The Outrider (Redbourne Series #5 - Will's Story) (24 page)

“Two, sir?” Now, Will was really confused.

“I ran into your brother, Levi, over at the train
depot not an hour ago. He just got in with that pretty little lady of his.
Looks like there will be another Redbourne in the world soon enough,” he said
with a chuckle.

Levi’s in town?

Will hadn’t seen his brother since Christmas.

“Wait, did you say Cadence is expecting?”

“Not in so many words, but I do believe she is.
You didn’t know?”

“No.”

An uncle
. A smile spread wide across Will’s face. He was
going to be an uncle!

“Well, I wish you luck with your future, young
man.” He handed Will an envelope, which he guessed contained payment for the
run.

“Thank you, Mr. Danvers.”

The man stood up and joined the rest of them at
the stage, followed by his guards.

Will pulled his horse around to see what had made
Ellis so confident that the bankroll had not been lost.

The man climbed up into the driver’s box. When he
pulled a metal lever, carefully absconded beneath the seat, the entire bench
swung open on large metal coil hinges. Will watched as the front panel at the
back of the box gave way, revealing a secret compartment at the back of the
driver’s box, ornately decorated and keenly disguised.

Ellis pulled out several large cream-colored
sacks and handed them down to the guards. When the last of the bags had been
retrieved, the stagecoach driver shut the compartment with a satisfied grin. He
worked his way down from the stage, shook Mr. Danvers’ hand, and turned with a
wink.

Clever.

The job was done.

Now, he just needed to see the ladies off to the
train station, make sure they could exchange their tickets, and then, if he
could find his brother, he would forgo the night in Kansas City and head back
to Stone Creek today with Levi, assuming that was where they were headed.

He dismounted, walked over to the stage, and
opened the door. Caspar came bounding out with a gleeful bark as she ran
circles around him in the gravelly dirt.

“Ladies,” Will said, tapping the brim of his hat.

Albert looked up at him, his brows squished
together and his face scrunched into a scowl.

“And gentleman,” he added, nodding at Albert.

The boy’s face brightened immediately and he
hopped down out of the travelling compartment to chase after his dog.

Will raised a hand to help Gertrude down, then
Opal. When Elizabeth came to the door, she hesitated before slipping her hand
into his. He swallowed hard at her touch. He hadn’t expected the warmth that
radiated from his belly into his chest by merely holding her hand.

“Miss Elizabeth,” he said a little more huskily
than he’d intended.

“Mr. Redbourne,” she responded as she stepped
down onto the ground. She looked up at him for a while before he realized he
had neglected to release her hand.

“My apologies, ma’am. Are you ready to head over
to the train station?”

“I suppose I am as ready as I will ever be,” she
said quietly.

“I thought you’d like to know that the next train
leaves at one-thirty, which should give us plenty of time to get your tickets
exchanged.”

“Thank you.”

Ellis was on top of the stage tossing down the
ladies’ luggage. When he picked up Elizabeth’s satchel, he pitched it down to
Will with a satisfied
humphhh
.

“Can I walk with you, ma’am?” he asked.

“Suit yourself,” she said, reaching for her bag.

“I’ve got it.” He turned away from her enough
that her satchel was out of reach.

“Why, Mr. Redbourne, if I didn’t know any better,
I would say that you think me incapable of carrying my own luggage.”

“Well, I’d hardly call this luggage, Miss Archer,
but I think you are very capable of doing whatever you put your mind to.”

He smiled at the color that crept into her
cheeks.

Crash!

He looked over at Paulie who was trying to
balance several large luggage cases in his arms.

“Excuse me a moment.” He ran over to help the man
get organized.

“Here, gentlemen, maybe this will be of
assistance.” Mr. Danvers pulled up in a small, four-seated horse-drawn cart,
stepped out, and proceeded to help load the women’s baggage into the back.”

Will smiled at the man’s timing. He could see how
Mr. Danvers and his father would be friends. “Thank you again, sir.”

“Of course. And, Mr. Redbourne, if you ever
change your mind about getting back into the ring, you look me up.” He tucked a
card into Will’s front pocket.

Elizabeth looked up at him, her eyes and mouth
wide. Then, as quickly as the horrified expression had come, anger flashed
through her eyes and she marched down the road that led to the train. Alone.

What just happened?

All of the reasons Elizabeth had left London came
flooding back into her mind.

“Elizabeth, wait,” Will called from behind her.

