The Texan and the Lady (22 page)

Spider Morris pulled up a chair in the morning sunlight to wait out the day’s events. “I’ll keep my eyes on things around town.”

Within a few minutes Austin had ridden out and Spider’s eyes were half-lowered in sleep. Forcing himself alert, he pulled out his pipe and was about to light it when he heard someone crying very softly. For a moment he just listened, placing the sound, then he moved around the corner of the jail to the alley.

A tiny ball of rags looked like it had blown up in the corner between two buildings.

“True?” Morris moved closer. “Is that you crying?”

True looked up with eyes burning in anger. White streaks washed down dirty cheeks. “I ain’t cryin’!”

Spider drew out a knife and began cleaning his pipe. “Course you weren’t. Everyone knows nobody but sissy girls cry.”

“I ain’t no sissy!” True’s body straightened.

Only one bushy eyebrow showed Morris’s surprise. What True hadn’t said told far more than what
she
had said. Morris moved a little closer. “But you are a girl, aren’t you?”

True shoved a tear from her face. “Maybe I am. I don’t see that it’s none of your concern. I ain’t breaking no law if I’m a girl or a boy, am I?”

Spider shrugged as if he didn’t care one way or the other and leaned against the side of the building. “Boy or girl, what you did last night was a mighty brave thing. I don’t know many pint-sized younguns who could have driven a team as well as you did.”

“A fellow has to do what needs doing sometimes, no matter how much it hurts.”

“Or a girl,” Spider added and noticed True didn’t argue. He looked down at the hands she’d hidden in her armpits. “Driving a team can be hard on even a man’s hands.”

“They don’t hurt much,” True lied. “I’ve been hurt more and never even cried one tear.”

Spider acted as though his pipe were the only thing that really interested him. “Why don’t you go inside and let Jennie or Audrey take a look at those cuts?”

True shook her head. “I ain’t gonna bother them. They’re trying to keep Colton alive. And I want him to live powerful much.” She sniffed. “They don’t need me whining about a few little scrapes. I can take care of it myself.”

Morris nodded. “I reckon you can. You probably already know to wash the cuts real good with lye soap and then rub alum root into the wound.”

True looked at him closely. “Course I do. I ain’t no half-wit kid.”

“I got some alum in my bottom desk drawer if you’re thinking of doctoring yourself. It’s amazing how much better you’ll feel once you’ve cleaned the wound and put some salve on it.”

The sheriff pulled a twist of taffy from his vest pocket. “Oh,
son
, before you go to washing those cuts, you might want to put a chew of this in your mouth. It’ll give you something to bite down on when the doctoring hurts.”

Taking the candy, True added, “I might could use some of this. Not that I can’t take a little hurting without making a fuss, but I do like taffy.”

True stood slowly. “I reckon I might as well get to it.” As she walked past the sheriff, she looked at him closely. “You ain’t gonna tell anyone you think I’m a girl, are you, ‘cause I didn’t tell you if’n I was or not?”

Spider stared up at the sky for a long moment. “Tell you what, I won’t tell a soul if you’ll tell me who your parents are.”

True’s mouth opened, then stopped as if weighing the price of the truth. “Would you stop pestering me if I told you Jennie Munday was my mother?”

“I might,” Spider watched her closely. “And your father?”

“Austin McCormick, of course.”

Spider fought the urge to laugh outright. “Of course,” he added to the bold lie, but a tiny seed of doubt tumbled across his mind and planted an idea.

Chapter 20

A
ustin rode along the crude road leading to Colton Barkley’s property. He watched for signs where the wagon had turned around. There he knew he’d find any clues to Colton’s shooting.

As he tried to force himself to concentrate on the tracks, Austin’s mind kept drifting back to before dawn, when Jennie came to his bed. He wished he could somehow freeze memory and bottle it so that he could take out each moment and live it fully once again.

Jennie would become a memory, just like all other people he’d met, but she’d always have a special place. In her arms he’d felt at peace. He had a feeling that in the years to come he’d return to her in his dreams, reliving their night together until the pages of his memory were shredded with wear.

Barkley’s shooting was the start of the trouble, and Austin knew he might never have the time to spend another night alone with her. But he’d had one night, and that was more than he’d thought existed.

