Steven walked fast, the climb up the hill to the city arduous, but he didn’t allow the steep incline to slow his steps. When a wagon pulled up, he hopped on, grateful to the drunken miner making his way back to town. Didn’t take but a moment to convince the miner to turn over the reins. Steven commandeered the wagon and drove the team hard and fast. They made it to C Street quickly and Steven jumped down, a swift thank you on his lips.
Once Steven entered Rainbow House, he barked rapid orders in succession, bringing the women out from their rooms to greet him in the main parlor.
“Marcus, saddle up a horse for me and bring me a rifle. Mother and Ruby, alert the sheriff that Boone Shaw’s killer is at my ranch. He’s after Glory and I’m heading out to stop him. Emmie and Carmen, bring any medical supplies you have to the ranch tonight.”
“Steven,” Lorene’s eyes went wide. “You look worse than death. What’s happened? And who needs doctoring?”
“Ned Shaw tried to kill me and now he’s after Glory. And if I have my say, Shaw’s going to need doctoring if he lays one hand on her. There’s no time to explain.”
Marcus returned shortly, his ruddy face flushed, his forehead sweating. He handed him the Winchester. “Take my horse. She’s saddled up and ready, she is.”
“You go with him, Marcus,” Lorene demanded.
“Aye, ma’am. That I will. But it’ll take me a while to get a horse from the livery at this hour.”
Steven nodded. “I can’t wait. I’ve got to go.”
“Be careful, son,” Lorene said to him.
Steven couldn’t stop long enough to assure his
mother that he’d be all right. He had enough trouble assuring himself that he’d make it to the ranch in time to save Glory. The hell of it was, too much time had passed already. Shaw might already have reached the ranch…and Glory.
Emmie and Carmen had gathered the supplies. “We’ll take the buggy and be there as soon as we can.”
Steven left them all to their tasks and rode off into the night, praying he wasn’t too late. He’d already had his share of lucky breaks today. Could he possibly hold out for one more?
Steven rode his horse hard, his nerves raw. Each time he reached a landmark, the sugar pines just outside of town, a meadow of poppies yet to bloom or every bend in the road he’d banked in his memory, he became more alert, more anxious. Minutes seemed to stretch into hours and finally, he reached his property.
Steven thought to sneak up on his ranch house, but decided he didn’t have the luxury of time. Instead, he pushed forward and reined in his horse once he’d reached the front of his house.
He dismounted and lifted the rifle, certain that Shaw had already found Glory. Black Cloud was tethered outside and had been ridden hard.
Hidden by darkness, Steven peered into the parlor window, seeing only shadows dancing across the walls. Someone was in the bedroom. His mind shut down, refusing distressing thoughts to filter in. He entered the house carefully by the front door, noting that Buddy, the watchdog, slept on the sofa. His luck was holding. If the dog started yapping, he’d lose the
element of surprise. Moving through the shadows he managed to make his way farther inside the room.
And then he saw Glory.
With her back to him, there was no mistaking that she was half-naked, wearing nothing more than a slip of material.
And he heard Shaw’s menacing voice telling Glory to get on the bed.
Steven didn’t hesitate. He couldn’t imagine Shaw touching Glory, not even for a second. He burst through the opened doorway, rifle drawn and ready to fire. “You move and you’re a dead man.”
Steven didn’t know who had been the most shocked. Shaw’s jaw dropped just as his hands lifted up in surrender. Glory’s face beamed with both surprise and amazement. And Steven, well, he couldn’t believe Glory held Shaw at gunpoint. The woman pointed the army revolver at her assailant with vigilance and only when he’d come bursting into the room had her hand wavered from the target slightly.
Steven kept his rifle trained on Shaw, but walked over to stand beside Glory, making a quick assessment of her well-being out of the corner of his eye. “You okay, Glory?”
“Oh, Steven,” she breathed, “he told me you were dead.”
“He tried his damnedest. I’m not that easy to kill, I suppose.”
“Thank the Lord for that,” Glory said, casting him a shaky smile.
“There’s enough gold and silver in that claim for all of us,” Shaw declared.
Steven focused his full attention on Shaw. “Not enough in the entire Comstock Lode as far as I’m
concerned. You’re going to jail. The sheriff is on his way. Get a rope, Glory. I’ll tie him up while he writes out a confession.”
