Читать книгу A Temporary Family - Sherri Shackelford - Страница 13
ОглавлениеA fierce haze clouded Nolan’s vision. The pain in his chest sucked the breath from his lungs. With a burst of strength he broke free from the outlaw twisting his arm. At the same time, the third man released Tilly. She launched herself toward Nolan. With Elizabeth clutched between them, she threw one arm around his waist and buried her head against his shoulder.
He stiffened in surprise but didn’t pull away. The toddler’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He transferred Elizabeth into his arms and wrapped his free hand around Tilly.
“What do you want?” Nolan demanded, fearing he already knew the answer. “There’s nothing for you here.”
Tilly trembled and worked her hand between them, clutching her throat. Elizabeth hiccupped a sob.
“I’m Dakota Red.” The red-haired leader grinned. “This fellow is my brother, Charlie, and Snyder here is a friend we busted out of jail.”
Tilly gasped.
Though the brothers were similar in appearance, Charlie was at least a head shorter with small, sunken eyes and shaggy blond hair visible beneath his hat. Snyder was the largest of the bunch, a mountain of a man with a long, dark beard and heavy eyebrows. From the looks of the third man, Nolan guessed the brothers had busted Snyder out of jail for his brawn and not his brains.
Nolan slid his arm down Tilly’s back and drew her closer. “I told you, there’s nothing for you folks here.”
“Not yet. But there will be.” A scuffle sounded from the hotel and Dakota Red sighted his gun on the building. “Who’s there?”
Tilly wrenched from Nolan’s protective grasp.
Her eyes wide and frightened, she frantically splayed her arms. “They’re children. Don’t shoot.”
Nolan moved before her, but there was no way for him to shield both her and Elizabeth from the outlaw.
“You heard her.” Impotent fury settled in his chest. “Drop your weapon before you harm a child,” Nolan said.
The outlaw’s stance slackened, and the tip of his gun lowered.
His mocking laughter erupted in the strained silence. “How many young’uns you got, feller?”
“There’s just my wife and our three nieces,” Nolan answered quickly, his mind racing. They were outnumbered and outgunned. The safety of Tilly and her nieces mattered most. He grasped for any advantage he could exploit against the men.
“Where’s their pa?” The outlaw narrowed his gaze. “And don’t lie, or I’ll know.”
“Dead,” Nolan replied shortly.
Dakota Red didn’t ask about the mother. The outlaw must have assumed she was dead or he didn’t care. Another piece of information Nolan tucked away for future reference. The man clearly didn’t see women as a threat.
“Charlie.” Dakota Red motioned for his brother. “This place will work just fine.”
A muscle twitched in Charlie’s cheek. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Tilly’s hair had come loose from the coil at the nape of her neck, and the tangled mass tumbled around her shoulders. A break in the clouds sent a shaft of sunlight glinting off the silken strands. As though drawn by an invisible force, Charlie sidled nearer. He caught a handful in his gloved hand and brought the strands toward his face. Inhaling deeply, his eyes glittered dangerously.
Tilly shuddered and strained to get away.
“Let her go,” Nolan growled.
“Charlie,” Dakota Red barked out. “You heard the man.”
The outlaw’s brother remained defiant for a beat, then chuckled and shoved Tilly away.
The moment Charlie released his hold, Nolan twisted her free from the outlaw and tucked her against his side once more.
Dakota Red swung his leg over his horse’s rump and dropped to the ground. He tossed the reins to Snyder, then paced the distance, his hands planted on the double gun belts strapped around his hips.
“You and I both know what has to happen here. There’s a shipment of gold coming out of Virginia City. Without the usual steamship, that shipment has to travel over ground. The way I see things, trying to steal the gold outright will only get us shot. Which is why you and your wife are going to help us out. When the stages come through town, you’re going to steal the gold for us. By the time them cavalry boys figure out it’s missing, we’ll be long gone.”
Tilly stiffened. “What happens if we don’t help you?”
“I guess I’ll just have to kill you, won’t I?”
“No!”
