Synopsis and info!

Willamina or Willa as she insists everyone call her, has been on the same mission since age fourteen. Find her family. It had been a difficult journey being a young woman on her own all these years. In just over a decade she’d reached nothing but dead ends. But she had one hope. One hope at a living, breathing relative. A half-brother named Willie.

Eleanor has finally begun to put her past behind her. She has a nice life on the ranch with her brother and the family. Though everyone still considers her a recluse, Eleanor simply enjoys quiet and solitude. She loves caring for the babies on the ranch and thirteen year old Preston is her closest friend.

There is nothing Eleanor feels is missing from her life–until a loud, opinionated, feisty woman rides and changes everything.

A/N: Hey y’all! This’ll be number four in ‘The Crane Gang’ series! It’ll be womanxwoman which is something I’ve never done before so I hope I’ll do a good job at it! I don’t know when exactly the first chapter will be up but it should be sometime within the next week!

Love y’all!

Nicole

Chapter One

The Outlaw and the Lady

Chapter One

“Damnation!”

    Curses filled the air as the stallion sent Willamena soaring out of the saddle and through the air. Her teeth chattered together roughly as her backside slammed onto the muddy ground. Pain radiated from her battered backside, spreading up her spine and momentarily blinding her vision. 

    As Willamena shook her head to recover a bit of her wits, she took notice of the cause of her pain galloping away across the muddy plains and disappearing over a rise in the distance. 

    "Flea-bitten, cow-sucking, worthless sack of sour soap!" Willamena, or Willa as she preferred to be called, sincerely hoped the runaway horse would hear her hurled insult, take it to heart, and hold its head down in shame for the rest of its days. 

    Now, not only was she horribly lost, she had an aching backside, throbbing back, and not a supply to her name. Willa should have known better than to steal Harvey Dougal's horse. The best had proven to be just as backwards and ornery as its previous owner. 

    Shoving herself to her feet with a groan, Willa swiped desperately and fruitlessly at her favorite, (and only), pair of brown-spotted, cow-hide gaucho pants. She could forget about getting clean. Willa would be cleaning mud out of all her crevices for days. 

    Despite her desire to never see that damned horse again, Willamena knew she had no real choice but to follow along behind it. Everything she owned was in the saddlebags on its flea-bitten back. Beginning her muddy trek to who knew where, Willa was grateful that the spring day was a cool one and the sun was hidden by gray clouds that were choosing to hold in their raindrops for the time being. 

    Realizing her ankle must have also been twisted in her fall, Willa began to limp. She was most definitely going to kill that damn horse. Limping her way along, Willa thought about the decade long journey she had been on. 

    Ten long years she had spent searching for any blood relative she may have left in the world. Willa's parents had died about the time she'd been born and she had gone to live with a grandmother for six years until that woman too had passed away. With no one else around to claim her, six-year old Willa had been sent to an orphanage. 

    That cold, awful place had been home for six years until the day that Willa had decided she'd had enough and had taken off on her own—a twelve-year old girl completely alone in the world. 

    Life had been hard to say the least. Willa had been a small girl in a man's world. But Willa was tough and she was smart and she had survived—hell she had thrived. She was good with a gun and made decent money doing trick-shooting competitions. Also, despite her recent failings on Harvey Dougal's stolen horse, Willa was one hell of a trick rider and had ridden with several caravans and shows, showcasing her talents. 

    Even with all her luck thriving on her own, Willa stilled longed for one thing—family. And so, she had spent much of her life searching for exactly that. Surely there was someone, at least one other person in the world, who shared her blood. So far her search had been fruitless. All paths she'd taken had either proved to be false leads or had led to nothing but dead ends because, well, people died. 

    Willamena was now in search of her best and final lead. A brother. An actual brother! Well, half-brother since they had different mama's but Willa didn't care. She'd never imagined she might have a sibling out there in the world. While she was terrified of being let down yet again, Willa couldn't help but to be excited. 

    She had learned that Willie rode with a man named Craig Crane and some of his people. More digging had also let her know that Craig Crane was living in New Mexico someone near where she currently was. The town was close but she had also gotten lost and for all she knew she could have passed it right up. 

    A string of curses left Willa's mouth in a rush as the clouds above suddenly opened. Fat, steady raindrops began to fall, soaking her quite thoroughly in nearly an instant. Pulling her hat lower and continuing to limp along, Willamena realized that today simply wasn't her day. 

---

    Darkness was falling when Willa saw the flickering lights of a town in the distance. "Well, I'll be damned...." That flea-bitten horse had led her straight to a town. Maybe she wouldn't kill the beast after all. 

    Despite the radiating pain in her ankle and the throbbing in her back, Willa picked up her pace. She was muddy, wet, cold, tired, and hungry. All of those things could be mended in that town. Main street was small but bustling as Willa stepped onto it. Music sounded from two nearby saloons. Giggling women showcasing their wares in tight corsets and petticoats walked along the porch of a brothel—Despite her sour mood and poor condition, Willa took a moment to admire them before trudging on. 

    The scent of food wafting from a cantina and a diner, made Willa's stomach rumble but she couldn't see to it just yet. Her money pouch was wherever that damn horse had gone. 

    Pointing her feet toward the livery she could see at the other end of town, Willa took note of the bathhouse, clothing store, and a doctor's office. They were all closed at this hour but Willa would certainly be visiting them come morning. 

    "Can I help you, miss? I was just about to close up for the night." A middle-aged man with buckteeth greeted Willa as she stepped into the livery. Willa didn't miss the way his eyes widened a bit as he took in the sight of her. No doubt she probably looked much like a drowned rat. 

    "Yes sir. I hope ya can." Willa pulled off her hat and sighed. "My horse threw me earlier today while I was traveling and I followed his tracks to town. You wouldn't happen to have seen him, have ya? He's a dapple gray stallion and all my gear would have been on him. Black saddle and bags with silver studs and tassels..."

    The man held up his hand. "Yeah, I reckon I've seen him. Awful flashy gear you've got." 

    Willa was used to being judged on her flashiness. She simply cocked her brow. "Jealous?"

    The man's face reddened as he sputtered several times. He rubbed his neck and turned away from her. "Horse and gear are back here," he announced, leading Willa toward a back stall. "You'll owe me for his care, of course. He's been fed, rubbed down, given hay and water." 

    Willa glared at the four-legged cause of her muddy clothes, bruised ass, and throbbing ankle. "Don't worry, you'll get your money. I'm gonna leave him here for tonight and I'll pay you when I get him in the morning." 

    Willa hefted up her saddlebags and tossed them over her shoulder. All she wanted just now was some damn food and about twenty hours of sleep. 

    "I don't mean no offense, ma'am, but I'd like my money now. I don't know you and I don't know that you won't come back in the night and take that horse, leaving me without." 

    Willa's temper rose to attention. "So first, you say you don't mean offense but then you turn around and call me a thief?" Her hip cocked as she put her hat back on her wet, dark curls. "I'm taking offense." 

    Those beady blue eyes dropped to the twin pearl handled thirty-eight revolvers on her hips and the man swallowed hard. "I didn't say you were a thief. I simply stated that I don't know you aren't one." 

    Willa rolled her eyes. "I'm no thief," she assured him, fully aware that a stolen horse was the cause of their altercation. "And you'll get your damn money in the morning." 

    Readjusting her saddlebags, Willa headed out the door, satisfied when the man chose to hold his tongue and simply let her leave. 

    Willa had seen two hotels in town but before she checked into one, she needed to tend to her roaring stomach. After eating her supper on the boardwalk because the uppity woman in charge of the diner had deemed her too filthy to eat at a table, Willa quickly rented herself a room at the hotel. 

    She slid from her filthy clothes the moment the door was locked behind her. Then, quite delicately, Willa flopped upon the bed. Tonight, she would rest and then tomorrow.... Tomorrow, Willa would finally meet her brother. 

A/N: Its been a long time coming but finally the fourth story in the Crane Gang series has begun! This will be my first ever wxw story so I hope y’all enjoy it!

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

    "There's my beautiful, sombrero wearing lady!" 

    Jane rolled her eyes at the sound of her husband's voice filling the mid-morning air. Damn, she loved that man. Turning around, Jane beamed at the sight of Pete's gap-toothed smile as he walked down the muddy street toward her. 

    "Mama!" Pete sat a squirming four-year old Willie on his feet and the boy shot toward Jane like a bullet. She was laughing as she scooped the red-haired boy up into her arms. "I miss you, mama." 

    "You and your pa were only in the store for ten minutes," Jane reminded him. 

    Willie simply shrugged. "I still miss you." 

    "I missed you too, Monster." 

    "Did you miss me?" Pete inquired, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

    "Like a toothache," Jane assured him as she leaned into his embrace. 

    "Can we see Nana Maria?" Willie asked hopefully. 

    "I reckon we probably ought to," Pete agreed. "She'd probably get awfully angry if we don't stop in for a visit." 

    Besides, I promised Jeb we'd pick up Preston's medicine," Jane added. "And I heard a little whisper of a rumor that Nana Maria would have some fresh baked cookies this morning." 

    Willie's blue eyes lit up. "Let's go! Let's go!" 

    With a laugh, Pete took Willie and propped him on his hip. "Hell yeah, let's go. We'd have already been there if I'd have known there were cookies." 

    The trio headed down main street. Jane paid attention to the faces they past. Most were familiar, some weren't. Jane was always aware of her surroundings—always a bit on guard for threats. She had lost a lot in her life—she wasn't looking to lose anymore. 

