by Kit Morgan
Sadie was a dead woman. Oh, not in a literal sense. But she was in danger just the same. Harrison’s look, in that instant, spoke something even someone as inexperienced as shecould recognize. It was so profoundly primal and masculine. A look that said one thing loud and clear. You’re mine.
“Sadie! For Heaven’s sake child, pass the bread will you?” Grandma ordered.
Sadie pulled herself out of her stupor and reached for the plate of bread next to her. Doc chuckled as he began to dish up stew while her mother patted her leg reassuringly and took a sip of milk.
Apparently Sadie wasn’t the only one who recognized the look on Harrison’s face. And nobody was saying or doing anything to dispute it.
Traitors.
* * *
After the meal they took their pie and coffee in the parlor and chatted about the recent happenings concerning the Sheriff and his hunt for the outlaws. Harrison said nothing of a guard being posted to watch the house and Sadie figured he didn’t want to worry her mother or Grandma. But even if her mother was blissfully ignorant of what needed to be done, Grandma wasn’t. Sadie watched as she peeked out the lace curtains to the street for at least the sixth time.
“Just what in tarnation are you looking at?” Doc finally asked.
“I was just wondering why Henry Fig is sitting across the street a twirling his gun. Boy’s been there for the past hour. He should be home having supper with his wife.” She turned from the window to Sadie. “Henry’s one of the few menfolk around here that has one. You’d think he’d rush home to her after being gone for more than a week.”
“I think perhaps he’s waiting to get instructions from the Sheriff.” Harrison offered. “I heard him ask several of his men to stay behind in town to await further instructions.”
“Further instructions?” Grandma began irritated. “The only instruction any of those boys wants to hear after all they’ve been through is “eat up!” I’d best fix him something. He’s looking awful hungry sitting over there.”
“I’ll help you Grandma,” Sadie said as she stood and began to gather up the dessert plates. Teresa stood also, slowly. “No mama, you stay here unless you’d like to go upstairs.”
She smiled and sat. “I think I’ll sit a while longer, then go up. This has been the nicest day I can remember.”
Everyone looked at her, realizing it was true. How many evenings, over how many years had this woman never enjoyed such a simple thing as pie and coffee in a cozy parlor with folks who cared about her? Sadie smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it because you’re going to have this every day!”
Teresa’s bottom lip quivered as her tears began to fall.
“Oh now don’t go starting none of that!” Grandma choked out. “I gotta fix something for Henry then take it across the street! Boy will be wondering who died over here if I hand him a dinner plate all teary eyed.”
Everyone laughed as Grandma stormed off into the kitchen, wiping her eyes as she went. Sadie went to a table and picked up a small book. “Here, this will entertain you. It’s Grandmas.”
“What is it?”
“It’s called a penny dreadful. They belonged to Harrison’s mother. She brought them from England when she came to America. He gave some to Grandma. She loves them and they are quite exciting.”
Teresa took the little pamphlet-like book from her and smiled. “Thank you. Thank you again for everything.”
Sadie bent down to kiss her. “You’re welcome,” she whispered, and then went to the kitchen to help Grandma.
Her mother wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the pleasure of the afternoon and early evening. In fact, it had bordered on pure bliss the longer Sadie watched Harrison joke with Doc, rave about her pies, sip his coffee and tease Grandma. And somewhere between praises for her pies and Doc’s exaggerated snorts of laughter over some quip of Grandma’s, Sadie Jones, despite her valiant efforts not to, fell in love.
* * *
Sadie couldn’t sleep. She tried. For hours she tried. But the realization of how she felt about Harrison had hit her full force the moment her head hit the pillow. She lay on her pallet and listened to her mother’s steady breathing. The woman was getting better everyday andsoundedbetter every night. She would be able to make the journey home soon, unless something upset her and she relapsed.
And therein lay the problem.