“We’ll cooperate.” Nolan rapidly worked through his options. “On one condition. Neither you nor your men lay a finger on my wife or the children. If anything happens to one of them...” With a fixed stare in Charlie’s direction, he hardened his voice. “If even one hair on one of their heads is harmed, I’ll send up the alarm.”
Everything depended on the lie. As long as the outlaws believed Tilly and the girls were his family, he had leverage.
The outlaw pressed a hand against his chest in mock outrage. “I’m not here to spoil your little family. Me and the boys only want what we deserve. Them Union pigs took everything. I figure they owe us.”
Nolan gritted his teeth. A lot of men had lost their livelihoods to the war, but not everyone had turned outlaw. “That’s the deal. The stagecoach drivers and the cavalry know who lives here. If something happens to one of us, they’ll send in troops, and your plan is forfeit.”
“You make a real good point, mister.” Dakota Red grinned at his crew. “You got yourself a deal.”
“The children,” Tilly blurted. “I don’t want them frightened any more than necessary. As far as they’re concerned, you’re only resting here for a few days. Nothing more.”
Dakota Red ran his thumb along his bottom lip, his expression thoughtful. “You got an awful lot of demands considering you’re not holding any of the cards.”
“They’ll give you away,” she continued, her voice tremulous. “They’re children. They can’t keep secrets.”
Nolan admired her quick thinking. He didn’t want the girls living under the umbrella of fear any more than Tilly. They were an equal distance between both the river crossing and the cavalry fort. The travel time to each was an easy two days in the daylight. If he rode hard, he could make the trip overnight while the outlaws slept. But if he slipped out after dark, he’d be navigating without moonlight given the growing bank of clouds in the distance. He’d also be leaving Tilly and the girls alone with the outlaws if anything happened to him.
He narrowed his gaze at Charlie. Dakota Red appeared focused on the gold, and Snyder was too wary of the brothers to disobey orders. Charlie had him worried. The outlaw had a wild, reckless look in his eye, and he’d set his sights on Tilly.
Sensing the tension in the adults without understanding the reason, Elizabeth whimpered. Nolan cupped his hand around the back of her head, smoothing the fluff of curls.
“It’s all right,” he soothed. “I know where there’s a whole mess of blackberry bushes.”
“Boo-berry,” Elizabeth declared.
“Yes. Boo-berries.”
Dakota Red grunted. “Enough already. Get them young’uns out here and let me take a look at them.”
Tilly shook her head and strained away.
Nolan placed his hand over her trembling fingers. “It’s all right. Do as he says.”
He appealed to her with his eyes, willing her to understand. The outlaws had them trapped. There was nowhere for them to hide. Sooner or later, the fugitives were going to find out about the girls. The fewer falsehoods he told now, the better chance he’d have for pulling off a deception later.
There was no way of explaining his plan to Tilly. She was terrified, and she had every right to be. He reached for her, then let his hand drop to his side. Elizabeth wrapped her small arms around his neck.
Tilly glanced between him and the tiny head resting on his shoulder. She seemed to make some kind of a decision. Though her steps dragged, she made her way to the hotel and emerged a moment later with a bright, false smile on her face.
Holding each of the girls’ hands in one of her own, she said, “Victoria and Caroline, these men are going to be staying in town for a few days. We don’t want to bother them, so let’s keep our distance, shall we?”
Caroline pursed her lips. “They can’t stay in the hotel. I promised that mama raccoon no one would bother her.”
Charlie turned his head and spit into the grass. “Is your young’un touched or somthin’?”
“No.” Tilly glared. “A mama raccoon has taken up residence in the stove at the hotel.”
The outlaw chortled and reached for his gun. “I’ll make short work of that varmint.”
“You can’t!” Caroline shouted.
Dakota Red shook his head. “Don’t go teasing the girl, Charlie. There’s no reason we can’t oblige these folks for their hospitality. Looks like there’s a proper house next to the livery. No need to go bothering the wildlife.”
“That’s the undertaker’s house,” Nolan murmured beneath his breath.
Tilly’s eyes widened. “You’re joking,” she whispered.
“Not at all.”
“Serves them right.” She grimaced, then raised her voice. “Why don’t you girls return to Mr. West’s, um, return to the relay station and we’ll start dinner.”
