“I wouldn’t do that if I was you,” Rafe said quietly, holding his own .45 loosely in his hand.
Morgan swallowed, stared wide-eyed at Rafe. Slowly, he raised his hands away from his guns and stepped back some more.
“Now, I’d appreciate it if you just back off a ways an’ stay there.” Rafe smiled as he said this. Then he walked his horse after Tess, not taking his eyes off Morgan.
By the time Rafe got to where Tess pulled her horse to a stop in front of the porch, Edward leaned against one of the posts holding up the porch roof, his mouth open, eyes wide.
“Hello, Edward. Glad to see me?” Tess’s words were silky, sweet, and sharp enough to cut leather. “What’s going on here?”
“Why, why, Tess. I thought you were dead!” He started to come down off the porch.
“Just stay where you are!” Tess made sure he, and everyone else, heard what she said. Obviously, everyone did because they all froze where they were. Including Edward. “It looks like you’re having a sale of some kind, Edward,” she went on in a slightly softer voice. “In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were selling out.” She glanced around at the people standing there. “But I know that can’t be it because none of this belongs to you.”
“Now, Tess, let me explain.” Edward again started to climb down off the porch.
“You don’t need to explain anything, Edward. I can see what’s going on.”
“Tess, I was trying to raise enough money to come rescue you.”
“I’ll bet you were,” she interrupted. “More than a week after I was taken you decide to come find me? If it hadn’t been for Rafe here I’d be in Mexico by now, going through who knows what.”
“I tried to keep ‘em out, Mr. McCaslin.”
This came from Morgan who strutted up a few feet away. Rafe turned and slipped the thong off his pistol as he did so.
“I thought I suggested you stay where you were?” He faced Morgan as he said this.
“No saddle tramp tells me what to do!” Morgan made the mistake of going for his .45.
Rafe shot him, twice.
Morgan backed up, surprise clear on his face for an instant. He collapsed to the ground and didn’t move.
“And now, Edward, get your personal stuff and get off my property!” Tess made sure once again that everyone around her heard what she said.
Edward glared at her and Rafe, then disappeared into the house. In a few minutes, he re-emerged carrying a carpetbag stuffed with clothes. He eased down the steps in front of Tess, mounted his horse that was tied there, and rode away.
The next morning, Tess and Rafe finished breakfast. “You don’t have to leave, you know. There’s always a place here for you.”
“Now, Tess, I wouldn’t be any good for anything if I stay here. You got all the good hands you need. I wouldn’t have a thing to do. I’d get fat and lazy.”
She ducked her head for a moment, then raised it again and smiled at him. “You can
come back any time you want, Rafe. You know that, I hope.”
“Sure do, Tess. An’ I’ll be back. You’ll prob’ly get tired of seein’ me.” With that, he stood, gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek, then walked out the door.
“Where are you headed?” Tess followed him to the porch.
Rafe mounted the buckskin, settled into the saddle. “Think I’ll head up to Wyoming an’ see what’s going on with Frank. You remember my older brother? He was th’ one always teasin’ all you girls.”
She smiled at the memory. “Sure, I remember him. Last I heard, his wife was real sick.”
“Yeah. Thought I’d go check on him an’ see how she’s doin’.” With a wave and a nod, Rafe turned the buckskin west.
She stood on the porch, waving, as he rode away.
OTHER BOOKS BY C. WAYNE WINKLE
DOWN THE LONG TRAIL
YANCEY’S RIDE
ONE LAST CHASE
Tess's Trials Page 20