Love Rules (18 page)

introduced his new family. Strange how little Abby had grown into his heart so deeply, but they already established a camaraderie that made Maggie jealous. He wasn’t fooling himself. Living with Maggie and Abby wouldn’t be easy. For everything they accomplished, there would be setbacks, some made by people, some the ordinary kind that most farmers faced in Texas.

He wondered why Lucy and Constance had come out to the place; they never had before. He had realized long ago that Constance wanted his land for her father, nothing more. At one time he’d liked her a little. Smiled at her, talked to

her, but when he found out she only wanted to romance him for his land, he lost interest. Perhaps Mr. Jenkins had spoken of Maggie and they were curious. On the other hand, perhaps they heard he’d come home from the war and decided to come calling. Maggie got upset, but there was little he could do about them.

People would come, go, and think what they wanted. It wouldn’t change anything as far as he was concerned. Once he’d met Maggie, other women ceased to be in his mind. Even after he turned her in, he still wanted her, still wished he could protect her from what he had done, but it was something he couldn’t change.

He wondered if they would ever get back to the kind of trust Maggie once showed him. He sure hoped so because that trust was about as sacred as anything he’d experienced.

Jesse wanted to run beeves on the land, but there was so much to do and little help. He’d start slow and build. But with a family to care for, he had more reason than ever to make a go of it. He’d even be willing to relocate if need be for Maggie and Abby’s sake. He wished they could have more children, but he’d have to break through the barriers of being unforgiven to accomplish that. He wanted a houseful of happy children, children he could teach to love the land and care for it. Children he could love and grow old and happy with. Most of all, he wanted to reclaim Maggie. And he wanted her to want him, too.

Love rules. Would time alone heal the wounds of war, or would they be trapped in a love/hate relationship forever? Jesse didn’t care. He was still glad she’d come, very glad. Moreover, nothing she would do or say could take away from that gladness in his heart. Jesse had the one thing he’d always wanted—a family.

He continued trying to scrape together enough supplies to do just a little more to the room. Then once he was sure there was nothing left, he went to the shed to consider his supply list.

Maggie hung clothes and sang. Jesse smiled to himself. She might act as though she was unhappy, but unhappy people rarely sang. The thought lifted his spirits.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out in the yard. Dust flew as bullets whizzed through the air toward the house. He started to run out, his first thought of Maggie, then

Abby. Maggie gathered Abby in her arms and tried to run to the house. He watched from the window of the shed. She made it and slammed the door. She’d bolt the door and keep their daughter safe. That made him proud, the way Maggie protected her baby above everything, their baby. God, he loved her!

Jesse sighed heavily then glanced about for the source of the trouble. It didn’t take long to spot the three men who had taken cover by the barn.

One he thought he recognized. The other two he’d never seen before. The man he recognized had long hair, and carried a knife on his hip. The other two were tall and thin. One had sandy brown hair that stood out around his hat. The other might have been bald; he couldn’t tell. He tried to gauge where they were exactly.

A seething contempt built inside him. How dare men ride into his yard bold as brass, with one aim in mind—killing his Maggie?

“Get inside the barn. See if you can pick her off from there,” one of the men shouted.

Jesse clenched his jaw and watched as the man sneaked into the barn, the one with the long hair. If he remembered correctly, the man could shoot, too.

Apprehension crawled up Jesse’s spine. He would not allow them the

advantage of ‘picking her off.’ They obviously didn’t know Jesse was there at all.

He had an advantage. He could sneak around the back way and get the one inside the barn before anything else happened.

Jesse took cover behind the shed and worked his way over to the back of the barn.

By then Maggie had the rifle loaded, shooting at them through the closed shutter. It was just enough distraction to gain their attention and let him get to them.

Jesse went through the rear of the barn and crawled through the door there.

He spotted the shooter fast enough. He stayed low, crawling in the hay, but instead of giving himself away, he pistol whipped the man in the head so the others weren’t alerted. He hit him hard enough to knock him out and watched as blood oozed from the gash.
That should keep him out a while.
Satisfied he wouldn’t have to contend with that one, he concentrated his efforts on the other two outside. Jesse picked up the gun and tossed it into the corner of the barn. He

spotted the second shooter through the far window and he turned in time to see him. He took one shot at him and the second shooter fell dead, got him right in the forehead. One out, one dead, and one very much alive, he assessed with quiet determination.