The two older girls exchanged a confused look, but dutifully followed orders.
Elizabeth strained toward her sisters and Nolan set her on her feet with a pat on her head. “Go with your sisters.”
“Boo-berries.”
“After dinner.”
The toddler studied his face as though gauging his intent. Apparently satisfied he’d keep his promise, she ambled after the older girls.
Once they’d moved out of sight, Tilly set her jaw in the stubborn line he’d witnessed the previous day. He sensed she didn’t like being given orders, which didn’t bode well for the next few days. He’d have his hands full staying between her and the outlaws. If one good thing had come out of his time living in the camp, he’d picked up skills in dealing with folks who held all the power. Always let the man in charge believe he had his prisoners cowed. That way, he dropped his guard.
“There are five of us and only three of you,” Tilly declared boldly. “You can’t watch all of us all the time.”
“I don’t have to watch you.” Dakota Red chuckled. “Neither you nor your husband is leaving without your young’uns, and there’s no way them girls are getting very far in this terrain without horses. You follow what I’m saying? I don’t have to keep watch on you, I just have to keep watch on the horses, and I’ve got all five of you wrapped up tighter than a beetle in a spiderweb.”
Nolan’s gut twisted. The outlaw had effectively snatched the last best chance of fetching help.
There was no way he was making the cavalry station or the river crossing on foot, which meant he’d best think of another plan. Quickly.
* * *
The girls disappeared into the relay station, and Tilly glanced in despair at Nolan. How were they going to survive the next few days? The girls would certainly give them away. How could she explain the situation without frightening them?
Charlie sidled closer, and nausea rose in the back of her throat. Her neck throbbed from his earlier violent behavior. He reached for her and she instinctively launched herself at Nolan. His strong arms closed around her, clasping her shivering body tight against his side. The outlaw hadn’t challenged the stagecoach man before, and she prayed Charlie would keep his distance now.
“It’s all right.” The warmth of Nolan’s breath feathered against her tangled hair. “You’re safe. I won’t let him harm you.”
Angry tears burned in her eyes. If she hadn’t let her curiosity override her good sense, she’d have been watching Elizabeth, and none of this would have happened.
At least her nieces were safe. For the moment.
Dakota Red gathered his men. “Snyder will follow you two up to the house. The boys and I have a hankering for supper. Snyder will make certain there aren’t any weapons lying around. We wouldn’t want the children getting hurt now, would we?” He offered a toothy grin. “I just need to speak with the boys for a few minutes. You don’t mind, do you? And if you do mind, I can always shoot you.”
He took great amusement in his own macabre joke, laughing until his belly jiggled. Tilly quivered and burrowed closer to Nolan. When she realized she was clutching the stagecoach man with enough force to crush his ribs, she started and pulled away.
He tightened his grip and spoke near her ear. “Stay close. As long as Charlie is in view, we’re madly affectionate. If he wants my cooperation, he has to know how much you and the girls mean to me.”
His cheeks reddened. “You know what I mean.”
“I know.”
She did understand. Perhaps because the situation had turned dire, she was keenly aware of the stagecoach man. His expression was grave, but she noted the rapid rise and fall of his chest. When had her emotions gone topsy-turvy? She’d always assumed that she was the same person in any given situation, and that her inherent personality would surface under duress.
Yet here she was, cowering in the arms of a near stranger. She felt as though the outlaws had stripped away the thin veneer of her independence and exposed her weakness on a very basic level.
Tilly clamped shut her eyes. What was happening to her? The truth of her nature was disheartening. The woman she wanted to be wouldn’t count on this man for protection—she’d take care of herself. Except she wasn’t the brave person she’d thought herself. She was skittish and vulnerable, trapped between the outlaws and this quiet man.
Nolan’s hands moved in soothing circles over her back, heightening her awareness of him. Shocked by her flare of unwanted longing, she glanced away. She mustn’t read anything personal in his demonstrative actions. His caring was part of the act, nothing more.
As for her unexpected reaction, she was instinctively responding to his protection and his kindness. Wasn’t she?
No matter her own pitiable weakness, she had others to think about. “I have to speak with the girls, make them understand without frightening them.”
