her face for all the excitement she showed. Livvy could see it was going to be a long healing process for her and she was hoping that Heavenly Hills and the peace and comfort it offered would be medicine for her aching heart.
The carriage pulled to a halt in front of the stone walkway that lead to the wide front steps. Evangeline took the hand of the footman who was there to assist her from the carriage and followed Livvy up the stone stairs. Livvy entered through the enormous wooden doors with their brass knockers and knobs. Evangeline stood at the threshold and stared inside. She could feel the warmth that wafted from inside. She could smell the savory aroma of meat roasting. It was a beautiful, warm and inviting place. And she wanted to go inside. She really did. She wanted to be here and become a part of the home that had been her mother's. But she felt somehow that stepping inside meant letting go of the past and the life she had shared with her beloved Hannibal. It was as if stepping across this threshold was a betrayal of the love they had shared. And she wasn't ready to let go. She simply couldn't make her feet move.
"Come, come. Everyone is most anxious to meet you," Livvy motioned eagerly for her to step inside. Summoning every ounce of will power she possessed she forced her uncooperative feet to step forward and into the spacious foyer of the palacial house.
A tall, thin woman dressed in a black and white servants uniform came rushing down the grand staircase that lead to the balconied second floor. "Miss Olivia! You've made it home at last!" The woman had graying red hair and a beak like nose and pointy chin. The many lines around her mouth and at the corners of her eyes led Evie to believe that she had probably laughed a lot in her sixty or so years. That's how old she seemed to be.
"Martha, it's so good to be home." The two women embraced each other. "How is Libby?" Livvy asked as she removed her coat and plumed hat and handed them to Martha.
"She is healthy as always. But she has missed you terribly. She asks about you daily. She's very excited to see you." Martha's eyes came to rest on the beauty that stood next to her mistress.
"Oh, forgive me. Martha, this is Evangeline Webb. Miss Lilly's daughter and the newest member of the family."
A grief stricken look crossed Martha's face. "I am very sorry for your loss, Miss Webb. Your mother was very dear to all of us here at Heavenly Hills. Even though it has been many years since we last saw her, she was still always present in our hearts. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. May I take your coat and hat?"
Evie remained silent as she removed the expensive wool coat and matching hat to hand it to Martha. If she had been herself she would have smiled a genuine smile and asked the woman who was clearly considered more that hired help to call her Evangeline. But right now she just didn't want to engage in any kind of conversation. She forced a languid smile across her lips, but said nothing. Beneath the coat Evie was dressed in a luxurious gown of deep purple silk, with a high bussel and a cascade of lavender and white ruffles in the back. Her hair was pulled up into neatly placed curls all over the top of her head. She looked beautiful, but she felt miserable. She detested corsets and she had been trussed up in one ever since the day Hannibal had left her. The day he had ridden out of her life. The day after he had read those prophetic words to her, "One last ride with me." She had been numb once she had realized he had known the whole time he had been reading those words to her that he was planning on leaving her and never seeing her again. She had cried all the tears that were left inside herself that day. She just didn't feel anything anymore.
Livvy in her own way tried to be helpful. She had insisted on pampering Evie with perfumes and expensive gowns, hats, shoes and coats. She had purchased something in every shop they had encountered on their way to Las Cruses. When Livvy had begun dressing her up like a life size china doll, she had not protested. "Which one shall you wear today?" she would ask. "Whatever you think, Aunt Livvy," Evie would reply, not really caring. Livvy seemed to be enjoying herself, buying her expensive gowns and bonnets and shoes. She had insisted that Evie keep her hair neatly coiffed at all times. They were going to be in the city where her family was very prominent in high society. A lady just didn't go about without a corset on or with her hair hanging loose and untamed. And so she had endured the long and painful process of being laced and bound in a corset and having her thick, voluminous hair curled and pulled and pinned. Her scalp was screaming right now for relief from the gouging pins and the tight pull of the up swept coiffure. She would have preferred to let her hair down or at least let it hang in a braid. But she didn't really care anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. She would smile and nod and be agreeable and let Livvy play dress up with her. After all, what else did she have to live for.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A thin blanket of snow covered the ground outside the window of the small bedroom that Hannibal Heyes shared with Kid Curry. It was almost Christmas. Soon one of the gang would go out into the woods and cut a nice spruce or pine. They would set it up in the bunkhouse and string popcorn and cranberries for decorations. Lobo would cook a special meal of wild turkey and stuffing and Wheat would make his Christmas punch. All the boys would gather around the tree and sing carols and share stories of childhood Christmases long past. Yes, Christmas even came to Devil's Hole. And with the holiday only a couple of weeks a way, every one's mood was turning festive. Everyone except Heyes. It had only been a week since he had left Evie standing in the morning sun in the middle of a dew covered meadow trying to make sense of the bomb he had just dropped in the middle of her life. He felt like the biggest ass in the world. He had hardly left this room in the past week. The day he and Kid had arrived in Devil's Hole they had expected to be bunking down with the rest of the boys in the bunkhouse. But to Heyes' surprise Wheat and Kyle had insisted that he and Kid take Kyles bedroom in the leader's shack. Heyes had immediately become suspicious that Kid had told them of his recent heartbreak. But as it turned out it had been Preacher who had informed the gang that Heyes had had to leave behind the woman he had hoped to marry. Everyone had been treating him like a sick puppy every since. He hadn't wanted anyone to know. Hadn't wanted their pity. But at the same time he was glad to be able to find solitude here in this room where he didn't have to see anybody or hear any voices or laughter unless he chose to. And so far he had not chosen to.
There wasn't a single man among the gang who hadn't had to sacrifice a relationship because of the life they led. So they all understood Heyes' need to be to himself. And he was grateful. As he watched the first flakes of a fresh snow begin to fall, he wondered what Evie was doing right now. Was she in Nashville at the mansion at Heavenly Hills? Was she preparing for a Christmas celebration around a big tree with lots of gifts beneath? Was it snowing where she was? She was never out of his mind. He wondered how long it would be before three minutes passed without thinking of her or missing her?
The door to the room opened behind him. He didn't bother turning to see who it was. He knew it was Kid coming to tell him that supper was ready. He came and told him every night. But just like every night, he wouldn't go. He just had no appetite. But when he heard the rattle of dishes behind him he did turn to find Kid carrying a tray of food.
"You can take that back. I'm not hungry."
Heyes you ain't eat three bites since we got here two weeks ago. Now, you're gonna eat this while I watch you eat it or else I'm gonna sit on you and shove it down your throat."
Heyes gave an exasperated huff and marched over to the tray of food resting on the bedside table. He gabbed the spoon and dipped one large scoop from the bowl of hot, meaty stew and shoved it in his mouth. Then he picked up the thick slice of bread and bit off a large chunk.
"There, I ate something," he said as he chewed without even tasting. "You can take it back now." He went back to stare out the window at the evening snow.
Kid assumed his familiar stance with his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you hoping for? To get sick first or maybe you're just hoping to die of starvation altogether."
"Can't a man lose his appetite and not get treated like a sick child?"
"A sick child would be easier to deal with. Heyes, we're all worried about you. We've been here two weeks and I can count on one hand how many times you've left this room. You're the one who decided to leave her. If you weren't prepared for the consequences then you should have just stayed with her."
Heyes turned to face his partner. "Weren't you the one who jumped down my throat about not sending her away in the first place? What happened to all that sanctimonious talk, huh?"
"Oh, come on, Heyes! Nobody expected you to quit eating and crawl into a bottle and stay there either." Heyes head snapped around to glare at Kid. "Yeah, I know all about the bottle you keep hidden under your pillow. And I know that's about the fifth one you've had in a week. Drinking yourself into a stupor is not going to make anything better. You've got to stop this and start eating. I know you're hurting but the last thing we need is for you to get sick. So I'm asking you please, for my sake, will you stop drinking and start eating."
Heyes walked slowly to his bed and sank down on the edge of it. His shoulders sagged wearily. "Kid, drinking until I pass out is the only way I can get to sleep. And a drunken sleep is the only sleep that I don't dream about her." He tucked his hand in under his pillow and pulled out a half empty bottle of bourbon. "This is the only thing that makes the pain half way manageable. But if you want to take it from me, here, take it." He extended his hand with the bottle towards Kid. Kid took the bottle from him.
"I know you hurt, Heyes. I can only imagine how much. But it's time to move on. You need to get out of this room and set your mind on something else. How about you and me take Odin out for a good run tomorrow. He could use the exercise and you could use the fresh air?"
Heyes gave his friend a slight smile. "Sure. Why not?"
"Good. I'll leave this food here in case you change your mind. I'm going over to the bunkhouse and play a little poker with the boys before I turn in. You want to come?"
"Nah. I think I'll find a book and do a little reading."
"Suit yourself. I'll be back later."
Heyes smiled and waved as Kid left the room and closed the door behind him. As soon as the door closed he went to the window and watched Kid walk towards the bunkhouse. After watching Kid slip inside the door of the bunkhouse, he returned to his bed and slipped his hand under his pillow and pulled out another full bottle of whiskey. He opened it a took a quick swig before kneeling beside his bed and reaching beneath the mattress. He pulled out a small book with a page that was marked by a silver chain with a silver ring dangling from the end. He opened the book and lay back against his pillow. He held one end of the chain between his thumb and forefinger and let the ring swing like a pendulum in front of his face. Then he turned his eyes to the book lying in his lap and read the poem he had read to her, "Last Ride Together."
