“Let’s see what we can find for you boys to eat,” Slim said.
Isabelle was waiting for them when they walked through the door. “I’m so glad you’re back. We didn’t expect you to be gone so long. Did you find them?”
The men didn’t know if they should tell Isabelle the truth for fear of upsetting her, and they both glanced at Lily. Lily took Isabelle by the hand and led her to the bench to sit while she explained what happened.
Isabelle was sorry to hear of Dora’s death, but not surprised. “She wouldn’t listen to anyone. Lily told her Harlow was bad news, but she refused to take heed.”
The men sat at the table and explained the possible scenarios they would be facing once they left the way station.
“If some of the gang are still alive, they will know we have the money. We’re likely to have more trouble when we leave here,” Stone said. “We stayed out longer than was prudent, but Thorpe was determined to find Lily’s horse.” Stone was certain Thorpe wasn’t the kind of man that would expound on the lengths he’d go to keep his word. All the same, Stone thought it was important for Lily to know that Thorpe tried to bring her horse back to her.
Lily glanced at Thorpe. “Thank you for that.”
Thorpe couldn’t shake the feeling he’d failed to live up to his word. “Stone and I thought about asking you ladies to stay here until we get that money somewhere safe, but that might leave you vulnerable here.”
Lily hated the thought of the men leaving them behind. “They will definitely come for that money.”
“If they are alive,” Stone emphasized. He gazed at the two women. “We even thought about one of us taking the money ahead of the rest of you.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Lily spoke up. “That doesn’t make sense at all. There’s no guarantee they would follow one man instead of coming after the wagons. They’d probably do both.”
“That’s why we decided against that option,” Thorpe acknowledged.
“We are all going to the fort together,” Isabelle stated flatly. She’d come this far and there was no way and no one that would keep her from getting to the fort before Christmas. Now that the men were back, she wanted them all to stay together.
“We just want you ladies to be safe,” Stone added, looking directly into Isabelle’s eyes.
“We’ve made it this far, I think we should stay together,” Lily said.
Mrs. Mason placed the bowls of food on the table and Slim put plates and cups in front of Thorpe and Stone. “Now you men eat before it gets cold.”
Slim grabbed the coffeepot and filled their cups. “And have some of my wife’s fine coffee,” he said, giving them a wink.
“He likes my coffee now that Jed taught me how to make it,” Mrs. Mason said.
Slim’s mouth dropped open.
Mrs. Mason laughed at his expression. “Close your mouth, you old goat. You think I didn’t know you hated my coffee?”
“I’d say hate is a pretty strong word, Mabel,” Slim replied. “It was . . . well . . .”
Mabel walked from the stove and patted Slim on the back as she passed. “That’s okay, honey, at least you didn’t tell me it was tolerable when it wasn’t. Even I knew Jed’s was a whole lot better.” She looked at Lily and Isabelle and shook her head. “Why is it men always think they can fool their women? Don’t they know that a woman knows when her man is keeping something from her?”
“Women are just as skilled at keeping things from men,” Thorpe stated to no one in particular.
Mabel’s comment was made in jest, but Thorpe’s words held no levity. The older woman detected some bitterness in Thorpe’s voice, and she figured someone had deceived him in the past. “If it’s to spare their feelings over something as simple as coffee, then it doesn’t hurt to err on the side of kindness. But there should be no secrets held between a husband and a wife who love each other.”
Lily knew Thorpe was thinking about his ex-fiancée. She wondered if he would ever get over the hurt of that failed relationship, or if he would ever trust another woman. Until Dora, Lily had never experienced betrayal. She imagined the pain was worse if you were betrayed by a person you loved. Thorpe must have loved his fiancée very much to have been hurt so deeply that he could never again envision himself married. He probably relived his heartbreak with Dora’s deceit.
Lily prayed he would one day be willing to entrust his heart to another. She thought Thorpe was a wonderful man and any woman would be very fortunate to have his love. While he was gone she’d come to realize how much he meant to her. She’d be happy to reach the fort for Isabelle’s sake, but she dreaded the day she would be forced to say good-bye to Thorpe.
