by Linda Broday
“I couldn’t let you sacrifice yourself, Marley. Once he got you, I knew he’d destroy everything good and decent in you, maybe kill you. But I lost my hold and you fell, striking your head on the table.”
“No wonder it hurts.” She sat up, then grabbed her head as dizziness probably made the ground whirl.
He winced. “I’m glad that’s the least of your injuries.” Roan kissed her cheek. “I’m so sorry I ended up being the one to hurt you. Will you forgive me?”
Tears filled her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I didn’t know what else to do except to go with him. I just didn’t want you or anyone else to die to save me. I was terrified.”
Roan held her. “So was I.”
“And he’s still not dead,” she whispered. “When will it be over?”
“It will be soon, honey. We’ll track him down. It’s only a matter of time.”
A violent shiver ran through her. “I have his awful blood in my veins.”
“Only half. Take comfort in knowing your mother’s is in you, too, and she was also a victim of Gentry’s.”
“Who knows how many other lives he’s ruined.”
“Just focus on the good and don’t worry about the bad. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
She glanced at the smoldering house. “They threw the torches after all?”
“Two of them before your father arrived. I don’t think the fire spread beyond the kitchen.”
“I was so scared.”
“Me too.” He brushed his lips against hers. Although smoke filled his mouth and nose, he thought he caught a faint whiff of roses.
Granny Jack’s voice broke them apart. “An old lady shouldn’t ask what happened. I should’ve learned a long time ago to leave people be when they’re kissing ’n’ such.”
Marley glanced up in surprise. “Granny! I’m glad you’re all right. I wasn’t sure what happened to you once Gentry and his men overran the barricade.”
“I hunkered down in the shadows next to the bunkhouse, trying to figure out how to help. I watched those mealymouthed scoundrels capture the ranch hands. Took me a while to free ’em. Those blasted knots were the dickens to untie, and by then it was almost too late.” Granny cradled a cat in her arms. “Me ’n’ the children are sure glad it’s over.”
“We thought we saw them running around the compound,” Roan said. “Did they get loose on their own?”
“Nope. I let the durn things out. Thought they might attack those devils or at least confuse ’em. But Duel rode in with his men, and the bastards skedaddled.”
Marley smiled. “Those cats were a beautiful sight. Until we saw them, we didn’t know if you’d survived. You gave us hope.”
Granny leaned down, her heavy jowls hanging low. “What ails you, girl? Did Gentry get ahold of you?”
“No. I fell.” Marley’s eyes twinkled as she met Roan’s gaze. “We’re going to be married, Granny.”
“We want you to come.” He laced his fingers through Marley’s, feeling the love flowing between them.
“Well, I reckon I’d be purely delighted. That is if I can get new spectacles by then.”
“This time, I’ll go with you.” Marley patted the old woman’s arm. “I want to make sure they fit. I’m tired of you fighting to keep them on your face.”
“Well, I guess me and my cat will mosey on. We’re lookin’ for the others. I sure hope they ain’t been stolen.” The old woman straightened and hobbled off, slipping and sliding on the muddy ground.
“Mama Rose!” Matt ran toward them. “I’ve looked for you ever’where.” He launched himself into Marley’s arms. “I was scared.”
“Me too, but it’s over now,” Marley assured him. “Those bad men won’t be back.”
The boy touched her face. “Did they hurt you?”
“Nope.” She met Roan’s gaze.
“I don’t ever want anything to happen to you ’cause you’re my Mama Rose.”
Roan ruffled his hair. “She’ll be as good as new very soon and able to write a lot more stories.”
“Good.”
“Matt, we heard one of the babies crying during the shooting. Did you quiet it?” Roan asked.
“Yep. I picked her up and rocked her. She went back to sleep.” Matt’s voice lowered to a whisper. “I didn’t want the mean man to find us.”
“That was a very good thing you did.” Marley hugged him. “Do you think you can help me up? This ground is cold and wet.”
