She Wore It Tied-Down
Page 21
Jake nodded as he adjusted his own holster.
“Any time yer ready, little lady,” Walt said with way more confidence than he would have, had he of known what he was up against. But he must’ve figured that they’d had their way with her once...why should this time be any different? After all, she’d not had near enough time to get to be any good with that hog-leg...no matter how she saw fit to wear it. “Or would you rather head fer one of them teepees an’ spend some time with old Walt...fer old times sake, I mean?”
That insidious grin that she’d been seeing night after night appeared across his face. Without looking away from her prey, she said to the Mescalero brave, “Tell your people to get back a ways.”
Wild Coyote said the necessary words and the tribe parted, leaving the combatants pretty much alone.
Dolly faced them squarely. “You two did a bad thing back there in Colorado. You put your own selfish pleasures ahead of any good sense that you might’ve had at some earlier time in your worthless lives. But more importantly you took my pa away from me, as well.” She crouched slightly. “You’re about to die for those indiscretions,” she said with icy resolve.
The Jacobs brothers had already begun to put some distance between them. She didn’t care. She had practiced long and hard for this moment. Nothing would get in her way of avenging her and her pa. She continued to watch Walt, while keeping track of Jake in her periphery.
“When this is over, and yer layin’ in the dirt, do we get to ride outta here?” Walt asked.
Again without taking her eyes off Walt, she asked the Mescalero brave. “I have traded for these dogs. If they win will they be allowed to leave?”
Wild Coyote did not hesitate. “If that is your wish, they will win their freedom if you are killed.”
Walt’s grin widened. “Then let’s get on with it,” he said, full of confidence. “I’ve got places ta go.” With that he made the mistake of letting his intentions be known through a slight squinting of his left eye.
Dolly reached, grabbed a left handful of pearl handled payback, and pointed her finger at Walt. She fanned the hammer against her right palm. Without waiting to see what the result had been she dove to the side, rolled once, and recovering onto one knee fanned the Colt one final time.
Chapter 35
Dolly sank slowly to her knees. She looked down at the still smoking Colt, then up at the two bodies laying crumbled in the dirt.
It was over.
“You doing alright?”
She raised her gaze to see Wayne standing over her.
“Eh...yeah. I’m fine.”
He reached a hand down to her. The pistol just kinda found its own way into the holster as Wayne pulled her to her feet.
They stood facing one another. Their feelings for one another were apparent in their eyes. Had they been alone they would have undoubtedly embraced and enjoyed the moment to its fullest, but...
“You have done well,” Wild Coyote said. “You were very fast to shoot the little firestick.”
Dolly forced her gaze away from Wayne’s and looked into the face of the warrior. “I had me a real good teacher,” she said simply.
“You are free to go now. If it is your wish, you are also free to take with you the bodies of the two who are no more.”
“Thanks, but no thanks, Wild Coyote. That would deprive the buzzards of a much-appreciated meal. No, like I said...I’d just as soon leave them to rot in the sun and feed whatever critters happen by.”
“As you wish.” Wild Coyote then turned and said something in Apache.
A scattering of bucks from the surrounding throng emerged into the clearing and made short work of dragging the bodies away.
“The buzzards will be very happy that you have given to them these worthless White Eye to fill their bellies with.”
*
Without the heavily laden pack mare along to worry about, it hadn’t taken long for Dolly and Wayne to put a goodly distance between them and the Comanche camp. They continued to ride steadily until they felt at ease about the amount of distance they had covered.
Finally, after coming across a pleasant little grove of willows and cottonwoods, they reined up alongside a swiftly moving piece of water that was about as crystal clear as any Dolly could remember ever having seen before. It was almost as if it was a sign or something. She looked at Wayne’s handsome profile, then back to the stream. It was as if the whole demeaning episode that had set her out on this trip in the first place had been for the sole purpose of bringing them together.
“Looks like there’s a pond over there,” he said, pointing.
Dolly let her thoughts fade as her gaze followed his pointing finger. It was easy to see that the creek emptied into a pool that lay farther back in the trees.
They rode to its edge.
“Peers like a pretty good spot to make camp,” Wayne suggested.
