Chapter Thirteen
"Sun! Glorious sun!"
"What?" Vin looked at Wilmington like he'd never seen him before.
"The sun." The ladies' man pointed skyward and grinned. "Do you realize this is the first day that hasn't been all gray? You bein' the type who likes to go out an rough it like ya do, I'd think that sunshine after all these days would be gettin' yer attention too."
"Yeah. I'm enjoyin' it too, but just never thought about gettin' all excited over somethin' that we have no control over. Sun's gonna shine when it can and not before, no matter how much we want it to."
"I just don't get it." Buck squinted at the younger man. "Ya look like Vin, but ya don't talk like him."
"Buck, yer not makin' any sense." The tracker shook his head like he was trying to shake some understanding into his bewildered mind.
"I don't see how ya can write poetry, and not see the beauty and wonder of seein' the sun kissin' the earth after all those days of rain and clouds." Wilmington's expression became more wistful as he stared out over the landscape. There had not been a sign of a cloud all day and it had visibly lifted his spirits to have the sun to take the chill out of his bones, despite the crispness of the day.
Tanner grinned and followed Buck's gaze and was rewarded with the sight of a hawk circling lazily, looking for prey. "Sounds t' me that ya got a bit of a poet in ya, too."
"Nah, not me. The closest I get to poetry is memorizing a few lines to woo the ladies." He glanced at the tracker and winked. "Those pretty little fillies love to hear some of those sweet words."
"Maybe, but talkin' of the sun kissin' the earth sounds like poetry t' me." Vin knew it wasn't the best idea to push his point too much, so he changed the subject. "I'm gettin' hungry. This looks like a good place to stop to rest the horses an' grab a bite."
"Thought you'd never suggest it. I could do with somethin' to fill the hollow spot too." He pulled on the reins to stop the team pulling the wagon, and then looped them around the break handle.
Tanner had already climbed down from Peso's back and stood scanning the distance, slowly circling to see all the way around them. "If anyone was t' try anything, we'd be sure to see them comin'." Only after he had satisfied himself that they were not likely to be ambushed, did he loosen the cinch on the saddle to make his horse a little more comfortable during their break.
He reached up and accepted the basket Wilmington held out to him. They had had several biscuit and bacon sandwiches made up, in the hopes that the time they saved on having to stop to prepare a quick meal would make up for not having hot food on a cold day. He rummaged through the contents and pulled out two of the sandwiches for each of the prisoners and walked to the back of the wagon.
"'Bout time." Joe held a hand out through the tiny window to accept his food. He was somewhat surprised when Vin handed him two of the sandwiches, and then gave Carl two also. "Two? Ya gettin' generous, or fattenin' us up fer the kill?"
"If ya don't want 'em both then hand 'em on back. We won't let 'em go to waste." Tanner grinned sardonically when Joe stepped back out of reach and clutched the food against him. "Thought that's how ya might see it." He did not try to starve the prisoners, but he did not overindulge them either. "Just so ya know, we might not be stoppin' fer the night, so that might be all there is until we get to Yuma, if we go straight through. Didn't think one would hold ya that long."
"Thanks." Carl's manners had improved after seeing his uncle and brother had been killed and there was no one left out there to try to get them out. He'd become resigned to his fate. They had both been so surly and combative in the beginning that the tracker wondered if it was all a ruse to try to get them to let their guard down.
"Get 'em fed?" Buck had climbed down from the wagon with their canteens and pointed to a large flat boulder a few feet off the road. "Let's sit there."
"Yeah, they're taken care of, 'cept for given them a drink before we start out again." He dug into the basket to get his two sandwiches and handed it to the ladies' man. Both men sat on the edge of the sun-warmed rock and ate in a companionable silence.
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"What do you think?" Vin asked after they had both washed down the meal with several swallows of water.
"Well, we made good time this far. Better than I expected." Buck swiped his hand over his mouth and rubbed his chin, and then squinted up at the sun. "We got about another two hours to Fallen Rock, then probably another five to six hours from there to Yuma."
"Six hour would put us gettin' there around eight tonight. It'd be full dark by then."
"Yeah, but it wouldn't have been dark all that long. I say if things keep going this well the rest of the way to Fallen Rock, then we keep going." Wilmington was anxious to get back to Stoney Ridge to check on Chris. He had hated leaving him behind, but they had to get the prisoners to Yuma and if they could make it tonight, they would be running only one day late instead of two.
"All right," Vin agreed. "But we need to pick up the pace a little if possible. I don't want us travelin' in the dark any longer than we have to. Last thing we need is to break an axle or somethin' when we're this close."
"Then let's get moving. Give them a drink and let's quit wastin' daylight." Buck took the basket and their canteens back to the wagon, while Tanner took the extra one back to the prisoners to give them some water.
In just a matter of minutes they were once again heading west toward Yuma, the wagon rattling over the uneven road. The horses seemed to pick up on the sense of urgency in the air, or maybe they somehow knew that if they moved a little faster that tonight would be the end of their journey, and they picked up their pace with very little urging from Wilmington.
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"Too bad we don't have a full moon out tonight." Buck squinted at the road ahead of him, barely able to make out where the road should be.
"Yeah, but at least it's not that much farther." The tracker worked his way along the road in front of the wagon, trying to spot any obstacles or large ruts in the road that might prove harmful to the wheels or axle. "A quarter moon is better than none at all." He gazed ahead of them, peering through the dark, hoping to catch the first glimpse of light from the town.
"Never thought, but we could have brought a lantern. You would have been able to check the road faster that way." Buck was annoyed with himself for not considering that idea, but the plan had been to stop each night before dark instead of pushing on until after sunset. It just had not made any sense to him to stop at two o'clock in the afternoon, when another six hours or so would get them to Yuma.
"Well, Bucklin, you know what they say about hindsight."
"Is it wishful thinkin' or do I see a speck of light ahead?" The ladies' man leaned forward and studied the spot intently. "I think it is."
"Yep, looks like we're gonna get there in one piece after all." Vin was as anxious to get the trip over with and get back to check on Chris as Buck was, but he did not relax his vigilance when it came to scouting the road. It would be stupid to get this close to their goal and have problems because he got careless.
Not until they had actually reached the first houses did they breathe a sigh of relief and begin to feel the tension drain from their over-strained shoulders. Both had been there before, and they knew exactly where they were going, so they did not even pause on the way through town. About a quarter mile outside the town limits stood Yuma prison.
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"State yer business," a gruff, no-nonsense voice called out to the from the guard shanty.
"Prisoner transport," Buck called back and waited where he was for the guard to check him out.
