Shotgun Bride (25 page)

"Got a dead man, Joe. Send one of the boys to Nixon," Kid said.

"Kid," Russell said, shaking his head. "They'll hang ya for this Kid. Sure as shit, they'll hang ya."

"They aren't going to hang me, Russell. I didn't kill him." 237

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by Lauri Robinson

Russell, as white as a sheet, looked at him. "I hope they believe you. For Jessie's sake, I hope they believe you." A chill, colder than ice, vibrated Kid's spine.

* * * *

Jessie paced the floor. Something had to be wrong. Kid was never this late. For the umpteenth time, she opened the back door and peered into the dark night. Ted, one of two ranch hands who'd stayed at the house today, sat on the top rung of the corral. From his high seat he could see both entrances of the house and the long driveway. She nodded at his wave and closed the door.

She had no reason to be afraid, Sammy sat near the stove. The hands guarded the property, but all the same she was frightened. For lack of anything better to do, she stirred the pot of beans again and banked the fire in the stove. Closing the fire door, Jessie knelt down and wrapped her arms around Sammy.

"He's always home before sunset, Sammy. Always." A roll of thunder sounded. She pulled her head up and listened closer.

"It's horses. He's home!"

Jessie lifted her skirts and rushed to the front door, throwing it wide open as she ran across the porch and down the steps. Two horses separated from the half dozen trotting toward the barn. Her hands flew to her chest as she noticed an empty saddle on one. Turning to the two coming to a stop in front of her, she glanced between Russell and Joe. 238

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Her mind must be playing tricks on her. She looked again, first at Russell, then Joe. Both of their faces looked, sad, sullen. She glanced back to the rider-less horse. Her heart stopped. It was Jack. Jessie's feet began to move backwards. Her head shaking with disbelief, a sob burned her throat as it exited.

"No, no!"

"Jessie, it's not what you think." Russell dismounted. "Kid's all right."

She locked her knees to keep them from buckling.

"Then where is he?" Her eyes narrowed as he walked closer. "What have you done?" She turned from her brother and asked, "Where is he, Joe? Where's Kid?" Russell touched her arm. "Jessie—" She pulled away from his grasp. "Where's my husband?" Joe took her other arm. "Come in the house Jessie, we'll tell you what happened."

"What happened?" She looked at Russell. "You said he was all right!"

Joe wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. "He is all right. He's just been arrested."

"Arrested? For what?"

"For killing Jed Montgomery," Russell said.

"Oh God, no." Her knees buckled. Joe caught her before she slid all the way to the ground. She leaned against him and even accepted Russell's help as the two men ushered her into the house.

* * * *

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Before first light she rode out. Not one of the men would allow her to go to town to see Kid, but then again, not one of the men had snuck in and out of places like she had. Nobody at the ranch would even miss her until well after breakfast. By then she'd be in Nixon.

She hadn't made it mile up the road when Russell caught up with her. Without slowing Rosebud's steady run, she looked over her shoulder.

"There's no one else. Just me, figured you might need some help," Russell said above the roar in her ears. She didn't answer. A piece of her was thankful. She'd never broken someone out of jail before and might need Russell's help. Of course, breaking Kid out wasn't her first choice. Her first choice was to convince Turley there was no way the tender, kind, and loving man she married could ever kill anyone.

Rosebud's sides heaved. Jessie slowed her pace, not wanting to wind the horse.

Russell drew his horse beside her.

"You know, Nixon doesn't even have a jail."

"It doesn't?"

"Nope. But they got an old well they put the prisoners in."

"A well?"

"Yup, Turley got the idea from Dodge. Before they built the jail there that's what they did. Just lowered them down in the ground and hoisted them up when their time was done."

"So Kid's in a hole in the ground?" she asked.

"Afraid so, Jessie."

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She spurred Rosebud back into a run. Nixon wasn't that far, surely the horse would be fine.