Chapter Seventeen
Instead of riding ahead of the small caravan, Thorpe had driven the wagon with Lily beside him since they’d left the way station four days prior.
“You see that?” Thorpe asked, pointing to an unusual rock formation in the distance. “That’s Chimney Rock. We’ll be there in a couple of days.”
“Oh my, how beautiful.” Lily stared at the infamous landmark she heard so much about, but she hadn’t expected to become so emotional when she actually saw it for the first time. She felt it was the beacon that was leading her to her new life. There was an overwhelming sense of accomplishment in reaching this destination, and it was all due to the man beside her. Without him, their future would have been quite uncertain.
Thorpe understood this was a seminal moment for those seeing the landmark for the first time. He’d seen Chimney Rock before, but he could still recall how he felt. Even though many travelers still had a long way to go after they reached this point, some would travel to California, while others would go south, once they saw that landmark their spirits were renewed. “Some travelers climb that rock and carve their names.”
“Just think, years after those people have died, their names remain as testimony of their life and their journey to those that follow.” She turned to look at Thorpe. “I’d like to see some of the names if we have time.” She felt a sense of responsibility to pay homage to those people brave enough to chance this journey. Somehow she knew her grandfather would have stopped for the same reason. She could envision him carving his name somewhere on the rock.
“Once we get there, we will only be a few days from Fort Steele.”
* * *
Just as they stopped for the night, it started to snow again. Everyone surrounded the fire after dinner, but Isabelle could no longer sleep comfortably on the ground so she had to retire to her wagon.
“Lily, would you mind taking a walk with me?” Isabelle asked.
Lily understood Isabelle wanted to see to her personal needs. “Of course.” She picked up her rifle and walked with Isabelle with Blue behind them.
“Now don’t go wandering off if you need to go in the night. I’m taking first watch with Jed, so just yell for me,” Lily told her.
“It seems like I have to go every thirty minutes,” Isabelle complained. “I hate to bother you every time.”
“It’s no bother.” She’d noticed Isabelle was needing to make more trips recently and she wondered if that was normal. She hoped this baby didn’t decide to arrive before they reached the fort. “We’ll be at the fort in a couple of days and you’ll have no more bouncing around in that blasted wagon and that may help.”
“I’m looking forward to that.” Isabelle rubbed her protruding belly. “He probably won’t know what to think being out of that wagon.”
Lily had noticed Isabelle was always referring to the baby as he now. “I imagine he needs a rest just like his mother.”
Lily returned to the fire after she made sure Isabelle was resting peacefully.
Stone had already fallen asleep, and Thorpe leaned back on his saddle and pulled his hat low over his eyes. “Wake me in two hours.”
“Mr. Thorpe, you can sleep longer,” Jed said.
“Two hours is fine, Jed.”
Lily waited until she thought Thorpe w
as asleep before she spoke to Jed. “Have you ever delivered a baby, Jed?”
“No, ma’am, but I’ve seen my momma deliver a fair amount of babes.”
“It seems Isabelle is getting bigger every day and she needs to go . . . well, to see to her needs every few minutes. I’m worried she won’t make it to the fort.”
“My momma said all women get real big in the last month, and as far as the other, I think that’s the way things normally happen. I don’t think Miss Isabelle will have that baby until Christmas.”
Lily prayed Jed knew what he was talking about. She also prayed a doctor would be at the fort. “From your mouth to God’s ears, Jed.”
“Christmas will be mighty special with a new baby,” Jed said.
Lily smiled at his childlike enthusiasm over the prospect of a new baby. “Yes, it will be very special.”
“Miss Lily, we’ll leave everything up to the Good Lord. He knows what He’s doing. He’ll help Miss Isabelle when the time comes.”
Lily knew she shouldn’t worry like she did, and be more like Jed, believing all would be well. She admired that about Jed; he lived his faith with confidence.
