Howdy dear readers!
This story has a few more chapters and then it will be done. *Wipes tear from eye*
GeezerWench did a super fantastic job helping me with this chapter! Pre-reading and creative consulting.
She deserves an award!
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Marshall McCarty's wagon bumped and tumbled back to town as fast as it could go with only one good horse pulling it. Emmett and Jasper stayed vigilante during the whole trip, wary that the outlaw could return at any moment and attack.
Jasper sat in the back and held Brandon's head in his lap. He did everything he could think of to calm the lad. Although his bullet wound wasn't very deep, he fussed as if he were in a lot of pain. Jasper poured whiskey onto the wound, and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Then Brandon gulped the remaining rotgut down and passed out.
It was for the best.
The ride back into town seemed endless, but finally they made it to Doctor Cullen's house. Jasper was sick with worry over the safety of Bella and his family—worried that the outlaws might have harmed them. Before Emmett had a chance to stop, Jasper leapt from the wagon and bounded onto the porch.
He tried the latch. The door was locked, so he began to pound on it while he called out to his brother, or Bella, or anyone to answer.
All was silent.
On the other side of the door, Edward stood guard. He held an old rifle in his hands. The only weapon left behind by the outlaws, it had been well hidden. They had taken the other guns, and a few valuable trinkets with them before threatening everyone, even the women, and riding away.
Edward had ordered that everyone stay put inside the hospital for their protection. So that he could protect them. It was obvious now that his thoughts had been flawed—nothing more than folly.
At the sound of Jasper's voice, Edward broke out into a cold sweat. He thought that by having Jasper arrested he'd be rid of the heathen. Surely, the Marshall realized a good-for-nothing such as Jasper deserved to be locked away for a good long time.
Jasper's fist struck the door with such force that the blows rattled the door, shook the walls, and jolted through Edward's very bones. Time seemed to stand still for Edward as the realization dawned that Jasper had somehow returned to claim Bella, take her away from him, and there was little more that he could do to stop it.
Outside on the porch, Jasper, fearing the worst, pressed his forehead to the cold wood of the door and tried not to cry. He felt as if he were about to break in two. Had he arrived too late? Was his beautiful Bella gone? Had his entire family been killed?
Just when he had almost given up hope, he heard the sweetest sound.
"Jasper?"
It was Bella! She was alive, and she was calling to him.
With renewed spirit, Jasper pounded on the door. "It's Jasper and Marshall McCarty! We've got an injured man. Open the door!"
Bella tried to push Edward aside, but he stood firm and unyielding, his jaw tight. Edward wanted to belay Jasper's return a bit longer. He clutched at his rifle in a daze, as he realized that however well-meaning his plan to protect Bella had been; it had backfired terribly.
Peter and Charlotte came to aid Bella in her struggle to remove Edward from the door.
Peter extended his hand in peace. "I'll be glad to hold your rifle and make sure nobody accidentally gets shot."
Edward grudgingly handed over his gun. "I trust that you will remove any weapons from your brother as well."
"I don't see why I'd need to. He'd never shoot ya' in front of the ladies." Peter smirked. "Besides, it's a chance I'm willin' to take."
"Edward, open the door! It's Marshall McCarty."
With a heavy sigh, Edward stepped away and unlocked the door. He braced himself for a fight.
The door swung open, and Jasper filled the doorway.
His eyes wild, searching.
He ran straight to Bella.
The strength of his embrace was shocking. He was holding on to her for dear life.
When he finally pulled away, he began to search her over with loving care; his handsome face etched in worry. "Are you all right?"
Bella felt as though she could finally breathe again. Jasper had come back to her, and he was all in one piece. "Yes, I'm fine. Where have you been?" She wondered in a very small voice.
"I got arrested. Wrongly accused," Jasper growled. "That high falutin' Doctor had me hauled away so that he could have you all to himself. Excuse me just a moment, darlin'." Jasper kissed Bella on her forehead, set her gently on her feet, and spun around.
Edward raised his hands in defense. "I'm sure this all has been a terrible misunderstanding."
The doctor's words fell on deaf ears.
With a passionate vengeance, Jasper lunged at Edward and socked him in the jaw.
The doctor flew back, fell over one of the little hospital cots and went sprawling across the floor.
Jasper roared as he dove on top of the stunned man, and slammed his fists into him again and again. He would have happily continued to pummel him all evening, but the Marshall stepped in and yanked Jasper away, threatening to re-arrest him if he didn't stop.
