Unexpected (14 page)

“I mean all day, every day
and no offense, but your condition—.”

“I can protect myself,” Josie put in.  Something seemed suspicious here.  One look at Cogan
, who met her gaze with a hidden knowledge in their dark depths, let her know that.

“Against an army?”
Cogan had enough of beating around the bush.  He stood straight and dropped his arms. “Father Sampson thinks you should wed.  Wed someone who is capable of being there all the time.  Someone who Butch could fear.”

There were matching stunned faces from the brother and sister
at that information.

It was Josephine who finally found the will to speak.  Her voice was so soft the men could hardly hear her
, but her eyes were unmistakably on Cogan. “And who would this invincible man be?”

“I think you already know,
” Cogan answered.

“And you agreed to this?”

“I haven’t said yes.”

She stood up and waved an arm toward him. “
I can look after myself!”

“I haven’t said no
, either.”

She paused and stared at him.  Her jaw fell.

“Wait a minute!” Ryker struggled to stand, it was more difficult than he anticipated, but he managed. “I never agreed to any of this.  I am the man of this house!”

“It won’t be forever Ryker.  We can have the marriage absolved after Butch has either lost inte
rest or been run out of town,” the father piped in as the tension in the room was rising.

“Lost interest?” Ryker narrowed his eyes
in suspicion.  The priest knew more than he was letting on. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“I’m bound by my faith to maintain confidentiality.  Yet, I’m also bound to protect those that may come to harm.” He pinched his eyes shut for a moment.  Butch’s confessions were very candid and not worth repeating regardless
of his oaths.

Ryker saw the priest look of distaste.
“Has that son of a bitch threatened my sister?”

“
If Josephine marries Cogan, Butch will most likely turn his focuses elsewhere,” he continued, purposely not answering his question.

Ryker ran his good hand down his face in frustration and
lifted his eyes to Cogan.  The whole time his sister and the large man had not said anything further but still locked gazes with one another.  Josie looked like she wanted to leap out the window and Cogan—well, he looked, as usual, unreadable.  “Is this right with you?”

“It might work,
” he answered casually not taking his eyes off of Josie.

“Might?” he shook his head, “Father, you want us to have a sham marriage to discourage Butch from trying to do God knows what to Josie, and compromise the integrity of this family.  Who would marry her after an annulment?”

Christ, anybody would,
thought Cogan. 
They’d be lining up at the door.
Even now, as shocked and flushed with anger as she was, wearing dusty worn clothes, she was devastating to his sex.

Josie finally found it in her to respond.  She snapped her jaw shut, cast a glance around the room at the three men, and briskly walked out.
The glare she spared for Cogan was probably more profound as she walked by him. How dare they spring this on her without speaking to her about it first!  Marriage! An annulment! What were they
thinking?
”

“
Jos—Ah hell—pardon me again Father,” Ryker stated.

Father Sampson lifted his hand to ease Ryker’s worries. “She
has a right to be upset with us,” he said understandably.

“I’ll speak to her.”
Ryker started to leave.

“I’ll do it.” Cogan offered and left to seek her out
before Ryker could even take a step toward the door. 

“Do you honestly think that would help?” Ryker asked
the older man after Cogan left.

“I think it’s worth a try.  I don’t want to see her hurt.
She’s an inspiration for many people in this town, just as you are.  You are both known for your generosity to help out anyone in a bind.   Butch has hurt too many people in this town.  Given Cogan’s quickly earned reputation, I think it would help discourage him for the time being.”

“We really don’t know him all that well Father.  What if he just decides to leave?”

“He won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“I have faith in my instincts.  Even though he doesn’t seem like it, Cogan Reid is a man of faith, and he has found a cause after many years of seeing the ugly that mankind can be.  I know the kind of man he is.  I’ve seen some horrible things in the war and Cogan has a look about him that reflects terrible secrets, but they haven’t broken him.  There is a savior in there somewhere.” 

“
Father, I saw him take a shot that only a handful of people in this world could probably do.  I have no doubt he has some terrible secrets.  An eye like that takes incredible practice, and he isn’t much older than me.”

Father Sampson kept his eyes steady on Ryker as he sipped his tea.
From what Cogan had shown him the day before, there was definitely something different with him.  Something familiar yet frightening, and his confession the other day shook him a little.  He’d seen the man’s eyes.  He wasn’t lying about the betrayal.  He just couldn’t wrap his head around the timeline and wired a friend in New York that morning.

Cogan found Josie in her garden beating the dirt to death with a hoe.  It looked as though she was wishing it were someone else.

She didn’t even turn around at the sound of footsteps, but obviously knew someone would follow her out. “Those fools send you to convince me?” She pounded the dirt again. “They have no right to make decisions that involve my future without my knowledge or consent.” More thumping at the earth, this time with bits of dirt flying through the air.

“Probably not.”

She finally stopped and rubbed her sleeve across her forehead before she turned and faced him.  “You don’t know me enough to marry me.”

“It’s for convenience.”

“Well, Mr. Reid, I don’t want to marry for convenience, I want to marry for love.”

“So do you have someone else in mind?”

“Around here?” she scoffed. “Lord no. I want a man with courage who can stand up to people like Butch McAllister.  A man who would be a good father and isn’t afraid of hard work. An honest devoted family man.  Someone who doesn’t think he has the right to constantly tell me what to do. Bakersfield seems lacking lately.” She tilted her head at him. “Have you ever been married?”

“No.”

“In love?”

Cogan smiled
slightly remembering. “Once, maybe close to twice.”

She paused staring at him questioningly. “Don’t people in love get
married?”

