Mathias's mother had sat with her most of those nights, but she was needed to care for George. Torn between the two men, Trudy had taken the decision out of her hands and barred Charlotte from the room in the evenings. His sister had also tried to help, but after Mathias had knocked her to the ground in his struggles, Alec had called a stop to her assistance. Serena was only allowed as far as the door when she visited her brother.
The last few nights had been colder than usual, so Trudy had sat wrapped in a blanket over her borrowed night rail. She would have loved to have had possession of her thick winter robe, but her mother had refused to allow her any of her possessions after she had refused to return home with her. Her mother could not understand why she would not help prepare her father for burial. She was angry that her daughter had chosen instead to sit by this stranger's bedside, nursing him as if he had more right to life than a wealthy banker had.
"Mother, he needs me. He saved my life... I cannot leave him," Trudy had argued with her.
"It should have been you that died instead of your father! You ungrateful brat," Mrs. Bixby had screamed as she slapped Trudy hard across the face. The last Trudy had seen of her mother, was just her back, as she slammed out of the Sinclair's home. Trudy had not bothered to weep, she was too tired to even care that she had earned her mother's scorn.
"Nnnoo," Mathias moaned from the bed as he once again began his battering about.
Trudy ran over to him and tried to calm him with soothing words. She picked up the cloth she had been using to bathe him and placed it over his forehead.
"Don't leave me," he whispered weakly, and her heart ached.
"No, I won't leave you I promise," she murmured.
Trudy tenderly touched a hand to his jaw. The bristles of hair chafed her skin, but she was afraid to shave him with the way he thrashed about. She was trying to save him not cut his throat.
"Kiss me," he begged, and to her surprise he drew her down to him. His arms wrapped around her waist dragging her close to his naked chest.
"Stop Mathias, you will hurt yourself," Trudy admonished as she tried to wrest herself from his grip.
"One kiss. Just one, then I will let you go," he muttered. His eyes half opened and glazed, Trudy could not decline a dying man's wish.
"One kiss Mathias...just one," she whispered to him.
Leaning her face into his, she pressed her lips against his. Gently, without much pressure, she kissed him for a brief moment.
"You must let me go now," She said as she grazed his cheek with another press of her lips. "I cannot let you hurt yourself."
"I love you," he grumbled and Trudy's heart stood still, her breath hitched.
"What?" she gasped. "What did you say?"
"I love you... god damn you Daisy Lynn. I won't beg you again... stay with me."
"Yes, Mathias... I will stay with you," Trudy whispered in his ear to calm him. Her heart ached, and she smiled ruefully. She should have known that he was not dreaming of her. She had done too many bad things in her life, she'd never be worthy of a good man's love. In that moment she never hated a woman more than she hated Daisy Lynn Howard.
"Love can heal all wounds."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The morning light coming through the curtains greeted Serena's smile. It was dawn, and although Serena had little sleep she felt rested and relaxed. The possessive hand wrapped around her naked belly stirred slightly. The snore that followed was not in the least bit quiet. She bit the corner of her bottom lip to smother a giggle.
She dared not wake him. It was the first full night that he had stayed in their bed, since the night that they were married more than three months ago. Turning her head, she watched as Alec's eyelids fluttered a bit, and wondered what he dreamt about.
The complicated man in her bed had somehow stolen all of the covers during the night, and the room was becoming chilled with the morning air. Her belly rumbled reminding her that they had not taken the time to eat before falling into bed and making love all night long.
She was glad that Alec had finally been able to break through the walls he had built around his heart, and allow his mother a place in his life. Serena knew it would be hard for Alec to accept that he did not have to be perfect for others to love him; he just had to trust that they did. She would have loved for him to confess what was in his heart to her, but she would not rush him. The first steps were always the hardest. She would content herself with the fact that he was now able to accept their baby. He actually seemed quite pleased with the idea now.
"Why are you awake? You should be resting," Alec muttered as one of his hands snuck down to lightly pat her bottom.
