Dorothy Garlock (30 page)

“We’ve got to get him inside. Tess, go in and light a lamp. Jack, put your arms under his knees and I’ll get the rest of him.”

When they lifted him, he groaned. Boone cursed. Tess held the lamp as Boone and Jack gently placed Spinner on the built-in bunk.

“Strip him, Jack, while I get things ready to sew up that wound in his side.”

“He’s got a bullet in his thigh that should come out while he’s unconscious,” Jack said.

Tess built a quick fire in the stove and set a pan of water over the flame. She found vinegar, whiskey and what looked to be a torn bedsheet.

“Can you wash him off with vinegar water, Tess? There’s a box around here somewhere with a needle, thread and alcohol. I’ve got to boil this knife before I probe for the bullet in his leg.”

“Looks like they worked him over with a blackjack and brass knuckles.” Jack had pulled off Spinner’s britches and covered his privates with a corner of the sheet.

“Why do you reckon they didn’t kill him?” Jack asked later as he and Boone bent over the man.

“Might’ve thought they did. When they left him, he managed to get to where he’d hid the plunger. He blew them up.”

“Plunger?” Jack had washed his hands and was holding the wound closed while Boone stitched it.

“Charges of dynamite had been set in the cave and a wire run out to a plunger. Somehow he made it there, then here to the cabin. I don’t know how in hell he did it, the shape he’s in. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Shouldn’t we try to get him to a doctor?”

“How? We can’t carry him out of here tonight. It’s a mile to the truck. We’ll see how he is tomorrow. I may have to go fetch the doc. There’s a horse and two mules a little farther up in the hills if those bastards haven’t killed them.”

“I hope the blast got all of the gutless devils!”

“It took more’n one or two to do this to Spinner. Even if someone was holdin’ a gun on him, he’d not stand still and let them beat him. I’m done with the sewin’, Tess. There ain’t much we can do for the gash on the head but douse it good with alcohol and tie a pad against it to stop the bleedin’. We’ve got a bottle of laudanum. I’ll try to get him to swallow a couple drops in a sip of water.”

After they had done all they could do for Spinner and he was sleeping, Boone covered the windows with blankets and set the lamp near Spinner’s bunk.

“Do you think they all died in the blast?” Tess asked after they had settled down on the step in front of the cabin.

“We can’t be sure. I don’t want to take the chance. I doubt they found this place, or they’d’ve stayed the night and waited to move out in the mornin’.”

Boone put his arm around her and held her close to his side. She had strength. He was proud of her. She had followed his lead without question. He kissed her forehead and silently swore to spend his life taking care of her. This love that had come to him was so wonderful, so unexpected.

Boone hoped that Tess hadn’t caught Spinner’s words about the men looking for him. He reasoned that Spinner knew that he, Boone, could take care of himself, but Spinner’s fear had been that if he told where to find Boone, they would have come to the house and hurt or possibly killed Annabel.

Boone hadn’t really thought about it before, but it made sense to him that the Remus organization would know that he knew as much about the operation as Murphy did. Unless they had planned a double-cross, why would they be interested in him? He didn’t want to think about it, but it was becoming clear: Their intentions were to eliminate any future competition in this area.

“I don’t understand any of it.”

Annabel had not said much since leaving the house. Corbin slowed his pace as soon as they had crossed the field and were away from the farm. He led the way to the road because it was easier to walk along, and he would be able to see the lights of a car or hear it in time for them to hide in the bushes that grew at the side.

“I don’t understand much of it myself, but I know this: It isn’t federal marshals we’re dealing with.”

“Were the men looking for my father?”

“I couldn’t tell from what I heard if it was your father, Boone or Spinner they were looking for. I heard one of them say that they were in a hell of a mess, which to me means they are accountable to whoever is calling the shots and they hadn’t completed what they had been sent to do.”

When they reached a small rise in the road, Corbin stopped. He looked ahead, behind and then at the house. He could see in all directions. A thick stand of cedars lined the west side of the road.

“We can wait here until morning.”

