by Bobbi Smith
“I think I’m going outside for a while. You want to come?” Jack invited her.
“I’d like that. Will you call us when Dan comes out?”
“Of course,” Mona said haughtily. She was glad to see the two of them go. Now she could have some time to talk to Ted alone.
Once Eileen and Jack were outside, Eileen motioned for him to stoop down a bit. Jack thought she was going to whisper something to him, but instead she pressed a sweet kiss on his cheek.
“What was that for?” he asked, surprised by her gesture of tenderness.
“I’m glad you hit Ted,” she whispered. “If you’d been the one riding with her, Amanda would never have been hurt.”
His gaze darkened at the thought. “But I wasn’t with her. This is all my fault. I could have gone after her this morning when I’d found out that she’d gone out with Ted, but I didn’t.”
Eileen touched his arm again. “That was her decision. If you had known what she was going to do, you would never have let her get away with it. That’s why she did what she did. Amanda wanted to prove to herself that she didn’t need you, that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.”
“But she wasn’t.”
“And I think she knows that now, too. Sometimes, people just have to learn things the hard way.” She paused, seeing the anguish in his expression. “Jack?”
“What?” He turned to face her.
“She’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
Jack looked down at the woman who seemed to know him so well, and he managed a gentle smile. “I love you, Eileen Hammond.” It wasn’t often in life that one met a woman like her. A woman who was so kind and filled with love that she glowed. He’d been blessed to know two—his mother and now Eileen. “You’re an angel.”
“You know, Amanda said I should run off with you, since I’m so crazy about you, but I told her I was too old for you.”
“You’re not too old,” he told her with a grin. “I’m just not the marrying kind.”
“So, I guess this means there’s no hope that you might change your mind?” She looked disappointed, even as her eyes were twinkling with mischief.
“I can’t.” He pretended disappointment to go along with her teasing. “Not that the offer’s not tempting, but once I find out for sure just how Amanda’s doing, I’m going after the men who did this.”
“What about the sheriff?”
“What about him? He’s useless. He hasn’t even solved Asa’s murder yet. No, once I know she’s going to recover, I’m going to send a wire to my captain, Steve Laughlin, and tell him I’m taking my old job back.”
“Ranger Jack Logan,” Eileen breathed. “I like the sound of that. Amanda will be proud of you.”
Jack gave a harsh laugh at her words. “Hardly. Amanda doesn’t care if she ever sees me again. The last thing she said to me last night was something about not coming around when she was target shooting, because I was a bigger target than her bottles and she wouldn’t have any trouble hitting me!”
“She does have a way with words.” Eileen frowned. She’d known that Amanda was irritated with him last night, but she hadn’t thought it was this bad. Somehow, deep inside her, she’d always thought they would eventually fall in love. They seemed so perfect for each other.
“And she does care for Ted,” Jack continued.
“No, she doesn’t. He’s just a friend to her.”
“I’d like to believe that, but I saw her kissing him the other night.”
“She kissed Ted?” Eileen was shocked. “Oh, my . . . I didn’t think it had gone that far between them. He’s not half the man you are.” She glanced up at Jack and saw a flicker of sadness in his expression, before it was quickly disguised. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m just glad she’s alive,” he said after a long, quiet moment.
“So am I.”
They stood together in companionable silence, offering up their prayers of thanks for Amanda’s survival, until Mona’s call drew them back inside.
Dan had emerged from the examining room and was speaking to the doctor as they went back indoors.
“Does Amanda want to stay here for the night or return home?” the doctor asked.
“She wants to go home.”
“I’ll have my carriage brought around for you.”
“Jack?” Dan looked at his friend, totally ignoring Ted and Mona. “Will you carry Amanda out to the carriage for me?”
He nodded and followed Dan back into the room. At the sight of Amanda lying on the table, looking so fragile, her forehead swathed in a bandage, pain tore at Jack. The knowledge was awful. Amanda could have been killed. . . .
Dan went to her and was explaining what they were going to do. “Amanda, Jack’s going to carry you out to the carriage so we can take you home.”
She looked Jack’s way and was startled by his stony expression. His gaze seemed cold. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking or feeling as he came toward her.
“Couldn’t Ted do it?” she asked, looking quickly, almost nervously from Jack to her father.
Jack said nothing at her request for the other man, but kept his expression emotionless. He merely lifted her gently into his arms and started to follow Dan from the room. He didn’t trust himself to speak.
Amanda had been terrified of being in Jack’s arms again, and rightfully so—for his touch was her heaven and her hell. Obviously, from his cold expression, he didn’t care what happened to her. He was just annoyed that she’d gone out without him and had gotten herself in trouble. When he picked her up and cradled her against his chest, tears filled Amanda’s eyes and she began to cry. She didn’t make a sound, though, as her tears fell freely. It felt so right being held by him. All she wanted to do was rest her aching head against the strength of his shoulder and never move again for as long as she lived. But it couldn’t be. . . .
She might love him . . .
But he didn’t love her.
Amanda sighed and gave in to the desire to nestle against him. She felt his arms tighten around her and figured he was just afraid he was going to drop her on the way out to the carriage. When he placed her carefully on the seat next to Dan, who’d already climbed into the vehicle, she felt suddenly lost and alone. So very alone.
