“Can you hold this for me?”
“I’ma hold it.”
“Thank you. We’ll need it for a treat, so don’t drop it.”
“What do you need to get today, Clara?”
James’ voice was directly behind her, making her jump nervously. She turned around and saw him gazing at her with that tender expression that had been written all over his face the first time he kissed her.
“Did you mean it?” she whispered softly, the words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them. She felt her heart skip a beat as he smiled down at her. His hand cupped her face lovingly, his thumb caressing her lip.
“Very much so,” he admitted. “What did you think of the calico bolt?”
“Excuse me?”
“Let’s talk at home tonight where we have some privacy because I think it will be frowned upon if I kiss my wife passionately, right here, in the middle of the storefront. Now, about that calico fabric - or would you rather have muslin for our quilt?”
Clara grinned widely, shaking her head, and heard his chuckle. He took Jack from her arms and rested the toddler on his hip, putting his large hat on the boy’s head. Nodding his head towards her, showing that she should head towards the wall, she saw the bolts of different fabrics lined up on the shelf. The white calico fabric caught her eye. It was the tiny splashes of blue on the flowers that drew her. Her dress had been blue, but James’ shirts had been an off-white color. The shades would all do so well together.
“Can I get some dark thread?”
“You can get whatever you want, sweetheart.”
As she picked up the bolt of material to have the fabric cut, she realized that James was following her around. As she touched an item, he would immediately comment on it, suggesting that they get it if she needed it for the house.
“Do we have the money for this?”
“I have an account open.”
“I don’t really need this,” she began, putting the fabric down only to see James’ iron expression as he glared hotly.
“Pick that up, please.”
“I can work with what I have at home…”
“Clara, we are buying the material for our wedding quilt. We are also getting whatever else it is that you want. A new bonnet, some rock candy for Jack, whatever - and you will not say ‘no’ about it. Am I clear?”
“Well,” she retorted hotly. “I see where you got your name.”
James eyes widened in utter shock at her words, and several others around them snickered behind their hands. She assumed he would get angry at her terrible outburst and immediately took a step back instinctively, her own eyes large with disbelief at the fact she spoke her thoughts aloud. Both burst out laughing at the surprise on each other’s faces.
“I’m sorry,” James said chuckling, “but I warned you.”
“You did,” she admitted, smiling. “I’m sorry too. That was impolite.”
“Let’s go home,” he said softly, staring at her lips. Clara bit her lower lip shyly, fighting back a smile at the sheer adoration in his expression.
“Whatever you say, husband.”
Walking up to the counter, she was surprised to see that several items were already stacked up and waiting for them. Clara took Jack back from James’ arms as he and the clerk began loading the wagon. She caught wind of their discussion and caught her breath.
“Yep. Ol’ Earp brothers showed up here in town from Dodge City.”
“What brings them here? I’ve heard of him.”
“Who knows? Could be all that silver found not far from here or could be your wretched brothers shenanigans causing trouble.”
“I don’t think word of them would reach that far.”
“Don’t rightly know or care. All I know is that wretch Doc Holliday isn’t far behind ol’ Wyatt Earp since he saved his life in Texas. We don’t need their kind here no more than we need your passel of brothers. I swear, Mule, you are the only halfway decent one of the lot!”
“Thanks, Murphy.”
“I mean it, son—stay far away from them Clantons and focus on your pretty wife and boy there. You keep your head low cause one of them is liable to take it off clean if you aren’t careful. Don’t get mixed up with them no more, okay?”
“I know. I’m taking my bride home now and I’ll be back next month for another run of supplies. If you hear anything about my brothers, would you send word?”
“I should say no—but I know they’re your kinfolk.”
“I appreciate it.”
Clara watched silently as they swung the large bags of feed and other goods that had been already selected onto the wagon. It was comforting to see that he’d bought enough to stay away from the craziness of town and after hearing their exchange; she knew this was a good thing. Word of the Earp family had travelled far and wide. Virgil was from her own home state of Kentucky. They were well known for both good and heroic deeds. They’d once been soldiers, fighting for justice, and now worked at upholding the law after having a more colorful past that I was sure the Earp brothers would rather like to forget.
James straightened up and turned to her, but she still saw the worry furrowing his brow before he could hide it. Clara didn’t say a word as her husband was correct: there were too many people milling about the streets for them to discuss anything privately. Instead, she shifted Jack on her hip and nodded to support whatever their next move was. She knew he was worried about his family.
Climbing into the wagon, she took her seat and straightened her spine, knowing that the townsfolk were watching them out of sheer curiosity. She would not give them any reason to talk about the Clantons any further. Jack sat beside her and she felt the wagon roll slightly as James joined them.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said under his breath, glancing sideways at her.
