A woman who pretends to laugh at love is like a child who sings at night when he is afraid."
Anonymous
Kid Curry stretched the stiffness from his bones and stood for a moment in the mid morning sun, soaking in the rays like a cat on a window sill. He stood outside the front door of Fannie's place patting his stomach, now full of steak and eggs he'd just eaten. If they stayed here in Cheyenne much longer, Fannie would be able to retire on all the money he was spending in there. He smiled at that thought and then started deciding on which kind of pie he was going to go back for in a couple of hours. Peach or cherry? He just couldn't decide. He'd just have one of each. Kid's smile broadened. Life was pretty darn good right now. If all went according to plan, he, Heyes, Evie, Livvy and Gabbie would all be riding out of here any day now. He was just biding his time, waiting for Heyes to ride in and tell him the plan was in motion. He could hardly wait to get Livvy and his baby girl out of here. And then he would make Livvy his wife. Mrs. Thaddeus Jones. He liked the sound of that. Not as well as he would have liked Mrs. Jedediah Curry, but giving up a name was easy when it was the only way to keep his newly formed family together.
He stepped onto the busy main street and headed towards the hotel. He had wanted Livvy to join him for breakfast, but she had insisted that it was foolish for them to be seen together this close to the end of the entire ordeal. And she was right. He just didn't want to be too far away from them. And he couldn't wait to get back to them now. The bond he had with his child and her mother was unlike any he'd experienced. It was just as strong as the bond he shared with Heyes. Different, but just as strong. And he hadn't thought there would ever be another person alive who he would have as strong a bond with as the bond he had with Hannibal Heyes. He now understood his partner's need to protect Evie and never be far from her side. He hurried across the street, anxious now more than ever to see his daughter.
"Hey, you!" someone yelled out from down the street.
Everyone on the street and inside the shops and businesses, including Kid, stopped and searched for the source of that voice. He found it at the eastern end of the street near the dry goods store. Kid turned slowly eastward to find a young man who couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen staring him down, his young face scowling in anger.
Kid stuck his own thumb into his chest as he asked, "You talking to me?"
"Yeah, I'm talking to you. You're Kid Curry ain't ya?"
Gasps, murmurs and hushed whispers spread through the street as onlookers and pedestrians anticipated what was going to happen next. Folks began to take cover inside buildings and behind wagons, barrels and water troughs.
"Aw, no. Not again," Kid thought. "Who wants to know?" Kid asked as he gave the boy a once over, sizing him up.
"Folks call me Pecos Pete. And I here tell you think you're the fastest gun there is."
"I don't recall ever saying that I was the fastest. Other folks have made that claim, not me. I don't plan on proving it one way or the other today." Kid turned away from the boy and started back towards the hotel.
But Pecos Pete had other plans. He took a few, brisk steps forward. "But I say you are going to prove something today. Only it ain't gonna be that you're faster than me. I aim to prove that I'm faster."
Kid hung his head and looked at the ground. There was time when he would have stared the boy down with his icy blue gaze and accepted the challenge without any doubt that he was the faster gun. But now....he wasn't so sure of himself. He'd been practicing ever since he'd gotten out of prison and the time he'd spent in Laramie, he had proven many times he could still outdraw most men. But in Laramie, he had not known he was a father. If he had known, he might have walked away from those challenges too. His instincts were always right when it came to sizing up a man set on a fast draw contest. And his instincts were telling him he was faster than this boy. But what if this time his instincts were wrong. He didn't have only himself to think about anymore. He looked up to the window of Livvy's room that faced the street. He had a lot more to consider these days.
Kid turned his head towards the young gunfighter. "I'll settle the argument for you right now. You're faster. Now, if you'll excuse me, Pete, I've got a lady to see."
Kid had one boot on the bottom step of the hotel steps when Pete called out again, "You ain't going nowhere until I prove it with my gun that I'm faster. So you better face me here and now or keep walking and prove that you're nothing but a yellow bellied coward."
Kid set his booted foot back down on the dirt street, but he didn't turn to face the boy. If he did, he knew the boy would take it as as acceptance of his challenge. And he couldn't accept it. He had to be responsible and walk away. His pride had to come second to his child and the woman he loved. "Look, son, I only have one reason to fight you, and that's my pride. But I've got a whole lot more reasons for not fighting you. A man's reasons for living are a whole lot better than his excuses for dying. I've got too much to live for to risk losing a gunfight because you called me yellow. And besides that.....boy, I don't want to hurt you."
"Hah! You can't hurt me when you're dead. And I don't see any boys on this street. Just one man and one gutless, lily livered has been who's running off to hide behind a woman's skirts."
As hard as he fought it, Kid just couldn't stop himself. You just couldn't take away a man's natural tendencies in a few short days. He didn't want to turn, but his body was acting almost of its own accord and he found himself walking slowly back into the middle of the street and turning to face the cocksure fool. Not only had he goaded Kid, now he had made him angry. Big mistake.
Pete's tall, lanky frame stiffened in response when Kid Curry turned to fully face him. Sweat formed on his brow and upper lip when Kid Curry removed the glove from his right hand and hooked his
thumb into his gun belt. He had expected to see fear or at least nervousness in the infamous gun slinger's blue eyes. The same fear that the other men he had called out and defeated had shown. But he did not.
Pete pulled his dark brown stetson hat low over his eyes. He licked his dry lips. He steadied his hand as it hung low and ready next to his gun. His eyes darted nervously back and forth. He swallowed hard. Kid noticed all the little tell tale signs of the boy's nervousness. He'd faced many men in the middle of the street and he could always tell when the other man was nervous.
He on the other hand still had his thumbs hooked into his gun belt. He made no move to adjust his tan hat to shield his eyes from the mid morning sun. He was calm, cool and steady. Which made the younger, less experienced gunfighter all the more nervous. And he was taking too long. Kid could see in his green eyes that he was starting to think about it. Another big mistake. If you called a man out in the street, you didn't have time to think about it. You'd best get on with it and do what you came to do. If not, you were a dead man.
"I ain't afraid of you, mister," Pecos Pete said, with less conviction than he would liked.
Kid wanted to laugh. Had the situation not been so serious he might have. Who was this boy trying to convince, the Kid or himself? Now Kid knew he had Pecos Pete right where he wanted him...thinking too much, nervous and scared. Why had he put himself in this situation?
"I can't stand here all day, Pete. If you're of a mind to prove something, you'd best get to provin' it," Kid said calmly. "Or you can change your mind and back out now. Nobody will think you're a coward if you use good common sense and stop this foolishness right now."
Pecos Pete looked away from the cool eyed man who stared him down for only a moment. He couldn't back out now. He had called Kid Curry out. He had tracked him here when he had learned the outlaw had been released from prison and had been challenged to several gunfights in Laramie. He had to prove he was faster. He went for his gun. But before he could even get it clear of the holster, he heard the shot and then felt the burning pain in his right forearm. He looked down to see a circle of blood forming on the calico material of his long sleeved shirt. He looked up again to see the man who had just shot him coming towards him in quick, deliberate strides.
"You aim to kill me now? After you've fixed my arm up good and useless?" The panicked boy screamed. But he was shocked when Kid Curry took the bandana from around his neck and tied it tight around his wound. A crowd began to gather around the two in the center of the street.
"If you're lucky I've fixed it so that you won't ever be able to do something as foolish as challenge another man to a gunfight. Now get over to the hospital and let them take a look at you."
Pecos Pete's green eyes stared at Kid Curry with astonishment. "Why didn't you kill me?" he asked the former outlaw.
"If you had been any faster, I might have. But I don't believe in killing. And now that you're left handed, I bet you're not too keen on killing either, are you?"
The boys eyes looked like a lost pup's. "No, sir. I reckon not."
In a few short minutes Kid Curry had gone from "hey, you" to "sir." Kid could only shake his head in bewilderment as he watched the boy trudge off towards the hospital.
.