"Alec, I thought you were asleep," Serena snuggled closer to him and nuzzled his jaw.
"And miss my wife ogling my defenseless naked form?" he winked. "I need to be alert in case you get any nefarious ideas."
"Me? You are the one that thought up..." whispering details of the naughty things they had performed on each other, the night before in his ear, Serena felt herself blush all over.
"Ha! That wasn't even my best work yet woman," Alec laughed aloud when her belly rumbled once again this time quite loudly. "Sounds like you are more interested in eating than a repeat performance."
"Well, I have been lying here thinking that one of Mrs. Wyatt's pickles would be welcome right about now," she confessed.
"How about after we get you something to eat, we take a ride out to visit your brother? We can make a stop at the Lucky M on our way back. I need to speak to Fergus regarding his latest petition," Alec offered. "You can give Melody the gift you have been making for their baby."
"It would be nice to see them." Serena considered, "I would love to see how Lily is doing. Your mother has been spending a good deal of time over there with her. I believe she may be coming out of her shell."
"Lil' probably reminds her of the daughter she had," Alec nodded. "I wish I would have known Willow. I would have probably liked her a lot more than that horse's ass of a brother I have."
"You would have made a wonderful big brother to a little girl," Serena kissed him tenderly; wanting to erase the sting of pain that she knew thinking about his childhood caused him. "You would have been very protective."
It was getting easier for him to talk to Serena about the past. The horrors of growing up with that monster of a grandfather, the stories he told her made her heart hurt. Some of them so vile, that she had cried the tears that he could not shed. She had wept for a little boy that never knew the tender loving embrace of a family. The child who had been locked in a dark rat infested cellar until he apologized for playing in his grandfather's study. As a little boy, Alec had been forced to sit in his own filth and not allowed to use the bathroom due to the terms of his punishment. Serena now knew the reasons for Alec's meticulous dressing, the man could not abide being filthy because it reminded him of that hateful punishment the evil old man had dealt him.
"I think you need a distraction from all of the chaos that has been going on around here," Alec said as he kissed her shoulder.
"I'm glad that Mathias was well enough to be moved back to his ranch, but I worry that being around all of his horses will remind him that he will never ride again." Serena sighed as he wrapped his arms about her from behind.
"Darlin' don't count Matt out yet, the man has a strong determination. He'll probably be up and about chasing our little one around the place, which would be a good thing, because if our baby is anything like you I'm going to need help in penning the little pardner up."
Cuddled warmly in a thick woolen blanket together they enjoyed the beauty of the land, as a light dusting of flakes floated down from the heavens. The cold wind chaffed his wife's cheeks and the tip of her nose. The rosy hue so adorable, that Alec could not resist. Leaning over he kissed her gently.
The woman that he had married seemed to become lovelier by the day as she grew slightly rounder with his child. Some days it caused a hitch in his breathing just from lo
oking at her. Most nights, Alec could barely concentrate on his work. When Serena sat across from him reading comfortably in his study, he could hardly stop his eyes from straying from the figures in the ledger he was totaling.
"Are you warm enough love?" Alec asked, smiling as she scooted closer to steal a bit more of his warmth. Her body always fit perfectly next to his. He was finally coming to acknowledge the fact that he had been such a fool to have ever pushed her away. So much time wasted for so many years.
"Yes I am. It was quick thinking on Melody's part to suggest the loan of this blanket." Serena said.
Hoping to be home before the flakes started to really accumulate, Alec drove them as fast as prudence would allow him. He was not going to risk rushing home.
It wasn't until they were nearly a mile outside of town before the lovely afternoon took a dangerous turn. Alec and Serena had been on their way back home from the Lucky M ranch, her head resting gently against his shoulder while she slept. When the first shot rang out striking the back of the wagon bed, shattering their peaceful interlude. The bullet splintered the wood as their horse frightened, kicked back dislodging one side of the shaft that secured her harness to the buckboard.
