Blackstone's Bride (31 page)

“Katie, how about if I take you into my old bed so we won’t disturb your uncle? It’s late and he has to be up very early in the morning.”

“No,” she said, her tone whiny and tired, and on the edge of unreasonable. “He’s stronger’n you. I want to sleep here with you and Uncle Jarrod.”

Fearing the little girl would wake the other children, Abby knew she had little choice but to agree. “All right, Katie. You can stay here with us.”

Abby put the little girl on the bed. “Scoot over, Katie,” she ordered.

Katie did as she was told and Abby climbed in beside her, putting her arms around the little girl as she tried to make her feel safe.

In turn, Katie would protect her from Jarrod. Abby stared at the broad expanse of his bare chest as he stood on the far side of the bed, bathed in a shaft of moonlight. He was the most incredible-looking man she had ever seen. Instead of weakening over time, her attraction continued to grow stronger.

“It’s going to be a long two weeks,” Abby whispered.

Two weeks later, at exactly
ten in the morning, the six of them stood in the Watering Hole before Judge Douglas. Abby was amazed that so many people in Hollister had come to offer Jarrod their support.

The judge was a small gray-haired man in his early sixties. His most imposing feature was the thick, iron-gray mustache he continually smoothed over his upper lip. He sat at a table in front of the mahogany bar which was closed until after court. Jarrod, Abby, and the children stood facing him on the right. Donovan was on the left.

Judge Douglas looked from one to the other. “Mr. Blackstone …”

Katie tugged on Jarrod’s pants. “That’s you. Right, Uncle Jarrod?”

He nodded, then put a finger to his lips to silence her.

“I’d like quiet in my court, young lady,” the judge said.

“Why?” Katie wanted to know.

“So you can hear the decision I’ve made.”

“Are we gonna get to stay with Uncle Jarrod?” Katie asked hopefully.

Judge Douglas cleared his throat loudly and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I’m afraid not, little lady.
Reed Donovan was head of his family. He knew what he was doing when he made out that will, and it takes precedence over a personal letter from Sally Blackstone Donovan.”

“No!” Jarrod shook his head, unbelieving.

Donovan grinned. “Looks like you lost, Blackstone.”

Conversation buzzed around them. Oliver and Katie grabbed onto Abby, their arms locked about her waist. Stunned, she put a hand on each child’s shoulder, holding tightly to them.

“I’m not goin’ with him!” Tom shouted.

“We want to stay with Uncle Jarrod,” Lily said, tears filling her green eyes.

“Don’t wanna go with him,” Oliver said, then stuck his thumb in his mouth.

“Can he make us go?” Katie asked, looking from the judge to Abby.

“You bet I can, little lady,” Judge Douglas said. He glared at Jarrod, his pale brown eyes narrowing. “Don’t go getting any notions of taking those kids anywhere. That would be foolish. You’d wind up in jail, son.”

“You don’t give a good goddamn about what’s best for these children.”

“Hold on, son—”

Jarrod pointed at him. “You hold on. These kids want to stay with me. Any idiot can see that.”

“You calling me an idiot, Blackstone?”

“If the shoe fits, Judge.” Jarrod’s eyes turned dark and stormy with anger.

“I’d say he just called you an idiot, your honor.”

Jarrod pointed at him. “You stay out of this, Donovan.”

The man held up his hands in a peaceable manner. “I’m not stirrin’ things up.”

“Then keep your damned mouth shut.”

“Don’t you tell me what to do—”

Jarrod had grabbed Rafe by the shirtfront almost before anyone saw him move.

The judge’s gavel pounded the table. “Order in this court!”

Zach Magruder and two other men pulled Jarrod off Donovan and held him back until he calmed down.

Rafe Donovan stepped forward. “I believe I’ll take the children now, your honor.”

Oliver and Katie started to cry. Sobbing, Lily ran to Jarrod and grabbed him around the waist. Katie and Oliver followed.

“I ain’t goin’ with him!” Tom shouted. “Can’t none of you make me!”

Judge Douglas hit the table again.

The noise snapped Abby from her stunned silence. She stepped forward. “Will you stop banging that stupid little hammer? Can’t you see it’s upsetting the children?”

Glancing heavenward, she directed a wry look to a higher power. “Silly me. Of course you can’t see that you’re upsetting the children. If you knew anything about them, you wouldn’t have made such a stupid decision.”

“Young woman, are you calling me an idiot too?”