When she had learned she was with child she had resigned herself that she was going to have to raise her child without a father. But when Gabbie had taken her first breath, Livvy knew that she would do anything to make sure that her precious little bundle of joy would not want for anything, especially a father. That's when she and Evangeline had made plans to try and get the boys out of prison. But once the wheels were set in motion to get them out, she began to think about the possible outcomes. And she had feared Jed would run scared when he discovered he had a child. It was easier for her to just stay alone than to deal with the heartbreak of rejection. That is why she had sworn Evangeline to secrecy. She wanted to tell Jed about their daughter in her own time. She wanted the opportunity to ease him into the knowledge that he was a father, hoping it would make it easier for him to accept. But she had been afraid for nothing. Not only had he taken to being a father like a duck takes to water, he had also wanted to be her husband. Well, he had proposed to her. That didn't necessarily mean he really wanted to be a husband. She had been thinking about it all morning. What if he had only asked her to marry him out of obligation?
Her heart jumped into her throat when she realized that Jed was being called out into the street by a foolish young gun fighter. Didn't the young man know who he was challenging? She had never witnessed a real gun fight before. But she had witnessed Jed Curry draw his gun on many occasions back at the McCreedy ranch. One of their favorite places to meet had been in the hayloft of the barn. After he had made her giddy with his masterful lovemaking he would always show off for a while, practicing his fast draw. She didn't think there was another man alive who could possibly be faster. As she watched the scene below she was both terrified and thrilled at the same time. While she was extremely nervous and slightly fearful that the other man might be faster, she had to admit that watching him prove his prowess with a gun had made her blood run hot. Jed Curry was all man. That was only one of the things she found so devastatingly appealing about the man. Her body began to hum and tingle as she thought about how skilled his hands were at things other than handling a gun. Her mind wandered back to the nights, and the occasional afternoon, on the McCreedy ranch when she and Thaddeus would sneak out either to the hay loft or some other secluded spot where he had awakened something inside of her that no other man ever had. She missed those times and how he had made her feel. Everything had made sense in her life then. Now everything seemed to be upside down and out of sorts.
She held her breath as she watched Jed face the young gun fighter. She exhaled on a smile when she saw the young man go down with a well placed bullet to the right forearm. How like, Kid Curry. He could have killed the boy. Most men would have. He could have outdrawn the boy and stopped there. But he had given him a permanent reminder of why he should never do anything so foolish again. She admired him for that. Outlaw or not, he was an honorable man. Again, doubts and fears began to swarm her brain and her heart. Was he only marrying her because he was honor bound? That's when she saw the handsome outlaw being ogled like a piece of raw meat in a tigers cage by three women. Young women. Pretty women.
She turned away from the window when she saw him smile warmly in their direction. Her eyes landed on her own reflection in the mirrored wash stand across the room. Who was she kidding? She was fourteen years his senior. Practically old enough to be his mother. He was a virile, exciting, young man in the prime of his life. She was a used up, boring, middle aged woman. She took in her own appearance. She was still attractive for her age of 43. In fact most people took her to be in her early thirties. But how many woman in their twenties were out there just waiting for the opportunity to tempt the infamous Kid Curry. Pretty women. Young women. If she hadn't already agreed to marry him as soon as they arrived in Colorado, she would make up some excuse to postpone the whole thing. She didn't want to be his obligation. She wanted to be his desire. As she leaned with her backside against the window sill, studying her own reflection, she tried to think of some excuse for postponing their wedding. Then she could eventually figure out a way to gracefully allow herself to be let down when he realized he didn't want to be saddled to an older woman, and to keep herself from the inevitable heartbreak she was sure to endure once he grew weary of her and moved on to someone young and pretty. She refused to use her daughter as a means to keep a man. She would still allow him to be a part of Gabby's life, but she would not use a wedding ring as a yoke.
She had a new found respect for Hannibal Heyes. How had he stood in front of Evangeline and told her he was leaving her? When she thought about telling Jed she wanted to postpone their wedding indefinitely she felt like she would choke on the words. Had Hannibal Heyes choked on the words when he had told the woman he loved he was leaving her for her own good? She must think of some plausible reason for calling the wedding off, or he would see right through her and he would do the honorable thing and tell her he wanted to marry her not out of obligation, but because he wanted to.
Kid tapped lightly on the door before he entered the room to find Livvy standing in front of the window, her loose honey blonde hair blowing in the breeze. Gabby played contentedly on the floor with her favorite silver rattle. One look at them and the drama that had just unfolded in the street was forgotten. His heart seemed so full of love at this moment he thought it might pop. His little family. It was all he had ever dreamed of having. He never thought he would ever see the day when he had a wife, a child and a pardon of all his crimes. Yes, life was pretty darn good.
"How was your breakfast?"
"Great. Did you have anything?" he asked as she bent to scoop his little girl off the floor.
"Yes. Just toast and coffee." She studied him as he interacted with Gabby. He would be a good father. Loving and protective. She wished she could have known what kind of husband he would have been. "How often does that happen?" she asked.
"What?"
"That," she motioned towards the street below.
"You saw that, did you?"
"Of course I saw it. Everyone in town saw it. Does it happen very often?"
"It didn't happen nearly as often before I went to prison. Seems everybody's out to prove they're faster than me now that I'm a free man and I don't have a price on my head. Maybe they think my time in jail made me lose my touch?"
"The gunfight is not what I'm referring to."
He looked at her confused. "What are you talking about then?"
"Those women. The ones who practically undressed you with their eyes in the middle of the street in broad daylight?"
"Are you serious, Liv? I hardly even noticed those girls. Uh oh. I think somebody needs a clean diaper."
Livvy turned back to look out the window. He wasn't even taking her concern seriously. There was no sense in putting it off. She would just put an end to it right now. She took a deep breath and said on a whisper, "I can't do this."
"Well, give me a clean diaper and I'll do it."
"That's not what I mean. I mean this. Us. I can't do it."
"What are you talking about? What do you mean you can't do it."
"I'm releasing you from your obligation. Nobody knows that Gabby is yours. You can still be her father behind closed doors. But in public you can continue with your life as you always have. I won't force you to be yoked to an old woman."
"Are you saying you won't marry me? Because a few women made eyes at me in the street?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
Kid just stared, dumbfounded for a moment at her. He laid the baby down and came to stand directly behind Livvy.
She would have felt his presence even if she had not heard his approach. Please don't touch me, she thought. For if he touched her she knew he would be able to dissuade her of her decision. And he didn't touch her with his hands, but with the soft, warm caress of his breath against the back of her neck as he whispered, "First of all, you're not an old woman. And as far as you not wanting to marry me, I bet I can change your mind?"
She inhaled sharply as shivers ran down her spine and spread through her limbs. She had no doubt that he could change her mind, but she couldn't let him have the chance. "I thought the baby needed changing."
"She can wait a minute. Right now I need to make sure her diaper isn't the only thing around here that's full of crap. I think her mama is too."
"I'm not full of anything," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh, but I think you are. Your full of doubt and insecurity and a little jealousy."
"I'm not jealous! I just don't want to subject my child to the gossip that is bound to start circulating once her father becomes a philanderer. And you know you will once you grow tired of an old woman for a wife. With women throwing themselves at the notorious Kid Curry, you're bound to meet up with a young, pretty temptation that's too hard to resist sooner or later."
"I don't see how I can meet up with a temptation any stronger than you lying in my bed every night. And besides, I'm going to be Thaddeus Jones from now on. I don't know what's brought all this on, but I'm not going to let you do this to me. To us."
"Do you realize that when you're my age I'll be nearly sixty years old?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So? So, I don't want to wake up one morning and find that my much younger husband has abandoned me for a much younger woman. I'd rather not be married at all than have to go through that."
Kid knew she was feeling insecure and afraid. Hell, he was afraid himself. Nobody knew what the future was going to hold. But one thing he knew for damn sure was that he loved this feisty, head strong, pint sized bundle of blonde curls and soft skin. He wanted to know what it was like to go to sleep beside her every night and wake up beside her every morning. And that's what he planned on telling her. But first he was going to kiss her speechless so she wouldn't be able to give him any sassy and illogical excuses for them not to marry. He spun her around and pinned her to the window. "But being married gives us the freedom to do so many things. Things like this," he said in a voice that dripped with honey as he brought his mouth towards hers.
