Whispers on the Wind

by Brenda Jernigan

  This is a mistake, she thought.

  She felt Carter’s breath against her face as he pressed his lips to hers, causing her to moan. Even though she knew Carter was the enemy, it was as if her mind shut down completely when he touched her.

  She trembled with the need to be held. She fitted herself perfectly to his body. A burning desire was building inside of her, creating an aching need for him. His lips crushed down on hers, parting them with a hungry urgency, and she responded, mating her tongue with his.

  He kissed her again and again until her breath became his. Mary knew she should pull away— save what dignity she had left—but she craved his affection even now, after he’d arrested her. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told him that she loved him. She couldn’t deny herself his touch any longer.

  Lifting his head, Carter gazed down at her. “What is it about you that makes me forget every other thought in my head?”

  “Tell me last night wasn’t a lie,” she said—the same question he’d asked her.

  “It wasn’t a lie,” Carter admitted. It was an awakening experience that had left him reeling. Then he knew he was going to do something that he shouldn’t “I want you just as much now as I did last night I want to feel your naked body next to mine, to hold you in my arms once more.”

  “Sleep with me tonight,” Mary whispered in his ear.

  Carter’s eyes darkened as he pulled her down on the cot The soft light was so dim she could barely see the desire in his eyes, but she knew it was there.

  His mouth caught hers in a kiss that was both rough and tender, and Mary gave in to her swirling emotions. The last thing she remembered was Carter whispering, “I don’t want to lose you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The only sound coming from the cell was the even breathing of the couple entwined in a lovers’ embrace as they slept on the small cot.

  The first rays of sunlight slipped through the high cell window and cast a warm glow into what was usually a cold room.

  Carter stirred, waking Mary. Her head was resting on his shoulder with her arm draped across his chest. She really didn’t want to move because, once she did, the contented spell she seemed to be in would vanish, reality would barrel back into her life, and she’d be on her own again.

  “Did you sleep well last night?” Carter asked.

  “Yes, I did. No nightmares,” Mary murmured, wondering if he felt as wonderful as she did this morning. “How about you?”

  “I did sleep well,” he said, looking down at her. “We should get dressed before we have company, and I have to explain why I’m in a cell with you without my clothes on,” Carter murmured, absently rubbing her arm.

  Mary laughed as she looked up at him. “Even though the answer would be obvious, I suppose you’re right” She traced her fingers across his chest swirling circles in the thick hair. Thank you for staying with me last night You seem to chase my demons away.”

  “If only I could keep them away.” Carter pulled Mary up and kissed her. “But you don’t have to thank me. I guess by now you’ve figured out that there is something between us. You’re very special to me. I—I don’t know what else to say,” he said hesitantly.

  Mary sat up and reached for her blouse. You could try saying I love you. Somehow, his words were irritating this morning. Then she remembered her mother and another woman talking. At the time the words had meant nothing to Mary, but now... The woman had said, “You mustn’t mistake a man’s attention for anything other than what it is. Just because he desires you don’t mean he loves you. You have to hear the words.”

  And Carter hadn’t said the words.

  “Well, maybe one day you’ll figure everything out,” Mary snapped at him.

  Carter got up and grabbed his breeches. He stepped into them quickly and reached for his shirt.

  Evidently, her barb had bounced off him like water, which irritated her even more.

  When Carter had finished buttoning his blue shirt, he glanced at her. “You realize I have to take you back to Gregory Gulch for trial.”

  Mary stood across the cell, her arms folded, damning Carter with her eyes as he locked the door. Maybe he didn’t love her at all. If he did, would he lock the door? Could it be nothing more than lust that he felt?

  Had she been a fool, just like her mother?

  He said he cared for her, but hell, he cared for his horse, too. Well, he wouldn’t kiss her again so easily. She might love him, but she wasn’t a fool. “I realize you have to do your job, Marshal.”