The little pony was tired, but not winded when they rode into Nixon. Russell pointed to a grove of trees near the outskirts of town. An old well, complete with a high rock wall surrounding it, sat a few yards in front of a cluster of barren trees. The empty branches made Jessie realize how cold the morning air truly was. She jumped from Rosebud and ran to the rocks.

Leaning over the side of the wall, she yelled, "Kid?"

"Jessie?" echoed up from the bottom. His deep voice sent a new pain across her chest.

"Jessie, what are you doing here? Be a good girl and go home. I'll be along shortly."

"Not hardly," the sheriff's gruff voice responded. Jessie flipped around. "Sheriff Turley, I demand you let my husband out of this well this minute."

"Oh, you demand it?" the man guffawed.

"Yes. You had no right to put him down there." The sheriff laughed harder then squinted beady eyes. "It's called murder, darlin'."

"He didn't murder anyone," she insisted.

"Oh, were you there?"

"No, but I know my husband. He couldn't murder anyone."

"Yeah, well I've known your husband a lot longer than you have, and I believe he could."

Jessie stomped her foot. "Oh, you're a spiteful man." Turley smiled, "And you're quite a spitfire."

"Jessie? Jessie!" Kid called from the well. 241

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She rushed back to the edge, and leaned over, unable to see anything but a dark hole.

"Yes?"

"Jessie, who's with you?" Kid asked.

"Russell rode to town with me, he's right here." She waved her hand behind her, telling Russell to step closer.

"Russell." Kid's voice sounded low and slow, like when he talked to one of the brothers after they'd made him mad.

"Yeah, Kid?" Russell asked.

"Take your sister home and keep her there."

"We already tried that, Kid." Joe's voice sounded on her other side.

Jessie turned to stare with disbelief. Had the whole ranch followed her? Maybe she wasn't as good at sneaking around as she thought.

"Hey, Joe," Kid said. "Glad to hear your voice."

"You doin' all right down there?" Joe asked.

"I'll be doing better when I know Jessie's back at the ranch," Kid replied.

Something in her snapped. Not in pain, but in anger and it fueled determination. They all thought she was nothing more than a pretty wall flower, someone who should sit back at the ranch, prim and proper, being protected by all the men folk. Well if that was the wife Kid Quinter wanted, he'd better go to Europe and find one.

Jessie glared down the dark hole, faintly making out the silhouette of man. And when he did find one, she'd scratch the woman's eyes out and put her right back on the ship she sailed in on.

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She flipped around and growled, "Just what is your plan, Sheriff? That is if you do have one." Turley frowned, scratched his whiskered chin and said,

"Yes, I have a plan. The circuit Judge will be in town next week. He'll hear the case and decide whether Kid swings or not."

She swallowed past the thick lump in her throat.

"You can't keep him in that hole for a week. It could snow any day."

Turley shrugged. "He's got a blanket." Jessie clutched her hands into fists, wishing she could box his big nose. "And what about the other man that rode away from the scene?"

"Well, Ma'am, I for one don't believe there was another man."

"You incompetent little weasel! Of course there was another man," she screeched so hard her vocal cords hurt.

"No one saw anyone else."

"Kid did!" Tears burned the backs of her eyes. Joe laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Jessie, Kid's right, let me take you home."

With a side step and a rough tug, she slipped out from his touch. "I'll go home, when I'm good and ready."

"Jessie! Listen to Joe, sweetheart. I'll be home in a few days." Kid's voice echoed up the side of the well. Whether it was the well, her frazzled mind, or Kid, but for some reason, his voice didn't sound right, not nearly as strong and righteous as usual. Was it fear? Did he believe he 243

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may swing from the tree branch? Did he believe there was no one to save him?

Jessie looked down the dark hole again, this time clearly seeing the handsome face of her husband. Her heart somersaulted, and fortitude settled in her mind.

"All right, Kid. I'll go home. And I'll see you in a few days." He smiled. A wide smile just for her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The smile left his face. "Good-bye, Jessie."

