The Outrider (Redbourne Series #5 - Will's Story) (21 page)

“Quite the opposite, I assure you, ma’am. I am
feeling quite blessed today.” He winked at Albert, who giggled happily.

Why did this man seem to blow so hot and cold?
Wasn’t it just this morning he was giving her the cold shoulder?

“I can assure you, Mr. Redbourne, I can make it
back to the livery all by myself. You can let me go now.”

He did as he was told, but he’d been so quick to
respond that she wavered backward and he reached out a hand to steady her.

“I’m fine,” she said, holding up a hand, then brushing
at the imaginary wrinkles in her skirt. She turned around and crouched down.
“Come here, girl,” she said, patting the tops of her legs.

Caspar jumped down off the platform.

Elizabeth braced herself this time, determined
that the dog would not knock her off balance. As she held Caspar’s face between
her hands, her fingers rubbing the sections behind her ears, she didn’t know
what to say. The dog licked her face.

“Thank you, Caspar,” she said, wrapping her arms
around the dog’s neck. She held on for a few moments, kissed the side of her
head, and stood. “Go on,” she said, motioning toward Albert. “Goodbye, Albert,”
she said with a light wave.

He waved back. “Thank you!” he called after her
as she made her way down the road on foot toward the livery. Tears welled up in
her eyes again and she chastised herself for being so…so weak. She knew that
leaving Caspar with the boy had been the right thing to do, so why was she
crying?

“Can I give you a ride, ma’am?”

Elizabeth refused to look at Will. She didn’t
want him to see that she’d been crying and she didn’t want to give him the
satisfaction. She could walk one block back to the livery for heaven’s sake.
And she didn’t need Will to help her make it there safely.

“Come on,” he said playfully. “Elizabeth?”

That was it.

“What makes you so special that you get to call
me by that name?” she said, spinning on her heel to face him.

“It is your name, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Well, it was.” She loved her name and if
the truth be told, she liked hearing it again.

“Was?” He was goading her and she knew it.

“You know what?” she said, tossing her hands in
the air. She took a few more steps forward, then stopped to say something, but thought
better of it and started walking again. “You don’t know me, Will Redbourne.
You…you…” She didn’t know why she was so irked at him.

“I want to,” he said as he dismounted and walked
alongside her.

Elizabeth stopped and stared ahead. Enough of
this. Didn’t he know she was on a stagecoach headed west to marry a preacher
from Silver Falls, Colorado? When would they possibly have time to get to know
each other? His job was to guard the stage to Kansas City, while she rode
inside of it, and then they would part ways. Likely, for good.

When she’d left England, she’d never imagined
that she would come face to face with the man who’d inspired her to leave her
family behind and brave an adventure across an ocean. She hadn’t realized the
danger she’d been in everyday with the kind of men her father and brother
associated with. She hadn’t known the kind of man her father was.

“I thought women were the ones who were supposed
to be hard to understand,” she said aloud.

“You are.”

“Well, so are you.” She felt foolish standing on
the street having this conversation with him.

Thoughts about the night she and her family had
received word that her brother was in the hospital, near death, flooded into
her mind. She’d been angry at Will for putting him there and had been devastated
and confused that he would do something so out of character from what she’d
seen, until she’d learned the truth. Will was a good man with a good and
honorable heart, and he’d had every right to defend himself against a plotted
attack.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. The past needed to
stay in the past. Though, she wished she’d had the opportunity to meet him
then. It would have made this whole situation so much easier.

When they arrived at the livery, Opal and
Gertrude were pacing outside of the stage and Paulie was in handcuffs sitting
on a chair by the front door. A large ominous looking man with a stubbly face
and black trench coat stood close by in a heated conversation with Mr. Glenn.

Will handed her the reins to his horse and strode
quickly toward the hard-looking man, reaching him in mere moments.

“What are you doing? Paulie had nothing to do
with it, Fenton,” Will said loudly. “You know it.”

Elizabeth pulled her shawl tighter around her
arms and hurried to catch up. As she passed the wagon on the opposite side of
the stage, she caught a glimpse of what was inside. The bodies of three men
wrapped in cloth planted a pit of dread deep in her belly. The man talking to Mr.
Glenn must be the territory marshal Will had sent for.