“Agreed. It doesn’t feel welcoming in the slightest right now.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Clara glanced over to see that the men garbed in black, the Earps, were sitting on benches or leaning against a newel post, watching the streets under their hats. She made eye contact with an unknown brother and saw him nod in acknowledgement of their departure. His face was tanned from too much time in the sun with a heavy mustache that seemed to reach his chin. It was those eyes that gave her goosebumps. They seemed to see right through you, piercing and deliberate.
As they rolled forward, Clara bit back a groan as James’ brothers suddenly swung around the corner on horseback arrogantly like they ran the town. Her eyes swung to her husbands, and she saw the frozen expression on his face only seconds before he cursed under his breath.
Trouble had just arrived!
Chapter 10
“Well, well, well! What do we have here?” Ike said mercurially, tipping back his hat. “If it isn’t my pistol packing sister-in-law and my traitorous brother.”
“Your brother is no traitor to you!” Clara snapped indignantly. She would not allow this half-drunken monster that had threatened her to do so again. He was vile, and she didn’t know how on earth James was kin to him.
“You’ve done your own family wrong and you should well know it.”
“Clara, that’s unnecessary,” James whispered under his breath.
“No, it is - because I won’t have them drag you down with them.”
“Awwww why not, sweet sister?” Ike drawled, playfully. He hopped down from his horse and walked over with his hands extended openly. The congenial tone in his voice made her skin crawl, and the expression in his eyes was calculating.
“Don’t you want to come play with us, brother?”
“No. I’m taking my family home.”
“We’re your family, remember? Or did you conveniently… forget?” Ike wheedled as two other men got down off their horses and inspected the wagon full of goods. Clara swallowed hard, feeling bile bubble in her gut.
“Billy, I know we are blood, but I have a responsibility now to my wife,” James said firmly and she recog
nized that tone. He meant business and would not allow his brothers to deter them any further.
She lay a calming hand on his forearm as she stared at the brother she now knew was Billy. He was the oldest and the ringleader of their antics, James had told her one evening. Ike was the wild one that seemed to escalate things to a violent level each time it involved him.
“You have a responsibility to your name.”
“Indeed, I do – I plan to continue it and not let it die out fool heartedly,” James said tightly. “Now, move aside and let your family through.”
“Is something the matter?” a loud booming voice interrupted from nearby and Clara glanced up to see that the man with the piercing eyes was walking towards them with his hand rested gently on the handle of his revolver.
“No, sir, we are on our way home,” James replied quickly, laying a hand over Clara’s, where it rested. She felt his fingers tighten perceptibly and didn’t want to make things worse. Earp’s eyes dropped to their hands, and then met hers.
A shiver ran down Clara’s spine.
“Are these men disturbing you, missus?”
“No sir. As my husband said, we are on our way home.”
“Carry on then,” Earp instructed politely, remaining where he stood.
James took that moment to lift the reins and pull the wagon forward. They rode silently out of town and Clara studied her husband’s profile. His tight clenched jaw and rigid stance was so different from how relaxed he’d been earlier in the morning. He was concerned, and she knew it.
“You’re worried.”
“I truthfully feel helpless right now and angry. My brothers will get themselves in a mess of trouble, or end up dead, if they don’t stop their antics. They think it’s all fun and games, but that is only because they’ve been the biggest threat to the area, until now.”
“And now you think that threat is from the Earps?”
“Possibly.”
“That man that walked up to the wagon will cause trouble?”
“No. Not him. That is Wyatt Earp—he’s not the one I’m worried about.”
“You aren’t?”
“No. It was the silent one standing not far behind him. That has me concerned.”
“I didn’t see anyone.”
“And he wouldn’t want you to notice him either until he is ready to finish the fight. The man standing behind Wyatt is the one my brothers should be terrified of. If the rumors stand true, that man is Doc Holliday. He’s a gambler and deadly gunman that has made a name for himself by shooting an unarmed man.”
“I hope your brothers come to their senses, for your sake.”
“I pray that happens too.”
It didn’t take long for things to escalate. Clara was outside scrubbing their clothing on a washboard when a rider slowly came into view. Patting her skirts, she felt the gun in her pocket and felt a bit of anxiety slip away only until the rider grew closer.
James brother, Ike, was sitting on the horse. His face was pale, and his hand was clenching his upper arm that dangled by his side.
“What do you want?”
“I thought I’d see if my new sister could do a bit of stitchin’ for me?”
“How d'you get yourself shot, Ike?”
“Just a simple misunderstanding.”
“With a pistol?”
“Something like that,” he shrugged and winced, paling further, and swaying in the saddle. It would do no good to have the man collapse or die on their property, and she could only imagine what it would do to James.
It would break his heart—they were still his brothers.
“For my husband’s sake, I’ll help you.”
“Speaking of, where is ol’ Mule?”
“James,” she stressed, “is working on repairing the fence he’d just put up on the far southwest side of our property. Turns out someone pilfered a few heads of cattle by damaging a fence post or two. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“Billy is a jackanape,” he admitted and then quickly clarified. “I wasn’t there—this time.”
