A Family for the Holidays (6 page)

She held out her hand. “If you're too stubborn to let me bust you out of jail this instant, at least give me the gun.”

“Why?”

“For the same reason you refuse to leave. If the sheriff discovers a gun after my visit, he'll know I gave you a weapon. If you can't keep me safe, I'll need something stronger than my wits for protection.”

Guilt socked him in the gut. He rummaged beneath the mattress, crossed the distance once more and held the empty gun loosely in his right hand.

She caught his gaze, her expression somber. “I'm really, really sorry for what's about to happen.”

“What—”

The words had barely left his mouth when Peter called out.

“Now!”

Lily yanked open the cell door.

The squeak of hinges indicated the sheriff's arrival.

“Don't come any closer.” Lily shrieked. “This is a jailbreak.”

Jake's stomach pitched. In an instant his last hope of coming up with a safe plan disintegrated. Six months. Six months of work out the window. Lily had just willfully implicated herself in a jailbreak. At best, if they were caught, the boys would wind up alone and unprotected. At worst, Lily was liable to be shot by some overzealous posse.

Time seemed to slow, and he glanced at the open door.

There were no good options. “This is a hostage situation, all right!” he hollered.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

He pointed the gun at the ceiling. “Hands over your head!”

* * *

Lily's chest seized. She'd taken a dreadful risk. The gunfighter was staring at her as though she'd lost her marbles, and the sheriff was scratching his head.

She caught Jake's gaze, desperately hoping he'd read her frantic appeal. Her plan was sound. This would work. She'd break him out of jail and make a run for the next town, where they'd explain themselves.

In an instant Jake wound his free arm around her stomach and dragged her back against him. “I've got hostages. Women and children.”

Lily stiffened. “But that isn't—”

“Easy there.” The sheriff held his hand over his right ear. “You'll have to speak up, son.”

Jake squeezed Lily's middle. Not enough to hurt, but enough to get her attention.

“I'm in charge of the plan now,” Jake whispered harshly against her ear. “If we get out of this alive, our talk about personal safety and defense just doubled in length.”

Sam and Peter had raised their hands along with the sheriff.

“Are we hostages, too?” Sam's eyes grew as round as saucers. “I didn't know we'd get to be hostages. That's even better.”

“This is not an improvement,” Lily whispered back. “I need a moment to think.”

She'd told the children she had a strategy. While this wasn't precisely what she had in mind, they didn't have much choice but to follow Jake's lead.

“I can be a hostage.” Peter shrugged. “I don't mind.”

“I can't believe you agreed with their plan.” Jake's fierce scowl could have melted the icicles from the eves. “I thought we decided involving the children was too dangerous.”

“I expanded on their idea,” Lily said under her breath. “Lower your voice. The sheriff is hard of hearing, not stone deaf.” She elbowed him in the stomach and bellowed, “Jake says unhook your gun belt and let it drop to the floor.”

She'd planned on sharing the burden for his escape, but Jake had ruined that approach. She doubted the explanations she'd conjured would convince the law if they were caught now. Jake had just implicated himself in a jailbreak
and
a kidnapping. Taken together, those were hanging offenses.

“That's all he said?” The sheriff scrambled to comply, his gaze darting between them. “Seemed like he said more.”

“Don't rile him up,” Lily declared. “Now kick the gun this way.”

The belt skated across the floor and landed near Lily's feet. Stooping, Jake snatched the leather and hung it on a peg next to the door.

He retrieved the pistol from the holster and scoffed. “This is mine.”

Sheriff Koepke had the decency to look abashed. “Your pistol was nicer than mine.”

Jake kept hold of Lily's useless weapon, and stuck the second loaded gun in the back of his trousers.

Though her revolver was empty of bullets, she was grateful he kept the muzzle pointed away from her. He shoved her behind him, an odd move for a kidnapper, but she doubted the sheriff was taking notes.

“You've lost your mind.” Lily fisted her hands in the material of his shirt and rose up on her tiptoes. “This is a terrible idea. You can't go around kidnapping women and children. If it looked like we were in on the jailbreak together, I might have explained things.”

He held her back with his outstretched hand. The sinewy muscles on his exposed forearms temporarily distracted her.

“You can't explain a jailbreak.” He glanced over his shoulder and pinned her with a hard look. “I'll say it again, that's not how the law works. Just follow along. You began this charade, remember?”

“Yes, but my plan was different. We were together,” she grumbled. “I was bearing part of the responsibility.”

