Shotgun Bride (23 page)

Mike opened his eyes to the sound of a cocked gun and looked up into the barrel of Jimmy’s pistol.

“Howdy, Mike. Guess Willie should have made sure you were dead.”

“Let her go.”

Jimmy’s lips curled up. “But we’re going to be good friends, aren’t we, Kathleen?”

“I’ve never felt so good in my life.”

Mike spared a glance at Kathleen. She sat there with her blouse gaping open and smiling at Jimmy like he was a dream come true. Mike wanted to vomit. It appeared Jimmy had won, but he’d not sit on the floor and be shot like vermin.

“Mind if I get up?”

“Suit yourself.”

Mike struggled to his feet and shook the dizziness from his head. The bullet wound in his shoulder burned like the fires of hell and the dried blood clung to the hairs on his chest and made his shirt stiff. He spread his feet to stay erect.

He jerked when the bang of a pistol echoed in the small room, then blinked as Jimmy dropped to the floor with a crimson circle on his forehead. Mike pivoted to Kathleen. She held Willie’s Colt with both hands. Hands that didn’t tremble.

“He made me inhale opium.” Her voice held a coldness that made him shiver. “I don’t remember much. Did Willie . . . did he . . .?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie.” She glanced down at her exposed breasts, a single tear trailing down her pale cheeks.

Mike rubbed his neck. He didn’t know if Willie had spent the night there or not. Didn’t know how long she had been drugged. Didn’t know if he’d had time to violate the woman he loved. He swallowed hard. But he’d take that knowledge to the grave. “Trust me, he didn’t.”

“Trust you?” Her voice pitched high. She glanced at Willie. “Are you sure he’s dead?”

“I don’t miss.”

She didn’t lower the pistol. “Yeah, you’ve told me that before.”

Mike winced. That was a regret he’d never live down. “Can you ride?”

“Why?”

“We need to get out of here. Someone else might be involved.” He put a hand on the wall to brace himself.

“Looks like you might have trouble riding.”

“If I start to fall off, you can tie me to the saddle.”

She didn’t smile at his levity. Didn’t look at him. He wanted to take her into his arms, tell her everything would work out, but deep down he knew it wouldn’t. She wasn’t all right. And he didn’t know if it would ever be the same. That damn land of hers wasn’t worth all this turmoil. He would give anything to turn back the hands of time. Back to a time when Kathleen smiled at him.

“Guess we’re even again. So does that mean I’m still free to go?”

His heart shattered. The wary, innocent girl he’d met in Dodge was no more. The violence, the betrayals, the heartache, had stolen a piece of Kathleen that could never be replaced. Head hanging, Mike limped to the fallen Jimmy and yanked out the folded papers in his pocket. His papers. Papers meant to mend fences with Kathleen. “These are for you.”

She ignored him and climbed off the cot, her trembling fingers hastening to button the front of her dress. Without a backward glance, she stormed out the door. Mike rubbed his throbbing temples and exhaled a long breath.

Documents stuffed in his waistband, he shambled after her.
Damn it
. He’d brought this on her. He’d been so sure Hawkins had instigated all the attacks. He’d never suspected Jimmy. Now he understood how Jimmy controlled Sally. How he had intended to control Kathleen.

Mike hauled himself into the saddle and glanced at Kathleen. He wished she’d fall to pieces or cry or even yell. Anything but this silent, icy aloofness.

“Which way?”

Mike nudged Blackie and took the lead. “Where do you want to go?”

“You need to go home.”

“It’s your home.” He thrust the papers out and offered them to her again.

She didn’t even glace at the pages as she tapped her heel on the horses ribs. Mike urged Blackie ahead. By the white knuckles on her hand as she gripped the pistol, it was clear she didn’t trust him. If she wanted to shoot him in the back, so be it. At least he’d be out of his misery.

Slowing down, he eased up next to her. “I’m sorry for all this. I figured Hawkins was the only one after your land. I should have been more careful.”

Face averted, she just nodded.

“Everything is in your name now. I know you don’t believe me but if you’d just take these documents, you can have them verified by a judge.”

“Keep it.”

“Please, Kathleen, I made a mistake. Lost my temper and said things that should never have been said. You deserved better. In my stupidity, I thought I was doing what you asked.”

“And what did I ever ask you to do?”

“You wanted me to make it all stop. I was wrong to threaten you. Wrong to leave you.”
Wrong to believe I could ever gain your forgiveness.
He tried to swallow. They made the rest of the ride in chilly silence.

Juan, Hank, and Suzie rushed out to meet them.

“Hank, go get Dr. Page. Juan help Mike to bed.” Kathleen issued orders like a general and Mike suppressed a smile at the way both men jumped to do her bidding.

“Suzie, how’d you get here?” Kathleen led the way inside. Mike leaned on Juan.

“Mike brought me back. He wanted help finding you. I married Hank the day I arrived. I love it here.”

“Put some water on to boil, Suzie. And, congratulations.”

Mike sank into the soft mattress and sighed. Kathleen brushed the hair from her eyes and started to unbutton his shirt. He winced as she worked the fabric free from the dried blood caking his chest hair and skin.

“Sorry, I’ll get some water.” She hustled out the door.

“What happened?” Juan asked.

“Willie bushwhacked me, took Kathleen to Jimmy. Guess he wanted her land worse than Hawkins did.”

“I’ll go pay them a visit.”

“You’ll have to go to Hell to see them.”

“Good. Maybe now we can have a little peace.”

Kathleen came back in with a bowl of water and a rag. She washed away the dried blood and Mike studied her face. Tiny lines fanned from her eyes, her lips were pinched tight, and she kept her gaze averted.

