Wild Texas Rose (18 page)

Chapter 29

S
titch moved, as always, unnoticed through the
streets. He took care of plans for leaving even though he knew he wouldn’t be going with them. Deep down he knew he should stay near Killian and that meant leaving, but there was no way he could travel with the judge and remain undetected. If the newly married couple did see him, they’d think he was hunting them. To them, he was nothing but a stranger.

He bought the tickets and moved boards into the train car so he could make a swinging bed for Duncan. He’d seen one once at the Yankee hospital he’d been shipped to. It was just ropes and boards, but it swayed with the movement of a train or wagon making it easier on someone who was hurt.

By the time he had it rigged up, it was almost dark. He needed to check on Victoria and Killian before he went back to his post on the balcony outside Rose’s hotel room.

The bakery was dark. A ranger was watching the door, but he didn’t see Stitch slip into the coal chute. From there, Stitch moved across the bakery kitchen knowing if he accidentally hit something, he’d be dead before he’d have time to explain.

Silently, he moved up the little stairs off the kitchen to the boarded-up door. Peeping through the cracks, he saw Killian sitting at the table. The exhaustion he wore on his face did not make him look like a man about to marry the woman he loved.

Maybe he was worried about Myers finding her. Maybe he’d changed his mind and didn’t know how to back out. Killian wasn’t a ladies’ man. In the years Stitch had watched him he’d never seen the judge step out for the evening. He was polite to women, even the ones in saloons, but he never climbed the stairs with one.

Stitch felt helpless. For the first time there was nothing he could do to help. Killian had made his own bed here and a ghost of a brother couldn’t even offer advice.

“I think we should talk about things, Victoria.”

“What things?” She moved into the kitchen whirling around. “Do you think this dress is still too short? I could have Hallie take it down another half an inch. I wish I could get into my trousseau, but my father made me swear I wouldn’t open a single trunk until after I was a married lady.”

“I think the dress is fine,” Killian said without bothering to notice what she was wearing. “Hallie, would you excuse us a minute?”

“Of course, Judge. I need to go downstairs for some thread anyway.” The rather chubby maid left them alone.

Killian stood and waited until Hallie was gone, then said, “Victoria, we need to talk about important things. Things people about to be married discuss.”

“Like what?” she said, still not giving him her full attention.

“Like money and kids and where we’ll live. Like are we going to have a real marriage or is this just a show to get you out of this mess? I can handle it either way, but I have to know from the start.”

She looked up at him and smiled. “A real marriage, I think. Do you think Rose would let us have Hallie as a housekeeper? She’s really wonderful. I think I could manage being a proper wife if I had someone who could help me.”

Killian tried to get her back on track. “What do you think a real marriage is, Victoria?”

“You’ll pick where we live. I’ll decorate the house. You’ll go to work and I’ll run all that happens in the home as well as do all the shopping. At night you’ll come home and sometimes we’ll have dinner alone, but other times we’ll go out. No matter where we live, we’ll go out, promise me. I don’t think I could live someplace where I didn’t have a social life. And we’ll have to travel to Austin now and then. I always want to visit my mother’s grave.”

“Who handles the money?”

“You will. When I marry, my trust goes to you. You’ll give me a nice allowance and I’ll do my best to spend it. I like spending money, but it’s not something I have to do.”

“Of course.” He fought to ask what he wanted to know. “What if all the money disappears—will you leave me?”

“No,” she answered. “I think I will like being married to you, Killian. Did you know that in the two years since we met at the cemetery you’ve never once yelled at me? I think that speaks well of the husband you’ll be.”

Killian tried again. “And will you sleep with me?”

She shook her head, giving his question little thought. “I don’t think so, Killian. I’ve always slept alone. You’d probably keep me awake.”

With that she walked out of the room. Stitch watched Killian pace for a minute, then take off down the stairs.

Victoria stepped back into the kitchen looking for him as if he were a necklace she’d misplaced. “Killian?”

She stomped her foot. “Why is that man always disappearing?”

“He’s uncertain,” Stitch answered.