He took her hand and, shining his light ahead of them, led her off the road. Corbin spread the blanket where within a few seconds they could hide behind the thick screen of cedars. They sank down wearily. He took the gun from his belt and placed it and the flashlight within easy reach, then, without conscious thought, rubbed his aching thigh.

“Does your let hurt?”

“Naw—”

“You said you’d not lie to me.”

“I said that and I meant it. I’ll never lie to you. I was going to say, ‘Naw, not much.’ ”

“But it hurts. Let me rub it.” She placed her hand on top of his. “Is this the place?” He moved her hand to the inside of his thigh and she gently rubbed the aching flesh. “Am I too rough?”

“Feels good.”

“Corbin,” she said after a long silence, “do you think my father is mixed up with … gangsters?”

“I don’t know that, honey. He may have been trying to sell out to them so he could get out of the bootlegging business.”

“Then why would they blow up the stockpile?”

“Spinner may have blown it up because they hadn’t paid the money … or something like that. I’m just guessing.”

“I’m … afraid Papa won’t come back.” There was a sob in her voice. “I’m always worried when he goes away, but this time …”

Corbin put his arms around her and drew her close. She snuggled her face in the curve of his neck. He could feel the wetness of her tears.

“Ah … honey. Don’t cry. Your papa is a smart man or he’d not have been able to stay in the business as long as he has. He knows how to take care of himself.”

“He used to tell me he sold things out of a catalog. He stopped telling me that when I got older, but he never came right out and said that he … bootlegged.”

“Some folks don’t think it’s such a terrible crime. Prohibition is not a good law. Everyone knows that, but it’s a law and should be obeyed until it’s revoked. It’s making the big racketeers rich and ruining the lives of people who drink their rotgut whiskey.”

“My papa is a good man. He loved my mother to distraction. It almost killed him when she died.”

“If your mother was anything like you, I can understand that.” Corbin pulled on her arm until it circled his chest. His lips moved over her forehead.

“I remember how they were with each other. When Papa came into a room, there wasn’t anyone in it but her. His eyes would find her. He’d go to her and greet her first no matter who was there. He never went by her that he didn’t reach out and touch her. She was his life; then he had only me and was determined that I’d be what he called ‘somebody,’ not Irish trash, as he’d been called when he was young.”

“I’ve dreamed of finding a love like that.” Corbin’s lips caressed her cheek. “I don’t have to dream about it any longer.”

She was quiet. “Papa put money away and told me where it was just in case … something happened to him.”

“Did you hear what I said, sweetheart?”

“You said something about … finding a love like my Mama’s and Papa’s.”

“I said I’ve found my love. It may not be like the love they shared. No two loves are the same.”

He lifted her chin with his fingers and placed his lips on hers. At first his mouth brushed gently over hers in soft lingering kisses, then his fingertips stroked the tender skin at the nape of her neck.

“
You
are my love,” he whispered against her mouth. His hand moved down her back and over her hips, pulling her closer. She could feel the pounding of his heart against her breast. “I thank God every day that I found you.”

“We’ve not known each other very long.”

“I feel like I’ve known you forever. Do I seem like a stranger to you?”

“No. You’ve never been a stranger to me.”

“We may have met in another life. You were a princess and I was the knight who adored you.”

“Or you were a king and I was your chambermaid.”

“Never that! Tell me, sweetheart. Tell me what I want to hear.”

“You know that already. I’ve said that I love you in so many different ways.” Her hand moved up to cup his cheek and hold her trembling mouth to his. “I wouldn’t be here with you like this if I didn’t love you.”

“Are you real, or am I having a wonderful dream?”

“Oh, love,” she breathed against his lips. “Even dreams aren’t this wonderful!”

He turned and bore her down on the blanket, leaned over her and gathered her close. His kisses came upon her mouth warm and devouring, fierce with love and passion. Annabel closed her eyes in bliss as his greedy mouth sparked her every nerve with intense excitement. She heard his hoarsely whispered words of love.

“‘But we loved with a love that was more than love—/ I and my Annabel Lee—’ ”

She opened her mouth and felt the first exciting touch of his tongue along her inner lips.