“Yes.”

“By God, one more word from either of you and I’ll have you removed from these proceedings and tossed in jail!”

“No!” Katie and Oliver wailed together.

“Ya can’t do that, Judge,” Tom said.

Lily wept into the front of Jarrod’s shirt. He looked at the judge. “I apologize for my outburst, your honor.”

“Jarrod,” Abby cried. “Don’t you dare apologize to this—this—arrogant ass.”

The judge pointed at her, gavel in hand. “Sheriff Magruder, remove that woman from my courtroom.”

Zach shifted uncomfortably. “Now, your honor—”

“Do it!” he bellowed.

Zach moved over to Abby and took her arm. “Sorry, Abby.”

She yanked and tried to pull away. “I’m not going, Zach.”

He looked over to one of his deputies and motioned him over. “Sorry, Abby,” he said again. “It’s my job.”

The deputy took her other arm and the two burly men
lifted her bodily. As they carried Abby out the door, she hollered at the top of her lungs just exactly what she thought of justice in general and Judge Douglas in particular.

“Is this a family meeting, Uncle Jarrod?” Katie asked, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

Jarrod glanced across the room at the judge, who was talking to Rafe Donovan. He didn’t have much time, just enough to say good-bye to the kids, and he had to make every second count.

“Yes, Katie. But this time I want you to just listen.”

“Do you think he’ll let me be a cowboy?” Oliver asked, glancing uncertainly at the man across the room.

“If you’ll all listen, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it,” Jarrod said. He went down on one knee and gathered them all close.

Tom’s eyes glowed with anticipation. “You got a plan, Uncle Jarrod?”

“Yes. Now here’s what I want you to do….”

In a few minutes he outlined for each of them what their job was. It was all he could come up with on short notice. “Do you all understand?”

They nodded solemnly.

“Do you think it’ll work, Uncle Jarrod?” Tom asked.

“Yup,” he answered with more confidence than he felt. “But don’t you worry, no matter what, I won’t let him take you off Blackstone land.”

Jarrod glanced up and saw Donovan approaching.

He stopped just a foot away, with his hat in his hands. “Time’s up, Blackstone.”

The tears Katie had been crying began to trickle faster down her cheeks. “Will we ever see you again, Uncle Jarrod?”

“Count on it.” Jarrod hugged her. Then he pulled Oliver onto his knee. His throat tightened with emotion. He saw moisture gathering in the boy’s eyes. “Remember, cowboys never cry.”

“Don’t wanna be a cowboy.” His small body trembled as Oliver threw his arms around Jarrod. “Won’t never get to see the Specific Ocean now.”

“It’ll be all right, son. You’ll see.” He set the boy on the floor. He stood up and looked at Tom, then stuck his hand out. The boy put his smaller one in Jarrod’s palm and gravely shook hands. Then he threw himself against Jarrod.

“Will you take care of my horse for me?”

Jarrod nodded. Then he looked at Lily. She was on the brink of womanhood, and he might never see her blossom into the fine lady he knew she would be. Sally’s daughter. He swallowed hard. That lump seemed to be getting bigger all the time.

Donovan cleared his throat loudly. “I haven’t got all day. The judge gave you time to say all this—”

“Donovan—” Jarrod glared at him. One more word and he would knock the son of a bitch from here to kingdom come. He took a calming breath. “Hold on. This isn’t easy.”

Lily gave Jarrod a wavering smile. “Uncle Jarrod, will you tell Joe good-bye for me?”

“I will. I’m counting on you, Lily,” he said, looking at her intently.

“I won’t let you down,” she said, determination strengthening her voice.

Jarrod looked at Donovan. “Take care of them. If I ever hear you’re not—”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do right by ‘em.”

“See that you do.”

Abby sat glumly on the scratchy wool blanket covering the single mattress in her cell. With her elbows propped on her thighs and her chin in her hands, she tried to summon the anger that had landed her here in the first place. In the cell beside hers, Bernie Rumson was sleeping off the effects of too much liquor, and snoring to wake the dead while he did it. He didn’t smell too sweet either.

“Hey, Magruder,” she called out. “You running for reelection this year?”

“Nope,” came his answer from the front of the jail.

“Hmph.”

“What was that?”

“I said it’s a good thing,” she called out. “In fact, if you run again, don’t count on my support.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She could hear his chuckle loud and clear.