"Kinda late fer bringin' in prisoners." The guard sounded less than convinced that their business there was legitimate.
"We're here from Tucson, bringing in the Corby brothers for Judge Travis." Buck tried not to sound impatient, but he was not sure if he had succeeded.
"What's yer name?"
"Buck Wilmington."
"You were supposed to be here yesterday." The guard eased out of the darkness next to the small shack and peered up toward Buck.
"Yeah, I know. One of our partners got shot. We were stuck at Stoney Ridge for a couple of days. That's why we pushed on tonight, to make up some time." Wilmington kept his hands where the guard could see them and carefully got down from the wagon. "I got the paperwork right here." He motioned toward his inside coat pocket, and waited quietly while the guard patted the area around the pocket and then nodded that he could reach for the papers. Once he handed them to the guard, Buck waited while he looked them over.
"Everything looks all right, but I need to check these a little closer in the light." He moved over to the pool of light that spilled out of the window and examined the documents. "This says Chris Larabee is supposed to be the one in charge."
"Chris is the one who got shot. Vern and Grady Corby tried to bust these two out about a half a day's ride from Stoney Ridge. We had to leave him there, with our fourth to look after him." Buck was getting more than a little tired of this, but he knew the guard was just doing his job.
"Wait here." The guard went over to the gate and talked to another man who had come out of a similar shack on the other side, and that man sprinted across the compound with the papers in hand.
It was only a couple of minutes before the runner came back followed at a slower pace by the prison warden. "Buck? Is that really you?"
"It's me. Who's that?"
"John Sanders."
"John? Why you old dog, when did you get set up here?" Buck grinned and moved closer to the fence to get a little better look at his old acquaintance.
"Oh, it's been about six months now. Lon, unlock the gate and let these fellas in. Hell, Buck and me go way back." The warden stepped back for the guard to unlock the padlock on the gate, but he did not swing it open until Wilmington was at the reins again and had the wagon pulled up close. "Open it," Sanders instructed and watched his men scurry to comply.
The wagon rattled over the rough ground and once inside it came to a stop. John Sanders waited for his old friend to climb down again before holding out a hand to him and giving him a friendly slap on the arm. "How long's it been?"
Buck thought back, trying to remember the last time he and John had ridden together. "Close t' six years now. Last time was when you helped me chase down the Willowby gang."
"God almighty! That makes me feel old. That was one of the last times I went out on the chase like that. Damn, sometimes I miss those days." As they talked they walked toward the back of the wagon where three guards now stood, armed and ready. "Let's get these two moved and then you and your friend can come on over to my office. You're lucky I was still here this late. I usually try to get out of here before seven. Margaret usually has supper waiting about that time, and you know me...you can call me anything you want, but don't call me late for supper." He accepted the key from Buck and opened the lock.
It took a few minutes for the formalities to be completed. They had to check in the prisoners, turn over the wagon, and reclaim their own horses before joining the warden in the office. The two old friends chatted amiably as they led the way, with Vin following close behind.
"Chet, I need you to send someone over to my house with a note for Margaret. You have someone you can spare for a bit?" Sanders phrased it as a question, but the guard seemed to know it was and order, not a request.
"I'll take it myself. Do ya need me to wait fer an answer?" Chet appeared to be about Vin's age, and his eagerness indicated that he intended to be noticed by his superiors.
"Yes. And no dawdling along the way." The warden hastily scribbled out a short note and handed it to the young guard. As soon as the man had stepped out and closed the door behind him, Sanders turned his attention back to Buck. "So, now that the work's done, how about introducing me to your friend."
"This here's Vin. He works with us back in Four Corners." Wilmington turned back toward the tracker and caught the very slight relaxation of the tension in the younger man's body. He just hoped that John would not press him for a last name. "Vin, this is John Sanders. He used to be sheriff of Eagle Creek back when I was sheriff of Stockton. Guess you could say we were neighbors of sorts. We used to back each other up when either of us had to gather up a posse. Those were the days, right, John?" The ladies' man turned back to the warden and grinned. "Of course, back in those days ya weren't an old married man. I heard you'd gone and got yerself hitched."
"Yeah, I did. Just about a year after that trip out after the Willowby bunch. That's when I had to hang up my spurs and take something more settled and less dangerous. Margaret just couldn't handle me out tearing around the country gettin' shot at." As he spoke, he went to a cupboard and pulled out three glasses and a bottle of whiskey. "Bet you two could use a drink after that ride in here. That was more'n a little crazy tryin' to come on in after dark. But then you always were a bit crazy."
Buck accepted the glass and laughed. "Hell, we both were back then."
Sanders filled another glass and passed it to Vin. "How'd you end up hookin' up with the likes of him?" He nodded toward the ladies' man.
"Just happened t' be in the right place at the right time, I reckon." Tanner was trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. It always unnerved him to be around so many lawmen, and he had already sidestepped several town sheriffs on the way here. He really did not want to finally reach their destination, only to be discovered as a wanted man by the prison warden.
"Ah, I think I sense a story behind that remark." Sanders waited, expecting Vin to pick up on the hint.
"Ain't much to tell, John. Several of us got hired by the chief of the Seminole village near Four Corners to protect the village from a bunch of renegade Confederates that just refused to admit that the war was over. When the fightin' was over, we all just sort of stuck together when the judge offered us steady work watchin' over the town."
"There's gotta be more to it than that." Sander drooped visibly, looking dejected and somewhat deflated by being left wondering. "You know, I gotta live through the stories everyone else tells now, don't you?"
Buck slapped his old friend on the shoulder and nodded. "I'll tell ya all about it, but right now, we need to find us a hotel and some grub. We're tired and hungry."
"I know you are, and here I am fishing for stories of your adventures. If you can hang in there until Chet gets back, we'll see to it that you get a good dinner and a place to stay." John's brows arched asking the silent question. "I just sent Chet to check and see if Margaret can manage dinner for company tonight. If she can't, I'll treat you both to dinner at the saloon. The dining room at the hotel is already closed for the night."
"Don't go puttin' yerself out on our account. We don't want to go keepin' ya from yer family, or causin' extra work for the missus."
"It's all right. Margaret has never turned down a guest, but I always try to be considerate and ask. When we were first married, I made the mistake of just assuming she could manage having extra people for a meal. She could, but she let me know right quick that enough food doesn't magically appear in the pot to feed extra people if she only planned on two." A sheepish grin spread across his face and he winked at Buck. "And we all know that if the missus isn't happy, no one's happy."