He took a long drink of the bourbon and winced at the burning sensation it caused in his throat. He recalled with bitter sweetness the first time she had read aloud to him. He remembered with vivid accuracy the look on her face and the smell of her skin when they had lain together and watched the clouds part to reveal a star filled sky and she had repeated the lines from "Evangeline." It had been only a few months, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had changed and so many things had happened since then. Knowing Evangeline Webb had changed him forever. She had shaken the very foundation on which all his values and principles once stood. Shaken it? Hell, she'd completely dismantled it. She had redefined everything that he thought he was and who he wanted to be. She had made him want to be a better person. She had made him believe that he could be a different kind of man. But what had knowing him done for her? Made her a better card sharp? Helped her discover her inner con artist? Improved her skills at sneaking through windows to aid and abet fugitives from the law? Knowing him had brought only misery into her life. Even though loving her had once made him believe he could be a different man, he still knew that the rest of the world thought of him only as a criminal. Even if they did get the amnesty, everyone would still think of him as an outlaw.
He took another long draw of the liquor. He let the ring dangle in front of his face once again hypnotizing him as it swung back and forth. The bitter taste of loss and hurt and anger boiled up in his throat like bile, choking him. He turned the bottle up, chugging another large drink of the contents. The sooner he downed it, the sooner he could escape into the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Evie had thought Mr. McCreedy's ranch house to be the finest home she had ever been in, until now. Livvy had gone to see Libby while Martha showed Evie to her room. And what a room it was. It had been her mother's bedroom and it was the most extravagant, opulent space that she had ever seen. The entire wall to her right was lined with windows and a set of double doors led outside to a spacious balcony overlooking the entire grounds at the rear o the estate. Sheer curtains framed by heavy drapes adorned the ceiling to floor windows. To her left was her very own private bath and water closet. There was even a pump with running water. Against the wall directly in front of her stood the most enormous bed she had ever set eyes on. It was so tall there was a small set of stairs on either side of the bed to climb upon it. And everything was in white. White walls, white furnishings, white curtains and bed clothes. When Martha left her alone in the room, she realized it was the first time she had been alone, really alone, for days. She took the opportunity to enjoy the sound of silence for a moment. She strolled in silence around the opulent room, letting her fingers touch all the things that probably belonged to her mother and when she came to the fireplace it was her mother's eyes she met. A portrait of her mother at the age of perhaps fifteen hung above the mantle. She had not seen her mother's face except for the small colorless image in the tin type photograph that was buried somewhere in her belongings which where sitting outside int he hallway awaiting staff to put them away. But this portrait was in vivid color and it was almost as if she were looking at her mother come to life again. "Oh, Mama, how I wish you really were here. I've been through so many things since you left. I fell in love for the first time. I made love for the first time. And I suffered my first broken heart. You should have been there to share all of those moments with me." Her mother's young and beautiful face seemed to smile down at her, letting her know that she had been there, if not in person then in spirit. Tears started to burn the backs of her eyelids. "I miss you, Mama," she said with a voice that threatened to break.
She turned quickly away from the haunting portrait. She slipped her hand inside the bodice of her elegant dress and with a slight tug and a pull, out from between her breasts unfurled a length of lavender material. No one knew that she kept it with her at all times. When Livvy wasn't looking she would stuff it inside her corset or inside the waistband of her bloomers. She couldn't bear to be apart from it. It was the lone remaining symbol of the love she had shared with the most amazing man she had ever met. The only man she would ever truly love. She kicked off her shoes and climbed the two steps needed to be on top of the four poster bed that looked like something a queen would sleep in. She stood in the center of the bed and was reminded of snow. She lifted her skirts above her knees then flopped down Indian style onto the bed and let the yards of purple satin billow around her. Once settled, she laid the binding cord out on the pristine coverlet and thought how lovely it's pastel hue was against the crisp stark white.
She did miss her mother and her father and brother terribly. Losing her family at the hands of heartless murderers had been a devastating and horrible experience that would forever cast a shadow on her life. But that loss came with finality and absolution. She knew that her family was gone - absolutely. She knew she would never see them again this side of heaven - absolutely. But losing Hannibal Heyes, though out of her control just like the loss of her family, had come with no absolutes. She could not say with certainty that she would never see him again. She could not say with absolute assurance that he was gone from her life forever. And knowing he was out there somewhere and knowing there was a possiblity no matter how slight that he might come back to her, kept her frozen. She couldn't move on with her life without that finality and absolution. And so she would live frozen. Numb to anything. Until the day she saw his face again.
Supper at Heavenly Hills was more like a king's banquet. Evie had never seen so many different dishes on one table. It was a homecoming celebration for Miss Livvy and a welcome celebration for the new mistress of the house. Evangeline had been made to feel very welcome and under different circumstances she would have been floating on a cloud to be living in such a grand house with so many comforts. And she did feel grateful and blessed. But happiness was out of reach right now. She had forced herself to take several bites of the painstakingly prepared food. But she didn't really taste any of it. She painted on a smile and complimented the cooks for their extravagant meal. But inside she was cold and empty and could have been eating paper for all she noticed.
Livvy watched her niece feign graciousness and force smiles for the entire meal. But she thought she knew of a remedy to begin the healing of her wounded heart and perhaps produce a genuine smile for a change. And that remedy was waiting upstairs on the third floor. "I suppose you've been wondering why Libby didn't join us for supper." There was no response. "Well, she doesn't come down from the third floor very often. I very much want you to meet her now if your are feeling up to it. I know you've had a very rough few days and you must be exhausted, but I have told her about you and she is looking forward to meeting you."
Evie really just wanted to be alone. She wanted only to go and climb into her mother's large snowy bed and sleep. For sleep was the only time she could be where she truly wanted to be, with her beloved in her dreams. But she set aside her own worrisome sorrows and forced another smile. "Lead the way. I look forward to meeting her as well."
They climbed the grand staircase that lead to the second floor. Large, heavy wooden doors were open on the second floor, revealing an elegant sitting room, a sewing room, several bedrooms and a bath. Enormous paintings filled the spaces between the doors. Evie's mother had taught her about art and she recognized many of the pieces as they passed them. Still others were not familiar but she recognized them as landscapes of the breathtaking Scottish Highlands. She turned her head quickly away from them. She didn't want to see them. She didn't want to see any of the things she should have been seeing for the first time with her beloved.
At the end of the hallway on the very rear wall of the house was another enclosed stairway. The second floor hallway had been well lit by ensconced candles on the walls. But there was no light in this narrow stairway. Livvy took a lamp from a table just beside the bottom stair and lit it. Evie followed her aunt up the stairs. There was a sense of foreboding that Evie could not shake. Did they keep her poor aunt Libby who lived in a child's mind, secluded from everyone in the dark recesses of the attic? Evie wasn't looking forward to this meeting even though she as told Livvy otherwise. She was almost afraid. Her mind just wasn't up to the mental or emotional challenge of meeting someone new, especially someone with mental challenges of her own. Oh, how she wished her beloved were here with her, holding her hand and reassuring her that everything would be alright.
The staircase was narrow, steep and long with a closed door just beyond the small landing that lay at the top. As they ascended, Livvy explained, "Ever since, Libby's mind was altered, she has developed a fear of stairs. She would wander up here to play with old toys and dolls that were stored in trunks and one day she simply refused to come down. So we made the third floor Libby's home." When they reached the landing Livvy turned to Evie, "Now remember, Libby looks like a grown woman, but she speaks and acts like a four year old."
Evie simply nodded her head to let Livvy know she understood. Livvy opened the door and stepped through. Evie stood just outside the doorway, not particularly anxious to enter. “Libby! Libby where are you? I’ve brought someone I want you to meet. Remember I told you about the young woman.”
Evie took a timid step forward. The entire third floor was one huge room that stretched out the entire length of the west side of the mansion. There were two large arched windows, one on each end of the room. Two fireplaces, on opposite ends of the spacious room, glowed warmly and provided enough light for Evie to see most of the space. She had expected to see old furniture, dusty trunks and dress forms clothed in outdated fashions. Instead she found practically an entire home all to itself here in this one room. She scanned the room and noted the large bed in the center of the wall opposite the doorway where she stood. A large varnished mahogany wardrobe stood on each side of the bed. To the left, a water closet filled one corner and a small eating area with a table and four chairs filled the other. Between those two areas sat two ornately carved matching mahogany sofas, upholstered in a lively floral fabric. Both were turned at an angle to be diagonal to the fireplace. A round, low coffee table, also of mahogany, sat nestled in the "v" made by the two sofas. Then her eyes came to the right side of the rectangular shaped room, where Livvy now stood. For the first time in days, a hint of a smile touched Evie's lips.The entire third floor was a child’s paradise. Dolls of every size occupied one entire wall. There were doll sized carriages and cradles, two doll houses big enough for a small pony to fit inside, an adult sized rocking horse made from sturdy oak. Toys of all kinds lined shelves and table tops. Many more were strewn about one of the three plush carpets that covered the floors.
"Libby, I don't feel like playing hide and seek. Please come out. It's not like you to be shy."
A girlish giggle and a flutter of a heavy bed curtain which hung from the high canopy gave away Libby's hiding place. "There you are. Come out of there right now. There's someone here who wants to meet you."
Libby peeked from behind the curtain, before jumping out in an attempt to scare her younger sister. "Boo! Did I scare you, Livvy?"
"Dear me, yes," Livvy pretended while dramatically placing her hand to her heart. "You gave me a terrible fright. Now come and meet Evangeline."
Libby was in her long white cotton night gown with a high ruffled collar and long sleeves. Her hair hung to her waist in soft waves and was darker than Lilly's or Livvy's. Evie would have described it as the color of coffee after a little cream had been added. She was slightly taller than her sisters too, though not as tall as Evie. But it was her face that amazed Evie. She was forty five and she didn't appear to be more than twenty. Her skin was like that of a porcelain doll's. And her eyes. Evie looked into her aunt's eyes and saw her own. She had always thought she looked like her father, which she did. But she could definitely see herself in this woman. They were the same large, thunder cloud colored eyes as Evie's. The resemblance had not been so obvious in the colorless photographs she had seen.