She was helpless to do anything but part her lips and savor the taste of his mouth over hers. She felt her insides melt and form a pool of hot liquid that rushed between her thighs. She had to stop him before this went too far and she lost her resolve to call their wedding off. But his mouth was blazing a trail of fire down her throat and back up to that spot just below her ear that he knew was the one spot that he only had to lay the tip of his tongue to and she would be crazy with wanting him. He was almost there. She both dreaded it and looked so forward to it. She clung to his shoulders as he plundered her neck with his mouth and tongue.
Gabbie's cries of discontent pulled Livvy from her blissful state. She pushed Kid slightly away from her and stepped around him to tend to her fussy baby. She could see that her argument about their age difference was not going to budge him. She had to use other tactics to save them both from the inevitable catastrophe of heartbreak that a marriage between them would turn out to be. As she changed Gabbie's diaper she decided she must hit him where it really hurt. There were only two things in this world that Jed Curry had never been without and would never be without. One was Hannibal Heyes. The other was like a growth on his right thigh.
"Alright, I'll marry you on one condition," she said firmly as she finished redressing Gabby.
"Condition? The only condition you should have to marry me is that I love you, you love me and we both love our daughter."
"Yes, I do love her. More than anything I love her. And I cannot subject her to a life full of violence. If the sort of thing like I just saw on the street happens so often, what's to keep it from happening one day when we're walking down the street as a family? Obviously you can be tracked down no matter where you go or what name you're using. I can't be married to a man and a raise a child with him when gunfights in the street are just an everyday occurrence. I would be the most irresponsible mother known to man. The only way I'll marry you is if you lay down your gun."
Kid was speechless. Did she say what he thought she had just said? She expected him to lay down his gun? "Liv, I've had this gun on my hip since I was sixteen years old. Heyes and me, we need protection. Just because we've been pardoned doesn't mean people still ain't out to prove something. If it wasn't for this gun, me and him would both be dead by now."
"Well, that's just my point. If you don't wear a gun, nobody will be calling you out. They will know you're a man of peace who's changed his ways. And that's the only way I will even consider marrying you. Lay down your gun." Livvy felt sick to her stomach. She knew she was asking more of him than he was going to be able to give. His gun was like a part of him and he wouldn't be able to give it up. But her heart squeezed so tight in her chest that it took her breath away as she watched him look down for only a split second, then his hands went to the leather string that was tied around his right thigh.
Kid didn't have to think long. If giving up his gun meant he could have his family then he would lay it down. He wouldn't like it, but he would do it. What ever it took to make Livvy see that he was serious. He unbuckled his gun belt and lifted the supple leather holster with its shiny Colt .45 away from his hip. He silently wound the leather belt around the holster and held it out to her.
She didn't know what to say. She didn't think he would do it. But he had. She was not the type of woman who cried. She was the strong responsible one. She was the head of the house. How then could a gesture as small as removing a gun belt make her eyes burn with restrained tears. She felt her nose begin to burn and grow red with the heat of the tears she would not allow to fall. She took the gun belt in her small hands, not really knowing what to do with it now that she had it. This gun was a part of who and what he was. Part of what she loved about him. He had given up part of his being to make her happy. But would it always be so? Would he always feel this way about her? Even when she was a sixty year old woman?
The sharp, loud knock at the door made her jump nervously. She had been lost in his eyes and the look of love he had for her there. She opened the door to find a disheveled and breathless Martha. She practically collapsed into the arms of her mistress.
"Martha! My, God, what's happened?" Livvy asked as she held onto the life long family servant.
"Oh, Lord of mercy, Mr. Curry," she said as he came and helped her to a chair, "Thank heaven I've found you here. You must go at once. The house is a fire."
"The governor's mansion?" Kid asked.
"Yes, it's engulfed in flames as we speak. "
"Evangeline!" Livvy shrieked.
"No! She got away. Mr. Heyes took her away. I saw him ride off with her. He headed north. I jumped on one of the horses that were running loose and headed straight here. You must go, Mr. Curry."
"Was Evie hurt? Heyes? Was he alright?"
"Mr. Heyes was fine. I spoke with him just before we saw the fire. But I don't know about Miss Evangeline. We were almost out the door when that misbegotten spawn of Lucifer called her back. I went ahead to tell the stable boy to get the carriage ready. When I came back that devil threw me out of the gates and said she had taken ill and that he was in charge of her now. He had some doctor there to help him. I ran straight away to find Mr. Heyes."
"You're sure Heyes got away with Evie?"
"Yes. Now you must go. He said to follow his trail and he would leave you plenty of signs."
The sound of shouting and ringing bells came in through the open window. The three went to see what was the commotion. The six horse powered fire engine sped through town with it's loud bell clanging. Word of the fire had reached town and folks were racing to watch it.
"You must go, Mr. Curry. You can be sure that demon will blame you and Mr. Heyes for this. They will be looking for you."
"But he was here in town when that fire started. In fact he was in the middle of the street involved in a gun fight. There were hundreds of witnesses."
"That won't make any difference when that devil is involved. He'll find some way to make the two of you pay."
"Martha's right. You should go. I don't trust any of this. If there is even a chance that he will try to make this either of your faults you should be somewhere safe where they won't find you. Besides that Hannibal and Evangeline might need help. Martha, was Evangeline really ill?"
"I don't see how in the span of ten minutes she could have gone from perfect health to illness. He must have poisoned her," Martha said as her voice cracked and tears began to stream down her ruddy cheeks. "I should never have left her alone with that maniac. Please forgive me," she sobbed into Livvy's shoulder.
"I've got to get to Heyes and Evie. The governor might send men out after Heyes. Did anyone else see him ride off with her?"
"Yes, they saw him. They were shooting at them. Please, hurry, Mr. Curry," Martha pleaded.
"Livvy, get your things together. I'm going to stop by James's room and tell him to get the couch ready. I want you all out of Cheyenne as soon as possible."
Livvy just nodded in agreement, frightened now for her niece and Hannibal.
Kid lifted his baby girl from the bed and kissed the top of her downy head. "Daddy loves you, Gabbie," he told the infant before he laid her back on the bed. Then he took her mother's face in his hands and kissed her tenderly on the lips. " Go to Porterville. Find Lom and tell him what's happened. Tell him everything. I'll find Heyes and Evie and we'll meet you there. I love you, Liv. We're not finished, yet, lady. I will be back."
He headed for the door when Livvy yelled out to him, "Jed, wait!"
He turned back to find her arm extended, gun belt in her hand. He didn't argue, but instead took the gun and quickly strapped it back in its place. He pulled her close and gave her one last quick, hard kiss before he headed out the door.
"Please, be careful!" Livvy called out as he disappeared into the hallway. "And I love you," she realized now she didn't say.
Kid took the back streets to get to the livery. He saddled Rusty as fast as he could. "We've got to make good time, old friend. Heyes and Evie need our help."
The sorrel stallion tossed his head, clearly understanding the man who saddled him.
Kid and Rusty emerged from the livery in time to see Livvy and Martha board Livvy's private coach. Their eyes met and held for a long moment.
"Extra, extra!! Notorious outlaw kidnaps governor's daughter-in-law!"
Livvy and Kid both jerked their heads in the direction of the shouting boy's voice. Livvy ran after the boy and purchased the special edition of the paper he was selling. It was just off the press. There in enormous black and white letters it read, "NOTORIOUS OUTLAW HANNIBAL HEYES KIDNAPS GOVERNOR'S SON'S WIFE."
