by Joyce Alec
“Let me deal with this,” Joe said softly. “Can you trust me on this, Annie? Can you let me help you?”
There wasn’t anything she could do other than nod. “I don’t have anyone else to turn to, Joe.”
He nodded slowly. “I said I’d protect you in return for letting me stay here – and for helping Laura, and that’s what I intend to do. You shouldn’t have to live this way, Annie. No man should be able to have this kind of hold on you.” His hands tightened for a moment as he moved a little closer, his expression impossible for her to make out. She had no idea what he was thinking or what he was feeling, his eyes glowing with an inner fire. “You should be free to live your life without fear. I want to be able to give you that.”
She pressed her hand against his chest, drawing strength from him. “Thank you, Joe. I trust you.”
“Can you wait in the barn until I get back?” His eyes were fixed on hers, searching her expression. “I’ll give you my gun. Just to be safe.”
As much as she wanted to cling to him, as much as she wanted him to stay right where he was, she found herself nodding. She could do this. She could be strong and wait for him to return, despite how shaken she was.
“Good,” he murmured, his grip lessening all the more. “Then come with me. The sooner I can get to town, the better.”
The barn was dark even with the flickering lamp she set down, sending frissons of fear rushing down Annie’s spine. She tried to find some security in the smell of the horses, the familiar way they nickered at her when they caught her scent, but the fact that she was about to be left alone and afraid tore at her. Her heart was thumping wildly, panic shooting through her veins, and then Joe stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
The relief was immediate.
Her breathing began to slow as her head rested just under his chin. His arms were about her waist, but there was nothing more than comfort in his embrace. He wanted to help her, wanted to encourage her, wanted to give her the strength she would need to sit alone in the dark, waiting for him to come back.
“You have been so strong already,” he murmured in her ear, as her hands wound around his neck, holding onto him as though he were an anchor in stormy seas. “You’ve been through so much on your own. You won’t be alone anymore, Annie.”
His lips brushed her forehead as she stepped back, steeling herself for his departure.
“I’ll be as quick as I can,” he murmured, leading his stallion out from the stall. “Lock the barn door behind me. Stay here and try to rest. No one was around when we left the house. No one saw us. You’re safe.”
She tried her best to believe it, pressing her hands together in front of her as he pulled himself up onto the stallion’s bare back. His eyes caught hers in the flickering lamplight, his expression open.
“Do you trust me?”
Hardly able to get the words out, she nodded. “I trust you,” she replied in a choked voice.
Smiling at her, he held their gaze for another moment, and then he was gone.
Some hours later, and Annie woke to see the light making its way through the holes and splinters in the barn walls, telling her that it was dawn. She tried to move but found herself stiff and sore, probably from the impact of falling down, hard, onto the floor yesterday evening.
She hadn’t meant to fall asleep but, somehow, the shock had washed over her and had taken away her strength. The straw had been more than comfortable. Even though she’d been determined to stay awake and alert, she’d obviously grown too tired to keep her eyes open any longer.
Slowly, she got to her feet, brushing straw from the apron she still wore from last night. She was tired and aching all over. Stretching carefully, she looked around the barn for any sign of Joe.
And then, she remembered that she’d locked up the barn from the inside, which meant that Joe hadn’t been able to get back in. Closing her eyes, she cursed her foolishness in falling asleep. She moved quickly towards the barn door and expected to see Joe’s stallion tethered outside. Perhaps he’d realized that she’d fallen asleep and had gone back up to the house to wait for her.
Or perhaps something’s happened.
Her gut twisted, her hands stilling on the lock. Joe had said he wouldn’t be long, but he’d left hours ago, given the morning light that was already filling the sky. Had something happened to him?
Closing her eyes, she drew in a long, steadying breath.
“You’re not going to know if you stay inside,” she told herself, with as much firmness as she could. “You’ve got his gun still, don’t you?”
Putting her hand to her pocket, she felt the reassuring weight of it in her hand for a moment. The thought of actually shooting anyone with it sent chills all through her.