“We’ll keep them separated from the outlaws as much as possible,” Nolan said. “You’ll keep them busy.”
“How?” She tossed a glare at the outlaws’ backs. “I suppose we could start by digging our own graves.”
“Don’t even tease about that. No matter what happens, we have to stay focused on surviving.”
“All right then, but this town isn’t exactly teeming with activities. We can’t exactly visit the mercantile and select ribbons from the general store.”
“They’re children. How much entertainment do they need?” The stagecoach man appeared perplexed. “Keep them busy however you keep children busy. They’re your nieces, surely you know them.”
Barely. Even when Walter was away at war, Eleanor had always hovered over the girls. She’d never trusted Tilly alone with them beyond an hour or two here or there. Tilly was never an authority figure to her nieces.
“I’ve only been watching them for a few days,” Tilly explained. “And we’ve been traveling or packing for most of those.”
“You were a child once. What did you do to keep busy?”
Tilly snorted. “Eleanor gave me chores.”
“Then give the girls chores.” He pressed two fingers beneath her chin and forced her to look at him. “Your nieces are counting on you.”
She flashed a half grin. “I’d have them clean the relay station, but you’ve already scrubbed the wood grain from the floor.”
Something flicked in his eyes, an emotion she couldn’t read.
“I suspect they’ll make another mess soon enough.”
“You’re probably right.”
The girls were tidy. They’d grown up beneath Eleanor’s guidance, after all, yet they still managed to create chaos with shockingly little effort.
Eleanor had always striven for perfection, while Tilly had been content with disorder. In her teenage years, her sister had once sent Tilly to bed without supper for failing to put away her stockings properly. Treating the girls in the same manner didn’t seem right considering how much Tilly had chafed under Eleanor’s strict rule.
“Hey,” Dakota Red shouted. “You two quit your whispering.”
Her anger rose up. She wasn’t chattel to be ordered around.
“Get, woman,” the outlaw ordered. “The boys and I are hungry. Until I’m certain you don’t have any guns hidden around the place, the two of you stay together. Snyder will keep watch while you’re cooking.”
Tilly bit her tongue until she tasted blood.
Charlie crossed to his horse, making a deliberate show of brushing against her arm. Her flare of rebellion instantly died. Tilly shuddered and moved closer to the shelter of Nolan’s arms. The mercenary part of her feared being alone with the fugitives—she feared being separated from Nolan’s safety. Though she’d only known the stagecoach man for a day, they were banded together against the outlaws.
Their common enemy created an instant sense of union.
Her make-believe husband touched the spot where Charlie had brushed against her, as though erasing the mark of the outlaw. Their eyes locked and they both faltered for a moment. Her stomach did a little flip.
“Steady on, Miss Hargreaves.” His gaze softened, and one corner of his mouth tilted up. “Wasn’t Matilda called ‘The Good Queen’?”
“You’ve studied your history.”
“Only when forced. I’m certain your education is far more extensive. I grew up on a farm. I only attended school when I wasn’t needed for chores.”
Pressure built behind her eyes. This was the most he’d ever spoken to her. She hadn’t realized until then how very much she missed conversation. In the years since the war, as her employment with her father’s law practice had gradually dwindled, her circle of acquaintances had narrowed. As the men returned home, the ladies’ war-effort committees had gradually disbanded. Her friends had drifted away, moving on with their lives, marrying and starting families.
Everything had happened so slowly, she hadn’t realized until this very moment how isolated she’d become of late. How very lonely.
Nolan was staring at her, and his tiny quirk of a grin faded. “Tilly?”
He cupped her cheek and ran the ball of his thumb beneath her eye. “Don’t give them the satisfaction of your tears. Men like that feed off others’ weakness.”
“I’m afraid of being caught alone with Charlie.”
“I’ll see that you never are.”
“Thank you.”
At the quiver in her voice, his hand glided down her cheek. He stroked the pulse throbbing at the base of her neck. “He won’t touch you again. Not while I’m here.”
A delicate shudder rippled all the way to her toes. He was staring at her with an intensity that made her breath catch. Any hint of his previous cajoling smile had vanished. She couldn’t help but question what he was thinking. She sensed his inner conflict, and wondered at it. Her hand fluttered near his shoulder. She had an insane longing to caress him and comfort him, but she held herself in check.