Livvy had only to read the first few sentences of the article to know that Heyes was being blamed for setting the fire and kidnapping Evangeline. And naturally, since Hannibal Heyes was involved, they assumed Kid Curry was as well. The public was advised to be on the lookout for both men and to make a citizen's arrest if spotted. Livvy looked at Kid who sat atop his horse waiting. She was too far from him to tell him all that she had read. But Kid could see in her expression that it wasn't good news. She waved frantically for him to come quickly to her. She handed him the paper as she spoke. "Get out of town quickly. And take the back streets. You can read it once you get safely out of town."
He gave her a curt nod of understanding and disappeared into an alley. "Quickly, James, to Porterville," she said as she boarded the coach with Martha and her child.
Kid sat on Rusty's back and watched the black smoke billow skyward from the mass of flames that had once been a mansion. Heyes had stood here astride Odin's back and watched as well. He had left signs good enough for Kid to follow, but not so obvious to an untrained eye. It would be a while before the governor could send trackers after them, so Kid would have time to cover their tracks. And he would take the time to cover them well. Because according to the paper he had finally taken time to glance at, he was in big trouble and Heyes was in even deeper. He picked up the trail his partner had left easily. It headed northwest. Kid knew just where Heyes was headed. He nudged Rusty into a canter.
Anonymous
Kid Curry stretched the stiffness from his bones and stood for a moment in the mid morning sun, soaking in the rays like a cat on a window sill. He stood outside the front door of Fannie's place patting his stomach, now full of steak and eggs he'd just eaten. If they stayed here in Cheyenne much longer, Fannie would be able to retire on all the money he was spending in there. He smiled at that thought and then started deciding on which kind of pie he was going to go back for in a couple of hours. Peach or cherry? He just couldn't decide. He'd just have one of each. Kid's smile broadened. Life was pretty darn good right now. If all went according to plan, he, Heyes, Evie, Livvy and Gabbie would all be riding out of here any day now. He was just biding his time, waiting for Heyes to ride in and tell him the plan was in motion. He could hardly wait to get Livvy and his baby girl out of here. And then he would make Livvy his wife. Mrs. Thaddeus Jones. He liked the sound of that. Not as well as he would have liked Mrs. Jedediah Curry, but giving up a name was easy when it was the only way to keep his newly formed family together.
He stepped onto the busy main street and headed towards the hotel. He had wanted Livvy to join him for breakfast, but she had insisted that it was foolish for them to be seen together this close to the end of the entire ordeal. And she was right. He just didn't want to be too far away from them. And he couldn't wait to get back to them now. The bond he had with his child and her mother was unlike any he'd experienced. It was just as strong as the bond he shared with Heyes. Different, but just as strong. And he hadn't thought there would ever be another person alive who he would have as strong a bond with as the bond he had with Hannibal Heyes. He now understood his partner's need to protect Evie and never be far from her side. He hurried across the street, anxious now more than ever to see his daughter.
"Hey, you!" someone yelled out from down the street.
Everyone on the street and inside the shops and businesses, including Kid, stopped and searched for the source of that voice. He found it at the eastern end of the street near the dry goods store. Kid turned slowly eastward to find a young man who couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen staring him down, his young face scowling in anger.
Kid stuck his own thumb into his chest as he asked, "You talking to me?"
"Yeah, I'm talking to you. You're Kid Curry ain't ya?"
Gasps, murmurs and hushed whispers spread through the street as onlookers and pedestrians anticipated what was going to happen next. Folks began to take cover inside buildings and behind wagons, barrels and water troughs.
"Aw, no. Not again," Kid thought. "Who wants to know?" Kid asked as he gave the boy a once over, sizing him up.
"Folks call me Pecos Pete. And I here tell you think you're the fastest gun there is."
"I don't recall ever saying that I was the fastest. Other folks have made that claim, not me. I don't plan on proving it one way or the other today." Kid turned away from the boy and started back towards the hotel.
But Pecos Pete had other plans. He took a few, brisk steps forward. "But I say you are going to prove something today. Only it ain't gonna be that you're faster than me. I aim to prove that I'm faster."
Kid hung his head and looked at the ground. There was time when he would have stared the boy down with his icy blue gaze and accepted the challenge without any doubt that he was the faster gun. But now....he wasn't so sure of himself. He'd been practicing ever since he'd gotten out of prison and the time he'd spent in Laramie, he had proven many times he could still outdraw most men. But in Laramie, he had not known he was a father. If he had known, he might have walked away from those challenges too. His instincts were always right when it came to sizing up a man set on a fast draw contest. And his instincts were telling him he was faster than this boy. But what if this time his instincts were wrong. He didn't have only himself to think about anymore. He looked up to the window of Livvy's room that faced the street. He had a lot more to consider these days.
Kid turned his head towards the young gunfighter. "I'll settle the argument for you right now. You're faster. Now, if you'll excuse me, Pete, I've got a lady to see."
Kid had one boot on the bottom step of the hotel steps when Pete called out again, "You ain't going nowhere until I prove it with my gun that I'm faster. So you better face me here and now or keep walking and prove that you're nothing but a yellow bellied coward."
Kid set his booted foot back down on the dirt street, but he didn't turn to face the boy. If he did, he knew the boy would take it as as acceptance of his challenge. And he couldn't accept it. He had to be responsible and walk away. His pride had to come second to his child and the woman he loved. "Look, son, I only have one reason to fight you, and that's my pride. But I've got a whole lot more reasons for not fighting you. A man's reasons for living are a whole lot better than his excuses for dying. I've got too much to live for to risk losing a gunfight because you called me yellow. And besides that.....boy, I don't want to hurt you."
"Hah! You can't hurt me when you're dead. And I don't see any boys on this street. Just one man and one gutless, lily livered has been who's running off to hide behind a woman's skirts."
As hard as he fought it, Kid just couldn't stop himself. You just couldn't take away a man's natural tendencies in a few short days. He didn't want to turn, but his body was acting almost of its own accord and he found himself walking slowly back into the middle of the street and turning to face the cocksure fool. Not only had he goaded Kid, now he had made him angry. Big mistake.
Pete's tall, lanky frame stiffened in response when Kid Curry turned to fully face him. Sweat formed on his brow and upper lip when Kid Curry removed the glove from his right hand and hooked his
thumb into his gun belt. He had expected to see fear or at least nervousness in the infamous gun slinger's blue eyes. The same fear that the other men he had called out and defeated had shown. But he did not.
Pete pulled his dark brown stetson hat low over his eyes. He licked his dry lips. He steadied his hand as it hung low and ready next to his gun. His eyes darted nervously back and forth. He swallowed hard. Kid noticed all the little tell tale signs of the boy's nervousness. He'd faced many men in the middle of the street and he could always tell when the other man was nervous.
He on the other hand still had his thumbs hooked into his gun belt. He made no move to adjust his tan hat to shield his eyes from the mid morning sun. He was calm, cool and steady. Which made the younger, less experienced gunfighter all the more nervous. And he was taking too long. Kid could see in his green eyes that he was starting to think about it. Another big mistake. If you called a man out in the street, you didn't have time to think about it. You'd best get on with it and do what you came to do. If not, you were a dead man.
"I ain't afraid of you, mister," Pecos Pete said, with less conviction than he would liked.
Kid wanted to laugh. Had the situation not been so serious he might have. Who was this boy trying to convince, the Kid or himself? Now Kid knew he had Pecos Pete right where he wanted him...thinking too much, nervous and scared. Why had he put himself in this situation?
"I can't stand here all day, Pete. If you're of a mind to prove something, you'd best get to provin' it," Kid said calmly. "Or you can change your mind and back out now. Nobody will think you're a coward if you use good common sense and stop this foolishness right now."
Pecos Pete looked away from the cool eyed man who stared him down for only a moment. He couldn't back out now. He had called Kid Curry out. He had tracked him here when he had learned the outlaw had been released from prison and had been challenged to several gunfights in Laramie. He had to prove he was faster. He went for his gun. But before he could even get it clear of the holster, he heard the shot and then felt the burning pain in his right forearm. He looked down to see a circle of blood forming on the calico material of his long sleeved shirt. He looked up again to see the man who had just shot him coming towards him in quick, deliberate strides.
