Dashing Druid (Texas Druids) (43 page)

Tye shifted in his seat, clearly taken aback. Lil could have told him that her mother, while stubborn and long to hold a grudge, was also a spiritual woman. And although she’d been baptized Christian, she still held many of her Indian ancestors’ beliefs.

“I
feel
things from time to time,” he said cautiously. He caught Lil’s hand when she once more laid it on his shoulder. “’Twas such a feeling that first drew me to Lil.”

“Ah. You saw this as a sign that you were to be together?”

“Aye, though I tried to deny it for a long while, thinking she was far too good for the likes of me. But I couldn’t stay away from her, as ye well know.”

Ma considered his answer and said, “I was wrong to stand between you. You are one of the wise ones. I am honored to welcome you as my daughter’s husband.” Her eyes sparked with sudden humor. “Even though you are Irish and a no-good Yankee.”

Tye truly laughed for the first time since losing his sight, a welcome sound to Lil’s ears. “I’m glad to hear that . . . Rebecca. I hope ye don’t mind me calling ye by your given name.”

Ma nodded her permission. “It is good. And I will call you Tye.”

Lil’s attention was drawn by the sound of Jessie’s heels clicking along the hallway, together with a man’s heavier tread. A moment later she walked into the room followed by Lil’s father. Both wore grim expressions.

“How is Reece?” Ma asked.

“Not good, not good at all.” Pa shook his head. “I don’t expect we’ll see him again.”

Jessie started toward the chair opposite Tye’s but stopped at the sound of thundering hoofbeats. “What on earth?” she muttered, returning to the hall with Lil and her father trailing after her.

“’Tis David and most of our men,” Jessie said, opening the front door.

Lil experienced a sinking feeling in her already nervous stomach. She feared what this turn of events might mean. Stepping out to the porch with her father and Jessie, she waited in dread as David and the other riders drew rein in a confusion of dust and stamping hooves. David jumped off his horse and strode to the house, carrying his carbine.

“Judd Howard’s riding in,” he announced, taking the porch steps two at a time, “and he’s got a half dozen men with him.”

Lil gasped in dismay, then jumped at the touch of a hand on her shoulder. Pivoting, she found Tye standing in the open doorway with her mother beside him, guiding him. In his hand, he carried Reece’s old rifle from above the fireplace.

“The time has come,” he said.

“What are you doing with that gun?” she cried in alarm. “You can’t aim it.”

“I can point it straight ahead of me, though.”

“Tye, let Del and me handle this,” David said. “You’re in no shape to face Howard.”

“Aye, stay inside,” Jessie added. “We’ll tell him you’re hurt and can’t leave your bed.”

“Oh aye? What will ye be telling him the next time he shows up? He won’t believe such excuses for long. And I’ll not be hiding from him. Better to settle this now.”

David stopped Jessie from arguing further. “I want you inside. Round up Nora and little Reece and corral them in our room. And stay there with them.”

“But Tye’s my brother. I can’t just –”

“Jessie, you’re carrying our baby. There’s nothing you can do for Tye and you could get shot. Do like I say. For our children’s sake.”

Looking crestfallen, Jessie nodded and turned to go inside. Lil followed her, slipping past Tye and her mother. Once inside, she left her sister-in-law to collect the children and hurried to the room she’d been sharing with Tye. Moments later, she stepped back outside wearing her gun. Her father was the first to notice. He’d moved the buckboard off to the side and was just climbing the steps, rifle in hand.

“What do you think you’re doing, girl? You’d best take off that gun before Judd and his bunch get here.”

Tye, now standing with David by the porch rail, whirled to face her. He’d ripped off his bandage, she saw, revealing the raw cut across his forehead. “Lily! I won’t have ye fighting my battles!” he roared. “Do as your father says.”

“Not on your tintype, Devlin. I’m standing with you. You can’t tell me different, ’specially when you’re so loco you think you can fire a gun blind.”

“Damnú, woman! I don’t want ye getting killed because of me.” He started toward her – toward the sound of her voice, she realized and quickly sidestepped to avoid him. He snarled in frustration and turned this way and that, reaching, trying to locate her. She continued to evade him. Maybe it was a dirty trick, but she wasn’t about to let him take her gun away.

“Enough!” her mother snapped, grabbing Tye’s outstretched arm. “Daughter, listen to your husband. He only wishes to protect you.”

“No! I’ve got a right to be here. Besides, Judd won’t kill me. He’s like my uncle.”

“Aye? And what of the men riding with him?” Tye demanded. “Will they care who ye are when they see a gun in your hand?”

His question went unanswered. The sound of galloping horses drew everyone’s attention. Seeing Judd Howard at the head of the approaching riders, Lil wondered if she was right about him. Would he, could he, order her killed?

“Rebecca, get in the house,” Pa barked. “Lil, if you’ve got a lick of sense you’ll get inside, too.”

“No!” she repeated, causing her father to shake his head reproachfully.

“Be careful,” her mother said, briefly touching Lil’s cheek before heading into the house.

Tye growled something in Irish, then edged back to the railing and stood pointing his rifle blindly in Judd’s general direction as he rode in. He was followed by six of the meanest looking hombres Lil had ever laid eyes on. Their tied down holsters declared what they were – hired guns. To her surprise, Judd’s older son, Travis, was not with him.

Stationed on either side of the house, David’s ranch hands shifted uneasily, knowing as well as Lil did that they were no match for hardened killers. She hoped to heaven it would not come to a gun battle between them. She didn’t want to see good men die anymore than Tye did.

