Lady of the Gun (27 page)

"We're what?" asked Darby. "But we haven't gone to
church since ... I don't know when."

“
We're going this morning," she said firmly.

"What are you up to, Cass?" Brett asked, suspiciously.

"I just feel that I need a little spiritual guidance this morning," she answered.

"Why don't I
believe you?" he asked.

Cass shr
ugged innocently.

Leading the way to the church, she let Darby park the
wagon, then dismounted and tied her horse to one of the side rails. She watched as Brett did the same. Moments later she led the way into the church itself, walking up the aisle as far as she could, looking for seats. She heard the murmurs of disapproval as she passed. It was the reaction she expected and, today, wanted. She'd worn her trousers and guns into the church, and she meant business.

Cass sat down in
the third pew from the front. Darby and Soony sat next to her on one side, Brett on the other. As she settled herself, she looked at the minister, who was just finishing his sermon. He was watching her, and she could read the displeasure in his eyes at her late arrival. She smiled up at him and winked, causing him to look away.

After she'd lost the minister's attention, she scanned the
front pews, searching for Hunt Tylo's gray head among the other churchgoers. He was sitting in his usual spot, just in front of the pulpit. She was surprised to see Ramsey sitting next to his father. If she remembered correctly, Ramsey had seldom attended church as a young man, She couldn't see his face, and wondered how his nose was doing.

Brett watched Cass's eyes as she sat
next to him. He noticed how she searched out Tylo, and anticipated trouble. Nudging her with his elbow, he frowned a warning at her.

Cass smiled
innocently at Brett and looked back up at the minister. He'd once again begun to stare crossly at her as he sermonized. She grinned defiantly and waited.

"Let's all rise and sing," Revere
nd Wallace told the congregation. "Turn in your hymnals to number twenty-seven."

Cass sang loudly, though her voice was l
ess than lovely. She smiled the entire time she sang.

Brett sang along, wondering what she was up to.

The song ended and all sat down. Reverend Wallace gave a closing prayer, then looked directly at Cass. "Before we all leave today, I would like to address the congregation."

Cass raised her chin and
met his stare.

"It seems," began Wallace, "that my instru
ctions are being ignored."

Whispers floated through the crowd.

"A while back I had to ask one of you to dress properly when attending my church. That person has disregarded my wishes and shown up today wearing guns. It would seem…"

"Excuse me, Reverend Wallace," Cass interrupted, standing
up.

Shocked silence
filled the room.

Wallace glared down at her. "Yes, Cassidy?"

"Let's get to the point. I'm the person you are referring to. Everybody knows it, so why try to be subtle?"

"Well . . . Cassidy . . ." stammered the flustered minister.

"I know you don't want me wearing guns into your church, but I want the people of Twisted Creek to be aware of what's going on out at my place." She turned to face the crowd. “Someone did some damage out at my ranch last night." She heard several whispers. "Don't worry," she said rather sarcastically" "As you can see, I'm fine. We're all fine." She gestured with her hand toward Darby, Soony, and Brett. "I know how concerned some of you are about my welfare." She turned her head and looked directly at Hunt Tylo, glancing for just a second at Ramsey's broken face and blackened eyes, then back at his father. "I know who's responsible for the damage, and I wanted to let you all know what's going on, and that I intend to shoot to kill anyone who comes around my place without good cause."

"What about the cattle?" someone asked from the ba
ck of the room.

Cass swung her gaze back to the crowd. "I said, without
good cause. Anyone tending cattle that have wandered onto my property will be safe." Her eyes scanned the congregation again, then met the minister's. "I won't be back to church until I can come without my guns, and that won't be until this trouble has ended once and for all. Good-bye, Reverend 'Wallace." She stepped past Brett out into the center aisle. "Let's go," she said, looking back at Darby and Soony, then at Brett. She smiled when they rose to follow her.

Brett admired her back as she led the way out of the church.
She hadn't started trouble, as he'd feared she might. She'd just chosen a place where most of the town would be gathered at once to get her point across. She'd done it very well.

"I guess that takes care of that," she announced as she
half jumped down the church steps. "Now we'll wait here to see what comments are made as everyone leaves,"

In only minutes people began pouring out of the double
doors of the church. Several walked to where Darby was sitting on the wagon and expressed their condolences about the trouble. A few even asked if there was anything they could do to help.

Cass waited.

Ramsey exited the church and glared his hatred at Brett. His nose felt as though it was permanently closed, making eating and sleeping almost impossible, and both of his eyes were nearly swollen shut and turning several different and hideous shades of purple, green, and yellow. He vowed for the millionth time since Brett had punched him to make the lawman pay a hundredfold for what he'd done. It galled him now that the man stood so close to Cass. Brett's interference was making it more difficult for him to carry out his plans for her.

"Ramsey, look at you,
” Cass said with sympathy now that she could get a good look at him.

"I'm fine," he said, stepping closer to her
.

"You don't look fine. Does it hurt much?" she asked.

He gave Brett a glowering glance of pure hatred. "Not much." It took the pain away some to think about how he was going to make the marshal suffer. "Not much," he repeated, looking back at Cass. "What happened out at your place, Cass?" he asked.

Glancing around her, she leaned forward and quietly whispered,
"Someone burned our barn last night."

"No! Who would do such a thing?"

Cass shrugged. "I’ll find out eventually."

"I'm sure you will," he assured her.