One of the horses whinnied, and they jolted apart. The moment broken, Tilly glanced away. The wind caught her hair, whipping it across her face and eyes, obscuring her view of his expression. Had he been as affected by the moment as she had?
She’d consider the oddity of her reaction later, when they weren’t in fear for their lives. This wasn’t about feelings, this was about survival. Their pact was only temporary.
Nolan clasped her fingers and tugged her toward the relay station. His hand dwarfed hers, and the rough calluses on his palm chafed her skin. He caught her gaze and her heart kicked. She looked over her shoulder and caught Charlie following their progress, a speculative gleam in his beady eyes. She whipped back around.
Snyder grunted. “Let’s go.”
As far as the outlaws knew, she and Nolan were husband and wife. She’d been too stunned by Charlie’s unexpected attack to refute his words, but Nolan had latched on to falsehood. He’d used the lie as a bargain, and he’d saved their lives, and her virtue, in the process. Though she wasn’t adept at dealing with fugitives, she admired his ploy. He’d cleverly bargained his assistance for her safety and the safety of the girls.
Once inside the relay station, Snyder grabbed a heel of bread from the counter and bit off a hunk before wandering into the area containing the dining table. He didn’t appear in any great hurry to start his search.
Nolan led her to the meticulously ordered kitchen. Another tidbit she’d discovered about the stagecoach man in the short time they’d known each other—he was neat. Obsessively so. Her father and Eleanor had shared the same trait. They obsessed over even the tiniest imperfection.
If growing up in a spick-and-span household had taught her anything, the two of them were bound to clash. Tilly had never been praised for her tidiness.
While Eleanor and her father had been obsessively neat, Nolan’s living conditions were austere in the extreme. There were chalked outlines on the wall where the pots and pans had been arranged by size. Eleanor would probably swoon at the sight. An unexpected stab of jealousy focused Tilly’s attention. Eleanor wasn’t here. Eleanor was miles away, and Tilly had better keep her head clear. She’d already cost them with her inattentiveness.
Nolan lit the stove and adjusted the flame. “They’ll expect the woman to prepare the food,” he said. “Follow my lead and try and pretend you know where everything is located.”
She looked heavenward. “You should know that I don’t cook very well.”
Another piece of domesticity she’d never mastered. Women’s work was either frippery, like embroidering handkerchiefs, or tediously repetitious, like cooking and doing laundry. She hadn’t the patience for either.
They’d employed a housekeeper off and on over the years, depending on the state of her father’s law practice. That was another reason her volunteer work had dwindled. Since her father had to pay his current law clerk an actual salary, as opposed to Tilly’s free labor, she’d once again taken over the role of housekeeper.
“I don’t think they’re expecting much in the way of food,” Nolan replied wryly. “When Snyder is distracted, I’ll slip into the bedroom and retrieve my gun.”
“If he catches you retrieving a gun,” Tilly whispered harshly, “he’s liable to kill you.”
A crash sounded and Elizabeth toddled from the bedroom the girls had claimed.
“Uh-oh,” the toddler exclaimed ominously.
Victoria skidded from the room, Caroline close on her heels.
Caroline pointed. “It was her fault!”
“Was not.” Victoria’s lower lip protruded in an exaggerated pout. “She pushed me.”
Tilly heaved a sigh. “What’s broken?”
“Your looking glass.”
Tilly scrubbed a hand down her face. “Never mind.”
Of all the things that had gone wrong this day, a shattered looking glass was the least of her worries.
“Why don’t you three wash up for supper?” she directed. “Stay out of the bedroom for now. I’ll clean up the glass when I’ve finished with dinner.”
She paused on an expectant breath, waiting for someone to protest. When Caroline merely shrugged, Tilly exhaled loudly. She silently praised the innocent acceptance of children. She and Nolan were treading through a minefield with this charade. Who knew what pitfalls they were bound to stumble over in the next few days? Her nieces hadn’t questioned the fact that she was assisting Nolan with dinner, though he’d prepared the meals exclusively since their arrival.
