“Was it the way she’s been helping Inga run the boarding house?”
“No, but—”
“Maybe it was the way she ran into a burning barn to pull Mr. Peterson and all those horses out before they burned to death.”
“Inga helped,” Reilly grumbled.
“She hasn’t gone out of her way to be alone with you, has she?”
“No, but—”
“If you’ll stop interrupting,” Bridget said through clenched teeth, “I’d like to get to the point.”
“Finally,” Flynn grumbled.
“Michael!”
“Please finish,” Reilly said.
“I was there when you asked her—no.” Bridget paused, “I was there when you told her you would marry her.”
“I did the askin’,” Reilly said. “I know what I said.”
“Do you?” Bridget asked softly. “You were half out of your mind with worry when you heard her say she thought the outlaws would rape her and leave her for dead.”
Reilly turned his head and looked away from her, but Bridget wasn’t finished.
“She was still in shock from being abducted and brutalized, John. No wonder she reached out for the bit of security you offered her. Marriage.”
Reilly shrugged in answer.
“That doesn’t sound like a woman who trapped you into asking.”
He whirled around and stumbled down another step, going down on one knee. Cursing, he looked up at her. “Ma sent her with me favorite recipes.”
“Maybe she thought you’d missed having someone cook them for you, John.”
“Why would me ma give her the family Bible?”
“I can’t answer that, but ask yourself this before you condemn the poor young woman.”
Reilly rubbed his knee and slowly stood.
“However she got here, whatever the reasons for her journey, doesn’t she deserve the chance to get to know you again?”
Reilly’s head was spinning, and he couldn’t feel his face. His heart was sore and his mind filled with whiskey when he asked, “What about me? What if I don’t want to marry the sharp-tongued little harpy?”
Flynn lifted his head. “I will!”
And that’s when Reilly hauled off and punched Flynn in the nose.
* * *
Mick finished loading the feed into the bed of the wagon and was climbing up onto the bench when Marshal Justiss stepped out of the jail.
“How’s your mother feeling, Mick?”
Mick picked up the reins and nodded. “Better now.”
As if he understood, Justiss nodded. “Doc says the first few months are tiring.”
Mick looked at him for a long moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think taking care of a broken nose would make her that tired.”
Justiss stopped dead in his tracks, turned and strode over to the side of the wagon. “Start talking.”
Mick had his hand on the brake, but didn’t release it. “Reilly and Flynn were drinking.”
“In the middle of the day?”
“That’s what I asked them,” Mick said. “Reilly was supposed to bring the wagon to town hours ago. Instead he and Flynn were on the back porch sharing a bottle of whiskey.”
Justiss seemed satisfied with what Mick told him. “Ah, so Flynn tripped and fell on his face.”
Mick looked up and sighed. “Not when I was there. He was fine when I got home.”
“What happened?”
“Ma was talking to the both of them while I was helping Emma sit at the table while she had a bit of bread to eat.”
Justiss waited for Mick to get to the point.
Mick shook his head. “I don’t know what happened. Ma was asking Reilly all these questions about Jessi, and Reilly kept trying to answer her, but Ma wouldn’t let him.”
Justiss chuckled. “Sounds like a woman on a mission.”
Mick shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but when Reilly finally said he didn’t want to marry Jessi—”
“Don’t tell me Flynn said he would,” Justiss interrupted.
Mick’s eyes gave away the fact that he admired the redheaded man for speaking up. “And that’s when Reilly punched him in the face.”
“Is your mother alone?”
“Naw,” Mick said. “Pa rode in when Flynn pushed Reilly down the stairs.”
“What happened to Reilly?”
“Nothing. He was so drunk, he just folded up and rolled down the steps.” Mick released the brake. “You might want to talk to Reilly.”
Justiss laughed. “I think I’ll wait till he cools down and is sober.”
“That might be a while,” Mick grumbled, clicking to the horse. “Say hello to Mrs. Swenson and Jessi for me.”
