The Texan's Reward (43 page)

until he fell and know one satisfaction. When he fell, he’d die next to Nell.

He emptied the rifle and reached for his Colts as another shot knifed through his side. In the distance he heard

more gunfire. He prayed it was the sheriff and not men who were shooting at Hank.

Jacob stopped firing long enough to listen. The men who’d been shooting at him were gone. He could hear

horses disappearing back up the hil while more rode in from the road.

“Dalton!” A rider yelled. “We’re here.”

Jacob lowered his guns as he recognized Harrison’s voice. A moment later he crumpled like a shattered statue.

As he passed out, he reached and took Nel ’s hand in his.

BRIGHT SUNLIGHT BLINDED HIM AS JACOB TRIED TO open his eyes. Maybe he was dead and this was heaven?

No. He was in too much pain to be dead. He had to stil be alive. He could see the tops of the bookshelves in

Nel ’s study. He’d been here before.

Dr. McClellan leaned over him. “About time you woke, Ranger. I’m tired of digging bullets out of you. You got to

find another line of work if we’re going to stay friends.”

“Nel ?” Jacob mumbled. “Is Nel alive?” He didn’t see how she could be after the fal she’d taken.

“She made it through the surgery fine, yesterday. Theda’s with her now.”

“Surgery?”

“How about we talk later?”

Jacob grabbed the doctor’s arm. “How about we talk now.”

McClellan laughed. “Dalton, it’s a wonder to me how Nell could like you, much less love you, as bossy as you

are.”

Jacob didn’t turn loose of the doctor.

“All right. The bullet in Nell’s back moved when she took the fall. I took a big chance and operated, but I knew if

it had moved a fraction of an inch in the other direction she’d be dead. We got it out, but I don’t know how

much damage I did to her back.”

Jacob closed his eyes. She was still alive. That was all that mattered. He fell back into the blackness.

Two days later, he managed to sit up, but there was no change in Nell. A week of worry later, he left by train

with Hank for Fort Worth without knowing if the operation worked.

He’d sat with her every day. She looked so peaceful, sleeping. So fragile he decided he’d never risk even

touching her again.

Harrison took care of Nell’s business as always. The sheriff rounded up the men who’d helped Walter Farrow.

The fat lawyer hadn’t been hard to find. He’d been at the doctor’s in town suffering from a dog bite. He talked

all the way to the sheriff ’s office, but Farrow couldn’t manage to talk himself out of jail.

Jacob leaned back on one of the benches as the train rolled along and realized he didn’t care about much of

anything but Nel . He’d fight for Hank, and he’d see that Farrow was punished, but his thoughts were with her.

“You all right?” Hank asked.

“Stop mothering me,” Jacob grumbled. “You’re worse then Mrs. O’Daniel.”

Hank smiled. “She told me if you got mean you’d be healing.”

Jacob looked skyward. Not even the kid was afraid of him anymore.

“Ranger,” Hank said.

“What?”

“When we get to Fort Worth, no matter what happens, I want you to know I appreciate what you did for me.”

Jacob couldn’t believe he was bringing in one of the train robbers without even putting handcuffs on the boy.

Hel , Hank was taking care of him on the trip. But he had to be honest with the kid. “You may hang, you know.”

“I know. I knew what I was doing was wrong when I did it, but I told myself I couldn’t take one more beating

from my pa.”

Jacob leaned forward. “The judge may give you jail time. I’ll stand with you.”

“I’l take whatever he says. Wednesday said she’d learn how to write just so she could write to me.”

Jacob didn’t want to think about the kid growing up in jail. He hoped the letters he’d col ected would help.

When they got to Fort Worth, Jacob turned the kid in and took a room in the nearest hotel. He planned to be

sitting by the cell as many hours as possible until the trial. He wasn’t taking any chances of something happening

to the boy before the trial.

He kept Hank company, and at night, he thought about Nell. He wanted her next to him so badly, he ached

inside. As the days passed his wounds healed, but he couldn’t help thinking that if Nel died, he’d wish every day

of his life that they’d died together.

