Tried and True (Wild at Heart Book #1) (25 page)

Nev blinked, and the grimy arm around Kylie’s neck eased some more.

“I don’t want him to die.” Aaron’s voice rose. Now he spoke to Sunrise and Shannon and Bailey. They were capable women and could overpower Nev without killing him.

Nev seemed to come out of some state, some deep hole his mind had gone into. Maybe he was remembering that he’d snatched Kylie from a line of riders, four riders. Not including Aaron. And now he only saw the one he held in his hands and the one behind Aaron. He looked sideways, left and right.

With each step, each second that Nev’s gun didn’t fire, Aaron’s hopes grew that maybe, despite the hate, the war, and the sickness, maybe Nev didn’t have it in him to kill one of the last remnants of his childhood.

“I’m in hell already,” Nev said, his eyes fastened on his gun. He spoke as if only he were there. “The nights are never-ending torment. The days are full of haunting memories.”

“So long as you’re alive, Nev, and no matter how bad life is, there’s hope. Things can get better. You can still find happiness in this life and prepare for peace in the next.”

“How is this hellish life any different from being turned away from the pearly gates?” His gun turned.

For a sickening moment Aaron feared it was aiming again at Kylie. He gathered himself to lunge at Nev.

And then the muzzle turned toward Nev himself. “I can’t live with it anymore,” Nev said, and his voice broke. “I . . . I don’t know any other way to make it end.”

“Your death won’t end what torments you, Nev. It will just make it permanent.”

The gun rested on Nev’s temple. His finger tightened on the trigger.

Aaron bolted forward. His hand lashed out and knocked the gun up. It fired into the air. He tore it out of Nev’s hand and threw it aside at the same time he yanked Kylie free and thrust her at Bailey, who was at Aaron’s side instantly.

He pulled Nev into his arms. “I love you, Nev.”

“No, you shouldn’t have stopped me. You should hate me. If you knew all I’ve wanted . . .” The words trailed off as Nev’s arms wrapped around Aaron, and sobs closed his old friend’s throat.

“There’s been enough hate,” Aaron said. “We’ll find a way back. We can be friends again. We can start over. We’ll get through the memories and nightmares. I have them too, but I’ve managed, with prayer and time, to lay them down. You’ll stay with us, and we’ll find a way to hand the old life off to God and begin anew.” Aaron glanced around.

Kylie was there, her beautiful hazel eyes shining with tears. She nodded. He reached out his hand, and she caught it and held it.

Their life together was part of all that was new.

Aaron thought now he had a chance to help Nev heal. As he looked at Kylie, a hot, wet drip cut past his vision and splattered on their joined hands, staining their fingers crimson.

A scream ripped through the air, the kind of scream that cut a man all the way to his bones. He saw Kylie staring overhead and followed her gaze.

Shannon was dangling from a fat oak branch fifteen feet straight up. She was unconscious, her face covered in blood.

K
ylie saw no way up. The tree was huge, the lowest limb that Shannon was on far out of reach. Her belly was draped over the thick branch, with her arms dangling down on one side and her legs on the other. From where she stood on the ground, Kylie couldn’t tell where the branch began.

“Get a horse over here!” Aaron said, his voice cracking through Kylie’s panic. Out of the corner of her eye, Kylie saw Sunrise hurry away.

Bailey circled the tree. “Shannon got up there, so there has to be a way.”

The trunk was so wide that Kylie’s arms couldn’t reach even halfway around it.

“Over there.” Aaron rushed for a tree about a dozen feet away. It was a much younger oak with its bottom branches lower to the ground. In a flash Aaron was up it, scampering like a squirrel. “Nev!”

In her panic, Kylie had forgotten about Aaron’s lunatic
friend. But there was Nev, the one whose actions had led to Shannon being shot, right behind Aaron, climbing.

And Bailey was right behind Neville.

“Stay down, Bailey,” Aaron called. “Get under her. I’ll lower her to you.”

The fact that Bailey obeyed him was a shock. Later, Kylie would have to find out how in the world Aaron had managed to get obedience out of Bailey Wilde.

Aaron got up to the level where Shannon was and crossed to the bigger tree, walking upright on the branches. Was he that confident in the tree or was he in just too big a hurry to be careful?

At last he reached Shannon. Aaron touched her so gently it made Kylie’s throat ache as she craned her neck, watching, wishing she was up there to help her sister.

“Let me at her, Aaron,” Nev said. He said more, but it was muffled as Aaron moved aside and Nev stepped carefully among the branches to offer a hand. Soon he was bending over Shannon.

“Is she alive?” Bailey asked, her voice wracked with fear.

“Yes,” Nev answered, though he didn’t say more.

Aaron crouched but stayed back. Kylie’s stomach twisted to see that troubled man hovering over her injured sister.

Nev said something to Aaron, who quickly slid back over to Shannon. With his hands around her waist, Aaron gently lifted Shannon and eased her forward, her head down.