    Sun light shimmered off something across the street, causing Jane to turn her head. She stopped in her tracks. Blinked. Blinked again. Her mouth opened, then closed. No words would come and Jane couldn't seem to focus her thoughts. 

    The sunlight had been reflected off a shiny, silver button. A button with a gaudy tassel attached to it. The person wearing the shirt that held said button and tassel, had disappeared into the gun shop. Surely, Jane must have been seeing things. Surely, her eyes had been playing tricks on her. 

    "Come on, mama! Cookies!" Willie called impatiently. 

    Pete's voice was concerned as his hand cupped her elbow. "What did you see, honey?"

    Jane shook her head. "Not what. Who." 

    Now Pete sounded on edge. His hand left her elbow and went to his gun. "Who?"

    "Willie...." 

    "I right here, mama." 

    Swallowing hard, Jane met her husband's confused gaze. "Bigger Willie... Pete, I swear I just saw Willie go into that gun shop. Only...." 

    Pete's brow furrowed. "Only what? Jane, Willie's dead." 

    Jane rubbed at the back of her neck and her eyes went back to the gun shop. "Only this Willie had tits." 

    The widening of Pete's eyes was downright comical. "Well hell's bells! I gotta see that!" 

    Jane watched as her idiotic husband took off across the street at a run with a bouncing, laughing Willie in his arms. Shaking off her own shock and confusion, Jane followed after family, though at a much slower pace. 

    When she entered the gun shop and her eyes began adjusting to the change in light, Jane found her husband staring slack-jawed at a woman currently standing at the counter haggling with the store keep over the cost of the bullets she was purchasing. 

    

Normally, Jane would backhand the man for ogling another woman, but not today. Today, Jane was ogling too.

    The woman at the counter was, simply put, the female version of Willie. Hot-headed, proud, drank til he vomited, loyal until the end, had died so Jane could share life with Pete, Willie.

    The woman had that same wild, dark hair beneath her hat, though it was quite a bit longer than Willie's had been. She had the same lean, rangy build with the addition of rounder hips, a fuller backside and a set of tits. 

    The woman had Willie's long, straight nose. His stubborn chin complete with a dimple and his big blue eyes. There were differences. Her skin was lighter, her cheeks softer and a healthy splotch of freckles covered her nose and cheeks. 

    The physical similarities were uncanny but what really demanded attention and confusion was the woman's attire. Willie had always been flashy—he'd been well known for his oversized gaucho pants, brightly colored shirts, silver studs, tassels, boots and hat. Willie had loved turning heads as he'd walked down the road—and it would seem this woman did as well. 

    Pete's voice was suddenly in her ear. "Hell, the person who designed them pants sold two pair." 

    "I told you I saw a Willie with tits," Jane whispered back. 

    It seemed 'little' Willie was growing impatient. He yanked on Pete's shirt. "Come on, pa! Cookies." 

    Throwing money on the counter and gathering up her purchase, the woman turned to face her onlookers. "You need to listen to your red-haired rugrat and move on now. I don't much appreciate having folks following me around and ogling." 

    "A person doesn't dress like that if they don't want to be ogled," Pete countered, a grin spreading across his face. 

    Clearly Pete wasn't offended by the woman's lack of manners but Jane was. She put her hand on her hip before shoving her sombrero off her head, letting it hang on her back. "There ain't no need to be so damn rude." 

    The woman snorted as she stepped forward, clearly sizing Jane up. "There is a damn reason. When people I don't know follow me around, stare at me, and whisper behind my back, I call that a reason." 

    Jane opened her mouth to form a rebuttal and then slammed it closed. Dammit, the rude woman was right. They 

had been following, staring and whispering. With a huff, Jane turned on her heel and strode from the gun shop. She heard Pete mutter an apology before he rushed to catch up with her.

    "Who was that woman, mama?" Willie asked. 

    Jane shook her head. "I don't know, monster. Let's go get them cookies now." 

    Satisfied with that decision, Willie's eyes became focused on his Nana's house in the distance. "You okay?" Pete asked her quietly. 

    Jane swallowed hard, fighting back emotion. "It's been a long time since I've thought about him. She just really...." 

    Pete's eyes were tender as he put his arm around her and kissed her temple. "I know, honey." 

    Shaking off her melancholy, Jane smiled. "I love you, Pete Bardlow." 

    Willie rolled his eyes and tugged on Pete's red hair. "Papa knows you love him mama. You're married!" 

    Pete wiggled his brows. "How'd I get so lucky, Willie?" 

    His tiny shoulders shrugged. "Beats me." 

    "Hey you!" 

    Jane and Pete turned in unison when the woman from the gun shop called out behind them. She approached at a limping jog before fixing her studded hat and smoothing out her bright yellow shirt. 

    "If you're looking for a fight..." Jane began but the woman shook her head. 

    "Naw, I ain't lookin' for a fight. I actually have a question to ask y'all." 

    Sharing a glance with her husband, Jane frowned. "What the question?"

    Sticking her thumbs through her belt loops, the woman cocked her hip to the side. "I just rode into town last night so I ain't familiar with no one here. I'm hopin' that since y'all are walking around town with a youngin, that means you're from around here." 

    "We live here!" Willie happily answered. "Nana has cookies." 

    The woman grinned—a grin that seemed so very familiar. "I love a good cookie now and then." 

    Willie nodded whole-heartedly. "Me too!" 

    "What is it you wanted to ask?" Jane questioned, eager to be away from the oddly familiar stranger. 

    Clearing her throat, the woman refocused her attention on Jane. "I'm looking for someone. I was told he lives somewhere around here." 

    The hairs on the back of Jane's neck stood up, though she wasn't entirely sure why. "Who are you looking for?" 

    "A man named Craig Crane. I was told I could find him and his people around here." 

    Jane stiffened. This woman was armed with weapons and had just purchased more ammunition. Now, she was asking about Craig and the family? Instantly Jane knew she needed to protect her family—but how? 

    An image of Gill flashed through her mind. If it worked for him.....

    Moving quickly, Jane pulled her revolver as she stepped to the side of the stranger. The woman's eyes widened but before she could speak or react Jane brought the gun down on the woman's head, knocking her unconscious. 

    "Hells bells, woman!" Pete exclaimed before letting out a whistle. "What was that for?"

    Jane holstered her weapon, fully aware of passerby's eyeing her warily. She wasn't worried about being in any trouble. Most folks left her family to their own devices and, the brand-new law in town, was nothing but an elected town Marshall named Silas Todd—who just happened to be an old friend of Maria's. 

     Jane spared a glance at the woman out cold in the dirt before turning her attention to her husband. She knew instantly that Pete wasn't happy about what she had done—which only served to annoy her. "I'm protecting the family, Pete. How many times has Gill done the same? Or Wyatt? I don't like the idea of a stranger in town hunting for my cousin." 

    "She dead mama?" Willie asked, his blue eyes wide as he stared down at the woman.

    Jane offered her son a comforting smile. "No, she's just sleeping, monster."

    Pete still seemed unsure. "Are you real certain it was necessary to do 

that? “ he asked, nodding toward the woman.

    Jane rolled her eyes. "Have you questioned Gill every time he's done it?" 

    His free hand raised in surrender. "Fair enough." Pete adjusted Willie on his hip. "Looks like the cookies are gonna have to wait, kid. We gotta get the sleeping lady to Uncle Gill's house before she wakes up."

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

    Consciousness slowly began to return and with it a horrible ache in Willa's head. Outside of her own physical discomfort, the first thing Willa was able to register was voices—the voice of the bitch who had knocked her out was among them. 

    "Don't you lecture me about what I did, Gill?"

    "I'm not lecturing..." an unfamiliar male voice, apparently belonging to someone named Gill, replied. 

    "Good, cuz you've done it more than once," the woman stated. 

    What the hell was wrong with these people? They made a habit of knocking innocent people unconscious in the middle of town?

    "Yes, he has." Another voice chimed in, this one belonging to the bitch's red-haired husband. 

    "You're not helping, Pete," Gill grumbled. 

    As bickering ensued between Pete and Gill, Willa attempted to gain her bearings without opening her eyes and letting this group of crazies know she was awake. She was alive, obviously, that was a good thing. Her head ached something awful. She was sitting on a hard, rickety chair with her ankles tied to the legs and her hands tight tightly behind the back. 

    What the hell had she done to deserve this kind of treatment?

    In addition to the three voices Willa had already heard, she knew there were plenty of other people gathered around her. Their shuffling feet and the sense of them close around her made Willa uncomfortable. 

    What the hell was she going to do to get herself out of whatever the hell she'd gotten herself into?

    "That's enough." Willa's attention piqued at the new booming, authoritative voice. "I want to know why that woman is coming into town hunting after my man. Since I can tell by her breathing that she's awake, I reckon it's time for her to tell me." 

    Willa remained still a moment longer. That was most definitely a man's voice—and he had just referred to another man as 

his. Interesting.

    Slowly, almost sheepishly, Willa blinked several times. Her view was a set of thick, masculine thighs. Craning her neck, Willa moved her gaze upward. The black man standing in front of her was massive. Muscular arms were crossed over a broad chest while hard brown eyes glared down at her over a wide nose. 

    "Who the hell are you?" Willa whispered, through the pounding in her head. 

    "Name's Ezekial." His full lips turned down. "Who the hell are you?"

    Willa let her gaze drop. Her head ached much too severely while craning her neck and it caused her vision to swim. She was real damn vulnerable right now and that knowledge riled her. It was when her gaze dropped that Willa realized the man wore no guns—instead he wore two knives; one hooked on each thigh. 