Dolly nodded and dismounted.
Wayne followed her lead, wondering a bit about what appeared to him to be a sort of contentment that had settled in around her. “Peers like you got somethin’ on yer mind,” he offered.
She smiled pleasantly. “Yeah, you might say so. What say we get this camp set up.”
His eyes narrowed in questioning wonderment, but he let it lie and instead straightened his expression back to one of trust. “Sure...whatever you say. Heck...I’m about whooped to a frazzle. A good night’s rest is surely way up high on my list of preferred things what needs doin’.” He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek.
They made short work of getting the camp all laid out and a comforting fire built. Once the meal had been prepared, eaten, and the cooking and eating things had been cleaned up and stored in the saddlebags for safekeeping, the pair settled into the coziness afforded by the fire. Wayne lay with his back against his saddle, while Dolly lounged with her back against his chest and his arms wrapped protectively around her.
“Sure is a pleasant evenin’,” he observed.
“Um-hmm.”
“Kinda hard to believe that just the other day we was purt near up to our eyeballs in snow.”
“Sure is.”
They fell silent, with the gentle crackling of the fire being the only sound around them. Finally, the far off lonesome howl of a coyote sounded its woeful plea for companionship.
“Peers like that fella’s got a hankerin’ for a lady.”
Dolly craned her neck to look up at him. “And what about you? You in the market for a lady, too?”
“Depends.”
She sat up and repositioned herself until they were facing one another. “On what?”
“I reckon on whether or not yer willin’ to hook up with a gunfighter.”
Her disappointment was obvious. “Ohh,” she said softly. “I...I guess you didn’t take to heart the part when I said my totin’ this pistol was only temporary. And I...and I just naturally figured that you’d think about hanging yours up, as well.”
He grinned. “Sure I took it to heart. And for your information I’ve been wanting to put my gun out to pasture since way before I ever met you.”
“But you just said—”
“What I said was...our getting together would depend on whether or not you was willing to spend the rest of your days with a gunfighter. To me that means if you are, then maybe you’d do best to look elsewhere.”
His smile proved infectious and hers widened until it easily matched his.
“Well now, Mister Blakely, am I to take that as a proposal of marriage?”
The tops of his cheeks turned a shade of pink that was just about that of a pair of newborn rabbits. “You are,” he said simply, as his color deepened.
The tears that welled up and spilled over onto her cheeks gave him the answer he’d been hoping for. They leaned together until their lips met in a tender, loving promise of what was to come.
Chapter 36
It took the better part of a week, but they finally found themselves sitting atop a slight
ridge that overlooked Trinidad.
“Shall we?” she asked and nudged the mare with her heels.
It was late in the day and they were grateful to have made their intended destination before nightfall. They were famished, felt dirty clean to the bone, and were just about dog tired...and pretty much in that order. They took care of their needs by first tying up to the hitchrail in front of the mostly glass fronted cafe, then heading for the livery once the meal had been completely devoured.
With their bellies full, they lugged their saddlebags over to the hotel where they fought off the urge to head straight for a couple of feather beds and instead rented two tubs of hot, soapy water. Finally, after nearly falling to sleep in the tubs, they managed to stay awake long enough to take rooms where they collapsed for the better part of the next twelve hours.
*
Dolly awoke to an array of the sounds that are normally associated with a hustling and bustling that could only mean that it was well past her usual waking up time. She stretched leisurely, and after tossing the covers off, sat up on the edge of the bed. Her thoughts went to Wayne and their plan to find a Justice of the Peace and get married. With that in mind, she hastily began dressing.
Wayne came down shortly after she had settled into a padded chair in the lobby.
“Mornin’ sleepyhead,” she said and rose to meet him.
“Mornin’ sweetheart. You still of a mind to get hitched?”
She placed her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. “You just try an’ stop me,” she cooed.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. You forget I’ve seen you pull your pistol.” He glanced down at her empty hip.
She gave him a tender kiss. “I told you that’s all in the past. I did what needed doing and now that part of my life is over and done with.”
“Good thing. C’mon, let’s go find that Justice of the Peace.”
