The Outlaws: Jess (20 page)

Jess locked the office door and went into the
kitchen to fix himself something to eat. It was too late now to
visit Meg. It would have to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow was
Saturday; he would close the office early. He could hardly
wait.

Jess found that he had little appetite. He
was eager to see Meg and had to forcibly prevent himself from
riding out there despite the darkness and late hour. Would she
welcome him? Probably not. She wouldn't like the idea of Zach
asking Jess to keep an eye on her. In all likelihood she thought
he'd already left Cheyenne. Did she miss him as much as he missed
her?

Making love to Meg had opened his mind to
emotions he never knew existed. Nothing in his experience had
prepared him for Meg Lincoln. He deeply regretted asking her to
marry him. Not because he didn't want her, but because it was
unfair to expect her to care for an outlaw. At least Meg had been
wise enough to refuse. God, why did life have to be so damn
complicated?

Were Rafe and Sam experiencing the same
problems he was? Jess wondered. Had they found a special woman to
love despite being pursued by the law? He prayed they were both
safe, and that they showed up at the appointed time in Denver.

Meanwhile, Jess had his own problems to
contend with. His days were fairly busy but his nights, like this
one, were filled with memories of Meg. Somewhat taller than the
average woman, she was lush and voluptuous, her body an unexpected
delight. Despite her lack of virginity she'd been an innocent in
almost every way that counted. Her ebullient response had surprised
him. She had been so fearful of making love he hadn't expected her
to respond so enthusiastically to his lovemaking.

Meg was so beautiful, he thought, closing his
eyes and picturing her memorable features. Hair, dark as midnight,
perfectly framed wide green eyes, lush lips, and heart shaped face.
He ached just thinking about her.

Tomorrow, Jess thought, smiling to himself.
Tomorrow he would see her again, fill his eyes with her
beauty...and try to keep his hands off of her.

Jess awoke early and opened his door to his
first patient. He doled out cough syrup, bound a turned ankle, and
diagnosed a pregnancy. By noon the patients had all been treated
and Jess decided to have lunch at the local cafe before heading out
to Meg's place.

Jess was perusing the menu when Sheriff
Bufford entered and sat down across from him.

"I'm glad I ran into you, Doc," Bufford
began. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Jess's heart gave a wild leap. Had Bufford
finally looked over the wanted posters and found his picture? "Sit
down, sheriff, I'll be glad for the company. What can I do for
you?"

"I know you and Meg Lincoln are..." he
hesitated over the word, "close, so I thought you should know that
someone has been inquiring about her."

Jess tensed, every nerve ending jangling in
warning. "Who? Do you know his name?"

"It's that gambler who drifted into town yesterday. I
knew he was trouble the moment I laid eyes on him. He wasn't in
town two hours when a cowboy took exception to his cheating and
pulled a knife on him. Fortunately, I was there to witness the
confrontation. The gambler suffered only a minor wound. Too bad I
couldn't prove he cheated."

"That must be the man I treated yesterday.
Cold bastard, that one. Said his name was Skully."

"Yeah, Arlo Skully. Arrived on the 9:15 from
Dodge City yesterday morning. Do you know why he would be asking
about Meg Lincoln?"

Jess leaped to his feet. The chair fell to
the floor with a crash. Now he knew why he hadn't liked Skully. How
many men were there named Arlo? If he was the man who had hurt Meg,
she could be in danger this very minute.

"Sorry, sheriff, I just remembered something
I have to do."

Bufford studied him through narrowed lids.
"Do you know something I don't? I don't believe Skully is wanted
for anything."

"I'll explain later," Jess said as he rushed
out the door.

"If you see Meg, tell her I have her reward
money," Bufford called after him.

Jess ran all the way home for his guns,
making sure the

chambers were loaded before strapping them
around his hips. Then he saddled his horse and rode hell for
leather out of town.

Meg arose early that morning and dawdled over
her coffee. She missed Zach and didn't have enough to do to keep
her mind occupied. If she were truthful, she'd admit that she
missed Jess as much if not more than she missed Zach. In the short
time she'd known Jess, he'd gotten under her skin. He'd saved her
life and she'd always be grateful, but her feelings went deeper
than that. Jess had shown her that making love with a man could be
a glorious experience.

