Julie Garwood - Come the Spring

Let's get this over and done with." Jessica led the way. She was

worried about how she would react to the sight of the dead men and

didn't want to disgrace herself in front of Cole. She was a strong

woman, she reminded herself. She could and would get through this.

Grace's hand kept brushing against Daniel's as they walked along, but

she couldn't make herself move away from him. She couldn't stop

looking at him either and kept glancing up just to make certain he

wasn't going to vanish. When she had heard the gunshots, her heart had

felt as though it had stopped, and it wasn't until that very moment

that she realized how much she loved him. No, that wasn't true, she

thought. She'd known for a long time, she just hadn't been willing to

acknowledge it because of the complications and the pain he would cause

her.

l He had been honest from the very beginning. He loved his Kathleen

and no other.

"Daniel, I know now isn't the time . . . in fact, it's a terrible time

to tell you . . . " He was barely paying attention to her as his gaze

scanned the buildings on either side of the street. There was at least

one member of the Blackwater gang still out there, and Daniel wasn't

taking any chances.

"Tell me what? " he asked.

"I've become attached to you." She didn't think he'd heard her

whispered admission, for he showed absolutely no reaction, and she was

glad of it. She shouldn't have said a word, because the timing was all

wrong. She should have waited until they had a quiet moment together

and then admitted how she felt, but she was compelled to tell him this

very moment, fully expecting a rebuke.

"Yeah, I know." It was such an arrogant response she smiled. "Should

I try to stop? " He looked straight ahead when he answered. "No, I

don't want you to stop."

"Well then, " she whispered on a sigh.

Jessica had increased her pace until she was running to the saloon.

She certainly wasn't in a hurry to view the gruesome scene, but Cole

was inside and she desperately needed to see for herself that he hadn't

been hurt.

When she reached the swinging doors, she straightened her shoulders and

then pushed the doors aside. She found Cole right away. He was

leaning against the far wall, watching her. A wave of relief made her

weak, and it took all she had not to run to him. She had expected to

be frightened and was prepared to hide her reaction, but what she

didn't expect was the surge of rage that rushed through her. Three of

the men were already dead, but she had the insane urge to shoot them

again.

She pointed to the first body. "He was there, " she said. "I didn't

hear his name, but I saw him." She moved to the second and third man,

shook her head, and said, "I don't know if these two were in the bank

or not. I didn't see all their faces." She turned to the wounded

man.

Hate radiated from his eyes as he stared up at her. She neither

flinched nor trembled, her gaze dispassionate as she stared back.

Yes, he was there. His name is Robertson." She was more shaken than

she realized, for she hadn't noticed that Cole had moved to her side

and that she was holding his hand. She held tight and let him pull her

out the door while Grace and Daniel waited for the sheriff to return

with the doctor.

As soon as Jessica stepped outside, she turned to Cole. "There's

another one, " she told him. "You shot Johnson, they're holding a man

in jail in Blackwater, and if all four of the men inside were in the

gang, that leaves one missing."

"And Rebecca, " he said.

"And Rebecca, " she agreed. "I really want you to get her."

"We will, " he promised.

CZ a t was a race against the clock to get to Blackwater, and Daniel

pressed hard. He was obsessed now with getting to the jail so Jessica

could tell him if the man they were holding was Bell. He hadn't

thought the rest of it through, and didn't know what he would do if she

confirmed that this was the man who had killed his little girl.

The women didn't complain about the grueling pace, but the group

stopped when the sun was going down and made camp by a clear stream.

Daniel had wanted to push on, but Cole refused.

While Grace and Jessica unpacked the food Cole had gotten in town,

Daniel paced.

"We should keep going, " he said. "The moonlight's good tonight. "

Cole shook his head again. "Look at Jessie and Grace, " he

suggested.

"They're both half dead. The horses aren't in much better shape. "

"But we couldţ" Cole cut him off. "The idea is to get a live witness

there, not a dead one." Daniel came to his senses. "Yeah, you're

right." While he helped Cole with the horses, he kept glancing at

Grace and Jessica. The two of them were covered with dust and looked

too tired to move.

"Maybe I did push a little hard today, " he conceded.

Cole was already thinking about tomorrow. "Did you send a wire to the

sheriff in Blackwater? " "Yes, but I didn't get an answer. That

worries me."

"We'll be there tomorrow afternoon, and then maybe we can finish

this."

"It still won't be over, " Daniel said. "We have to get Rebecca and

the man in charge."

"Do you think the man they're holding is Bell? " "Jessica saw him and

said he turned when the leader called his name, and he wasn't one of

the four in the saloon. It has to be Bell."

"Rebecca could be with Bell."

"No, she'd align herself with the one running the show. She wouldn't

take up with one of the hirelings."

"Maybe, but don't get your hopes up." Several minutes passed in

silence while Daniel carried the saddles over to the camp and Cole

brushed the horses.

"Daniel? " Cole said. "I've been thinking."

"Yes? " "If Jessica tells you it is Bell, you aren't thinking about

doing anything you'd regret, are you? " "What would you do if you knew

he killed your wife and your baby? " Cole thought it over a long while

before answering.

"I honestly don't know."

"Neither do I. I won't know until I look at him."

"If you kill him, they'll lock you away or hang you."

"I realize that." You know what's worse than hanging? " "There's

lots of things worse than hanging."

"Sitting in a cell somewhere knowing that because of you, two of the

gang got away."

"You'd get them." Cole didn't want to argue the point. "What about

Grace? " Daniel shook his head. "I don't know what to do about her.

She kind of . . .

took me by surprise."

"I know all about that, " Cole admitted.

"Meaning Jessica? " "I'm that transparent? " "No, but she is, " he

said. "She's always looking at you like she's thinking about shooting

you." Cole grinned. "It's love all right."

"How can you be so sure? Every one who meets you wants to shoot

you."

"We're getting married."

"Has she agreed? " "No." Daniel burst into laughter and was surprised

at how good it made him feel to let his guard down and relax for a few

minutes.

"Then how do you think you're going to get her to marry you? " Cole

smiled. "Ever hear of a shotgun wedding? " "No, but I've got a

feeling I won't want to miss it."

"Good, " Cole said, "because your attendance is going to be

required."

"Why? " "Who do you think is going to hold the shotgun? " They both

laughed.

Grace turned to smile at Daniel. She and Jessica were sitting side by

side at the edge of the creek, dangling their feet in the water.

"What do you think they're laughing about? " she asked Jessica.