Ballad Beauty (21 page)

CHAPTER 25

Mo returned from her day of poker minutes before the sun set, reeking of cheap cigar smoke. She flew into the cabin, pushed along by a brisk wind, and leaned her hefty weight against the door to insure it closed tightly.

“Win big, Mo?”

Jenny watched her aunt turn and beam at Noah, then she switched her gaze to her niece. She could feel herself color under Mo’s scrutiny. Suddenly, her aunt burst out in a hearty laugh and crossed the room to sweep her into a tight embrace. Mo kissed both of her cheeks, and then performed the same ritual on Noah.

“I can tell somethin’ must’ve gone right today besides me whippin’ the pants off Sid and Sherm.” Her eyes twinkled at the couple as she put her reticule down on the table. “Tell me all about it. And I do mean tell all.” Her broad grin caused Jenny’s face to flame.

“All you need to know, Mo, is that we are on close speaking terms again.” Noah reached out and pulled Jenny to him, his arm about her waist. He kissed her temple. She figured she had turned permanently crimson at this point.

Mo looked at them fondly. “Let’s fix us some supper, you two, and I’ll tell you all about my day.”

Shortly afterward, they gathered around the dilapidated table. Noah solved the problem of only having two chairs by settling Jenny in his lap.

“You look like the cat that swallowed the canary whole,” Mo told him.

He smiled at Jenny and gave her a squeeze. “And if I am, Mo, I’m the happiest cat this side of the Mississippi.”

Her aunt shared how she had beaten her companions soundly, especially Sid. “Those boys’ll never get the hang o’ poker. They lose to me regularly, and they still come back for more every week.”

“Have you ever thought that they might lose to please you?” Jenny asked.

“Pshaw! Ain’t nobody fool enough to toss good money away, gel. Exceptin’ maybe your da.”

“The map!” Jenny explained how they had gone about trying to figure out the meaning behind Sam’s garbled directions.

“I’m sure we’ll locate the money tomorrow, Mo.”

“Wait a minute, Jenny.” Noah gave her a stern look. “There’s no
we
to this. It’s not that far. I’ll ride over tomorrow morning, check things out, and hopefully locate Sam’s hidden treasure. If I do, I’ll come back and let you know.”

“You don’t think you’re going without me?” She scooted off his lap, her hands fisted on her waist. “You’ve got another thing coming, Noah Daniel Webster, if you believe I’ll be content to stay behind.”

He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Now listen, Jen—”

“I am not going to listen to—”

“Will you both be quiet?” Mo demanded.

They turned and looked at her.

“First of all, no more arguin’. I don’t take kindly to fightin’ o’ any kind. Come back over and sit down, and we’ll discuss this calmly.”

They glared at each other. Neither made a move.

“Jenny’s going with you, Noah,” Mo announced, “so sit down and let me tell you why.”

She gave him a triumphant smile. He sat, pulling her back into his lap. She perched stiffly. She was very interested in what Mo had to say.

Her aunt was blunt. “Riley Withers killed your da for that money, Noah. He’ll kill you, too, without blinkin’ an eye.”

Jenny saw the stunned look on Noah’s face. “What? I know he was shot dead in the bank robbery. I assumed a lawman took his life.”

“When Sammy got here, he shared everythin’ about that last job with me. Riley Withers prevented two of their gang from escapin’ with them. He shot Pete in cold blood several miles outside of town. Sammy couldn’t save Pete’s life, but he tried to take Riley’s.”

Noah sighed. “Sam was about the worst shot I’ve ever seen. If he were aiming at Withers, it’s likely he shot his horse instead.” His mouth grew hard. She saw a new light burning in his eyes.

“It was business before. Now? It’s personal. I will find the money, Jenny. I promise you that. And I will search this earth till I find the lowlife that killed Pete.”

“That’s why you have to take her with you, Noah.” Mo shook her head. “If’n Withers follows you here—and it seems he’s been after Jenny since Boston—I don’t want him to find her alone and unprotected. If he shows up tomorrow, I can say I haven’t seen either of you yet. With Sammy dead, he won’t know what to do. The man never did have a lick o’ sense.”