    "My name is Willa. I don't know why the hell I'm tied to this chair but I don't mean anyone here any harm." Except the woman that had hit her upside the head—Willa would be interested in knocking her around a bit. 

    Speaking of that woman—it was her voice that next muttered. "Even her damn name is familiar." 

    Ezekial's boot nudged Willa's bringing her attention back to him. "Why are you looking for Craig?"

    Willa sighed. She may as well be honest. She didn't reckon these brain addled idiots were going to let her out of this chair any other way. "I was told that who I'm looking for runs around with Craig Crane and that I could find Craig here." 

    Pete poked his head into her line of vision, a gap-toothed smile on his freckled face. "Craig runs around with two-year old girls and large black men nowadays. You lookin' for either one of those?"

    Yanking at the ropes on her hands, Willa rolled her eyes. "Can't say that I am." 

    "Then who are you looking for?" Willa's attention went to another man who was speaking for the first time. This man was holding hands with the man named Gill. Apparently, this place was 

real interesting. “We aren’t real eager for visitors around here.”

    Willa grunted. "Yeah, I noticed." She'd received warmer welcomes at jailhouses. "I'm looking for my brother—or half-brother anyway." 

    The cause of Willa's headache shoved her husband out of the way and entered Willa's line of vision. Her expression was wary. "Who is your brother?"

    Willa had had enough. "His name is Willie, goddammit. Now can y'all just untie me and tell me where to find him? I'm tired of this damn chair." 

    The room fell silent. A pin could have been heard clattering upon the floor. Willa grew uneasy as the angry tension in the room morphed into something else. Willa grew uneasy. Did these people know Willie?

    "Willie is your brother?" the woman muttered. 

    Again, Willa tugged at her restraints. "Yeah, I reckon. You know him? Can you tell me where to find him?" Hope blossomed in Willa's chest. "I've been hunting for any family I may have left for a decade or longer. Willie's my last lead."

    "Uh..." The woman stepped back. It seemed everyone in the room placed more distance between them and her. Dread and unease swirled around Willa and suddenly she didn't want the answer. She had a real strong feeling that she wasn't gonna like it. 

    "Just untie me and let me go," she insisted. "I won't bother y'all anymore." 

    No one answered her and no one moved to untie her. Ezekial frowned. "How do  we know she's telling the truth?"

    "Because 

look at her!“ Pete exclaimed. “She’s the spitting image of Willie, right down to the gaucho pants. Jane’s right. She’s Willie with a set of tits.”

    "I never knew Willie," Ezekial reminded them. "But I'm glad Craig's home with Delilah." 

    Willamena's head was spinning while her gut was twisted and knotted inside her. They were speaking of Willie in the past tense. Please no. No, she couldn't have lost the only family in the world she had left before she'd even managed to find him!

    "Willa, my name is Jane," the woman stated, coming around and untying Willa's hands. "I hate to have to tell you this, Willa, but Willie is dead. He was murdered close to six years ago." 

    Willa's heart broke in her chest. She couldn't seem to draw a full breath. Every bit of hope was ripped away from her with those few choice words. Her brother—the last hope she had for a family of her own—was dead. Willa's decade long journey had been a failure.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

    "Reckon we should untie the woman now?" Pete offered after several moments of strained silence. 

    Ezekial paused a few seconds before letting out a sigh and bending over her to undo the ropes. Willa didn't take to folks being so close but she was too numb just now to voice her displeasure.

    Willie was dead. She had no relatives left in the world. Not one single person she could call family. 

    "How?" she whispered. "How did he die?"

    Willa noticed everyone sharing cautious glances. Her hands and legs finally free, Willa stood up to stretch as she waited for an answer. Unfortunately it was that damned Jane who stepped forward. "He was shot and killed by some evil men. He died defending some of the only family he knew—us." 

    Willa frowned. "Family? Y'all are kin to Willie?"

    "Adopted family," the man holding hands with Gill spoke up. "We took him in and he was our brother." 

    Willa was both happy and jealous that Willie hadn't lived a life alone like she had—like she would continue to do. "I guess I'll be going then," Willa stated. There was no point staying around if her brother was dead. "Can I have my weapons back?" 

    Gill nodded. "Give them to her, Jeb." The man holding Gill's hand let go and pulled her twin revolvers from the waistband of his pants. He held them out to her and Willa was quick to take them, give them each a spin, and slide them into their holsters. 

    She held out her hand. "And my knife?" 

    Jeb sighed and pulled out the knife and holster from his waistband as well. Willa took it and hooked it to her gun belt. 

    "Where will you go?" Jane asked. 

    Willa bristled. "Wherever I choose." She could feel the emotion rising in her throat and wanted to get away before any tears fell. So, without another word she strode out the door, realizing once she was outside that she'd have to walk back to town. She wasn't going to ask to borrow a horse and no one had offered to let her. 

    Squaring her shoulders and hardening her jaw, Willa began her limping journey without any of the hope she'd had just hours ago. 

---

    Eleanor had been hiding in the loft listening and watching. Fourteen-year-old Preston was with her but as usual his nose was buried in a book. 

    Eleanor hadn't been able to take her eyes off the newcomer. She was beautiful and frightening—though after what Eleanor had seen and been through in her life, she found most things frightening. 

    But the stranger, Willa, had intrigued her. All those messy, dark curls, freckles, and flashy clothes.... Eleanor hadn't wanted to look away. 

    She wished she'd been brave enough to go down and introduce herself, but of course she hadn't been. Eleanor hated that about herself. 

    No one in the family knew her true desire. Eleanor wanted to fall in love with a woman. She wanted a companion. She knew she would be safe to share her secret with her family but she had never felt the need to. Eleanor knew she'd probably die a spinster, never knowing how it felt to be in love and have that person love her back. 

    "Aunt Eleanor, are you okay?" Preston spoke up, eyeing her from behind his book. "You look sad." 

    Eleanor looked at the boy who was also her best friend. "I'm okay," she lied. "Just a lot of excitement this morning." She knew that Preston would understand that it meant she was anxious. 

    Preston didn't seem completely convinced but he didn't push. He simply went back to reading his book. 

    The cabin had cleared out so Eleanor made her way down the ladder. She wondered where her brother was. Neither him nor Wyatt had been there to question Willa. 

    Despite the summer heat, Eleanor pulled her shawl tighter around herself as she stepped outside. She always kept herself covered thanks to emotional scars from the past. 

    "Hey Eleanor," Gill greeted from where he leaned against the porch banister. "Is Preston still lost in a book?"

    Eleanor nodded and smiled as she thought of Preston and how different he was compared to most boys his age. "Of course he is." 

    Jeb sighed. "I'll go get him," he said, rising from his chair. "He wants to enter the trick riding competition in the fair next month and that means he needs practice." Jeb disappeared into the house. 

    "Where are Wyatt and Zachariah?" Eleanor asked Gill. 

    "They left last night. Something about getting away for a while." 

    "Do you know when they'll be back?" Zachariah and Wyatt's presence always made her feel the smallest bit safer. 

    "Sorry, I don't," Gill replied. "Do you need something?"

    "No." Eleanor offered him a small smile and then left the porch and headed for the barn. There she'd be able to spend some time with her pet pig Bacon and think about Willa. Would she ever see the woman again?

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

    It was a long walk and her ankle was throbbing by the time Willa made it into town. She knew she needed to take a few days to rest but she wasn't going to do that here

.

    She needed to get away from this town and the promise it had held. Her heart ached with the loss of the brother she had never known. 

    Willa quickly decided she would leave town and find a place to camp while her ankle healed, Solitude was what she needed just now. There were supplies that needed restocking before she left so after getting her horse from the livery, Willa headed for the mercantile. 

    Being in a hurry, Willa kept it short and sweet in the store. She gathered up what she needed, paid the store keep, and headed for the door. As soon as she stepped out into the fading sun, a chill went down her spine. 

    Unsure of what had caused the sensation, she turned toward her hitched horse and made several steps toward it before being deafened by a revolver shot. Instantaneously, she was blinded by pain as a bullet slammed into her back.      

    "I'll kill you, Willamena!" Harvey Dougal, her horses original owner called out from behind her as Willa fell to her knees. 

    She was bleeding heavily and pain made breathing difficult. Willa pulled her gun from her holster, and with shaking hands turned and fired one shot at Harvey just as his second shot whizzed past her head and lodged into the wooden post behind her. 

    Willa's aim was true and the bullet slammed into Harvey's forehead—killing him. 

    Her strength quickly failing, Willa fell onto the mud and laid there in the street as people yelling filled the air. Damn Harvey Dougal and his damn horse. Hell, she'd have given him the ornery beast back if he'd asked! But instead that brave brave man had shot her in the back and probably killed her. 

    As her vision began to blur and her eyes became harder to hold open, Willa heard a man close to her yell, "Someone get Maria. If anyone knows about bullet wounds, it's her!"

---

    Eleanor was just putting supper on the table for Jeb, Gill, and Preston when the sound of an approaching horse alerted them all to a visitor. 

    Gill stepped out onto the porch. "Marshall Silas," he greeted. "What brings you out here so late?"

    Jeb quickly joined Gill on the porch while Eleanor felt her anxiety rise and she pulled her shawl tighter. She hoped no one was in trouble. 

    "Maria sent me out here. She wanted me to tell you that the woman Jane knocked unconscious and brought to your house earlier today was just shot in the back in town. She's at Maria's place but it isn't looking good." 

    Eleanor's heart dropped. She didn't want Willa to die. 

    "Shit..." Gill mumbled. 

    Jeb let out a sigh. "I'll go." 