  Carter narrowed his eyes and stared at Mary. He started to say something but changed his mind. Instead, he walked over to the potbelly stove and opened the small door. Taking a poker, he stirred the coals, then chucked some small pieces of wood into the fire to take off the morning chill. This time of year, they only needed the heat in the morning and at night now that the weather was turning warmer.

  Grabbing the tin coffeepot, he went out back and dumped the grounds and old coffee. He felt lower than a snake, but the fact remained that Mary was accused of murder and he had a job to do. Whether he liked it or not!

  Carter heard the front door open as he headed back toward the front. He heard Rick say cheerfully to Mary, “Good morning. Carter run off and leave you?”

  Thunder followed Rick inside, carrying a big tray of food.

  “No, I didn’t leave her,” Carter informed him as he entered the room. “I’m making coffee.”

  Rick smiled. “Good, I brought you both some breakfast. And it sounds like you need some of that coffee. Fast.”

  Thunder strolled over to the cell. “How did you sleep last night?”

  Mary knew her cheeks heated to a soft pink as she said, “Fine.”

  Rick opened the door, and Thunder removed a plate of biscuits for the three of them, then took the tray with the remaining plate of hot biscuits and gravy in to Mary. “Hope you’re hungry.”

  “Thank you. I am.”

  Thunder handed her a package that had been tucked under his arm.

  “What’s this?”

  “I believe you asked me to get you a change of clothes.”

  “Thank you,” she said, and kissed him on the cheek. Then she placed the package on the end of the cot. She wasn’t sure how she was going to change clothes without any privacy, but that was something she’d worry about later. Mary sat back on the bunk with her legs pulled up so she could place the plate on her lap. She buttered her biscuit.

  Thunder dragged a chair into the cell. “I need to ask you some more questions,” Thunder told her. “Do you feel up to it this morning?”

  Mary nodded since her mouth was full.

  “Good,” Thunder said. He turned the chair backwards and straddled it “I want you to think real hard. There had to be somebody else in that cabin. Is there anything you can remember?”

  At first Mary shook her head, then she remembered the piece of material. She fumbled in the pocket of her skirt and withdrew the green plaid material. “This.” She waved it at Thunder.

  He took the fabric and examined it. “This is fine wool, the kind that comes from England or Ireland. I saw plaids like this when I lived in Boston, but what does it have to do with Jim’s murder?”

  “I don’t know. When I woke up I found that small piece of material on my bed, and since I’ve never seen it before I wondered if I might have torn it off of whoever was there.”

  “That’s a good point”

  Mary picked up the linen cloth and wiped her mouth. “The night I was shot—”

  Thunder gripped the back of the chair. “You were shot?” his voice boomed.

  “Right here.” She pointed to her arm, then went on to explain that she’d been singing and why. “I saw a man backstage with a green plaid coat That’s what made me remember the piece of material. He seemed to want my attention, but when I pointed him out to Carter’s mother, he was gone. And then I thought I saw him at the back of the theater before I was shot.”

  Thunder smiled.
“I think somebody is trying to kill you, kid, because you know something you shouldn’t”

  “But why can’t I remember?”

  Rick moved over to the cell. “I’m sorry for listening, but what Mary said sounds like the same thing several other folks said when I questioned them after the shooting. They thought they saw someone, but when I asked them to describe the person, it was as if their memory had been wiped out”

  “That’s interesting,” Thunder said. “There has to be a clue that we’re missing.” He turned his attention back to Mary. “Can you remember what the man looked like?”

  Carter had been listening to the entire conversation. Could it be that someone had framed Mary? But it still didn’t make sense why she couldn’t remember anything at all.

  Mary placed her empty plate on the tray. “He was tall, very thin, and he had black hair.”

  “Did you ever see Big Jim’s brother?” Thunder asked.

  “No. Jim mentioned his brother was supposed to come to camp, but I never saw him,” Mary replied.