A little tapping on the door caught there attention. Sanders opened it, to find Chet had already made it back from town. "Good Lord, Son. Did you race that horse there in the dark?"
"No, Sir. He's just so used to that road that he could probably run it in his sleep by now." The young man handed a folded piece of paper to the warden and waited to see if there were any other instructions.
"That'll be all, Chet. Thank you." He closed the door and turned toward the lamp so he could read his wife's message.
"Just as I thought, she'd love to have you both come to dinner." Sanders looked at Buck and smiled broadly. "I've told her about some of our escapades, and I think she wants to see for herself what kind of man I used to get into trouble with."
"Trouble?" Vin looked between the two men and ended up studying Buck with a knowing look in his eyes. "Sounds like there's more than one story to be told tonight."
"Yeah, well some of 'em can't be told in mixed company, so you'll just have to wait for the ride home to hear those." Buck laughed and bobbed his brows suggestively.
"That's enough talk for now. We better go get you two fed." Sanders led the way out the door and was pleased to see that Chet had taken it upon himself to make sure that the warden's horse was ready and waiting with Buck's and Vin's mounts.
"I"m all fer that." Wilmington's stomach growled right on cue, causing them all to laugh. "Lead on, we're right behind ya."
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"That was mighty good." Buck patted his full stomach and smiled at the woman who sat across from him. "I'm stuffed."
Margaret Sanders’ eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when her smile reached her eyes. "Too stuffed for apple cobbler?"
"You do know the way to a man's heart," Wilmington teased back. "Now that's one thing that I'd find room for even it I gotta get up and jump up and down to tamp down the rest to make room."
"That I'd like t' see." Margaret laughed as she pushed back from the table and went to the large wooden pie safe on the other side of the room. She returned with the cobbler and a large serving spoon. "Hold out your plate."
Buck did as he was told and was rewarded with a large piece of the freshly baked dessert. He could not wait to try a bite, and he moaned in pleasure when he discovered that it was still slightly warm.
"I'm glad I finally got to meet you in person. John's told me a lot about you, so it is nice to have a face to go with the stories." Mrs. Sanders took her place at the table after serving everyone, taking care not to bump her belly when she scooted her chair in. She rested one hand on the full round mound as she talked. "So, you're the one he used to get into trouble with."
"I reckon we found ourselves our share of trouble, but it was all my fault. John had to be drug into it kickin' and screamin' all the way." Buck did his best to keep his old friend from looking bad in his wife's eyes.
Margaret paused a moment, fork halfway to her mouth, before she burst out laughing. She finally had to give up and lay the fork down and dab at her eyes with the corner of her apron. "Mr. Wilmington, I don't believe that for a minute. I know my husband, and he could find his share of trouble all by himself. But you are a good friend for trying to take the blame."
"Did you know my husband back then too?" Margaret suddenly shifted her attention to the tracker.
Vin was startled to have the attention directed his way. He'd counted himself lucky that the old friends had been too busy reminiscing to include him in much of the conversation. "No, ma'am, but it sounds like there was never a dull moment."
"I wouldn't say that exactly, but we sure had our share of adventures." The humor touched the warden's bright blue eyes as another memory surfaced and they all recognized the warning signs of another tale.
"Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me. I think I'll get started on the dishes." Margaret rose and started gathering the plates that were already empty. "Take your time with the cobbler, and feel free to help yourselves to more."
Vin finished the last couple of bites of his dessert and got up to follow her to the sink. "Let me help you with that, ma'am." He took the folded cloths from her and picked up the large kettle of steaming water from the stove and poured half of it in each of the two small wash tubs she had set out.
"Thank you, but I can manage this. I don't want to interfere with your chance to visit with John." She pumped some cold water into the empty kettle but before she could lift it, Vin picked it up and sat it back on the stove.
"Honestly, I wasn't there with them either, so I'm just as lost in the retellin' as you are." The tracker looked at her, hoping for an excuse to get away from the table.
"All right then. I'll wash, you dry." Margaret handed him a drying cloth and then set about getting things ready. She shaved a little soap from the bar into the hot water and swished it around with a spoon until it started to dissolve, before she added some cold water to it and the rinse water to cool it enough that she could put her hands in it.
The two worked together in silence while they both half-listened to the two old friends talking about the good old days. Sometimes they would share a smile or one of them would roll their eyes at some outlandish claim one of the two men made.
The evening was all too short, having started so late. Despite the late hour they seemed reluctant to call it a night. It was Vin who finally spoke up when he saw their hostess try to hide a yawn. "Buck, we gotta head out early in the mornin'. We should be goin' and findin' a room for the night."
Wilmington pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. "I didn't realize it was getting so late." He stood up and stretched. "We need to be lettin' you two get some sleep." He held out his hand to his old friend. "John, it's been good seein' ya again, and very nice to meet you." Buck bowed slightly in Margaret's direction. "John's a mighty lucky man."
"John?" Margaret quirked one brow and turned to stare at her husband.
The warden slapped his forehead with his palm and grimaced. "I forgot. I guess I just got too caught up in talkin' about old times."
"Forgot what?" Wilmington look from husband to wife and back again.
"To tell you that yer welcome to stay here tonight. We've got a spare room, if the two of you don't mind sharing." Sanders looked a bit contrite over forgetting to extend the invitation to his long time friend.
"We wouldn't want to put ya out none," Vin offered, before Buck could jump on the invitation. "We gotta hit the road real early."
"Nonsense! You don't need to start out that early. You'll still make it to Connersville the first night if you leave after breakfast. Even if you started out at first light that's as far as you could get the first day; it'd be way after dark before you could reach the next town, and this isn't the time of year to be caught out at night if you can avoid it." The firm set of John's jaw added to his determined expression.
"We need to get back to check on Chris," Buck explained.
"It is going to take two days either way. The most it is going to add is two or three hours." Sanders tried again and saw his guests' resolve start to weaken.
"It does make sense." Buck looked to the tracker for some indication of what he wanted to do.
Vin nodded and gave in. "Reckon it does."
"Well then, that's settled." Margaret smiled and walked away from them. "Let me show you to your room."
Chapter Fourteen
Josiah tossed the cards on the table and groaned. "Maude, you could have a little mercy on a poor old man."
"Mr. Sanchez, you are certainly not old." The lady gambler leaned a little closer and batted her eyes coyly.
"Save it for someone it works on." The ex-preacher shook his head and sighed. "I know you too well to fall into that trap."
"What trap might that be?"
"The one where you flirt with me and get me to lose my last dollar." Josiah chuckled at the hurt expression Maude affected. "Maude, I'm not stupid."