    Gill seemed surprised. "Why?"

    "For Willie. That's his sister and he'd want me to go and see if there's anything I can do." 

    "Okay." Gill relented. "Just be careful. I'll stay here with Eleanor and Preston." 

    Eleanor chewed on her lip and gathered her courage. She stepped to the door. "I want to come with you, Jeb." 

    Jeb's eyes widened. "You do?"

    She nodded, knowing it was unusual for herself to request a trip to town. She never went to town. Eleanor crossed her arms tightly around herself. "I might be able to help Maria." 

    "Take her with you, Jeb. Hell, Zachariah will be happy knowing his sister got out for a while." 

    The next thing Eleanor knew she was on ahorse and heading for town. Anxiety ate at her stomach but she knew this was somethingshe had to do. She had to do what she could to save Willa.

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

    "Eleanor, honey, it's a nice surprise to see you here," Maria greeted as Jeb led her up the porch steps. 

    Eleanor's nerves were on edge and her hands were shaking. She hated being out in public; she felt as if someone would grab her, take her, and lock her up any second. While Jeb's presence did provide some comfort, she was ready to be inside. 

    "I wanted to see if I could help you." 

    Maria's surprise seemed to grow but her smile was warm. "Of course. I can always use help." 

    "How is Willa?" Jeb asked pulling his hat off his head.

    Maria sighed and wiped her hands on her blood spotted apron. "I've done what I can in removing the bullet. Luckily it lodged in a rib and didn't hit her heart or lungs. She lost a lot of blood.

    "All I can do now is keep her wound and bandages clean, watch for fever and infection and wait for her to wake up." 

    "I'll do anything you need," Eleanor offered. 

    "Thank you, dear. That'll take a load off an old lady." 

    Jeb shook his head. "You're not old, ma'am. Can I ask exactly how she got shot? The Marshal left the house before I could ask him." 

    Maria nodded. "She was coming out of the mercantile, stepped toward her horse and a man shot her in the back. She managed to shoot and kill him before he killed her but then she fell in the road and lost consciousness pretty quick." 

    Jeb nodded as he placed his hat back on his head. "Do you know the man?" 

    "No, and like I said, he's already dead so don't you worry about gunning after him." Maria warned pointing her finger up at his nose. "We're hoping that Willa can tell us the man's name when she wakes up since he certainly seemed to know her." 

    Letting out a sigh, Jeb stepped toward the door. "If you don't mind, I'll go look in on her and then head home to Gill and Preston." 

    "Tell my son and grandson to come visit me soon."

    Jeb smiled. "Yes, ma'am." He disappeared into the house leaving Eleanor alone with Maria. 

    "Do you have room for me here or should I have Jeb get me a room at the hotel?" Eleanor asked, knowing that sometimes Maria's house became entirely full of sick patients.

    The answer made her sigh with relief. "There's the spare room upstairs right next to mine and you're welcome to it." 

    Jeb came outside soon after. "I'll be heading back, Eleanor. I'll put your horse up at the livery." 

    He hugged Maria, tipped his head to Eleanor and headed down the road, leading the two horses. 

    "Well, come on in, Eleanor. I'll get something small made for supper and you can check on our patient." 

    Moments later, Eleanor found herself stepping into the patient room. Willa lay completely still upon the bed. Only the rise and fall of her chest indicated the other woman was alive. Her skin was pale, her freckles sticking out sharply. All of the fire and spirit Eleanor had seen in the cabin was gone. She hoped she'd get to see it again. 

---

    Damnation, Willa felt as if she'd been run over by a runaway wagon. Every breath was a struggle and full of pain. 

    Damn Harvey Dougal. It wasn't as if he'd been innocent. He'd cheated at that poker game and taken her money so she had taken his horse. She should have killed him for cheating that night and saved herself all this trouble. 

    A gentle humming reached her ears. It was a nice sound. Very soothing and peaceful. 

    Cracking her eyes open, the sigh she was met with took Willa's breath. The humming sound was coming from a beautiful woman currently holding a broom and moving elegantly around the room. 

    High cheekbones and copper skin showed she had a lot of native blood. Dark hair was pulled up on her head with wispy stray hairs dancing on her cheeks. The beauty wasn't the woman whos had helped scrape Willa off the street. She wasn't Maria. 

    "Who are you?" Willa croaked through her dry throat. 

    The woman let out a small cry, dropped the broom and turned to face her. "You're awake."

    "I reckon. How long was I asleep?"

    "Two days." 

    Willa tried to sit up but growled with annoyance when she couldn't manage it alone. The woman approached her timidly, much like a frightened animal. Why was she so afraid?

    Finally, the beautiful stranger reached her bedside. "I'll help you up. You need to be careful. Your rib is broken and you have stitches." 

    Willa wasn't sure she appreciated being scolded but the woman's voice was pretty and soothing so she chose not to snap at her. Instead, Willa let her help her sit up. "So, who are you?" she asked again. 

    The woman poured a glass of water from a pitcher into a glass. "Eleanor," she replied, handing the glass to Willa. "I live with Jeb and Gill." 

    Willies 

family. Willa felt a pain in her chest that had nothing to do with the bullet she had taken. “Did you know Willie?”

    Eleanor shook her head. "I've only been with the family a few years. My brother is with Wyatt. Wyatt knew Willie." 

    Two more men together? What kind of ranch was that? Most people like her had to hide and keep their desires secret—Willa always had. It was a lonely way to live. 

    "Why are you here? Do you normally help the doctor?"

    Eleanor was wearing a gray shawl, which was odd considering the room was real warm, and she pulled it tighter around herself. "No. The marshall came and told us you'd been shot. I wanted to help you." 

    Willa frowned. "Why?"

    "Jeb says you're family. Willie was family so that means you are too." 

    Those people were crazy. "I'm not Jeb's family. Family shares blood and I don't have any." 

    Eleanor looked sad. "I've found that blood matters very little." 

    "Says the lady with a brother," Willa snapped. 

    Eleanor's soft brown eyes turned harder. "My worthless parents are dead. I grew up in an orphanage. My brother took me out when I was old enough and I lived alone in a cabin until a few years ago when my brother came back into my life. Trust me when I say that those people are a family and offer more loyalty than blood ever has." 

    Willa swallowed hard. She hated knowing that Eleanor's life had been so lonely. "You and I have different definitions of family." 

    Eleanor sighed. "I feel very sorry for you then." 

    Eleanor took her water and sat it on the bedside table. "Let's get you laid back down. Maria wants you resting."

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Eleanor woke the next morning feeling quite guilty for how she had spoken to Willa the night before. Willa had just learned of her brother’s death and nearly been killed herself—she didn’t need Eleanor lecturing her.

    She was on her way to check on Willa when Maria stopped her. "Good morning, Eleanor. I have some home visits to make today. I need you to make Willa some breakfast, change her bandage, and check her wound. Can you handle that?"

    Eleanor swallowed hard but nodded. She did not do good being completely alone with new people. Maria patted her on the shoulder. "You've learned a lot since you've been here. Maybe you'll keep learning and be the town's next doc." 

    Eleanor doubted that but, then again, she didn't have any other idea of what to do with her life. She couldn't live with Jeb and Gill forever—but she'd have to overcome her fear of strangers before she could ever be a doctor. 

    Maria gathered up her bag and left the house. Eleanor went to the kitchen and whipped up some eggs, biscuits, and potatoes. She knew Willa would be hungry this morning. 

    Plate of food in hand, Eleanor knocked on Willa's door before stepping in. Willa was sitting up in bed and Eleanor smiled. "Good morning." 

    "Better now," Willa declared. "You brought food. I thought the old lady was gonna let me starve." 

    "That old lady is the only reason you're alive," Eleanor replied gently. "I have your breakfast but first, I need to tend to your wound." 

    "Alright then. But make it quick, I'm starving." 

    Willa turned a bit and slowly lifted up the back of her skirt. It was clear from her jerky movements that she was in a lot of pain. "Do you want some laudanum this morning?" Eleanor offered. 

    Willa shook her head. "I keep telling y'all no." 

    "And we keep hoping you'll overcome your stubbornness." 

    Willa laughed quietly while Eleanor sat the blat of food on the bedside table and gathered up when she would need to change Willa's bandage and clean her wound. 

    Her hands were shaking as she reached for the old bandage on Willa's back. She had done this several times while Willa had been unconscious but she wasn't unconscious now. Something about touching Willa's warm, soft skin while she was awake and aware causing a tingling sensation to wash over her body—like the crackling of the air just before a lightning strike. 

    She was overly aware as she removed the bandage, and when her fingertips slid across Willa's back, Willa's sharp intake of breath reached her ears. Eleanor quickly went about cleaning the wound and bandaging it. 

    Willa fixed her shirt while Eleanor distanced herself and washed off her hands. "Thank you, Eleanor," Willa offered, grabbing up her breakfast plate and digging in. 

    Eleanor simply nodded and headed for the door, eager to be away from the feelings she didn't understand. "Hey!" Willa called. "Reckon you've got time to sit and talk a while? This room gets awful lonely." 

    Eleanor hesitated. She wasn't sure she liked the feelings she had just felt while touching Willa. They seemed like dangerous feelings—but she was sure Willa did feel lonely in this room all the time; and it was only conversation. 

    With a sigh, Eleanor stepped back into the room and pulled a chair to the bed. And awkward silence filled the air. Finally, Willa spoke. "You seem like a natural at this doctoring thing. Are you sure you don't help the doc?"

    Eleanor picked a frayed string on her shawl. "I've stayed here a few times when Jeb and Gill have been gone on... business." 

