Jasper Mountain (45 page)

“No, he will not. Nor will you.” She knelt down. “I need to change your bandages before the funeral,” she said, unwrapping the gauze from his burns. His pain was fresh, but the fire seemed like it happened a hundred years ago.

“Luke,” he said. “He’s mixed up in all this. And Sam. He’s vouching for Luke, saying I left the bar alone while Luke stayed behind. I think Sam spiked the whiskey he served me. Jesus, does Victor own this whole town?”

“Much of it, I think.” Milena sighed. “I thought I had effectively distracted you.”

“Oh, you did. Ouch!”

“I’m sorry,” she said, her expressing changing into worry.

He hated that he’d put something other than happiness in her eyes. “Never mind me. I’m being difficult to get more attention.”

He noticed, with a small pang of regret, that she continued a bit more carefully. This place had turned him into a jackass. His thoughts whirled back to the unending churn of Jasper. The mess was driving him to distraction, and he’d be damned if it mired him down another day. He’d leave. Positive the ranch was gone, he figured he had nowhere to go, but even the middle of the desert with no food, shelter, or water was safer than Jasper. He had no home, no guarantees of anything. He didn’t care. All he cared about was a boy, a dog, and the most beautiful, intriguing woman in the world.

“Milena, I need to ask you a question.”

She stopped her work and sat back to consider him. Her contemplation folded around him and stirred up desire. Again. Lord God Almighty, how could he be so damned angry, in such pain, and want a woman, all at the same time?

He wrapped himself in his courage and forged ahead. “If I leave, might you consider coming with me? I have nothing to my name at this point,” he admitted. “I am, however, a fairly able man. I will take care of you and Mouse, and I want to head back to Texas. I’m sure Victor has foreclosed on the ranch by now, and I need to find out what happened to Buck and the boys. I’ve had enough of Jasper.”

She nodded. “This is the way my people survived for hundreds of years. There is no disgrace in running.”

Her words stopped the whirl in his brain.

“Running? I’m moving on with my life, taking you and Mouse to safety. Not running, exactly.”

“Call it what you will, there is no shame.”

Running. Shame. Damn.

He couldn’t let Victor Creely hurt her. If they left, she’d be safer. He wasn’t sure what to do about the others: Taryn, Pete, Bill, Ambrose.

A knock at the door blasted through the room. Jack jumped to his feet and ripped the door open before another knock sounded.

Sam stood outside. “Pardon me, Jack. Can I get a word?”

Jack glanced back to Milena. “I’ll be right back.” He closed the door behind him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I don’t blame you for bein’ sore. I swear I didn’t have no inklin’ of what Luke was doin'. I’m scared, Jack.” Sam’s words rushed out, over each other, panic pushing his voice close to tears.

“What? Slow down. Start over. Luke?”

“He paid me, Jack. A hunnert dollars. Just like he paid Rolf to help him with the Boarding House. Luke’s gone and I’m next. I’m good as dead.”

“Luke paid you? To what? Spike my whiskey?”

Sam nodded, his eyes watery. Jack wanted to feel sorry for the man. He just couldn’t.

“What do you mean, Luke’s gone?”

“Been missing since before you came up. Disappeared. I’m next. I swear I thought he just wanted you passed out for a time. I din’t never think he’d hurt you, or Pete, or Dig or anyone like that.”

“And Luke paid Rolf?”

“The night the Boarding House burned down. I swear, I didn’t realize nothin'. Luke paid Rolf, drunked him up, and the two of them took off. Then the Boarding House burned down. I din’t know what I got myself into.” Sam looked down at the ground and then up into Jack’s face. “I don’t deserve nothin’ from you, in fact, I owe you more than I’ll ever be able to make up, but you gotta help me. I din’t know. I swear.”

Jack slammed his fist into Sam’s face and the man crumpled at his feet. Blood ran down his face, along with tears. Jack grabbed Sam by the collar and pulled him up.