“I’ll meet you at the house,” Jack told them, for there wouldn’t be room for him to join them in the carriage once Eileen had climbed in.
“Thanks,” Dan said.
Jack helped Eileen up into the conveyance, then started off walking toward the house.
Dan helped Eileen to settle in, then glanced at Amanda to make sure she was comfortable. It was then that he saw her tears. He was instantly worried. “Is something wrong? Should I call the doctor?”
“My head just hurts, that’s all,” she said in a quiet voice, but her gaze was on the solitary figure of a man who strode the streets of San Rafael.
Chapter Seventeen
Jack reached the house just a few minutes after the carriage to find that Dan was waiting for his help. Without needing to be asked, Jack lifted Amanda from the vehicle, and with Eileen directing, he carried her upstairs to her bedroom. Eileen had hurried ahead of him to turn back the covers on Amanda’s bed while Dan remained downstairs.
Jack crossed the room with Amanda. As he laid her carefully down on the wide softness, he saw how pale she was and knew she was in pain.
When Amanda didn’t say anything to him and took great care not to make eye contact with him, he understood. Her earlier request for Ted’s help had said it all. She didn’t love him, but that didn’t change the way he felt—he loved her.
It had been his job to keep her safe. He had failed in that, but he would not fail now. A deadly, driving anger filled him. He was going to find the men responsible for this, and they were going to suffer the consequences of their actions.
“Dan is waiting for you downstairs,” Eileen told him in a soft voice. “He wants to talk with you.”
Jack was gl
ad for the distraction. He turned and left the room. There was no point in staying with her. Ted was the man she really cared for, not him.
Jack found Dan sitting behind his desk in the room he used as a study.
“Thank you for your help, Jack,” Dan said, motioning him toward a chair. “Sit down.”
“Are you feeling strong enough to stay out of bed?”
“I have to be,” he answered simply. Strain showed in his features, but so did his iron will and steely self-control.
“Where did Ted and Mona go?”
“I told them I’d speak with them tomorrow. There was no need for them to come here. There’s nothing they could do right now anyway. Ted was planning to go by the sheriff’s office and fill him in on whatever the passengers forgot to tell him. I’m sure the sheriff will want to get started after them at sunup.”
“He’ll be wasting his time.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m leaving tonight.”
“You’re what? But I need you here,” Dan protested. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going after the bastards who tried to kill Amanda,” Jack said tersely, the fire of his fury burning in his eyes. “And I’m going to bring them in.”
“What are you going to do that the sheriff can’t?”
“Find them,” Jack said with confidence. “Now that I know Amanda’s going to recover and you’re well enough to be up for a while each day, you won’t miss me.”
“But what about the line?”
“You’ve got Isaac and Ted. They can keep things moving until I get back.”
“Jack, I . . . I wish I was strong enough to go with you. You can’t imagine how useless this makes me feel to have to stay here and let you be the one to avenge my brother’s death and my daughter’s attempted murder.”
“Oh, yes, I can.” He remembered all too well when he’d sent Cody and Luke off to track down El Diablo after he’d been stabbed. “But you’re needed here. Amanda needs you, and the stage line needs you.”
Dan was resigned to staying behind, but it didn’t sit well with him. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Jack thought of Amanda, of how he wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her everything would be all right, but he knew he couldn’t. Their coming together had been a moment of weakness for the two of them. It had meant the world to him, and he would treasure the memory always. But he was realistic enough to know that she didn’t love him—she never had and never would.
“Yes, just take care of Amanda. Make sure she gets well.”
Dan was surprised by his words and by the flash of pain he thought he saw for just a moment in Jack’s eyes before his friend rose and walked toward the door.
“You take care, and hurry back. We’ll be waiting for you.”
Jack knew Dan would be waiting, but he doubted Amanda would be. He nodded and left without saying more.
Dan heard the sound of the front door as it closed behind his friend, and for some reason, it sounded solemn and final to him.
Captain Steve Laughlin,
I’ve decided to go back to work. I am tracking the outlaws responsible for the Taylor Stage and Freight Line robberies. If you need to get a message to me, contact me through the stage line in San Rafael.
Jack Logan
Jack finished writing the message, then double-checked it.
“It’s ready. Go ahead and send it to Captain Laughlin in care of Ranger headquarters. If you get any messages back for me, just take them over to Dan Taylor and leave them with him,” he told the telegraph operator.
“Yes, sir, Ranger Logan, sir,” the operator said with a grin as he read the letter before sending it. “I hope you get those outlaws. We’ve had enough killing and maiming around here. San Rafael used to be a quiet, safe place to live.”
“It’s going to be that way again real soon.”
“Thanks.”
Jack walked from the telegraph office. It was nearly dark, but he didn’t care. He went back to his room at the hotel and got his bedroll and rifle. He was almost ready to ride, but there was one more thing he had to do. Jack dug down in his saddle bags and took out the small wrapped article buried deep in the bottom. With infinite care, he unwrapped his Ranger badge. He stared at it for a long moment, judging the weight of it in his hand, knowing the dedication that went with wearing it. There were no more doubts in his heart and soul; there were no more fears. Texas Ranger Jack Logan was back.