"You aim to kill me now? After you've fixed my arm up good and useless?" The panicked boy screamed. But he was shocked when Kid Curry took the bandana from around his neck and tied it tight around his wound. A crowd began to gather around the two in the center of the street.
"If you're lucky I've fixed it so that you won't ever be able to do something as foolish as challenge another man to a gunfight. Now get over to the hospital and let them take a look at you."
Pecos Pete's green eyes stared at Kid Curry with astonishment. "Why didn't you kill me?" he asked the former outlaw.
"If you had been any faster, I might have. But I don't believe in killing. And now that you're left handed, I bet you're not too keen on killing either, are you?"
The boys eyes looked like a lost pup's. "No, sir. I reckon not."
In a few short minutes Kid Curry had gone from "hey, you" to "sir." Kid could only shake his head in bewilderment as he watched the boy trudge off towards the hospital.
.
Kid pivoted on his heels and came face to face with Sheriff Lawler. His face was stern as he squinted in the sunshine. "I saw that. And I only got one thing to say."
Kid waited with baited breath for the sheriff to tell him he was in trouble. Instead the sheriff smiled and extended his hand to Kid, "That was quite a show of compassion and self control. Most men with your skill would have blown that boy to kingdom come. Thanks for not making the streets of my town bloody."
Kid shook the lawman's hand and made his way past the throng of people who were now filling the street, going about their business once again. Many of them looked him in the eye with respect and deference. A trio of elegantly clad ladies, all young and beautiful eyed him coyly and brazenly batted their eyes at him. He tipped his hat in their direction. "Morning, ladies," he said politely.
"How gallant of you, Mr. Curry, to let that young man go with only a wound," the pretty brunette purred.
"And how brave you are to face that ruffian without so much as blinking an eye. And what beautiful eyes they are," the red head added.
"We were just on our way to the cafe for a brunch. We could certainly use a gentleman's escort," the blonde boldly offered.
"Thank you, ladies for the offer, but I'm afraid I've already had breakfast. If you will excuse me, I have a lady to see and I don't want to keep her waiting."
He rushed past them, eager to get to his girls. He left the trio with pouts of disappointment on their faces.
~*~
Livvy watched from the open window of her hotel room as Jed made his way back from breakfast. She could see Fannie's restaurant from her window and she had watched, waiting for Jed Curry to exit and head back toward the hotel. She hated to admit just how much she enjoyed watching him walk. Or should she say strut. She recalled the first time she had seen him as he had strutted towards her at the train depot in Cold Springs, Texas. She had known then, there was something special about the man. Butterflies formed in her chest when she thought about being alone with him, as his wife. When she had learned she was with child she had resigned herself that she was going to have to raise her child without a father. But when Gabbie had taken her first breath, Livvy knew that she would do anything to make sure that her precious little bundle of joy would not want for anything, especially a father. That's when she and Evangeline had made plans to try and get the boys out of prison. But once the wheels were set in motion to get them out, she began to think about the possible outcomes. And she had feared Jed would run scared when he discovered he had a child. It was easier for her to just stay alone than to deal with the heartbreak of rejection. That is why she had sworn Evangeline to secrecy. She wanted to tell Jed about their daughter in her own time. She wanted the opportunity to ease him into the knowledge that he was a father, hoping it would make it easier for him to accept. But she had been afraid for nothing. Not only had he taken to being a father like a duck takes to water, he had also wanted to be her husband. Well, he had proposed to her. That didn't necessarily mean he really wanted to be a husband. She had been thinking about it all morning. What if he had only asked her to marry him out of obligation?
Her heart jumped into her throat when she realized that Jed was being called out into the street by a foolish young gun fighter. Didn't the young man know who he was challenging? She had never witnessed a real gun fight before. But she had witnessed Jed Curry draw his gun on many occasions back at the McCreedy ranch. One of their favorite places to meet had been in the hayloft of the barn. After he had made her giddy with his masterful lovemaking he would always show off for a while, practicing his fast draw. She didn't think there was another man alive who could possibly be faster. As she watched the scene below she was both terrified and thrilled at the same time. While she was extremely nervous and slightly fearful that the other man might be faster, she had to admit that watching him prove his prowess with a gun had made her blood run hot. Jed Curry was all man. That was only one of the things she found so devastatingly appealing about the man. Her body began to hum and tingle as she thought about how skilled his hands were at things other than handling a gun. Her mind wandered back to the nights, and the occasional afternoon, on the McCreedy ranch when she and Thaddeus would sneak out either to the hay loft or some other secluded spot where he had awakened something inside of her that no other man ever had. She missed those times and how he had made her feel. Everything had made sense in her life then. Now everything seemed to be upside down and out of sorts.
She held her breath as she watched Jed face the young gun fighter. She exhaled on a smile when she saw the young man go down with a well placed bullet to the right forearm. How like, Kid Curry. He could have killed the boy. Most men would have. He could have outdrawn the boy and stopped there. But he had given him a permanent reminder of why he should never do anything so foolish again. She admired him for that. Outlaw or not, he was an honorable man. Again, doubts and fears began to swarm her brain and her heart. Was he only marrying her because he was honor bound? That's when she saw the handsome outlaw being ogled like a piece of raw meat in a tigers cage by three women. Young women. Pretty women.
She turned away from the window when she saw him smile warmly in their direction. Her eyes landed on her own reflection in the mirrored wash stand across the room. Who was she kidding? She was fourteen years his senior. Practically old enough to be his mother. He was a virile, exciting, young man in the prime of his life. She was a used up, boring, middle aged woman. She took in her own appearance. She was still attractive for her age of 43. In fact most people took her to be in her early thirties. But how many woman in their twenties were out there just waiting for the opportunity to tempt the infamous Kid Curry. Pretty women. Young women. If she hadn't already agreed to marry him as soon as they arrived in Colorado, she would make up some excuse to postpone the whole thing. She didn't want to be his obligation. She wanted to be his desire. As she leaned with her backside against the window sill, studying her own reflection, she tried to think of some excuse for postponing their wedding. Then she could eventually figure out a way to gracefully allow herself to be let down when he realized he didn't want to be saddled to an older woman, and to keep herself from the inevitable heartbreak she was sure to endure once he grew weary of her and moved on to someone young and pretty. She refused to use her daughter as a means to keep a man. She would still allow him to be a part of Gabby's life, but she would not use a wedding ring as a yoke.
She had a new found respect for Hannibal Heyes. How had he stood in front of Evangeline and told her he was leaving her? When she thought about telling Jed she wanted to postpone their wedding indefinitely she felt like she would choke on the words. Had Hannibal Heyes choked on the words when he had told the woman he loved he was leaving her for her own good? She must think of some plausible reason for calling the wedding off, or he would see right through her and he would do the honorable thing and tell her he wanted to marry her not out of obligation, but because he wanted to.
"How was your breakfast?"
"Great. Did you have anything?" he asked as she bent to scoop his little girl off the floor.
"Yes. Just toast and coffee." She studied him as he interacted with Gabby. He would be a good father. Loving and protective. She wished she could have known what kind of husband he would have been. "How often does that happen?" she asked.
"What?"
"That," she motioned towards the street below.
"You saw that, did you?"
"Of course I saw it. Everyone in town saw it. Does it happen very often?"
"It didn't happen nearly as often before I went to prison. Seems everybody's out to prove they're faster than me now that I'm a free man and I don't have a price on my head. Maybe they think my time in jail made me lose my touch?"
"The gunfight is not what I'm referring to."
He looked at her confused. "What are you talking about then?"
"Those women. The ones who practically undressed you with their eyes in the middle of the street in broad daylight?"
"Are you serious, Liv? I hardly even noticed those girls. Uh oh. I think somebody needs a clean diaper."
Livvy turned back to look out the window. He wasn't even taking her concern seriously. There was no sense in putting it off. She would just put an end to it right now. She took a deep breath and said on a whisper, "I can't do this."
"Well, give me a clean diaper and I'll do it."
"That's not what I mean. I mean this. Us. I can't do it."
"What are you talking about? What do you mean you can't do it."