The morning of the trial, Jacob walked in to find Sheriff Parker and Mrs. O’Daniel in the front row. He barely had

time to ask about Nel when the judge took the bench.

The trial was short, but the judge took time to listen to everyone. Hank looked like he might cry a few times, but

when questioned he stood straight and answered.

Around noon, they all went back to the jail and ate a lunch Marla had sent. Hank couldn’t eat or talk. He was too

frightened. Mrs. O’Daniel cried a few times. Jacob tried to get her mind off by asking questions about Nell, but

Mrs. O’Daniel didn’t have much to say.

Jacob felt hopeful when the judge asked to see the three other train robbers. It meant that he’d considered

Hank’s case separate.

When Hank’s pa walked past his cel , he didn’t even look at his son.

An hour later, the judge cal ed for Hank.

They al stood behind the boy as the judge read Hank’s sentence. Ten years.

Jacob took a deep breath as the judge gave his summary of why he was letting the boy off so easy.

When the judge left the courtroom, Jacob asked the guard if he could take charge of the prisoner for a few

minutes. Suddenly, they were alone.

Mrs. O’Daniel cried and hugged Hank.

“You’ll make it through this,” the sheriff said. “Just keep your nose clean, boy, and the time wil pass.”

Hank tried to keep from shaking. “I know. I talked with Mr. Harrison before I left. He told me if I got hard time,

he had a friend who can get me on a work crew where I’l keep busy.”

The boy looked at Jacob. “Miss Nel said I’m always welcome at her place. I know by the time I get out, things

wil have changed, but I’d like to think that I had somewhere to go.”

Mrs. O’Daniel pul ed a note from her pocket. “I brought this. Wednesday wanted me to tell you she wrote it

herself. Marla helped her trace the letters.”

Hank opened the note.

“What’s it say?” The sheriff asked the words that were on everyone’s mind.

Hank smiled. “It says, ‘I’ll wait.’ ”

Then the boy who’d been brave through it al , cried.

JACOB STAYED WITH HANK UNTIL THEY MOVED HIM down to the Huntsvil e prison near Houston. Harrison’s

former boss sent a letter Jacob carried personally to the warden saying he’d like the boy put on a construction

crew working on the capital. Hank would still be locked up at night and under guard during the day, but he’d be

learning a trade and for the most part be away from most of the prison population.

When he hugged the boy good-bye, Jacob said, “I’ll see you again, the day you walk out. I’ll be there.”

Hank nodded, fighting back tears as he turned away. “Thanks,” he waved, not able to look back.

Jacob left the prison and caught the first train north. It had been almost two months since he’d seen Nel , and

word from the doctor had been almost nothing. He’d written and asked about her, but al he ever got back said

that she was still recovering.

He wanted to see her, but he wasn’t sure how he’d stand it if he got home and found her in terrible shape. Last

time she’d lost so much weight she’d been like a skeleton. What would she be now?

When he stepped off the train in Clarendon, he’d expected to see Harrison, or maybe the sheriff. After all, Jacob

had sent a telegram. But no one met him.

He walked over to the livery and rented a horse. He thought about buying one, but none came near matching

the power of Dusty.

Taking his time riding out to Nell’s house, he noticed spring was in ful bloom. Nel would be happy to see al the

wildflowers. With the rain, they were everywhere. When he saw the house, he almost didn’t recognize it.

Flowerpots covered the porch.

He thought of yelling, Hello the house, but the way his luck was running this morning, no one would be home.

He opened the gate and walked the last few feet to where the path started up to the porch.

He’d taken one step up the path when he heard the door open.

Nell walked out, looking like a fine lady. She was a little thinner, but she balanced on her own two feet.

Jacob couldn’t move. He just stared as she slowly walked down the path toward him. Her steps were as easy as

if she’d been floating. When she reached him, she smiled, “I’l run to you soon, when I’m a little steadier on my

feet.”

He reached out to hug her.

She closed her arms around his neck and leaned into him. “You can hug me, Jacob, I won’t break.”