“Yep.” Matt took her hand and pulled, with Roan secretly helping.
Marley glanced around at the bodies lying where they’d fallen, then at the smoldering kitchen, the fire almost out. “We did it, Roan. We made it.”
“We certainly did.” Although he never wanted anything to be that close again.
The fight wasn’t over though. It wouldn’t be until Gentry was either dead or behind bars.
As long as the man roamed free, everyone was in danger—Marley most of all.
Thirty-two
The kitchen in the main house was out of commission until Duel could rebuild it, which created a bit of a problem. Although they used Marley’s oven for the biscuits and made a cake to celebrate surviving that evening, they cooked the biggest part of supper over a large campfire in the compound. Marley’s house was simply too small for everyone.
The rest of the main house remained unharmed, which was a pure miracle, everything considered. If the fight hadn’t come the same day as the rainstorm, the damage would’ve been horrendous.
Sheriff Bagwell and his deputy borrowed a wagon and carted the cursing prisoner, Wes Douglas, and the dead into Tranquility. They had six bodies to try to identify and bury, in addition to Sheriff Coburn. This time they were all seasoned men, not the young boys they’d seen in the past.
Roan wondered if Ruby was switching tactics or had just seen that young boys didn’t have the bloodlust she wanted.
Granny Jack had left with her cats to stay with a widowed friend in town until the mess blew over, saying that she wouldn’t put them out any longer. They needed all the space they could find.
Roan sat by the campfire with Marley and Matt, listening to the coyotes howl in the distance. He glanced at Duel, who couldn’t get out of Jessie’s sight.
“Tell us what happened after you left here, sir,” Roan said.
“Ran into trouble just like you did at Piebald. They were expecting us and had the road blocked. All of them were armed. Started shooting at us. It took a while to convince them to give up their weapons.” The little grin that formed on Duel’s face said he’d taken no small amount of pleasure in the convincing. “Some were injured and had to be treated, then we had to find a place to put them. Finally decided on an empty train car. It was midafternoon when we got around to questioning them about the cattle.”
Duel reached for the pot and filled his cup. “The prisoners refused to talk. By that time, we were exhausted and decided to get some rest, so I left a few men to guard, and we caught some sleep in the saloon’s rooms.”
Jessie sat up, her eyes wide with innocence. “Whose bed did you sleep in, dear?”
“Well, it happened to be…uh…Millie’s, but she wasn’t…ah…in it.” Duel glanced at his men to help him out, but they avoided his eyes.
“So she’s a working girl?” Jessie asked.
“I assume so.” He took her hands. “Darlin’, you should know me well enough by now. I only have eyes for one woman, and it’s not Millie or anyone else but you.”
Roan watched the exchange, glad he wasn’t the only one to get into hot water. He guessed most women were a little jealous when it came to their husbands.
“Just checking,” Jessie said, kissing Duel’s cheek. “Go on, dear.”
Marley shifted and glanced up at Roan. “I fear I’m going to be like my moth
er.”
“In more ways than one.” Roan lifted a strand of dark, silky hair and coiled it around his finger.
Duel continued his story. “There I was, dead to the world, when the door creaked open. I reached for my gun before I saw it was Millie. She told me that I’d find my cattle at Ruby Creek’s ranch near San Saba. Then she said she overheard talk that all of my family would be slaughtered and the ranch set on fire before dawn.” Duel took a sip of coffee. “I rousted all but a few of the men, and we rode like hell, praying to get here in time.” He took a shuddering breath. “I never want to be cutting it that close again.”
Smoke still filled Roan’s head, but the name on Duel’s tongue jarred him. “Did I hear you right? You said Ruby Creek’s ranch?”
“That’s right. Why?”