They headed for the sheriff’s office and were greeted warmly as they entered. “Peers like I seen you two before,” the sheriff said, and rising, followed his outstretched hand from around behind his desk. He stopped dead in his tracks. “Looks like you made an improvement to yer wardrobe. Does that mean you took care of what needed taking care of?”
“It does,” she replied flatly.
“So am I to assume that—?”
“I wouldn’t assume much of anything, if I was you,” Wayne said. “Fact is, we’d just as soon forget all that and set our sights on getting you to steer us in the direction of a Justice of the Peace.”
The sheriff smiled broadly. “Well now...I’d say this calls for a bit of rejoicing. And not to mention...” He then returned to his desk, opened the center drawer, and came out with a fistful of greenbacks. “Peers like them three fellas you two took care of had sizeable rewards on their heads, not just the two hundred each I told you about when you was here before. Seems like they started shootin’ folks durin’ their robberies and the Butterfield Company increased the reward offer. Two of ’em were worth three hundred each and the other one brought five hundred. That makes eleven hundred dollars you two earned for riddin’ the Butterfield Stage Company of the everyday nuisance of three members of the Charlie Waterman gang.”
Wayne and Dolly looked at one another and smiled. They had long since come to an agreement about what they wanted done with the reward money, no matter how big or how little the amount turned out to be.
Wayne cleared his throat. “That’s all well ’n good, sheriff. But we’d be obliged if you’d see to it that it got sent to Santa Fe for us.”
The sheriff’s eyes narrowed, questioningly.
Dolly explained, “There was a run in down there that cost a gal her life. Before we left out after them three varmints, we found out that she had a couple of young-uns. We’d be obliged if you’d see to it that that money helps them to a better life.”
“Well now...that’s mighty generous of you two. I’m sure they’ll—”
“So where can we find that Justice of the Peace?”
Chapter 37
Wayne and Dolly sat their horses on the crest of the slight rise in the well-traveled roadway. The scene before them was one she had been longing to see again since what seemed like a thousand years ago.
“Sure is a sight,” Wayne said appreciatively. “I can surely see why you’ve been so all-fired bent on getting back here.”
“This is just a stopover,” she replied. “The real desire inside me is to get the both of us to the J Bar R out east of here near Las Animas.” She hipped around, and reaching under the flap, pulled the black studded gunbelt and holster from the saddlebag. She then pulled the pearl handled Peacemaker and expertly made sure that it was empty. She replaced it into the holster and slung the gunbelt over her shoulder.
Wayne just looked on silently, satisfied in knowing that the Colt had done its intended job and was now on the verge of being returned to its rightful owner.
“You’re really gonna like Nate,” she said and moved her gaze in the direction of the whitewashed cottage, replete with its blue trim and hundred year old oak tree standing guard over it.
Just then a figure appeared on the front porch and shaded his eyes in their direction.
Dolly could imagine the joy that was sure to be bubbling over from inside Nate Sharpton...ta be exact.
A gentle smile caressed her face as she nudged the mare forward.
THE END
Books by r William Rogers:
For information on any of these book, please visit my website at:
www.bobthebookbuilder.com
Arkansas Valley Series
Toward A New Beginning - Book 1
Uncertain Times - Book 2
Shattered Dreams - Book 3
Mustang Justice -Book 4
Shiloh Ranch - Book 5
Rails Along The Valley - Book 6
Kindled Faith - Book 7
(end of series)
Cripple Creek mining District Series
Poverty Gulch - Book 1
Cripple’s Golden Pioneers - Book 2
From The Shadows of Mount Pisgah - Book 3
(more on the way)
Settlers of South Park Series
A Dream Fulfilled - Book 1
Divine Discovery - Book 2
Turmoil - Book 3
The Redemption of Arnie Bradbury - Book 4
(more on the way)
The Saga of Willard Hansel
Trooper Hansel - Book 1
Trail To Washoe - Book 2
(more on the way)
Journeys of The Heart Collection
Stanton
Gideon Hartman
(more on the way)
Stand Alone Books
Birdsong of The Penateka
She Wore It Tied Down
Ordeal On Elkhorn Peak
Minor League Misfits
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