by Joyce Alec
There came a few moments of silence where no one spoke but everyone thought hard.
It was Laura who broke the silence. “Because,” she said slowly. “Because Bretton wants Joe to suffer. He wants to punish him in the worst way he can imagine, all as an example of what happens to someone who turns their back on Bretton and his ways. Whether or not Bretton killed Simon, he’s using his murder to frame Joe so that he has a reason to take his life.”
“And to have the power to do that however he wants and whenever he wants,” Annie added, remembering what Bretton had said earlier. “I’m guessing he didn’t expect Joe to be able to escape so easily.”
A small, sad smile tugged at the corner of Laura’s mouth. “But he knows Joe’s loyal to me – and that he’s gotten close to you. Sooner or later, Bretton’s going to use one of us to get to Joe. That’s the only thing that’ll stop him.”
“Not if I can help it,” Robert said firmly. “You’re safe, Laura. He can’t get near you again.”
Annie sighed heavily, the excitement of what she’d realized beginning to fade as she saw that it wouldn’t make all that much difference. “Joe wants to put his wrongs to rights,” she said quietly, half speaking to herself. “Even if things get sorted out here, he’s gonna want to follow Bretton back to Steerhorn. I know he’s got a lot of things to fix there.”
Laura gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she stared at Annie.
“What’s wrong, Laura?” Robert asked at once, looking at her with concern. “What’s the matter?”
“That’s it,” Laura breathed through her fingers, her expression brightening for the first time since she’d walked through the door. “Oh, Annie!”
Annie, not understanding what Laura meant, went to pour them all something to drink whilst Mr. Stewart took a seat at the table. “What is it, Laura?” she asked, setting the cups on the table before sitting down herself. “What have you thought of?”
“We’d have to leave this afternoon,” Laura was saying to herself, her gaze flickering about the room. “We can’t wait any longer.”
Robert, seeing that his wife now looked a good deal happier, sipped his tea and remained silent, letting her work things out slowly.
“I mean, it could work,” Laura finished, looking at Annie again. “It could be the answer to everything.”
Annie picked up her tea, took a small sip, set the cup back down, and waited despite the thousands of questions that were nipping at her tongue. Even though she wasn’t hungry, she picked up a piece of fruit cake and bit into it, seeing Laura still staring at her with wide eyes.
“You’d better start from the beginning, my dear,” Mr. Stewart said kindly. “What is it you want us to do?”
Laura smiled, her eyes bright. “We need to go to Steerhorn.”
“Steerhorn?” Robert repeated, frowning. “That’s more than a day’s ride from here!”
“A day, if you have a good horse,” Laura replied firmly. “I need to talk to them. I need to get a few folks out this way.”
Slowly, Annie began to understand what Laura meant. “You want them to come here to tell the townsfolk exactly who Bretton is?”
Laura nodded, smiling with apparent enthusiasm. “If they come here and tell the townsfolk what it’s been like living with Bretton as the deputy sheriff, then they’ll know not to trust him. Then you can tell him what you’ve only just worked out, and then, perhaps, he’ll have to leave our town.”
Annie frowned. “And go back to Steerhorn? I don’t want those folks to be in danger.”
Mr. Stewart cleared his throat. “If we can hold things off for a few more days, we’ve got our new sheriff arriving in town. Sheriff Matthews, I think.” He smiled at Annie, seeing her astonished expression. “I didn’t wait for the town council, you see. I knew we’d done wrong by leaving you to face Simon on your own, and so I sent for someone I knew. Someone who’s been looking for steady work for a while now. Someone the townsfolk know and trust.”
Robert blinked rapidly. “You asked cousin Peter?” he asked, sounding astonished. “But he went off to look for work in the city a couple of years back.”
