Gabe (Men of Clifton Montana Book 2) (17 page)

“You’re
sure the shooter’s a he?” Gabe asked. They all knew it
could as easily be a woman as a man.

“Footprints
seemed awfully large from what I could tell. The boot heel was large so I’m
presuming it’s a man. I told Emma she needed to stay indoors, but I’m sure
she won’t listen.” Sam smiled knowingly. Gabe suspected
Emma probably already made her thoughts known on that subject.

He shook
his head. “I don’t see that happening without a fight. I really don’t
understand what the hell is going on, Sam.
First
Becca
and
now Emma.
God help the crazy bastard who tries to take on Olivia.”
He chuckled at the thought. “I mean, I know
Becca
and Emma are strong-willed, but Olivia is wicked mean.”

Sam
laughed and nodded. “She’s like a mama bear when someone takes her cub.”

Both
men sobered as if both suddenly remembered the baby Emma
was carrying. Gabe sighed. “I’d die if something happened to Emma.”

“Does
she know that?”

Gabe
cleared his throat. “I haven’t told her, if that’s what you mean. So much has
been going on with her
being shot and me training
fourteen hour days…” He glanced over at Sam. “I know I need to.”

Sam gave
him a terse nod. “Yep, you do. I’ll let you know if I find out anything more.”

The
Sheriff left the building, leaving Gabe staring at the closed door. He k
new Sam was right. Emma needed to know how much he loved
her, and the baby. He’d tell her tonight. He mounted the horse and went back to
work.

Later
when he walked into the kitchen, the delicious aroma filling the room almost
brought him to his knees. Emma
stood at the stove
grilling steaks. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and
kissed her neck. She leaned back against him and turned her head to look at
him.

“You’re
filthy,” she said, pulling away and wrinkling her adorable nose.

“I know
. I need a shower. How soon will dinner be ready?”

“The
steaks are just about done. I just have to nuke the potatoes.”

“Sam
mentioned you need to stay inside…” Gabe waited for it.

“I will
not be a prisoner in my own home, Gabriel Stone.” There it was, and
Emma was vehement.

He
huffed. “I had a feeling that’s what you’d say.” He kissed her quickly. “I’m
going to take a shower.” Striding away, he turned back to gaze at her over his
shoulder. “Want to join me?”

Emma
laughed. “I thought you’d never ask.” She pu
t the
steaks in the oven to keep them warm then ran to him and wrapped her arm around
his waist. Gabe picked her up in his arms, and carried her up the stairs.

Chapter Nine

Gabe
jerked awake. He wasn’t sure what had startled him from his sleep. Emma
lay quiet beside him, still sleeping. They didn’t get to
dinner after their shower, but instead ended up in bed again. He was about to
close his eyes again when he heard it. A gun shot. He jumped out of bed, and
grabbed his clothes.

“What’s
wrong, Gabe?” E
mma sat up rubbing the sleep from her
eyes. He put his knee on the bed, leaned over, and kissed her.

“I heard
a shot. Please do not leave this room, Emma.” He took her hand in his and
kissed her palm. “For once, listen to me, please. Stay here until I come
back.” He heaved a sigh of relief when she nodded. “I’ll
be back as soon as I can. I’m calling Sam now. I…” He stopped himself. Now was
not the time to tell her his feelings. “I promise I’ll be back.” He left the
room pulling on his shirt as he went.

Gabe
ran down the stairs and out through the kitchen. Three of
his ranch hands were standing in the yard looking toward the pasture. He
stopped beside them. “Did you hear which direction it came from?” The youngest
hand, Adam Lang, pointed toward the north pas
ture.
Gabe nodded. “Saddle up. I want to find this son of a bitch.” He looked around
noting someone was missing. “Where’s Tim?”

He saw
Adam swallow hard. “He went to check some fence, Gabe.”

“Where?”
He dreaded hearing the answer because his gut told him w
hat it would be.

“North
pasture,” Adam answered.

“Shit!”
Gabe ran for his horse, as the men followed to get their own. Once mounted they
all rode like hell out of the yard. The snow slapped at his face as he rode
Dandy toward the pasture. What was happenin
g? The
thought he could be shot didn’t enter his mind. All that mattered was one of
his men was out there. Tim Larson was his foreman. Gabe had known him for five
years and he trusted him completely. He prayed silently that Tim was all right.
As he came ov
er the rise, he slowed Dandy to a halt
and pulled out his binoculars. It was déjà vu. He saw a horse standing in the
pasture beside a body on the ground. Tim. His friend was lying on his stomach
on the ground.

Gabe
spurred Dandy on, and rode down to where
Tim lay
unmoving. He reined in Dandy, dismounted, and hurried to his friend. Squatting
down, he touched Tim’s shoulder. “Tim?”

He
swallowed the lump in his throat. He pulled his glove off and pressed his
fingertips to Tim’s neck to check a pulse. There was
n’t
one. Gabe rolled him over and swore when he saw the blood on the front of Tim’s
shirt. He leaned down to listen to see if Tim was breathing. When he didn’t
hear anything, he began cardiac compressions. Pumping on Tim’s chest and
breathing into his mout
h, but there was no response.

“God
damn it, Tim. Come on,” Gabe shouted as he kept trying. He hadn’t even realized
Sam had arrived at his side until the man spoke.

“He’s
gone, Gabe.” Sam touched his shoulder.

Gabe sat
back on his heels and looked up at Sam
. “How did you
get here so fast?”

“I was
in the area when you called. It only took me a minute to get to the house. One
of your ranch hands was getting ready to ride out, so I took his horse,” Sam
explained.