“You dare, you dare come to me for help? I held Digger in my arms. He died, Sam. Died.” He shook the barkeep. “I’d just as soon kill you, but I don’t think I’ll need to. You’re on your own.” Jack tossed Sam off the porch, and he rolled in dirt. “You’re right. You are a dead man. My best advice is to get out of town.” Jack opened his door.

“I got nowheres to go,” Sam wailed.

“Guess you should have thought about that sooner.” He slammed the door behind him and stared into the fireplace. Watched the flames. Felt Victor’s squeeze, like a snake around a rabbit, tighter and tighter.

“Jack?” Milena asked from Mouse’s bedside. “Are you planning on leaving him out there?”

“I suppose not.” He opened the door, stepped outside, and watched Sam cringe when he approached. He leaned over and pulled the crying man to his feet. “Come on in, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“You forgive me?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Jack said, helping him into the cabin. Milena was waiting at the door, and she helped Sam to the rocker and then scooted her chair up to him. Milena dabbed at the blood on his face while Jack talked.

“We’re leaving right after the funeral,” he told Sam, “and you should, too. You’re right about being a dead man. So am I.”

“Can I go with you?”

Jack shook his head. “Nope. I don’t trust you, Sam. Digger died lying right next to me, thanks to you.” “I didn’t—”

“Save it, Sam. I’ve been through too much. I might turn human again, but it’s going to take some time. Until then, I don’t trust myself not to thrash the bejesus out of you. It’s a side of me I’d just as soon not let out.”

Sam’s face crumpled and a sound erupted. A sob. Jack realized he did feel sorry for the idiot. Milena finished up, and Jack walked Sam out to the porch.

“You were used. So was I. So were we all. I understand that, Sam, but please, do us both a favor. Stay out of my way.”

Sam nodded. “Jack, I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

He went back into his house. Milena sat at Mouse’s bedside, watching him. It hit Jack. This magical, caring, precious woman was as good as dead, too. And most likely Mouse.

Christ, he was going to explode into fury.

“You are a kind man, Jack Buchanan.”

“Not sure it’s for my own good.”

“It is for good, your kindness. Do you need another distraction?”

“Always.” He focused on her face, needing her now beyond anything, beyond reason. “When I came up from the mine, I remember you said something to me. I can’t quite remember what it was. Memory’s a mite feeble.”

“I believe I told you I loved you.” She rose and came to him to kiss him. “And feeble is not a word to describe you.”

“Oh, I’m feeble all right.” He held her, every muscle in him still brittle with tension. “What was that again? I didn’t quite understand.”

“I love you. I will say this as often as you like. You need no tricks with me, Jack Buchanan.” She paused. “There is one other thing we must have clear between us.”

“Oh?”

“Your offer earlier to take care of me and Mouse.”

“Yes?”

“I will agree to this under one condition. You allow me to take care of you, as well. I am capable to stand on my own.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. I guess taking care of you and Mouse is what I want.” Duke whimpered and they laughed softly. “Yeah, buddy, you, too. Duke and Milena and Mouse. And me.”

“Together we will survive anything.”

He bent down and kissed her. God, he’d waited his whole life to have this, a woman he loved in his arms to hold. A little boy. And not to forget the dog.

A family, a whole family. His.

He planned to keep them all safe. No matter the price.

People dotted the hillside, the number of open graves staggering. The worst disaster in Jasper’s short history, and the man responsible stood on the west side of the graveyard, his officers closing ranks around him like an army of dandily dressed protectors. Some astonished Jack, folks like Constance Brown the schoolteacher; or Augustus Pritt the newspaper editor. An entire score of people he thought had more sense. Perhaps they’d given in to their fear despite what they knew in their hearts to be true, taking the safest and easiest way through the storm in Jasper.

On the opposite side of the freshly dug graves, Jack stood with the miners and their families. The Boarding House ladies congregated on the edge of the graveyard, their fine dresses ragged and worn. Strangely, their bedraggled state made the women even more appealing.