"I never suggested that you are." She backpeddled to try another tactic. "On the contrary, I think you are a very intelligent man."
The sudden flush of her cheeks almost had him convinced that she was sincere, but then he decided against trusting her completely, yet. But, he did wonder how she had managed to blush on cue.
Maude felt the heat in her cheeks and the sudden clamminess of her skin and she knew it would not be long before pain and nausea would follow. She'd been through it enough over the last several months to recognize the signs. She causally gathered the cards from the table and dropped them into her handbag.
"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen. I suddenly feel the need to retire for the night." Before her companions could object she pushed back from the table and started for the door, pulling her coat on as she walked.
"Wow. You musta really hurt her feelings." JD stared at the door Maude had just gone out.
"It's not like her to be that thin-skinned." Sanchez considered what he said and still did not see that he had said anything that would offend the con-woman that much. "She's not been acting like herself the whole time she's been here."
"I wouldn't know," JD admitted. "I never could understand how she could act the way like she does. I just gave up on trying to figure her out."
"I think I'll go check on her and see if she's all right." Josiah grabbed his coat and went out into the night.
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In her room, Maude hung up her coat and then sat on the edge of the bed. Pain had already begun to grip her insides and she pressed her hand against her abdomen, willing it to stop. After a few moments she turned around to lie on the bed as the pain continued to grow.
Her mind wandered to her son. She wanted to see him married and happy, but it seemed like she was having these attacks more and more often. April seemed so far away, and she did not know if she could keep her condition secret much longer. The last thing she wanted to do was burden him with an ailing mother, not when his life was finally looking up. It just was not fair to make him have to care for her and watch her body fail her like he had with Julia. No, she would leave and miss being at his wedding before she would allow that, but she did want to see him again before she left.
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Maude was so deep in thought that she did not hear the soft tapping on her door, and she jumped when the knocking suddenly grew more insistent.
"Maude, I know you're in there. I can see the light under the door." Josiah was quietly becoming very concerned by her lack of response.
The con-woman groaned and resigned herself to moving. Once on her feet she took a few moments to compose her face and then went to open the door. "Mr. Sanchez, I must protest this need of yours to follow me and invade my privacy."
"I'm sorry, Maude. I wanted to make sure you are all right." The ex-preacher stood at her door, hat in hand.
The sincerity in his voice caused a twinge of guilt to wash over her and she dropped her eyes to avoid his. "I'm sorry, Josiah. I shouldn't have snapped at you."
He could see in the lamplight that Maude's face was even more flushed than before and the pinched look around her eyes and tightness of her jaw alarmed him. "Something's wrong. Do you need me to get Nathan?"
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"No!" She stopped herself from blurting out anything else and recovered her composure. "I'm all right. I just ate something that didn't agree with me." She lied and hoped the ex-preacher would not press her to see the town's healer.
"You're sure that's all it is?" Sanchez watched her for any signs that she was not being truthful.
"I'm sure. I simply need to lie down and let my stomach settle."
"If you're certain. I'll leave you to rest, as long as you promise to send for Nathan if you start feeling worse." Josiah did not quite believe her, but he could not force her to seek help.
"I give you my word." Maude was annoyed with his persistence, but at the same time she was touched by his concern. She stepped forward to give him a peck on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Josiah was startled by the unexpected kiss.
"For caring enough to check on me, but right now I would really like to lie down." She stood with her hand on the door ready to push it closed.
"I'll see you in the morning." The ex-preacher had been making it a habit to watch for her to go to breakfast and then join her. "Just don't forget your promise."
"I won't forget. Good night." She watched as he walked away from her door before she closed it behind him. This time she took time to change into her nightgown before going back to bed. The painkiller she carried in her bag was very tempting, but she was determined to do without it for as long as she could. If she could just get to sleep, she would not feel the pain.
Maude curled up in bed and tried to think of other things besides the ache in her belly. She frowned when she thought back to her visit with Mary. The younger woman had assured her that she was fine; that she'd just caught a bug that had made her really sick for a few days, and now Nathan was insisting that she rest and recover her strength. Maude didn't buy that story for a minute. She knew when someone was covering something up, after all she was a master of deception herself, but she could not quite figure out what her son's pretty young fiancée was hiding. Maude finally drifted off to sleep, as she considered ways to get to the bottom of what was really going on.
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JD watched Josiah as he walked back to their table. "Everything all right?"
"She insists that she just has an upset stomach, that she ate something that didn't sit well." He frowned and tried to remember what the con-woman had eaten that night. They had all had dinner at the saloon, and he was sure that she had had the same meal that he did.
"Mrs. Standish is ill?" Inez overheard Josiah's comment and spun around to face him, instantly concerned. "Something I cooked made her ill?"
"No, I don't think it had anything to do with your cooking." The ex-preacher tried to sound reassuring. "She ate the same thing I did, didn't she?"
"Si. You all had the same stew, all cooked in the same pot." Inez sat in one of the empty chairs and searched Josiah's face for any signs that he was not feeling well. "You are well, yes?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Sanchez looked at the young man sitting next to him and raised one brow in question.
"I'm feeling fine, too." The young sheriff shrugged. "I don't see how it coulda been the stew if we aren't sick."
"Inez, don't go frettin' over it too much. Maude's been acting odd since she got here this time." Josiah patted the young woman's hand and smiled. "It's probably just a case of sour stomach. It happens to me more often than it used to. There's just something about getting older that affects the digestion."
"That could be," Rocillos agreed. "But, you will let me know if you find out there is something more wrong?"
"Of course."
"I am worried that she isn't well." Inez rushed on ahead before they could try again to convince her that she had nothing to do with the older woman's malaise. "Does she look like she has grown thinner to you? And, her eyes look...." The young Mexican struggled to find the right word to describe what she had noticed. "Tight...no that isn't right."
"Drawn?" Josiah suggested.
"Si. I think that is the word."
"Looks like she has a headache t' me," JD commented. "My mother had that look when her head hurt."
"Si!..That is it! She looks like she is in pain." Inez turned to the preacher, clearly alarmed. "She should see Senor Nathan."
"I've suggested that to her already, and she refuses." Josiah heaved a sighed and slumped in his chair. "All we can do is wait and see what happens. We can't hogtie her and drag her over to see Nathan."
"No, but maybe Senor Ezra can when he returns." The barkeep nodded as she made her decision. "I will tell him that he needs to see to his mother."
