"I did that to you," she whispered. "I should have taken that deed and let you go."
"Wouldn't'a done any good, Sammy. I was bound to stay from the first time I saw you." Then he added with some embarrassment, "When I wasn't too mad to know what I was looking at."
Sammy's guilt wasn't eased, even if her heart did feel like it was swelling to the bursting point. "I could have taken it. I…I…well, Hedges said you didn't have any place to go, and… and…I…I…I didn't want you to leave."
"Goes to show Hedges don't know everything," he said with a grin. "I got folks up north, Sammy. My Ma'd take care of Danny for me."
"Oh, Gabe," she said, her eyes filling with tears again.
"You women cry at the darnest times."
"You stayed for me, even if you wouldn't talk to me."
"I just never figured you could care for me till you shot my horse."
"You shot his horse?" Sally exclaimed.
Sammy only nodded, asking Gabe, "Is that why you never asked me before?"
"Ask you what?" Sally asked excitedly.
They looked at each other, and Gabe nodded for Sammy to be the one to tell it. "He asked me to marry him, Sally."
"Oh," Sally cried, so excited she nearly threw the basin of water she was holding. As it was, the water splashed all over the front of her dress and the floor as she hastily set it on the table, reaching for Sammy. Sammy suffered a suffocating, crushing embrace, and Gabe's arm was squeezed till it ached. Then Sally broke into tears, dropping into a vacant chair to cover her face with her hands.
"She glad or not?" Gabe asked.
"Glad," Sammy said with a smile.
"My baby," Sally wailed. "My baby's getting married."
Hedges arrived, hitting the door in a full run. He skidded to a stop, looking at each of them. "You okay?" he asked Gabe.
Gabe nodded, as he looked again at Sally, still sobbing into her hands. "Didn't figure it'd break her up so," he commented.
"She killed his horse," Sally sobbed.
"I had to stop him from going after Pierce," Sammy retorted defensively and changed the subject. She pointed at Sally. "She just realized she won't have me around to boss anymore." Knowing the scene was embarrassing Gabe, she took his other hand, working those bandages off as carefully.
"That shows how much you know, you smart miss. I didn't even think of you starting your own home without me," Sally sobbed.
"Please don't start crying all over when you do."
"What are you talking about?" Hedges asked.
"You," Sally said, standing up to point at Hedges. "All them fancy tricks was for nothing. All he needed was to know she cared for him."
"Huh?" he said.
"What tricks?" Sammy asked.
"Gabe done asked her to marry him, right after she shot his horse," Sally told Hedges triumphantly.
Hedges didn't even hear the last part. He was whooping too loud.
"Shut up, you're making a fool of yourself," Sally told him. She told Gabe, "Stick your hands in that water".
Gabe braced himself, knowing what was coming, but even braced, he couldn't keep back a sharp intake of breath when the sting started eating into his hands. The sharp, deep breath grabbed at his side, jerking down on him.
"Sally, cain't you make it so it doesn't hurt so bad?" Sammy asked in alarm, already standing at Gabe's side with her hand protectively on his shoulder.
"Got to hurt to work. Hedges, you best go on into town and bring the preacher out. Gabe says—"
"No," Gabe gasped, and then took the time to ease in some air to continue. "Folks don't know I can get around yet. Don't want them to. Hedges, where's the boys?"
"Said they wanted to have a look see around before they come in."
Sally and Hedges looked at each other in concern. They'd got so excited with the news, they'd forgot for a while about Pierce and what he might do especially after he found out what Sammy had done to the ranch buildings.
Gabe saw the look and took a swipe with his arm at the sweat popping out on his forehead. Sammy took up a cloth and patted his face while Gabe told them, "I want to get all of them together, your boys, too, Sammy, so we can decide what might need to be done."
"Yes, Gabe," she said absently, feeling of his forehead. She looked up at Sally in worry.
"Let's get them hands sponged off now and wrapped up," Sally said, trying to take control of Gabe's care.
"We'll have to set up a defense in case he tries hitting at us here," Gabe was saying, concentrating on one thing at a time. "Wish you hadn't burnt the old place down. It'd be easier to defend, and there's not as much room here."
