by Elle E Kay
The door opened and she heard Maria holler “She’s here! Your little girl is home.” Maria raced out the door and enveloped Adeline in a fierce hug, lifting her and spinning her around.
“I missed you, Maria.”
“As I did, you.” Maria leaned back to inspect her before turning to Nathaniel. “Who do we have here?”
“Maria, this is my husband, Nathaniel Hayes.” Adeline stepped closer to him and laced her fingers through his. “Nathaniel, this is Maria. She’s our housekeeper, but she’s like a mother to me.”
“I understand the sentiment. I feel the same way about Rosa.”
Andrew McCarty stood in the open doorway. “What’s this I hear about a husband?”
∞∞∞
“Daddy!” Adeline threw herself at her father and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He kissed the top of her head. Nate stood back and watched the display of affection. He’d seen the twinge of pain on the older man’s face when Adeline nearly tackled him.
“Is your shoulder wound still tender, sir?” Nate asked in hopes of reminding Adeline, so she wouldn’t injure her father further with her affectionate embraces.
She stepped back. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you, Dad?”
“It’s fine.”
“Daddy, this is my husband, Nathaniel Hayes.” She took a step toward Nate. “Nathaniel, this is my father, Andrew McCarty.”
“Why don’t we go inside?” Mr. McCarty invited. “Are we prepared for tea, Maria?”
“Of course. Right away, sir.”
“Follow me.” Mr. McCarty led them to a formal room that didn’t look lived in. The fancy furniture was not designed for comfort. “Have a seat.”
Nate sat in a chair much too tiny for his substantial frame.
Adeline sat in the chair closest to her father and farthest from Nate. So much for counting on his spouse for support.
“So, Nate. May I call you Nate?”
“By all means.”
“Nate. What was the rush with the wedding? Why not plan a formal affair?”
“Honestly, I didn’t want to take the chance she’d come home and marry her former suitor.”
Adeline blushed and looked away to hide the color.
Nate continued, “At the time of the wedding we thought Adeline had no family left to attend her wedding. She’d believed you were murdered.”
“Well, what’s done is done. I had intended for her to marry another, but I don’t think she cared much for him.” He looked pointedly at Adeline. “Are you satisfied with this marriage to Nate, Addy?”
“I am.” Her blush deepened.
Maria entered the room with a tea pot and a tray of scones.
“Then I shall be happy for you.” He leaned back on the sofa.
A smile played at Maria’s lips as she poured the tea.
“Maria?”
“Yes, sir?”
“We’ll need to plan a party to celebrate my daughter’s wedding.”
Maria’s grin widened. “Of course, sir.”
Nate stole a glance at Adeline. She looked pleased. Her blush was fading and she seemed happy and relaxed. He wondered how much the stress of sharing the news with her father had been weighing on her.
“We didn’t plan to be here for a long visit. There is a planned stage-coach robbery. It’s up to me and two local sheriffs to stop it.”
“Surely, someone else can handle this while you celebrate your wedding?”
“I’d love to think so, but, no, sir. There are few lawmen in the area. We could return to Kansas City after I take care of this problem. Would one month from now be suitable?”
“Addy could stay here while you take care of business,” her father said.
“No Daddy. I should be at my husband’s side.” She stood.
“I think Adeline staying here is a splendid idea. She should stay here where she’ll be kept safe.” Nate was pleased to keep her out of harms way. He reached his hand out and shook his father-in-law’s hand. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out how to undo the arrangement they’d made.
He walked to where she stood and took her hands in his. He could feel the tension in her. “You can spend some time with your father. It’s been months since you’ve seen him.”
Mr. McCarty got to his feet slowly. “One month from today. We’ll have a grand ball to celebrate.”
He strolled from the room leaving Nate to cope with his agitated wife.
∞∞∞
“Why did you agree to leave me behind?” Adeline fumed. She wanted to punch him she was so mad.
“It’s the perfect plan.”
“It is not the ‘perfect plan.’ I told you I wanted to be involved in the take-down of Owen Glenn.”
“And I told you I’d prefer you stay home and bake cookies.”
“You said no such thing. You agreed to let me help.”
“I did, yes. But that was before your father gave me an easy out.”
“Tell him I’m coming with you.”
“You know I won’t. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t. It would be wrong to break my word to your father.”
“But it’s acceptable to break your word to me?”
“Love, don’t you want to spend some time here with your pa? You thought he was gone. You’ve been given more time with him. A real gift.”
“Don’t guilt me.”
“That’s not my intention.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Maybe it is, but revenge is your intent. What does God have to say about revenge?”
“Now you’re bringing God into our argument?”
“God belongs in everything we do or say.”
Adeline took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “Yes. Fine. He belongs in everything.” She stomped across the room and stared out the window over the gardens.
Nathaniel persisted. “What does He say about revenge?”
“It belongs to Him,” she whispered.
“That’s correct. He says ‘To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence…’ so I’m thinking you should leave this in His hands.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Leaving it in His hands?”
“I’m doing my job, love. You know that.”
