by Merry Farmer
All she could do then was turn away, squeezing her eyes shut. Bitsy Briscoe was dead for good. She opened her eyes as Eden Chance, now and forever, and looked to Luke.
Luke watched her with a mix of love and pride and sadness that filled her heart to bursting. He didn’t have to say anything, she knew every good, kind word she’d ever wanted a man to say to her was in him through the force of the love in his eyes alone.
“Think we could go home and get started on those babies now?” she asked, weak, weepy, but so desperate to do just that that her heart was nearly bursting.
“Sure, sweetheart,” he answered, his voice like a caress. “Anything you want.”
He nudged his horse to walk closer to her, close enough that he could reach out and brush the tears away from her dirty face with his thumb. Then he leaned across to kiss her, so full of power and emotion that Eden could only close her eyes and consign her heart to him forever.
Chapter 11
Luke had never been so happy to ride under the iron arch welcoming folks home to Paradise Ranch as he was when he and Eden and the boys passed under it a week later.
“Who ever thought that this old place would be such a sight for sore eyes,” Cody said, rubbing the bandage under his shirt where the bullet had grazed his side.
“I dunno,” Lawson hummed, removing his hat to wipe his brow with his sleeve. “I always liked it. Never wanted to be anywhere else.”
“It’s Paradise,” Eden sighed. Her smile was worn and exhausted, but few things had ever filled Luke with so much satisfaction.
Eden had been quiet after her brothers and cousins rode off, keeping her thoughts to herself as they set to work gathering the stray cows that had wandered away from the herd and fitting things back together. Mason was too injured to help, and even though Cody had been shot too, he concentrated solely on getting his brother into the chuck wagon and making sure he was as comfortable as he could be. They’d had to camp right there where the fight had taken place that night, but after a few hours of travel the next day, they made it to the stockyard in Culpepper.
Fortunately for them all, Culpepper had a doctor who knew his trade. He pulled a bullet out of Mason’s leg and managed to stave off infection in the process. At least so far. Mason was still resting out in Culpepper with Oscar to keep him company until the doctor said he was out of danger. The rest of them had completed the transaction with Howard’s herd, tucked into a hotel for the night, and set out to bring the horses back the next day. Without the cattle to slow them down, the journey home took far less time.
Eden had kept her eyes open, scanning the land around them and the horizon across every mile.
“You looking for them?” Luke had asked her at one point.
She replied with a nod and a wistful sigh. “Don’t know if I want to find a trace of them or not.”
Luke understood. He thought he understood the bittersweet way she’d cried in his arms last night when they were close enough to Paradise Ranch to know that they weren’t going to find a single sign of her kin. That was it. That part of her life was truly over. Luke tried to show respect and not feel too smug over the fact that her life was now completely his.
No, she wasn’t his, they were each other’s.
A rider charging toward them from the path leading to Howard’s house shook him out of his thoughts. “Whoa.” He motioned for Eden and the others to stop so he could make out who the rider was.
His brow flew up when he saw it was Franklin Haskell. It always struck him as uncanny how nimble Franklin was atop a horse when his legs were broken and encased in braces.
“You’re back,” Franklin hollered once he was within earshot. “Thank God, you’re back.”
Luke exchanged a confused look with Eden, then glanced past her to Travis. Travis shrugged.
“A little late, but at least we made it back in one piece, more or less,” Travis answered Franklin.
Franklin pulled his horse up and slowed until he was breathless and dancing in front of them. “We received a telegram from Culpepper, from a Dr. Xavier Fellowes, a bill for his services.”
Luke snorted and shook his head, a wry grin on his face. Eden chuckled along with him.
“Figures,” she said. “No doctor that good was ever going to let us get away with a smile and a handshake.”
“Especially when he found out who we work for,” Luke agreed.
Franklin gaped at the two of them. “What’s this I hear about a shoot-out? Mason is going to be fine, but are the rest of you all right? Was it Bonneville’s men?” His expression darkened.
“It wasn’t Bonneville,” Travis said, holding up his hands.
A curious look came over Franklin. “There was another man poking around the ranch right after you left. A drifter named…named ‘B’ something. Did he have anything to do with—”
“It was some other gang.” Luke rushed in with a sidelong glance to Eden. “Some bandits who must’ve thought they could rustle some of the cattle and make a quick buck.”
He checked to see if she approved. Since the moment Bert and the others walked off, even though they were asked several times in Culpepper what had happened, an unspoken agreement had sprung up between them all that no one would ever mention who had attacked them or Eden’s connection to them.
Eden glanced off at the horizon, eyes troubled. Her hand moved toward her Winchester, strapped to her saddle. Luke wasn’t sure if she was aware of the movement or not.
“Cattle thieves,” Franklin said, his frown betraying that he wasn’t convinced. “And you’re sure they had nothing at all to do with Rex Bonneville?”
Travis caught Luke’s eye, then cleared his throat and faced Franklin. “Pretty darn sure.”
“But—”
“Let’s ride back to the house where we can talk about it with your father and Mrs. Piedmont too,” Travis cut him off with a weary smile. “My backside sure could use a comfy chair to sit in instead of a saddle, for a change.”