“My beautiful Annabel Lee,” he breathed, almost in reverence. His face was inches from hers. “You love me? Say it again.”

“I love you. I’ve never said the words before … not even to Papa or Mama. Now I wish I had. I’ll tell you every day that I love you, Corbin Appleby.”

“I’ll never leave you. Never! You are my mate for as long as I live. Here in this quiet place, I give you my love, pledge my protection, vow to be faithful and never lie to you.”

“I will guard these treasures you have given me and offer myself into your keeping.”

“You will be my treasure.”

Annabel’s eyes were soft with love as she gazed at him. Her breath was warm against his face. He felt as if she had given him the world. His lips moved slowly and lingeringly from her mouth to her earlobe to her eyes and back to bury her mouth with his.

He turned on his side, holding her breasts, belly, hips and thighs tightly against him. Her head was pillowed on his arm. He kissed her gently, lovingly. Her soft mouth parted with yearning, and the kiss deepened and went on and on. She pressed on the hand caressing her breast and shivered with an excitement that was sheer heaven.

Annabel had been sheltered, but not so much that she didn’t know what throbbed against her belly. It was his sex, large and firm, straining against the buttons of his britches. His hand moved down her back to her hips and pressed her tightly against it, rocked for one delicious moment, then he released her and rolled onto his back, taking deep gulping breaths.

“I’ve shocked you.” His voice was a groan. The arm that held her against his side loosened so that she could move away if it was what she wanted to do.

“Not as much as you think. You want to do more than kiss me. You want us to love each other like husband and wife.” She placed comforting kisses along his jawline.

“Sweetheart, I’d not be human if I didn’t want that. It’s something a healthy male longs to do with the one he loves.”

“Are you surprised that I know about such things?”

“I’m glad you know. Do you fear it?”

“My mother told me things that she was afraid no one else would tell me after she was gone. She knew that she was dying, and she wanted me to know that for a woman to mate with the man she loves was one of God’s greatest gifts. She said the coming together of two people in love was a beautiful thing—each time you gave a little bit of yourself to the one you loved. Does that answer your question?” Annabel’s whispered words came against his cheek. “It will be that way with us.”

“When that time comes, I’ll make it as beautiful for you as I can.” He caught her hand and held it against his chest. Emotion weakened his voice. “We’ll be married as soon as I can speak to your father.”

“He will not be happy. He said it was just as easy to love a rich man as a poor one.”

“I don’t have much, but I don’t consider myself poor. I have earning skills I’ve not used very much. I studied to be a journalist but got sidetracked by the war. I’ve been asked to come back to Fertile as their police chief. But secretly I’ve always wanted to start a small newspaper. I’m confident that I can take care of you. I’ll have to convince your father of that.” He was quiet as a sudden thought chilled him. “What will you do if he refuses to give his consent?”

“I’ll marry you anyway,” she said without hesitation. “I’m an adult. Later, Papa will come to accept you when he sees how happy I am.”

“Ah … sweetheart …” He hugged her tightly to him and thanked God that Jack Jones had come to Henderson.

In the darkness beneath the evergreen tree, Corbin cuddled her warm body against his while she slept. He was elated by her trust in him, the maturity of her thinking, her acceptance of his sex, which had sprung up between them when he held her and kissed her. She was more, far more, than he had ever wished for. God help him never to disappoint her.

In the far distance he heard a dog barking and later the swishing of branches overhead disturbed by a winged creature. His senses were alert to sounds or lack of them. His mind reviewed the events of the day and every word that had been said by the men who came to the house and fired his car.

He and Annabel had no way to get to town unless they walked. If they did that, they might encounter the whole clan of Carters. He didn’t want to shoot one of them unless it was absolutely necessary.

What a hell of a note, he thought, that Annabel was in danger both from the Carters and from the thugs who had come to the house. The thugs had been given a mission. They wanted to get it done and go back to Chicago or wherever they came from. If they didn’t find Boone in the hills, they would go back to the house, he had no doubt about that.

Lord, he hoped Boone had enough savvy to keep Jack and Tess safe. If anything happened to Jack, the Jones family back in Fertile would be devastated.