Gunslinger (19 page)

Dazed, Chloe hadn’t the slightest idea what he was talking about. “What?”

“My back, love. I think you scarred me with your nails.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. I love your passion. I recall a time when being with a man frightened you.”

“That’s before I knew that making love needn’t be painful or degrading. Before I knew you,” she added.

“God, Chloe, I love you. Are you tired?”

“Not really. Why?”

“Because I want to love you again. And maybe again after that.”

“Only if you let me love you,” Chloe said.

“You don’t have to, love. I’d not ask that of you.”

Her eyes glittered. “Try to stop me.”

Desperado made no attempt to stop her. He let her love him and enjoyed every delicious, agonizing moment. Toward morning he loved her again, and afterward they slept.

Chloe awakened first. Only embers burned in the stove, and she eased out of bed to rekindle the flame. She was shivering when she climbed back into bed, and she warmed herself against Desperado’s solid form.

“Your feet are like ice,” he said, startling her.

“I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was until you put your cold feet on me. You should have awakened me. I would have stoked the fire for you.”

“You were sleeping so peacefully I didn’t want to awaken you.”

He yawned and stretched. “I’m so hungry I could eat a bear.”

“You’re too thin,” Chloe observed.

“I was able to take little except broth while I was recovering from my wounds. All I need is a couple weeks of solid food.”

“I can fix that,” Chloe said as she started to rise.

“No, stay in bed. It’s probably freezing down there. I’ll go down first and light the stove. Wait a half hour, then join me in the kitchen.”

Chloe lingered in the warm bed a few minutes after Desperado left. Then she got up, washed thoroughly in cold water from the pitcher, and got dressed. The delicious aroma of coffee wafted through the air and she hurried down to the kitchen.

“I’ll fix flapjacks,” Chloe said as she got out the ingredients. “That ought to fill the hollow in your belly.”

“Bacon would taste good.”

“There’s plenty of bacon. You slice it while I mix the batter.”

Soon the kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of cooking food. When everything was prepared, they sat down and proceeded to devour nearly every crumb Chloe had cooked.

“A few more meals like that and I’ll surpass my previous weight,” Desperado said, patting his stomach.

Chloe smiled and poured him more coffee. “I wouldn’t want you to get too fat.”

He returned her smile, then grew pensive. “I suppose we should discuss our next move where the Talbots are concerned.”

Chloe blanched. “You expect trouble?”

“I always expect trouble. Have you looked outside? There’s a few inches of snow and it’s blowing pretty good out there. It’s unlikely the Talbots will attempt anything until the weather moderates, but they’ll probably come out here with blood in their eyes.”

“What are we going to do? Oh, God, I can’t lose you again.”

“First they have to be told that your marriage to Tate isn’t legal. They have to know they have no claim on our land.”

“What if they show up with another posse?”

“I hope Randy arrives before it comes to that.”

“Randy? What’s Randy got to do with this? He left the ranch without even a good-bye.”

“Randy came looking for me. You’d convinced the hands that I wasn’t dead and they decided that one of them should set out to find me. Randy stumbled into the Indian village the day before I planned to leave. He told me everything that had been going on with you, and I sent him to Amarillo on an errand. I would have gone myself, but after I heard about your marriage to Tate I rode straight here.”

“I wondered how you knew. Why did Randy go to Amarillo?”

“There’s a Texas Ranger outpost at Amarillo. I instructed Randy to bring a Ranger to Trouble Creek. I’m not going to let Marshal Townsend hang me because the Talbots want me out of the way. The Rangers have legal authority and can settle this business with the Talbots and their dirty dealings once and for all.”

“So what are we going to do until Randy returns with the Ranger?”

“No one can do anything until the weather breaks. Meanwhile, we’re all cozy and warm here. There is enough food on hand to keep us from starving, and plenty of wood chopped and stacked outside the door. We’ll take care of the chores first, then spend the idle hours making love.”

“Desperado, be serious,” Chloe chided.

He flashed his dimple at her. “I am serious, though I find it difficult to believe you’d agree to share your life with a half-breed who has made countless mistakes. All I want to do is clear up this mess with the Talbots and start over again with the woman I love. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll have a child and be a real family.”

Sooner than you think
, Chloe thought, smiling to herself. She’d had her suspicions for a few weeks now, but she no longer doubted her condition.

While Chloe and Desperado discussed their future, Tate and Calvin Talbot sat at the breakfast table, arguing.