The sheriff strained forward. “What's that you're saying? What are you two gabbing about?”

“I'm warning this lady,” Jake said, “that if she makes any false moves, I'll lock her up and throw away the key.”

He accompanied the announcement with a fierce stare that dared her to refute his claim. Though her heartbeat picked up rhythm, his threats were empty. They'd gone this far—there was no turning back. Jake stepped away and Lily immediately missed his warm refuge.

She glanced at the children, who were watching the events unfold as though they were watching a stage performance.

Jake motioned toward them. “Make certain they stay out of trouble.”

Gathering them close, she leaned forward. “Don't be frightened. Mr. Jake has everything under control.”

“He sure does,” Sam declared. “This is just like one of Peter's books come to life.”

“Just in case, stay behind me. If anything goes wrong, take care of yourselves and don't worry about me.”

Peter straightened. “No can do. A cowboy always looks out for the lady.”

“Thank you.” Lily dropped a kiss on this knit cap. “You're the bravest cowboy in Frozen Oaks.”

Jake tossed a burlap sack over the sheriff's head, and the sheriff yelped. An apple core tumbled over his shoulder and hit the ground with a thud.

Lily tilted her head in question.

Jake shrugged. “He brought me lunch. I didn't finish the apple.”

With the youngsters safely tucked by the door for a hasty escape, Lily wrapped her scarf around the sheriff's ears, hoping to muffle the sound further. Once she'd finished, she stepped back to admire her work.

“You're a dreadful hostage.” Jake caught her upper arm and placed his lips near her ear. “You could have at least acted a little cowed.”

His breath tickled her ear and she shivered. Turning her head brought their faces mere inches apart. Her gaze dipped to his lips. This really wasn't the time or the place, but she found herself imagining him without the whiskers and the long hair. His cheeks were high and chiseled, and the dip in his beard indicated a cleft in his chin.

For all she knew, he might be wretchedly ugly, though she highly doubted the possibility. No one with eyes that beautiful could be completely unattractive. Not that his looks mattered. She was simply making an observation.

Those beautiful coffee-colored eyes narrowed. “Are you listening to me? I was hoping you'd act more like a hostage when the sheriff is watching.”

“I'll do no such thing.” Focusing once more, she dragged him as far away from the sheriff as she could. “How can you escort us to St. Joseph when you're wanted for kidnapping?”

“At least this way you're safe from some vigilante posse. What was your plan?”

“The sheriff arrested you on false charges. I was breaking you out of jail. We could have explained the whole thing as a mistake on my part. How I couldn't stand to let an innocent man rot in jail.”

“You knew the charges were false?” His expression was incredulous. “How?”

“Because you're not a thief. And my idea wasn't the worst. You just had to trust me.”

“Well, it's too late now. Besides, there was no guarantee they'd have believed you.”

“Yes, but I'd have felt far less guilty if we were both implicated.”

Jake lowered his chin and lifted his eyebrows in an expression that could only be described as long-suffering. “I will never, as long as live, understand you.”

The sheriff shook his head, trying to disengage the sack. “What's going on? Let me outta here.”

“What are we going to do with Koepke?” Jake jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “He'll raise the alarm as soon as we let him go.”

“Then lock him in jail for now. Serves him right. He'll know what it feels like to be jailed for a crime he didn't commit.”

“Fair enough.”

Grasping the sheriff by the shoulder, Jake hauled the struggling man into the vacant cell and shut the door. Lily scurried forward and gave him the key, then retreated once more. Even behind bars she didn't entirely trust the sheriff.

Jake stalked toward her and halted inches away. “The next time you make a plan, I'd like a briefing. If something had gone wrong, there were too many civilians in too small of a space. There was no way to control the situation.”

“Civilians?” She frowned. “That's an odd way to refer to us.”

For the first time she noted the smooth skin on his forehead. Since he normally wore a hat, she'd never really gotten a close look at his hairline. He was younger than she'd first suspected.

“Innocents. Civilians.” Jake reached for his hat. “What does it matter?”

“I know you're still in here.” The sheriff struggled to remove his head covering. “You'll never get away with this.”

With the sheriff behind bars, Sam and Peter emerged from the shadows. Peter edged closer and jabbed his thumbs in his ears, wiggled his fingers, then stuck out his tongue. Sam joined him and followed suit. Since the sheriff was blind to their antics, they added a merry jig and some silly pantomimes to the routine.