"I'm releasing you from your obligation. Nobody knows that Gabby is yours. You can still be her father behind closed doors. But in public you can continue with your life as you always have. I won't force you to be yoked to an old woman."
"Are you saying you won't marry me? Because a few women made eyes at me in the street?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
Kid just stared, dumbfounded for a moment at her. He laid the baby down and came to stand directly behind Livvy.
She would have felt his presence even if she had not heard his approach. Please don't touch me, she thought. For if he touched her she knew he would be able to dissuade her of her decision. And he didn't touch her with his hands, but with the soft, warm caress of his breath against the back of her neck as he whispered, "First of all, you're not an old woman. And as far as you not wanting to marry me, I bet I can change your mind?"
She inhaled sharply as shivers ran down her spine and spread through her limbs. She had no doubt that he could change her mind, but she couldn't let him have the chance. "I thought the baby needed changing."
"She can wait a minute. Right now I need to make sure her diaper isn't the only thing around here that's full of crap. I think her mama is too."
"I'm not full of anything," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh, but I think you are. Your full of doubt and insecurity and a little jealousy."
"I'm not jealous! I just don't want to subject my child to the gossip that is bound to start circulating once her father becomes a philanderer. And you know you will once you grow tired of an old woman for a wife. With women throwing themselves at the notorious Kid Curry, you're bound to meet up with a young, pretty temptation that's too hard to resist sooner or later."
"I don't see how I can meet up with a temptation any stronger than you lying in my bed every night. And besides, I'm going to be Thaddeus Jones from now on. I don't know what's brought all this on, but I'm not going to let you do this to me. To us."
"Do you realize that when you're my age I'll be nearly sixty years old?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So? So, I don't want to wake up one morning and find that my much younger husband has abandoned me for a much younger woman. I'd rather not be married at all than have to go through that."
Kid knew she was feeling insecure and afraid. Hell, he was afraid himself. Nobody knew what the future was going to hold. But one thing he knew for damn sure was that he loved this feisty, head strong, pint sized bundle of blonde curls and soft skin. He wanted to know what it was like to go to sleep beside her every night and wake up beside her every morning. And that's what he planned on telling her. But first he was going to kiss her speechless so she wouldn't be able to give him any sassy and illogical excuses for them not to marry. He spun her around and pinned her to the window. "But being married gives us the freedom to do so many things. Things like this," he said in a voice that dripped with honey as he brought his mouth towards hers.
She was helpless to do anything but part her lips and savor the taste of his mouth over hers. She felt her insides melt and form a pool of hot liquid that rushed between her thighs. She had to stop him before this went too far and she lost her resolve to call their wedding off. But his mouth was blazing a trail of fire down her throat and back up to that spot just below her ear that he knew was the one spot that he only had to lay the tip of his tongue to and she would be crazy with wanting him. He was almost there. She both dreaded it and looked so forward to it. She clung to his shoulders as he plundered her neck with his mouth and tongue.
Gabbie's cries of discontent pulled Livvy from her blissful state. She pushed Kid slightly away from her and stepped around him to tend to her fussy baby. She could see that her argument about their age difference was not going to budge him. She had to use other tactics to save them both from the inevitable catastrophe of heartbreak that a marriage between them would turn out to be. As she changed Gabbie's diaper she decided she must hit him where it really hurt. There were only two things in this world that Jed Curry had never been without and would never be without. One was Hannibal Heyes. The other was like a growth on his right thigh.
"Alright, I'll marry you on one condition," she said firmly as she finished redressing Gabby.
"Condition? The only condition you should have to marry me is that I love you, you love me and we both love our daughter."
"Yes, I do love her. More than anything I love her. And I cannot subject her to a life full of violence. If the sort of thing like I just saw on the street happens so often, what's to keep it from happening one day when we're walking down the street as a family? Obviously you can be tracked down no matter where you go or what name you're using. I can't be married to a man and a raise a child with him when gunfights in the street are just an everyday occurrence. I would be the most irresponsible mother known to man. The only way I'll marry you is if you lay down your gun."
Kid was speechless. Did she say what he thought she had just said? She expected him to lay down his gun? "Liv, I've had this gun on my hip since I was sixteen years old. Heyes and me, we need protection. Just because we've been pardoned doesn't mean people still ain't out to prove something. If it wasn't for this gun, me and him would both be dead by now."
"Well, that's just my point. If you don't wear a gun, nobody will be calling you out. They will know you're a man of peace who's changed his ways. And that's the only way I will even consider marrying you. Lay down your gun." Livvy felt sick to her stomach. She knew she was asking more of him than he was going to be able to give. His gun was like a part of him and he wouldn't be able to give it up. But her heart squeezed so tight in her chest that it took her breath away as she watched him look down for only a split second, then his hands went to the leather string that was tied around his right thigh.
Kid didn't have to think long. If giving up his gun meant he could have his family then he would lay it down. He wouldn't like it, but he would do it. What ever it took to make Livvy see that he was serious. He unbuckled his gun belt and lifted the supple leather holster with its shiny Colt .45 away from his hip. He silently wound the leather belt around the holster and held it out to her.
She didn't know what to say. She didn't think he would do it. But he had. She was not the type of woman who cried. She was the strong responsible one. She was the head of the house. How then could a gesture as small as removing a gun belt make her eyes burn with restrained tears. She felt her nose begin to burn and grow red with the heat of the tears she would not allow to fall. She took the gun belt in her small hands, not really knowing what to do with it now that she had it. This gun was a part of who and what he was. Part of what she loved about him. He had given up part of his being to make her happy. But would it always be so? Would he always feel this way about her? Even when she was a sixty year old woman?
The sharp, loud knock at the door made her jump nervously. She had been lost in his eyes and the look of love he had for her there. She opened the door to find a disheveled and breathless Martha. She practically collapsed into the arms of her mistress.
"Martha! My, God, what's happened?" Livvy asked as she held onto the life long family servant.
"Oh, Lord of mercy, Mr. Curry," she said as he came and helped her to a chair, "Thank heaven I've found you here. You must go at once. The house is a fire."
"The governor's mansion?" Kid asked.
"Yes, it's engulfed in flames as we speak. "
"Evangeline!" Livvy shrieked.
"No! She got away. Mr. Heyes took her away. I saw him ride off with her. He headed north. I jumped on one of the horses that were running loose and headed straight here. You must go, Mr. Curry."
"Was Evie hurt? Heyes? Was he alright?"
"Mr. Heyes was fine. I spoke with him just before we saw the fire. But I don't know about Miss Evangeline. We were almost out the door when that misbegotten spawn of Lucifer called her back. I went ahead to tell the stable boy to get the carriage ready. When I came back that devil threw me out of the gates and said she had taken ill and that he was in charge of her now. He had some doctor there to help him. I ran straight away to find Mr. Heyes."
"You're sure Heyes got away with Evie?"
"Yes. Now you must go. He said to follow his trail and he would leave you plenty of signs."
The sound of shouting and ringing bells came in through the open window. The three went to see what was the commotion. The six horse powered fire engine sped through town with it's loud bell clanging. Word of the fire had reached town and folks were racing to watch it.
"You must go, Mr. Curry. You can be sure that demon will blame you and Mr. Heyes for this. They will be looking for you."
"But he was here in town when that fire started. In fact he was in the middle of the street involved in a gun fight. There were hundreds of witnesses."
"That won't make any difference when that devil is involved. He'll find some way to make the two of you pay."
"Martha's right. You should go. I don't trust any of this. If there is even a chance that he will try to make this either of your faults you should be somewhere safe where they won't find you. Besides that Hannibal and Evangeline might need help. Martha, was Evangeline really ill?"
"I don't see how in the span of ten minutes she could have gone from perfect health to illness. He must have poisoned her," Martha said as her voice cracked and tears began to stream down her ruddy cheeks. "I should never have left her alone with that maniac. Please forgive me," she sobbed into Livvy's shoulder.