For the first time in her life she felt like
a complete woman, thanks to Jess's patience. The shame of what Arlo
had done to her had sloughed away, gone along with the fear of
being close with a man. Vaguely she wondered if her fear of Arlo
would ever be gone completely, and was glad her courage where Arlo
was concerned had never been put to the test.

Meg knew a trip to town was inevitable. The
reward money should have arrived by now and she needed it to
replenish her dwindling supply of provisions. She didn't look
forward, however, to the gossip that would follow in her wake. She
knew exactly what the townspeople thought of her and tried not to
let it bother her, but it was difficult to ignore. They considered
her a whore because she had dared to engage in a profession totally
unsuited to a woman and become good at it.

Would Jess still be in Cheyenne? she
wondered. She was torn. On one hand she wanted him to be there, but
on the other she feared for his safety. No matter how much Jess was
liked or well thought of, the sheriff wouldn't hesitate to put him
behind bars once Jess's past caught up with him. She was almost
afraid to go into town for fear she'd learn he was gone. For some
reason she liked to think Jess was nearby, though she knew she
should forget him.

Meg finished her coffee and placed her
breakfast dishes in the sink. She walked into the bedroom to make
her bed when she heard a rider enter the yard. The first thought
that came into her head was that Jess had finally come out to visit
her. She rushed to the door at the first knock and flung it
open.

Uttering a cry of dismay, Meg shrank back. A
moment later she came to her senses and tried to shut the door in
Arlo Skully's face. He caught it with his uninjured arm and flung
it open.

"What are
you
doing here?"

"Aren't you happy to see me, wife?"

"I ceased being your wife a long time ago."
Dear God, seeing Arlo again brought back all those terrifying
memories she'd fought so hard to forget. She shouldn't let him
intimidate her but her courage deserted her where Arlo was
concerned.

Arlo frowned. "What in the hell are you
talking about? Of course you're my wife. I had no idea you were
even alive until I heard talk about a female bounty hunter named
Meg Lincoln who operated around Cheyenne. I knew it had to be
you."

"Get out of my life!" Meg hissed. "You used
me to repay a gambling debt. You beat me when I objected. Doesn't
that bother your conscience?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I went
looking for you after Tad Dunbar told me you'd escaped his bed when
he went out for a bottle of whiskey. I searched for a whole day
before deciding to move on. Dunbar was breathing down my neck. He
insisted I make good on the gambling debt."

"You looked for me," Meg repeated dully. "Is
that supposed to make me feel better? I was sixteen years old! You
took my innocence like a rutting animal, then sold me to another
man to settle a gambling debt. You beat me when I defied you.
You're a real bastard, Arlo Skully. Get out of my house and don't
darken my door again."

"Sorry, honey, I can't do that. You're my
wife. I still have the paper to prove it. You've grown into a
stunning woman, Meg. I'm ready to take up where we left off. Your
parents sold you to me. That gave me the right to do what I liked
with your body, even sell your favors to another. I didn't intend
for Dunbar to keep you. You were too good a lay for me to give you
up. I'd never had a virgin before."

"Go to hell!" Meg shouted. She was literally
shaking with anger. How dare he turn up in her life now. Just
looking at him brought back all her old insecurities, her
fears.

She remembered how Arlo had spied her walking
down the street one day. He'd kept his eye on her a few days before
following her home one day and speaking privately with her parents.
After that he'd come around nearly every day. At first she'd been
flattered by his attention. She didn't learn what kind of man he
was until her father told her he'd given her to Arlo, that he'd
offered a sum for her he couldn't turn down.

Her parents were poor as church mice. They
lived in a soddy in Nebraska along with her seven younger brothers
and sisters. She really couldn't blame them for accepting money for
her, but she'd never felt the same about them since. Her father
thought he was doing right by her by insisting that Arlo marry her
before carrying her off. She'd never forget how utterly helpless,
how frightened she'd been when the preacher pronounced them man and
wife. They had left immediately after the brief ceremony in Arlo's
wagon.

