Finally a Bride (42 page)

“It had the opposite effect, you know. Having those other women competing for him made him realize how much he still loved Rachel.” Carly shook her head and smiled. “You’re a rascal, you know it?”

“I know.”

She smacked him on the chest, but then her heart stilled. He lowered his head and kissed her. Warm sensations zinged through her body, and she tightened her grip on his shirt.

A man cleared his throat, and they jumped apart. Carly lifted her hands to her blazing cheeks.

“Guess I’m going to have to lock you two up for public indecency.” Luke grinned. “Care to tell me what happened?”

“We’re getting married, and those two”—Garrett waved his gun toward the men on the ground—”tried to break us up.”

Luke’s brow lifted.

Garrett sobered, all teasing aside. “They attacked Carly. One man looked bent on hauling her off somewhere.”

Carly ducked her head. “He said they didn’t need my kind here.”

Garrett held the gun out to Luke. “Here, thanks for letting me borrow this. I owe you a few bullets, Cuz.” He wrapped his arm around Carly and tugged her close. “It’s
their
kind we don’t need, darlin’.”

Jack longed to run down the street after the men and see what the gunshots had been about, but she couldn’t. She and the rest of the women and children were huddled in a group behind the church, while their menfolk stood guard and waited for Luke and the other half-dozen men to check out what that gunfire had been about. The ladies talked in hushed voices, speculating on what had happened. Tired children fussed, unhappy at being corralled after sitting through church and the wedding.

And the bride stood patiently holding her groom’s hand, while in his other hand he held a rifle someone had tossed him.

Jack remembered the stormy day her ma and Luke were married. A tornado hit right after the wedding, sending people scattering, and taking much of the store with it as it roared through town.

Leah Howard stood next to Jack’s ma, holding her baby, the rest of her little ones hanging on to her skirt or standing nearby. “What do suppose happened?”

“I don’t know, but at least we haven’t heard any more gunshots.” Her ma lifted Andrew to her shoulder and bounced him.

“Maybe there was another break-in”—Callie Howard leaned toward Jack—”or murder.”

“I hope not.” Jack studied Callie. She was a pretty girl—only a few years younger than Jack. They’d played together some when they were younger, but Callie had generally been busy tending her siblings and helping her stepmother. Now that Jack had younger brothers and sisters, she had more compassion for the other woman.

Abby suddenly jerked on Jack’s hand, trying to get free. “Let go, Sissy.”

Ma latched onto Abby’s shoulder. “You hold still, young lady, or you’ll be in trouble when we get home.”

Abby’s lower lip popped out. Her brother, holding Jack’s other hand, chuckled. Abby lunged toward him. Jack almost jerked her sister’s arm out of its socket, trying to keep her away from Alan.

Her ma sighed. Jack knew she’d only planned to come to the wedding because Christine was such a good friend. Most women who’d given birth so recently wouldn’t have.

“You look exhausted, Ma.” Jack stared at her mother’s pinched face. “You want me to hold Andy?”

“I rested all morning at Agatha’s, but now that I’ve been on my feet awhile, I am getting a little tired, and I’m worried about Emmie and Carly.”

“Those shots sounded as if they were close.” They shared a worried look then went back to watching the road where they’d last seen Luke.

Carrying a rifle, Noah walked around the outside of the crowd with the men who were guarding the women. He looked uncomfortable with the weapon, and Jack wondered if he even knew how to shoot it. She could teach him, if he didn’t. Luke had made sure she knew how to protect herself.

Her heart pounded harder, just thinking of standing close and teaching him how to aim a rifle. She thought about his kisses. They made her feel cherished, special. What would it be like to be married to a kind, gentle man like Noah?

Two men walked past Polly’s and Dolly’s house, waving their rifles. “All is well,” one of them shouted.

The women exhaled a uniform sigh of relief and started moving toward the wagons. Jack was ready to get out of the sun, as she was certain the others were.

Abby jerked again. “I wanna go see Papa.”

Ma glanced down. “Stay with your sister. Your father is probably busy.”

“Aww …” Abby pasted a frown on her face again.

As they passed the Dykstras’ purple house, her ma gasped. Jack gazed down the road, her heart nearly jumping from her chest. Luke stood in front of their house, and two men lay in the street. But where was Carly? And Emmie?

She suddenly remembered the time outlaws had kidnapped her ma. Jack dropped her siblings’ hands and broke into a run. She had to make sure Emmie was safe.

“Jacqueline!” her mother cried.

“Wait for me, Sissy!” Abby’s little feet pounded behind hers.

“What happened, Papa?” Jack skidded to a stop beside Luke. She quickly studied the scene. Two wounded men sat on the ground. Doc Phillips was tending one of them, and the ranger squatted next to the other, questioning him while Jenny took notes. Garrett stood off to the side, pacing. The stench of gunpowder still clung to the air.

Luke snagged Abby’s arm as she ran toward one of the strangers. “The children don’t need to see this. Take them inside, Half Bit.”

Jack winced at Luke’s scolding. She should have thought of that herself. “Where’s Emmie and Carly? Are they all right?”

“Inside.” He nudged his chin toward home. “They’re both fine.”

She sensed there was more to the story, but maybe Carly could satisfy her curiosity.

“Why’s them two men bleedin’?” Abby asked.

