The Brides of Chance Collection (38 page)

After lighting the lantern, the woman, whose slightly graying hair was pinned neatly into a bun at the nape of her neck, smiled. “Well, I brung you some extra blankets. I set ’em over there in the corner. Wish I could offer you some dry clothes, but my only other dress is wet, too.”

Alisa smiled. “I appreciate all you’ve done. You’ve been very kind.”

The woman flushed. “Ain’t no more’n anyone else woulda done. Yer welcome to stay ’til it’s safe to travel in this mud.” She glanced at Amos. “If you’d like to follow me to the house, I can spare a fresh shirt of my husband’s.”

A grin stretched Amos’s mouth. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Resisting the urge to beg her to stay, Alisa watched the woman slip through the barn door with Amos on her heels.

Bart moaned from his bed of hay at the end of the barn. Amos refused to allow even Bart to stay in the house. “I’m in charge now,” he boasted. “Bart ain’t gettin’ no soft bed if I ain’t.”

Alisa hadn’t reminded him that he’d had his chance for a real bed and turned it down. She didn’t want to encourage his memory as to the real reason he was sleeping in the barn.

She lifted a blanket from the stack and spread it over Bart’s shivering body. If they could have built a fire, she would have insisted he get out of the wet clothes, but again, no sense giving Amos any ideas.

She sat back against the wall and watched Bart’s white face and trembling body. He needed a doctor. Had the horse’s landing on him injured more than just his leg? He’d begun to awaken by the time their hosts had begun the task of setting the leg, and the woman had offered laudanum, which Alisa had encouraged. Now Bart slept and didn’t have to endure the pain.

It was almost certain that Amos would leave him behind. She prayed the five-hundred-dollar reward would be enough to discourage Amos from keeping her captive. She stood on legs wobbly from the day’s ride. Why hadn’t she snuck out when Amos left? Hurrying toward the door, she paused only a minute to grab an extra blanket. Heart in her throat, she reached the door and flung it open. She stepped into the night. She gasped as Amos’s stubbly face loomed in front of her like something from a nightmare.

“Get back inside,” he ordered.

Silently she obeyed, tentacles of fear clutching her belly.

“You know what I want, girlie. And Bart ain’t in no position to keep me from it.”

“Amos, please,” she croaked, backing up. “Don’t do this.”

“Save yer breath,” he snarled. In a flash, he grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly to him. Alisa fought wildly, flailing her hands and feet. She screamed. Amos clamped his hand over her mouth. She twisted and shook her head until his hand slipped enough for her to bite down.

“Yeow!” His hand came up in a terrifying moment.

She saw the sheer hatred in his eyes just before his hand slammed into her face and pain exploded in the side of her head.

Chapter 16

T
itus heard the gut-wrenching cry tear from his throat as though it came from outside his body. The sight of that filthy, foul man touching Alisa, manhandling her, attempting to violate her, was more than his very soul could take. Everything in him wanted to draw his pistol and shoot, but he couldn’t take a chance on harming Alisa.

He rushed forward and clamped down on Amos’s coat with both hands and, with strength he didn’t know he possessed, flung him away from Alisa and onto the ground. Titus grabbed his gun from his holster and pointed it toward Amos, using all of his control to refrain from squeezing the trigger and sending a bullet into the man’s skull.

A stream of profanity flew from the outlaw’s mouth, fouling the air as much as his stench.

“Get out of the way, Alisa,” Titus ordered and, from the corner of his eye, noted that she backed toward the other side of the barn.

Amos quickly regained his footing and started to go for his gun.

“I wouldn’t,” Titus warned. “Real slow-like. Take the gun out and toss it this way.”

Keeping his hate-filled eyes fixed on Titus, Amos reached for his gun and eased it out of the holster. “I shoulda killed you the night I took this Colt off of you.”

“Probably,” Titus replied, matching him sneer for sneer.

“Bart, no!”

At Alisa’s scream, Titus’s world slowed its spinning. Just as Titus turned to the woman he loved, he saw Amos lunge from the corner of his eye.

Horror filled Alisa, and she made a dash for Bart. She kicked at his arm as hard as she could. Gunfire filled the barn as his pistol flew from his hand. He hollered and reached for her, but she jumped back in time to avoid his massive hand.

The sound of Titus’s grunt brought her about, a sense of dread knifing into her gut. He lay on the ground, Amos stretched sideways across him.

She rushed to his side. He pushed at Amos’s lifeless body. “Help me get him off of me,” Titus said.

She helped him roll Amos aside. “You killed him, Titus. I’m so sorry.” Her heart nearly broke for him at the necessity of taking a man’s life.

He took her into his arms and held her tight, as though clinging to life. “I didn’t,” he whispered against her hair. “I would shoot him to protect you. But I didn’t fire my gun. I didn’t have time.”

Frowning, Alisa pulled away. “What do you mean?” Then she turned to Bart as realization dawned. “You shot your partner?”

Bart grimaced. “I’d rather take my chances in jail than be at the mercy of that snake.”

“I—I thought you were trying to shoot Titus.”

He responded with silence, his eyes closed.

Alisa turned in Titus’s arms. “Are you all right?”

“I am now. Did they hurt you?”

Heat rose to her cheeks. “No.”

“Praise the Lord.”

The barn door opened, and Mr. Meyers stood, rifle in hand, ready to defend his home. “What’s going on in here?”

