Renegades and Stubborn Pride

“You’re in my heart. You’re in my mind. Everywhere ahead, everywhere behind. Every turn I take, you’re right around the bend. It’s like your ghost is chasin me when i’m awake, when I’m asleep. There’s a part of you in every part of me. And I can’t outrun you… I thought there might just come a time, when I wouldn’t regret tellin’ you goodbye. Lookin’ back I shoulda realized, I can’t outrun you.” Trace Adkins ‘Can’t Outrun You’

Jonah stared out the window of his hotel room and out across the dusty town. How long had he been here now? A month? Two? Three? Hell he couldn’t remember. Time didn’t seem to matter anymore.

Nothing had mattered in five long years. Jonah had thought he’d finally figured things out. He had thought he’d learned what his life was supposed to be and so he had followed that path… and in doing so he had lost everything that he had ever loved. His dignity. His self respect. His friends. His Joe….

An image of that red haired, more stallion than mare filly flashed through his mind and Jonah nearly cried out in anger at the pain it inflicted.

An irritated moan came to his ears and he remembered the well paid and very talented whore that was currently on her knees in front of him, her full lips and hot mouth teasing and pleasuring his cock in ways that only years of practice could teach a woman to do.

Jonah put his hand on her blond hair and tried to focus on the pleasure she was bringing him and it worked for a moment as he threw his head back.

Then his traitorous mind broke in again. Where was Joe? Was she okay these days? Jonah had gone to her cabin a few times over the last five years in hopes that she’d be there but it was clear the place had been abandoned. He knew he shouldn’t have tried to see her, after all the woman had told him not to… He figured after being the idiot he had been, Joe deserved much better than him and he wondered with a jealous jolt whether or not she had found it.

“Maybe I should just go.” sighed the whore between his legs, he was sure he knew her name it simply wasn’t coming to him at the moment. Jonah looked down at his cock and realized it had begun to deflate.

With embarrassment he nodded and quickly plopped his hat over his naked lap.

“Sorry about that.” he said quietly. She nodded as she stood up and adjusted her petticoat and corset.

“It happens sometimes.” she replied with a shrug. “Whoever she is, you should probably get back to her. Clearly you’re not over it.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Jonah muttered as he grabbed the whiskey bottle off the bedside table and downed a long swig of it. How pathetic did a man have to be when the whores were offering him advice on his love life? Apparently pretty damn pathetic.

Jonah heard her clear her throat and he turned his gaze up to her painted face and saw that she was holding out her hand and eyeing him expectantly.

“What the hell for?” he demanded, knowing she wanted coin.

“For wasting my time up here. It’s not my fault your equipment ain’t working today.”

Jonah grumbled under his breath and stood quickly. He pulled his pants up and buttoned them before digging around in his pocket for coins.

“Take it!” he snapped as he all but threw the two tiny pieces of metal into her hand. “And get the hell out!”

Jonah found himself alone again and went to the washbasin to splash his face with the day old water.

Jonah’s life had completely fallen apart. He had tried to live as a gambling outlaw who looked out for himself and had no friends but it had been like trying to wear a boot that was a single size too small.

Bart and Reb had been right. He was a settler. He wanted a house, maybe not to live in every day of the year because he did like to sleep under the stars at times, but a home to go back to when the weather began to turn. He wanted to have his friends back. He wanted to hear Reb’s tall tales and Bart’s grumbling.

But most of all he wanted Joe.

He wanted her touches. Her kisses. Her smiles. He wanted the bond they had shared to be back again.

But Jonah would never have any of those things. He was alone and he’d done it to himself. He was the one person he had to blame.

Now he’d lost his friends. He’d lost Joe. And he’d lost any memory of the man he had once been. Decent. Faithful. Loyal. The kind of man a man could look in a mirror and not be ashamed of…. That man was gone. And all those things he had once had, all those things he had once been, he had replaced with whiskey.

Jonah pulled on his stiff, sweat stained shirt and buttoned it quickly before sliding into his worn vest.

After hooking his gun belt around his hips and plopping his hat on his head, Jonah left the hotel and squinted as he stepped into the bright midday sunlight.

There was only one thing to do when you were out of whiskey, out of coin and too drunk to play poker without losing the shirt off your back.

He headed down the road to the shipping yard and the loading boss nodded in greeting and pointed down the wooden train station landing toward several train cars that were being unloaded. Fifty pound sack after fifty pound sack of oats, feed and flour were being picked up and tossed onto the loading dock.

Jonah rolled up the sleeves of his blue chambray shirt and quickly got to work.

Jonah worked until nearly dark, unloading the train and getting the supplies to the stores they were destined for. He collected his pay for the day, three dollars worth, and then began to make his way to the saloon.

He just wanted a bottle of whiskey and his bed at the hotel. He stepped out of the saloon with his bottle of whiskey and caught a flash of red hair turning a corner around the mercantile down the road.

“Joe!” he yelled and without putting much thought into what he was doing, Jonah raced down the street and rounded the corner only to find a woman in a worn gingham dress looking shocked and scared of him as she hung clothes on a line.

“Sorry, ma’am…” he mumbled, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked, her gaze going toward the door next to her as if wondering if she could get there in time to escape him.

Jonah shook his head. “No, I thought you were somebody else.” He turned away from her and made his way, shoulders slumped, back to his hotel room.

He quickly opened his whiskey bottle and took a long swig before walking to the mirror and looking into it.

He could see why the woman had been so scared of him. His clothes were dirty, stained and torn. His face was covered in a thick beard and mustache since he hadn’t shaved in weeks. His gray eyes, once bright, were now dull and bloodshot from both alcohol and lack of sleep.

It was a curse really. Joe’s face filled his mind whenever he closed his eyes to sleep, so he drank to forget her, but drinking simply made him think of her more and yet now he needed the whiskey to get drunk enough to pass out and get those few hours of sleep he was able to find before the whiskey wore off and he woke up with a pounding head ache.

He’d been a fool to think he could tell her goodbye and that would be the end. Joe was everywhere. He saw her everywhere he turned. He felt his hand in hers when he was sitting here alone. He could feel her lips on his face and her fingertips on his skin.

With a growl, Jonah downed another big swig of whiskey and prayed for some relief from the memories he couldn’t seem to outrun.

---

“Hey, mama, watch me!” Clayton exclaimed as he climbed up on a barrel beside his pony.

Joe couldn’t help but laugh lightly. Whenever that boy said ’hey, mama, watch me’ something entertaining was bound to follow.

She sat down the metal rake she’d been cleaning out the barn with and leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Go for it, kid.” she replied and Clayton looked over his shoulder and smiled brightly.

Joe felt an instant of pain. The boy looked just like his father. Same thick blond hair. Same gray eyes. The same lighthearted and good natured glow about him.

She pushed those thoughts away and instead focused on her child.

“Alright, here I go!” he exclaimed.

Clayton climbed up on his paint pony and stood in the saddle. Joe shook her head as she watched him grab the reins and then urge the pony he called Chief to take several steps forward.

“Do ya see me, mama?!” Clayton asked, a huge smile spreading on his chubby four year old cheeks. Joe nodded proudly.

“I see ya, alright. Why yer darn near the most talented little cowpoke I’ve ever seen in all my life.”

“Really?” Clayton asked with disbelief and then his foot slipped and he tumbled off the pony, landing on his back hard on the ground below.

Joe ran to the corral fence and launched herself over it, shooing Chief away before crouching down beside her son and smoothing his hair from his brow as he stared up at the sky, a frown on his face.

“Are ya alright there, cowpoke?” Joe asked, carefully masking her concern. A sigh escaped Clayton’s lips and he nodded as he met her gaze.

“I think I need some more practice ‘fore I’m the most talented cowpoke, mama.” he admitted and Joe laughed as she helped him to his feet.

“Yer still yer mama’s favorite little cowpoke.” she assured him, swatting the back of his buckskin pants and chambray shirt to clear away the dirt. She would have rather he wear buckskin shirts since they were something she could make without buying materials but the boy insisted that he had to wear clothes like his Uncle Bart.

Joe knew that the last five years would have been much harder if not for Bart. While he hadn’t been around every day, he stopped in at least a few times a year and always brought supplies for the house and gifts for Clayton.

He had stayed with her up until Clayton had been four months old before she’d finally made him leave and Joe knew that bringing the boy into the world would have been a much scarier and daunting task had Bart not been around.

She smiled when she remembered just how flustered and awkward the man had been when it had come time for her to give birth.

When Clayton had been four months old, Joe had known she had to tell Jonah about his son. It hadn’t been right of her to keep the gift that was Clayton from the one who had helped create him. And so she had sent Bart off with a note for Jonah and instructions to track him down and give it to him.

Bart had returned several months later and had let Joe know that he had given Jonah the letter and after reading it, Jonah had crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it into a fire. Jonah had said that Joe had been a mistake and there was no proof that the child she had written about was his. He had also let Bart know to never bother him again.

Joe had cried that night once she’d been alone. She had cried long and hard but then had dried her eyes and gone to sleep, promising herself that she would never give Jonah anymore of her tears. And hard as that was sometimes, as long and lonely as the nights could get it, she had remained true to that promise.

She had her son. She was still trapping and hunting to make her living. She still made or grew most of what she and her little family needed to get by and Bart had become a very good friend who filled Clayton’s need for a male influence in his life.

“Well come along then, cowpoke, and help me get this barn cleaned up so I can go fix us up some supper. I don’t know about you but I got a empty place in my middle.” Joe said, pushing her sad thoughts aside and urging her son toward the barn.

Clayton nodded and poked his stomach. “Yep, right ‘bout here.” he replied with a grin. Joe tousled his thick blond hair and led him into the barn to finish up the work.

---

“And they rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after, the end.” Joe said with a smile as she sat on the bed beside Clayton that night and pulled his covers up tight around him.

“Mama, yer lyin’.” Clayton argued with a shake of his head.

“First off, boy, ya don’t call people liars unless yer real good and sure they’re lyin’. And second, what makes ya think I’m lyin’ to ya?”

“Well ya gotta be lyin’. Cuz if Josephine and Jonah could go through all of that and be a happy family then where’s my pa? Happy endin’s ain’t real.”

Joe felt as if the boy had just stabbed her in the heart. He didn’t know that the tales he had told were true stories about his mama and pa. Clayton had no idea her name was anything other than mama or Joe and he certainly hadn’t ever heard his fathers name.

“Now why would you think happy endin’s aren’t real, cowpoke?” she asked as she adjusted his pillow. “We’re happy ain’t we?”

“Yeah, I guess we are.” Clayton agreed with a nod. “It’s just… it sure would be nice to have a pa ‘round here.”

“Your pa can’t be here, Clayton. We’ve done talked ‘bout that.”

“I know.” the boys said sadly as he picked at his cover. “He’s in heaven, right?”

“That’s right.” Joe replied, feeling guilt well up inside of her as she lied to her son. But she had to lie to him. She couldn’t very well tell him that his pa, the man she had loved, had turned his back on them both and didn’t care. Surely that would him worse than her lie.

“I’m sorry I made ya sad, mama. I know you take real good care of me and I am happy, honest. I’m yer little cowpoke.”

Joe nodded and kissed his head. “That you are. Now get ya some sleep, cuz tomorrow we gotta check our traps.”

“Yay! I wonder if the ones I set got us something.”

“They may have.” Joe agreed as she stood. “Why I’ve heard it said that those beavers are crazy ‘bout peppermint sticks.”

Clayton was giggling as Joe blew out his lamp and shut his door quietly behind her. Once she was alone she put her back against the wall and buried her face in her hands.

Damn Jonah Winchester for all he’d done to her. Damn him for making her fall in love. Damn him for breaking her heart. But more importantly damn him for breaking their sons heart.

And yet despite what he’d done she missed him. She missed his laughter. She missed his touch. The way his calloused hands and hard body had taught her what it was to be pleasured by a man. His was still the only body she had ever had. Joe had never been with any other. She missed the way his gray eyes had always lit up when they’d seen here and sparked with laughter. His eyes had always looked at her as if she was beautiful and perfect and Joe had loved that…. Then she’d gone and ruined it by wanting more and Jonah had thrown everything they had away by refusing to feel the same.

Joe shook her head and stuck out her chin as she lowered her hands. She had too much to do to worry about Jonah. He had made his choices and she and Clayton were going to be just fine.

Joe Redding hadn’t been raised to be any other way and she was raising her son just the same.

Chapter Two

“Mama, look!” Clayton exclaimed the next day as he jumped up and down and pointed at the trap he had set and baited with peppermint sticks. “It worked, mama! It actually worked!”

Joe threw her head back and laughed when she saw the opossum that her son had managed to catch inside.

“Well I’ll be damned.” she said with a shake of her head. “We can either keep him fer supper or let him go. What do ya want to do with him?” she asked her son, knowing the opossum’s fur wouldn’t be any good for selling.

“Let’s let him go, mama.” Clayton said after a moment. “Opossum gives me a tummy ache and besides, if I were mindin’ my own business and eatin’ peppermint sticks and somebody fried me up fer supper, I’d be real mad.”

Joe chuckled under her breath, amazed at some of the things that came out of her son’s mouth.

“Nothin’ worse than a mad opossum.” she agreed, somehow managing to keep a straight face as she did so. “Get him out of there then.”

Joe watched Clayton closely, fully prepared to jump in and help him if the need should arise. The boy walked to the angry hissing opossum and glared at the beast when it snapped at him.

“Now you listen here, ya ugly sack of fat and fur!” he warned. “My name is Clayton Winchester and I don’t mean you no harm. I’m tryin’ to help ya.”

Joe watched with disbelief as the opossum seemed to calm down and then her son pulled his pocket knife and cut the rope away from the critters foot. With one last hiss at them both, the opossum ran off into the woods.

“Well, cowpoke, just think, if yer career in stand up horse ridin’ don’t work out, you might just have a career as a opossum tamer.”

Clayton giggled and Joe smiled at him. Her son seemed to have a knack for getting animals to do just what he wanted them to.

“Well come along then, mama. We’re burnin’ daylight!” he warned as he put away his knife and hopped onto Chief to head to the next trap. Joe was laughing as she got onto her own mare and led the way.

---

A tremor of unease washed over Joe’s spine as she and Clayton neared their cabin that afternoon. Something was wrong.

Immediately her hand went to her gun and she tried to move her horse in front of Clayton but the boy had already seen Bart’s horse beside the barn and he leapt from his pony.

“Uncle Bart! Uncle Bart!” Clayton exclaimed as his legs pumped quickly and carried him toward the cabin.

Joe heard the snorting of a horse and it hadn’t come from Bart’s.

“Clayton!” she cried out in warning, pulling her gun as a man burst from the cabin and scooped Clayton up into his arms, pressing his revolver tight against the boys temple.

“Drop that gun, pretty lady.” the man ordered with a sneer. Joe didn’t recognize the man. Where was Bart? She couldn’t take a chance on shooting. Not with Clayton’s body in front of the mans and their heads so close together.

“Who the hell are ya?” Joe demanded and the man chuckled.

“Does it matter? Do as he said and toss the gun down or we’ll kill your boy.” Joe turned to see five more men on horseback, guns drawn.

“Do as they say, Joe!” Bart’s voice came from inside the cabin. Joe thought it sounded as if he were in pain. “They’ll kill the boy if you don’t. They ain’t just empty threats.”

“You led them here?!” Joe demanded, even as she tossed her gun down. She didn’t see that she had a choice. Five men on horseback behind her and at least one at the cabin with her son held at gunpoint.

Now wasn’t the time to fight. Now was the time to simply try to stay alive and keep her son alive. Later she could kick every one of their asses and teach them what happened to anyone who dared mess with Joe Redding and what was hers.

“Now get down off that horse real slow like.” One of the men behind her ordered and Joe bristled at being told what to do but did as he said. She kept eye contact with Clayton. The boy was obviously scared and his gray eyes were wide as they searched hers for guidance.

Joe kept her eyes locked with her sons as two of the men approached her and began to search her for weapons. They removed her bowie knife, her pocket knife, her boot knife and her derringer she kept strapped to her boot beneath her pants.

Joe felt one of them brush their hand against her breasts and the man sneered at her. With one quick jab of her elbow, Joe ensured the mans swollen mouth wouldn’t be sneering again any time soon.

“Damn bitch!” the second man searching her exclaimed as his friend clutched at his bleeding face and bellowed with pain.

Joe was dazed when the second man brought his fist down hard against her jaw.

“Mama!” Clayton yelled angrily. Joe looked up just in time to see her son swing his foot back and catch the man holding him hard between his legs. The man released his hold on Clayton as he fell to his knees, clutching his throbbing pecker.

Clayton ran toward Joe and a gunshot sounded in the afternoon air. Joe screamed but the bullet had gone wide and missed the boy, though it still stopped him in his tracks.

“Run Clayton!!! Run!” Joe ordered and then she dove for her discarded revolver and began firing wildly at the men on horseback, trying to give her son time to run. One of the men fell from his saddle, clutching his chest and the others began to yell with rage.

Pain filled Joe when a bullet slammed into her leg.

“Don’t kill her!” she heard one of the men yell. “That woman wanted her alive!” Joe searched frantically for Clayton but didn’t see him anywhere.

“Boss, that damn brat is getting away. Should we go after him?”

“No, she didn’t’ say anything about wanting a boy and I’m not wasting time chasing him. He’ll die out in them woods without his mommy to help him.”

Joe grabbed her bandana from her pocket and quickly tied it around her leg just below her knee while the men were talking amongst themselves. She had taken out at least one of the bastards and Clayton had gotten away. Joe knew when to fold her hand and live to fight another day.

A growl escaped Joe’s throat when she was yanked up by her hair.

“You killed my friend.” the one they had called boss stated as he gripped her hair and pulled it roughly. Joe met his gaze and then spit in his face.

“I’ll kill you to ya yellow bellied coward.”

“We were you told you were a tough one.” he replied with a chuckle, his green eyes filling with amusement. “I’m hoping that once I get you back to the boss, she’ll let me be the one to break you.”

“Ya can try.” Joe replied with a sickly sweet smile.

“Alright boys, get her tied up.” the ‘boss’ stated as he passed Joe into the hands of two of his men.

Joe looked at the cabin and saw the man Clayton had kicked, limping toward the horses, while another man came out, dragging Bart who had his hands tied.

Joe felt her skin protest as a rope was tied tightly around her own wrists but she said nothing aloud. She didn’t want to give these men the pleasure.

She and Bart were loaded into the back of a cart along with the dead man that Joe had shot. Joe looked around them and didn’t like the odds. There were six men all together, each of them appearing strong and able.

Bart appeared to have been beaten quite nearly to death. One of his eyes was nearly swollen shut, his lip was split, his clothes bloodied and Joe herself had had a bullet tear through her lower leg. It hadn’t broken anything and had gone cleanly through but she wasn’t going to be running for a while.

“Bart, ya great big jackass! What did ya lead ‘em here fer?” Joe demanded quietly as she scooted closer to the man.

“I didn’t.” he replied, the brown eye that wasn’t swollen sparking with indignation. “They done knew where you were. Don’t worry though. I knew they were after me and then planned on coming after you so I sent word to Reb before they caught me. Reb will get help and come after us.”

“Somehow I don’t think these men will be afraid of lawmen.” Joe countered sharply as her eyes went to the forest surrounding them. Bart just sighed.

“It’ll be alright, Joe. You taught Clayton well and he can take care of himself ‘til you’re able to come back to him.”

Joe let out a long breath, trying to combat the motherly panic she was feeling inside. Bart was right. She had taught Clayton well and the boy knew how to take care of himself. But the fact remained that he was only four. He’d been scared when he’d run into the woods, what if he got lost?

“Who are these men and what do they want?” Joe asked, determined to hide her fear from Bart and these men.

“They were hired by somebody who wants revenge on us.”

“Us?”

“You, me, Reb and Jonah.”

“Who the devil is it?’ Joe demanded and Bart sighed.

“You won’t believe me if I tell you.”

“Damnation! Bart, I might not be able to kick ya or punch ya cuz I’m shot and tied but dammit there ain’t a think wrong with my forehead and it’s fixin’ to black yer other eye if’n ya don’t tell me what’s goin’ on.”

Bart shook his head. “Calm down. She got loose, Joe. They let her go and she’s been planning this a while.”

Joe felt dread wash over her spine. “Who is she ?”

“Scarlett.”

---

Jonah heard the banging yet wasn’t sure if it was coming from inside his head or the hotel room door. The pain it was inflicting though was nearly unbearable and he growled loudly and pulled a pillow over his head.

“Jonah, dammit, I know yer in there. I can smell ya from out here!”

Reb? Jonah hadn’t heard Reb’s voice since that day a little over five years ago when he had punched his friend in the face and forced him to walk away. What the hell was Reb doing here now?

“Go away.” Jonah mumbled, though speaking made his head pound harder.

“Not this time, Jonah. Now ya either let me on in there or I’ll break this damned door down. This is an emergency.”

Jonah pushed himself to his feet, limping his way to the door with one boot on and one boot off.

He unhooked the lock and threw the door open to find himself staring at the friend he’d been wishing he could see for so long.

Reb looked him up and down and then his blue eye looked up into Jonah’s gray ones and filled with amusement.

“Nice to see ya looking so well.”

Jonah ran his hand over his bearded face and then scratched at his bare stomach.

“You said it was an emergency. What the hell do you want?”

“Nice to see you too, Jonah.” Reb pushed past him and walked into the room. His head shook as he took in the sight of empty whiskey bottles and dirty clothes.

“What’s going on, Reb? It’s been five years since I’ve even seen you.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Reb asked, adjusting his eye patch as he did so.

“Mine.” Jonah grumbled, sitting down hard on the worn feather tick mattress.

“Damnation, Jonah, ya stink.” Reb grumbled. “When was the last time ya took a bath?”

Jonah rubbed at his dirty neck and shrugged. “What month is it?”

“Well go on down to the barber shop and get ya a bath, a shave and a haircut and then we gotta go.”

“Go where?” Jonah demanded. “How did you even know where I was?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you. Did ya really think I’d just let ya go off and get yerself killed without at least checkin’ up on ya now and then?” Reb asked with a raise of his brow. “I got word from Bart, Jonah.” he added.

“I haven’t seen Bart since we dropped Scarlett off in Barbadine either. What the hell is he up to these days?” Jonah asked as he fished his discarded boot up off the floor and slipped it on.

“Right now? He could be dead.”

Jonah stood up quickly, though his head swam and he quickly fell back onto the bed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I got word from him, Jonah. Ya know I’ve always loved hangin’ ‘round that town with them soiled doves… well Bart knew that’s where I stayed most of the time and he sent me a telegram….”

“How sweet. What does this have to do with him being dead?” Jonah asked as he squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

Reb rolled his eye. “His telegram was bad, Jonah. Real bad.”

“How bad is real bad, Reb?”

“Some men are after him, Jonah. A big ol’ group of ‘em. But that’s not why he messaged me. He messaged me cuz he heard ‘em talkin’ and once they have him…”

“I’m still drunk and my heads a pounding.” Jonah warned when Reb paused. “I can’t handle all the suspense, Reb. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“They’re gonna go after Joe, Jonah. They’re gonna kill her once they’re done with Bart.”

Whatever had been left of Jonah’s drunkenness vanished instantly and his headache was quickly forgotten. He got to his feet and clenched his fists at his sides.

“Joe? Why Joe?”

“He didn’t say.” Reb replied with a sigh. “All he said was he heard some of the men that had been following him talking and they said their boss wanted revenge on you…”

Jonah shoved his hand through his dirty, stiff hair and then grunted when his fingers became caught in the tangles. “Why in the hell would somebody go after Joe to get revenge on me?”

“It’s probably somebody that knew us when we all ran together, Jonah.”

“Yeah but why would they think that going after Joe would hurt me?” Jonah demanded angrily as he began to pace.

Reb shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Probably because they could see what everybody else in the damned world could see whenever you and Joe was together.”

“And what’s that?” Jonah snapped.

“That you love the damn woman.”

Jonah bristled and thought about arguing but then his shoulders slumped and he leaned his back against the wall. What was the point in arguing? He did love Joe. Had loved her all along. He’d just been confused, scared… Stupid.

“I don’t even know where Joe is.” Jonah finally replied and Reb nodded.

“Bart included that in his message too.” he assured him. “This town was on the way… She’s further northwest now than she used to be.”

Jonah nodded, though jealousy sparked in him at knowing that Bart had obviously kept in contact with Joe. Her being moved would explain why her cabin had been abandoned all those times he’d gone to it.

“Go get a bath and a shave, Jonah, and I’ll get Copper ready.”

“I don’t have time to worry about a bath…” Jonah began to argue but Reb put his hand on his gun.

“You either get yer ass a little less smelly or I’ll be forced to do mankind a favor and put a bullet in ya. Ya already smell like yer dead anyhow.”

Jonah glared at his friend but nodded, grabbed his stiff shirt from the floor and headed for the door. “Get ya some new clothes too!” Reb called and Jonah threw his hand up in acknowledgement.

Joe was in trouble. Jonah might have let her walk away from him once. He might have been the one that let her go but he’d be damned before he’d be the one that let someone lay a hand on her.

Maybe, just maybe, he could help her out and then admit to her what a fool he’d been. Maybe she would take him back and he’d actually be able to look in the mirror again and maybe, just maybe, his heart wouldn’t feel so broken anymore.

---

“Jonah, I’m sure Joe’ll be okay.” Reb assured Jonah as they rode quickly out of town. Jonah rubbed his freshly shaven face and shook his head.

“Okay.” he said simply.

“I can tell yer worried. Ya look real pale and kinda green ‘round yer gills there.”

“Am I a fish?” Jonah snapped and Reb shook his head.

“I don’t reckon. It’s good to see ya again, Jonah. Just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Yeah and me too.”

“Hell we’ll probably get there and she’ll have all those men shot and hog tied. Ya know how tough ol’ Joe always was.”

Jonah nodded but said nothing. He simply prayed like hell that that was true. That Joe would be fine. Lord knew if she wasn’t… if they found her dead… It would destroy whatever part of Jonah wasn’t already destroyed and break whatever in him wasn’t broken.

Chapter Three

“We need to come up with some way to slow these men down.” Bart grumbled the next day as he and Joe sat grimacing in pain in the back of the cart as it bumped and jostled them over the rocky paths. “They’re covering too much damn ground, too damn fast.”

“How ya reckon we should do that?” Joe replied grumpily. Her leg was on fire. The wound was dirty and sore. It needed to be cleaned or she was going to be in a world of trouble once the infection set in deep and began to spread.

But at least they weren’t sharing the wagon with a dead man anymore since the men that had them had buried him last night while they’d been camped.

“I don’t know but we got to think of something. Reb’ll go to your cabin first and then track us but if we get too far ahead he won’t catch up to us in time.”

“Alright then.” Joe replied with a sigh. Bart was in no shape to do much of anything seeing as how he was half starved to death and hadn’t had more than a couple of sips a water a day for the last week and a half these bastards had had him.

That meant it was up to Joe. Joe knew these men had instructions to keep her alive and that gave her an advantage that she wouldn’t have otherwise had. Joe was determined to do what she had to in order to ensure that help arrived so she could return to her son. Even though she knew that by doing what she was about to do she was ensuring that she was going to be feeling a lot of pain.

“What the hell are you gonna do?” Bart demanded, obviously knowing her well enough to recognize the look of determination on her face. “Don’t you do nothing stupid!” he added warningly.

“Naw, I ain’t gonna do nothing stupid.” Joe assured the man. “I’m too damn smart fer anything I do to be stupid.”

With that, Joe took a deep breath and then launched herself over the side of the cart, landing on the ground with a thud that sent a jolt of pain through her body.

“Joe!” Bart called out as the boss of the men transporting them, Joe had learned his name was Gill, called a halt and jumped off his horse to come toward her.

Joe was lying on her back on the ground and summoned up all her strength as Gill approached. As soon as he was close enough, she swung out with her uninjured right leg and caught his nose with her heel, sending him reeling back while bleeding heavily and screaming in pain.

Joe bit down hard on the inside of her mouth to keep from yelling in pain as the man, who’s face had met her elbow the day before, grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet.

He held her tight with her back pressed against his chest. Another man approached from the front and Joe kicked out, sending him sprawling backward and gripping his stomach.

Then Joe introduced the man who had met her elbow to her head as she swung it back and caught his nose hard. His grip on her went slack and Joe knew he was about to lose consciousness.

More men were coming her way and Joe was wondering just what she could do to cause more damage when she heard Bart call out and then realized that the cart was moving.

The five men who were still alert enough, (the man behind Joe had fallen to the ground and would need a while before he was awake enough to do much of anything), cried out in alarm as Bart urged the two horses pulling the cart into a fast gallop over the rocky terrain.

“He’s heading for the cliff!!”

Joe took advantage of the distraction and fumbled around the unconscious mans waist until she managed to pull his knife.

Her fingers were aching but somehow she was able to cut through the ropes holding her hands together and only nicked her skin a couple of times eliciting hisses of pain from her lips with each cut.

She heard the cries from the men getting louder and she looked up just in time to see Bart leap from the cart and go rolling across the ground as the horses and cart went barreling over the edge of the cliff.

“You stupid, son of a bitch!” one of the men, Kade, a big man with rolling muscles and a thick mustache exclaimed as he ran at Bart.

He sent his big boot into Bart’s stomach and Bart cried out in pain as his battered ribs took even more abuse.

Joe could have pulled the unconscious mans gun and gotten at least a couple of the bastards before they got her back but she didn’t want to push them too far. If she had a gun they might decide to kill her after all and Joe needed to keep herself alive for Clayton.

So instead she gripped the knife tightly in her hand and ran at the man kicking Bart as fast as she could manage with her injured leg.

She leapt on Kade’s back just as the man was preparing to deliver another kick to Bart’s ribs and sunk the knife deep into the big mans neck.

“Holy hell! Get her!” Gill yelled and Joe suddenly had four men leaping at her. She swung the knife wildly, knowing it was meeting flesh and causing damage without knowing the extent.

Joe fought with everything she had to fight with. She used the knife, her fist, her feet, knees, elbows and teeth and didn’t stop fighting until a fist connected hard with her temple and her world went black.

---

Pain awoke Joe some time later. She could smell a fire and she could feel the heat from it on her back.

Her hands were once again tied behind her back and her wrists were protesting loudly. The burning in her leg was worse than it had been and now her head was throbbing as well. Add to that the fact that her body was sore from being jostled for so long on the back of the cart and from the brawl she’d been in and Joe felt like death warmed over.

“Ya awake?” Bart’s voice whispered. Joe opened her eyes just a crack and looked at her friends nearly unrecognizable face. Clearly the men had been very angry over their stunt.

“I can’t believe you drove the cart over a cliff.” Joe replied with a groan as she took in the dwindling light around them and realized it was nearly sunset. She was lying down with her back facing the fire and Bart was laying beside her.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Bart replied. “Though I wish I could have saved the horses from that kind of fate. What about you, crazy ass? You’re the one that went at all them men with nothing but a knife.”

“Did I at least do some damage?” Joe asked. From where she lay she couldn’t see anyone other than Bart.

“Shit, yeah.” Bart replied with a snort. “Ya killed Kade, which I want to thank you for, that bastard broke a rib I think. And you didn’t leave a soul without some kind of injury. You broke Gill’s nose. Bit a couple chunks out of a couple of them.” Bart chuckled. “And without a cart, and having injured men, the going is gonna be a lot slower.”

“Which’ll give Reb a better chance of finding us before it’s too late.” Joe added with a nod. “I wonder if he’s made it to the cabin yet?”

“I just hope Clayton doesn’t shoot him.” Bart replied with a chuckle. “If that boy’s anything like his mama, and I know he is, then Reb might just end up with his ass whooped.”

Joe forced a smile and looked out into the darkening woods around them. She prayed her son was okay. Joe didn’t know what she would do if she lost that boy… He was her entire world.

---

Jonah felt his heart hammering against his ribs as they rode up over the ridge and he looked down at the cabin in the clearing. It was a simple cabin, nearly identical to the one he had lived in with Joe for those weeks after he’d been shot.

There was a rough log barn, a chicken coop, a smoke house and an outhouse. Along with a corral where a mare and a pony were both standing.

“So this is where Joe’s been all this time?” he asked quietly and Reb shrugged as they started down the path toward the cabin.

“I reckon.” he replied. “I haven’t spoken a word to Joe since she left all of us that night.”

A jolt of jealousy shot through Jonah and he growled under his breath. “So it’s just been her and Bart getting all cozy up here, huh?”

“I guess so.” Reb replied with a shrug. “Ya ain’t got no one to blame but yerself, Jonah. I told ya not to let her walk away.”

“I don’t need any lectures just now, Reb.”

Reb nodded. “Fine. I’m done.”

Jonah knew his friend meant done for now and not done for good but he was happy for at least a moment of silence. Jonah felt unease wash over him as they neared the cabin.

The mare and pony were both saddled as they stood in the corral and they looked weary and hungry as they stood their with their heads hung low, their snouts nearly dragging the ground. The chickens were noisy and the cabin eerily quiet.

“Joe!” Reb called out and Jonah shook his head.

“She’s not here.”

“What do you mean?”

“She wouldn’t leave those horses saddled in the corral.” Jonah assured him. “Besides that, those chickens are hungry and Joe was always strict about her feeding schedule…”

“Jonah, if those men beat us here then she might be…..” Jonah sent Reb a glare that had the mans mouth snapping shut. Jonah didn’t dare to acknowledge the fact that Joe might be dead. That he might be too late. Too late to save her life. Too late to beg for her forgiveness. Too late to fix the mistakes he had made that had ruined his life.

That uneasy feeling washed over him again and Jonah glanced around at their sunset lit surroundings. “Somebody is watching us.” he stated.

Slowly he slid from Copper’s back and headed toward the cabin. He was faintly aware of Reb behind him.

“Hello the house!” Jonah called. “We’re looking for Joe Redding. We’re old friends of hers. This is Reb and my name is Jonah Winchester.”

Jonah’s hand instantly went to his gun when the cabin door was thrown open suddenly and then Jonah frowned when he found himself staring down at the pale face of a young boy.

“Yer Jonah?” the boy asked with wide eyes. “My mama tells me stories almost every night ‘bout a man named Jonah. I thought he was make believe.”

Jonah blinked several times as he took in the sight of the boy. Thick blond hair laying messily across his brow. A splashing of freckles covered his nose and the bow shape of his lips was familiar. But it was those eyes….. Looking into those gray eyes was like looking into a mirror.

“Where is your mama?” Reb asked but before the boy could answer Jonah held up his hand and the boy looked up at him expectantly.

“How old are you?” Jonah asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

“Four.” the boy replied with a frown. Jonah swallowed hard. He was tall for his age, just the same as Jonah had always been.

“What is your name?”

“Clayton.” the boy replied with a smile that Jonah recognized. It was the smile that he used to see in the mirror back when he used to smile. “Clayton Winchester.”

Jonah’s world stopped turning. His heart stopped beating. Everything ceased to exist as he stared down at that little boy.

Reb stepped forward and shook his head as he looked back and forth between Jonah and Clayton. “Well I’ll be goddamned.”

Chapter Four

Reb looked from Jonah to Clayton and it was obvious, even to a man with one eye, that Clayton had to be Jonah’s boy. Sure the boy had a dusting of freckles from his mama and he had her bow shaped mouth but everything else about the boy was Jonah.

It was also obvious to Reb that Jonah was in shock because he too had realized what had to be the truth.

“Clayton, where is yer mama?” Reb asked. Clayton looked at Reb and snickered behind his hand.

“Ya only have one eye.”

“I know that.” Reb replied with a sigh. “Where is yer mama?”

“I don’t’ know.” Clayton replied and suddenly his gray eyes looked afraid and confused. “Uncle Bart was here with bad men… They hurt mama. She told me to run and when I came home she was gone.”

“They hurt Joe?” Jonah asked. Reb spared him a glance and saw that he was staring hard at the boy. His face was pale and drawn and his eyes made him look like a lost and frightened child himself. Reb sighed. Jonah was tough. He was capable of handling himself in just about any kind of life threatening situation but the fact remained that inside Jonah was still that little boy longing for just one person that would care about him. That boy who’s father had run off and died, who’s mother had been too busy spreading her legs to take care of her son, who’s uncle had locked him in closets and starved and beaten him.

Jonah had never really recovered from all of that. It had left him broken inside. Prone to bouts of depression which were fueled by the bottle. That’s why Jonah had once had that dream of being a real gentleman with wealth and prestige.

Reb couldn’t believe that Joe had had Jonah’s son all this time and hadn’t found a way to let the man know. It just didn’t seem like something Joe would do and yet standing here in front of him was the proof. Joe had lied to Jonah and Reb knew his friend…. Jonah would use this as one more excuse to lock himself away and drink himself stupid.

“They shot her.” Clayton whispered, his eyes shining bright with unshed tears. “But mama always said if somthin’ happened and she had to leave that I should stay here cuz she’d come back.”

“When did they take her, kid?” Reb asked as Jonah left the porch and began pacing, pulling off his hat and shoving his hand through his hair.

“My name is Clayton and quit talkin’ to me like I’m a baby.” the boy warned as he stood straight.

“Clayton!” Jonah spoke up warningly. “When did they take your mama?”

Clayton’s gray eyes widened as they looked at Jonah and Reb wondered just what was going on in each of their minds as they looked at each other. Did they feel some sort of pull to one another? Did Clayton notice that this tall man had the same eyes as he did?

“Yesterday.” Clayton finally replied. “We came home from checkin’ our traps and they was here.”

Reb watched Jonah as the man walked around and began studying the ground closely.

“Did they have a cart?” Jonah asked, without looking up.

“Yes, sir.” Clayton replied.

“Six or seven men.” Jonah stated and then he paused and Reb noticed his throat wobble. “Where did they shoot your mama, boy?” Jonah asked quietly.

“In the leg.” Clayton replied in a whisper. “I wanted to help but she said to run. I’m sorry I didn’t help my mama….” Clayton’s bottom lip began to quiver and Reb was going to comfort the boy but Jonah spoke too quickly.

“Quit that crying!” he snapped. “Crying ain’t gonna do a bit of good to help her. I see their tracks which means we can follow them.”

“Jonah, the boy is young and scared, it’s only natural that he….”

“That boy is tougher than you give him credit for.” Jonah cut in as he walked back toward the porch. “That’s Joe Redding’s boy and he can handle anything, can’t ya kid?”

Reb saw the way Clayton’s eyes lit up at Jonah’s praise. “I sure can, Jonah! Are you really the man my mama told me stories about?”

Jonah studied Clayton carefully and tilted his head. “Depends. What did she say about that man?”

“That he was strong and brave and tough. He could dance and play poker real good and he loved a woman named Josephine something fierce.” Clayton blushed a little and kicked at the rough wooden boards on the porch. “That’s what mama says anyway.”

Reb saw what little color remained drain from his friends face. Jonah literally looked as if someone had punched him in the gut.

“It’s too late to track them right now that it’s damn near sunset. We’ll just have to head out at first light.” Jonah replied quickly, stepping backward away from the porch. “Boy, them damn critters are hungry, get out there and feed them and unsaddle your pony. I’ll take care of the mares saddle after awhile.”

“Yes, sir.” Clayton replied as he quickly ran off toward the barn.

Reb sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Jonah, I….”

“There’s two spots of blood out in that dirt. One too big for a person to live through but the other is a lot smaller. We just gotta hope the smaller one belonged to Joe.” With that Jonah walked off away from the house and toward the sound of running water.

Reb shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, little Joe. Ya don’t realize what this lie is gonna do to that man.”

---

Jonah’s mind was racing as he sat at the base of a large oak with his back resting against the rough bark. His eyes stared off into the dark woods around him and yet he was blind to anything other than his tangled thoughts. He had a son. He was a father.

The weight of that laid heavy on his heart. His son was four years old and Jonah hadn’t been there. Jonah had been chasing whores, drinking himself stupid, gambling, brawling…. He’d been the father to his son that his own father had been to him.

How could Joe keep such a huge secret from him? He knew that he had hurt her and that her pride ran deep but surely she had to know that he would want to be a father to his own son.

Jonah had already felt like a fool for letting Joe get away from him and now to realize that he had let her walk away without a fight and take his son with her…..

Jonah wasn’t sure exactly what he felt other than a deep sense of shame and a strong sense of betrayal.

“Hey there, Jonah…” Reb’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Jonah quickly ran his hand over his face, clearing the dampness that had streaked his cheek.

“Whatdya want, Reb?” he grunted, without looking at the other man.

“The boy and I have supper ready if’n ya wanna come eat a bite.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jonah saw Reb stick his hands in his pockets and rock back on his heels.

“I’ll be there after a while.” Jonah replied. Truth was he wasn’t hungry, though he wouldn’t pass up a whisky bottle at this point.

“Don’t even think ‘bout drinkin’, Jonah.” Reb warned as if hearing his thoughts. “Joe ain’t got none in the house no way. I done checked.”

“I wasn’t gonna drink, Reb. I’m a grown damn man and don’t need you standing over me telling me what to do.”

“Quit bein’ an ass to me, Jonah. I aint’ done a damn thing to ya to earn yer temper.”

Jonah just grunted and then pushed himself to his feet. “Sorry.” he grumbled. Then he met Reb’s eye. “That boy is mine, Reb.”

“I think so too.” Reb agreed. “It just don’t seem like a thing that Joe would do, hidin‘ it from ya that way.”

“But she did.” Jonah countered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“And how do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know.” Jonah replied honestly. “And I don’t feel like talking about it just now. Right now we just have to worry about finding Joe and Bart and getting them away from those men.”

“Alright then.” Reb agreed. “But just so ya know, I had no clue ‘bout any of this and I’m yer friend, Jonah. If ya ever need to talk….”

“I know, Reb. Don’t worry, I won’t make the same mistakes I made in the past. Not now.” Not since I know I have a son.

Reb nodded and the two men started through the darkening evening toward the cabin.

“When we find them, you are in charge of saving Bart.” Jonah broke the silence.

“Why’s that?” Reb questioned with a grin.

“Cuz that bastard knew I had a son and instead of letting me know he earned the title of uncle Bart and wormed his way into their lives. He took my job without ever giving me a chance to say whether or not I wanted it.”

Reb appeared thoughtful for a moment and then he nodded and his blue eye narrowed. “Ya got my solemn vow that I’ll close my eye while ya kick his ass good and proper.”

---

“Jonah, I sure am glad it was you that showed up. Are those stories mama told me ’bout you true?” Clayton asked as he sat at the kitchen table that night watching Jonah wash off the dinner dishes in a bucket of warm sudsy water that he was crouched beside.

“I haven’t heard them so I can’t say for certain.” Jonah replied, sparing a glance at the boy and feeling a pain deep in his chest. “But I did know a Josephine and she and I had some good times together.”

“Mama said you and Josephine lived happily ever after… Where is she?”

Jonah heard Reb get choked on the cigarette he’d just taken a puff of where he sat on the armchair in front of the fire. Jonah turned his attention back to the plate he was cleaning.

“I’m afraid your mama might have prettied up the ending to the story a little.” Jonah replied.

“Are ya callin’ my mama a liar?!” Clayton demanded as he jumped to his feet and clenched his fists.

Jonah glanced over at him and nearly chuckled….At least it was the closest he’d come to doing so in five long years. Clayton sure had the same damn temper that Jonah had always had and the fierce sense of loyalty….. Of course Joe had the same temper and loyalty so he supposed the boy had gotten a double dose.

“Calm down, boy.” Jonah soothed the boy. “Your mama just prettied up the ending to make it a better story. Would you like to hear a story about two people that ended up living the rest of their lives happy or a man who screwed things up, let love walk away from him and ended up lonely and miserable for the rest of his life?”

“Sorry, Jonah.” Clayton stated as he walked over and laid a hand on Jonah’s back. Jonah had never felt anything like the sensations that swept through him when he felt that tiny hand, his sons hand, on his back through the fabric of his dust stained shirt.

He spared the boy a sideways glance and nodded before clearing the lump of emotion from his throat and replying. “Thanks, Clayton, but don’t feel sorry for me. I was the one that let her walk away.”

“I knew mama was lyin’.” Clayton replied as he began to dry the clean dishes with a towel. “Happy endin’s ain’t real. If they was then my pa wouldn’t have died.”

Jonah couldn’t have felt more hurt in that moment if someone had shot in straight through the heart.

His throat closed up and anger filled his gut.

Jonah stood straight and headed for the door, leaving Clayton standing there with a confused look on his face.

“Reb, finish up them dishes. I’m gonna go check on Copper.” Jonah stated and then without waiting for a reply he walked out into the dark night.

It wasn’t until he was in the barn and sitting inside the stall with Copper, the only living thing he’d had in his life that hadn’t ever left him that Jonah let himself think.

Dead. Joe had told his son that he was dead. Why? Why would she do that to him? What the devil had he ever done that was so bad?! Refuse to tell her that he loved her? He hadn’t been ready to say those words yet back then. But dammit he had been good to her! He’d been faithful, he’d stood beside her. They’d laughed together, talked together, they’d been good together! And then she’d walked away and he had let her go and his entire world had gone all to hell.

He hadn’t had anything left to live for once losing Joe and it had changed him which had caused him to lose Bart and then Reb and finally himself.

He’d tried to find Joe. He’d gone to her cabin at least twenty times in the last five years and he’d searched the small towns he knew she preferred but it had always been to no avail.

And to think the whole time that he had been spiraling and losing himself, drinking and hating life and living, Joe had been raising their son and telling the boy that his father was dead.

She would have rather Jonah been dead than be allowed to be a pa?

Joe couldn’t have hurt him worse if she driven a knife through his gut.

So much for that thing called love that Jonah was actually beginning to believe in again. That thing he wanted to have with Joe…. Clearly she hated him and her lies to their son was something Jonah wasn’t sure he could get over.

It was hours that Jonah sat in that barn and when he finally made his way back inside to stretch out on his bedroll on the floor, Reb and Clayton were both sleeping soundly.

Jonah walked to Clayton’s door and peeked inside at the sleeping boy, the moonlight shining through the window illuminating his peaceful face. Jonah might have missed out on the first four years of that boys life because of Joe’s lies but he wasn’t going to miss out on anymore. Whether Joe liked it or not, Jonah was going to be the father that he should have been all along.

He stepped back and closed the door and then glanced at the second closed door that he knew must lead to Joe’s bedroom. The temptation to enter that room was great but Jonah fought it and instead laid down on his bedroll in front of the fire.

The Joe Redding he knew would never have hurt him the way that she had. Hell she had made more a fool out of him than Scarlett or Penny had ever dreamed of doing. They had stolen his dignity, pride, money and almost his life…. Joe had taken something bigger… She had taken his son.

Chapter Five

“Jonah, it looks like the cart went over the cliff.” Reb said quietly as they stopped their winded horses and shared a look of dread.

“Stay back here with, Clayton.” Jonah stated as he slid from Copper’s back. Reb frowned as he wrapped an arm tight around Clayton’s waist.

“Are ya sure ya don’t want me to check that out…?” Reb questioned and Jonah quickly shook his head and looked away from them both. Clayton had wanted to ride on Copper with him but Jonah simply hadn’t been able to bring himself to let the boy…….. Jonah had no idea how to be a father or even how to go about letting the boy know that Jonah was more to him than just a character in his mother’s stories.

Jonah pushed his thoughts away and focused on the task at hand. Since leaving the cabin at dawn they had pushed their horses to near breaking to cover the distance between they and Joe’s kidnappers. Finally they had come to this place where it was clear from the tracks and blood that something big had happened. All Jonah knew for sure was that if he was going to find Joe’s dead body lying on the rocks over this cliff then he would just as soon that Clayton didn’t see it as well.

Jonah’s feet were heavy and his heart full of dread as he approached the cliffs edge. He had never prayed so hard in all his life as he did before peering over the edge. He prayed that he wouldn’t see the body of the woman he had loved so deeply lying broken beneath him…. Clayton needed his mother. Jonah knew more than anyone how much a boy needed a good mother.

Jonah took his time studying the pile of splintered wood and horseflesh lying nearly fifty feet down on a rocky ledge but no matter how hard he looked he saw no flash of red hair. Nothing that resembled a human body.

Relief flooded him as he turned and met Reb’s eye. Jonah gave a small shake of his head and saw Reb let out a breath of relief before sliding from the saddle of his horse and setting Clayton on the ground.

“Where’s mama?” the boy asked as he approached Jonah.

“I’m not sure yet, boy. Let me look around some.” Jonah replied and when he saw the fear and sadness on Clayton’s face he swallowed hard, reached out and laid a gentle hand on the boys tiny shoulder.

It was the first time he had touched his son and Jonah felt something other than sadness, hurt, worry and anger fill his heart for the first time in a long long time.

Clayton looked up at him and Jonah forced a smile to his face. He wasn’t sure if the smile was comforting or more of a grimace. He hadn’t had much practice at smiling in the last five years. As a matter of fact he couldn’t remember the last time he had done so.

“Don’t worry, boy. I’m gonna try my damndest to get your mama out of trouble and back home to you.” Jonah assured the boy. Clayton’s gray eyes stayed locked with his own and Jonah wanted nothing more than to hold the boy. To pull him into his chest, promise to be a good pa and never let him go.

The moment was interrupted when Reb cleared his throat.

“Jonah, something big happened here. There’s blood everywhere.”

“I know that, dammit.” Jonah grumbled. “I was hoping to not alert the kid here to that fact.”

“I saw the blood.” Clayton replied simply. “I got eyes ya know.”

Jonah just shook his head and looked around. “Looks like after the cart took a dive they continued on horseback and it looks like judging by the tracks that they were moving a bit slower.”

“Joe probably taught ‘em all a bit of a lesson.” Reb stated with a chuckle.

“My mama don’t take no crap offa nuttin.” Clayton agreed with a nod. “That’s how I know she’s gonna be just fine.”

“Alright, well lets get a move on. We gotta be getting close.” Jonah said as he swung himself up in Copper’s saddle.

Reb climbed up on his mare and Clayton started toward the other man but Jonah shook his head.

“Hey, kid, ya wanna ride with me on Copper?”

“I sure do!” Clayton exclaimed with a smile and Jonah felt the first real smile he’d smiled in years come to his face.

“Come on then.” he urged. He gripped Copper with his legs and leaned down to pick the boy up and then set him on the saddle in front of him.

“This horse is great. I want one just like this when I get growed up.”

“I think I can probably find you one.” Jonah replied. “Of course it takes a lot of training to make a horse as good as Copper.”

“I’m good with critters. That’s what mama says…. Ya would really get me one?”

Jonah nodded as he slid one arm around the boys waist and felt his heart fill with more love than he would have ever imagined it could hold. That didn’t make any sense. He’d met the boy less than twenty-four hours ago and yet already he would die for him. Already he would do anything just to keep his son safe and happy. Already he was in love with this tiny child that seemed to be all the best parts of Jonah and Joe all rolled together with none of the bad.

“Yeah. Yeah I’ll really get you one.”

---

“I’m startin’ to worry ‘bout my mama.” Clayton whispered that night as he and Jonah sat alone around a tiny campfire. Reb had gone off to keep watch, though Jonah figured the man had really just wanted to give Jonah time alone with his son.

“Don’t worry, Clayton. Your mama is the toughest woman I know, hell she may just be the toughest person I know, she’ll be okay.”

Clayton poked at the fire with a stick, (something he seemed to like to do which was something the boy seemed to have in common with his mother), and then he looked up at Jonah with a frown. “Can I ask you sumthin’?”

Jonah stretched out his legs and leaned his back against the rock behind him. “Ask away.”

“You are the Jonah from them stories right?”

“Yes.” Jonah replied with a sigh. The boy had already asked him that question close to a thousand times.

“So who’s Josephine?”

“Someone that I….. I loved.” Jonah replied, feeling that knot tightening in his gut.

