The Brides Of Tombstone 01 Mail Order Outlaw (11 page)

“What are you doing here? It’s kind of far out of your purview for any robbery.”

“Out of my purview?” Harvey chortled. “Look who’s suddenly got book learnin’.”

“Never mind that, answer the question. What are you doing here?”

Ed wished for all the world he’d worn his gun, but there was no point. He’d just have to relinquish it to City Marshal, Virgil Earp, who didn’t allow anyone except sworn deputies to wear firearms in town.

“Oh, I figure it’s just my kind of place.”

“You can’t even carry your gun. Being unarmed isn’t in your bones. Where is your derringer?”

Harvey swallowed another shot of the rotgut.

“There now see?” he chuckled. “Baby brother, you know me too well. It’s in its own little pocket I had sewn into my boot. Them Earp brothers didn’t even think to look there.”

“So answer my question. What are you doing here? There’s nothing for you here.”

“Oh, I think there is. You’re here aren’t you? That’s all the reason I need.”

“I’m going straight. I’ve started a new life.”

Harvey scoffed. “With that half-breed?”

“Don’t call her that.” Ed pushed his chair back ready to stand. “She’s a better person than you and I put together.”

“Ah,” Harvey got a gleam in his eye. “I guess I better meet this little filly.”

Ed didn’t like his brother’s look or tone. “I don’t think so, Harvey. What you better do is get out of town and don’t come back.”

Harvey glared at him and leaned forward in his chair. “Are you threatening me, boy?”

Ed, stood. All the hatred he’d accumulated in the last fifteen years at the fore of his thoughts. He looked down at his half-brother. “I’m not your boy or your friend or anything else to you. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t exist. Don’t force me to make that real. I’ve got something good here, and I won’t let you ruin the first good to happen to me in fifteen years. Nothing since my mother died. Only bad things since Josiah made me ride with the gang.”

Harvey sat back in his chair and tilted his hat on his head. “Why don’t you ever call him Pa? He was your pa just as he was mine. Let me hear you call him Pa.”

“Never. He was never a father to me. He was just some man that came around and fucked my mother because she was too scared to do anything about it.”

“Take it back,” Harvey put his hand on his empty holster. “Well damn.”

“You better get while the getting is good.”

“You must have a really sweet set up. Well, I want in. You hear me? Otherwise your little filly will get to taste my kind of loving. Just like that last girl you liked. No one is going to break us up.” Harvey stood and leaned toward Ed. “You hear me?”

“I hear you and you better hear me. I’ll kill you if I have to. You’re nothing to me but a bad memory.”

Ed turned and stalked out of the saloon. Harvey’s laughter roared over the tinny piano music emanating through the swinging doors of Big Nose Kate’s. He didn’t know how but he wouldn’t let Lizzie out of his sight. He wished they were already married, but maybe this way was better. He’d have to tell her the truth in order to keep her safe. But other than that he wasn’t changing his life. He’d still become a rancher, if Lizzie didn’t turn him in to Marshal Earp first.

Ed went back to the OK Corral to collect his horse. Then he started out of town toward home and Lizzie. Sweet, innocent Lizzie.

But he couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t take that chance. Maybe a lie that was the truth. He’d tell her Harvey was his half brother, but he’d never mentioned him because he was ashamed to be related to the man. It was the truth, just Ed’s truth not Mal’s.

Ed rode home slowly. Too much on his mind and he knew since he hadn’t let her go with him, he’d be hit by a passel of questions from Lizzie as soon as he walked in the door.

He arrived home, put Satan in the barn, rubbed him down and gave him an extra bag of oats. The horse had done well by him tonight, getting him to town quickly. When he was done, he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer and walked to the house.

Lizzie, wearing her nightshift and robe, came barreling out of the office as soon as he closed the front door.

“Well, what happened? Did you get done what you needed to?”

“Yes.” He noticed she was in her nightclothes and imagined how easy it would be to just life them and plunge into her and make her his. But he’d never do that with Lizzie. She needed to be taken with infinite care…after they were married. “I got done what I needed to.”

“And what was that? I think I have a right to know since we’re getting married on Saturday.”

“Let’s go back into the office where we won’t wake anyone.”
I have to tell her the truth to keep her safe or at least a form of the truth.

She nodded, turned and led the way to the office.

He followed and shut the door behind them.

“Well?”

“Sit down.”

She sat on the leather sofa that was against one wall. Ed took one of the large, stuffed wing chairs, facing the settee. They were made of the same soft leather as the couch.

“Remember when I told you my brother was dead?” he began.

She nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Well, he’s my half-brother and I lied. He’s alive and we saw him in Tombstone today.” Ed leapt out of the chair and began to pace. “I didn’t want you to know about him. He’s the black sheep of the family and I wish he was dead.”

Lizzie sucked in a breath. “Mal, you can’t mean that. He’s family.”

Ed stopped and turned to face her. “He’s mean as a snake, an outlaw, robber and murderer. I don’t want him anywhere near you or the rest of this family. To me he’s dead.”

“Admittedly, he sounds like a bad man, but there must be something good in him, he shares the same, what father? Mother?”

“Father.” He spit in the spittoon in the corner. “And Harvey is just like him. Evil as the day is long. I wouldn’t want you to know him if he was alive and thank God everyday that he’s dead.”

She got up and came over to him. “Mal, if you don’t want this man here and you don’t want me to meet him, I trust your judgment. We’ll stay away from him.” She rubbed his arm up and down and then wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you. I want us to get married and begin our life together as soon as possible. I refuse to let this man stop that.”

Ed wrapped his arms around her and relief flowed through him. “You are one amazing woman, do you know that Lizzie Cobb? I’m so glad you’re mine and going to be my wife.”