The mare and foal nickered quietly to each other, clearly quite unperturbed by her strange presence with them during the night. Letting the peacefulness of the barn fill her for a moment, Annie built up her courage, unlocked the barn, and threw open the door.
There was no sign of anyone.
There was no stallion, no Joe, no sign of life anywhere about. If Simon was here, which she didn’t expect him to be since it was daytime, then he’d have a horse nearby somewhere – and she couldn’t see one. That meant that she was quite alone.
Slowly, she closed the barn door behind her and then waited for a moment with her back against the barn door. Her ears listened hard for any sounds out of the ordinary, sounds that would alert her that she was in danger, but none came. She fought the urge to run from the barn to her house and battled the fear that she’d be attacked as she made her way home.
Annie quickly made her way up toward the house, her feet quickening her steps as she fought to keep her composure and not give in to her fright.
“Joe?”
The front door was ajar, but she couldn’t remember whether or not they’d shut it last night. She’d been too shocked to notice things like that. There was a single bullet hole through the front door, but nothing more.
An icy chill washed over her as she walked a little further inside, seeing the pastry lying out where she’d left it. She suddenly grew aware of just how hungry she was.
Looking into her bedroom and the small parlor where she’d take guests if they came to call, she took in the shattered glass that lay all over the floor. Paul had worked hard to make the house he had left her as safe and secure as possible. He had given a good deal of money to have glass set in the windows. How she was meant to have them repaired, she had no idea.
Her fears began to rise all the more as she found the kitchen completely empty. There was no sign of Joe.
Growing fretful, Annie tried to think clearly about what she ought to do. There was glass to sweep up and windows to board, a door to fix, and food to make. However, all she could think about was Joe. He’d held her so close and so tight last night. She’d felt, for the first time in months, completely and utterly safe. He’d not turned away from her or left her alone, just as the rest of the townsfolk had. He’d promised to come back. He’d had promised to keep her safe, and she’d believed him. So where was he now?
“He can’t have just left me,” she whispered to herself, doubts beginning to wriggle into her mind. “He can’t have ridden away and left me alone.”
Shaking her head to herself, her nerves taut and twisted, Annie did the only thing she could think of. She set the kettle on the stove and bent to light the fire, trying to think of what practical things she had to do. After all, she had very little idea of what Joe had planned on doing to stop Simon from coming back to her home.
Even if he did manage to force Simon to stay away, she’d have to try and fix up her house as best she could. The front door was locked, which meant she was safe for the time being – although the jagged glass in the windows wouldn’t be much of a deterrent if Simon was determined to get inside.
Closing her eyes, she tried to drag in air and force her heart to settle from its frantic, panicked thumping. She had to do
what was required here, and then, if Joe still wasn’t back, she’d make her way into town in order to find him.
She hoped her trust in him wasn’t about to be broken.
7
“Annie? Annie!”
Jerking her head around, Annie saw the figure of Laura come flying towards her, her skirts flapping in the breeze as she rushed towards her. It had been a good few hours now since Annie had gone back to her house from the barn. Since it was now all to rights and there was food in her belly, she’d had no other choice but to come to town.
“Laura,” she said, looking at her in surprise. “Goodness, what’s the matter? You look done in.”
Laura’s eyes were wide and staring, her cheeks pale. “It’s about Joe,” she replied in a hushed voice. “He asked me to find you.”
“Joe?” Annie’s stomach dropped to her toes as she took in Laura’s horrified expression. “Laura, what’s happened?”
Laura glanced all about her, clearly afraid that someone would overhear. She took Annie’s hand and led them to a quieter spot, a few steps away from the mercantile.
“Joe was here last night,” Laura began, her eyes searching Annie’s face for confirmation. “He said he went to see Simon.”