“I’m telling you, Redbourne, it was an inside
job.”

The two men stood almost nose to nose, although
Will had an edge being slightly taller than the other.

“If he were involved, why did they shoot him?”

“Maybe he was a liability.”

“We have a job to do,” Will said, defending his
friend. “Just because you have some age-old grudge against me doesn’t mean you
need to delay these ladies their passage, nor the client their bankroll.”

“I do my job, Redbourne, just like you. And my
gut is telling me this was an inside job.”

Will scratched his chin vigorously with the backs
of his fingers. “Why don’t you escort us to Kansas City? We can get the ladies
on their train and settle this mess once we get there.”

The marshal didn’t respond.

“I tell you what, if Paulie is guilty, you can
have his share of our pay. If he’s not, you can have mine. You’ll get paid
either way.” He turned to the other outrider. “Is that fair, Paulie.”

“Will, I can’t let you—”

“It’s settled then.”

The marshal opened his mouth, as if to protest,
but raised an eyebrow instead. “You are willing to give up your paycheck to
prove the man innocent?”

“I am.”

“Will, you can’t—”

Will stuck out his hand for an agreement. He and
the marshal shook on it.

“Now, can we please get on the road? We’ve had
too many delays as it is.”

“After you?” the marshal said with a tip of his
hat.

“What about these?” Paulie asked, raising his
hands into the air.

After the marshal unlocked Paulie’s handcuffs, he
turned around and caught Elizabeth’s stare. His face lit with a smile that touched
his eyes.

“This better not be a mistake, Redbourne,” he
called back to Will as he made his way to her. “Hello,” he said, removing his
hat and running a hand through his hair. “My name is Marshal Darius Fenton and
I would very much like the pleasure of making your acquaintance.”

“She’s off limits, Fenton,” Will said. “One of
the brides.”

The man’s stubbled jaw was square, his eyes the
brightest blue Elizabeth had ever seen. She bowed her head in acknowledgement.

What name did she use? She looked at Will. His
eyes narrowed at her and the muscle in his cheek pulsed.

“Elizabeth…Archer,” she allowed the name to spill
from her lips as she extended a hand toward him. Her past would catch up with
her sooner or later. It was time for her to stop pretending. Will already knew
the truth. That was all that mattered.

“Why, Miss Archer, you are simply the most
beautiful sight I have seen in ages.” He took her hand and brought it up to his
lips.

She could feel the heat of Will’s stare, but she
avoided looking over at him.

“It sounds like you will be joining us as far as Kansas
City.”

“With you along, ma’am, I may just have to join
you for the remainder of your journey.”

Elizabeth enjoyed his praise. It had been a long
time since a man had showed respectful interest in her and she liked it.

A tight knot gripped Will’s chest and would not
relent as he watched Elizabeth’s interaction with the marshal. Every breath was
becoming increasingly difficult. When he’d discovered that Elizabeth was an
Archer, he’d wanted to be angry with her, had wanted to make her pay for her
father’s and brother’s mistakes, but when she’d looked up at him with that
trust in her eyes, he’d realized there was more to the woman than he’d expected.
He wanted to get to know her better. To understand her reasons for being here.
For changing her name.

He supposed a lot of women would find a man like
Fenton appealing, but he did not feel like punching a tree when other women
smiled at him, so why did he feel that way watching Elizabeth with the man? It
took a moment before he realized that he wanted to be the one she smiled at,
laughed with…

Elizabeth reached out and playfully tapped the
marshal’s arm.

…touched.

Will took the few steps that separated them and
reached out for the reins.

“Ms. Jessup, I mean, Archer,” he knew it was
childish to say, but hadn’t been able to stop himself. If he was honest with
himself, he was jealous that Elizabeth was being so open and honest with the
marshal. And now, the marshal would be accompanying them to Kansas City. At
Will’s request. How could he have been such a dolt?

She narrowed her eyes at him, raising a brow. She
was calling him out, but Will pretended everything was as it should be.