"Ramsey, are you ready to go now?" Hunt asked, walking over to join them.

"Yes, Father."

"I heard Darby say your barn was burned, Cassidy. I warned you there might be trouble," Hunt said with no sympathy in his voice.

"Yes, you did," she answered. "Do you think there might
be even more?" she asked false sweetness dripping from her voice.

"Probably."

"Thanks for the warning. Now I'll know to keep watching for you."

Hunt Lau
ghed. "You're single-minded. I gotta give you that." He began walking away.

"It's called persistence, Tylo. I always finish what I start,"
she called after him.

"I've got to go with my father in the buggy, Cass," Ramsey
said. "I can't ride a horse yet." He pointed to his nose.

Cass g
lanced back to Ramsey and nodded.

Ramsey tipped his hat to her, and walked after his father
.

"Looks pretty good, if you ask me,
” said Brett as soon as Ramsey had left. "I should have hit him harder."

"Brett, that's a horrible thing to say,,' she scolded.

"I'm honest."

“
You're despicable," she said.

He only grinned at her intended insult.

“Cass!" Darby called to her excitedly as he approached.

"What is it, Uncle?" she asked, concerned by his agitated
state.

"'We're having a barn-raising," he said, a giant smile creasing
his face,

"
We’re what?"

"So
me of the folks want to give us a barn raising," he repeated.

"They do?" Cass said incredulously.

Brett leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. “It seems you're not so hated as you think."

She turned and gave him a doubting look
. "They’re doing it for Uncle Darby," she said.

Darby shook his head. "Mrs.
Thompson and Mrs. Wettle think it's real sad, what you went through. They said they’ll help Soony plan the food. Of course the womenfolk always bring too much food to these things. We'll end up eating leftovers for a month," he said as though he was complaining, but his face was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Cass smiled at her uncle. This was the first time he'd
seemed so happy in a long time. "I guess I'd better go order the lumber so we can give the folks a date, eh?”

Darby nodded, dancing from one foot to the other.

Brett was glad the townspeople had decided to help out, even if it was mostly because of Darby. "I'm going to go put my name on the ballot," he said. "I want to live in this town for a long time."

Cass smiled at him, then looked at Soony.
"Let's go do our shopping. Uncle, will you be going to the Best Bet?” she asked, knowing her uncle visited the saloon whenever he came to town.

"No,
I'll go with Brett." He turned to look at the marshal. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," Brett said happily,

Cass stood in pleased surprise for a moment. Darby's drinking had slowed so much lately that the bottle she'd purchased the day she met Brett still had two inches of amber liquid in its bottom. "We'll see you in a few minutes, then," she called after them as they left.

Soony took his time with the shopping. He always did. It
seemed to give him great pleasure to decide whether he needed one or two pounds of certain things. Cass could never figure out whether or not he really didn't know how much they needed or whether he thought his job became more important if he made it look difficult. She'd told him once to order two pounds of everything and be done with it. He'd rolled his eyes, clucked his tongue, and said one word: "Weevils." Since then she'd let him take his time.

Today, after ordering her lumber, she sat in a corner and
chewed on a peppermint stick she'd purchased with a penny. As she sat there thinking, she realized that if it weren't for the cloud of revenge that hung perpetually over her heart, she'd be very happy. The thought struck her like a physical blow. She hadn't thought about happiness, or her right to it, since her family had been killed.

The sound of
boot heels on the wooden sidewalk outside caused her to look up from her reverie. It was Brett, coming back after signing up to run for sheriff, and as he entered and spied her in the corner, she realized he was the reason her life had become more pleasant. "Hello," she said softly.

"Hello yourself. You look like the cat who swallowed the
canary," he said, his heart taking a sudden lurch at the tone of her voice.

"Do I?"' She giggled.

Brett filled with warmth at the sight of Cass's happy smile. He wished she always looked like this, her eyes free of the pall of death forever.

"Where's
Uncle Darby?" she asked.

"Did you know Mrs. Wettle is a widow?" Brett asked.

"Yes."

Brett grinned.
“She cornered your uncle to discuss the barn raising, but I think she has other things on her mind," he told her, his grin widening.

"But Mrs. Wettle is old enough to be my grandmother!"
exclaimed Cass.

"So's your uncle."

Cass snorted her laughter. "Imagine that. Does he seem interested in her?"

"He was standing awfully straight when I left him."

"Good for him," she said"

"That's what I thought," Brett agreed.

"I’m all done now," said Soony, joining them. "Where is Mr. Darby?"

Cass and Brett both started laughing. "He's talking to a
friend," Cass informed him after a moment.

Soony nodded, obviously bewildered about why this information
was so funny. "Let's go home now," he said.

Cass stood up,
popping the last of her peppermint into her mouth. "Home it is," she said.

The ride back to the ranch was merry. Cass teased her
uncle unmercifully about Mrs. Wettle, and Darby called Brett a traitor for telling on him.

The evening came with a beautiful sunset. The sky turned to a brilliant orange, then pink, and then in a last defiant show of color, it glowed a deep lavender before giving in to the soft caress of the night. Cass stared at the sky in wonder. Sunset was her favorite time of day.

Brett sat next to her in one of the chairs they'd carried
outside to enjoy the sunset and drink their after-dinner coffee. He watched the play of emotions on her face. He saw the contentment there. If only she'd give up her quest for revenge everything could be perfect. Every night could be like this. "Cass?" he said softly.