"Pierce'd have the law on his side there. Gabe, there's two bedrooms here. Sally and I—"
Gabe shook his head. "Folks would look bad at us being in the same house. What do you mean he'd have the law on his side?"
Hedges took over then to explain. "Pierce is the one that holds the claims to that section, but without them improvements, he won't be able to certify them and won't now. Didn't understand what you meant at first, Sammy. That was smart, stopping him like that."
"I wasn't thinking of anything more than not letting him have what Papa built, but if Gabe hadn't stopped me, I'd done the same to the other homesteads," she said, watching Gabe closely.
"None of them are certified?" Gabe mused thoughtfully.
"Only this one. Sammy had Smith do it for her before Big Sam died. Big Sam let her get away with that, but he wouldn't stand for anymore. Said the land was his by right, and he wouldn't stand for no new laws letting anyone take it away from him, so Sammy had to wait until he passed on to make claims on the other sections. "
"So when they fault, it'll all be open for reclaiming?"
"Will be Friday afternoon, if they don't prove up."
"Hedges, go out and fire three shots in the air. Sally, get this done, and don't wrap them so heavy this time. It gets in my way."
They all exchanged uncertain looks, but Hedges shrugged and went out to do what he was told. Gabe was taking command, and from the sound of it, he knew what he was going to do.
Chapter Ten
There was no doubt that Gabe had worked before with the pack of men that came looking for him. Within ten minutes from the time Hedges fired those shots, they all were in the yard. Gabe wasn't quite sure how to greet his old friends. He couldn't very well shake hands with them, and he sure hoped they didn't go to back pounding or punching. He stood on the steps, not ashamed of the grin on his face, hoping they'd understand how glad he was to see them and not just because he was going to need their help.
"You bunch of lobos. What are you doing here?" he said in greeting.
"Heard you had the makings of a good scrap going. Figured we'd come see you handled it right," Tracks said.
"Looks like you need us, too," Curly said, swinging the saddle he carried to rest atop one of the nearby wagons. "Looks like you'd take better care of that, 'stead of leaving it lay around for anyone to pick up."
"I was going to send someone after it, till I heard you were in the neighborhood."
"Anything loose, we usually find it," Bill said, making them chuckle.
"You're all a sight for sore eyes," Gabe said sincerely. "Step down. We got some talking to do."
"Reckon we are a sight, anyways," Curly said, looking significantly in the direction of Sammy's riders, gathered in a bunch off to the side watching the new group warily.
Gabe looked from one bunch to the other, wondering just what the difference was. On the surface, they looked the same. Different coloring, size and build, but there wasn't one of them that you'd pick out instantly, saying he didn't belong. They were all dressed the same, rough range clothes, boots, hats, and side arms. Sammy's bunch didn't carry their guns any different than Gabe's, but there was still a difference.
He introduced his group, Curly, Bill, Tracks, Oden, and Scratch. Since he didn't know any of Sammy's riders by name, they had to introduce themselves. Bob did the honors
for Sammy's crew. At Gabe's suggestion, they moved to a spot where they could all get comfortable. He stayed on his feet, and it was still a segregated group, one with two definite sides.
"Hedges tells me some of you boys hold the claims on Rocking M," Gabe began, addressing himself to Bob since he seemed to be the leader.
"Four of us do," Bob said of the six. "There's three others that went with Pierce."
"Loyalty to Pierce?"
"Naw, money, we figure. Pierce offered us each two hundred to promise our sell out. We told him to go to hell. The others went with him when he rode out."
"That's a powerful lot of money," Curly commented.
"He stole Little Sam's trail money," Bob said bitterly. "Using it to buy out her claims and hire guns."
"Heard scuttlebutt on the trail coming home, 'bout how there was trouble brewing in the area," Curly told Gabe. "Sorry we didn't come straight back. Didn't know."
Gabe nodded in acceptance of the brief reference as to why they hadn't been around when his trouble happened or while he was in that hospital. It meant a lot to him, not that he showed it.
"When we got back to Crystal Creek," Curly went on, "Ollie told us you was here."
