little better." A moment later, he was snoring.
* * * *
Abby and Bear stayed up all night. They took turns sitting by Snake's bedside and checking his fever. It didn't get any better, but at least it didn't seem to get any worse. At around five in the morning, Bear nudged Abby, who was dozing in a chair.
"What?" she said, disoriented. "What's going on?"
"I think his fever broke."
Abby came over and felt Snake's forehead. It was finally cool. She lifted the sheets and examined the wound. It was light pink but looked much better and had stopped bleeding.
"I'm afraid to say it this soon, but he looks to be getting better. All we gotta do is keep doing what we're doing.
Hopefully, we'll be able to give him some solid food for lunch."
Bear kissed her. "Ain't you a wonder? How come you know so much about nursing? I thought all you did was mend clothing."
"I volunteered at a hospital most Sundays after church when I was married."
"You don't talk much about that. How long were you married?"
62
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
"Only six months. He was a good man, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't love him. After my sister got attacked and lost her mind, I wanted to feel safe again so bad. Blane was a kind and gentle man who went to the same church I did. So, when he asked me to marry him, I jumped at the chance.
Unfortunately, a few months later, he was thrown from a horse and broke his leg. It didn't mend right, and he died of infection."
"I'm real sorry to hear that. But it still don't explain how you come to end up here. I remember you talked about avenging your sister, but you could have paid a bounty hunter to do the job for you. Why take on all this by yourself?"
Abby took an extra blanket off Snake and folded it. She placed it at the foot of the bed in case he got feverish again.
"I was living with a mean ole aunt and visiting my sister every weekend. I tried to bring her back to her senses, but it didn't do no good. No matter how many times I went, she never knew me. It was like she died inside after what happened to her. Every time I went there, I got madder and madder until one day I decided it wasn't fair. The man who done this to her was walking around living his life and my sister was, well, for the most part, dead. I had to take a stand.
"So, I collected what little money I had saved up and came to the worst town I could find. This place was perfect for two main reasons—it was full of outlaws and Stewart was rumored to work on a cattle ranch nearby. I knew if I was here, it was 63
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
only a matter of time before we met up. And the rest of the story you already know."
Bear ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. "By my reckoning, we done the world a favor by ridding it of them two."
"I'm inclined to agree with you."
"I'm glad everyone's in agreement," Snake said as he struggled to sit up in bed. "But I'm more concerned about when I'm gonna eat."
Abby and Bear laughed.
"Guess he's feeling better already," Bear said.
Abby went over and kissed Snake's cheek. It felt cool and normal. Her heart lightened with happiness. "I'll go down and see about getting you some eggs."
"I'd rather have some of that wild game stew," he said.
She planted her hands on her hips. "If I make some for you, I'll have to make enough for the whole hotel."
Snake shrugged. "I just thought you'd be willing to do anything to get me better, that's all."
How could she refuse when he put it like that?
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
64
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
Epilogue: Ten Months Later
Abby Wimple, a.k.a. Skinny Abby Six-Gun, stared out through the saloon doors at the rugged landscape and tried to remember seeing it for the first time all those months ago.
The person who'd come off that coach seemed like a stranger to her now. So much had happened, so much had changed.
The barkeep placed a shot of whiskey in front of her and grinned, trying to be
* * * *
Abby and Bear stayed up all night. They took turns sitting by Snake's bedside and checking his fever. It didn't get any better, but at least it didn't seem to get any worse. At around five in the morning, Bear nudged Abby, who was dozing in a chair.
"What?" she said, disoriented. "What's going on?"
"I think his fever broke."
Abby came over and felt Snake's forehead. It was finally cool. She lifted the sheets and examined the wound. It was light pink but looked much better and had stopped bleeding.
"I'm afraid to say it this soon, but he looks to be getting better. All we gotta do is keep doing what we're doing.
Hopefully, we'll be able to give him some solid food for lunch."
Bear kissed her. "Ain't you a wonder? How come you know so much about nursing? I thought all you did was mend clothing."
"I volunteered at a hospital most Sundays after church when I was married."
"You don't talk much about that. How long were you married?"
62
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
"Only six months. He was a good man, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't love him. After my sister got attacked and lost her mind, I wanted to feel safe again so bad. Blane was a kind and gentle man who went to the same church I did. So, when he asked me to marry him, I jumped at the chance.
Unfortunately, a few months later, he was thrown from a horse and broke his leg. It didn't mend right, and he died of infection."
"I'm real sorry to hear that. But it still don't explain how you come to end up here. I remember you talked about avenging your sister, but you could have paid a bounty hunter to do the job for you. Why take on all this by yourself?"
Abby took an extra blanket off Snake and folded it. She placed it at the foot of the bed in case he got feverish again.
"I was living with a mean ole aunt and visiting my sister every weekend. I tried to bring her back to her senses, but it didn't do no good. No matter how many times I went, she never knew me. It was like she died inside after what happened to her. Every time I went there, I got madder and madder until one day I decided it wasn't fair. The man who done this to her was walking around living his life and my sister was, well, for the most part, dead. I had to take a stand.
"So, I collected what little money I had saved up and came to the worst town I could find. This place was perfect for two main reasons—it was full of outlaws and Stewart was rumored to work on a cattle ranch nearby. I knew if I was here, it was 63
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
only a matter of time before we met up. And the rest of the story you already know."
Bear ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. "By my reckoning, we done the world a favor by ridding it of them two."
"I'm inclined to agree with you."
"I'm glad everyone's in agreement," Snake said as he struggled to sit up in bed. "But I'm more concerned about when I'm gonna eat."
Abby and Bear laughed.
"Guess he's feeling better already," Bear said.
Abby went over and kissed Snake's cheek. It felt cool and normal. Her heart lightened with happiness. "I'll go down and see about getting you some eggs."
"I'd rather have some of that wild game stew," he said.
She planted her hands on her hips. "If I make some for you, I'll have to make enough for the whole hotel."
Snake shrugged. "I just thought you'd be willing to do anything to get me better, that's all."
How could she refuse when he put it like that?
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
64
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
Epilogue: Ten Months Later
Abby Wimple, a.k.a. Skinny Abby Six-Gun, stared out through the saloon doors at the rugged landscape and tried to remember seeing it for the first time all those months ago.
The person who'd come off that coach seemed like a stranger to her now. So much had happened, so much had changed.
The barkeep placed a shot of whiskey in front of her and grinned, trying to be
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