Unexpected (22 page)

The gravediggers began shoveling damp earth back into the ground, and the other people stepped out of Butch’s way as he walked by them.  It looked as though
the confrontation had passed.

“Let me go Cogan,
and give me your gun,” she seethed. “I’m going to shoot him.”

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Josie, I feel for that young man in the ground too. 
However, you will get hurt, then I’ll have to step in, get shot multiple times, and everyone will know what I am. Then Butch will have his way.  The whole town will hunt me down like a wild animal.  People fear what they don’t know.”

She
turned and stared up at him.  The image he painted was horrible.  She wanted to tell him he was wrong about her people. Yet, she knew, in her heart, that the townsfolk she loved would do just that.  Human nature can be violent and unpredictable at times. Her father told her that.  He’d dealt with claim jumpers and fought in the war. “He can’t get away with that. That young man didn’t even get a chance.”  She felt her eyes water.

“This is a rough country.  Men like Butch exist everywhere, and so do men like
Deak.  They make choices like everyone else.  I gave him a way out and he decided not to take it.”

Her face fell.
“You did?”

He nodded.

“I just feel that we could have done more.”

“We can only do so much.”

“I’m afraid Mr. Reid is right.  There’s only so much we can do to save someone.  The rest is up to them.  I think I know what I’m talking about,” Father Sampson said overhearing the exchange.

Josie smiled at the Priest appreciating the effort in trying to make her feel better.

“Let’s go home.” Cogan took her arm and led her back toward the buckboard, hitched at the front of the church.

“I hope to see you Sunday,
” Father Sampson called after them.

“You will Father.”

Cogan winced at Josie’s promise.

She squeezed his arm with her own, seeing his chagrin.  She smiled up at him, but his expression didn’t change.  It
was more than likely due to the confrontation with Butch.  Knowing Cogan, he was concerned for her. “It wasn’t so awful was it?” Now she’d felt guilty for making him take her.  Cogan was put in a situation that she could have avoided. She had also seen the look of vengeance in Butch’s eyes and may have started something.  She was probably the only woman to ever strike him and considering his arrogance, he wasn’t going to let it go. “Gosh, I’m sorry.”

He finally glanced down at her
right before he helped her in the buckboard.  Then he turned and unhitched the mare and hopped in beside her.

Oh
oh, if he wasn’t saying anything then he was probably angrier than she thought he was.

He shook the reins and the wagon started moving. 

She stared up at him warily.

He flicked
her a glance and shook his head slightly before settling his eyes back on the road ahead. “I’m not angry with you Josephine.”

“No?”
  Every time he used her full name, she felt her heart skip a beat.

“No.  I felt like shooting him myself, but too many witnesses would have brought in a murder charge.  I’m just anticipating his next move.  Nothing has worked for him so far.”

“You think he’ll come to the house, don’t you?”

Cogan nodded, “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“Oh dear—Hattie, and Thomas—”

He took her hand in one of his. “They need to get past Ryker and I first.”

She took a deep breath.  It never occurred to her that Butch would take it so far because she’d slapped him in front of people.  She shouldn’t have acted so rash. “I’m so stupid.”

“Josephine, that is one thing you can never be accused of,” he said softly looking down at her.

There went her heart again.  Maybe there was a little flip of her stomach too. “You are being too kind.”

No.  He wasn’t.
  She was a compassionate woman that had a fire in her the likes he’d never seen.  It was no wonder she was desirable to his sex. Cogan was aroused by her.  He didn’t even bother lying to himself anymore.  She was sensual, beautiful, and there was no way on God’s green earth he was going to keep his hands off of her.  Unknown to her, to everyone, that wasn’t an easy thing for him to admit.  He did seek out a woman when his needs became too great, but right now, he couldn’t even comprehend having another.  Josephine had blinded him to every other woman that existed.

An hour later,
Josie stood at the front window with her arms crossed, thinking. Cogan was still in the barn most likely rubbing down the mare.  That man took care of animals better than people treated each other.  He may be a large menacing looking man, but he had a heart bigger than anyone she met.  She sighed heavily.  She was completely in love with him and he didn’t have a clue.  She’d always knew what type of man she would finally fall for and Cogan was every bit and more of what she desired in a future husband.  The problem was, she honestly didn’t think there were men like that.  He was completely unexpected. Well, and there was that other thing.  Leave it to her to fall in love with something half man, half beast.  Her mother always said she was special.  She smiled, but it was more in exasperation.

She finally decided to
go and help Hattie with supper and quit acting like some silly infatuated girl.  Not one person could accuse her of acting like that in her entire life.  She was always practical and well grounded.  But he’d somehow made it into her heart. When he was out of her sight, she missed him even if it was for a moment. Like now.  Well, at least she’d see him at dinner.

Yet at supper he didn’t show.  Ryker mentioned that he rode out about an hour before.

What did she expect?  They had a huge spread and only him and Ryker to manage it.  It used to take five men to run it. She knew she shouldn’t worry, but again it looked as if the clouds were going to open up.  A dark blanket covered the sky. It was fitting weather for a depressing day.

“He’ll be fine Josie,” Ryker said seeing her concern.

She took a deep breath and released it slowly, then nodded.

“You two act like he’s invincible,” Hattie broke in with concern. “Just because he’s big and strong, doesn’t mean anything.” 

Josie and Ryker exchanged a knowing look, but neither one of them said anything. It was amusing in a way because Hattie was always wary of the man.  It looked like he managed to win over the last of the household.

