by Bobbi Smith
“That was no man. That was Amanda Taylor,” Jack ground out.
“The shotgun was a woman?” Mick was completely shocked.
“That’s right.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “She’s the one who shot Merle. Ted should have warned us that things had changed. After Merle got shot, we decided to even the score a bit.”
At that moment, if Jack had had his gun in his hand, he could easily have administered his own brand of justice and saved himself a long trip back to San Rafael. But he was glad he was under control. He wanted Ted Carroll behind bars, and he would need Humes and Martin to testify against him to do it. “You’ll testify to Carroll’s involvement?”
“Damn right I will. All this was his idea. I ain’t gonna hang for the likes of him. He should get what’s coming to him.”
“He will.” Jack’s words were hard.
Mick wasn’t a man given to fear, but the look in the Ranger’s eye and the tone of his voice sent a shiver of apprehension through him. He was glad he wasn’t Ted Carroll.
Jack called Stalking Ghost back up to the room and left him with Mick, while he went to talk to Pete at the sheriff’s office. Pete told him almost exactly the same things Mick had, and he was glad. They had had no time to make up a story, so this version was the truth.
It was a truth Jack was going to be glad to deliver to Dan.
They saddled up their horses and started off for San Rafael. Jack wanted to get back as quickly as he could. He wanted Ted revealed for what he was.
It was the fourth day after the robbery, and Amanda was finally feeling well enough to be up and around. Still, Dan had forbidden her to go back to work just yet. He wanted to make sure she was completely well before she returned to the office.
“I wish Papa would let me go back to work,” Amanda complained as she sat in the parlor with Eileen, doing nothing of consequence. “I’m not used to being idle for this long.”
“It’s for the best, dear. He understands how much you like to keep busy, and he’s afraid you’ll over-do if you go back too soon.”
“Over-doing would be far preferable to under-doing,” she retorted.
“You must be feeling better. You’re starting to argue with me.” Eileen smiled at Amanda, quite pleased at her show of spirit.
“There are times when I get a little dizzy, but other than that I really do feel fine.”
“Good. When I remember how terrible you looked right after the shooting . . . Jack and I were so afraid that you were going to die. Thank heaven, you’re fine now. I wonder how Jack is doing, though. There’s been no word from him since he left.”
“He was going to come back here, wasn’t he?”
“That’s what I understood. But he did say he wasn’t coming back until he’d found the men who’d shot you.”
“That could take months. Look at the trouble the sheriff’s had finding the robbers. Maybe Jack will never find them.”
“Oh, I don’t know. He was going back to work as a Ranger, and I get the feeling that Rangers never give up. He’ll find them and he’ll bring them in. He said he would and he will.”
A knock at the door drew Eileen to answer it.
“Why, Ted. This is a surprise,” she said. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Actually, I’m here to see Amanda. Dan had mentioned that she was feeling a little better, so I thought I’d drop by and visit for a while.”
“Ted?” Amanda heard his voice and came out of the parlor.
“Hello, Amanda,” he said, his gaze warm upon her. She looked fully recovered, and he was glad.
“Come in,” Amanda invited him, noticing how the swelling had gone down around his nose.
“You’re looking much better,” he said.
“Thanks.”
They walked into the parlor and sat on the sofa.
Ted was pleased when Eileen left them alone to talk. Things had been going smoothly for him since the fake robbery. As long as Jack didn’t catch up with Humes and the others, everything was going to be fine.
“How have you been?” Amanda asked him.
“We’ve been working hard,” he told her. “I’ve been helping your father as much as I can, and things seem to be going all right, for now.”
“I appreciate your standing by him. I know it means a lot to him to have someone he can rely on.”
“I’m glad to do it.” He smiled at her, feeling very confident. The way things were looking, all he had to do was get Amanda to the altar and the stage line would ultimately be his. He was relatively certain that with just a little courting, she would fall right into his arms.
“With any luck, I can be back working with you soon.”
“You’re feeling that much better?”
“Yes, I am. In fact, I’m almost ready to argue with my father and convince him to let me go back to work.”
“There’s no need for you to hurry back,” he said quickly. “Take all the time you need. We’re doing fine right now.”
“Are you sure? With Jack gone, I was worried.”
“What does Jack have to do with anything? He was only riding shotgun for us.”
“He was the best gun we had,” she said defensively.
“I don’t know why you care about him. All along you said he was only in this for the money.”
Ted’s well-chosen reminder stung. Amanda was quiet for a moment, trying to think of the right way to phrase what she wanted to say. Then she answered, “I guess I care because he’s proved himself to be a true friend.”
“I’m glad you said a ‘friend,’ ”Ted said silkily.
“Why?” She was puzzled.
“Because for a moment, I was afraid you were thinking of him in another way.”
“And what if I was?”
“Well, I can tell you, he’s not the man for you.”
“Why?”
Ted had been waiting for quite a while to feed her this information. He leaned toward her as he answered, “I was down in the saloon one night last week, and one of the girls was talking about Jack. She was bragging about how much he’d paid her for her services that night.”