"I've got to get to Heyes and Evie. The governor might send men out after Heyes. Did anyone else see him ride off with her?"
"Yes, they saw him. They were shooting at them. Please, hurry, Mr. Curry," Martha pleaded.
"Livvy, get your things together. I'm going to stop by James's room and tell him to get the couch ready. I want you all out of Cheyenne as soon as possible."
Livvy just nodded in agreement, frightened now for her niece and Hannibal.
Kid lifted his baby girl from the bed and kissed the top of her downy head. "Daddy loves you, Gabbie," he told the infant before he laid her back on the bed. Then he took her mother's face in his hands and kissed her tenderly on the lips. " Go to Porterville. Find Lom and tell him what's happened. Tell him everything. I'll find Heyes and Evie and we'll meet you there. I love you, Liv. We're not finished, yet, lady. I will be back."
He headed for the door when Livvy yelled out to him, "Jed, wait!"
He turned back to find her arm extended, gun belt in her hand. He didn't argue, but instead took the gun and quickly strapped it back in its place. He pulled her close and gave her one last quick, hard kiss before he headed out the door.
"Please, be careful!" Livvy called out as he disappeared into the hallway. "And I love you," she realized now she didn't say.
Kid took the back streets to get to the livery. He saddled Rusty as fast as he could. "We've got to make good time, old friend. Heyes and Evie need our help."
The sorrel stallion tossed his head, clearly understanding the man who saddled him.
Kid and Rusty emerged from the livery in time to see Livvy and Martha board Livvy's private coach. Their eyes met and held for a long moment.
"Extra, extra!! Notorious outlaw kidnaps governor's daughter-in-law!"
Livvy and Kid both jerked their heads in the direction of the shouting boy's voice. Livvy ran after the boy and purchased the special edition of the paper he was selling. It was just off the press. There in enormous black and white letters it read, "NOTORIOUS OUTLAW HANNIBAL HEYES KIDNAPS GOVERNOR'S SON'S WIFE."
Livvy had only to read the first few sentences of the article to know that Heyes was being blamed for setting the fire and kidnapping Evangeline. And naturally, since Hannibal Heyes was involved, they assumed Kid Curry was as well. The public was advised to be on the lookout for both men and to make a citizen's arrest if spotted. Livvy looked at Kid who sat atop his horse waiting. She was too far from him to tell him all that she had read. But Kid could see in her expression that it wasn't good news. She waved frantically for him to come quickly to her. She handed him the paper as she spoke. "Get out of town quickly. And take the back streets. You can read it once you get safely out of town."
He gave her a curt nod of understanding and disappeared into an alley. "Quickly, James, to Porterville," she said as she boarded the coach with Martha and her child.
Kid sat on Rusty's back and watched the black smoke billow skyward from the mass of flames that had once been a mansion. Heyes had stood here astride Odin's back and watched as well. He had left signs good enough for Kid to follow, but not so obvious to an untrained eye. It would be a while before the governor could send trackers after them, so Kid would have time to cover their tracks. And he would take the time to cover them well. Because according to the paper he had finally taken time to glance at, he was in big trouble and Heyes was in even deeper. He picked up the trail his partner had left easily. It headed northwest. Kid knew just where Heyes was headed. He nudged Rusty into a canter.
~*~
Heyes pressed his ear to her chest one more time. Her heart was still beating steadily. Her chest still rose and fell with each breath. But why was she still unconscious? It had been hours since he had swooped in and scooped her out of death's hands. He had tried splashing cold water on her face, but with not success. He was starting to get worried. He was only five miles from Culver City. He could ride in and get her to a doctor he supposed. But he wasn't sure just how far news had gotten of the fire. And he was sure that he was soon to be the most hunted man in Wyoming once again.
He touched her face. She looked so lifeless. Why wouldn't she wake up? There was no doubt in his mind that the bastard had drugged her. He just wished he knew what he had given her. He would give her until late afternoon. If she wasn't conscious by five o'clock, he would take her into town to see the doc. He'd come up with some believable story so the townsfolk wouldn't wonder too hard about a stranger riding in with an unconscious, half naked woman.
And that was another thing that bothered him. Why was she half naked? Even if she had fallen ill there would be no need to undress her down to her pantalettes and chemise. In spite of his worry for her safety, he felt the dark rage inside of him once again begin to awaken. Surely the governor had not dared to.....He shook his head. He couldn't think about that right now. If he did he was afraid he would go into an uncontrollable rage and do something stupid like get on Odin's back and ride back to Cheyenne and kill the son of a bitch.
Right now he had to focus on Evie and getting her to wake up. Until she did they were stuck here in this cave. He sat beside her and pulled her across his lap. He held her like a father held his sleeping child. She was wrapped in the blanket from his bedroll to ward off the cool damp air of the cave. He was reminded of the first night he had met her. He had waited then for her to awaken from unconsciousness too. And when she had, she had pulled his own gun on him. But once she had realized he had saved her life and that her family was gone, she had crumbled to the ground in sorrow and despair. He had held her just like this until she had fallen asleep. It seemed like only yesterday, but yet it seemed like a hundred years. So much had changed since that night in Texas. He kissed her smudged forehead and let his lips linger there on her skin. He would give his life for her. Would he ever really know just how much she had sacrificed to gain his freedom? "Please, sweetheart, wake up," he whispered.
She was trapped in a black cloud. She tried to swat at the darkness that surrounded her but her arms refused to move. Was she wrapped head to toe in a black shroud? Why couldn't she see? "Try opening your eyes, you ninny," she chided herself. But her eyes wouldn't open. Try as she may she could not get them to open. Where was she? What was she supposed to be doing? Was something burning? She couldn't get the smell out of her nose. "Oh, what's the use. Just go back to sleep," she told herself. That's when she heard it. The voice. The voice that she couldn't ignore. The voice that meant so many things. The voice that meant safety. The voice that meant love. She wanted to see the face that belonged to that voice. She had to expend all of her energy just to get her eyes to open in tiny slits. Just enough to see the face that belonged to the comforting, heavenly voice.
She stirred in his arms. She opened her eyes and looked at him through half closed lids. "Hey, sweetheart. Can you hear me? Can you wake up for me?"
Hearing that voice call her sweetheart gave her strength to open her eyes further. She saw the angelic face that went with the heavenly voice and she knew. Though fuzzy, some of her memory came back and she knew he had saved her from the burning house. "Hey, cowboy," she croaked out from her parched and raw throat.
He grabbed the canteen and held it to her lips. "Here drink a little. Not too much. Your throat is raw from all that smoke you inhaled."
"Where are we?"
"We're about 30 miles north of Cheyenne. There's a little town called Culver City about five miles south of here. This cave used to be one of our hiding places when we were heading back to Devil's Hole after we pulled a job."
"We always seem to end up in caves. How long have I been out?"
"About five hours. I was starting to get worried. How much do you remember?"
"Not very much. Was the house on fire? And did you save me on the front steps?"
"Yes. I picked you up and rode off with you just before the porch ceiling fell on top of you. Can you remember anything else, sweetheart? Did they drug you with something?"
"I don't know. I can't remember," she said groggily as her eye lids began to fall shut once more. "I can't stay awake."
Heyes rubbed her cheeks, trying to stimulate her to stay awake a little longer. "Please, try to stay awake just a little longer, sweetheart. I need you to remember what happened. Did you drink anything or eat anything before the fire?"
She fought so hard to stay awake, but it was just too difficult. Thinking and remembering was impossible. She wanted to stay awake because that is what he wanted her to to do. But right now her body's need for sleep was much stronger than her hearts' desire to please him. And so she fell back into the dark shroud of unconsciousness.
Dammit. She was out again. He knew her body needed the rest to sleep off the effects of whatever they had given her. But he was hoping she could give him some idea of what it was. And he wanted to know why she was unclothed. He would just have to wait for his answers. He laid her back down and went in search of more fire wood. It was going to be a long night. But at least she had woken up so that he knew now he wouldn't have to take her in to the doc. All he could do was sit and wait.
