A/N: I do not own Bonanza, only my OC. Next up: Desperate Passage.
Edited 2-18-21 to add line breaks and fix formatting.
"Whoa!" Ben pulled his horse to a stop, bringing the line of riders to a standstill. On the mountain up ahead, a flash of light shot out over the valley, once, twice, three times. "Someone's signaling."
"Cavalry uses polished steel," Candy said. "Paiute use mirrors." Annie trailed her gaze along the dozen head of stallions they'd just bought out of Utah. If the Paiutes saw these animals … The light flashed again.
"Change of plans. Coulter Corners is only four or five hours ride. It's out of the way, but they've got a telegraph, we can find out if something's going on."
"Right, Pa." Hoss kept his eyes on the ridge as he turned Chub. Annie pulled the two stallions she led around to follow her pa and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She turned in her saddle, but there was no sign of anything – or anyone.
Paiutes. Why was it always Paiutes?
Coulter Corners looked like a tornado had blown in off the plains and turned everything upside down. Clothing, papers, and assorted household articles littered the streets, blowing around in the wind that tossed clouds of dust in their faces as they rode down the deserted street. Annie looked to her pa and Joe in confusion. What had happened here? Where was everybody?They stopped at the hitch rail in front of the saloon and dismounted, a creaking noise drawing all eyes farther down to a man sitting in a rocking chair on the boardwalk, his back to them.
Who would sit there and rock in the middle of this?
"Howdy!" Her pa headed over. "What's going on around here –" He froze in his tracks, the arrow protruding from the dead man's chest a silent answer.
Annie looked at Joe, whose face was grim. He was probably remembering Wabuska, and what had happened the last time they'd run across Paiutes.
"Hey, Pa." Hoss and Candy rode up and dismounted. She hoped they'd hidden the stallions well. "What's going on around here anyway?" They, too, froze in their tracks.
"Paiute arrow," Ben announced. "They're on the warpath again."
"And we're suddenly a long way from home." Joe said. They all looked at each other, four sets of eyes focusing on Annie. She raised her chin.
"If anything, they'll want the stallions."
"Not if one of them has his eyes on a mare," Candy replied. Her eyes narrowed.
"Are you calling me a horse?"
"No." He met her gaze without flinching. "Not at all."
"Three dead." Hoss cupped water from the fountain in his hands and splashed his face. "An old man, woman, and a little boy." Candy sighed and put his hat back on his head. Annie filled her canteen and capped it just as their pa and Joe walked over. "We got three graves to dig, Pa."
"Five graves. There's two more over there in a building, shot and scalped." He sighed. "We best get to it –"
A clatter rose from inside a building somewhere down the street. They all jumped and spun around, hands going to guns.
"I'll check it out," Joe started forward.
"We'll all check it out," Ben corrected. They followed the sounds to the jail. Joe pressed himself up against the wall, watching the closed door back to the jail cells. Candy copied him on the other side of the door. They exchanged looks and Candy turned the knob.
Joe kicked the door open and they burst into the room, stopping short so fast Annie ran into Candy's back.
A man stood inside the closest cell, watching them warily. "Took you long enough to get here," he said hoarsely, and dropped the plate he was holding.
Joe and Candy exchanged glances.
"You heard us ride in?" Joe crossed the room to the cell.
"I heard you."
"Why the wait?" Candy followed him.
"Some Paiutes speak English pretty well. I didn't know who was out there, took a while for one of you to ride into sight."
"Why all the noise? Why didn't you just shout out to us?"
"Mister, you spend four days without water, you ain't got much voice for shouting."
"Four days?" Annie turned as Ben and Hoss made their way into the now crowded room. Ben jerked his chin at Candy, who slipped out.
"Paiute busted this town just after first light four days ago."
"How come you're still here now?" She raised her rifle a notch. "Paiutes aren't known for leaving people alive when they're on the warpath."
"I was under the bunk with the blanket pulled down." Ben glanced at them.
"Gotta be some keys out in that office somewhere." Annie lowered her rifle and headed back into the main office, Joe on her heels. She leaned her rifle against the wall and turned in a slow circle.