Amanda paled at his statement. Last week . . . Just last week she and Jack had been together. . . . They had made love last week. . . . And Jack had been with one of the saloon girls at almost the very same time.
“Do saloon girls really do that? Do they really brag about the men they consort with?”
“Of course. They’re proud of their accomplishments, but I didn’t bring that up to upset you. I just wanted you to know what kind of man you’re dealing with.”
Amanda looked at Ted and saw that his expression was sympathetic. She was devastated by this news about Jack and the saloon girl. As her gaze met Ted’s, she could sense that he wanted to kiss her, so she leaned slightly toward him to encourage him. She wanted to prove to herself that she could enjoy his kiss, that he could excite her the way that Jack did.
Ted needed no further encouragement. He slipped an arm around her and drew her closer to him as his mouth moved over hers.
Amanda wanted to be thrilled by his embrace, especially after this devastating news he’d just brought her about Jack and the saloon girl. But Ted’s kiss evoked no wild, mindless response in her. No matter how she pretended, Ted was not Jack. Disappointment filled her as he ended the kiss and she drew away.
Ted was completely unaware of her thoughts. He thought things were going magnificently. He thought she was very close to being in love with him.
“Amanda . . . You are so special to me,” he told her, looking into her eyes.
She was caught off guard by his unexpected display of devotion, and she only managed a smile.
“I am so thankful that you’ve recovered. You can’t imagine how frantic I was that day when you were shot.”
“I appreciate all you did for me, Ted,” Amanda reassured him.
“I just wish it had never happened. I never want anything to happen to you,” he said
. “I want you safe and happy.”
Amanda felt trapped by the intensity of his gaze and words. “Well, I’m safe now, and I’ll be very happy once Jack gets back with the robbers.”
Ted grew angry at her mentioning Jack again. He was about to say something when Eileen entered the room.
“Were you talking about Jack, Amanda? Has there been any word yet?”
“No, nothing yet. I was just telling Ted that I’ll be happy again once I know the gang is behind bars.”
“That we will,” Eileen agreed.
“I hope Jack is as good as you think he is.” Ted ground his teeth at their confidence in Jack. If the gang was caught and brought in, he would be in trouble.
“He is,” Eileen said. “If they’re anywhere in Texas, he’ll catch them.”
When the older woman settled in to chat with them, Ted knew he had to leave. He’d wanted time alone with Amanda, and luckily he’d gotten at least a few minutes with her. He rose, said his good-byes and went back to the stage office.
“You look quite thoughtful, Amanda. What’s on your mind?” Eileen asked when he’d gone.
“I don’t know. I like Ted. I truly do, but . . .” She sighed, trying to put into words what she was feeling.
“But he’s just not the man for you?”
“I suppose that’s it. He’s nice, but lately, it seems he wants to be more than friends . . . and I don’t know if that’s possible.”
“I understand completely. After my Andrew died . . . Well, no other man could ever measure up to him. The right man for you is out there, Amanda.”
“If I even need a ‘right man,’ ” she said quickly, angry at the news Ted had brought her about Jack. “You’ve been happy by yourself, haven’t you?”
Eileen looked sad for a moment, then managed to smile. “Yes. I’ve lived a wonderful life. But sometimes, I allow myself to dream of what it would have been like had Andrew returned to me. It would have been so special to have a family of my own . . . children and grandchildren.” She paused, realizing she sounded a bit maudlin. “I’m sorry. Yes, you can be happy alone. You just have to make up your mind that you’re going to enjoy every minute of every day and live life to the fullest. Then everything else falls into place.”
“Then that’s what I’m going to do. Once Papa lets me out of this house.”
“Shall we play cards?” Eileen suggested. “I’m not very good, but it does help to pass the time.”
“Let’s. Maybe we can figure out how to play poker.” She shot her friend a wicked look. “If Papa won’t let me go back to work, maybe I’ll start up a gaming parlor here.”
“Believe me when I tell you that he’d much rather have you at the stage office.”
“That’s what I thought.” She grinned devilishly. “Maybe I’ll bring up the gaming parlor idea at dinner tonight.”
“And be back to work tomorrow.”
“Exactly.”
Ted was about to retire for the night when Mona called out to him from in the parlor.
“What have you heard about the Ranger?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing. I wish to hell I did know something, but we haven’t heard a thing.”
“Are you sure the men you hired are smart enough to avoid Logan?”
“I hope so. They’ve been at it for years and have never been caught.”
“No one was ever killed before, though.”
“No, but that doesn’t matter. They’re going to know that the law will be after them for a while, so if they’ve got any brains at all, they’ll stay out of sight.”
“I hope you’re right, but they’ve never had the Rangers after them before.”
“I know. It’s going to be a long wait, until we hear something.” He was tense at the thought that Jack just might find the outlaws and bring them in.
“You don’t think we should cut and run, do you? There’s a little bit of money left in Asa’s account. I could take that and we could disappear.”
“And look guilty? I don’t run.”
“Wise men know when to cut their losses.”
“I’m not losing,” he declared hotly. “Amanda’s almost mine. It’s just a matter of a few more weeks, and I’ll propose. Then everything will fall into place. I’ll take over the entire stage line and we’ll both be set for life.”
