The Texan's Reward (25 page)

Gypsy had listened in. “Walter Farrow doesn’t strike me as a man who cuddles up too closely with reason.”

The others moved to the hal way to take a look at the space where the painting had been as if they might find

another clue. Harrison stayed behind with Nell. “I’ll board up the back door before I return to the barn.”

Nel looked up at him. “Would you sleep on the sofa downstairs, just for the rest of the night?”

Harrison rested his hand on her shoulder. “Whoever it was won’t be back. Not tonight. I think he got what he

was looking for.”

Nel knew Harrison was right, but she didn’t want to admit how frightened she’d been. Al her life she’d been

brave. She’d run with the wind behind her and dared anyone to stop her. And now . . . now she feared a breeze.

“I’l move my bedrol in and sleep where I can see both the kitchen door and the front entrance. No one wil

climb the stairs again tonight without my seeing them.” He smiled and handed her his old Colt. “Keep this

nearby. If you even hear something strange, shoot toward the window. I’l come running.” He winked at her.

“Don’t worry about the glass, I already know how to repair it.”

Nell smiled, grateful he understood. She could hear the others in the hal way discussing the crime. “Thanks,” she

whispered. What was it about her life? Men kept handing her guns. First Jacob and now Harrison.

“You’re welcome,” he answered.

And right there and then, Nel decided she liked Randolph Harrison. He wasn’t helping her because she was

crippled or because he hoped to be her husband, or even because he worked for her. He helped her simply

because they were friends.

Brother Aaron cleared his throat from the doorway. “I think we’d best be letting Miss Nell get some sleep.”

Harrison removed his hand from Nel ’s shoulder, but he didn’t look as if he thought he’d been doing anything he

should repent for. He turned away as Nel slipped the gun he’d given her between the sheets. He was right

about one thing; she’d feel far safer now knowing she could at least defend herself, even if she couldn’t run

away.

Harrison bowed at the door. “Until tomorrow.”

“If we’re lucky,” she answered and tucked her feet beneath the covers.

Nell listened as the house settled. Mrs. O’Daniel poked her head in to see if she wanted a hot cocoa. When Nell

declined, she heard everyone else move downstairs. It was hours before dawn, but the house was awake. And

Nell heard Wednesday tell everyone that since they were awake, they might as well have something to eat.

Leaning on her pil ows, Nel wished Jacob were here. He’d probably think it was funny that someone stole the

ugly painting. As she slipped back into sleep, she thought of how he’d kissed her by the windmil and how she’d

wished he’d touched her. She would have liked to curl up in his big arms and feel his body pressing against her.

She slept soundly, safe and wrapped in the dream of being in Jacob’s arms.

Just before dawn, Nell pulled herself into her wheelchair and rolled to the window. Mrs. O’Daniel had done a

grand job of teaching her how to shift her weight, and she loved the smal ounce of freedom she now had to

move about her room. The chairs were shoved away from the window so she could rol right up to the edge.

She pushed the window wider, ignoring the chil as she took a front-row seat to watch the dawn. All others in

the house were asleep. They’d probably talked and drunk cocoa for an hour or more before turning in. Now the

house was so still, not even the air moved about.

Just as the sun cleared the horizon, Nel heard a horse coming from the back trail that led away from town. She

rol ed to the side of her bed and pul ed the old Colt out. As she’d been taught by Jacob years ago, she checked

the gun to make sure it was loaded, then returned to the window.

Two horses broke from the line of trees. One rider, one pack horse loaded down.

“Hello the house!” the rider called. He pulled up as courtesy required on farms and ranches when the traveler

was unknown. “Hel o the house!” he cal ed again.

Nell rolled as far as she could to the window and answered. “Ride on in.”

The man tugged the reins of the pack horse and came in slow and easy.

Nell kept the gun ready. She couldn’t see a weapon, but she’d had enough trouble of late to take precautions. As

the rider neared, she saw he was little more than a boy. Almost a man, but muscles as lean as rawhide.

His pack was loaded down with rain slickers crossed over his cargo to keep it dry. There wasn’t enough light for

Nel to see clearly, but one animal looked to be the midnight color or Jacob’s mount Dusty, the other horse a

paint.