    Willa studied her a moment with those gold-flecked brown eyes. Eleanor shifted in her chair. "They didn't seem much like businessmen to me." 

    "They leave on business sometimes," Eleanor insisted. She didn't add that that business sometimes involved trouble. 

    Willa simply tilted her head. "You're a grown woman. Can't you stay home alone?"

    Eleanor pulled her shawl tighter. "No. I don't want to be there alone." 

    Those sharp eyes seemed to see right through her. "What are you scared of?"

    For some reason Eleanor chose to answer. "People." 

    This clearly piqued Willa's interest. "Why? What happened to you?"

    Eleanor shook her head. She wasn't telling Willa about that. "Let's talk about you." 

    Willa seemed amused. "What about me?"

    Getting straight to the point the way Willa had, Eleanor asked, "Why did a man shoot you in the back?"

    "Harvey Dougal," Willa growled. "He cheated at a poker game I was in and stole a bunch of money off me. Instead of killing him then and there, which is what I should have done, I took his flea-bitten horse. I figured that made us even. Bastard tracked me down and, like the coward he was, he shot me in the back." 

    Eleanor digested this information. This fiery, beautiful, temperamental woman was clearly trouble—but Eleanor found herself draw to her. She wanted to know more. 

    "Outside of poker and stealing horses, what do you do?"

    Willa laughed and Eleanor found herself enjoying the sound. "I like trick riding and trick shooting. I do both now and then at fairs." 

    "We have a fair coming up next month. Maybe you'll be well enough to enter."

    "I doubt I'll be here in a month," Willa stated. "I plan on leaving just as soon as I'm ready." 

    Eleanor felt disappointment which surprised her. Did she want Willa to stay? Why?

    Slowly, Eleanor stood up. "I'm sorry I can't talk more. I have to get the kitchen clean before Maria gets home." 

    Willa didn't look happy but she nodded. "Okay."

    Eleanor headed for the door. "I'll come back in and talk more at supper." 

    Willa's eyes lit up. "Sounds good."

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Willa was confused which was frustrating for her. She had always been a woman who knew what she wanted and chased after it. But this was different. Eleanor was different.

    Willa wanted her. The way her body had reacted to the feel of those soft fingers against her skin told her that much. More than that, however, Willa wanted to know her. She wanted to know what made her so afraid, why she stayed so guarded, and why she wore that damn shawl even though it was hotter than a whore in church. 

    Would Eleanor want her in the same way? Willa had no idea. Most women wanted men—was Eleanor like most women? And if she wasn't, if she was a woman like Willa, would she want Willa? Would she ever open up? Two days they'd been talking over breakfast and dinner and the woman was still tightlipped about herself. Whereas Willa had told Eleanor all about her trick riding, trick shooting, her journey to find family—hell, Willa had shared more with Eleanor than anyone else in her life. Something about the woman made her comfortable. 

    But was it even possible for Willa to stay here in this town? For so long she'd searched for family and this is the place where she'd learned that all those years had been a complete waste. There was not family for her here—just a bunch of people who had had the chance to love her brother when she hadn't. 

    Dammit, she didn't like feeling so conflicted. 

    Willa was there gnawing at her bit and hating being so cooped up when Maria entered the room. "How are you this morning, Willa?"

    "Ready to get outta your house. No offense." Willa grumbled, though in truth physically she wasn't able to do much. Her rib was still good and broken and too much movement hurt. She sure as hell couldn't hop on a horse and ride off.                 

    Maria laughed lightly. "No offense, taken. You're a lot like so many I've treated in the pasts. More wild critter than civilized human. It's hard to keep folks like you cooped up."

    "How much longer do I have to stay here?"

    "You don't. I have a mama having a difficult delivery and need this room. She's on her way with her husband now. You'll have to go stay at the hotel while you finish healing up." 

    The hotel? "For how long? When do you think I'll be healed up enough to leave?"

    "Are you in a hurry to get out of our town?" Maria asked. 

    Before Willa could answer, Eleanor walked in and their eyes met. Damn, but that woman got to her. Those dark eyes and exotic features. Willa could read her emotions fairly well and it was clear by the uncertain look in Eleanor's eyes she had heard Maria's question and was waiting for an answer. 

    Willa chewed on the inside of her lip and scratched at her shoulder. "Just ready to have a choice on where I go, that's all." 

    Before anyone could say anything else a man entered the room. A huge man. He clearly had Indian blood and he was tall—massively tall. With muscles like oak trees and a scarred up face rugged face that had to frighten young children, he was certainly intimidating—but Willa had spent her life around intimidating men. 

    "Who the hell are you?" she asked. 

    Eleanor's face lit up. "This is my brother, Zachariah." 

    Willa's eyes widened. Eleanor and Zachariah were complete opposites. One soft and beautiful. The other hard and rugged. How were they siblings? 

    "Jeb sent me here," Zachariah said, clearly not one to do small talk. "Apparently Maria sent them word that Willa needed a place and Jeb and Gill said she can come there. She can have Craig's old room out in the barn—they're in the process of making it a bit more private." 

    Willa shook her head. "No, I don't think I'll be going there..." 

    "But it will be perfect," Maria countered. "If you're there, Eleanor can finally go home and still keep an eye on you to make sure you keep healing up properly." 

    "I have a wagon for you to ride in," Zachariah added, crossing his arms over his massive chest.

    Willa groaned inwardly. She felt Eleanor watching her closely, that damned shawl pulled tight around her. What the hell was she gonna do? She wanted a chance to know Eleanor more and the only place she could do that was at that ranch but that meant being surrounded by all those people who had known her brother. 

    "You'll have to make a decision quickly, dear," Maria insisted. "A woman in much worse shape than you will be here any moment." 

    As badly as she wanted to say no, one more look at Eleanor had her saying yes. Zachariah nodded. "Do you need to be carried or are you able to walk?"

    It would be a cold day in hell before Willamina allowed herself to be carried while there was any strength in her body. "I'll be walking." 

    "Eleanor, help her dear. She's not nearly as strong as she thinks she is," Maria encouraged. 

    Willa grumbled under her breath. Did the woman think she was helpless. She 

had gotten up and walked a bit around the house the last couple of days. But when Eleanor appeared at her side as Willa got painfully to her feet, and slid her arm around her, all of Willa’s complaints died on her tongue.

    Feeling that soft body up against her stole Willa's breath and made her forget, or nearly forget, about the pain from the broken rib in her chest.  Despite the layers Eleanor kept herself wrapped in, Willa could feel her soft curves pressing into her. 

    In order to feel that, Willa could feign a bit of weakness. 

    As she was led outside, Willa saw the wagon waiting for her. Clearly she was meant to ride in the back. "I can ride a horse," she quickly announced. 

    Maria shook her head. "No, you can't. Your stitches are still healing and so are your ribs. You go bouncing around on horseback, you're just gonna do more damage."  

    "You might as well do what she says," Zachariah advised. "You won't win an argument." 

    Willa obeyed alright, but she grumbled like hell the entire time. Zachariah replaced Eleanor as he hoisted her gently up into the wagon. Willa refused to let her pain be known, though a grunt or two may have escaped. 

    When she settled down on a bed of blankets, Willa knew they'd been planning this all along. How had they known she would agree to stay at the ranch?

    "Are you okay?" Eleanor's gentle voice asked as the woman got into the seat and looked back at Willa. 

    Willa nodded. "Fine and dandy." 

    And just like that, the wagon lurched forward and Willa was on her way to her temporary home on Jeb and Gill's ranch.

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Eleanor was happy to see Jeb and Gill’s house and barns coming into view. She had missed home. Willa had been silent since leaving town and Eleanor suspected pain and annoyance kept her from speaking.

    Willa didn't want to be at the ranch. Willa wanted to forget that the ranch and everyone on it existed. She was angry that her dreams of her brother had been dashed and that those on this ranch had known him when she'd never gotten the chance to. 

    But Eleanor was happy that Willa had come to the ranch. Eleanor had enjoyed the time at Maria's. She had enjoyed caring for Willa, even if the woman wasn't always the most amiable patient. Their talks had come to mean a lot to Eleanor and she looked forward to them. 

    It frightened her, honestly, to know that she was feeling so much for Willa. She wanted to be near the woman and hear her voice. Something in Willa's nearness gave Eleanor a peace she hadn't ever known with another person—not even her closest friends or her brother. She wasn't entirely certain what that meant.

    And then there was the way Willa's touch affected her body. Eleanor had never before felt the tingling, the strange ache, the breathlessness that she felt whenever she was helping Willa get around or touching her bare skin while tending her wound. Eleanor knew what 

that meant, and it terrified her just as much as it intrigued her.

    Eleanor, who had never been one to trust others, found herself trusting and even wanting Willa... She simply wasn't sure what she was supposed to do about that. Would Willa feel the same? It was Willa who had insisted on their morning and nightly talks—so the lady must feel 

something. Right?

    As Zachariah pulled the wagon to a stop beside the barn, Wyatt was there instantly. After helping Eleanor from the seat, he immediately went to the back and was staring slack-jawed at Willa. 

    Willa was grumbling as she moved gingerly to the edge of the wagon. "Who the hell are you?"

    Wyatt scratched at his neck and shook his head. His lips moved quickly. Willa frowned. "What's the matter with you? Can't you speak?" 

    "No, he can't," Zachariah stated, coming to stand beside Wyatt. "And you'll watch your tone." 

    "You're Wyatt." Willa nodded. She looked at Eleanor and her expression was apologetic. "I forgot." 