He nodded. “Usually, but she died.”

“Oh Gosh!  I’m so sorry.”
You’re an idiot Josie!
she scolded herself.  She could feel her own anguish for him in her gut.  How terrible it must’ve been.

“It was a long time ago Josie.  I was young.  I’m not even sure if it was true love.  I know I cared a lot about her.”

How young could he have been?  He was about her brother’s age.  So was this a boyhood love?  “What was her name?”

“Katherine.  She had a lot of fire in her, like you do.”

She smiled taking that as a compliment.  “How’d she die—or did you want to say?”

He shrugged.
“She was murdered.”  Burned at the stake for loving a man who was excommunicated. They came for him, and found her instead. All of his brothers in arms had the same fate save the few that escaped.

Her smile fell. “I’m
so
sorry Cogan.  I shouldn’t have pried.”

“I said
it’s fine.  It’s taken time to heal the wounds but I still bear the scars.  I’ve learned to live with them.”

She dropped the hoe and approached him until she was a step away. 
He looked down at her and she could see a flash of pain in his dark eyes.  As quickly as it had been there it was gone.  Absently she reached up and placed her hand on his stubble roughened cheek.  “I must sound like a stubborn mule.  You are willing to sacrifice your freedom to help us out and I act like a spoiled child.”

“You are far from spoiled Josie.”
  Josie, like the rest of her family, were hardworking people, willing to carve their living out of the wilderness, and fight to keep it.  They were a righteous, honest family, and he couldn’t help how protective he felt about them.  He certainly wasn’t looking for a cause, but he sure as hell found one, and some habits are hard to break.

“You know what I mean.”

“I won’t tell you how to live your life, as far as I’m concerned, you’re handling yourself just fine.  I’ll let you know that right now.  Father Sampson may be on to something. Butch is a dangerous man, who believes you belong to him.”

Her hand slid down to the hard bulging contour of his upper chest and her eyes followed the movement.  He took a deep breath and she watched her hand rise and fall with it. “You would marry me to protect my family.  You owe us nothing, yet you stay and continue to help.”

“It may be hard to believe, but you are good people, and I’ve met little along those lines for a very long time.  Father Sampson is risking a lot here, too.  He is trying his best to protect the decent people of this town without going against his beliefs.” Though he didn’t trust men of the cloth, the priest was genuine in his concerns. He saw the struggle of emotions playing over her face and remained silent after that.  She was hashing out a decision in her head.  If he interrupted, he knew she’d bolt.

She took a deep shuddering breath to stop the tears that threatened to fall. 
Cogan saved Ryker’s life, threatened Butch over her safety and here he was again making another sacrifice when he had no reason to. She honestly thought integrity in a man was a dying breed.  If it wasn’t for him, who knows where they’d be today.  Ryker was still alive, and they still had their land.  She just didn’t warm up to the idea of marrying because she needed a protector. She wanted a husband, a man who could love her back.  Also what would happen when the marriage was annulled?  Would he leave?  Her eyes met his again and he was still watching her with intelligent eyes awaiting her decision.  Her mind may have been indecisive, but her heart said something completely different, and before she could change it, she nodded.

His reaction was as brief and subtle
as hers.  “I’ll let your brother know.”

“Yes, please.” She turned away and went back to her garden. 

Cogan knew this wasn’t easy for her.  She’d made a huge sacrifice, and maybe he should be feeling the same way, but instead he smiled.

***

“What the hell—hey boss, that big fella is back in town. It looks like he’s got that old woman with him and Miss Hamilton.” Clancy said as he stared down at the street below.

Butch was leaning over a large table
perusing the property lines on various parchments.  There were still three families that held out to his demands.  The Hamiltons of course, the Stroubs, and the Kellys.  The Kellys had a larger spread than the Hamiltons but he only needed a corner of their land.  A mere hundred acres.  They also had five big strapping sons that had about as much fear in them as the Hamiltons did.  The Stroubs were an older couple who managed thus far, but he’d be pushing them next.  Yet it was the Hamiltons that gave the others courage due to the failed lynching of Ryker, and the arrival of the fearsome gunman.  He needed all of their land and come hell or high water he was getting it. “Is that so?” he finally said to Clancy’s observation. He erected himself and walked to the window.  Damn, that Josephine got prettier and prettier whenever he saw her.  Today she had on a blue and white walking gown.  He could quite possibly wrap his hands around her tiny waist. “Clancy, you take four guys and go visit the Stroubs.  I want that deed in my hand by tonight. Not you though, Deak. You tail Reid and Miss Hamilton.  See what they’re up to.”  His eyes lusted over her in silence. 

“Yes sir,”
Deak answered obediently and left.  God, he really didn’t want to.  That Cogan Reid terrified the hell out of him, but he’d seen Butch do some terrible things.  Last week he cut off a finger of one of his men because he beat him in a game of cards fair and square.  Not his trigger finger though, because Butch said he still had use for him.

He made his way out of the hotel and slipped into the alley beside it while peaking around the corner. 
He watched Cogan help Miss Hamilton, then her aunt down from the wagon by taking her hand.  Then he took Josephine’s hand and folded it over his arm as they all stepped up onto the far boardwalk and went into the post office.  If anyone were watching, including him, you’d think they were a couple.  Butch certainly won’t be happy if he brought that news back to him.  He had to get a closer look.

He
nonchalantly walked across the main street followed the same path as Cogan and Miss Hamilton did moments ago, then, as casually as he could, walked by the large windows of the post office, while peering in.  He could see the old woman and Miss Hamilton speaking to Merle Ross and it looked like he was showing them something from a book.  The stranger wasn’t there.