He seemed reluctant. “What about you, Mo? Withers could hurt you, trying to see if Sam passed along any information to you about where the bonds are located.”

Mo frowned. “Hadn’t thought of that. ‘Course I’m ten times the shot Sammy was. I suppose I could take him out,” she mused. At Jenny’s gasp, she amended her tone. “I think I’ll just stay with Sid. He may not be a grand poker player, but he’s a helluva mean cuss. Even Riley Withers would think twice ‘fore he messed with someone like Sid.”

“Then it’s settled?” Jenny asked.

Noah wrapped his hand around her neck and brought her lips close to his. “I guess so.” He kissed her tenderly. Her pulse leaped at the contact.

“Oh, Lordy,” she heard Mo say.

Noah slept in front of the door that night. He intended to keep Riley Withers out, no matter when the man showed up. He hoped he had enough restraint to subdue the outlaw and not shoot him at first sight when the time came. He would need to return both the bank’s holdings and Riley Withers intact. Then he could begin a future with Jenny.

He looked at her now, still asleep, the dying firelight catching the highlights in her hair. The cabin was cold, but he contented himself to gaze at her a few more minutes, a sense of possessiveness stirring him.

Finally he rose, his legs stiff, his neck sore from the position he’d slept in. He tiptoed over and knelt beside her to press a soft kiss on her lush mouth. She awoke with a start and then smiled when she saw him. That smile nearly did him in. Her arms wound around his neck.

“You’re lucky Mo’s here.”

“Am I?” she murmured. “I thought I was lucky you were here.” Mischief lit her eyes.

He kissed her in reply, a deep, soulful kiss that left him weak in the knees.

“Will you two behave?”

He turned his head to look at Mo. “You’re just jealous.”

She sat up. “Maybe I am, and maybe I ain’t. I do know I’m hungry. Let’s get this day started with some flapjacks.”

Jenny put on the coffee, and they discussed what they would need to take.

“According to the map, we’re not more than two, maybe three hours from Sally Gardens,” he estimated. “Still, it may be harder to locate than we think, and even harder to find where to dig.”

“Remember the Galway Races. I’m sure we’ll find a bell nearby as a marker.”

Jenny’s positive tone spilled over, and his optimism grew. “Once we find Sam’s haul, it may be too late to start back.”

“I don’t mind. I think I got used to life out on the range. Mr. Mulholland—”

“Don’t go there, Jenny. I can’t stand to hear another pearl of wisdom from Milton Mulholland. Promise me you won’t mention his name again.”

Her green eyes sparked impishly. “I’ll think about it.”

He tried not to sound so disagreeable. “I’ll need to get a pick and shovel. Some flour and beans. We’ve got enough coffee for a short trip.”

“What will you do when we find the money, Noah?”

“Bring it back here for now. Normally, I’d head straight to the nearest Wells Fargo office so it’d be in good hands.” He ran a hand through his hair. “With an unknown variable like Withers wandering around, though, I figure I need to be here to greet him personally. The money can serve as bait, and I can kill two birds with one stone and bring both in at the same time.”

She shivered. “And what if he doesn’t show up anytime soon? What if we’re wrong about him?”

Mo snorted. “Ol’ Riley Boy will be here. Mark my words. He’s a slippery eel, but he’ll be drawn to all that free money.”

Noah rose from the table. “I think I’ll feed the horses and head over for supplies.” He glanced at Jenny. “Want to help shovel feed down that prissy-footed horse of yours?”

“She’s a lady, Noah,” Jenny said with mock haughtiness. “She doesn’t want you to forget it.”

He shrugged into his coat and then held her cloak out. He wrapped it around her shoulders, and she tied it, pulling the hood up for extra protection.

He opened the door, glad to see yesterday’s strong wind had died down. A light dusting of snow covered the ground, but no wind would make for a more pleasant ride. He grabbed Jenny’s hand and hurried her around the corner to where the horses were stabled. Once they reached the protection of the open shed, he pulled her into his arms for a searing kiss.