Victoria looked around. “Shawn, is that you?”

Stitch didn’t answer for a long while. It seemed far too odd to be pretending to be a ghost. Having Killian talk about his brother the ghost was one thing, but hanging around talking to people was quite another.

Finally he said the only thing he thought might help. “Killian doesn’t want to sleep alone.”

“Really,” Victoria said, but footsteps sounded on the stairs before she could ask more.

Killian walked back in the little kitchen. “I shouldn’t have left. That’s no way to work things out. If we’re going to have a prayer of making this work, we’ve got to talk about more than the hem on your dress.”

Victoria moved up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Would you like me to sleep with you when we’re married?”

Killian looked at her and smiled. “Yes, I think so. I think I’d like that very much.”

She kissed his cheek. “Then I will.”

He caught her hand and pulled her gently against him. “Do you know what sleeping with me means?”

“Of course.”

He kissed her mouth before the words were completely out.

She settled into his kiss and Stitch decided he probably shouldn’t be watching. As he began to move away he heard her whisper, “Promise to kiss me every night.”

Stitch smiled, deciding Killian was too busy kissing her to answer.

As he moved down the stairs, he figured it might be time to give up his ghosting job. Killian was going to have his hands full and Stitch had a feeling there would be no more night drinking.

Chapter 30

Second Avenue

A
be used his umbrella as a cane as he moved
across the street in late afternoon shadows. He’d used it enough that he’d learned to trust his weight every other step. Maybe he should think about buying one of those fancy canes with the gold knobs like Sam Houston always carried. No one called the man a cripple when he’d been shot fighting for Texas independence.

Out of breath, Abe made it to the door of the schoolhouse. He paused a minute, trying to think about what he planned to do. If he went inside, it would change things, maybe forever, and things seemed to be changing every day lately. He almost missed the days and weeks of calm sameness but not nearly as much as he’d miss Sara Norman if she was gone from his life.

Setting his jaw for whatever blow came, he opened the schoolhouse door without knocking. He figured his heart was doing enough pounding to be heard a half block away.

Miss Norman stood when she saw him, but she didn’t move from behind the desk. “Mr. Henderson,” she said more in the way of stating a fact than in greeting. She’d worn her gray suit today and seemed to blend in with her surroundings.

He walked halfway across the room and braced the umbrella against his bad leg. “Miss Norman, I’ve come to ask if you’d like to attend my friend’s wedding tonight. It’s nothing fancy, but I’d like you there with me if you’re willing.”

“I have papers to grade.” She looked down at the stack of papers on her desk.

Abe didn’t speak. He had no intention of asking again or begging. It wasn’t his way. “Well, then,” was all he could think of to say. He dreaded the walk back across the street.

She met his gaze before he had time to turn. “I’d be honored to accompany you, Mr. Henderson. I’ll make an exception and not work tonight.”

He nodded once and turned to leave. At the door, he stopped and looked back. “I don’t know the time, but I’ll pick you up at the boardinghouse.”

He didn’t wait for an answer. He closed the door and walked back to his store.

Once inside, he dried off and told himself the request went well. He could have made small talk, but he’d never been good at that. She’d said yes and that was all he’d gone across the street to hear.

Walking to the front of the store, he looked out at her working. He didn’t like talking to her and he guessed she felt the same. Abe had never had much to say to anyone, including Killian. There were times when they spent an hour drinking coffee without saying much to each other.

Abe remembered back to his childhood. His parents rarely talked to each other, much less him. When he’d come home hurting and barely able to move, his mother would deliver his meal at night, then climb the stairs and eat hers alone. At first he’d spent the days in his study behind the shelves reading. Sometimes he could hear people talking, but his mother never said more than was necessary. She always believed visiting slowed the buying down. She’d come in with lunch not to talk but to explain the books while he ate. By the time he could stand, he knew every detail of the business and had taken over the daily bookwork of ordering and accounts.

His mother never questioned him or thanked him. After all, he was just doing what was expected of him.