    Eleanor walked to the wagon and held out an arm to help Willa down. "It's okay. My brother can be a bit overprotective at times," she assured Willa, throwing Zachariah a warning gaze that seemed to catch her brother off guard. 

    Wyatt smacked Zachariah's arm to gain his attention as his mouth worked rapidly. "Yeah, yeah, she looks like Willie." 

    "Wyatt, is her room ready?" Eleanor asked as Willa tensed at mention of her brother. 

    Wyatt nodded and motioned for them to follow him. Just as they approached the barn, Jeb and Gill stepped out, both covered in dirt and sweat. It was clear they'd been working hard. 

    "We hope you'll be comfortable there," Gill offered politely. 

    "I'm sure I've slept in worse places." 

    Without speaking another word to her hosts, Willa headed into he barn with Eleanor casting apologetic glances and struggling to even keep up with the limping woman, let alone support or aid her in any way.

    Eleanor was surprised by what she saw. The back stall was no longer really a stall at all. There were real walls and a real door. Opening the door revealed a small bed, a side table, a washbasin, and a hook for her gun belt.  The bed was covered in a soft quilt with a feather tick pillow that appeared new. 

    Eleanor loved her family. Jeb and Gill had truly gone above and beyond for Willa. Eleanor only hoped that Willa would realize that and stop acting so hostile. 

    As she settled Willa on the bed, the other woman groaned. "Goddamn, I ain't cut out for being hurt." 

    "You'll heal soon enough," Eleanor assured her—and then she would be gone. "I will tell everyone to give you your space, but it would be nice if you would show some gratitude to those helping you." 

    Willa leaned against the wall and laid her hand over her bandaged side. "It's hard, Eleanor. I've never depended on or needed anyone in my entire life." She swallowed hard and averted her gaze. "And 

they knew him.“

    Eleanor nodded, pulling her shawl around herself. "I know you wanted to meet your brother and that was taken away from you. But that doesn't mean you can't 

know him. They could probably tell you quite a bit about him.“

    Willa didn't respond. Her expression was guarded making it impossible to tell what she was thinking. "I think you'd like Preston," Eleanor continued. "I've told you before he's learning to trick ride and wants to be in the fair. He'd probably love to meet you." 

    "So far the only person in this 

family I really like is you.“

    Eleanor's eyes widened and Willa seemed just as shocked by what had just come out of her mouth. Eleanor took a step away and swallowed hard. "I like you too, Willa." 

    With that, Eleanor turned and made an abrupt exit. She was practically running when she left the barn and ran directly into Zachariah's chest. He steadied her on her feet but released his hold quickly, knowing she was uncomfortable with long touches. 

    "You okay?" he asked. 

    Eleanor nodded, aware of Jeb, Gill and Wyatt still standing around. "Did she say something to you?" Zachariah pressed further. 

    "Yes...no... no." Eleanor shook her head and composed herself. "No, she didn't say anything wrong." 

    "Not the friendliest houseguest I've ever known," Jeb grumbled. 

    "Technically she's a barn guest." 

    Jeb raised a brow at Gill causing the ex-lawman to chuckle. "Pete wasn't here to say it so I took it upon myself." 

    "Don't be too hard on her," Eleanor insisted. "She's not used to accepting help or showing weakness—a lot like a certain brother of mine." 

    All four men seemed surprised. Eleanor knew why. She was not a person who spoke up or ever said much of anything really. Or at least she hadn't been. The last few days at Marias, spending time with Willa, had gotten her speaking more than she ever had before. 

    Without another word, she pulled her shawl tighter and walked away toward the house, certain it was lacking a good cleaning after being away so long.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

It wasn’t until later that evening, that Willa gathered up the courage to step out of the barn. She was weak, wounded, and these were all new people. Willa had lived a life where weakness could mean death—she wasn’t comfortable being so weak around so many.

    Upon reaching the barn doors, Willa leaned against them and took in her surroundings. This barn held several ponies that Willa knew from Eleanor's stories, belonged to Preston. There were also two other barns that she knew held horses—Jeb and Gill bred and sold horses as a way of making money, though Jeb sold the horses under the name Jebidiah Tomlinson which Willa found odd. 

There were also pig and cattle which the family used for food— all except the pig named Bacon that had a small barn all his own thanks to Eleanor. Willa smiled. Never had she known anyone with such a kind heart. Or anyone who could say just the right things to not only put Willa in her place, but also make her see things more clearly.

Eleanor was right. She had been less than gracious to the people who had gone out of their way to help her. She hated that they had done so. Willa was not good at gratitude.

Her gaze found Jeb on the porch. He was standing against a post, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, his eyes on her. She took several limping steps forward and he made no attempt to come help her.

    It took a long while with her slowness but Willa finally made it to the porch, though she couldn't get up the steps without aid. Instead, she looked up at Jeb who had yet to say a word and whose face was unreadable. "I suppose I owe you thanks for giving me a place to heal," Willa offered. 

Jeb’s head gave a barely perceptible nod before he took a sip of coffee. “Don’t mention it.”

Sweat was dotting Willa’s brow. Her side ached. She needed to sit. To do that, however, she needed to get to one of those chairs on the porch.

Willa attempted to go up a step but her chest felt as if it were tearing apart and she quickly put her foot down. Still Jeb simply stood there, his gaze now looking out at the hills while that coffee steam rose up in the evening air.

Willa chewed on her lip. Dammit. She couldn’t just slip back to the barn, hell she’d never make it. She needed to sit down—the pain was getting unbearable with the unaided movement she’d done.

She was going to have to ask the man for help. “Jeb?”

His brow rose as he returned his gaze to her, clearly waiting on her to speak. Willa nearly choked on the words as they left her mouth. “Could you help me get up these steps?”

She’d be damned if the man didn’t chuckle at her. “I was wondering when you’d ask.” He sat his coffee cup on the banister, came down the stairs and put his arm around her gently. She looped her arm over his shoulders and leaned heavily on him as he helped her up the stairs and settled her down in a chair.

“Where’s Eleanor?” Willa asked, feeling awkward and knowing the other woman’s presence would give her a bit of comfort.

    "Inside helping Preston with this numbers."

    The porch fell silent for several long awkward moments. Finally, Jeb spoke again. "You're a lot like your brother." 

    Willa's chest ached and it wasn't from the broken rib. "I know. I know. We look alike and I wear flashy clothes like he did. I've heard." 

    Jeb was grinning as he took another sip of coffee. "I was talking about his damn temper and stubborn attitude."

    Willa shifted in the chair, torn between being insulted and curious. "I thought y'all loved my brother?"

    Jeb nodded. "I did. Like a brother. A younger, pain in the ass brother who was always getting himself into trouble. Drank until he puked every chance he got and then spent the next day yelling at everyone else because his head ached. I was always having to get him and Craig out of trouble—they raised their fare share together."  

    As Willa took in the first real picture of her brother, she couldn't help but smile. "He was a hell raiser, huh?" She'd raised her fair share of hell as well.

    "Yeah, he was. But a more loyal man you'd never find anywhere. Once he decided you were family, that was it. He'd be loyal to the end—and he was." 

    Willa didn't want to talk about that. She didn't want to talk about the end. "How did he meet y'all?"

    Jeb stared out over the hills in silence a moment before responding. "McGrady Texas. Willie was in the orphanage there. Me and Craig's uncle lived just outside of town with Jane, who's his daughter. When Craig and I would go visit Uncle Billy, we'd spend a lot of time at the orphanage which is how we met Willie. When Craig and I were orphaned, we went to live with Uncle Billy, and so did Willie.  Wyatt's been with us about that long too." 

    Willa digested that information. She had no idea how Willie had ended up in McGrady when she'd been born much further north near Colorado. 

    "What are y'all talking about out here?" Gill asked as he stepped outside to join them. Jeb's arm instantly snaked around the other man's waist and pulled him close into his side. 

    It took Willa by surprise. She didn't give two hoots in hell that two men loved each other—she just hadn't ever seen two men be so open in displaying that love. This ranch was like another world. 

    Jeb smiled. "Willie."

    Gill nodded. "First time I met Willie, he puked on my boots." 

    Willa surprised even herself when her laughter filled the air. For the next hour or so the porch was full of nothing but stories about Willie. Willa took in everything Jeb and Gill said and began to build a real picture of the brother she'd never known—and never would know. 

    It wasn't until darkness was falling that Willa decided to head back to her bed. As she lay there in the darkness, she realized that while she couldn't know her brother personally, she could know him through stories. 

    Eleanor had been right. Willa owed her a thank you and would give her one when she brought her breakfast in the morning.

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Gill noted the next morning as Eleanor hummed and placed food on a plate to take to Willa.

    She flushed and fell silent, though she couldn't fully rid her face of the smile curving it. "I am." 

    Preston pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I think it's got something to do with the barn guest." 

    Her blush deepened and she didn't say a word.  What could she say? Eleanor was not a practiced liar so denying Preston's words was fruitless. Her good mood had 

everything to do with Willa.

    She was so happy for the other woman. She had heard the conversations on the porch the night before. Eleanor had chosen to stay inside and give Willa that time to learn about her brother. She was so grateful to Jeb and Gill for giving that to the woman. And she was grateful to Willa for swallowing her hurt and allowing herself to listen. 

    "Leave her alone," Jeb spoke up from the table. "It's good she's finally making a friend other than a fourteen year old bookworm." He ruffled his son's hair and the boy simply shrugged and went back to reading the book in his hand. 

    Footsteps on the porch announced visitors just before Pete, Jane, and Willie came in. "Who's got a friend?" Pete asked, grabbing a strip of bacon off Gill's plate and plopping it into his mouth.   