Nodding slowly, Annie grasped both of Laura’s hands. “Yes, that’s right. We think he was at my house last night. He shot…shot out my windows.” She swallowed hard, pushing away the lump of fear that threatened to settle in her throat. “Joe promised to see to it. I don’t know what he was planning on doing, but he was gonna make sure that Simon didn’t come near me again. But when I woke up, he wasn’t in the barn, and he sure wasn’t at the house.” She frowned, seeing Laura’s eyes awash with tears. “Where is he? What’s happened?”
Laura dragged in a breath, her pallor almost grey. “I’m sorry, Annie.”
“Sorry?” Fear began to choke her, visions of Joe lying dying on the ground filling her head. “What happened to Joe?”
Shaking her head, Laura dropped her head. “It’s not Joe,” she whispered slowly. “It’s Simon.”
“Simon?” Her heart slammed into her ribs painfully. “What about him?”
“Oh, Annie,” Laura whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. “He’s dead.”
Her world slowly began to start spinning around her as Annie looked into Laura’s eyes and saw the horrible, undisguised truth in her expression. Simon was dead. Joe had gone into town last night and…
“Joe says he has to talk to you,” Laura whispered urgently. “Please, Annie. Can you go to him?”
Slowly, Annie’s breath returned to her. “I don’t understand,” she whispered hoarsely. “Do you mean that Joe was the one…? Joe…?” She couldn’t bring herself to say it, suddenly horrified that he had thought that this was what she needed him to do. Suddenly, everything she’d thought about him and everything she believed fell to the ground and shattered to pieces.
Shaking her head, she stepped back from Laura, dropping her hands. “I can’t,” she said slowly. “I’m sorry, Laura, but I can’t. If he had something to do with this, then I can’t let anyone know that I was involved in some way. I’m…I’m sorry.”
“Please!” Laura exclaimed, moving closer to her. “It’s important, Annie, really important. There’s more to his life than he’s told you.”
Closing her eyes for a moment, Annie drew in a calming breath and tried to settle her whirling thoughts.
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking directly at Laura. “What do you mean, more to his life? What aren’t you telling me?”
Laura let out a shuddering breath, her eyes already heavy with pain. “Joe hasn’t told you much about himself, I’m guessing,” she said slowly. “There’s a reason for that, Annie. He’s been trying so hard to keep himself out of the dirt and the grime that pervades our old town. There were some hard choices he had to make.” Her eyes flickered with grief for a moment, as she turned her head away. “One thing’s for sure, he always tried to protect me, Annie. Always.” Her eyes turned hard, as she fixed them onto Annie’s face. “Don’t ever think that he did what he did because he wanted to. It was all to keep me safe. He did what he had to until it became too much, until Boyd asked for something too great. That’s why we had to run. That’s why Boyd Bretton ain’t just after me; he’s after Joe, too.” She reached for Annie and held her arm tightly, forcing Annie to keep her gaze. “I know it wasn’t Joe who shot Simon last night. I know because he’s my brother and because I know what kind of man he is. I know you ain’t known him for long, Annie, but will you just let him talk? Just let him tell you the truth?”
Annie felt her throat close up. She looked into Laura’s desperate face and saw the pain there but felt her heart shroud itself in doubt and fear. She didn’t know who Joe was anymore. She thought she’d seen goodness in him. She thought she’d seen strength and firmness of character, but if he was the kind of man to go around murdering, then she knew she couldn’t go anywhere near him again.
“I’m sorry, Laura,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I don’t… I can’t….” She trailed off, as Laura let her arm go. “I don’t know what to think.”
Laura sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Well, he’ll know when you’re ready to talk to him,” she replied quietly. “Just sit on your porch steps. He’ll see you.”
Annie swayed slightly. “He’s back at the house?”
Laura didn’t answer but stepped forward and hugged her tightly. “He’s a good man,” she whispered softly. “You can trust him. Just like I did.”
Still awash with confusion, Annie hugged Laura back, feeling her pain almost reverberate from her. She took in a few long breaths, trying to steady herself. She was so confused, lost in a world where nothing seemed to make sense. All the while, she was feeling guilty with the relief that pervaded her at the realization that Simon would no longer be a threat.