Livvy put her arm around Libby's shoulders and guided her towards Evie. "Libby, this is Evangeline. She is your niece."
The pair stared at each other for a moment. Then Libby's face broke into a huge child like grin. "I know who you are. You're that little baby that Lilly brought home that Christmas. It was Christmas when Mama and Papa were still alive. Only now you're not a baby. You're all growned up. And Mama and Papa are dead. Where is Lilly? Did Lilly come for Christmas again? Or is Lilly dead like Mama and Papa?"
Livvy and Evie exchanged looks. "No, dear, Lilly won't be here for Christmas. She has gone to heaven to be with Mama and Papa just like Martha explained to you. Now it's time for you to go to bed and we will talk about it more tomorrow." Livvy led her sister to the large bed in the room's center where the big bed stood.
"But I want to show Vangie my dolls. Please, can I show her my dolls."
"No, Evangeline is tired. Maybe tomorrow..."
"No, Livvy. It's alright," Evie insisted suddenly feeling drawn to her child like aunt. "I'd love to see your dolls, Libby."
Libby hopped up and down in excitement while she clapped her hands. She ran to the corner where shelves were lined with dolls. She grabbed two and rushed back to where Evie stood. She pushed the dolls into Evie's arms. "This is Susie and this one is Betsy." She took Evie by the arm and pulled her towards one of the dollhouses. "This is my favorite dollhouse. Susie lives in this one and Betsy lives in that one."
While Libby chattered on about her dolls and how they lived in their houses, Evie inspected the room closer and found a set of French doors on the same wall as the doorway they had entered. It had been out of her view before. She went to the doors and glanced through the glass. She laid the two dolls on the floor and tried the door. It was unlocked. Though the room was dark there was enough moonlight coming in from the glass walls for her to see. She went inside and like always was drawn to the keyboard of the grand piano. She began the first strains of a beautiful Bach sonata that her mother had taught her. She was so lost in the music, so thankful to be able to hear the familiar, comforting sound of each note that for a moment she forgot where she was. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, he was there. Like a beautiful apparition he stood leaning on the piano smiling that beautiful dimpled smile. He seemed so real she wanted to reach out and touch him. "I've missed you so," she whispered to the ghost like form of her beloved.
"Yes, I can image you have missed playing, haven't you?" Livvy entered the small sun room with the candle in her hand and he vanished. It took Evie a moment to realize that Livvy had been speaking to her. "This is Libby's piano. She used to adore playing, but she doesn't play much anymore. As she gets older she seems to forget the notes and how to play. You can come up here and play as often as you like. We had this empty part of the attic made into a sun room. We couldn't get Libby to go outside so we tried to bring the inside to her with walls of glass to let in the sunlight and plenty of potted plants to bring in a small part of the outdoors. You can't see them well at night but there are live plants all around. I think the music makes them grow bigger. Perhaps they will grow by leaps and bounds now that you're here with us and you'll be playing to them again."
Livvy left the room to see Libby to bed, leaving Evie alone once more with the piano. Her hands sat gingerly upon the keys and almost of their own volition began to play her favorite song, the melancholy "Moonlight Sonata." Her eyes drifted shut once more as the hypnotic sounds filled the room. When she opened her eyes he was there again, leaning against the door frame, staring somberly at her. He seemed to float towards her and lean again on the piano and stare lovingly at her as she played. "I love you," she whispered. "More than you will ever know. Please stay with me. Don't go." He only smiled that smile that turned her insides to mush.
"Libby is begging for a goodnight hug from you, dear, if you don't mind," Livvy said, entering the room again. And again, he vanished. Her face fell like a bag of rocks. Livvy patted her arm. "Don't worry. It will be morning before you know it and you can play all day if you like."
She had taken Evie's long face for disappointment at leaving the piano. But it was disappointment in the vanishing vision of her beloved. She lay in bed that night with the vision of him in her head. Normally she couldn't wait for the night and for sleep so she could dream of him. But now she couldn't wait for daylight. She couldn't wait to get back to the piano. She couldn't wait to see his face again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kid came back to the room around midnight. The lamp had gone out. He struck a match and relit the wick. Warm soft light filled the room, illuminating the empty bottle that lay in the floor next to Heyes' bed. Kid picked up the bottle and stared at it for a moment before letting his gaze come to rest on the unconscious form of his partner. He lay on his stomach, his left arm dangling over the edge of the bed. Wrapped around his right hand was the silver ring and chain and the book of poetry he had read to Evie. He was tempted to take both and get rid of them. They both only served as a constant reminder of what he had lost. He'd never seen Heyes drink this much for this long. He'd try again tomorrow to talk some sense into his partners nimble brain. He would give him one more week to start acting half way normal or he was going to have to resort to drastic measures.
Snow crunched under their boots and the sun bounced off the surface of the white blanket that covered the ground, causing the two former outlaws to squint their eyes. It was cold here in the mountains of northwest Wyoming. One more week and it would be Christmas. The boys could see their breath as they walked to the stables to saddle their horses for a little exercise. Heyes had not wanted to go. He had wanted to stay in the warmth of the shack and his quilted bed. But Kid had rousted him practically at dawn. Who ever heard of such, Heyes thought. Kid Curry up before ten when there wasn't really a reason. Then he thought about last night and knew the reason. Kid wanted to make sure he got up early so he could make him feel the full effect of the gargantuan size hangover he was experiencing. He thought it would keep him from drinking so much. But he had news for Kid Curry. It was the only way he knew to cope right now and would only stop when the pain began to ease.
"Just so you know. I've told all the boys, not to let you have anymore booze. It's all locked up in the supply shed and the only ones with a key are Wheat and Lobo. If you won't quit with this nonsense then I'll just have to put a stop to it for you."
Heyes pursed his lips, angry at first. Not so much that he wasn't going to have any more liquor, but that Kid was treating him like a child. But then it dawned on him. A measly little old lock couldn't keep him out if he really wanted in. "Fine. Makes no difference to me," he said with a forced smile as he lifted the saddle onto Odin's back.
Kid felt smugly satisfied with himself, then suddenly he stopped saddling his horse and looked at this partner. "Don't you even think about picking that lock, either, Heyes. I'll put one of the boys on guard at the shed around the clock."
Heyes scowled at his partner. "Fine!" Now he was miffed. He threw the bridle he held in his hand against Odin's stall gate. "I don't feel like riding anymore," he grumbled as he headed for the stable door.
"Yeah? What are you gonna do? Go back to that room? Crawl back into bed and sulk some more? Heyes you have got to stop brooding like this and I'm giving you one week. If you ain't acting better by Christmas, you're gonna force me to do something I don't want to do."
"Oh, really? Like what? Spank me? Tie me to a chair and force me to eat my vegetables? I'm not a child, Kid. I can take care of myself. So do me a favor," he turned to look at Kid who had followed him to the shack, "butt out." He went inside slamming the door.
He knew Heyes didn't mean it. He knew he was speaking from a hurt and wounded place deep inside of himself, but that didn't keep Kid from being fighting mad. Butt out? Really? He was telling him to butt out. He stormed into the shack behind Heyes, marched past Wheat and Kyle who stopped eating their breakfast to watch the drama as it unfolded. Kid flung open the bedroom door Heyes had just slammed, to find his partner shoving his belongings into his saddle bags. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Any where else besides where you are. If you're gonna insist on treating me like a kid then I'll just act like one. I'm running away from home!"
"No, you're not."
"Who's gonna stop me? You? You can try if you want, but I'm still leaving."
"Heyes, I took my first good butt kicking when I was thirteen. And you gave it to me. I can't even remember what we argued about, but we ended up duking it out and you whooped me pretty good. But in case you haven't noticed, I'm not thirteen anymore. You try to leave here and I'm gonna beat the tar out of you. And if that don't work," he folded the edge of his sheepskin coat back behind his Colt, "I'll shoot you in the foot or the leg. Just enough to keep you laid up the rest of the winter."
Heyes eyeballed his partner. He knew when Kid Curry meant business. And right now, he meant business. Truth be told Heyes was itching for a fight. He'd love to punch something or someone right now, just to relieve some of the intense anguish and frustration he felt. But he didn't want to fight with Kid. He knew his friend was just looking out for him when he wasn't doing a very good job of looking out for himself. But he was finding it so hard to deal with the constant ache that never went away. And so naturally he took it out on the one he was closest to. He dropped his bags and tossed his hat onto his unmade bed. "Fine. Have it your way. Just don't expect me to be all smiles and sunshine. 'Cause it ain't happening."
"Just sober and in tact will do." Kid left the room and closed the door behind him.
"What was that all about?" Wheat asked as Kid sat down at the table across from Kyle.
"Heyes is just a mess. I told him all the booze was locked up and he went off half cocked and was packing to leave. I had to threaten to shoot him to get him to back down."
"Maybe you oughta let him ride down into Boulder Flats or Johnstown and blow off a little steam," Wheat suggested.
"That's a good idee, Wheat. Only takes about half a day to reach either on of them towns. He could be back late tonight. I could go with him if you want and watch his back if you don't feel like going, Kid," Kyle offered.
"Thanks just the same, Kyle, but I know Heyes better that anybody and if he goes into town today, he'll end up drunk and looking for a fight. And anytime a man goes looking for a fight he usually finds one. It's too risky. If he ends up in jail he's just liable to tell them who he really is. It's best if he stays put here for a few more weeks until he's more himself."
“It sure ain’t like ol’ Heyes to be so broke up over a woman. I never thought I’d see the day,” Wheat said.