“All right. I’m trusting in your judgment, Ted. You’d better not be wrong.”
“Mother, when have I ever been wrong?” He gave her a dismissive glance.
Mona watched him walk from the room, her gaze narrowing as she went over what she knew. They had never considered a Ranger getting involved. Things were not going well, and she had an uneasy feeling about it. Her instincts told her to get out of San Rafael as soon as possible.
Hank Sheldon was really enjoying himself with the girl named Nina. She was young and pretty and knew what he wanted, and he liked that in a woman. She didn’t waste time talking. She just pleasured him, and that was what a woman was supposed to do.
They’d been up in her room at the saloon for most of the night, and he wasn’t a happy man when his brother started pounding on the door.
“What the hell does he want?” he snarled as he stopped making love to the willing Nina.
“Ignore him,” she murmured, moving against him to help him forget his brother.
Hank buried his face in her breasts for a moment, enjoying the bounteous fare, but Willy would not go away. With a groan, Hank put Nina from him and stood up.
“This better damned well be important.” He pulled on his pants.
Nina started to cover herself, but he grabbed her wrist.
“No. Leave the covers just like that. I like to see you naked.”
“But your brother—” She glanced toward the door.
“If he thinks you’re pretty enough, he may want to try you, too.” He gave a derisive laugh at her ludicrous modesty as he caressed her breast one more time before going to answer the door. She was a whore. Since Chica’s betrayal, he would treat them all alike from now on.
“Hank! You in there?” Willy was shouting. He didn’t care if his brother was with a woman. He had something important to show him.
“What the hell do you want?” Hank demanded as he threw the door open.
“I gotta talk to you, man,” Willy told him, and then he caught a glimpse of the nude woman on Hank’s bed and realized his brother had not just been sleeping, he’d been busy—real busy.
“I got company.”
“I don’t care. You’re gonna want to see this right now.” Willy was ogling Nina and trying to concentrate on what he had to tell Hank.
“What?”
“Read this!” He shoved a page of the Rock Water newspaper into his brother’s hands, all the while gazing hungrily at the woman who was giving him an inviting look from where she lay posing on the bed.
“Del Cuero. Mick Humes and Pete Martin were arrested today by Texas Ranger Jack Logan for a series of armed stage robberies and murder in San Rafael. Ranger Logan is taking them back to San Rafael for trial. ” Hank looked up at his brother. “Son of a bitch . . . We found him! How old is the paper?”
“It’s two days old. He’s got a head start on us.”
“It don’t matter. All that matters is we know where he is. He’s in San Rafael, and real soon he’s gonna be six feet under.”
They shared a look of mutual bloodlust.
“You done with that?” Willy asked, pointing toward Nina.
“Yeah. You go ahead and help yourself. I’m going downstairs for a celebration drink.”
Willy advanced into the room. He started to undress as his brother finished throwing on his clothes.
“Hank?” Nina looked at her lover, wondering what he was doing.
“I’ve got business to tend to, and so do you, sweetheart. This is my little brother. You take care of him nice and good now, you hear?”
“But Hank . . . It’s you I want.”
He walked to the side of
the bed and dragged her up to him. He kissed her savagely and pawed at her breasts before almost throwing her from him. “You’re just like all the others, Nina. You say you want me, but the minute I’m gone, you’ll have somebody else between your legs.”
Nina felt tears burn in her eyes. His touch had been painful. “And you are just like all the other men. The minute you are gone, you will find another woman to warm your bed.”
“That’s right, and don’t forget that. It’ll save you a lot of trouble. Now, take care of Willy here. I think he likes you a lot.”
Hank left the room chuckling. It had been a very good day, and tomorrow promised to be even better. He knew where Jack Logan was. His revenge was almost complete.
When he’d closed the door behind him, Willy threw off his clothes and went to Nina. She cowered before him, still frightened by the unexpected violence she’d sensed in Hank. Willy liked her fear. It made him feel powerful. He grabbed her by the wrists and threw her back on the bed, falling heavily on top of her. He had no time for foreplay. He knew what he wanted, and he took it, roughly. It didn’t matter that she was crying and begging him not to hurt her. After all, she was only a whore.
An hour later, Willy went downstairs to find Hank. Hank was at the bar, enjoying his whiskey. Willy ordered a shot, too, and took a deep drink.
“When do you want to ride for San Rafael?” Willy asked.
“First light. The sooner I get there, the happier I’m gonna be. We got him now. After all these weeks of searching, we finally got him.”
“We ain’t got him yet. I’m not gonna be happy about this until I see him lying dead in the dirt.”
Hank smiled tightly at him as he drew his revolver and spun the chamber with practiced ease. “Don’t worry. Jack Logan is ours. He ain’t getting away from us. One way or the other, within the week, Logan is a dead man.”
Chapter Nineteen
It had taken an extra day for Jack and Stalking Ghost to make the return trip to San Rafael with their prisoners because Mick’s injuries had slowed their pace. But Jack was feeling real good as they rode into town on that third day and headed straight for the sheriff’s office.
“Do you think the lawman will be there?” Stalking Ghost asked.