"Seen some of hired guns in Tree Town when we went through," Tracks put in.
"We hung around there a couple of nights, picking up what facts we could, Angel," Curly went on. "You remember the runt, Jamie?"
"Is he one of them?" Gabe asked in surprise.
"Well, now," Curly drawled, winking at Tracks, "you know how we always rode Jamie about playing with that gun of his. He gone and got real fancy when we finished that drive and was just hanging round up there. He got his self some high polished boots, even carved grips for that gun. Got to where we was ashamed to have him ride with us."
"Get to it, Curly," Gabe said, wishing he could sit down, but afraid he couldn't get up again if he did. His ribs had gone from aching, only hurting sharply when he moved wrong, to hurting sharp steadily.
"Well, we never figured it'd come in handy for anything till we hit Crossings. Those town folks mistook us for some of them gun slinging rowdies, but them real ones didn't, only Jamie."
"So Jamie joined up with them?"
"He went with them, but he didn't join them, if you get my drift. Figured it never hurt to have one in the enemy camp."
"How'd you know who the enemy was?" Bob asked suspiciously.
"Heard who the man was courting," Curly said carefully.
"He ain't courting," one of Bob's group snorted.
"Ain't so sure," another said. "He did start going over to Tree Town regular like before we left on the cattle drive." His eyes shifted around, not really meeting anyone's as he added, "I kinda figured he met up with the same woman at the end of the trial, and I heard she's back now in Tree Town."
"Who'd have him?" Bob asked in disbelief.
"This one would, long enough to get what she wanted from him," Gabe said, letting Curly know he already knew about Brenda.
"Never give you no surprises," Curly muttered.
"It was a surprise, Curly. You just weren't the one to give it to me."
"So what are we going to do?" Bob asked.
"We won't decide that till Morey gets back, but there might be fighting. If that bothers any of you, you best pull out now," Gabe said, as much to his friends as Sammy's crew.
Curly and the others never batted an eye. Sammy's men looked back and forth, between each other and over the group opposite them.
"We said we'd stick. Just like to know what you got planned," Bob said, answering for all of them.
"Getting fit to ride, first," Gabe said, feeling light-headed. "We'll try it legal first."
"Legal? Hell, what Pierce is doing ain't legal."
"We'll try legal first. If it don't work, and I'll tell you now, I don't think it'll stop a fight, we'll walk over Pierce like he's never been walked on before." Gabe turned back to his group, staggering slightly and fighting to stay on his feet. "I want the homesteads of those men that went with Pierce scouted. I want to know where Pierce is and what he's doing."
"You gonna pass out?" Curly asked, watching Gabe closely. He nodded to Tracks to follow him as he moved quickly to get to Gabe's side.
Gabe went on talking. "You boys stay out of sight. Don't let them know you're around. Bob, your bunch stays here to guard."
"Angel, you is the stubbornest man I ever did see," Curly said, his hands down at his side, but ready to catch Gabe when he fell.
"Got to get it said before…" One of his hands came up, reaching slowly for Curly as one knee seemed to dissolve.
Curly and Tracks caught him and lowered him safely to the ground. Curly asked, "Where do we put him?"
"I'll ask Little Sam," Brander offered then ran off to the house.
Tracks ran his hands over Gabe's chest and rested one on his forehead. "Couple of days, anyway," he announced. "He'll have to burn that fever off."
"Give us plenty of time to get what he said done."
"Bring him in here," Brander yelled from the house.
"Reckon we'll finally be able to see this Little Sam?" Tracks asked, grabbing an armful of Gabe's legs.
"Getting right curious myself," Curly said, doing likewise at Gabe's shoulders. "He seems to have growed, even if he is sickly."
"Noticed it, too," Tracks said as they carried Gabe to the house. "Broader through the shoulders, and his arms look like he's been swinging a pick for a living."
"Cutting wood," Brander told them as he held the door open.
"Bring him in here," Sally ordered.
Tracks shook his head, letting Curly know that certainly wasn't Little Sam. Both men looked around before and after they put Gabe to bed, but Sammy was nowhere in sight.