“And he never found anything that suited him,” Mr. Stewart replied, with a shrug. “You see, Annie, Laura, my sister’s boy came out here to work on the ranch for a while, but he didn’t much like it. Said something about going on out to the city to find something better, but there was something about this town that kept him here for longer than he expected.” He shrugged. “He had friends here, good friends. He’s a good man and doesn’t take too kindly to anyone who treats folks with disrespect. He’ll make us a fine sheriff, I’m sure.”
Annie felt her heart beat with joy. “Do you think the townsfolk will take to him?”
“I know they will,” Mr. Stewart replied firmly. “They all liked him when he was here working a few years back. They know he never got himself into a state in the saloon, never once got into a fight. They know he’s a hard worker and a good, kind soul. Like I said, if we can wait until he gets here, then Bretton will be Sheriff Matthews’ problem to deal with. We don’t need to try and handle things ourselves.”
Annie let out her breath. “It’s a risk,” she admitted. “The folks from Steerhorn might not come. Bretton might find Joe before you get back. The sheriff might not arrive on time…but it’s better than sitting here and just letting things take their course.” A small hope began to flicker in her chest, as she looked at the three guests in turn. “I can’t see that we’ve got any other choice. We gotta try something. Joe needs us to help him, and I’m willing to do anything I can to get him free of all this.” A vision of his gentle face looking down at her as they sat on the porch steps filled her mind, her heart lifting with a rush of affection for him. “I just want him back here again. I want him safe.” Her jaw set as she looked back at Laura, seeing the same determination in her eyes as she herself felt. “And I want Bretton to be seen for the monster he is.”
11
Annie opened her bedroom door and walked out into the small hallway, sighing heavily to herself. She couldn’t sleep. It had been three days since Laura and Robert had left for Steerhorn. They’d come up with a plan, and she could only pray that they would be able to succeed. Everything came down to tomorrow.
Frustrated with her inability to rest, she walked into the kitchen, sitting down heavily in the soft chair. The warmth from the stove brought her a small amount of relief, but it didn’t so much as touch the worry and anxiety going on in her mind. Laura and Robert, and whichever townsfolk they managed to bring with them, would be back in town by tomorrow afternoon. They’d promised to be there. Mr. Stewart would have the new sheriff ready and waiting and had quietly told the townsfolk that they were all to assemble outside the mercantile to greet him.
Of course, Bretton would be there. Annie had only ventured into town once to collect a few goods from Judith and to pick up a few more bits of sewing from Mrs. Forester, but she’d been more than aware of his men walking through the town. Her own house was being watched too, which sent shivers up and down her spine whenever she saw a shadow move slightly. They were all waiting for Joe to reappear. It was just like Laura had said – Bretton was aware that Joe wouldn’t just run to save his own hide. He was loyal to his sister, and if Laura was right, to Annie as well. He’d tried to save her before by coming into the house when Bretton was doing his best to question Annie, and that loyalty spoke to Annie’s heart. He could have kept himself out in the barn; he could have waited until Bretton finally left before making sure that Annie was all right, but he’d not wanted to let Bretton lay a single finger on her.
If she was right, then Joe was still about somewhere, taking care to hide from Bretton and his men. Most likely, he was watching to see what Bretton would do, and Annie was growing a little afraid that Bretton would somehow use her to get him to reveal himself. He couldn’t use Laura any longer, especially now that she was gone out of town, which meant that she was the only one left. What bro
ught her a little relief was knowing that, if Bretton tried to harm her in some way, the townsfolk would see and could easily turn on him for that. Bretton didn’t want that. He needed them to believe that he was exactly who he said he was – a deputy sheriff with an almost impeccable reputation.
Tap…tap…tap
Her heart leapt into her throat as her hands curled around the arms of the chair.
Tap…tap…tap
Someone was outside the house. Someone was knocking on one of the boarded up windows. Her stomach twisted with fear, worrying that Bretton had come for her.
“Annie?”
She shot to her feet, her mind clearing at once. Rushing to the parlor, she set the candle down on a small table as she saw a board swinging from side to side, having been pulled clear from the bottom. “Joe?”
His face appeared in the moonlight.
