Trail of Golden Dreams

by Coverstone, Stacey

  Jerking open her saddlebags, she drew out the derringer and cocked the hammer. When she heard more pounding footsteps, she guessed Kendall and King were closing in on her. From behind the protection of Traveler, she took aim and began firing into the air. Another storm of bullets rained down, but neither she nor the animals were hit. It was as if they all had a magical shield surrounding them.

  She knew with all certainty that she’d never win against the outlaws with only the derringer, and Grey had taken the rifle. Grey! They’d murdered him! She’d be dead, too, if she didn’t do something fast. But what could she do? Her mind spun. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, and when she opened them again, Mama hovered a few feet away. Her mouth didn’t move and she didn’t speak, but Josie could hear her words all the same.

  Use the dynamite.

  Of course! She’d forgotten all about the firecrackers. With a barrage of bullets pinging all around her, Josie stumbled to Lightning and flung open Grey’s saddlebags, and stuck her hand inside. The dynamite was on top. She slipped two sticks out and fished around the bottom of the bag for a box of matches. Peering up, she realized the firing had stopped again and heard another rush of footsteps. Twigs snapped. They were in the trees!

  With a trembling hand, she scratched one of the phosphorous matches to life on the bottom of her boot and held the flame to the fuse curling up from one dynamite stick. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a flash of black as the sombrero came into view. She lit the second fuse as the marshal and his tracker stepped out of the trees.

  She ran out from behind Lightning and hurled one stick and then the other, watching them tumble end over end—fuses burning—until they bounced on the rocky ground right where the men stood. Kendall had just enough time to shout a terrified warning before the dynamite blew him and Reno King both to kingdom come.

  When the smoke and dust cleared, Josie saw what was left of them lying a few feet away, bloodied and burnt to smithereens. It was finally over and done with. Barely able to catch her breath, she spun around, sensing her mama was still nearby, but saw no one. How she needed her now!

  Her breath hitched, and she collapsed to the ground. “Grey,” she whispered, dropping her head into her hands. The heavy feeling of pain and desolation sat in her stomach like a lump of coal. She couldn’t bear another loss in her life. The grief was so intense, she wanted to throw back her head and howl. Suddenly, she sensed a presence again. Although she couldn’t see her, her mama’s voice spoke to her once more.

  He needs you.

  Josie’s head jerked up. She sniffled and wondered…could Grey be alive? Not daring to make a sound, let alone breathe, she tilted her head and listened to the far-off whistle of a bird. Looking up, a hawk soared high above, flapping its wings. These were signs of life. Mama was sending her a message! Josie’s heart thrashed in her chest telling her Grey was alive. “I’m coming!” she called.

  Coming…coming…coming…echoed her words through the canyon as she stumbled to her feet. Taking up Lightning’s reins, she mounted Traveler and started downstream leading the white stallion by his lead rope. In an effort to quiet her mind, she surveyed the terrain and measured the angle of slopes, searching for the best way down. Following the water would be best, she decided. Grey had been swept downstream.

  An immense boulder and fallen tree blocked her path in one spot, causing her to recall what Grey’s friend had said about rockslides being reported in this canyon. As she veered from that route and prodded the mule onto an even more precarious trail, she prayed the three of them would survive what appeared to be a certain death trap.

  “Hold on, Grey!” she called often, in case he was conscious and could hear her. “I’m coming!”

  When she was able to get back onto the original trail and follow the river again, she traveled slow and kept alert for snakes or anything the animals might consider monsters. She couldn’t risk one of them spooking and tossing her off or breaking one of their own legs. Not when Grey’s life was hanging in the balance—for now she was certain he was alive. She felt it in her bones, and Mama had encouraged her to find him.

  When the sides of the canyon widened and the rushing river narrowed into a stream, Josie sent Traveler and Lightning into a quicker pace. She’d just looked up to catch sight of an elk high on a cliff when the mule skidded to a stop and brayed. She glanced down. Grey! He lay face up on the riverbank, his legs in the water. She shouted his name as she flung herself out of the saddle and ran, half-stumbling to him. Falling on her knees, she pulled him from the water and then placed her hand under his neck and scooped him into her lap. His shirt was torn at the shoulder and blood dripped from both bullet wounds.