“Me neither,” Kyle added. “If Hannibal Heyes can get wrapped up that tight in a woman, then I reckon the rest of us ain't got a chance.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Libby danced in circles as the sunlight poured in through the glass walls of the sun room, and cheerful music poured from the piano in the room's center. Evie played a lively tune as Libby twirled and laughed and hummed. And leaning against the piano was the ghostly form of Hannibal Heyes. He smiled lovingly down at her, and her face beamed with love for him. She knew she had conjured his image in her own mind. She knew he wasn't really there. But she didn't care. In fact she was quite sure she had gone completely mad. There could be no other explanation. She had come to this room everyday for the past two weeks since coming to Heavenly Hills. She had played almost incessantly in those days, for it was only when she played that she saw him. And while she played, her aunt Libby would sing and hum and dance. Evie had grown to love her child like aunt. It felt more like having a little sister than an aunt to Evie. It was only when she was here alone with Libby on the third floor that he would appear. And only when he appeared did she know even a slight amount of joy. Otherwise she remained quiet, and withdrawn. Her only reason for living now was to play and wait for him to appear.
Livvy had questioned her desire to only play in the sun room on the third floor when there was a much newer, much nicer piano in the parlor downstairs. Evie had played that piano several times, but she had never seen the visions of her sweet outlaw when she played there. It was only when she and Libby alone were in this room and she played that she conjured the vision of him. And so she had made the excuse that she needed the solitude of the third floor, away from all the servants and frequent business acquaintances that Livvy had coming and going. Martha was the only servant who came up regularly. Evie had even slept on one of the large sofas by the fireplace a few nights, so that should she awaken in the night she could play quietly and see his face. She was going to be the one who the family kept locked away in the attic. She would grow old and gray as senility took over her mind and she played her piano and imagined the love of her life standing by her, listening and smiling.
Christmas was tomorrow. She would be expected to be downstairs all day, decorating the tree and opening gifts, singing carols and enjoying the splendid feast that was already being prepared. Livvy was busy now hanging boughs of cedar from the banisters and wreaths on the doors. It all sounded so perfect and wonderful. But she would rather just stay here and pass the day with dreamy visions of Hannibal Heyes in her view. But she wouldn't. She would do what was expected of her and try to be polite and cheerful. She would paint on a smile and sing with the others. But inside her heart was still a mass of broken pieces. There was no joy there. Nothing to smile about. Not even the visions of him really satisfied the longing deep within her soul. They only soothed the bitter ache for a moment. But when the reality that he was really a thousand miles away and that she would probably never see him again set in, the ache became unbearable once more. Her only way of coping was to numb her mind of any feeling. The numbness kept her from feeling the tremendous sorrow, but it also kept her from experiencing any joy. She would never experience joy again until her beloved was by her side, sharing in the joy with her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a white Christmas in Devil's Hole. There was a big pine tree in the center of the bunkhouse. Two wild turkeys roasted on a spit over the fire and fresh baked bread was rising in the oven. The entire gang was gathered in the bunk house waiting for Christmas dinner to be done. While they waited they sang Christmas carols and shared stories about happier Christmases when they were children. The laughed and joked and shared the joy of the season. Everyone except for the former gang leader who sat apart from the others on one of the bunks. The man with the silver tongue was silent. The genius with a thousand schemes and plans had nothing to say.
Kid was starting to worry. He had never seen Heyes this down for this long. His friend had been making an effort to act normal and most of the boys were buying it. But not Kid. He knew Heyes was just putting on a show to keep his partner off his back. But maybe he just hadn't had enough time to get over the heart break of leaving the woman he loved behind. He'd give him a little more time. The new year was coming up. He hoped for a fresh new outlook and a new start for him and his partner. Otherwise he was going to have to do something he didn't want to do.
The next morning Kid slept longer than he had intended. He was awakened by the sound of laughter. Familiar laughter. Laughter he had not heard in a long time. It was the laughter of Hannibal Heyes. This was a good sign. Kid rose and dressed. He plodded bare foot across the cold floor expecting to find Heyes chatting with Wheat and Kyle over a hot cup of coffee. Kid wanted a cup of his own. He flung to door open to find all three men gathered around the roll top desk. Curious, Kid thought. He went to the stove in search of coffee.
"No that won't work," he heard Heyes say. "It will have to be a debris slide. That way they can clear it easy and be on their way. If they have to sit around for too long, a posse will come looking for them for sure. And we'll be too easy to track if there's a snow on."
Had he heard that correctly? Did Heyes just say "we?"
"Good idee, Heyes," Kyle said enthusiastically as he slapped Heyes on the back. "It sure is good to have you back leading a job with Wheat."
Kid choked on his coffee. "What did you just say?"
Three sets of eyes turned to stare at him. They had been unaware he was even in the room. Heyes looked to this tow partners in crime and gave them a reassuring look. "I'll take care of it," he seemed to say. "Hey, Kid. I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day. I couldn't sleep last night and while I was laying there awake I could hear Wheat and Kyle going over the plans for a job to rob this train. Well there was so many holes in their plan and I knew I could fix all the holes, so I volunteered my services."
Kid just stared at him with a frown on his face. He didn't know what to say. There were certainly a lot of things he would like to say, all of which would have gotten his mouth smacked when he was a child. "Is this a joke, Heyes?"
"No, joke, Kid," Wheat chimed in. "Heyes here just happpened to see some of the holes I was just about to take care of. I just hadn't had enough time to go over everything yet, being the one who came up with the plan in the first place and all. I think it might be good for him to get his mind on something besides hiding out in that room and sulking."
Kid ignored Wheat's twisted logic. "Heyes, you can't be serious. You can't tell me you are going on a job with the gang. You do that and you can kiss your amnesty goodbye."
"Oh, who cares anymore? I may as well start earning the reputation I can't seem to get rid of, right. And besided, you don't have to be a part of it. You can keep trying for your amnesty. I just don't figure it matters much to me anymore." With that he turned his back on the Kid and went back to the roll top with Wheat and Kyle.
Kid downed the rest of his coffee and headed straight for this shoes and coat. He was so upset he completely forgot about breakfast. He stopped briefly to tell Heyes he would be gone for a few days before he saddled up and headed for town. Things had gotten out of hand and he was going to need some help. And there was only one person he knew of who could help him. Kid Curry had made some plans of his own.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Oh, for Pete's sake! I'm beginning to rue the day I ever purchased that worthless canyon," Livvy griped. "It appears that Rising Gulch has several claims on it because it was once a gold mine or something. I have a telegraph here from the land office that says I must come to New Mexico with the deeds at once to avoid being involved in legal battles for years." She looked up from her morning coffee to see if Evangeline had heard a word she had said. But Evangeline was gone. "Martha were has Evangeline gone?"
"She has gone to the third floor with Ms. Libby."
"Again? She is spending far too much time up there. It's high time she got out and about. She has hardly been away from that piano since Christmas. And she hasn't been out of this house since she arrived nearly a month ago. I've made a decision. I have to travel out west to take care of this matter and she will go with me. It will do her good to get out. And perhaps all this lethargy will clear when she's back on the other side of the river. Who knows maybe we'll travel to California. She's never seen the ocean after all. Martha, have the driver get the carriage ready. I'm going into town. I have some travel arrangements to make and a few messages to send."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
There she stood. She was a beauty. The afternoon sun that managed to break through the cloud cover reflected brightly off of her bright red paint. Smoke billowed from her tall black stack. Steam wafted from under her heavy iron wheels. Her brakes gave a squealing protest as they strained to bring the twelve car passenger train to a halt. Atlantis was her name and she was due in Rock Springs, Wyoming this evening after leaving Rawlins this afternoon. But she was going to be late.
From a nearby hilltop he watched her as she ground to a halt in front of the debris from a rock slide. The same rock slide that he and his gang had created with a well placed stick of dynamite. He raised his right hand, giving the men on horseback behind him the signal to start descending the hillside towards her. He sat still astride his magnificent black stallion as the others rode around him and made their way down to the bottom of the hill. He stayed back watching as the others took up their assigned positions. There was a time when he would have been the first one down the hill. A time when his brown eyes would have been alight with excitement and a self satisfied grin would have crossed his lips at the prospect of another robbery successfully planned and carried out. But not this time. His reasons for performing criminal acts in the past had been greed, the thrill and just plain survival. But this time none of those factors figured into the equation. And something else that didn't figure into the equation.....his partner. Without the benefit of his partner's presence he felt oddly ill at ease. He didn't know why. He'd pulled off this kind of job dozens of times in far more dangerous situations and circumstances. It was a simple plan. Stop the train, board the train and blow the safe. In and out quick. There was supposed to be a cache of gold bullion in that safe. Out here in the remote southern Wyoming countryside their plan should go off without a hitch. So why then did he feel so uptight about it? He sure wished his partner wasn't angry with him and hadn't refused to take part. Because he sure could use some reassurance right now. Or maybe he needed somebody to talk him out of doing what he was about to do. Without his partner here, there was no one left to talk to. Or was there? No, he couldn't talk to him. He wouldn't listen anyway. At least not to him. But he couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of his brain that this robbery was going to be different. And the uneasy feeling he had was beginning to make him worry. It was too late now to back out. Or was it? He just didn't know what to do. He had been so sure this was what he wanted to do yesterday, but today.....Oh, heck, what did he have to lose? Not much. He'd give it a shot. He sat there atop his horse and turned his eyes skyward and spoke aloud,
"I know you and me ain't exactly been on speaking terms for the last eighteen years or so, but it seems I have a gift for talking to everybody except You. I guess maybe I've been blaming you all these years for the way my life turned out. And just when I think things are going to change, it turns out to be just more of the same. And so I figured if I'm going to be branded an outlaw and hunted like an outlaw, even though I was trying not to be one any more, I may as well have all the benefits that come with being an outlaw. After all I'm still having to deal with all the drawbacks, right? And I know that I'm probably not worthy to even ask, but....well, I guess what I'm asking is this....if You ever plan on making things different for me....giving me a new kind of life.....the normal life I had hoped for..... then give me a sign. Just give me a sign and I won't take part in this crime. I'll ride out of here today and I'll never commit another crime as long as I live. But if I don't see that sign.....then I'll just pick up where I left off a year ago. I may as well keep on living up to the reputation I've made for myself."