The young woman's reaction to this news of Maude's queasy stomach was starting to cause Josiah's own concern to intensify. Inez did not rattle easily, and she was clearly disturbed by the con-woman's unusual behavior. The more he thought about it, the more he realized she was right. Maude was thinner than she had been when she was last in town. Her face was more gaunt, her cheekbones were more pronounced, and her skin looked more pale than ever. The only hint of color was when she blushed, and now he was beginning to wonder if she was actually blushing or if something else was causing the sudden flush of color to her face. Well, maybe he could not force Maude to visit the healer, but nothing said he could not ask Nathan to keep an eye on Ezra's mother whenever he was around her. One way or another, he would get some answers.
Chapter Fifteen
"You plannin' t' sleep all day?" Vin tossed the ladies' man's clothes onto the bed and shook the older man by the shoulder.
Buck growled and pulled the pillow over his head, but then bolted upright when he felt the covers over his feet suddenly pulled away. "I'm gonna kill that kid!" He yanked his feet out of the tracker's reach.
"Why? 'Cause he told us the quickest way t' wake you up is t' tickle yer feet?" Tanner laughed at the involuntary shiver that shook Buck's lean body. "I still wanna know what you two were doin' that he figured that out."
"I'm awake, so don't go pushin' yer luck." Wilmington sighed and swung his feet out of bed. It had been such a nice dream, but now it was gone. It had felt so good to sleep in a bed again after so many nights on hard floors, that he had slept soundly and dreamed the most vivid dreams he could ever remember.
Tanner grinned and leaned against the wall while he waited for Buck to get dressed. "Mrs. Sanders has breakfast 'bout ready."
"Now that's something worth wakin' up for." Wilmington sat back on the edge of the bed and pulled his boots on.
By the time he had tended to his morning needs, Margaret was getting the plates stacked by the stove so they were ready to fill. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Would you pour the coffee?"
Buck looked around for the cups and when he could not find them, he started opening cupboard doors. "Can you point me toward the cups?"
"The next door." Margaret pointed with the spoon she had been using to dip up the beef and potato hash she had made from the previous night's leftovers.
He was pouring the last cup when the sound of the front door caught his attention, and he looked up to see John Sanders coming in. "I'd wondered where you'd gotten off to already this morning."
"Went down to the livery to arrange for your horses to be made ready for you. I know you are anxious to get going, so I told Tobey to have them ready in about an hour." He hung his coat on one of the pegs by the door and went to help Margaret carry the heaping plates to the table.
Buck and Vin both attacked the food like they were half-starved. The large mound of hash was delicious. The eggs and warm bread and butter had both men wiping up the last traces from their plates with the last bites of the bread.
"I swear, if you were my wife, I'd be fat as a cow, 'cause I wouldn't have enough sense to stop eatin'." Buck rubbed his stomach and stifled a belch. When he leaned back in the chair, a flash of motion behind Margaret's chair caught his eye, and he leaned sideways enough to see around his hostess. "Well, now. Who's this pretty little lady?"
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"This is Alice." The young mother turned enough to wrap an arm around the child and draw her close. "Mornin', sleepyhead. You ready for breakfast?"
The little girl shook her head and rubbed her balled up fist against her eyes. She leaned against her mother with her eyes drooping shut as she fought to keep them open.
"Alice. That’s a pretty name." Buck smiled at the shy little girl and then looked at the toy she had clutched under her arm. "Is that your dolly?"
The child clung tighter to her precious doll, but finally nodded yes.
"She sure is pretty. Can I see her?" The ladies’ man was careful not to make any sudden moves or reach out for the timid child.
"It's all right, honey," Margaret reassured her daughter. "He's an old friend of your daddy's."
Alice eyed the stranger warily, but she was fascinated by the full mustache that moved when he talked. Cautiously, she held the doll out for Buck to see.
"Can you bring her over here so I can see her better?" Wilmington waited patiently while the two-year-old made up her mind and finally left the protection of her mother's arms and moved closer to him. Slowly he reached out to take the doll from her outstretched hand.
"You know what? She has yellow hair, just like you do." He smiled as the girl moved still a little closer. "Does she have a name?"
Alice looked up at him wide-eyed and shook her head.
"Well then we should figure out a good name for her. Hummm..." Buck crunched up his face as he pretended to think hard on the idea. "What things are yellow that she could be named after? How about corn? Corn is all nice and golden yellow." He was rewarded with a giggle and a quick shake of her head. "Egg yolk?" She giggled even harder and leaned against his leg. "I know! Squash!"
"No!" Alice laughed at the man who made silly faces, and did not even notice when he lifted her onto his lap.
"No? I thought sure you'd like that one." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he puzzled on it some more. "Yellow...what's yellow? Yellow, just like sunshine." He held the doll where they could both look at her. "How about Sunny?"
The tot's eyes lit up and she nodded vigorously as she took the doll and hugged it tightly. Suddenly she realized she was within reach of the moustache that had captured her attention and she reached up to give it a tug.
Buck yelped and made faces, then rubbed his moustache against the palm of her hand, causing her to squeal with delight. It soon turned into a game with the ladies' man, and he tickled her forehead, cheeks, hands and neck with the bushy lip hair.
"I've never seen her take to anyone like that." Margaret was amazed by the non-stop giggles and squeals coming from her daughter, and by Buck's natural way with children.
"Never seen a female of any age that Buck couldn't charm." Vin had been sitting grinning at the antics of the big tough ex-sheriff who had turned into mush at the sight of this pint-sized lady.
Wilmington did not hesitate a bit when the little girl suddenly wiggled off his lap and tugged on his hand to get him to follow her. She led him to her room and to a small wooden box by her bed. "What do we have here?" He sat on the floor beside Alice and peered into the box.
"Kitty," The child reached out to pet the sleeping bundle of fur. The gray and black striped cat opened one eye and then promptly closed it again.
"Looks like a sleepy kitty to me." He gently scratched the back of the furry head and the cat twisted itself around so Buck could scratch just the right spot. When he stopped, the cat stretched and yawned then sat blinking at him as if wondering if that short scratch had been worth waking up for.
Alice picked the animal up and hugged it in her arms before turning around to sit on Buck's lap. The ladies' man steadied the child with one hand while he sat Indian style on the floor. The cat ended up with its hind quarters sitting on Buck's leg and its front half clutched rather precariously in the arms of the two-year-old. He was surprised to see how calm the cat was at such awkward handling.
"What's your kitty's name?" He stroked the soft fur and smiled when the feline began to purr.
"Kitty Cat. Daddy gived her to me."