"Where do you start?"
"Just pick a spot, I guess." Joe made his way over to the ransacked cabinets that should have held rifles and files and began digging through the mess. Hoss went through the piles of stuff littered around the sheriff's desk. Annie shrugged and began sifting through the mess on the floor. She could hear her pa and the stranger in the cell talking about what had happened to the town. Nasty business; with Paiutes, it almost always was anymore. Candy came back inside, carrying his canteen. He offered her a small smile as he went back towards the cells.
"I'm beginning to think one of them braves is wearing those keys for a trophy," Hoss said as he dumped an armload of junk. He shoved a side table off the desk and stopped, plucking the shiny key ring off the desktop with a flourish. "Found 'em."
"I found something, too." They turned to find Joe reading from a ledger. "Look at this." They joined him, Annie scanning the page he was pointing to. They all looked at each other and Joe snapped the ledger shut. Annie led the way back into the cell room.
"There's something else I heard. Four days and nights in this sweat box, I heard water splashing in that fountain. You want to drive somebody crazy, that's
the way to do it."
"What'd you say your name was?" Joe strolled into the room, the ledger clutched to his chest.
"I didn't. No one asked." They all looked at each. Ben made the introductions.
"I'm Ben Cartwright, this is Candy, my sons Joe and Hoss, my daughter, Anne."
"Candy, much obliged for the water." Candy nodded.
"Driving some horses through, buying trip to Utah."
"I'm glad you've got horses, was wondering what I was gonna ride after you let me out."
"In the meantime, what about the name?" Joe cocked an eyebrow.
"Persistent cuss, ain't you?"
"You don't know the half of it," Annie said. The stranger looked between them.
"Name's Kelly, Mike Kelly. I got tossed in her for tearing up that saloon." Candy grinned. Joe tilted his head.
"I must say Mr. Kelly, you look wonderful for a man seventy-two years old."
"Seventy-two?" Candy asked. Ben frowned and hurried over to Joe.
"Right here." He opened the ledger. "Mike Kelly, age seventy-two, weight 130 pounds, charge, common drunk."
"Gained a little weight, Mike." Candy shook his head.
"For a man that ain't had food or water in four days, that's a nice trick."
"Isn't it though?" Annie said through her teeth. "Tell 'em the rest." But their pa had already read it. He looked up, his face set.
"Maybe this makes a little more sense: Josh Tanner, age thirty some, weight 180."
"Charge, first degree murder," the man in the cell finished for him. "I wish you hadn't found that book. It puts you in the middle, don't it?"
"You can't stay here, you'd starve or die of thirst. We could use another drover." Annie kept her jaw from dropping by sheer will alone. The man is charged with murder, and their pa still offers him a job?
"You gonna turn me over to the law when you get home – if you get home? What if I say no?"
"It's up to you, your choice." Ben unlocked the cell and left the room, Hoss and Joe following right behind. Annie set her jaw and turned to go.
"Real hard nose, ain't he?" She turned back, but he was talking to Candy.
"When he has to be." Tanner eyed them both.
"You related?"
"No." Candy grinned. "I work for him, when there's nothing better to do. He's fair and honest, wouldn't ask you to do anything he wouldn't do."
"It's the honest ones that get me into trouble."
"Like Pa said, it's your choice." Annie draped her rifle over her arm and stepped out the door.
"It's big country out there," Candy's words followed her into the main office. "Paiute country now. A man on foot wouldn't have a prayer." Boots rang on the floor and he stood beside her seconds later. He jerked his chin at the door and they hurried out, heading for the town graveyard.
"You think he'll come?"
"I did."
"We didn't find you locked up in a jail cell."
"You got me out of one later," he said with a grin. Annie smiled back.
"If you're anything like Joe, it won't be the last time."
"I thought we'd already established that."
"The both of you leap before you look."
"And you never even leap. One of these days, sweetheart, you're not just going to leap, you won't even look first."
"That'll be the day."