“Cuz I always kinda though that Josephine was my mama. Ya know Joe and Josephine kinda sound alike and Joe ain‘t ‘zactly a woman‘s name.”

“Are you sure you’re only four?” Jonah demanded as he swiped at a spot of dirt on his knee. “You seem awful smart for a four year old.”

“Yeah, mama says I’m near half grown already.”

Jonah just shook his head, laid his hat over his face and then leaned his head against the rock and closed his eyes. Silence reigned for about ten seconds before Clayton poked him in the shin.

“So ya gonna answer my question or what?” Jonah lifted his hat and raised a brow.

“I wasn’t aware that you had asked me one.”

Clayton let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes. “Is Josephine my mama? Are those stories ‘bout you and my mama?”

“How would you feel if they were?” Jonah asked cautiously as he wondered what in the hell Joe had been feeding this kid to make him so damn smart and grown up at the age of four.

Clayton seemed to be thinking hard for a while as he looked at the fire and tapped his finger against his chin several times.

“Do you still love my mama?”

“I can’t answer that just now, Clayton. It’s been a long time since I’ve even talked to your mama.”

“Ya know I don’t have a pa since mine died so if ya love my mama ya could stick around….”

Jonah swallowed hard and sat up straight.

“No matter what happens with me and your mama, I think you and I can still be friends and I’ll still get you that horse.”

“Promise?” Clayton asked and Jonah snorted.

“Yeah I’ll get you that damn horse.” he replied and Clayton shook his head.

“I wasn’t talkin’ ‘bout the horse.” he whispered. “I was talkin’ ‘bout you stayin’ around and bein’ my friend.”

Jonah felt his chest tighten at the boys words. How desperate was he for attention when he was practically begging a man he didn’t know to stick around and be his friend? Then again maybe the boy felt the same pull that Jonah felt between them. Maybe Clayton could sense deep down that Jonah was the pa that he thought was dead…. Or maybe that was Jonah’s own false hope.

“I told ya I would and if there’s one thing you can count on, Clayton, it’s my word.”

Clayton smiled and went back to poking the fire. Jonah was about to lay back against the rock when he heard a bush move beside him and instantly moved to a crouching position, threw Clayton’s body between he and the rock and drew his gun.

“Calm down, Jonah!” Reb’s voice scolded as the man stepped into the glow of the fire. “I’d just as soon not take no bullets tonight if I can avoid it.”

“Then don’t go sneaking up on me then.” Jonah grumbled. Clayton came around him and stared at him with wide eyes as Jonah stood straight.

“You’re just the same as mama said you were….” he whispered in an awestruck voice. Jonah shifted his feet, uncomfortable with the boys praise.

“Jonah, come on over here for just a minute.” Reb said, motioning with his hand for Jonah to join him on the other side of the fire. Jonah frowned, motioned for Clayton to stay where he was and then walked to Reb.

“I found ‘em, Jonah.” Reb whispered and Jonah felt his heart begin to beat a little faster.

“You did?”

“Yeah. ‘Bout a quarter mile east of us. It looks pretty bad, Jonah. Bart’s beat all to hell and from what I can tell Joe’s been beat ‘round a little herself. And it looks like they shot her in the left leg below her knee.”

Jonah closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to imagine the pain Joe must be in. Despite what she’d done to him, the fact remained that he couldn’t stand the thought of something bad happening to her.

“How many men are there?”

“Five.” Reb replied. “But they’re pretty banged up as well. Two of ‘em look like they’ve had their noses broke and they’re all wearing bandages…. Somebody put up a fight.”

“That a girl, Joe.” Jonah whispered more to himself than to Reb but Reb grinned.

“Gideon taught her well. She’s pickin’ ‘em off one by one would be my guess… But Jonah she don’t look real good….”

“Alright.” Jonah said more loudly and then he turned to Clayton. “Clayton, you gotta stay here.”

“Did ya find my mama?” Clayton asked and Jonah nodded.

“Yes. But you gotta stay here because it could be dangerous.”

“No, I’m coming to help you.” Clayton argued stubbornly as he stepped forward and Jonah shook his head.

“No.”

“Yes!”

“No.”

“Yes, dammit.”

Jonah’s eyes widened at the boys curse. “You’ll watch how you speak to me, boy. I’m your f…. friend..” Jonah had nearly told the boy he was his father. “…and it’s my job to look out for you. Now I’m gonna get your mama back to you safe and sound but I can’t do that if I’m worried about whether or not you’re okay. Do you understand?”

Clayton didn’t look happy but he nodded. “Yeah, I understand.”

“Good. Now listen close. You stay here with Copper and if anybody comes you get on his back and hightail it out of here…”

“I can’t climb up on him! He’s huge!” Clayton argued and Jonah sighed.

“Copper!” he called and the stallion looked toward him, his ears swiveling. “Hit the ground.”

Jonah saw Clayton’s eyes widen when Copper dropped to the ground, curling his legs underneath him as if bedding down for the night.

“Wow!” Clayton gasped. “That’s plumb ‘mazin’!”

“Stay down, Copper.” Jonah added and the stallion let out a whoosh of air through his nose. “Now, Clayton, he’ll stay that way ‘til you climb on his back and tell him to go.”

“You’re as good with critters as I am!”

‘ It’s actually the other way around.’ Jonah thought to himself and then he pulled his snub nosed colt from the holster at his boot.

“Here, boy.” he said laying it in Clayton’s hand.

“Can that boy handle a gun?” Reb asked with concern and Jonah and Clayton both fixed him with an identical look that had him holding his hands up and chuckling as he backed away.

“Now, if anybody shows up here and you don’t recognize them, I want you to shoot them, jump on Copper and get your ass back to the cabin. Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir.” Clayton replied with a nod.

“And if for some reason we don’t come back….”

“But you will.” Clayton cut in and Jonah sighed as he crouched down in front of the boy. “But if for some reason we don’t.. You get on Copper and you get your ass home. Then you get to the nearest town or neighbor. Don’t you dare come looking for us because those men will….”

“I’ll go straight home, Jonah. Promise.”

Jonah nodded and laid a hand on Clayton’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze before swallowing hard and standing straight.

“I’m gonna do my best to bring your mama back to you, boy.” Jonah promised and then he quickly headed off into the woods, following Reb’s lead.

Chapter Six

“See they got that one guard set up that we’ll have to deal with but it looks like everybody else is sound asleep. Just like little babes under a tin roof durin’ a rainstorm.” Reb whispered as he and Jonah lay on their stomachs beneath some bushes just outside the glow of the firelight.

                Jonah raised a brow at the other man and then he shook his head and glanced around the camp, his eyes immediately finding Bart and Joe lying off to the side fairly close to the fire. Jonah knew the men had probably put them closer to the fire to make them easier to see and cause them to think twice about trying to sneak off into the night.

                Jonah could have taught him a thing or two if they had asked him. The camp was too big, the men too spread out and no one was on the backside of the prisoners between they and the forest. Clearly these men were stupid…. Or simply too beat up to give a hell.

                Jonah studied Bart first. The man was sitting up but from where Jonah sat it appeared that he was sound asleep. His face was a mess of bruises and welts and Jonah knew that his right eye was so swollen that even if he woke it wouldn’t open. Bart’s shirt had been lost somewhere along the way and the skinny man’s ribs were also bruised. If Jonah had to guess he’d say they might even be broken.

                He tried to find sympathy for his long lost friend but no matter how hard he tried, none would come. This was the man who had once been a friend that Jonah would have trusted with his life but now seemed more like a stranger. That was the man who had helped to hide his son from him. The man who had kept Jonah from being a real father to Clayton. Jonah didn’t care what reason Bart had for his deception. He didn’t care if God himself had come down and told Bart not to tell Jonah about his son, Bart still should have found a way to let him know. The fact that he hadn’t done that told Jonah just what kind of man the skinny half Mexican bastard really was.

                Then Jonah found his gaze moving to Joe. She was lying on her side with her back to him, preventing him from seeing the face he’d spent the last five years wishing he could see.  Despite the hurt and betrayal he felt at the knowledge of her deceit, he couldn’t deny, at least not to himself, that he was happier than he’d been in a long time just seeing her lying there. That woman owned a bigger piece of his heart and soul than he cared to admit.

                He was pleased to see that she was still wearing the oversized buckskin. She just wouldn’t have been Joe if she’d been wearing anything else. He swallowed hard when he saw that her pants were indeed covered in blood but thankfully most of it appeared to be dry instead of fresh, (or at least he hoped so.)

                “So how we gonna take care of that guard without wakin’ everybody up?” Reb whispered but his words fell on deaf ears since Jonah was already moving away from him. Silently he slipped through the shadows, unseen and unheard. Jonah had had a lot of practice at moving unnoticed. As a boy it had been a necessary means of survival, at first to avoid beatings and later to steal what little food and money he could to get by.

                Jonah felt a bit of uneasiness run down his spine. He wasn’t a killer. As a matter of fact he avoided killing anyone unless it was absolutely necessary to his own survival. Getting Joe and Bart out of here would probably involve killing one or more, maybe even all, of these men. And chances were not all of them were going to be aware death was coming… It wouldn’t be a fair fight. Could Jonah murder them?

                The answer to that was yes. Yes he could. Jonah had a strong sense of loyalty and he protected what was his with a fierce passion. Joe wasn’t his, not anymore, but Clayton was, and these men had shot the boy’s mother right in front of him and would have hurt his son as well if they boy hadn’t managed to run away.

                Jonah would teach them a lesson on what happened when you messed with what was his and if that meant killing every single one of them, then that is what Jonah would do.

                Moving silently, Jonah came up behind the guard. It was clear from the slumped set to his broad shoulders and the deepness of his breaths that the man was asleep. Jonah had noticed that it appeared the man’s nose had been broken and both of his eyes were black. Jonah sincerely hoped it was Joe that had dealt that damage to the man. She had always been the toughest person he knew and the one person that he certainly hoped he never had wanting to whoop his ass… Because Jonah had no doubts that she could do it fairly easily.

                He was nearly to the slumbering guard when a twig snapped beneath his boot, the sound deafening in the silence of the night. Jonah let out a string of silent curses beneath his breath and became motionless as he ceased to breathe.

                The guard snorted and let out a grunt before readjusting his butt on the dirt and drifting back off to sleep. It wasn’t until the man’s breathing evened out and Jonah was damn sure he was once again dreaming peacefully, that Jonah finally released the air he’d been holding in his lungs.

                Deciding that he’d wasted enough time being sneaky, he quickly closed the remaining distance between himself and the sleeping man. Jonah clamped one hand over the man’s mouth and wrapped his other arm tight around his neck.

                Instantly the man began to fight against him. He swung his head back and caught Jonah in the jaw. His head exploded with pain but he didn’t release the struggling man. Jonah had to end this soon or else the man’s kicking and flailing was going to wake up the entire camp.

                Pushing all his hesitations aside, Jonah’s muscles tensed and he twisted his arms quickly. The guard’s body went limp in his arms, his neck broken.  Jonah took a moment to catch his breath, the brief but intense struggle with the bigger man and the knowledge that he had just murdered a man taking its toll on him momentarily.

                Then Jonah squared his shoulders, remembered the woman and child he had to protect and he threw a glance at Reb who was watching him from the bushes. Jonah nodded at the other man and then silently drug the dead guards body into the woods and began stripping him of weapons and taking them for himself.

---

                Joe knew one thing for sure and certain. She was in a whole heap load of trouble. Her leg was throbbing, hot and swollen. She had a fever beginning to burn in her blood. The pain in her wrists was unbearable and her hands had long since gone completely numb. It had been two days since she’d eaten and the tiny sips of water she’d been given now and then hadn’t been enough to combat the heat of the days and the blood she’d lost.

                If Joe didn’t get the hell away from these damned men and get some tending to her leg soon, then it was going to be too late for her. Dying simply wasn’t an option as far as Joe was concerned.  All she knew for sure was that she had to stay alive. She was all the hope that Clayton had, especially since it didn’t seem as if Reb was coming.  

                Slowly and painfully, Joe pushed her battered body up into a sitting position and looked around the camp. She let her gaze go to where Cliff, the man who had been introduced to the back of her head just the day before, had been sitting and keeping guard and she realized with surprise that the man was gone.

                Where the devil was he? Joe assumed he must have wandered into the woods to answer nature’s call and she knew it was the opening she’d been waiting for.

                “Bart…” she whispered as she nudged the sleeping man with her elbow and he simply let out a grunt and then fell onto his side, never waking.

                Joe felt her heart break just a little when she realized that she couldn’t save both herself and Bart. The man was too far gone to make a run for it… Hell he couldn’t even wake up. His ribs were a mess, his face was so bruised and welted it would be a miracle if he could speak or see once he did wake up and he’d been nearly two weeks with no food and very little water….. Bart had been her steady rock over the last few years, and while she hadn’t let herself be completely open with him or let him see the softer side of her the way she had with Jonah, Bart was still her friend.

                “Bart…” she whispered again, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the man would answer her but he didn’t.

                Deep down Joe knew that Bart would tell her to go if he were awake. He would want her to get back to the cabin and to Clayton. Bart had worked hard to take care of them over the last five years, despite Joe’s protests and all-out arguments that she was more than capable of taking care of herself and her son just fine.

                Joe had to hurry. She quickly scooted herself backward until she came against the bark of a tree and then she pushed herself up to stand.

                Instantly her head began to swim and sweat slicked her brow. She realized quickly that she was in much worse shape than she had first thought.  The pain that shot through her leg when she put weight on it was nearly enough to cause the tough as nails Joe Redding to cry out in pain. Frustration filled her. With her hands tied, riding a horse was not an option and it was clear from the pain in her leg that covering the distance to the cabin on foot probably wasn’t going to work any better.

                “Just where the devil  do ya think yer goin’ in that shape yer in?” Reb’s voice questioned from behind her and Joe nearly sagged with relief.

                “Just gonna go fer a bit of a walk is all.”

                “How ‘bout ya let me help ya out.”

                “My pride wants to tell ya to take yer offer and shove it but my body keeps tellin’ my pride to shut up.”

                Reb chuckled and then moved to Bart. “Wake up, Bart.” He urged as he nudged the other man roughly. Bart moaned but his eyes didn’t open. “Bart.” Reb said again as he patted Bart’s cheek but still the man didn’t wake, though his eyelids did at least flutter.

                Joe scanned the camp but everyone was still sleeping soundly and Cliff hadn’t returned. Where was that man?

                She turned her attention back to Reb just in time to see him pour some water from his flask onto Bart’s face. The eye that wasn’t swollen shut, shot open and Reb quickly clamped his hand over Bart’s mouth to keep the man from calling out.

                “Nice to see you’re still alive, Bartholomew.” Reb whispered with a grin and then he pulled his knife. “Now how ‘bout I get you two on out of here?”      

                “How about you don’t ever call me Bartholomew again?” Bart countered once Reb had removed his hand from his mouth.

                When Reb cut Joe’s hands free she could have cried with relief as blood was once again allowed to enter her hands, and then the real pain started as the feeling began to return and it felt as if a million tiny pins were being driven into every inch of her skin.

                “Reb, where is Clayton? Have you been to the cabin?” Joe asked as she rubbed gingerly at her cut and swollen wrists. Reb nodded.

                “The boy is fine, though it woulda been nice to know there was a boy…..” he added pointedly and Joe shifted her feet. It wasn’t that she’d hidden it from Reb, it was just that she hadn’t seen the man since leaving all of them all those years ago. “Clayton’s at another camp less than a mile from here and he’s waitin’ on us.”

                “Bart you look like hell.” Reb said, turning his attention to Bart as he helped the man to stand. Bart kept his arm around his shoulders for support to remain on his feet.

                “Yeah, that’s cuz it took you forever and a day to get here. What the devil took ya so long?”

                “I had to go for some help.” Reb replied. Joe was about to ask who was helping when she felt a chill run down her spine and knew that someone was standing behind her. They were close enough that she could feel the heat from their skin and Joe trembled. Surely Reb hadn’t gone to him for help! Not…..

                “Time to go.” Jonah’s voice filled the night and Joe suddenly found that there was no longer any air left to breath.

                She turned slowly, anger and love alike filling her as she looked up at the face she had dreamt of nearly every single night for over five years.  She was torn between the urge to jump into his arms and finally feel his lips against her own again and the urge to knock that cold, indifferent look right off his chiseled face….

                Before she could decide which she was going to do, her dizziness increased, her legs buckled and she found herself falling as everything around her went black.

Chapter Seven

“Man I’ll be the first one here to call you crazy. If you let me catch ya cussing at a kid or roughing up a lady and God forbid that anybody mess with mine… Ya gotta whoop  man’s ass sometimes.” Trace Adkins ‘Whoop a Man’s Ass’

             Jonah jumped forward and caught Joe in his arms before she hit the ground, lifting her body and pulling her into his chest the same way a husband would his new bride.

                Everything else in the world disappeared in that moment. All he could see was Joe’s face so close to his own. All he could feel was her body pressed so close to his. All he could do was simply stand there and hold her.

                For five long years he had longed to touch this woman again. He had dreamed about holding her body…. Now he was and the moment was bittersweet because of the deceit that he knew she was guilty of. But still… She fit against him so perfectly, what had he been thinking when he’d let her walk away? Then he felt her shivering in his arms and the peace was shattered as he realized just how heated her skin was.

                “She’s fevered bad.” He said quickly. Turning to Reb, Jonah motioned for him to take Joe from his arms.

                “I can’t stand on my own, Jonah.” Bart argued and Jonah growled. He didn’t care if the damn bastard had to crawl. That truly wasn’t any concern of his. Instead of saying that, Jonah glanced around and found a long, thick stick on the ground. He wrapped his hand around the rough bark, his knuckles whitening as he gripped it tight, stood straight and looked at Bart.

                The other man swallowed hard but met his gaze full force. Jonah sneered. “Well, Uncle Bart , I’d hate to have you fall on your good for nothing ass.”

                He shoved the stick into Bart’s hand and Reb moved out of the man’s grasp and took Joe from Jonah’s arms. Bart nearly did fall as he tried to balance his weight, clinging to the stick like a lifeline.

                “Reb, get them back to Clayton. I don’t like the boy being alone…. I’ll be along shortly.”

                “What’re ya gonna do, Jonah?” Reb asked with a frown. Jonah glanced back toward the camp that they’d moved a short distance from.

                “I’m gonna take care of these men. It won’t do to have them wake up in a few hours and come right back after us.”

                “Why don’t ya help me get them to our camp and I’ll come back and help ya?” Reb questioned.

                “I can handle them.” Jonah countered.

                “Jonah, there are four of them and only one of you.” Bart whispered. Jonah glared at the skinny man and clenched his fist.

                “I sure as hell don’t need your opinion on a damn thing, you stupid son of a bitch. If you weren’t already more than half dead, I’d beat you ‘til you were myself.”

                Bart swallowed hard. “Clayton…..”

                Jonah took a deep breath and turned his attention back to Reb. He saw Joe’s eyelids flutter and had a suspicion that she had regained consciousness but was choosing to play opossum. Or maybe she was simply too sick and weak to open her eyes. That was probably it since Jonah couldn’t think of any situation where Joe would be chicken enough to feign sleep to avoid confrontation.  Either way, Jonah had a feeling she was hearing the conversation. 

                “Jonah, now I know ya were always plenty capable before but…”  Reb began.

                “I’m still plenty capable.” Jonah interrupted him and Reb shifted his feet.

                “Ya ain’t ‘zactly spent the last five years honing yer skills or nothin’.” Reb countered. “Are ya sure ya don’t want to wait ‘til I can help ya out?”

                “My skills are just fine,” Jonah replied. “These bastards threatened what’s mine and I’ll take care of them. You get Joe back to her son.”

                Jonah could see the doubt and worry in Reb’s eye and he sighed. “I’ll be just fine, Reb. They’re all asleep so I’ve got the advantage. Have a little faith in me.”

                Reb nodded and Jonah watched him carry Joe off into the forest with Bart hobbling along behind him.  Jonah watched them until they faded from sight. Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts and focus on what he knew he had to do, Jonah went back to the camp. The four men were still curled up and sound asleep on their bedrolls.

                Moving silently, and careful not to step on any sticks this time, Jonah walked around the camp and gathered up every gun belt, rifle, bowie knife and pair of boots he could find, taking them to the edge of the woods and laying them in a pile.

                He walked back into camp, found a cast iron skillet beside a set of saddlebags, and picked it and a rock up before coming to a stop beside the glowing campfire. Taking one more breath to steady his nerves, Jonah began to beat the rock against the skillet loudly.             

                “Wake up, ya sleepin’ beauties!” he hollered.

                Instantly the four slumbering men came to alertness and began reaching for the weapons they no longer had beside them and scanning the camp for the intruder.  

                “Who the hell are you!” One of them yelled through swollen lips as he jumped to his feet. “And where’s our guns?”

                “My name is Jonah Winchester, boys, and your guns are in a safe place.”

                “Safe for who?” the man demanded with a snort and Jonah grinned as he tossed the rock to the ground.

                “For me of course. I couldn’t give two shits in hell about what happens to the four of you.”

                “Four of us…..” the man turned and looked at all of his men and then he let out a string of curses as he turned back to Jonah.

                “Where’s Cliff?! Where’s the prisoners?!”

                Jonah shrugged and tested the weight of the cast iron skillet in his hand. “If Cliff was that big guy you had over there acting as guard, then I’m afraid to tell you that he’s dead.” He said with a sigh. “And those prisoners were friends of mine so…..” Jonah shrugged.

                “That was my damn brother!” One of the other men yelled and he ran toward Jonah.

                “Gus, stop!” the first man exclaimed but Gus seemed to be on a mission. Jonah swung the skillet in his hand and caught the man hard in the side of the head. His neck snapped as his head twisted to the side and then he fell to the ground, rolling limply before coming to a stop and staring, unseeing, into the fire. Jonah winced. He hadn’t meant to kill the man….. Guess he was stronger, and more angry, than he’d given himself credit for.

                Jonah looked at the three remaining men and was pleased to see they looked scared. “Look, we don’t want no trouble…” the first man who had spoken, and the man that Jonah assumed was the leader, stated as he held up his hands.

                Jonah simply raised one shoulder. “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think? The minute you rode up to that cabin back there, laid hands on my boy and shot his mama, you opened yourselves up for an entire heaping load of trouble.”

                The lead man seemed to realize there was no chance of simply walking away. Jonah saw him flick his wrist and then all three men ran at him.

                The lead man got to him first and Jonah bent down and caught the man in his arms before tossing him over his shoulder and onto his back in the dirt. Jonah swung the skillet and caught the second man in the jaw. The third man tried to tackle Jonah but instead Jonah simply let the man’s momentum carry them both backward and then he grabbed the man by the arm and twisted roughly, eliciting a scream of pain from the man as his bones snapped. Jonah grunted as he threw the screaming man off of him, tossing him into the dust.

                The lead man had gotten to his feet once again and he again ran at Jonah, who sidestepped him and sent him barreling into the third man who had just risen to his feet and looked as if he was about to vomit from pain. The second man, the one Jonah had hit with the skillet, was out cold and probably would be for hours.

                The two conscious men got back to their feet, though they were wobbling and their legs were shaking. They shared a look of desperation before running toward Jonah at the same time. Jonah decided it was time to end the fight and he threw the skillet in an arc, catching the lead man in the temple and sending him sprawling to the ground before leaping into the air and delivering a bone shattering kick to the third man’s jaw. Jonah’s boots landed with a thud and he looked around him.

                There was one man dead and three unconscious, not bad for five minutes of work.

                Jonah walked to the saddlebags beside one of the bedrolls and found a long length of rope. It was time to get some answers. He hogtied the three men and then grabbed a canteen of water and walked over to the lead man.

                Jonah poured the water over the man’s head, causing him to sputter awake.

                “What the hell!” the man yelled as he struggled against the ropes holding him in place. Jonah crouched down and grabbed the man by the hair, lifting his head so he had to look at him.

                “Who sent you after Joe and Bart?” Jonah asked calmly.

                “Fuck you.” The man spat and Jonah patted his welted and swollen jaw, causing him to wince in pain. 

                “You should be nicer.” Jonah warned. “Now who sent you?”

                “We’re just hired muscle…. I ain’t got nothin’ against either of those two.”

                “So who hired you?”

                “Are you going to kill me?”

                “No.” Jonah replied honestly. “I don’t see the point in killing the middle man. I’d rather go right to the source.”

                “It was some woman. She offered us a hell of a lot of money if we could bring Bart, Joe, you and some one-eyed bastard named Reb to her.”

                Jonah wracked his mind trying to figure out who in the hell would want revenge on the four of them but no one came to mind other than Scarlett and she was busy serving a twenty year sentence in San Quentin out in California.

                “Did she have a name, this woman that wants revenge?”

                “Scarlett something or another. She carried on the way those hate filled crazy types will and I drowned out most of it but I did catch something about getting revenge for her murdered husband.”

                Jonah’s eyes stared off into the forest as he let that sink in. Scarlett? How in the hell had she gotten out of prison? And now she was coming after those that she felt had done her wrong.

                “What about my son?” Jonah asked, wondering if Scarlett knew about the boy. The man shook his head.

                “She didn’t say nothin’ about a kid. That’s why we let him go.” He said proudly, as if expecting that fact to soothe Jonah’s temper.

                “You left a four year old boy to fend for himself after shooting and kidnapping his mother and you think that makes you some kind of hero?” Jonah demanded, anger filling his gut.

                The man shrugged and tried to grin, though it was more of a grimace with his lips swollen the way they were. “Do I look like the kind of man who’s got a real accurate moral compass?”

                Jonah shook his head and then pulled his gun and brought the handle of it down hard on the back of the man’s head. He collapsed unconscious to the ground and Jonah stood and holstered his weapon.

                “No. No you don’t.” he whispered. He took the time to put the men’s boots in the fire and stoke the flames, then found a sack to hold the guns and ammunition. He figured it would all be better off with him than with these men.

                He unhitched all the horses and then fired off a shot, sending all but two of them, which he was holding by the reins, running scared into the dark woods. Whenever these men regained consciousness, and managed to get themselves untied, and regained the ability to get around with their addled heads and broken bones, they’d be leaving camp shoeless, weaponless and on foot.

                Jonah spared one last glance at the three unconscious and hogtied men and then headed off into the woods to have a talk with Reb about the bad news he’d just received.

---

                “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Jonah, ya scared the shit outta me when ya fired that shot! I thought somebody had killed ya!” Reb exclaimed when Jonah entered their camp.

                “Naw, I was just scaring off the horses was all.”

                “Don’t tell me you left some of those bastards alive!” Bart demanded and Jonah nodded.

                “Yeah, I did.” He replied, and then he turned away from Bart to focus on Joe and Clayton. The boy was knelt down beside his mother, who was still unconscious and he was gently stroking her face.

                The image made Jonah’s chest ache.

                Clayton turned to see him and Jonah sat the sack of guns down as the boy jumped to his feet and ran over.

                “Jonah, ya have to save my mama! Ya just have to! She’s real sick.”

                Jonah nodded. “I know she is, boy. I’m gonna do the best I can.” Jonah promised him. Reb pulled Jonah aside.

                “She woke up for a few seconds when we got here. Told me to go to hell for bringin’ you ‘round and told the boy she was fine before passing back out… I believe it’s the fever takin’ its toll on her.”

                Jonah nodded and pulled the flask of whiskey from his pocket.

                “Now aint’ the time for drinking.” Reb warned and Jonah glared at him.

                “I ain’t gonna drink it. I don’t told ya I wouldn’t make those mistakes again… Not now that I know about him .” He assured him as he looked over at Clayton, who was once again crouched down beside Joe.

                Jonah went to Joe and crouched down beside her as well. She was pale, dirty and her face was bruised. Maybe he should go back and kill all those men after all… Then again they hadn’t killed her and they could have. They weren’t murderers, they were hired kidnappers.

                He lifted Joe’s pants leg and saw the dirty bandana tied just above the top of her boot. He untied it and the sight of the wound shocked him. He heard Clayton’s sharp intake of breath and looked at the boy.

                “Clayton, I need you to go over to my saddlebags and get a clean shirt out of there.” Clayton nodded and quickly ran to the other side of camp where Jonah’s saddlebags were laying.

                Jonah could see that Joe’s wound was infected. The skin around it was red and swollen but nothing was turning green or oozing infection yet so not all hope was lost.

                Jonah took out his knife and poured a bit of whiskey over the wound, causing Joe to moan and thrash her head. Jonah glanced at Reb and the man nodded as he bent down and held Joe’s upper body in place. Jonah put his knee over her good leg and then very carefully began to cut away the dirty flesh inside the wound.

                He rolled Joe onto her side, as she cried out in pain and continued to trash around on the forest floor. Clayton stood silently in the shadows with his hands over his ears. Jonah didn’t look up at Joe’s face because he didn’t want to see her eyes if they were open. Hurting her like this was killing him but it was the only choice he had right now.

                He cleaned the back of the wound as well and then poured whiskey over it again. He stood and quickly ran to his saddlebags, digging around until he found the ointment he always kept in there. It was something Reb had taught him how to make and had lectured to him to always keep handy. The stuff smelled like a mixture of turpentine and sock sweat but it was damn good at battling infections on wounds.

                Jonah went back to Joe, she was once again lying there calmly and her eyes were closed. As gently as he could, Jonah covered the wound with a thick layer of the ointment and then motioned for Clayton.

                He was proud of how well his son seemed to be handling things. His face was pale and his eyes wide and shining but he hadn’t shed a single tear or uttered a single whimper.

                “Get your pocketknife out and cut me some long strips out of that shirt.” Jonah told him. Clayton nodded and quickly did as he was told. Jonah took the strips and tied them around Joe’s leg to protect her wound.

                “You did good, Clayton. I’m proud of you.” Jonah told the boy and Clayton gave him a small smile.

                “Is she gonna be okay?” he asked. Jonah nodded.

                “I think she’s gonna be just fine.” He promised. He lifted Joe into his arms and carried her over to his bedroll. He laid her down and then motioned for Clayton to lie down as well. “Get some rest with your mama, boy. We’ve only got a couple of hours before dawn and then we gotta get back to the cabin.”  

                Clayton nodded and curled up to Joe, who mumbled something and wrapped her arm tight around the boy. Jonah covered them both with a blanket and then walked over to his saddlebags.

                “Why’d ya leave some of them men alive?” Reb asked in a whisper.

                “Because they were middle men. Don’t worry, they have no weapons, no boots and no horses. One of them has a broken arm, they all have cracked skulls and one of them probably has a broken jaw. They won’t be a threat to us any time soon.”

                “Did ya leave ‘em tied up?” Reb asked and Jonah raised a brow.

                “Of course. I’m not stupid.”

                “That’s debatable.” Reb countered with a good natured grin. “Who are they middle men fer? Did they tell ya?”

                “Yep. Scarlett.”

                “Scarlett?!” Reb demanded, his blue eye widening. “Dammit, I thought she was servin’ a good long sentence over in San Quentin?”

                “She was supposed to be.”

                “Wonder who she had to bed to get outta that one.” Reb muttered and Jonah shrugged.

                “She knew how to use her body, looks and charms to get pretty much anything she wanted so I guess it really shouldn’t be such a surprise.” Jonah glanced around. “Where’s Bart?”

                Reb seemed surprised as he spun in a circle, scanning the camp. “I ain’t got a clue.”

                “A horse is gone.” Jonah observed and Reb clicked his tongue.

                “That bastard high tailed it outta here.” he exclaimed. “He musta been scared of ya.”

                “Scared enough to run off in the shape he was in?” Jonah questioned and Reb shrugged.

                “He musta known ya’d be real mad at him.”

                Jonah nodded but it still didn’t feel right. Was there something more Bart had done that caused him to be so leery of Jonah? A thought entered Jonah’s head and he felt his blood begin to boil… If Bart had laid with Joe even a single time then he would hunt that man down and skin him alive….. Now Jonah knew he had no right to say anything to Joe about who she bedded because he hadn’t had any claim over her but Bart was supposed to be his friend and there were certain things that friends just didn’t do.

                “Get some rest, Reb. I’ll take watch.” Jonah said and then he pulled a canteen of water from his saddlebags and went to Joe and Clayton. The boy was already sound asleep and snoring softly. Jonah’s lips curved in a small smile… Jonah was a snorer, at least Joe had told him way back when that he was, and apparently his son had gotten that from him.

                Jonah sat down, leaning his back against the rock. Carefully he laid Joe’s head in his lap, telling himself it wasn’t because he wanted the comfort of her touch, it was simply so that he could give her sips of water more easily.

                Joe’s tongue, shot out of her mouth, flicking against the rim of his canteen as he let the water droplets fall on her cracked lips. Jonah felt his pants get a little tighter at the provocative sight but he forced those kinds of thoughts from his mind.

                He and Joe had quite a few conversations that needed to take place before he even thought about entertaining his body’s burning desire for the woman.

                Jonah saw Reb settle down on his own bedroll and Jonah looked down at his sleeping son and woman as he put the canteen off to the side and tossed his hat on top of it. Yes he still considered Joe to be his woman. For some reason, despite the woman’s deception, he simply couldn’t bring himself to hate her…. He loved her too much.

                An owl hooted in the distance, filling the quiet night with its call as a gentle breeze blew, cooling Joe’s heated skin. Clayton snuggled up against his mama and laid his hand on Jonah’s leg and Jonah felt peace fill him. He was finally with Joe and their son. He was finally where he belonged. Despite the pain of the last five years and the chaos of the last few days, everything was right in this moment. He had all he cared about right there in his arms… And he would kill anyone and everyone who dared try to take either one away from him again.

Chapter Eight

The pain in her leg had lessened. That was the first thing that Joe noticed as her senses began to return to her. She was hungry, that was the second thing she noticed. And the third thing that came to her mind was how warm and comfortable she was.

                Joe opened her eyes and felt her heart tighten in her chest. She had thought that Jonah showing up had simply been a dream, brought on by fever, but here he was. His rugged, sleeping face was mere inches from her own. Joe could feel his warm breath against her skin and he had one strong arm draped over her waist.

                Something squirmed between their bodies and Joe glanced down to see Clayton snuggled up in the cocoon that Joe and Jonah’s bodies made for him.

                Joe’s throat clogged with emotion that she quickly swallowed down.  This is what life should have been; Jonah, their son and herself all together.  But Jonah had thrown all that away and she would do well to remember that and not get caught up in the sweet peacefulness of this moment….

                But it couldn’t hurt to enjoy it for, at least for a few seconds.

                She listened to her son and Jonah breathing deeply. Both of them were snoring lightly and the sound of it caused a smile to spread across her face. Clayton was so much like his father. Not only did he look like him but he had a softer side that Joe knew he hadn’t gotten from her, he was good with animals and he snored something terrible.

                Joe heard Jonah’s breathing change and knew the man was beginning to wake up. Not wanting to be in such a vulnerable position when he did, Joe moved out of his arms and slowly got to her feet. Her leg still hurt her terribly but it no longer felt as hot or swollen. Her wrists were a mess but Joe knew they would heal and she’d have a few new scars to brag about.

                “Nice to see ya lookin’ a bit more alive this morning.” Reb said as he walked over to her and handed her a canteen and several strips of jerked beef.

                Joe took several deep swallows of water and then began to chew on the first food she’d had in days, a groan slipping from her lips at just how delicious it tasted. The fact that Reb’s jerky tasted like a delicacy told her just how starved she had been since she happened to know for a fact that it really tasted like stale horse piss.

                “Thank ya, Reb, for takin’ care of my son and findin’ me.” Joe glanced around, through the early dawn fog and frowned. “Where is Bart?” she asked with concern.

                “He snuck off last night.” Reb replied with a shrug. “And It’s Jonah that ya need to be thankin’. That boy took up with him real quick and if it weren’t fer Jonah’s tracking skills we might not have found ya.”

                Joe swallowed and glanced back over at Jonah and Clayton. Jonah was awake now but he wasn’t looking at she and Reb. Instead he was staring down at his son, who was wrapped in his arms.

                Joe felt angry then. Jonah had no right to that boy. No claim to him. He had given that away when he had tossed her letter into the fire and all but called her a whore.

                “Wake up, cowpoke.” Joe called out as she limped over and shook the boy’s leg, avoiding Jonah’s gaze. “We gotta get a move on.”

                Clayton woke up quickly and jumped to his feet as if he’d been shot out of a cannon. “Mama! Mama!” he exclaimed as he threw his arms around her waist. Joe patted him on the back. “I was so worried ‘bout ya but Jonah he knew just what to do. He cleaned yer leg and put some medicine on it… it stunk real bad!”

                “I’m just fine now, cowpoke. No need to worry ‘bout yer mama.” Joe assured the boy. She was more relieved than she had ever been before to know that he was okay and hadn’t gotten lost or hurt after she’d been taken. She only wondered whether or not Jonah had seen the similarities between himself and his son… Did he realize now that Joe had been telling the truth? And just how stupid did that make him feel?

                “We gotta get camp cleaned up and get out of here.” Jonah stated as he got to his feet and swiped the dirt off the back of his pants. “I’d like to get y’all home today….”

                “We don’t need no more help from you, Jonah. Ya can just go on back to doin’ whatever the hell it is ya’ve been doin’ fer the last five years.” Joe snapped and this earned her a sharp look from Clayton.

                Jonah’s face was unreadable as he stared hard at her and then he shook his head. “I promised the boy that I would get y’all home safe and I intend to keep my word.”

                Joe snorted and turned her back to Jonah as he began to clean up the camp. Who was he trying to fool by pretending to be noble and honorable? At one time Joe had thought he was the best man she knew but then he had turned his back on his own son and shown his true colors.

                “Mama, are you mad at Jonah?” Clayton asked with a puzzled line between his eyes. “I know them stories are ‘bout you and him…. You love him don’t you?”

                “Jonah has a big mouth !” Joe grumbled, saying the last two words much louder than was necessary and earning a grunt from that broad shouldered, tall, handsome man currently rolling up the blankets, and a chuckle from the one-eyed slightly lazy man lounging against a tree. “And no, I don’t love Jonah. I haven’t loved him in a really long time. It’s just me and you, cowpoke. That’s all we need.”

                Jonah threw his saddlebags over his shoulder and moved closer to Joe. His posture clearly meant to intimidate her. Joe threw her hair back and met his gaze full force.

                “I told the boy I was going to be a part of his life now so that’s what I intend to do.” He stated firmly. Joe opened her mouth to speak but Jonah beat her to it. “Whether you like it or not.”

                “What the devil is that supposed to mean!?” Joe demanded as she stuck her finger in his chest. “Ya might as well just walk away , Jonah. Yer good at that and it would save the boy a hell of a lotta disappointment later.”

                Anger flashed in Jonah’s gray eyes and he swatted her hand away. “I think you’re forgetting who left who, Joe.” He spat.

                “Because you said you didn’t love me, you overgrown knuckleheaded idiot.”

                “Maybe I changed my mind. Of course you tucked tail and ran so that I couldn’t have found you even if I’d wanted to.”

                “Don’t pretend ya wanted to!” Joe exclaimed. “Why you just went on about yer life as purty as you please, called me a mistake and never looked back!”

                Joe saw confusion fill Jonah’s eyes and he shook his head. “I never called you a mistake.” he assured her and then he swallowed hard. “And I did look back. I looked back every single goddamned day. You’re the one who took everything away from me….”

                Before Joe could respond and let Jonah know that he wasn’t fooling her with all that sappy talk, Reb pushed his way between them. “Alright, you two, I think this is a conversation to save fer another time.” He warned. Joe glanced down at Clayton who appeared more than a little confused and mad as he looked back and forth between she and Jonah.

                Joe shook her head and laid her hand on her sons shoulder before looking at Reb. “I’ve said all I care to say to that man. I don’t reckon I got another word to say to him.”

                Jonah’s eyes narrowed. “Oh I got plenty of words I still wanna say to you.” he assured her and Joe’s breath caught in her chest when she saw that fiery passion that had always been in his eyes when he’d looked at her. She realized, with irritation, that the same passion was probably in her own eyes. Passion had never been their problem.

                Joe limped off to relieve natures call and she was faintly aware of Jonah going back to packing up the camp. Faintly she heard Clayton say, “Jonah saved my mama and she never even said thank you.”

                “Sometimes grown-ups forget.” Reb replied with a chuckle.

                “I’ll tell her that next time she goes to whoop my butt fer not usin’ my manners.”

---

                “Reb, you said Bart took off last night… where the devil did he go? He weren’t exactly in the shape to be ridin’ off.” Joe said nearly an hour later as they made their way across the rocky terrain.  Joe hadn’t been happy when Clayton had insisted on riding double with Jonah on Copper. She had wanted the boy to use a horse of his own. She wanted him to be independent. She didn’t want him getting too used to having Jonah around because that damn man was leaving, either on horseback or in a box, just as soon as they got back to the cabin.

                “He just snuck off, Joe. I ain’t got a clue where to or what fer. I was busy helping Jonah tend to your leg.”

                Joe was worried about Bart. Was he okay? “Should we go try to find him? Maybe his brain was addled and….”

                “If I see that bastard again he’ll have an addled brain alright.” Jonah cut in and Joe heard Clayton gasp.

                “Hey, don’t you call my Uncle Bart names!” he scolded. “He brings us stuff.”  Joe saw a look of sadness come over Jonah’s face and then his jaw hardened. “That better be all he does for you and your mama.” He warned pointedly as he glared over at Joe. 

                Joe said nothing, merely stared straight ahead and chewed on her nail. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing she’d had no man but him. If he thought her a whore, and she knew he did, then she would let him. She was sure Jonah had been no saint.

                “Oh he does lots  fer us.” Clayton countered. “He says I needed him since my pa is dead.”

                This time Joe quickly looked over at Jonah and the hurt she saw on his face picked at those walls she’d built so high around her heart. What had he expected for her to tell the boy? That his father simply didn’t want him?

                “Your Uncle Bart and I were pretty good damn friends for a while. Now and then we addle each other brains just to show how much we care so since he’s been there so much for you and your mama, I’ll addle his brain real good in order to tell him thanks.”

                Clayton rolled his eyes and Joe watched him lean against Jonah’s chest as Jonah’s arm slipped around him to secure his body in place. Part of her took some sort of comfort in the sight.. Part of her melted at the image that her son and his father painted together on that horse… And then part of her wanted to jerk that boy right off that saddle and away from the man who did not deserve him.

---

Jonah was fuming. More than fuming….He felt like smacking Joe right in the jaw which was surprising since he had never been the type to be violent toward women. All day she’d been acting like he was the one who had done something wrong. As if it was him that should feel sorry for their past. Well he did feel sorry. He was sorry that he’d let her go but she had more to be sorry for than he did. She had taken his son and never even told him about the boy! At least Jonah had tried to find her, he had tried to make up for the past… Joe couldn’t say the same.

                And now it was nearing sunset and becoming obvious that they’d have to camp another night. The going hadn’t been as fast as Jonah had hoped it would be. While Joe hadn’t voiced a word of complaint, Jonah had been able to read the pain on her face and she’d gotten more pale as the day had went on so he had purposely kept a slower pace to make it easier on her without damaging her pride. Why he gave a shit about the woman’s pride he had no idea. She hadn’t offered so much as a thank you to him for risking his life to save hers… not that he had really expected her to. Joe had never been the type to express gratitude.

                And then there was Clayton who had been telling him stories about Uncle Bart all day, ever since Joe had brought the man up that morning.

                Apparently Bart had been around every year on the boy’s birthday and he came for Christmas too. He’d been around when Clayton was learning to walk and had even bought him the pony that he loved so much.

                If Jonah heard one more positive thing about that lying bastard, he was certain that his head was going to blow. The explosion would not be any worse if someone shoved a lit stick of dynamite in his ear and took off running.

                “And then there was the time Uncle Bart….”

                Boom!

                “Alright, I reckon right here’s as good enough place as any to camp.” Jonah interrupted the boy as he quickly pulled Copper to a stop and slid out of the saddle. He helped Clayton off the big horse and then immediately headed off over a hill.

                “Hey!” Reb called out. “We still got a good hour before we need to make camp. What’re we stoppin’ fer?”

                Jonah turned and threw his hands in the air. “I’m tired.”

                “No yer not.” Reb countered, though Jonah could tell by the amusement on his face that the one-eyed bastard knew damn well why they had stopped. Jonah wondered if maybe Reb was really his friend after all. Only an enemy would get so much enjoyment from another person’s misery.

                “Copper’s tired.” Jonah amended with a shrug, purposefully keeping his gaze away from Joe as she hopped off the mare he’d stolen for her. He hadn’t received a thank you for that either and horse robbery was a hanging offense.

                “He don’t look tired.” Clayton insisted as he patted the big horse’s neck. Jonah clenched his jaw tightly.

                “Copper!” he called out and the stallion’s head turned to face him, his ears swiveling. “Are you tired, boy?”

                Jonah could hear Clayton and Reb laughing as the horse tossed his head several times in agreement. Then Copper walked off slowly and began nibbling lazily at a few green blades of grass.

                “I can’t wait to have a horse just like that!” Clayton exclaimed, his voice bouncing as he hopped up and down. Jonah just sighed, bit his tongue to avoid saying, ‘tell Uncle Bart to get you one’, and then he turned away from them all.

                “Reb, make camp, I’m gonna have a look around.”

Chapter Nine

Reb just shook his head as he finished starting a fire and removed his knife to open the tin can of beans he’d taken from his saddlebags. Jonah still hadn’t returned after storming off into the woods.

                Joe and Jonah had always had a problem with their communication skills. It had driven Reb more than a little crazy five years ago and it still drove him crazy now. Back then it had been Joe refusing to tell Jonah how she really felt about him, until the very end and then being too stubborn to try to stay around and give Jonah more time. Hell the man had still been on a vengeance trip after having his judgment when it came to women proven clouded not once but twice! But had Joe been willing to stick around and fight for Jonah? Nope.

And then there was Jonah. Reb could write a book on that man’s stupidity and lack of communication skills. Telling Joe he wouldn’t, or couldn’t love her when anybody that got within a mile of the man when that woman was around could tell that Jonah had been as deep in love with her as a man could be with a woman. Jonah’s problem had been that he simply hadn’t trusted himself and he had convinced himself that love wasn’t real.           

Reb guessed he hadn’t exactly helped things always teasing Jonah about his so-called brain ailment when it came to women… But Reb hadn’t meant women like Joe… Women like Joe were different… They were the kind of women that, if he wanted something like love, a man needed to grab onto.

Now it seemed that Jonah and Joe were going to fail to communicate and set their pride aside yet again, choosing instead to glare at one another, argue, fight and create a tension so thick that a peace loving man like Reb who just liked to drink, whore and have a good time had trouble breathing.

And then there was Bart. What had that man been thinking by not telling Jonah that he had a son? Or not telling Reb so that Reb could tell Jonah.  Bart and Reb had seen each other several times over the last few years and Bart had never once mentioned that he still had contact with Joe or that he knew about Jonah and Joe having a son.

Reb sincerely hoped that Bart had a damn good reason for doing what he’d done or else he was sure that Jonah would have a bullet or two aimed straight at the skinny bastard’s ass.

                “I’m gonna go find us some meat. We need somethin’ other than jerky.” Joe stated matter of factly as she rose from the rock she’d been sitting on and wiped off her hands on her pants.

                “Can I come, mama?” Clayton asked and Reb saw the glance that Joe threw in his direction and he knew that she was wanting a bit of privacy.

                “Actually, boy, why don’t ya stay here with me awhile? I ain’t a real good cook and I need ya to make sure I don’t burn the beans. If’n there’s one thing that makes Jonah hot under that collar real quick it’s a burnt batch of beans.”

                Clayton laughed and nodded as he came to stand next to Reb beside the fire. Reb nodded at Joe who took off silently in the same direction that Jonah had taken.  Reb hoped that the two of them might be able to work through the barriers of communication between them. Hell even he could tell, with his one good eye, that they still loved one another. He just hoped they’d both be able to see it too.

                “How come ya only have one eye?” Clayton asked, bringing Reb out of his thoughts. Reb glanced down at the boy and grinned. He never had been one for young kids. He’d never really had much use for them since they couldn’t do much of anything other than talk, eat, sleep and get in the way but Clayton was different.  Reb wasn’t sure why he was different but he figured it had something to do with the boy being Gideon ‘the hawk’ Redding’s grandson and the son of Joe and Jonah.

                “It’s a long story.” Reb replied mysteriously and Clayton’s gray eyes widened.

                “I like stories.”

                Reb chuckled and squatted down, settling back on his heels. “Well then, gather round, boy and let Uncle Reb tell ya a story. If there’s one thing I know a thing or two about it’s tellin’ a story.”

                Clayton smiled and sat down on a rock beside Reb, eagerly awaiting the start of the story. “I’d been ridin’ hard for weeks, boy. I had dust under my tongue and my clothes were so stiff from sweat and dirt that they coulda stood up and walked around by theirselves without any help from me.  I rode into that one horse town, thirstier than a man stranded in the desert in July and that’s when I seen the saloon. Like a moth to a flame, I was pulled toward them double doors. My boots drug across those scarred up wooden floorboards as I stepped inside and that’s when I seen her…. The purtiest damn whore this side of the Mississippi.” 

                Reb stopped speaking when he felt Clayton tugging on his sleeve. He glanced down at the boy with irritation. “I just got started tellin’ the story, boy, and you already wanna interrupt me.”

                “I got a question.” Clayton replied with a frown and Reb sighed.

                “Well ask it.”

                 A line formed between Clayton’s eyebrows. “What’s a whore?”

                Reb’s blue eye widened. “Damnation boy!” he exclaimed. “What the devil is wrong with yer mama and Bart? Ain’t they taught ya a damn thing?”

                Clayton shook his head. “They ain’t taught me nuttin’ ‘bout whores. What are they?”

                Reb grinned and laid his arms across his knees. “You just stick with me, boy. I’ll teach you all the important things in life that yer mama seems to have left out.” 

***       

                Joe was mad at herself when she saw Jonah’s silhouette in the setting sun in the distance. Why did she care about him and the hurt she had seen on his face all day? Why did she want to defend her reasons behind telling Clayton his father was dead? She didn’t owe Jonah a damned thing after what he’d done but for some reason she was chasing after him anyhow.

                “What do you want, Joe?” Jonah’s voice surprised Joe and caused her to jump. She hadn’t thought that the man had been aware of her approach.

                “To talk to you, I reckon.” She replied, coming to a stop beside him. Neither of them looked at each other as they gazed out over the valley beneath the ridge they were standing on. Joe cursed the way her heart picked up speed simply by standing beside Jonah. He was just as handsome, broad and able bodied as he had been years ago and she found herself wanting him just as badly as she had always wanted him before….. Which, only served to prove that her brain must be turning to mush.

                “Why did you tell the boy I was dead, Joe?” Jonah finally asked, his voice low and barely audible… Joe could hear the pain in it and it both angered and saddened her.

                “I had to.” She replied, feigning indifference as she shrugged. Joe glanced over and up at Jonah’s face and watched his throat bob up and down as he swallowed hard.

                “Why? Why would you hate me so bad? I never had a pa worth a damn, Joe, you knew that. Why would you make me be the same kind of pa to Clayton?”

                “Come off it, Jonah!” Joe spat. “Don’t go pretendin’ now that you actually give a hell what happens to me and that boy. Ya had no use fer us back then and so we ain’t got no use fer you now.”

                “Why are you so damned mad at me?!” Jonah demanded as he turned to face her and threw his hands in the air. “You left me, Joe.”

                “Yeah and you made it more than clear that ya didn’t want or need me or that boy so stop tryin’ to play the hero now.”

                “When did I ever say I didn’t want that boy?” Jonah demanded. “And when did I ever say I didn’t want you? I seem to recall asking you not to leave me!”

                “I needed more than you was willin’ to give to me, Jonah.”

                “Ya should have stuck around, Joe.” Jonah grumbled accusingly. “My head was a mess back then when it came to love and so I guess I just didn’t recognize it at the time…. I did love you, Joe, and I would have done anything, anything,  for you.”