    Gill grumbled and pulled his plate closer. "Eleanor." 

    Pete studied her a moment causing her to squirm a bit. "She's glowing. She's got the glow. Someone has more than a friend." 

    That got Jeb and Gill's attention. "Eleanor?" Jeb questioned. 

    Eleanor wished the floor would simply open up and swallow her whole. She finished making the plate and shook her head. "Of course not. I'm going to take Willa some breakfast and tend to her bandages." 

    With that she quickly slipped from the kitchen and out of the cabin. "I bet Willa is glowing too," Pete's voice reached her ears. 

    "Eleanor and Willa?" Jane's voice spoke up. "Surely not." 

    Their voices finally out of earshot, Eleanor took a moment to breathe and calm her heart. Was she truly glowing? Was it possible Willa was too? Eleanor shook her head. Of course not. Pete was never a person to take too seriously. 

    But Eleanor's doubts were quickly dashed when she opened the door to Willa's room and their eyes met. Willa's entire face seemed to light up as she smiled. "Good morning, Ellie." 

    Eleanor's brow creased. "Ellie?"

    Willa nodded. "Everyone calls you Eleanor. I'm gonna call you Ellie." 

    "You can't simply change a person's name because you want to," Eleanor countered as she sat the plate of food on the small bedside table. 

    Willa shifted upon the bed and color rose on her freckled cheeks. "Sorry. Do you hate it? I won't call you that...." 

    Eleanor reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "No, I don't hate it. You can call me Ellie." 

    Willa's face lit up and once again both women simply stood there smiling at each other. It was Eleanor who finally came to her senses and broke the contact. "I need to tend to your wound and then you need to eat." 

    Willa nodded and without any of her usual grumbling, she turned and raised the back of her shirt. "Tend away." 

    As Eleanor began her job, trying desperately to ignore her growing aching want for her patient, she spoke. "You seem happier this morning." 

    "I wasn't happy before?" 

    "No. You were angry with the world and don't bother denying it." 

    Willa sighed. "You're right. I was. I'm starting to see things more clear now." 

    Eleanor finished up and was about to move away but Willa reached back and took her hand. Eleanor froze. The contact was gentle but it had her knees shaking. When Willa's thumb brushed across the tender skin on the underside of her wrist, Eleanor nearly moaned. 

    Willa looked over her shoulder at Eleanor. "Thank you, Ellie. You're the one that made me see things a bit clearer." 

    Eleanor swallowed hard and searched for her voice. She couldn't find it. Instead she simply nodded. Slowly, Willa released her hold on Eleanor. She let her shirt fall and turned on the bed. 

    "I'll let you eat," Eleanor said as she began to gather her supplies into the sack.

    Willa shook her head. "Stay with me." She patted the bed next to her. "Sit." 

    Eleanor was quick to shake her head. "No... no, I have to go..." 

    Willa met her gaze and held it. "I know you said once you were scared of people but you don't have to be afraid of me, Ellie. I won't hurt you." 

    "I'm not afraid of you," Eleanor replied, and it was the truth. She wasn't afraid of Willa. She was afraid of what she felt for Willa. If she gave into those feelings, if she let the woman touch her body, would it bring back all those horrible memories that Eleanor worked so hard to forget. Those memories that still plagued her dreams when she slept?

    "Then stay." 

    Again Eleanor shook her head. "No, I really must go." 

    She gathered up her supplies and all but ran from the barn. 

---

    Willa sat there feeling confused as hell as she ate her breakfast. Damn Eleanor was a puzzle. A beautiful, soft, kind-hearted puzzle that lit a fire in Willa's blood and made her want more of the dark-skinned beauty. 

    Why was Eleanor keeping distance between them? It was clear to Willa that Eleanor was feeling the same pull between them. Why did she fight it? What had made her so afraid of people? What kept her wearing shawls in this heat and hiding that soft body away? 

    With a sigh, Willa finished eating. Deciding she wanted to stretch her legs, she pushed herself from the bed and used the wall for support as she carried her plate from the room. 

    Upon stepping into the morning sunlight, the first thing Willa noticed was a pig parading around the yard looking quite pleased with itself. "That's Bacon." 

    Willa turned toward the voice and found a young boy,skinny and pale, with glasses on his nose and thick hair falling across his brow. "Bacon? I remember Eleanor mentioning a pig named Bacon. You must be Preston." 

    "Yes ma'am. And you're Willa. I didn't know Willie real good but I do remember that he always made time to play with us at the orphanage." 

    Willa felt that familiar pain in her chest but she was also grateful for yet another glimpse of her brother. "I hear you're wanting to trick ride in a fair soon." 

    His blue eyes lit up behind his glasses. "Yes ma'am! I've gotten pretty good with one of my ponies." 

    "I'm a fair trick rider myself," Willa stated. "At least when I'm not all shot up." 

    "Really?"

    "Really. Know a bit about trick shooting too." 

    "Maybe you could teach me some things. And you could watch me perform in the fair. My pa and papa, they do what they can but neither one of them can trick ride. They don't really see a point in it." 

    Willa smiled and patted the boy on the back. "There is no real point in it. It's just a hell of a lot of fun." 

    Preston laughed. "Yes it is." He took the plate from Willa's hand. "I'll take your plate in for you, ma'am. And then, if you're up for it, I can show you my ponies."

    Willa found herself nodding at the boy. "Sure. Sure, I'll look at your ponies." 

    Preston took off at a run for the porch. Jeb stepped out and frowned. "You know you aren't supposed to run," he reminded his son. 

    "Yes, papa." Preston replied as he slowed his pace. "Miss Willa is gonna look at my ponies. Did you know she can trick ride too?"

    Jeb's gaze went to her a moment before returning to his son with a smile. "No, I did not." 

    Preston disappeared into the house, but Willa heard him say. "You're right, Uncle Pete. I believe Miss Willa is glowing too!"

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

    Casey Dougal looked over the papers on her desk. A new shipment of inventory had come in and she needed to get to the warehouse and look them over. She hoped this shipment would include more variety. Not every man wanted to lay with a virgin woman—some liked more experienced women, some liked men, and hell, some preferred their partners on the younger side. 

    Casey didn't care. It was not her responsibility to deem things moral or immoral. She was there to provide her clients and customers with exactly what they wanted. This was a business she had built all on her own and just now business was booming. 

    A knock on her office door pulled Casey from her thoughts. She closed the file she'd been looking through and cleared her throat. "Come in." 

    Two of her most trusted and closest workers stepped into the room and they did not appear very eager to be there. "Horace, Jake, why are you here? You're supposed to be overseeing the shipment arrival." 

    Horace and Jake got into a temporary shoving match as each tried to push the other to the forefront. Casey folded her hands on her desk and raised her brow as she watched their ridiculousness. 

    "We have news," Horace stated, losing the battle. 

    She tapped her nails against her polished desk. "About?"

    Horace's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. "Harvey." 

    Casey rolled her eyes at mention of her younger brother. Harvey Dougal was always getting himself into trouble and Casey was always rushing to his rescue. It was annoying, certainly, but that is what family did. They were there for each other. 

    "And what kind of trouble has my dear brother gotten himself into now?"

    Again, the pushing match began as Horace attempted to step back. This time it was Jake who lost. He stepped forward, wringing his hands. "He's dead, ma'am." 

    Casey blinked several times. Surely her ears were deceiving her. "What did you say?" she asked slowly. 

    Jake sighed. "He's dead." 

    Pain lacerated Casey's heart. Yes, her brother was an immature man who was always in one bit of trouble or another, but she loved him. He was all she had left of her family.

    Case rose from her chair and walked to the window, looking out across the city as she attempted to gain control of her emotions. "How?"

    "He was murdered." 

    Casey folded her hands behind her back and felt her jaw pop. "Murdered? Who murdered my brother?"

    "All we know is it was a woman named Willamena. And it happened in a small town in New Mexico."

    Willamena. The name was unfamiliar. "Where is this Willamena now?"

    Horace stepped forward. "Harvey managed to shoot her once before she killed him. We heard she's still in that town." 

    Casey felt rage replacing the pain in her chest. She would squash that damn woman like a bug. She would avenge her brother. 

   

“Gather some men,” she ordered. “The best with guns I have. We’re going to New Mexico.”

---

    Willa was standing alone at the corral watching Preston trot around on his favorite pony. The boy was decent for his age and size. Eleanor had told her that he was a sickly child with breathing issues and a medication he had to take from time to time. She said it wasn't as bad as when he'd been younger but it seemed it had stunted his growth a bit. 

    Footsteps approached from behind and Willa stiffened a bit. They were heavy, clearly a man, and he was simply standing behind her silently. 

    "I was shot in the back not too long ago," she grumbled. "I'd prefer if folks didn't stand behind me and ogle." 

    "Sorry ma'am." 

    The voice was unfamiliar. Willa turned and took in the sight of the new man. He looked a lot like Jeb only more boyish and with longer hair. There was a small girl, little more than a baby, resting on his hip. 

    "You must be Craig." 

    His eyes widened a bit as they looked her up and down. She would smack him if he were a typical man ogling her but Willa knew it was nothing sexual—Craig was in love with that big black man Ezekial. 

    No, she knew why he was ogling and therefore his next words were no surprise to her. "Damn... you 

do look like Willie. He even wore the same damn type of pants… and the tassles and buckles….“

    Willa frowned. "Yeah yeah. I look like Willie and I dress like Willie. I wouldn't know because I never met my brother and the man is currently worm shit." 

    Craig winced. "Don't say it like that." 