Abe watched Miss Norman as she stood and pulled on her coat. The need to hold her almost buckled his knees.

She closed up the schoolhouse and rushed across the street to his store. Abe was alone. No one had been in the store for two hours. Henry was out making a delivery, and Killian and the two rangers had taken Victoria back to the hotel.

Miss Norman blew in with the wind. For a moment he thought she’d changed her mind and was coming to tell him, but she was laughing as she shook the rain from her wool shawl.

“I’m glad you’re still open, Mr. Henderson. I thought I’d buy a new scarf to wear tonight.” She smiled at him with that tight little smile of hers.

He moved almost formally to the shelf that held all the scarves he carried. As she looked through them, he didn’t say a word. He wanted to see her hair down, not up and covered.

“May we speak frankly, Miss Norman?”

“Of course, Mr. Henderson.” She didn’t look up at him. After all, here in the open, they were little more than strangers.

“The wedding we’ll be attending will be small, but Killian is my best friend and I’m standing up as witness.” He paused, thinking how he’d kissed her so tenderly, but now he hesitated to ask a favor. “I’m honored to do so. He’s a fine man.”

“Yes,” she said, finally looking up at him.

Abe got to the point. “Would you be willing to help me pick out a wedding present?”

She smiled then. “Of course, Mr. Henderson. I’d love to.”

A few minutes later the postman, a large fellow named Stanten, came in for his nightly cigar. Abe excused himself with a nod to Miss Norman and rang up the postman’s purchase while she shopped for just the right gift.

Stanten seemed to want to visit, probably to have time to smoke his cigar before he made it home to the missus. There had been another woman murdered in the back alleys of Hell’s Half Acre. “Third one,” the postman said loud enough for Sara to overhear. “It’s getting to where the streets aren’t safe. They say whoever did it didn’t even rob her, just beat her to death. No one knows who the poor thing was.”

Abe didn’t want Sara to hear the details so he tried to change the subject, but Stanten wanted to talk.

Five minutes passed before Sara put one of the quilts on the counter. Abe ordered them from a woman he thought was a real artist with a needle.

For a second, her eyes met Abe’s and he nodded his approval. Then, without a word, she picked up her new scarf and handed him a dollar.

Abe wanted to tell her not to pay. He’d gladly give her it for a gift, but he guessed she wouldn’t take it, not with Stanten watching. He gave her the change and wrapped the scarf in paper. “Thank you, Miss Norman.”

“You’re welcome,” she said as she headed toward the door.

Henry was coming in and stopped to hold the door for her in a polite, impersonal kind of way.

“Miss Norman,” the postman called. “Let me give you a lift to your boardinghouse. Tonight is not a night to be walking.”

Abe didn’t want her to go. He wanted to lock up and pull her back into his study, but he said nothing as she hesitated, then finally agreed to the lift.

He stood at the window on the far corner of his store and watched the buggy moving through the light rain. He didn’t see her run up the steps, but as the buggy pulled away from her place, he saw the lamp come on in her room.

At least he knew she was safe and that she’d be waiting for him when he came to pick her up later. He had a wedding to get ready for and a gift to wrap.

Ten minutes later when he signed the card atop the boxed quilt, he wrote,
From Abe and Sara
without caring if it was the proper thing to do.

“Henry,” he called.

“Yes, Mr. Henderson?” Henry said from behind the shoe counter.

“Run the store until I return. You know where everything is.”

“Yes, sir.”

Abe pulled on his coat. If he hurried, he’d make it the three doors down in time to buy a proper cane and maybe a new hat at the tailor. Abe grinned. He’d never bought anything from another merchant in town. All his life he’d made do with whatever his store carried.

Only tonight was special.

Chapter 31

Main Street

D
uncan McMurray sat on the edge of the bed,
trying to ignore the pain in his chest. The doc kept telling him how lucky he was, but right now he didn’t feel very lucky. Bad luck seemed to be following him like a hungry dog. Losing the Tanner brothers was bad enough, but falling into a trap that had almost gotten him killed was worse. Then he’d made it back to Fort Worth, swearing all the way that he couldn’t leave Rose alone only to find she seemed to be able to take care of herself just fine. She’d even refused to marry him, which didn’t surprise Duncan. She’d refused to marry every man who asked her. Her road to the altar seemed destined to be paved with broken hearts.