                “Except be a father to our son?” Joe spat. She was tired of his innocent act and trying to make her look like the villain. Jonah was the one who had abandoned she and Clayton. It was Jonah’s fault that the work had all fallen on her shoulders while raising the boy.

                “What the devil are you talking about?!” Jonah demanded, his voice becoming louder as it was clear from the anger in his gray eyes that he was nearing his breaking point. “I didn’t even know I had a son!”

                “Yes you did!” Joe exclaimed, her voice rising to match the tone of his own as she stood toe to toe with the man. “Ya just chose to forget we existed and spent your life doin’ nothin’ but havin’ fun and bein’ free!”

                “Is that honestly what you think I’ve been doing?  Damn you, Joe. Damn you for lying to that boy. Damn you for lying right now and trying to make yourself sound like less of a monster for hiding that boy from me. “

                Joe lost control of her temper then and her arm shot out, her fist catching Jonah hard in his jaw. Jonah’s head snapped back and his eyes were narrowed when he looked back at her.

                “I thought I knew you, Joe. I thought I could trust you. I thought that we , what we had, meant something… I guess I was wrong.”  

                Joe swallowed hard and nodded as she tossed her stiff hair over her shoulder. “Yeah. Yeah I guess we was both wrong.”

                Jonah just stared hard at her for several more moments and then he turned and walked away back toward camp.

                Joe felt tears building behind her eyes but worked hard to blink them back down and  not allow them to fall. She had a promise to herself that she intended to keep. Jonah Winchester wouldn’t get any more of her tears.

---

                Jonah kicked everything in sight as he walked back to camp.

                Trees? Kicked.

                Clumps of grass? Kicked.

                Rock? Kicked and regretted.

                Nothing about what had happened with Joe made any sense. Why did the woman seem convinced that he had known about Clayton? Why did she think that he had turned his back on them both?

                Jonah would never have turned his back on his son or the mother of his child… Hell it had only taken him a matter of weeks after losing Joe to realize that he did indeed love her but by then it had been too late and he hadn’t had any way of finding her.

                His life had been hell. Whiskey, roaming, gunfights, fistfights, brawls and an aching loneliness so damn deep it had nearly killed him, while most days making him wish it would. He had used meaningless whores just to try to ease some of the pain and put an end to the loneliness but both had only increased  when none of those women had even begun to compare to Joe or what he had shared with her.

                He felt as if he’d never even known the woman at all and yet she still heated his blood, made his heart pound and his hands itch to touch that soft skin and feminine body that he remembered so well. That body was burned into his brain and no other body had been able to compare.

                He longed to see her smile though she had yet to do so…. Instead she appeared sad, nearly as sad as he knew he always seemed. But if the last five years had been so hard on her, wasn’t that her own fault? Why then did he feel so bone deep guilty?

                Jonah stepped into camp, the woods growing steadily darker around them and he saw Reb and Clayton beside the fire, appearing deep in conversation.

                “Jonah!”  Clayton exclaimed when he looked up and saw Jonah enter camp. Jonah smiled, something that it seemed he had to do every time he saw his son, and waited expectantly for Clayton to reach him as the boy ran over.

                “What’s got you so keyed up, boy?” Jonah asked, ruffling the child’s thick blond hair.

                “Jonah, have you ever spent time with a whore?” The boy asked as he practically bounced with excitement.

                Jonah was sure his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as they widened and he quickly turned his attention over to Reb who was snickering and sampling the beans he’d had heating over the fire.

                “What exactly do you know about whores, Clayton?” Jonah demanded as he looked back down at his son.

                “They’re ladies who’ll spend time with ya if ya pay ‘em some money. I got a couple coins saved up. Do ya think I could get one to play with me?”

                Jonah tried to swallow but became choked, causing him to break down in a fit of coughing that stole his breath. “Play ?” he managed to gasp and Clayton nodded as he patted Jonah on the back.

                “Yeah, ya know, mama don’t have no time to play with me since she’s always so busy workin’ and I was wonderin’ if one of them whores would play with me.”

                “And who told you about whores?”

                “Uncle Reb.”

                “ Uncle Reb?” Jonah asked, raising a brow and looking at the one eyed bastard who was now doubled over beside the fire and laughing silently as he smacked his knee.

                “Yep. He’s been tellin’ me all kinds of stories ‘bout shootin men’s heads off, playin’ with whores and borrowin’ money off generous folks on stagecoaches at night.”

                Jonah shook his head and crouched down to look his son in the eyes. “Your Uncle Reb ain’t gonna do anything but get you in trouble, boy. His stories are just a bunch of hot air that he’s gotta let go of sometimes to keep his head from blowing.” Clayton laughed at the image that created. “And you’d do well to not mention his stories, or whores, in front of your mama.”

                “Yes, sir.” Clayton replied with a nod. Jonah smiled, ruffled his hair again and then quickly closed the distance between himself and Reb. Reb held up a spoonful of beans.

                “Want some?”

                “Whores, Reb? Really?” Jonah grumbled and Reb grinned.

                “Well hell, Jonah, I didn’t tell him what they really did, just that they’d spend time with ya.”

                “And the generous folks on the stagecoaches?” Jonah asked and this time Reb laughed out loud.

                “The boy needs to know these things. They’re important lessons in his education. That’s what’s wrong with the world these days. A lack o’education in the important things.”

                Jonah just shook his head and rubbed at the back of his neck.

                “So did you and the lady talk?” Reb asked.

                “Fought’s more like it.” Jonah replied with a snort.

                “See what y’all need is communication skills.” Reb informed him and Jonah shook his head.

                “Don’t worry about what I need.” He scolded. “If you want to keep that one eye you got left, you had better stop telling that boy stories like that. I’m sure Joe would be happy to whoop you good and proper.”

                Reb chuckled. “I ain’t scared of her.” He stated and then he grinned sheepishly. “ Besides, she’s got a bum leg just now so I could get away from her.”

                “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Reb.” Jonah stated as he stared off into the distance. “She ain’t the kind of woman you can get away from.”

Chapter Ten

Joe was sitting up keeping first watch and staring into the dancing flames of the small fire. There were owls hooting and crickets chirping in the distance, but Joe paid them no mind.

                Her mind was too busy thinking about Jonah and what the two of them had said to one another both this morning and mere hours ago in the woods.

                Something just wasn’t right. Jonah seemed to genuinely believe that he hadn’t known about Clayton. Even Joe could see how sad the man was. She had always loved the ease with which he smiled and the way he threw his head back with laughter so often…. Today he had barely smiled, other than while he was talking to Clayton, and Joe had yet to hear him laugh. 

                And then there was Bart. Bart had been beat all to hell. Broken ribs, swollen face, blacked eyes… He had been starved and nearly dead from thirst and yet he had taken off without telling anyone where he was going and Reb had said it was because he was afraid of Jonah…. And Jonah did seem to be awfully angry at the man.

                Why would Jonah be angry at the man who had helped care for his son after Jonah chose to turn his back on the boy? Joe would think that Jonah would be grateful to Bart, not angry with him.

                Unless…. But no, that couldn’t be possible. Bart had sworn to Joe that he had given the letter to Jonah. He had said that Jonah had read the letter right in front of him and then tossed it into the fire, basically called Joe a whore and told Bart to never come looking for him again……

                But something about that had always bothered Joe. While she had had no choice but to believe Bart, seeing as how the man had been like a rock for her throughout her pregnancy and for those few months after, it had never seemed right to her that Jonah would do what Bart claimed he had done. That was what had made it hurt all the more.  But what if…

                What if Jonah had never gotten that letter? What if Bart had lied to her? What if Jonah had been honest when he’d said that he never said he didn’t want Clayton? What if Jonah had been telling the truth when he’d said that he really had loved her and that he had looked back and missed her every single day since watching her ride away?

                What if the man simply thought that Joe had hidden the truth from him all these years and then told their son that his father was dead on top of that?

                Joe’s head whipped around to where Jonah’s bedroll was laid out and her breath caught when she realized he was lying there on his side, awake and staring at her.

                Without a word, Jonah stood and nodded slightly before walking off into the darkness. Joe knew he was giving her a choice. Either follow him and agree to let go of her anger long enough to truly talk, or stay behind and prove that her anger over the past was too great for her to get over.

                Joe stood, she had no choice. Jonah was her one and only. She had known that back then and it was just as true now. Whatever anger she had felt toward him was quickly fading as she realized just how foolish she had been! Why had she simply blindly believed Bart and never tried to find Jonah herself? Since when did she trust anyone enough to simply take their word without question?

                She walked to Reb and kicked the man in the leg causing him to grunt  as he jerked to wakefulness.

                “What?” he mumbled.

                “Jonah and I are leaving you in charge of Clayton for a while.” Joe informed him and he grinned as his sleepy blue eye twinkled in the firelight.

                “Y’all have fun now…” he teased and Joe was thankful for the darkness that kept the blush on her cheeks from being visible as she simply growled and then walked off in the same direction that Jonah had taken.

                Joe squinted in the darkness, searching and scanning for Jonah, and she nearly screamed when a set of arms grabbed her and pulled her into a hard body.

                Then her near scream quickly turned into a hungry moan when she felt Jonah’s mouth close over hers, his demanding lips burning and searing her with their heat.

                Joe felt her body respond instantly. An ache began to grow and pulse low in her belly as wetness gathered between her thighs and her nipples hardened against the wrap they were pressed tight beneath.

                She felt Jonah’s hands roam down her back and then lower, gripping her backside and pulling her against him. His arousal pressed heavy against her stomach and caused a wave of pleasurable trembles to wash down her spine.

                Joe raised her hands to his hair, knocking off Jonah’s hat and burying her finger in the thick blond strands. She heard him groan against her lips, his mouth instantly deepening the kiss as he thrust his tongue into her mouth and her own tongue met it roughly in a battle of wills.

                Jonah’s body propelled her backward and Joe felt her back come up against the rough bark of a tree and, in a movement that was endearingly familiar about Jonah, his hand came to the back of her head, protecting it from injury. Then his free hand moved to her cheek and his thumb stroked her jaw tenderly.

                When Jonah finally broke the kiss and pulled his lips away from hers, Joe was gasping and Jonah’s breaths were ragged. He kept his body pressed tight against hers and his thumb continued to stroke her jaw while her hand stayed locked in his hair.

                This close to him in the darkness, Joe could see into those gray eyes and she swallowed hard and nearly let her own tears fall when she saw that Jonah’s eyes were red rimmed and bright with tears of their own.

                “Joe, I need to get a few things straight with you right now.” He whispered roughly and Joe found herself unable to do anything but nod as her body moved on its own and pressed tighter against him.

                “I’m sorry that what I could offer back then wasn’t enough. I’m sorry that I hurt you and I’m sorry that you felt like you couldn’t come to me when you needed me. I’m sorry that you felt you had no choice but to tell our son that I was dead.”

                “Jonah…” she began but Jonah’s hand moved to her lips and pressed tight to keep her from speaking further.

                “I’m not done.” He urged and Joe saw a single tear slip from the corner of his eye, running down the lines that crisscrossed the sides of his eyes and over his sharp jaw. She wiped it away with the palm of her hand and Jonah leaned his face into her touch. “I tried to find you. I searched every little town I could think of and I went to your old cabin at least twenty different times. I didn’t live as ‘purty as I pleased’ or ‘never think of you again’. You couldn’t have been more wrong when you said that. I lost everything that mattered when I lost you and I tried desperately to fill the hole with whiskey and… other things…” his gaze shifted and Joe knew he was talking about whores.

                Part of her wanted to get mad but she shoved that emotion down. The man was clearly in pain and, if her suspicions were right about Bart, Jonah had every right in the world to hate her and yet here he was opening up and baring his soul to her as they stood against this tree in the moonlight.

                Jonah’s hand was still pressed against her mouth so Joe said nothing and instead waited on Jonah to speak again. “I swear to you that I had no idea about Clayton. When I rode up to your cabin the other day, praying like hell I’d find you alive, and instead found myself staring down at a boy who was me nearly thirty years ago, I couldn’t breathe. I was hurt. I was mad. But now….. It was my fault, Joe. I hurt you and I let you down and you felt like you didn’t have a choice……”

                Joe had heard enough, she grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from her mouth. “Jonah, I tried to tell ya ‘bout Clayton. I sent Bart to find ya with a note that I’d wrote. Bart came back a couple months later and said that he’d found ya alright. He said that you read that note, told him I was a mistake and there weren’t no proof the boy was your’n and then you tossed the note into the fire and told him to never hunt you down again.”

                Joe nearly cried out with disappointment when Jonah backed away from her and shook his head with disbelief.

                “No….” he said as he ran his hand through his thick hair. “No one found me. I never got a letter. I swear that to you. When I saw Bart last night that was the first time I’d seen the man since we reached Barbadine with Scarlett.”

                The truth of Bart’s betrayal was like a knife through Joe’s gut. And she had no doubts that it was Bart who had betrayed her. Jonah was too open in this moment, too raw, to be lying to her.

                “I’m sorry, Jonah. I shoudn’t have believed him like that… I should have realized that ya’d never do somethin’ like that…” Joe swallowed hard, trying desperately to hold back her tears. She was Joe Redding, she was tough, she couldn’t cry.

                Jonah closed the distance between them again and slid his hand along her jaw. “Please, don’t, Joe… Don’t hide from me. Not me.”

                Joe felt a smile curve her mouth even as a tear slipped down her cheek. Jonah captured that tear with his lips and Joe let her body sag against his. This was her Jonah. How could she have ever believed him to be monster enough to turn his back on her and their son? Only with Jonah had she ever been allowed to be weak. He knew a side of her that no one else in the world had ever seen.

                Jonah pressed his forehead against hers and they simply stood there for several long moments, holding one another and doing nothing more than breathing. The pain of five long years of separation beginning to fade as each realized the other was not to blame.

                Then Jonah stiffened and pulled away from her yet again. “You and Reb should be able to get Clayton back to the cabin without me. I’ll rejoin y’all in a few days.”

                Joe frowned and shook her head. “Where the hell ya plan on goin’?” she demanded. Jonah rubbed the back of his neck and began to pace.

                “That bastard is going to pay for what he did. I lost years I can’t back. I lost five years with you. I missed my son being a baby. Bart will wish he’d never been born by the time I’m done with him.”

                Joe blinked several times and then quickly stepped forward and grabbed Jonah’s arm when he tried to walk away.

                “Don’t…”

                “Are you saying he doesn’t deserve to be punished?” Jonah demanded as he whirled on her. “Do you have any idea what he stole from me?! I missed everything. I missed his first steps, his first words. I wasn’t there to rock him at night or pace the floors with him in my arms when he had a stomach ache.” Jonah’s voice broke. “Bart turned be into the father that my father was…”

                “No.” Joe cut in, hating the hurt she saw in his eyes. “You are not yer pa. Yer pa knew ‘bout ya and walked away anyway… .You didn’t know.. and that’s my fault. I should have tracked ya down myself. Pa always told me not to trust other folks to do my work. Clayton and I have lived without you fer a long time, Jonah. I don’t’ want ya to leave us now….”

                Jonah cut her words off by pressing his lips to her in a feather light meeting of flesh that stole her breath more quickly and more completely than the hungry kiss they had shared minutes ago had.

                He pulled away and kissed her brow gently.  “How is your leg?” he asked. Joe shrugged.

                “Feels ‘bout like I got shot in it but it’ll be fine.” She assured him as she shifted her weight to her good leg. “Thank you, Jonah. Thank you for coming for me and saving my life even after what I put you through….”

                “Joe, I’d do anything for you.” He assured her as he took her hand and she realized he was examining her wrists. “I’m just sorry that it took me so long and they were able to do what they did.” His finger traced the bruise along her temple.

                “I asked fer most of it.” Joe admitted. “I didn’t ‘zactly take kindly to bein’ kidnapped.”

                Jonah smiled at her and then Joe felt her heart race when he threw his head back and laughed, reminding her of the old him.

                “God, I missed you, Joe.” He kissed her swollen and cut wrists in turn. “I’m so sorry…”

                “Let’s not say sorry anymore, Jonah. It don’t do no good. Just…” Joe stopped and licked her lips.

                “Just what, Joe?” Jonah urged. “You can be weak with me… You can be my Josephine.”

                Joe smiled and looped her arms around his neck. “Just love me, Jonah.” 

                “Oh, Joe…” Jonah sighed as he pressed his forehead against hers and looked deep into her eyes, causing both of them to go cross-eyed. “I’ve loved you since I found you crying in that alley all those years ago and I’m going to be loving you ‘til the day I die, that much I can promise.”

                Joe cut Jonah off by all but leaping into his arms, throwing her legs around his waist and kissing him hungrily. Jonah laughed against her lips and then walked forward until her back was once again pressed against the rough bark of the oak.

                Neither knew how long they stayed that way. Kissing, moaning, whispering.  Joe wanted more but when she tried to lift her buckskin shirt, Jonah broke his lips away from hers and shook his head.

                “No.”

                “Why?”

                “Because I’m filthy. You’re filthy. We both stink. Your leg is messed up and bleeding again. Your wrists are hurting you, I can tell because you winced when they touched my neck. And our son and Reb are just beyond those trees.”

                “Jonah, I don’t want to wait… I need you…” Joe admitted. Jonah sighed and kissed her nose.

                “I’m not going anywhere, Joe. I am yours until I die, I vow that to you right now. But I’ve been waiting for a long long time to make love to you again and I sure as hell am not gonna do it while we’re covered in dirt, dried blood and week old sweat with an oak tree for a bed.”

                Joe grumbled under her breath but knew he was right.

                “And we have to be careful around, Clayton for a while.” She added. “I’m not sure how I’m gonna tell him that yer really his pa.”

                Jonah sat her down on her feet and took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles as he smiled. “We’ll figure out a way to do it together.” He promised.

                “I love ya, Jonah.”

                “I love you too.”

Chapter Eleven

Jonah felt lighter than he had felt in years as he rode alongside Joe with Clayton in the saddle in front of him. He had his Joe back. He had his son. The sting of Bart’s betrayal still hurt and he knew it was a wound that would continue to fester and burn under the surface until the day he saw the other man again and could get the answer he wanted. And the question he wanted to ask, of course, was why?

                But for now that didn’t matter.

                “Home!” Clayton exclaimed when the cabin came into view. Jonah smiled at the boy’s excitement and dramatic sigh. He urged Copper faster and closed the distance between they and the cabin before sliding from the saddle and helping Clayton down as well.

                “I’m gonna go get me some real food!” Clayton shouted as he headed for the house.

                “Hey there, Cowpoke!” Joe called out, her voice warning. Clayton skidded to a stop and turned slowly.

                “What, mama?”

                “Them chickens and yer pony have been a lot longer without food than you have. Take care of ‘em first and then worry ‘bout yerself.”

                Clayton sighed as his shoulders slumped. “Yes, ma’am.” he mumbled and then headed toward the barn with his boots dragging.

                “I’m sure glad as hell that you ain’t my mama.” Reb chuckled. “I much preferred the laudanum addicted whore of a woman I was raised by.”

                “Speakin’ of whores, Reb…” Joe began and Reb grinned sheepishly and tugged at the tattered collar of his gray chambray shirt. “Clayton told me somethin’ interestin’ while we was eating breakfast this mornin’.”

                “That boys mind is full of interestin’ things to say.” Reb agreed as he backed a couple of steps away.

                “Yeah, yeah he is.” Joe agreed, stalking toward him while Jonah chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “It seems he’s eager to get back into town soon. See he’s got these coins saved up in his room that he plans on takin’ to the house where all the whores live and seein’ if’n he can talk one into playin’ with him.”

                Reb’s laugh turned into a cough as he backed up and then hit the log planks of the rickety barn. “Where does that boy get those wild ideas of his?” he asked, throwing a glance over Joe’s shoulder at Jonah. Jonah just shook his head and shrugged, As far as he was concerned Reb was on his own with this one.

                “I was figurin’ you could probably tell me.” Joe replied as she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “Ya see after he got done telling me about the house where all the whores live, he told me a story about how his Uncle Reb got his eye poked out by a broken whiskey bottle while fighting with another man over who the purtiest whore this side of the Mississippi was goin’ to play with first.”

                “Damnation, Jonah!” Reb exclaimed as he quickly sidestepped Joe and headed toward Jonah with real fear in his blue eye. “I thought you told the boy not to tell his mama!”

                Jonah laughed. “And I thought you said you weren’t afraid of Joe.”

                “I weren’t last night.” Reb replied as he swallowed hard. Jonah glanced at Joe and saw that she did indeed look pretty damn angry. “But I sure as hell am now.”

                “You knew about this?!” Joe accused and Jonah held his hands up.

                “After the fact! I wasn’t around while he was filling the boys head with that garbage.”

                “Reb, go fer a walk or something.” Joe ordered and Reb shook his head.

                “I’m kinda tired.. I was just gonna…” Joe glared at him and he nodded quickly. “Yep, sure. I’m goin’ fer a walk now.”

                Jonah watched Reb walk off into the woods and then turned his attention to Clayton who was dragging a bucket full of chicken feed behind as he headed off toward the chicken coop.

                “I can’t believe that’s my kid….” He stated quietly. Joe sighed.

                “Well he is. He’s got yer soft side and he snores like hell.”

                “Soft side?” Jonah demanded with a laugh. “Are you calling me soft?”

                “Sure am. And I’m gonna show ya just how soft if ya let Reb fill his head with any more talk ‘bout playin’ with whores.”

                “Is that right?” Jonah asked huskily as he wrapped his arms around Joe’s waist and pulled her against him.

                “Yeah that’s right.” She replied with a nod, though Jonah noticed her voice was a just a bit more breathless than it had been moments before.

                “You just wait, Joe… Tonight I’m gonna show ya just how wrong you are.  There won’t be anything soft about me.”

                Their eyes locked and then Jonah stood there with shock when Joe began to laugh. It wasn’t a light, coy laugh. It was a loud guffawing laugh that had her bending over and smacking her knees. Jonah was about to speak when Joe grabbed her lower arm and clutched her stomach with her other hand.

                “Oh, I missed you!” she gasped. She lowered her voice several octaves.” ‘ There won’t be anything soft about me.’ “ she mimicked. “Who do ya think yer talkin’ to?”

                “I guess I forgot just how impossible it is to seduce you.” Jonah replied dryly.

                Joe winked. “I take more kindly to action than I do pretty words.”

                Jonah’s eyes narrowed as he grinned. “Is that challenge?”

                Joe turned her back to him and glanced at him over shoulder as she walked toward the barn leading two of the horses. “It might have been….” She replied with a wink.

                Jonah felt his pants get tight and cursed the woman to hell. She knew what she was doing to him and with Clayton around and glancing their way every now and then, she also knew there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about.

 

---

                Joe was sweating hard, the droplets rolling down her temples and soaking the back of her shirt between her shoulder blades. She could blame that on hard work, since she’d been busy cleaning the tiny barn stalls, if not for the shivers that were wracking her body.

                Joe was sick. Her leg was burning and throbbing. Her wrists were hurting so bad they were making gripping the rake in her hands very difficult. Clayton was with Reb down at the river washing up while Jonah was busy trying to take care of the weeds in the garden before all the plants were swallowed up.

                Suddenly her vision swam and her legs buckled. Instantly she reached out and clutched Copper around the neck, desperate to hold herself up. Joe tried to stand on her own again but her head swam more violently and she went down hard on the dirty barn floor as blackness overtook her.

---

                Jonah was counting down the hours until bedtime. As far as he was concerned it couldn’t possibly come fast enough. Five years he’d been waiting to have Joe in his arms again….. That was too long.

                He stood up straight, stretching out his aching back and glancing toward the sun which was beginning to hang very low in the sky.  Deciding that everyone would need dinner, and remembering that he was a better cook than Joe, even if only slightly, Jonah decided the job would fall on him tonight.

                He walked to the hand pump beside the porch and worked it several times, filling a small bucket so he could rinse off his hands. He was just throwing some of the water on his face to clear the sweat and dirt from it as well when Copper began to go crazy in the barn.

                “Joe?” Jonah called out but there was no answer, only more of Copper’s whinnying and the sound of his body slamming against the stall.

                Jonah ran for the barn and cursed when he saw Joe lying on the dirt just inside the door. She was pale, sweaty and the circles around her closed eyes were so dark they looked like bruises. Jonah dropped to his knees beside her as Copper calmed down.

                “Joe?” Jonah asked gently , lifting her body and laying her head on his lap. Jonah ran his hand over her brow and hissed. “Dammit, woman!”

                “What’s wrong with my, mama?” Clayton’s voice demanded from the doorway. Jonah looked up at the boy and forced his voice to remain calm.

                “She just worked a bit too hard, boy. It’s okay. Can you do me a big favor?”

                “Yes, sir.” Clayton replied, nervously twisting his hands. Reb walked up behind Clayton and laid his hand on the boy’s tiny shoulder.

                “Go on in the house and get me some clean clothes for your mama… And if she’s got needle and thread, I need that too.”

                Clayton nodded and quickly took off toward the cabin.

                “Fever?” Reb asked.

                “Why hell yeah. This fucking woman is going to be the death of me. She acts so damn tough all the time that I forgot all about her damn leg. And do you think she admitted she was hurting or that her fever was coming back?”

                “Nope.” Reb replied with a shake of his head. “It ain’t her fault, Jonah. That’s just the way Gideon raised her.”

                “Yeah well, my woman has to learn to come to me when she needs help.” Reb just nodded and Jonah turned his gaze back down to Joe’s face as he ran his hand over her brow.

                “Reb, get me the rest of that shirt we used as a bandage out of my saddlebags and I need that ointment as well…. And a clean pair of pants!” Jonah called to Reb’s retreated back and the man lifted his hand in acknowledgment.

                “I love you, Joe, but you gotta stop being such a stubborn ass.” Jonah scolded. It only took another minute before Clayton was rushing into the barn with clean clothes for Joe as well as a needle and thread and a bar of soap. Reb was on the boys heels with the things Jonah had asked him for.

                “I’m gonna take her down to the river and clean her up. Y’all get in there and get supper going because I have a feeling we’re all probably starved about the same.”

                “Is mama gonna be okay, Jonah?” Clayton asked as Jonah stood with Joe cradled against his chest. Jonah looked down into his sons scared gray eyes and nodded.

                “Of course she is. You remember when you asked me if I still loved your mama?” Clayton nodded. “Well the answer is yes. I still do. And I won’t let anything happen to her. She just needs a bath and a bit of medicine and she’ll be just fine.”

                Clayton nodded and Reb sat all the things Jonah had asked he and Clayton for on top of Joe’s stomach.

                “I’ll keep an eye on the boy.” He assured Jonah and Jonah gave a nod of appreciation to his friend and then headed off to the river.

                He carried Joe to the bank and laid her down gently, propping her head against a mossy rock. Taking a deep breath, Jonah removed her boots and then slid her pants down her long dirty legs.

                He was reminded of the past and the way he had stripped an unconscious Joe from her clothes once before. That time he had been amazed by the beauty she hid beneath her oversized buckskin clothes and while this time he knew what to expect, it still took his breath away.

                All except for that red swollen skin around the make-shift bandage around her calf. Jonah forced his eyes away from that and removed Joe’s buckskin shirt. He pulled his knife and cut away the wrap she still wore around her chest and his eyes couldn’t help but become locked on her perfect breasts.

                He could remember the cat like nose she’d make in the back of her throat when he’d suckle her nipples and while they were darker now, something he had heard tell happened when a woman had a child, they still took his breath and turned him on more than any other woman’s breasts ever had.

                Joe shifted restlessly and moaned and Jonah snapped out of the daze her naked body had him in and focused on the task at hand; saving her life.

                Jonah untied the bandage around her calf and sighed with relief. While it was red, it didn’t look as bad as it had the other night. Jonah stood straight and removed his own boots, gun belt and clothes before lifting Joe into his arms yet again.

                With her skin on his he could feel the fever raging in her more clearly and he knew he had to get her cooled off. Jonah carried her into the river, sinking down into the cool rushing water and causing Joe to begin to tremble violently.

                Jonah whispered soothingly as he used the water to cleanse dirt from her skin, face and hair. He grabbed the bar of soap that he’d laid by the bank and cleaned Joe thoroughly before carrying her back onto the bank. He was happy to see that Reb had thought to give him a blanket as well. Jonah tossed Joe over his shoulder and used his free arm to stretch the blanket out on the ground.

                Now it was time for the bad part. Grabbing the needle and thread from the ground, Jonah crouched beside Joe’s leg and threaded the needle.

                “Please sleep through this…” he whispered and then he quickly put the needle to her wound and began to sew as fast as was humanly possible. Joe moaned and groaned, turning her head from side to side now and then, but remained still and asleep other than that.                

Jonah sewed up both sides of Joe’s leg and then coated it thickly with the ointment from his saddlebags. Then he turned his attention to Joe’s wrists and coated them with ointment as well. He cut three clean bandages from his shirt and tied one around each wrist and one around her leg, before wrapping her in the blanket and kissing her brow.

                She felt much cooler thanks to their time in the river and Jonah grabbed the soap and went back into the water to clean himself.  Joe was still asleep when he finished and instead of dressing them both, Jonah wrapped himself up inside the blanket with Joe, pulling her naked body tight against his own.

                For so long he had dreamt of this… Holding this beautiful, strong woman, his woman, in his arms again….

                “What….” Joe mumbled a while later, as her eyes fluttered open and she glanced around. “What happened?”

                “You overdid it and the fever came back.”

                “I passed out again didn’t I?” she asked with irritation, though Jonah noticed, with pleasure, that she snuggled up tighter against him as she spoke.

                “Yep. You gotta quit being so damn stubborn and rest when you need it.”

                “I guess it’s a good thing you’re around.” Joe admitted. “I can only imagine how scared Clayton would have been if it was just him and I.”

                Jonah felt his heart hurt. “It won’t ever be just the two of you again, Joe. I’m not going anywhere.”

                “Where is, Clayton and what did you do to me? My leg hurts….And I’m starving.”

                “I had to clean it, Josephine, and sew it up. Hopefully now it’ll start to really heal. And Clayton is at the cabin with Reb. They’re cooking us supper.”

                “Reb is cooking?” Joe asked as she curled her nose and looked up into his eyes. Jonah nodded as he gazed into those green/gray eyes he’d missed so badly.

                “Yep.”

                “I’m not starving so bad anymore…..” Jonah chuckled.

                “I think you’re forgetting that you don’t cook much better than he does, my dear.” Jonah teased, knowing that Joe’s cooking was actually pretty damn good and gourmet when compared to Reb’s.

                “Well then I guess you’ll just have to do all the cookin’ in the marriage then, won’t ya?” Joe asked with a laugh and then her eyes widened. “I mean……”

                Jonah smiled at her discomfort as she tried to pull away from him. He held her tighter and shrugged.

                “I don’t mind doing the cooking just so long as you’ll clean up afterward. I hate washing dishes.”

                A flush covered Joe’s cheeks. “Jonah, I didn’t mean….”

                “You don’t want to marry me?” Jonah asked, his amusement growing. He’d never seen Joe look so awkward and out of sorts before and he found it both endearing and entertaining. “You didn’t mean what you said?”

                “I guess that depends on what your response to it is….” Joe replied as she stuck out her chin and Jonah knew she was doing her best to hide her nervousness.

                “Joe, I love you. I tried living without you and it didn’t work. I am bound to make mistakes. I don’t know how to be a father or a husband but what I do know is that I’ll never hurt either of you. I’ll be right here, forever and ever, and we’ll figure out how all this settling down stuff works together. We have a son and a life that we need to be living together.”

                “So you do want to get married?”

                “Of course.” Jonah replied, kissing her nose. He saw her eyes look away from his and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

                “I’m hard to live with, Jonah. What if ya realize that after bein’ here all day every day and ya get tired of puttin’ up with me.”

                “Let me let you in on a secret, Joe.” Jonah replied with a smile. This moment seemed so surreal… much like the dreams he’d had millions of while being separated from her. “It doesn’t take being around you all day every day for a person to realize you’re hard to live with.”

                “Is that right?” Joe asked with a raise of a brow. It seemed her discomfort was gone now that she’d realized Jonah wasn’t going to take off running and calling her a crazy person.

                “Yeah that’s right.”

                Joe shook her head and sighed, resting her head against his arm which was lying beneath it. “My pa would roll over in his grave if he knew I was talkin’ ‘bout gettin’ married.”

                “We’re not just talking about it, Joe. We’re going to do it. The next time we go into town.”

                “There’s no judges or law in that town, Jonah… No way to get the legal papers and such filed…” Jonah cut off her rant by kissing her lips softly and lingering there.

                “Then it will just be a common law marriage ‘til we can get somewhere that has the papers to make it legal. I don’t need a fat man in a robe to tell me you’re my wife.”

                “So how do we do that?”

                “We live as husband and wife and the next time we’re in town we let everybody’ll that’ll listen know that we’re husband and wife. That’s all it takes, Joe.”

                “Ya done this before or somethin’?” Joe asked with a snort and Jonah grinned.

                “Naw, but Reb has. You should ask him ‘bout it sometime.”

                “Reb is married?!” Joe exclaimed and Jonah nodded.

                “Technically.”

                The two of them laid there in the silence, simply enjoying the presence of the other. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Joe finally admitted. “Three days ago I was sure I would never see you again, that I didn’t want to… Now we’re talking marriage! How did this happen, Jonah?”

                “You asked for it to happen.” Jonah replied simply and he saw her roll her eyes.

                “So I guess now’s the time when ya tell me that you’ll try to sweep me off my feet by promisin’ to do anythin’ I ever ask?”

                “Of course not!” Jonah scoffed. “I wouldn’t do something like that. Besides you ain’t the kind of woman a man can sweep off her feet are you?”

                “Sure not.” Joe replied with a nod and Jonah kissed her brow.

                “And that’s what makes you special, Joe Redding.”

                “If we’re gonna be married, even if it’s just by common law, shouldn’t I be Joe Winchester?”

                “If you want to be.” Jonah replied, his heart speeding up. God knew he had never thought this would happen. A wife and a child were suddenly his when a week ago he’d been lost in whiskey and nothingness. Now he had everything….

                “Can I keep the Redding attached? Josephine Redding-Winchester?”

                “Anything you want, Joe.”

                “Well hell, Jonah. You keep caterin’ to me like that and this marriage’ll work out just fine.” Jonah just smiled and hugged her tighter, knowing she wasn’t in any shape for lovemaking but unwilling to let this moment end none the less. He just wanted to hold her like this forever and with the way Joe snuggled up into his arms, Jonah knew she wasn’t in any hurry to get back either.

Chapter Twelve

Gill knew he was going to die if somebody didn’t come upon him soon. He, Fred and Critter had done everything they could to free themselves but it had been useless. That bastard, Jonah Winchester, had tied them up real good and proper.

                Poor Fred had screamed and sobbed like a newborn babe for the entire first day until his voice had finally left him. His broken arm was twisted up in his hogtied position and making the pain the man was in unbearable.

                Critter had taken the hardest lick to the head and the bloody welted lump stuck out a good four inches off his forehead. Gill’s head was pounding as well from that bastard’s gun being brought down on the back of it.

                It had been days the men had been tied up here in the heat. Days with no food, no water and Gus’s dead body beginning to stink worse and worse with every passing hour. Gill had turned his body away from Gill to avoid the sight of the crows and other scavengers feasting on his dead friend’s face.  Though there was nothing a man could do to block out the sound of his flesh being picked, plucked and torn from his bones.

                “We’re gonna die, Gill.” Critter mumbled, his voice raspy and weak from lack of water. Gill nodded limply.

                “Sure seems that way.”

                “How come that bitch didn’t tell us how tough a job that would be?” Critter added and Gill just laid there and didn’t answer. Fred was doing little more than moaning and rocking back and forth on the ground, his face a sickly shade of green and his eyes squeezed  shut tightly.

                More endless minutes passed by as the three men waited on death and then Gill thought he was hearing things when a horse whinnied in the distance and he heard a man’s voice mumbling.

                “Hello!?” Critter hollered out as loudly as his parched throat would allow, causing Gill to realize that he wasn’t just hearing things, or that if he was that Critter was hearing the same thing. “Who’s there?”

                Normally Gill would have cursed the man for crying out to someone while they were helpless and didn’t know if the approaching person was friend or foe but it seemed that desperation made a man’s good sense take flight because Gill found himself calling out to the stranger as well.

                A man rode into sight slowly. He cursed under his breath and quickly covered his face with his bandana.

                “You men need some help?” he asked and Gill fought the urge to yell at the man for asking such a stupid question.

                “Yes, sir.” Critter replied.

                Gill watched the man take in the sight of Gus by the fire and the man gagged as he slid from his horse. “Damn, what happened here?”

                “We was attacked.” Critter replied. “Untie us please.”

                The man pulled his knife and quickly went about cutting all three men free. Fred groaned and simply lay there on his back, his eyes never opening. Critter and Gill took their time getting to their feet. Pain filled Gill’s body as the blood was suddenly rushing to places that had been immobile for so long.

                “What happened to you, boys?” the man asked. “Who did this?”

                “That ain’t important.” Gill replied before Critter could speak. “Thanks for helping us, sir.”

                The man shook his head. “Hell yeah it’s important! I’m gonna have to report this to the law. Whoever did this to you boys deserves to pay. Hell there’s a man dead with a broke neck over in the woods and then that man over there. And you men don’t seem to be in real good shape. Hell I think he’s dying while we stand here talking…”

                Gill glanced down at Fred and realized the stranger was right. Fred certainly appeared to be on the darker side of dead.

                “We don’t need no law.” Gill insisted. “But do you have water?”

                The man sighed and turned back to his horse. “I don’t care what you men say, I’m going to the law….” The man never got to finish his statement before Gill brought the rock down hard on the back of his head and he slumped to the ground.

                Gill shook his head and then slit the man’s throat with the knife that had just given him his freedom.

                “What the hell, Gill!” Critter demanded.

                “He was gonna go to the law, Critter. I ain’t got no interest in gettin’ the law involved in this.”

                “Dammit, that Jonah fella needs to pay for what he done!”

                “You honestly think the law would be on the side of a bunch of murdering kidnappers?” Gill demanded with a shake of his head as he pulled the canteen of water from the stranger’s saddlebags and took a long swallow before handing it to Critter. “If you wanna make him pay, then you go ahead and find him and make him pay. I don’t want no more to do with any of this. I didn’t sign up to get killed.”

                “I’m going back to Scarlett and letting her know what happened.”

                “I’m not.” Gill replied, taking the canteen back and then crouching down beside Fred. He placed it against Fred’s lips and the man drank greedily. “I’m gonna get Fred’s arm in a sling and then use this horse to get him to a doc.”

                “Dammit, Gill! That woman is the most desirable damn woman I’ve ever seen! And the best roll between the sheets any of us had ever had before!”

                Gill had to nod because it was the truth. Hell she’d taken all seven of them at once as part of their payment for going after those she wanted brought back to her. And she’d promised to give it to them again once the job was through, as well as a good heap of money.

                “Not worth it.” Gill replied with a shrug.

                “Dammit, Gill! She offered us ten thousand dollars! That’s a lot of damn money! Let’s go back to her, get a few more men and then get the job done!”

                “Critter, I don’t care if that damn woman was to lie naked on a big heaping pile of gold and told me I could have both if I got the job done, it wouldn’t be enough to get me to agree to go after Jonah or his folks again.”

                Gill stood, took another drink from the canteen and then put it back into the saddlebags of the horse. He searched some more and found a sack of hardtack biscuits. Drool pooled on his lip as he dug into the sack and sunk his teeth into his first bit of food in days.

                “You’re a coward.” Critter accused as he too grabbed a biscuit. “Ain’t you even gonna go after them for revenge?”

                “Nope.” Gill replied as he helped Fred sit up and helped the half conscious man take a bite of his biscuit. “The way I got it figured we deserved what he done. We asked for it. Now he could have just killed us all outright but he gave us half a fighting chance. Why I’da killed the men that went after my woman and kid so I reckon he had a right to kill us.”

                “Well you do what you gotta do, Gill, but I’m going back to Scarlett and I’m gonna get my revenge.”

                Gill just sighed and stood up, holding out his hand. Critter shook it and Gill shrugged. “It was nice ridin’ with ya, Critter. If ya live through what you’re plannin’ on doing then look me up when it’s over.”

                Critter nodded and then Gill watched the man limp away, barefoot, into the woods.

                “I agree with ya, Gill.” Fred whispered, speaking for the first time. “A smart man’s gotta know when to cut his losses and run.”

                “Yes he does, Fred. Now come on and let me help ya up on this horse so we can get you to a doc. I don’t have much of a gang left and I’ve never been good at bein’ alone so I’d just as soon you didn’t die.”

---

                “We gotta leave here tomorrow.” Jonah said over breakfast the next morning.

                “What the hell do ya mean?” Joe demanded. “This is home.”

                Jonah sighed and shook his head as he took a sip of coffee. “Not anymore. Not as long as Scarlett is out for blood. Clearly she knew where to come looking for you, or the men she has working for her did, and I’d feel a hell of a lot better if we weren’t just staying around here like a bunch of sitting ducks whenever she attacks again.”

                “Jonah, don’t ya reckon this is somethin’ we needed to talk ‘bout alone first?” Joe asked impatiently as she looked at Clayton who was chewing eggs and looking back and forth between her and Jonah. Reb was adding a bit of whiskey to his coffee and shifting in his chair.

                “Reb agrees with me, Joe, and you should too. We can go to the old cabin for a while….”

                “Jonah….” Joe started to argue and Jonah cut her off by standing and walked to the stove for more eggs.

                “Joe, I want to protect you and Clayton. I can do that better if we’re in a place that Scarlett won’t have turn by turn directions to right out of the gate.” 

                “I’ve been lookin’ out fer myself a long time, Jonah. I don’t need you to keep me and my son safe.” Joe snapped and she regretted the words instantly when she saw the hurt look on his face. Reb quickly stood and left the cabin, obviously deciding he’d heard enough and didn’t want to hear any more.

                “He’s my son too, dammit.” Jonah ground out and before Joe could say anything Clayton jumped up in his chair.

                “I knew it!” he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Jonah’s face. “I knew you was my pa!” Jonah’s eyes widened as he looked at Joe and Joe just sighed and rubbed at her face with her hand.

                “Way to let it slip, Jonah.” She mumbled.

                “Well he had to find out sometime.” Jonah replied, though Joe could hear the guilt in his voice. She glanced at her son, wondering just how mad or confused the boy was going to be but instead he was grinning from ear to ear.

                “I knew it. I knew it!” Clayton continued to exclaim as he began hopping up and down on the chair and Joe worried the thing might break.

                “Calm down, cowpoke. Yer gonna snap my chair.” She warned and Clayton stopped bouncing but continued to smile at Jonah. Then the boy’s expression turned thoughtful.

                “But why did mama say you were dead? Why weren’t ya here?” 

                Joe saw Jonah swallow hard as he stared down at scuffed up boots on the wooden floor. “Wanna take a walk with me?” he asked the boy and Clayton nodded.

                “Sure.”

                “Joe, we’ll be back.” Jonah stated. Joe wanted to argue. She wanted to come along. What was Jonah going to tell the boy? Was he going to make her the bad guy? Was he going to let her son believe her to be a terrible liar?

                She looked into Jonah’s gray eyes and saw them fill with even more hurt than they’d already been full of.

                “You know me better than that.”

                Joe nodded and let out the breath she’d been holding. She had to learn how to let go and trust someone other than herself.  She supposed when a woman got used to making all her own decisions and not counting on anyone, it was hard to suddenly share that responsibility with somebody else.

                “Come on, Clayton.” Jonah said as he grabbed his hat from the table and plopped it on his head. Clayton hopped down off his chair and followed him to the door.

                “Okay, pa!”

---

                The sound of that boy calling him pa was one of the best sounds that Jonah had heard in all his life. He led Clayton from the house and the boy was practically bouncing along beside him as they walked to the corral and watched the horses and Clayton’s pony walking around inside.

                “I guess I got some explaining to do don’t I?” Jonah asked and Clayton nodded.

                “Why did mama lie to me? Where have you been?”

                “You can’t blame your mama, Clayton. She was just doing what she thought was best by telling you I was dead.”

                “So where was ya? Was ya sick?” Clayton asked, that line forming between his brows that seemed to appear anytime the boy was confused about something. Jonah couldn’t help but notice that he had gotten that expression from his mama.

                “Yeah I guess you could say that.” Jonah replied. “I got confused and made a mistake and by the time  I tried to fix my mistake it was too late…. And then somebody told me and your mama some lies and well we both just tried to move on the best we could.”

                “But didn’t you want me?” Clayton asked his voice little more than a whisper. Jonah swallowed hard and watched Clayton’s pony, Chief, nipping at Copper’s legs.

                “Of course I wanted you, Clayton. Truth is until I rode up to that cabin and found you there a couple of days ago, I never even knew you existed.”

                Clayton was quiet for a long tension filled moment and Jonah glanced down at the boy to see him chewing his lip. Then Clayton looked up at him. “Mama didn’t tell ya ‘bout me?”              

                “She tried.” Jonah sighed. “But somebody didn’t want your mama and me together and so they never told me but they told her they had.”

                “Uncle Bart?” Clayton asked and Jonah’s eyes widened. He quickly looked away from the boy just in time to see Copper grow tired of the ponies teasing and snort a hot whoosh of air in Chief’s face.

                “What makes you ask that?” Jonah asked quietly.

                “Cuz, I heard him and mama talkin’ sometimes about my pa. I figured he weren’t really dead cuz they used to talk about how he didn’t want me. But ya did want me so I figure Uncle Bart was probably the one that lied. Plus, mama, got real mad when I mentioned him yesterday morning at breakfast.”

                Jonah couldn’t believe how smart his son was. “What the hell does your mama feed you to make you so smart?” he demanded.

                Clayton shrugged. “Eggs, bacon, corn bread… Ya know, the normal stuff.” Jonah found himself laughing and then he squatted down so he was on Clayton’s level.

                “I don’t want you to worry none about the past, okay boy? Now I’m sure your Uncle Bart had his reasons for what he did…” though Jonah had no idea what those reasons were. “… and he thought what he was doing was for the best.  None of that matters now. Your mama and I are together and we’re gonna stay that way. I’m not leaving either of you again.”

                “What does a pa do?” Clayton asked and Jonah shrugged.

                “Not real sure. I’ve never been a pa before and I didn’t have one myself. I guess my job is to keep you and your mama safe, of course she’d probably smack me for saying she’d need help staying safe…” Clayton giggled and nodded in agreement. “And as your pa I’ll be here for anything you ever need. All you ever have to do is ask and if it can be done then I promise I’ll get it done.”

                “Like gettin’ me that horse like Copper?!” Clayton asked with a grin and Jonah smiled.

                “Sure thing. But you seem to have a good pony yourself.” Clayton nodded.

                “Yeah, he’s trained real good.” Clayton replied. “But I can’t get him to lie down like you do Copper.”

                “How about I help you?” Jonah asked and Clayton’s face lit up.

                “Sure!”

                Jonah heard Joe’s footsteps coming up beside them and he turned to see the questioning look on her face. He offered her a comforting smile and saw the relief that filled her green/gray eyes.

                “Get on in there, cowpoke, and show yer pa what ya can get yer horse to do.” she urged.  Clayton smiled, hugged Joe tight around her waist and then climbed through the corral fence and whistled for Chief.

                “How’d it go?” Joe whispered and Jonah wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her wild red hair.

                “Just fine.” He assured her. “The boy is smart.”

                “He gets that from me.” Joe teased with a grin and Jonah nodded.

                “You won’t get an argument from me.” He replied. “About moving…”

                Joe sighed and looked up at him. “I know it’s for the best and something we need to do.” She admitted. “But from now on how ‘bout ya talk to me about stuff before just announcin’ what we’re gonna do over breakfast?”

                “Yes, ma’am.” Jonah conceded. “I told you I’ll have to learn all this as I go.”

                “We both will.” Joe agreed.

                “Can I ask you something?”

                “I reckon.” Joe replied. Jonah smiled as Clayton led Chief through his paces.

                “Why did you leave your old cabin?”

                “Better hunting.” Joe replied quickly. Jonah shook his head.

                “Why did you really leave the cabin?”

                “Because there were too many memories, Jonah.” Joe replied quietly and Jonah smiled at her ability to be honest with him. He knew she wouldn’t have given such an open and ‘weak’ answer to anyone else.

                “Then I think it fits that we go back there now.” Jonah replied. “This started there….” He motioned back and forth between them. “… and I think it should end there. That’s where I want to grow old with you.”

                Joe smiled up at him and Jonah couldn’t stop himself from pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, lingering there for several long moments while she gripped his arms tightly.

                “Pa, you ain’t even watchin’ me!” Clayton exclaimed impatiently. “Yer too busy kissin’ on mama!”  

                Jonah threw his head back and laughed. He gave Joe one more quick kiss and then focused on his son.

                “Alright, Clayton, now my attention is all yours.” Clayton’s face lit up and Jonah smiled. He might have a lot of worries, what with wondering where Scarlett was and whether or not she was going to send more men after his family, but for now, for today, life was perfect. Finally how it always should have been.

Chapter Thirteen

Joe tossed out the last bucket of dirty wash water and swiped her arm across her brow. “I reckon it’s clean.” She said with a sigh.

                “I sure hope so.’ Clayton grumbled as he slid down the wall and flopped onto his butt on the dirt.

                “Me too, kid.” Jonah agreed, flopping down beside him. “We’ve been cleaning for damn near two days solid.”

                Joe just shook her head at the two lazy men in her life. Of course she was pretty worn out herself. It had taken nearly a week to get to the old cabin and they’d been working hard to clean and do repairs for the last couple of days just to make the place fit to live in.

                “I’m thirsty, pa.” Clayton muttered and Joe was going to tell the boy to go get his own drink but before she could Jonah was pushing himself to his feet.

                “A sip of water sounds good to me too, boy.”

                “Jonah, ya gotta stop doin’ everthin’ for that boy! Yer gonna spoil him rotten!” Joe scolded and Jonah just shrugged as he pumped some fresh water into a bucket and then ladled out a spoonful. He grinned before pouring it down his own throat and then motioned for Clayton to come to him.

                Joe just shook her head as Clayton ran to Jonah and he helped the boy down several big swallows. It was then that Reb walked over from the smokehouse.

                “I fixed that whole and got the coals a burnin’. Clayton ya wanna come huntin’ with me? A smokehouse ain’t no good without a bit of meat in it.”

                “Can I mama?” Clayton asked and Joe nodded.

                “Sure ya can.” She replied. “Go get the extra rifle from under my bed.”

                “I’ll keep him out until at least dusk.” Reb said with a grin. “Y’all have fun.” The man winked, at least Joe assumed he was winking, it was hard to tell when a person only had one eye. 

                Joe felt a tremble wash over her when Jonah’s gray eyes passed over her hungrily. They hadn’t made love since he’d come back into her life. The moment had simply never seemed right. First she had been sick and then they’d been traveling with Clayton sleeping between them most nights and last night, their first night here, they’d had Reb and Clayton sleeping right outside the bedroom door and then Clayton had had a nightmare about the men who had hurt her and he’d ended up between them yet again.

But now Joe and Jonah were going to be completely alone and judging by the passion in Jonah’s eyes as he stared into Joe’s, it was clear the man was done waiting… And so was she.

“I can already see them explosives flashin in yer eyes.” Reb teased.   Joe glared over at the one eyed bastard that needed to mind his own business.

“Why don’t ya leave us alone and go spend time with yer wife?” she demanded.  Reb’s eye nearly bulged from its socket.

“Wife?! That’s a curse word to a man like me! What the devil are ya talkin’ ‘bout?”

“You didn’t already forget about her did you?” Jonah asked with a grin. “She was a big boned gal from out in California.”