They were almost finished with the graves when Tanner came up. "Mr. Cartwright, you got yourself another hand. For starters, I'll take that shovel."
"No. Four days without food, you're no good to us like that. Get yourself some grub and spell Anne for a while." Ben nodded up at her, perched on the closest building roof that gave her a good view in all directions.
"I'll get some food and eat up there." Tanner turned to go, then paused. "This headstone might interest you. Murder. That's what they call it in Coulter Corners when a Coulter gets shot, even if it was a fair fight and he drew first." Could be. Annie tilted her head. Wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened, but it was awful convenient. She'd learned the hard way, more than once, to never blindly believe what someone said. She'd also seen more than her share of wrongful accusations. She'd keep an eye on Tanner, that was for sure. Annie turned back to scanning the horizon. Right now, she'd better keep an eye out for Paiutes, or none of them would see home again. After the graves were finished, Annie helped her pa and Hoss see what they could scrounge up from the littered remains that might give them a chance.
Their pa had laid out his idea and now all they had to do was make it work.
"Filed glasses, compass, and cap. That colonel must have kept one of everything in the army, I reckon."
"Add twenty buttons to that list, Annie." Her pa carefully cut them off the blue jacket in his hands. Joe came in as she finished the notation.
"How you making out?"
"All this stuff's ready to go." Hoss motioned to the pile on the table. Candy and Tanner appeared in the doorway.
"Fair and honest? Looks to me like they're cleaning house." Annie raised her head, and Candy grinned. Joe shot Tanner a dark look over his shoulder.
"We got a saddle, bridle, and blanket, plus these saddlebags from the livery. Tanner got a shotgun, a .45, and a bottle of whiskey out of the saloon."
"Add that to the list."
"If that's an IOU, I got a box of shotgun shells and half a box of .45s." Annie smothered a snort and added the items to her list.
"Well, as soon as we finish here, we'll ride out."
"Fair and honest," Candy remarked with a tiny grin.
"And a waste. Everything in this town was owned by somebody out in that graveyard." Tanner turned and headed outside. Annie rolled her eyes and flung her pen down.
"He really thinks we planned to take everything and just ride out? I don't like him." Joe giggled and Candy smiled. Hoss shook his head; their pa sighed.
"You don't have to like him, Annie."
"Good."
"Anne Marie Cartwright."
"Sorry, Pa."
"Outside! I need a hand!" They all looked at each other.
"Let's go." Ben led the way out the door. Tanner crouched over a woman collapsed on the ground. Annie reached the pair in time to hear Tanner tell the woman she was safe now.
"Didn't know I'd be needing this so quick." He popped the cork off the whiskey bottle and tipped it until amber liquid into the woman's mouth. She coughed and her head rolled sideways.
"Mr. Staley's dead. The-the Indians."
"You know her?" Tanner shook his head.
"I saw her around town the last month, I think she was passing through from somewhere back east." He looked up. "Unless you don't mind leaving her behind, I guess we won't be riding out." Annie threw the man a dark glare. Like they'd leave the woman behind.
"What do you suppose happened?" Hoss stared at the hotel where their pa had taken the woman – Mary Burns as she'd told them.
"Obviously, whoever she fled towards safety with didn't quite make it." Annie studied the horizon. "Whatever she saw or heard, I wouldn't want any part of
that."
"None of us would."
"Good man, though, she wouldn't be here now if he wasn't." Hoss nodded absently.
"Annie."
"What?"
"Them Paiutes ain't gonna lay one hand on you, little sister, and that's a promise."
"I wasn't worried." Tanner walked past them, carrying an armful of clothes, and went into the hotel. "Think it was a fair fight?" Hoss turned and squinted at the hotel door.
"No way to know for sure. Ain't important right now anyways. Pa wants to leave at first light. With Tanner, you'll only have one stallion to keep track of. And you let the Paiutes have him if that means they don't get you."
"They won't get either one."
"You ain't the only one hoping that."
They rode along the valley floor, making pretty good time considering they had twelve horses under lead. Ben called for a halt so they could let Mrs. Burns catch her breath. Tanner slowed to a halt on her right. "These animals would be happier if they could run free."
