"Don't you remember killing an innocent family. Women and children. What a sad, pathetic little man," she said, spitting on the ground near him.
"Hey, I don't know who you are, but I'm not going with you," the man stood, and she whirled another rope around him and then another. Over and over until he was standing in shock. "Let me loose."
"When hell freezes over," she said just as her Texas Ranger came galloping with the man's horse.
"You need this," Wesley said as he rode up beside her. "Looks like you caught our prisoner."
"There's no our," she said. "He's mine, and he's going back to Zenith with me."
Wesley shook his head. "I thought we were working together."
"Did you agree to our prisoners being taken back to Zenith?" It was a readily available excuse. Not really her reason for leaving but feeling the urge to flee.
"Is that why you left early this morning?" he asked.
The memory of waking up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding, was something she didn't like to remember. The dream made her feel like she couldn't redeem them. She couldn't save them, but she wanted to at least catch the outlaws who killed her family.
She owed them that restitution. Her bringing the men to justice would never makeup for the way she survived and her loved ones didn't.
"Why didn't you go after the others? You're the Texas Ranger."
With a shrug, he said, "Because I thought my partner and I would go capture them. Now, I learn we're riding alone."
"Too bad," she said, trying to avoid his gaze.
"If I'm guessing, you're going to refuse to let me take him to Waco." It was a long shot but getting to Waco would be half the time of returning to Zenith.
"Ranger, you are smarter than you look. And you're right, I'm not going to allow you to take him anywhere. He's going with me to Zenith to join the others."
Earnest's head jerked around. "Others?"
With pride, she said, "You're the third one I've caught. And there will be more."
The sooner this was over, the better. Already, she grew weary of the chase.
The man groaned. "That's why Oscar and Clyde didn't show up. You've put them in jail. Are you one of those Lipstick and Lead girls?"
"We always get our man. Now, get up on your horse. We're going to ride," she said.
The mutiny on the outlaw’s face made her gasp. Never had any of the men not obeyed her commands.
The man refused. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
A groan escaped her, and she sighed. "When my prisoners test me, it really angers me. Don't do it."
The man would not budge. Wesley stepped up and grabbed him around the chest and threw him over the saddle. In amazement, Addie watched as he took the reins of the outlaw's horse and climbed back up on his own. "That should keep him for a while, though riding on your stomach can be awful hot and bumpy."
Addie tilted her head and gazed at this man who grew more intriguing every day. Sometimes it felt like he had her back, and at other times, she was distrustful. "Just so we go to Zenith, I'm good to go."
"Let's go," Wesley said. "But this time, I'm going to ask questions. Why do you want them all together in Zenith?"
Yet, Addie wasn't ready to tell him the truth. Part of her trusted Wesley, but the frightened section didn't want anyone to know about what happened to her family. If someone mentioned she lived and the gang learned who she was, the others would be waiting in Zenith to kill her.
For as long as possible, she needed to remain a ghost. Sooner or later, they would learn her identity, but until then, she would silently catch each one.
Riding down Main Street in Zenith, Zach stood waiting for her on the porch of the jail. "Another one? Wow, I expected this to take months, maybe even years, but you're catching about one every week."
The soothing sound of a windmill, its panes cranking in the breeze calmed her. People lined the wooden sidewalk staring. People would talk. Sooner or later, her name would be learned.
Swinging a leg over her saddle, she then dropped to the ground. The hunt was wearing on her. How would she feel about catching them all? Drained emotionally and physically, she needed a break.
Wesley helped their prisoner down from his horse and handed him to Zach. "Why does she insist on them all coming to your jail?"
Addie gave a subtle shake of her head as Zach stared at her. At this moment, she didn't want him to learn the truth about why she hunted down this gang.
"I trust Zach," she said. "He'll keep the prisoners safe until their trial."
The Texas Ranger frowned at her. "In Waco, we would do the same."
With a slight nod, she said, "Yes, but I trust Zach."
The office in Waco was excellent, but this pursuit was too important to give these men over to just anyone.
Zach led the prisoner inside. "We got six cells. May have to move in more cots."
All Addie wanted to do was go over to the local hotel, bathe and rest. But she couldn't leave until after Wesley left, because she didn't want him to ask too many questions of Zach.
If possible, someday she would tell him everything, but not until she trusted the lawman. Until her life was no longer in danger, the fewer people to know she lived, the better.
Inside the jail, a door led into the back area where the prisoners stayed. Here, they had privacy, and the separation gave the lawmakers some peace. And still, Zach insisted that a deputy stay at night to protect the cell mates.
"Did you find out anything on the Colonel?" she asked, hoping that question was ambiguous enough that Wesley could hear the answer.
"Not yet. The bank agreed to slow down the sale by a couple of weeks."
Wondering how he had accomplished that, she wanted to ask, but held back. Nodding, she didn't dare look at Wesley. The man must be frowning. Thankfully, he was smart enough not to ask.
"What do you know about Albert Jacobs or Walter Dietz?" she asked Zach, wanting to know if he found any information on the outlaws. "I'm saving Rufus Backus for last. He's the only one who knows the Colonel and James Clemens is hiding out at a farm in Callahan City with a woman."