Now Sadie didn’t want to go. Or rather she didn’t want to leave Harrison. At least not without letting him have a chance to fall in love with her. Surely he felt a little something? But what indications had he given her? Wasn’t she right back where she started? He only wanted her body and not her heart. But Sadie was willing to risk it. After all, if she had waited to make sure Harrison was in love with her first before allowing herself to fall in love with him ... well ... wouldn’t that make her a coward? No, she would have to risk it now. Her heart was no longer her own. The traitorous thing had gone after Harrison despite her protests not to. There was no help for it now. She was sunk. Deeply. In love.
But what to do? Should she tell him how she felt? Or wait it out and see what happened? What if he gave no indication he felt the same way and her father showed up? Didn’t she hear her mother wheezing? Sadie stilled her own breathing and listened intently.
Nope. Not a wheeze, not a cough, nothing.
Sadie let go the breath she’d been holding. Her mother was on her way to a full recovery. But shouldn’t they perhaps stay a while longer just to make sure ...
BOOM
Sadie sat up with a start. What was that?
A shout from outside suddenly drew her attention. And another. Sadie looked around. What could be happening? Had the outlaw escaped? She quickly tossed her blankets aside at the thought.
There was a sudden bang on the front door. “Doc! Doc! Mulligan’s is on fire!”
Sadie jumped to her feet and reached for her clothes she’d neatly folded and placed on a chair. She pulled on her blue calico quickly and listened as Doc and Grandma came out of their room and went down stairs. Teresa tossed about on the bed and opened one eye. “Go back to sleep, mama. Nothing to worry about.”
She moaned slightly in response, closed her eye, and snuggled deeper into the blankets. Sadie smiled at the action despite the obvious commotion now going on outside and left the room.
Grandma had gone through the back door of the kitchen and was running to the small barn behind the house. Doc was already heading out the front door with Henry Fig. Sadie ran out onto the front porch and into the street after them. She stopped in the middle of the street and watched as the men were silhouetted against a bright orange glow. Upon closer inspection, however, she watched as the sky itself seemed to come alive with the smoke and flame of a fire. A reallybig fire. Mulligan’s saloon was quickly going up in flames. Grandma must have gone to the barn for buckets or anything else she could find for the men to use to fight it. Sadie had best help her. She turned to run back into the house when a man came out of nowhere and grabbed her. She gave a yelp of surprise when he slammed into her, but any sound was quickly cut off by a large hand clamped over her mouth. She instinctively bit the appendage and listened in satisfaction to a muffled curse of pain. A handkerchief was then stuffed into her mouth before she could cry out as two men dragged her away from the house toward a couple of horses. She kicked and clawed as they forced her into the darkness where the horses waited. One grabbed her wrists and quickly lashed them together while the other loosed the bandana from around his neck and tied it around her head to lock the handkerchief already there in place. The bandana smelled atrociously bad.
Oh no...not again!
Sadie struggled violently but to no avail as a dark sack was then placed over her head. She listened as one man mounted his horse, then nearly lost her breath when she was roughly grabbed and tossed up to him. An arm locked itself around her waist pinning her against her captor and the dreaded outlaws, once again with Sadie in their clutches, kicked their horses into a gallop and rode as fast as th
ey could out of town.
Ten
Flames shot into the sky as the Sheriff and what men were in town tried their best to battle the raging fire. But their fight was in vain. Mulligan's was lost. Mrs. Mulligan stood across the street in her nightclothes, a shawl wrapped about her shoulders, and bitterly wept. Mr. Mulligan slowly walked across the street to join her once it became apparent the fight was over. He pulled her into his arms and watched as every thing they had went up in flames. “It’ll be all right, my girl,” he whispered against her hair in his soft Irish brogue. “It’ll be all right.”
Mrs. Dunnigan marched down the street to them. Her husband Wilfred stood with the other men and watched as part of the structure caved in upon itself and came crashing down. Mrs. Mulligan let out a horrible wail at the sight and buried her face in her husband’s chest.
