fiancé standing over her buttoning his pants and the man with the gun running out of the room. I immediately shot and killed her ex-fiancé and then ran after the other man.
“I didn’t catch him. I wasn’t fast enough. When I went back in to check on Elizabeth, she was still alive but in bad shape. She told me she loved me,” he whispered, still seeing her lying battered and bleeding in his embrace. “She died in my arms.”
He didn’t hear Becky come up behind him and was startled when she put her arms around his waist and hugged him. He stiffened but she didn’t let go.
“You did what you had to do. Why do they want to arrest you for that?”
He relaxed, turned, and hugged her tighter to him, leaning into her and accepting the comfort she so willingly gave.
“Because even though the sheriff believed me, the man that actually shot her and got away, is a colonel in the Army. He says I’m the one that shot Elizabeth and the captain when I found them together. He’s trying to save his ass.”
She didn’t let him go, just held him while he talked.
“So it’s this colonel that’s after you?”
“Yes, and the Army. He came to arrest me but made the mistake of bringing Zach and his unit to do it. Zach didn’t know anything about it until he got to my house and saw me. Zach cold-cocked the colonel and Zach’s men looked the other way and let us escape. They gave us at least day’s head start and may have found themselves court-martialed as well for doing it, but they for sure saved my life. The Army would have hung me.”
“I’m glad you escaped.” She gave him a little squeeze. “What are we going to do now? Are you going to run again?”
He turned until he faced her and she was wrapped tightly in his arms. It felt wonderful to have her there. Comforting. “No. No more running. We’re on Indian land. There is no law here. No one can touch us, but that also means there’s no one to protect us if Billy does try to turn us over to that bounty hunter.”
“How do you think Billy found out?”
“I have no idea. Someone must have a poster or something that has our description and Billy saw it and put two and two together.”
He gazed down at her. “You’re letting me hold you. You must really feel sorry for me.”
She tried to pull away. “I was giving comfort, that’s all. You seemed to need it. Perhaps I was mistaken.”
“No, you weren’t mistaken.” He wanted to keep holding her but let her go. When she was ready to be held for another reason, to be held for a loving reason, he would be there. He would not restrain her against her will, but one of these days she would want him to hold her.
“So, if you’re not leaving, why are you telling me this?” She turned her drying clothes over so the other side would be exposed to the fire’s warmth and start to dry.
“Because I believe Billy will try to use you against me. He knows how I feel about you.”
She stopped fiddling with her clothes. “And how do you feel about me?”
He gazed at her directly in the eyes. “You must know that I care for you.”
“Why must I?”
“Well,” he took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair and then put his hat on again. “The way I treat you. I’m always here watching out for you, doesn’t that prove something?”
“Just that you like to protect women. You might do that for everyone as far as I know.”
“Well, I don’t let women get beat up when I’m around, but I’ve never moved next to one just to keep her father from taking his fists to her.”
“All right, you have me there. What do you want me to do?”
“I’d like you to move over to my camp…,”
She started to protest. He held up his hand to stop her.
“But I know that’s not proper, so I simply want you to be on your guard, especially when Billy is supposedly gone from camp.”
“You don’t think he’ll try something when he’s here?”
“No. My brothers pointed out that he’s much more dangerous
“I didn’t catch him. I wasn’t fast enough. When I went back in to check on Elizabeth, she was still alive but in bad shape. She told me she loved me,” he whispered, still seeing her lying battered and bleeding in his embrace. “She died in my arms.”
He didn’t hear Becky come up behind him and was startled when she put her arms around his waist and hugged him. He stiffened but she didn’t let go.
“You did what you had to do. Why do they want to arrest you for that?”
He relaxed, turned, and hugged her tighter to him, leaning into her and accepting the comfort she so willingly gave.
“Because even though the sheriff believed me, the man that actually shot her and got away, is a colonel in the Army. He says I’m the one that shot Elizabeth and the captain when I found them together. He’s trying to save his ass.”
She didn’t let him go, just held him while he talked.
“So it’s this colonel that’s after you?”
“Yes, and the Army. He came to arrest me but made the mistake of bringing Zach and his unit to do it. Zach didn’t know anything about it until he got to my house and saw me. Zach cold-cocked the colonel and Zach’s men looked the other way and let us escape. They gave us at least day’s head start and may have found themselves court-martialed as well for doing it, but they for sure saved my life. The Army would have hung me.”
“I’m glad you escaped.” She gave him a little squeeze. “What are we going to do now? Are you going to run again?”
He turned until he faced her and she was wrapped tightly in his arms. It felt wonderful to have her there. Comforting. “No. No more running. We’re on Indian land. There is no law here. No one can touch us, but that also means there’s no one to protect us if Billy does try to turn us over to that bounty hunter.”
“How do you think Billy found out?”
“I have no idea. Someone must have a poster or something that has our description and Billy saw it and put two and two together.”
He gazed down at her. “You’re letting me hold you. You must really feel sorry for me.”
She tried to pull away. “I was giving comfort, that’s all. You seemed to need it. Perhaps I was mistaken.”
“No, you weren’t mistaken.” He wanted to keep holding her but let her go. When she was ready to be held for another reason, to be held for a loving reason, he would be there. He would not restrain her against her will, but one of these days she would want him to hold her.
“So, if you’re not leaving, why are you telling me this?” She turned her drying clothes over so the other side would be exposed to the fire’s warmth and start to dry.
“Because I believe Billy will try to use you against me. He knows how I feel about you.”
She stopped fiddling with her clothes. “And how do you feel about me?”
He gazed at her directly in the eyes. “You must know that I care for you.”
“Why must I?”
“Well,” he took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair and then put his hat on again. “The way I treat you. I’m always here watching out for you, doesn’t that prove something?”
“Just that you like to protect women. You might do that for everyone as far as I know.”
“Well, I don’t let women get beat up when I’m around, but I’ve never moved next to one just to keep her father from taking his fists to her.”
“All right, you have me there. What do you want me to do?”
“I’d like you to move over to my camp…,”
She started to protest. He held up his hand to stop her.
“But I know that’s not proper, so I simply want you to be on your guard, especially when Billy is supposedly gone from camp.”
“You don’t think he’ll try something when he’s here?”
“No. My brothers pointed out that he’s much more dangerous
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