“Tim
is…was a good man.” Gabe stood up. “Fuck!”
He threw
his hat to the snow covered ground. He was so angry. His hands clenched into
fists and he gritted his teeth so hard he was surprised they didn’t crack. His
eyes scanned the area, seeing nothing. He heard Sam on his two-way radio
telling his deputi
es to walk the entire area. The
only place a person could hide was the small group of trees on Wyatt’s ranch or
the line of trees sitting at the edge of the glaciers. Gabe was sure the shot
had to come from the trees on Wyatt’s property. They were close en
ough for a clean shot.

“The
coroner is on his way. I’m really sorry about Tim, Gabe. Is there family I need
to notify?” Sam asked.

Gabe
shook his head. “When I hired Tim, he said he was a loner and had no family. I
haven’t seen him involved with anyone in
town
either.” He shook his head, a deep sadness filling his chest. “Christ!” He
moved away from Sam, picked up his hat, and slammed it on his head then he sat
down on a boulder to wait for the coroner. He gazed down, saw the blood on his
hands, and wiped h
is hands down his jeans. His gaze
shifted back to where Tim lay on the ground. Tim didn’t deserve this. Hell, no
one did. Gabe wanted the bastard stopped and soon, before anyone else was hurt
or killed. He narrowed his eyes at Sam. “You need to catch this
asshole, Sam.”

“I’m
doing what I can, Gabe. You think I’m not doing my job?” Sam said his jaw
clenched defensively.

Gabe
walked over to him and stopped inches from him. “I want this bastard caught,”
he repeated.

Sam
glared at him showing no sign of backing
away. “I
said I’m doing what I can.” The two men glared at each other until the coroner
stepped between them.

“I don’t
need to see you two go at each other, so step back.” Doctor Russell Montgomery
looked at one then the other. He nodded when they stepped
away from each other.

Gabe
swore under his breath, and spun away from Sam. He kept his attention on Doc
Russ as he examined Tim. The man was older than dirt but there wasn’t a person
in Clifton who didn’t respect him. With his round belly, white hair, and
beard, blue eyes and wire-rimmed glasses, he seriously
resembled Santa Claus, and sometimes played the part at Christmas. He’d been a
schoolteacher years ago and still used his voice of authority when needed. The
old black hearse Doc used sat up on the ri
dge. Four
of Gabe’s men stood beside it waiting to help carry the body. Adam was nowhere
in sight. He’d been good friends with Tim so Gabe was sure he must be off
somewhere alone with his grief.

“I guess
I don’t have to tell either of you how he died.” Doc
looked up at Sam. “You find any evidence after Emma was shot?”

Sam’s
lips flattened into a thin line as he shook his head. “I’m doing--”

“Yeah,
we know…you’re doing what you can,” Gabe said, interrupting the sheriff with a
mocking tone. When Doc Russ scow
led at him, he felt
chastised and glanced over at Sam. “Sorry, Sam,” he muttered.

“Get
your men down here, Gabe. I have to take Tim in and do an autopsy. You know a
slug probably isn’t going to do you any good, Sam.” Doc stood and removed his
plastic glove
s. “Damn shame. Tim was a nice guy.” He
slapped Gabe on the back, squeezing his shoulder in sympathy. “Sorry for your
loss, Gabe.” He walked up the hill toward the hearse as Gabe’s men passed him
with a stretcher to carry Tim’s body up the hill.

As soon
as
Gabe entered the house, he ran up the stairs to
the bedroom. When he opened the door, he saw Emma standing at the window. She
turned when he entered the room, and then launched herself at him. He caught
her and held her tight against him, before leading h
er
to the bed, where he took a seat and pulled her down against him.

“What
was it, Gabe?” Emma asked softly her hand tracing along his jaw.

He took
her hand in his. “Tim was shot.”

Emma
gasped. “Is he all right?”

He shook
his head, his heart aching. “No, b
aby, he’s not. He’s
dead.”

Tears
filled her eyes, and when Emma blinked, they rolled down her cheeks. “I’m so
sorry, Gabe, so very sorry.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt a
tear slip down his cheek as he pulled Emma across his lap, and put hi
s head against hers. It was a long time before either of
them moved.

* * * *

Three
days later, Emma stood alongside Gabe, Jake,
Becca
, and Wyatt at the cemetery with most of the people of the
town of Clifton, Montana. She clung to Gabe’s hand as the
preacher read from the bible and said some good words about
Tim. She knew Gabe was hurting. Tim had not only been Gabe’s ranch foreman,
he’d also been a good friend. Jake and Wyatt knew him well too. It was a very
sad day for the small community.

Afterward
, most of the people went to Gabe and Emma’s house to pay
their condolences. When Emma and Gabe walked in the back door, Olivia greeted
them both with hugs. She’d stayed behind to take care of all the food people
brought by, as was the norm in a loving com
munity.

Gabe
seemed so solemn and Emma had no idea what to say to comfort him. She watched
him head toward the living room to join his guests there.
Becca
and Olivia stayed in the kitchen with her. When Sam came
in the back door, Emma hugged him. She knew
he was
blaming himself because he hadn’t caught the man after she’d been shot. He
hugged her back and handed his jacket to Olivia, who hung it up.

“He
really is gorgeous,” Olivia whispered, making
Becca
and Emma chuckle. Then Wyatt entered through the back
door. He pulled Emma into a tight hug before pulling off
his coat. Olivia grabbed his coat as he headed toward the living room. She
pulled the coat up to her face and buried her nose in it.