* * *
Sammy stayed out of sight. As anxious as she was over Gabe, she wasn't going to embarrass him by letting his friends see her in britches. As soon as the kitchen door closed, she flew to the other bedroom, only to have her hands slapped away when she tried to help and to be ordered out by Sally.
"It ain't proper. Now you get on out of here."
"I want to help."
"It ain't proper for you to see him in the all together till you been wed," Sally said firmly.
Sammy was pushed out of the room, fighting within herself over whether to do what she wanted to do or to give him over to Sally's care because she knew it was what Gabe would want her to do. The door was shut in her face, taking the decision away from her. She spun to face the room, wanting to hit something in frustrated.
She saw the table where Gabe had sat to have his hands cared for and wanted to cry. She hadn't cried as much in her whole life as she had that day. If that was what being a lady was, crying like a baby, and not being able to be with the man she loved when he was sick, she didn't want to be a lady.
"Oh, Gabe, I'm not a lady," she cried, afraid that he'd be disappointed in her. "I don't wear dresses, only—"
With a new thought, she ran to the door, jerked it open, but careful to stay behind it to make sure no one outside could see her. "Bob, bring my trunk in."
Bob, standing in the yard talking to Curly and Tracks, waved in acknowledgement and went to the wagon that held the things from the house. Curly offered to help carry the trunk in, wanting another chance to see Little Sam.
To his disappointment, Sammy was still out of sight. Then he jerked in astonishment, the same as Bob, at what a voice yelled at them from behind a closed door.
"Go get the preacher, Bob," Sammy ordered.
Hedges came running out of the bedroom they'd carried Gabe into. "What'd she say?" he asked.
"I don't think I heard her right. What would she want with the preacher?" Bob asked.
"You heard me. Go get the preacher," Sammy yelled.
"Whoopee!" Hedges cried.
"Shush your mouth, you old fool," Sally said, striding purposefully to the other bedroom door. "What kind of foolishness is this?" she demanded.
&nb
sp; "I ain't waiting no longer. If you won't let me care for him till we're wed, we'll be wed now," Sammy yelled through the still closed door.
"He said not now," Sally shouted back.
"He said he didn't want anyone to know he was getting around. Well, he ain't, and the preacher will be sure to tell it," Sammy insisted. "You've run my life as long as you're going to. I'm not waiting. Bob!"
"Going," he shouted, running out.
"Angel's getting hitched?" Curly asked incredulously.
"Sounds like," Hedges answered with a chuckle.
"Just wait till the boys hear this," he said, running in his hurry to tell it.
* * *
When Sally had told Gabe about how long it took them to get Sammy to wear dresses, she didn't mean pretty frocks. Sammy never wore anything but a riding skirt and blouse, but that was a dress of sorts, and since a skirt and blouse was the closest they ever figured to get, they called them dresses. The skirt did, at least, show she was female.
Sammy did have one pretty dress, a white party frock Sally had insisted she have, but Sammy'd never worn it. The dress had lain in the bottom of her trunk, at the foot of her bed, for years. Dainty slippers, petticoats and stockings were with it. Sammy hadn't bothered to throw them out before she began shoving her other belongings into the trunk in her hasty packing. They were all there waiting, and the time seemed right to bring them out.
Blouses and skirts flew around the room as she emptied the trunk to get to the bottom. Sally argued, catching a few of the things that flew her way, but Sammy wouldn't listen. She had an answer for everything. If Gabe wasn't awake when the preacher got there, the preacher could wait.
Then Sally stopped her. "Sammy, he may not want to get married right now."
Sammy held the beautiful white dress in her hands, and hesitated, staring at it.
"Could be he'd want to wait, to have a fancy wedding," Sally went on.
Sammy dropped the dress and wheeled out of the room. Sally ran behind her, trying to get ahead of her. Sammy was much too fast. When they went through the parlor, Hedges fell in behind them, not wanting to miss a thing.
"Gabe, Gabe," Sammy called, shaking him gently. She was afraid he wasn't going to wake up, knowing he had passed out from exhaustion as much as from his pain. "Please, Gabe, wake up, just for a minute."
Little Sam's Angel Page 17