Chapter Seventeen

Never Far From His Heart

It was late in the afternoon when Woody finally returned to Tyler with the flat bed containing its cache of illegal guns. He unloaded them at the sheriff's office and locked them in one of the tiny cells. That was the best he could do in securing them, but he seriously doubted any of the citizens of Tyler would even think of stealing the ill-gotten gain that had set their tiny city on its ear. As he shut the door behind him, Woody mused to himself that the town was now without a sheriff. He doubted Max would want the job back. As a matter of fact, as conflicted as the man was today, Woody pretty much surmised that Max may very well take off a while to find the peace his mind craved.

Guns secured, Woody crossed the street to Garret's office. She had been on his mind all day, tucked back in the recesses while he was going after Jeffers, but never far from his heart. He entered the office and glanced to his left, noting that Garret was cleaning Matt's superficial wound, while Lily watched with wide eyes as Matt relayed the story of Jeffers' capture and subsequent death. Woody gave the man a sly wink as he turned the doorknob of Jordan's room.

Max was with her, sitting beside the bed holding his daughter's hand. "Garret said she's kind of been in and out of it all day…waking up and going back to sleep," Max told him before Woody could even pose the questions. "The swelling's not come back…she's sore…her neck and her throat are both sore."

Woody nodded, coming over to stand beside her bed. At some point in time, Lily or Max one must have gone back to the claim to retrieve Jordan's nightgown…her blouse and dark skirt were laid over a chair in the corner and she was now in a pink nightgown…tiny ruffles and lace.

However the gown did nothing to hide the bruises or the rope burn ringing her neck. Woody still winced at the sight, his stomach uncomfortably lurching. Why anyone would want to do this to a woman was beyond him…and he silently swore no one would ever do anything like that to Jordan again.

But you won't be here to prevent it… the tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him. You'll be on your next assignment in a week…two weeks at the most. Then who's going to protect her? You know Max is going leave as soon as he can …to try to get some perspective on his life. Nigel and Garret…they love her…but not like you do.

Max watched the young marshal for a minute, noting the conflicting emotions that were playing across Woody's face. Max understood them…he had felt them himself. When he had courted and won Emily, he had been a young officer fresh out of the army. Being a lawman was the only thing that appealed to him. With Emily's encouragement, he had tried to make a go of it.

Only to find it blew up in his face, costing him his wife and very nearly his daughter. Maybe Woody would be different. Maybe he would find a way to blend it all together and not have to make a choice.

And maybe, just maybe, Jordan would encourage the marshal like her mother had encouraged him. Woody loved her just the way she was, and Max knew it.

So maybe, just maybe, in the not-too-distant future the couple would give him a reason to visit Tyler again….grandchildren would be a strong magnet to his heart. He could already feel the tug. Clearing his throat, he stood. "I need to step out a while…could you sit with her for a few minutes? She's kinda disoriented when she wakes up. Garret says it's the laudanum he gave her to make her sleep…."

Woody nodded. "Yes, sir. It'd be my pleasure."

"Good." Max walked to the door, but paused before he opened it. "She's been askin' for you, Hoyt. She was worried. She knew what you had to do."

Woody looked at Max, wordless curiosity on his face. Max sighed heavily. "I was a lawman too many years for her not to know what had to happen." He shut the door behind him.

Finally alone with her, Woody decided to forego the chair Max had been in and sat down gently beside her on the bed, once again letting his fingers run through the tips of her hair.

He didn't mean to wake her…he honestly didn't…but the brush of his fingers caused her eyelids to flutter open. For a moment, she held his blue gaze with her own chocolate one, and felt a shiver run up her spine. He hadn't shaved in two days, and with his dung-colored duster and the dark look still on his face, he looked like the Lucifer that had walked into her father's bar a few weeks ago.

But his smile melted the thought from her mind. Damn, he was the finest-looking thing she had seen since she left Boston…maybe the finest ever, she thought before she tried to say his name. "Woody…" her voice sounded as bruised as her neck.

"Hey, shhh….don't try to talk…"

"But…" she struggled to try to sit up in bed.