  Tears poured down her face. “Honey, please be alive. Please be alive.” She patted his cheeks, but when he didn’t rouse, she slapped him hard.

  “Wha…?” He woke up with a start and moaned. When his eyes focused somewhat, he whispered, “Josie” and then his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out again.

  She pulled him into her breast and hugged him tight. He was alive, but how long would he stay that way? The wounds looked bad. He’d likely already lost a lot of blood. How much more could he stand to lose? She gazed around at the empty remoteness.

  “How am I gonna get you out of here?” she wept, cradling him. “I’ve got to get you to a doctor. But, how am I gonna lift you?” Her gaze lifted. A pulsing light hovered over the water, drawing her attention. “Mama!”

  Her mother smiled and then Josie’s pa appeared at her side.

  “Papa!” Josie cried. He stretched out his arms, as if he wanted to draw her into them. His face was bright, and he looked young and healthy. He turned his head and stared at something on the ground. When she followed his gaze, she saw the metal box stuck in the mud. Her jaw dropped open. Gently laying Grey’s head down, she crawled to the box and wrenched it out of the mud. The bullet was embedded in the side. The lid was bent open. With the breath locked deep in her throat, she opened the lid and a box full of tiny golden pebbles glistened up at her. When she turned back to her parents, they were smiling. In her mind she could hear her pa say, I love you, daughter.

  She stood up and cried, “I love you, Ma. I love you, Pa.”

  As they dissipated into blue mist, Josie knew she’d never see them again, but her soul felt at peace. Pa had done the right thing at the end of his life, and she’d gotten to see Ma again, in the place where she was most happy—the place where the two of them would live eternally together.

  Unconditional love brought forgiveness, and with forgiveness came strength. Josie stuffed the metal box into her saddlebags. With a burst of adrenaline, she was somehow able to lift Grey and haul him onto his horse and secure him to his saddle. Her long, lonely years were behind her, if she could get him to a doctor in time.

  “Walk,” she commanded her mule, after climbing into the saddle. She led Lightning by the lead rope, and they left the canyon and walked the two miles to Nambe Pueblo. As she passed her ma’s birth village, she bid a final farewell and urged Traveler into a trot. The faster pace jostled Grey. She heard him moan several times, but it couldn’t be helped. It would take hours to reach Santa Fe if they didn’t trot, and she had to get him to a doctor before he bled out. Tears threatened to erupt each time she imagined her life without him.

  “Please, Lord,” she prayed. “Let him live. I can’t lose him now.”

  She’d only ridden a couple of miles when a stranger driving a buggy came up from behind. Josie hoped he, whoever he was, didn’t have un-Christian intentions on his mind. There was no strength left to kill another man today.

  “Can I help you, miss?” he asked, gazing at the unconscious Grey. “I’m a doctor.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The room looked fuzzy. Or was it his eyes? Grey turned his head and waited a moment for them to adjust to the dark interior. Josie slept in a chair next to him with her head tipping forward and her soft hair falling across one eye.

  His le
ft arm, strapped in a sling, hurt like hell. No wonder. Some sonofabitch had shot him in the shoulder, and the leg, too. He scooted up in bed and tossed the sheet aside to see his leg was bandaged. Thank God they hadn’t cut it off. Gazing around the small room, he figured he must be in the bedroom of someone’s home. But whose bedroom? And how did he get here?

  His thoughts drifted back to the last thing he remembered. He’d discovered the box of gold shoved between two rocks behind the waterfall, and then the box had been shot out of his hand. What had happened to the gold? Who’d shot at him? It was all a jumble, but he was thankful Josie had survived whatever had happened.

  Jiggling her arm, he whispered, “Honey, wake up.”

  “Huh?” Her eyelids rolled up, and her eyes enlarged. Leaning forward, she covered his hand with her own and said, “Grey, you’re awake. Thank God! I’ve been so worried. How do you feel?”