Justiss didn’t answer him or notice Millie Peabody walking out of the mercantile; he was already halfway to the boarding house.
* * *
“Why would John fight with Michael again?” Jessi couldn’t fathom why a man would haul off and hit his best friend repeatedly.
“I, uh,” Justiss began, only to look at Inga. “Would you like to explain it to her?”
Inga crossed her arms beneath her breasts and glared at Justiss. “I think you should. You’re the one who brought us the news.”
Justiss paced in front of the cookstove. On the third pass, he threw his hands up in the air and said, “Because Flynn said he’d marry you.”
Jessi’s belly clenched as a possibility occurred to her. “John must have mentioned not wanting to marry me.”
He stared at her then asked, “What makes you say that?”
“Because Michael’s a gentleman and knows half the town is expecting me to marry someone after being ruined by the men in your jail.”
“But you said they didn’t—” he began, only to be interrupted by Jessi.
“As I explained to John, just because they stopped short of the one act doesn’t mean it wasn’t rape.” Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she finally looked over at Inga. “I’m goin’ for a walk.”
“Don’t leave town,” Justiss called out as she opened the back door.
“I’ve learned that lesson well, Marshal.”
When she’d gone, Inga asked, “What aren’t you telling me, Ben?”
He walked over to where Inga stood. “I don’t know anything else. I’ve just got this feeling.”
“In your gut?”
“No,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I’ve had it before.”
“When?” Inga asked, folding the last of the pillowcases Jessi had taken down from the clothesline.
“The last time I got shot.”
Chapter Seventeen
“How could you show your face in public after what you’ve done?”
Jessi turned toward around and sighed. “Mrs. Peabody.”
“You have no right to speak to me.”
“Me mother raised me right,” Jessi said quietly. “When someone speaks to me, it’s me duty to answer them.”
“Impertinent baggage!”
“What have I done?”
Millicent turned around, but Jessi’s question stopped her from walking away.
“Do you have the effrontery to feign ignorance?”
Jessi shrugged. “Ye’ve accused me of more than one misdeed, Mrs. Peabody. ’Tis work to keep up with yer growing list.”
Millicent walked right up to Jessi. “Are you denying that you set fire to Peterson’s stable?”
“Ye know that I didn’t.” Jessi kept her voice firm, her tone even. It wouldn’t do for Millicent to guess how badly shaken Jessi was on the inside.
“What about poor Mr. Peterson? Do you deny you knocked him unconscious?”
Jessi shook her head. “I was with Inga runnin’ toward the stable. How could I be in two places at one time?”
“What about brawling in public and forcing a good man like John Reilly to pick fights with his friends in order to defend your reputation? Although why he would, I couldn’t possibly guess.”
&
nbsp; “ ’Tis me reputation to worry about and not any of yer business.”
“That’s where you are wrong, young lady.” Millicent huffed, drawing in a deep breath. “As the new head of the Committee for the Betterment of Emerson—”
“Isn’t that the committee Marshal Justiss disbanded about six months ago?”
“He cannot stop the good women, and moral upstanding citizens, of this community from congregating.”
“ ’Tis not what I heard. I’ll have to ask the marshal meself.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Sure and ye’d be wrong about that.” Jessi turned around, sorry she’d tried to be polite to the woman.
The shove from behind caught her off guard. By the time she threw her hands out to keep from smacking her head on the ground, she’d landed on her side on the edge of the wooden walkway.
Gasping for breath, she struggled to her hands and knees. Desperate for air, she braced a hand to her aching side and fought her rising panic.
“Jessi!”
She heard the voice, but couldn’t quite focus through the haze of pain threatening to drag her under.
“Hang on,” the voice urged. “Doc’s on his way.”
Unable to speak, she nodded. Someone placed his hands to her waist, intending to lift her to her feet. She tried to push the helping hands away, but they were too strong, too big.