"Don't…Jordan, you need to rest."

"I've been resting all day…thanks to Garret. The man drugged me with enough laudanum to put down a horse."

Woody chuckled. "Obviously the man knew what he was up against. Here…hold still and let me help…" He assisted her in sitting up and adjusted the pillows behind her back. "Is that better?"

Jordan nodded, thrilled that her new position brought her in closer proximity to him. The time she had been conscious, she had worried about him…and asked about where he was and if he was all right. She didn't get any answers until her father came in…and she had been less concerned about where Max had been at than if he had any word from Woody. "Tell me…" she managed to say, her voice sounding rough.

"It's not pretty, Jordan…"

"Things like this never are…"

Woody struggled to give her a white washed version of what happened, strongly indicating that Max had gotten a jump on his posse and had Jeffers cornered before Woody even got there. He purposely omitted the fact that Max had nearly joined Jeffers in his gun smuggling.

Jordan eyed him carefully when it was all over, satisfied that he hadn't been hurt and was telling her the truth. "It's over, then?" she whispered.

Nodding, Woody replied, "Almost. I still have to notify the army that the guns are here and wait around until they come pick them up…then there's the obligatory paper work."

"And you get your next assignment and ride out of town?"

Woody looked down. He couldn't meet her gaze. "Yeah."

He heard her suck in her breath before she spoke. "You saved my life," she said, her voice remaining rough and quiet.

"Jordan…"

She put her finger on his lips to silence him. "You saved my life, Woody. I can't thank you enough…no one has ever done anything like that for me before…so don't try to down play it or say it was 'just your job'. I don't care…if it wasn't for you…"

Woody felt his own throat close and begin to choke. "Don't say it." His voice came out as rough as hers.

"Still…thank you." To his surprise, she leaned over and gently kissed his lips.

It was a soft kiss….as light and fleeting as a spring breeze.

Leaving him wanting so much more. It was then he remembered her locket.

"I found something of yours," he murmured, their lips still close. Holding her gaze, he reached in his shirt pocket and pulled the necklace out, bringing it up to her vision.

"My locket!"

Woody placed it in her hand, watching her reaction with pleasure…as she ran her fingers over the fine chain and the heart. "I never thought I'd see this again…Jeffers took it off of me before….before…."

"I know…"

"Thank you!" Her eyes shown with unshed tears. "Would…would you put it on?"

"I'd love to…" She bent her head and moved her shining mane of chestnut curls so he could fasten it at the back of her neck. When he was through with his task, he was rewarded with one of her genuine smiles. "It looks beautiful on you."

Fingering the locket, she knew it was time. This marshal may be riding out of town in few days taking her heart with him, but she felt he deserved to know. "It was my mother's…" she began. "You know my mother is dead…this is the only thing I have to remember her with…her death…well …it was difficult in and of itself…but the fact that she was…she was.."

This time Woody put a finger on her lips to silence her. "I know, Jordan. Garret told me…"

Her lips rounded into a wordless "O" of surprise, leaving him little choice but to close the distance. "Can I get a thank you kiss for this, too?" his lips temptingly fractions of an inch from hers.

A nod from her was all it took.

He kissed her then, slow and easy, allowing her time to adjust to the pressure of his mouth and the feel of his arms through the thin material of her nightgown. When he felt her response, he deepened the kiss, lightly tracing her lower lip with his tongue…and was pleasantly surprised when she opened her mouth beneath his.

Still keeping things at an easy pace, he leisurely explored her mouth and was just as happily taken back when she did the same to his…only now the tenor of the embrace changed…Jordan felt a tension and passion rise between them that had been simmering beneath the surface, but only now chose to erupt.

And it took her breath away. Those dim-witted penny dreadfuls of Nigel's had been right…she gasped and felt herself cling just a little tighter to Woody, desperately trying to find something solid to anchor herself to as his lips still were stirring up a storm in her that her body had never experienced.

Feeling her reaction, Woody gently eased her back on the pillows, still in a sitting position and began to lighten his kiss, finally reluctantly pulling away…but nearly losing it when he looked back down into her eyes and saw a hunger there that Jordan didn't recognize…but he did all too well.