"Hello there, Kitty Cat." Buck made a show of shaking one of the cat's front paws as he introduced himself and then scratched it between its ears, causing it to squint its eyes in bliss. "Does she like to play with you?" Wilmington hoped so, because the child's hold on the cat was slipping, and now she was hugging it just behind the front legs, which were sticking straight up as it crept ever closer to sliding right out of her arms.
"Uh huh." She handed the young feline to her new friend and jumped up in search of something. When she got back she had a piece of ribbon that she dangled in front of Kitty Cat.
Predictably, the cat launched itself at the ribbon and the game was on. Buck and Alice laughed at the acrobatics performed by the tabby while they took turns pulling and jiggling the ribbon. The sound of their laughter had drawn an audience and the other three adults stood watching from the doorway as Alice very deftly wrapped one ex-lawman around her little finger.
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An hour later, Buck and Vin said their goodbyes and both promised to visit again. Alice clung to the ladies' man with tear-filled eyes when her father tried to take her back. It had taken a promise to send her something special to get her to let go.
Wilmington rode in silence and Tanner waited, knowing his friend would speak when he was ready. He had seen Buck around kids before, but he had never seen him as smitten as he had been by that shy little girl.
"Never woulda thought of John as bein' the settlin' kind." Buck finally broke the silence.
"S'pose there comes a time in just about every man's life when he wants to just put down roots and start a family." Tanner glanced at his riding companion and took notice of the sadness he saw in the older man's eyes.
"Reckon so." Buck agreed and fell silent again, as he thought about what it would be like to have a little girl of his own. The image that popped into his mind was of a little tawny skinned beauty, with raven colored hair and soulful brown eyes that lit up when she saw her daddy.
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"Where's Chris?" Vin looked at the rumpled bed and then around the empty room.
"How would I know? I was with you." Wilmington walked farther into the room and relaxed slightly when he saw all of Ezra's and Chris’ belongings were still there.
"Don't reckon he took a turn for the worse do ya?" Tanner's voice had more than a slight edge of concern.
Buck looked at the younger man intently, wondering again about the strong bond that had formed so quickly between his oldest friend and the young tracker. He'd never seen Chris accept someone as readily as he had Vin. "Don't go jumpin' to conclusions. Could be just as likely that he's getting a lot better, too. You know Chris. He can't stand being bedfast."
"Yeah. Don't know which one gives Nathan the hardest time, Chris or Ezra." Vin chuckled at the thought, but he still prowled nervously around the room. "S'pose we should go lookin' for 'em?"
"No. I think it would be better to wait for them here. I doubt that they've gone too far." Buck made himself at home and stretched out on the bed to wait. After a few minutes of watching his young friend pacing like a caged animal, his patience started to wear a little thin. "Would you sit down before you wear a groove in the floor? Yer makin' me nervous just watchin' you."
"Don't watch, then," Vin quipped back at him.
"I could still hear you clomping back and forth. Don't know which is worse, seein' or hearin'."
"I don't clomp!" The tracker shot back at him.
"Well, Mr. Tanner, that would be a matter of opinion."
Both men turned toward the door to see their two missing companions standing in the open door. Chris leaned heavily against Ezra, his face drained of color from the exertion of being up and about.
"What I could hear as Mr. Larabee and I ascended the stairs sounded suspiciously like clomping," the gambler teased, knowing it would get a rise out of his friend.
"Ezra, yer just full'a..."
"I don't mean to break up this happy reunion, but if we can get Buck's ass out of my bed..." Chris Larabee's voice shook as he spoke. When he tried to take a step he faltered and ended up leaning most of his weight against the smaller man who staggered under the extra burden.
"I told you this was a bad idea," Ezra scolded. "You wouldn't listen to me. You just had to go to the outhouse." Vin grabbed Chris from the other side to help support him as he walked, and Standish gladly accepted the help.
Buck jumped up and moved out of the way so they could get Chris back into bed. "I was gonna ask how yer doin', but I can see that myself. Yer bossin' everybody around again, so I reckon you'll live."
"Missed you too, Buck." Larabee sighed heavily when he lay back on the bed. When the ladies' man clasped his hand, he squeezed back, letting that simple act convey the truth behind the words.
"Good to see ya up movin' around, Pard. Ya had us all worried there for a while." Wilmington sat on the edge of the bed and wiped off the perspiration that had beaded up on Chris' forehead. He dropped the wet cloth back into the basin on the bedside table where he had gotten it. "When we left, you were as weak as a newborn kitten, but looks like you could take on one that's about t' be weaned now."
"Our fearless leader can't get it through his thick head that he shouldn't be overexerting himself this soon." Standish stood glaring at their wounded friend with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern expression. "He seems to think that he is invincible."
"That'd be Chris," Vin agreed. "Can't even think how many times I've heard Nathan say he thought he'd have t' tie him to the bed t' keep him down long enough t' heal."
"Mr. Tanner, Mr. Jackson could well say the same about any of us." Ezra pulled Larabee's boots off and set them over out of the way. "It is amazing how selective our memories become when we discuss someone else's shortcomings, while forgetting our own faults."
"Speak for yerself." Buck affected an indignant pose. "I don't have any faults t' forget. Just ask the ladies; they all think ol' Buck is perfect as is."
"I don't believe it." Chris stared at Wilmington in wonder.
"Don't believe what?" The ladies' man eyed his old friend suspiciously. He knew Chris too well to think that he had gotten by with that comment unchallenged.
"I didn't know they could pile shit that high." Larabee nodded toward Buck's six foot four frame.
"Hello?" Mrs. Dunlap called out to them from the partially open door.
"Come in." Ezra met the boardinghouse owner just inside the door. "May I be of some assistance?"
"Oh, no, dear. I just heard yer friends come in an' I thought they'd like t' know that the room across the way is open now. I kept it empty when the Baxters left a couple days ago. I figured it wouldn't be long 'til these two showed back up."
"Mrs. Dunlap, you are indeed an angel." The gambler fussed over the matronly innkeeper and was satisfied to see Edith blush and duck her head like a young maiden with her first beau. It did his heart good to see the spark in her eyes that the extra attention he paid to her created. She was a dear, lonely woman in a town that offered little in the way of distraction from the doldrums of everyday life. "I'll settle accounts with you after we get everyone settled, if that is agreeable with you."
"It is." She looked at the two newest arrivals with a critical eye. "Dinner will be ready at six o'clock. If yer late, yer takin' yer chances. I only hold back fer the sick an' their tenders." Edith nodded at the wounded man in the bed and smiled at Ezra. "Those who are fit, got no excuse for bein' late." She started to leave, but stopped and turned back to the new arrivals. "There's a bathhouse just down the street if ya wanna clean up."