The tracks in the road suddenly changed, and he realized he’d reached the place where Colton had been shot. Dismounting, Austin read the markings as easily as a conductor reads a timetable. Colton’s blood. Deep cuts where the wagon had been turned sharply. Two horses, heavy with riders, following the tracks back toward town.

The wind seemed to shift slightly, and Austin felt that familiar sense warning him. He brushed his fingers over the handle of his Colt and studied the rock formation to the left of the road.

Whoever had ambushed Colton was long gone by now, but Austin could still feel something, or someone, near.

Instinct pushed him into action. He raised his gun and pointed straight toward the pile of boulders. “Game’s up!” he yelled. “Come out with your hands flying.”

Silence followed, but Austin didn’t move. If he were wrong and no one hid behind the rocks, then he’d made a fool of himself to an empty house.

“Don’t shoot!” someone yelled in a voice too high to be a man’s and too low to be a woman’s. “I’m not armed.”

Austin pointed toward where the voice was coming from and waited. Slowly a youth unfolded from the rocks. He was taller than most men but about half the width. His clothes hung on him like old Glory on a wet flagpole. As he moved over the uneven ground, his arms and legs seemed cursed with a few extra joints, making him look like a string puppet.

“I ain’t doin’ nothing wrong.” The boy never removed his stare from Austin’s gun. “Honest, Marshal. I was just scouting around. Mr. Barkley didn’t come home last night, so my pa told me to ride out this mornin’ and look for him. I come upon the blood in the road, and a blind Comanche could have figured out somethin’ bad must have happened.”

“Why’d you hide in the rocks?” Austin replaced his Colt.

“I heard you coming, and for all I knew you was one of the bushwackers coming back.”

Austin studied the boy carefully. He was fifteen, maybe sixteen, and judging from his dark skin and black eyes, half or more of his ancestors were Indian. “Step on out here and tell me your name.”

Six feet of nervousness headed toward Austin. “Name’s Lincoln Raine, but folks call me Link. My pa’s foreman at Mr. Barkley’s place.”

Offering his hand, Austin said, “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Raine.” What the boy lacked in maturity of voice, he more than made up for in his firm handshake. Austin continued. “Your pa was right to worry. Colton Barkley was shot last night. They brought him into town about sunup.”

Link’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Is he dead?” The voice was low, and tears threatened to bubble over his eyelids, reminding Austin of Link’s youth.

“No. At least not when I left,” Austin said honestly. “You find anything in those rocks that might be of help?”

Blinking hard, Lincoln Raine squared his shoulders. “Only this, sir. I found this shell on the ground without any dust on it, so I guess it was dropped less than a day ago. Judging from the bootprints beyond the rocks, there were two men hiding back there. A heavy stepper, down on his luck. One print showed a hole worn through leather. The other must have been a smaller, nervous type. Ever’where he stood he left a hundred markings in one spot, like he was constantly moving.”

Austin studied the boy as closely as he looked at the shell. Whoever had taught him to track had done so with great knowledge.

“Want to ride along with me back toward town?”

The boy smiled. “Pa’d have my hide if I came back with more questions than answers.” He didn’t say another word but disappeared behind the rocks to fetch his horse. Austin turned the shell over in his hand as he waited.

When Link reappeared, they rode back toward town on either side of the road, both knowing what signs to look for without bothering to ask.

An hour into the ride Austin found what he was looking for. One set of tracks led off to the left while the other continued to follow the wagon.

Link jumped down from his horse and studied the road. He didn’t say the obvious, and for that Austin was grateful. He just looked up at the marshal and asked, “Which one you want me to follow?”

Shoving his hat back, Austin stared at the winter sun already warming to noon. “We’re not more than a mile from town. Why don’t you ride in with me and check on Barkley? Then I’ll buy you lunch before I send you out to follow this trail.”

Link smiled at the mention of food. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t take handouts.”

“I wasn’t offering a handout,” Austin answered. “I was offering a job. I could use some help, and the meal comes with the responsibility of helping me find these men.”

“In that case, I accept.” Link didn’t try to hide his excitement.