"I expect they would, but Pa wants them led, so that's what we do." Hoss thumbed back his hat.
"He's the boss. They're all fine stallions." He looked up. "If the Paiute knew there were animals like this around, they'd come howling over that ridge a hundred and fifty strong." Annie and Hoss shared a look.
"You seem to know them pretty well," she commented.
"Had a little horse ranch of my own until they came howling out of the sunrise one morning." Mrs. Burns wiped her face and Hoss straightened in his saddle.
"You alright, ma'am? You need some water?"
"No, I'll be fine."
"Well, we need to get moving." They started back up and rode on, winding their way out of the valley, following a stream up over the ridge.
"Joe, scout ahead."
"Right, Pa." He rode off on Cochise and was soon out of sight. Not even ten minutes later, the pinto came tearing back riderless.
"Joe!" Annie kicked Reno out of line and snagged the pinto's reins. No sign of blood, had he just fallen off? No, this was Joe, he rode like he'd been born in the saddle, he wouldn't fall off, not easily.
"Let's go!" They cantered down the stream, searching for signs of Joe. "There!" They puleld up sharp and Candy jumped down, tossing Annie the reins to his two stallions and drawing his gun. Joe slogged through the middle of the stream towards them and Candy reached out to help him up the bank. Ben dismounted and the two of them got him back on dry land. A dead Paiute floated face down in the stream. Annie jerked her gaze to the high cliff wall on their left.
"Are you alright?" Their pa cradled Joe. "Any more around, like that one?" He motioned to the Paiute. Joe cracked a grin.
"I didn't get a chance to look. I think he was just a scout." Light flashed up on the ridge.
"There's another one," Annie pointed and they all looked up just as another flash of light shot out from the mirror. She'd give anything to know what they were saying.
"Let's ride, we'll go as far as we can before dark."
Annie swung her rifle up at the crunch of boots on dead grass, but it was only her pa and Tanner, back from lighting the decoy fires. "You think it'll work, Pa?"
"I'd believe it," Tanner replied. "They see our tracks, they're gonna think cavalry. They find your pa's handiwork with all them buttons and stuff from Coulter Corners, they're gonna be sure of it."
"Unless one of them had field glasses and could see us earlier."
"No way to know that now." Ben placed a hand on her shoulder. "Get some sleep, Annie. And check on Mrs. Burns, would you? She would probably appreciate another woman to talk to."
"Of course, Pa." Never mind she had no idea what to say to the woman. She headed off towards their bedrolls. Mary was sitting on hers, staring at the banked fire. "Mrs. Burns?" The woman jerked her head up and blinked several times.
"Yes?"
"Do you need anything?"
"A chance to go back to Ohio and never come out here in the first place." She wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "I'm afraid I'll never be a pioneer woman."
"You don't have to be, there's plenty of towns west of the Mississippi. Even a few big cities. Pa said your husband was in Virginia City, he picked a fine place to start over."
"Is it very big?"
"It's not San Francisco, but I like it. More than I would if it was San Francisco." Annie shrugged. "Of course, the Ponderosa is really home, not Virginia City."
"I'm slowing you down."
"Not as much as those stallions." Annie smiled, but Mary didn't even look up. Annie blew out a breath. "Pa never would have left you behind." Mary stood and tucked her shawl even tighter.
"Excuse me, I think I'll take a little walk."
"Don't go far, those Paiutes are out there somewhere." Mary shuddered and hurried away. Annie sprawled on her bedroll, staring out into the night. They were out there, somewhere. How long would they wait before they attacked? She rolled over and punched her saddle. Something was up, she could almost smell it. Annie grabbed her rifle and stood. If she couldn't sleep, at least she could keep watch. The more eyes they had, the better. She reached Tanner's guard post and froze in her tracks.
If Joe's sixth sense was as good as hers, he'd never see the inside of a jail cell again.