Luke passed her to Jack, his brow lifted in an I-told-you-so smirk. She didn’t waste time but spun around and headed toward the porch. Alan ran past her, but Ma snapped her fingers, and he jerked to a halt. He glanced back at the men. Luke merely pointed at the house, and Alan’s shoulders dropped.

“Ahh … can’t I watch? I’m gonna be a lawman some day.”

“Go inside with your ma, Son.”

Alan turned and dragged his toes all the way to the porch, kicking dust on his shoes. Abby wiggled to get down, and Jack set her on the steps. Ma held the door open, not giving either child the option of disobeying.

Jack blew out a breath. She wanted to watch, too, but Jenny would get the story—and Jack really didn’t care, other than wanting to know why those men were shot so close to her home. She closed the door.

Carly came down the stairs and lifted a finger to her lips. “Emmie is still asleep.”

“If you two wouldn’t mind seeing to the other children, it’s time for Andrew and me to take a rest.” Ma brushed the hair that had come loose from her bun off her forehead with the back of her wrist. She looked exhausted.

“Can I help you with anything?” Jack offered.

Ma shook her head, but then stopped. “If you wouldn’t mind changing Andy’s diaper and putting him in a fresh gown, I’d appreciate it.”

Jack took the baby. “Of course I don’t mind.”

“I’ll tend to the other children. You just get a good rest.” Carly took hold of Abby’s and Alan’s hands and led both children toward the stairs. “Just be mindful that Emmie is sleeping.”

The kids clomped up the stairs only slightly less noisily than normal. Jack smiled. “Carly’s doing better at getting those two to obey her.”

Her ma dropped down onto the bed and exhaled a sigh. She yawned. “I probably should have stayed home today, but I wanted to comfort Agatha and attend the wedding.”

Jack laid Andrew on the bed. He raised his fist, brushing his cheek, and his head turned toward it, mouth open. He licked his fist, then scrunched up his face when he didn’t find what he wanted. Jack chuckled and quickly fastened on a dry diaper. “I think someone is hungry.”

“Not me, that’s for sure.” Ma shed her Sunday dress and petticoat and climbed into bed. “I hope I can stay awake long enough to feed him.”

Jack handed the baby to Ma. “Don’t worry about anything, because Carly and I will be here. You can rest all day.”

“That sounds nice. Thank you.” Ma’s eyes shut as Andrew began his lunch.

Jack closed the bedroom door and hurried toward the front of the house. Since Carly and the children were still upstairs, Jack stepped outside and surveyed the scene. In her rush to get home, she’d forgotten the platter and pie tins she was supposed to bring home from the social. She walked over to the crowd that had gathered and watched. Luke had the two men on their feet. The tall, thin man was whining worse than Abby ever did, but the handsomer one kept silent, his head hanging down. She thought she might have seen them around town before, but she wasn’t certain.

Knowing she needed to get back to help Carly, she headed toward the church, content to wait to hear the story from Luke. Halfway there, she met the Kesslers coming down the street in their buggy. The engaging smiles on their faces made them both look younger. Tessa sat in the backseat, her face scrunched up in a scowl, arms crossed. She didn’t even acknowledge Jack.

“Did you find out what happened?” Rand slowed the buggy.

“No, I had to help with the children, but two men over there have been shot.”

“You know ‘em?” Rand asked.

Jack shook her head. “Might have seen them in town before, but that’s all. I meant to congratulate you two, but then the shooting stirred things up.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Kessler turned toward her on the seat. “It was so nice of Rachel to attend after so recently having her baby.”

“She wanted to. She is so happy for you both.”

Tessa sent Jack a chilly glare.

“Well, guess we’ll be on our way.” Mrs. Kessler started to face the front then glanced back at Jack. “I’ll be in town on Saturdays for a while to open the store—at least until I find a buyer.” She peeked at Tessa, as if the thought of having to sell because her children didn’t want the mercantile bothered her.

“I’ll spread the word.”

Rand nodded his thanks, smacked the leather traces on the horse’s back, and the buggy rolled forward. Jack couldn’t help wishing that she and Noah were the ones riding off together.

Resuming her walk, she shoved her hands in her pocket and felt the forgotten bracelet.
Horse feathers
.

What was she going to do with that thing?

Suddenly an idea burst into her mind.

She spun around and raced to catch the buggy. Thankfully, Rand had stopped it near the crowd of spectators. Jack jogged toward it and stopped on Mrs. Kessler’s side of the buggy.

“Mrs. Kessler, I forgot something.”

She turned away from the crowd and smiled. “What is it, Jacqueline?”

She pulled the bracelet from her pocket, and the silver glistened in the sunlight. Tessa leaned forward to get a look.

Mrs. Kessler gasped and reached for the bangle. “Where did you get that?”

Luke walked up to Rand and shook his hand but obviously noticed Mrs. Kessler’s reaction. He glanced at Jack, brows lifted, probably wondering the same thing.

“Billy gave it to me. He’s still trying to get me to marry him, but I told him I can’t. I don’t care for him the way a woman does her husband. I tried to give it back, but he refused to take it and got angry at me.”

Mrs. Kessler fell back against the seat, unable to take her eyes off the bracelet. Jack couldn’t imagine what would cause such a reaction.

Rand put his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “What’s wrong, honey?”

She held out the piece of jewelry. “This was one of the items stolen from the mercantile the morning of the robbery.”

Chapter 31