Joe laughed when Reb seemed to shiver from head to toe. “Yeah, I remember her.” He muttered and then he glared at Jonah. “Ya weren’t never ‘spose to mention that to nobody!” he accused, pointing a finger up at the taller man’s face. “Don’t yer word mean nothin’ to ya?”

                Jonah chuckled. “Sure it does. What was her name again?”

                “Maria.” Reb replied quickly and then scowled. “Or somethin’ like that.”

                Joe looked at Jonah and they shared a smile. “Is there trouble in paradise, Reb?” Joe asked. Reb glared at her, his blue eye narrowing.

                “There never was no paradise!” he insisted. “She stuffed me full of some rot gut whiskey and got my brain all foggy. Then she told everybody and their brother I was her husband and by God I was too damn drunk to care.”

                “And when did this ‘marriage’ end?” Joe asked.

                “The next damn morning when I woke up and saw that behemoth lyin’ next to me in bed. Now I like me a big gal, always have, but this woman pushed the limits. She was a good foot taller than me and a hundred pounds heavier. To beat it all more than half those pounds were muscle! Why she coulda pulled a wagon better’n a whole damn team of oxen.”

                “You shouldn’t talk about your wife that way, Reb.” Jonah scolded with a grin.

                “Yeah, from the sound of it she’d probably whoop your ass good and proper.” Joe agreed.

                “Both of ya can take the evenin’ train straight to hell.” Reb grumbled as Clayton came back out of the house with a hunting rifle that was nearly as tall as he was. “Come on, boy, let’s get the hell outta  here and go shoot somethin’.”

                “Cowpoke.” Joe called out as Clayton began to walk away. He turned and looked back at her expectantly. “Ya be careful now.”

                “Yes, mama.” Clayton replied with a smile and then he bounced off into the woods with Reb.

                “Alone at last.” Jonah all but growled as he stalked toward her. Joe held up her hand to stop his progress.

                “First we need to talk.”

                “You talk.” Jonah replied with a shrug as he moved her hand aside, came in close to her and then  lowered his mouth to her neck and lapped at the tender skin beneath her ear with his tongue. “I’ve got much better things to do with my mouth.”

                Joe’s knees nearly buckled and she cursed the way that Jonah had always managed to turn her into a big old pile of womanly mush.

                “Jonah I’m serious.” She scolded as she tried to step away but Jonah moved with her.

                “Did I  sound like I was joking?” he asked, his voice rumbling against her ear as he nibbled it tenderly.

                “Jonah, I really want to talk.”

                “I don’t… Unless it’s dirty talk. We used to be good at that.” Joe felt her nipples harden and that aching dampness slicked her aroused clit. How did this man do this? Only him. No other man had ever even tempted Joe. But all Jonah had to do was give her a look, or nibble on her ear, whisper in that deep rumbling timbre he used when aroused, and Joe was ready to tear his clothes off and give him anything he wanted, anywhere he wanted it.

                “Jonah…” Joe tried again, desperately wanting to hang on to her train of thought. They needed to talk about the way Jonah was spoiling Clayton….. Jonah’s arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her body against his. She felt his arousal and heard him groan against her neck and decided that the talk about Clayton could wait.

                Right now Joe needed her man. She needed to be his Josephine. She had been far too long without his touch.

                Jonah seemed to sense the change in her the moment she gave in and he swept her up into his arms, carrying her into the cabin and kicking the door closed behind them.

                His hungry lips closed over hers, devouring them with a heat and intensity that had Joe clawing at the top buttons of Jonah’s chambray shirt, desperate to remove every boundary between their skin. Jonah carried her into the bedroom that had always been her own but was now theirs… Joe’s and her husbands…. The thought was still so new and unexpected that it seemed a foreign concept.. Like some kind of news you hear but don’t truly believe.

                Jonah sat her on her feet once inside the room and his gray eyes widened when Joe reached out and ripped his shirt, sending buttons scattering across the room. Joe saw something flash in his eyes and then, before she could react, he was on her.

                His mouth, tongue, hands, fingertips, every part of his body was touching her, tasting her, teasing her.

                Joe took in the sight of Jonah’s naked torso, finding that it still aroused her just as much as it always had. He had a warriors body. Muscles, lines, scars. Joe was happy that he hadn’t lost that while drinking himself into a stupor over the last few years.

                Jonah hands closed around the bottom hem of her buckskin shirt and Joe raised her arms as he slid it off and tossed it to the floor.

                She gasped as his hungry mouth assaulted her shoulders and collarbones, giving Joe no choice but to cling to him as her knees weakened.

                “Either take it off or I’ll cut it off.” Jonah warned when his lips came to the wrap she kept around her breasts. Joe untucked one end of the wrap and began to unwind the long piece of white cloth from her body.

                She shivered with anticipation when she saw Jonah’s hungry eyes, following her every movement and the look in his eyes reminded her of Clayton on Christmas morning while he unwrapped his present.

                Joe removed the last of the wrap and dropped it to the ground, feeling her breath catch as Jonah simply stared at her breasts.

                Joe felt a tingle of unease in her stomach… What was that? Doubt? Vanity?  She was suddenly worried that her body would repulse him given the way her nipples had darkened, and stretch marked scars  from her pregnancy now married her hips and breasts.

                Joe didn’t like that feeling of vanity and so she quickly closed the short distance between their bodies, threw her arms around Jonah’s neck and pressed her naked torso against his.

                “There ain’t a sight in this whole west any prettier than you, my Josephine.” Jonah whispered as he led her toward the bed. Joe didn’t want to admit it, and probably woudn’t, but those words sent a little thrill through her.

                Then she let out a cry of shocked pleasure when Jonah tossed her down on the bed and lowered his mouth to her breasts. Joe buried her hands in his thick hair as he licked, nipped and teased at her tender flesh. Working her nipples into tight hardened peaks as she moved her hips beneath him, desperate for him to ease the throbbing ache between her legs.

                Never stopping his assault on her breasts, Jonah reached down and slid off her boots, tossing them across the room, and then slid her pants down her long legs. Only then did his lips move from her nipples and trail down her trembling stomach.

                Joe looked down at his tanned and calloused hands lying sprawled out against the soft, pale skin of her thighs.

                “What are ya doin’, Jonah?” she gasped when she felt him press a kiss to the tender moist flesh between her thighs aching for his touch.

                A smile was on his face as he raised his head and looked at her. She took in the sight of those crinkled cheeks and sparkling gray eyes and knew she’d never see anything else as breathtakingly handsome as that sight.

                “I’m taking care of my wife.” He replied huskily. He lowered his face again but stopped at the last moment, just before his lips brushed against her. “Would you like me to stop?”

                Instead of replying, Joe thrust her hips up, and his rumbling chuckle faded as he began to lick, taste and tease her hungrily.

                Joe gripped the sheets, tossing her head from side to side and moaning his name, calling it out while her hips worked against Jonah’s face.

                More. More. More. She wanted more of him. All of him. Joe’s pleasure built and she felt that delicious tension building deep inside of her.  It snapped all at once and she cried out Jonah’s name, her fingers tightening in his hair.

                She was faintly aware of Jonah growling and just as she was coming down off of the high her climax had placed her in, Jonah came over her, bracing his arms on either side of her body. He put his lips against her neck and then Joe cried out again, digging her fingernails into his back when he thrust himself inside of her.

                Joe whined a bit when Jonah stilled instantly and simply stayed like that. His cock buried deep inside of her and his face in her neck and hair.

                “Jonah, are you okay?” Joe asked quietly.

                “Yeah.” Came his muffled response, followed by a small sniff. Was he……crying?

                Joe turned her head and forced the man to look at her and she saw that indeed his eyes were red and there was a dampness on his cheek.

                “Jonah, what the devil is the matter with ya?” Joe demanded, kissing his tear away.

                “Nothing…. You hurt me with those claws of yours.” He replied quickly and Joe shook her head.

                “No I didn’t. Ya always liked it when I did that. Tell me the truth, Jonah.”

                “I love you, Joe. I just love you and I never thought I’d be with you like this again. I never thought I’d feel myself inside of you. I never thought I’d hear you moaning my name… I don’t deserve you, Josephine.”

Joe swallowed hard. “See, I told ya that yer nothin’ but a big softie.” She teased, hoping to hide just how much his words had touched her. Jonah gazed into her eyes and smiled.

                “I love you, Josephine.”

                “I love you too.” She replied and then she gave him a wicked grin. She saw Jonah’s eyes widen with shock when she suddenly tossed him to the side, moving with him so that she was now on top and straddling him.

                She felt his big hands close around her hips and begin to move her up and down as his eyes once again turned hungry.

                Joe simply let her body take the ride and they both cried out together as they tumbled over the edge and collapsed in each other’s arms on the sweat slicked sheets.

                They lay there a long time, Joe listening to the steady beat of Jonah’s heart as his hands trailed up and down her bare back and arm.

                Joe glanced up at Jonah’s jaw and saw that it was tight and he seemed to be thinking hard about something as he stared at the wooden planks of the ceiling.

                “What’s got them damned ol’ gears a spinnin’?” she asked and he laughed lightly.          

                “You have such a lady like way of asking questions.”

                “It drives all the menfolk crazy.” She replied teasingly and she saw his jaw tighten even more. She smacked his arm. “Don’t ya dare! I’m sure you weren’t no monk the last five years!”

                Joe had only been playing but suddenly Jonah was out of the bed and pacing the floor. She could tell he was upset but her eyes couldn’t help but admire his naked body.

                “You’re right, I wasn’t. I was searching desperately for any woman who could help me forget, any woman who’s touch would make me forget yours, and I found out something that pissed me off.”

                “What was that?” Joe asked as she propped herself up on her elbow and studied him.

                “There wasn’t a damn woman who could do it.”

                “If yer tryin’ to make me jealous…” Joe began and Jonah shook his head.

                “Hell no I ain’t. You’re the one that brought this up! I don’t care if you’ve had other men, Joe… Okay so that’s a lie, it makes me damn territorial to think of you and another man, but I can’t very well say a word or get upset about it.”

                “Then what were you getting so upset at while ya stared up at the ceiling a minute ago?”

                Jonah swallowed hard and clenched his fists. “Bart and you and……”

                Joe shook her head. “Come back to the bed, Jonah.” Jonah nodded and slid back into bed beside her.  “Bart and I was friends, that was all.”

                “It’s none of my business, Joe. You had every right to move on.”

                “Ya can’t move on from yer soul mate, Jonah.  It just don’t work. I’d done had the best, what need did I have fer the rest of them men out there?”

                “So you and Bart never….”

                Joe glared at him. “Here ya got me, Joe Redding-Winchester, spoutin’ pretty love words and yer still focused on Bart?!”

                Jonah sighed. “Sorry, Joe. It’s not you that I’d be upset with. It’s just the thought of you and him together… Of him lying to keep us apart and then taking over my job as Clayton’s father and your…. Your lover… it makes me want to kill that man….” Joe kissed his lips to shut him up.

                “I love you, Jonah. Only ever you. There has never been any other man that’s had me the way you have, Jonah. Bart and I was friends. Only friends. And he either slept in the barn or on the sofa anytime he stayed with me and Clayton.”

                Joe shook her head when Jonah all but sagged with relief next to her. “And I’ll try not to feel too jealous ‘bout all them other women ya’ve had.”

                “It was only ever you in my heart, Joe.”

                “I know.” Joe replied honestly as she kissed his jaw. “But I don’t share so from now on be warned…. If’n ya ever touch another woman with what’s mine, I’ll remove whichever part of yer body touched her.”

                Jonah chuckled as he held her close and kissed her hair. “Yes ma’am.”

Chapter Fourteen

Scarlett let out a wanton moan as she bent over her desk and the man behind her grunted and thrust himself inside of her over and over.

                Sweat slicked her skin and droplets ran down her full breasts, gathering on her hard pink nipples before slipping off onto the dark mahogany wood. Scarlett tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulder and the man gripped her hips tightly and continued to plow into her, sounding more like a rutting bull than a man.

                Scarlett knew he was nearing his release and she wasn’t, so she quickly slid her hand down to her swollen clit to help things along.

                She was nearing her own peak as the grunts coming from the man behind her became much more earnest, and then the door to her office flung open.                

                Scarlett nearly cried out in frustration when the man behind her tried to stop. She pushed herself against him and wiggled as she glared over her shoulder at him.

                “Did I tell you to stop?” she hissed and he shook his head before continuing his earlier motions. Scarlett turned her attention back to the man at the door who was watching them with his tongue all but hanging out of his mouth and a noticeable bulge growing at the front of his pants.

                “Who are you?” Scarlett asked, knowing that his view was a good one since she was behind her desk facing the door. Her full breasts were bouncing and on display for him to see.

                “C… Critter, ma’am.” He replied, his voice raspy. Scarlett rolled her eyes. What was it with these men and their ridiculous nicknames? Hell the man still pounding her from behind called himself Bear or something like that.

                “Why don’t you step on in and close that door, Critter?” she offered. Critter did as he was told and Scarlett cried out as Bear stiffened and his fingers dug into her hips. Scarlett stood straight and pressed her back into Bear’s hard sweaty stomach and chest and trembled against him for several long moments, fully aware of Critter’s eyes taking in the sight of her naked body, and enjoying his appraisal.

                “Get back to work now, Bear.” Scarlett stated as she pulled away from the big man. “I need to have a meeting with Critter.”

                Bear threw Critter a territorial glare which Scarlett found endearingly stupid. There was no one man who could satisfy her and Bear knew that. Yet with men they always felt as if their cock should be enough. Most of the time Scarlett let Bear believe that his was simply to keep the seven foot tall oak tree of a man from scaring off all the others.

                Scarlett put her hands on her full, naked hips and pointed at the door. “Go, Bear.” She ordered. Bear growled, sounding much like his namesake, as he scooped up his clothes and stormed out of her office, slamming the heavy door behind him.

                Scarlett took her time, sauntering across the room and getting a glass of brandy from the decanter beside the window, aware that Critter was still ogling her naked body.

                Scarlett enjoyed the attention, which was why she stood in that window much longer than need be, Critter was admiring her backside and two guards posted out front were admiring her front.

                Sighing, Scarlett turned and walked back to her desk, her hips swinging and Critter’s head moving from side to side as he followed their motion. Scarlett sat her glass down and grabbed her long silk robe from the floor.

                She pulled it on, tied it tightly and then crossed her arms over her chest. “Have we met, Critter?”

                Critter’s dark eyes widened and then filled with indignation as he nodded. “’Course we have!” he exclaimed. “You hired my friends and me to do a job.”

                “What job was that?” Scarlett asked before taking a sip of Brandy. She hired men to do lots of things. Rob trains, stages, banks.

                “Bringin’ ya them four folks. Joe, Bart, Jonah…….” Scarlett slammed her glass down and nearly hopped with excitement.

                “Well where are they?!” she demanded, feeling hate burning in her blood at the mention of those monsters who had taken everything from her.

                “That’s the thing…..” Critter replied as he wrung his hands. “We didn’t expect ‘em to be so hard to hang on to. We had the woman and that skinny Mexican one but then that Jonah come after us and once he was done there was just three of us alive….”

                “You let them escape?” Scarlett hissed.

                “Just give me another chance! Give me some more men and let me lead ‘em this time. Gill he was just too soft.”

                Scarlett nodded and opened her desk drawer. Critter’s eyes widened when he saw the derringer she pulled out of the depths of the drawer. It wasn’t often that Scarlett was forced to kill a man. Normally her body,(and the thought of having it), were enough to keep men from failing in their duties to her…. This was not one of those times.

                “Hey now…. They have a son!” Critter yelled desperately and Scarlett lowered the gun, her hand still resting on the trigger.

                “What?”

                “Jonah and Joe. They have a son. You want to hurt them? Give me a couple of men and I’ll bring you their son.”

                Scarlett put her gun away, slammed the drawer closed and then flopped down in her chair. Life was not fair. Scarlett had lost her Harmon, and in losing him she’d lost her reason for living. Four years she had spent rotting in that prison before she’d finally decided she wanted to live and had found the guard who would trade her freedom for a couple of good ruts. For the last year she had been recruiting men, using the money that she and Harmon had stolen and set back over the years to bankroll and fund her little operation.

                Now she did no crimes, she hired the crimes done and kept her hands clean. But Scarlett wasn’t happy. Scarlett would never be happy again.

                And Joe and Jonah had a life! A son! Scarlett would never have Harmon’s son. Those monsters would pay for what they’d done to her. She took another sip of her brandy and then met Critter’s gaze.

                “I will have men lined up for you in the morning. You’ll have one month to get the boy and bring him back here. If it takes any longer than that……”

                “It won’t!” Critter assured her. “You want the boy alive then?”

                “Yes. I’ll have more information about your mission in the morning. For now, get over here and get on your knees….. You were a bad boy and you need to be punished.”

                Critter grinned and dropped to his knees between Scarlett’s legs. Scarlett let her thighs fall apart and then threw her head back when Critter’s mouth touched the tender, swollen flesh that was still tingling from Bear’s attention.

                Scarlett was disappointed to not have her revenge already beginning but knew that it would be one hundred times sweeter in the new direction it had taken. Joe and Jonah had taken everything from her… She would take everything from them.

---

                “Hey, pa, watch me!” Clayton exclaimed and Jonah immediately put down the axe he’d been using to chop wood, swiped the sleeve of the buckskin shirt that Joe had made for him across his brow and smiled. Joe had made him the buckskin outfit over the last week that they’d been living here at the cabin. She’d had to because the little she-devil had quickly ruined every shirt Jonah had owned in her haste to remove him from them every time they were alone.

                Jonah found his eyes drawn to Joe who was busy packing all the furs she and Clayton had gathered over the last year onto pallets to load into the cart and take to town. The urge to take her naked right there on all that soft fur was strong but Clayton called out to him again, turning his attention away from his wife and back toward his son.

                “Alright, boy, I’m watching.” Jonah assured the impatient four year old.

                “Chief.” The boy stated as he stood wide legged in front of the pony with his hands on his hips. Jonah hid a chuckle behind his hand and then slid his arm around Joe’s shoulders when she came to stand beside him.

                “What’s he doin’?” she asked with a frown as she studied their son.

                “We’re about to find out.” Jonah replied, pressing a tender kiss to her head.

                “Alright now, Chief, yer gonna do what I say or else I’m a gonna turn ya into soap!”

                “Threatening to turn me into soap would certainly get me to behave.” Jonah whispered to Joe and she laughed lightly.

                “I’ll keep that in mind fer the next time ya start to get on my damned nerves.” Jonah laughed and focused his attention back on Clayton.

                “Alright, Chief, lay down.” Clayton urged and then he stomped his feet when Chief simply twitched his ear and then nipped at a fly on his withers.

                “Chief, lay down!” Clayton said again and again the pony ignored him. Jonah could tell the boy was getting discouraged and he sighed and launched himself over the corral fence and went to stand beside him.

                “Having trouble?” Jonah asked as he adjusted his hat.

                “Damn horse won’t listen to me.” Clayton grumbled.

                “Watch that language, Cowpoke.” Joe scolded as she made her way to the corral fence and propped her arms on it.

                “Yes, ma’am.” Clayton muttered. Reb stepped out of the outhouse, adjusting his pants as he walked over.

                “What’s goin’ on?” he asked.

                “Clayton is showing us what he’s taught Chief.” Joe replied.

                “I’ve taught him how to stand there and ignore me.” Clayton stated as he crossed his arms over his thin chest. “Ain’t I talented?”

                Reb grinned. “Most talented boy I know.”

                “You need to meet more people.” Clayton grumbled.   

                Jonah laughed and then put a hand on Clayton’s shoulder. “Let your pa help you out a little.” He said. “Now first you gotta work on your posture. Make sure you stand showing that pony you mean business.”

                Clayton rolled his eyes as he looked up at Jonah. “Give me yer gun. I’ll show him I mean business.” Reb and Joe both snickered and Jonah shook his head.

                “If you blow his brains out, the only trick he’ll ever do again is ‘lay down and be dead’.” Jonah warned his boy and this time Clayton giggled. “Now stand like me, and look in that pony’s eyes. Don’t back down. You’re the boss.”

                Jonah worked hard to hide his amusement as Clayton modeled his posture and stared Chief down. Chief looked bored and appeared to be getting ready to wander away when Jonah spoke,

                “Chief.” He called out, his voice firm. “Hit the ground.”

                Clayton’s eyes were wide as saucers as he watched Chief to see if the pony would listen. Chief tilted his head to the side and then shook it roughly and turned and walked away. Jonah sighed as he pulled his gun.

                “You’re right, boy. It’s time to make some soap.”

                “No!” Clayton exclaimed, grabbing Jonah’s arm. Jonah grinned.

                “You mean you don’t want to give up on him just yet?”

                “No, pa. The way I got it figured, he’s real smart. He even shook his head no.”

                The three adults laughed loudly and Jonah holstered his gun.  

                “Chief, bite yer ass.” Reb called out as the pony went back to nipping at the flies behind his tail. “Why see that? He’s damn near the most intelligent pony I’ve ever laid my eye on.”

                Jonah crouched down and put a comforting hand on Clayton’s shoulder before pushing the boy’s hat back so he could see his face. “You gotta have patience, boy. I started training Copper before I even put a saddle on the horse. Chief there might be a little more set in his ways.”

                “Yes, sir.” Clayton agreed with a nod. “Stubborn as a mule.”

                “I’ll help you out with him.” Jonah promised. “I’m used to dealing with stubborn things. I’m married to your mama.”

                “I heard that.” Joe informed him and Jonah grinned over at her.

                “I wasn’t whispering.”

                Joe shook her head. “Why don’t you all help me get these furs ready. We gotta head to town tomorrow but I need some big strong men to help load ‘em up.”

                Reb sighed and adjusted his eye patch. “That counts me out.” 

                Jonah surprised Clayton when he scooped the boy up in his arms and then sat him on the back of his shoulders. Clayton laughed as he pulled Jonah’s hat off and tossed it Joe.

                “What’re ya doin’ pa?” Clayton giggled.

                ‘Giving you a ride. “ Jonah replied.

                “Get along then!” Clayton cried out as he cracked an imaginary whip and kicked his heels into Jonah’s chest. Jonah laughed and then began to ‘gallop’ around the corral with Clayton laughing so loudly the boy was breathless.

                “Somebody’s riding in.” Reb’s voice cut through the fun and in an instant Jonah, Joe and Reb all had their guns drawn and aimed at the dust the rider was kicking up in the dry summer air.

                As they came closer Reb sighed and put his gun away. “That’s Bart.” Reb glanced at Jonah and Joe to realize they still had their guns out. “Didn’t y’all hear me? That’s Bart.”

                Jonah growled low in his throat, sounding more like an animal than a man as he gripped Clayton’s leg with his free hands and trained his gun sights on Bart’s approaching head.  

                “Yeah, Reb. Yeah I heard ya.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Pa, ya can’t shoot Uncle Bart.” Clayton warned and Jonah sighed and holstered his weapon. He turned to Joe as he slid Clayton off his shoulders and sat him on the outside of the corral.

                “Joe, take him in the house.” 

                Joe shook her head. “Yer not the only one who has a bone to pick with Bart.”

                Jonah launched himself over the corral fence and pointed toward the cabin. “You can pick what’s left of him off once I’m done.”

                “Now dammit….” Joe began but Jonah cut her off by pressing his lips to her in a hungry kiss. When he pulled away she was flushing red and wide-eyed.

                “Joe, just this one time can you do as I say?”

                She glared at him but nodded. “Fine.  But just this one time.”

                “That’s all I’m asking for.”

                Joe urged Clayton into the cabin just Jonah saw that Reb stayed where he was. “You can go too, Reb.” Jonah stated and Reb narrowed his one eye.

                “Nope. I’m stayin’ right here. I think this’ll make fer one hell of a story one day.”

                Jonah shook his head and then focused his attention back on Bart. The man closed the distance between them and then slowly got down from his horse.

                Jonah stared down the skinny Mexican, feeling a strange twisting mixture of hurt, betrayal and hate all swirling together in his gut.

                “Hello Jonah.” Bart mumbled, his voice shaking nearly as badly as his knees were knocking.

                “Bart.” Jonah replied calmly. He gave Bart a good once over. The man had moved alright getting off his horse so Jonah knew his ribs must have healed. And Bart’s face was in much better shape as well. Still a bit bruised here and there but both his dark eyes were clear and the swelling was gone.  

                Jonah had a nice clean canvas to work with.

                “How you doing, Reb?” Bart asked and Reb shrugged before spitting into the dirt and rocking back on his heels.

                “Hell of a lot better than you’ll be doin’ in ‘bout two minutes judgin’ by the set of Jonah’s jaw.”  Bart quickly turned his attention back to Jonah and held up his hand.

                “I know you’re probably upset…..”

                “No. No, I’m not upset, Bart. Upset is when some drunkard at the bar spills your whiskey or you sit down on the stagecoach seat only to find that it’s all wet.” Jonah stepped closer to Bart and put his arm around the other man’s tense shoulders. “What I am is downright pissed off, you fucking, no account, good for nothing bastard.”

                “So this is about Joe and the boy?” Bart asked, swallowing hard. Jonah clenched his fists and wondered just how dumb the idiot could be. Of course, Jonah knew Bart wasn’t really stupid, he was just playing that way, probably hoping it would make Jonah take it a bit easier on him. It was an old trick that Jonah had seen Bart use countless times on drunks playing cards and Jonah wasn’t falling for it.

                “No, this is about the drought we seem to be having this year.” Jonah ground out tightly.

                “Yeah it’s a bad one.” Bart agreed.

                “What the hell did I ever do to you, Bart?”

                “Nothing, Jonah.” Bart replied, kicking at the dirt. “It’s just that you’d turned into a regular old jackass and….”

                “And you just thought you’d help yourself to my woman and child?”

                “Well.. yeah.. but…no…. I mean…” Jonah didn’t give Bart a chance to finish whatever it was his suddenly speechless mouth was trying to say.

                Instead he shoved the man away and then lunged for him, throwing all his weight into the punch that cracked across Bart’s jaw, sending the skinnier man sprawling into the dirt.

                Jonah wasn’t done yet. Without giving the bastard time to get to his feet, Jonah, lunged for Bart, who caught him and the two men went rolling across the dirty ground. Jonah grunted when Bart landed a dirty knee to his groin, which Jonah followed with an elbow into Bart’s temple.

                Jonah managed to get Bart onto his back and landed several good punches to the man’s face, before Bart got his feet up and kicked out, sending Jonah flying backward. He landed on his back and managed to get his battered and tiring body to his knees, when Bart ran at him and sent a kick toward his face.

                Jonah caught his scuffed boot in his hands and tossed the man backward before once again jumping on him and causing the two men to become nothing but a blurry tangle of fists, feet and elbows.

                Jonah felt his anger and rage dissipating as his body tired. Every punch he threw seemed to be harder to throw and every hit he took began to feel more like a sledgehammer.

                Finally the two men were simply lying on their backs, side by side in the dust. Both of them spent and breathing hard.

                Jonah glared up at Reb as the man walked over and stood above them. “Are you boys ‘bout done?” Jonah sneered and swung his hand to the side, whacking Bart hard in the ribs and causing the man’s air to leave him in a quick rush.

                “Now I’m done.” Jonah muttered as he shoved himself to his feet. He swiped his sleeve across his bloody mouth and then grinned when he saw that Bart was sporting a new split lip, welted jaw and black eye. The bastard was getting up a lot slower than Jonah had as well.  

                Bart might have gotten a couple of good licks in but the battle had most definitely been won by Jonah… Not that winning a fist fight even began to make up for losing four years of his sons life.

                “You better get to talkin’, Bart, cuz I have a feelin’ if’n ya don’t it’ll only be a matter of minutes before Jonah here is ready fer round two.”

                Jonah was faintly aware of the cabin door opening and Joe and Clayton stepping out onto the porch. Bart looked over at them and Jonah stepped into his line of sight, blocking his view.

                “You ain’t got no right to look at them.” Jonah warned. “And unless you want to look like Reb here, you won’t look at them again.”

                “Dammit, Jonah, I was the one that looked out for them for the last five years while you were out whoring and drinking.”

                Jonah’s temper, which he thought had been dampened by his sheer exhaustion, suddenly roared back to life and he launched himself at Bart once again. This time his punch to Bart’s jaw had the man falling to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth and pooling in the dirt.

                “Godammit, Bart, the only reason you aren’t already dead is because I ain’t fond of killing, and you and I used to be damned good friends so I want to believe you had a good reason for doing what you did. Now you better get to explaining to me just what that reason was or else I’m gonna get over my dislike of killing real damned quick.”

                Bart spat out a stream of blood and spit before getting slowly to his feet. “After Joe left that night you changed, Jonah. You turned into a hateful son of a bitch that spent all his time feeling sorry for himself and treating everybody around him like hell.”

                “I’m gonna give ya ‘til the count of ten, Bart.” Jonah snapped and Bart held up his hands.            

                “I stayed by Joe while she was with child. Hell I told her once to find you but she said no. She said she didn’t want you staying with her just cuz you had to. But then a couple months after Clayton was born she changed her mind. She wrote you a note and told me to get it to you…… I didn’t really want to because I kinda liked having she and the boy to myself… my own little family.”

                Jonah’s hand moved of it’s own volition and closed around the handle of his gun.

                “Jonah…” Reb warned and Jonah let out a long breath.

                “Get to explaining yourself, Bart, cuz if that’s the best you got, it’s gonna be a long ride back to wherever you came from with a couple of shot out knees.”

                Bart’s face paled beneath the swelling and blood and he swallowed hard. “Dammit, Jonah, we’re friends. I looked out for your boy and Joe. I never laid a mean hand on Clayton and I never touched Joe….”

                “Because she didn’t want you to.” Jonah countered and Bart shrugged. “So you just decided to take over my job without ever coming to me like Joe wanted you to?”

                “No I found you, Jonah.”

                Jonah shook his head and took a step toward Bart, who quickly jumped backward and threw his hands in front of his face. Jonah clenched his fist, working hard to keep from knocking the other man’s teeth down his scrawny throat.

                “Don’t you fucking lie, Bart. You never gave me a note from Joe. If you had, I would have come running to her, and to Clayton.”

                “I never said I gave you the note. I just said I found you. You didn’t deserve them, Jonah. You were good ways into your third gallon of whiskey of the night and had a whore on each arm. You didn’t miss Joe. You didn’t seem to be thinking of her at all and I’d heard her crying at night over missing you. I never would have hurt that woman the way you did! And Clayton needed a pa. Not a no account drunkard…..”

                A fist broke off Bart’s words but Jonah stared in shock when he realized it wasn’t his own but Joe’s. The woman had come flying off the porch like a creature possessed and had thrown all five feet six inches and one hundred and thirty pounds of herself into a punch that sent Bart’s head snapping back and his body staggering.

                “Don’t ya dare say another bad word ‘bout, Jonah! I won’t stand fer it! Not in front of his son!”  Jonah glanced back at the porch to see Clayton standing there, hugging the banister and looking a little lost.

                Bart’s body seemed to sag with defeat. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled. “I honestly thought I’d done what was best, Joe. Jonah was a mess….”

                “Because I needed her.” Jonah ground out. “I’d been searching high and low for the woman….”

                “You didn’t look like you were looking very hard when I found you…”

                “And I’ll always regret that I didn’t look harder.” Jonah replied, swallowing hard. “But as far as I knew she was done with me. She’d moved away so I couldn’t find her. I didn’t know I had a son. I didn’t know they needed me…”

                “I screwed up.” Bart said with a shrug. “I just saw a drunk man hanging out with whores and I knew I could be the better man for you, Joe. And a better father for Clayton.”

                “Leave.” Jonah ground out.

                “Come on now, Jonah… I said I was sorry. Think about if the roles had been reversed…..”

                “I never would have done what you did, Bart.”

                “Bart, now you knew how much Jonah loved that woman and ya lied to her and hid the truth from him for yer own selfish reasons. Don’t go tryin’ to turn it into some noble quest ya was on or somethin’.”

                “So you hate me too?” Bart demanded and Reb sighed.

                “I think ya burned yer bridges, Bart. Ya proved that yer not a loyal friend. Now I might be a man who likes my whores and whiskey a bit too much sometimes and I might be a little less than honest when the situation calls fer it, but I wouldn’t never do to my friends what you done.”

                “Can I at least say goodbye to the boy?” Bart asked and Joe and Jonah quickly moved in front of him and blocked his way.

                “No.” they said in unison.

                “I think you’ve done about enough to confuse my son.” Jonah stated, the quiet calm in his voice a poor mask for his anger. “He thought his pa was dead and then when he found out I wasn’t, he thought I just didn’t want him and wondered why his mama lied.”

                Bart looked truly sad then, his dark eyes filling with regret. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what I done. I rode in here today to try to make amends but clearly y’all ain’t willing….”

                When no one else spoke, Bart climbed up on his horse. He looked at all of them in turn as if hoping one of them would speak but no one did. Finally he turned his horse around and rode off quickly, the galloping hooves of his horse thundering loudly off into the distance.

                “I’m going for a walk.” Jonah growled and then he stomped off quickly into the woods.

---

                Joe watched him go and grumbled under her breath. “Will there ever come a time that man ain’t so damn brooding, moody and emotional?” she demanded of Reb.

                Reb shrugged. “That day ain’t come so far.”

                “Mama, what’s wrong with pa?” Clayton called out from the porch. Joe walked to her son and crouched down.

                “He’s just a bit upset, Cowpoke. Sometimes when us grown-ups get upset, we take a walk to help us calm down a bit.”

                “Why’d Uncle Bart say bad things about pa? Did pa really forget about us?” Joe felt her heart ache and cursed Bart. Why couldn’t that man have just stayed gone? They’d all have been a lot better off if he had.

                “Ya know better’n that, Clayton. Yer pa talked to ya ‘bout all this.”

                “I know. I just don’t understand why Uncle Bart would lie….”

                “Me either.” Joe replied sadly. “Maybe he thought what he was doin’ was right but it weren’t. We never lie and hurt those we’re ‘spose to be loyal to.”

                “I know, mama.”

                “Now yer pa loves you very very much and he won’t never leave us again, okay? Ya have my word on that.”

                “Yes, ma’am.”

                “Reb!” Joe called as she stood up.

                “What?” Reb asked as he used his dirty pinky to dig wax out of his ear.

                “You and the Cowpoke here go ahead and get to work on loadin’ all those pallets into the cart. I’m gonna go find Jonah.”

                Reb nodded. “Just follow the scent of self-loathin’.”

                Joe nodded and then headed off into the woods, following the direction that Jonah had taken. The man really was going to be the death of her. He hated himself for every little bad thing in his life and most of them weren’t even his fault.

                He hated what his pa had been. He hated what his mama had been. He hated himself for, in his mind, allowing his uncle to do what he’d done. He hated himself for falling for Penny and then for Scarlett. He hated himself for hurting her. He hated himself for letting her go, for missing out on their son…… As far as Joe was concerned that was far too much hate for one person to carry around.

                It was no wonder Jonah suffered from bouts of depression and getting lost in the bottle. He had to learn to let go of the past. That was one thing that Joe’s pa had always preached to her. He’d say ‘Now, Joe, there ain’t a damn thing can be done to change what’s in the past, no matter how damned bad we may want to. Alls we can do is learn from it and move on.’

                That was a lesson that Jonah needed to learn and he needed to learn it quick before Joe just smacked the sense into him.

                Joe found him beside over the hill and beside the pond that he had once pulled her out of, saving her life.

                “Whatcha doin’?” Joe asked as she came to stand beside him. Instead of responding, Jonah turned suddenly and took her into his arms. He held Joe so tightly that he stole her breath but she simply stood there and held him back.

                “I love you, Joe.” Jonah whispered, as if wanting to assure her. Joe rolled her eyes and snuggled her face closer to his chest, enjoying the sound of his heart beating against her ear.

                “I know ya do.”

                “How upset it Clayton?”

                “He’s just confused is all. He don’t understand all of it. Hell neither do I.”

                “I didn’t want the boy knowing the kind of man I was while I was gone.” Jonah admitted as he pulled away from Joe and looked back down at the water, ramming his hand through his hair.

                “Ya look like ya need a cigarette.” Joe stated and Jonah sighed.

                “I quit. I didn’t have much money and it was either cigarettes or booze. The booze helped more.” Joe nodded.

                “I quit too. But more just cuz Clayton and I didn’t go to town enough to keep me stocked with tobacco and papers.”

                “I missed out on so much with him…. There was so much I should have been there to help you with and I wasn’t…”

                “Jonah, that’s enough.” Joe snapped and Jonah raised his brow and frowned.

                “Enough what?”

                “Enough beatin’ yerself up! That’s yer damn problem. Yer always thinking about the past and ya don’t focus on the now! That was yer problem back then and it’s yer problem now. That boy loves you. He don’t never mention you bein’ gone, he’s just happy to have you now. I’m happy to have you now. Can’t you just be happy to have us now and not worry ‘bout lost time so damned much?”

                Jonah sighed and then nodded as he slid Joe’s hair behind her ear. “When did you get so smart, Josephine?”

                “I’ve always been this smart.” Joe ran her thumb gently over Jonah’s welted lip, realizing that was the only evidence on Jonah’s face that he’d been in a fight. His knuckles however were a mess of cuts. “You really taught him a lesson.” She stated and Jonah shrugged.

                “I wanted to kill him.”

                “Well come on to the house, tough man, and I’ll put some ointment on yer knuckles. Them things are gonna be more than a little sore come mornin’.”

                Jonah nodded and slid his arm around her shoulder as they started back over the hill toward the cabin. “I gotta disagree with you, Joe.”              

                “’Course ya do.” Joe replied with a sigh. “What about?”

                “It ain’t gonna wait until morning. They’re done hurting like hell already.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Barbadine!?” Clayton exclaimed. “Y’all are taking me all the way to Barbadine?”

                Jonah nodded. “Yeah. They got more to offer than that tiny town a bit closer and your mama can get more for those furs there.”

                “I can’t hardly wait! I ain’t never been to a town as big as Barbadine before!”

                “I hate Barbadine.” Joe grumbled as she drove the cart. Jonah shook his head and smiled.

                “You hate any town that has more than thirty people and a bank.” He reminded her and Joe simply nodded because it was the truth.

                Jonah had other reasons for going to Barbadine. He was hoping the law there would know something about Scarlett and why she was free but more importantly where Jonah could find her. Jonah had a family to protect now and he wasn’t going to let that bitch take it away from him.

                “It’ll take us a good three or four days to reach Barbadine.” Reb complained. “My backside is gettin’ too damned old.”

                Joe laughed and threw him a sideways glance. “Ya could always ride on out to California and settle on down with yer wife. I’m sure she’s missin’ yer ass somethin’ awful.”   

                Reb grumbled as he adjusted himself in his saddle. “Ya were never ‘spose to mention that again, Jonah. I still can’t believe ya told her ass.”

                “I just can’t believe he didn’t tell me sooner.” Joe countered. Clayton rode up close to Reb and looked over at the man with a frown.

                Reb raised his brow. “What’s on yer mind, boy?”

                “You have a wife? What kinda woman married you?”

                “Clayton!” Joe exclaimed, though Jonah caught the laugh that was in her voice. Jonah rode up beside Clayton and smiled at Reb’s shocked expression.

                “It was a desperate one, Clayton. Lonely, homely and very very tall.”  He informed his son and Reb’s entire body convulsed in an involuntary shudder.

                “Dammit! Can’t we just agree to never speak of her again?!” Reb demanded, causing Clayton to giggle.

                “I don’t think Uncle Reb likes his wife. “

                “Oh I like her alright. Far away and completely out of my sight. Why by now I’d say she done married somebody else and never even thinks of me.”

                “Really?” Clayton asked and Reb grinned.

                “’Course not. There ain’t no gettin’ over a man like me.”

                Jonah was about to respond to that but Joe beat him to it. “Yer right about that, Reb. They ain’t made an ointment fer that yet.”

                “Ha. Ha. Ha. I see now why ya love the woman, Jonah. She’s a regular goddamned comedian.”

                “Among other things.” Jonah replied with a wink, then he turned his attention to his son. “Clayton, you stay alongside your mama, Reb and I are gonna ride on ahead for a while.”

                Clayton let out an irritated sigh.

                “I wanna ride with the men.” He argued. “I don’t wanna stay with the womanfolk like a baby.”

                Jonah chuckled at the disbelieving look on Joe’s face. “Clayton, your mama is tougher than any man I know. You should have a bit more respect for her than that.”

                Clayton sighed. “Yes sir. I’ll stay behind.” Jonah fought back a smile when he saw just how unhappy Clayton seemed to be about that.

                “I’ll try not to be too soft or bore ya too much, Cowpoke.”

                “Thanks mama.”

                Jonah was laughing as he rode on ahead and Reb followed after him. It wasn’t until they were far enough ahead to be sure that Joe and Clayton were out of sight and hearing distance that Jonah spoke.  

                “Reb, I wanna thank you.”

                “Fer what?” Reb asked with a frown as he stuffed a bit of tobacco in his jaw.

                “For riding with us. I know you’ve gotta be tired of hanging around with us but I appreciate the extra gun and set of… well the extra eye… to keep my family safe.”

                Reb grinned. “Y’all are constant entertainment.” He countered. “Hell I think I’m growin’ kinda fond of feelin’ like I have a family.”

                “You do have a family, Reb. Clayton loves his one-eyed bastard of an uncle that taught him all about the house where all the whores live.”

                The men shared a laugh and a companionable silence for a few moments and then Jonah shook his head.

                “I’m hoping to find out where she is and when I do, I’m going after her. I won’t be looking over my shoulder and worrying about people hunting down my wife and child for the rest of our lives.”

                “I know that, Jonah. And if’n ya hadn’t planned on goin’ after her, I was gonna do it fer ya.”   

                “And about Bart… “

                “Bart and I hadn’t much spoke in the last few years and after what he done to you, Joe and that boy, I feel like I never even knew the man. Hell back in the day we took care of each other, you, me and Bart. We had each other’s backs and took bullets to keep each other safe.  I don’t rightly understand what was goin’ on in the man’s mind to make him think it were alright to lie to Joe and keep the truth from ya like that. Maybe someday he’ll get the chance to earn back my respect but fer now he’s done lost it. I don’t ride with men I don’t respect and can’t trust.”

                Jonah nodded and tipped his hat to Reb in thanks. “Appreciate the support, Reb.”

                “Don’t mention it.” Reb replied with a grin. “But ya know since I’m havin’ yer back do ya think ya could convince that damned woman of your’n to quit bringing up that beheamoth of a wife I had?”

                Jonah laughed. “Reb, just as soon as I figure out how to control a single damn thing that woman does, I’ll be sure to make sure she never utters another word about your wife.”

                Reb grinned. “Much obliged.”

---

                “Let me shoot it, Uncle Reb!” Clayton exclaimed the next evening as they sat at camp about an hour before nightfall. Reb held up his pearl handled.38 caliber Colt ‘Lightning’ with a five and a half inch barrel and grinned.

                “You sure a little thing like you can handle my gun?” he teased. Clayton shrugged.

                “It’s smaller than pa’s.” he replied, glancing at Jonah’s .45 Colt Cattleman which had a seven inch barrel. Jonah chuckled and Joe crossed her legs indian style and nodded.

                “I’m sure Reb hears that quite a bit.”     

                Reb winked over at her. “How would you know, purty darlin’? Ya ain’t never took the time to examine my gun.”

                Joe glared at Jonah as he threw his head back and laughed and she fixed Reb with a warning look. “Don’t you call me pretty.”

                “But you are pretty.” Reb countered, clearly enjoying the fact that he’d found something to tease her over. Joe guessed she deserved it after teasing him so often about his wife since finding out about the woman. “Ain’t she pretty, Clayton?”

                Clayton nodded. “Yep. I sure think so.” Joe shook her head and scowled at her son, who grinned from ear to ear. “What do you think, pa? Is mama pretty?”

                Jonah took a moment, looking Joe up and down. Joe kept that scowl on her face, though she was sure that color rose in her cheeks as his eyes moved over her so thoroughly that he might as well have been caressing her body with his fingers.

                Then he shrugged. “Nope. Ugliest damn woman I ever did lay my eyes on.” 

                Joe smiled and scooted closer to Jonah so she could bat her lashes and rest her head on his broad shoulder. “And see, that’s why yer pa and I get along so good. He says all those sweet things a woman longs to hear.”

                Clayton rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Reb. “So can I shoot it? Can I? Can I?”

                “Is it alright with yer folks?” Reb asked, glancing over at Jonah and Joe.

                “I ain’t got a problem with it. Hell I’m surprised he don’t have one of his own already.” Jonah replied. Joe shook her head.

                “He don’t have one on his hip cuz he’s only four!”

                “He might as well be ten. That boy’s smart.” Jonah countered. Joe felt her temper rise.

                “Well he ain’t ten, he’s four, and you’ll not be filling his head with all that nonsense! A four year old ain’t got no damn use fer a six gun!”

                “Joe, I just think….” Jonah began but Joe cut him off.

                “Dammit, I‘ve worked hard to keep him safe all these years. He’s got me, he knows how to use a rifle and he carries a pocketknife. That’s all a boy his age needs. Now dammit I won’t argue ‘bout this no more.” It appeared as if Jonah wanted to say something else but instead he just shook his head and looked away from her.

                While they were still touching, Joe felt as if Jonah had moved miles away from her. Apparently she had done or said the wrong thing. Did Jonah honestly think it would be in the boy’s best interest to carry around a six gun on his hip?! Why all it would take would be one murdering pyschopath and Clayton would be dead. 

                “So can I shoot the gun or not?” Clayton grumbled and Jonah shrugged.

                “Ask your damn mama.”

                Joe sighed. “I never said ya couldn’t shoot it now, Clayton. I just said ya couldn’t carry one of yer own. Go ahead.”

                Clayton was bouncing with excitement as Reb showed him how to work the revolver. Joe sighed when Jonah pushed himself to his feet and walked off. Joe grumbled under her breath, cursed God for making her love a brooding man and Reb nodded when she threw him a glance before walking after Jonah.

                “Ya gotta quit stormin’ off every time ya get upset ‘bout somethin’.” Joe scolded when she found Jonah about one hundred yards from camp, leaning against the backside of a large outcropping of rocks.

                “I didn’t storm off. I went for a walk. Most of the time when I’m pissed about something I can walk it off and come back just fine. It’s better than getting into an argument over nothing.”

                “So what pissed you off?” Joe asked, standing beside him and chewing on her nail.

                “Nothing.”

                “Quit lyin’ to me, Jonah.”

                “Fine.” Jonah exclaimed as he turned to face her. “I’m about tired of hearing that you are all that boy needs. Or that you don’t need any help keeping him safe. Or that the two of you don’t need my opinion about things… I am your husband and that boy’s father and dammit what I say has to carry some weight.”

                “So you just want to ride on in and take things over? Have me lower my head and say ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’?” Joe demanded and Jonah rolled his eyes and chuckled.

                “No, that’s not what I’m asking for. You wouldn’t be the woman I fell in love with if you did something like that. I just don’t want everything I say to be treated like hot air.”

                “I don’t do that…..” Joe began to argue and Jonah shook his head.

                “You’re doing it right now. And earlier about the gun.. And countless other times over the last few weeks.”

                “The boy don’t need a goddamned six gun on his hip!” Joe argued and Jonah sighed as he turned away from her and leaned against the rock.

                “I know that. I never said he should have one on his hip but you didn’t even take the time to talk about it before you let your temper get the better of you and got angry.”

                Joe fell silent and looked out over the land surrounding them. She knew Jonah was right. She was just too stubbornly set in her ways to allow anyone else to have a say in what happened in her and her sons life… But it wasn’t just her son, it was also Jonah’s son, and it wasn’t just her life, it was their life.

                “So what do I do? Just let you make all the decisions?”

                “No, you stubborn, thick-headed, little pain in the ass.” Jonah grumbled. “But from now on if there’s something that you don’t agree with, or that we don’t see eye to eye on, how about we just tell the boy that you and I will have to talk about it instead of you stepping over me like that? I want Clayton to have respect for both of us and that’s not gonna happen if nothing I say ever matters.”

                Joe sighed and then relented with a nod. “Fine. I never meant to disrespect you in front of our son. I guess I just ain’t got no clue how this whole teamwork thing is ‘spose to work. I got use to takin’ care of myself and Clayton without havin’ to take anybody else feelin’s into account.”

                Jonah pulled her into his arms, holding her back tight against his chest and resting his chin on her shoulder. “And I’m sorry for that, Joe. We should have been partners in this from the beginning.”

                “We’re partners now.”

                “Yep and gonna stay that way.” Jonah  agreed. “Just so long as we don’t kill each other.”

                Joe smiled as she leaned into his embrace, loving the warmth that his body provided to her own and the way that she felt safer somehow, protected, when Jonah was holding her this way. Joe had never thought of herself as a woman who needed protection, and never would, but it was still nice to know that this strong man had her back. She needed to learn how to give up a bit of the reins to him and he needed to learn how to not be so damned sensitive but together they would eventually figure out this settling down way of life.

                The sound of Reb’s thirty-eight going off had Jonah’s warm breath tickling her ear when he chuckled. “Should we head back?”

                Joe shook her head. “No.” she replied quickly. “I would rather just stay like this awhile.”

                The thirty-eight went off again and this time it was followed by Clayton’s excited exclamations and Reb’s laughter.

                “We may have to pay Reb to stick around.” Joe stated as she turned in Jonah’s arms. Jonah nuzzled her neck, sending trembles down her spine.  

                “Why’s that?” Jonah whispered against her ear. Joe felt that familiar heat spreading throughout her body, radiating from her core.

                “So we can have more time for this right here.” Joe replied, pressing her body against his and feeling his arousal against her stomach.

                “I could always make us our own little camp for tonight.”

                “Just like old times?” Joe asked with a smile and Jonah grinned.

                “Better, my Josephine.” He assured her, and while Joe had her doubts that making love to this man could ever be better, the deep timbre and sincerity in his voice made her believe.

Chapter Seventen

“This place has gotten bigger.” Joe grumbled as they rode into Barbadine several days later. Jonah glanced at Clayton. The boy’s eyes were as big as saucers as he gazed around at all the people and buildings.

                “Wow…. It’d take ya three days just to see everything!” Clayton gasped with wonder, which of course only served to make Joe slump down even further in the cart.

                “There should be a damned law against a place this big. This many damned people in one place just ain’t natural.” She stated grumpily.

                Jonah chuckled and brought Copper up close to the cart so he could reach out and give Joe’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll get you back on the mountain just as quick as I can.” He promised. Truthfully he was hoping that he would be able to learn where Scarlett was and then, after ensuring that Joe and Clayton were safe at the cabin with Reb there for added protection, he would go after her and take her out. End the threat against his family.

                In the past Jonah would have gone to the law and sent them after Scarlett but it was clear to him now that the law wouldn’t help him. They had let her go once and it would only be a matter of time until they did it again. Jonah wouldn’t let that happen. If slitting that woman’s throat in her sleep was the only way to ensure that his wife and son stayed safe then that is what Jonah would do and he and God could sort out the right and wrong of it later.

                “Well why you two are trading them furs, me and the boy are gonna do some shoppin’.” Reb stated and Joe frowned at him.

                “Shopping fer what?”

                “I’m gonna get him a good knife.” Reb replied. “Somethin’ with a bit more backbone behind it than that little sticker he carries ‘round.”

                Jonah glanced over at Joe and saw that she looked doubtful and he gave a slight shake of his head. “I think it’d be good for the boy to carry a little bigger knife. Obviously it ain’t gonna be any sixteen incher but maybe a good six or seven inch bowie.”

                Jonah could tell that Joe wanted to argue at first but then she sighed and nodded. “Alright. I guess it’d be a good idea.”

                “Well come on then, boy.” Reb said with a grin and Clayton smiled at Joe and Jonah.

                “This is gonna be great!” he exclaimed before following eagerly after Reb.