He held her as tight as he dared. Over the months he’d thought of al the things that he’d tel her, of how he’d

offer to carry her the rest of her life if the operation hadn’t helped. But never, not once, had he dreamed she

might come to him.

“I’d like that ride to the windmill. You promised.” She poked at his chest. “Maybe we’ll be alone there.”

Jacob looked up. Her little army, all of them, were watching from the windows.

“I’d like that,” he said as he gently lifted her onto the saddle and swung up behind her. “Are you sure you’re al

right?”

“I’m fine,” she whispered as she leaned against him. “I’m growing stronger every day, and there is no more

pain.”

“None?” Jacob smiled down at her.

“None,” she answered. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t go swimming again sometime.”

He nudged the horse into a walk. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Two Bits?”

She laughed. “It’s going to cost you a lot more than a quarter, Ranger, to ever be rid of me.”

“I kind of figured that it might.” He rubbed his jaw against her hair. “Don’t suppose you found Whitaker’s gold?”

“No. Why?”

“Because . . .” He pul ed a ring from his vest pocket. “I didn’t figure you would, so I thought I’d offer you this so

you could say you had some gold.”

She stared at the ring and lifted it from his hand.

“If you take that band, Nell, you have to take my name with it.”

She smiled and twisted in the saddle. “Oh, I want a lot more than just your name, Jacob.”

He swung from the saddle and lifted her down in the center of a blanket of wildflowers growing around the old

windmill. When she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, he lost all fear of holding her . . . of loving

her.

JACOB DALTON KNEW HE COULD HAVE REACHED home faster if he’d taken the train, but he wanted to ride

across Texas one last time as a ranger. He needed to feel the wind and watch the sun cross the sky from dawn to

dusk. The smel of sagebrush and open range welcomed him as he moved toward Clarendon. The lead rope, tied

to his saddle horn, pul ed a young colt, the grandson of his favorite horse, Dusty. The colt had Dusty’s markings

and, Jacob hoped, his grandfather’s heart. Jacob looked forward to watching the young horse grow.

Times were changing for Jacob and for the state. When he reached home this time, he’d be turning in his Ranger

badge to Sheriff Parker, the man who’d pinned it on his chest almost fifteen years ago.

He’d been alone for three days and, much as he loved riding, he missed Nel more. They’d been married for

almost six months, and the only thing that made it possible for him to leave her to do his job was the knowledge

that she’d be waiting for him when he came home.

Closing his eyes, Jacob could almost see her running down the steps and jumping into his arms. Each month

she’d grown stronger and more beautiful to him. They’d developed a ritual with his homecomings. He’d wait for

her at the end of the walk, loving seeing her move so easily on her long legs. Then they’d ride to the windmil

and hold one another without anyone watching.

They’d married a week after he’d returned home last spring from helping Hank. It had been a simple ceremony

in the big room of Nell’s house, with wildflowers everywhere. Rand Harrison had stood as his best man, Gypsy

and Marla had been Nell’s bridesmaids. Dalton swore everyone in town tried to cram into the house. Once folks

decided to accept Nell, they couldn’t wait to see the inside of her place.

Jacob smiled as he rode, remembering how he’d had to threaten Brother Aaron to make sure the preacher kept

the service short so Nell wouldn’t get too tired. Because she was stil recovering, everyone in the house except

the bride and groom had disappeared after supper, leaving Jacob and Nel alone for their wedding night.

The ranger had been brave all his life, but that first night, he’d been afraid to touch his wife. Nell sensed the

problem and talked him into taking her for a swim. They’d made love in the water, that night and almost every

night for a month. He’d kidded her that their children would all be born as tadpoles.

Jacob saw the town before him and realized he was finally home for good. He kicked his mount lightly and

headed straight for the sheriff ’s office. He wanted to get business over with before he saw Nell, for he didn’t

plan to leave her side until he’d grown used to the feel of her next to him once more.

Parker met him on the steps. “I was wondering when you’d make it in, Dalton.” The old sheriff smiled. “About

time. Nell said you’d be in today or tomorrow. She and Marla have been cooking all week.”

Jacob swung down and tied his horse. He patted the colt, pushing him out of the way so he could step up beside