He lowered his head to hers and took her lips, mashing them hard beneath his own. Then he eased up, pushed his tongue against her mouth and, when she opened, drank from her sweetness.

“Oh, Lizzie, I can barely wait for Saturday. I want you so bad I almost can’t stand it.”

“We could ease each other here. Now.” She nodded toward the sofa.

He closed his eyes and hugged her close. “Don’t tempt me, darlin’. I want you more than life itself, but I can wait until you are truly my wife before I make love to you.”

“Mal…”

“Shh.” He put his fingers over her lips and released her from his arms. “Go on upstairs now. I’m having a drink and then go up myself.”

“You must really be upset. You haven’t taken a drink in the two months you’ve been here. As a matter of fact,” she furrowed her eyebrows. “I thought you said you don’t drink at all.”

“I don’t usually drink, but tonight I need a little one, to settle me down.”

“All right, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t stay up too late. Morning comes early.” She leaned up, kissed him on the lips, and then turned and left the room.

He corked the bottle and put it back into the drawer. Ed picked up his glass and took it to the kitchen where it would be washed and then replaced back in the office. He ambled up to his bedroom and shut the door.

Ed chose to sleep in his underdrawers just in case he needed to get up and out quickly and didn’t want to be caught in the all together. No sense in scaring the family. He’d much prefer to sleep naked, he liked the feel of the cool sheets against his skin, but he chose modesty over comfort.

It took a long time for him to fall asleep. He kept seeing Harvey with Lizzie, in his sleep. He was hurting her and Ed would wake up in a sweat. He’d realize that it was just a dream only to go back to sleep and have it happen again.

He would have to do something about Harvey. The only saving grace he had right now was that Harvey didn’t know where Lizzie’s ranch was. But Ed was fairly sure he would find out easily enough. He could possibly show up at the wedding. After all it wasn’t a secret. As a matter of fact, Ed wanted to shout it from the tops of the trees, if there had been any trees. He was so damn lucky to have Lizzie.

What would he do if Harvey told Lizzie about him? If he denied it would Lizzie believe him or Harvey? He should tell her, but he couldn’t. What if she rejected him? He loved her, or at least thought he did. Hell, he’d fallen in love with her over her letters. That’s why he was here, why he hadn’t taken the money and run. The money was hers in reality. It belonged to Mal who had been coming to her, who wanted to marry her, just as Ed did.

What would Lizzie say when she found out that the real Malcolm Brandon was killed by Harvey while Ed watched, unable to do anything to prevent it?

Who was he kidding? She’d hate him. That’s why he didn’t want to tell her who he really was.

CHAPTER 8

Wednesday morning, Lizzie tore down the stairs into the kitchen. “Mama, I need a dress.” She grabbed a biscuit from the pan Atina had just pulled out of the oven.

Atina slapped at her daughter’s hand when she took the biscuit. “What do you need a dress for?”

“Mal and I are getting married on Saturday.” The news didn’t even surprise Atina. She acted like Lizzie told her she was getting married every day.

“And you want me to sew you a dress in three days? Are you doing all my chores so I can do that?”

“Well, I…”

“You don’t think. If you had you’d know I can’t make a dress in two days. However…” Her mother smiled wide. “I’ve been working on a dress made from the yellow silk material Mal bought. I was saving it as a surprise. I guess you’ll have it sooner than I expected.”

Lizzie took her mother into her arms and swung her in a circle. “Mama, you are wonderful.”

Atina patted her daughters back. “I know, now put me down and go do your chores so I can finish breakfast.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Lizzie munched on the biscuit and headed out to the barn. Time to milk the cows.

Thrilled her mother was making her the yellow silk dress, Lizzie dreamed of how wonderful it would be to get married to Mal in the beautiful gown. She had her dreams like any other woman and hers were coming true. She was marrying the man she loved and wearing a beautiful dress, not her denim pants.

Lost in thought, she almost didn’t hear the sound of the footfalls behind her. Lizzie turned in time to see Jamie running up.

“Is it true? Are you and Mal getting married? Is he really gonna’ be my big brother? Huh? Huh?”

“Yes.” She hugged her little brother close. “We’re getting married on Saturday. Have you talked to Mal?”

“Yup.” He nodded. “How do you think I knew? He asked me to be his best man.”

Jamie beamed.

She loved seeing him so happy. He hadn’t been this cheerful since before their father died. Now that she thought about it. They’d all been happier since Mal showed up. Her work was easier because he helped. She had someone to talk to who cared about this ranch and their new ranch, as much as she did. The things about him that nagged at her seemed smaller and less important all the time.

So what that his suit was a little small? All his other clothes fit right and he said it had shrunk when he washed the garment. So what he knew how to use a gun as well as or better than she did? That he rode a horse like he’d been born to it? Why did it bother her that he seemed to know every little thing she wrote in her letters but not what he wrote in his?

They were just little things and he’d explained almost every one, so why did she still think about them?

“Lizzie?”

She gave her head a little shake to get rid of the troubling thoughts. All that really mattered was she loved Mal. And even though she hadn’t heard him say the words, she knew he loved her. Why else would he have sold everything and come all the way from California?

“Sorry. What do you need?”

“I asked if I can stay up late on Friday with you all?”

“What makes you think we’ll be up late on Friday?”

“Mal said you had lots of things to talk about.”

“He did, did he?” She cocked her eyebrow. “I wonder what he wants to talk about.”

“I don’t know he said it was grown up stuff.”

Lizzie smiled. “Well, if it’s grown up stuff then you don’t need to stay up. You’ll go to bed at your normal time, so you’re not cranky on my wedding day.”

“All right.” He kicked a little stone with his toe. “If I have to.”

“You do. Now go finish your chores.”

“Yes, ma’am.”