“Maybe you should go and see if he’
s all right,” Hattie looked past them out the window at the approaching thunderstorm.

“I’
ll go” Josie volunteered.

“Hell no.
  First of all Aunt Hattie was speaking to me.  Secondly, neither one of us are going anywhere after what you did to that madman today. It pisses me off, but I’m in no shape to defend myself and you sure as hell are no match for Butch’s men.”

She glared at her brother.
  Obviously Cogan and Ryker had time to talk about her.

“Josie, I will tie you up and lock you in your room.  Promise me you are going to stay here.”

“I won’t.”

“You will,
or I’ll do exactly what I said.”

“What happened?” T
homas asked. Then he looked at Hattie and sighed even before she gave him the look to leave the room. “Yes ma’am.” His movements were slow and defeated.  This seemed to be common around the dinner table since Cogan came to live with them. 

Josie actually was able to keep from saying anything offensive in front of Thomas, but as soon as he was out of the room she started arguing with her brother again. 
“If he told you about today, then you know he shouldn’t be out there alone.”

Ryker folded his good arm across the other and leaned
back in his seat.  He wasn’t budging, not this time.

“He is going to be my husband soon.  I’m sure I have some rights there somewhere.”

He remained silent.

“Ryker?”

He stared back at her still not saying anything. His deep blue eyes darkened in warning.

She made a frustrated noise and left the table.  Of course he was right, but she didn’t like the knots that formed in her gut over that big man.

Chapter Seven

Cogan pulled the saddle off of his stallion and propped it on one of the many rocks protruding out of the floor of the cave.  He was as saturated as his horse who lowered his head and shook his coat like a wet dog, soaking the dry earth around them.

When the skies opened up, he
’d managed to find refuge in a shallow cave with a large rock outcropping over them. It only went back about fifteen feet, but it was enough to keep both of them out of the weather.  It was coming down so hard that rain gathered on the cliff above and poured like a waterfall over the opening.

He knew the fall would be wet, but it was really turning into a mess.  Most of the dry creek beds had flooded, and he ended up leading the cattle to the safety of higher ground before they washed away with the land.
  This would cause some flooding and he’d have to check the fence line first light even if it was still raining.

He collected some dry wood near the opening and managed
to make a small fire to create some heat.  He didn’t really need it, but his companion did.

“
Come closer boy.  You have to dry out too.  We’ll be back at it tomorrow.”

His horse nickered and moved a few steps toward the flame.
  He tossed his head in protest though.  Horses weren’t too fond of fire no matter how much they trusted their master.  He lowered his head and rubbed his face against a large rock. The rain droplets were trickling down his forehead tickling him.

Then he suddenly snorted and lifted his head turning it toward the opening.

Cogan was just getting settled on the hard earth when he also heard the cry for help.

“Stay here,” he commanded before he rushed out of the cave and slid most of the way down the hill. 
He didn’t even hesitate for a moment. Visibility was impossible, but his eyes dilated wide and the dark brown flashed to an amber yellow giving him an advantage of night sight.  Again the cries.  His heart started thumping wildly in his chest and he had to fight the urge to let the beast out. 

His horse couldn’t have managed in this
weather better than him. He was already exhausted and soaked.  Besides, the cries were not that far off.  It was toward the now flooded dry riverbed.

He broke into a flat run.
  The wind and rain pounded his face, but he didn’t notice.  There was no mistaking that it was Josephine’s cry of desperation.  He was beside her in less than ten minutes.  She was clinging to a fallen tree the stretched over the bank with one arm and gripped the reins to Ryker’s horse with the other.  The poor thing was struggling in the soft muddy embankment and Josephine was refusing to let go.  The back half of him was submerged in the fast running water.

Josephine sobbed. She
was determined not to let the horse drown. He could have easily slipped back into the water if she let go of the reins. Her strength was running out and sooner or later she knew she had to make a choice; let go of the reins or they both drown. She started calling for Cogan, hoping for a miracle and soon. It came. She near wept with relief hearing her name through the rain. She was soaked and caked with mud and trying to be more like a lady was working against her. She actually was wearing a proper riding skirt instead of pants, and took her brother’s duster to help protect her from the rain. Her saturated clothes were heavy and the skirts were plastered and tangled in her legs. 

It seemed like the river came out of nowhere.  She was half way across when she realized her mistake, and the bay lost his footing.  Finally they made it to the other side and he was sunk to his chest in the mud.  She managed to make it off him
onto the tree she clung to now.  Her hands gripped the reins like her life depended on it. 

Then out of nowhere Cogan was
sliding down the bank toward her.  He never stopped to say anything, but moved by her towards the horse. With a strength she knew she’d never witness again, he lodged himself beside the animal in waist deep mud and grabbed the girth strap of the saddle, and pulled.

She released the horse then as Cogan half dragged the
shocked animal up to the bank.  His legs gave out when it got on high ground and he collapsed.  The poor creature just laid there in the pouring rain breathing rapidly.

Then Cogan went back to get her.  He lifted her off the
overturned tree and carried her back up the bank, by the horse, and toward the cave. 

She clung to him
, wrapping her arms around his thick neck and burying her face into his shoulder. “Ryker’s horse—” she choked.

“I’ll get him.”

His stallion nickered when he entered the cave, but stayed put like he was told. “Get near the fire to warm up.” He set her down and her own legs were trembling.  She still managed to stand.