  “Well, he told Marshal Forester that you cooked supper for him, and then you and Jim got into an argument,” Thunder told her. He watched as her face paled.

  Mary stormed to her feet “That is not true! I remember cooking supper because he was supposed to come to eat, but he never showed up, and I don’t remember anything after that” She looked at Thunder and frowned. “That doesn’t sound, good, does it?”

  Thunder stood. “No, kid. It doesn’t But we’ll find out what happened.”

  Hank, breathing hard, stormed in through the door. “We got trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Carter asked.

  “The Carlsons are down at the saloon. They stopped me on the way in and told me to tell you they’d meet you on the street in two hours. If you don’t show up, they’ll start shooting anybody walking down the sidewalk.”

  Mary moved toward the bars. She could see every muscle in Carter’s body tense. This was what he’d always wanted—revenge for his sister’s death. “I’ll be there,” Carter said.

  “How many?” Rick asked.

  “Five altogether,” Hank told them. He reached for the coffeepot “Two Carlsons and three new guns. However, there could be more that I didn’t see. The last I heard, the gang had grown to ten.”

  “There are three of us. It shouldn’t be bad,” Rick reasoned.

  “Sounds like you boys have trouble,” Thunder said. He leaned back against the wall. “Who are the Carlsons?”

  Rick spent the next half hour telling Thunder about the gang while Rick and Carter cleaned their guns. When Rick had finished, Thunder said, “Let’s make that an even four.”

  “It’s not your fight, Thunder. You don’t really have to,” Hank said.

  Thunder studied the sheriff for a moment “I think it evens up the numbers.”

  Carter looked up from loading his gun. “Can you shoot?”

  Thunder smiled slowly. “I believe I could hit something if it were big enough.”

  Carter looked skeptical.

  Thunder wasn’t surprised. But he was finding he liked Carter’s surly attitude. He just might be man enough to handle Mary—and even then it wouldn’t be easy.

  “If you have doubts, why don’t you just draw on Thunder?” Mary suggested from her cell. She wore a devious smile that Thunder recognized well.

  Carter stood up and holstered his .44-caliber Remington. “That isn’t a bad idea. I don’t want to have you getting killed on my conscience just because you can’t handle a gun.”

  “You boys unload your guns first” Hank told them. ‘Just in case you forget this is practice.”

  They both emptied their chambers. Thunder leaned casually against the wall. Carter was across the room. Rick stood in the middle.

  “All right on the count of three, both of you draw. Those guns are empty, aren’t they?” Rick asked. Both men nodded.

  “One. Two. Three,” Rick shouted. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said when Carter’s gun had only half cleared the holster.

  Mary smiled as Thunder said, “You lose.”

  “All right,” Carter agreed, his brow arched. “I guess you can go with us. Where did you learn to shoot like that5”

  “When you’ve been called a half-breed all your life, you learn real quick how to handle a gun.”

  “Hell, I want him in front of me,” Rick said with a chuckle.

  As Thunder reloaded his Colt, he asked, “When do you intend to leave for Gregory Gulch?”

  “Just as soon as I kill the last two Carlsons,” Carter said nonchalantly.

  “Revenge drives many men,” Thunder commented. “If someone had killed my family, I’m sure I would probably feel the same way. Just remember, there comes a time when you have to let the past go and start living.”

  “You sound like somebody who has been there,” Carter said.

  “That’s right. I was driven by my own demons for a long time,” Thunder admitted. Then he changed the subject. “I will probably catch up with you later. I’d like to find John McCoy. Supposedly, he’s headed this way. That is, unless you feel that you need my help in getting Mary safely back to Gregory Gulch.”

  Carter shot him a withering look. “I think I can manage. Nobody will harm her.”

  “Good. Make sure they don’t, or you’ll answer to me.” Thunder didn’t even pretend to smile.

  Hank finished his coffee. “I think both of you could stand a strong cup of coffee.” He held up the coffeepot and motioned to both of them. “Believe I’ll do a walkabout and warn folks to stay off the streets.”