“Stop that nonsense right now.” Lily snapped her fingers. “Get back over here this instant.”

“What?” The sheriff nearly doubled over in an effort to see. “What's going on out there?”

“Nothing,” Jake hollered. “Keep quiet.”

He turned and reached for his coat, trapping Lily between his body and the wall. The tension in her chest grew. Something was wrong with her breathing. He was as immovable as an oak, and a myriad of conflicting emotions tumbled insider her. He was an outlaw but she trusted him. He was infuriating and stubborn, yet oddly kind. Her instincts defied reason. The world had gone topsy-turvy from the moment she'd stepped off the stagecoach. She might as well hang on for the duration and hope something made sense later. For the first time in her life, she tossed aside reason.

There was also absolutely no way a man with eyes that gorgeous could be ugly.

“Miss Winter.” Jake lowered his voice into something akin to a growl. “I'm going to find someplace safe for you and the boys, then I'll come back and square things here.”

Lily tipped back her head. She caught his chin and her teeth slammed together, sending a sharp, stinging pain through her head.

She muttered an apology and caught his gaze.

“You'll be the death of me yet,” he mumbled, gently rubbing the spot on her head though his own chin must hurt, as well. “Try and stay out of trouble for the next few minutes. I need a rest.”

“Don't worry.” His self-mocking grin sent a wash of tenderness through her. “I won't let anything happen to you.”

“From here on out, my little protector, I'm in charge. My rules. My plan. My orders. No arguments.”

Chapter Six

“W
e're a team,” Lily stated. The wash of tenderness drained away beneath his domineering stance. “My idea was not without merit.”

Perhaps making a deal with an outlaw wasn't the most prudent decision. What other choice did she have? She'd simply work around his more overbearing tendencies.

“This isn't a scene from a dime novel,” Jake said. For the first time since she'd met him he appeared weary, almost defeated. “Bullets always miss the hero on the page. In real life, guns are lethal and far less discerning.”

Her throat tightened. She glanced at Peter and Sam. Peter hastily retracted his tongue.

The children.
Jake's admonishment neatly put her in her place. She'd put the children in danger. Part of her
had
been picturing a scene from a dime novel. The other part had been certain Jake would keep them safe. Despite his bluster and rough appearance, she had no doubt he'd protect them. With his life, if necessary.

During the two days she'd been observing Jake, she'd learned a few things about the man. There was something innately kind about him. He held open the door for those exiting behind him. He tipped his hat even when ladies crossed the boardwalk to avoid him. He always smiled at Ida, the server at the hotel restaurant, even when she spilled coffee on his table.

He might play the dangerous gunfighter, but there was an unconscious kindness about him that he couldn't quite camouflage. She doubted he even noticed his telling slips.

Given his fierce scowl, this didn't seem like the time to confess her growing trust. “What next?”

“Let's talk outside. I'm tired of whispering.”

“Sam, Peter.” Lily jerked her head toward the door. “Outside, please.”

Peter placed his hands over his mouth and muffled a giggle. The sheriff had worked free from the scarf around his ears and she hustled the children out the door before he freed himself from the sack.

“For the sheriff's benefit,” Lily said, placing her hand on Jake's chest, “don't forget to act like an outlaw.”

“I'll do my best.” He hoisted his dark eyebrows. “As long as you agree to act like a hostage.”

“Agreed.”

Jake half led, half dragged her through the door. Once outside, Jake caught Lily's arm and tugged her around the corner of the building.

Sam and Peter had collapsed in a fit of giggles.

“That was fun!” Peter exclaimed.

“Can we still be hostages?” Sam hopped from foot to foot. “I want to still be a hostage.”

“Pretend hostages.” Lily corrected. “Please pull your hat down over your ears. You'll catch your death.”

“It's not that cold. The snow is even starting to melt.”

“Be that as it may—” she adjusted the muffler “—you still need to stay bundled.”

Jake stowed her useless gun and replaced his pistol in his holster, then strapped the handle into place. “Please don't put yourself or the children in danger again,” he said, his voice taking on that exasperated, long-suffering tone again. “It's very distracting.”

Peter cocked his thumb in Jake's direction. “I wouldn't complain if I was you, Mr. Jake. At least you're out of jail.”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded eagerly. “Sounded like Vic was gonna shoot you between the eyes and bury you in a shallow, unmarked grave where the coyotes would dig up your bones and gnaw on them.”