He rubbed the glossy black neck of his powerful horse. Who was he to ask God for a sign? Who was he to ask God for anything? Who did he think he was? He urged his stallion forward. Hannibal Heyes, that's who he was. An outlaw. An unworthy outlaw.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Could you please tell me how long this delay is going to be. My niece and I have traveled all the way from Nashville. We've been on and off train after train for days. We would really like to reach a hotel soon."
"We're not sure, Mrs. Vanderbilt. There are some very large boulders blocking the tracks. It may take some time."
The conductor tipped his hat and left Livvy standing there in the middle of the aisle. Evangeline would be disappointed that they weren't going to be getting to Rock Springs as soon as they had hoped. She looked down the row of seats and spotted her beautiful niece as she sat and stared at the seat Livvy had just vacated. There was still no light in her eyes. No spark or spunk when she spoke. But at least she wasn't lethargic as she had been the first two weeks after that dreadful day in Rising Gulch.
It had been a month ago that she and Evangeline had arrived at Heavenly Hills. Evie had hardly spoken the first two days after Hannibal Heyes had left her standing in that field alone and confused and heartbroken. She had tried in her own way to comfort her by showering her with gifts. New dresses, hats, shoes, fine jewelry and expensive perfumes. She had payed to have her niece's lustrous hair coiffed in the latest styles. But there had been no sign of excitement at any of it. She would force a smile and offer the obligatory "thank you" and then continue to stare off into the distance. Livvy had been positive that the ferry ride across the Mississippi would produce some semblance of life from her, but she had stared over the railing at the water's surface and had not uttered one word. Steamboats full of passengers and barges loaded with goods had passed by, but they may as well have been crossing a barren desert for all the attention Evangeline had paid. By the time they had been at Heavenly Hills for a week she at least had begun to speak more. And that was due in large part to her new found love for her Aunt Libby. Evie and Libby had loved each other instantly. The entire third floor of the mansion was a child's paradise, with dolls and toys and all manner of children's play things. Libby spent most of her time there and so had Evangeline. But not just to spend time with her child like aunt whom she so clearly adored, but also to play the grand piano that was up there. She would sit for hours and play. She would play and play and play. Many nights Livvy had gone up and forced her to come to bed. Still she spoke little, ate little and slept even less. Every day she prayed that Evie would break out of the cocoon she had created around herself. Surely celebrating Christmas at Heavenly Hills would begin that process. But when Christmas came and gone with little if any change in her lethargic disposition, Livvy had been at a loss for what to do. And then, the perfect opportunity had arisen for her to take Evangeline on a trip back to the west. This was trip was sure to end her niece's sorrows. Yes, she was certain that this trip was going to be just what the doctor ordered.
Livvy began to make her way back to her seat, which was located on the side of the train facing south, when something out the north facing windows caught her eye. She stopped and bent her head to see around the enormous plumage of the lady's hat blocking her view. That's when she saw them. She counted ten in all. They were mounted on horseback and they had just reached the bottom of a hill. And they were headed straight for the train.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kid Curry watched from the cover of the thick pine trees at the top of the hill. He had watched silently from afar as Heyes and Wheat had briefly went over the plan one more time with the rest of the gang. He had refused the be a part of the robbery, but he also refused to let his partner and best friend in the world go through this without being here to watch his back. How had it come to this? How did he find himself watching from the shadows as the smartest man he had ever known followed through with one of the stupidest decisions he'd ever made? Well luckily for his partner, who wasn't thinking straight right now, Kid had taken over being the one doing the thinking again. Kid had taken the drastic steps he had threatened to take. The steps he had wanted to avoid. But this was too important. And so he had ridden into Johnstown and spent a few days waiting for a reply to the telegraph he had sent the first day he'd ridden into town. And now here he sat watching and waiting. Hoping that his plan worked. If not, amnesty was just another word at the front of the dictionary.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Heyes approached the bottom of the hill slowly. This all seemed so familiar to him and yet so foreign. He had participated in so many robberies in the past without any qualms or reservations. All that had mattered then was satisfying his greed. And not just the greed for money, but also the greed to be thought of as brilliant, to be appreciated for his genius. But as he sat at the foot of this hill staring at the halted train it seemed somehow...wrong. It didn't seem wrong, it was wrong. He knew that. He had always known it. He just hadn't cared. Living on the straight and narrow for a year must have finally given him a conscience. Or maybe knowing a nineteen year old poetry reading, piano playing, young woman had uncovered a part of him that had been hidden for years. The ungreedy, self sacrificing part. She would be upset with him if she were here right now. But she wasn't here. She was fifteen hundred miles away. He reached under the navy blue bandana that hung loosely around his neck and felt inside the collar of his shirt. It was still there. He rubbed the small silver circle that dangled from a silver chain between his thumb and index finger. Compared to the booty that was inside the safe they were about to clean out, this simple silver ring was practically worthless. But to him it was priceless. There had been a time in his life when he would have tossed aside something so small and inexpensive when the possibility of gold and cash was in front of him. But now.....he guessed there also came a time in a man's life when the chink of coins and the glitter of gold lost their appeal and all that was left was a man's love for his woman. His woman. Evie. No matter where she went or who she met she would always be his. He let the ring fall back to rest against his throat. He sighed a deep heavy sigh.
"Having second thoughts?"
The familiar voice of Kid Curry sounded behind him. He couldn't really say that he was surprised. He didn't turn to look at him as he asked, "What are you doing here, Kid?"
"What I've always done, Heyes....watching your back. I figured you'd be anxious to get down there and get on with it. You were so fired up about it when you left Devil's Hole yesterday that I'm surprised to see you hesitating. And that's what you're doing, ain't ya? You're lagging behind because you're finally starting to realize how stupid this is."
"Kid, do you ever talk to God?"
A puzzled look marred Kid's handsome face. "Yeah. Sometimes. Why?"
"Do you ever blame Him? For the way our lives turned out, I mean?"
Kid hung his head in disbelief. "Heyes, for a genius, you sure do say some stupid things."
Heyes turned then to glare at his partner. "Will you just answer the question. Do you ever blame Him?"
"Why would I blame God for the decisions I've made. It's not His fault we chose to work on the wrong side of the law. And besides, our lives haven't turned out all that bad, Heyes. We're both still breathing. We're not in prison. And right now you've got the chance to walk away from this job and never look back. We could ride out of here and head to San Francisco. I'm sure ol' Silky would let us stay at his place for a spell, until we could get ourselves some honest jobs. What do you say?"
"Do you ever ask Him for things? I always felt like I didn't have the right to ask for anything, seeing as how I've spent most of my life taking things from other people."
Kid didn't know what to say to that. He had always felt unworthy of God's favor himself. "What are you getting at, Heyes? Have you asked God for something lately?"
"Yeah, I did. I asked for a sign. We've been living straight for over a year now. But what has really changed for us? We still don't have our amnesty. We don't have a place to stay. We work hard and still go for days without eating or sleeping in a real bed. If I knew that amnesty was coming through, if I had a sign that this was the wrong thing to do, I wouldn't go through with it. But the way I see it, Kid, we've got all the drawbacks of being an outlaw....wanted, hunted, dodging the law, getting arrested. But we got none of the benefits like a place to stay, food to eat, a bed to sleep in, money to spend....."
"A woman you love by your side."
Heyes sat silent for a long moment. "You know that's never been in the cards or us. Still ain't."
"Let's get to what this is really about Heyes. You're trying to justify going back to outlawing, because if you can go back to being an outlaw, you can justify your decision to leave Evie. That way you can say 'See, I told her I wasn't good enough for her', right?"
"Again, may I remind you that you were the one who said I should have left her in the first place. The one who said she had no place being with me."
"Since when do you listen to anything I say anyway, Heyes? Besides that was when we both thought we were never going to see her again. How was I to know she would travel for hundreds of miles to find us and save our lives? Don't blame you're stupid mistakes on God or on me. You should never have left her like you did. I've always trusted you to do the thinking. But I swear ever since Evangeline Webb stepped into your life you ain't done any thinking at all. I didn't step in when I thought you should have sent her away in the first place and I didn't step in when I knew you were going to regret leaving her. I'm not making that mistake again. You wanted a sign, well here's a sign for you. Let's forget this job and ride out of here right now. We can be in Rock Springs by nightfall if we ride out now."
Heyes reached into his pocket and pulled out the intricately carved gold pocket watch. Timing in this job was crucial. He should be ready to board the mail car of the train right now. Wheat would be wondering where he was.
Kid could see the struggle his partner was having. Heyes didn't know what to do. Kid would stick to his plan. It had to work. It just had to. "I tell you what, Heyes, I'll stall Wheat and the boys for you. I'll make up some excuse. And you just think about it. When you make up your mind, I'll be ready to ride out of here, either with you or without you." Kid hoped his partner would take his advice and think it out. He knew if he did, the sign he'd asked for would appear. Heyes was silent. He dismounted and stood there staring at the snow covered ground. Kid was right. He had done some stupid things in his life, but leaving Evie and breaking her heart was probably the stupidest. He had thought he was doing what was best for her. God had put her in his life not just so he could save her but so that she could save him. And that's just what she had done. Not only had she literally saved his life, she had saved him from a lonely existence that he thought he was doomed to dwell in until he died, at least for a while. He never dreamed he would find a woman he would love the way he loved her. A woman he would want to share everything with. A woman who wouldn't run scared or to the nearest sheriff when she found out who he really was. She was brave and smart and willing to do just about anything to stay by his side. She loved him for who he was. Who he
really was. And he had left her. Abandoned her. He had even told her to go and find somebody else. Oh, God what a fool he'd been. But it was too late now to change anything. Evie was gone and he didn't figure Livvy would ever let him get within ten feet of her again. So what did it really matter if he went through with this job? His life wasn't worth much without her in it anyway. Why hadn't he just told her to go live with Livvy until the two years passed and she came into her trust fund. Or until the amnesty came through, which ever came first. A small seed was planted inside of him in that moment. And it was starting to grow. It was the seed of something he hadn't had in a very long time. The seed of hope. He turned again to his partner, "Do you think we've ruined our chances for amnesty by going back to Devil's Hole?"