She finally woke around 10 o'clock. Twelve hours after she had been drugged she was able to open her eyes and keep them open. But she was dizzy when she tried to sit up and her legs were too weak to stand.
"Can you remember anything yet?" he asked her as he tried to smooth away the traces of black from her cheeks with his bandanna.
"I remember the smoke and the fire. I remember..." her voice was weak and she struggled to grasp a hold of the events from that morning but she couldn't. She couldn't even remember the events from the night before. "I remember watching you leave and you told me you would be waiting in the woods behind the mansion. And I remember crawling to the front steps where you picked me up and put me on Odin's back. Everything else in between is a blur of sounds and faces. But none of it makes any sense." She put her hands to her temples. Her head ached like it had never ached before.
"It's alright. Don't worry about it. You'll remember soon enough. Right now we just need to get you cleaned up and get some food in your stomach."
"What I need is you. You're the best medicine I could have," Her voice quivered and he clutched her tight to him. She clung to him as tightly as her weak arms would allow. Medicine. Doctor. She pulled away from him and looked into his face. "There was a doctor there I think." She paused for a moment trying to remember. "Was there?"
He smiled at her efforts. "Yes, baby, there was a doctor there. See? Just give yourself time and it will all come back to you. You just need to rest. I've got a biscuit and some salt pork in my bag. I'll warm them over the fire for you. Then in the morning we'll see if we can't get you down to the water for a bath and I'll try to catch us some fresh meat."
"What's going to happen now? What about Kid and Livvy?"
"Every thing's going to be alright. Martha is going to get word to Kid and he'll be coming. As soon as he gets here we'll decide what to do next. I have a feeling I'm going to be wanted for arson now."
"Yes. I picked you up and rode off with you just before the porch ceiling fell on top of you. Can you remember anything else, sweetheart? Did they drug you with something?"
"I don't know. I can't remember," she said groggily as her eye lids began to fall shut once more. "I can't stay awake."
Heyes rubbed her cheeks, trying to stimulate her to stay awake a little longer. "Please, try to stay awake just a little longer, sweetheart. I need you to remember what happened. Did you drink anything or eat anything before the fire?"
She fought so hard to stay awake, but it was just too difficult. Thinking and remembering was impossible. She wanted to stay awake because that is what he wanted her to to do. But right now her body's need for sleep was much stronger than her hearts' desire to please him. And so she fell back into the dark shroud of unconsciousness.
Dammit. She was out again. He knew her body needed the rest to sleep off the effects of whatever they had given her. But he was hoping she could give him some idea of what it was. And he wanted to know why she was unclothed. He would just have to wait for his answers. He laid her back down and went in search of more fire wood. It was going to be a long night. But at least she had woken up so that he knew now he wouldn't have to take her in to the doc. All he could do was sit and wait.
She finally woke around 10 o'clock. Twelve hours after she had been drugged she was able to open her eyes and keep them open. But she was dizzy when she tried to sit up and her legs were too weak to stand.
"Can you remember anything yet?" he asked her as he tried to smooth away the traces of black from her cheeks with his bandanna.
"I remember the smoke and the fire. I remember..." her voice was weak and she struggled to grasp a hold of the events from that morning but she couldn't. She couldn't even remember the events from the night before. "I remember watching you leave and you told me you would be waiting in the woods behind the mansion. And I remember crawling to the front steps where you picked me up and put me on Odin's back. Everything else in between is a blur of sounds and faces. But none of it makes any sense." She put her hands to her temples. Her head ached like it had never ached before.
"It's alright. Don't worry about it. You'll remember soon enough. Right now we just need to get you cleaned up and get some food in your stomach."
"What I need is you. You're the best medicine I could have," Her voice quivered and he clutched her tight to him. She clung to him as tightly as her weak arms would allow. Medicine. Doctor. She pulled away from him and looked into his face. "There was a doctor there I think." She paused for a moment trying to remember. "Was there?"
He smiled at her efforts. "Yes, baby, there was a doctor there. See? Just give yourself time and it will all come back to you. You just need to rest. I've got a biscuit and some salt pork in my bag. I'll warm them over the fire for you. Then in the morning we'll see if we can't get you down to the water for a bath and I'll try to catch us some fresh meat."
"What's going to happen now? What about Kid and Livvy?"
"Every thing's going to be alright. Martha is going to get word to Kid and he'll be coming. As soon as he gets here we'll decide what to do next. I have a feeling I'm going to be wanted for arson now."
"Arson? But you didn't start that fire did you?"
"No, sweetheart, I didn't. And until you can regain your memory we will never learn the truth."
"I'm sorry. My head just hurts so when I try to think too much."
"I know. It's alright. Don't worry. All that matters is that we're here together and we're safe And as soon as Kid and Livvy get here we'll decide what to do. I guess the first thing they will want to do is get married."
"Married? Kid asked Livvy to marry him?"
"Yeah. How about that? And Livvy said yes. Martha was headed to town to tell him to follow us. I just hope he can make it out of town before anybody gets suspicious that he had something to do with that fire."
She grasped her aching head in her hands. Then shook it slowly back and forth. The image was there but it was foggy and unclear.
"What is it? Do you remember something?"
"The fire. I saw it when it started. It started in my room. But I can't remember why or how." Her eyes grew worried suddenly. "Oh, dear, I hope Clay wasn't home. I hope he got out of there."
"No, sweetheart, I didn't. And until you can regain your memory we will never learn the truth."
"I'm sorry. My head just hurts so when I try to think too much."
"I know. It's alright. Don't worry. All that matters is that we're here together and we're safe And as soon as Kid and Livvy get here we'll decide what to do. I guess the first thing they will want to do is get married."
"Married? Kid asked Livvy to marry him?"
"Yeah. How about that? And Livvy said yes. Martha was headed to town to tell him to follow us. I just hope he can make it out of town before anybody gets suspicious that he had something to do with that fire."
She grasped her aching head in her hands. Then shook it slowly back and forth. The image was there but it was foggy and unclear.
"What is it? Do you remember something?"
"The fire. I saw it when it started. It started in my room. But I can't remember why or how." Her eyes grew worried suddenly. "Oh, dear, I hope Clay wasn't home. I hope he got out of there."
Heyes couldn't contain the look of anger and jealousy that clouded his face. "What do you care what happens to him, any how?"
Evie tried to suppress the smile that made the corners of her mouth twitch. "Are you jealous, Hannibal Heyes?"
"No," he gruffed. She just continued to stare at him expectantly with a smug grin on her dirty adorable face. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't want any man to be able to say he's your husband 'cept me," he grumbled.
She placed a tender hand on his dimpled cheek. "I have never called him my husband and neither has he. You don't have anything to worry about or be jealous of. I just feel sorry for him that's all. I don't know why I do, but I do. He's not the one who is to be despised or blamed. It's his father."
"Yeah, I guess. Right now I don't want to think about either Ramsey. Jr. or the third. I just want to think about getting you out of those underclothes."
"Why, Mr. Heyes, have a little patience. Give a girl a chance to recover first."
"I would be patient except for one thing."
"What's that?" she asked, unable to keep the seductive gleam out of her eye despite her foggy mind.
"You stink. All that smoke smell in your clothes has you smelling like a Union soldier who just marched through Atlanta."
She laughed and that started a round of coughing - remnants of the smoke she had breathed into her lungs. He gave her another sip from the canteen.
"You know we really have to stop doing this," she said as she gazed with love into his chocolate brown eyes.
"Doing what?"
"Rescuing each other."
"I think we gotta stop getting ourselves into situations that we need rescuing from first."
"That's what I mean. Do you think we're ever going to be able to live happily ever after?"
"I'm working on it, sweetheart. I'm working on it."
She hugged him tight and he held her close. He wanted so much to be more reassuring about their future, but the truth was he didn't know himself what if held. But for the moment she was safe in his arms and that was enough. And if they had to life the rest of their days in this cave to keep it that way then so be it. He truly didn't know what their next move was going to be. But he was damn sure that they would make that move together.
No comments:
Post a Comment