“Take his boots off Juan and go help Suzie.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mike wanted to sink further into the mattress and let the softness take him to dream land, but Kathleen worried him. He’d seen her cry, seen her yell, but never seen her so shut off, so remote. He reached up and stroked her cheek.

“Breathe, Kathleen.”

She stopped her ministrations. Her fingers trembled. “He-he—”

“Shh, honey. Put it out of your mind.”

“I can’t. I feel so . . . so dirty.” Tears trickled down her cheeks, causing a ball of guilt to knot in his chest.

He curled his fingers through her hair. “Don’t ever say that. What happened wasn’t your fault.”

“But he . . . and I don’t think I fought.”

“Damn it, Kathleen, you were drugged. You can’t blame yourself.” Mike tugged Kathleen down to his good shoulder and held her tight. Fury raged in his gut, but right now Kathleen needed calmness and understanding. At least he thought so. “Would you like Suzie to come in here?”

“No. I don’t want anyone to know.”

Mike put a finger to his lips and waved Juan out. Juan nodded as he tiptoed to the door. Anger marked his movements but Mike trusted Juan to keep his mouth closed.

“Listen, Kathleen, Willie did not do more than get your clothes off.”

“How can you be so sure when I’m not? I just can’t get the fuzzy images out of my head.”

“Because I was right on his tail. He didn’t have time.” Mike spit the lie out and didn’t feel the least bit guilty.

“And if he did?”

“I’d like to bring him back to life and kill him again, only slower and with a lot more pain. But he didn’t.”

She drew away and searched his eyes. “I don’t regret killing Jimmy.”

Mike smiled. “Good.”

Kathleen gazed down at Mike and saw bloodshot eyes filled with pain but not a trace of condemnation. He either lied very well or didn’t care that she had killed. Twice. But then it was going to take some time to reconcile herself with what she had done.

And his calm assurance that he’d stopped Willie sent ripples of relief through her mind. The clench in her chest released and she almost rolled her eyes. Here she sat, melting like dew under a hot sun at Mike’s touch and being swallowed in his eyes.

He came charging in like a hero and she played the damsel-in-distress. Again.

“You chased me away to protect me, didn’t you?” she asked.

“Yes, I paraded around like a target for a month before I went to get you. I really thought this was over. I’m sorry.”

Kathleen fiddled with her skirt. She didn’t know how she felt right now and didn’t want to get into a deep discussion over who or why. She was more than grateful for Mike’s rescue.

“How did Suzie get here and married to Hank?”

“I went to New York after you. She offered to help me find you. Hank and Juan had a bet that whoever swept Suzie off her feet and made her stop talking got first dibs on courting her.”

“Getting Suzie to be quiet is a tall order.”

“Guess Hank figured it out real quick.”

“What’d he do?”

“Picked her up and kissed her. They got married that day.”

Kathleen laughed. “She looks happy.”

“She is.”

She slapped a hand to her forehead. “I need to send a telegram to Henry. He’ll be worried.”

“Who’s Henry?”

“My partner.” She jumped off the bed and paced. “I have to get back. I need to finish making my dresses.”

“Can’t you wait?”

“No. We have to fill an order. I would be done by now if all this hadn’t happened.”

“You sound excited about this.”

“I am. I’ve dreamed of doing this for six years. I can’t believe my good fortune.”

“Tell me what you’re doing.”

She perched on the bed and told Mike about how popular her dress designs were, how the business had grown, how Henry had not stolen her designs. Kathleen glanced at Mike and stopped. His face was too pale and he had an arm tossed over his eyes. She picked up the rag and started cleaning his shoulder.

He took her hand. “Sounds like you really enjoyed your time in Denver.”

“I did. I do.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I need to go as soon as possible. Henry must be frantic.”

“Can I come see you in a few days? Give you time to decide how you want to run the ranches?”

The ranch that brought her out here, gained her a husband, and caused pain, grief and almost got both of them killed. What did she want to do? The potential to rake in more money than she ever dreamed waited in Denver.

“You need more than a few days to recover. And I don’t want the responsibility of the ranch. So keep them.”

Being near Mike and his calmness, his compassion, and the unavoidable attraction drew her into him like rainwater flowing downhill to a creek. If she lingered much longer, she’d be swept away in the current. And she wasn’t about to let that happen again. That troublesome flicker of desire hadn’t died.

She had read those papers when Jimmy shoved them under her nose. Mike had apologized. Verified her first suspicions that he had sent her away to protect her. But she needed time to sort things out. To decide if she wanted to be a wife and mother, or a businesswoman. And that was a decision she intended to make on her own.

“Do what you need to, Kathleen.”

Kathleen scuffed her toe on the floor. “I don’t have the means to leave. Everything I have is still in Denver. Willie didn’t give me time to pack.”

“Come here.”

She glanced at Mike. He winced as he tugged some money out of his pocket.

“I wasn’t after your money.”

“What’s mine is yours. Comes with being married.”

“But—”

“Listen, I’m tired. I could use a nap before the doc gets here and pokes around on me, so just take it and go. Send me a letter every now and then.”

“Thank you.”

“Have a good trip.”

Kathleen pulled the bedroom door closed behind her and glanced at Juan. “Take care of him.”

Juan’s brows flew up faster than a startled quail. “You’re leaving?” Shock and disapproval swirled in his tone.

“Yes.” Kathleen stalked out the door, mounted the confiscated horse, and without saying goodbye to Suzie rode off. She kicked the horse into a gallop and rode north. Uncertainty hurled tiny spears at her mind and her heart.

She should stay and nurse Mike. He deserved her attention after all he’d done for her. But the only peace she’d had was when they were apart. And this time, if those papers weren’t forged, any danger would come her way, not Mike’s.