In truth, he didn’t count his among those broken. He loved her, of course, had since he was five, but proposing just because they were the only two people alive who could put up with each other didn’t seem like a good reason to him after he had time to think about it.

“Looks like the wound is closed,” the doctor said as he began rolling a fresh bandage. “You’re lucky it was your left arm.”

“Stop saying I’m lucky, Doc, or I’ll take a swing at you with my right. If I’d been lucky, the bastard who did this would have missed.”

“Right,” the doc agreed, and moved faster as if he thought he might be dealing with something that might explode at any moment.

“How many bullets did you say you’d dug out of people, Doc?”

“Twelve. I just forgot to say they were out of the same person. A bank robber the town used for target practice as he left the bank. He died before I got the first one pulled, but I went ahead and took out the others for practice.”

“Glad you did,” Duncan smiled. “You did a fine job. Now you can say you’ve operated and removed thirteen bullets and half your patients lived.”

Rose walked in the bedroom like it was hers. “I’ve got everything arranged. The wedding will take place in the sitting room in one hour. Victoria is with Hallie getting ready and Killian went to his room to wash up. Stitch was sent to find a preacher and I’ve ordered food.”

“Rose.” Duncan hadn’t been listening to the details. He didn’t care. “Any chance you might forget I asked you to marry me?”

“I already have. You were obviously still under the fog of drugs.”

“Obviously.” He groaned thinking she was making him feel terrible, if that were possible. Being turned down was bad enough, but that she didn’t take him seriously seemed worse. The doctor packed up his things and Duncan managed to say thanks as Dr. Atamear hurried away. For some reason the doctor didn’t seem to like being in the same room with both of them.

Rose walked to the wardrobe and began unbuttoning her dress. “Turn your head, Duncan. I have nowhere else to change.”

“Not a chance.” He smiled and leaned back against the pillows.

She ignored him as she slipped out of her blouse and skirt. The sight of her well-rounded, petite body made him forget he was hurting. She turned her back as she changed her stockings, but he saw the curve of her calf for a second before she slid her petticoats back into place. Then she wiggled into a silk dress with buttons up the back. He liked the way the dress looked as it opened all the way to her bottom.

“I never realized how beautiful you are, Rose,” he said, meaning every word.

She looked up as she tried to button her dress. “Drugs again?”

He played along. “It must be the drugs the doc gave me, but you have the nicest body. The kind of curves that make a man want to move his hands down your sides and nicely rounded hips, and those breasts must be something if you’d ever unbind them.”

“Stop teasing me, Duncan. We don’t have the time.”

“Maybe I’m not teasing. I may be near death, but I still have eyes.”

“Of course you’re teasing and you are not near death. I’ve been told by more than one man who came to court that I’m the kind of woman men see as practical. A good choice in a wife because I can run the house and am not unpleasant to look at. None of them has quoted me poetry or claimed any passion for me.” She straightened, raising her chin slightly. “It’s all right. I don’t need that kind of nonsense in my life.”

“Oh no, dear Rose,” Duncan whispered. “That is exactly what you need.”

A tap on the balcony window kept her from answering. The frightening face of Stitch appeared behind the rain-streaked glass.

Duncan jerked at the sight a second before he recognized the man, but Rose simply rushed to let him in at the sitting room door. Grinning, Duncan added another beautiful thing about Rose. She saw people for who they truly were.

“I got your guns,” Stitch said as he followed Rose back to the bedroom. “They’re not as fine as I would have liked, but they’ll serve you well if needed.” He had a leather bag and a couple of pieces of expensive luggage.

“Thank you, Stitch. You’re an angel.” Rose took the leather bag. “If you two will excuse me, I need to finish getting ready.”

She didn’t wait for an answer but disappeared into the bathing area with the bag Stitch brought in one hand and her hairbrush in the other.