“Be careful of her arm,” Nev called down to them. “I think it’s broken. The head wound is just a cut on her scalp. It knocked her cold, but the wound isn’t serious.”

Kylie considered getting shot in the head serious, no matter what some Reb said. Especially the one who’d fired the shot!

Inch by inch, Aaron continued to lower Shannon, with Nev taking her legs and lowering her some more. It was still a long reach to get Shannon to the ground.

Sunrise returned with a horse just as Kylie was trying to figure out what they’d do now. Bailey swung up on horseback and caught Shannon around the shoulders. Aaron lay on the branch on his stomach, still hanging on to Shannon.

“I’ve got her!” Bailey said.

Aaron let go. With Sunrise’s help, they eased Shannon the rest of the way to the ground while Aaron and Nev rushed down from their perch.

Everyone circled Shannon.

“Let me get a better look,” Nev said, pushing past everyone.

Bailey blocked Nev. “Get away from her!”

“I can help. I worked some as a medic in the war.”

“You’re a doctor?” Bailey couldn’t have sounded more skeptical without just plain calling him a liar.

“I’m not claiming that. What I did was rough medicine, but I learned some things. I can help.” Nev added more quietly, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

“No, you meant to
kill
all of us.”

“She’s still bleeding. Please, let me help.”

“I’m right here, Bailey,” Aaron said, “and I won’t let him hurt her.” He had that implacable tone in his voice—not quite as sharp as when he’d given Bailey an order earlier, but hard to disobey just the same.

Kylie didn’t trust Nev either, but she trusted Aaron. She touched Bailey’s arm. “Let him doctor her.”

“I’m sorry,” Nev said again. “Let me make this right.”

Only distantly did Kylie realize that Nev was saying “her.” He had been all along. He wasn’t fooled into believing Shannon was a man. Bailey either, most likely. The disguises were worthless.

Bailey gave way.

Nev dropped to his knees beside Shannon. Sunrise moved to the other side before Bailey could. The older woman pulled a pack open that must have come from her horse. She had bundles of cloth and other things Kylie didn’t recognize. Along with every other skill, Sunrise had them beat at doctoring.

Bailey knelt at Shannon’s head, while Aaron went to Kylie’s side. He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. They watched together. Nev talked quietly as he bandaged her head wound, then turned his attention to her arm.

Nev looked up at Aaron. “I hope the arm bone isn’t broken. A bone broken by a bullet is often shattered and rarely heals well. In fact . . .” Nev quit talking so suddenly, Kylie’s eyes riveted on him.

“In fact what?” she asked.

Nev shook his head and went back to winding a long strip of white cloth around two sturdy sticks Bailey had scrounged up to be used as a splint on Shannon’s upper arm.

Bailey caught Nev’s arm so hard he winced. “In fact
what
? Tell us!”

Nev became shaky again. He’d been handling things well, but it came back to Kylie real hard that only moments
ago he’d been on the verge of killing them, then himself. This wasn’t a strong man, mentally or physically.

Finally, Nev looked at Kylie, then at Bailey. “Most gunshot bones d-don’t heal. Most end in . . . in amputation.”

Bailey’s eyes went wide. “No!”

“You’re
not
touching my sister with a knife,” Kylie said, her expression firm.

Aaron’s arm tightened on her waist. She wasn’t sure if he meant to comfort her or hold her back.

Neville’s eyes flickered fearfully between Bailey and Kylie. “It doesn’t look like the bone needs to be set, but I can’t be sure of anything until we can wash the wound thoroughly. I’m splinting the arm just to keep it still. When I’m done, we’ll need to get her home and in bed. Aaron, you and Kylie figure out a way to move her.”

“Our house is closest,” Aaron said.

“The travois,” Bailey said to Kylie.

Kylie nodded. “We’ll leave the stove.”

Shannon moaned and tossed her head, the first sign of life. Kylie wanted to cry with relief.

“Are you done, Nev?” Aaron asked. “If so, I’ll carry her to the main trail.” He waited until Nev gave him a nod before gathering Shannon up in his arms.

“I’ve done all I can here,” Nev said. “Let’s get moving.”

The man sounded confident, with no trace of the hatred and killing rage that had driven him out here. Where had it gone? Would it come back when they least expected it?

Kylie looked at Bailey. Their gazes caught, and they both nodded. They wouldn’t leave this man alone with Shannon. They’d let him care for her—they could see he
had doctoring skills—but that was a long way from trust. One of them would stay with her at all times.

Kylie and Bailey headed for the travois, with Aaron right on their heels carrying Shannon.

Aaron’s new cabin was now a hospital. And the doctor oughta be a patient.

By the time Nev finished cleaning and binding up Shannon’s wounds, he decided her arm wasn’t broken, and she’d regained consciousness enough to start fretting about her sheep.

Sunrise left Nev to his doctoring once she was satisfied he was capable. She brought down a buck and before long had stew ready for all of them. Even vegetable-loving Shannon had a bowl of the stew.