                “Thanks for that, Joe.” Jonah said once they were alone and making their way down a less crowded side street toward a trading post.

                “I ain’t completely unreasonable.” Joe replied. “I can see where him havin’ a bit of a bigger  knife would be a good thing. Especially after what happened to us and with her still out there.”

                Jonah’s hands tightened a little on Copper’s reins. “Well I’m gonna leave you to get your furs traded while I go see about a few things.”

                “What things?” Joe asked suspiciously. Jonah sighed and ran his hand over his scruffy face.

                “I need to find the sheriff and have a talk with him.”

                “You think he might know where that no good bitch of a cow is at?”

                Jonah shrugged. “I don’t know what exactly I’m hoping he can tell me. I reckon I’m just feeling a bit desperate and hoping he can tell me something.”

                “I can go with ya if’n ya just wait a while.”

                “I’d rather just go do it now and then have some time to spend with you and Clayton.” Jonah didn’t add that if things went the way he was hoping they would with the sheriff, that he’d be saying goodbye to his family soon to hunt Scarlett down. He figured all that would do was cause a fight and Jonah didn’t want to fight with Joe until there was a real reason to fight. No point stirring up the hornet’s nest until he was getting ready to ride away from it.

                “Alright then, but since we’re in Barbadine, you’ll owe me a drink to make up fer leavin’ me to barter these furs on my own.”           

                Jonah laughed. “It’s a deal, honey. But you know as well as I do that if I did come to the trader with you, you’d just tell me to shut up and stand aside while you dealt with him yourself.”

                “You know me so well.” Joe replied with a smile. Jonah winked at her and then turned Copper around and headed back toward main street.

                He made his way to the outskirts of town and the jailhouse that still looked the same as it had when he’d brought Scarlett to it years ago. Many things about the town had changed and grown over time but not this place.

                “Well I’ll be damned! Jonah Winchester, where you been staying hid at?” The sheriff asked as he pushed himself off the porch banister and tossed his cigarette down onto the dusty street. The man still looked the same as he had before. Thick black mustache, small eyes and a hard jaw.

                “Here and there.” Jonah replied, wiping sweat from his brow with his shirt sleeve.

                “How have you been doin, Jonah?” the sheriff asked.

                “Good the last few weeks.” Jonah replied. “Except for finding out the hard way that Scarlett was no longer in prison where she was supposed to be spending the rest of her life rotting.”  

                Sheriff Phillips eyes widened and then he let out a sigh and shook his head with disgust. “I heard she got let out.”

                “Let out?” Jonah demanded through gritted teeth. Sheriff Phillips snorted and clicked his tongue.

                “Escaped is more like it. Convinced a guard it would be worth it to give her a free pass out of prison.” Then the sheriff’s eyes narrowed. “You said you learned that the hard way… What the hell happened?”

                “She sent her men after my wife and son.”

                Sheriff Phillips immediately stood up straight. “Did they get ‘em?”

                “They got her but I got her back. Trouble is I don’t know where Scarlett is but I’m sure she’ll  send somebody else. She seems to want revenge for the death of that husband of hers.”

                “But didn’t he get himself killed when he stuck a gun in your back?”

                “I guess she forgot that part of the story.”

                “That’s convenient.” Sheriff Phillips stated with a shake of his head and Jonah merely snorted in agreement. “I wish I could give you some idea where she might be, Jonah, but I don’t have an idea. I can put some feelers out there, send some telegrams and see if some other folks I know might have an idea.”

                “I’d appreciate that sheriff. I can probably come up with some excuse to give to the wife for staying in town a day or two.”

                “They didn’t hurt your woman did they?”

                “Joe ain’t very easy to hurt.” Jonah replied with a small grin. “They roughed her up a little and shot her leg but she gave them worse than she got.”

                Sheriff Phillips chuckled and nodded with appreciation. “Nice to hear that she paid them back. I’ll get busy seeing what I can find out for you.”

                “I appreciate it, sheriff. We’ll be staying at the Imperial.”

                “You and your family should join me at the Sunset Diner tonight around seven for supper. It would be my treat.”

                “We might just do that.” Jonah replied with a nod. “You have a good day now, sheriff.”

                “You too, Jonah. Take care of yourself.”

                Jonah nodded and then walked off the porch and back to Copper. He swung himself up in the saddle and pulled his hat down lower as he squinted into the sun. He prayed like hell that the sheriff could find out something about where Scarlett was staying hid out because if he couldn’t then Jonah would be forced to travel roads he didn’t want to travel, and get answers from men on the other side of the law that he’d rather not have any association with.

                He didn’t want men like the ones that Scarlett would hire, to be around his son or his wife… Jonah was finding that he had more than just a tad of a protective and possessive side when it came to his newfound family.

***                                                                                               

                “Now, dammiit, I’m gonna tell ya somethin’ right now. Ya better stop tryin’ to pull the wool over my eyes and cheat me out of money that I deserve fer these here furs. Now these is some of the best I’ve ever gotten and I won’t settle fer no measly seventy-five dollars!”

                Joe glared at the fur trader, a different man than she had traded to the last time she’d come to Barbadine. He was short, skinny and had shifty eyes. Joe could tell he was used to cheating people out of money they deserved but, by God, he wasn’t gonna do it to her.

                The trader appeared a bit taken aback by her outburst and then he ran his hand over the soft beaver furs on the counter and glanced at the wolf furs.

                “And you say you have how many pallets out there?” he asked in a voice that was just as squeaky and rodent like as the rest of him.

                “I have just over thirty pallets. Ten beaver, two wolves, ten coyote, a bunch of rabbit and mink, a couple of deer and even a bear fur.”

                “Mind if I go take a look?”

                “I reckon not.” Joe conceded. “Just so long as ya keep yer paws off of ‘em ‘til after you’ve paid me my fair share of money.” The trader held her gaze for several long moments, obviously hoping to intimidate her. Joe kept her face blank and stern while she laughed on the inside.  She’d faced scarier glares from her four year old son over breakfast.

                “I feel sorry for any man who finds himself tied down to a sharp tongued little harpy like you.” The trader grumbled as he walked out the door with Joe right behind him.

                “Thanks for the sympathy.” Jonah’s amused voice stated from atop Copper just outside the trading post door. The trader nearly fell backward with surprise. “She’s a bit hard to take sometimes but she bakes such a mean pie that it makes up for the sharp tongue.”

                “I doubt that.” The trader grumbled as he ambled over to the cart and inspected the furs. Joe glared at Jonah as he hopped off of Copper and walked to her, sliding his arm around her shoulders.

                “What did you find out?” she asked and she could tell by the tightness in his jaw that it wasn’t good news.

                “Nothing. Exactly nothing. But the sheriff is going to ask around and see if he can find anything out.” Joe nodded and then she felt an uneasy trickle wash down her spine. Turning her head toward the train station, Joe saw a man watching her.

                He was a big man, the biggest she’d ever seen as a matter of fact. While he was a good hundred yards away, he seemed to be close to seven foot tall, if not taller, and his body was as big around and as hard looking as an oak as he stood there in a peach colored chambray shirt, with the sleeves rolled up on his thick forearms, tight brown trousers, low slung gunbelt and bowler hat.

                His eyes were locked on Joe and she swallowed hard, wondering why he made her so uneasy. It wasn’t like her to back down from someone but she couldn’t hold his gaze. Quickly she looked away and focused her attention on the man currently picking over her furs.

                “You okay?” Jonah asked, clearly noticing the way her shoulders had tensed. Joe forced herself to relax as she chewed on her nail and then spit it into the dirt and nodded.     

                “Be a hell of a lot better if that bastard would quit tryin’ to cheat me!” she countered loudly, ensuring that the man would hear her. The trader sighed and stepped away from the wagon.

                “Those are nice furs.”

                “Yeah I know.” Joe replied with a snort.

                “I’ll give you two-hundred dollars.”

                “Three.” 

                The man let out a squeak sounding just like the rodent that he resembled as his nose twitched and his shifty eyes glanced from side to side.

                “That’s awful high.” He mumbled and Joe shrugged.

                “Jonah get in there and get those pallets I already took in. We’ll just head down the road to someplace else…..”

                “Now wait!” the man exclaimed as he quickly stepped forward. Joe crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. The trader rubbed the back of his neck and chewed on his lip. “Two-fifty.”

                “Three hundred. I ain’t givin’ an inch on this one. I know damned well they’re worth much more’n that. That bear fur alone is worth more than a pretty penny.”

                “And I guess your man here will get violent if I refuse.”  Joe glanced up at Jonah who shrugged back at her, shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels with amusement. Joe put her hands on her hips and glared back at the mouse-like trader.

                “Hell no, that man wouldn’t know how to get violent if’n ya forced him. Me, on the other hand, why I’ll kick yer ass and then convince ya it was yer idea so ya don’t get too cross with me fer it. Now ya either give me what my furs are worth or I’ll be takin’ ‘em to somebody who will.”

                “Alright. Three hundred.” The trader finally conceded with a sigh. Then he plastered a placating grin on his face. “You’re right and they are worth that. You can’t blame a businessman for trying to save a few dollars.”

                “That’s why my pa always told me not to trust a businessman.”

                The trader laughed, a squeaking, high-pitched sound that made Jonah wince beside her. “Probably just as well.” He admitted. “Bring them furs on in here and I’ll get your money.”

                As Jonah and Joe carried in the pallets of furs, Joe glanced back at the train station but realized the big man who had been watching her was gone. Shaking off the uneasiness that she still felt, Joe got back to work and forced that man from her mind. She hadn’t recognized him and he was gone now… She was sure it hadn’t meant anything.  But just the same she’d stay on alert for the day and mention it to Jonah tonight.

Chapter Eighteen

“Naw, I’m sure I don’t wanna come to dinner. I’m a big supporter of free grub but I ain’t one fer sittin’ ‘round a table with a lawman.” Reb said with a shake of his head.

                Jonah pulled on his hat and adjusted his gun belt. “You gonna be hanging around here? We’ll bring you a plate if you want us to.”

                “Naw, I’m gonna head on down to the saloon.”

                “Have ya some fun, Reb, cuz once me and Jonah’s done with supper we’ll need ya to keep an eye on Clayton.”

                “Again?” Reb demanded as he watched Clayton making what he called ‘outlaw faces’ in the mirror as he propped his hand on the hilt of the new bowie knife on his hip.

                “Yep.” Joe replied as she looked up at Jonah. Jonah kissed her forehead and then nodded at Reb.

                “I promised the woman a drink.”

                “Well whatd’ya say, Clayton? When y’all get done with dinner do ya wanna hang out with yer old Uncle Reb?”

                “Sure!” Clayton exclaimed as he jumped off the chest he’d been standing on and into Jonah’s arms. Jonah grunted under his sudden weight and then chuckled as he held the boy tight. “Maybe you could take me to the house where the whores live! I brought my money!”

                Jonah threw his head back laughing while Joe glared over at Reb and the one-eyed man rubbed the back of his neck and stuttered several times as if searching for the correct response. One that would both ensure his nephew didn’t hate him and keep Joe from killing him dead right there on the spot.

                 “I’ll tell you what, boy,” Jonah cut in. “Why don’t you save that money and we’ll go look at what kind of colts they got for sale around here. I think they got some good ranches.”

                “Really, pa?!” Clayton exclaimed. “All I got is five dollars. Do you think that’ll be enough?”

                Jonah smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair as he sat him on his feet. “That’ll be plenty.”

                “I’ll pitch in a little too just in case it’s not.” Reb spoke up and Jonah didn’t miss the angry indignant look on Joe’s face. Clearly she knew that ten dollars wouldn’t be near enough and that Reb and Jonah were going to be paying quite a bit for whichever colt Clayton picked. Jonah knew she was about to speak up and he took her hand and squeezed it to silence her. Reb shrugged. “I mean, hey, I got four birthdays I gotta make up fer and four Christmas’s.”

                “So do I.” Jonah agreed and understanding flashed in Joe’s green/gray eyes as she squeezed his hand back.

                “This is gonna be great!” Clayton bounced with excitement. “Can we go look at the horses tomorrow, pa?”

                Jonah nodded. “We should be able to. We’ll have to see in the morning.”

                “Well if that’s all you fine folks need me for, I’m gonna go have a bit of fun. Just come on to the Greenhorn, when yer done with supper and I’ll come sit with the boy and teach him how to play poker the right way.”

                “I’m so glad you came into his life, Reb.” Joe muttered with a shake of her head. “Whores, poker, six guns…. The boy has learned a lot from you.”

                “You’re welcome.” Reb grinned and then he quickly slipped from the room. Jonah shook his head and lead his family to the door.

                “Come along then, you two. The sheriff will be waiting on us.”

                The three of them made their way down the crowded streets of Barbadine. Clayton pointed at a group of women dressed in satin and lace with frilly bonnets and matching parasols. “Mama, why don’t you wear dresses like those? Those ladies look real pretty in them dresses.”

                Jonah tried to hide his chuckle but a snort escaped his tight lips as Joe looked down at their son with shock.

                “And what ‘zactly would I do in a damned dress like that one?” she demanded.

                “Well I’ve only seen you in one once.” Jonah replied with a grin. “And from what I remember they rile your temper up quite a bit.”

                “All that satin makes me wanna shoot somethin’.” Joe grumbled and Clayton laughed.

                “That’s alright, mama. I reckon pa likes ya just the way you are.” 

                Jonah smiled down at his son walking between them and then threw a reassuring smile at Joe. “He’s right you know. I like you just the way you are.”

                “Good damn thing too, Jonah Winchester, cuz I don’t plan on changin’.”

                “Music to my ears.”

               

---

                Clayton grinned from ear to ear as he walked between his mama and his pa. He had never thought much about what it would be like to have two parents but it was nice.

                It was nice to see his mama smiling so much. Clayton hadn’t ever said anything but he’d always been able to tell that his mama was sad. Now he understood that she’d been missing his pa. But now they were a family and Clayton was happy. And tomorrow he was gonna get a horse all his own! One that he could train right, not like that damned Chief. Now Clayton loved his pony but his pa had been right. The critter was too stubborn and set in his own ways to learn the things that Clayton wanted him to.

                Clayton felt his pa’s hand on his shoulder as he guided him into a crowded diner full of more people dressed all fancy. Sure there were folks dressed in normal clothes, maybe not skins like his ma and pa, but work stained trousers, chambray shirts and gingham dresses. But those fancy people amazed Clayton.

                There were even men, who didn’t seem to limp, walking around with canes! Why did they need those canes? And their top hats looked kind of silly as well. Wouldn’t they just blow off if the wind blew real hard? And those dresses the women were wearing were real pretty but Clayton bet they couldn’t ride a horse or skin a buck in one of those things.

                “There’s sheriff Phillips.” His mama said and Clayton saw the man with the star on the front of his black vest, standing and waving them toward a corner booth.

                “Nice to meet you young man.” The sheriff said as he held out his hand. “What’s your name?”

                Clayton put his hand in the lawman’s and pumped several times. “Clayton Winchester, sir.” The lawman nodded and then turned his attention to Clayton’s ma and pa as they began talking back and forth.

                Clayton’s attention was quickly pulled away from the conversation as he glanced around and saw the long bar at the other side of the café. He could also see a stage from where he now sat and saw that the music he could hear was being played by several men with instruments and there was a woman in the fanciest red dress that Clayton had ever seen, standing on the stage singing.

                Clayton reached over and tugged on the fringe hanging off his mama’s buckskin sleeve.

                “What is it, Cowpoke?” she asked and Clayton pointed toward the stage, which was a good distance from where they sat.

                “Can I go stand over there and watch until it’s time to eat?” he asked. He saw his mama look over at his pa and the lawman cleared his throat.

                “I think it’d be fine if your parents say it is.” he said. “This is a good safe family place.” He added and Clayton threw him a grateful look. Sometimes grown up were alright. Especially when they knew just what to say to get parents to see things their child’s way.

                His mama nodded. “Alright then. But you go to that stage and nowhere else.”

                “I know. I know.” Clayton grumbled as Joe stood and let him out of the booth. “And just in case someone messes with me, Uncle Reb, told me to use this here knife and stick it right in their ass.”

                Clayton could tell his mama was fighting hard not to laugh but his pa and the lawmen threw their heads back and laughed loudly.

                “Sounds like it’d work.” The lawman agreed. Clayton threw him a smile and then took off through the diner. When he reached the stage, the woman singing was even more pretty from far away. She looked just like a queen out of a storybook.

                And the instruments were real neat too. Clayton wondered if maybe his pa or his Uncle Reb would teach him how to play one. Of course he wasn’t sure if they even knew how to play one.

                Clayton looked over his shoulder but couldn’t see the table where his parents were sitting from here. The diner was too crowded and too full of people. He found a space in front of the stage and stood there in awe as the woman smiled down at him and gave him a wink.

                Clayton was so caught up in the music that he didn’t notice that a man had come to stand behind him until he felt a hand close on his shoulder. Clayton was going to cry out but then a deep, grating voice whispered in his ear.

                “If you so much as breathe too loud, I’ll kill you boy.” As if to reassure Clayton that he was serious the man stuck the end of a derringer into Clayton’s back. Clayton glanced around but no one else seemed to realize anything was wrong.

                “What do you want?” Clayton whispered, his voice trembling as a tear filled his eye. He wanted his mama.

                “You’re gonna come on outta here with me now and if you try to run, all I gotta do is holler for my friend and he’ll kill your ma and your pa. Understand?”

                Clayton nodded quickly as his stomach clenched and turned. He hoped he wouldn’t throw up.

                “Good boy, smile at the woman on stage so she knows you’re okay and then let’s go.”

                Clayton looked up at the woman who was still singing but eyeing him with concern. Clayton wanted desperately to beg her for help but knew he couldn’t.

                “Come on now, son. We gotta get going.” The man behind Clayton stated loudly and Clayton nodded.

                “O..Okay pa.” He threw a shaky smile to the singing woman and then the man led him through the crowd and to a back door which led them out into an alley. Clayton turned then and saw the man for the first time. He was huge! He was so tall that Clayton couldn’t even see his face no matter how far he tilted his head back.

                “Is that him, Critter?” the man asked. “He was with those ones you said was Joe and Jonah.”

                Another man stepped forward and Clayton thought he looked familiar but couldn’t be sure. He didn’t think he’d ever met anybody named Critter but he was too scared just now to be certain.

                All he wanted was his mama and his pa. What did these men want?

                “Yeah that’s that little brat.” Clayton nearly cried out when Critter grabbed his arm, and he probably would have if the giant of a man hadn’t hit him on the back of the head in that moment and caused him to slump to the ground, feeling a sack being placed over his head, before slipping off into darkness.

---

                “Alright, boys, we gotta get out of this alley now. I sure as hell don’t wanna come face to face with his ma and pa again anytime real soon.” Critter said as he watched Bear walk to a large trunk and stuff the unconscious boy inside.

                Then Bear stood straight and shook his head. “You gotta stay your ass right here in town. You gotta make sure they don’t come in our direction until it’s time for them too. If you screw up again and Scarlett don’t get her hands on this boy and the revenge she’s wanting….” The big man let the statement hang and Critter knew damn well what would happen. If Critter failed Scarlett then Critter would die.

                “They ain’t gonna have a clue that you all took that train. But you better get a move on before it heads out and they realize the boy is missin’.” As if on cue the train let out a long lonesome whistle,

                “Alright then, boys, let’s get the hell out of here. I’m more than ready to be back with Scarlett.” Bear grumbled. Critter just shook his head as the mountain of a man picked up the wooden trunk that held the boy as if it weighed no more than a couple of pounds. 

                Critter watched Bear and the other four men disappear around the back of the building as they made their way to the train station. Critter was scared shitless that Jonah and Joe would get their hands on him… He had a letter in his pocket from Scarlett to the two of them so all he had to do was get that letter to them without getting caught…. And have it be after enough time that the train was too far away for Jonah and Joe to catch.  

                Critter wouldn’t let that woman down again.

---

                “No news on her whereabouts just yet.” Sheriff Phillip’s said with regret as Jonah watched Clayton disappear into the crowd. Having his son out of his sight just now made him uneasy but the sheriff said this place was safe and Jonah himself could see all the other families and children milling around the place.

                Sheltering the boy too much would only serve to make him resent Jonah and Joe and Jonah didn’t want that.

                “I was hoping you’d heard something.” Jonah stated as he turned his attention back to the lawman. Joe nodded as she moved closer to him.

                “I’m sure that by tomorrow afternoon I’ll know something.” He assured them. “It’s just a matter of everybody having time to get back to me.”

                “I think it’s only fair that I let you know I won’t do things by the letter of the law this time.” Jonah warned as he held sheriff Phillip’s gaze. “She sent those men after my family. They could have killed my son and they almost killed my wife.”

“I don’t blame you, Jonah. I’m speakin’ man to man here instead of lawman to man and I would do the same thing were I in your boots.  I wouldn’t take a chance on having her put back in prison again only to have to look over your shoulder and wait for the day when somebody else lets her back out.”

                “Let her out?!” Joe demanded and Jonah sighed. “Who the devil let her out!?”

                “Apparently a guard that decided she was a bit too tempting to turn down, ma’am.” Sheriff Phillips replied, a slight blush rising on his cheeks.

                Disbelief flashed in Joe’s eyes and she scratched at an itch on her shoulder. “What the hell does that woman have ‘tween her legs? A pure gold pussy? A candied clit?”

                Sheriff Phillips choked on the drink of water he’d just taken and was overcome with a coughing fit as his wide-eyes stared in shock at Joe. Jonah rubbed his face with his hand and let out a sigh.

                “Joe, people can hear you…..”  

                “I don’t give a hell if’n they can hear me. What is so damned great about this woman? I gotta know. I figured you’d know since ya fell fer it too.”

                Jonah felt as if the damn woman had just stabbed him in the gut. “That was a low blow, Josephine.” He said quietly as he looked down at his calloused hands resting on the scarred up table top.

                Joe fell silent and awkwardness settled over the table. Sheriff Phillips cleared his throat loudly when the server brought out a tray with their supper.

                Joe quickly stood, obviously happy about the distraction. “I’ll go find Clayton.” she said and disappeared into the crowd. Jonah wasn’t all that hungry now. Having his past foolishness thrown in his face hadn’t exactly felt real good. Jonah didn’t like being reminded that all of this was his fault. If he had seen Scarlett for what she was from the beginning they wouldn’t be in this position.

                To have Joe be the one that threw the past in his face only made it hurt more. Jonah was used to hearing those kinds of things from Bart and even Reb but not Joe. She had always had his back….

                “Cowpoke!” Joe’s loud exclamation caught Jonah’s attention and he and sheriff Phillip’s shared a look of alarm before standing up and scanning the crowded diner for her. Jonah caught sight of her wild red hair. “Clayton!” she called out. She looked as close to panic as Jonah had ever seen the woman.

                Suddenly she came flying back through the crowd and ran straight into Jonah’s waiting arms as he rushed toward her.

                “Joe, what’s going on?” Jonah demanded, fear filling him. If Joe was scared, he was scared.

                “Clayton is missing, Jonah!” Joe gasped, her voice breaking. “Our son is gone.”

Chapter Nineteen

Joe felt terror. Animalistic and pure in its rawest form. Never had she felt so helpless or so out of control. Tears were filling her eyes as she clutched Jonah’s shirt in her fists and stared up at him, praying he could make it all right. Damn being strong, right now she just wanted her son!

                “Jonah, did you hear me!” she exclaimed, not caring that she sounded like a panicked woman. “Clayton is gone!”

                Joe could see the fear in Jonah’s gray eyes but the man pulled her to his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Maybe he just couldn’t hear you, Joe. Or he wandered too far….”

                “No. If there is one thing Clayton never does it’s disobey me. He never has.  He’s too smart for that.”   

                “Just the same, let’s both take a good look around before we think the worst.” Jonah urged. Joe knew it was pointless and wanted to scream at him but she held it back and forced herself to breathe. She was Joe Redding-Winchester. She didn’t crack under pressure or become blind with panic.

                She heard Jonah speaking to the sheriff and then Jonah pulled her into the crowd, shielding her body with his…Was he trying to protect her? Did that mean he really thought Clayton was gone too and he was protecting Joe from whoever had taken their son?!  That panicked feeling began to come over her again but Jonah’s lips found her temple, his warm breath caressed her skin and Joe let that be an anchor, keeping her grounded and preventing her from losing it completely.

                “Clayton!” Jonah called out. Joe was glad the man was abnormally tall. It meant he would have a clearer view of the diner.

                Joe heard the sheriff calling out as well and then there was a gunshot. Joe’s heart stopped beating and while it pissed her off that she was acting so much like a woman, she would have fallen as her legs swooned if not for Jonah’s strong arm holding her up.

                Then Joe realized it was Jonah who had fired the shot and he had blown a hole in the diner ceiling with that peacemaker of his when he’d done so.

                “Everybody listen up!” Jonah’s voice echoed loudly as scared women and children clung to their husbands and fathers. “I’m looking for my son. He’s four.” Jonah glanced around again and Joe’s eyes scanned for her son. “Clayton, are you here?”

                “I told you he’s gone, Jonah!” Joe exclaimed and Jonah’s arm tightened almost painfully on her shoulders. Jonah strode to the stage where Clayton had been watching the music. The musicians had stopped playing and silence had fallen over the diner. Not even the sound of silverware clanking disrupted the perfect quiet.

                “Ma’am, my son came over here and was watching y’all play and sing. Did you see him?” Jonah demanded of the fancily dressed woman on the stage. The woman looked confused and Joe stepped forward.

                “He’s about this tall….” Joe held her hand halfway up her stomach. “… and he has thick blond hair, gray eyes and he’s always smiling…” Joe felt her heart breaking again and Jonah quickly pulled her into his arms, burying her face against his chest, for which she was grateful. She didn’t want these people to see her tears.

                “I saw that boy.” The woman replied quickly. “But a big man, biggest I’ve ever seen as a matter of fact, came and took him out the back door. He went with him.. I thought it was his pa…” Jonah and Joe didn’t wait to hear more before sprinting toward the back door and bursting into the dusty alley.

                “There’s no one back here!” Joe growled in frustration. She watched Jonah’s eyes scanning the ground and she knew he was hoping to find tracks. Joe looked down as well but this was where the diner took deliveries and Barbadine was an enormous city. It was impossible to track anything when there were so many tracks both new and old.

                “There’s Clayton’s tracks.” Jonah said, his voice tight as he pointed at some boot prints in the dirt.

                “How can you tell?”

                “Buckskin boots ,his size.” Jonah replied with a shrug. Joe watched him continue to scan the alley and she saw his frown deepening.

                “What is it?”

                “His tracks just end. There’s no way they could carry a struggling boy out of the city without somebody seeing.”

                “We’ll set up a search party.” Sheriff Phillip’s said as he stepped outside. “We won’t stop searching this city until we find your boy.”

                Joe felt as if she was in a fog as a large search party was gathered and different groups were each given a part of the city to search through.

                Reb came up to Joe in the gathering darkness.

                “What the hell is goin’ on?” he demanded. Joe looked at Jonah who was busy describing Clayton to the gathered searchers.

                “Clayton is gone.”

                “Gone?!” Reb demanded.

                “Yes. It’s my fault, Reb. I let him out of my sight! I let ‘em take him! She’ll kill him, Reb. She’ll kill my little boy….” Joe collapsed against Reb and cried. She didn’t care anymore. She just wanted the fear, panic and hurt to stop.

                She wasn’t aware of everyone splitting off and leaving as she cried against Reb’s chest. Then a hand wrapped around her upper arm and spun her around.

                “Dammit, Joe, your tears won’t help him now!” Jonah ground out. Joe glared up at him but saw that his eyes were bright as well. He was just doing a better job at holding the tears back than Joe was. “

                “Now, Jonah….” Reb began but Joe held up her hand.

                “He’s right.” She whispered. Joe took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

                Jonah nodded and then he waved Reb away. Reb scratched at his whiskered chin and walked off several steps, turning his back to them. “Now I’m scared as hell too, Joe, and when it’s just you and I then you can cry all the tears you wanna cry and be my Josephine, but right now we have to be strong. I need my Joe, okay?”

                Joe nodded and blinked away the tears still gathered in her eyes. She put her hand on Jonah’s cheek and realized his jaw was trembling. 

                “They got him, Jonah…. What are we gonna do?” Jonah pulled away from her and then wrapped his hand around hers, twining their fingers together.

                “We’re gonna get him back.”

---

                They searched for hours but not a single person they spoke to had seen Clayton, or a big man packing around a boy, and they couldn’t find their son in any of the buildings they searched through.

                Jonah was sure that God must hate him. All those years he had missed out on with his son, only to find him and then lose him again much too quickly. Now on top of that the sky had opened up in a torrential downpour that would take away any possible hope of tracking or even traveling until dawn when the sun rose again.

                “I’m sorry, Jonah. This shouldn’t have happened in my town.. not in that diner.” Sheriff Phillip’s stated as he walked over to Jonah.

                “It ain’t your fault.” Jonah sighed as he rubbed at his face and then he let out a roar that was more animalistic than human as he turned and connected his fist sharply with the wooden porch banister of the hotel they’d just finished searching through.

                His hat flew off as he rammed his hands through his hair, gripping his head tightly and pacing like a caged beast.

                They had his son! He had failed his son and he had failed Joe. He let his gaze go to her and saw that she was leaning against the wall of the hotel, her eyes were far away and one arm was wrapped tight around herself as she chewed on the nails of her other hand.

                Reb walked to Jonah , scooping his hat off the ground as he moved, and put his hands on his shoulders to still his movements. Jonah’s heart was broken as he looked at the oldest friend he had. “What do I do, Reb?” Jonah asked, suddenly feeling like that boy that Reb had found wandering the streets all those years ago.

                “Yer gonna pull yerself together. Yer gonna be strong fer yer woman. And we’re all gonna figure this out.”

                “But how?” Jonah demanded harshly. “This damn rain is gonna wash away any tracks….”

                “Then we won’t follow tracks. We tracked that bitch down once before and we’ll do it again.”

                “But it’s my son, Reb….”

                “He’ll be okay, Jonah. I’m sure her plan is to use him to lure y’all to her. She’ll keep him alive fer that.”

                Jonah let out a growl and clenched his fists, longing to punch something else and yet knowing that wouldn’t do a damn bit of good. Slowly he took a deep breath and then took his time in letting it out. Reb was right. Jonah had to get control of himself. As tough as Joe tried to act most of the time, she was still a woman deep down and Jonah knew that she would need him to be strong.

                For the last five years Jonah hadn’t been there for Joe when she’d needed him but, by God, he was going to be there now. He nodded his thanks at Reb, squared his shoulders and then walked to Joe. Without a word he pulled her into his arms, cradling the back of her head with his hand as she began to shudder and sob against his chest.

                Jonah turned to Reb and the sheriff, who were the only people left on the streets with he and Joe. Everyone else had long given up the search and gone home where it was dry. The four of them were soaked to the bone and it was well past midnight. Jonah just hoped wherever Clayton was that the boy was dry.

                “I guess we all might as well get in out of the rain and try to rest ‘til morning.” Jonah said, forcing a calm strength into his voice that he didn’t really feel. Joe simply continued to tremble against him, her hands clutching desperately at the fabric of his shirt as Jonah caressed the back of her head.

                “I’ll send out some more wires, Jonah. I’ll make sure everybody knows this is an emergency.” Sheriff Phillip’s said his eyes heavy with guilt. “And Jonah, for what it’s worth to you both, I’m sorry this happened here. I’m sorry I told you it would be safe to let your boy leave the table…..”

                “Thanks for the help, sheriff, and don’t blame yourself. This is my family, it’s my duty to protect them. I failed, simple as that.”

                Jonah felt Joe stiffen against him and she tried to raise her head but he didn’t want her scolding just now so he held her firmly in place. 

                He led her into the hotel with Reb following behind them. “I’ll see y’all in the mornin’.” Reb said as he stopped at his door. “Try to rest. We’ll find the boy tomorrow.”

                Jonah nodded and then led Joe to their room. The moment they were inside and he had the door closed, he released his hold on her and she reared back and pointed her finger at his face.

                “No! You don’t get to do that, Jonah!” she warned, her face streaked with tears and covered in red blotches.  Jonah tossed his hat roughly across the room and threw his hands up.

                “Do what?”

                “Blame yerself! You don’t get to play the woe as me card this hand. I’m his mother. I should have looked after him better….” Joe’s voice cracked and she fell to her knees as she covered her face with her hands.

                Jonah’s heart broke apart to see her hurting this badly…. He knew how strong Joe was and so seeing her broken like this damn near killed him. But how was he supposed to fix things when he was hurting just as badly? Instead of saying anything, Jonah just grabbed Joe’s arm and pulled her to her feet.

                “What are ya doing?” she demanded as he began to lift her buckskin shirt.

                “You’re soaking wet, Joe.” He replied quietly. “You need to get dry.”

                “What if Clayton is wet, Jonah?”

                “Clayton will be fine, Joe.” Jonah said with false assurance. “We have to believe that.”

                Joe’s hand came up and caressed his jaw. “I raised him tough.” She agreed with a nod.

                Jonah let out a quiet chuckle as he put his hand over hers. “You did good, Joe, and I’m going to get him back. We’re going to get him back. In the morning something will break, Joe. It has to… Somebody had to have seen something.”

                Joe just nodded and Jonah knew they were both doubtful but clinging desperately to what little hope they could.

                Neither spoke a word as they undressed each other and then climbed beneath the thick bed quilt. Jonah pulled Joe’s back against his chest and curled his body around hers, burying his face in her neck. Both of her hands clutched the arm he had looped around her tightly.

                Jonah knew there were a million things he could say right now… A million different words that would maybe, just maybe, help her feel better, but every time he opened his mouth none of them would come.

                As if Joe could read his mind, she turned her face so her lips were against his jaw. “I couldn’t do this without you, Jonah.”

                “I’m not going anywhere, Josephine. I need you too much, honey. We’re going to find our son.”

                “Just hold me…” Joe whispered, her voice thick with tears. Jonah sniffed, knowing that she could probably feel his own tears as they dripped down his cheeks and fell onto her.

                “I won’t ever let you go. I love you.”  Joe’s lips pressed a quick kiss to his stubble covered jaw before she turned her head and relaxed again against the lumpy pillow.

                “I love you too.”

                Jonah held her a long time as she cried quietly and then he kissed her temple tenderly when he realized that she had finally fallen asleep.

                Jonah was going to get his son back. He was going to get that boy back to his mama. And he was going to keep Joe safe while doing it. If, God forbid, Scarlett killed that boy…. Jonah’s body convulsed at the thought… Then Jonah knew the only way he would survive the loss was knowing that he had Joe. God knew if he lost them both and God, for whatever reason, let him live, then Jonah would put the bullet in his head himself.

                Jonah held Joe tighter. He had wasted so much time… Now it would be a race against the clock to rescue his son and get his family back before the mistakes from his past destroyed everything good that he had.

                Jonah closed his eyes and fell asleep that night with images of his sons face, and trusting smile, flashing through his mind.

Chapter Twenty

Clayton was scared, but mostly he was mad. He’d woken up hours ago and it hadn’t taken him long to realize that he was in a trunk and he still had a burlap sack over his head. The sack was hot and itchy and he had the strongest urge to scratch his nose, but couldn’t, of course, because his hands were now tied.

                He wondered where his ma and pa were? He was sure they’d come for him and then these bastards would be sorry they’d taken him. He could tell by the sounds of the creaking metal and the whoosh of steam that he was on a train and he wondered where they were going.

                Growling because his nose itched so badly, Clayton began to rub it against the side of the crate he’d been stuffed in. He tugged at his hands and nearly cried out with excitement when one moved a little against the ropes which had grown looser.

                Focusing all his attention on freeing his arms, Clayton worked against the ropes. He could hear voices approaching him. Men’s voices. He recognized the big man’s voice.

                “We gotta check on the little bastard. Scarlett wants him kept alive.”

                Clayton pulled his hands free and then tore the sack off his head, though he couldn’t see any better with it off than he had with it on. He put his hand on the new knife his Uncle Reb had gotten for him. He was surprised that these men hadn’t taken it, but glad. Now he could stab them in the ass, just the way Uncle Reb had told him to.

                The trunk opened and Clayton didn’t even pause to think before pulling out the bowie knife and swinging it wildly.

                A loud curse filled the air and Clayton knew he’d hurt someone but he just kept swinging with his eyes squeezed tightly closed. More curses erupted as Clayton felt his knife connecting with bodies.

                He opened his eyes finally to see the big man and one other man standing there bleeding from wounds on their arms and faces. They both looked real mad but also a little scared.

                Clayton scurried from the crate and realized they were in a cargo cart on the train and the side door was open . He ran for it and then stopped at the edge, grabbing the side of the door with his hand to steady himself as he looked at the ground quickly passing by him. It was raining hard and it was dark as midnight out there.

                “What are you gonna do, little man? Jump for it?” the big man growled with a chuckle. “Drop that damned knife, turn around and get your ass back over here.”

                Clayton knew he had to jump. It was the only choice he had. Swallowing hard he stuck his knife in the holster quickly and then squeezed his eyes tight before leaping into the air.

                He was floating for one terrifying second and then he felt a tug on the back of his shirt and he was tossed through the air before landing roughly on his backside and skidding across the train floor. Before Clayton could recover he was grabbed roughly by the big man who took his knife away and tossed it out the train door.

                “You’re gonna wish you hadn’t done that, boy.” The big man growled and Clayton swallowed hard as tears filled his eyes. The big man hands were digging into his upper arms and it hurt real bad. “I was gonna let you out of the crate for the trip but now you’re staying in there. No food ‘til we reach Scarlett and she decides what to do with you.”

                Clayton was screaming for help, but the sound of the train deafened his cries as the big man shoved him back down into the crate and locked it. Clayton cried as he beat against the lid with his fists and feet until his limbs were so heavy and tired he could no longer lift them.

                He wanted his mama. He wanted his pa. He didn’t know who these men were or what they wanted but he was scared, and Clayton Winchester didn’t scare easy.

---

                Joe woke up and the first thing her tired body knew was that it was still raining. She could sense the light of day on her eyelids but it wasn’t bright sunlight and the sound of rain was loud on the tin roof. 

                Jonah was still snoring quietly behind her and her heart ached at the sound. He really did sound just like Clayton when he did that.

                Clayton.

                Joe’s heart broke anew but she had no more tears to cry. She had cried enough all night to flood the banks of the Mississippi river itself.  Now she was done crying. Tears would not bring Clayton back. Instead she was ready to kick some ass. She was going to find her son and Scarlett was  going to die for taking the boy. That much Joe could promise.

                She didn’t want to wake Jonah, the clock on the wall said it was only eight in the morning and she knew the man hadn’t fallen asleep until close to dawn. Joe slid from the bed silently, wrapped a spare blanket around her naked body and then saw Clayton’s dirty buckskin shirt lying on the floor beside the wardrobe.

                She walked to it and held the garment to her nose, breathing in her son’s scent. She was working hard on remembering that she wasn’t going to cry anymore when the sound of a train pulling into the station reached her ears, bringing her out of her thoughts.  

                It made her remember the man she’d seen at the train depot the morning before. The man who had been watching her so closely. The big man… Biggest she’d ever seen.

                “Jonah!” she exclaimed as she went to the bed and smacked his legs. Jonah came to in a rush and was  butt naked and out of the bed with a gun in his hand before Joe could blink.

                “Quit foolin’ ‘round, Jonah.” Joe scolded. “I got somethin’ important that I just remembered.”

                Jonah tossed his gun on the bed and rubbed at the back of his neck as he pulled the corner of the curtain aside to look out at the rain soaked city around them.

                “What did you remember?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

                “Are ya sick, Jonah?” Joe asked with concern as she crossed the room to him and laid her wrist against his forehead, checking for any signs of fever.

                “Naw, I ain’t sick, Joe.” He replied. “You sound a bit raspy yourself.”

                Joe nodded in understanding. It was from crying….. She hadn’t realized he’d shed so many tears and she realized that he must have hid those from her. Instantly Joe felt guilty. She’d spent so much time being weak that she hadn’t realized that her man was suffering just as badly. 

                “Now what did you just remember?”

                “When we was at the trader yesterday there was a man…. He was watching me and he made me feel real uneasy. He was at the train station, Jonah.”

                “I don’t understand how that’s important.” Jonah replied with a sigh as he went to the chest they’d brought full of clothes and fished out a clean outfit for both he and Joe.

                “He was a big man, Jonah. Biggest man I’d ever seen.”

                Jonah’s eyes met hers and then they widened as his jaw tensed. “Son of a bitch!”

                “What if they took him on the train, Jonah! That would explain why nobody saw ‘em and we didn’t find him anywhere. I’m pretty damned sure that train left about the time we realized Clayton was gone.”

                “Why didn’t you think of this yesterday! Why didn’t you tell me about that man when you first saw him?” Jonah demanded accusingly as he yanked on his pants.

                Joe glared at him and pulled on her shirt. “Well when I first noticed him I was a bit busy dealin’ with that damned fur trader and then later I was too busy searching fer my son to give the train any damned thought!”

                Jonah sighed and slid into his shirt before reaching out and taking Joe’s arm. She resisted him at first, angry that he would try to lay blame on her, but the sad look in his gray eyes had her giving in. She let him pull her into his chest.

                “I’m sorry, Josephine. I shouldn’t have said that.”

                “It’s alright, Jonah. I’d say it won’t be the last time we say things we don’t mean to each other. We tend to do that when we get upset.”

                “Yeah we should really work on that.” Jonah agreed as he kissed her hair.

                “After we find Clayton then we will. I don’t think right now we’re under the best of circumstances to be tryin’ to turn over any new leafs.”

                “Smart woman. Now let’s get ready and go down to the jailhouse. We can tell Sheriff Phillips about that man at the train and he can tell us where that train was heading yesterday.”

                “I wish this rain would quit.” Joe grumbled as she slid on her boots. Jonah nodded.

                “Me too. But I don’t think it is.”

                Joe shrugged as she hooked on her gun belt. “Looks like we’re in fer some wet asses.”  Joe had hoped to make Jonah smile, hating the sadness etched so deeply into the lines on his face. Clearly he wasn’t going to smile thought and it didn’t’ really surprise her. Smiling was the last thing on Joe’s mind as well.

                Joe was surprised when they found Sheriff Phillip’s already at the jailhouse and pacing the floors as he read over the stack of papers in his hand. He looked just as worn out and exhausted as Jonah looked and Joe felt. Joe hadn’t looked in a mirror this morning but she figured she looked about the same.

                “I got a bunch of responses this mornin’, Jonah, but they’re useless!” Sheriff Phillips threw the papers in the air with disgust and they floated back down to the scarred wooden floorboards, scattering across the room.  “Nobody knows a damned thing about that woman but they’re all willing to ride on in and help find the missing boy.”

                Joe watched the sheriff pacing restlessly and wondered why he was so upset. He answered the question for her as if he could read her mind. “I know what you all are going through.” He said quietly as he slumped down at his desk and covered his upper face with his hands. “I was married once and had two pretty little babies. Meaner than rattlesnakes them youngin’s were but I loved them, and their mama, somethin’ fierce. They were taken from me by an outlaw who was mad that I’d caught his friend and tossed him in jail.  The outlaw kidnapped them from our home and I searched for days until I finally found them……” 

                The sheriff stopped speaking, his pain filled voice telling the part of the story that his words didn’t.  Joe’s stomach clenched painfully, causing her to gag as she turned her back on the sheriff. The thought of Clayton being dead and his body just out there lying somewhere in the rain would have made her vomit if she had any food in her stomach.

                Jonah’s hand rubbed her back soothingly and Joe took several slow breaths before standing straight and turning around to once again face the lawman. He looked apologetic as he stood.

                “I wasn’t saying that would happen to your boy… I’m sorry, I reckon I shouldn’t have said anything at all, it’s just I’ve been thinking about them and….” The sheriff shrugged and looked down at his feet.

                “Where was the train that left yesterday evening heading?” Joe asked quickly, desperate to change the direction this conversation was going and make it more productive. The sheriff frowned.

                “I think it was headed north but I’d have to check the schedule to tell you what city exactly.”

                “And where’s that one goin’?” Joe asked as the train she’d heard pulling in earlier let out a whistle.

                “East I think. Though like I said, I’d have to check to be sure.”

                “There was a man.” Jonah said, his voice tight. Joe glanced at him and realized the sheriff’s story had had an effect on him as well. He was pale, his stubble sticking out sharply against his cheeks, and the dark circles around his bloodshot eyes looked like dark bruises. There was a sadness etched deep into the lines around his eyes and mouth. Joe reached out and squeezed his hand.

                “A man?” the sheriff asked as stood and began gathering up the papers he’d thrown earlier.

                “Yeah. The singing woman last night said the man that took Clayton was the biggest she’d ever seen. Joe saw him, though she didn’t realize it was him at the time. Yesterday morning while we were at the trading post he was watching Joe from the train station.”

                The sheriff nodded. “Why don’t you folks go get ya some breakfast, on me, and I’ll head to the train station and verify where it was heading. Then we’ll head out and find your son.”

                “We?” Joe asked with a frown and Sheriff Phillip’s nodded. He pulled off his black Stetson hat and clutched it in both hands. His small eyes were sad as they looked at her.

                “I wasn’t able to save my family, ma’am, but y’all could still save yours. I’d like to help, especially since this happened in my town, right under my nose.”

                Jonah stepped forward his hand still wrapped firmly around Joe’s. “This won’t be done by the law, sheriff. I intend to kill everyone involved whether they know it’s coming or not. And I’ll kill anybody who tries to stop me as well. No one is going to stand between me and my son and no one is going to stop me from ensuring there aren’t any of those bastards, or any more Scarlett, left to come after my family.”

                The sheriff nodded. “We find those responsible, this badge comes off.  I almost killed you once and I figure I owe you for that. Your son was taken after I told you he would be safe so I owe you for that too.  There are times when the law has to be set aside. That bastard I was telling you about, the one that stole my family…. I slit his throat while he was asleep and he opened his eyes just long enough to realize who had killed him. A man has to do what a man has to do when it comes to his family.”

                The sheriff quickly left the office then, pulling his hat down low as he did, and Joe let out a shaky breath. “Clayton can’t be….” She couldn’t even finish the sentence and Jonah shook his head roughly and pulled her into his arms, kissing her hair.

                “No. Like Reb told me last night, Scarlett wants revenge on us. Chances are she’s hoping to lure us to her using our son as bait. I, for one, need to believe that she’d keep him alive for that.”

                Joe pulled her deerskin coat tighter around herself as they stepped back out into the rain and Jonah did the same with his duster coat. “We should eat.” He stated.

                “I’m not hungry.” Joe replied and Jonah sighed.

                “Me neither but we gotta try. We won’t do Clayton any good if we starve to death before we find him.”

                Joe finally nodded and they made their way to a small café where they more or less simply picked at their eggs and ham, though they did manage to get a few bites down. As they were heading back toward the hotel, Sheriff Phillips, jogged over to meet them.

                “It was headed north like I said. It normally makes stops all throughout the territories but for some reason it’s not this time. It’s only stop is the end of the line up in the Montana territory.”

                “She’s in Montana?” Joe demanded. “That bitch cow is still up there?”  

                “Alright.” Jonah stated. “Let’s get packed up, get some supplies and head out to find our son.” Joe knew that the trip to the Montana territories was a long one. Two weeks if they wanted to have horses left when they got there, and then they’d have to figure out where she was.. .Montana was a big damn territory.

                She didn’t voice any of these things out loud as she and Jonah went to the hotel. Reb was in the hall beside their room.

                “I thought y’all was still sleepin’.” He said as he rubbed at his good eye.

                “No. Scarlett’s men took Clayton on the train to Montana.” Reb was quiet for a moment and then he nodded.

                “Montana it is then.”

                Jonah and Joe went into their room and began to load only what they’d need out of their luggage into their saddlebags. “We’ll have to stop at the mercantile and the gunsmith.” Jonah stated. “We’ll need some dried food and bullets.”

                A rustling sound outside their bedroom door had them both pulling their guns and aiming them at the thick slab of oak.

                “Somebody out there?” Jonah called out. Joe’s eyes widened when an envelope was suddenly slid underneath the door.

                Jonah grabbed it and saw the fancy writing scrawled across it. He pulled it open and tugged out the fancy parchment to see Scarlett’s signature written at the bottom.

                “Goddammit!” he exclaimed as he tossed the letter down and jerked open the door. Joe was on his heels as they ran into the hall and Jonah yelled out a warning to the man that was running out the back door of the hotel hall, which led to a set of rickety steps and down to the street.

                Jonah was about to run after the man when he disappeared from view but then stopped in his tracks when the man appeared again, this time backing up on shaking legs with his hands held high.

                Before Jonah or Joe could ask what he was scared of, Bart stepped through the open door with his gun trained on the retreating man’s chest. He glanced over the man’s shoulder, his dark eyes looking at Jonah and Joe in turn and then he turned his gaze back to the man.

                Bart sneered and while Joe and Jonah couldn’t see the other man’s face, it was clear that Bart recognized him. “What’s the matter, Critter? You act like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“Bart, what in tarnation are ya doin’ here?” Reb demanded as he came out of his own room. Bart shrugged, though he didn’t look at any of them.

                “I’ve been here. I saw y’all ride in and I helped with the search last night.”

                “We didn’t see you.” Jonah countered and Bart shrugged, never taking his eyes, or his gun, off of Critter who was still standing there shaking with his hands raised high.

                “That’s because I stayed out of sight. I wasn’t in any hurry to be punched again.”

                Jonah didn’t have time to worry about Bart just now. He stepped forward and pulled Critter’s gun from his holster before sliding it into the waistband of his pants, and then he grabbed Critter’s shoulder and spun him around. Instantly he recognized the man. It was one of the three men he’d left tied up after rescuing Joe and Bart.

                “Oh shit….” Critter whimpered as he looked up at Jonah. “Ya ain’t got no damned skillet this time and I ain’t tellin’ ya nothing!”

                “Skillet?” Joe mouthed to Reb and the one-eyed man shrugged.              

“You know where she is, Critter, which means you’re gonna be telling me where she is.” Jonah countered. Critter shook his head.

                “My lips are sealed. I gave you her damned note.”

                “Oh yer gonna open yer damned lips real fast.” Joe warned as she stepped forward. Jonah couldn’t help but notice the way that Critter blanched at the sight of her.

                “You? Aw damn! Y’all I didn’t have a choice but to do what I did. If I hadn’t done it then she would have killed me!”

                “Why don’t ya save it fer somebody who might give a damn about what you have to say!” Joe ground out. Then her fist clenched and without warning she caught Critter hard in the jaw. His head snapped back and he lunged for Joe, only to be stopped when Jonah grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the wall, sliding the man up it and lifting him into the air.

                “You won’t lay a goddamned hand on that woman.” Jonah growled as Critter trembled and struggled to breath. “I don’t care if she spits in your face, punches your jaw or plucks your fingernails off one by one, you’ll just stand there like a good little boy and keep your hands to yourself. Is that understood?”

                “Y…yes…” the man gasped.

                “Good.” Jonah replied, his grip tightening. “Now you go on to sleep now and I’ll wake you up when I need you.” Jonah watched the man’s eyes begin to cloud as he clawed at Jonah’s arms but Jonah ignored the pain of his nails and the kicks to his shins and held him firmly in place until he finally slumped unconscious against him.

                “Damn, Jonah……” Bart gasped as he took a step back. “I ain’t never seen you like that before….”

                “Me either.” Joe admitted and Jonah was sure he heard admiration in her voice. Despite the situation he couldn’t help but feel amused. Money didn’t make Joe admire a person, neither did smarts, looks or fancy gifts. But choke a man until he slips into unconsciousness and the woman was practically falling at your feet.

                “Take him to the jailhouse.” Jonah said, turning toward Reb, and turning his back on Bart. “Joe and I will be there shortly. Have him locked up nice and tight.”