"No, I won't say good-bye. It's not a good bye." She swallowed the sob in her throat. "I'll see you in a few days." He nodded. She turned and without a word to any of the men standing around, pushed her way past them to mount Rosebud. She'd go home when she was damned good and ready. But if telling Kid she would, helped ease his mind, then so be it. He'd saved her life, now it was her turn to save his. After flipping into the saddle, she turned the mare down the road. Russell's horse fell into step beside her. "Joe's staying to talk with Turley."

She nodded.

"Where are we going?"

"Stephanie Quinter's," she answered. Russell nodded and they both nudged their horses into a faster canter.

* * * *

Fine puffs of dust trickled from the walls surrounding him. Kid stepped to the center of the hole as a few larger chumps of earth broke loose. The departing hooves from the horses 244

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above vibrated the ground, knocking the air-dried soil from the steep shaft. Wafting little clouds of earth away from his face with one hand, he sighed. Thank goodness Jessie had listened to him. She'd be safe back at the ranch, now he just had to figure out a way to get out of this hell hole. Maybe he should have listened to Russell; Turley wouldn't listen to the truth, instantly the man had concluded he'd murdered Montgomery. Kid twisted the tension from his neck. Jessie, his sweet Jessie would be left alone if he hanged. Oh, she'd have his family, they'd see she was taken care of ... Ah hell, what was he thinking? His family couldn't take care of themselves, let alone his wife.

Wife ... How lucky he'd been in finding her. A smile touched his lips. The one thing his family had done very well—found the perfect wife for him. Thank God he'd found her at the soddy before Montgomery.

He tipped his head up. "Joe? Joe, you still up there?"

"Yeah, Kid?"

"Ride out to the soddy, ask Willamina and Eva to come into town. They can identify Montgomery as the man who attacked Eva's father."

"How's that gonna help get you out of the hole?" Joe asked.

"I don't know yet. I have to think," Kid admitted. "Did you send a wire to Hinkle?"

"Yeah, woke the agent up last night, while Turley was puttin' you down there," Joe answered. 245

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There ... there ... there.... echoed against the sides of the dirt walls. The fading sounds emphasized his location. Kid kicked at the dirt beneath his boots.

"Turley still up there?"

"No, he headed toward his house. Said something about gettin' you something to eat."

Higher in the sky, the sun's rays bounced a little lower on the walls above his head and lifted the darkness around him a small amount. The hole seemed smaller, the walls closing in on him as the area lit up. Kid shook his shoulders in offense to the quiver running up his spine.

"Kid? Kid you all right?" Joe asked from above.
No! No! I'm not all right!
Kid wanted to shout. Instead he said, "Yeah, Joe, I'm fine. Go ahead and head out. Stop at the soddy then go to the ranch. Make sure Jessie's all right." Joe leaned over the edge. "Sure thing, I'll be back later."

"No, no, until Hinkle arrives, there's nothing you can do. Stay at the ranch." Kid ran a hand over the soil in front of him. Cold dirt crumbled beneath his touch and fell to the floor.

"Stay at the ranch and keep Jessie safe. She'll be afraid, Joe. She doesn't like being alone." Or was it him that didn't like being alone? It had been the longest night of his life, sitting in the deep pit, longing for his bed, his wife's soft body snuggled close to him. Her breath, warm on his chest, sighing in slumber was the sweetest lullaby.

He heard Joe's departing voice, but didn't respond, his mind reliving nights of love making instead. He leaned against 246

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the dirt, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. After finding her at the soddy that morning, he'd sprinted her home, as fast as Jack could carry them. Once at the ranch, before she had a chance to protest, or an opportunity to question his actions, he swept her into his bedroom to fully and completely make her his wife.

A smile pulled at the corners of his lips. She hadn't objected in the least, a matter of fact, she'd surprised him with her eagerness and with fervor led him to unbelievable heights—just as she'd done every night since. Kid balled his hands into fists and snapped his eyes open.
He'd find a way out of this damned hole
! No one was going to take away the life he'd dreamed of having. The life he'd found with Jessie.