She sure had him worried, she thought miserably. How in the world was she going to get out of here? She had to help Jarrod. He must be devastated. She stood up and studied the bars over the window. If she had to dig and claw her way out, she would get to Jarrod.

A chair scraped on the wooden floor in the other room. “Looks like ya got help on the way.”

Eagerly, she moved to the bars blocking her exit and gripped them tightly. “What’s going on?”

“Jarrod’s here to get you out.”

“Lucky for you, Magruder.” She heard him chuckle again. The door opened, then she heard the sound of voices speaking quietly. “What’s going on out there?” she called.

“Hold on, Abby,” Zach said. “I’ll have you out as soon as I take care of the paperwork.”

“You can take your paperwork and—”

Then Zach walked into the room, with Jarrod right behind him. “And what, Abby?”

She smiled sweetly. “File it.”

When she and Jarrod were outside, she turned to him and put her hand on his arm. “The children?”

“Gone with Donovan.”

“You let him take them? How could you? Why—”

He gripped her upper arms, his eyes full of anger. “What was I supposed to do? Pull a gun and kidnap them?”

“I don’t know. I just thought you would think of something.”

“I did. It’s not much, but we have to hurry.”

“What do you want me to do?” Her heart pounded. “Let’s go. I’ll explain on the way.”

Donovan took a spoonful of beans and made a face. He glared at Lily. “These’re burned again, girl. Thought you said you could cook.”

“They are cooked, just a little too much is all.” Lily met his gaze squarely. She would never let him know that she was afraid of him, like she’d been of her father. So far, though, Donovan hadn’t been mean like Pa. But he wasn’t anything like Uncle Jarrod either. She missed him terribly, and Abby too.

“I like ‘em like this,” Tom said, defending her cooking.

Lily stole a glance at Donovan. They’d been on the trail three days and he was cross and irritable, but not bent on letting them go.

Katie set her metal plate on her lap. “When are we gettin’ to your ranch, mister?”

“Keep tellin’ you girl, it’s Uncle Rafe.”

“How much longer, Mr. Uncle Rafe?” Lily hid a smile as he let out a long breath.

“We’re still on Blackstone land. If we hadn’t had to stop for your stuff—” Donovan stopped to drink his coffee, then spit it out. He scowled as he brushed the back of his hand over his mouth. “There’s grounds in here. Didn’t no one ever teach you how to make this stuff right?”

Lily shrugged. “I’m doing the best I can. If I’d had more time to learn—”

“I gotta go!” Oliver jumped up and clutched his privates, but not before a dark stain showed on the front of his pants.

“Jeez, boy! Can’t you tell when you gotta go?”

Oliver stuck his thumb in his mouth and shook his head. “I’m jus’ liddle, mister.”

Donovan sighed. “I ought to—”

Tom jumped up. “I’ll take ‘im, before it gets real dark.”

The man waved them off with a flick of his wrist.

Lily smiled. She knew Tom gathered whatever bugs and critters he could find while he was out there with Oliver. Donovan wouldn’t like it tonight any better than he had the last two.

Katie looked up at the sky. “How many stars are up there, Mr. Uncle Rafe?”

“How the hell should I know?”

“Don’t you know you shouldn’t say those bad words? Didn’t anyone teach you that it’s not polite, especially in front of children?”

He spoke through gritted teeth. “Did anyone ever teach you not to ask so many questions?”

“Abby says it’s good to be curious and the only way to find things out is to ask.”

“So I have Abby to thank for the fact that my nerves are as raw as a greenhorn cowboy?” He stared at Katie, who just looked right back at him. Finally he said, “I wonder where those boys got to? They been gone an awful long time.”

Lily glanced off into the brush, hoping he wasn’t getting suspicious. “Oliver sometimes takes a while.”

“Hell, he let most of his water go right here,” Donovan said with a snort.

“He’s only four years old.” Lily stood up. “I’ll wash up the dishes before bed.”

He glared at Katie. “You gonna sleep all night this time?”

“I’ll try,” she answered. “Can’t always tell when that bad dream will come. Uncle Jarrod—”

“Don’t say it.” He held up his hands to stop her. “Not one more time. I don’t want to know how Blackstone does things. You’re with me now. We’re gonna do it my way. You got that?”

“Yes, mister,” Katie said, thrusting out her lower lip.

He pointed at her. “Don’t you pout, girl.”

The brush rustling nearby told them Tom and Oliver were returning. Tom burst into the clearing. “Lily, Oliver’s got spots.”