                Reb nodded, adjusted his eye patch, threw Bart a puzzled glance and then grabbed Critter under his arms and dragged the man away.

                Jonah turned his attention back to Bart but before he could speak Joe stepped forward. “Where the devil did you come from Bart? Have ya been folllowin’ us or somethin’?”

                “No.” Bart replied quickly, then he pulled off his hat and sighed. “Yeah…. I figured those men would come back after y’all and I just wanted to look out for you and Clayton. I wanted to say something once we reached Barbadine but I was afraid that y’all would whoop my ass again so I stayed away. Then I heard about Clayton last night and I searched… I was on the back steps just now cuz I was working up the nerve to come and talk to you both. To apologize again and offer my help in finding the boy.”

                Jonah tried to find the anger that he’d felt before for Bart but it simply wouldn’t come. His mind was too consumed with rage at Critter and the other men who had taken his son, guilt over the fact that he hadn’t protected Clayton and pain over the loss of the boy. Anger at Bart just wasn’t something Jonah could manage right now.

                “Okay.” He replied simply and then he pulled the letter from Scarlett from his pocket and sighed. “Might as well read this before I go talk to Critter.”   Joe came to stand beside him so she could read the letter as well.

                Jonah and Joe

                            Do not fret over the welfare of your son. I will ensure that he is properly cared for and he will be treated with the best of care. Any offspring from the loins of two monsters such as yourselves must be an animal and luckily I have a lot of experience in taking care of animals. Unfortunately there are the rare occasions when an animal must be put down, however I truly hope it does not come to that. At least not until I’ve already put down the breeding pair.

                You stole my life from me and now I have stolen yours from you. Harmon and I loved our home in Montana and we always dreamt of our future. Now I will never have that future. But I have the mountains around me as a comfort.  The mist is beautiful in the early mornings beside the thick pine forests.

                Just bear in mind that you both brought this upon yourselves and anything that may or may not occur is ultimately your fault. Your son’s life could end anytime, countless others have died within these wooden barricades, their souls trapped here, I see no reason why your son would not enjoy joining them.

                If he is a good little animal then he and I shall get along splendidly. If he is not…. I trust that you both understand. Should you choose to come after him and you are smarter than you look and able to figure out where we are, then I will be most pleased. 

                Until such a time I’m sure your son will love it here.

                My sincerest hopes that we meet again.

                Scarlett

                Joe cursed and turned, pacing back and forth on the worn carpet of the hallway. Jonah read the letter several times.

                “Joe, it won’t take two weeks. She’s not in east Montana, or even central Montana anymore. She’s further west.”

                “How the devil do ya figure that?” Joe demanded as Bart simply stood to the side. Jonah pointed at the fancily penned words.

                “Mountains. She gave us that hint. The mountains are in the western side of the state. Pine forests and mists, the barricades that people have died inside….. There is an old army fort, one that isn’t used anymore, and the men stationed there always called it….”

                “Misty Pines.” Bart interrupted. Jonah nodded.

                “That’s right.”

                “How far away is this place?” Joe questioned.

                “By train?” Jonah replied. “About a day and a half. By horse?  Four to six days depending on this weather.” Then Jonah turned to Bart. “You go and buy us up some supplies. Food, bullets….”

                “I’m on it.” Bart cut in and he quickly turned and headed out the back door. Jonah turned to Joe who was chewing furiously on her bottom lip and twisting the fringe on her sleeves.

                “She said she’s gonna kill him, Jonah…” Joe whispered, her face paling. Jonah felt his gut clench painfully and he shook his head before running his knuckle gently along her jaw.

                “She won’t kill him, Joe.” He insisted, simply because it was what he needed to believe. “At least not until we’re there to see it and once we’re there she won’t get the chance.”

                Joe squared her shoulders and stuck her chin up. “Well let’s get a move on then.”

                “I want to talk to Critter before we go. I’m fairly certain that I’m right about where she is but if I could get him to say that’s where she’s at I’d feel better.”

                Joe nodded and the two of them collected their saddlebags and then made their way to the jailhouse. Reb was there, looking annoyed as he stood behind a cell watching an unconscious Critter lying on a cot. Sheriff Phillip’s was sitting at his desk.

                “Ya got a bucket of water, Sheriff?” Jonah asked and Sheriff Phillips stood and walked out the back door.

                “So did ya kill Bart?” Reb asked and Jonah shook his head.

                “Nope. I got other things to worry about just now.”

                “Jonah figured out where she is.” Joe added and Reb’s blue eye widened.

                “Really?”

                “Yeah but I don’t want him to know that.” Jonah replied, tipping his head toward Critter. “I want him to verify that I’m right without knowing that I already know.”

                “We can’t take too long, Jonah…” Joe warned and Jonah nodded.

                “I know that.”

                Sheriff Phillips came back into the jail with a bucket of water and handed it to Jonah before unlocking the cell door that Critter was lying behind.

                Jonah sat down his saddlebags, stepped into the cell and then dumped the bucket of cold rain water over the slumbering man’s head. Critter jumped up sputtering and ready to fight, but Jonah stuck his hand in the man’s chest and shoved him back down onto the cot.

                “Stay there.” He warned. Critter blinked several times, swiping at his soaking face with his shirt sleeves.

                “What do you want from me?!” Critter demanded. “I ain’t got your damn kid and I gave you the damn note!”

                “What good is this note?” Jonah asked calmly as he tossed it onto the wooden floorboards and crushed it under his boot. “It doesn’t even tell me where my son is.”

                Critter blinked several times. “It don’t?”

                Jonah shook his head and pulled a chair beside the cot, turning it backward and straddling it so he could cross his arms over the back and study Critter. “No, it doesn’t. Which leaves me with you.”

                “I can’t tell you anything.” Critter replied shakily. “I don’t know where they took your boy.”

                “Ya better get to talkin’ right real fast, ‘fore I stick this knife hilt deep into your damned yellow belly!” Joe hissed as she came into the cell with her bowie knife gripped tight in her hand. 

                Critter’s eyes flew to the sheriff who was lounging against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “Sheriff, you gonna let them threaten me like that? Innocent ‘til proven guilty right?”

                Sheriff Phillips shook his head slowly. “You ain’t innocent, Critter. You’re as guilty as they come. Now you better just tell them what they want to know before I decide to hang you without a trial.”

                Critter swallowed hard and his eyes were panicked when he looked back at Jonah. “I never laid a hand on your boy…”

                “Where are your friends, Critter? The ones that I tied up with you.”

                “Gone.” Critter replied quickly. “They didn’t want nothing else to do with your crazy ass. You and that woman are both insane as they come. You don’t just shoot people like normal folks.. instead you stab folks and hit ‘em upside the head with skillets!”

                “Jonah, are ya a quick draw with a skillet?” Reb asked and Jonah shrugged.

                “It was what I had.” He replied. Then he turned his attention back to Critter. “You told Scarlett about my son.” Jonah stated, still maintaining that patient, calm façade. Critter shook his head forcefully.

                “No, I didn’t!”

                “Yes you did. See I can tell that you are a liar, Critter, and you say what you have to in order to keep yourself out of trouble. I believe you about your friends but you’re lying about the next.”

                Critter shook his head and Joe stepped closer, her hand tightening on the knife in her hand. “You better hurry up and get to talking or I think the lady has every intention of carving you up like a steak.” Jonah urged.

                Critter swiped at the water dripping down his face and scooted backward on the cot until he was against the wall.

                “There’s a fort in western Montana. It’s been abandoned for years and that’s where she is! She built a big old mansion right there in the middle of it and she’s got lots of men workin’ for her. That’s where they’re takin’ your boy! I don’t know the name of the place…… I’ll take you there though!”

                Jonah stood up and shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, Critter. I know where the fort is.”

                “I had to tell her about your boy! She was about to kill me and I wasn’t ready to die.”

                “I understand.” Jonah replied patiently. Joe glared up at him.

                “You do?!” she demanded. Jonah nodded and motioned for Critter to stand. The man looked at Joe nervously as he got to his feet, eyeing the knife in her hand.

                “Put your knife away, Joe, you’re scaring the man.” Jonah insisted. Joe’s jaw was tight as she slid the knife back into its holster and Jonah was thankful that for once the woman was listening to him without argument, though he could tell that it was killing her to do so.  

                “What are you doing?” Critter demanded as Jonah led him out of the cell and toward the jailhouse door.

                “Yeah what are ya doin’?” Reb agreed. Jonah just ignored them as he led Critter out into the rainy street. The streets were empty this close to the outskirts of town with the rain falling so steadily. Jonah pulled Critter’s gun from the waistband of his pants and handed it to the man, who stared at Jonah as if he were crazy.

                Jonah backed up twenty paces, mud and water sloshing beneath his boots and splattering his pants.  Critter slowly holstered his weapon before swiping at the rain running down his face.

                Jonah was aware of the eyes watching him from the jailhouse porch. He could practically feel Joe’s gaze burning holes in him. She wasn’t happy about what he was doing but Jonah wasn’t the type to murder an unarmed man. He would if he had to, but right now he didn’t have to. There was no reason the fight couldn’t be fair.  

                Shaking his head, Jonah focused all his attention on the other man standing in the rain. Both men stood there getting soaked to the bone, their hands hovering over their weapons. Jonah could tell that Critter was trembling, clearly afraid. Truth be told, Jonah was a bit nervous himself. He wasn’t the fastest draw in the west, but it was his sincere hope that he was at least faster than Critter.

                Rain dripped off the brim of Jonah’s hat as he watched Critter for any sign of movement. Suddenly Critter’s hand went for his gun and Jonah went for his as well. Both men cleared leather at the same time but Critter’s wet hands slipped on his rain soaked gun and Jonah’s grip was firm. The booming of the gunshot filled the air and Critter’s body stumbled back several paces as he looked down at the hole in his chest with shock and dropped his gun into the mud.

                Jonah simply holstered his weapon and headed toward the livery. “Come along, y’all.” He called over his shoulder. “And bring my saddlebags.”

---

                Joe watched Jonah walk to the livery and then her eyes went back to the dead man in the street. Inside that jail she had been certain that Jonah was going to let the man go. That his softer side was going to win the battle and simply let this man walk away since he’d told them what they’d wanted to know….

                But that hadn’t happened. Jonah had killed Critter and, bad as it may seem, Joe was damned proud.

                “What’s going on?” A young deputy demanded as he ran down the road toward them. Sheriff Phillips pointed at Critter’s dead body.

                “Have that taken care of.” He replied. “I’ll be out of town for a while. You’re in charge of keeping the peace.”

                Joe could tell the deputy wanted to know more but it was clear he had a huge amount of respect for the sheriff. The younger man simply nodded and then hoisted Critter’s body and began to drag him through the mud and rain toward the undertakers.

                “Well let’s go.’ Sheriff Phillips said as he stepped off the porch. He turned back to Joe and offered her an encouraging smile as she stood there clutching her stomach. Thoughts of Clayton and what was happening to her innocent son freezing her in place.  “Let’s go find your boy.”  

                Joe managed a nod and then walked stiffly off the porch. Jonah was saddling their horses at the livery and Joe and Reb approached him.

                “Where we going?” Reb asked.

                “That fort he was talking about. They call it Misty Pines and it’s only about a four or five day run.” Jonah replied.

                “Be quicker by train wouldn’t it?” Bart asked as he entered the livery with sacks of supplies. Joe wasn’t sure what to make of Bart just yet. She wanted to trust him and have his friendship back and yet the pain that he had caused her, Clayton and Jonah simply couldn’t be forgotten.  Joe quickly decided she had too much to worry about just now to worry about Bart. She would deal with him later.

Sheriff Phillips shook his head in response to Bart’s question. “Next train heading that way isn’t for another week.”

                “Well that’s enough chit chattin’.” Joe snapped as she mounted her horse. “Get them supplies in some saddlebags and let’s get gone.”

                The men were quick to oblige and soon the five of them were riding hard out into the rain.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Clayton’s stomach rumbled and clenched tightly, the growls it was giving out seeming extra loud inside this damned trunk he was still locked up in. Hungry didn’t begin to describe what he was and his mouth was so dry he could barely open it… His tongue felt swollen and it was sticking to the roof of his mouth. He needed something to drink but, true to his word, the big man hadn’t given him any food or water.

                Clayton didn’t even know how long he’d been in this trunk, though he had been removed from the train a while back and was now being bounced and jostled around painfully in the back of a cart or wagon. Every part of him hurt but he was determined not to cry anymore.

                He’d been told by more than one person that he was a genius. He hadn’t known what they were calling him at first but he had later figured out it meant he was really smart. He knew that most children his age were still picking their noses and chasing chickens, (which was actually kind of fun), but Clayton was more like a little grown-up, least that’s what his mama always said.

                It made him different. It made the other children in towns not want to be around him. The children his age were too immature and the older children saw him as a baby. It had always shocked the grown ups that he and his mama met as well. Clayton had always kinda liked being different but right now…. Right now he felt like a baby.

                He had cried for hours. He wanted his mama. His belly was hurting.  And the worst part was he had peed in his pants because he hadn’t been able to hold it any longer. What would his mama and pa say? They’d probably be ashamed of him. He was supposed to be tough. He was Clayton Winchester! Right now though he felt anything but tough.

                The lurching movement of the cart stopped and Clayton listened intently to the voices around him.

                “We got that package for Miss Scarlett.” The big man’s voice rumbled.

                “She’ll be happy about that, Bear.” Another man replied. Bear? What kind of mama named their child Bear? Clayton would have giggled if he hadn’t been so thirsty.

                “Let’s get his gate opened and y’all can come on in.” a third voice spoke up.

                Clayton whimpered when the cart began to move again and he was once again jostled against the trunk. It wasn’t long however before the cart stopped again and Clayton felt the trunk being lifted.

                “Should we let him out?” a man grunted.

                “No. Let the bastard stay in there until Scarlett decides to let him loose.” Bear replied with a growl. Clayton hated that man. Hated him. Hated him. Hated him.

                It seemed like forever that Clayton was carried. The wetness on his pants was starting to make him burn…. He squeezed his eyes shut tight when his stomach growled and clenched painfully once again.

                He heard a knocking sound and then a door opened.

                “Bear!” A woman exclaimed. Her voice was smooth and proper… She sounded rich. Clayton wasn’t sure how a person sounded rich but she sure did. “What’s in that trunk?”

                “That thing you asked for.” Bear replied.

                “How long has he been in there?” the woman demanded, sounding angry as the trunk once again began to move. Clayton cried out when suddenly the trunk was tossed down roughly on the ground and he felt the impact in his bones.

                “Since we grabbed him. I was gonna let him out but the little monster attacked me.” Bear replied. Clayton heard the woman laugh.

                “Honestly, Bear… He’s four years old. All they do is pee on themselves and cry for their mamas.”

                “This one does a bit more than that I’m afraid, Miss Scarlett.” Bear grumbled.

                Scarlett? This was the woman he’d heard his mama and pa talking about. She is the woman who sent those men who had hurt his mama. Clayton wasn’t sure exactly why she wanted to hurt his family but he was going to teach her a lesson about it just as soon as he got out of this damned trunk!

                “Give me the key.” Scarlett ordered.

                “I don’t…..” Bear began.

                “Don’t argue with me, Bear.”

                “Yes ma’am.”

                Clayton was preparing to fight when suddenly he realized that would be pointless just now. He was too weak and tired to do any real damage and so what if he did manage to hurt her? He had no idea where they were and it sounded like she had at least a few men around to help her. They would just get Clayton if he managed to get away from Scarlett.

                She seemed to think he was a baby so he would be a baby. He would make her think he was as stupid as she apparently thought he was and then later, when things were a bit more in his favor, Clayton would get away.

                The lid opened and Clayton’s eyes immediately squeezed shut against the bright light that flooded them.

                “He’s bigger than I thought he’d be….” Scarlett stated.

                “From what I saw of his pa, Jonah’s a fairly tall man.”

                Clayton opened his eyes just a crack and couldn’t believe how pretty this woman he’d thought was a monster was! She looked like some kind of princess or queen from a storybook. Her skin was pale, smooth and flawless.  She had pretty painted lips and her eyes were brown and friendly as they looked down at him and the scent of cinnamon drifted down to his nose.

                “Hello, there….. What is your name?” she asked, her voice kind. Clayton was confused. Wasn’t she supposed to be a bad guy? Bad guys weren’t supposed to be pretty or smell good or talk to you nice.

                “Clayton.” He replied quietly.

                “Oh dear, Clayton! You’ve had an accident!” Scarlett exclaimed with sadness. She stood up straight, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder as she looked at Bear. “Yes he seems very deadly….. Go find the boy something to wear.”

                “And where am I supposed to find clothes to fit him?” Bear grumbled.

                “Somewhere.” Scarlett snapped, her brown eyes flashing as she pointed toward the door. Clayton couldn’t help but feel happy to see Bear put so thoroughly in his place.

                “Scarlett, I was kinda hoping…..”

                “Later, darling.” Scarlett purred, laying her hand on Bear’s cheek. “Now go find the boy something to put on. He cannot go around covered in his own urine.”

                Bear nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. Clayton realized he was alone with Scarlett. She held out her hand and he took it as she helped him from the trunk.  “While we’re waiting on him, how about I get you something to drink?” Scarlett asked with a warm smile.

                Clayton nodded and watched her glide across the room to a crystal decanter full of water. Gliding was the only word for how she moved… It was like she was floating off the ground. It was really pretty.

                Scarlett filled a glass with water and placed it in Clayton’s hand. Clayton began to gulp at it greedily and Scalett was smiling as she led him to two chairs beside a window. Clayton looked around the room once he was sitting. There was a desk toward the back wall and a fireplace beside it with a fancy stone mantle.

                The room was full of dark woods and dark paint. The furniture was all real shiny and costly looking… It was all polished real nice just like Scarlett. Clayton’s house hadn’t had nothing polished in it. Mama had always said that polish just made ugly things look pretty. That if things were already pretty they didn’t need any polish on them.  All polish did was hide the ugly.

                Looking at Scarlett, it was clear she had a lot of polish….

                Scarlett went to the door and opened it. Clayton couldn’t see who she was speaking to as she spoke in hushed tones, but she was smiling as she closed the door and walked back to sit down in the chair beside his.

                “I have someone fetching you something to eat.” She assured him as she smoothed out the thick satin folds of her fancy purple dress. Clayton couldn’t believe how fancy her dress really was. It was covered in beads and lace and it hugged her body up top while flaring out at her waist.

                She looked like a queen. But why would a nice, beautiful, kind woman like Scarlett want to kill his mama and his pa?

                “Poor child, I’d say all of this has been scary for you hasn’t it?” Scarlet asked gently.        

                Clayton didn’t trust this woman but he had to make her think he was just a regular four year old and he had a feeling that a regular four year old would be fooled by being talked nice to.

                “Yes, ma’am.” He replied quietly. Scarlett’s hand patted him on the back lightly and then she smoothed his blond hair from his brow.

                “Don’t you worry anymore. We’re going to get you cleaned up, fed and then I’ll take you to your own special room.”

                “Where are my mama and pa?” Clayton asked and he saw something flash in Scarlett’s brown eyes. Something that caused her to not look nearly as sweet or kind as she had just a moment before. Then just as quickly as the temper had appeared it was gone.

                “I’m expecting them within a few days, Clayton, and then we’ll all talk and sort all of this out. I’m sure that we’re going to have a wonderful time together until they get here.”

                Clayton had his doubts about that but he kept them to himself. His mama and pa would be here eventually and when they got here he had to make sure he was strong enough to help them. Which meant he needed to eat, drink, rest and try to keep this beautiful, yet clearly a little insane, woman happy.

---

                Scarlett watched the boy, Clayton, as he sipped at the glass of water and stared out the window at the tall log fence surrounding the house and  bunkhouses. It was clear that this was Jonah’s son. He had the same hair as his father and those eyes…. It was like looking at Jonah nearly thirty years in the past.       

                Scarlett could see Joe as well. The boy had his whore of a mother’s lips and there was something in the way he sat in that chair that reminded Scarlett of Joe. He also had dirt streaked across his face just the way his mama always had.

                Scarlett had wanted to hate this boy. She’d had every intention of doing everything she could to make him miserable and cause him pain before his parents arrived…… But when she had opened that trunk and seen that little face looking back up at her, she’d realized that was no longer what she wanted. Clayton was young. He was only four. Scarlett knew next to nothing about children but surely a child that was only four wouldn’t have any lasting bonds with his parents….. .

                Perhaps if Scarlett had his parents killed and then kept the boy and cared for him, he would forget all about those monster parents of his and see her as his mother.

                A knock sounded on the door and Clayton jumped. “It’s okay, dear.” Scarlett purred as she patted his shoulder.

                His gray eyes met hers and she thought she saw something in them that unsettled her. Some awareness or intelligence that she hadn’t expected to see in the eyes of a child so young. But then just as soon as she had seen it, it was gone and he was blinking innocently at her.

                “I’m hungry.” He stated as he covered his stomach and Scarlett heard it growl loudly.

                She nodded and quickly went to the door to find Bear standing there with an outfit that appeared to be about the right size for Clayton. “Where did you find them?” Scarlett asked.

                “Prescott had them. He has a fondness for little boys and keeps their clothes.”  Bear replied with a shrug. Scarlett felt her stomach turn a little at the mental image those words brought to mind but she quickly shook her head to clear it.

                “Thank you, Bear.”

                “Scarlett, can we get some alone time?” Bear growled and Scarlett rolled her eyes when he reached down one big hand and fondled himself through his pants.

                “Later, I promise.” Scarlett replied, running her hand down his arm. “I know I owe you your payment for your services. Just allow me to get the boy settled in and then I will send for you.”

                Bear glared at Clayton over Scarlett’s shoulder and then he nodded with defeat and slumped his massive shoulders. Scarlett took the clothes from him and then smiled when Clayton’s food arrived.

                “I’ll be bringing the boy down to the water closet shortly. Please ensure that there is plenty of warm water.” She told the short china-man after she took the tray of food from him. The man bowed and then quickly walked away.

                “I want to come in with you.” Bear admitted. “That boy aint’ safe.”

                Scarlett had her hands full with the clothes and food tray and so she fixed Bear with a look that could have frozen hell. “That boy is an innocent child and there is nothing dangerous about him.”

                Bear pointed to a long cut on his cheek and then held out his arms so Scarlett could see the dozens of cuts marring his forearms. “Bear Bear, what happened to you?” she whispered and he pointed at Clayton.

                “That boy. He ain’t no normal boy, Miss Scarlett. Just be careful….” Bear’s hand caressed her cheek gently and Scarlett leaned into it as her body trembled. She had to admit that Bear got to her like no other man since Harmon.  She felt her clit pulse when Bear’s thumb caressed her bottom lip and she gazed up into his eyes.           

                “Just let me get him settled in, Bear, and I’ll call for you. I’ve missed my big man.” She whispered, longing to press her body against his but not wanting Clayton to see her act that way. Bear appeared to be in pain but he nodded slowly and then turned and walked away, though Scarlett could see him adjusting himself in his pants.

                She turned back to Clayton and smiled as she held up the clothes and food. “You can eat and then I will take you to get a bath. Tell me, Clayton, have you ever used a shower?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Joe and Jonah sat at the edge of the gully they were camped next to. The rain had finally stopped but not soon enough to keep them from getting thoroughly soaked. Joe was glad that Bart had thought to buy dry tinder when he’d gotten the supplies or else they wouldn’t have even had a fire to try to dry out beside.

                Joe could feel the fire on her back as she sat there curled up against Jonah’s side. His strong arm was wrapped around her and his hand was holding hers, their fingers twined together tightly.

                Joe knew they were both equally scared. They were both barely holding on as the panic for their son gnawed at their minds. Neither had wanted to stop riding and would have ridden all night but Reb and the sheriff had pointed out that they wouldn’t get very far if they killed their horses.

                So now they sat together, just far enough from camp to feel alone and yet close enough to be in the glow of firelight. While Joe probably would never admit it aloud, she needed the feeling of security she felt with Jonah’s strong body holding hers tightly. She needed the strange kind of comfort that came from sharing your pain and your fear with someone who was feeling the exact same things.

                “I’m sorry, Josephine.” Jonah whispered gruffly, his breath warm against her hair. Joe frowned as she snuggled up deeper in his arms. There had been a time when cuddling like this, appearing weak like this, would not have been something Joe would have done with the other men at camp able to see her, but now she didn’t really are what they thought. She needed her husband’s touch. Jonah was all that was keeping her from completely losing her mind.

                “Fer what?” Joe asked quietly.

                Jonah sighed, his thumb gently stroking her wrist. “For everything. For all of this. For falling for Scarlett’s lies. For being so damned determined to make her pay for making a fool out of me. For being so drunk and lost that Bart felt he had to protect you from me. For not killing Critter the first time I had a chance to. Maybe if I’d have just killed him then she wouldn’t have…..”

                Joe cut Jonah off by sitting up straighter and pressing her lips against his. The kiss was tender and full of all the love she felt for him and his eyes remained closed as she pulled away. “Stop, Jonah.” She warned gently. “Ya have to stop living in the past. Lots of men fell fer Scarlett’s lies which leads me to think she really does have a candied clit ‘tween them legs, and of course ya wanted revenge on her! Hell I would have hunted her down too if she’d damn near gotten me killed. As far as being drunk and lost, hell Jonah, I probably woulda been in the same damned shape as you were after losing ya only I had Clayton to think about… You didn’t even have him so I can’t blame ya fer feelin’ so damn alone that drinkin’ and whores is all ya had to turn to.”

                Jonah swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. “I love you.”

“I reckon I love ya too.”

Then Jonah shook his head. “I still should have killed Critter the first time.”

                “You aren’t a killer, Jonah. It just ain’t yer way and that’s a good thing. Why if’n the entire world was full of killers than we’d all more than likely be dead within a week cuz we’d shoot each other.  Scarlett would have found us again even if’n ya had killed that bastard before.  He’s dead now and you killed him. You paid him back.”

                Jonah laughed, though it was barely more than a push of breath through his nose. He squeezed her tighter and kissed her hair. “You don’t know how much I need you, Joe. Reb’s right, I’ve always turned to the bottle. There’s always been a sadness, a darkness, inside of me and it’s always been real close, almost like it was watching me and just waiting for the chance to take over…. But guess what? That darkness is damned scared of you.”

                “’Course it is.” Joe replied with a smile as she looked up and kissed his jaw. “I’m damned scary.”

                “You’re my light, Josephine. I don’t really live when I don’t have you.”

                Joe felt a tear fill her eye and she quickly blinked it away. She looked up into his gray eyes and saw all the love for her shining back out. “Why Jonah Winchester, I do believe that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She admitted with a trembling smile.

                Jonah gave her a small smile and kissed her forehead tenderly. “And I meant ever word.”

                Joe felt her passion rising as Jonah’s breath washed over her face but she quickly pushed those thoughts away and tried hard to ignore the heat between her legs. Now was not the time for making love, no matter how badly she felt as if she needed his touch.

                She wanted to turn away as Jonah’s lips lowered toward her own but instead she leaned into him, her lips parting in anticipation for his kiss. She needed Jonah’s kiss, his body against hers. She needed their bodies to become one as he touched her tenderly. Joe knew that would help chase away some of the fear and desperation she was feeling, if only for a while.

                Then suddenly her longing was doused thoroughly when a throat cleared behind them and Bart spoke.

                “I don’t wanna interrupt….”

                “Then go away.” Joe snapped without looking at him. She could feel Jonah’s grip on her tightening and knew his temper was rising. Joe hadn’t realized that Jonah had such a temper and she guessed that he probably hadn’t realized it either. She had a feeling it was a fairly new development that had come along with gaining a wife and child. That temper seemed to rear its head only when she and Clayton were threatened or Bart was around.

                “Jonah, can I speak with Joe for a minute?” 

                “I reckon she’s got ears and a mind, Bart, so why don’t you ask her?” Joe glanced up at Bart and saw him nod as he swallowed hard.

                “Joe, can we talk alone for a minute?”

                Joe wanted to say no. She wanted to tell him to jump off a cliff but then again he was helping them find Clayton and she supposed given all he’d done for her in the last five years, that she owed him at least five minutes of conversation.

                “Yeah I reckon.” She conceded with a sigh. She was about to stand when Jonah shook his head and stood instead.

                “I’ll just go get us some of them beans off the fire.” He stated and Joe watched him throw one last threatening glance at Bart who rubbed his cheek, and then Jonah walked off toward the sheriff and Bart at the fire.

                “What the devil do you wanna talk about, Bart?” Joe demanded as Bart sat down beside her and pulled his hat off. “I ain’t got no energy or spirit left fer fightin’ with ya just now…”

                “I don’t want to fight, Joe.” Bart replied, his eyes full of guilt. Joe was glad he was guilty. He should feel guilty after what he’d done. “I want to apologize.”

                “Well ya’ve done done that more than once so…..”

                “Yeah but I never really explained things…. I fancied myself in love with you, Joe, and hell maybe I am….”

                “No yer not. When ya love somebody ya think of them before ya think of yerself and what you did was the most selfish thing I can think of.”

                “I took care of you and Clayton didn’t I?” Bart demanded and Joe snorted.

                “It weren’t yer place to take care of us after I sent ya fer Jonah, Bart. It should have been him. And it would have been if’n ya hadn’t hidden the truth from him and lied to me.”

                “You’re wrong.” Bart argued. “He wouldn’t have come. He was having the time of his life without you….”

                Joe stood up and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Bart with hatred burning in her gut. Who was this man?! Was he really the same man who had done so much for she and Clayton over the years? Because right now he just seemed like a jealous, spiteful bastard who need a swift kick in his ass.

                “I won’t stand fer ya to say one more bad thing ‘bout my husband. Now if’n that’s all ya wanted to talk about I guess ya can get on back to the fire now.”

                Joe was aware of Jonah watching her and Bart closely from where he sat beside the sheriff. She also saw that Jonah seemed to have forgotten that he had quit smoking as he took a lit cigarette from Sheriff Phillips’ hand and began to puff it for all it was worth.

                Bart stood up quickly and held his hands up to offer peace. “I’m sorry. I  shouldn’t have said that. It’s just that back then I thought I was doing what was best. After what he’d done and the way I found him, I figured you and Clayton deserved better and I wanted to be that better. I hoped that one day you’d forget about him.”

                “Well you was wrong.” Joe informed him and he nodded.

                “I know. I should have told Jonah the truth and I shouldn’t have lied to you. I hurt you, I hurt Jonah and I hurt Clayton. I lost Reb and Jonah, the two best friends I ever had and I lost you, one person I didn’t want to ever lose or hurt.  And Clayton……”

                “Don’t.. ..” Joe said with a sigh. “You’ll always be his Uncle Bart just so long as he forgives ya fer lyin’. We didn’t tell him what happened but ya know Clayton.”

                “Yeah.” Bart replied with a sad little nod. “Smarter than all of us that boy is.” Then Bart looked in her eyes and swallowed hard. “What about you, Joe? I know that Jonah is probably gonna hate me forever and for some reason or another Reb chose his side…. Have I lost your friendship for good too?”

                Joe wanted to say yes, punch him real hard in the mouth and then go back to her man but she couldn’t seem to actually do those things. Bart took her silence as a sign to keep talking.

                “I never meant to hurt anybody. Nothing I did was meant to hurt anybody. I thought you and Clayton were better off without Jonah. I saw the mess that he’d made of himself and I didn’t want him to hurt you or the boy…. Sure I was hoping you’d let me be your man but that wasn’t the main reason I did what I did….”

                “I understand why ya did what ya did… kind of.” Joe interrupted as she held up her hand. “As far as forgivin’ ya and bein’ friends again… I just don’t know. Ya might as well of ripped my heart right out when ya told me Jonah threw that letter in the fire and said he didn’t want us…. Ya killed a part of me that day, Bart. And ya killed part of Jonah too by not tellin’ him the truth. We lost a hell of a lot of time together and now we might lose our son….” Joe’s voice broke but when Bart reached out to comfort her she jerked away.

                There was only one man she wanted comfort from, only one man she would allow herself to be weak for, and that man wasn’t Bart. She squared her shoulders and stuck up her chin.

                “We’ll talk more ‘bout this forgiveness thing when I have my son safe in my arms again, Bart…. Until then, I got more important things to worry ‘bout than yer conscience.”

                Bart’s shoulders slumped but he nodded and walked away from her. She saw him stand in front of Jonah and Jonah rose to his feet as Bart seemed to be speaking in earnest, though Joe couldn’t hear his words.

                She saw Jonah study him hard for a moment and then nod as he tossed what was left of his cigarette into the fire.  Bart looked relieved and Jonah scooped up two tin plates of beans and walked back to Joe.

                “What’d he say to you?” she asked Jonah as they settled back down in the grass and began to eat their supper.

                “He asked if I thought I could forgive him for keeping the truth from me.”

                “And you said yes?” Joe asked skeptically, blowing on a steaming spoonful of beans. Jonah nodded.

                “I don’t blame him for lying I don’t guess. Shit, Joe, I was drunk just like he says because that’s how I stayed and I probably did have a whore on each arm because I was desperate to dull the pain.. I thought you didn’t want me….”

                “Jonah, we’ve talked ‘bout how you need to get over the past.” Joe warned and Jonah nodded .

                “Yes we have and that’s why I’m going to forgive Bart. Hell he watched out for you and for Clayton and I’m grateful for that at least. He’s here now and he wants to help so I reckon that’s enough for me.”

                Joe sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the skinny man currently arguing with Reb over something. Bart looked her way and she tipped her head at him and offered him the ghost of a smile. He grinned wide as relief seemed to make his whole body slump a little where he sat on a rock.

                “There I made nice. Are ya happy now?” Joe grumbled as she turned back to Jonah. The amusement left his gray eyes and he stared down at the watery beans on his plate.

                “No. No I’m not.”

                Joe felt her heart break anew and she reached out and laid her hand on his thick forearm. “Yeah, me either.” She replied softly and they stayed that way, neither eating nor moving, simply staring off into the night, silent and motionless, until long after the fire had begun to die and the three men riding with them had fallen asleep.

---

                “Jonah, what’s the plan when we get to this fort? Have you ever been there before?” Sheriff Phillips asked the next day as they rode side by side. They’d been running the horses hard all morning and Copper had slowed up and refused to run any further, no matter how many times Jonah had rammed his heels into the beasts ribs.

                Jonah had realized then that it was time to slow up and let the horse rest a while or else he was going to lose Copper too. 

                “No, I haven’t.” Jonah admitted. “But my uncle was stationed there once and he talked about it a lot. The walls around the fort are made of logs and a good twenty feet high. There’s one main gate in front and an underground exit that he talked about sometimes. That is if the place is still the same as it was back then.”

                “How exactly are we getting in then?” the sheriff asked and Jonah sighed and said nothing. He didn’t know.

                “Dynamite blasts a purty good hole if ya use enough of it.” Reb offered and Sheriff Phillips chuckled.     

                “Yeah I reckon it does.”

                “We’ll figure something out when we get there and see what exactly we’re working with.” Jonah broke in. He looked over at Joe but she was riding off by herself and seemed to be ignoring the conversation. Bart was riding behind everyone. While his apologies had been accepted last night, the man still seemed to be unsure of how to interact with those he had hurt so badly.

                “Reb, can I talk to ya for a moment or two?” Jonah asked and Reb frowned but nodded as he followed Jonah away from the main group so they could speak in privacy.

                “What’s on yer mind, Jonah?”

                “I need your word on something.”

                Reb adjusted his eye patch. “I ain’t much fer makin’ promises, Jonah. That’s when ya start lettin’ people down when ya can’t keep ‘em.”

                “Reb, I’m serious dammit.” Jonah snapped .      

                “Okay, what is it?”

                “I know there’s a good chance that something could go wrong when we reach the fort and I need your word that if something happens to me, if I was to die, I need to know that you’ll look out for Joe and Clayton.”

                “Jonah, ain’t nothin’ like that gonna….” Reb began but Jonah cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.

                “Yes it damned well could, Reb, and you know it. I don’t trust Bart and I don’t reckon Joe would want his help anyway. You’re the only friend I have that I trust with them.  Now I need your word on it.”

                “Jonah…..”

                “Reb!” Jonah snapped, wondering why his friend was being so hard headed about this. Reb sighed.

                “Alright, Jonah. Ya got my word. If something goes wrong I’ll make sure yer wife and son are taken care of.”

                “What the devil do ya mean if somethin’ goes wrong!” Joe’s voice demanded from behind them. Jonah sighed and turned to look back at her but his words died on his tongue.

                Her face was pale beneath the streaks of dirt. Her red, tired eyes were wide and shining and her bottom lip was trembling. Jonah could tell she was about to break down. Shit.

                “Now, Joe, I….”

                Joe just shook her head and then let out a broken whoop, urging her mare into a fast gallop away from all of them. Jonah knew she was running because she didn’t want to cry in front of all these other people. She may have cried in front of them the night Clayton had been taken but Jonah knew Joe and he knew she wouldn’t’ allow herself to do so again.

                “If I die you’re in for a whole shit load of fun.” Jonah grumbled and Reb shrugged. Jonah sighed. “I’ll go get her, ya’ll just keep going and we’ll find you.” 

                Jonah waited for Reb to nod and then he clicked his tongue and urged Copper after Joe. Jonah knew Copper was tired but the horse seemed to sense that this was important and he ran hard, eating up the ground with his long sturdy legs.      

                Jonah topped a hill and saw Joe, she was off her horse and pacing in the long grass, swiping at her face furiously with her shirtsleeves.

                Jonah didn’t’ say a word as he pulled Copper to a stop and dismounted. He walked to Joe hating the way she stared at the ground as if to keep him from seeing her tears. Jonah grabbed her arm and she resisted momentarily as he tugged on her but then she gave in and let him pull her into his chest.

                Joe gripped his shirt in her fists and sobbed against his chest. Jonah held her tenderly, one hand stroking her back while the other buried itself in her hair.

                “Shh, Josephine, don’t cry no more.” He whispered gently, holding back his own tears so he could be strong for her.

                Joe raised her head and glared up at him with tear streaked cheeks. “Then you quit speakin’ nonsense like you was speakin’ with Reb!” she ordered.

                “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

                “Yeah well I did.”

                “Joe, I was just wanting to make sure that if something happens to me…..”

                Joe punched his chest hard. “Nothing is going to happen to you! Nothing can happen to you! I might have already lost my son, Jonah! I can’t lose you! I just can’t…..” Joe collapsed against him with heart wrenching sobs and Jonah continued to hold her tight.

                He whispered soothingly into her hair, mostly just making noise and not really saying anything. After a few moments Joe gave one final sniff and then stood up straight and wiped her face dry.

                “I’m sick and tired of all these damned tears!” she exclaimed with frustration and Jonah reached out and ran his thumb along her jaw, drying several drops that had pooled there.

                “I’ll dry as many as you need me to dry, Josephine. It’s kind of nice to be needed for something other than my skill at wild romps between the sheets.”

                Joe glared at him but he saw the smile tugging at her lips. Jonah felt relief fill him at the sight of that smile. Sure it was just a ghost of one but he would take what he could get. He didn’t like seeing his Joe so sad.

                “That was a foolish thing to say, Jonah Winchester. I need ya fer more than that.”

                “Spider killing?” Jonah teased. Sure he was just as sad and desperate as she was but it was his job to take care of her. His job to make her smile. He would put his own emotions aside to make sure she was okay.

                “I need you, Jonah. Yer stronger than me. Yer the one person I trust and count on. I need you more than anybody else could ever need another person.” 

                Jonah just sighed as Joe hugged him tight again. If that’s what she needed to believe he would let her but he knew she was wrong. He needed her more.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Scarlett was sitting at her desk, filling out her latest mission for the five men whom she was expecting in her office momentarily. She wanted them to rob a train carrying a shipment of weapons and part of their payment for their services was a quick rutting with her before they left and another when they returned with their mission completed successfully.

                A knock on her door had her lifting her pen from the paper and placing the lid on her ink.

                “Come in…” she called out breathily. The door opened and she expected to see the five men, fresh meat for her to enjoy. Instead Bear stepped in. Instead of being disappointed, Scarlett was pleased as she stood and went to him quickly.

                His lips found hers quickly and she wiggled her body against him, feeling him tremble and delighting in the power she held over such a large man.

                “God I want you, Miss Scarlett.” He groaned against her mouth. She reached her hand down and cupped his throbbing arousal through his trousers.

                “I can tell.”

                Bear’s hips began to pump, rubbing himself against her hand as she squeezed. He moaned loudly and then put his lips to her neck.

                “There’s something we need to talk about…” he whispered as his hand dipped down into the waistband of her skirt. His eyes widened when he realized she wore no underclothes. Scarlett was wearing only her corset and skirt since she’d been prepared for her meeting.

                “I have company coming.” She replied to his unspoken question. He grumbled, his hips still moving and his large cock still pumping against her hand. He slid on finger into her wet folds and Scarlett’s breath caught in her chest.

                “You know I don’t like that.” He warned and Scarlett sighed.

                “You know you are the only man I am with for the sheer pleasure of your touch. With everyone else it is just business.”

                Bear growled and freed himself from his trousers and Scarlett wrapped her hand around his smooth shaft. “The boy’s parents should be here any day. I have the men on alert watching for any sign.” He informed her.

                Scarlett nodded and clung to him with her free hand as he teased her with his oh so talented hands. “I can’t wait until they arrive. I’ve been looking forward to killing them for a long long time.”

                “The boy is planning something.” Bear warned, his voice becoming more hoarse and rough. Sarlett could feel her own body tightening and climbing.

                “He’s four, Bear. I don’t think they ‘plan’ things.”

                “You just aren’t seeing the real him, Scarlett, you’re seeing what you want to see. Please be careful around him…. He’s hiding something.

                “You worry too much, my dear.” Scarlett replied with a sigh and then she moved away from him, dropped to her knees and got to work on finishing his pleasure before her next appointment arrived.

                As Bear moaned and buried his hand in her hair Scarlett thought about what he had said. Was that boy dangerous?  Scarlett didn’t think so. As a matter of fact she found the idea almost laughable.

                She thought that she and little Clayton were bonding quite well. They went for daily walks through the large house, ate their meals together and she had even been reading him stories at bedtime each night. Scarlett had never thought she would be a good mother but she was faring well at mothering Clayton.

                Then again Bear’s instincts were oftentimes very reliable. It was part of what made her keep him around. Perhaps she should look into what he was saying….

                Bear’s arousal grew and tightened in her mouth and she knew he was nearing his release. Forcing the thought of Bear’s fears of Clayton from her mind, Scarlett focused all her attention on her man and his pleasure.

---

                Clayton heard the footsteps approaching his room and he quickly hid his pocketknife and the long stick he’d been sharpening with it under the brass bed he’d been sleeping in the last three nights.  

                He grabbed the box of wooden blocks that Scarlett had given him and sat down in the floor, pretending to be working hard to build a crooked tower.

                The bedroom door opened and he could hear Scarlett’s skirts swishing as she entered his room. She smelled good like always. She smelled like cinnamon and apples and it always made Clayton wish he had a pie.

He hated this place.  He was allowed out of his room to relieve himself and eat meals only and then he was always escorted by either Scarlett or that giant monster named Bear. And Clayton had only been outside once. He had grabbed the stick, that he now had sharpened into a nice spear, that day and while Bear had tried to tell him no, Clayton had thrown a temper tantrum authentic enough to impress any four year old, and the stick had quickly been permitted into his room.

                “What are you doing, dear?” Scarlett asked as she perched herself on the edge of his bed. Clayton looked over his shoulder at her and plastered that innocent smile on his face that he’d perfected since coming here.

                He didn’t mind it too bad when Scarlett was around because he knew that as long as he did as she said she wouldn’t let anyone be mean to him. She seemed to think he wanted her to be his mama and while that made him mad because he had the best mama there was, it was also something he figured was a good thing since it had kept him from being beaten too often.

                But since Bear was oftentimes left alone to keep an eye on Clayton, the beatings had still happened. He had bruises on his arms because Bear liked to grip them too tightly when he was taking him to and from the different rooms in this house. And then Bear had punched his cheek the day before when Clayton had accidently spilled hot coffee on the man’s lap. It had really been an accident…. Honest.

                Clayton’s jaw still hurt real bad but the bruise made him look tough.

                “I’m building with blocks.” Clayton replied to Scarlett’s question. She ruffled his hair and he quickly smoothed it back down. He had never liked having his hair ruffled but he’d let his mama, pa and even Uncle Reb do it since he loved them. He didn’t’ love Scarlett. Not even close.  

                “I see that.” Scarlett replied, and there was an edge in her voice that caused him alarm. Clayton thought he saw something in her eyes as well. There was a doubt or a suspicion that wasn’t usually there when she came to him.  

                “Will you play with me?” he asked and Scarlett smiled then as she dropped to her knees beside him on the floor.

                “Of course I will.”  Clayton was careful to keep their arms from touching as they stacked the blocks. He hated feeling her touch him. Her gentleness confused him. He wanted his mama so badly. He wanted to be hugged and held tight. He might be smart and tough but he needed his mama. “Clayton….” Scarlett asked, saying his name slowly. Clayton looked over at her face to see that she was frowning and picking at bark and woodchips on the floor.

                Clayton cursed under his breath but acted as if he didn’t understand. “What is it, Miss Scarlett?”

                “Where is all of this mess from?” she asked and Clayton shrugged.

                “I don’t know….” The words had no sooner left his mouth then Scarlett’s hand fell across his cheek and sent him sprawling sideways. The sharp, stinging pain caused him to cry out and he tasted something warm and coppery in his mouth. Blood.

                “You dare lie to me?!” She screeched. Clayton couldn’t believe the change that came over her face and into her brown eyes. Gone was the soft, good natured and kind woman that had been spending time with him the last four days.  She looked insane, made with rage and very scary.

                “No, ma’am.” Clayton replied as he laid his hand over his burning cheek and backed away from her, scooting in his backside across the fancy rug.

                “Bear is right! You’re hiding something aren’t you, you little monster?!” Clayton shook his head.

                “You’re scaring me, Miss Scarlett. What did I do wrong?” 

                She got to her feet and stalked toward him. Clayton let out a squeak when she lunged for him and jumped to the side to avoid capture.

                “You can stop playing dumb now, little Clayton.” She sneered. “These last few days I simply thought Bear was foolish but you are hiding something!”

                “No, I’m not, Miss Scarlett. Honest….” Clayton replied and Scarlett sneered.

                “Bear!” she called out. Clayton watched in horror as the door opened and that massive man stepped inside.                 “Hold him while I search this room. There’s something not right.”

                “Gladly.” Bear growled. Clayton saw the man lunge for him and he tried to run around him and out the door but Bear’s big hands closed around his arms and jerked him backward. “Where you goin’ little man?”

                “Ya good fer nothin’ son of a cow! Unhand me right now, or else I’ll gouge yer damned eyeballs clean outta yer head!” Clayton kicked and clawed for all he was worth, while Scarlett stared at him with shock. “Ya nasty yellow bellied coward! I’ll kick ya right where the sun don’t shine ya fat bastard! Put me down!” 

                “I told you he wasn’t all innocence and sunshine, Miss Scarlett.” Bear stated and then he grunted when Clayton’s heel nearly collided with his groin. “He’s the devil in a child’s body.”

                ‘No he’s his mother!” Scarlett hissed as she stepped closer. “All this time you pretended to be a quiet and sweet soul and you reminded me of your father…. Now I hear her voice coming from your mouth and I see her hellish temper!”

                Clayton stilled when he realized that fighting was a waste of time. He watched Scarlett search the room, tossing aside the meager belongings that she had given him over the last few days. His heart nearly blew up when she neared the bed. Scarlett stooped down and reached beneath the bed, clicking her tongue when she pulled out the knife he’d spent hours sharpening into a spear.

                “What were you going to do with this, little Clayton?” she asked quietly as she walked toward him and tapped the stick against her hand.

                “I was thinkin’ I might just stick it up yer ass, Miss Scarlett.” Clayton replied with a shrug. He figured it was too late now to play innocent. He might as well just give ‘em all the hell he could. His mama hadn’t raised him to back down from anything and while he was scared and wondered if they’d kill him, he wasn’t about to let this crazy woman know that.

                Anger flashed in her brown eyes and suddenly Clayton could see what his mama and pa had been talking about. Scarlett was evil. She hid it behind polish but there wasn’t any hiding what was flashing in her eyes and contorting her face just now.

                “Hold him tight, Bear.” She whispered and Clayton whimpered with pain when one of Bear’s arms wrapped tight around his neck and shoulders, and the other closed around his legs, holding Clayton’s body close to his and preventing him from doing anything more than squirm as Scarlett came toward him with that stick held tight in her white-knuckled hands.

                Clayton’s heart was thundering in his chest, pounding against his tiny ribcage as Scarlett neared him. She placed the sharp end of the stick against his stomach and no matter how much Clayton tried to suck his gut in, she kept the spear tight against it.

                “Was I not good to you?” she hissed, pressing the stick harder against him and causing Clayton to whimper at the pain it inflicted. He saw her smile, the bitch actually smiled, at his pain. “Did I not make sure you had toys?” She poked him again. “Food?” Poke. “Bedtime stories?” Poke. “Motherly love?” This time she poked him so hard that the spear broke his skin and Clayton cried out.

                He breathed deeply through his nose as Scarlett tossed the spear aside. Clayton knew she hadn’t cut him too deep but he could still feel blood dripping down his stomach and soaking into his chambray shirt that Scarlett had given him just yesterday.

                “My mama will kill you, Miss Scarlett.” Clayton stated, his voice was shaky from pain and fear but his eyes were locked with hers. He refused to close them or look away.

                “Not before I kill your mama, boy.” Bear warned, his grip on Clayton’s neck tightening and making it difficult to breath.

                “A dead man can’t kill nobody.” Clayton countered, as he fought for breaths.

                Bear chuckled. “And whos’ going to kill me? You?”

                “No, you big dumb bastard.” Clayton snapped, digging his nails into Bear’s forearm. “My damn pa is going to kill ya with his eyes closed. You ain’t nothin’.”

                Bear growled and threw Clayton down onto the floor. Clayton tried to keep his footing but his feet got all tangled together and he fell. Just as he was trying to scramble to his feet, Bear’s foot connected with his ribs, knocking out his breath and causing a razor sharp pain to fill him.

                Tears filled his eyes as he squeezed them shut against the pain. Every breath he took was like knife stabbing his chest and being strong was no longer an option. He was too full of pain and fear.

                “Do you know what your parents are, Clayton?” Scarlett asked as she squatted down beside him and smoothed his hair from his sweaty brow. Clayton jerked away from her touch and she grabbed his hair roughly and yanked him back, causing him to cry out again. “Your parents are murderers. They hunted my husband and I down, kidnapped us from our home and then your bitch of a mother shot my husband in cold blood. Killed him right there in front of me!  That’s the kind of people your parents are. And just as soon as I see those worthless monsters again I am going to kill them…. And then I am going to lay their dead bodies out for you to see before I let Bear finish you off.”

                Tears were pouring down Claytons’ cheeks now and Scarlett patted his face, causing the bruise from Bear’s beating the day before to throb.

                Scarlett stood then and motioned for Bear. “Take him to the cellar. We’ll see how he likes being cold and damp. He’ll regret trying to pull wool over my eyes and make a fool out of me.”

                Clayton screamed in pain when Bear jerked him from the floor by his hair and tossed him over his shoulder. Clayton would have fought against the big man if it wasn’t for the pain in his chest as he was bounced and jostled. Each movement brought forth excruciating pain and Clayton worried that he was going to vomit.

                He was taken past the kitchens and Bear opened a heavy oak door. Clayton saw the dirt walls and rickety steps as they went down them and then he was tossed very unceremoniously onto the damp, dirty floor.

                “Enjoy your stay you little bastard. I’m sure it won’t be too long.” Bear kicked a puddle of musty water into Clayton’s face and then turned and stomped away back up the stairs.