“Mmmm.” She pressed her head against his shoulder. “I didn’t know how entertaining feeding the horses could be.”

He kissed her again. “I bet even Mr. Mulholland hasn’t discovered that secret.”

“I thought you said—”

“—that
you
weren’t supposed to mention the all-knowing Mulholland. I didn’t say anything about me.”

“Then I’m glad I made no promises about dime novels.”

He groaned. “I only know one way to get Milton Mulholland out of your mind.” He dropped to one knee, his hands wrapped around hers. “Miss McShanahan, I know that Mr. Mulholland holds a special place in your heart, but do you have it in you to push those tender feelings for him aside—with good reason?”

She smiled down at him. “I am rather fond of him. However, if the reason were important enough, I might consider nudging him aside.”

“Is spending the rest of your life with me sufficient?”

She bit her lip. “Are you asking?”

He grinned. “I am, indeed. Jenny McShanahan, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Didn’t you ask me this same question yesterday?”

“Yes, I did.” He brushed his lips against her gloved fingers. “But as I recall, you never gave me an answer. We got caught up in . . . other things.” He smiled at the memory.

He saw tears glisten in her eyes. “Yes, Noah Daniel Webster. Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you.”

He rose and cradled her face in his hands. “I love you.” He kissed her carefully, as if she might break.

Laughter bubbled up from her. He loved the sound of it. Almost as much as her sweet mouth and generous nature and quick mind. And he’d done the right thing by asking her to marry him again. The first time he’d been flippant. He wanted this to be the proposal she remembered.

“I love you, Noah Daniel Webster, former consumptive guide and current Texas Ranger.”

He grew serious. “I’ll be giving up Rangering, Jenny. I’m not sure what I’ll do or where we’ll even settle.”

She frowned. “Why? Being a Ranger is something you love.”

“I’ve found something I love more,” he answered. He wrapped her in a tight embrace, his lips brushing her hair. “A Ranger leads a nomadic life, honey. There’s danger aplenty. I want to make you a young bride. I don’t plan on you becoming a young widow.”

“You’re really willing to give it all up? For me?”

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He held her close for a few minutes. The feel of her in his arms let him know he’d made the right decision. Rangering paled when compared to Jenny.

Noah finally broke the contact between them. “Come on, woman. Let’s get this chore done.”

When they’d finished, he said, “I’m going over to the general store now. I’ll be a half-hour or more.”

She gave each horse a love pat on the nose. “Why so long? You don’t have that much to purchase.”

He shrugged. “There’s a particular way things are done in Prairie Dell. You don’t walk in and right back out. Talk—and gossip—is the lifeline of a small town. Put that in the guidebook.”

“I understand. I’ll be sure we’re ready to go when you return.”

Noah escorted her back to Mo’s door. “Be good.” He kissed the tip of her nose, and she went in.

As Jenny turned from closing the door, fear invaded every pore of her being. Riley Withers sat in a chair by the table, his ankles casually crossed in front of him.

“What the hell took you so long?”

CHAPTER 26

Jenny quickly took in the scene. Her aunt sat tied to the other chair. Her eye was huge, but her mouth was set in stone. She could see swelling already on one side of Mo’s face. The monster must have hit her hard.

Riley Withers twirled his Colt in one hand. She could see he made an effort to guard his temper because he took a cleansing breath and addressed her in a more pleasant tone.

“Let’s start again, shall we? Greetings, Miss McShanahan. Or may I call you Jenny? We have been introduced before.”

He looked over at Mo. “And of course, I know your lovely aunt. I was a guest here long ago.”

Her heart hammered so loudly, she was afraid it would leap from her body and scurry out the door. Though his tone was civil, the malevolent smile betrayed his true character. He was a man who enjoyed others’ terror.

Withers placed the gun on the table, on top of the folded map. “Mo tells me that Sam’s dead and didn’t bother to tell her where the bonds are. I tend to believe her after our little talk.” He stared at her a long moment. Jenny willed herself not to look away. She’d never been one prone to fainting. She was determined not to start now.