“Ah, Mrs. Hartford!”
Laura stiffened as Annie let her go, turning around to see Mr. Stewart walking towards them, with another man, a tall, blond, and broad-shouldered fellow with heavy-set features, walking alongside him.
“Annie, please,” she replied, seeing the way the blond-haired man turned his gaze onto Laura. “Terrible news, Mr. Stewart.”
The older man shook his head. “Indeed. Very sad. Seems like he was shot.”
A sudden hope flared in her chest. She had kept Joe’s gun last night, which meant he didn’t have one with him. “Oh?”
“His own gun,” the blond-haired man said gratingly. “Seems like there was some kind of fight, and Mr. Hartford came off the worst.” He turned his gaze onto Annie, who felt herself flinch. “You related to the man, Mrs. Hartford?”
She squared her shoulders, determined not to show an inch of fear. “I was married to his late father,” she replied, feeling the need to loop her arm through Laura’s. Her friend had not said a word. Out of the corner of her eye, Annie could see that she was standing stock still, her hands clenched tightly.
Mr. Stewart clicked his tongue. “Do excuse me. I should have introduced you. Mrs. Hartford, this is Mr. Bretton.”
“Boyd Bretton,” the man said, lifting the brim of his hat for a moment.
“And this is my new daughter-in-law, Laura Stewart,” Mr. Stewart continued, with a broad smile in Laura’s direction. “Married only a few days ago.”
Boyd Bretton frowned darkly, his eyes narrowing as he looked back at Laura. Annie grew tense as she realized that the man standing in front of them had been the man following both Laura and Joe, which explained why Laura was now so anxious.
“Just married, eh?” Boyd Bretton murmured darkly. “I see.”
“And quite happily so, I think,” Annie interjected, lifting her chin a notch. “I am sure you will want to wish them both happy, Mr. Bretton.” She arched one eyebrow, as Boyd Bretton scowled at her for a moment, clearly aware that Laura had told her exactly who he was.
Mr. Stewart, quite unaware of all this, smiled at Annie and then at Laura
. “She is already a wonderful addition to the ranch,” he said kindly. “The cooking’s never been so good. Are you married, Mr. Bretton?”
Boyd Bretton shook his head, his gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. “No,” he replied tersely. “I was to be, but things did not…work out as they ought.”
Annie felt Laura stiffen all the more.
“We do not always get what we want now, do we?” Annie replied, not removing her gaze from him. “I suppose, in those circumstances, it is best to simply move on.”
Boyd Bretton shook his head, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t reckon I can do that, I’m afraid. Me and my men were in the area, you see, and once I heard of this news, I thought to offer my services.”
“Your services?” Annie queried, a little confused.
Boyd Bretton shrugged. “I’m hearing you don’t have a sheriff about these parts. Well, I’m a deputy back in my town, so I thought I’d investigate all this until we reach a satisfactory conclusion.”
“Until you’ve found the person responsible, you mean,” Annie said slowly, hearing Laura’s sharp intake of breath.
Boyd Bretton nodded slowly, his eyes traveling toward Laura, who remained fixed in place.
“I’ll be taking them back to Steerhorn with me,” Boyd Bretton replied darkly. “And unfortunately, I already have a very good idea about whom to look for.”
Annie wanted to say something, but found her words sticking in her throat. Suddenly, everything Joe had told her had been thrown into the air, leaving her suddenly unsure of what was true and what was not.
“Well, you’d best come along with me then, Mr. Bretton,” Mr. Stewart said grandly, clearly missing the distress on Laura’s face. “Laura, might you tell Robert not to expect me home until later? Just in case he wonders where I am.”
Laura nodded, pasting a wane smile on her face. “Of course.”
“Thank you. And good day to you, Annie. I hope this morning’s news doesn’t distress you too greatly. I know that it will, in its own way, bring a little relief.” His eyes softened as he looked at her kindly.