  “Better take someone with you,” Carter suggested.

  “I’ll go,” Rick volunteered.

  Hank placed his hat on his head. “After seeing Thunder draw, I’d rather have him.”

  Thanks a lot,” Rick grumbled. “Guess I’ll go get more ammo at the hardware store.”

  “No offense, son,” Hank said.

  Hank and Thunder were still laughing at Rick as they walked out the door. Then there was quiet Mary wasn’t used to just sitting around, doing nothing, and she felt restless, like a caged animal. She cast a glance at Carter. It appeared he was going to be her only source of entertainment, so she might as well talk to him.

  “Couldn’t you just arrest that gang so no one would get hurt?” she asked.

  Carter glanced up at her with a look of disbelief. “I could issue them an invitation, but I doubt they’d take it They were brought before a judge once, but they got off because the evidence presented didn’t hold up in court”

  “I was being serious,” Mary insisted with a frown. “One of you could be hurt"

  Carter moved over so he could see her through the bars. “You would worry about me?”

  Mary wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of hearing she’d be worried sick, so she simply said, “Of course, I don’t want a stranger to drag me back to Gregory Gulch. I’m used to you.”

  She received a frown from him that really pleased the ornery side of her. But she managed to keep a straight face. Then she added the final blow to his ego. “I was worried about Hank. He isn’t as young as the rest of you.”

  “Hank is pretty fast, so don’t let that graying hair fool you,” Carter told her. He shifted and propped his shoulder against the wall as he talked to her. “Want to hear how Hank got his job?”

  Mary went back to the cot and sat down. Better to keep her distance from him. “Sure. I’ve got time.”

  “I’m not sure I can tell it the same as Hank, but I’ll give it a shot,” Carter said with a smile. “Seems like a cowboy came in off the range one day and proceeded to celebrate at the Golden Lady. As the rotgut began to take over his body, he began to shoot out the lights. Guess he needed something to do. He started demanding that people drink with him and generally making life unpleasant, but that wasn’t enough—this cowboy started roughing up a couple of patrons. So Hank, who had been sitting in the corner playing cards, strolled up to the c
owboy and said, ‘I’ll give you five minutes to get out of town.’”

  “Did Hank have a gun?” Mary asked.

  “Nope.”

  “So what happened?”

  “The cowboy put up his gun, walked out of the saloon to where his horse was hitched, and rode out of town.”

  Mary came back over to the bars and gripped them. She waited to see if Carter was teasing her. “Just that easy?” she asked.

  “Yep. Hank was asked what he would have done if the cowboy refused to go. And Hank said, ‘I’d have given him five more minutes.’” Carter chuckled.

  Mary laughed. “I like that story. Thank you.”

  Carter shoved away from the wall and covered her hands on the bars with his. “You’re welcome. I wish I could let you out of there,” he admitted.

  “I do, too.”

  “Mary, if anything should happen today...”

  Ignoring the mocking voice inside that wondered why she cared for this man, she begged, “Please don’t do this. Just arrest them.”

  “I don’t intend to have a gunfight if I don’t have to, but it will be hard to arrest that many men without it. You’ll be safe in here.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about,” she said in a choked voice. She cleared her throat before she asked one last time. “Don’t leave me locked up! I promise I won’t run. Just don’t leave me locked up.”

  Carter touched her hand in a gently caress. “I can’t break the law, Mary. Not even for you.”

  She could only stare at him. She knew all along that Carter believed in his principles, so how could she blame him for not breaking them? Not even for her. She would hear those words forever.

  Not even for her.

  Because those words would remind her that Carter didn’t love her. She’d been fooling herself all along.

  Not even for her. Mary wanted to cry for being such a fool.

  Rick barged through the door. “It’s time. They just shot Hank.”

  Carter grabbed his gun off the desk. “Is Hank alive?” he asked as they raced out the door.