Mrs. Dunnigan huffed and puffed her way up to them. “Fire cleanses away all sin!”
Mr. Mulligan glared at her. “Don’t start, Irene! If you know what’s good for you, don’t start!”
“It may cleanse away sin but in this case everything else with it. You’ll be needing a place to stay while you re-build. Come along now, Wilfred and I have plenty of room.” She held a hand out to Mrs. Mulligan who looked at it warily.
Mr. Mulligan also stared, his mouth open in shock. “But you’ve always hated our place. Called it a den of iniquity.”
“Hated your place, yes. Never said I didn’t like you. Now let me take your wife back to the mercantile where I can fix her a cup of tea.”
Mr. Mulligan hesitated a moment, then gently steered his wife into the arms of Mrs. Dunnigan. She in turn led his wife away to help soothe the woman in whatever way she could. And for that, Mr. Mulligan was grateful. It was easy to forget how folks could come together in a time of crisis. Even Mrs. Dunnigan. He watched them go then turned back to the fire just as Harrison came thundering up on his brother’s beautiful black horse.
He reined Romeo in and jumped off. “What happened? I could see the fire from the farm! Got here as fast as I could!”
“You’re too late. It's gone. All gone.” Mr. Mulligan said as he sank onto the steps leading up to the Sheriff’s office.
Doc, the Sheriff, and several other men crossed the street and joined them. Doc sat next to Mr. Mulligan. “I’d say you look like a man who could use a drink, but I think you may be out of luck.”
Mr. Mulligan let go a small chuckle. Then a laugh. “All the whiskey in town is gone! Now when we all could use it the most!”
There was no help for it. The rest of the men laughed as well.
“Don’t worry Mulligan,” the Sheriff began. “We’ll all help you re-build. Mulligan’s will be back up in no time.”
Grandma joined them. “Where’s Mrs. Mulligan?”
“Irene took her back to the mercantile. Offered to put us up until we got our place re-built.”
Everyone looked shocked for only a moment before Grandma spoke. “Best enjoy it while you can Mulligan. No offense Wilfred.” She added as she turned to Mr. Dunnigan.
He waved a dismissive hand in the air. “None taken. We’d love to have you stay with us. And I’m sure once you have a new place Irene will be back to her old self.”
Some of the men laughed at that as well.
“You can use the lumber I had sent to start work on the hotel.” Mr. Van Cleet offered.
“And I’ve got lots of roofing shingles from when I put up my barn last fall,” another man said.
Harrison smiled. “You’ve got first pick of my stock this spring!”
Another man offered nails, another several said they’d buy a new bar. Frequent customers that they were, they deemed it a sound investment. Harrison watched and filled with pride as the people of Clear Creek continued to offer up materials and the strength of their backs to help Mr. Mulligan re-build his place. Sadie should be seeing this. But she must still be at the house with her mother. Harrison turned and looked to the little white house at the other end of town. He could stand it no longer. He would make her his wife. Life was too precious. The Mulligans may have lost their saloon, but they hadn’t lost their lives, and the people of Clear Creek were more than happy to help re-build them.
In that moment, Harrison knew without a shadow of a doubt he wanted to build a life with Sadie Jones. He smiled, swung up into the saddle and trotted down the street to tell his prairie princess he loved her.
* * *
“Did you have to set fire to Mulligans? You idiot! What were you thinking? It’ll take months to rebuild!” One of the men wailed.
“I meant to just set the shed on fire, but a dog started barking at me! I threw the torch at it to chase it off but it landed on the whiskey barrels stacked on the back porch!” The other whined as he held a hand over his eye. “You didn’t have to wallop me fer it! We got what we wanted didn’t we?”
The first calmed at the remark and glared at a bound and gagged Sadie as she lay atop a pile of hay. A somewhat familiar pile of hay. “We shouldn’t have brought her here. Only a matter of time before Harrison comes back. It’s a good thing we followed that cow trail home or he’d a spotted us sure!”