“Jones would have shot me if I hadn’t left, Pa,” Tate whined. “Chloe and I were in our underwear when he busted into the house. He was fit to be tied when he saw us together like that.”

“That bastard doesn’t know when to stay dead,” Calvin bit out. “He’s a dangerous enemy. He and Chloe share ownership of the ranch. There’s no way in hell Jones will let us sell part of the land to the railroad. How could he still be alive? No man is invincible. He should be lying on the bottom of the river, or decaying along the bank somewhere.” Calvin shivered. “It’s almost as if he’s unstoppable.”

“Chloe is still my wife,” Tate contended. “Nothing can change that. I’m going back to the ranch and claim what’s mine.”

Calvin glanced out the window. “Not in this weather, you’re not. Early blizzards never last long. Meanwhile, I’ll speak to Marshal Townsend. There are probably enough drifters in town to hire another posse and do the job right this time.”

“You want me to sit back and do nothing while Jones screws my wife?” Tate spat.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find a way to punish her once Jones is taken care of.” He rose, checked his watch, glanced out the window again and sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to go out in this if I’m going to enlist Townsend’s help. I suggest you keep your temper in check until I decide what’s to be done.”

Calvin left the house, braving wind and snow to reach the marshal’s office. The distance wasn’t great, but by the time he reached his destination he was out of breath and chilled to the bone.

“Mr. Talbot,” Townsend greeted as Calvin entered the office and shook the snow off his greatcoat. “What brings you out in this weather?”

“Desperado Jones,” Calvin said curtly as he walked to the stove to warm himself. “The bastard is alive and at the ranch with my son’s wife. He returned last night and forced Tate out of the house.”

Townsend turned ashen. “Alive? My God! The man can’t be killed. No wonder he’s a living legend.” He leaped from his chair. “I gotta get out of town. He’s gonna come after me, mark my words. There ain’t a man alive who can outdraw him.”

“Coward!” Calvin spat. “You’ll do nothing of the kind. I got you appointed marshal and you’ll do as I say. First we’ve got to hire another posse. As soon as the weather breaks, we’ll ride out to the ranch and have us a hanging.”

“Count me out,” Townsend asserted. “I ain’t going anywhere near that ranch.”

“You will if you want to keep your job.”

“I don’t care about the job. No siree, Mr. Talbot. I value my life, even if you don’t. Find yourself another town marshal.”

He pulled off his badge and tossed it down on the scarred desk. “I’ve been thinking of taking a wife. My brother over in El Paso has a woman all picked out for me. Reckon I’ll mosey over that way when the weather breaks and have a look. Marty says she’s a widow woman with money. I gotta act fast before someone else beats me to her.”

Talbot couldn’t believe his ears. “Has everyone in this town gone mad? Not even my own son will stand up to Jones. He’s scared, just like you. Well, go ahead and run away with your tail between your legs. There are others in this town eager to take my money if you’re not.”

Talbot slammed out of the office. He didn’t need the law to do what needed to be done. Bucking the wind, he walked over to the Devil’s Den and barged through the door. The saloon was overheated and stank of sweat and stale beer. Because of the nasty weather, the room was crowded with men who had nothing better to do than drink and gamble.

Wasting little time on formalities, Talbot banged his fist on the bar until he gained the attention he sought. Men turned away from their card games and drinking to stare at Talbot.

“I’m looking to hire men willing to ride in a posse. As the mayor of this town, I’m authorized to deputize those of you who volunteer.”

“Did someone rob the bank?” a scruffy cowboy asked.

“No, nothing like that,” Talbot answered.

“Who’s the unlucky bastard you’re chasing?” another man called from the back of the room.

“Desperado Jones,” Talbot sneered. “This time he won’t get away. I’m offering a decent day’s wage for all who volunteer. I know exactly where to find Jones. I intend to hang him from the nearest tree.”

“What’s his crime?” a drifter asked.

“Murder and attempted murder,” Talbot answered.

“That ain’t the way I heard it,” a witness to the shootout challenged. “I heard it was more like an ambush.”

Talbot sent the man a menacing look. “I doubt you’ll find a single witness to testify against me in a court of law. Now then,” he said, returning to the subject at hand, “how many here can I count on to join the posse?”

“Where’s the marshal?” someone asked.

“He had business out of town. Forget the marshal. Call out if you’re willing to work for me.”

Silence.

“Are you all afraid of Desperado Jones?”

“I’m afraid of any man who can outdraw me,” a man muttered to his companions.

“And I don’t fancy chasing ghosts,” another added. “I heard tell Jones was shot dead, fell into the river and drowned. Count me out.”