Shards of pain shot straight through her ribs to her spine. She crumpled without uttering a sound.
“What happened?” Doc asked Justiss.
“Damned if I know,” Justiss answered. “I was coming out of the jail and saw Jessi lying on the walkway.”
“Did she trip?” Doc asked, easing Jessi on her side.
“I just told you—” Justiss began only to be interrupted by Doc.
“You didn’t try to move her, did you?”
Justiss rolled his eyes. “Of course, I did. How else could I help?”
“How was she when you found her?”
“On her hands and knees.”
“Did you touch her ribs?”
“Oh God,” Justiss said as the realization dawned. “I didn’t think beyond helping her to her feet.”
“You may have injured her ribs further.”
“I would never want to hurt Jessi.”
Doc patted the marshal’s arm. “I know. Now move out of the way.”
“You can’t just leave her on the boardwalk like this.”
“Are you going to tell me how to doctor my patients now?”
Justiss fell silent.
“That’s better.” Doc huffed. “Now stand there and keep those people back.”
Justiss turned around and sighed. A small crowd was gathering, gawking down at the unconscious woman. “Move along. There’s nothing to see.”
The people grumbled but moved to the other side of the street. It was better than where they had been standing, so Justiss let them be.
He knew someone was standing close behind him a moment before a hand touched his arm. “Marshal?”
He turned around. The fear on Mick’s face bothered him. “Jessi didn’t fall.”
Justiss clenched his hands into fists and relaxed them. “How do you know?”
“I saw what happened.” Mick looked over his shoulder and moved to stand on the other side of the marshal. “Don’t let her see that I’m talking to you.”
Instead of asking who, Justiss looked over his shoulder and noticed the woman standing two storefronts down. “Mrs. Peabody?”
Mick nodded. “I’m not afraid of her. It’s just that I don’t want her to take her anger out on Jessi and hurt her again.”
Mick turned to leave, and Justiss asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got a load of feed to take back to the ranch.” Their gazes met and held and the boy understood without being told. “I’ll tell Reilly.”
Justiss nodded and turned back to Doc, who was talking to himself. The marshal looked down and saw Jessi wince. “She’s coming around.”
“You’ll have to pick her up for me. Mind her broken ribs now,” Doc ordered.
“I thought they were only cracked. Son of a bitch. Did I do that to her?”
Doc took pity on him and shook his head. “From the bruise coming up on her jaw, I’d say she landed on her side and had already pushed to her hands and knees when you found her and tried to help.”
“Then I didn’t break them?”
Doc shook his head at him. “Now place your arm underneath her. Careful!”
Sweat dripped down the side of Justiss’s face as he lifted Jessi as if she would break apart in his arms. “I’m so sorry, Jessi.”
“Why?” she asked in a breathless voice. “Did ye push me?”
Appalled, he didn’t answer, but his expression must have been answer enough for Jessi. “That’s fine then. I like ye too much to have to learn to hate ye.”
She closed her eyes and moaned softly. “I shouldn’t have vexed her.”
“What happened?”
She opened one eye and sucked in a breath as her tender side bumped the marshal’s elbow. “I was defendin’ meself.”
“Who were you taking to?” Justiss asked.
“The spawn of the devil.”
Doc’s eyes met Justiss’s and they both said, “Millie.”
“Why would she try to hurt Jessi?” Doc asked.
“Damned if I know,” Justiss answered. “She must have felt threatened.”
“Does it hurt?” he couldn’t keep from asking.
Jessi looked up at him and answered, “Only when I breathe or talk.”
“Then don’t,” he said cradling her gently against him. “Reilly’s going to be fit to be tied.”
“Why should himself care if he doesn’t want me?”
“What makes you think he doesn’t want you?” Justiss asked, following along behind Doc.
“Didn’t he just say so himself this morning?”
“But I thought he was out at the ranch all day.”
Jessi nodded. “Except for when he wasn’t.”