Reining in, Judd glowered at Lil and her companions, settling his stare on her father. “Del, I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“I hoped I wouldn’t see you, Judd,” Pa replied. “You oughta have listened to me back in Wichita. I told you how it was.”

“Yeah, you told me,” Judd rumbled, plainly not believing his best friend’s account of the gunfight. His gaze shifted to Lil and his blunt features turned hard as stone when she stepped to Tye’s side. His eyes blazed with hatred. “Looks like I finally cornered me a yellow coward,” he snarled.

Tye stiffened at the insult but said nothing. David and his men muttered angry curses. Outraged, Lil didn’t hold back.

“My husband’s no coward!” she shouted.

“Lil, hush!” Tye barked.

Ignoring him, Judd sneered, “I heard yuh got the bastard to the altar. Reckon you enjoyed watching him murder Frank over yuh, too.”

“Damnation, Judd!” Pa shouted.

“How can you say that?” Lil cried. “I never wanted Frank dead. And it was no murder! Your own men were there. They know it was a fair fight.”

“Fair fight, hell! My men were there, all right, and they told me Frank never stood a chance against this damned, possum-playin’ shootist.” He jabbed his thumb toward Tye.

“Yeah, blame Tye just cuz he can handle a gun. But if Frank called him out thinking he’d be easy to kill, then who
really
meant to do murder?” she taunted.

“Shut up! Don’t you bad-mouth my boy!” Judd bellowed. Turning scarlet with rage, he dismounted and stomped toward the porch. His men remained on their horses, coldly watching.

“Judd, don’t be a fool,” Pa growled, rifle at the ready.

“Stop right there,” David ordered in a deadly voice, facing Judd from atop the steps with his carbine pointed straight at the older man’s heart.

Judd stopped in his tracks and glared up at David. “You’d be Taylor, I expect.”

“I am, and I’d advise you to get off my property.”

“My business isn’t finished yet, and it’s not with you.” Over his shoulder, he called, “Boys, step on down.”

David cocked his gun. “The first man who touches ground gets a bullet.”

None of Judd’s gun sharks attempted to dismount, but their hands hovered near their guns. “Boss, you want us to take him down?” one asked. His voice sounded familiar, and Lil realized he was the hard luck cowboy who’d stopped by a week or so back. Dressed all in black now, with his hat shading his eyes, he was hardly recognizable.

“Nay!” Tye shouted. “Howard, you’ve no fight with my brother-in-law or anyone else here but me. David, I’ll ask ye to back off. This is my affair, not yours.”

“Tye, you can’t –” Lil began.

“Lily, you’ve proved your courage. Now, please, stay out of this.”

“I won’t! If you try to shoot that gun you’re a dead man, and you know it.”

“Be quiet, woman!” Gritting his teeth, he turned toward her, keeping his free hand on the railing. “Do as I tell ye and go inside.”

Bent on stopping this before he got killed, Lil did the only thing she could think of. “Who’s gonna make me, you? Ha! You can’t even see me!”

He gave a furious growl and started for her. Stepping aside, she stuck out her foot and tripped him. He cried out in surprise and fell hard, knocking the rifle from his hand. Hearing his grunt of pain and seeing him grab his head, Lil dropped to her knees beside him.

“Oh, Tye, I’m sorry. I had to stop you.” She touched him but he jerked away.

“Damn, girl! He didn’t need another knock on his head,” Pa said, kneeling on the other side of him. “Come on, boy, let me get you up.”

“What the hell is going on?” Judd Howard demanded. “What do you mean he can’t see? Is this some trick you cooked up to make me change my mind about killing him?”

Lil shot to her feet. “It’s no trick! He can’t tell night from day. He’s blind!”

“My daughter was trapped in a cave,” David tersely explained. “We rescued her thanks to Tye. Afterward, when we tried to blow up the cave, the fuse went out. Tye ran in to relight it and didn’t make it out in time. He was hit in the head. Take a look, if you don’t believe me.” He stepped back, allowing Judd to mount the steps.

By now, Tye was on his feet, leaning heavily on Lil’s father. The wound on his forehead had partially reopened, causing blood to trickle down past his left eye. Grimacing, he pressed a hand to the cut, trying to staunch the blood. Lil bit her lip, regretting she’d had to cause him more pain.

Judd silently studied him. “Is it true? You can’t see?” he barked.

Tye pushed away from Pa. He swayed but managed to stand on his own. “Aye, I’m blind as a bat,” he said, eyes seeming to stare into empty space. “Does that please ye?”

“Hell no! I can’t shoot a blind man,” Judd spat in disgust.

Tye laughed bitterly. “I’m sorry to disappoint ye. Should I happen to get my sight back, I’ll be sure to let ye know.”

“Yeah? Maybe I’ll stick around for a while and find out if you mean that.”

“Fine. With any luck a’tall, I’ll be seeing ye soon.”

“Satisfied?” Pa asked sourly. At Judd’s curt nod, he guided Tye into the house.

David continued to hold his carbine on the six gunmen. Judd sent him a testy glance, then scowled at Lil. It was plain to see he didn’t like what he’d learned about Tye. Tucking his head between his shoulders like an angry bull, he muttered grudgingly, “I shouldn’t have said what I did about you likin’ to see Frank killed. I know that ain’t so. But I can’t forget your man killed my son. I’ll be around.” With that, he trudged down the steps and across the yard.