Stitch watched her go then took the chair next to the bed. “First I’m a ghost and now I’m an angel. You reckon I’m dead, Duncan, and don’t know it?”

“You’re doing better than me, Stitch. I usually only get called names that refer to my parentage, or lack of it. Rose thinks I’m an idiot and I’ve no reason to argue with her about the diagnosis.”

Stitch still watched the door where Rose had disappeared. “That’s one brave little woman,” he said as if he hadn’t been listening to Duncan. “You should have seen her standing there holding your gun. She made every shot count and the next one would have taken off my head if she hadn’t recognized me.”

“I’m glad I wasn’t the one who broke in to save her. She’s so mad at me right now she probably would’ve shot me.” He groaned as he moved. “All my life I’ve been thinking I was looking out for her, and all of a sudden the world’s turned upside down and I can tell you it don’t feel right.”

Stitch nodded. “I wouldn’t worry about it. After being around her for almost a week now, near as I can tell, she stays mad at you. Maybe it’s like an illness with her or maybe it’s a religion.” He set the luggage down. “Seems like I’ve been hauling Miss Victoria’s luggage around for days.”

“Forget about that, she’s got a half dozen others that look the same.” Duncan held his side. “You got any advice about helping me and Rose?”

“Nope. Fresh out. Figure I need to stop while I’m ahead.”

“You going with us tonight, Stitch?”

“No, I can’t, but I do have a favor. Any chance you could watch over Killian for me? The judge is a smart man, but since the war I’ve heard he don’t even carry a weapon.”

Duncan raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t even know you knew Judge O’Toole.”

Stitch wove his big, scarred hands together. “I know him, but he don’t know me. I kind of watch over him from time to time.”

“If it’s important to you, I promise I’ll do my best until they step off the train. After they’re married we all plan to move down to the train station and board early. Rangers will be watching to make sure no one bothers us until we’re under way. The bride and groom plan to get off at the first stop that has a good hotel. From then on I think we all should stay away and let them have a honeymoon.”

Stitch smiled. “I think you’re right.”

Duncan leaned forward. “Would you help me get dressed, Stitch? I plan to make this wedding and I have no intention of asking Rose to help me.”

“Miss Rose is not going to be happy you’re moving around.”

“I don’t care,” Duncan said as he pushed his good arm into the shirt Stitch offered. “I can’t seem to make her happy. I might as well make her mad.” He swore with pain as the other arm moved. “She thinks she’s too good for me.”

Stitch shrugged. “She’s right.”

“I know, but while I was almost dying I set my mind to the idea of always coming home to her. Only, can you believe it, she didn’t take much to the idea.”

“I’m not surprised.” After Duncan swore again, Stitch added, “No woman just wants to be the place a man goes to when he’s tired or hurt and ain’t got no better place to go.”

“Since when did you become a sage, Stitch?”

“I don’t know. It just seemed to fall over me. Like some folks get religion, I guess. I’ve been trying to stop giving advice, but it ain’t easy with so many of you lost folks to preach to.” He laughed. “If I get any wiser I’ll have to open up and start talking to the masses.”

Duncan laughed through the pain as he tried to stand. “You want to come to the wedding we’re having here?”

Stitch shook his head. “I think I’ll just watch from the window.”

“Will you help me to the other room? I’d like to be sitting in a chair when Rose comes back. That way if she takes a swing at me I’ll be less likely to hit the floor.”

Stitch stood by his side as they crossed the room.

“Did you get the basket delivered?” Duncan asked, fighting to keep his mind off the pain shooting through his body with each step.

“I did. It’s on the midnight train in August Myers’s private car. I put enough rope around it that Myers will be a while getting it open and, when he does, he’s going to be real sorry.”

They reached the chair and Duncan lowered slowly. “Does he know it’s there?”