One more, Jesse counted, as the one with a long beard began shooting into the barn, and then scurried through the doorway to meet the blast of Jesse’s gun. A hail of bullets flew and Jesse took one in the leg. The other man had yelped too, so he figured he got him at least once before he could scramble for cover. “Might as well come on out. I’m determined to see you die unless you do,” Jesse called.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but that woman in there is the Black Widow, a spy for the Federals. I aim to see her dead before the sun sets,” the man called out. “She was the most dangerous woman in the war. A dirty rotten spy that told the yanks who we were. She’s responsible for the men who died at Pea Ridge, Chalk Hill and bunch of other places. That’s a fact. I ain’t in the habit of killin’

women, but she deserves no better after what she done. So if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay out of this, mister. Understand?”

“And I aim to see her unharmed.” Jesse chuckled. “Understand?”

“Why you want to protect a woman like that?” the man asked as though trying to figure him out. “I done told you what she did. You got any idea how many men she’s killed?”

“To tell the truth, I don’t. Did you see her pull the trigger? Were you there? She didn’t kill them. The Federals did. Put the blame where it belongs. And war is never a woman’s fault. But the war’s over, and she certainly wasn’t responsible for everyone’s death. Besides, she’s my woman.” Jesse laughed. “For better or for worse…”

Just then the man who’d been knocked out regained consciousness and Jesse spotted him out of the corner of his eye. The man grabbed his head but he spotted Jesse and quickly rolled behind a stub wall. “Throw me your gun, Joe! I see him.”

A pistol flew through the air, bumping against the stall and Jesse scrambled for different cover.

Bullets flew. Jesse’s heard the definite whiz of the bullet a second before fire burned his ear. He wiped blood from his check and hunkered down to wait them out. Sooner or later they’d make a move, and he’d get them.

For a few minutes all was quiet. Not one piece of hay stirred. Then suddenly the man he’d bashed in the head flew out and began firing in his direction. Jesse got off a shot. The man fell. Whether he was dead or not, Jesse didn’t know, and didn’t have the time to check.

The third man cocked a pistol behind Jesse. “Turn around. I want to see what kind of filth would protect a woman like her,” the man said as he spat his tobacco into the hay.

Jesse firmed his lips and turned around.

“Drop your gun,” the stranger demanded.

Jesse dropped it even though he considered trying to get off one more shot. It angered him that someone got the drop on him. He should have lasted a little longer.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Ain’t you the lieutenant that brought the Widow in?” He relaxed his gun hand.

Jesse’s eyes flew to the new position of the barrel, but the angry renegade was still eyeing him closely, so he waited. “That’s right. I turned her in.”

“And you’re protectin’ her? That don’t even figure.” The stranger lifted the gun level at Jesse and frowned.

The angry expression triggered Jesse’s memory. “I know you, don’t I? You’re Billings, Corporal Billings. Sure, you’re the one who wanted to kill her when I brought her in. Said she didn’t deserve to live. Said she didn’t deserve a trial.”

Jesse’s lip curled in disgust.

“That’s right. My brother died right out there in the sticks of Arkansas, all because of her. I swore on his grave that I’d get her. Left up to me, she’d have already hung.” The man spat, and cocked his gun. “I reckon you jest lowered yourself to white trash, Lieutenant. I be doin’ everyone a favor by takin’ you out, too.”

“Well, in the first place, I retired a captain.”

“A captain, huh? Always did want to kill me an officer.”

“I don’t think so,” came a throaty voice from the open doorway of the barn. “I don’t think you’re going to be taking anyone out.”

Jesse sighed with relief and grabbed the corporal’s gun as he whirled around to meet Maggie face to face.

“You better kill me now ‘cause that’s what I aim to do to you if’n I get the chance,” he said as he stared at the rifle Maggie held on him. Blood was everywhere now, and the man barely grimaced as he edged closer, eyeing her.

Maggie stood ready to blow his head off. Her lips curled in fury.

“Easy, honey. We’re sendin’ this fella back where he came from,” Jesse said, going to Maggie’s side.