  He smiled. Her hand felt warm. She looked so worried, he had to assure her he was all in one piece, even though he felt stiffer than a board and his leg throbbed. “I feel fine, darlin’. I can’t be killed that easily. Where am I?”

  “We’re in Santa Fe at Doctor Swann’s office. He says you’ll heal fast because you’re young and strong. Are you sure you’re alright?” She stroked his forehead with her other hand. He liked when she did that.

  “Just a little sore is all. What happened back at the falls? I didn’t see who shot me.”

  “It was either Kendall or Reno King. They might have each got a piece of you. I didn’t ask the doc whose slugs were whose when he fished them out.”

  “Kendall and King? I thought those bastards drowned in the flash flood,” he said, shaking his head. “I wonder how they got back on our track.”

  Josie’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ve had a lot of time to think while you’ve been asleep, and I figure it was all my fault that you got shot.” Her lower lip began to quiver. She kept sifting her fingers through his hair and it felt nice, but now her hand started to tremble. He reached for it, stilling it.

  “Why do you say that? How could my getting shot have been your fault?”

  “Because I screamed. Don’t you remember when I let loose and screamed my head off and it echoed all through the canyon?”

  He nodded. “I remember. But what’s that got to do with them trailing us to the waterfalls?”

  “They must have heard the echoes and tracked us right to where we were. You could have died because of me.” Her pretty little mouth turned down.

  He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and eased her face to his mouth and kissed her soundly. “I don’t ever want to hear that again, honey. I don’t blame you for any of it. Kendall is to blame. What happened to him and that tracker?” He assumed they’d been dispatched in some way and wanted the details. As he gently readjusted his position on the bed, Josie fluffed up his pillow and he leaned against it again. When she explained how they’d died, he wanted to celebrate, but he could see she wasn’t thrilled with how it had all turned out.

  “You’ve got more guts than a lot of men,” he told her, feeling his chest swell with pride. “I knew that dynamite would come in handy, but I’m sorry you had to be the one to finally put an end to them.”

  Her gaze dropped. “That makes three men I’ve killed now, Grey. I’m not proud of it, but the truth is, I didn’t give a fig about those two—Wade Kendall and Reno King. I wanted them dead and to rot in hell for murdering you.”

  “You thought they’d killed me?”

  “Of course. What else would I think? You went head first into the river, shot twice.”

  With his good arm, he grabbed her shoulder and kissed her again. “I’m glad you were on my side. How’s Lightning and Traveler? Did they make it?”

  “Sure they did,” she exclaimed, brightening. “If it hadn’t been for them, I couldn’t have found you or gotten you out of the canyon. They’re tied out back right now. I think they’ve both fallen in love with Doctor Swann’s mare.”

  Grey chuckled. “Won’t be the first time a female comes between two males.” He became serious then and wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer to his next question. “What happened to the nuggets?”

  A smile pulled at Josie’s lips, and she whispered so no one in the other room could hear. “I have them. The nuggets are safe and sound. We did it, Grey. We found the gold. Are you happy?” She gazed into his eyes with a look of devotion he’d never seen before.

  Taking her hand, he replied, “Yes, I’m happy. But I’d have been happy, even if we’d lost the gold, or never found it at all.”

  She tilted her head. “I don’t understand. You’ve gone through so much to find those nuggets so you can bring Rusty home and buy a ranch. I thought you’d be more excited. Now you can make your dreams come true. You can start a new life with your brother.”

  Behind her smile, he sensed a hint of sadness. “Josie, don’t you know by now how I feel about you?”

  She waited, not responding. He could see she held her breath. “My dreams have already come true,” he told her. “I do want to start a new life, with you.”

  Her eyes sparked. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I love you. Do you love me?”

  Her eyes twinkled bluer than the brightest stars in the sky, and her face glowed when she answered, “Yes! I do love you, Grey.”

  “Good. I sure was hoping it wasn’t one sided.” He pulled her by the waist onto the bed and kissed her deeply. When their lips parted he said, “Josie, did I really see your ma at the falls? Or was it my imagination?”