But he was experienced enough in this realm of romance to know that to push anything else with her right now would be disastrous. First because she was still recovering from nearly being hanged…second, she deserved better. A quieter time, a place they wouldn't be disturbed.

Your ring on her finger and her last name Hoyt…the tiny voice in his head prompted. So what you going to do about it? Ride off into the sunset to your next assignment?

Or do something you swore you'd never do when your family split up after the war? Stop running and put down roots?

Woody telegraphed army headquarters the next day and informed them that the gun smuggling ring had been taken care of and the illegal arms were waiting for pick up at the Tyler Jail. Matt read the message with interest before he sent the information out. "Guess you'll be leaving us soon, huh, Marshal?"

Woody nodded. "Probably. It's only a matter of time before I get my next assignment."

"How much time?"

"Well, depending on when the army sends a contingent out here to pick up the guns…probably a week. Two at the most."

"Shame. A real shame."

Woody raised an eyebrow at the man, who was still wearing a bandage around his superficial wound. "A shame? Seems you'd be glad to get rid of me…since you got injured under my watch."

Matt grinned. "Best thing that ever happened. Now Lily thinks I'm brave, fearless, and handsome, thanks to you." Then his face took on a slightly more serious look. "No…I mean with Tyler without a sheriff now and all…I think several of us were hoping you'd step up to the plate…stay here and be our sheriff instead of leavin'. I know I would like it…and so would Bug and Nigel…and Lily … and probably Max and Garret. And I think a certain lady doctor would really like it. Although it might take some powerful persuadin' on your part to get her to admit it."

"Sheriff, huh?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah. Sheriff."

Woody pulled his Stetson back down a little further on his head. "I'll think about it, Matt." Then noting the telegrapher's surprised look, he continued. "I will. It's just that…." Woody bit his lip, "it's been a long time since I was in one place for more than a few months…really since I was sixteen."

"Tyler's a great place to settle down, Woody. Good folks. And people here feel like they can trust you. Even Rene' Walcott. And that's saying a lot. Think about it."

Woody nodded and left the telegraph office. His next stop was going to be Garret's …Jordan had spend one more night in his care just to be safe…an issue she had to have both Woody and Max talk her into. She was ready to go back to the claim and clean up the mess that Jeffers and his band had left. Lily had calmed her down by saying that it had already been taken care of and a brand new rug to cover the blood spot on the floor had been sent over, compliments of Lu Simmons. Jordan's eyes had grown wide at that, until Lily told her that Lu had brought it herself and told Lily that Jordan was every bit the hero that Woody and Max were…that she had kept her wits about her and allowed Woody time to discover where the smuggling ring was hold out. A rug was the least Lu could do.

But now his plans changed…sheriff…of Tyler. He needed some time to think about what that may mean. For the first time in Woody's life, or at least since he was sixteen, he'd have one place to call home. After his father's death, he had lived with various relatives until his younger brother Cal was old enough to be on his own. Then he had joined the army…and then there was the war. After that, he had been accepted as a US Marshal. All of those positions required that he pull up stakes and move every few months…sometimes even every few weeks. To think that he would have a place to put down roots was almost beyond his apprehension.

Maybe some land to call his own, too…but even that didn't sound like enough to keep him in Tyler unless Jordan was willing to become his wife. The thought of living near her, seeing her everyday, and her not be his…it was painful. He wasn't sure when he had fallen in love with her, but it stood to reason it was the night she had decked him with her right hook. Woody rubbed his jaw at the memory and chuckled.

The dusty, dirty town of Tyler had its appeals. Woody guessed the first stop would be Mrs. Walcott's General Store. Rene' was sort of the unappointed town leader. Woody figured if he had her in his corner, the position of sheriff would be a shoo in.

The next stop would be Max's claim, before Jordan got back home. Woody had a feeling Max was still enough of an old-fashioned Irishman that he would want Woody to ask him for Jordan's hand in marriage before he ever approached her.

Here's hoping Max would let bygones be bygones and not punch him out again…