Jack pinned on the badge and quit the room.
His next stop was at Mona Taylor’s house to see Ted.
“I need to talk to you,” he said flatly when the other man answered his knock at the door.
“What about?” Ted said defensively. His nose was swollen and it looked as though he would have two black eyes in the morning.
“I want the details of what happened during the robbery.”
“You’re not planning on going after the outlaws yourself, are you? I’ve already told the sheriff everything,” Ted argued, seeing the Ranger badge Jack was wearing.
“In case you haven’t figured it out by now, the sheriff isn’t having much luck solving anything lately. I don’t intend to wait around while these killers get away. I’m bringing them in myself. Now, where did the ambush take place?”
Ted was angry, but he gave the location of the attempted robbery and a few of the details. He was careful not to give him anything too specific. The last thing he needed was Jack stirring up trouble.
Ted had heard the talk about Jack in the saloon. Rumor had it that Jack used to be a damned good Ranger. He hoped it wasn’t true. Ted was glad that the men he’d hired were professionals. They knew when to lie low, and he hoped they were doing that right now.
“That’s all you remember?”
“There wasn’t a lot of time to take notes,” Ted said scathingly. “I was driving the team and Amanda was doing the shooting.”
Jack nodded, keeping a tight rein on his anger. He walked away without looking back.
Jack headed for the stage line’s stable, where he kept his horse. He was not surprised when Stalking Ghost appeared while he was saddling his mount.
“I was hoping you were nearby, keeping track of me,” Jack said by way of greeting.
“You are riding out tonight?”
“Yes. Did you hear about the stage?” At the Indian’s nod, he went on, “I’m going to find the robbers and bring them in. Can you go with me?”
“I will meet you at the edge of town.” Stalking Ghost slipped away into the night.
Isaac had been working late. When he saw Jack go into the stable, he sought him out. He was surprised to find him saddling up. “You’re leaving?”
Jack turned toward him, and Isaac caught sight of his badge.
“I’m going to track down the men who shot Amanda.”
“Good,” Isaac replied with fervor. “And I’m glad you’re back to being a Ranger again. Dan said you were a good one.”
He shrugged off the praise. “I do my job.”
“Well, this job ain’t going to be easy, but you’ll do it. I was just thinking about something tonight, though—”
“What’s that?”
“I’m just wondering if the ones we’re looking for aren’t right here in San Rafael under our noses.”
Jack’s gaze narrowed as he glanced at Isaac. “What are you talking about?”
“Ain’t it strange how good shots like Asa and Dan can’t fight these men off, but Ted can outrun them and outfight them single-handedly after Amanda was wounded? Asa’s dead, Dan’s wounded, Amanda is almost killed, and yet Ted comes back untouched, bragging about how he saved the payroll.” He shook his head in amazement. “It sure seems strange to me.”
Jack knew Isaac was right. “Keep an eye on him for me. If you see him talking to any strangers, let me know. There are a number of men involved in this, and we need to get them all.”
“I will.”
“Good. I’ll be back as s
oon as I can. I appreciate all your help. Dan’s lucky to have you.”
“He’s my friend.”
Jack swung up in the saddle. He lifted his hand in farewell to Isaac, then rode off to meet Stalking Ghost. As he made his way out of town, he passed the Taylor house. His gaze was drawn to Amanda’s window. It was dark in her room.
He hoped she was resting peacefully. She’d been through a lot that day. He wanted her to recover quickly. He wanted to see Amanda laughing again. He wanted her to be arguing with him. He even wanted to see her smashing liquor bottles again.
At the thought of bottles, he remembered their target-shooting lesson and what had happened when he’d taken her in his arms.
Jack deliberately forced those memories from him, though it wasn’t easy. He concentrated, instead, on the conversation he’d just had with Isaac. Everything the other man had said to him about Ted was reasonable. If there was a connection to Ted in all this, he would find it.
Jack glanced one last time at Amanda’s window. She might think that she cared for Ted, but if he turned out to be the one behind all the stage line’s troubles, that would change. For right now, though, all he could do was track down the would-be robbers. If they had a connection to Ted, he would uncover it later.
Grimly determined in his pursuit, motivated by a fury that would not be tempered, Jack met Stalking Ghost at the edge of town, and, together, they rode for the scene of the robbery.
Amanda had not been able to rest, in spite of the exhaustion that claimed her. She was lying in bed, staring about her darkened room with haunted eyes. The entire day had been horrible. Everything had gone wrong, desperately wrong, and she didn’t know what she was going to do about it.
She realized now that she’d made a terrible mistake riding out with Ted that morning. Though he was a nice man, Ted was not Jack. Eileen was right. If she’d been on a run with Jack and the attack had come, no doubt he would have saved both her and the payroll.
A lone tear traced a path down Amanda’s cheek as she remembered Jack’s arms around her as she’d been trying to take target practice. Loving him had been beautiful and exciting. She loved Jack Logan. She loved his strength . . . his intelligence . . . his touch.