Brides of Texas (44 page)

He rose. “I’ll go along.”

And that says it all. He’ll never trust me. I have to leave as soon as Mercy doesn’t need me. This is his home. By staying here, I’m pushing him away from his own family
.

I
—” Wren stared down at her clenched hands. Their town didn’t have a courtroom, and it didn’t seem right to use a church as a site for a trial. The only other large building was the saloon. The Gregor men spent time this morning draping blankets over pictures that decent folk shouldn’t see. Even so, Kathryn didn’t want to look around. She swallowed and testified, “I didn’t see his face.”

The attorney scowled. “Your Honor, I’d like permission to treat Miss Regent as a hostile witness. She’s the accused’s sister.”

“Miss Regent is
not
hostile, and she’s his
step
sister,” Chris proclaimed. “The accused abandoned her when she was only fifteen, and she’d not seen him again until the day in question.”

While the judge admonished Chris that he’d accept no further outbursts, Kathryn marveled that Chris defended her. Having already testified, he was permitted to sit on the front bench and stay as an observer. He sat straight as could be and stared at her. He even flashed an encouraging smile and nodded.

The attorney peppered her with multiple questions. She bore witness to what she’d originally heard and how she’d seen the star on Whelan’s boot. As she started walking away from the witness chair, Whelan sneered at her. “Don’t bother comin’ by the jailhouse anymore to churchify me.”

Chris rose and interposed himself between her and her stepbrother.

Whelan kept talking. “I only pretended I was interested so you’d show family loyalty today.”

Chris squeezed her arm. “I’ll take you home.”

“You need to stay here.”

The gavel came down again. “It’s noon. We’ll recess for lunch and start back up at one o’clock sharp.”

“Chris,” Mr. Stucky said, “I’ll take the prisoner to the jailhouse.”

“No, I will.” Jorge from the livery came over. “Chris, you take that pretty little filly on home. She’s had a hard day.”

“Katie is not a horse.” Mr. Rundsdorf shouldered his way between the men. “But she needs to go rest. Chris, I’ll watch the prisoner.”

Otto Kunstler curled his hand around Whelan’s upper arm and pulled him to his feet. “Gregor, you take care of who’s important. I’ll mind this one.”

No less than four more men volunteered. Chris gave the jailhouse keys to Otto. “Much obliged, men.”

Chris threaded her hand through the crook of his arm. “Come, Kathryn.” As he escorted her down the street, Chris grinned. “You’ve many a champion here. Did you see how all those men fought to have the honor of keeping Whelan locked away from you?”

“Even dear Mr. Rundsdorf.” She managed a fleeting smile. “Never in a million years would I have imagined he could look so fierce.”

“The old gent was quite a sight,” Chris agreed. He stopped and trailed his rough fingertips down her cheek.

She fought the nearly overwhelming need to lean into his touch. Confusion made her mind whirl. The day he’d rescued her from Hepplewhite’s Emporium, he’d told her she could trust him. Somehow, he’d overcome her defenses and actually earned her respect—only to obliterate it all when he towed her off to jail and believed the worst of her.
But he confessed he was wrong and championed me. Do I trust him again? Dare I risk that
?

“You’re a rare woman, Kathryn Regent. Aye, that you are.” Chris gave her a steady look. “A man would gladly put on the armor of God and battle a legion of demons just to protect you.”

Her pupils dilated wildly. Chris could see he’d taken her by surprise. “I canna help thinking your brother’s biggest regret must be having left you behind. He went off seeking riches and never saw the treasure he already had.”

Tears filled her remarkable eyes. “I’m no treasure, and I’ll not delude myself. His greatest regret is having been captured and knowing the evidence against him is irrefutable. Robbery and murder—he’s done several of both. When the jury finds him guilty, he’ll be sentenced—”

“Aye,” Chris cut in, trying to spare her from having to speak the truth. In the days ahead, she’d come to accept the inevitable, but in the meantime, he decided to distract her. “He’ll be sentenced. But for now, I’ll get you home. Duncan and Rob both hold the opinion that their wives are overdoing. If you’d talk sense into them, I’m sure my brothers would be grateful.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Good. Good.” He started walking again.

“Chris, you’re trying to be kind by diverting me from thinking about what lies ahead. It won’t work. Something truly dreadful lies ahead.”

“Aye.” He looked down at her. “Many a town would have held a kangaroo court and lynched him. We’ve bent over backward to give him a fair trial. Justice will prevail. With several murders and robberies against him, he’ll receive the harshest sentence.” He paused a moment. “You’d best prepare yourself for the worst.”

She bit her lip and nodded.

His brow furrowed. “Do you hold feelings for him?”

Slowly, she nodded.

Surprise and a flash of jealousy shot through him.

“He’s done wicked things, evil deeds—yet he’ll always be my brother. I prayed that he’d be like the one thief on the cross and repent.”

“So you’ve been praying for him.”

“Yes.” She shrugged—a tiny, tense movement. “You can be proud of Duncan and Rob. They’re fine men, and they return your love in full measure.” Pain flickered across her features. “Whelan’s awful, but he’s still my brother.”

“Kathryn Regent, ’twas an understatement when I said you’re a rare woman.”