Jasper managed to grab Edward up by the collar of his shirt, and he spoke to him in menacing tones. "Don't you ever try to come between me and my woman again."
With a swift heave, Emmett tore Jasper away from Edward, and dragged him into the kitchen to cool off.
Bella followed behind nervously. Seeing Jasper so full of rage had nearly scared her to death.
The Marshall, who was a hulking brute of a man, shoved Jasper into a chair and gave him a tongue lashing. "Dagnabbit, Jasper! How is he goin' to help Brandon if ya knock him out? Sit right here in this chair until I get back or I'll tie you to it. And ya better give me your guns for the time bein'."
Jasper glowered at the Marshall, and he scowled right back.
Bella broke the tension with a quiet plea. "Please—"
Finally capturing their attention, both men's heads snapped around to her and she stumbled back into the table.
Jasper frowned as Emmett grinned at the pretty girl. He tipped his hat back and crossed his arms while he looked back and forth between Jasper and Bella. "Well, aren't ya goin' to introduce me?"
Jasper was madder than hell. He was mad enough to swallow a horned toad backwards, and he didn't like the way the Marshall was sizing up his woman. "No."
Emmett snorted, "Fine then. You stay put here, and I'll go help the Doc see to Brandon." He winked at Bella's surprised look. "We can get better acquainted once everythin' settles down."
The Marshall turned completely to Bella and spoke quietly. "You plannin' on marryin' this fella?" he asked as he pointed toward Jasper. "Cuz apparently Doc Cullen has designs on you."
Bella gaped at the Marshall, gulped, and nodded. "I want to marry Jasper," she said barely loud enough for Emmett to hear.
"Did you invite him to visit you here last night?"
Bella's eyes dropped to the floor as she blushed with embarrassment. "Yes," she said meekly.
Emmett grinned a sly grin, and raised an eyebrow towards Jasper. "All right then. Glad to hear it. You both need to stay put and behave, and we'll settle this after a while. I've got to make sure Doc Cullen isn't bleeding all over his patient."
In the front room, Edward had staggered to his feet and was sagging against the wall. He blotted the blood from his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.
Charlotte stood, not two feet away, waving her finger around, scolding him. "You deserved that, ya' know! I don't know who you think you are, upsetting Bella like that. You should be ashamed! Havin' Jasper arrested when you're the one who should be locked up . . . I'd throw away the key."
Peter tried not to laugh too loudly as he wrapped his arms around his irate wife and hauled her into the kitchen. He was happy and relieved to have his brother back, and his heart felt like singing to know that Charlotte was just as put off with Edward as he was. It was one less worry hanging over his head knowing that the spell Edward Cullen had cast over his wife had finally been broken.
Emmett checked on Brandon who was still lying passed out on a cot, right where he had set him, and then he turned to Edward.
The young Doctor looked mighty dejected; even for a man who had just been licked.
"You all right?"
Edward didn't answer. He looked away, avoiding Emmett's eyes.
Emmett placed a hand on Edward's shoulder. "I understand. That Bella is a sweet lil' gal, but she's done made up her mind and set her cap on Jasper. I can take this fella here to another doctor, so you don't have to bother with him."
Fear flashed behind Edward's gaze, for a second, and then it was gone. "No, don't leave yet." He walked solemnly over to his new patient. "I'll fix him up. I need something to occupy myself with for the moment."
Emmett nodded knowingly, "Sure thing, Doc. I'll make sure to get the Whitlocks over to the hotel for ya'."
"Yes, and see to it that you catch the outlaws that were here, as well."
"Outlaw. We shot one already. Shot him dead, outside of town. This fella here, Brandon, said that the man you sewed up this mornin' was wanted for killin' some lawmen . . . said there's a reward and everythin'."
Edward glanced to the kitchen and wondered if the barbarian he had helped was the same man who had murdered Bella's father. "You should have arrested James this morning. He and his accomplice held us all at gun point, made off with all the guns they could find, and they also ransacked my home whilst looking for things of value. They stole a few family heirlooms which I'd like to get back. The most despicable act was how they frightened the ladies. James must be brought to justice. If you had questioned your suspects better, then none of this would have happened."
"It was an honest mistake. It looked like Brandon was the guilty one."
"I can see why." Edward grimaced at the sight of Brandon's trousers. They were soaked with whiskey, blood, and urine. The smell was unbearable.
"Everybody makes mistakes. I suppose. Even you." Emmett nudged his arm.