A chorus of “Me too” followed, enraging Talbot.

“The lot of you are cowards,” Talbot charged.

Suddenly a man pushed through the crowd. “Count me in, Mr. Talbot. Hell, what have I got to lose? I need the money powerful bad and I ain’t afeared of ghosts or legends.”

“Anyone else?” Talbot asked, raking the men with a contemptuous glance. Two more men stepped forward.

“You’ll do,” Talbot said. “I’ll send word when you’re needed.” Then he took his leave, chagrined that only three men had offered to ride with the posse. Still, that made five men, counting himself and Tate. Enough to send Desperado Jones to hell.

Chapter Eighteen

Snow had stopped falling and the sun peeked out from behind a bank of gray clouds. Nearly a week of pure bliss had followed Desperado’s return. Between bouts of loving, the animals were fed, the doors repaired and meals cooked and eaten. The day the weather broke, Desperado tried to prepare Chloe for the inevitable visit from the Talbots.

“You know they won’t let us live in peace,” Desperado contended after he’d broached the subject.

Chloe turned slowly from the stove, where she was making their breakfast. “Do you suppose they’ll bring a posse?”

“I’d be willing to bet on it.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Sit tight and wait for Randy to return with the Ranger.”

“What if the Rangers can’t spare a man? Or they refuse Randy’s request outright?”

“I’m not running, honey,” Desperado said. “I’ve had my fill of running.”

“They’ll hang you.”

“Not if I can help it.”

Chloe wiped her palms on her denims and started to walk away.

“Where are you going?”

“To get my guns and make sure there’s enough ammunition on hand. The only way they’ll take you is over my dead body.”

Desperado stared at her. “God, I love you. Does nothing frighten you?”

“Only the thought of life without you.”

“Sit down, honey, and eat your breakfast. If they come, it won’t be for a while yet.”

Desperado wasn’t about to let Chloe place herself in danger. He’d lock her in her room if he had to. Calvin Talbot was ruthless. Desperado knew this vendetta was no longer a matter of land or railroad rights; it went far deeper than that now. Calvin Talbot had taken a simple desire for land to a more personal level. Talbot couldn’t tolerate defeat. Nothing short of Desperado’s death would satisfy him now. Talbot would go to any lengths, attempt anything to see the deed done.

“What are you thinking?” Chloe asked when Desperado fell into an uneasy silence.

“About many things. If I hadn’t taken it into my head to visit Trouble Creek, I would have never met you.”

“Are you sorry?”

“God, no! If not for you I would have gone through my entire life without knowing love. I’ve come to a difficult conclusion concerning my father. I now realize he really did care for me. He kept me alive in his heart all those years when everyone else gave me up for dead. I no longer blame him for sending me away to please your mother. I’ve even tried to put aside my hatred for the woman who separated me from my father.”

“I know my mother wronged you, Desperado. She told me once that she’d never liked you, but I never realized the depth of her hatred, or what she had done to you. She’d always feared Indians and must have felt threatened by your Indian blood. I’m not apologizing for my mother. She was a complex woman not even I fully understood.”

“I don’t expect you to apologize for your mother. She brought you into the world, and I’m grateful to her for that. Forget Norie, honey. Now there’s just you and me and the love we share.”

“And the Talbots,” Chloe reminded him.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Meanwhile, let’s take care of the animals and wait for the next development. Maybe we’re anticipating something that will never happen.”

“Ha! Maybe I have black hair and weigh two hundred pounds.”

Two rapid strides brought him to her side. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he eyed her critically. “Two hundred pounds? Hmmm, I don’t know. I’m not sure my arms would reach around you.” He made a circle with his arms, placing the fingertips of both hands together and visually comparing the circumference inside his arms to her trim figure. “That’s a whole lot of woman.”

“Fool,” Chloe chided, walking into his arms. “I don’t intend to get that fat, not even when I’m carrying your child.”

“Now that’s a thought,” Desperado mused. “You could be carrying my child now.”

Chloe buried her head against his shoulder. She thought about telling him she was already carrying his child, but the time wasn’t right. He didn’t need someone else to worry about with the Talbots stalking him.

Apparently he wasn’t expecting an answer, for he kissed her hard. Then he reluctantly removed his arms from around her. “I’d best get the chores done before unexpected company shows up. Don’t worry, love. Everything is going to be just fine.”

Chloe wished she felt as confident as Desperado.