Maggie’s mouth flew open. “He’ll just come back.”

“Don’t matter. We’re lettin’ him go,” Jesse demanded. “Besides, he's shot up pretty good as is.”

“You crazy?” Maggie yelled, her cheeks stained with anger.

“Nope. Oh, but you can shoot him in the leg.” Jesse laughed. “For me.”

Maggie aimed the rifle. Sweat trickled down her neck. She looked the man in the face and his pain and misery clouded her gorgeous eyes. Her hand trembled.

She wanted to shoot, felt she should maybe, but she wouldn’t. She felt responsible for more deaths than she cared to admit already. “I cain’t do it, Jesse!” she screamed. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“It’s okay, Maggie. It’s okay. We’ll take him in the house, bandage him, and send him on his way.” Jesse grabbed the gun from her, his anger dissipating when he saw the sadness that surrounded her.

“You are gonna turn him loose?” she yelled. “You heard him, didn’t you? He aimed to kill me. What you want to do, fight him all over again?”

Jesse turned to the gunman and looked him up and down. She was probably right. The man needed killing for drawing a weapon on Maggie, but Jesse held on to the hope that sending him off alive might buy her a little compassion. “Let’s go.” He motioned for him to lead the way. Maggie ran to open the door. Seeing the hate and open contempt in the corporal’s eyes obviously flustered her.

Just as Jesse would have walked in, the one he thought he’d killed shot at them and the bullet whizzed right between Maggie and Jesse.

Jesse turned and fired once more, killing him dead without thought, this time for good.

“I gotta admit, you’re damned good with a gun, Jesse.” Maggie sighed, leaning against the door. “So what are we doin’ patchin’ this one up? He’ll just come back.

Look at him. Nothing but hate in his eyes.” She grabbed her chest as though she had a pain there.

“We have to turn him loose. We take him in to a sheriff around here, and everyone will know who you are. We can’t afford that. Just bein’ my wife will be enough of a stir. They find out you are the Black Widow, people will be climbing all over the place trying to do you in. Besides, he might never come back, either,”

Jesse corrected. “I got to bury the others. Keep this up and we’ll have our own boot hill out here. Then what will everyone say about us.”

“Wait till I bandage him, please. I don’t want to stay in here alone with him.”

“All right.” Jesse nodded.

Maggie dropped her head. “Well, lay down so I can tend you.”

“You know I’ll be back, don’t you?” The corporal stared into her eyes.

“I know.” Maggie’s hands shook as she cleaned the wound.

Abby cried out, and Maggie ran to get her. Jesse held the baby while she doctored the other man’s injuries.

“That your kid?”

Jesse grimaced, eyeing the corporal skeptically. “We ain’t gonna answer all your questions, mister. Maggie is patching you up so you can go back and tell your people this has to stop. And if it don’t, I reckon I’ll be burying more out there. You hear me?”

“I hear ya.” The man’s eyes strayed to Abby and a slow, burning smile spread across his face. “I’d have never thought a rebel like you would turn on his own kind, but then, looking at her and that babe, yeah, I guess I see how it is.”

Jesse’s lips curled with distaste. “I doubt you really see. You gotta lot of hate inside you. Hate can eat you up. It blinds people to the truth.”

Maggie sighed as she took the bullet out cleanly.

“You’ll get yours…in the end…you’ll get yours.” The man flinched when she pulled the bandage too tight.

Jesse gave the baby to Maggie and aimed his rifle at the corporal’s chest. “Get on your horse and get out of here before I think twice about lettin’ you go.”

“There will be another day.” He grinned at the baby.

Tempted to end it before Maggie or Abby were hurt, Jesse put the rifle up against his chin. “I said ride, and if there is another day, you’ll be lying under that tree out yonder…dead! Think about it.”

The corporal glanced at them and left. He got on his horse slowly and rode out the same way. Jesse and Maggie both knew he’d be back.

Maggie frowned.

Unsure how to comfort her, Jesse got the shovel. “Go on in the house. I’ll be in after I bury the others. I knew the last one. He was a snake. Maybe you were right about killin’ him, Maggie, but the next time he’ll be dead unless he ends it.”