"Yes. There were a lot of mistakes being made today, it seems," Edward said as he collected his shears and began to clip away at the offending fabric of Brandon's trousers, peeling away the soiled cloth.
Emmett's face scrunched in confusion. "Where's his dick?"
"Good Lord, look away! Don't you have any decency?" Edward fumbled over himself before he successfully found a sheet and threw it over Brandon's lower half, shielding her obviously female private area.
"I thought . . . I mean . . . I didn't know . . ." Emmett removed his hat and crushed it in his hands.
Edward's mind reeled. What horrible fate must have befallen this poor creature to make her present herself as a young man? He had to help her.
Emmett stood there gawking, his mouth moving like a fish out of water.
"Stop staring. Don't you have outlaws to apprehend, or people to escort?" Edward shooed Emmett into the kitchen. He would need to expose the woman's thigh to extract the bullet, and it wouldn't be proper for anyone to watch.
The Marshall mumbled inaudibly, ducked into the kitchen, and a broad smile broke over his face. It sure smelled good.
There sat the Whitlock brothers, in the midst of a staring match. They were both frowning, their arms crossed.
Peter hadn't been too pleased to learn of Jasper's secret late night rendezvous with Bella.
Neither brother looked up to acknowledge the Marshall's presence. So he bowed to the ladies apologetically. "Doctor Cullen told me about the trouble ya'll had with that outlaw. I sure am sorry that happened. Apparently I arrested the wrong man."
Jasper shot the Marshall a dirty look. "Seems to be a specialty of yours."
Emmett winced. "No hard feelings, I hope?"
Jasper didn't answer, in fact, no one said a word.
The silence was excruciating.
Finally, Charlotte broke the tension. "Ya'll must be starvin'. Bella and I have been baking up a storm, waiting for Jasper. We were so nervous after those bad men took off. We took to parin' apples, and before we knew it, they had piled up into a great big ol' heap. We made apple cake, apple pastry, apple fritters . . . how 'bout some apple pie?"
Peter held up his hand to silence his wife. "There will be no pie until after the weddin'."
Charlotte placed her hands on her hips and frowned at her husband. "Now honey, don't you think maybe you're bein' a hypocrite? Just the least little bit?"
Peter's gaze softened minutely, but nothing would change his mind about the wedding.
"I'm good friends with the justice of the peace. I could pull some strings." Emmett offered, his mouth watering for some fresh baked pie.
"I think what my sinner of a brother needs is a nice church weddin'," Peter smirked.
Jasper rolled his eyes. He needed a church wedding like he needed a hole in his foot.
Charlotte, however, thought it was a wonderful idea. She clasped her hands together in glee. "Wouldn't it be grand? In a week's time we could plan somethin' real fittin'."
"I think Bella should decide," Jasper interjected and looked to his sweetheart for her answer. Whatever she wanted, he would give her. He just wanted her to be happy.
Bella took a moment to think as she gnawed on her lip. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to go ahead and see the justice of the peace. I mean . . . I have been waiting all day to get married, and Charlotte has done such a good job setting my hair. I'd hate for it to go to waste." Bella turned to show off Charlotte's doings.
Jasper beamed, as he shot to his feet with excitement. "Good Lord, yes, Bella!" He embraced her sweetly. It took every bit of etiquette he had not to sweep her from her feet and kiss her full on the lips in front of everyone. He was so happy.
"You look good enough to eat," Jasper whispered.
Bella blushed and glanced away demurely.
Taking each of her small soft hands in his, he looked to Emmett. "Do you think the justice could marry us today?"
Emmett shrugged.
"It's getting' sorta late," Peter said as he peeked out the window. "And I'm not stayin' here another night. We need to get goin' and get settled somewhere else before dark."
"I'll be happy to help," Emmett said, wanting to make amends. "I'll have to ask the justice, of course, about gettin' you hitched, and ya'll are welcome to use my wagon to haul your belongin's. We'll load it up, and I'll make sure you get settled in at the hotel. We'll need to wait for Edward to finish up fixin' Brandon's leg before we head out. Turns out that he's a she, and the good doctor ran me out of the room to keep me from starin' at her girlie bits."
Everyone gaped at the Marshall in shock.
Pleased he'd been able to confound them all, Emmett just smiled. "A cup of coffee would sure hit the spot, and I'd be much obliged if we might have some pie until then. All you ladies' hard work sure does smell temptin'."