“Are you all right?” he whispered, one hand reaching into the gap and taking hold of her cold fingers. “Where’s Laura? I haven’t seen her for days.”
She couldn’t speak for a moment, such was the relief in seeing him. “She’s gone out of town with Robert. Can you come inside?” she asked hoarsely. “I need to talk to you.”
There was a moment of hesitation. “There’s people watching your house, Annie. They’ve fallen asleep right now, but they’ll wake soon, I reckon.”
“Please,” she begged, desperately needing to be near him again. “I can help you sneak back out before it’s daylight. There’s so much I need to tell you.”
His eyes caught hers for a moment before, with a sharp nod, he put both hands on the gap in the window. Annie held the board back carefully as he quickly maneuvered himself inside, managing to squeeze through the gap with barely a sound.
She let the board fall back into place as he got to his feet. Turning towards him, she saw the relief in his eyes. Unable to stop herself, she threw herself into his arms.
Tears began to flow down her cheeks as he held her tightly, his bristled cheek rough against her own as he held her there. Her arms were about his neck, her breathing ragged, as she tried to contain her sobs. She had missed him, worried about him, cried over him, prayed for him, and now here he was, back with her again.
Only, the danger hadn’t passed.
“Annie,” he breathed, as she loosened her arms about his neck. “Are you all right?” In the dim candlelight, his eyes searched her face, his gentle fingers brushing down the few marks left from Bretton’s firm hand. “He hurt you.” His voice was low and filled with anger. “I should never have left.”
“I’m glad you did,” she replied, as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I couldn’t have let him take you.”
His expression softened, his hands now gently cradling her face. “You’ve given me more than I ever expected, Annie,” he whispered gently, his head beginning to lower. “I didn’t want to leave you with Bretton, but I saw you wanted me to. You gave me another chance at freedom, but I couldn’t leave you behind. Not when Bretton is still here, not when you live out here alone.” Shaking his head, he let out a long breath, his eyes closing for a moment. “I couldn’t get you out of my thoughts, Annie,” he admitted, the words dragging from him as though he didn’t want to tell her the truth. “I can’t be without you, but I know I can’t stay here.” His eyes opened, and he looked back at her with such an intensity that she swayed for a moment. “You’re in my heart, Annie.”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, and then his head lowered all the more and his lips were on hers. He was kissing her gently, his tenderness evident in every single touch.
Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms about his neck and held him tightly again. His kisses were sweet, his caresses gentle, and it was all she could do to respond. Her heart soared free, bounding up toward the night sky with such joy, such amazement, that she thought she too might go up with it. Heat was pouring into her veins, her pulse quickening as he angled his head a little more.
“I’m sorry.”
His words were breathed onto her lips as he broke their kiss, and Annie found herself lost for a moment. Looking up at him, she was surprised at the sheer agony on his face, her breath catching as he squeezed his eyes shut.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, suddenly fearful about the answer. “What do you mean?”
“I have to go,” he said, shaking his head. “Laura’s already left town, and I can’t have you in danger. I’m going to Bretton.”
“No!” She caught his arms, desperation rocketing through her.
“I have to,” he said, his shoulders slumping. “Bretton’s going to hurt you soon, in order to try and get to me. I’ve seen it before. I can’t let that happen. I--I love you too much to let him come near you.”
Her heart soared.
“If you love me, Joe, then you’ll listen,” she replied, letting her hands slide down his arms until she caught his hands in her own. “You don’t have to be the one to try and save everyone else. We’re here for you.”
His eyes flickered. “We?”
She nodded, her lips curving into a smile. “Laura, Robert, Mr. Stewart, and me. We’re all here to help you, Joe. We’re not about to let Bretton have you.” Holding his hands tightly, she waited until he was looking at her again before carrying on. “Laura and Robert have gone back to Steerhorn. They should be back tomorrow, along with a few other folks.”
“Back to Steerhorn?” he repeated, sounding completely confused. “But why?”