She recalled how Arlo had pulled into a stand
of trees not far from town and ruthlessly relieved her of her
virginity. He'd assaulted her several times after that. And then
the final degradation came when he'd offered her favors to a
stranger in exchange for gambling losses.

"My, my," Arlo said, stepping into the parlor
and shutting the door behind him. "That's no way for a wife to
talk. You've changed from that little mouse I married."

"I have you to thank for that," Meg spat.
"Did you expect me to remain the same after you beat me up and
handed me over to another man?"

Arlo frowned. "I admit I have a vile temper.
When you defied me about Dunbar, I went a little crazy. I had no
other way to repay my debt without you. It was a damn tough
situation to get out of. I'd lost everything of value I owned. I'd
never had luck turn on me like that."

"Maybe you were being punished," Meg charged. "You no
longer have a claim on me, Arlo Skully. I had our marriage annulled
years ago."

"Annulled?" He gave a hoot of laughter. "On
what grounds? I signed no papers, received no word. The annulment
isn't legal."

"The grounds were desertion. The judge saw
things my way and granted the annulment. Get out of my house."

"Your house! Ha! This house belongs to your
lover. It's common knowledge that you're living in sin with that
washed up bounty hunter. Can't you do better than a cripple? You're
nothing but a whore, Meg, and the whole town knows it."

"If you believe that, why do you want
me?"

He stared at her breasts, then slowly aimed
his hot gaze downward, to the juncture of her thighs. "You've
probably learned a few things in five years. You could be an asset
to me in my business."

"I'm no longer sixteen, Arlo. You no longer
frighten me. I've learned a thing or two about men like you. I make
my living capturing outlaws, or have you forgotten?"

He grabbed her before she could turn and run.
She stiffened in his arms but it didn't deter him. Pulling her
roughly against him, he seized her mouth in a punishing kiss. It
went on so long Meg thought she would die from lack of air. Then
abruptly he released her, laughing when she scrubbed at her mouth
with the back of her hand.

"You're a damn sight more woman than you were
at sixteen," Arlo said in a seductive purr. "As far as I'm
concerned there was no annulment. I'm leaving town tonight and
taking you with me."

"You're crazy. I'm not going anywhere with
you."

He shook her until her head rattled.

"Aren't you? Your lover's not here to stop
me. Heard tell he left town. Did old Zach Purdee tire of you?"

"I don't need Zach to protect me, I can do
that on my own."

Her bravado suddenly deserted her. Why did
Arlo make a shambles of her courage? Where was the independence
she'd fought so hard to for, had been so proud of? She despised
Arlo for his ability to reduce her to a frightened child again
after all these years.

Arlo appeared aware of her thoughts for he
smiled and tightened his grip on her. "You're frightened of me,
aren't you?"

Meg searched frantically for her guns, trying
to recall where she'd left them. In her bedroom, she remembered,
but Zach's loaded rifle rested against the parlor wall, directly to
her right. She darted a quick glance at the rifle, gauging the
distance she'd have to travel and how long it would take Arlo to
react if she twisted away from him.

"Don't even think about it," Arlo growled,
following the direction of her gaze. "Take off your dress. I want
to see what I've missed out on these past five years. Then we'll go
to your bedroom, where you can show me all the little tricks your
lovers have taught you."

Meg broke free and turned to flee, but Arlo
was ready for her. Grasping her arm, he whirled her around to face
him. She saw raw determination in the cold depths of his gray eyes
and knew real fear. This man had no heart, no compassion, he was
utterly merciless. When he tried to kiss her again, she bit his
lip.

His hands dug into the soft flesh of her
upper arms. "Bitch!"

Meg spat in his face. He raised his fist and
Meg closed her eyes, waiting for the blow.

Jess saw the horse tethered outside Meg's
front door and immediately assumed the worst. Fear contorted his
features as he leaped from the saddle and stormed up the front
steps. He flung open the door and momentum carried him inside. It
took but a moment for the scene before him to sink in, then,
howling in rage, he launched himself at the man threatening his
Meg.