Tanner, supposed to be on guard duty, was instead kissing Mary Burns. Annie backed up swiftly into a stand of trees. She sure hadn't figured on this. Hadn't Pa said they claimed not to know each other? This little scene said otherwise. And what about Mary's husband in Virginia City? A branch cracked and they jumped apart, Tanner heading towards the noise with gun drawn. Her pa walked into view. "Anything?"
"Nope."
"I couldn't sleep, nerves I guess." Mary fiddled with her shawl. "Mr. Tanner was telling me the Paiutes won't attack after dark. Is that true?"
"Most Indians won't. They believe that if a warrior dies at night, his spirit will be forever lost. Get some sleep, Mrs. Burns, we'll be riding out at dawn."
"Good night." She left them, not even glancing back at Tanner once. Annie worked her jaw and slipped back to the main fire. This was interesting. If only she could have gotten close enough to hear what they'd said.
"Something the matter?" Candy rolled over in his bedroll. "You've got that look on your face again."
"What look?"
"You know," he mumbled sleepily. "The one you gave that sheriff in Olympus." A yawn threatened to unhinge his jaw. "Glad it's not aimed at me." He yawned again and snuggled deeper into his bedroll. "Try not to wake me up if you've got trouble in mind, I have to relive your pa in a few hours." Annie stuck out her tongue and stalked past him to her own bedroll. He laughed once, then fell silent. She rolled herself up in her blankets and stared up at the stars. Unbidden, thoughts of her mother crept in like ghosts. Would she have been disappointed that her only daughter would rather ride the range with her brothers instead of sewing and wearing pretty dresses? Maybe she would have been proud of her; she knew her mother had been an excellent horsewoman. How tragic that it had been a fall from her horse that killed her. Why worry about things she couldn't change? The Paiutes out there, that was what she needed to worry about. Annie rolled over and went to sleep.
Next day, they rode out on high alert, every eye watching, every ear cocked for the slightest sound of oncoming horses. Joe rode point out front, rifle at the ready, Candy leading two stallions just behind him, then Ben, Hoss, and Annie, with Tanner and Mrs. Burns to the rear. The back of Annie's neck prickled and she jerked her head up, scanning the ridge line above them, but nothing stood out. Where were they? They had to be close, after trailing them for three days now, they had to make their move or give up, and Paiutes didn't give up easily. She looked back over her shoulder.
"Mrs. Burns, you should –"
Howling war whoops cut off the rest. Paiutes poured over the ridge to their right, galloping hard. She dropped the stallions' leads and yanked out her pistol, firing at the first Indian in line. Twelve spooked stallions took off, tails in the air, and galloped away up the valley. Joe whipped around, firing as fast as he could. The Indians closed the gap and the battle began.
"Candy!" She kicked Reno into a dead run, charging up behind Candy's chestnut, and emptied her gun at the Indian trying to knock him off his horse. The brave collapsed, and Candy spun his horse around.
"Thanks," he called, and shot at another brave rushing towards them. "I'll cover you!" She dropped her reins, guiding Reno with her legs, and punched out the spent shells, hurriedly reloading. The cylinder snapped shut and she cocked the hammer, firing once more.
A brave galloped up and tackled Candy off his horse before she could shoot. "Candy!" Then Joe was there, leaping off Cochise to drag the brave to the ground. Annie wheeled Reno, focusing on the others. Hoss had one on the ground, and so did her pa, but Tanner and Mrs. Burns – She shot forward, firing until the gun clicked on an empty chamber.
"Josh!" Three braves surrounded Mary and forced her horse away from the rest, one clubbing Tanner over the head. He dropped from his saddle, forcing Annie to swing the grulla wide to keep from trampling him, bringing her within arms' length of a brave. A painted face darkened, his gaze locking on the braid swinging free of her hat. Oh, no. She dropped the reins and snatched at her rifle; hands shot out and yanked the Winchester from her grasp. Another brave leaned over the side of his pony and grabbed Reno's reins, dragging the grulla into the middle of the war party.
Annie hesitated only a split second. She despised losing Reno to these Paiutes, but compared to losing her hair … She threw herself over the side, rolling when she hit the ground, and scrambled up into a run. She might not be able to outrun a horse, but she'd sure as heck try.