“Yeah, he watched from a carriage while I loaded it. Wouldn’t even get out of the coach to help me lug it on, but he did pay me. Told me to take the money back to Hargus and Shorty, then gave me ten dollars in gold to forget I even hauled anything. I’m guessing he doesn’t know his two partners in the kidnapping are in jail. The rangers had a doctor patch them up. He gave them so much opium to knock them out that I’ll be surprised if they wake up before the middle of next week.”

“Did Myers say anything else?”

“I heard him tell the driver to take him to the nearest gaming house. He laughed and said something about having a little fun to warm him up for a busy night.”

Stitch laid the envelope of money on the table. “I thought you could give the money to Killian and the lady. Hargus and Shorty don’t need it where they’re going.”

“I’ll do that,” Duncan promised.

Stitch hesitated and lowered his voice. “I heard talk among the haulers that Myers isn’t very nice to the women he buys for the night. Heard he likes to hurt them enough to make them cry while he takes his satisfaction.”

“I heard something to that effect in Dallas, but I could never get anyone to file a complaint.”

Stitch shook his head. “I’m sure glad there’s not a woman in that basket I delivered.”

“So am I.” Duncan leaned back in his chair and vowed, “When this is all over, I plan to find Myers and have a little talk with him.”

“I’ll go with you, Ranger. Just to see you’re not disturbed while you and him are visiting.”

Stitch moved out onto the balcony as someone tapped on the door. A moment later waiters from the fine restaurant delivered Champagne and little sandwiches not big enough to be a full bite. They made another trip bringing in glasses and a small cake.

Duncan had finished off half the tray of sandwiches when Rose came in. She took one glance at the tray and gave him one of her looks that said she thought he was a few levels below the family dog. He tried to look innocent, but being the only one in the room, it wasn’t easy.

Suddenly the place was full of people. Killian, all dressed up in a new black suit, which looked about the same as his other one, came in with his best friend, Abe Henderson, and Abe’s lady, a Miss Norman. She looked shy and Duncan didn’t miss that Henderson never let go of her arm. Henderson was tall and might have been handsome but for his hard-set features. The only thing that didn’t appear chiseled in stone about the man was his gentle hold on the shy lady.

Hallie entered with the girl Rose had picked up at the kidnapping. Hallie had changed from her maid’s uniform into a black traveling suit with a short black cape. Epley’s clothes were almost identical except they were brown. A man who claimed to be a preacher and who looked like he’d been sobered and scrubbed for the occasion walked in and stood by the fire.

Last came Victoria looking, as always, as beautiful and fragile as a porcelain doll. Her wedding dress, with matching floor-length coat, was ivory. Everyone froze as she walked the length of the small room as gracefully as if she were in a cathedral.

Finally, Killian stepped forward and took her hand. “You sure you want to do this?”

She nodded.

“Then we begin.”

Ten minutes later the ceremony was over and they all toasted the couple. Rose had everything organized, down to the carriages waiting at the north door. This late in the evening no one would notice them leaving, and even if one of the staff did see Victoria, they wouldn’t have time to notify Myers.

Duncan tried to smile, but the throbbing in his shoulder was pounding all the way to his head. He let the others go first so no one would see Stitch help him down the back stairs. The fewer people who knew he was hurt, the better.

“I don’t know if I can keep my senses about me enough to guard the train.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there watching out for you until you’re out of the station. I know what to do. Did you tell Miss Rose that Myers rented the last car?”

“No. I’m hoping we’ll all be boarded before he arrives.”

“I gave his driver the ten dollars to make sure that happens.” Stitch laughed. “He almost didn’t take my money. He said it wouldn’t be fair because he’s taken Myers around long enough to know that the man will be out whoring until the last minute.”

Duncan didn’t want to think about what would have happened if Victoria or Rose had actually been delivered to Myers, but anger seemed to help him focus.

“Myers has been spending money like a madman all day, the driver said. He told someone that after tonight he’ll be a rich man.” They’d reached the side door and Stitch helped Duncan into a bed made for him in the back of Stitch’s wagon. Duncan could feel the wooden sides of a stretcher against his shoulders as he lay down.

Once Duncan was in, Stitch covered him with a tarp. “I’ll take it as easy as I can.”