Thorpe wasn’t sleeping, and he’d heard the tension in Lily’s voice. He’d never delivered a baby either, but he didn’t think it would be much different than delivering a calf. Still, he hoped Jed was right about Isabelle holding off until Christmas. He wanted something to go right on this trip. It would be better for Isabelle to have a doctor near and help her through the ordeal.
* * *
It was approaching the hour to wake Thorpe when Lily heard a noise that she thought came from the area near the horses. She glanced at Jed and he nodded, indicating he’d heard the same noise. She grabbed her rifle and walked swiftly toward the improvised corral. Blue was on her heels and growling low. Ducking under the rope to reach the horses, she moved among them to determine the cause of their restlessness. Blue would let her know if coyotes were about. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she ducked back under the rope and that was when she heard the sound of a pistol being cocked behind her.
“Drop that rifle.” The voice came from the darkness.
Blue gave a menacing growl and started to move, but Lily grabbed him by the fur. She didn’t recognize the voice and she feared Blue would be shot if he attacked. She wasn’t about to drop her weapon. “No.”
The man laughed. He liked Lily’s spirit. She had to be the woman Harlow mentioned several times. “Maybe you better turn around and see where this pistol is pointed.”
Lily turned and saw a big man holding Isabelle with one arm tight around her neck and he had a pistol pressed against her temple.
Tears were streaming down Isabelle’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Lily. I left the wagon without calling for you.”
“Shhh. Don’t fret about that. This is nothing I can’t handle,” Lily said.
The man grinned. “Shut up and drop that rifle. You must be the one that Harlow wanted. He talked about how pretty you was.”
“Where is Harlow?”
“He took an arrow and we left him on the trail. He’d already told us you’d have the money.”
Blue was growling viciously at the man, torn between pulling away from Lily’s grip and attacking the intruder, or staying by her side.
“Unless you want a bullet in him, shut him up.”
At Lily’s command Blue stopped growling.
“Now drop that rifle,” he ordered again.
Lily dropped her rifle. “Now what?”
“Walk back to the fire and no tricks or I’ll put a bullet in her brain.”
Lily laced her fingers in Blue’s fur and held him firmly. They turned in unison and slowly walked back toward the fire. She heard the man tell Isabelle to move forward.
When Jed saw Lily approach, he started to ask if she saw anything, but he knew something was wrong by the look on her face. He stood and that’s when he saw Isabelle with a gun to her head. Jed moved forward at the same time the man called out, “Come on in!”
“Leave Miss Isabelle alone,” Jed shouted. Jed didn’t wait for a response before he reacted. He hurled himself toward Isabelle and the man holding her captive.
Hearing Jed yell, Thorpe and Stone rolled off their blankets onto their stomachs with their pistols drawn just as a shot rang out.
The man had turned his pistol on Jed and pulled the trigger. The bullet slammed into Jed’s shoulder, the impact propelling him backward and he fell to the ground.
“No!” Isabelle cried, trying in vain to pull away from the man’s grip.
“Down, Isabelle!” Lily screamed as she pulled her pistol from her waistband.
Isabelle tried to move, but the man held her tightly to him and took aim at Lily. Four additional men raced into camp with guns blazing and total pandemonium ensued.
Twisting around, Isabelle was able to sink her teeth into the man’s bicep. He automatically jerked his arm away and shoved her to the ground.
Lily dropped to her knee and fired at the man before he had a chance to react. He slumped to the ground.
Thorpe and Stone were blasting away at the four men advancing on them. One man turned and fired at Lily, and Thorpe unloaded a round at the exact moment Blue leaped through the air going for the man’s throat. The man staggered backward from the force of Thorpe’s bullet, which hit him in the chest just as Blue took him to the ground. Thorpe didn’t know if his bullet found its target, or if he’d grazed Blue. Thorpe and Stone quickly dispatched the remaining killers.
The action was over within seconds, and Thorpe glanced at Lily to make sure she was unharmed. She was running toward Jed as Blue raced to her. He walked to the men on the ground and picked up their guns.