"Annie!" Gunshots rang out and she chanced a look over her shoulder. The Paiute was coming hard, but so was Candy. Back on his horse, he had that rifle out, round after round zipping past the Paiute and his pony.
Why did it take a desperate situation for him to call her by name?
Hooves thundered over the grass; Candy yelled again, and then his rifle clicked on an empty magazine. She looked back in time to see him fling the useless gun away and lean low over his horse's neck, driving the animal faster.
The Paiute shot up on her left, leaning over the side of his pony. She dodged right, but the pony was faster. Hands clutched at her arm; she yanked back, hoping she could pull him off the horse, but he was too strong. She found herself yanked off her feet and slung face down in front of the brave's saddle. She struggled to sit up, but his hand clutched in the back of her vest, combined with the moving horse, made it almost impossible. Annie had to wait until they slowed and finally halted, before she could get her head up enough to see what was going on and where they were.
Her blood ran cold in an instant. Nearly a dozen tepees filled her vision, a rope corral filled with ponies stood over near the lake. They'd reached the camp. Braves yanked Mary off her horse, accompanied by her terrified screams. Annie pushed herself up right; the brave pitched her over the side of his pony and she landed hard, the wind knocked out of her. Before she could move, she was surrounded by painted braves.
Right now, she'd take the business end of a jail cell over this. Hands hauled her to her feet, rope encircled her wrists and cinched tight. The Paiutes drug her across their camp and into a tepee. She made them work for every inch; by the time they managed to get her tied hand and foot in the middle of the tepee, they were all breathing hard and dripping sweat. One of them kicked at her on his way out, muttering something in his own language she was probably glad she couldn't understand. As soon as they were alone, she turned her attention to finding a way out.
Beside her, Mary shook with fear, her eyes wide. Annie wiggled around until she could press her bound hands against Mary's. "We'll get out of here, you'll see." A whimper slipped through the woman's teeth. "Pa will find us." From the looks of things, it was just a raiding party not the main camp, which increased their chances. They'd just have to be ready when help showed up.
Her gaze darted around the dim interior, but nothing stood out as a possible weapon. Why couldn't one of them have been drunk and left his tomahawk laying around? Joe would never let her live this one down.
Might as well get to it. She worked her hands, twisting them back and forth until her wrists stung. It'd take a while, but eventually, the ropes might loosen enough she could wiggle a hand free. Mary stared at her in silence, eyes wide. Annie kept working at the ropes; whoever that Paiute was who'd tied them, he sure knew how to tie a knot.
A sound outside the tepee froze her hands mid-twist. She looked over at Mary, the only sound their ragged breaths and pounding hearts.
A shiny blade poked through the buffalo hide wall, cutting a slit down the side. Tanner wiggled through, followed closely by Candy. Tanner went straight to Mary; Candy came to her and cut the rope around her wrists. She sat up, rubbing the feeling back into her hands as Candy went to work on the rope around her ankles. After she was free, he slipped over to the flap at the front of the tepee and peered out. One quick lunge, and the brave guarding the door slumped over and Candy hauled him inside.
"You okay?"
"When am I not? Took you long enough." He glanced down at her wrists and whistled softly.
"You look like a bobcat chewed on you."
"Let's go, Mr. Cartwright should have those stallions in position by now." Tanner helped Mary to her feet. "i just hope Joe's got that corral cut or we're in for it."
"He will." Candy helped her up. "Out the back." They slipped through the tepee wall and hunkered down low to theg round as Candy checked for signs they'd been spotted. He waved them on and Annie caught a glimpse of Joe crouched near the corral. He cut one rope, and Candy caught her hand. "Let's go." Hunched over, they ran through the measly cover. Joe cut the last rope, and the corral collapsed. The mares inside snorted and whinnied, catching the braves attention.
"Wait." She searched the milling animals.