“I’m not confessing to nothing.”
“I’m an eyewitness to Boone’s death,” Glory said. “And I remember now how you tried to kill me.”
Steven knew then that Glory’s memory had returned. The horror he’d tried to shelter her from had come back. He’d seen it by the stark look on her face, the trembling of her body.
“Get that rope, Glory. Confession or not, he’s going away for a long time.”
Within minutes, Shaw had been tied up, Glory had gotten dressed and the sheriff had arrived with Marcus.
“He’s all yours, Roy,” Steven said, leading the sheriff into the bedroom. “He killed Boone Shaw, and after beating Glory, left her to die in that fire, framing her for the murder. He tried his hand at killing me tonight, too.”
Sheriff Brimley nodded, taking his prisoner out. Marcus heaved Shaw up onto a horse, belly down. But Brimley left his prisoner with Marcus to return to the house.
“I’d like a word with you, privately.”
Steven glanced at Glory. She nodded, letting him know she was all right. He hated leaving her for a second, but knew that soon, he’d have to give her up for a lifetime.
“Out by the barn,” Steven said and the two strode in that direction.
“I know what this is about, Roy,” Steven said as he stopped up short of the barn door.
Roy Brimley took his hat off to scratch his head. “You had her all along, didn’t you?”
“Yep.”
“Even though you knew she was wanted for questioning. Now, that’s a real obstruction of justice, Steven. Don’t know as to how I can overlook it.”
“Arrest me if you will, but I’d do it all the same if I had to.”
Roy’s graying brows lifted. “That so?”
Steven nodded. “She was beaten so badly at first, then she couldn’t recall anything. Ned had it rigged to make it look like she killed her husband. What kind of chance would she have had if I turned her in? She appeared guilty…even to me. But Roy, if you’d seen the brutality she suffered, you’d have done the same thing. Turns out, Ned was the one who’d beaten her. She’s as innocent as a young foal.”
Roy’s mouth twisted. “I have a duty to see justice done.”
“This is justice. The killer’s been caught and an innocent woman has been set free.”
“You duped me.”
“Not intentionally. I was protecting Glory, is all.”
The sheriff narrowed his eyes. “Hmmm. You going to marry her?”
Steven’s heart lurched. If only things had been different between them. But Glory had a new life to live. Making a fresh start was what she seemed to want. He’d gotten the clear message that she thought marrying him would be a mistake. “I believe the lady has other plans.”
Sheriff Brimley jammed his hat back on his head. “You did a good thing for her, even though you should have trusted in the law. And I suppose losing
a woman like Gloria Mae is punishment enough.” There was nothing but regret in his tone. “I’m letting you go, but I’m not happy about it. Not one bit.”
Steven gave the sheriff a slow nod, his admiration for the lawman growing. “I appreciate it.”
Steven’s luck was holding. Glory was safe, they were both alive and he wouldn’t be arrested for hiding her. He bid farewell to the sheriff, thanked Marcus for his help and watched the wagon make its way down the road, carting Ned Shaw off to jail.
Steven entered the house, took one look at a clearly shaken Glory and immediately took her into his arms. He held her tight, breathing in her scent, nuzzling his face in her silky hair. “It’s over now, sweetheart.”
“I can’t believe I’m really free.”
“Believe it,” Steven said, keeping regret from his tone. Glory had stayed with him only a short time because she’d been hiding out from both Shaw and the law. The danger had passed. He had no claim on her any longer. That realization ate at him fiercely.
“Thank you, Steven. For all you’ve done for me.” She stepped back for a moment to look him over. Her light-blue gaze traveled over the length of him and once satisfied that aside from a few cuts and bruises, Steven had escaped the ordeal unscathed, Glory whispered softly, “You almost died tonight, because of me. I’ll never be able to repay you.”
“There’s no—”
The door burst open just then and Carmen and Emmie appeared. They rushed into the house to greet them.
“You’re all right,” Emmie said, her voice jubilant. “We ran into the sheriff on the road. He told us how
Glory caught Shaw, pointed a gun right at the scoundrel’s heart.”
Glory embraced her friends. “Oh, it’s good to see you!”
“We did not know what to think,” Carmen began, after they’d all hugged sufficiently, “when Steven showed up at Rainbow House. We feared the worst. Thank God, He heard my prayers. You are both safe.”