Nell heard the front door open and knew Harrison was awake. She also guessed that he’d meet the visitor with

his rifle in hand.

“Morning,” the boy said as he swung down at the end of the walk. “I hope I’m at the right house.” He moved to

the other horse and began pulling rain slickers away. “I haven’t heard a word from the ranger for hours, but he

must have told me the route ten times.”

Nel ’s heart caught in her throat as she recognized Jacob’s body crossed over the saddle.

She heard the clank of a rifle hitting the porch. A moment later, Harrison was by the boy’s side, helping lower

Jacob to the ground.

“Mrs. O’Daniel!” Nell yelled as she rolled backward as fast as she could. “Mrs. O’Daniel, come quick.”

The nurse and Wednesday came running as if last night’s robbery had only been a dril and they were now wel -

trained troops. The nurse had removed the rag twists on her hair and clawed her way into her dress as she

walked.

“I have to get downstairs.” Nell cried as she rolled toward the stairs.

“I’ll get the belt,” Mrs. O’Daniel said.

“No, just brace me. We can make it.” Nel was already pul ing up on the banister. The nurse had no choice but to

circle her waist and help her. They’d made the trip every day, but never without the belt for security. But safety

wasn’t in Nel ’s thoughts now.

She ignored the pain as she moved down the stairs as fast as she could, but they already had Jacob inside by the

time she reached the bottom. He trailed blood behind him as they half carried, half dragged him.

Wednesday bumped the wheelchair downstairs behind them and had it ready within seconds. Everyone in the

house was up now and running around wildly.

Once in her chair, Nel took a deep breath and took charge. “Get him to the study. We’l use the desk. Marla, put

water on to boil. Gypsy, bring the medicine kit and all the bandages you can find. Mrs. O’Daniel, check his

wounds. If I know Dalton, it took more than one to bring him down.”

She was proud of her little army. They stripped off Jacob’s coat and shirt as well as his boots. He looked like he

wore a pound of mud and almost as much blood. Gypsy grabbed a rag and began to clean, while Mrs. O’Daniel

examined the wounds.

“He needs a doctor for that shoulder,” she said when she finally glanced up. “I can take care of the cuts on his

arm and hands, but the shoulder wound is deep, and the cut along his middle would prove bothersome.”

Harrison lifted Jacob’s head and forced a few swallows of whiskey down his throat. “The preacher’s already gone

for the doc. I told him to bring the man even if he had to talk him into it at gunpoint.” He looked over at the boy

who’d brought the ranger in. “How’d this happen?”

The boy backed away. “I don’t know, I swear. I just found him like that. He told me to take him west. He said just

before I got to town I’d see a house off by the train tracks and I was to take him there. He made me swear.”

Nel gripped the boy’s hand. “Thank you,” she said. “You did a good job.” She turned back to Jacob, but she

heard Marla whisper to the boy that there was coffee and food in the kitchen if he was hungry.

“Thank you,” he answered. “I haven’t had anything since yesterday morning.”

Nell looked at the kid again. “What’s your name?” She tried to keep fear out of her voice. Talking might help her

keep from worrying about Jacob.

“Hank, miss.” He looked frightened. “He’s going to live, isn’t he?”

Nel wished she had an answer. “Go get some coffee and warm up. You did a good thing bringing him here.”

Hank smiled.

The doctor arrived with Sheriff Parker on his heels. He quickly shooed everyone out of the study except Mrs.

O’Daniel. He didn’t look like he wanted to be in Nel ’s house, but a Texas Ranger was down, and it was his duty

to do all he could.

“But I got to ask him questions,” Parker complained. “I got to know what happened out there.”

The doctor didn’t bother to consider the sheriff ’s demands. He only closed the door to everyone.

Nel ’s smal army moved to the kitchen, where they crowded around the table and drank coffee. Everyone

voiced a theory on what might have happened. The boy who brought the ranger in was silent. No one felt like

eating except Gypsy, who said she needed her strength now that it appeared the household had given up sleep.

Harrison, in his usual take-charge manner, poured coffee and helped Marla fix a breakfast that Nell guessed no

one would eat.