"Annie, come on." Candy grabbed her arm and pulled her into a run, using the mares to shield their escape from the braves line of sight. Joe leaped onto the back of a white mare and kicked her into the tail end of the herd, inciting a near stampede. She whistled, and Reno burst out of the herd; she grabbed his mane and vaulted onto his back, reaching down for Candy.
"Come on!"
"Go!" Candy waved her on, turning back to fire at the braves now racing across the camp. She booted Reno up into the tree line, where Hoss waited with the rest of the horses. His face lightened when he saw her.
"Sure is good to see you still got your hair, sis."
"It wasn't their color." Hoss chuckled.
"You're fine. Mrs. Burns?"
"She's alright, Tanner's got her." At that moment, the man in question ran up, Mary's hand clutched in his, Candy and Joe on their heels.
"Let's get out of here." The rest of them scrambled onto their horses and galloped off. They didn't slow down for several miles.
"Give the horses a rest." Ben slowed Buck to a walk. 'They won't be following us anytime soon, not until they track down their mares." He heaved a sigh and turned in his saddle. "You ever scare me like that again young lady –"
"I lost her, Mr. Cartwright," Candy rode up beside them. "It's my fault."
"It is not, you used every bullet you had and then tried to charge him. Pa, tell him he's wrong."
"Candy, you're wrong," Ben said, a tiny smile pulling at his mouth. "You tried, and I appreciate that. In the end you got her back, just like you said you would. I owe you."
"I'll take a trip without Paiutes, if you could arrange that somehow. And maybe a can of peaches?" They all laughed, then rode off to collect the rest of the stallions.
Virginia City
Candy and Annie rode beside the buggy as Ben pulled up in front of the livery stable and jumped down. "Sheriff is over there if you want to talk to him."
"I ain't in no hurry," Tanner studied the building. Mary followed his gaze.
"I figure it'd be better if you walk in yourself. I need to see about this axle, be right back." He vanished into the livery. Mary turned to Tanner.
"I'm going to tell them everything." Annie looked away and dismounted; Candy followed.
"Mary, maybe that'll help me and maybe it won't, but it'll sure as shooting ruin your life."
"I don't care what people say about me."
"I care, especially when what they say is ugly, and women only whisper it, I don't want that to happen to you." Annie slipped away, tugging Candy with her.
"It was just getting interesting, sweetheart."
"There you go again."
"What?"
"Why is it you only call me by name when there's trouble crashing over our heads?" Candy worked his jaw and stared over her shoulder down the street.
"It ain't nothing against you, okay?"
"Then what is it?"
"I can't talk about it yet. Maybe after more time has passed …" The stage rumbled down the street and they watched it halt in front of the stage office. Tanner, Mary, and Ben crossed the street and walked into the sheriff's office. Candy sighed. "You think she really loves him, or just thinks she does cause he saved her from a bad situation?"
"I don't know." The memory of that kiss late at night came back to her. "Seemed like it to me, but who am I to say? I'm no expert on love. Come on, Hop Sing gave me a list."
"Neither am I." A man hovered near the stage, checking every passenger getting off. "Wonder if that's who I think it is?" Annie followed his gaze.
"Could be." They watched the man hurry over to the sheriff's office. "Things just might get a little interesting."
"Tanner knows she's not his to claim. Bet you a beer she walks out with her husband, if that's who that was." Annie laughed.
"You buy us both a beer and next time we get chased by Paiutes I'll buy."
"Now I don't know about you, but if I see another Paiute within ten years, it'll be too soon."
"I got a closer look than you did, remember?" Candy's smile slipped.
"If I'd been quicker –"
"Oh, stop it. Nothing happened and we're home safe, that's all that matters." She grabbed his arm. "Tell you what, someday, you tell me just what about my name puts you in a tangle, and I'll add canned peaches to that store list." He grinned.
"You got a deal." His grin widened. "Sweetheart." Annie rolled her eyes and dropped his arm. "Get us a beer, Canaday and I'll meet you at the saloon after I finish the shopping."
Across the street, Mary Burns left the sheriff's office, the man from the stage at her side, his arm around her shoulders. They turned and walked off down the street, hands entwined.