"No. Nobody knows we were there except Wheat and the boys and they're not going to say anything. But if you go through with this robbery, word is bound to get out that you're back in the business. Lom and the governor will get wind of it and I'd say that's when you can kiss any chance of amnesty goodbye. And so can I . Even if I don't take part in it, everybody will assume I was in on it. We're kind of a package deal, Heyes."
Heyes just stood there, his feet growing cold in the snow. He looked again at the time. Wheat would be wondering where he was. He had to make a decision. "How do you think the boys will react when they find out I pulled out at the last minute?"
"Who cares? If you're having doubts, Heyes, then you need to bail out now before anybody sees you and can place you at the scene of the crime."
Heyes thought about it for a moment. "You're right, about everything. I can't go through with this. But I don't think I should just up and leave. I think I should find Wheat and tell him I'm leaving. I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us."
"Alright. You want me to go with you?"
"Nah. I'll go find him and break the news to him. Then I'll be back and we can head out to Rock Springs."
"That's the first sensible thing I've heard out of your mouth in weeks, Heyes."
Heyes left Odin with Kid then climbed across the hitch that connected the last two cars of the train. He found himself standing on the south facing side of the train. He knew Wheat would be near the front of the train where the mail car was located. He started his walk to the front of the train. The large fluffy snowflakes still fell at a steady rate. He raised his face to allow the cold snow to fall on his face. He was starting to feel better about himself already, knowing he wasn't going to be backsliding into a life of crime. The seedling of hope grew a little bigger. As he looked up he noticed through the windows of the train car, all the passengers inside. Who were they? Where were they going? Did they have any idea yet that the train they were on was about to be held up? How many people had been on board the many trains he had robbed in the past? And had he ever looked at any of them? No, he had not. And so he looked. He took in the faces, some old, some young, both men and women, girls and boys. Some he could see their full face. Some only their profile and others only the backs of their heads. Normal people, minding their own business. Some were probably on their way to conduct business. Others were probably on their way to meet family. Still others were.....he stopped dead in his tracks.
He rubbed his hands over his eyes. Snow must have collected on his lashes, causing his vision to be impaired. He looked again. His vision wasn't impaired. He wasn't seeing things. His mouth fell slightly open. He couldn't believe his eyes. God had listened. He had asked for a sign that he could believe in and trust in. And there it was right in front of eyes.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She sat there feeling miserable. She squirmed in her seat trying to get into a more comfortable position. The bussel of her dress was so large she couldn't lean her back against the seat. Libby had pulled her corset too tight and she felt like she was going to suffocate as always. So she sat there ramrod stiff like a fireplace poker, feeling uncomfortable and ridiculous. Add to that the discomfort of the gouging hair pins that tightly pulled up swept hairdo and you had one miserable young woman. She stared at the empty seat across from her. Oh, Hannibal, why couldn't you be here with me? Why couldn't we be sitting here together? Or better yet why couldn't they be riding on the wide open range together? Side by side. Odin and Rusty running free across the wide open fields carrying them to whatever lay in the future. As long as they were together she didn't care where they went or how they had to live. Why couldn't he have just understood that? She was tired of this. Tired of trying to please everyone else. She was going to do what she wanted to do for a change. She reached her hands, gloved in white satin, and slowly pulled the hat pins from her ornately decorated hat. She removed the hat and tossed it onto the empty seat across from her. Then she began to pull the painful pins from her hair and toss them into the hat. One by one the curls loosened and fell. Soon the heavy mass of hair hung freely to her waist and she shook her head and massaged her aching scalp. She felt inside the pocket of her coat lying on the seat beside her and removed the lavender cord. She pulled the cord under her hair and brought the ends to the top her head. As she tied the cord in place something dark moved outside her window. Or should she say, someone? She knew it was him before she even turned her head to look him fully in the eyes. She had never had visions of him away from the piano at Heavenly Hills. She supposed her insanity was really starting to settle in. Only this time it was different. He looked different. He looked real. Not like the vaporous apparitions she usually saw. And he wasn't smiling like he usually was when she envisioned him. And he looked
so real. As he walked closer towards her window her heart began to hammer in her chest and tears started to well in her eyes. Could it be? Was it possible? Could that actually be her beloved? Then he pressed the palm of his leather gloved hand to her window and clearly mouthed the word, "Evie?" She pressed her satin gloved hand against the glass against his hand. Only then did he smile. And she knew. He was there. He was real. She was on her feet in a second. She was walking, faster, faster. She was running, running to the back of the train car. With skirts lifted and hair flowing out behind her she was running. Running to the door way that led to the platform that would lead her to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He knew it was her without even seeing her face. He was rooted to that spot as he watched her free her hair and let it fall around her and then she massaged he head with delicate hands. She was tying something around her head now. He recognized the printed material. And he would know that hair anywhere. There was no doubt in his mind it was hers. He had committed it and the rest of her to memory. Time seemed to stand still as he came around to stand so that he could see her face. He sucked in a sharp breath of the cold air. He had known it was her, but when he actually saw her face, it knocked the breath from his lungs. He began to approach the window slowly. Then she turned to meet his gaze. The face he had longed to see for so long was right in front of his eyes.
Heyes watched as she rose quickly from her seat and headed towards the back of the train car. He could see her through the other windows. She was running. He began to run too. He couldn't believe she was here. Here on this train. What were the odds? They were astronomical, he knew that. But somehow she was here. Hope sprang to life inside him. This was the sign he'd been seeking. There was on way it was a coincidence that she was here on this train. He was being given the chance he thought he didn't even deserve. The chance to take back the most precious gift he had ever been given She was the light of his life. There would never be another for him. As soon as he saw her face, all the talk about not having food or shelter seemed so trivial and insignificant. When he was hungry she would be his bread. When he was cold she would be his shelter. When he was sinking it would be her hands that would lift him above the waters. He knew now that he had been the biggest fool this side of the Mississippi. What kind of idiot finds a woman like this one and then lets her go? All of his deeds he had thought to be self sacrificing and noble were really just stupidity. How long was this train car any way? How much longer before he was holding her in his arms again? He could see it, the platform at the back of the car. He got there just as she burst through the doorway and leaped from the platform and into his waiting arms.
He caught her in his strong arms as she jumped from the train. She wrapped herself around him, arms and legs and hung on for dear life. And he held on to her like a drowning man to a life preserver. She pulled her head back and looked into his deep brown eyes. "Are you real?" she whispered breathlessly as she lovingly caressed his face. Her fingers traced the shape of his lips, the tip of his nose, the sweep of his brows and the fringe of his eyelashes. "Please, tell me you're real."
"I'm real, sweetheart," was all he managed to say before mouths too long separated became reacquainted. And faces too long unseen were bathed with kisses and caresses. Absence couldn't have made their hearts any fonder, but the weeks of separation had certainly made their kisses sweeter and their need for each other stronger. His hands found their way into that hair that he loved so much. He held her head captive while his mouth staked its claim to hers in a kiss that threatened to set them both on fire. They clung to each other, afraid to let go. For if they let go, each was afraid that the other would disappear.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her at last, unable to keep the smile off his beautiful face.
"Why are
you here? I thought you were going to Devil's Hole?" she asked, unable to keep her eyes off that beautiful face.
"I asked you first," he said, not wanting to tell her why he was here. He didn't want her to be disappointed in him.
"Livvy and I are on our way to San Francisco . We could only get there by going through Rawlins and then Rock Springs. I've been dreaming that you would be here. When Livvy said we would be traveling through Wyoming, I hoped but never really believed you'd be here. How did you know I was going to be on this train?"
"I didn't. And I shouldn't even be here right now. I guess miracles do keep happening. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm the stupidest ass that's ever lived. I don't know what I was thinking when I left you like I did. I thought I was being noble and self sacrificing by giving you up, so you could have the kind of life you deserve. The kind of life Livvy can give you. You've been dealt enough bad hands, I thought I'd only be handing you another one if I didn't let you go. Trouble seems to follow me wherever I go and you've been through so much already."
"When are you going to realize that there is a higher power at work here? We were both in that valley that day for a reason. How else do you think we've managed to survive all that we've been through? Harlan Mathis, Laura Shepherd, Sherman McMaster, and now you're crazy notions. Some things are meant to be, Hannibal Heyes, and you and I are one of them. And do you really think I'm afraid to face whatever life throws at us? Having troubles isn't exclusive to former outlaws you know. Everybody has troubles. It's called life. It doesn't matter if you're an outlaw or a minister of the gospel, life is going to deal you some lousy hands. And like my daddy always used to say, 'It's not the hand you're dealt, it's how you play the cards.' You keep telling me you want a normal life, well that's what a normal life is, ups and downs, good times and bad. I would much rather be standing with someone I love when the bad times come, than to be standing alone."
Hope was crowding out all of the doubt and hopelessness he had been feeling before. "I love you, more than anything or anybody in this world. I don't want to stand alone anymore. Can you ever forgive me for leaving you like I did and breaking you heart?"
Tears stung the back of her eyelids and formed pools on her lower eyelids. "Of course I forgive you. I love you. With every little piece of my broken heart, I love you.
I just hope you realize how stupid it was to leave me, no matter how noble and self sacrificing you intended to be."
