Chapter Twelve

Paul was beside himself, as he watched the sheriff ride away. Fred Madden had ridden out to the home Tyler and Paul were now living in to ask questions of Tyrell. It turned out that Robert, the man who had attempted to kidnap Maggie, had slipped up and let Fred overhear him mention the name Tyrell to one of the other prisoners in the jail. However, if it hadn't been for the fact Tyrell had a solid alibi that proved he could not have ridden out to Robert's place and left any note, Fred would have hauled him in for more questioning.

"I don't know how you did it!" Paul yelled as he sent his fist flying across Tyrell's face, sending the man falling to the hard wooden floor. Paul continued his rampage, as Tyrell sat up and wiped the blood that was now dripping from his lower lip. "But you did it! What on earth were you thinking? Were you actually going to shed her blood? What did you hope to accomplish? The hearing is in three days! I thought we had this settled! Why couldn't you wait that long?"

Holding onto the coffee table that sat in the living room of their home, Tyrell stood up and glared at his brother. "I wasn't going to kill anyone!" he hissed as he took a step towards Paul, causing the man to take a step backwards. "I was just going to have some friends help her down to, and keep her in, Mexico! The rest of our family would never sell the land with her missing. We could step in as caretakers just in case she returned. Of course, she would never return and we'd get the land. We'd work it, keeping it running and then, after a few years, we'd make a claim and get it!"

Paul had to admit he liked that idea and wished it had worked; however, he was still quite upset with Tyrell because he had not consulted him beforehand. "Why have the man go to the house when he did? How did you expect him to get her away from Heath? For that matter, how did you expect to get her with Nick around? You know he'd do anything to see us behind bars!"

Not knowing Heath and Maggie had changed their original wedding plans and were now moments away from being married, Tyrell stormed around room worse than a two year old who was throwing a major temper tantrum. "They weren't supposed to be there! I heard one of their hands talking in the saloon a couple days ago! He said Nick and Heath, along with a few hands, were leaving on a short drive!"

Paul, who had calmed down by this time, sat down at the table and shook his head. Again, not knowing Maggie was no longer a Hamilton, he asked, "With the hearing only seventy-two hours away, do you think you can control the impulse to do anything else?"

Tyrell growled, threw his hands up into the air and gave up. His brother had a point, and he knew it. "All right, no more stunts unless we lose." Of course, if they lost, Tyrell didn't know what they could do to get the inheritance they felt they'd been cheated of.

~oOo~

The moment the reverend and the Maddens had left, Heath had whisked his bride up to what was now their room and locked the door. Now, Heath and Maggie lay in the bed talking. They were tangled together and ignoring the world outside for awhile. Heath held Maggie even closer, when he heard her sigh. Due to their original plans, he knew a small portion of what had caused her to let the sigh out. "I promise… once this is all over, we'll renew our vows, have a more formal reception and a honeymoon that will last for weeks." He'd hoped it wouldn't be too long as a woman deserved those things.

Maggie freed her legs from his and leaned on her side. Running her hands through the hair on his chest, she shook her head. "The change of wedding plans isn't what's bothering me, though renewing our vows later is a great idea and a decent honeymoon is mandatory."

Since the only other thing he could see bothering her was her cousins, he said, "Since the land will no longer be in the Hamilton name, there's no reason for them to come after you. You'll be fine." Again, he was surprised when Maggie shook her head though, somehow, her words were no surprise at all.

"I wasn't thinking about me. I was thinking more along the lines of you and Nick." She sat up against the headboard, keeping the blankets over her as she did so. Until they were in their own house, she was taking no chances. "He's so concerned history will repeat itself that he's watching us like a hawk, or having someone else do it. You're so concerned that, in his desire to see true justice delivered to Paul and Tyrell, he'll go too far, or that they'll do something to him before he gets a chance to see that day. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. And, I still worry about what Paul and Tyrell will do should they lose their case." She looked at Heath as her eyes pleaded for him to understand what she was feeling.

Heath more than understood as he too sat up though he didn't worry about keeping the covers clear up to his chest. He didn't know what to say at first. She was right. As hard as he'd tried, Nick would not stop keeping an eye on them.

'Iris is dead, because I allowed myself to relax' Nick barked the words at him as they stood in the barn talking, so long ago. 'I don't intend to make that same mistake again!'

"I know. I feel the same way." Heath finally admitted to Maggie. He admitted trying to "talk some sense" into Nick for the exact reason Maggie had just stated. "But Nick is Nick; he's not listening any better than I am."

Heath let out a slight chuckle as he admitted Nick had then turned the tables by saying that he would consider letting up if Heath would stop worrying about him. It was a statement that, after a few moments of silence that felt like an eternity, was broken with each brother assuring each other they'd be there for the other one, along with a hearty slap on the back. "Let's not worry about it right now. Sooner or later, if they don't stop trying to cause trouble, Paul and Tyrell will get exactly what they deserve." Heath turned and, wrapping both arms around her, spoke softly. "There are other ways to occupy our time right now other than talking about what your cousins might or might not do." Before Maggie could answer one way or the other, Heath had her on her back and was devouring her mouth with his once more. Any thought of telling him it was impolite to change subjects flew out the window as his hands began to wander. As she felt the fire that had consumed her and her new husband earlier pulling them towards the edge, and eventually over it again. All Maggie could do was pray Heath was right.