“One more thing,” he said, pausing at the back door. “Desperado Jones is a man with a violent past. I’m putting all that behind me. It’s time you called me Logan.”

“I’d like that, too…Logan,” Chloe whispered. She said his name again, loving the way it rolled off her tongue.

Toward mid-afternoon Chloe glanced out the kitchen window and saw a group of riders approaching the house. She ran for her guns first, then grabbed her jacket from the hook by the door and rushed outside to find Desper…Logan. She found him inside the new barn, forking hay into the horse stalls.

“They’re coming!” Chloe said, skidding to a halt beside him. “Too many for us to handle. You saddle the horses and I’ll pack provisions.”

“No!” He grabbed her arm, stopping her in mid-flight. “I told you, I’m not running. I’ve done nothing wrong.” He stepped out of the barn and spotted the riders immediately. His brow furrowed as he squinted into the distance. Suddenly his lips curved into a smile.

“What’s so funny?” Chloe asked, growing angry at his stubbornness. “Do you have some kind of death wish?”

“Look at the riders, honey. Go ahead, take a good look.”

Chloe focused her gaze on the group of men riding through the front gate and gave a whoop of gladness. “The Ralston cowboys! They’ve come back.”

“Come on, let’s welcome them home.”

Placing an arm around her shoulders, he led her into the yard to await them.

“Desperado!” Cory cried as he slid off his dancing horse and thumped Logan on the back. “None of us believed you were dead. We came back as soon as we heard the news.”

“How’s Rowdy?” Chloe asked.

“He’s mending. Juanita is taking good care of him. I told him we’d let him know when it was safe to return.”

“The whole town is talking about the new posse Mr. Talbot has hired,” Sonny revealed. “Only three men agreed to ride with him and Tate. We figured it was time to come back. Together we can whup their asses.”

“Sonny, mind your language,” Cory chided.

“Sorry, Miss Chloe.”

“Forget it, Sonny,” Chloe said, smiling. Except for Logan, she’d never been so glad to see anyone in her life. “Have you heard when the posse intends to ride?”

Cory shrugged. “Soon, I reckon.” He looked to Logan for direction. “What do you want us to do, Desperado?”

“For starters,” Logan said, “you can call me Logan. That goes for the rest of the hands, too. Logan is my name. Desperado Jones is a legend. I think it’s time to let the legend die.”

“If that’s what you want, Desper…Logan,” Cory said, grinning boyishly.

“Now that that’s taken care of, I want you boys to remain in the bunkhouse when the posse arrives. There are only five men, I can handle that number without help. The fewer men involved, the less chance of one of you getting hurt. I’ll signal if I need you.”

“Logan, is that wise?” Chloe asked worriedly.

“It’s the way it’s got to be, honey. I don’t want you out here, either. You’re to remain in the house while I confront the posse.”

“No!”

“No arguments, Chloe. I’m not taking chances with your life.”

Chloe said nothing. Rather than argue with Logan she would do as she pleased. She wasn’t taking any chances with
his
life, either.

The hands went to the barn to tend to their horses, then they drifted to the bunkhouse to await further orders from Logan. Chloe and Logan returned to the house. If Logan was nervous, he didn’t show it as he checked his guns and positioned them in his holster. Then he sat down and nursed a cup of coffee, moving his chair to where he had an unobstructed view of the road. Chloe sat beside him, sharing the silence.

Logan spotted them first. Chloe saw him stiffen and knew the moment she dreaded had arrived. She glanced out the window and saw five riders. They thundered through the gate and skidded to a halt in front of the house. Calvin Talbot dismounted and bellowed for Desperado to come out peacefully. Logan rose and walked through the house to the front door. Chloe was close on his heels.

Logan hissed a final warning. “Stay out of this, Chloe.”

Ignoring him, Chloe darted in front of him and yelled a warning through the closed door. “Shoot him in cold blood, Calvin Talbot, and I’ll kill you. I’m a crack shot and you know it.”

Abruptly Logan shoved her aside and opened the door. He stepped out onto the porch, his right hand poised at his side. “You’re making a mistake, Talbot. You don’t have enough men with you to take me.”

“There are five guns trained on you, Desperado. You don’t stand a chance,” Tate said pugnaciously. “I could kill you right now for bedding my wife. Don’t try to deny it. I know what went on here after you chased me from my own home.”

“I’m not your wife and this has never been your home,” Chloe called from the doorway.

“You know better than that,” Tate guffawed. “Reverend Tully married us before witnesses. We both signed the marriage papers. Pa was there, too, he can verify it.”