“We’ve been trying to piece something together.” Roan told him about Virginia Creek and always finding her in Gentry’s company. Roan cleared his throat. “The kid we rescued—Beau Marsh, he’s sitting over there with the other children—said Ruby had given him a home and was his mother now and there are so many boys food is scarce. I’m thinking she’s recruiting these young kids who’d lost parents in the first mob rule. Who knows? She could be behind everything going on around here. The killings, the rustling, everything. But Beau didn’t know Ruby’s last name. I’m wondering what the connection is between Ruby and Virginia. Sisters? Mother and daughter?”
“Did the kid know what Ruby looks like?” Duel asked.
“Nope. He couldn’t say, except that she’s older than Marley. I’ve only seen Virginia. She seems like a nice lady. She has to be kin to Ruby for sure. Since they’re both older women, I’d say they’re sisters. Maybe twins.” Roan paused. “Something tells me we’ll find Gentry when we find Ruby. There are too many coincidences, and he always turns up with Virginia.”
Marley stirred and sat up straighter. “Virginia stayed by my side while I finished the shooting competition. I just knew nothing was going to happen to me with her close. She has this maternal instinct, like Mama. Now I wonder why she did that.”
Roan stared toward the crossbar of the ranch. He wondered, too, and it was time to find out—about Ruby and Virginia, why the missing cattle were at Ruby’s, and why she had put together an army of boys.
Duel’s face was hard. “Roan, get ready to ride at daybreak. We’ll find Ruby’s ranch and be done with this once and for all.”
“I agree, sir. The sooner the better. Until we chop the head off the snake, it’ll just keep attacking. No one will be safe until it’s done.” Roan got up and wandered over to Beau Marsh. Sadness oozed from the boy’s eyes.
Roan sat down beside him. “Hi, Beau. Everything all right?”
Beau shrugged. “Reckon so.”
“What’s worrying you, son?”
The kid swung around to face Roan. “What’s gonna happen to me?”
The question caught him off guard a little. He laid an arm across Beau’s shoulders. “I don’t exactly know right now, but we’re going to take care of you. Do you know of any relatives still living?”
“Nope.” Beau propped his chin on his fisted hands with his elbows on his knees.
“Then you’ll stay here. With us. You can go to school with the other children.” Roan finally understood why Jessie couldn’t turn away a homeless child. It must be the same thing that Duel had come to understand.
A look of wonder crossed Beau’s eyes. “I ain’t never been to school before. Do you think I could learn to read?”
“Absolutely. You can also learn to write and do sums.” A lump blocked Roan’s throat, and he had to swallow hard. “You can learn all sorts of things. When I was a boy about your age, I didn’t have anyone to take care of me, and I went to live with a schoolteacher. She taught me about stars, and painting, and history. Did you know that George Washington was the first president of this country?”
“Nope.”
“And someone recently invented a horseless carriage. They call it an automobile.”
“No fooling? A carriage that doesn’t have a horse to pull it?”
“It’s true. The automobile is powered by gasoline.” Roan loved the excitement on the boy’s face. “There’s a whole amazing world out there just waiting for you.”
“I want to go to school and learn about these things. But I don’t know if the McClains want me here. They have so many kids already.”
Roan leaned closer and motioned to Jessie. “Do you see that woman with the red hair?”
Beau nodded.
“She loves children more than anything in the world, and she wants you to stay here and be her boy.”
“She’s real pretty, and she smells nice too. Sorta like Mama.”
“Now, why don’t you go play with those boys over there and leave the worrying to me? All right?”
“Okay. Thanks, Mr. Penny.”
Roan moved back over to sit beside Marley. She smiled up at him and laced her hand through his. “Is Beau all right?”
“He’s feeling a bit lost, but I think he’s going to be fine. I jumped the gun a bit on something. He was worrying about where he’d live when this is all over. I kind of told him that Jessie and Duel want him to live here.”
“Good. I was going to tell you earlier that they were planning on taking him in.”
It was strange how things worked out just when you didn’t see any hope in sight.
Marley stood and cleared her throat, clutching Roan’s hand. “Hey, everyone. We need some cheer, and I have just the announcement that might brighten us up.” She took a deep breath. “Roan and I are going to be married—next week in fact.”