“Sam!”

“All right,” Sam grumbled. “But I'm siding with Peter. Jail is worse.”

Jake braced his hand against the wall and hung his head.

Lily touched his shoulder. “Are you all right? You look ill.”

“I'm fine.”

“Your voice sounds a bit strangled.”

“I'm considering our situation.”

“I planned on escaping to the next town where we'd explain the misunderstanding. I hadn't thought much beyond that point.” She caught a glimpse of his expression. “You still look ill.”

“Just thinking,” he said, his voice strained. “You were right about one thing. We should return those boys to Missouri. I've been watching Vic for a while now, and I don't trust anyone within fifty miles of here. We've got no proof he's done anything wrong.”

“But—”

“I believe you, don't get me wrong. There's no good reason for Vic to take an interest in those children, which means trouble for all of us.”

“If we travel far enough away from Frozen Oaks, maybe we can find someone who'll believe our story.” Lily paced, her boots crunching through the snow. “Someone who'll believe that Vic is setting you up, that he's a danger to the children.”

A range of emotions passed over his face. Lily had seen hints of compassion in him. She must appeal to that part of the gunfighter. He'd only leave them if he thought he was putting their lives in danger. Which meant she had to clear his name, and quickly.

“We can stay ahead of a posse until Steele City.” Jake scratched the back of his neck. “I'm not worried about that. Which means the boys are safe with me for the next few hours. After Steele City, I'm a wanted man who'll put your lives in danger. I'll see that you're out of the sheriff's jurisdiction, then we'll separate.”

Exactly what she feared. The moment he'd declared them hostages, she'd known this might happen. “No. I won't do that. I won't risk your hanging for something you didn't do.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“We can clear your name in St. Joseph.” She clung desperately to the idea of keeping them together. As long as they stayed together, she could counter any accusations the sheriff made. “Promise you'll stay with us until then.”

There was no way she was implicating him in a kidnapping, but she'd sort out the details later. Right now they simply needed to make the next destination.

“We don't have time to argue,” Jake said. “We've only got a few hours until Vic discovers I've escaped. While I doubt anyone will hear the racket the sheriff is making from this distance, I'd rather not take any chances that someone might wander too near.” He lifted his head and adjusted his hat. “Can you ride?”

“Uh-huh.” Lily focused on a spot behind his left shoulder. “I'm a passable rider.”

Before her mother and brother had died, and before her father had sold the house, they'd kept horses. Benjamin was the better rider. No surprise there. She hadn't ridden in over a decade, and her skills were rusty. None of which she planned on sharing with Jake.

Something in her hesitation must have shown, because his eyes narrowed.

“I need to know that you're telling the truth,” he said. “Because we have to leave town. Quickly. The St. Joseph and Western Railroad runs out of Steele City. It's a single line all the way to St. Joseph and runs mostly through Kansas. Once you cross the border, Sheriff Koepke can't follow.”

“Legally,” Lily added. “We can't assume he won't follow illegally.”

“Agreed. If we ride hard, you can make the evening train. They'll be looking for me, not for you or the children. I'll fix the damage on this end.”

“How?”

“Let me worry about that.” He faced Sam and Peter. “What about you two? Can you ride? Are you up for this? We'll be riding hard.”

“Our parents traveled all over the world.” Peter's eyes glimmered as though he'd discovered a half-buried skeleton in the woods. “We can ride horses, camels, and Sam even rode an elephant once.”

“Excellent.” Jake propped his hands on his gun belt and frowned. “We just have to figure out how to make it to the livery without anyone seeing us.”

“No, we don't.” Lily lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “Who's to say you weren't released from jail properly? Skulking about will only draw attention to you. If we walk with conviction, no one will pay us any mind.”

That took him aback. As he considered her suggestion, a tiny thrill of victory zipped through her.

“You're right,” he said. “The only person I need to avoid is Vic, possibly Regina. You three are in the clear. As long as no one sees us together, and no one notices us leaving town, we're past the worst.”

“I am right.” Her chest swelled. For once she wasn't foolish, naive Lily. “The children and I packed and hid our belongings at Emil's barbershop. We'll collect our bags and meet you at the livery.”

“Remember, if anything goes wrong, you were my hostages. Just stick to that story.”

“I will.”

She wouldn't. But he was correct about one thing—this was no time for an argument. “We'll meet you at the livery in twenty minutes. Don't forget—walk with conviction.”