“I’m just hit in the shoulder, Miss Lily,” Jed told her when she kneeled beside him.
Stone helped Isabelle to her feet. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay. I’m so sorry, Lily, this was all my fault.”
Lily wasn’t upset with Isabelle; she’d been frightened to death when she saw that gun flush against her temple. “They were going to attack us one way or the other. It’s not your fault.”
Lily hugged Blue to her when Thorpe kneeled beside her and inspected Jed’s wound.
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Stone asked Isabelle again. When he’d realized one of the gang was holding her at gunpoint, he’d felt his whole body tense. He wasn’t sure he could have been as calm as Lily, or as precise a shot.
“I’m fine, but I should have listened to Lily.”
Isabelle started to cry and Stone took her in his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. “Shh, it’s all over.”
“Thorpe, if you’ll help Jed to the fire, I’ll get my herbs,” Lily said.
“Jed, I’m sorry. This wouldn’t have happened if I had called for Lily,” Isabelle said between sobs.
“Don’t trouble yourself about that. I’ll be just fine,” Jed assured her.
Isabelle stepped away from Stone and wiped her face on her skirt. “I’ll heat some water to clean Jed’s wound.”
Stone walked over and looked down at the man who’d held Isabelle at gunpoint. He was lying on his back with a hole between his eyes. “I don’t believe it. Thorpe, you have to see this.”
Thorpe was supporting Jed’s weight and they both turned to see what Stone was talking about. “What is it?”
“This is Kip Young, he’s wanted for two murders. Lily made one heck of a shot. She got him smack-dab between the eyes.” Stone was positive he couldn’t have been as accurate under the circumstances.
Thorpe and Jed walked to the dead man to see for themselves.
“I knew she was skilled, but I didn’t know she was that good, Mr. Thorpe.”
Thorpe could hardly believe what he was seeing. “I didn’t either. But nothing that woman does surprises me.”
“Harlow wasn’t with them,” Stone said.
“That man told Lily that Harlow took an arrow and they left him,” Isabelle said.
“I guess he must be dead,” Stone replied.
Once Thorpe helped Jed to the fire, he pulled his knife and stuck it in the flames. After he tore Jed’s shirt, he took a look at his wound. “Jed, it looks like it’s my turn to dig into your skin.”
“I expected as much.”
“Stone, would you get me some whiskey?” Thorpe asked.
“Sure thing.”
“Now, Mr. Thorpe, you know I ain’t much for spirits.”
Thorpe reached for a cup sitting on a rock and tossed out the coffee. “Consider it medicine. And it’s the best we have right now since I don’t think Lily kept any of Dora’s tonic.”
Stone returned with a bottle and Thorpe poured a generous amount of the liquor into the cup and handed it to Jed. “Drink this.”
When Jed didn’t immediately comply, Thorpe said, “Stop looking at that whiskey like it’s a rattler and drink up.”
Jed made a face, but he took a large swig and immediately started coughing. “Miss Lily, I think Mr. Thorpe is trying to kill me with this stuff.”
“I know it’s awful, but you’ll thank him later.” Lily urged him to finish drinking what was left in the cup. Once Thorpe cleaned Jed’s shoulder and doused the wound with whiskey, Lily pulled the knife from the fire.
They waited a few minutes for the whiskey to work its magic on Jed before Thorpe started digging into his skin. Fortunately, the bullet wasn’t deep and Thorpe quickly dislodged it with the tip of his blade.
Lily had her poultice ready to apply to Jed’s shoulder and with Thorpe’s help they wrapped the bandage quickly.
“Mr. Thorpe, that didn’t hurt much at all.”
Thorpe smiled at him, noting his eyes were looking heavy. “That’s because the whiskey relaxes you.” Thorpe knew from personal experience that whiskey didn’t necessarily take the pain away, but it did help you relax. Considering Jed was a teetotaler, the whiskey would probably help him sleep for a few hours.
Jed’s head was bobbing up and down and he mumbled, “It sure does that. Yessir, it surely does that.”
Christmas at Dove Creek Page 17