  She stretched out beside his long frame on the single bed and placed her head on his chest. “You saw her, Grey. And my pa appeared to me, too, when you were unconscious by the stream.” She sat up and fastened her gaze on him again. “I made peace with him. He and my mama are at peace together.”

  He nodded and smiled, and she fit herself back into his good shoulder—the place he hoped she’d always call home. And no more words were needed.

  ****

  They were married in the Loretto Chapel once he’d recuperated. Though neither was Catholic, the sisters had granted them permission and given their blessing for the union to take place there. Afterwards, the couple walked to the telegraph office in the plaza and Grey penned a message to send to Rusty in Boston.

  Rusty,

  I have finally secured enough money to bring you home. I am married now. Her name is Josie and she is as anxious to see you as I am. We are leaving for a honeymoon trip to San Francisco, California. My bride has always wanted to see the ocean and I intend to show it to her. When we return, I will send for you.

  Your loyal brother, Grey Paladin

  “Oh, Grey!” she cried, clinging to his arm. “I can’t wait to meet your brother and for all of us to be a family. You must be so excited to be sending this telegram. Five long years you’ve waited for this moment.”

  He handed the note to the telegraph operator. “It doesn’t seem real, somehow. There were times I didn’t think I’d ever see him again. For the first time in years, I do believe we’ll be together once more. It’s a mighty good day.”

  “It certainly is.”

  Grey paid the operator, tipped his black Stetson, picked up their new carpetbags from off the floor, and they stepped outside. She felt so proud to be the woman on his arm. Josie Paladin. It would take some getting used to her new name, but she’d wear it like a badge of honor for the rest of her life.

  On the way to the train depot, they stopped by Zack Stamp’s to say goodbye to Traveler and Lightning. He’d generously agreed to stable them while they were in California, for a minor fee, of course. Doc Swann had offered to keep them as well, but Grey had thought the competition for his mare would test their friendship. Besides, Zack handled horses for a living. Grey was confident they’d be well cared for.

  Josie felt like such a lady as they walked to the station. Grey had wanted her to buy some new clothes, including her wedding outfit and
clothes for their trip. Since they were leaving on the train soon after saying their vows, she’d decided to choose a tailored traveling suit to wear for their wedding. Made by Mrs. Lindstrom, the owner of the millinery shop on the plaza, it fit her perfectly.

  Mrs. Lindstrom had sewn an exquisite long skirt and a jacket that buttoned down the front and narrowed at the waist. A small hat with a curvy brim completed the outfit, and all the pieces were cornflower blue, Grey’s favorite color, because they were the color of Josie’s eyes. Though she’d never worn one before, the bustle underneath gave her a full, curvy silhouette and was the fashion for women travelers—so Mrs. Lindstrom had informed her.

  “You look beautiful, Mrs. Paladin,” Grey said, as they neared the train stop. “Have I told you that already today?”

  “You have, but I never tire of your compliments, Mr. Paladin. You’re mighty handsome yourself.” He wore a white shirt, a black vest, dark trousers and a black jacket that came to his knees, as well as his cowboy boots and hat. She couldn’t imagine a more handsome man in the entire west.

  “Are you ready for our long trip?” he asked. “It’s over a thousand miles to San Francisco, you know.”

  “I’m so nervous I’m about to jump out of my skin.”

  “Why?” he chuckled.

  “I’ve never been on a train before. I don’t know what to expect.”

  “Neither do I,” he admitted. “It’ll be an adventure for both of us.”

  “You’re an adventurous man,” she said, grinning.

  “Especially with you. He winked and then pretended to frown. “It should be one hell of an adventure trying to have a wedding night tonight on the train.”

  She teased him with a gentle elbow to the rib. “Mrs. Lindstrom told me she’s taken the train west once. It has sleeping rooms, but they cost extra.” Not wanting Grey to think she expected a sleeping room, she hadn’t mentioned them before. The honeymoon to San Francisco was already enough. When he’d suggested taking the trip, she’d reminded him that those funds could be used to buy a larger ranch than he’d planned, once Rusty came back from the east. She hadn’t wanted to take advantage of his generosity, but Grey had insisted.