Twenty One
Excerpt from Chapter Twenty:
"Don't know, but he's still breathing." Jarrod answered as he looked at both his brothers. "One of us needs to go get a doctor."
"I can do that." Henry, more than eager to do what he could to help the Barkleys, spoke up.
"I'm going with him." Nick barked, and then explained what had happened. "I've got to go talk to the sheriff and," his eyes filled with fire, "if I'm lucky I'll run into Macklin."
~oOo~
It was close to nine o'clock at night when Nick rode back into Lovell; the doctor and Henry were just coming out of the doctor's office. For the hundredth time, Nick swore at men like Macklin. In fact, if it wasn't for the necessity of taking the dead man to the sheriff and explaining everything, Nick would have simply started hunting Macklin down. As it was, he put 'that chore' on the top of his 'to do list'. That is, on the top after he visited with the sheriff. That being the case, he headed straight for the sheriff's office. However, he had only gotten half way there when the sheriff and his deputy stepped out of the café which had just closed.
Nick stopped his horse and dismounted, unsurprised to see the looks of both shock and curiosity in both lawmen's eyes. "He drew on me first." Nick said, hoping the sheriff would believe him.
"Don't surprise me," the sheriff finally said as looked away from the dead man. "Mr. Roberts wasn't the most popular man around here and for good reason."
"Why did he draw on you?" the deputy, a young, twenty-two-year-old man with red hair by the name of Peter Long, asked. There was questioning tone in the deputy's voice and an accusing look in the man's eye as he looked at the wound in Robert's leg-as if to say 'wasn't one shot enough'? It made a small part of Nick want to slap him. He might have thought about it, but the sooner he finished up with the two lawmen, the sooner he could start hunting Macklin. "I didn't shoot him in the leg; someone else did." How Gene had managed that was something Nick was determined to ask his baby brother the first chance he got. "The man didn't like me." Nick said as he moved his vest just enough to show the badge Jarrod's friend had given them. He had to chuckle softly as the young man's eyes widened and his mouth closed.
"The man shot my baby brother before I started chasing him." Nick looked at the sheriff, and then asked if the three of them could talk somewhere more private. That is, after the sheriff told Nick where the undertaker was.
"Of course," The sheriff who was throwing his deputy a small glare, nodded towards the young man. "He can take our friend to Mr. McKay's. Won't you?"
"Yes, sir," Peter took the reins Nick handed him and hurried down the street while Nick led his horse towards the sheriff's office; the sheriff walked alongside Nick though neither one said a word.
~oOo~
Hannah stood on the verandah looking up at the sparkling diamonds in the sky; well, the stars looked like diamonds to her. Once again the gentle wind and the crickets were trying to calm her troubled nerves. Only this time, she sighed, she knew Nick wouldn't be walking up behind her. Oh how she still wished he could. She didn't like this, not knowing which way the ball would bounce as it were. She just wanted Macklin dead or behind bars, and her husband, along with his brothers, home safely. Only when Victoria walked onto the Verandah and stood next to Hannah did the young woman turn her head. She might not have only she didn't want to feel like she was being rude to her mother-in-law.
"Sorry, I'm not much company tonight." Hannah said as she thought how she'd been even quieter than normal. Except to thank Silas and Victoria for the wonderful food, Hannah had actually said very little during dinner.
"Can't say I was any better," Victoria admitted after a moment and then turned her face forward. After another pause, she shocked Hannah when she said, "I owe you an apology."
Hannah stared at her mother-in-law, unable to think of one thing that Victoria had done that was offensive. She was unsuccessful. "You've been nothing but kind and generous since the day Nick brought Chad and I here. What on earth do you need to say you're sorry for?"
Victoria turned to face her daughter-in-law and gave her a half smile. "For the things I thought when you first walked into our home with Chad in your arms."
Hannah shook her head as she reached out and took a hold of the railing that surrounded the verandah. "I can easily think of a hundred things that ran through your mind. Only you're wrong; you've got nothing to be sorry about. I mean, what were you supposed to think?" Hannah sighed and then said quietly, "I'm just grateful all of you proved Nick right and backed us up when we were free to tell you everything. I know a few people who would have still throw us out." She didn't know where they'd have gone if the Barkleys had done that.
Since Nick had told his mother all about Hannah's family, and how they'd treated Hannah's sister and Chad, Victoria didn't have to ask her daughter-in-law who she was thinking of when she made her last comment. "I might not always agree with my sons' decisions, but it would take something rather drastic to get me to throw them out." Victoria took a deep breath and then nodded towards the French doors. "We should be getting inside; it's getting rather late."
Hannah shook her head. "I've already tried laying down, but I keep getting an uncomfortable feeling someone's been hurt. I've been trying to relax, telling myself it's just my nerves."
Victoria said nothing at first, her mind going back in time a few hours before. She'd been standing in the kitchen, near the sink, talking to Silas. As they'd talked Victoria had stiffened as she felt a strong burning sensation spread throughout her entire back. That had been unnerving as it was only she had seen a lightning fast image of her sons…and something was not right. However, she wasn't going to tell Hannah any of that. The poor woman was looking more than stressed as it was. "If something's happened we need to know about, one of them will wire us. Now, let's get inside and do what we can to get the rest we need." She then turned around and walked back into the house.
Hannah looked up at the sky, sent up a silent prayer and then disappeared inside the house. Her mother-in-law was right; they needed some rest.