“I will get to work on this deer hide. We can make a pair of pants and a jerkin for your friend,” Sunrise said to Aaron.

A good thing, because Aaron had burned Nev’s clothes. He also saw him through a desperately needed bath, which showed Nev’s body to be riddled with old scars and newer unhealed sores. His body would be months healing. Aaron wouldn’t give up until his friend’s mind was healed, too.

The haircut Sunrise gave Nev reminded Aaron of the one she’d given Tucker. Sunrise had a talent for taming wild men, or at least for taming their hair.

They got Nev into bed, and with two people in the hospital ward there was now nowhere to sleep. Bailey had led the rest of her remuda here and dumped everything on the floor. The stove was still back on the trail. Bailey had run home to do her chores and then returned, determined to
keep a wary eye on Nev, which Aaron understood. Sunrise also looked to be staying the night.

Seeing his chance to get his brand-spanking-new wife alone, Aaron volunteered to do Shannon’s chores and sleep at her cabin. A fair trade, even if it did mean he’d have to face down a smelly flock of sheep.

Holding her hand, Aaron led Kylie to the corral. He grabbed her saddle, and she grabbed his.

Scowling, Aaron said, “Let me do both saddles. This is man’s work.”

Kylie gave him a pert smile. “I agree, and I like it that you want to take over the manly jobs, but I want to get on down the trail. So, if you don’t mind, rather than stand by and watch while you do twice the work, I’ll saddle a horse.”

Aaron wanted to be alone with her mighty bad. “At least do your own. The saddle is lighter.”

“Gladly.” They switched horses and were on their way in half the time.

As they rode into the setting sun, through the dappled light of the forest, Aaron wondered just how worn out she was. She’d worked hard all morning, packing up her cabin, before all this trouble started. And the day wasn’t over yet.

It was late enough when they got to Shannon’s that even her sheep came in with little coaxing. They didn’t need to be carried in each night, after all. Shannon was obviously babying them.

Heading for the house at the end of a dreadful day, Aaron took Kylie’s hand. “I figured something out today, sweetheart.”

She turned to him and smiled. Her hair was all jumbled, spilled down around her shoulders. There were dark circles
under her eyes. Getting kidnapped and tending a bleeding sister made a mess of a woman.

And yet she was still the prettiest thing he’d ever seen.

“What’s that?” she said.

“I’ve got a lot more work before this job is done. Shannon is going to need some care before she’s healed up, and I can’t abandon Nev until I’m sure he’s all right. I don’t know how long all that will take.”

“However long it takes, we’ll take it.”

Aaron’s grip tightened. “I do know that when we’re done with it all, when Nev is better, I want to go home.”

“That’s fine. I can be happy at a ranch in the mountains, so long as I’m with you.”

She always knew that this was what it meant to marry him, even if she hadn’t liked it. There’d been no other way, so she’d agreed. But now here she was, willingly saying she’d follow him and be happy about it. A woman did that for a man she loved.

“So if I decide to go home to the Shenandoah Valley, you’ll come with me.” He led her inside another well-built Wilde cabin.

Kylie gasped. Her eyes brightened. Despite her exhaustion, she suddenly looked wide awake. “Really? You’ve decided to go back? But I thought after today, after seeing how ugly Nev got, even though he seems to have decided to move on past his hate, you know there will be others who—”

“But that’s what made me change my mind,” Aaron interrupted. “The fact that he’d come all this way made me realize I need to go back. I realized while I raced for you, terrified he’d get to you before I did, that I hadn’t
left all that hate behind. It followed me. I was giving up all that was good about my home in exchange for peace. But in the end I had no peace and no home. I decided then I’d take you back to Virginia. I knew that two people who truly loved each other, with God on their side, could make a new life together.”

“Two people who love each other,” Kylie said. “Are you saying you love me, Aaron?”

“I am, Kylie Masterson.” Aaron pulled her close. “I knew it before I saw Nev with a gun to your head. As he held you there, though, and I thought he might kill you, the depth of it almost tore me apart.”

She rested her head against his chest. “When you holstered your gun and took that step forward, I knew what you were thinking. I saw in your eyes you were willing to lay down your life for your friend. The goodness and decency stole my breath, Aaron. And wonderful as it was, if your crazy friend hadn’t had me by the throat, I’d have kicked you right in the backside. I already thought what I felt for you was love, but that’s when I knew for sure, because the thought of you dying was unbearable.”

Aaron lifted her chin and kissed her until the frightening memory faded, and then he kissed her some more.

He was a long time saying, “We’ll stay as long as we need to.”

She said in a rather bewildered voice, “Here? At Shannon’s?”

He laughed. “No. We’ll stay here in Aspen Ridge. Then we’ll go on to Shenandoah. It won’t be civilized, not at first. But with time I hope I can give you your dream of tea parties and bonnets and . . .”

Aaron stopped talking and broke into a laugh. He took her by the shoulders and pushed her to arm’s length.

“What’s so funny?” A furrow of annoyance appeared on Kylie’s smooth brow.