“What do you think you said to make Millie angry enough to push you?”
“Why are ye asking me, when she’s the one who pushed me?”
Justiss clenched his jaw and mentally counted to ten before answering. “You said you were defending yourself.”
“Aye.”
“You can question my patient later,” Doc told the marshal. “Put her on the couch. Gently!”
“I reacted before, when I tried to pick her up,” the marshal said, defending himself.
“I know ye were only trying to help me. Sure and it was me own fault that I hadn’t the breath to tell you not to touch me achin’ ribs.”
“Jessi, I’m sorry.”
“Sure and that’s grand to hear. Thank ye for helpin’ me, Ben.”
“Do you want me to go get Inga?”
“She needs her rest.”
“She can rest sitting here with you while Doc wraps your ribs.”
“What am I goin’ to do now?”
“You’re going to lie still.”
Jessi shook her head and sadly smiled. “I was supposed to be helpin’ Inga. It’s going to be hard if I can’t do the liftin’ for her.”
Doc motioned for the marshal to be on his way. “Give Miss Fahy some privacy and go get Inga.”
“Thank ye, Ben.”
Justiss was shaking his head when he left. Jessi sighed. “I think Mrs. Reilly is right.”
Doc loosened her dress and unwrapped the bandage he’d put on her the day before. “No use taking a chance. We don’t want your broken bones shifting and poking through something important.”
When Jessi fell silent, Doc finally asked. “So what was Mrs. Reilly right about?”
“Me middle name.”
Doc gently examined the bruised flesh. “I thought it was Keely.”
She snorted and then placed a hand to her ribs. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“
I didn’t try to,” Doc said. “What does Mrs. Reilly call you?” he asked as he picked up a new length of bandage and began to rewrap her ribs.
“Trouble.”
“And you’ve had nothing but since you left home?” he asked as he tied off the bandage and tucked the ends neatly under the top layer.
Jessi look a small breath and was relieved that she could do so without gasping. “Is there a chance me broken ribs will heal as quickly as the cracked ones were supposed to?”
Doc shook his head. “Why don’t you just lie still for a little while? By the time Inga gets here, you’ll be ready to leave, as long as you promise not to lift anything.”
“Aye,” Jessi said quietly. “But what about Inga?”
“We’ll figure something out,” Doc reassured her.
Inga knocked and rushed into the office as he finished fastening her dress. “Jessi! What happened?”
“I can’t say, seein’ as how every time I talk about the woman, something bad seems to happen to me and mine.”
“Tell me anyway,” Inga insisted.
“I was tryin’ to be polite to Mrs. Peabody.”
Inga’s head swiveled, and for a moment she and Doc stared at one another. When Inga turned back around, Jessi told her how she’d refuted every accusation Mrs. Peabody had hurled at her. She told Inga that it was only when she’d told Mrs. Peabody that she was going to ask Marshal Justiss whether or not the committee had the right to congregate and turned to leave that Mrs. Peabody pushed her.
“Are you sure it was Millicent?”
“I was a bit upset by her accusations and didn’t notice if anyone else was nearby.”
Inga nodded, satisfied with Jessi’s answer. “She can’t be allowed to continue this harassment.”
Doc agreed. “It’s time the marshal had a talk with Millie, just like he did with Sarah.”
“Accordin’ to Mrs. Peabody,” Jessi said. “The committee has been meetin’ all along.”
Inga’s face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet.
“Here now,” Jessi said, reaching for Inga’s hand only to stop and groan.
“Young lady,” Doc said. “Do I have to add ‘don’t reach’ to ‘don’t lift’?”
“I’m thinkin’ ye may. I just wanted to be sure Inga doesn’t get upset. It can’t be good for the babe.”
Doc stood next to the two women, crossed his arms and frowned down at them. “For the next little while, neither one of you will be moving, lifting, or reaching,” he told them. “Is that understood?”
The Irish Westerns Boxed Set Page 93