She slanted a glance at Snyder, who’d been distracted by several burrs adhered to his canvas-clad calves. The men’s escape must have led through tall brush. He twisted around, his attention focused on the stubborn spikes. Tilly edged toward the bedroom Nolan occupied. The outlaw grunted and straightened, abandoning the effort.
Panic tightened painfully in her chest. Her three nieces crowded around the wash bucket, laughing and splashing each other, their argument forgotten as quickly as it had flared. Pain throbbed behind her eyes. They had no idea of the danger, and she was determined to keep it that way.
Nolan’s gaze darted toward the bedroom door at the opposite end of the relay station.
“You can’t,” she implored quietly. “It’s too dangerous.”
“We don’t have any other choice. Dakota Red has us trapped. He’s right, we won’t get very far without the horses.”
“Then we’ll help them. Once they have the gold, they’ll leave us be.”
Pity shimmered in his hazel eyes. “Sure.”
Her heart sank. “They’re going to kill us either way, aren’t they?”
“Let’s just get through tonight, we’ll worry about the rest later.”
He was backtracking on his words to keep her fears at bay, but she’d seen the truth in his expression. Once the outlaws had the money, their lives were forfeit. She glanced at the two long braids hanging down Caroline’s back. For the first time in her life she was entirely free of Eleanor’s authority and her father’s disapproval, and all she wanted was to crawl back home. She’d been angry with her sister for treating her as though she was still a child, and here she was behaving like one.
Eleanor had always been stronger, but something had changed since Walter’s passing. The facade of perfection had slipped, and her sister’s fragility had unleashed a desperate terror in Tilly. It was a truth she’d been unwilling to face. If Eleanor wasn’t the strong one anymore, where did that leave Tilly? As much as she chafed against her role in the family, at least she understood her place.
Victoria giggled and flicked water at her younger sisters. The juxtaposition of their innocence against the outlaw prowling the house was too much to bear.
Tilly’s chest pounded like a kettledrum. “Where are those blackberry bushes, Mr. West? Are they close?”
“Out the back door, and straight ahead.” He pitched his voice low. “You can call me Nolan when we’re around the outlaws.”
Her cheeks heated. “Of course. I keep forgetting.”
She squinted through the window. The three girls would be away from the house, but still within sight. Nolan was correct, they needed distance between her nieces and the outlaws at all times.
She grasped a bowl from the counter and approached Caroline. “Gather as many berries as you can. Take as long as you need.”
Once again Caroline shot her a speculative glance, but didn’t question the orders. Tilly made a note to watch herself around the middle child. All of the girls were intelligent, but Caroline was the most like Eleanor, and Eleanor had always known when Tilly was up to something.
Once the girls were gone, Tilly and Nolan began the meal. Snyder skulked about the station, poking his nose in all the cupboards and stomping on the floorboards. He emerged from the first bedroom empty-handed, and she and Nolan exchanged an uneasy glance. The barren rooms gave little clue as to who occupied them.
Nolan started for the door, but Snyder blocked his path.
“You stay where I can see you,” the outlaw ordered.
Nolan’s concentration remained focused, and Tilly sensed he was weighing his options, deciding if he could challenge the man alone. She studied the scattergun clutched in Snyder’s hands, then stared at her fingers. Nolan was the best hope for the girls. He was the only one who could truly protect them. He was the one the outlaws needed in order for their plan to succeed. Since she couldn’t let him put himself in harm’s way, she’d have to do this herself.
She wiped her hands on her skirts and straightened. “I can’t work with my hair unbound like this.”
She brushed past Snyder and marched toward the last bedroom. Nolan’s room. The room the outlaw hadn’t yet searched.
Snyder grasped her upper arm in a viselike grip. “I like your hair just fine the way it is.”
Tilly shot him a quelling glance. “I prefer my hair bound.”
The painful hold on her arm eased. Snyder let her go and swiped at his mouth with his sleeve.
“Be quick about it, girlie. I’m hungry.”
“I’ll be quick as gunfire,” she said over her shoulder.
If she wanted to live her life as a brave woman who wanted to live a purposeful life, then she’d better start acting like one.