Harrison!
“Well no sense leaving her out on the prairie while we fetched things. Lets get what we came for and go.” the second man moaned and shuffled over to a stall. He entered, pulled up a few loose floorboards and yanked something out of its hiding spot. He stood and went to join the first man, who was now bent over Sadie, looking and drooling like a starved dog looks at a pork chop.
How did it come to this? Back in the hands of the same outlaws who had kidnapped her! And they knew Harrison no less! In fact if her guess was right, this was the very same barn he’d brought her to the night of her rescue. And if that was the case, then these two had to be Harrison’s stepbrothers! He’d talked of them but she hadn’t met them yet. Did Harrison have any idea his stepbrothers were part of the outlaw gang?
“What are we going to do with her?” the one with the fresh black eye asked.
“Well, we know what we’re gonna do with her eventually.” the other said. They both fell into hysterics at that. “It’s what to do with her between now and then that’s the question.”
The second man leered at her with his one good eye and grabbed her ankles above her bonds. “Let’s undo these here ropes and see what’s under that dress.” He licked his lips as his hands travelled up her legs. Sadie squirmed with revulsion at the contact.
“Not here. We’ll take her to the hideout and have her. Maybe if we’re lucky, Jeb will be there. And if he ain’t, then we can have her all to ourselves. Either way he’ll be happy we got rid of her.”
“Can't we just keep her? Keep her up at the hideout and use her when we want?”
The other chuckled. “That’s not a bad idea. But first we need to have her tell us what’s in that mailbag. Can't be having no brothers coming home from prison anytime soon. If that letter Harrison was so sure-fired up to get is in there, I want to burn it. Bad enough we’re stuck with him, but somebody’s gotta do the work around here!”
They both laughed hysterically at that as well. It obviously didn’t take much to set them off, and it was also quite obvious neither of them could read. Which meant Sadie had a chance. What sort of chance she had no idea, but she’d take anything she could get her hands on. And right now, that meant getting her hands on that mailbag.
* * *
Harrison jumped off Romeo and stepped onto the Waller's porch. The front door was open. All was dark inside. A prickly sense of warning came over him and he instinctively drew his gun. Something wasn’t right. Where was Sadie? Why was the door wide open? “Hello?”
He called into the empty hall.
A tiny sound caught his attention. Harrison cautiously entered the house and spun first to the dining room on his left, then the parlor on his right. Sadie’s mother sat in the dark, weeping.
Harrison quickly entered the parlor. “Ms. Mitchell! What happene
d? Where’s Sadie?”
Teresa wiped her eyes, opened her mouth to speak, and coughed. Harrison lit a nearby oil lamp. The woman had obviously been crying for some time. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face puffy. Whether from crying, coughing or both Harrison didn’t know. “Let me get you some water.” Harrison ran to the kitchen. He knew a pitcher of water would be on the sideboard. He poured her a glass and hurried back to the parlor. The woman drank greedily.
“Sadie ...” she began on a rasp, her throat probably raw from coughing. “There were men...”
“What men?” Harrison asked as his body tensed.
“I don’t know. I come downstairs to see what was going on. Saw the light coming through the upstairs window, could smell the smoke. Fire.”
“Yes, it woke the whole town up. Where is Sadie?”
“The door was open. I saw Sadie outside looking down the street.” She began to cough again. Harrison patted her back until it settled. Sadie’s mother nodded her thanks and began again. “Sadie started to come back into the house and two men took her. I tried to scream but this darn cough...”
Harrison helped her take another drink before her coughing could silence her again. She couldn’t cry out for help because of it, yet her hacking may well have saved her life. Even if she had caught the outlaw's attention, what would they have done to her? Would they have been content to just take Sadie and leave? “It’s all right. You saw what happened and it will help. Did you see what direction they went?”