“Bring me the document Tate signed,” Logan told Chloe.

Chloe raced upstairs and removed the document from a drawer. Then she raced back down and gave it to Logan.

“Get back in the house,” he ordered her as he handed the document to Calvin. “Read what Chloe, Tate and the witnesses signed, Talbot. Then tell me if Chloe is married to Tate.”

“Let me see, Pa,” Tate said as he dismounted and joined his father.

“Sonofabitch!” Calvin cursed as he scanned the document. When he finished, he passed it to Tate. “Here. Read for yourself. You were an idiot to sign something without reading it first. We’ve been had. I’ll drag that preacher’s name through the mud for this.”

“What the hell!” Tate cursed, unable to comprehend what he was reading. “This is an application to join the First Baptist Church of Trouble Creek. This ain’t a marriage license.”

“No, it isn’t,” Chloe gloated. “Reverend Tully outsmarted both of you. He knew it would be morally wrong to force a woman to marry against her will, so he did what he could to help me. He substituted what you’re reading for the marriage license and prayed that you wouldn’t inspect it too closely.”

“You mean we ain’t married?” Tate asked, clearly bewildered.

“That’s exactly what it means,” Logan answered. “Chloe is going to marry, all right, but she’s going to marry me. Neither you nor your father has a legal hold on this land. Now I suggest you get the hell out of here before I lose my temper,” he rasped.

“You said this was going to be easy, Mr. Talbot,” one of the men riding with the posse complained. “I ain’t gonna trade shots with Desperado Jones.”

The other two men shifted uncomfortably, eyeing Logan with misgivings. “Ain’t a man alive can outdraw Desperado Jones,” the second man said. “I don’t need money that bad. I’m getting the hell outta here while I still can.”

“Stay where you are,” Calvin snarled. “The first man to turn tail and run gets a bullet in his back.”

“If either of the Talbots even look like they’re going to shoot at you, they’ll leave here in a casket,” Logan said in a voice that would have frightened a ghost from his grave. “This is between the Talbots and me. They’ve been trying to get rid of me ever since I refused to do their dirty work for them. If I were you, I’d ride back to town while you still can.”

That was all the three men had to hear. None of them had anything against Desperado Jones. Hell, they admired the man. They just happened to be hard up for money. Without a backward glance, they spurred their mounts and rode away.

When Calvin raised his gun as if to shoot, Logan said, “Shoot and you’re a dead man.”

“Damn you!” Calvin ranted. “Why did you have to come along and ruin everything? If not for you, Tate would be married to Chloe and this land would be his. The land no longer matters, now. This is a personal vendetta between you and me, Jones.”

“He’s mine, Pa,” Tate claimed. “He took my woman.”

“I was never yours, Tate!” Chloe exclaimed as she joined Logan on the porch. “You took me by force and taught me to loathe all men. Thank God for Logan. He showed me what love could be like between a man and a woman. You’re nothing but an animal.”

Tate charged at Chloe, forgetting Logan in his eagerness to punish her. “You bitch! You liked it and you know it. I gave you exactly what you wanted.”

All of a sudden Tate was looking down the barrel of a six-shooter that was loaded, cocked and ready to fire. He skidded to a halt, his eyes bulging in fear. “You ain’t gonna shoot me, are you?”

“I’m tempted,” Logan said. “If I ever hear you say anything bad about Chloe again, I’ll come gunning for you. Do I make myself clear?”

“You can’t threaten me,” Tate said with false bravado.

“I just did.”

“Do something, Pa. You’re the mayor.”

“What happened to your brave town marshal?” Logan asked. “My guess is that he was afraid to come out here to face me.”

“He’s a coward,” Calvin spat. “Just like my son and all the other men in this town. You haven’t heard the last from me, Desperado Jones.”

“You’re talking to the wrong man,” Logan said. “My name is Logan Ralston, and don’t you forget it. Now get on your horses and ride. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t come back.”

“Company,” Chloe announced, pointing to a pair of riders cantering down the road. It wasn’t until they reached the gate that she recognized one of the men. “It’s Randy!”

Suddenly men began spilling out from the bunk-house. “It’s Randy,” Cory cried, waving his hand in greeting. “We saw him from the window. Who’s that with him?”

Logan grinned. Randy couldn’t have picked a better time to arrive. Not that he needed help. He had the situation well in hand. From the corner of his eye he saw Calvin and Tate edge toward their horses.

“Oh, no, you don’t. You’re not going anywhere until Randy gets here with the Ranger.”