The ranger tensed. "You know, I want to capture him, but he's going to Waco, not this jail."
Addie knew why he longed to go after James next, but she feared there would be drama between the men. "You're free to go and do what you want any time. But if I apprehend him, he's coming to Zenith. What would your bosses think of you bringing in the man who stole your fiancée from you?"
A frown crossed Wesley's face and Addie got to the real reason for her trying to gently persuade the lawman to see things her way.
"Besides, I want the entire gang here in one jail under Zach's care. Let them all stand trial together."
The man stood with his hands resting on his hips, staring at her like she'd lost her mind. If a jury witnessed the group, the impact on their sentencing would be much stronger.
"How much longer you going to do this?" Wesley asked, gazing at her, his big brown eyes narrowing worriedly. "Seems to me at some time in your young life, you would want to settle down and get married."
Those dreams did not interest the woman she was now. Those dreams came from a little girl who died in the fire. With a laugh, she asked, "To whom?" The pain of losing her family and being left the only survivor overwhelmed her, tears springing to her eyes. "Besides, my life is over."
The ranger stared at her like he didn't understand, but before he could ask questions, Zach stepped in. "Why don't the two of you come to our house tonight at six and have dinner with us. I'm sure you both would enjoy a home cooked meal."
The thought of being with people and having to smile didn't sound like fun, but the thought of a good dinner was heavenly. "Thank you," she responded, knowing she wouldn't stay long. Knowing in some ways being around a family would be painful.
"Yes, thanks," Wesley said. "We'll walk over."
"See you later," Zach said.
Together, they walked out of the jail an
d across the street in silence. Exhaustion overwhelmed her and she realized if he touched her, she would burst into tears and tell him everything. Since the raid on her family home, she hadn't slept well.
Every day she lived with guilt that she was alive and they were all dead. She should have died in that fire as well. Then again, who would be catching their murderers if she hadn't lived? The outlaws would have gotten away.
At the hotel, they were given two separate rooms down the hall from one another. When they reached their place for the night, he stopped and helped her get the door open and her saddle bags set on the floor.
He gazed at her, his brown eyes staring at her like he was trying to understand and she didn't want his scrutiny. At this moment, she couldn't handle any more questions. Before she said too much, she needed to rest and build her strength to continue the battle.
His hand reached out and stroked her face, surprising her. "You are a strange woman."
"That's what all the boys tell me," she said, trying to make a joke of his comment, but not feeling funny. In fact, she just wanted him to leave, so she could have some time alone to grieve. She missed her parents. She missed her brother and sister. She missed the laughter and love that permeated their home.
Instead, she was becoming a cold-hearted woman who only wanted these men to die for their crimes.
"Are you all right?"
Why was he asking these questions? No, she wasn't all right. There were times the grief attacked her, bringing her to her knees.
When she didn't respond, he pulled her into his arms and held her. Tears filled her eyes as the sadness welled up inside and threatened to spill down her cheeks. Since the night of the massacre, she had not shed a tear, but focused on training to become a bounty hunter and now the hunt.
Today, her task felt daunting. And yet, she couldn't let her loved ones down.
A warm comfort radiated through her and she liked the way he was holding and comforting her, his body hard against her own.
“My parents were killed in a buggy accident,” he said. “They were the rock that held our family together and once they were gone, it was like my brothers and sisters had to leave. When we looked at each other, we felt lost.”
He paused. She imagined the pain filling him made the accident feel like it was yesterday. “I haven’t seen them in three years. Where once we were all together and happy, now we don’t know how to act around each other. There’s a vital piece of us missing."
“What happened?”
“The horse got spooked and when they came to a stop, the buggy rolled, killing them both. In some ways, I’m glad they went together, but damn, their absence is felt every day.”
Tears welled up in her eyes; his words had affected her greatly. “How did you go on without them?”
“One foot in front of the other. Some days were easier than others, but through it all, I knew they would want me to continue on.”
She nodded. While he still didn’t know her story, he probably hoped that by telling her, she would soon confide in him.
"There are things you're not telling me, and I have no right to ask you. When you're ready to tell me, I'm ready to listen."
A lump seized her throat and she quickly stepped away from him knowing if he continued to give her comfort, she would soon be spilling her guts to him and telling him everything.
"Look, I've ordered a bath, so you need to leave," she said softly, understanding it was just an excuse to get him out the door.
"All right, I'm leaving, but soon, Addie, you're going to tell me everything."
"You may be a Texas Ranger, but I don't have to tell you anything if I don't want to."
The glanced he seared her with, left her heart racing as a warm spiral shimmied down her spine.
"True. You're going to want to," he said and walked out the door, closing it behind him.
Was it true? Would she want to tell him? Because then he would recognize the danger she was in and would try to protect her and that she didn't want.
That evening in Meg and Zach's Victorian home, they sat around the dinner table while Wesley stared at how beautiful Addie was in her full skirted calico dress. Her hair arranged in auburn curls flowing from the top of her head down past her shoulders. The woman laughed and smiled and yet this afternoon he'd seen a different side of her.