"Whoa girl!" Alec called out trying to keep the horse calm.
The paint was having none of that. She continued to scream in distress and tried to free herself. Her wild kicks continued on as the wagon tilted at an angle.
Grasping the reigns, Alec steadied the horse once again and prompted her to run. He was slammed into his wife nearly tossing her from the side of the rig. One arm wrapped around her thickening waist, he pulled her as close to him as possible as their horse raced on. Looking behind them, Alec could see a dark hooded figure barreling down on them, a gun directed upon them. This was no accident. Someone was purposely gunning for them.
"What is happening?" Serena cried out as she clung to her husband in fright.
"I have no clue sweetheart. Somebody is shooting at us obviously, but for what reason?" Alec pulled up a bit again on the reins trying to control the situation. "Keep your head down love," he ordered her.
Another shot reported in the air, striking the dirt near to where Alec was seated. Their animal wild with panic kicked out once again and stumbled in her effort, upsetting the cart completely. The massive animal collapsed to the ground in a heavy heap. The front wheel unable to stabilize, crumbled under the weight of the lopsided wagon, and the pair flew from it.
Alec tried to roll underneath Serena to break her fall as best as he could, but she landed on her back before he could. The breath knocked from her, she lay gasping. Alec felt a searing pain in his side and looked down. Blood seeped through a tear in his shirt. His heavy jacket had held no protection against the jagged rock that he had been thrown against. The slice in the skin ran across his rib cage, and it looked pretty deep. He also feared at least one of his ribs was cracked if not broken in two. It hurt like hell, but he pushed the pain away. He was more worried about Serena. Crawling over to her he tried to lift her into his arms.
"Sweetheart... breathe, just take it slow," he encouraged her while he tried to weakly drag her behind the shell of the upturned wagon bed. The wooden frame would offer them little protection against the gunfire, but his choices were limited. The horseman that pursued them was nearing, and Alec knew he did not have long to plan their escape. The situation was bleak. The shotgun that Alec normally traveled with had flown out of the wagon as it had overturned and was nowhere to be seen. The horse lay in a heap, its forelegs undoubtedly broken as it lay in pain. It needed to be put out of its misery, and Alec had no way to end its torture just yet.
"Alec...look out!" Serena gasped and pointed behind him.
The evil chuckle that sounded had signaled that he was too late. Their pursuer had arrived. Turning, Alec shook his head. He should not have been surprised. "Didn't I run you out of town, Harris?" Alec growled angrily.
"Shut up damn you!" David Harris shouted as he stood over the fallen couple. He extended one arm out and shot the suffering horse right between her eyes. Alec felt Serena flinch, and he hugged to close to comfort her. He knew how soft hearted she was when it came to animals.
"Not so smug now are you, Wentworth?" David gloated, pointing the barrel of his gun at the pair.
"Get the hell up, both of you," David ordered.
"What are you doing?" Serena asked David aghast.
"I am doing what others have failed to do. Killing Alec Wentworth is something that I have longed for a long time to do. I am actually glad that it did come down to this, I get to be the one to put a bullet in your brain," David crowed happily.
"What others?" Alec asked. He had a suspicion, but he would like it confirmed for him.
"Bixby hired that Vernon kid to help him get rid of you. That fat bastard stupidly thought it would be enough to make you leave town by just using blackmail," David smirked. "I paid Vernon a bit on the side to put a bullet in your head."
"If it is money you want, I can try to get some from my papa," Serena offered obviously hoping that the promise of money would encourage him to spare their lives.
"I said get the hell up!" David screeched. He was not swayed one bit from his plan.
"Come on, love," Alec rose from his haunches and helped Serena to her feet. Keeping one watchful eye on their assailant, he tried to formulate an escape route in his head.
"What now?" Alec spat at the bastard terrorizing them.