Between the two sides of the town, Reverend Taryn McShane stood with the dead.

Jack glared, shooting daggers of fury at Victor. The mine president returned his usual cool appraisal. Jack felt Milena’s touch on the small of his back. She leaned into him, and her familiarity distracted him, along with how damned good she felt. He didn’t drop his glare, in fact, he hoped Victor saw how much he enjoyed Milena’s intimate touch. Victor’s countenance did sour, just a bit.

“This is not the time for anger, Jack,” she murmured under her breath.

“So you’ve said. What more appropriate opportunity than at the graves of these people?”

“Honor them. Mourn them. Hate has no place here.”

He broke his stare down with Victor and looked at her. She smiled sadly, her face filled with compassion. Understanding. He put his arm around her shoulders and brushed his lips against her forehead.

“I hate it when you’re right.”

“You will become used to it.” The teasing glint in her eyes diffused some of his outrage, for which he was grateful. It was hell keeping all this fury locked inside. Milena was correct, there would be a time and place to let it loose, just not now.

“Jack!” Gentleman Bill limped toward him, along with the other men from the clinic, quite a motley bunch. Two of the miners’ wives helped their husbands. As Gentleman Bill passed, he bowed slightly at Isabella, and offered her his arm. She took it, and Gentleman Bill escorted the madame of Jasper into the graveyard. Jack clenched his jaw to keep his mouth from dropping open in amazement. Isabella St. Claire on the arm of a miner? Her ladies followed suit, and even the unmarried miners found help as they gathered around the graves.

Bill hugged Jack. “You’re lookin’ pretty damned good. Guess you’re getting ‘bout the best care around. Other than us, of course.” He stepped back and tipped his bowler hat. “Miss Milena, pleasure.”

“I’m sure happy to convalesce at home. I’ve had plenty of the clinic for a while.” Jack said. “I didn’t realize you were out yet.”

“Well, I’m not. We’re not. Officially, that is.”

“I can’t keep a one of them away from this,” Ambrose said as he approached. “I don’t have the heart to try.”

“Always said the doc knew what he was doing,” Gentleman Bill answered.

“Jack, you do look very well. Milena, I see you are doing your job, of which I had no doubt. Where is Mouse?” Ambrose asked.

“Where you told us he should stay,” Jack said. “In bed. With a big old hound dog for a nursemaid. Kid’s pretty much slept since we brought him home. I didn’t have the heart to wake him.” Jack glanced over at Victor. “I intend to keep him as far from harm’s way as I can.”

Taryn stepped up and Jack’s attention returned to the open graves, wood caskets lining each one. Fifteen coffins: fourteen miners, and one young woman.

Taryn began by flipping open his Bible. Jack saw markers, passages the minister intended to read. Taryn’s voice rose, clear and strong, over the graves and crowd. “I will begin with some words from the holy Scripture. ‘So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.’”

“And how many spirit bodies are here?” Jack whispered to Milena.

“I have no wish to upset you further,” she said. “This day of grief and acknowledgment will help to release them.”

Taryn raised his eyes and surveyed the gathering crowd. “Lord, we ask you to take these men and this woman into thy love and forgiveness, opening the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven, for these are thy servants, kind and true. Please join me, everyone, for the Lord’s Prayer.”

Voices skimmed through the graveyard, praying together. They rose and entwined from both sides, east and west, men and women, rich and poor. Fifteen men, not one an officer, moved forward with spades to shovel dirt over each casket.

From Victor’s side, Cain smirked, probably contemplating Jack in one of the caskets. Thunder rumbled overhead, accompanied by the sound of dirt falling on wood. The prayer finished and the entire town paused, the quiet broken by an occasional ragged sob.

Taryn looked around both sides. “We, the people of Jasper, bury our fathers, husbands, friends, neighbors, and loved ones, and we give them over to you, dear Lord. Thank you for blessing us and granting us time on this earth in their company. We thank you for our lives, enriched by their love.”