She plodded forward, unable to stop her feet from
moving one after the other. She wanted to run, to get away, but something
inside of her would not allow that. She stopped cold and spun on her heel to
face him.

Will nearly plowed into her, but stopped just
short, his horse nearly running them both down. He stood mere inches from her,
his chest rising and falling with quick, labored breaths.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” he asked,
readjusting the reins in his hands.

“I…”

Why was she so angry? It wasn’t Will’s fault that
he was a talented boxer.

“I…” she started again. She looked up into his
face, his eyes searching hers as if to understand, and the anger seemed to melt
away to acceptance. “I have a train to catch,” she said quietly, turning back
around and taking another step toward the station.

“What happened back there? We were being civil
and then Mr. Danvers…Ah,” he said as if he’d just received the answers to his
questions. “Does this have anything to do with…your father?”

She paused, turned to look at him, then started
walking again.

“It has everything to do with my father.” She
breathed out a heavy sigh. “I left home to get away from that life. Away from
the man who nearly had you killed.” She choked on the last word, then pondered
for a moment what more she should say. “Can I ask
you
a question?”

“I’m an open book,” Will said with a smile.

“What happened between last night and this
morning that made you so angry with me? Then, what happened to make you not
angry with me anymore? See,” she said, placing her hands on her hips, “hard to
understand.”

Will slowed his pace, stretched his neck backward
for a moment, and shoved his free hand into his pocket.

“Not so hard, really. I found the photograph of
you and your family.”

“And you saw Thom and my father. That’s how you
knew who I was.” She nodded, understanding finally dawning on her.

“I thought that after the way I left things,
maybe he’d sent you to do some of his dirty work, or that maybe you were here
for some type of revenge.”

She didn’t know whether or not she should take
offense to the comment. She kept her eyes focused on the road ahead of them. “My
brother’s predicament was one of his own making. I still can’t believe they
tried to force you to throw a fight.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry about what
they did.”

He shrugged. “I’m sorry too. The last thing I
wanted to do was hurt Thom, but…”

“It was him or you.”

“Exactly. I’m glad you understand.”

“And, what changed your mind about me?”

He thought for a moment. “You gave Albert that
dog.”

Elizabeth glanced behind them at the little boy
and Caspar running around together behind them.

“I knew at that moment you wouldn’t be capable of
doing half of the things I’d imagined.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes.
Elizabeth couldn’t blame him for the things he’d thought. Her father was the
head of an organization fraternizing in illegal gambling and alcohol
distribution, along with many other shady dealings. She’d been so naïve for so
long.

“You did me a favor, Mr. Redbourne.” She turned
to look up at him. “Back in England.” She returned her gaze to the road. “I was
blind to what my father and brother were doing. I think that Jeremy, my brother
just younger than Thom, tried to protect me when he left. He must have known what
was going on and didn’t want any part of that life. He tried to take me with
him, but I didn’t understand at the time. I just thought he wanted to try
something new and I didn’t want to leave my fancy clothes or the luxuries that
were at my command,” she admitted.

“And yet, here you are on your way to marry some
preacher in Silver Falls. Colorado. In the middle of nowhere. With few luxuries
and fewer fancy clothes.”

She opened her mouth feigning shock. “How did you
know he is a preacher?”

Will smiled, but did not respond.

“I learned the truth about my father and what he
was doing the night you put Thom in hospital. The curtain was pulled back and I
was forced to recognize what I unwittingly had been a part of, but I am most
ashamed that I’d let myself be so ignorant at the expense of others. It took me
a long time to accept, but I finally realized that everything I had, the fancy
life I knew, had come from the literal blood and sweat of an endless number of
fighters and innocent men and women whose loved ones had gotten caught up in my
family’s schemes.”

“Did you know that there is a reward for your
safe return to England?”

“I wish I could say I was surprised. I was
‘daddy’s little girl’ and I did what he asked of me. Wait,” she said, pulling
back to look at him, “you’re not thinking of turning me in, are you?” She was
half playing, half serious.

He looked at her, a cross between hurt and
disbelief playing over his features.

She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt for the
man, but now it was somehow more than the girlish infatuation she’d had for him
before.

“Your father will never find you because of me.”

“Do you think me a terrible person?”

He stopped.

She stopped, biting the inside of her lip as she
waited for his response.

“I think you were very brave, coming to America
all alone because you wanted a better life. And I don’t mean with ‘fancy
clothes and luxuries,’ but a good, honest life.”