What he said about God was true, but the truth of it only fueled her anger more. “Fine. Go! Leave me here while you take care of business, but don’t expect me to be happy about it.”
“I shouldn’t have told you I would let you help us get him. I was wrong to do so.”
“No. You were wrong to break your word to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Maybe Maria can teach me how to knit.”
Her whole body was still shaking with fury when he took her in his arms. She stiffened. “Calm yourself, love.”
Pulling away from his embrace, she glared at him.
∞∞∞
The train ride back was peaceful without Adeline peppering him with questions. Now that she was his wife, he would have to share his past with her. He wasn’t inclined to relive the exploits of his youth. He’d once shared details about his past with a former lover, and had seen first hand how poorly a woman could react to a man’s past sins. Emma had been happy to share his bed without any promises, but hadn’t been willing to overlook his relationships with the women who had come before her. Emma’s jealousy burned hot. Shortly after that night, he’d come to know God’s forgiveness and gave up booze and women. He’d asked Emma to marry him, but Emma said no. He hadn’t been disappointed. He walked away from the relationship feeling free. Now he would have to answer Adeline’s questions and hope she didn’t react as badly. He found the whole idea distasteful.
When the train pulled into the station, he stopped at the livery and picked up Sunfire. Then he rode off to Cimarron to intercept the Wells-Fargo stage coach. He hoped it was the one being targeted, Adeline was weak on details. All she had overheard was that it was a Wells-Fargo stage coach expected
to be loaded with gold and it would be passing somewhere near Cimarron when they planned to rob it.
When he arrived in town, it was late and Jack wasn’t in the office. Instead of getting a room at the hotel or the boarding house, he searched for Jack. He found him at the saloon. “Jack. Glad you’re here. Are we ready for the coach?”
“As ready as we will be. Harry’s in town and brought extra guns and ammunition. He sent a telegram warning Wells-Fargo of the possible attack. They responded that they’d send two guards with the coach. If things go as planned, between the guards, Harry, you and I, we should be able to take down the remaining gang members with minimal trouble.”
“Let’s pray that’s the case.”
Chapter 6
Early the following morning, Nate met Harry and Jack at the predetermined location. They’d whittled the list of likely places for a robbery to take place down to two locations. Both had excellent cover, but one wound through a narrow pass barely wide enough for the coach to get through. This location was their best hope of catching the robbery in time to prevent violence and needless loss of life. They’d sent a couple of armed men to the other possible location with orders not to interfere unless lives were at risk.
Nate recognized the ambush when a man came out of hiding with his hands in the air as the stage-coach entered the narrow pass. He stood there arms in the air yelling, “Come and get me.”
Nate quietly moved to Harry’s side. “It’s an ambush.”
“They set us up. They knew Adeline heard their planning. Figured she’d tell us. As soon as one of us moves in to arrest him, they’ll come out guns blazing.”
“Probably. What do you want to do?”
“Ask Jack.”
“You’re the one with a wife to go home to.”
“So are you, Nate.”
“I’ll see what Jack thinks.” Nate moved silently through the brush toward Jack’s position.
What he found disturbed him. They’d been expecting him to come from the other direction. At least he had that advantage. He moved silently back to Harry’s position. “One of them has a knife to Jack’s throat. They’re waiting for us to approach.”
“They didn’t see you?”
“If they had, I’d have shot them.”
“Mighty confident. I like that about you. Let’s go get Jack.”
“No. You keep your guns pointed on the man in the road, so he doesn’t sneak attack me.”
“And what are you going to do?”
“Get Jack. I have a feeling we’re going to need his help any moment. They planned this ambush, but they’re not going to give up an opportunity to rob a stage-coach carrying a substantial amount of gold.”
It didn’t take more than a minute for Nate to scope out the area around Jack to determine how many bandits were with him. He found three. The one with the knife and two strategically positioned where they could watch the road and backup their comrade.
He approached the first look-out from behind. Using his elbow, he cut off the man’s oxygen. The man kicked. Violently. The sound of the struggle alerted the man with the knife. Nate saw him pull Jack’s head back, and move the knife into position. Nate shot him in the head. The second look-out ran toward the pass. Another shot rang out.
Nate ran toward the sound, no longer concerned with stealth. Jack followed closely on his heels. The man who’d been holding his arms in the air was sprawled on the ground, a gun in his left hand. Harry held his weapon trained on the escaped lookout. Jack pointed. Nate saw the movement. There were more men behind Harry.
The stage-coach came to a halt and a man perched atop it turned his gun on his fellow guard. He hopped down and trained his gun on Nate. These weren’t the odds they’d expected. Nate, Jack, and the guard shot simultaneously. Nate stumbled. Then fell backward. His last conscious thought was of how glad he was Adeline was back in Kansas City out of harms way.