“Thank you for holding onto him, ma’am,” he said
as he reached down and slipped Indy’s reins from her hands. When his fingers
brushed against her skin, his gut tightened and his jaw flexed. How did she
have such an effect on him?

“We need to be getting on the road, ma’am.” He
tipped his hat and led his mount back toward the livery entrance where Paulie
waited.

“Thank you, Will,” Paulie said as he rubbed his
wrists. “Why would the marshal accuse me of any wrong doing?”

“He wouldn’t. Unless he knows something that we
don’t.”

Paulie’s eyes opened wide and he shook his head
slowly.

“Will, I would never—”

“You don’t have to tell me, my friend. I’ve known
you near my whole life. But, Fenton is a lot like my brothers. Rafe’s instincts
are unparalleled when it comes to sniffing out trouble and Raine has a way of
uncovering the truth in any situation. I think those natural abilities are what
drew them to the law. I’m guessing the marshal’s not any different.”

“What do you know about him?”

“Just that he’s a straight arrow—even if it’s
sometimes blinded by revenge,” he added given his previous encounter with the
man.

“You do something to make him mad?”

“Let’s just say we both took a liking to the same
pretty girl and it cost the man an ounce of his pride.” He couldn’t help but
see the irony in the situation and he refused to be on the other side of the
coin.

Elizabeth giggled.

Will swung up onto his horse.

“We’ve got a bankroll to deliver, Paulie, and
I’ve delayed us long enough this morning. Let’s get on the road.”

His childhood friend and partner walked over to
where Opal and Gertrude stood watching the exchange between Elizabeth and the marshal.
Neither of the ladies seemed too pleased. Paulie caught their attention and motioned
toward the stagecoach.

Will would be glad to finally get back on the
road. He could use the time alone on his horse to think. It wasn’t like he
could win Elizabeth over, nor should he. His job was clear. Escort the stage to
Kansas City. After all, she was headed west to meet the man who’d sent for a bride
in good faith. It was none of his business. He was leaving. Going to England. It
was best that he put all thoughts of Elizabeth Archer out of his head and focus
on the job at hand.

For months he had dreamed of the ship that would
be under his command as he travelled across the seas. Being a professor was a
means to an end. He would teach at the University and then lead expeditions of
discovery. He couldn’t think of a better adventure. Except one.

Stop it!

He glanced back over at Elizabeth. When Fenton placed
a kiss on the back of her hand, it was enough. Will couldn’t watch any longer.
He nudged Indy forward.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but like I said, we really need
to be getting on the road.”

For someone who had been so keen on getting to
Kansas City as soon as possible, she was certainly taking her time. He stared at
her until she finally met his eyes. She glanced back at the marshal with a
smile Will wished had been intended for him.

“If you will please excuse me, Marshal.” She
dipped in a slight curtsy.

“I look forward to speaking with you more, Miss
Archer,” the marshal said.

Will locked eyes with her again. His jaw set
firm, unsmiling.

“I need to drop this wagon with the undertaker.”
Fenton directed his comments to Will, but Will’s eyes did not defer from
Elizabeth’s. “I’ll meet you at the edge of town,” he said with a bob of his
head as if trying to get Will’s attention.

“I’m boarding,” Elizabeth said, pulling her shawl
around her a little tighter as she headed toward the stage.

“Redbourne! I’ll meet you at the—”

“I heard you the first time, Fenton.” He didn’t
mean to snap.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened in
Hesterville.” The marshal raised a challenging brow.

“Edge of town. We’ll wait,” Will said, leading
his horse away from the man and up alongside the stage.

It would be nice to get back to some sense of
normalcy.

Will raised his arm above his head and made a
circling motion with his hand.

“Heading out!” Ellis called from the driver’s
box.

Will rode on ahead, toward the edge of town, to
wait for Marshal Fenton. He brought the horse to a stop, leaned forward, and
rested his arms across the saddle horn.

By the time Fenton arrived, the stage had only
been idle for a minute or two. With Paulie bringing up the rear, they slowly
embarked on the new leg of their journey.

Fenton pulled up next to Will a few hundred yards
ahead of the stage.

“What’s her story?” he asked as if they’d always
been on friendly terms.