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Ezra shuffled the cards and placed the deck on the table in front of him. "Well, Gentlemen, I trust that you are up for another friendly game."
"Nothin' doin'!" The surly cowhand pocketed what little was left of his money and pushed back from the table. "I ain't never seen luck like yers." He settled his hat on his head before he left the saloon, muttering under his breath about 'Just too damned lucky fer his own good.'
"I'm out too." The owner of the Mercantile in town was a man who knew when to cut his losses and leave the table. "I'm gonna have enough hell t' pay with the missus. I done lost too much as it is." He pushed his chair back, but paused long enough to drain the last couple of swallows from his glass of beer before following the other man's example and heading out the door.
The gambler sighed; his green eyes focused on the abandoned deck of cards. He was bored and the prospects of things perking up any were slim. Finally, he gave up and dealt the cards out for a game of solitaire.
"Looks like you scared everyone off," Buck teased as he settled into one of the recently vacated chairs. He tossed his hat on the table and leaned closer to the conman, resting his elbows on the table in the process.
"I don't believe fear had anything to do with it." Ezra huffed slightly and then smiled, creating deep dimples. A glint of mischief surfaced in his brilliant green eyes. "It was my superior abilities that persevered in this particular instance."
"Hell, Ezra, you and me both know that you could beat anyone this town has to offer in yer sleep." Wilmington winked at the younger man and laughed when he saw him trying to think of a snappy comeback.
The two men had spent quite a lot of time at the town's saloon since Buck and Vin had made it back to town. Most of the time was spent quietly contemplating their situation. The Doctor had said that Chris could ride as soon as he managed to walk from one end of the town to the other and back without stopping, provided his wound was not causing him too much pain. He had also made Ezra promise to make sure they stopped if Chris started showing signs that traveling was getting to be too much for him.
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"Need another?" Miss Bonnie pointed to the empty beer glass Buck held in his hand after draining its contents.
"Sure, Darlin', that and maybe some of that stew that's been smellin' so good and makin' my belly growl." He winked at the blonde saloonkeeper and made a point of caressing her hand as he handed her the empty glass. "With cookin' like yers, I'm surprised some lucky fella hasn't carried you off with him and set you up like a queen."
"And if he did that he wouldn't be gettin' my cookin' anymore since queens have people t' cook for them." Bonnie's laughter was infectious when Buck's jaw dropped at being bested at his typical word play.
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"Ah, well then, he'd just have t' discover all yer other hidden talents," the ladies' man responded after recovering his tongue.
"Talents that you'll never discover," she shot back at him, but her smile took the sting out of her words.
"Too bad. You'll be missin' out on the chance of a lifetime." Buck bobbed his brows suggestively and smiled his most disarming smile, the one that women just could not resist.
But, resist it she did as she gently tugged her hand away from his hand that still held her own, and caressed the back of it with his thumb. "Then I suppose it's for the best."
"How could it be for the best?" Wilmington frowned slightly as he tried to puzzle out what she could possibly mean.
"I wouldn't want to experience such pleasure and then have to settle for one of these clods around here." She winked back at him and then hurried off to refill his beer and get the stew he requested for his lunch.
Buck grinned and watched Bonnie as she retreated across the room. He would not really call her pretty, but she was not hard on the eyes either. He figured her to be somewhere in her mid-thirties, and her self-assurance reminded him of Inez.
"I would tread with caution where Miss Bonnie is concerned," Ezra warned, when he saw the look of longing in his friend's eyes. He had seen that look before and it usually ended up with another conquest for Buck.
"Hummm? What?" Wilmington pulled his attention back from his thoughts of Inez when he realized he was being spoken to. "Sorry, guess my mind kinda wandered a bit."
"Yes, that was quite obvious." Ezra's voice held a hint of censure. "I suggest that your mind should not be wandering in that particular direction. She has a paramour even if they haven't admitted it yet, even to themselves."
"What? How would you know who she's interested in?" The thought of Inez accepting someone else's attention upset Buck. For several long moments he felt the heavy hand of loss tighten around his heart, before he realized that Ezra could not possibly have known his thoughts had turned to a feisty Mexican barmaid, who seemed to be so far away at the moment.
"Mr. Wilmington, you've not been in residence in this burg for as many days as I have; therefore, you have not had the opportunity to observe the locals. You've not seen the longing in the sheriff's eyes when he looks at her, nor have you witnessed the looks she sends in his direction when she thinks no one is watching." Standish had always made it his policy to avoid interfering in the private lives of others, but he had grown to like the two people in question, and he did not want to see either of them hurt. It was funny how falling in love made a person see things so differently. He knew how he would feel if someone tried to step in and seduce Mary, and he could not simply sit by and watch Buck work his charm on Bonnie.
"Oh." Buck dropped his gaze momentarily, relieved that the gambler had not seen through his outburst to the truth of the matter. "I didn't realize they were an item."
"Not necessarily an item, yet. But, there is definitely something sparking between them." Ezra's unwavering green eyes locked on the ladies' man. Wilmington did not usually back down this easily, and he was not about to let him off without saying the rest of what he felt needed to be said. "Buck, we will be leaving here in a few days, but she has to live in this town after we're gone. Don't risk ruining things for them, just for another notch on your bedpost."
"It means that much to you?" Buck watched the conman's expression and saw the sincerity in the younger man's eyes. He tried to remember any time when Ezra had tried to stop him from making the acquaintance of one of the fairer sex, and he really could not think of any, at least not any that the conman had sincerely wanted stopped. There had been times when the gambler had interfered, but in the spirit of competition or in good-natured fun. This was different.
"All right. But ya can't expect me to act cold toward her. I'll give ya my word, that I won't do more than a little sweet talk." He considered the situation a few moments and then smiled slyly.
"Mr. Wilmington, should that smile concern me?" Ezra suddenly grew wary.
"Nope, but if what you say's true, then maybe if Jake sees someone else notice her, it might give him a little nudge." Buck waited and when the gambler grinned back at him he knew they were both thinking the same thing.
"Buck, I had no idea you had such a devious streak in you," Ezra said with a mix of surprise and admiration.
"Hell, devious is my middle name."
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"Oh, no you don't!" Buck stopped Chris from trying to lift the heavy saddle. "Ain't no way I'm lettin' you undo the healin' you've done by tearing something open lifting this thing. I want to go home." He grabbed up the saddle and tossed it on the horse's back, sidestepping to avoid the animal's hooves when it pranced a bit at the sudden weight on its back. He made quick work of cinching up the straps while Chris got the bridle in place.