                Clayton hurt the lock engage on the door at the top of the stairs. He wanted to get up and look around but he couldn’t. He was hurting and terrified.

                He lay there on the cool ground, pulled his legs into his chest and wrapped his arms around them though instead of praying for his mama and pa to get there soon, which is what he’d prayed for so many times over the last four days, he prayed that they’d stay away. He didn’t want to see them die…..

Chapter Twenty-Five

“There’s a guard.” Reb stated in a whisper as he and Jonah lay on the ground beneath a large spruce on a rise that looked down at the fort where Jonah was sure Scarlett was keeping his son. Joe, Bart and Sheriff Phillips, who had demanded everyone to call him Phil since that’s what his friends called him, were back with the horses. Jonah had left Joe behind for two reasons.

Reason one, he hadn’t been sure what they would see and had wanted to protect her from that and reason two being that he was merely wanting to observe the fort before figuring out a plan of action and for Joe the words ‘observe’ and ‘plan’ didn’t exist.

Jonah looked around the fort to assess the situation. There was a mansion built in the middle of the fort where the old barracks would have been. There were still several small buildings which Jonah knew probably housed the many men that were milling around inside the tall log walls.

                Jonah saw the man on the outside of the walls that Reb was referring to. He was standing alone beside the east wall. The only other guards posted that they could see from here were in the watchtowers on either side of the door on the north wall.

                “We need that man.” Jonah replied and Reb nodded in agreement.

                “Let’s go get him then.”

                Jonah looked around them. It was a few hours before sunset but the thick pine forest was already growing darker. Moving silently, Jonah and Reb flitted behind the trees, approaching the man who was leaning against the log wall, his carbine held loosely in his arms.

                Jonah realized the man was sleeping while he stood. His head was down and his chin was resting on his chest. The Stetson on his head kept Jonah from seeing his face but from the even rising and falling of his breaths it was easy enough to see that the man was catching a nap.

                “Keep an eye out Reb.” Jonah whispered and Reb nodded.

                “Got my best one on it.” He replied and Jonah would have laughed if his nerves had been a tight and tangled knot, bunching and coiling in his gut. Being this close to where he knew his son was had Jonah wanting to burst in, guns blazing and get the boy back while making all those responsible for taking him in the first place pay with blood. Then the sensible part of his mind broke in and told him that would only serve to get himself and his son killed.     

                Jonah glanced around one last time to ensure that he would remain unseen by the guards in the watchtower and then he approached the sleeping man, staying crouched and low to the ground. The man shoulder was propped against the wall and Jonah made short work of coming up behind him and wrapping his arm tight around his throat.

                The man came awake in a rush and Jonah quickly used his free hand to knock the carbine away before the man could fire a shot. It took every ounce of strength that Jonah had to hold the struggling man in place and sweat quickly slicked his brow as his muscles began to ache. Then slowly the man’s resistance began to fade and all at once the man slumped in his arms.

                Jonah quickly loosened up his hold to keep from killing the bastard. He wanted him unconscious not dead.         

                A bird whistle had Jonah looking over his shoulder to where he’d left Reb and the man held up one finger. Jonah knew that someone must be coming. Quickly he grabbed the carbine from the ground and let the guard’s body fall. He took a deep breath and listened to the footfalls getting closer as he slid silently to the corner.

                The instant the second guard came around the wall Jonah gripped the barrel of the carbine and swung with all his might. The sound of crunching bones filled the quiet air as the carbine’s stock crashed against the unsuspecting man’s temple and he fell to the ground as his legs crumpled beneath him.

                Jonah checked him for a pulse and there was none. A moment of guilt tore at him but left quickly when he thought of his son and the hell the boy had probably been going through.

                It seemed that life could turn even the most honest and gentle of men into murdering monsters. It just took the right set of circumstances to push on you long enough and a person was capable of anything.

                Reb jogged over and grabbed the dead man’s ankles. “I’ll hide him, you get the other guy. Let’s be quick about it, Jonah.”

                “Naw, Reb, I figured we’d just do this all slow and leisurely-like.” Jonah grumbled and Reb chuckled.

                “Good to see that you’re sense of sarcastic wit has remained intact through all of this.”

---

                Joe was pacing the beside the horses, all her nerves on edge and her body feeling as if it could quite possibly self- combust at any moment. She felt sorry for Sheriff Phillips as he watched her pacing. She had threatened the man’s life a short while ago after his seventh attempt at getting her to sit down and the man had seemed quite scared and ready to run since.

                Bart had attempted, once only, to comfort and reassure her but she had silenced the man with only a look. She may have forgiven him for the past but that did not mean she was in any hurry to be his friend now. And she sure as hell didn’t need him telling her to stay calm or that everything would be alright!

                Joe was pissed. She was pissed that Jonah had insisted she stayed behind and yet she understood, at least deep down beneath her raging temper and growing uneasiness, why he had.  Jonah knew her and he knew that she would have had a hard time not charging in with her gun drawn to find Clayton and put a bullet in Scarlett’s face…. She also knew that Jonah wanted to protect her from seeing something that neither of them were prepared to see even in their worst nightmares. 

                She let out a growl and kicked a pinecone. She needed to be with Jonah. If something bad happened while he was there, or if something bad had already happened and Jonah saw it, then he would need her. They needed one another. She was about to go after him when the sound of approaching footsteps caused her to freeze.

                She reached for her gun and realized that the Sheriff and Bart had done the same.

                “Dammit, Jonah, next time ya decide to take a prisoner, let’s make sure it ain’t such a big bastard.” Reb’s voice came from the darkening shadows and Joe felt her entire body fill with relief when Jonah came into view. She had been so frightened that something bad would happen to him and seeing him alive, well, uninjured and helping to carry an unconscious man, was enough to make her happier than she’d been in nearly a week.

                Jonah dropped the body and signaled at Bart to tie it up before crossing the pine needle laden ground with long strides and sweeping Joe into his arms. She clung to him, no longer caring about appearing weak or needy. Those days were behind her. When it came to Jonah, she was weak and she did need him. If anybody had anything sarcastic, rude or just plain annoying to say about it then she would shoot them in the ass.

                “How’d things look?” Sheriff Phillips asked, his voice clear that he hated interrupted their moment. Joe turned in Jonah’s arms and he pulled her into his chest, still holding her tight. Joe leaned into his embrace and glanced to the unconscious man now hogtied beside the horses.

                “Like a fort with a damn mansion built inside of it, Phil.” Jonah replied. “And lots and lots of guards. I’m not real sure what she’s running here but that’s what he’s for.” Jonah tipped his head toward the tied man and the sheriff nodded. Then he put his hands over his badge and quickly removed it from his vest before shoving it deep in his pocket.

                “Before he can be any damned help we gotta wake his ass up.” Reb said with a grin and then he pulled out his canteen of water from his saddlebags and poured it over the unconscious man’s head.

                The man came to with a sputter and a curse and then his curses grew louder when he saw the four people standing over him and began jerking at the ropes that were binding him.

                “What the hell is going on?!” he demanded.

                “Yer gonna help us out.” Joe replied calmly as she crouched down to be more on his level.

                “Who the hell are you?” the man demanded.    

                “My name’s Joe Winchester and I believe yer bitch whore of a boss has my son.” The man paled significantly.

                “Shit.”

                “Yeah, shit.” Jonah growled. “Now we need you to answer a few questions for us.”

                “And why exactly would I do that?” The man sneered and Joe found her foot moving on its own according and slamming into the man’s ribs, causing him to grunt as all the air came out of his lungs in a whoosh.

                “That’s why.” She snapped.

                “Bitch!” the man gasped, his blue eyes bright with pain.  “If I get my hands on you I’ll…..”

                The man stopped talking very quickly when Jonah pulled his gun and pressed it to his temple. “You’ll not lay a hand on her if you enjoy breathing, friend.”

                “Go ahead and pull that trigger.” The man said with a laugh. “Men will swarm these woods like a pack of wolves and kill all of you.”

                “He’s right, Jonah.” Bart said quietly. “You can’t shoot him. Though it is awfully tempting….” Joe saw Bart’s hand close around the handle of his own revolver.

                Jonah took a deep breath and put his gun away but then he pulled his knife. “Alright then, we’ll do this your way. We should be far enough away to keep his screams from being heard, right?” Jonah asked as he looked up at Phil. The sheriff nodded.

                “Yep.”

                “What are you…..” the man stopped speaking and let out a cry of pain as Jonah pressed the tip of his knife into his neck, causing several droplets of blood to trickle down his dirty throat.

                “What do you want to know?” the man asked, his voice trembling and his throat bobbing as he tried to look down at the large blade. Joe shook her head at how easy the man was to break but at the same time was grateful. She wanted to waste as little time as possible.

                “My son.” Joe spoke up. “Is he there?”

                “Yes.”

                “Where?” Jonah ground out.

                “You won’t be able to get in there so why do you care? Your boy is going to die…. Hell he might already be dead.” 

                Joe saw Jonah’s jaw tighten and the blade of his knife went a little deeper causing the man to whimper and try to jerk away. “The cellar! The little bastard is in the cellar!”

                “Watch your mouth…” Bart began but Jonah shut him up with a glance.

                “Where’s the cellar?” Joe asked.

                “Behind the kitchens. There’s an outside entrance along the back wall of the mansion.”

                “How long as he been locked up in the cellar?” Joe couldn’t help but ask. The thought of her son in a cold damp cellar all alone had her heart breaking.

                “Since yesterday afternoon. Scarlett kept him in a room before that… She took real good care of him. Walked with him, ate with him, fancied herself his mother….” Joe let out a strangled sob and nearly went at the man on the ground but Reb grabbed her arm and stopped her.

                “He aint’ the one you want, Joe… Save it fer the bitch that’s holed up in that fancy mansion.”  Joe wanted to fight with Reb but knew he was right.

                “So how’d he end up in the cellar?” Jonah asked, his voice surprisingly calm given the fact that his shoulders were tense and he was still holding his large bowie knife to the prisoner’s throat.

                “I don’t know the details.” The man replied. “Alls I know is the boy was beat up pretty bad when they put him down there….”

                “How many men does she have?”

                “A couple of indoor servants to do the cooking, cleaning and daily rutting. There are twenty guards that patrol…..”

                “We killed one that was coming around the wall about the time we took you.” Jonah informed him and the man snorted.

                “Then I guess there are nineteen.”

                “What kind of operation is she running?” Sheriff Phillips demanded.

                “She hires men to do jobs for her. Robbing stages, trains, banks….. Those men come and go. There are nineteen of us left that are on her permanent payroll. We guard the place and keep her safe. Then there’s Bear. You’ll want to steer clear of him….”

                “Why’s that?”

                “He’s a mean, vicious bastard. Hell he’s the one that beat the shit out of your boy.”

                Joe felt rage boiling in her blood and then Jonah’s eyes looked back and met hers. “No looking over our shoulders?” he asked quietly. Joe glanced at the sheriff but the man simply tipped his head. Joe looked back at her husband.

                “No looking over our shoulders.”

                The man’s eyes widened. “Wait! What…..” Jonah silenced him when he slid the knife across his throat and blood spewed forth, soaking Jonah’s knife and hand.

                Jonah stood then and Bart tossed him his bandana. Jonah cleaned his hand and knife, put his knife away and then held Joe who rushed to his arms.

                “What do you want to do now?” Sheriff Phillips asked them both.

                “We need to get in there. We need to get a lay of the land.” Jonah replied. Joe could feel him trembling. She knew that despite his seemingly cold exterior killing that man had rattled him. Jonah was not and never would be a murderer but there were times when a man had to kill to ensure his family remained safe and Joe respected him for that.

                “But she knows all of us. We can’t just waltz in.” Bart countered. Jonah was quiet for a while and then he nodded.

                “It’s been over five years since she’s seen you sheriff and you’ve always had the mustache… I’d say if you shaved that off and dressed up she wouldn’t know who you are.”

                “But he can’t go in there alone!” Joe argued and Jonah  sighed.

                “I don’t see any other way. She’ll recognize Reb cuz it’s hard to forget a one eyed man and she’ll probably recognize Bart as well since she spent so much time around him. I know for sure she’d recognize me….”

                “Then I’ll go.”  Joe spoke up. Instantly Jonah tensed and yanked her several feet away from everyone else.

                “I don’t think you will! She’d recognize you too.” He ground out angrily.

                “Not if I got all gussied up.” Joe argued, squaring her shoulders. “The sheriff can’t go alone and that’s my son she’s got in there, Jonah. I’m going in.”

                “Joe…”

                “Don’t argue, Jonah, you know this is how it has to be. There have to be a couple people on the inside so that when y’all attack from the outside we can help. I don’t want to let Clayton stay locked up, cold, alone and scared in that cellar any longer than I have to.”

                “I don’t either, Joe, but I don’t want you….” Joe saw the fear and pain in his gray eyes and she laid her hand on his cheek.

                “This is how it has to be, Jonah. We have to do this so we can get back to our little cabin and back to learning what all this family stuff is about.”

                Jonah stared at her for several long moments and then finally nodded and led her back to everyone else.

                “We’ll head back to that town about an hour from here, prepare ourselves and come back in the morning.”

                Joe hated the idea of her son in that cellar for another night but she understood the need to wait. Scarlett would be ready for a nighttime attack. They needed to catch her off guard and come during the day and there was no time today with night already closing in.

                “Well let’s go then. We got a lot to prepare for morning.”

                Without another word everyone mounted up and headed back through the woods toward town, leaving the dead man there to rot for the night.

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Honestly?” Sheriff Phillips asked skeptically as he looked at Joe with doubt. “You really think you can put on that dress and do your hair and be so unrecognizable that Scarlett won’t know who you are?”

Joe laid the garment bag over her arm and nodded. “Sure do.”

“She don’t’ look nothin’ like Joe when she gets all gussied up like Josephine. She even talks different. Scarlett won’t know who the devil she is.” Reb agreed.

Bart sighed. “It’s true. Hell we’ve only seen her dressed up once and we didn’t even recognize her at first. She cleans up real nice.”

                A jealous growl left Jonah’s lips and he shoved a sack of dynamite into Bart’s chest. “That ain’t nothing for you to be concerned about.” He warned the skinny man and Bart smiled apologetically and took a step back.

“Where the hell did you get all that?” Sheriff Phillips demanded as he pointed at the sack.  

                “I stole it.” Jonah admitted. “You can arrest me for it later.” Sheriff Phillips just shook his head and took a draw off the cigarette in his hand.

                “Alright then.” Reb spoke up. “We’ve talked ‘bout what we’re gonna do come mornin’ but fer now how ‘bout we all get some rest?”

                No one had any arguments against that and once Jonah and Joe were alone in their hotel room he let go of the stoic image he’d been forcing since they’d left the fort and collapsed broken and tired in the chair beside the empty fireplace.

                Jonah knocked off his hat and then buried his face in his hands and tried hard to keep images of Clayton from his mind. His poor son. The boy was smart sure, he was tough as well, but the fact remained that in truth he was a baby. It was easy to forget that given how much older and intelligent the boy acted but Clayton was only four….

                And that bitch had him. Scarlett and Bear had been beating Jonah’s son. Jonah would make sure that Bear regretted what he’d done. He didn’t care if Bear was ‘the biggest man’ most folks had ever seen… Bear hadn’t ever come up against anything that would come close to equaling the rage that Jonah felt burning in his gut toward the man. No one messed with what was his and lived to talk about it. Not anymore. Jonah had learned his lesson about being soft and forgiving toward those who did him wrong.

                He wanted to kill them all, and he would, just as soon as he knew his son and his wife were out safely. Until that time things had to be done carefully and that meant the sheriff and Joe had to go in and get Clayton out…. Then Jonah would make sure every last person inside that fort regretted  ever siding with that no good whore.

                Jonah was startled from his thoughts when Joe’s small hands began massaging his tense shoulders and she gave his head a gentle kiss.

                “Ya don’t have to be so strong, Jonah. I reckon I can be strong fer you fer a while if’n ya need to let go of some of what you’ve been holdin’ in.”  she assured him and he groaned as he leaned back in the chair and enjoyed the way her tiny hands eased away some of the tension from his aching muscles.

                “I’m alright, Joe.”

                Joe grumbled as her lips caressed his temper and then moved lower to his ear. Jonah felt his pants tighten as her breath tickled him and then he let out a cry of shock when her teeth bit down on his ear.

                “What the hell!” he exclaimed angrily, swinging his head around to look at her. Joe simply shrugged.

                “Ya need to quit lyin’ to me. I can tell fer myself that ya ain’t alright no matter what ya keep tellin’ me.”  Jonah glared at her for a moment but then he sagged beneath her touch.

                “You’re right. I’m not.”

                “Talk to me, love, that’s what I’m here for.”  Jonah’s lips curved in a small smile.

                “I don’t want you going in there without me tomorrow. It’s my job to keep you safe.”

                “Jonah Winchester, I’ve been keeping myself safe fer a real long time so ya should try not to worry ‘bout me so much.”

                “And I guess you’d be just fine with me walking in there without you?” he questioned and he felt her grip tense almost painfully on his shoulders.

                “Point taken.” She replied. “But this is what we have to do. We have to get Clayton out of there.”           

                “I know that.” Jonah admitted with a sigh. He felt his chest tighten and a lump lodged in his throat. “Sitting here and knowing that he’s suffering is killing me.”

                Joe’s voice was quiet when she whispered, “Me too.” 

                Jonah grabbed her wrist gently in his hand and pulled her around him, settling her down on his lap. “Now, Joe, I need you to listen to me….” Jonah began and Joe sighed as she looped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. Her green/gray eyes looked up at his face expectantly.

                “Go ahead. I’m listenin’.”            

                Jonah ran his fingertips up and down the soft skin of her forearm, enjoying the way she trembled and held onto him tighter. “When you go in there tomorrow it is only to get Clayton out. Don’t you go trying to kill anyone and everyone that you see. We’ll get Clayton out, get Clayton safe and then we’ll go back and send  them all straight back to hell where they came from.”

                “So you’re asking me to leave Scarlett alive?” Joe ground out, her eyes flashing with temper. Jonah shook his head.

                “She’s going to die, Joe. I just want to make sure that Clayton is safe before we worry about vengeance.”  Jonah could tell that Joe didn’t like the idea of not killing Scarlett the moment she saw her but he also knew that Joe was smart enough to understand.

                “Fine.” She pouted. “Clayton first and then I kill the bitch.”

                Jonah chuckled quietly and then he squeezed her a little tighter as she lay her head upon his shoulder. The clock on the wall slowly ticked the time away in the silent hotel room.

                Jonah could tell by Joe’s breathing that she was falling asleep but he had something he wanted to say first.

                “Joe…”

                “Hmm?” she murmured sleepily.

                “You know how much I love you, right?”

                Joe snuggled up tighter against him and nodded against the soft fabric of his shirt. “Of course I do.”

                “You and our son are everything to me. If I could take back the last five years…..”

                Joe raised her head and looked at him with a frown creasing her brow. The lamplight cast a dull glow over the room and Jonah loved the way it shimmered off the golden highlights in her wild red hair.  “What the devil are you talkin’ this way fer?” she questioned. “I thought we’d done said we weren’t gonna worry about the past no more?”

                Jonah nodded. “We did.” He agreed. “But this has more to do with the future.”

                Joe sighed. “Never thought I’d love me a brooding, deep thinkin’ man. Go ahead, Jonah, say whatever ya got on yer mind.”

                “If something happens.. If something goes wrong and I don’t live to see the end of tomorrow….”

                “Just shut yer damn mouth right now.” Joe snapped. “I won’t hear no more talk like that.”

                “Josephine, please… I really want you to hear what I have to say.” Joe sighed with defeat and then lowered her face to his shirt, though Jonah figured that was probably just so her tears would be less noticeable.

                “Go ahead.” She urged quietly.

                “I want to spend every damn day for the rest of forever with you, Josephine. I wasted a lot of time, and no matter what Bart did or where you went, the biggest part of that blame rests on me for letting you walk away in the first place. I figured I’d have plenty of time to make that up to you and while I don’t plan on dying tomorrow, sometimes things happen….” Jonah felt Joe’s grasp tighten on his shirt and he kissed her hair.

                “If I don’t make it then I’m going to ask you for three things. One, don’t let our son forget me. Don’t let him forget how much his pa loved him and wanted him. Two, you don’t forget me.” Jonah’s voice broke a little but he swallowed hard. He hadn’t told Joe but he hadn’t been completely honest with her about tomorrow. He was sending her in to get Clayton out but he was going to attack as soon as he knew his son was safe, hopefully, keeping Joe and Clayton out of the line of fire completely. Sheriff Philips had agreed to help tie Joe up if that’s what it took to keep her away from the battle once Clayton was safe.

                Jonah didn’t know if he’d live or not but he’d make sure he took out anyone that would come after Joe and his son before he died. He would make sure his family was safe.

                “Jonah I could never forget you.” Joe whispered, her voice full of tears. “I wish you’d quit with all this… I’m gonna be right by yer side when the fightin’ starts.. or at least I’ll be right behind ya.. I’ll keep ya safe.”

                Jonah knew she was trying to lighten the mood so he smiled since he knew it would be expected of him. “ There’s one more thing… “

                “I don’t want to hear it.”

                “You’re going to hear it anyway. If I die I want you to move on. I don’t want you to be alone or lonely. I want you to find somebody who loves all the same things about you that I love. Make sure that he deserves you and don’t you dare change for anybody…..”

                “I can tell ya right now that I can’t do that last part.” Joe warned him. “I’m yer Josephine and only yer Josephine. Now I’ll make sure yer son don’t forget ya and I can promise that I’ll never forget ya but you can just forget about that last bit of nonsense.”

                Jonah sighed.

                “And since we’re talkin’ nonsense…” Joe continued. “If’n I die tomorrow. If’n she recognizes me right off the bat and puts a gun to my head nad pulls the trigger..”

                “Dammit, Joe!” Jonah exclaimed as he stood up and shoved her away from him. Jonah jammed his hands into his hair and began pacing the room, trying desperately to erase the image she had just created in his mind.              

                “Don’t you ‘dammit Joe’ me.” Joe countered as she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “If I die then I expect ya to not let our son forget me. I expect you to not forget me and I expect you to move on…… No, nevermind, don’t move on. I’d have to come back from the dead and cut off her hands if’n I caught her touchin’ ya.”

                “I wouldn’t ever want another woman, Joe.” Jonah replied with a sigh. “I tried that, remember? Moving past you? It didn’t work.”

                Joe went to his arms and he happily held her tight. “Why don’t we both agree to live through tomorrow?” she offered.

                “I think we can both agree that’s a good idea.” Jonah relented.

                Then he felt his body heat when Joe raised up on her toes and let her lips trail across his jaw, brushing feather light against his neck. His pulse began to thunder beneath her hot tongue as she let it flit out against his tingling skin.

                “Joe…” he moaned, his hands tightening on her hips.

                “No more talkin’, Jonah… Ya’ve done enough of that today.”

                Jonah nodded as he began walking backward and pulling her toward the bed. They hadn’t made love since Clayton had been taken. And right now Jonah knew they both needed this. And he wanted to make sure that they had one more night of passionate love making to take with them forever, just in case one of them didn’t make it through the challenges they were about to face.

                Jonah grinned when Joe shoved him down causing him to fall onto the bed as she stood and stared down at him. His passion for her rose and all he wanted was her touch. “Yes, ma’am. No more talkin’.”  He agreed and Joe quickly joined him on the bed, seeming just as eager to be with him.

---

                Clayton sighed as he put the finishing touches on the drawing of the well-dressed fancy woman he had drawn in the mud and then he smiled with malice as he wiped it all away in a mad rush.

                “That’s what’s gonna happen to yer head when my mama gets her hands on you,” Clayton said aloud as he stuck his tongue out at the destroyed drawing and wished that Scarlett could hear him.

                Stupid hoity toity bitch. He hadn’t seen her since he’d been tossed down in this hole. He was cold, he was damp, this place stunk and to beat it all they’d thrown him in a spare cellar! This place was full of nothing but empty crates and glass jars. Not a damn speck of food in sight and Clayton’s stomach was rumbling grumpily at the emptiness currently living inside of it.

                Clayton limped to the stash of broken bottles that he had hidden under a crate. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the sharp shards but he had them stashed anyhow. His pa had been giving him lessons about using his environment and things that were lying around as weapons and Clayton had been paying attention.

                He had also begun to dig a hole at the foot of the cellar steps. It was dark and only dimly lit by oil lamps down here and it was Clayton’s sincere hope that Bear’s big ass would step in the hole, break his stupid ankle and fall on his ugly face.

                This mental image made Clayton giggle but he quickly stopped when he felt the pain in his ribs. Clayton covered them with his arm quickly and then he rushed to the far wall when he heard the cellar door at the top of the rickety steps open.

                Heavy footfalls announced someone’s approach and Clayton glared at the man he hated more than any other person in the entire world. Bear.

                “Well hello there, little Clayton.” Bear growled, stopping on the last step.

                “Howdy, Bear Bear.” Clayton replied with a glare.

                “Nice to see your spirit ain’t broken, kiddo. The boss wants you to have some breakfast.” Bear tossed a biscuit across the cellar and it landed with a thud on the wet muddy ground before rolling to a stop at Clayton’s feet.

                “Thanks.” Clayton replied with a snort.

                “Don’t mention it. No sign of your ma and pa yet. I guess they don’t really give a shit whether you live or die, boy.”

                “Keep telling yerself that ya overgrown sack of donkey peckers. My pa’s gonna make short work of you just as soon as he gets his hands on you. Jonah Winchester ain’t a man to be messed with.”

                Bear gaped at him. “Did you just call me a sack of donkey peckers?”

                “Nope.” Clayton replied as he picked up the biscuit from the ground. “I called ya an overgrown sack of donkey peckers.”

                Clayton enjoyed the rage on Bear’s face and then he threw the biscuit with all his might and it bounced off the man’s head.  Just as Clayton had hoped Bear came for him and the big man’s foot  became tangled up in the hole and he went down hard with a bellow of rage and pain.

                Clayton grabbed a glass jar from a shelf and ran to the big man, throwing the jar with all his might. It didn’t shatter on the big man’s head but it made a loud thud when it connected and Bear curled up in a ball and covered himself.

                Clayton made a run for it then. Despite the pain in his chest, he took the rickety staircase two steps at a time and didn’t pause for a breath as he ran past the kitchens. He saw the front door to the mansion and he wasn’t sure where he planned on going once he got to the heavily guarded yard but he ran for the door anyhow.

                He was nearly there, the thought of freedom causing a smile to spread across his face and then a satin wrapped body stepped in front of him.

                Clayton tried to skid to a stop but couldn’t in time and his momentum carried him straight into Scarlett. He bounced off the woman and fell with a thud on the ground, his battered ribs causing him to cry out in pain.

                “Going somewhere, Clayton?” Scarlett sneered, her falsely sweet voice causing Clayton’s stomach to turn.

                “Nope.” He managed to gasp through his pain as he looked up at her with watery eyes.

                “Good.” Scarlett strode toward him, grabbed a handful of his thick blond hair and yanked him up, causing him to scream with a mixture of pain and pure old rage. “How did you get out of the cellar, Clatyon?”

                “The little bastard set a booby trap.” Bear growled as he approached them, though Clayton was pleased to see that the man was at least limping fairly heavy and he was sporting a new bleeding lump on the side of his head.

                Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Take him back and teach him his lesson. I have no time for this!” she exclaimed angrily. Clayton began to fight against Scarlett as Bear approached him but then stilled when a guard rushed into the mansion.

                “Miss Scarlett!” he exclaimed. Scarlett sighed and eyed him with annoyance.

                “Yes?”

                “Sorry to bother you miss but somebody is coming….”

                Clayton felt his heart fill with hope. Surely it would be his mama and pa. Scarlett seemed to be thinking the same thing as she smiled down at him.

                “Well, let’s go say hello then, shall we?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Joe could still feel the lingering effects of Jonah’s passionate kiss on her lips as she and Sheriff Phillips rode in the cart toward the fort. She hadn’t really liked the way he had kissed her… It had felt like goodbye.

                As far as Joe was concerned she and Jonah had shared one too many goodbyes already and she wasn’t nearly ready to share another one.

                “Alright, Miss Joe, you gotta remember to call me Jackson while we’re here….”

                “And you gotta remember to call me Katherine.” Joe replied with a nod. Then she growled under her breath when she realized Sheriff Phillips was staring at her hair. She had allowed a hair dresser in town to dye it black. Jonah had nearly had a conniption when he’d seen her until she’d managed to convince him that it would wash out within a month or so.

                Joe had found it both irritating and endearing when Jonah had gotten so angry to see her hair changed. He’d accused her of ‘playing God’ and ‘messing with perfection’…. A bit dramatic perhaps and yet it had stroked her ego and that slight bit of vanity that the woman in her possessed.

                “Katherine, I do believe you’re an entirely different person.” Sheriff Phillips admitted. “Why I wouldn’t recognize you if it wasn’t for the way you talk.”

                “And therein would lie the quandary that we find ourselves facing, sir.” Joe replied, using her best ladylike impression complete with a bat of her lashes and a dazzling smile. She nearly laughed aloud when Sheriff Phillips swallowed hard and came close to falling off the cart.  “A quandary that can be easily rectified with proper grammar and enunciation. You see, Jackson, it does not quite matter what the woman was born as, if you dress up a hog fancily enough then the fools of this world can be convinced that she is a lady.”

                “Well I’ll be goddamned.” The Sheriff mumbled. Joe gasped and covered her chest with one hand while adjusting her fancy hat with the other.

                “Jackson! Please do watch your language! Speaking that way in front of a lady… You should be ashamed of yourself!”

                “Uh….” The sheriff rubbed at his neck guiltily. “Sorry ‘bout that, Katherine.”

                “That’s Miss Katherine to you.” Joe countered and then she winked and a grin spread across his face.

                “This might just work.”

                “Of course it will.” Joe agreed. Sheriff Phillip’s and herself were not recognizable. He had shaved off his thick black mustache, leaving his face as clean and smooth as it had been on the day he was born, other than the scar across his thin upper lip. He had also switched out his Stetson for a bowler hat and his trail worn clothes for a fancy new suit complete with a shiny gold pocket watch and chain.

                “So we got the plan to get inside clear?” the Sheriff asked as they neared the large wooden gate at the front of the fort.

                “Yep.” Joe replied and then she sighed. “I mean, most certainly. We are a very happily married couple traveling to our new land in the wide open northwest. Though this morning we are not as happy as we would normally be because you got us lost and we have been wandering through the night. We could really use a bite to eat and a bit of rest before getting directions to our destination.”

                “Damn… you’re good at that….”

                “What would that be, darling?” Joe asked with a raise of her brow, (also freshly dyed black).

                “Acting like a right proper lady.”

                “I was raised to be one until my mother was murdered, Sheriff. I know how to play the part.”

                Their conversation was interrupted when a guard called out from the watchtower. “Stop right there! Who are you and what business do you have here?”

                “Here goes nothing.” The Sheriff whispered and then he sat up a bit straighter and looked up at the guard high above them. “Hello, sir. My name is Jackson Proffit and this is my wife Katherine. We are on our way to Wapita but, I’m afraid to say, that I must have taken a wrong turn….”

                “Oh darling that’s a bit of an understatement don’t you think?” Joe spoke up as she smoothed out the light blue satin of her skirt. “The wrong turn of which he speaks was taken around midday yesterday and henceforth we’ve simply been wandering around these dreadful pine forests and communing with all the dreadful little creatures that live in them.”

                Joe could sense the Sheriff’s amusement but each of them were careful to remain in their roles. “Yes well, dear, perhaps if you could offer some assistance in finding the correct way we should go instead of simply sitting there as pretty as you please and complaining with every breath you take….”

                “Complaining!?” Joe exclaimed, covering her chest with her gloved hand. “My darling, I have not yet begun to complain. You have been dragging me all over creation in search of this town you claim will be our own little Eden….”

                “Sorry to intrude…” The guard spoke up and Joe and Sheriff Phillip’s both looked up at him with annoyance carefully plastered on their faces. “What you folks need to do is turn on around and head east. You’ll reach a town in a couple of hours.”

                “Sir, I beg of you, my husband dearest here has had us wandering throughout the day yesterday and through the night. We have no food and are very tired. I must also see to some feminine needs. Praytell might we be allowed to come in long enough to replenish our stomachs and relieve ourselves?”

                “Your stomach will survive ‘til you get to town.” The guard stated gruffly. “And there’s plenty of bushes to help you take care of the rest.”

                “The WOODS?!” Joe exclaimed in a high pitched screech of disbelief that even she was proud of. “You wish for me to lift my skirts in the woods?! I, sir, am a lady!”

                “Sir, get your loud mouthed harpy on out of here.” The guard warned, raising the carbine in his hands. Sheriff Phillip’s stood up and fixed the guard with an angry glare.

                “You sir will watch how you speak to my wife. Now she might be a harpy but she’s my harpy…” Joe fought the urge to elbow the good Sheriff’s knee caps. The guard acted as if he were about to speak but then he looked behind him.

                “I’ll be right back. Stay where you are.” He warned them and then he disappeared from sight.

                “Harpy?” Joe whispered, fighting back a grin as Sheriff Phillip’s sat back down. He laid his hand over his heart and offered her a smile.

                “My harpy.”

                “Jonah’ll kick yer ass if’n he hears ya talkin’ like that. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the man tends to go a bit crazy now and then.”

                “A man tends to do all kinds of crazy things when it comes to his family.” He agreed and Joe simply nodded, remembering what he had told them about the murder of his own family and his own actions afterward.

                “Alright you two.” The guard called from atop the door. “The boss says to go ahead and let you on in.”

                Joe nodded her thanks and then the wide log doors began to swing open. Joe took a deep breath to steady herself and prepare for seeing that damned whore who had stolen her son. She knew that she had promised Jonah to be a good girl and not act until Clayton was out of here and safe. She also knew that Jonah was watching them closely through a looking glass from a tree a short distance away.

                He would see anything and everything that took place just inside the fort, however once they were inside the house he would no longer be able to watch and therefore wouldn’t know if she needed help.

                The plan was to sneak Clayton out though no one knew exactly how they were going to accomplish that feat. Joe knew that she would just have to let the wind carry her in whichever direction it felt was right to save her son.

                Joe looked around the fort as the entered and took stock of everything that she saw. One building that seemed to be a barracks. Two smaller buildings were beside it and there were a couple even smaller buildings along the side wall of the fort. Joe guessed these were supply buildings.

                The mansion in the center didn’t surprise Joe in the least. This was the kind of home she had expected Scarlett to live in. Loud, gaudy and ostentatious. Stained glass on some of the windows, vast columns and even a gargoyle statue. Though even Joe could admit that the flower gardens and the fountain were rather beautiful.

                Then her eyes fell on Scarlett and hatred burned in her gut. The woman hadn’t changed in five years… If anything she was more beautiful than she had been. As their cart neared Scarlett and Sheriff Phillips pulled it to a halt Joe saw Scarlett’s eyes fall on her.

                Joe forced herself to act as if she’d never seen the woman before as she smiled politely. She could feel the two guards in the watchtowers watching her closely and there were eyes everywhere around the fort. Men lounging against barrels, sitting on the benches beside the barracks and smoking while they stared at the newcomers.

                Joe also saw Bear. She recognized him from the train station and he truly was the biggest man she had ever seen. And then Joe saw the boy standing behind him. Only the boy’s arm and a tuft of air were visible but she knew that was her Clayton. Joe’s heart cried out for him and it was almost as if he must have heard her because he took a step to the side and his eyes met hers.

                Joe prayed he would recognize her and know that his mama had come to save him and then his eyes moved past her as if not caring that she was there at all and she saw sadness in their gray depths. It seemed as if her disguise was a good one. Her own son didn’t even know who she was.

                As Joe allowed Sheriff Phillips to help her down from the cart, she took in Clayton’s appearance. He was dirty and his cheek was bruised. His sleeves were rolled up and bruises marred the smooth skin of his arms. There was also dried blood soaked onto the front of his shirt. His hair was a mess, his eyes were tired and she could see the slump in his shoulders.

                Scarlett couldn’t die soon enough.

                “Hello and welcome to my home.” Scarlett stated with a gracious smile as Joe and Sheriff Phillips stood in front of her. Joe tore her eyes away from Clayton and smiled back at Scarlett.

                “Thank you so much for allowing my husband and I to come in and rest ourselves.” She replied graciously. Scarlett studied her hard for a moment and then she studied the Sheriff.

                “What were your names again?”

                “I’m Jackson Proffit and this is my wife Katherine.”

                “My name is Scarlett and it is wonderful to meet you. Sorry about the less than warm reception but I have been expecting visitors that I’m not very keen on having and the guards were simply worried that you might be them.”

                “We are trying to reach Wapita.” Joe replied with a tip of her head. “But my husband dearest here took a wrong turn around midday yesterday and has had us wondering the woods all night.”

                Scarlett’s eyes widened. “You must be exhausted!”

                “Quite.” Joe replied fixing Sheriff Phillips with a glare that had him clearing his throat and smiling apologetically.

                “You are more than welcome to come on in, clean up a bit and then join us for breakfast. We were just about to sit down to eat.”

                “Is this your son?” Joe asked as she once again turned to Clayton. She saw Bear’s hand squeeze Clayton’s shoulder and pain filled her son’s eyes. It took every ounce of willpower that Joe had to keep from pulling the gun that was in her dress pocket and putting a bullet directly into the biggest man she’d ever seen’s giant head.

                “Yes. I apologize for the shape he’s in. He’s a rambunctious one and always covered in dirt and finding new ways to hurt himself.” Scarlett replied with a smile. “Now please come on in to my home and allow me to show you to a washroom. It has been ever so long since I’ve had another lady to talk to!”

---

                “Well they’re inside.” Jonah ground out as he shoved the looking glass back into his pocket. He quickly made his way back down the tree and Reb nodded.

                “It’s gonna be okay, Jonah. Joe can take care of herself.”

                “Yeah I know she can.” Jonah agreed truthfully. But that didn’t help ease the fear he was feeling. At least he had seen his son. Clayton was alive and the relief of knowing that and seeing his son with his own two eyes had eased at least some of the panic he felt.

                But having Joe out of his sight and in that house with that madwoman was going to drive him crazy. Though Jonah was glad to see that most of the guards were either outside or in the barracks. He had counted a total of thirteen which left only five unaccounted for. Those men must be inside the house… Jonah’s only hope was that the hired help inside would not risk their lives for Scarlett. He and his friends could probably handle eighteen guards if they played things right but if all the cooks, servants and the rest fought for Scarlett then their odds went down considerably.  

                “Where the hell is Bart?” Jonah demanded as Reb took the looking glass from him and turned to start up the tree and take his shift.

                “He said he wanted to go for a walk.” Reb replied.

                “A walk?”

                “That’s what he said. I think the little bastards backin’ out. Never figured him fer a coward though.”

                Jonah shook his head and watched Reb climb into the tree. Jonah hadn’t figured Bart for a coward either but then again he hadn’t thought the man would ever lie the way he had and clearly Bart had done that so….. But this wasn’t good. If Bart didn’t come back then there would be one less person to help take out Scarlett and her people.

                Jonah sat down at the base of the pine and tried desperately not to think about what might be going on inside that house. If Reb saw any movement, any rush toward the mansion, anyone sneaking out the back then he would tell him.

                Seconds ticked by and turned into minutes which in turn became hours. One hour…. One and a half hours… Nearly two hours passed without a sound and then suddenly Reb let out a shocked gasp.

                Jonah jumped to his feet, (and very nearly out of his skin at the sudden sound). “What is it?!” he demanded.

                “Shit.” Reb muttered, never taking his eye away from the looking glass. Jonah fought the urge to shoot the bastard out of the tree.

                “What?!” he ground out through his tightening jaw.

                “Jonah… We got a problem.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Bart was in trouble. He had messed up royally. Seems ‘His Royal Mess-up’ is what his whore of a mama should have named him.

                Bart had only meant to help. He had thought that if he came around the backside of the fort where he could better see the tiny exit from the cellars then he might be able to help Joe and Clayton if they came out this way. Or possibly even figure out how to get in and help from the inside.

                He had been tired of simply standing around and being in the way. He had been tired of the angry glares and the annoyed sighs whenever he tried to speak. He had been desperate to redeem himself and in doing so he might very well have just signed the death certificates of those that he loved… because he did love Clayton and Joe. He loved them something fierce.

                He had had the best of intentions. They had been true and pure and good… But then his mission to be helpful had been interrupted by the butt of a rifle cracking against the back of his head and now he was drifting in and out of consciousness as two men dragged him by the arms into the fort. At least he knew now that there were only three unaccounted for men in the mansion instead of five. Of course the mansion seemed to be directly where these two bastards were taking him.

                Bart was dragged inside, his feet trying desperately to gain traction and his legs fighting to stand on their own as they crossed the marble foyer and then passed down a hall before entering a large dining room.

                The table was vast and laid out with breakfast for those seated there. Bart’s eyes were fighting to close, not wanting to remain open any longer, but somehow he made them as he looked around the table and when his eyes fell on Joe and he saw the shock, dread and anger on her face, he knew he in a whole hell of a lot of trouble.

---

                “This breakfast is positively delicious.” Joe said as she wiped at the corners of her lips with her napkin. They had been in here for what had to be close to two hours and she was growing tired of the act. Tired of forcing this politeness toward the woman who had been so cruel to her son.

Scarlett smiled before sipping at her tea. “I have two of the best cooks in this country in my kitchens. My late husband left me with a small fortune when he was murdered and I have made the most of it.”           

                “Murdered?” Joe gasped, feigning shock. “How dreadful.”

                Scarlett nodded, her big brown eyes filling with a mixture of sadness, rage and what could only be described as insanity. It became very clear to Joe then that Scarlett had changed in one very important way in the last five years. She had, quite literally, lost her mind.

                “My Harmon was a good man. A loving and kind man who saw to my every need. And then one night he was kidnapped and murdered by a vile woman who was only angry that he did not want her.” Joe wanted to offer a snide remark but she felt a pain in her shin when the Sheriff kicked her under the table and stopped her from doing so. “I do not wish to talk about that woman though.” Scarlett stated. “I prefer to remember the amazing man my husband was.”

                “Forgive me for asking, ma’am, but is there a reason why lady such as yourself would need an entire fort?” Sheriff Phillip’s asked and Scarlett shrugged one dainty shoulder as she leaned to the left and let her hand caress his forearm. Joe saw the bumps cover his skin and she rolled her eyes. Even the good Sheriff was attracted to the devil woman. Candied clit. That had to be the secret.

                “I like to have my privacy, Jackson.” She practically purred. Joe cleared her throat delicately and laid her napkin back across her lap.

                “Jackson, my love, you should not ask such personal, and potentially offensive, questions of the woman who was kind enough to open her home to us.”

                “Of course I opened my house to you.” Scarlett stated with a wave of her hand. “It seems so nice to actually meet those with good breeding out in this wasteland. Most around here are backwoods mountain hicks with no real brains to speak of and even less social class.”

                Joe nodded and smiled with understanding while in her mind she had killed Scarlett ten different ways in the time it took the woman to speak those few sentences.

                Joe let her eyes go back to Clayton. The boy had cleaned himself up while she and Sheriff Phillips had been cleaning up and now he was sitting beside Bear and picking at his food. Joe noticed that his eyes kept being drawn to her own.

                Oh how she wished she could just pull her gun, shoot Scarlett, Bear and that man lounging beside the dining room door and carry her son out of this place. It could be easily done if not for all those armed men outside.

                “Sir…” Joe asked as she motioned toward Bear and the big man seemed surprised. He quickly swallowed the ham he’d been chewing and his eyes widened when he looked at her.  

                “Yes, ma’am?”

                Joe offered a sultry smile and leaned toward him, placing her cleavage on nice display. “May I ask what happened to your head? That is quite the lump you have!”

                Bear grumbled loudly and Joe saw his fists clench. “I fell.” He growled, sitting up a little straighter and rolling his massive shoulders.

                Clayton giggled quietly as he rolled his fork around in his eggs. “Yeah. Old Mister Bear Bear’s clumsy.”  

                Bear grabbed Clayton by the collar of his shirt and raised his hand as if to hit the boy. Joe slid her hand over the knife beside her plate, fully prepared to lunge and drive it through Bear’s temple before she let him hit her child when a sudden commotion at the dining room door drew everyone’s attention.

                Joe stared in shock as two guards entered, dragging a man with them. They were holding him beneath his arms and his long, stingy black hair hung over his face. His shaking legs seemed to be struggling to stand.

                The man raised his head and his eyes met hers and Joe damn near swallowed her tongue. She’d kill him if Scarlett’s men didn’t! What was Bart doing! What had he done! Where was Jonah and Reb?

                Before anyone could react Clayton jumped to his feet. “Uncle Bart!” he exclaimed as he ran toward the man. “Ya get yer damned hands off my uncle you giant horses asses!”

                Joe saw Bear make a move toward her son and she ‘accidently’ swung out her hand and caught his coffee cup, spilling the scalding liquid across his lap and causing the big man to howl and forget all about chasing Clayton.

                “Clayton, come sit down!” Scarlett ordered in a clipped tone as she rose to her feet and tossed her napkin onto the table. Clayton looked as if he wanted to argue and his eyes once again met Joe’s. Joe tipped her head toward his chair, though she masked the movement as if she was simply moving a few strands of her dark hair from her eyes.

                Clayton sighed and went back to his seat, his boots dragging. Joe wondered if maybe the boy did recognize her but was pretending not to. Maybe he’d gotten her talent for acting.

                “Bart! It has been so long since I’ve seen you! How nice of you to come by and pay me a visit.” Scarlett exclaimed with false sweetness as she breezed across the room and came to stand in front of the skinny man.

                “Should we be concerned by this turn of events?” Sheriff Phillips asked as he stood. Scarlett turned and shook her head.

                “No, of course not. It’s nothing for you to concern yourselves over. Remember those visitors I told you I was expecting? He is one of them.”

                “I can see why ya were dreading their arrival.” Joe muttered and then she remembered that she was supposed to be a proper lady and she quickly cleared her throat. “He seems positively dreadful!”

                “Yes he is.” Scarlett replied, her face becoming a mask that was unreadable as she studied Joe closely. Joe gripped the knife harder in her palm. She had a feeling that hell was quite possibly about to break loose.

                “What are you doing here, Bart?” Scarlett asked, turning her attention back to the barely conscious man. “Where are Jonah, Joe and Reb? I’m sure they are around somewhere.”

                “No… they aren’t.” Bart replied weakly. “I don’t ride with them no more. I messed up and so I came after you to try to earn their friendship back. I figured I could rescue their boy and be back in their good graces.”

                “Is that right?” Scarlett asked and Bear laughed.

                “Didn’t go the way you expected, I reckon.” He said as he grabbed hold of Clayton’s shoulder and squeezed. Joe saw her son bite his tongue to keep from crying out in pain as his gray eyes filled with dread. She looked at Sheriff Phillips but he just gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.

                Joe felt lost and confused. She didn’t know what she should do. Risk her son to save Bart or let Bart face whatever came and get her son out safely?

                “Kill him.” Scarlett said to Bear. The big man nodded, released his hold on Clayton and pulled his gun as he stood and walked toward Bart. Bart struggled against the men holding him but it was in vain as a gunshot filled the air and a bullet tore through Bart’s head.

                “Uncle Bart!” Clayton screamed and Joe felt her heart stop beating as she stared at Bart’s now dead body. He was slumped between the two guards holding him, their shirts were sprayed with his blood and the floor behind him was covered in the gore.

                Clayton rushed forward, his fists raised and a knife held in his right hand. He jumped for Bear’s back.

                “Clayton!” Joe screamed for him just as Bear turned and swatted at the boy, sending him flying through the air as if he were nothing and crashing into the wall with a thud.

                Joe stared in shock at her son but he didn’t move.

                It was in that exact moment that hell broke loose.

                Everyone went for a gun at once and dove for cover when they realized everyone was armed. Then the sound of gunshots came from outside. 

                Joe was firing at the guards when she saw Scarlett hoisting Clayton into her arms. She fired at the woman but her shot was wide given her awkward position behind the chair.

                She saw the Sheriff pinned down behind a dining cart only about six feet away and then she realized that Scarlett was running down the hall to the kitchens and cellars with Clayton in her arms and Bear behind her providing cover fire.

                Joe screamed with a mixture of rage and desperation when she realized she was out of bullets. The hadn’t planned for a firefight! More guards were coming in now and it would only be moments before they reached her and filled her full of holes.

                Joe could still hear gunshots blasting outside and she wondered where Jonah was…. She gripped the knife in her hand tightly as she tossed her useless gun away. She looked back at the sheriff and saw him reach in his pocket and pull out a stick of dynamite. His movements hidden from the guards by the cart he was behind.

                “What are ya doin’?” she demanded.

                “I couldn’t save my family, Joe. I’m gonna do what I can to save yours.”

                “No!” Joe exclaimed when she realized what he was going to do and the sheriff just smiled and nodded. “I’ve been wanting to see them again for a long long time. I figure this is pretty damn noble excuse to get it done.”  He pulled out his matches and lit the stick of dynamite. Joe watched the wick burning down and then he winked at her.

                “I’d get out of this room now if I were you.” He urged. At the same time they stood and, while Joe made a quick escape to the hallway with bullets whizzing all around her and yet somehow missing their marks, she was aware of the sheriff running at the door the guards were all gathered around.

                Joe took cover behind the wall and watched Sheriff Phillip’s. She felt tears fill her eyes as she watched bullet after bullet rip through his body but still the man ran. The guards sent up calls of alarm when they noticed the dynamite the man held firmly in his blood covered hand.

                Joe threw herself onto her stomach and covered her ears just before that red stick blew. The force of the explosion rocked her, shaking her clear down to her bones as blood, wood, stone and debris rained down upon the dining room.

                Joe couldn’t see through the smoke to see what was happening inside that room and she knew it was probably good. She didn’t want to see what was left of the brave man who had just sacrificed himself to help a family and save a boy that he didn’t really know.

                Joe scrambled to her feet and ran down the hall with that knife still clutched tight. She heard Clayton cry out for her before Scarlett hissed for him to shut his mouth. Joe ran faster, following the sound and then quite suddenly an arm shot out from a doorway and caught her in the neck, stealing her breath and knocking her to ground.

                As she struggled to catch her bearings and fight off the pain, she looked up just in time to see Bear smiling before his boot connected hard with her temple and she fell into unconsciousness.

---

                “Goddammit!” Jonah roared with rage as a bullet grazed his shoulder. “I’ll kill that skinny fucking Mexican bastard if he ain’t already dead!” Jonah wasn’t sure who he was talking to since Reb was currently thirty yards away behind a set of barrels firing at the guards who were taking cover behind the cart that Joe and Sheriff Phillips had ridden in on.

                The moment Reb and told Jonah Scarlett had Bart, Jonah had known the plan was a thing of the past. They had quickly run for the fort and then they’d heard the gunshot from inside.

                Jonah’s heart had stopped beating and he’d quit drawing breaths after that shot sounded and as far as he could tell nothing in him had beaten or breathed since.

                Killing the watchtower guards had been easy. He and Reb had each picked one, taken aim with carbines and killed them at the same time. Then they’d used dynamite to blast their way through the gate.

                It had been a blur of gunfire since.

                The sound of a dynamite blast suddenly rocketed from inside the mansion and Jonah lost all control of himself and all patience for this bullshit. He wanted his family and he wanted them NOW! Pulling five sticks of dynamite from his pocket, Jonah lit them all quickly and then waited for the wicks to burn down to almost nothing before standing and running at the cart.

                He felt another bullet graze his leg but he didn’t stop and the guards quickly stopped shooting and started scattering when he threw those sticks of dynamite and then dove behind the stone gargoyle statue.

                He saw Reb hightailing it as well just before the dynamite blew and blasted the cart, and most of the guards straight to hell.