Ten minutes later, when Austin and the youth rode into town, the streets looked like Saturday night just after a town meeting. Folks were everywhere. Austin avoided any conversation with a few quick waves and stepped into Sheriff Morris’s office. As his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting, Austin took in the room. Sheets were draped over the cell they’d put Barkley in, and several tables had been moved in and covered with Harvey House linen. One tabletop, just outside the jail cell, was covered with supplies, while another several feet away was set with china. The air was rich and humid with coffee and water, both boiling on the stove.

“Whoa!” Link whistled as he passed Austin. “This is some office.”

Audrey stepped out from behind the curtain covering the cell. “About time you got back.” She planted her hands on her hips and stared at Austin with the intensity of a schoolmarm counting heads after lunch. “We could have used your help around here. That no-account doctor of yours still hasn’t shown up. I had to dig the bullet out myself, and it took everyone of us including True to hold Colton down.”

“First, he isn’t my doctor. And second, is Barkley still alive?” Austin jerked off his gloves and tossed them on the only surface not covered in white—Morris’s desk.

Nodding slowly, Audrey silently told Austin she thought it only a matter of time. “Mary Elizabeth is with him. We’ve got enough whiskey down him so that he’s resting. I sent Jennie back to the hotel to bring lunch.”

Austin couldn’t help but smile. No matter what else fell apart in this world, the Harvey Girls would serve lunch on time. Somehow their determination put an order to life.

Austin put his hand on Link’s shoulder as he addressed Audrey. “This is one of Barkley’s men. You think it would be all right for him to see his boss?”

Audrey lifted the curtain. “Only a moment, please,” she whispered as if the sudden lifting of the sheet made it possible for those in the sick room now to hear. “He’s very weak.”

Link removed his hat and raked his fingers through his coal-black hair. He moved into the makeshift hospital room, then paused.

Placing her arm around the youth, Audrey asked, “You all right?”

Nodding, Link stammered, “I ain’t never seen him like this. He’s so pale and still. Usually he’s walkin’ double-time and expectin’ us all to keep up.”

“He lost a great deal of blood.” Audrey looked back at the marshal. “Seems to be a liquid used to water this wild land. I’ve seen my share since I’ve been here.” She moved away, allowing the boy some time.

Austin poured her a cup of coffee as she joined him. “Thanks for your help,” he said as he offered her the cup. “I’m not sure what this town would do without your nursing.”

Audrey leaned against the sheriff’s desk. “Maybe it’s me. Maybe I just attract trouble. If there’s anyone bleeding within a hundred miles, they manage to stumble into my arms.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve thought that about myself for a long time. Felt like I carried trouble in my saddlebags.”

Lowering her voice, Audrey added, “Speaking of trouble, Jennie didn’t come home last night, and I have a pretty good idea where she was.”

Austin’s face remained stone. He wasn’t about to lie or dishonor Jennie by telling the truth.

“I’m not saying another word, but this.” She moved to within an inch of his nose. “If anyone hurts Jennie, it’ll be his blood next we see.”

Austin almost kissed the tall beauty. Jennie was lucky to have such a grand friend. That farmer Wiley had best marry her and get started raising a few dozen children before Audrey decided to move on to another career.

“Marshal?” Link’s voice came from behind them.

“Yes?” Austin raised his coffee cup in salute to Audrey before turning to Link.

“I can’t get Miss Mary Elizabeth to leave Mr. Barkley’s side even for a bite to eat. I was wondering if it’d be all right if I fixed her a plate when the food got here. She don’t look like she’s got any more blood in her than he does. They’re a matched set of ghosts.”

“Sure. A little food might be just what she needs.” Austin moved to his back room. “I’ll wash up and join you in a minute.”

When he stepped into his tiny back quarters, he shut the door behind him and closed his eyes. He could still feel Jennie’s presence in the room. The warm, fresh smell of her was lazy in the air.

Slowly, not wanting to disturb a memory, Austin moved to his bed. The sheets remained crumpled from where he’d held her in his arms all night. He could still see the two dents in the pillow where their heads had rested.

As his eyes traveled the length of the bed, his memory drifted in shadows remembering the way she’d fit so solidly against him, as though they’d been molded for each other.

A tiny spot on the cotton pulled him from his daydream.
Blood
!