Elizabeth smiled. In the beginning she’d thought
it would be impossible, but now…

Hissing steam released into the air and the
chugging sound of an arriving train sounded with methodic rhythm. She’d hardly
noticed the time as they covered the distance to the station.

“Thank you, Will. I have wanted to tell you that
for a long time and I never thought I would have the chance. I did not want to
leave without taking advantage of the opportunity.” She held out her hand for
her satchel. “Who would have guessed that I would have tried to find my place
in the same little town where you grew up?”

Will strapped Indy to the hitching post just
outside of the depot and pulled the watch from his vest pocket. “We still have
another half hour before you need to be on the train. Can I buy you some
lunch?” he asked, pointing to a small café at the edge of the station.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Redbourne.” She held out
her hand to him, this time to shake his. “I’d rather not press my luck. Seems
it has not been with us since we left Stone Creek.”

“I thought we’d gotten past all that
Mr.
Redbourne
nonsense.”

“Goodbye…Will.”

“When are you coming back, Miss Archer?” Albert
ran up to stand beside Will.

“Albert,” Elizabeth said as she bent down to him,
“remember your promise to keep Caspar safe?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. You listen to Mr. Redbourne and do exactly
as he tells you, all right?”

“Yes, ma’am, but…I think you should stay.”

“And why is that, Albert?” she asked, unable to
keep the smile of being wanted off her face.

“Because Will loves you.”

Will choked and pounded on his chest to stop from
coughing.

Butterflies filled her belly and she stood up
straight, daring a glance over at Will.

“Mr. Redbourne and I are friends, and friends,
Albert…care about each other. But sometimes, we have to say goodbye to the
people we care about. At least for a little while. Do you understand?”

“Not really. Grownups are hard to understand
sometimes.” He wriggled his nose and rubbed the tip with the back of his hand.

Will and Elizabeth looked at each other and
laughed.

Caspar barked.

Elizabeth dropped down on her haunches again and
scratched the dog behind her ears before leaning forward and kissing the pup on
the head. “Goodbye, girl,” she whispered.

“We’re gonna miss you a whole lot, ma’am,” Albert
said, moving to stand next to her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Don’t
worry, I’ll take care of him until you get back.”

Elizabeth was about to correct the boy and remind
him that Caspar was a girl, until she realized that he was referring to Will.

“I’m sure you will, Albert.” She stood up, meeting
Will’s eyes again. She could get lost in those eyes.

Snap out of it, Elizabeth!

She dipped her head and took a step toward the
ticket office, then spoke one last thought to the man who’d unknowingly given
her everything. “You’re a good and decent man, Will Redbourne. I hope you get
what you’re looking for out of your life. I wish you the very best of
everything.”

He waved with a half-hearted jerk of his raised
hand.

She smiled.

She regretted that she hadn’t had more walks like
this with him where there were no misunderstandings or secrets between them.
That she hadn’t gotten to know the things he wanted out of life, but it was for
the best. She needed to focus on her future and that was with Pastor Adam
MacKenzie. With the handle of her satchel in both hands, she stepped up onto
the platform.

Denver, Colorado, departs at one-thirty,
the sign read. She
nodded her head and stepped up to the ticket office to exchange her train
voucher for the next departure.

Once she had the new ticket in hand, Elizabeth
sat down on a bench on the main platform and waited. She glanced up at the
ornate black clock at the center of the boardwalk and exhaled. She still had
fifteen minutes before they would start boarding.

One-thirty.

“Will?” a familiar voice called out and he spun
around to see his older brother, one of the twins, all dressed up in fancy duds
striding purposefully toward him.

“Levi!” He closed the distance, meeting him half
way and embracing the man heartily. “Mr. Danvers from the land office told me
he’d run into you and Cadence down here this morning. I didn’t know you were
coming home.”

“I’m afraid it’s only for a short time, little
brother. The railroad has me busier than ever with new lines shooting off from
the main route. We may even get one that will take us all to Montana.”

“Hmhmmm,” a woman cleared her throat from behind
him.

“Will, you remember Cade.” Levi stepped aside to
reveal the most beautiful pregnant woman Will had ever laid eyes on. Her dark,
wavy hair framed her face perfectly and her high cheeks were light and rosy.

“And when were you planning on telling me that I’m
going to be an uncle?” Will asked, his eyes inadvertently resting on Cadence’s
belly. He stepped forward and leaned down to place a kiss on his
sister-in-law’s cheek. “It’s good to see you, Cade.”

She laughed. “I’m still not sure he believes it’s
real.”

Albert tugged on Levi’s pant leg.