* * *

Jake waited until they were out of sight and reentered the jail. They were safe for the moment, of that he was certain. Lily had cleverly played along with Vic's announcement, which meant he was expecting her to leave on the evening stage. Vic was too arrogant to assume anything else.

Jake shut the door behind him and winced. Sheriff Koepke hollered and banged on the bars with a chair left in the cell. He caught sight of Jake and went still.

Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “You and I need to talk.”

“About what?” The sheriff glanced at him askance. “Where is the girl and them two boys?”

“Not your concern.”

The sheriff lowered his chair and plopped onto the wooden seat. “What do you want?”

“Where is Emil? Is he dead?”

“I don't know. But I don't think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because Vic is real jumpy.”

“Then the rumors are true.” Jake searched his memory for all the crumbs of gossip he'd collected over the past two weeks. “How much did he lose to Emil in the last poker game?”

“The hotel for certain.”

Jake blew out a low whistle. “He bet the hotel?”

“Yeah. And Regina is hopping mad. He promised her that after they were married, the hotel was hers. She already acts like she owns the place. Did you see what she did in the parlor? I never seen so much fabric. Looks like my grandmother's sewing room.”

“Anything else?”

The sheriff removed a slender cigar from his breast pocket along with a box of matches. “Money.”

“How much?”

“I don't know.”

Jake leaned against the sheriff's desk, stretched out his legs, and crossed his ankles. “What about the stolen guns?”

“What guns?” The sheriff appeared genuinely surprised. “I don't know anything about any stolen guns.”

That was interesting. Apparently the sheriff wasn't privy to all Vic's schemes. Keeping the sheriff ignorant of his most nefarious moves was probably a wise move.

“Vic isn't earning all his money at the lumberyard,” Jake said. “Surely you know that.”

“He does all right.” The sheriff puffed his cigar to life. “He can lose a little money in a poker game now and again. Don't make him no never mind.”

The sheriff removed his cigar from his mouth and studied the tip. Jake grimaced.

Keeping the sheriff in the dark was more than wise—the decision was genius. “There's no lumber in that yard, or hadn't you noticed?”

“I guess, now that you mention it.” The sheriff exhaled a billow of smoke. “Business has been slow. Things were a lot better before Steele City got the St. Joseph line. The customers have dried up since then.”

The railroad depot had been finished for over a year.

Enough time for Vic to become desperate. “Your boss picked the wrong town to occupy.”

“He didn't think that in the beginning. He paid that fellow a lot of money to make Frozen Oaks the last stop on the line. Steele City got the depot instead. The guy from the railroad was named Steele. They named the town after him. I guess that meant more than a bribe alone.”

“Vic should have changed the name.” Jake snorted. “Frozen Oaks is a silly name for a town.”

“You got that right.” The sheriff chuckled. “I wouldn't mention it to Vic, though. He's still sore.”

“I have other business with Vic.” Leaning back, Jake braced his knuckles behind him on the desk and considered what he'd learned. “You must know something about what's going on in this town.”

“I get paid to look the other way.”

“Sometimes a man can't help but see things, even if he's not supposed to.”

“I already told you what I know. Vic lost the deed to the hotel, and Regina is spitting mad. She gets visitors all the time. Likes to show off.”

Which explained Vic's lapse into housebreaking. He was searching for the hotel deed. Another reason to believe Emil was still alive and had gone into hiding. Which was good for Emil and disastrous for his grandchildren.

The full implication sent a flush of pure, hot rage through Jake. That old fool had gone into hiding and left his grandchildren like lambs to slaughter. Lily and the Tyler children never had a chance. She'd walked right into a trap.

He'd been too focused on Vic and the guns, and he'd missed the real crime unfolding. “Vic was looking to recoup his losses. That's why he talked you into granting him guardianship?”

“Yeah. But you didn't hear that from me. You got no proof of nothing. Everything is on the up and up. Regina read a bunch of legal stuff in one of them law books. She got enough fancy-sounding words to make the paperwork sound legitimate. Between you and me, I think she's the smarter of them two.”

“I've heard enough.” Jake pushed off from the desk. “Thank you for your time, Sheriff.”

“Wait a second, ain't you letting me out?”

“Can't do that. I need a head start. It's two days to Omaha.” Jake doubted even the sheriff was dumb enough to take the bait, but he might as well try a little misinformation. He snatched the newspaper and slid it through the bars. “A little reading material while you're waiting.”