A side that reeked of sadness. Addie had a reason for pursuing these men and it had to do with her family. But he didn't understand or have a clear picture of what happened.
She was keeping details from him, and he longed to know her reasoning. What would drive a woman to become a bounty hunter? Especially someone as young as Addie.
"Your birthday is coming up," Meg said, gazing at Addie. "I remember when you turned eighteen and your mother threw you a party."
A smile crossed her face, her eyes glowing with happiness. "That birthday was a good day. The last one we shared together."
Silence hung over the table as Meg and Zach grew quiet. So her family died?
"Mother watched me like a hawk that day. She told me, you may be eighteen, but no man takes advantage of my innocent girl." A sarcastic laugh came from Addie. "Wonder what she would think of me now."
"Especially that saloon girl outfit you wore." That wisp of a dress displayed her luscious curves in ways that left Wesley hard and wanting. He resisted the urge to burn that clothing. Part of him knew he had no right, but that didn't matter.
Meg shook her head. "You didn't."
"Actually, I've worn the disguise twice. That outfit seems to reel men in and then I rope and hog tie ‘em."
Which frightened Wesley at how well she reeled them. Could he be one of her captives? Though he wanted to believe the woman was a whore, after tonight, he would be crazy to continue thinking of her as such.
In fact, watching and listening to her, he wondered if she were an innocent. For dinner, she dressed and appeared as a lady, but there was a different side to her as well.
Zach shook his head. "Men are vulnerable when they see a beautiful woman. My wife still reels me in."
It was true, men were susceptible to women, especially in a skimpy outfit, with gorgeous long red curls and bright shining emerald eyes. With a blush of youth on her cheeks, he should have recognized.
Meg playfully slapped him on the arm with her napkin and grinned. Tonight the children all slept safely tucked away in their beds. All evening Meg had flirted with her husband. "Every chance I get. At least I don't tie you to the bed and leave you."
Choking, Wesley gazed at Meg. "What? I'm sorry, you did what?"
"When we chased his brother together, back in my bounty hunting days, I got mad and left him tied up, naked in bed."
"How did you react?" Wesley asked, thinking that would be so awkward and difficult to explain and yet kind of exciting.
"How do you think? I almost killed my horse riding after her, I was so angry."
"No, you aren't a bounty hunter as well?" Wesley asked, stunned. How could this be true? No, he couldn't believe in women hunting outlaws, no matter what these women said. This was just a figment of Addie's overactive imagination. All the bounty hunters he knew were men, except for the delusional redhead.
"Honey, my sisters and I are the ones who started the Lipstick and Lead Bounty Hunting school where Addie received her training. My sister, Ruby, is expecting her first baby any day now, and she's still running the school."
As he leaned back in his chair, Wesley shook his head in amazement. "Women bounty hunters. What is this world coming too?"
Astounded, he glanced around the table at the faces that stared at him, looks of disbelief on their expressions.
Meg sat back like she was ready to fight.
"What kind of jobs are there for women that pay anything substantial to live on?"
"Cooking, sewing, ironing," he said.
"I tried working for Cho Lin's laundry as a seamstress. I worked seventy hours a week and made a dollar fifty. Compare that to what y
ou can make bringing in outlaws. Now I do what I love, creating fashions here in the west. This way, I can be with my children and watch them grow."
How could he respond? He wouldn't watch someone's dog for that little money.
"Women are tired of trying to earn a living on their backs," Meg said.
Zach smiled at his wife. "Okay, Mrs. Women's Suffragette, put your soap box away."
"Sorry, I get carried away. After Papa died, we struggled so hard to keep from losing the family farm. Now my sister, Annabelle, and her husband work the land."
He observed Zach and Meg laughing at each other. Their eyes sending secret signals. The way Zach touched his wife. Wesley ached with the knowledge this was the type of marriage he searched for. His own mother and father had this kind of union, and he wanted the same.
He hadn't thought about his parents in a while. Not because he didn't love them, but because their deaths had been heart breaking.
Maybe he was lucky Clara ran out of the church with her gunslinger. Unable to resist, he glanced over at Addie who sat with a sad expression on her face. The woman was different from anyone he had ever met.
In the past, he courted prim and proper ladies who were more of a rule follower. Except for Clara who broke free from her cage and acted outrageous.
There was depth to Addie. A sense of purpose, and he wanted to understand more about her. And he wouldn't mind kissing her again.
"When is your birthday?" he asked across the table from her. The two couples remained after eating, sipping on a coffee or brandy, talking about the past. This was the way Wesley pictured his life. Yet, now he doubted he would ever marry.
"Tomorrow," she said.
And she had no family to acknowledge the day. All alone, she would observe her nineteenth birthday. The time of a young woman's life where she would choose a husband, but somehow with Addie, that didn't seem like what she wanted.
"What are we going to do to celebrate?" he asked, thinking they should do something fun.
With a sigh, she gazed at him. "We're leaving to go after Albert Jacobs."
The ranger had never seen someone so determined to catch an entire gang. In some ways, her dedication frightened him because he feared her getting killed.
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