∞∞∞
Nate awakened to the sounds of gunfire and the taste of dirt. Someone had moved him. He was hidden in a copse of trees. When he felt steadier, he reloaded his Colt-45. Leaning against a nearby tree, he waited for a wave of nausea to pass. The sound of gunshots slowed. Had someone run out of ammunition? He stayed low and approached the fighting. That’s when he realized Jack was on the ground and Harry was pinned down. He shot the closest bandit and moved in close to check on Jack.
“I’m fine. It’s superficial. Help Harry.”
A woman exited the stage coach with a lever-action rifle against her shoulder. Nate wondered which side the woman was on. He’d deal with her later. He quietly approached the other side of the coach and took out the corrupt guard with a single gunshot to the head.
Nate heard rustling behind him and turned to see what it was. The lookout he’d rendered unconscious earlier was coming out of the woods. When Nate heard the telltale click of his revolver he fired his own. It didn’t look like they were going to have any prisoners to take into custody today.
Jack had managed to get to his feet. He slowly approached the woman with the rifle, but was careful not to make any sudden movements which might cause her to shoot. “Which side of this fight are you on?”
“I’m a Pinkerton detective sent to accompany this coach. I was told they expected trouble.”
“The trouble came, as expected.”
“And you are?”
“Sheriff Jack Garrison. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“When you’re done flirting with the lady detective, can we get these men cleaned up and get out of here?” Harry asked.
“I think I might need a doctor.” The world spun and Nate lost consciousness again.
∞∞∞
Adeline paced. She hadn’t slept well. Back under her father’s roof, she was once again pampered. Tea was brought to her. Her dresses were all washed and wrinkle free. Water for her bath was brought in. There wasn’t a thing to do, but read. She’d finished “Little Women” sometime during the night and now picked up “The Scarlet Letter.” Maybe she could lose herself in the story. She settled into a rocking chair on the porch and opened the book.
She stood when she caught sight of James on his thoroughbred trotting down the path. Maria appeared at the door and beckoned her inside.
Adeline fetched her father assuming James must have business with him. She stood beside her father as he answered the door. Maria opened the door and walked out on to the porch and Adeline’s father followed her.
“It’s wonderful to see you, James.” Her father held out his hand to greet the younger man.
Maria stood with her arms crossed over her chest.
“And you, Mr. McCarty. I wish I was here on pleasant business, but, I have some hard news for Addy,” James said.
“You can share it with me,” her father said.
She joined them on the porch. “What is it?” Her stomach tightened into knots.
James looked her up and down. Then he turned to face her father. “A telegram came while I was in town.”
“And?” she asked.
“It’s not pleasant.”
“What is it, James?” her father asked.
“It’s from a sheriff in the New Mexico territory. Something has happened to Mr. Nathaniel Hayes.” He handed him a paper.
“It appears Nate was shot, Addy. He’s alive. You can stay here while he recovers.”
“I will do no such thing!”
“You would defy me?”
“Daddy, I don’t wish to defy you, but I will be at my husband’s side.”
“I’m not well enough to travel, and I’m not sending my only daughter off to the New Mexico Territory by herself.”
“I could accompany her, sir,” James said.
“No. I don’t think Nathaniel would agree to James accompanying me.” Adeline took a step back.
“I don’t see how he has much choice. Either you will allow James to join you or you will stay here.”
Maria spoke. “Sir, would you mind terrib
ly if I joined them? Mr. Hayes would be less bothered if a chaperone was present.”
“I need you here,” Mr. McCarty said.
“Anna would take care of your needs while I was away.”
“Send Anna with them.”
“An ideal solution. She’ll be delighted to spend the time with Addy. I’ll get her.”
Adeline shifted her weight from foot to foot as Maria rushed off to get her niece. It was perfect. She wouldn’t be alone with James. “Daddy, I’d like to get my belongings ready, so we can leave at once.”
“You cannot leave until the train arrives, Addy.”
James pulled his pocket watch out to check it. “There will be a train at two o’clock, sir. If Addy wants to be on it, we can make it if Anna doesn’t hold things up.”
“I’ll be in my room.” Adeline hurried to her room and gathered some items. She took her mother’s worn leather Bible and stuffed it into her valise along with other necessities. At the knock on her bedroom door, she opened it to find Anna standing there, breathless. Anna was a year younger than Adeline. The two had been close as children.
“Aunt Maria said I was to accompany you on a trip.”
“Yes, thank you for coming so quickly. Is that all you’re bringing?”
“I don’t need much. Aunt Maria helped me pack.”
“The train leaves at two o’clock, so we need to hurry. I appreciate you joining me, Anna.”
“I’m happy for the change of scenery.”
When they rejoined her father and James on the porch, Anna turned away hiding her smile. Adeline briefly wondered why, but was too focused on getting to Nathaniel’s side to over think it.
“We’re ready,” Adeline said.
∞∞∞
A blinding light disturbed Nate, it took a few seconds for him to make sense of the light. There was someone in the room with a lantern and they positioned it on a table near his head. He wondered briefly where his revolver was. He wouldn’t shoot the man for wielding a light, but he might be comfortable threatening him. “You’re awake.”
“I am now.”
“Do you know where you are?”