An hour passed. The nurse poked her head around the door and said the doctor wanted to speak to Nel .

Everyone moved back to the study door as if Nell were their collective name.

The doctor didn’t comment, but he did direct his announcement to Nel . “He’s going to be fine. Just weak from

loss of blood. The cuts are not deep, mostly bothersome. I had to stitch up one on his arm and another on the

back of his shoulder. I don’t know for sure, but they look like knife wounds. He managed to wrap the cut across

his ribs well enough that I think it’s started to heal without stitches, but it’ll leave an ugly scar.”

The doctor smiled and added, “They’l match the others he’s col ected over the years.”

He glanced up at the boy standing back close to the kitchen door. “If you hadn’t got him home when you did, he

might have bled to death. Even now there is some danger of infection. We had to dig rocks and dirt out of some

of the smal er scrapes and cuts. I’l be interested to know what he had to go through after he was stabbed, but,

son, you may have saved his life.”

Everyone turned to the kid. No one seemed to be able to find words to say until Mrs. O’Daniel screamed. “That’s

him! That’s the kid who wouldn’t let me off the train when the firing started. He’s one of the bandits.”

JACOB WOKE UP SLOWLY, ONE LIMB AT A TIME. HE opened his eyes, trying to think of the bright side. His left

leg didn’t hurt. That was it, end of the bright side. Every other part of his body felt like it had been in a meat

grinder.

He stretched, realizing he was off the horse finally and, for the first time in days, he was warm. The boy named

Hank had tried to hold him in the saddle and ride behind him, but Jacob was too heavy. Every time Jacob passed

out, he hit the dirt.

Jacob grinned. He had to give the boy credit. When he’d tumbled, the kid had fal en off stil trying to hold him.

When they’d found one of the other horses, Jacob had the kid tie him onto Dusty’s saddle, hoping that even if

Hank decided to abandon him, Dusty would eventually head to Nell’s place. Jacob figured he was dead if they

didn’t make faster time than they could make riding double, so what difference did a little discomfort make?

His gaze shifted to the top of a bookshelf in front of him. Either the kid had made it, or heaven looked a lot like

an old whorehouse.

“You awake?” Gypsy popped her head into his line of vision, her nose almost touching him, her breath working

like smelling salts on his senses.

He wanted to push her away but wasn’t sure he had the energy. “Yeah, I’m awake. I guess the kid got me here.”

“Three days ago,” Gypsy said. “Ever’one got tired of watching you sleep. They al left but me. I got housework to

do. I don’t have time to go off fiddlin’ around in a town that don’t got nothing I want. There’s more folks pass by

this house than I wanta talk to most days. Can’t see going into town just to be bothered by crowds. “

“Where’d they go?”

“I told you, town. You must have fal en on your head once too often.” Gypsy went back to cleaning the

bookshelf.

He rubbed his forehead, thinking the old woman was probably right. “Any reason?” he mumbled, knowing Nel

would not have left the house unless she had to.

“To see the kid who brought you in.”

Jacob tried to clear the cobwebs out of his brain. Gypsy wouldn’t fill in any details if he didn’t ask. “Why’s the kid in town?”

Gypsy tossed her rag down and turned back to Jacob. “The sheriff arrested him right after he brought you in.

Mrs. O’Daniel fingered him as one of the train robbers. She said if it wasn’t for Hank, she’d have been off the

train when she heard the shooting start and probably kil ed dead a minute later.” Gypsy shook her dust rag out

the window. “But Sheriff Parker didn’t seem to take that into consideration. He’s got the boy locked away, and

Brother Aaron says there’s talk in town about hanging him straightaway without taking time for a trial.”

Gypsy took a deep breath. “That’s all I know. Can I get back to my chores? Oh, the doc said you’re going to live.

We was all real glad to hear that.”

Jacob closed his eyes. “So am I.” But he didn’t smile. He was too worried about the boy. He didn’t like the idea of

the kid being in jail. Jacob hadn’t saved him from the outlaws to watch him hang.

Jacob slept off and on until he heard the front door. He kept his eyes closed, listening to the preacher complain