“Yes, yes. We are both safe,” Glory agreed, tears of joy spilling down her face. “Steven saved my life.”
Steven smiled, though his gut was in turmoil. He knew his time with Glory was limited. “Glory had everything under control. She held on, capturing Shaw all on her own.”
“I did, didn’t I?” She asked, as though just making that realization. “He told me he’d killed Steven.”
A look of pain marred her face. She cast him the smallest of smiles. “I’m so glad you’re alive, Steven. My life wouldn’t be worth much if I’d caused your death.” She peered at the girls again. “That’s when I came up with the plan. I, um, had to get Ned into the bedroom.”
“You mean you coaxed him into the bedroom?” Emmie asked, her eyes taking on a bright light.
“Perhaps she has learned something from the Rainbow girls after all, no?”
Carmen’s comment put a scowl on Steven’s face. The reason for Glory’s state of undress had become clear. She’d been the one to initiate the false seduction.
Glory glanced at him with trepidation. “Um, yes.
I—that’s where the gun was hidden. Under the mattress.”
“You shouldn’t have taken such a chance,” Steven admonished, his hands balling up into two fists. Glory had gone to extreme means to catch Shaw, but if he had gotten even the slightest jump on her, her fate would have been much different.
“I didn’t have much choice. But I would have died first, before letting that man touch me.”
Steven winced at both the thought of Glory dying and the thought of Shaw… “I would have killed him myself.” He spoke softly, but with deadly intent.
Carmen and Emmie glanced at each other and decided at that moment to make a swift departure. “Well, we’re glad you’re both unharmed. But we have to report back to Lorene. Steven, I’m sure your mother is sick with worry,” Emmie said.
Both women hugged Glory once again and he walked them out. “Thank you for coming. Glad we didn’t need those medical supplies.”
“
Si,
we are also glad. Glory will stay with you now, no?” Carmen asked.
Steven swallowed down hard. Glory wouldn’t need him. She was free and safe to do as she pleased. And the sooner she left, the sooner they’d both be able to get on with their lives. Steven shook his head. “Doubtful, Carmen. I plan on taking her back to Virginia City tomorrow.”
Both Carmen and Emmie frowned, but kept silent.
“Tell my mother I’m fine. I’ll try to come see her soon.”
The women drove off in the buggy and he returned to the house. He was finally alone with Glory.
For their last night together.
Exhausted, Glory struggled with all that went on tonight. She sat quietly on her bed with Buddy on her lap, contemplating all that she might have lost this evening. Her life, for one. And Steven’s. She’d be eternally grateful that Steven had survived the explosion and cave-in that might have killed him. She would never have recovered from his death. Her conscience wouldn’t allow it. His loss would have shattered her.
She cared for Steven more than any other man she’d ever known yet, she still didn’t know what was in her heart. She struggled constantly with her own lack of trust and faith. She had trouble forgiving. And most of all, she’d never known true freedom. She’d never been on her own before. Being the daughter of a minister had its drawbacks. So much had been expected of her. So much had been thrust upon her as a child and then as a young woman. Glory hadn’t really known her own mind. She followed dutifully in her father’s footsteps and then tried hard to be a devoted wife. This was her one chance to get it right.
She heard a sound and when she looked up she found Steven standing in the doorway watching her. He leaned against the door and tilted his head. “You ready to head back to Virginia City tomorrow?”
Glory stared into Steven’s eyes. He’d shut himself off from her, the look he cast her, unreadable. “Father had a small home near the church. No one lives there now.”
She’d been thinking about this for a time. The home had been part of the church grounds and when her father died, another minister had moved in. But to her knowledge, he’d only lasted in Virginia City
for six months before moving on to a more sedate town in Colorado. The colorful trappings of Virginia City posed a challenge for many, the town being far different than most. With rowdy miners, dozens of brothels and saloons on every street and a lack of decent women, it took a special kind of clergyman to heed the call. Jonathan Caldwell had been just that kind of man. Ultimately, and unfortunately, that trait had led to his demise.
Steven nodded. “I’ll take you back first thing.”
Glory stood, bringing Buddy up with her. She clutched him close to her chest. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“I know, Glory. I know.”
Their eyes met and held a long, long moment.