“Of course.” Franklin’s shoulders loosened and he laughed. “Sorry, I’m just so glad to see that you’re all safe and whole. Really.” He met each of their eyes with all the seriousness of a man who wished he’d been able to be there to help his friends.
Luke relaxed even further as they continued on to Howard’s house and the barn and stable. It was good to have friends, good to have a home. He glanced to Eden as she tilted her head up to the sun, eyes closed, and let out a long sigh. It was good to have a strong, beautiful wife too.
“Land sakes, look at the lot of you.” Mrs. Piedmont clapped a hand to her chest and ran down the stairs from the front porch of Howard’s house as they rode their horses to their final stop in the yard beside the barn.
Luke had never been so glad to dismount in his life, and judging by the wince on Eden’s sweet face, the feeling was mutual. He crossed to give her a reassuring hug, but was interrupted as Mrs. Piedmont, Josephine, and Elizabeth Haskell charged toward them.
“Oh, my sweet boy, we heard all about what happened.” Josephine launched herself right at him, squeezing him so tight that Luke nearly fell over.
“It was nothing, Ma.” Luke made light of it, sending Eden a wry grin. “Eden took good care of me and kept me safe.”
“Oh my dear, I am so sorry that you had to endure that ordeal,” Elizabeth said. In all the time Luke had known Howard’s wife, she’d never been particularly demonstrative, but she folded Eden in a tight hug now, as though Eden were her daughter.
Eden’s eyes went wide, and she pleaded with Luke for help over Elizabeth’s slim shoulder. Luke could only chuckle. If it would help Eden to see that she belonged here, that these were her people now, he’d line all of Haskell up to give her bear-hugs.
He was still smirking at Eden’s discomfort when Howard marched up to him, slapped him hard on the back, and said, “Luke, my boy! Mason telegraphed all about it! Said you were a real hero.”
Luke nearly choked on the declaration. “He did?”
“Yep,” Travis said without hesitation. “He’s a real leader, that one.”
Luke’s jaw dropped, even as a warm, prickly feeling of surprised happiness rose up his spine. “Well, I had help,” he stuttered.
“A bit,” Travis went on, “but it was Luke who took charge when those bandits tried to make off with some of the cows.” He crossed toward them, thumping Luke on the back as he passed. “Sometimes you need a man who knows how to pick a fight to keep situations from getting out of hand.” He winked at Luke and nodded at Eden before heading on to the bunkhouse.
Howard laughed, his whole body shaking. “That’s just what I thought. Sounds like I’ll need to find more challenging work for you to do around here in the future, eh? As Travis’s assistant, maybe?” He elbowed Luke so hard Luke nearly fell over. Howard turned to Eden. “And look at you, Mrs. Chance.”
“Me?” Through her exhaustion, Eden managed to find the humor of Howard’s exuberant personality.
“Yes, you. Look at that split skirt, those revolvers in your belt, the dirt covering you from head to toe.” Howard pointed from her to his wife and back again. “You’re as sharp a ranch hand as any of the rest of them.”
“Howard,” Elizabeth scolded him. “Mrs. Chance is a lady.”
Eden laughed out loud. “Now there’s one thing I’ve never been called before.” She blossomed into a smile, as if being reminded she was no pampered miss brought her back to herself. Luke’s heart flipped in his chest.
“I tell you what.” Howard narrowed his eyes and wagged a finger at her. “If you want a job working my ranch alongside your husband, it’s yours.”
“Howard!” Elizabeth hissed a second time.
“Well?” Howard shrugged. “If Virginia can do it, then Eden here can do it too. What do you say?” He turned a huge smile on Eden.
Luke was just beginning to warm to the idea of working beside his amazing wife every day when Eden laughed and shook her head. “No, thank you, sir,” she said. “I came out here because I wanted to keep house and get cozy with a husband and raise a whole parcel of children, if you don’t mind my saying.”
Elizabeth looked relieved. Virginia smiled in approval. Howard laughed and shrugged. “It was worth a try.”
“And I think you’ll find that, before too long, it’ll be easier to get those things done than ever,” Virginia added. “The carpenters have been hard at work on your new house over in The Village. It should be done by month’s end.”
It was the best news Luke had heard all day.
“Now go get yourselves cleaned up, then join us in the house. It won’t take Molly but a moment to put together a feast worthy of our returning heroes,” Howard said.
“Well, it might take longer than that,” Elizabeth muttered.
“We’ll eat whatever we can find until then,” Howard finished.
“No doubt you will,” Elizabeth sighed.
Luke and Eden laughed together, then headed across to the Hen House to clean up.
Eden wasn’t sure how she made it through the noisy, crazy supper that Howard’s cook, Molly, managed to throw together for them. They had all been exhausted riding the last few miles back to the ranch, but as soon as food was served and beer poured, it was like they were given new life. Howard wanted to hear every bit of what had happened in full detail. Eden was more than happy to sit back, belly full, and let the others come up with whatever yarn they wanted to spin to keep anyone from learning the truth.