“You, on the other hand, know. I’d stake my last dollar on that. Sam was always sweet on his little girl.”

He stood and began pacing the small room. “Mo here tells me that a Texas Ranger, a fellow named Webster, is the man who escorted you to Prairie Dell.” He shot a look at her. She refused to react to his words. He continued moving about.

“Pity. Those Rangers are such straight arrows. I bet Mr. Webster will try to turn that loot over to the authorities and waive the finder’s fee. So much for Sam’s desires.”

He moved toward her, and she stepped away until her back pressed against the door. He bent close enough that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. “I don’t think I much care for this Ranger. Do you, Jenny?”

He laughed softly and answered his own question. “I think you do. I saw you leave with him fifteen minutes ago. That’s an awful long time to feed a few horses. And you’ve come back with rosy cheeks and swollen lips. The kind that shows you’ve been up to no good.”

He brushed the back of his rough hand against her cheek. She flinched at his touch. He threw back his head and laughed aloud. “You and I are going after the money. I haven’t come all this way not to claim it. I want it all. Every dime. From what Mo tells me, this Ranger doesn’t have a clue where to look. But I know you do. I can see it on your face.”

Withers walked back and holstered his gun. He slid the map from the table and into his pocket. “Let’s go.” He walked toward her.

“I wouldn’t go anywhere with a murdering thief like you.” She spit in his face.

Withers backhanded her. The blow knocked her to the ground. She wiped away the trickle of blood that oozed from the corner of her mouth and stared up at him with hate-filled eyes.

“Oh, I think you’ll go with me.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Mo rise, the chair still tied around her ample frame. Before she could warn her away, Mo rushed the outlaw, slamming into him. Both fell to the ground, Mo on top of the thief. Withers pushed her off him and the righted the chair in a quick show of his superior strength.

“You dirty whore.” He lifted the chair by its rickety arms and flung it backward. Mo struck the wall. The chair tilted and then toppled over. Mo lay still.

Jenny leaped to her feet to rush to her aunt, panicked that she’d struck her head and might already be dead. Withers had other ideas, though. He grabbed her about the waist and yanked her back.

“Leave the bitch,” he muttered. “She’s a worthless piece.”

Jenny struggled against him, tearing at the hands that encircled her. He turned her to face him, and she clawed at his face. He punched her then, a swift jab that caught her left eye. She saw stars whirl through the air. She grew faint.

“No, you don’t, you little twit. Don’t go passing out on me.” He shook her and threw her down on the worn cot. The stars began to fade as blackness raced up to meet her. Suddenly, cold water hit her in the face. She sputtered and sat up, her eye throbbing.

The outlaw wrapped his large hand around the back of her neck and brought her close to his face. It was mottled a bright red. Wrath pulsated from him. She knew he might kill her with one blow.

But he needed her still. That was her one ace in the hole.

“Take me to Sam’s loot. Now. No more games.”

He slapped her once again for emphasis, not as hard as before, but enough to stun her while he wrapped a piece of cut rope around her wrists several times. He yanked it tightly.

She winced at the pain. Her hands would go numb within minutes. She had to do something. She opened her mouth to yell for help, but he was one step ahead of her and thrust a wadded handkerchief in her mouth. Before she could spit it out, he placed another handkerchief over her mouth and tied it behind her head. Her scream came out a muffled whimper.

He put on his long, dark coat and dragged her to her feet. He didn’t bother to shut the door as they left. Her heart cried out for someone to see them and find Noah, to stop him—or at least to find Mo and take care of her. With the temperature falling so low, Mo could freeze to death with that open door if she remained unconscious for long.

His horse was tied up behind a shack two doors down. Withers swung into the saddle and reached down for her, placing her in front of him. One hand went about her waist and pulled her against him. She almost gagged at the intimate contact between them.

He seemed to read her thoughts and chuckled. In a low tone, he said in her ear, “I have all kinds of plans for you, Jenny. We’re gonna have us some real fun as soon as the money’s found.”