                While the few remaining guards were still recovering from the shock of the blast, Jonah reloaded his two revolvers; the .45 he’d always carried and a .38 he’d stolen off the guard he’d killed in the woods the day before. Jonah picked up his carbine which still had several shots left and then ran into the mansion, praying like hell he wouldn’t find his family among the dead bodies littering the floor.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Joe moaned as she came to on the damp mud covered floor. Her head was swimming and her stomach was knotted with nausea but she quickly pushed that away and sat up in a rush as her eyes flew open and she looked around the dimly lit cellar in a panic for her son.

                “Calm down, mama.” Clayton’s voice came from behind her. Joe tried to move but her hands were tied tight behind her back and her ankles were tied in front of her. “Mama, quit movin’ ‘fore I cut yer hands off!” Clayton grumbled and Joe stilled.

                She looked over her shoulder and felt a tangled, jumbled ball of emotions all slam into her heart at once. Relief, fear, desperation, rage…… A lethal combination which would end with Bear and Scarlett dead if Joe was given half the chance.

                Then she realized that Clayton was doing something with the ropes around her wrists. He had his tongue out and held tight between his teeth, his forehead was scrunched and his eyes were focused with concentration.

                Suddenly her wrists came free and Joe quickly pulled her arms around her, tugged off the remaining rope and then turned and pulled Clayton into her arms.

                “God, Cowpoke, ya ain’t got no idea how much yer damned mama missed you.”  She gasped as she squeezed him with everything she had. He let out a whimper of pain and she released her hold and frowned.

                “I probably have a idea, mama.” He replied with a forced smile.

                “How bad are ya hurt, Cowpoke?”

                Clayton shifted and tossed a piece of broke glass aside. “Just my ribs hurt a little bit.” He replied with a shrug. “Bear kicked me.”

                “That stupid cow humpin’ bastard. I’ll take care of him.” Joe ground out as she quickly undid the rope around her ankles. Her stomach clenched tightly as her head filled with a pulsing throb and her vision went blurry.

                Joe closed her eyes and breathed deep to combat the waves of pain and nausea and she felt Clayton’s hand rubbing her back comfortingly. Joe opened her eyes and smiled at him.

                “Don’t worry, mama. I got his fat backside back fer it.” Joe remembered the lump on Bear’s head and nodded.

                “Where are we?” she asked, glancing around again at the empty cellar they were currently sitting in. Nothing but empty crates and glass jars. Several oil lamps cast glows over the cellar and created dark shadowed corners.

                “Cellar. I was locked down here earlier. I had some broken glass stored ‘neath a crate and that’s how I cut my hands free and then got your’n.”

                “That’s a good boy.” Joe said with pride. Clayton beamed.

                “Pa was teachin’ me how to find things around me and use ‘em…..” Clayton stopped talking then and his face became sad. “Where is pa?”

                Joe swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain strong for her son. “I don’t know, Clayton. He’s around somewhere gettin’ the bad men.”

                “Is he gonna get us out of here?”

                “We’re gonna try to get out of here ourselves so we can help him.” Joe replied. She pushed herself to her feet and then grabbed the wall next to her to keep from falling back down. Bear had obviously kicked her head real hard.

                “Mama, did Uncle Bart really die?”

                “Yes, Cowpoke, he did.” Joe replied, her heart hurting. It was one thing to be angry at the man and never want to see him again but quite another to actually watch a bullet take his life.

                “You look funny, mama. What’d ya do to yer hair?”

                “I dyed it to fool Scarlett.” She replied, as she walked slowly across the cellar and picked up a smaller crate.

                “Ya ‘bout fooled me too! I didn’t know who ya were ‘til we was sittin at the table.”

                “How did ya figure me out?” Joe questioned.

“The way ya chew. Ya sure didn’t chew like ya talked.”

“And how was that?” Joe asked with a frown.

“Ya know… Like a lady.” Clayton replied with a shrug. Joe grumbled and shook her head before rearing back and slamming the crate against the wall hard. It broke apart and the pieces flew across the cellar.

                “That was neat, mama! I never thought to do that.” Clayton exclaimed.

                “Yer pa ain’t the only one who can teach ya things.” Joe replied. She gathered up a long sharp piece that had splintered and handed it to Clayton. “There ya go.” She said and then she found a longer, flatter piece for herself.

                She went to the shards of glass her son had stored, cursed as she wished that she had some gloves, and then picked up a sharp piece and drove it into the widest end of the board. She quickly found another piece of glass and drove it in as well, ignoring the blood and pain as the glass cut into her own hands.

                “I never thought of doin’ that either.” Clayton mumbled.

                Joe continued putting glass in her board. “Where did Scarlett and Bear go?” she asked.

                “They’ll be back. Scarlett said somethin’ ‘bout her office and ol’ Bear Bear is her damned little lapdog so he goes wherever she goes.”

                “When we get outta here and are back home at our cabin safe and sound then you and I are gonna have to talk ‘bout your language, Cowpoke.”

                Clayton grinned guiltily. “Yes ma’am.”

                Joe looked back at her homemade weapon. The board would be easy to swing and those shards of glass were guaranteed to put one hell of a hurting on whoever she swung at.

                “Time to check the door.” She stated and Clayton shook his head.

                “It’s locked tight, mama.” He warned. Joe climbed the rickety staircase and tried the door anyway only to find that Clayton had been right.

                “Told ya so.” Clayton mumbled and Joe threw him a warning glance as she came back down the stairs. “There ain’t no other way outta here neither. I checked.”

                “I guess we’ll just have to wait fer somebody to come on down here then ain’t we?”

                Clayton nodded in agreement and the two of them crouched down on either side of the staircase, hidden in the dark shadows, and waited for whatever was going to come through that door.

                They didn’t have to wait long. Heavy footfalls neared the door and Joe saw fear on Clayton’s face. She gripped her board tighter and then nearly cried out with a mixture of relief and joy when she heard Jonah.

                “Joe! Clayton!” It was clear the man was near panic and Joe quickly stood up.

                “Jonah! We’re down here!”

                “Damn am I happy to hear that voice.” Jonah’s voice came back and Clayton smiled.

                “What ‘bout my voice, pa?’

                “I’m damned glad to hear it too.”

                The door shook as Jonah tried to open it and then he cursed loudly. “Y’all get back. I’m gonna have to shoot the lock.”

                Joe raced to Clayton and held him tight against her, covering his ears as a gunshot sounded and the door came open with a splintering of wood.  

                Jonah came racing down the stairs, leaping over the fallen door and he swept Joe up into his arms so quickly and with so much force that it completely stole her breath, but she didn’t care. She dropped her homemade weapon and held him right back, shuddering against him as she fought back a sob.

                “Shhh…” he cooed into her ear as he cradled the back of her head with his hand. “It’s alright now, Josephine.”

                Joe forced herself to pull away from the warmth and comfort of Jonah’s arms and she squared her shoulders.

                “Took ya long enough.” She muttered.

                “Sorry about that, honey.” He said as he reached out and caressed her cheek. “There were quite a few folks that didn’t want me in here and I had to take care of them first.”

                “Howdy, pa.” Clayton spoke up and Jonah smiled so big that Joe worried his face would split. That face….. Handsome, rugged, covered in dirt, ash and blood. Clayton ran into Jonah’s arms and Jonah scooped him up and hugged him tight. It was then that Joe noticed the blood on Jonah’s arm and more on his side and leg.

                “You’re hurt!” she accused and Jonah shrugged and he propped Clayton on his hip.

                “Scratches.” He assured her. “I’m just fine.”

                “How is it up there?” Joe asked, wondering just how many guards were left. She could hear faint gunfire but it sounded like it was far away. Mostly she smelled smoke and she realized that since the door had opened the cellar was becoming a little smoky as well.

                “There a pretty good fire burning in the dining room, but it’s having trouble spreading too much because most everything here is stone….. The dining room’s a mess.” Jonah added with a shiver. “What the hell happened?”

                “Dynamite.” Joe replied, forcing her eyes to stay open because if she closed them she knew she would see Sheriff Phillip’s running to his death. “But we’ll talk about it later.” She added, glancing  at Clayton. Jonah nodded.

                “The Sheriff and Bart?” he asked.

                “Dead pa.” Clayton replied sadly and Jonah squeezed him tighter. Joe saw pain enter Jonah’s eyes but he didn’t say a word.  

                “Reb?” Joe questioned and Jonah tipped his head toward the staircase.

                “Outside keeping what few guards are left from coming in here.”  Joe nodded, that must be the faint gunfire she could hear.

                “Scarlett and Bear?” Jonah growled and Joe shrugged.

                “Clayton said Scarlett said something about her office and he assumed Bear followed her.”  Jonah’s fingers traced the lump on the side of her head and he raised his brow.

                “Who did that to you?”

                “Bear Bear did, pa. He’s a big bastard. Likes to hit people.” Jonah looked at Clayton and Joe knew he was taking stock of the boy’s injuries. Clayton laid his hand over his ribs. “Likes to kick ‘em too.” He added.

                Joe saw something settle over Jonah then. A calm quiet that made even her uneasy. He looked deadly and dangerous.

                Jonah sat Clayton down on his feet and nudged him toward Joe. Then Jonah handed Joe his .45 and Clayton his .38.

                “Y’all are gonna get your asses on out of here.” He said as he picked up the carbine that he’d tossed down before taking Joe into his arms.

                “What ‘bout you?” Clayton asked and Jonah shook his head.

                “I’m going to find Scarlett and Bear.”

                “Are ya gonna kill ‘em pa?”

                Jonah nodded slowly. “Yes.”      

                “We’re coming with you Jonah.” Joe argued and Jonah opened his mouth to argue but she stopped him by pressing her fingers to his lips. “We’ve been apart enough. No more. We’re doing the rest of this together. Partners. A family.”

                “The family that slays together stays together.” Came Reb’s voice from above them.  Joe looked up at Reb and saw the blood covering his side as he stood there gingerly at the top of the steps. He noticed her gaze and adjusted his eye patch with a grin.

                “It ain’t as bad as it looks, Joe. I’ve had worse.”

                “You sure it’s alright?” Jonah questioned with concern and Reb snorted.

                “Yer shot three times and yer worried ‘bout my one!?” he scoffed. “It’s just fine. It missed all the important stuff.” He shrugged. “It mighta hit my liver but the damn whiskey done had that thing all shriveled up.”

                Joe found herself laughing though she suspected it was more from stress than anything else. She just wanted all this over. She wanted to be back at their little cabin with Clayton cursing at Chief because the pony wouldn’t lay down on command and Jonah teasing the boy about it with every breath.

              Jonah’s next question toward Reb broke Joe from her daydreams. “Guards?”

                “Dead.” Reb replied and then he chuckled. “And the other folks that Scarlett has here are all holed up in the kitchens and say they don’t want no part of none of this…. I was kinda disappointed really. I still got three sticks of dynamite and I ain’t got nobody to chuck ‘em at.”

                Clayton giggled but then he sobered up and blinked up at Reb sadly. “Uncle Bart died.”

                Joe saw that same pain on Reb’s face that had been on Jonah’s but, like Jonah, Reb said nothing in response to the news.

                “Well let’s get you out of here, Clayton.” Jonah said. “Reb get him back to the horses and wait on Joe and I. We got a couple more folks to find.”

                Joe saw Reb give she and Clayton a good once over and the man nodded. “I’d say you do.”

                “I ain’t goin’ with Uncle Reb!” Clayton argued loudly. “I wanna stay with you!”

                Joe shook her head. “Clayton it’d be better if ya went on with Uncle Reb now. Yer ma and pa are gonna make sure Scarlett and Bear pay fer what they did to you but we don’t’ wanna have to worry ‘bout you while we do it.”

                “But I’m tough!” Clayton insisted. “Hell ya saw them cuts on Bear and that big ol’ lump on his head. How ya reckon he got those? It was me!”

                “And I’m damn proud of how tough you are.” Jonah said as he crouched to be more on Clayton’s level. “But I’m your pa and it’s my job to do what I have to to make sure you stay safe. This place is on fire and there are people here who want you dead. Now what kind of pa would I be if I let you stay?”

                Clayton plastered a big grin on his face. “The best kind!”

                Jonah raised a brow as his lips jerked. Clayton sighed and kicked at the ground. “Not a very good one, I reckon.”  Clayton turned and headed up the stairs with the gun in one hand and his splintered piece of wood in the other.

                “Come on, Uncle Reb. Let’s get ya back to the horses ‘fore ya bleed to death.”

                Joe shook her head and watched Reb and her son move out of sight.

                “Alright, Joe, you ready? We got some walking dead folks to find.”

Chapter Thirty

“Uncle Reb, are you okay?” Clayton asked as he walked beside his uncle and frowned at the way the man kept grunting and wincing in pain.  

                “Yeah, kid, I’m just fine.” Reb replied as he positioned himself beside Clayton and Clayton knew he was trying to block his view of the dead bodies in the dining room.

                Clayton coughed as smoke filled his lungs and he could feel the heat from the flames currently burning up the dining room. The smell was strange and almost pleasant which was disgusting considering that scent was bodies burning and smoldering.

                Clayton’s bravery was beginning to fade. He was hungry. He was tired. His head hurt and his ribs ached. His Uncle Bart was dead and Clayton had seen it! He had seen Bear pull the trigger and shoot his uncle in the head.  

                He just wanted to get into a bed, cuddle up to his ma and pa and feel safe and warm again.

                “Yer ma and pa’ll be just fine, Clayton. It shouldn’t take ‘em long and then we’ll be able to get home.”  Reb said comfortingly as they stepped from the house and Clayton took big gulping lung fulls of the fresher air.  Though the smell of blood, gunpowder, smoke and burning flesh was out here as well.

                Clayton’s jaw trembled and he cursed himself. He weren’t no baby! But all he wanted to do was curl up and cry. Fatigue was setting in and he was hurting awfully bad. Clayton didn’t reply to his Uncle Reb, knowing that if he tried to speak just now he would probably end up crying and he wanted Uncle Reb to believe that he was tough.

                A sound to his left had his head whipping around and he cried out with shock when he saw a man covered in blood limping quickly toward him. The man’s face was singed black, his clothes were torn and soaked in crimson red, and his lips were pulled back in a pain filled sneer.

                “Shit, I’m outta bullets!” Reb exclaimed as he tried to grab Clayton and move him out of the way but Clayton stood firm and raised the .38 his pa had given him just as the bloody man raised a gun of his own. The man was close now….. ten feet, nine feet, eight feet…. Clayton’s hands were shaking terribly but it seemed the bloody man was out of bullets well.

                Clayton heard him let out a raspy bellow of rage which was silenced quickly when Clayton squeezed the trigger of that double action revolver and the roar of a bullet deafened them all.

                Clayton had shut his eyes when he’d pulled the trigger and his trembling hand dropped the gun to the ground as he kept his eyes squeezed tight and began to rock back and forth. A tear slipped down his cheek as he prayed he’d killed the man while feeling vomit rise in his throat at the thought.

                Then he felt his uncle Reb’s hand resting on his shoulder. “Good job, Clayton.”

                “Is he dead?” Clayton asked without opening his eyes. He had them shut so tight that it hurt but he didn’t want to see…. He didn’t want to see another dead person ever, not for as long as he lived.

                “Yeah, kid, he’s dead.” Reb replied gently. “Come on now, I’ll get ya out of here.” Clayton nodded and heard Reb pick up the dropped revolver before guiding Clayton back down the yard toward the broken gate and the freedom that lay beyond.

                Clayton decided right then and there that he was tired of being so grown up and smart. First thing he was gonna do when he got home was be a regular kid and chase a chicken.

---

                Joe and Jonah made their way up a grand staircase, both of them on high alert for anything and everything. Jonah was fairly certain that all the guards were dead but that didn’t mean someone else in this house wouldn’t get trigger happy and try to slam a bullet into his or Joe’s back.

                All Jonah knew for sure was that killing Bear and Scarlett, even if they were unarmed and begging for mercy, was going to be the easiest thing he had ever done.

                Jonah didn’t know if nightmares would haunt him later because of all he had seen and done in the last couple of days. He didn’t know how hard it would be to look in the mirror knowing he had taken so many lives. But what he did know was that Scarlett and Bear had dared to lay their hands on what was Jonah’s and that simply wasn’t allowed.

                Jonah had nearly lost his family before he’d even been given a real chance to be part of the family with them and these monsters were going to pay for ever bruise, lump, scratch and haunted expression that Jonah had seen on his son.

                Jonah tensed when he heard footsteps behind a closed door and he nodded at Joe who had heard them too. Jonah took a deep breath and then kicked the door hard, causing the skinny man inside to let out a cry and attempt to hide behind a curtain.

                Jonah raised his brow, was this man honestly hiding behind a curtain while wearing nothing but a white sleeping gown?  He glanced at Joe but she simply appeared amused.

                “I reckon ya should go in there after him.” She urged and Jonah sighed and crossed the floor, his boots thudding against the bright and polished wood.

                “Sir, I got a question for you.” Jonah said and the man let out a squeak from behind the curtain and curled up in a ball at the floor. Jonah rubbed his face and then squeezed his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

                “I’m not going to hurt you,” he insisted and the man reached out a trembling hand and moved the curtain just enough so Jonah could see his face.

                “Wh…What do ya want?” the man asked, his voice trembling and his lip quivering.

                “Do you know where Scarlett and Bear are? Where is her office?” 

                The man looked around Jonah to glance at Joe and then turned his attention back to Jonah. “Up one more floor, big oak door, only room up there on the east side. It’s a big room.”

                “Thanks, sir…. Uh.. You can get back to your cowering now.” The man glared at Jonah but  Jonah  just laughed quietly, turned and walked back out of the room with Joe chuckling beside him.

                “And that, Jonah, is what convinces me that there is a God.”

                “A man in a nightdress cowering like a little school girl behind a curtain?”

                “No.” Joe replied with a roll of those beautiful green/gray eyes. “It’s the fact that even after all we’ve gone through lately, we’re still able to laugh when somethin’ crazy like that happens.” Jonah grinned and Joe nudged him with her shoulder. “I like yer smile.”

                “I only wear this one when I’m with you.” Jonah replied honestly and Joe beamed up at him.

                “Jonah Winchester, I do believe you are the sweetest damned man I’ve ever met.”

                “And Joe Winchester, I do believe that you are the only damned woman who can be wooed with the scent of blood, gunpowder and smoke hanging in the air.”

                Joe nodded. “Yer probably right. Ya got lucky when ya found me. Hell ya practically won the whole damned pot.”

                “I can’t argue with that.” Jonah agreed, kissing her dark hair, which he hated and prayed like hell would be back to red sooner rather than later. “Now let’s go kill those two bastards so we can get on home and I can get Clayton that horse I’ve been promising.”

---

                “Miss Scarlett, you shouldn’t worry so much. He’s only one man and I’ve killed plenty.”  Bear stated with exasperation. Scarlett did not even pause in her panicked pacing as she clutched her derringer tight in her hand.

                “You don’t understand, Bear! Jonah Winchester has a dangerous and deadly side that Harmon and I did not realize was there when we chose to use him to take the fall for us. If we had seen it beforehand than we never would have chosen him!”

                “My bullets will kill a dangerous man just the same as they will a regular one.” Bear assured her and Scarlett snorted with annoyance.

                “You don’t understand! He’ll be hell bent on killing us. Especially if he learns that Joe and that little brat are dead.” 

                Scarlett stopped pacing when she saw the sheepish expression on Bear’s face. “You did kill them both didn’t you?” she whispered cautiously and Bear shook his head as he picked at a frayed string on the front of his shirt.

                “Not exactly, Miss Scarlett.”

                “What does ‘not exactly’ mean?” Scarlett hissed, contemplating pulling her gun and shooting the big man directly in the face. Bears big hand rubbed at the back of his dirty neck.

                “Well I tied ‘em both up and locked ‘em down there real good and tight. They won’t go nowhere.”

                “My specific orders to you were to kill them both and get up here so we could get away together. What part of that was hard for you to understand?!” Scarlett demanded, trying very hard to keep from shrieking in her rage.

                “Don’t be made at me, Miss Scarlett. I’ll kill this Jonah and his one eyed bastard friend and then you and I can take our time with that woman and boy… I know that woman’s the one that killed your husband. I figured you’d want to make her suffer some.”

                Scarlett took a deep breath and counted to three. Bear was right, she did want to see Joe suffer. She wanted to be the one to bring that bitch the pain she deserved.  This could work out. Surely together she and Bear could get rid of Jonah, if the man was even still alive. Perhaps he and Reb had already been mortally wounded or killed.

                A woman could hope, couldn’t she?

                It would seem that she could not because at that exact moment there was a tap on the office door.

                “Scarlett? Bear Bear? Y’all gonna come on out and play with us?” Jonah’s voice came through the thick slab of oak.

                “Or are we gonna have to come on in there and get ya?” Joe chimed in.

                Scarlett felt every ounce of blood drain from her face, her stomach dropped to her feet and her heart began to race. She looked at Bear with shock and the big man shrugged.

                “Don’t worry, Miss Scarlett. I’ll make short work of them.”

                He raised his revolver and quickly emptied it, all six shots slamming through the door. Silence reigned on the other side and Scarlett felt hope filling her. Maybe Bears bullets had done their jobs……

                That thought quickly left when Scarlett heard a sound that made her blood freeze.

                Laughter.

                Joe and Jonah were laughing.

---

                “Bear Bear, that sounded like six shots you just fired. You got any more bullets or did you just blow every one of them through that door?” Jonah asked with a chuckle. Joe smiled at him as they stood side by side against the wall.

                “Judging by the lack o’bullets coming at us now and the way you and the whore have gotten quiet all at once I’m guess yer out of bullets. Ya sure did teach that door a lesson though.”

                Neither Bear nor Scarlett spoke and Joe didn’t hear any movement.

                “How many bullets we got left?” she whispered to Jonah.

                “I got two in the carbine and you got one in that .45.”

                “Is that all?” Joe demanded and Jonah shrugged.

                “I had to shoot a few people to reach you. You know they didn’t exactly roll out the welcome wagon for me, Josephine.”

                “Got any dynamite left?” Joe asked with a grin and Jonah nodded.

                “Yep, one stick but I ain’t using it on them. I want them to suffer a bit more than that.”

                Joe nodded with understanding. She did too.

                “Alright, Joe, we know that Scarlett used to carry that little gut buster with her. It holds two shots so what I’m gonna do is throw the door open and stay out of the way while she wastes those.”

                Joe nodded and then let out a shout when she saw a man round the corner behind Jonah. It was the skinny man in the nightdress and he had a shot gun aimed at Jonah’s gut. Knowing Jonah wouldn’t be able to aim the carbine and fire a shot before the other man pulled the trigger, Joe quickly aimed the .45 and blasted a hole through the attacker’s chest. The sudden pain caused his finger to tighten on the trigger and Joe nearly screamed when the gun blast sounded. She turned, certain she would see Jonah standing there with a shotgun hole through his stomach but instead the spray of shot had hit the wall behind him and he was crouched down low staring at the man with shock.

                Joe let out a sigh of relief as she turned back to the skinny man and saw that his white nightdress had quickly become crimson red.  After letting out a shocked gasp he fell to the ground, the shotgun clattering to the floor.

                “Why in the hell did he do that?” Jonah asked, slowly standing straight again as Scarlett and Bear began murmuring once again in the room, obviously wondering what had just happened. “I could have killed that man while he hid from me and I didn’t… Why would he try to kill me now?”

                “Cuz he’s clearly sufferin’ from idiocy.” Joe replied with a shrug. She tossed the now empty revolver away and grabbed the shotgun, cursing loudly when she realized it was empty. “A bad case of idiocy cuz he came at two of us with a gun that only had one shot!”

                “Well now we’re down to two shots in the carbine so I really hope we’re right about Scarlett just having that gut buster.” Jonah said with a sigh. “Now get back and stay down.” He warned.

                Joe could have told him to quit bossing her around but she didn’t. She knew Jonah was just as ready for this to be over as she was.

                Jonah threw open the office door quickly and then plastered himself against the wall as two shots were fired quickly.

                “Ya missed us again.” Joe stated, cursing this damn dress she was wearing as it slowed her up and caused Jonah to be the first one to step in front of the open door, though she followed close after him.

                She was relieved when no bullets were fired at them and she saw Bear and Scarlett standing against the window on the far side of the room. Their empty guns were lying on the floor in front of them. Scarlett looked scared very nearly to death as she held a dagger in her hand and Bear stood with his hands clenched tightly around a long iron fire poker.

                “So you’re Bear?” Jonah all but growled as he stepped forward. Bear nodded, his bare forearms bulging as he gripped that poker.

                “Yes. And you’re the Jonah Winchester I’ve heard so much about. According to your son you can kill me ten different ways before I even know you’re around.”

                Joe wanted to laugh at the surprised and proud look on Jonah’s face but she didn’t really think that now was the time.

                Before another word could be spoken, Bear charged and Jonah barely managed to get the carbine up and fire a shot before Bear was on him, swinging that poker.

                Joe knew that Jonah’s shot had missed because of Bear’s erratic movements and now the man was dodging Bear’s swings, unable to get the rifle up to fire the last remaining bullet.

                Joe was rushing forward to help him when she caught a flash of satin run out the door and realized Scarlett was getting away. Another shot fired and Bear screamed with rage and pain as the bullet grazed across his thigh and his attacks on Jonah increased in intensity.

                “Go get her!” Jonah yelled as he and Bear became locked in a battle of strength, both of them gripping the poker tight. Joe was torn in two directions. She didn’t want anything to happen to Jonah and yet she knew she couldn’t let Scarlett get away because her family would never be safe if she did.

                “Are you sure you can handle him?” Joe asked, still amazed at the sheer size of Bear. Jonah threw her a glare and was about to say something when Bear grunted and shook Jonah off the poker, throwing the man across the room like a rag doll and causing him to bounce off the wall.

                “Jonah!” Joe yelled angrily.

                “Just go! I’ve got him!” Jonah yelled back and as Bear lunged for her and Joe prepared herself for the attack, Jonah came hurtling toward them like a cannon blast and slammed into Bear, bringing both men to the ground.

                It really was something to watch. Bear, easily seven feet tall with oak tree proportions battling Jonah, six and a half feet tall and long, lithe and leanly muscled. Each of them were fighting with everything they had and neither was losing nor gaining an inch.

                “Go Joe!” Jonah yelled again and Joe knew she had no choice but to listen to him. She ran for the door and hoped she’d find that good for nothing whore before she got away.

---

                “You sure don’t seem like all that much. I believe your boy was making you sound a bit better than you are.” Bear growled as he tossed Jonah aside once again and Jonah bit his tongue to keep from crying out in pain as his wounded side collided with the solid mahogany desk.

                Shit but this was one big bastard! He was trying to collect himself when the poker fell across his back and this time Jonah did cry out as his body went crashing to the floor.

                “This is too easy, Jonah. I’m kinda disappointed.” Bear growled as he stood over Jonah. Jonah was reminded of his uncle towering over him as he’d been a small boy and cowered beneath the man. His uncle had favored a whip as his weapon of choice to teach Jonah his place. Jonah hadn’t ever been able to hit him back with that whip but by God Bear was going to be eating that goddamned poker before this was over.

                “I’d hate to disappoint you, Bear.” Jonah gasped, dragging himself across the floor. As bad as he was hurting already from the ass kicking Bear was dishing out, Jonah knew it was going to be one hundred times worse in the morning. He was getting way too old for this shit.

                “Where you goin’?” Bear asked with a chuckle and his boot connected with Jonah’s ribs. Jonah grunted in pain as sweat covered his brow. “It’s funny…” Bear stated, raising the poker over his head, point down. Jonah knew he was preparing to drive that poker into him. “I kicked your boy just yesterday and he cowered about the same as you are.”

                Jonah saw red and when Bear brought that poker down, Jonah grabbed it in his hands and jerked it forward. Bear’s eyes widened in surprise as he was pulled down and the poker slipped from his unsuspecting hands. Jonah brought up his feet and kicked Bear in the chest, knocking him back just before swinging the poker and catching the man in the ribs solidly with the hard piece of iron.

                Bear fell to the side and then roared as he came toward Jonah again. This time the bottom of Jonah’s boot caught the man hard in the chin and sent his neck snapping back and his body flailing.

                With a growl Jonah got to his feet and stalked toward the man. Bear came at him again and Jonah swung that poker and caught the bastard hard in the arm, spinning his body and cracking bone as Bear bellowed in pain.

                “Did you enjoy hitting my son, you bastard?” Jonah growled and he swung the poker again, this time catching Bear in the side of the knee as the man backed away from him and driving the giant to one knee as he clutched at his shattered leg and screamed.

                “Stop!” Bear yelled, his face pale and his eyes shining. “Just kill me and get it over with.”

                “Oh I’m going to kill you.” Jonah promised and then he swung the poker again and caught Bear’s other leg, shattering his thigh bone.

                “Did you have fun kicking my little boy in the ribs, you son of a bitch? Was it worth it?” Jonah demanded as Bear vomited from pain and then fell onto his back.

                Jonah stood above the sadistic bastard and watched him cowering  there. He was whimpering like a whipped pup as he begged Jonah to kill him, vomit and spit covering dripping off his trembling lips.

                “Did you have fun kicking my wife?” Jonah asked calmly.

                “No…” Bear gasped, trying hard to scoot away, though it was impossible with so many of his bones broken.  Jonah swung the poker again, though this time he was careful to not swing so hard as it cracked across Bear’s head. He wanted the man in pain, not unconscious or dead.

                Blood dripped out of Bear’s mouth as he gasped for breath and Jonah sneered. “Guess you realize now that you’re not nearly as tough as you thought you were don’t you? You’re a coward. You hit children, kick women and shoot helpless men…… You had better hope God forgives better than I do.”

                With that Jonah raised the poker one last time and Bear’s eyes widened just as Jonah brought it down, sinking the sharp tip deep into Bear’s chest and impaling his heart.

                Jonah watched the life leave Bear’s eyes and then he too collapsed on the floor. His body screaming in protest at the effort he’d just put in to paying Bear back. The deep graze on his upper arm was burning like hell and his arm muscles ached and throbbed from swinging the poker with so much force.

                His side was tight and burning as well and he suspected his ribs were bruised, though he didn’t think they were broken.  He sat there, leaned against Scarlett’s desk for several long moments, catching his breath.

                Then all at once, Jonah shoved himself back up on his shaking legs. He had to find Joe, he had to make sure she was okay and then get to his son and get his family home.

---

                Joe’s lung began to burn the instant she went down the staircase to the first floor. The air was thick with smoke and Joe’s eyes filled with wet tears. She saw the flash of purple satin as Scarlett rounded the corner toward the kitchens.  

                Joe was glad that the path Scarlett had chosen would take them around the dining room instead of through it.  She didn’t want to see what was in there. She could smell it all burning and smoldering, though she realized that the fire wasn’t spreading. Jonah had been right when he’d said there was too much stone.

                “Where the devil ya think yer running too, Scarlett? Ya might as well just get on out here and get what’s comin’ to ya.” Joe called out as she too went down the hallway, all her senses on high alert, waiting for a sneak attack.

                The kitchen door closed just as Joe rounded a corner and she headed for it. Joe let out a cough as her lungs protested against the smoke in the air and then she threw open the door and entered the kitchen.

                A woman dressed in servants garbs screamed and ran out the back and Joe was distracted by her movement and didn’t see Scarlett until it was too late to dodge the copper pan that came crashing into her face.

                Joe stumbled backward, tripping over the stupid skirt of the dress she was wearing and falling to the floor. Blood was filling her mouth and she spit a long stream of it into the floor and then rolled quickly to the side when Scarlett came lunging for her with a long butchers knife.

                “I’ll kill you!” Scarlett screeched. Joe grabbed the counter to lift herself up and jumped to the side just quickly enough to keep Scarlett’s knife from sinking into her back, though she wasn’t fast enough to keep it from slicing across her arm just above her elbow.

                Joe threw her leg back, kicking Scarlett in the stomach and causing the woman to double over. Joe didn’t waste any time before turning and grabbing Scarlett’s dark hair in her hands and bringing the woman’s face down into her knee.

Twice.

Hard.

                Scarlett jerked away from her and stumbled back several steps, throwing her dark hair over her shoulder and glaring at Joe, blood pouring from her broken nose. Joe spit out another stream of blood motioned with her hand for Scarlett to come at her.

                “Let’s get this over with, whore. I’m ready to get on home with my husband and son.”

                “You’ll never see them again!” Scarlett exclaimed, though her voice was high pitched and off key thanks to her injured face. “You took my husband from me and I’ll take yours from you.”

                “I’m gonna reunite ya with yer man, Scarlett. That much I can promise. Ya should’ve known better than to lay yer ugly whore hands on my son.”

                Scarlett screamed and charged at Joe. Joe sidestepped her, turned quickly, threw her hand on the back of Scarlett’s head and slammed Scarlett’s face into the stone countertop, before tossing her to the floor.

                Scarlett moaned as Joe walked to her and stood over the top of her. Scarlett tried to raise the knife again but Joe put her boot over the woman’s wrist and stepped down hair, causing Scarlett to whimper in pain and drop the knife.

                “Ya think yer tough but let me tell ya somethin’,” Joe sneered, swiping the blue satin sleeve of her dress over her bloody lip. “Ya ain’t nothin’. I believe I showed ya once, way back when, how a real woman deals with trouble. Well I’m fixin’ to show ya again.”

                “I’m helpless… you’d kill a helpless woman?”

                “Ya ain’t a woman, yer a whore. And ya didn’t bat an eye over killin’ Bart and he was helpless too. Ya didn’t bat an eye over framing Jonah for bank robbin’ and leavin’ him fer dead and full of holes. Ya didn’t bat an eye over kidnapping my son, or covering him in bruises…. Why the hell would I bat an eye over killin’ you?”

                Scarlett tried to speak again but her mouth and nose were so full of blood that she simply coughed instead, spraying the crimson liquid onto Joe’s skirt. Joe bent down and picked up the long knife.

                She pressed the blade just under Scarlett’s breast and against her racing heart. Truthfully Joe was struggling with this. It went against her nature to kill a woman who was already beaten but Joe knew it had to be done… Scarlett was crazy and, if left alive, the woman would find a way to come back after Joe and her family.

                She remembered what Jonah had said yesterday just before killing the guard in the forest and she sighed. “No looking over our shoulders.” 

                Scarlett’s eyes widened as Joe slid the blade between her ribs and deep into her heart.

                Joe left the knife in Scarlett’s chest as she moved away from her fell to the floor. She leaned her back against the cabinets and rested her head against them, trying to fight off the nausea and shakes she was feeling. It was one thing to kill someone in self-defense and another to sink your knife into their heart while they lay helpless beneath you. But it had to be done. There had simply been no other way it could be.

                Jonah. Joe needed Jonah. Was he okay? She got to her feet, spitting another stream of blood and cradling her burning arm against her chest as she ran from the kitchen and back toward the stairs that would lead upstairs.

                “Jonah!” she called.

                “Joe!?” Jonah came racing down the stairs then and Joe let out an animalistic sob that was a mixture of relief, joy and tears as he swept her into his arms and held her tight.

                She threw her good arm around his neck and covered her face with her hand, weeping even while she laughed. Jonah pulled her away and kissed her brow tenderly before looking her over.

                “Are you okay?” he asked, touching her lumped head and cut arm gingerly.

                “I’m fine.” Joe assured him as she took a deep shuddering breath to calm herself and nodded. “I’m tougher than I look.”

                “Toughest person I know.” Jonah agreed.

                “They’re both dead then?” Joe asked, burying her nose in the crook of her arm to combat the smoke and odor.

                “I reckon.” Jonah replied.

                “Ya okay? Did he hurt ya bad?” Joe asked, though even she could see the bruises on his face and the way he was standing a little crooked as if his ribs were hurting on one side.

                “Yeah I ain’t as good as I used to be.”

                Joe laughed lightly. “Well let’s get the hell outta here and hug our son.”

                Jonah nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and guiding her toward the foyer. “Sounds like a damn good plan to me, Josephine.”

Chapter Thirty-One

“We were strangers starting out on a journey, never dreaming what we’d have to go through. now here we are and I’m suddenly standing at the beginning with you.”  Richard Marx &Donna Lewis ‘At the Beginning’

Jonah tapped on the door to Reb’s hotel room with his knuckles and then opened the door slowly when his friend told him to come on in.

                “How are you, Reb?” Jonah asked when he saw the man lying on the worn bed sheets, his skin more pale than normal and seeming to be drawn tighter around his eye patch. He was wearing only his trousers and had a thick white bandage wrapped around his middle, though there was a bit of red soaking through.

                The local doc had insisted that Reb would be okay and simply needed time to heal. As a matter of fact he’d given them all a good prognosis just so long as they got a couple days of rest.

                “I’ll be alright, Jonah. I’ve been through worse than this before.” Reb replied quietly. Jonah nodded and then took several more hesitant steps into the room, his boots dragging on the frayed rug below them.

                “I talked to the law here. We’re in the clear since we were working with Sheriff Phillips. Apparently they’d been keeping an eye on Scarlett for a while and just hadn’t been able to catch her hands in nothing yet.” Jonah stuck his hands deep in his pockets and sighed. “They’re gonna go to the fort and collect the bodies…”

                “Won’t be much left of those inside.” Reb said, his blue eye not meeting Jonah’s. “How are you, Joe and the kid?” he added. “Ya got pretty beat up in there.”

                “We’ll be alright eventually. We just need a bit of time.” Jonah replied honestly. He sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck.

                “I talked to Joe about Bart.”

                “What was that damned man thinkin’?” Reb demanded with rage and sadness as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, his back resting against the cool brass bars of the headboard.

                “That we’ll never know.” Jonah replied with a shrug. He swallowed hard around the lump of emotion in his throat. “Joe said they didn’t even give him a chance. Two men held him while Bear shot him in the head.”

                “Jesus……”

                “And Clayton saw it all.”

                Reb looked out at the setting sun and blinked several times. “I’m gonna miss that skinny Mexican bastard.”

                Jonah agreed whole heartedly and he rubbed the back of his neck again as he said, “Me too.” Then Jonah began to back toward the door.

                “We’re gonna rest in town for a few days and get healed up a bit before we head home.”

                Reb looked at him then and offered a ghost of a smile. “Reckon I can come with y’all? Mind you ya may have to rent a cart fer me to ride in a while ‘til this damned hole in my side heals up. Doc said it missed my liver but just barely. Though like I said it wouldn’ t a hurt nothin’ if it had  hit my liver. That things been shriveled up fer years.”

                Jonah chuckled. “I was hoping you’d want to come with us.”

                “I reckon I’m damn near fifty… That would be my best guess at my age anyhow and I’m getting a bit too old fer all this ridin’ crazy and shootin’ people nonsense.”

                “You could always go back to your wife.”

                Reb shivered. “Ha!” he shot back and then he winced and gripped at his side. “I’m a perfectly content bachelor. Give me a good lookin’ whore now and then and that’s all the need I got fer a woman. But now a family…. I might like to have me one of those.”

                Jonah smiled. “You do. I always have looked up to you, ever since that first day you found me wandering. Joe loves you even though she’d probably chew nails before she’d say so and Clayton is pretty well attached to you so you kinda owe it to us all to stick around.”

                “Well then I guess that settles that. I’ll be stickin’ ‘round a while.”

                “Is there anything you need before I go turn in for the night?” Jonah offered, his hand on the door.

                “Naw, I’m good fer now.” Reb replied. Jonah nodded.

                “Goodnight, Reb.”

                “’Night, Jonah.”

                Jonah went back in the hall and shut the door before leaning his back against it and rubbing his face with his hand.

                Today had taken its toll on him. Hell the last week had taken its toll. He was emotionally and physically spent and had nothing left to give. He was feeling the loss of Bart hard and the Sheriff as well. The fact that the man would sacrifice himself for a family he didn’t truly know helped to restore some of Jonah’s faith in the law.

                Jonah sighed and pushed himself off the wall and then headed back to the room he was sharing with Joe and Clayton.  He heard a scream come from behind the closed door and he drew his gun, (now fully loaded thanks to a trip to the gunsmith in town), and he burst into the room, fully prepared to kill whoever was causing his son to scream.

                When he saw Joe cradling Clayton on the bed and trying desperately to comfort the flailing, screaming child Jonah quickly holstered his gun and went to them. Joe stared at him desperately, her green/gray eyes wide.

                “He won’t stop.” Her voice was tight and it was clear she was exhausted. Jonah nodded and took the boy from her arms.

                “Clayton…” he began softly and then realized that the boy was sound asleep as he fought tooth and nail to be let go of. “Clayton Winchester!” he stated more harshly and the boy’s eyes flew open as his movements stills.

                “Pa?” he asked sleepily. Jonah kissed his sweat soaked brow and nodded.

                “Bad dream?”

                “No.” Clayton replied quickly and Jonah looked over at Joe who was rubbing at a fresh red welt on the side of her jaw, compliments of Clayton’s fists of fury.

                Jonah chuckled and was going to lay Clayton back onto the bed but the boy’s arms tightened around his neck. “Do you think you could hold me pa?” Clayton asked quietly, his cheeks flushing red. “’Least ‘til I fall back asleep?”

                Jonah saw Joe swallow hard and begin to chew on her nail as she busied herself fixing the tangled blanket on the bed.

                “Of course I will, Clayton.” Jonah replied, settling down in the high backed chair beside the fire. Clayton curled up against his chest and laid his head on Jonah’s shoulder. Jonah felt his heart fill with love. This was the first time that Clayton was acting like a small child and Jonah felt as if he could take on the world to protect this boy as he held him tight against him.

                Jonah rested his cheek against Clayton’s thick blond hair and caressed his bare forearm as he hummed quietly. The tune came to him seemingly out of nowhere but as Jonah continued to hum it he realized that it was a song he could remember his mama singing to him.

                It was the one happy memory he had of his mother. The only good thing he could faintly remember about the abusive, neglectful whore that raised him his first few years of life…. This lullaby.

                Jonah lost track of time as he comforted his son and stared into the dancing flames of the fire. It wasn’t until he felt Joe’s hand on his arm that he realized pitch blackness had fallen outside the window and Clayton was sound asleep against his chest.

                Jonah stood up, his legs and side aching as he carried Clayton to the cot beside the bed and tucked him tight, the boy never even stirring as he slept soundly.

                Jonah kissed his brow tenderly and then turned to his wife.  He held out one arm and she came to him holding him tight. Jonah buried his face in her hair and breathed her in. She smelled of roses thanks to the soaps that had been poured into her bath.

                “Lay down with me, Jonah.” Joe urged quietly. Jonah nodded and led her to the bed, curling up beneath the covers and wrapped his body around Joe’s, shielding her from  the world and hating the haunted expression he could see in her eyes.

                “Get some rest, Josephine.” He urged and she shook her head.

                “Every time I close my eyes I see things I don’t want to see.”

                “Tell them to go away.” Jonah replied as he stroked her back.

                “Why did Bart get caught? Why did he have to look at me so sadly before they shot him? Why didn’t the sheriff just throw that dynamite? Why didn’t he even hesitate before laying his life down for us? Why…….” Jonah cut her off with a soft lingering kiss to her lips. He waited until her eyes were once again open and looking into his own before he replied.

                “It’s over Josephine. The whys you are asking can’t be answered. All we can do is move on from here.”

                “I’m ready to go home, Jonah. I want to be in our cabin with our son and just try to forget everything.”

                “I know, Joe. I do too.” Jonah replied with a sigh. “Now get some rest. I’ll be right here. Nothing is going to happen to you or to Clayton tonight. I promise.”

                “I can’t sleep Jonah, when I close my eyes I just see…..” Jonah cut her off once again with a kiss, though this one was hungrier than the last.

                He needed her. He needed to kiss her. Hold her. Touch her. He needed to feel her tender hands burning him, scalding him, as they danced across his bare skin. He needed to feel himself buried inside of her and know that they were both still alive. Still together. And that the horrors of today were something they could recover from and move past.

                Both of them had done things in the last week that were out of character. Both had murdered for vengeance. Both had felt the power of death over life as they had stood above helpless victims and made the decisions to take their lives. Both had wept for their son, for each other and for themselves….. But now it was over. The past was the past and Jonah only wanted to feel his woman’s touch and begin to heal.

                He looked deep into Joe’s eyes, searching them, and when she nodded it was the only permission he needed.  

                Jonah’s lips devoured hers and he quickly removed her from her clothes, wanting to taste that soft skin that he knew so well. He loved the catlike moan that came from her as her back arched and he licked at her tight nipple. Jonah took it into his mouth and suckled, nipping at the tight bud until Joe’s hands were buried in his hair and pulling his face back up toward hers.

                Jonah once against trapped her lips beneath his own and smiled against her mouth when he felt her hands desperately trying to undo the button on his pants.

                Jonah stood then and removed his clothes in a rush, freeing his throbbing arousal and tossing his shirt into the corner. He looked back at the bed and his breath caught in his chest.

                His wife was beautiful. The lamps hadn’t been lit and the firelight had burned down, leaving the room illuminated by a light orange glow. It caused Joe’s skin to shine and the small flames were dancing in her eyes as they looked him up and down, pausing at the sight of each bandage and bruise.

                “Are you hurting, Jonah?” she whispered, biting her lip and looking up at his face. “We don’t have to……”

                Jonah cut her off as he lowered his body over hers and nudged her legs apart with his knee. His mouth went to her neck and that small spot below her ear that always made her push her hips into him when he nibbled at it.

                “Yes we do.” he assured her before sliding into her and burying himself deep in her warmth. Joe gasped and her fingers dug into his bruised back. They moved together as one, the firelight glow dancing on their bare skin.

                Jonah felt his release nearing. Joe tightened beneath him, finding her own release while Jonah captured her moans with his lips and shuddered inside her.

                He collapsed against the bed and pulled her into his arms as she rested her head on his sweat slicked chest and his heart thundered beneath her ear. Jonah hooked the blanket with his foot and brought it up to cover them both as Joe snuggled closer.

They lay there in silence, simply holding one another tight. Jonah caressed her bare arm with his fingertips and then smiled against her hair when he heard her sigh with contentment.

                “Sleep now, Josephine. I’ve got ya.”

                Jonah lay there awake long after Joe’s breathing indicated she had fallen asleep. The clocked ticked on the wall and the wood in the fireplace popped and crackled. Jonah stared at the shadows dancing on the ceiling and thanked God for allowing him to keep his family.

                He still had his Joe and he had his Clayton. Reb was going to stay around and that made Jonah happier than he’d ever admit to the one –eyed bastard. While Jonah had never had a real father, Reb would be the man he would consider to be closest to fitting that role.

                Finally it was time to really let the past go. Forget about all the bad that had happened in his life, all the mistakes he had made, and simply live for today and for the future he was going to have with this beautiful woman and that innocent boy sound asleep beside the bed.

                Jonah sighed and let his eye slip closed, content with the knowledge that he had finally gotten things right.

---

Three Weeks Later

                “Home!” Clayton exclaimed as he jumped off of Chief and began to run around the yard. Joe watched with amusement as he began to whoop loudly and chase after the chickens that they had left running loose to try to avoid them starving while they’d been gone.

                “I’ll have to head to the neighbors tomorrow and get the cows and hogs.” Jonah stated as he slid off Copper’s back and frowned at Joe. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.

                She shook her head and pointed at Clayton. The boy was laughing loudly, his legs kicking up behind him as he ran and the chickens squawked loudly, waddling away from him as quickly as they could. “He’s chasin’ chickens.”

                Jonah laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. “He’s being a kid, Joe. It’s nice really.”

                “He’s never acted that way before.” Joe whispered. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing…. And it made her heart feel lighter. Clayton had always been so grown up and honestly Joe had needed him to be when it had only been the two of them. Now that they had a family, Clayton was finally free to be a child.

                “He’ll be just fine.” Jonah assured her.

                “Sure he will.” Reb agreed, getting off his horse carefully and holding his side.

                “Ya were supposed to stay in that cart the whole way here, Reb!” Joe snapped at him as he winced. “It’s yer own fault if’n ya’ve ripped yer wound back open.”

                “Pft! I’m just fine.” Reb argued. “I’ll even take the horses into the barn and help ‘em get comfortable.” 

                Joe shook her head as Reb led all four of their mounts into the barn. “Are we sure we want his ass stayin’ here with us?” she muttered and Jonah chuckled, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling her body against his.

                “Yep. We’re sure.” He replied. Joe smiled and leaned into his touch. The last three weeks had been a challenge. They’d buried Bart and Sheriff Phillips and had been traveling to reach home since. Clayton had nightmares most nights and woke up screaming. Jonah would always bring the boy to their spread out bedrolls and Clayton would curl up between his parents and sleep peacefully from then on.

                Jonah was a natural father and it made Joe proud to know that he was her husband, legally now as well as by proxy since the man had seen to that too while they’d been in that small Montana town.

                “Our son is a little off his rocker.” Jonah said with a laugh as Clayton leapt for a fleeing chicken, sliding across the dirt and roaring with laughter as the chicken squawked and hit him in the face with her wings, breaking out of the boy’s grasp and returning its mad dash for freedom.

                “He’s being a child. It’s nice.” Joe replied with a shrug.

                “I gotta get that boy that horse I’ve been promising. I missed so much, I got some time to make up for.”

                “Yer here now and he loves ya. That’s all ya need to be worried about.” Joe countered and Jonah held her a little tighter. Joe decided now was as good a time as any to tell him the secret she’d been keeping for a while. “And since yer here now, ya won’t miss a thing this time ‘round.”

                “What are you talking about?” Jonah asked with confusion and Joe sighed. She took Jonah’s hand and laid it over her low stomach where their second child was currently growing.

                “You’ll be ‘round fer it all this time.”

                “Are you saying that you’re……..” Jonah’s quiet voice trailed off. Joe nodded, wishing she could see his face.

                “Yeah, that’s what I’m sayin’.”

                Silence reigned for a long quiet moment and Joe was worried that maybe Jonah wasn’t as happy about the news as she had thought he was going to be. She tossed her hair, (which was a little more red every day), over her shoulder and looked back at him, just in time to catch him flush red and swipe at his wet eye.               

                “Are you cryin’?” she demanded and Jonah shook his head.

                “Nope.”

                “Yeah ya were!” she exclaimed with a laugh. “You was cryin’.”

                Jonah grumbled under his breath and turned her around, pulling her body against his and putting his hands on her cheeks.

                “I’m just happy is all. And since I’m married to the strongest person I know that means every now and then I get to be the weak one.”

                Joe smiled and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Alright. I guess somethin’ like that can be arranged seein’ as how it ain’t very often that I break.”

                “I love you Josephine.”

                “’Course ya do.”

                “I won’t let you down this time.” Jonah added, his voice becoming more serious as his thumbs caressed Joe’s jaw. She laid her hands over his and looked in his gray eyes, which were brimming and near to bursting with love. Love for her, love for their son and love for their unborn child.

                “I know ya won’t, Jonah. Yer a good man. Best one I know.”

                Jonah kissed her tenderly and then Reb hollered from the barn. “I can’t feed ‘em too! I’m injured ya know!”

                Joe was about to yell back at him but Jonah covered her lips with his fingers. “It’s alright, Joe. We’ll let him be a pain in the ass while he’s healing cuz he’s gonna have his hands full once he feels better. Clayton loves his uncle Reb and is real eager to go hunting with the man. Everyday. For hours. While we stay here….. alone.”

                Joe felt her body tremble and she smiled against his calloused finger. “Well in that case, get in there and feed them horses while I cook Reb some supper. We got some suckin’ up to do.”

                Jonah was laughing as he walked to the barn and Clayton ran after him, questions about the horse Jonah had promised him filling the early afternoon air.

                Joe wondered what her pa would think of her now. A wife. A mother. Still the tough as nails daughter of Gideon ‘the hawk’ Redding and yet softer somehow. Joe had always promised herself she’d never need anyone but now she realized she’d been wrong…. And she didn’t regret it. Not for one single minute.