Later, when she walked across the yard in the twilight, hand-in-hand with Luke, she spared one last glance to the horizon.
“I hope they made it,” she said, simple and quiet.
“Your brothers?”
She nodded. “I hope they got patched up and were able to move on.”
“I’m sure they’re fine.”
She arched a brow at Luke as they stepped up onto the front stoop of the Hen House and through the door. She wasn’t sure, but for now she was content to imagine they would be fine, just as Luke said.
“It’s hard to imagine that they will all keep that new leaf of theirs turned over,” she said as Luke shut the door behind him.
Luke shrugged as he walked over to take her in his arms. “We’ll keep them in our prayers.”
Eden sighed and let him fold her close. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. “I guess that’s the best any of us can do sometimes.”
“In the meantime, we’ve got work to do,” Luke went on, his voice growing mischievous.
Eden leaned back and grinned at his sly look. “What work?”
“The work of building ourselves a family.” He wiggled his eyebrows for good measure.
Giggling as if she hadn’t a care in the world, Eden broke out of his embrace and took his hand. She started toward the bedroom.
“Well come on then, Mr. Chance. If we’ve got a job in front of us, then we’d better do it well.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Luke laughed and followed her.
Epilogue
“Boy, you two didn’t waste much time, did you?” Cody stepped up onto the porch of Luke and Eden’s completed house, Travis following, as Eden and Luke sat on the wicker bench watching the sunset. The air had a late-autumn nip in it, but Eden barely felt it. She had a thick shawl wrapped around her shoulders and Luke snuggled up to her side.
“What are you talking about?” Luke asked. The satisfied grin he wore belied the fact that he knew just what rumors had reached Cody’s ears. He reached across to rub Eden’s stomach.
Cody snorted and shook his head at the two of them. “Word every which way around here is that it’s a good thing they built so many rooms in this house, because you’re gonna need them before next spring.”
“Really?” Luke grinned at Eden. She, in turn, winked at him over her shoulder.
“Did I forget to tell you, sweetie?” she teased him. “I’m in the family way.”
“You don’t say,” Luke played along, all pretend innocence. “How’d that happen?”
“Well, it probably has something to do with the way—”
“Don’t.” Travis held up both hands to stop them. He held a folded piece of paper in one. “There are some things I don’t need to know.”
Eden giggled and snuggled closer to Luke. As far as she was concerned, life couldn’t possibly be better. She knew full well how she’d ended up with child, and so did Luke. Like she’d thought all along, he was a fast learner. Especially since they practiced frequently. They’d been blessed in every way.
“What’s that you’ve got?” Luke nodded to the paper in Travis’s hand.
Travis and Cody both turned serious. Cody sank to sit in the rocking chair across from the bench, and Travis leaned against the porch railing and stared at the paper. It was a clipping from a newspaper.
He glance up at Eden with an uncertain look, then said, “Theophilus Gunn’s been keeping an eye out for any mention of—” He cleared his throat. “—Of anything having to do with a certain gang back East.”
Eden sat straighter, her heart beating double-time. Luke gripped her shoulder to keep her steady. “Did he find anything?”
Travis nodded and handed the newspaper clipping over to her.
“I don’t understand how that man knows everything,” Cody muttered. “It’s like he’s got a sixth sense or something.”
“He doesn’t have a sixth sense,” Travis scoffed. “He’s just observant.”
“How’d he know about what happened out there on the drive anyhow?” Cody asked.
“I told him,” Luke answered with a shrug.
“You what?”
Eden ignored the exchange. Luke had told her about his conversation with Mr. Gunn weeks ago.
“Gunn has a way of being ther
e when you need someone to talk to,” Luke said.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Travis agreed.
“You just find yourself telling him things, and then he gives you all the advice you’ll ever need.”
Travis hummed. Cody shook his head, baffled. Eden was too busy scanning the newspaper clipping to pay them much mind.
“Braden was arrested,” she said softly.
“Honey, I’m sorry.” Luke pulled her closer and hugged her from the side.
Eden barely noticed that too. “No, there’s more.” She read and reread the article—short though it was—to make sure she read it right. “Bert turned him in.”
“What?” Luke leaned into her, reading the article over her shoulder. “Well I’ll be,” he murmured as he read.
“Seems one of your brothers, at least, refused to return to a life of crime,” Travis said. Evidently, he’d read the article too.
Eden let out a breath and relaxed against the bench and Luke’s arm. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks. “At least two of us got away.” And maybe more. The article didn’t say anything about her cousins—even though she’d scanned the entire page for mention of Ted—but at least it hadn’t mentioned them being arrested either.
“This is good news,” Luke said, giving Eden a squeeze.
“It is.” She smiled up at him, adding a light kiss for good measure.
“But one thing.” Luke’s expression dropped to a scowl.
“What?” She arched a brow.
“This doesn’t mean we’re naming our baby any name that starts with a ‘B.’”
Eden laughed out loud. “Absolutely not,” she agreed. They shared another kiss.
“And guess what?” Cody burst in.
Eden snuggled closer to Luke as he tightened his arms around her. “What?”