"I do realize it now. Thanks to you and Kid. And something else I've realized.....I'm not noble or self sacrificing. In fact I'm downright greedy and selfish, at least when it comes to you," he said in an apologetic tone.
Did he expect her to be disappointed that he wasn't selfless and magnanimous? She looked into those beautiful brown eyes, full of regret and she took in his brow creased with remorse and she lifted shaking fingers to sooth that brow and she lifted her lips to kiss those eyes. "Thank God for every greedy, selfish bone in your body."
He chuckled deeply in his throat before lowering his mouth for another taste of her sweet lips. He was euphoric. He was elated. He had never been this happy in his life. He couldn't believe she was here, in his arms. "Speaking of thanking God, I guess I owe Him a big one."
"I guess we both do. I've been so miserable without you."
He scooped her in his arms and kissed her breath away. He couldn't even describe to her what life had been like for him without her. He was so happy he began to spin around in circles as they held tight to each other. When he stopped they were dizzy and giddy and not just from the spinning. They laughed as they stood there locked in a fierce embrace. But Evie's laughter died away when over his right shoulder she saw two men on horseback, staring at them. They didn't look very friendly. Heyes felt her tense in his arms and he pulled back to look at her face, then he turned to see what she was staring at so intently. It was Griffin and Lobo. Both sat on their horses, both with a chaw of tobacco in their jaw and both watching Heyes as he hugged Evie, both with confused looks on their faces. "It's alright, I know them. Get back on the train," he told her as he lowered her to the ground and prepared to help her back up on the platform.
"Who are they? What do they want?"
"Nothing. It doesn't matter now. Just get back on the....."
"Heyes, Wheat says if you're not at the mail car in five minutes he's gonna blow the safe hisself and he ain't gonna be obliged to give you no share of the money inside," Lobo called out.
Evie stopped and looked down into Heyes' face. He looked as guilty as sin itself. Never taking her eyes off him she walked several feet away from the train. She could clearly see both ends of the train from here. The train had stopped in the middle of a curve making it impossible to see from one end to the other without standing from a distance. She could see at the rear end, the two men who had spoken to Hannibal and further back two others. They were obviously watching the back. At the front near the engine was a group of six or seven armed men, all standing with their guns on the engineer and several other men who worked for the railroad. Evie had seen all she needed to see. She walked back to where he stood. "Are they robbing this train?" she asked in disbelief. He didn't respond, just stood there looking guilty. "And you were helping them?"
"Shhhh. You want everybody to hear you? I
was gonna rob it, but now....well, you see, that's what I was doing, I was going to find Wheat to tell him I'd changed my mind. Me and Kid were about to ride on to Rock Springs ourselves. I was hoping to tell him before they actually got started with the job, but it appears I'm too late."
"If you're caught taking part in this, you'll lose your amnesty for sure. What are we going to do?"
He caught himself smiling when she asked what
we were going to do. Even though he had no intention of letting her get involved he still knew that if he needed her she would stop at nothing to help him. Just like he and Kid, he and Evie were a package deal. "You're going to get back on the train. Find Livvy and both of you sit in your seats and wait. I'm going to tell Lobo there that I've changed my mind and I'm not going to take part in the job. He can explain it to Wheat. I'll be back to get you, I promise. And whatever you do, don't act like you know what's going on."
She gave him a perplexed look. "Are they just going to let you back out that easily? Where is Kid anyway? And I don't want to get back on the train. I want to stay right here with you."
He gave her one last lingering kiss to her sweet lips. "Trust me. Now get back on the train." Before she could protest further, he grasped her small waist and lifted her onto the platform. She turned and held her hand out to him. He took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "We've got the rest of our lives to catch up on whatever we've missed over the last month. Every thing's going to be fine, I promise." He knew she didn't like being kept in the dark, but he hadn't completely worked out the details yet. "Just trust me and remember that I love you and everything will be alright." With a reluctant sigh she let go of his hand and entered the train and returned to her seat.
Heyes watched through the windows to make sure she returned to her seat. As he watched her he caught the eye of several of the other passengers. They smiled at him, obviously having witnessed his reunion with Evie. Oh, no. He could easily be placed at the scene of the crime now. Even if he did leave now and didn't take part in the robbery, there were now eye witnesses who could describe him and place him here at the time of the robbery. The hope inside started to wilt.
Think, Heyes. You've been called stupid a lot lately. And with good reason. It's time to start acting like the genius you are again. Or else you and Kid have no chance at that amnesty. And we need that amnesty real bad. So think. A smug smile crept slowly upon his face. "Hey, fellas," Heyes addressed the mounted outlaws, "me and Wheat was just talking and we've decided to change the plans." The snow crunched under his boots as he walked towards the two men who knew him well and respected him as their leader. Here was his chance. Life had just dealt him another bad hand. Now let's see how good he could play it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Evie got back to her seat before Livvy even knew she was gone. She was able to regain her composure and calm her now jittery nerves moments before Livvy returned. "It looks like we are going to be stuck here for quite a while. There are some very large boulders blocking the tracks and they have to be removed." She almost sat on the hat full of pins. "Oh, my goodness! What do you think you're doing, Evangeline. This hat cost a small fortune. And you really shouldn't go around with your hair all hanging loose like that. Evangeline are you listening to me?"
"Oh, what? Sorry. What did you say?" Evie had not been paying attention to her aunt. She had been too busy keeping her eye on the two mounted outlaws who still sat mounted outside the window a few seats behind her aunt. They didn't appear to be going anywhere.
"What are you looking at?" Livvy turned in her seat just as the two men turned their mounts and headed towards the rear of the train. "They must be here to help clear the rocks."
Evie laughed nervously. "Ha ha. Yeah I'm sure that's what they're here for."
Oh dear, Lord, I hope she didn't see Hannibal. And ,Hannibal Heyes, I hope you know what you're doing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thanks once again to his silver tongue Griffin and Lobo were now headed around to the north side of the train and up the hillside they had first come down and the two men at the back of the train had followed. They would be out of the way until this whole thing was over. Hand well played so far. Now to find the Kid and deal with Wheat and the rest of the gang. Heyes found him shielded in some trees not far from where he had left him. Kid emerged from the trees leading Odin when he saw Heyes returning.
"You ready to head to Rock Springs?"
"Nope. We're not heading to Rock Springs just yet."
"Why not?"
"We've got a robbery to stop, that's why," Heyes said with a worried frown.
"What? Heyes we need to get out of here. Wheat and the boys are on their own. Let's go before we're spotted."
"We kinda don't have a choice now, Kid. Not if we want to save our amnesty."
"What did you do, Heyes?"
"I guess you could say I saw that sign I was waiting for. You're not gonna believe this, Kid, but Evie and Livvy are here. On this train."
"Evie and Livvy? On
this train?"
"Yeah, can you believe it. But to make a long story short, some of the passengers
may have seen my face when Evie and me got reacquainted."
"Aw, no. In other words you couldn't keep your hands off of her while you were in front of an audience. And now you can easily be placed at the scene of the crime."
"Something like that. So I don't figure those folks are going to forget my face. That's why we need to stop this robbery. If there is no crime to connect me to, end of problem. So here's my plan...."
"Oh, you've got a plan? That fast?"
"What do you mean, 'that fast?' This is me you're talking to Kid. Thinking and planning is what I'm best at."
"You ain't exactly been yourself lately though, Heyes. You've been acting downright stupid."
"I wish everybody would stop calling me that. I know I haven't been exactly myself lately, Kid, but don't worry, every thing's about to get back to normal real soon."
"Alright, Heyes, what's the plan?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Evie was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But she was also so incredibly happy that she couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto her face. He was here. Her beloved Hannibal was here. And he had told her they had the rest of their lives to make up for lost time. She had to stifle the laugh that was threatening to bubble up out of her throat. "What are you grinning about over there?" Livvy asked.
"Oh, nothing. I was just remembering something funny that Libby said last week."
"Well, I wish you would let me in on it. I could use some amusement about now. If this train doesn't get going soon, I'm....."
"Hey, look at those men out there. They've got guns."
The young boy sitting on the north facing side of the train pointed out his window. Everyone on the train car except Evie flocked to that window to get a look at what was going on outside.
Please, don't let it be Jed and Hannibal, she begged silently.
"Oh, my goodness. I think the train is being robbed!" one lady exclaimed.
"They're heading towards the engine. They're probably going to shoot the engineer!" one gentleman surmised.
Panic started to erupt among the passengers. Livvy rushed back to her seat and grabbed Evie's hands. "Now don't you worry about a thing. Nothing is going to happen to us."
"I'm not worried. I know everything will be alright." She offered her aunt a smile. "Who do you suppose those men are? Did you get a look at them?"
"No, I couldn't see over all the others in the way. But I know every thing's going to be fine. We just need to sit here and wait."
"You seem awfully calm, Aunt Livvy. I thought you would be up in arms and ready to let those criminals have a piece of your mind."
"Sometimes it's best just to stay put and let the men handle things."
That was strange coming from Olivia Vanderbilt. Evie just shrugged and watched as the men in the car discussed their options should the thieves board their car and demand money. Should she bother to tell them that she knew this was the Devil's Hole gang and they never robbed the passengers themselves, only the safes? And should she remind them that the Devil's Hole gang wasn't in the habit of shooting anyone?
"Do you think it's the Devil's Hole gang?" the same young boy asked loudly of the group of gentlemen who were gathered by the doorway at the front of the car.
"Most likely, son. We are in their territory after all. But don't worry. If they board this car we'll be ready for them." The men had guns of their own and they seemed prepared to use them.
Oh, great, Evie thought.
Hannibal Heyes, I hope your bout of stupidity had ended, because your going to have to put your genius to use here if you want to keep yourself from getting shot. Half of the men, six in all, were gathered near the rear entrance to the car, while the other six remained at the front. "Any outlaw trying to enter this train was going to get a slug to the chest. Shoot first and ask questions later," that's what one of the men said. Evie couldn't just sit here any longer. She stood in the aisle and tried to alleviate the tension.