Titus quickly explained the situation. Mrs. Meyers slipped her arm around Alisa’s shoulders. “I could just kick myself for not following my instincts. I knew a sweet young thing like you wouldn’t take up with the likes of those vermin.”

“It’s all right,” Alisa assured her. “But if you don’t mind, I will accept the hospitality of your extra bed.”

“Of course.” She bustled Alisa inside while the men tended to Amos’s body.

They spent the next four days waiting for the rain to stop and the ground to firm up enough for safe travel. Alisa avoided time alone with Titus as much as possible. She knew by his possessiveness that he considered their future sealed. But the fact still remained that she had to turn herself in and hope for God’s justice to prevail. Otherwise she would never have a life with Titus. But she didn’t bother to tell him. She knew it wouldn’t do any good.

On the morning of the fifth day, he found her on the front porch enjoying a glorious pink and blue sunrise. He slipped his arm about her waist and pulled her against his side. A sigh escaped her as she gave herself to the moment and rested her head on his shoulder.

“This is just the first of many sunrises we’ll share,” he said, his voice wrought with emotion and longing.

Oh, how she wished that were true. And it could be, but only if God willed. First she had to take care of anything that might cause them or their children harm.

Titus shifted, and Alisa raised her head from his shoulder. He turned her to face him, his hands warm on her arms. “Alisa,” he said, capturing her gaze with blue pools filled with love. “I want to talk to you about something…ask you…”

Her heart lurched, and she quickly pressed a finger to his lips. “Now isn’t the time.”

Disappointment evident in his features, he dropped his hands and nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Are you going for the sheriff or taking Bart in?”

“I’ve been working on a travois to carry him. That way he can lie down, and the horse can drag him along behind. I don’t want to burden the Meyers with him until the law picks him up.”

“It’s probably for the best.”

“I plan to leave this morning. But I’ve already spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Meyers, and they’d be pleased to have you stay on until I come back. I’m leaving Logan’s horse as well as Raven here. San Francisco is only a few hours away. It’ll take me a little longer, having to go slow so as not to cause Bart any more pain—not that he doesn’t deserve it.”

“You’re considerate,” she said softly. “God must love that about you.”

Tenderness softened his features. He reached out and trailed a line from her cheekbone to her jaw. “There are so many things God must love about you, I can’t even begin to name them all.” He stepped closer, and Alisa had neither the strength nor the desire to protest as he pulled her to him. He pressed his forehead to hers. “There are so many things I love about you, too,” he whispered. “So many things.”

She took in the wonder of his gaze sweeping over her face as though he were memorizing every contour. His mouth settled on hers, and before she could summon a thought, Alisa felt his lips on hers, warm and so very soft. His tenderness brought tears to Alisa’s eyes. How she loved this man. She allowed herself the sweetness of his embrace, and in that moment, for the first time in her life, she felt cherished.

Titus pulled away, and concern filled his eyes. “You’re crying.”

She nodded, unable to speak for the emotion clogging her throat. He pulled her into his embrace once more. Cupping her head, he pressed it against his shoulder. She was so relieved that he didn’t demand an explanation for the tears. Didn’t condemn himself unnecessarily for kissing her. It was as though he understood her feelings, understood she was overwhelmed with all the events of the past months that had led to this moment—the moment she understood once and for all that she was precious and worthy of the love of a good man. And of the love of God as He’d displayed time and again, watching over her with loving care, guiding her to the people who would be His hands to her.

She wrapped her arms around Titus’s waist and snuggled into his warmth. They remained locked in a tender embrace until the smells of frying bacon and brewing coffee wafted onto the porch, serving as a reminder that the world didn’t belong only to them.

Titus blinked at the sheriff, fearing for a moment he hadn’t fully understood the wonderful words coming from the man’s gravelly throat. After delivering the outlaws, one dead, one alive, to the sheriff, Titus had been compelled to ask about Alisa. Now, faced with the answer, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean Alisa Worthington isn’t wanted for murder?”

“Already told you. The old lady weren’t murdered. Doc says her heart gave out. She hit her head on the way down.”

“Then why would Alisa have thought she was wanted?”

The sheriff gave a heavy sigh and leaned his chair back on two legs. He laced his fingers over an ample gut and frowned in concentration. “If memory serves, it had something to do with the old lady’s son accusing the girl. Seems she was holding on to Miz Worthington when the lady died. The whole thing was a mite confusing if you ask me.”

“How so?”

“Seems the girl was raised an orphan…” The sheriff launched into the tale, his story matching the one Alisa had shared with him. But then he continued, “Miz Worthington left her big, fancy house and all her money—loads of it—to the girl. That son of hers gets most of the shipping company, which will bring him enough to be one of the richest men in town, but he wants it all. I guess that’s why he offered the reward for the girl.”

Trying to assimilate the information that Alisa was now a wealthy young woman, Titus pressed his fists to the desk and leaned forward. “Do you think he intends her harm to get his hands on her inheritance?”

The sheriff dismissed the concern with the shake of his head. “Naw. He’s not dumb enough to do that. I figure he’s going to try to talk her out of it.”

Fury ignited Titus at the thought of this man trying to weasel Alisa’s inheritance from her.

“Where can I find this Robert Worthington?”

The sheriff eyed him. “I don’t want no trouble.”

“Neither do I. But it just so happens that I’m in love with his daughter and plan on marrying her as soon as I get back home. I just want to see that he cancels the reward for her return. I don’t want to be constantly looking over my shoulder, afraid some lowlife like Bart is going to try to take my wife away.”