“Crackers,” she rasped. “Carmen needs more of them.”

“Did the ones we got that other time help settle her stomach?”

Kathryn nodded. “She’s run out.”

Though Carmen had his sympathy, Kathryn deserved his support. She’d been through so much already. If accomplishing this task gave her even a moment’s respite, he’d gladly accompany her on a whole string of errands. “Then let’s get them.”

Once they reached the mercantile, he opened the door for her and walked beside her to the cracker barrel. Leonard hastened over. “Katie, Chris, I’m surprised to see you here—after this morning.” He caught the look Chris gave him. “Thought you’d be eating lunch like the rest of us. What can I do to help you today?”

Gently wiggling the scoop so she wouldn’t break the crackers, Wren said, “We just dropped in to buy a few crackers.”

Chris gave the meager supply she gathered a dubious look. “That’s only a quarter scoop.”

She added just a few more of the tiny oyster-shaped crackers. “How’s that?”

Chris curled his fingers around hers. “You dinna ration your comfort or your friendship, Kathryn. God doesna hoard His love, either. He gives abundantly above all we can e’er ask or think.” Chris guided her hand, dipped the scoop, and lifted out a heaping mountain of crackers. Several fluttered down into the barrel again. “Are you watching, lass?”

She stared at the scoop. “That’s so many, you’re dropping some!”

“Leonard, go fetch us something to carry these in.” Chris waited until the storekeeper was out of earshot. “Kathryn, canna ye see, lass? You’re looking at the wee little crackers that fall. Leonard sees the ones in the scoop. God? Well, I’m thinkin’ God sees not only those and the ones filling the whole barrel, but also all the ones that will e’er be made. You’ve lived on the fallen scraps far too long. Dinna tally your worth by who your stepbrother is. Your heavenly Father counts you as priceless.”

Leonard arrived with a pasteboard box. “This ought to do.”

Kathryn bit her lip and nodded. She didn’t say another word the whole way home.

“To be hanged by the neck until dead.” The sentence rang in Chris’s head. The trial had progressed swiftly, and the evidence made for a compelling case—so compelling, the jury took only fifteen minutes to deliberate.

Whelan snorted. “Didn’t expect nothin’ different.”

Chris rose. “Your Honor, folks here love Miss Regent, and we don’t want to see her suffer any more than she already has. If it’s all the same to you, I’d request Whelan’s sentence be commuted to life in prison.”

“I’d druther be hanged!” Whelan shouted.

The judge pounded the gavel. “Order. Order. Whelan, you’ll get what you want. Hanging’s what the law dictates, and that’s what you deserve.”

The sheriff from the town whose banker had been murdered announced, “Plenty of folks in my town already picked out a hangin’ tree. We’d be happy to oblige the court.”

Chris left and went back to the empty jailhouse. He felt no satisfaction in having apprehended his friend’s killer. He’d seen the job through to the end—as a Texas Ranger, he’d gotten his man. In doing so, he’d probably spared several more people from theft and murder. Slowly, he wound the clock, reset the hands according to his prized pocket watch, and started the pendulum with a faint tap.

Time is a gift. Don’t waste it
.

At that moment, he knew what he had to do.

“Kathryn, I’m needing to talk to you.” Duncan stood by the front door and half shouted the words.

“I’m a little busy just now.”

“This willna wait.”

She swung around and gave Duncan an incredulous look. “Do you think Mercy’s baby will wait?”

Chris stood beside Duncan. Both seemed to have lost their deep tans and gone an odd shade of green. Chris rasped, “We only want a minute.”

“Go on. Hurry up.” Carmen gave Katie a push.

Mercy sat on the steps and glared at her brothers-in-law. “Don’t you dare try to convince my friend to drag me over to that clinic.”

“They willna as long as you don’t make any cookies or mashed potatoes today,” Rob said as he rubbed her back.

Kathryn scurried out to the veranda. Duncan yanked the door shut, and Chris tilted her face upward. “Tell Duncan you dinna mind me having as much gingerbread as I want.”

“You’re hungry?”

Duncan patted her shoulder. “The wooden frills, lass.”

Flummoxed, Kathryn shook her head. “I don’t know why you’re asking me.”

“Dinna you recall me sayin’ I’d share it all wi’ you, lass?” Duncan nodded. “I gave my word, and I’ll not go back on it.”

“Chris is your brother. You Gregors all bought the gingerbread. I couldn’t care less what happens to it—all I care about right now are Mercy and the baby!”

“I told you so.” Chris slapped Duncan on the back and strode off.

Mercy moaned from inside the house.

A stricken look swept over Duncan’s face. “Chris! You’ll be needin’ my help!”

Kathryn headed back into the house. Soon she was busy bathing Rob and Mercy’s newborn baby. As dawn broke, footsteps sounded on the veranda. The door barely opened, and Chris stuck his head into the house. “How’s she doing?”

“Fine,” Kathryn whispered as she sat in the rocking chair coaxing Elspeth back to sleep.

“I didna mean Elspeth.”

“Mercy’s doing beautifully.” Kathryn smiled wearily. “You’ll have to go on upstairs. The news is Rob’s to tell.”

Relief flooded Christopher’s face, and he swiftly entered the house. “So she’s had the wee bairn?”