“I think that is something you will have to ask the
lady.” Will did not want to talk about Elizabeth Archer to this man.

“But you seem to know her pretty well.”

“We only just met yesterday.” It was true, but
somehow it felt as if he’d known her a lot longer.

“Yesterday?” Fenton asked with surprise. “I’d
have never guessed by the way you two were acting towards each other,” he said
knowingly.

Tension suddenly swarmed the air around them like
the marshal had something more to say, but never voiced it. Will cursed the man
who was more like his brothers than he cared to admit.

“You take the east,” he said, turning the focus
back to the job. “I’ll take west, and when we reach Kansas City, we’ll
reconvene.

At least if the marshal was outriding, he
wouldn’t be near Elizabeth. Will didn’t know why he cared, but he’d have a
couple of hours to figure it out.

“Shhh.”

Elizabeth whipped her head around at the sound and
strained to listen. An odd shushing noise was coming from the back of the stage
coach. She shook her head, chalking it up to her imagination.

A simpering whine came from the same spot,
followed by a scratching noise. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have
said it sounded an awful lot like Caspar, but, she rationalized, she was just
missing the pup. It was the first time since crossing into Missouri that she
hadn’t had Caspar there with her, other than the few hours she’d gone missing
yesterday.

“Shhh,” the sound came again, followed by a
distinct giggle.

“Did you hear that?” she asked the other two
women who’d been staring out the windows at the trail for the better part of
half an hour.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Opal said. “Did you,
Gertie?”

“Just the relentless creek of the wheel beneath
me,” Gertrude said, her voice laced with a whine.

Knock.

“What was that?” Opal asked, sitting up and
grabbing onto Gertrude.

Something, or someone, lurked in the baggage
boot.

Elizabeth grabbed a hold of the handle just to
the side of the window and pulled herself upward, sticking her head out into
the fresh air.

“Mr. Glenn,” she called, realizing it might be
hard for the driver to hear her from down here. She bit her lip, contemplating
her next move.

“Is there something I can help you with, ma’am?” She
glanced out the window to find Marshal Fenton riding alongside the stagecoach.

It took a moment to recover her surprise, but she
threw on her best smile. “Can we please stop the stage?”

“We’re just another hour or so outside of Kansas
City. Can it wait?” he asked.

“Well, I think we might have a stowaway in the
boot,” she responded.

Marshal Fenton looked from her to the rear of the
stage, then quickly pulled forward enough that he could engage Mr. Glenn in
conversation.

“Whoa,” the driver yelled and within a few
moments, the stage came to a halt.

Elizabeth pushed through the door, nearly
tripping over her own feet as she hustled off the step and toward the back of
the wagon. She reached for the leather lifting strap at the same time the newly
dismounted marshal did and their hands brushed across one another’s.

“Excuse me,” she said, turning to look at him.

“I didn’t mind,” he replied with a smile that
could have melted the heart of an ice queen.

Elizabeth found the marshal charming and
handsome, but his touch didn’t incite any thrill or anticipation from her.
There was no spark, no butterflies.

“Why did we stop?” Will asked as he rode up.

Elizabeth shifted her gaze to Will, whose jaw now
flexed tightly, his eyes like steel. Flutters filled her stomach and her breath
caught in her chest. He was seriously the most handsome man she had ever seen
and, while she tried to be contrite for her current positioning with the
marshal, her heart lifted a little at the thought that Will might just be
jealous.

“Miss Archer heard something in the baggage boot.”

“Who is Miss Archer?” Gertrude asked, glancing
from Elizabeth to Opal.

Elizabeth smiled at the woman as she relinquished
her hold on the leather strap and raised a reluctant hand just high enough to
be acknowledged.

The marshal lifted the cowhide flap covering the
storage space at the back of the stage and Elizabeth gasped as Caspar barked
and jumped out of the boot at a very surprised territory marshal. His hand shot
to his hip, but he recovered quick enough that he didn’t draw.

Elizabeth’s heart jolted and she placed a hand up
against her bosom as if stopping it from leaping right from her chest.

“I guess she couldn’t wait,” a small voice came
from the baggage boot.