where they stood. Samuel Kuhn dashed out of the house and onto the porch, fully dressed in fur-collared coat and top hat, a gun in his hand. He’d fired a shot that went over Lily and Christian’s heads then fired another one for good measure.
“Stop them! Stop those Indians! I’ve been robbed!”
Christian cursed. Lily felt tension ripple through him. Her own fear returned with it. He wavered between holding her and loosening his grip before giving up and letting her go.
H er hands clenched the lapels of his coat, keeping him close. She met his wide, flashing eyes, loathe to release him. She was safe, safe in his arms.
Sense struck a moment later and she let go with a gasp. Christian reached out as though he would take her back, then twisted to find the robbers. With a tight curse he turned to chase after them.
The sudden cold air and withdrawal of support left Lily off-balance. She grabbed the fence of the yard beside her and squinted across the flickering light of a streetlamp to follow Christian’s pursuit. He only made it a few yards down the street before another crack of gunfire split the air.
Lily shrieked as Christian wheeled to a stop. She held her breath, eyes wide. Christian didn’t drop. Instead he turned back. He jogged to where an irate Samuel Kuhn was running out into the street.
Christian hadn’t been shot. Wild tears sprung to her eyes. The shock of her reaction left her gasping. She swallowed and wiped her face with her mittened hands before anyone would be the wiser.
Samuel fired one last shot into the dark. Try as she did to keep her dignity, Lily flinched and burst into uncontrollable trembling.
“Put that thing away!” Christian shouted, striding up to meet Samuel.
“I’ve been robbed! I have a right to defend my home and property!”
“Not when it’s too dark to see if you’re firing at a thief or a neighbor!”
Samuel let out a harsh breath that misted in the scant lamplight. Doors and windows in the surrounding houses opened as neighbors came out to see what had happened.
“This is insufferable!” Samuel said. “I haven’t even lived here a full year and that’s the second time I’ve been robbed! First my business and now my home! And by Indians too! I told you—”
“ They didn’t look like Indians to me.” Christian shook his head.
“They were! You can tell by those damn leather coats.”
“Anyone can own a buckskin.”
“Well who else would take to robbing folks in their own home? I’m surprised we still have our scalps!”
“They weren’t Indians! You can file a report with Sheriff Porter in the morning and he’ll track down the real thieves,” Christian growled. Even in the poor light Lily could see the frustration lining his face. She stepped closer, needing to be near him.
“Your Sheriff Porter is an incompetent boob incapable of performing his job!” Samuel snapped.
“I’d defend Kent Porter if I could,” Christian said, “but I agree with you.” He shifted to look past Samuel. “You all right, ma’am?”
Mrs. Kuhn stood at the top of her porch steps , hugging herself, eyes wide, dressed in her winter coat and an elegant hat. “We only left the house to go to dinner at the hotel,” she lamented, voice shaking. “We weren’t gone for more than an hour. How could this happen?”
“I’ll tell you how this could happen,” Samuel said, shaking the gun in his fist. “It’s because we live in a two-bit, backwoods piece of nowhere overrun by Indians!” He turned to Lily.
She should have been irate at the suggestion, but she was still numb with fading panic and could only blink.
“Now just a minute,” Christian jumped to the defensive. “I won’t have you insulting respectable citizens or making accusations without proof.”
“ What more proof do you need?” Mr. Kuhn spit. “There’s no law and order here whatsoever!”
“Excuse me, ” Christian shouted, “but we’ve got law. I’m the law.”
Lily stared at
“Stop them! Stop those Indians! I’ve been robbed!”
Christian cursed. Lily felt tension ripple through him. Her own fear returned with it. He wavered between holding her and loosening his grip before giving up and letting her go.
H er hands clenched the lapels of his coat, keeping him close. She met his wide, flashing eyes, loathe to release him. She was safe, safe in his arms.
Sense struck a moment later and she let go with a gasp. Christian reached out as though he would take her back, then twisted to find the robbers. With a tight curse he turned to chase after them.
The sudden cold air and withdrawal of support left Lily off-balance. She grabbed the fence of the yard beside her and squinted across the flickering light of a streetlamp to follow Christian’s pursuit. He only made it a few yards down the street before another crack of gunfire split the air.
Lily shrieked as Christian wheeled to a stop. She held her breath, eyes wide. Christian didn’t drop. Instead he turned back. He jogged to where an irate Samuel Kuhn was running out into the street.
Christian hadn’t been shot. Wild tears sprung to her eyes. The shock of her reaction left her gasping. She swallowed and wiped her face with her mittened hands before anyone would be the wiser.
Samuel fired one last shot into the dark. Try as she did to keep her dignity, Lily flinched and burst into uncontrollable trembling.
“Put that thing away!” Christian shouted, striding up to meet Samuel.
“I’ve been robbed! I have a right to defend my home and property!”
“Not when it’s too dark to see if you’re firing at a thief or a neighbor!”
Samuel let out a harsh breath that misted in the scant lamplight. Doors and windows in the surrounding houses opened as neighbors came out to see what had happened.
“This is insufferable!” Samuel said. “I haven’t even lived here a full year and that’s the second time I’ve been robbed! First my business and now my home! And by Indians too! I told you—”
“ They didn’t look like Indians to me.” Christian shook his head.
“They were! You can tell by those damn leather coats.”
“Anyone can own a buckskin.”
“Well who else would take to robbing folks in their own home? I’m surprised we still have our scalps!”
“They weren’t Indians! You can file a report with Sheriff Porter in the morning and he’ll track down the real thieves,” Christian growled. Even in the poor light Lily could see the frustration lining his face. She stepped closer, needing to be near him.
“Your Sheriff Porter is an incompetent boob incapable of performing his job!” Samuel snapped.
“I’d defend Kent Porter if I could,” Christian said, “but I agree with you.” He shifted to look past Samuel. “You all right, ma’am?”
Mrs. Kuhn stood at the top of her porch steps , hugging herself, eyes wide, dressed in her winter coat and an elegant hat. “We only left the house to go to dinner at the hotel,” she lamented, voice shaking. “We weren’t gone for more than an hour. How could this happen?”
“I’ll tell you how this could happen,” Samuel said, shaking the gun in his fist. “It’s because we live in a two-bit, backwoods piece of nowhere overrun by Indians!” He turned to Lily.
She should have been irate at the suggestion, but she was still numb with fading panic and could only blink.
“Now just a minute,” Christian jumped to the defensive. “I won’t have you insulting respectable citizens or making accusations without proof.”
“ What more proof do you need?” Mr. Kuhn spit. “There’s no law and order here whatsoever!”
“Excuse me, ” Christian shouted, “but we’ve got law. I’m the law.”
Lily stared at
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