Annie tugged him towards the door. “Come into the kitchen, and we can talk. I won’t be long, I promise. But I need to tell you everything.
Half an hour later and Joe was rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand, clearly quite overwhelmed with what he’d heard.
“You see?” Annie finished gently. “You’ve just got to wait one more day and then, if things go right, you’ll be free of this.”
He shook his head. “I doubt anyone from Steerhorn will come,” he said harshly. “You don’t know what I had to do.”
“I have faith,” Annie replied at once, injecting as much confidence as she could into her voice. “You said yourself that people understood why you were doing it. Perhaps they want to put a stop to Bretton just as much as you.” Leaning forward, she held his gaze steadily. “There are plenty of folks who care about you, Joe, I’m sure. This is one way to begin to make things right.”
His jaw worked for a moment. “I don’t deserve this,” he muttered hoarsely. “None of this. Not their loyalty, not their willingness. I don’t even deserve you, Annie.”
Her smile was tinged with compassion. “But you have me, no matter what you think, Joe,” she whispered, both of her hands encasing his. “I know there’s a lot more for us to learn about each other, but I can’t pretend that I don’t feel anything for you, because that ain’t the truth. My heart’s been thrown in all sorts of directions these last few days, but one thing’s remained steady.” She lifted one hand and pressed it to his cheek. “I’m beginning to fall in love with you.”
Tears crept into her eyes as she felt herself burn with fierce, unexpected happiness.
“I couldn’t bear to think of a life without you,” she continued gently. “I wanted you to be safe. I wanted you to be free, but to know that I was going to have to live my life alone without you tore at my heart.”
Letting out a long breath, he turned his head and kissed her palm. “You’ll have me, Annie?”
The question in his eyes made her heart beat wildly.
“You’ll marry me?” he asked, his voice hoarse and breaking with emotion. “I ain’t exactly got anywhere else to go and, the truth is, there ain’t nowhere else I want to be.”
She laughed softly, leaning forward to kiss him gently. “I reckon I will,” she murmured, her heart filled with joy. “We’ve just got to get rid of Bretton first, and then everything else will fall into place.”
He nodded slowly, his forehead resting against hers for a moment before she sat back, hating that
he was going to have to leave her again.
“Then tomorrow, it should all be over,” he murmured slowly. “I’ll be watching, Annie. I’ll be watching to make sure there ain’t no trouble.”
“Be careful,” she warned. “We don’t know how Bretton’s going to react. I don’t want to lose you.”
Smiling at her gently, he let his fingers run down her cheek, his eyes warm. “You won’t,” he promised quietly. “I ain’t planning on going anywhere, not now that I’ve got myself a loving woman and a home waiting for me.” Kissing her cheek, he caught her hands for a moment. “I’ll be looking to get hitched just as soon as it’s all over,” he admitted, in a low voice that had thrills of excitement rushing down her spine. “Say, the day after tomorrow?”
She laughed softly, her arms twining about his neck. “That sounds wonderful, Joe.”
“Good.” He kissed her again, groaning quietly as he forced himself to step away. “Let's just pray it all goes right tomorrow. Then we can start over, as husband and wife.”
“Husband and wife,” Annie repeated quietly to herself. She didn’t think anything had ever sounded quite so wonderful.
12
“Do you think they’ll be here in time?”
Mr. Stewart shrugged, his expression tense. He was bouncing from foot to foot, whilst keeping his gaze fixed on the horizon that led out towards Annie’s home. That was where Laura, Robert, and any of the people from Steerhorn would come from. However, as the minutes ticked by, there was still no sign of them.
The townsfolk were beginning to gather in front of the mercantile.
“What’s going on, Annie?”
She turned to see Judith, her baby in her arms, step out of the side door of the shop, where she and her husband lived.
“We’re just waiting to greet the new sheriff,” Annie explained, trying to smile despite the tension she felt running through her. “The stage ought to be here soon. Didn’t you know?”