“It’s a good thing I already agreed to help you,” Clara smarted, and then tossed his words in his face, “… this time.”
“You’re a right feisty one, aren’t you? I bet ol’ Mule likes that,” he jeered nastily, slipping down from his saddle.
“For someone that needs help, you sure don’t know how to behave!”
The two glared at each other before Ike walked off towards the front door of her home expectantly. Clara swung up Jack onto her hip and followed closely behind. She wasn’t about to let that man in her house to snoop around alone. There was no telling what he would help himself to, and she had a surprise baking for James that she didn’t want touched. Ike was liable to destroy her hard work as a prank.
She didn’t trust the man in the slightest.
“Jack, go play in your room and stay there please for a bit.”
“Ol’ Jack can stay out here and see how real men act in the world.”
“I suggest you stop being quite so contrary or you can just leave without stitches, Ike Clanton! It might tempt me to put a matching hole in your other arm just out of satisfaction!” Clara snapped angrily.
She glanced at Jack, who stood confused until she pointed at the bedroom door. Thankfully, the toddler didn’t argue or flop down crying but heeded the unspoken order, stepping into the bedroom she shared with her brother and shut the door.
“Now, show me your arm before I regret this,” she instructed, quickly threading a needle and taking a seat on the bench beside her abhorrent brother-in-law. She turned away as he removed his shirt, covering her face out of modesty.
“Just uncover your arm. There’s no need to remove it entirely.”
“Awww my sister, a shy one?”
“No,” she said, irritated, stabbing at his wound for the first stitch.
“OWWWW! Dagnabbit! That hurt!”
Clara couldn’t help the twinge of satisfaction and guilt that she felt at being mean to the unruly man. He was bleeding quite a bit and thankfully the bullet had passed through the meatier part of his arm, away from the bone.
“Your sister-in-law is a vengeful one, and you’d do well to remember that.”
“Obviously!”
Both fell silent as Clara worked. She got up to get some whiskey, pouring a slight bit on the wound and moving the small bottle out of reach when Ike leaned forward to grab it. She only glared at him and held up the needle again to get him to settle down. The roast she had cooking, and the pie smelled heavenly. She still needed to get the wash finished and hang it on the line before it got dark outside. This was an unexpected and unwelcomed distraction to be stitching up James’s brother’s injury. She hadn’t liked the man from the moment her coach had stopped in town, nor did she care for him now. She was only doing this as a favor to her husband.
“Clara! Clara!” James burst into the front door of their house looking extremely alarmed and did a double-take to see his brother sitting with her.
“I saw the wash basin and couldn’t find you or Jack. Ike? What are you doing here with my wife? Why’s your shirt… Oh my gosh! They have shot you?”
“It’s nothing, Mule.”
“James,” Clara corrected immediately, jabbing Ike again, causing him to wince.
“It’s nothing, James,” Ike repeated, stressing the change of name.
“Much better. Thank you.”
“Is the law after you, Ike?”
“No. I think I ditched them.”
“You think, or you know?”
“That wretched Doc Holliday followed Billy and Curly. I went a different direction when I took a zinger to the arm.”
“I thought you said it was a misunderstanding?” Clara asked, hesitating.
“Yep. They were aiming at Billy but hit me instead.”
“That’s not what a misunderstanding is,” Clara said softly with a smile at James standing nearby. Once again, s
he realized how clever her husband was compared to his own brothers or men she’d seen in town at the mercantile. It was a reminder she was lucky to be tied to someone that kept her on her toes.
“Don’t correct me, woman,” Ike growled with embarrassment.
“Don’t address my wife like that if you want her help,” James snapped.
The tension was high in the room between the two men as they glared at each other. Clara focused on the last few stitches, trying to appear meek, as to keep things from escalating any further.
“She’s almost done and then I’ll be going.”
“Ike,” James said painfully, his distress on his face was clear. Clara hurriedly tied the last knot and got to her feet to comfort him. “If you get in trouble again, and the law is following you, don’t come here. You won’t be welcomed if you bring danger to my home.”
“You’d abandon me?”
“No. I am protecting my wife and her brother.”
“I’m your brother!” Ike said angrily, jabbing his arm into the sleeve and wincing at the pain. Clara knew it had to have hurt him to do that, and he probably regretted it immediately.
“Ike, what your brother is saying is that we’ll help you, but only if you aren’t being hunted down.”
“You can’t continue down this path,” James continued, “I don’t want you hurt and I don’t want you to bring destruction here. I’ve tried long and hard to keep myself away from your ways, knowing that there’s no good outcome. If you want to start over, we can house you in the barn—but if you continue down this path, you’ll need to stay far away from us.”
James wrapped an arm around Clara’s waist protectively.
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