Her insides heaved. She would retch if she didn’t get away. She threw herself from the saddle, taking her kidnapper with her. They landed on the hard ground, the blanket of snow too thin to cushion their fall.

He grunted as she staggered to her feet. He latched onto her ankle and pulled hard, causing her to fall face down. He rolled her over and said with a snarl, “Quit delaying us. If you think that Ranger’ll catch up to us, you’re wrong. And if he does, I’ll shoot him between those sky blue eyes of his.”

His threat hung in the air as he lifted her to her feet. He ripped her cloak from her and tossed her into the saddle. This time he wrapped a length of rope around her waist and tied it to the saddle horn. Between the taut rope and freezing weather, she was miserable. She also struggled to breathe with the gag in her mouth and the handkerchief threatening to cover her nostrils.

“Try it again, honey, and I’ll let you drag along a mile or two. Even your pretty little face might not appeal to me much after the hide’s been torn off it.”

She went cold inside. She had to conquer her fears. Even if she led him to Sally Gardens, Noah knew where to find her. Texas Rangers were legendary. Everything she’d heard or read—especially in Mr. Mulholland’s guidebook—said they could outshoot and outride and outsmart anyone on the planet. She put her trust in the man she loved. Noah would know how to handle Riley Withers.

They rode away hard and fast from Prairie Dell for a few minutes when Withers brought his horse to a stop in the middle of nowhere. He untied the handkerchief that held her gag in place and ripped the other one from her mouth. She greedily sucked in quick breaths of air.

Cold steel touched her jaw. She heard the click of a gun. “Now you need to give me some instructions, Jenny. If you’re lucky, I’ll take the money in trade for your life.” He nudged the pistol into her flesh. “So, where do we begin?”

Noah left the general store, his steps a little longer than usual. He was in a hurry to get back and start out. He’d spent longer at the store than he wanted to, visiting and even sampling some of the eggs and bacon the owner’s wife had made. Now with two breakfasts sticking to his ribs, he was sluggish.

The twitter in his neck stopped him dead in his tracks. That kind of tingle always meant trouble—big trouble—especially as fast as it came on. He drew his revolver. Thoughts of Pete’s killer danced before his eyes.

He wanted to break out in a full run down the little strip of a street, but if Withers were already here, he’d need the element of surprise. His neck was almost stinging now, leaving his entire body on edge.

He approached the shack carefully. His first surprise was seeing the door wide open. No sensible person would leave a door open in this kind of cold. Instinct told him Withers had already come and gone.

The second surprise greeted him when he saw a motionless Mo lying on the floor, tied to the remains of a chair, her breathing shallow. He quickly undid the bonds and eased her onto her back. He moved his fingers through her hair and found a goose egg-sized lump.

Her eyes fluttered open and tried to focus. “Noah?” Her voice was raspy.

“I’m here, Mo. You all right?”

She nodded, only to wince. She brought a hand to her scalp and rubbed it gingerly. “Jenny!” she cried out and pushed herself to a sitting position.

“Withers?”

“Yes,” she moaned softly.

Noah swallowed his rage. He needed a clear head. Anger wouldn’t do him any good. He had to put aside the fact that Withers had killed his own daddy and now held the woman Noah loved.

“Tell me what you can.”

Mo took a deep breath. “Showed up right after you left. Roughed me up some. Waited till Jenny came in.” She paused and took another breath. “Took her ‘n the map. Said it was all his. They left . . .” Her voice faded out. “I don’t know how long ago.” She began to weep. “You gotta find her, Noah. She’s all I got left.”

“I’ll find her. I promise.” He lifted Mo to her feet and walked her to the cot, where she collapsed. “I’ll get someone to help you.”

He grabbed his Winchester and raced out the door, hurrying back to the general store. He didn’t have time for long explanations.

“Mo’s hurt. I’m going after the man that did it.”

He knew that would be enough. The residents of Prairie Dell would pull together and help one of their own. He quickly saddled Star. As he rode out, a prayer formed on his lips.

“Please, God. Let me find her. Let her be all right.”