"Gentlemen, you are aware of the fact that the Devil's Hole gang has never killed anyone in any of their robberies. They work very quickly to grab what's in the safe and they leave. So if it is the Devil's Hole gang, I don't think there's any need for all these fire arms."
"Now don't let all these guns make you nervous, little lady. You just sit there and relax. Let the men folk handle this. And don't you worry about those mean old outlaws. We're not about to let a single one of them harm anybody on this car," a kind grandfatherly type of gentleman said as he patted her arm.
Oh, God, she prayed, please let Hannibal be right about miracles, because we need another one. Or else he's going to get blasted when he tries to come back onto this car to get me.
The minutes ticked by, but they seemed like hours. Evie tried to mask her fear and nervousness, but she kept wringing her hands and looking out the window towards the front of the train.
"Evangeline would you calm down. You look like you're about to jump out of your own skin. Now I'm telling you everything is going to be fine. Those men aren't going to come on this car."
"Hey, look!" the young boy yelled. "There they go. They're riding off up that hillside."
Everyone gathered once more around the window to watch as the outlaws rode north up the snow covered hills. Evie exhaled a long slow breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding.
"I didn't hear any safe blow. Why didn't they blow the safe?" one of the men asked.
"Howdy, folks," a very familiar deep male voice sounded from the front of the train car. Evie stood quickly and spun around to see Hannibal Heyes standing there with a big dimpled smile on his adorable face. Behind him stood his handsome blue eyed, blond haired partner.
Gasps of shock and shrieks of horror echoed off the train walls. Women shielded their young behind their skirts. Men stepped in front of their women and pointed their guns in the direction of the two strangers who had just boarded the train.
"Relax, folks. We're not here for your money." His eyes locked onto the beautiful stormy blue ones of his sweetheart. "I'm just here to see a lady."
The conductor came on board behind Kid. "You can rest easy, folks. These two gents just saved this train from a band of thieves. They walked right up to 'em and pulled out their guns and had a little talk with them. I don't know what they said to those crooks but, don't you know those outlaws high tailed it right on out of here. It was the bravest thing I've ever seen."
The passengers swarmed around Heyes and the Kid slapping their backs and praising their bravery and thanking them for what they had done. Evie and Heyes continued to stare into each other's eyes, oblivious to the crowd around them. He truly was a genius. Not only had he found a way out to the robbery, he had managed to make himself and the Kid look like heroes. "How did you know those criminals were robbing the train, young man?" the grandfatherly gentleman asked.
"We were passing though when we noticed what was going on. I was just here to collect something that belongs to me. Or should I say someone."
All eyes came to rest on the young woman he was staring at. The crowd parted and let Heyes pass through so he could reach her. They stood smiling at each other for a brief moment before he pulled her into his arms and lifted her to meet his kiss. They were so wrapped up in each other they didn't even notice at first he applause that went up around them.
"Talk about playing your cards right. I'd say you managed an ace high straight out of that one, cowboy."
"I saved our amnesty, kept the gang out of trouble, made me and the Kid into heroes and I get the girl. I'd say that's a royal flush."
"Alright, folks. Everyone take your seats and be patient. We'll be pulling out just as soon as the tracks are clear and the engines are stoked," the conductor announced.
Livvy stood then, having been quiet and strangely uninvolved during the entire event. "You two really put a stop to a robbery? Why on earth would you do something so dangerous?"
The boys exchanged a look before Heyes said flatly, "Because we're honest and forthright citizens."
"Not only that, but you're also heroes in my book," the conductor said as he gave both boys a congratulatory slap on the back.
"Well, now I wouldn't go that far," Kid said.
"Neither would I," Evie sarcastically quipped. She was rewarded with a scathing look from a two sets of gorgeous eyes, one brown and one blue.
"We were just doing what any concerned citizen would have done," Heyes added.
"How can we repay you, son?" the conductor asked. "Of course you know we can load your horses in with the baggage and you can have a free passage to Rock Springs if you want. It's the least we can do."
Heyes locked eyes with Evie. "There's only one thing I want. And she's right here."
"It's a miracle the two of you didn't get shot," Livvy scolded.
There was no miracle about that. Heyes would let Kid tell Livvy that they had worked out a deal with Wheat. If they would ride on out and pretend that the boys had scared them off, they would see to it that the Devil's Hole gang would have enough cash to get them through the long cold winter and they wouldn't have to lift a finger to earn or steal it. That cash would be courtesy of Mrs. Olivia Vanderbilt, little did she know. "No, the real miracle is that you were here on this train. And I can see you and touch you. And now that I've got you back, I'm never letting you go," Heyes told Evie as he held her face in his hands and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.
"Is Odin nearby?" Evie asked with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"He's right outside."
"Is there room for two in your saddle?"
He looked around behind her at the huge bussel. "With that thing on your backside, I'm not sure. But I'm sure we'll manage somehow." He helped Evie on with her coat and they practically ran for the doorway that led them outside. They were both mounted on Odin's back when Kid and Livvy came outside to join them.
"Surely you aren't planning on going anywhere on horseback in this weather," Livvy said.
"Didn't you say you had reservations at the hotel in Rock Springs?" Evie asked.
"Yes, at the Rock Springs Inn."
"We'll meet you there," Heyes said as he gave Odin's hind quarter a snap with the reins.
"But you'll freeze to death before you get there!" Livvy yelled after them. But they either didn't hear her or they didn't care. Because they just snuggled closer to each other and kept riding.
"Mission accomplished, Mrs. Vanderbilt," Kid said as he stood beside Livvy watching Heyes and Evie ride away.
"Indeed, Mr. Curry."
"Do you think we should tell them that their miracle had a little inside help?"
"You mean tell them that we never intended to make it to San Francisco? And the only reason Evangeline and I were out west was so he would see her on this train and come to his senses? And then they could reunite and end their misery, thereby ending ours as well, since we were the ones having to deal with their dark and brooding moods?"
"Precisely."
"Oh, no. Not yet anyway. After all, ignorance is bliss you know. And right now I think they deserve some uninterrupted bliss."
"And speaking of bliss, I'm sure you have a private cabin somewhere on this train, don't you."
"As a matter of fact I do. But I fail to see what's blissful about that," she said coyly.
"Then perhaps I should show you just how blissful it can be. It's going to be several hours before we get to Rock Springs," Kid said to her with a playful glint in his blue eyes.
“I’ve missed you, Mr. Curry,” Livvy said in earnest as she looked up into his beautiful blue eyes.
Kid smiled at the petite beauty, took her hand in his and started back to the train. As he climbed up behind her on the platform, Livvy stopped to stare westward at the couple on horseback as they grew smaller and smaller against the horizon. “I still think they’re going to get cold.”
Kid just chuckled and shook his head. “Trust me, Livvy, they know what to do to stay warm.”
Livvy giggled like a school girl before she grabbed his hand and scurried off in search of that private cabin.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Evie rode in front of Heyes, but this time she rode across the saddle instead of astride, to accommodate the huge bussel of her dress. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she settled in the cradle of his arms and rested her head against his chest. She could feel his warmth and hear his heartbeat. "Do you think those two had anything to do with this?" Evie asked as she looked back over his shoulder at her aunt and Kid Curry standing in the distance.
"Nah. I'm the brains and Kid's the brawn, remember. There's no way he could have pulled something like that off by himself. And you know Livvy would never go along with a plan that would have you riding off alone with me. No, me finding you on that train was a miracle, plain and simple."
"Speaking of miracles," she looked up into his warm molasses eyes, "if you ever even think about leaving me again, you're going to need one. Because I will skin you alive before I'll ever let you put me through anything like what I've been through in this past month again. I've never been so miserable in my entire life. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. My entire Christmas was ruined because you weren't there. And not knowing if you were safe, if you had a place to stay, if you had food to eat, if you needed my help...."
He dropped his mouth down on hers, silencing her rant. Liquid fire coursed through her blood as his full lips parted hers allowing him to deepen the kiss. "Will you shut up? You talk too much," he said playfully when he lifted his mouth from hers.
"Me? You're the one who doesn't allow anyone to get a word in edge wise."
"Silver tongue, remember. Talking is one of the things I'm best at."
She pinned him with a devilish look. "Talking is not the only thing your silver tongue is good at, Mr. Heyes."
"There you go with that mouth of yours again. Why anybody would think you had been in the company of outlaws."
"As a matter of fact I have. And I'm afraid I am a soiled woman. Do you know any one who might be willing to make an honest woman of me?"
"I'd be willing, ma'am, if you would have a safe cracking, poker playing, gun toting ex outlaw for a husband."
She didn't speak. Instead he untied the cord from around her head and lacing her fingers in his she bound them, hands and wrists, together. "With this cord, I thee wed," she vowed as she smiled at her beloved outlaw.
He pulled the reins, halting the black stallion. "Close your eyes," he gently demanded.
She did as he asked though not knowing what to expect.
"Open them."
When she opened her eyes there was a shiny silver ring resting in the palm of his hand. "I've been carrying this around since the day I went to Cold Springs. I was kind of hoping you would be willing to take it off my hands for a while. I was thinking maybe until death do us part."
She was trying her best not to cry, but she was not succeeding. Tears spilled out over her cheeks. "Do you think they have a minister in Rock Springs?" she sniffled out.
"If not, I'm sure we can find a judge or a justice of the peace," he told her as he wiped her tears away.
"How fast did you say this horse could run?"
His chocolaty eyes twinkled and his dimpled smile beamed as he looked down into the face of this amazing, beautiful woman that he loved more than his own life.
"Hold on tight," he said softly.
"I plan to, Mr. Heyes," she said as she wrapped her arms around him. "For as long as we both shall live."
THE END :')