Once Larabee's horse was ready, Wilmington set about getting his own mount ready for the road. He spun around, nearly losing his balance in the process, when he heard Ezra shout.
"No!" Standish hurried to Chris’ side when he saw the man in black start to step up to put his foot in the stirrup. "Please, allow me to assist you."
"Would you all quit playing nursemaid?" Larabee snapped.
This was going to get them nowhere. Chris was too hardheaded and proud to give in to common sense. Vin signaled to Ezra to back off and was glad to see when the conman caught his meaning. "Easy there, Cowboy." He did not even flinch when he caught the full force of the Larabee glare. "No one's tryin' t' make ya feel like ya need a nursemaid. It's just that we've laid around here for a week waitin' on ya t' get strong enough to ride, an' hell, we don't want t' have to spend another week here if ya do something t' hurt yerself."
Chris’ anger waned almost as quickly as it had flared up, and he looked from one face to the next and realized how selfish he was acting. If he let his pride land him back in bed, he would not blame any of them if they left his sorry ass right there and headed on home without him. He nodded to Vin and the tracker immediately moved next to the horse and laced his fingers to give Chris a boost up.
When he felt the gunman's foot settle in his hands, Vin pushed upward, lifting much of Chris’ body weight as the older man pulled himself up by grabbing hold of the saddle horn. He made one final check and was satisfied that the saddle was secure and that everything else was in place before he mounted his own horse and nodded to the others that they were ready to move out.
"I'd still like to know how the hell he does that," Buck muttered to Ezra before they followed the other two out of the livery.
"I'm sure we will never know." The gambler watched the two men who rode slightly ahead of them. He smiled and gestured for Wilmington's attention then pointed over toward the jail where Miss Bonnie was just going in the door. "Do you recall any prisoners in residence when we stopped in to take our leave of the sheriff?"
"I don't believe I do," Buck said with a smug grin. "Reckon I've found a new calling in matchmaking."
"You're going to rub this in all the way back to Four Corners, aren't you?" Ezra affected a heavy sigh, and tried not to look equally as smug.
"Yup."
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"I swear I thought Sheriff Brody was goin' t' bust a gut or something when he came barrelin' out of the jail. He looked like he'd seen a ghost or somethin'." Buck was still laughing about Brody's reaction to seeing them come riding into town the day before. He had obviously given them all up for dead.
"Yeah, well at least he kept his word about those drinks he promised," Chris added. The first couple of days on the road had been hard on him, but his strength had gradually come back and he was doing much better. Of course, the change could have just as easily been from the fact that today they would reach home.
Ezra kept scanning the distance, hoping for a glimpse of the town. They were so close that he wanted to urge Chaucer into a gallop and race for home, so he could sweep Mary up into his arms and kiss her right there in front of God, the town and his mother, and to hell with what anyone thought about it.
Vin had noticed the look of longing in the gambler's eyes, and he sensed the level of self control Ezra was maintaining to keep from bolting away from them and rushing home to Mary. "Won't be much longer."
"I know, but it seems like an eternity."
The tracker saw the sudden light in the conman's eyes and knew that he had finally caught sight of the town in the distance. "Doesn't take much of an eternity to ride from here to there." He indicated the distant town with a tilt of his head.
"In reality, no, but it feels like it does." Standish usually was not at a loss for words, but he still struggled with putting his own personal feelings out there for everyone to see. He had spent too many years learning to keep all his feelings under such tight control, and now it was so difficult to let go and open up. "The best way I can describe it is that it feels like you've become mired in mud, and the faster you try to go the more stuck you get. You keep fighting to get there, but you don't seem to be moving, and all you want in the world at that moment is to reach home."
The four rode on in silence, each intent on watching the town grow as they got closer. The flat washed-out blob of gray and white began to break apart into individual buildings separated by a wide street. Wagons, horses and people became recognizable when they got a little closer, and finally they could make out the sounds of wagons rattling over the rough dirt road, then the sound of horses plodding along on the hard packed earth and an occasional voice greeted them as they reached the outskirts of town.
They had barely passed the first of the buildings when Nathan came rushing down the steps from the clinic and met them in front of the livery. Instinctively he went straight to Chris’ side.
"What the hell you been doing, watching from your window?" Chris accused the healer. He realized how harsh he sounded so he tried a crooked smile to make it seem more like he had been teasing the young black man. In truth, he was exhausted. He'd been trying to act like he was feeling better than he really was, because he did not want to slow their return home any more than he already had. Chris had not been asleep when Dr. Carmichael made Ezra promise to stop if he showed signs that the ride was taking a toll on him, and as much as he would have liked to have taken a day to rest on the way back, he would not do that to his friends.
"I was just about to give in and let JD and Josiah come lookin' for ya." Nathan took in the pale complexion and drawn features of the man in front of him and knew that he had been badly injured while they were gone, which explained why they were so late in returning. "Sheriff Brody sent a wire a week ago, askin' if you'd come on home without stoppin' there on the way. We sent word back that you weren't here, then didn't hear anything back from him."
"We wouldn't have skipped stopping in Tucson," Buck explained. "Brody had promised us all a round of drinks if we managed t' get the Corbys delivered."
"From the looks of things, I'd say ya almost didn't. Help me get him upstairs. I want to check him over." Jackson waited for Vin to take position on the other side of Chris.
"Don't need the extra help," Larabee insisted. "I can make it fine on my own."
"Thought we'd settled this stubborn streak of yers back in Stoney Ridge." Vin crossed his arms over his chest and cast an accusing look at his friend.
"We're home now..."
"Just 'cause we're home, don't mean that ya don't need a little help. You weren't foolin' none of us by tryin' to act like you weren't hurtin' like hell and weren't so tired that you could barely sit in the saddle." The tracker dropped his arms to his side and approached the man in black. "Now, are ya goin' t' let Nathan and me help ya, or do we need to knock ya out and carry ya?"
Larabee saw the determined set of Vin's jaw and knew that he was not going to win this one. He was just too tired to fight when Vin reached out to get hold of his arm to help steady him on the way up the steep steps.
"Ezra, ya might want to come on up too, since yer the one that talked to the doctor." Tanner could tell Nathan most of what happened, but he had little idea of what had happened those few days Ezra and Chris had been alone in Stoney Ridge.
"Of course." Standish followed them up the steps glancing back often, looking to see if he could catch sight of Mary, hoping to see her rushing to meet him, but there was no sign of her. His heart sank at the prospect of waiting even longer to see her, but he was needed upstairs and Chris’ wellbeing had to come first.