Jessie’s eyes glowed as she rushed to hug them both. “Honey, I’m so happy for you. Not surprised, though. I can see the love you have for each other. It’s time you started your own lives.”
Duel shook hands with Roan. “Love and cherish her, and we’ll get along fine.” Then he hugged Marley. “You’ve come a long way from the little toddler I called Two Bit. I’m glad I could raise you and see the woman you’ve become. I’m so proud of you.”
Tears shimmered in Marley’s eyes. “Thank you, Papa, for giving me a safe, happy place in which to grow up. I’ll always be your Two Bit.”
Roan smiled at the special nickname. He had one for her too.
A sudden thought made him smile wider. He’d broken the curse of the waning moon it seemed. Gentry had tried his best to destroy them beneath one, but they were still alive and kicking.
Matt tugged on her dress. “Can I be your little boy, Mama Rose, and live with you and Mr. Penny?”
Marley shot Roan a questioning glance.
“Whatever you want to do is fine with me.” Roan would love having the kid around. Still, he knew Matt would be a lot of work for Marley. He wouldn’t add to what she already had. He wanted her to have time to write her stories and paint and meant to see that she would. Being fulfilled emotionally was as important as physically.
Marley knelt and straightened the collar of Matt’s jacket and wiped a smudge from his cheek. “Honey, let me talk to your Mama Jessie and Papa Duel first. We’ll see what they say.”
“Okay. Can I sleep with you tonight?” Matt wheedled, then whispered, “I have a monster under my bed. I’m scared.”
“Sure.”
Roan’s heart ached as he watched her hug the boy. After everything they’d been through, young Matt would be terrified for a long time. He might never get over it. Lord knows Roan had had his struggles. But one thing he didn’t struggle with anymore, and that was his love for Marley. He wasn’t going to let her out of his sight as long as Gentry was loose.
Even with the ranch hands and Duel about, Gentry loomed over them like a raging tiger.
Hopefully, it would all end tomorrow.
* * *
The morning dawned cold and overca
st. Roan had saddled up and was ready to ride. This time Duel took no ranch hands except him—everyone was on guard duty with strict instructions. Duel had ridden into Tranquility before daybreak to get the sheriff, and before they rode back to the ranch, Sheriff Truman Bagwell had telegraphed the lawmen in the surrounding counties to meet them in San Saba.
Also, this time, they’d have plenty of lawmen on their side. If Ruby Creek had Duel’s herd, there was no way she could squirm out of this.
Marley pulled her wool shawl tighter around her and found Roan for a moment alone. She’d left Matt sleeping, Jessie was saying goodbye to Duel, and the sheriff was talking to Hardy Gage. “Please be careful, Roan. Come back to me.”
He noticed she’d stopped saying, “No promises, no regrets.” That was good, because he could no longer agree with the statement. Everything had changed. He would promise her the moon and he’d have more regrets than he could count if he didn’t make her his wife.
“It was a good thing Matt slept with you last night,” Roan growled just loud enough for her to hear. “I’d have curled up next to you, and we wouldn’t have gotten a wink of sleep.”
Marley’s eyes twinkled as she snuggled into a fold of the thick jacket he wore, another one of Caleb’s. She hoped all this mess with Gentry and Ruby ended soon, because they were about to exhaust her brother’s leftover clothing.
“What game would you have played?” she teased.
“No game, lady. It would’ve been for keeps, and you know what would’ve happened. I’d have filled you with my love and kissed you senseless.” He ran a calloused thumb across her cheek. “How is your head?”
“Still hurts, but I’ll be right as rain in a few days.”
“If I hadn’t tried to hold you back…”
She searched his eyes, stroked his jaw. “You couldn’t have done anything else, Roan. I was crazy with fear that the man would kill all of you. I had convinced myself that he’d stop if I went out there. But he wouldn’t have, would he?”