"Tie him up, Serena. Do it now!" David ordered her. As he threw the length of rope that he carried in her direction, he trained the barrel of his gun onto Alec's chest. "Make sure the knot is tight enough, or I will kill him this very second."
"No, please..." Serena started to plead, but he stopped her attempt with the sound of the click on the hammer of the gun as David cocked it back. Stooping to lift the rope from where it had fallen at her feet, Serena looked at Alec apprehensively.
"Just do as he says love," Alec turned and held his hands behind him waiting for her to loop the coil around his wrists. With her hands shaking so badly, it took her what seemed like forever, to bind her husband. She left a little slack in the rope hoping that Alec could use it to his advantage. As she did so, she hoped that David would not notice.
"I thought you were gone for good Harris," Alec said to distract David from checking the surety of the binding. "I told you when I ran you out of this town if I ever saw your face again, I would kill you."
"It is you who is going to die today Wentworth," David barked out.
"Why...Why are you doing this?" Serena questioned him.
"Because, Sam Garfield promised to groom me for his position, but then this outsider comes along and takes everything that should have been mine."
"I was elected fair and square. No one took anything from you," Alec argued. "The job was never going to be yours."
"You're not going to win. Not this time, you son of a bitch." Motioning Alec to march on with a wave of his gun, David continued to seethe. "Soon, everything you have will be mine. The job, the respect... the woman," he motioned to Serena indicating his intentions toward her.
"You will be in hell long before you will touch my wife, you low life maggot," Alec spat out, earning him a kick to the middle of his back in retaliation. If Alec's hands were not bound behind him, he would have strangled the sick bastard, gun or no gun.
Serena broke away and ran forward to help Alec. Wrapping an arm around his waist, she was surprised when he leaned heavily on her, and whispered in her ear. "First chance you have sweetheart you run, got that? Run and don't look back no matter what."
"I am not leaving without you, Alec. Till death do us part... so hurry up and kill this son of a bitch, so we can go home. This baby inside me is hungry... I'm thinking fried chicken and a batch of Mrs. Wyatt's pickles?" she whispered smartly back at him. She said it just to let him know that his order was ridiculous. She had complete faith in his ability to free them both.
"Don't fight me on this.
Just do it, Serena... protect our baby," Alec whispered back roughly. His throat nearly closed up with emotion. He was not afraid to die today if that was in the cards for him, but he was going to make damn sure that snake was going down with him. David Harris was not going to live long enough to get his hands on Alec's wife and baby.
"I love you, Serena, never forget that," Alec said fervently.
"Really? You are finally telling me this now? Talk about bad timing." Serena gaped at him.
"That's all you're going to say to me? I just told you that I love you, and you are annoyed with the timing?" Alec snapped at her in disbelief.
"Sorry, I'm just scared," Serena reached up and palmed his cheek. "I love you too, Alec. I always have, I always will," she informed him. Tears shining in her eyes, she laughed dryly, "but you have always known that."
"Enough! He is up. Get back over here or I shoot him where he stands," David demanded. He was obviously impatient with Serena's delay.
"David, please, just let Alec go," Serena pleaded once again for her husband's life, but Alec knew that it was all in vain. The man had no intentions of backing down, Alec had seen the same wild look that David had in his eyes, too many times in the eyes of the fugitives that he had hunted while riding with the Rangers. The man was out for blood.
"No! He has ruined it all... all of our plans." Kicking a pebble away from his foot he walked closer to the now bound mayor. "It was supposed to be Alec that got shot in the bank hold up, but that stupid kid did not wait until he got there. Oh no, he had to go and shoot your damn brother in the back instead," David brought the butt of the gun down hard against the back of Alec's head, knocking him unconscious with the blow.
Serena screamed loudly, and tried to make a run toward her husband. Before she could, David snatched her back by her long hair, pulling it painfully until her face tilted up to his. His spittle splattered the side of her face as he continued to rant, "But now... now I am going to fix everything. With Alec dead, you will marry me woman. That baby inside of you is my ticket to the mayor's office."
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