    "Dada," the girl in his arms gurgled. "Pony." She pointed toward the pony Preston was riding and made a grabbing motion. 

    "Papa don't want you riding ponies yet, girl. You know how overprotective he is," Craig replied, adjusting her on his hip. 

    The girl was cute but then again all children that age were. With her blond curls and big hazel eyes, Willa had a feeling she was going to be a heartbreaker. It seemed so odd to her that these men were living together and raising children.... They didn't have to hide who they were.

    "I've been putting off meeting you," Craig admitted. "Ezekial wasn't too fond of the idea so I waited until the bossy ass was in town." 

    "Why does Ezekial have a problem with me?" Willa asked. Hell, she had barely met the man. 

    Craig sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand as the girl tugged on his shirt and continued to babble about the pony. "I took Willie's death the hardest. I wasn't myself for a long time afterward. I guess everyone has been afraid that seeing you would send me back there." 

    Willa felt her defenses lower a bit. "You were close to my brother?"

    "Yeah, we raised a lot of hell together. Gave Jeb more than a few gray hairs. He was one of my best friends." 

    "Jeb told me some stories. It's nice to meet you, Craig." 

    "Nice to meet you too." 

    Craig came to stand beside her as they watched Preston ride around the corral and the girl clapped and cheered. "So what are your plans? What are you gonna do once you heal up?"

    Willa shrugged. "Not sure yet. I reckon it'll depend on some things." 

    "I heard Eleanor's been helping you a lot. That surprises me," Craig frowned. "She's always been a bit odd ever since we rescued her and Wyatt." 

    That piqued Willa's interest and grabbed her attention. "Rescued her from where?"

    Craig's eyes widened and he cleared his throat while shaking his head. "Probably shouldn't have said that.... It's not really for me to tell you." 

    "Well why not?" Willa snapped. "If you don't tell me I'll just go ask Wyatt. You said he was rescued too." 

    This seemed to make Craig even more afraid. "No! No, don't bring it up to Wyatt because then Zachariah will find out I brought it up and that giant injun barely tolerates me as it is." 

    Willa cocked her hip to the side. "So are you gonna tell me?"

    "Well hell..." Willa recognized defeat in Craig's eyes.  "Zachariah used to be a bounty hunter. He took down a gang leader and that gang wanted to get back at him so they kidnapped his sister. Wyatt ended up riding with him to rescue her, I ended up coming along too, and then Wyatt got taken by the gang as well. But we rescued them, it's all over and everyone lived. The end." 

    Willa felt her fists clenched with the knowledge that Eleanor had been mistreated. "How long did they have her?" 

    Craig shifted his feet. "I really shouldn't be talking about this...." Then he sighed. "It was months. The new gang leader took a liking to her." 

    Willa was smart enough to put the pieces together. Eleanor's body had been used by those men. It explained her fear. It explained the shawl. It explained why she was so damn skittish. 

    "Are they dead?" she growled. 

    "Who?" 

    "That gang. Are they dead?" 

    Craig seemed puzzled. "Yeah, I reckon." He studied her carefully for several moments. "Why do you care so much?"

    Willa turned her gaze back to Preston and propped her arms on the fence. "I just do."

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Eleanor walked to the barn that evening with her stomach tied in knots. Her hands shook as she carried her sack of medical supplies. She had no doubts now that Willa felt the things she felt and that terrified her. Could Eleanor open up? Could she let another person that close to her?

    And what about the physical side of things? After what she'd been through, could Eleanor allow another person to touch her 

that way?

    She hated feeling so conflicted. Somehow Willa's presence gave her peace and threw her into turmoil all at the same time. How was that even possible?

    Eleanor knocked on Willa's door. "Come on in." 

    Stepping inside, Eleanor's breath was taken at just how beautiful Willa was. She had gone to the river and washed up. Her freckled cheeks were glowing, and her brown hair hung in light waves around her face. And, as always, she lit up when her eyes fell on Eleanor. 

    "Hey Ellie. You uh..." her face reddened a bit. "You look real pretty." 

    Eleanor's shaking hands worsened and the bag slipped from her hand as her face reddened. She stammered a bit as she stooped to pick it back up. "Th..thank you..." She finally said as she pulled her shawl tighter. 

    Willa's expression was amused. "You're welcome."

    "I came to change your bandage." 

    Willa nodded. "I figured you did." Once again she turned a bit and raised the back of her shirt.         

    Eleanor felt that quickening of her pulse as her fingertips touched Willa's warm skin. She pulled the bandage away to find it clear of blood. A look at the wound showed that the skin was healed together, still red and tender, but no longer open or at risk of infection. 

    "You're healing well," she stated. "I'll be able to remove your stitches completely in a few days."

    "Reckon the doc would clear me to ride a horse?"

    Eleanor placed a new bandage over the wound and cleaned her mess. "As long as you take it easy, I don't see a problem with it." She smiled as Willa turned around to face her. "But leave the trick riding to Preston." 

    "That boys pretty good." 

    "You are all he talked about all night last night. You've made a good impression on the boy." 

    "He's a good kid," Willa stated. "And he's pretty damn good on a pony." 

    Eleanor shifted her feet. "He says you're going to help him learn more tricks." 

    Willa nodded and leaned against the wall. "The best I can with this damn bullet hole. Damn that Harvey Dougal." 

    Eleanor wrapped her arms tight around herself. "Just be glad you were a better shot than he was." 

    Willa winked. "Of course I am." 

    "Does that mean you're going to stay for the fair?"

    Their eyes met. "Do you want me to stay?"

    "Yes." Eleanor's cheeks flushed as she realized she had just answered that far too quickly. "I.. I mean...do what you want to do." 

    "Then I reckon I'll stick around." 

    "Good... That will make Preston happy." 

    Again, Willa seemed amused. "Yeah. Preston." 

    "I'll be heading back in," Eleanor opened the door. 

    Willa frowned. "You can stay, Ellie. I don't bite." 

    Eleanor shook her head. "I really do have to go. Goodnight Willa." 

    It was clear that Willa was disappointed. "Goodnight Ellie." 

    Eleanor left the room and stood outside the barn a moment looking up at the starry sky. Willa was healing. The woman was not someone who stayed in once place for long. Would that mean that she would leave? Eleanor had always been a person who kept to herself. Outside of Preston, she wasn't overly close to anyone else in the family. She loved them all, but she wasn't open with them. 

    But Willa? Eleanor had already given a big piece of herself to Willa. She cared about the woman. She liked the woman. Their talks and conversations meant a lot to her. What would she do if suddenly Willa was gone? 

    Eleanor squared her shoulders. Willa was healing and it was time to distance herself. That was the only way to spare herself more pain.

---

    Willa woke early the next morning and made her way out of the barn. She could hear a din of voices from inside the cabin, and there were horses hitched outside. 

    It would seem the family was gathered together. Should Willa go inside? Would she be welcomed? Did she want to be welcomed? Willa wanted Eleanor to welcome her but what about everyone else? Did she want to be taken into this 

family?

Willa had never been part of a family. She’d never been surrounded by people she could trust or count on. Could she have that now? Family was important to Eleanor. If Willa was going to have a chance at a future with Eleanor, she was going to have to give family a chance as well.

    And Willa did want a future with Eleanor. She wasn't exactly sure what that would entail or how they'd end up but she wanted to at least give it a try.

    Which meant going in there with the family and taking a chance. Never one to back down from a challenge, Willa adjusted her gun belt and headed up those porch steps. 

    Stepping into the house, she felt her intimidation grow, though not a bit of that showed on her face. Everyone was here. It was crowded and bodies were everywhere. And it took a moment for anyone to notice her. 

    "Hi, Willa." 

    Willa bit her tongue before replying. "Hi Jane."

    She looked around, hoping to see Eleanor but the woman was nowhere to be seen. As if reading her mind, Jane's red-haired, gap-toothed husband stepped into her line of vision. "Your dark-haired beauty is in her bedroom loft." 

    Silence fell. Willa felt as awkward as a pastor caught at the brothel. Jane's hand fell on the back of Pete's head. "Leave her alone, you big oaf." 

    Pete seemed undeterred as he grinned. "But I'm your big oaf." He planted a loud kiss to Jane's cheek and the woman blushed and adjusted the boy, Willie's namesake, on her hip. 

    Willa wasn't sure what to say or do. She was definitely out of her element. She felt hard eyes on her and turned to see Zachariah staring at her. With barely a movement of his head, he let her know that she was to follow him as he stepped out of the house. 

    Willa was happy to follow him. She could handle one intimidating man more than that house full of 

family . Zachariah gripped the porch banister tightly as he looked out at the corral. “You and my sister.”

    Leaning against a porch post to take pressure off her side, Willa frowned. "What of it?"

    "Don't you hurt her," Zachariah growled, his gaze never leaving the corral. "She's been hurt enough." 

    Willa crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't plan on hurtin' anybody." 

    "And what exactly is it that you plan on doing?"

    "I can't see how that's any of your business," Willa informed the man. 

    Zachariah turned and stared her down. His scarred face was tense and his big fists clenched. "Eleanor is my business. She's changed since you've been here and that worries me." 

    Willa wondered if all brothers were so protective of their sisters. She wouldn't know. She sighed, fully prepared to do what she could to ease the man's mind when Eleanor came onto the porch. 

    That shawl was tight around her and her brown eyes were fearful but the set of her shoulders showed determination. "Zachariah, that's enough." 

    "Why aren't you in the loft?" Zachariah asked defensively. "You never come down when everyone is here." 

    Eleanor swallowed hard and seemed unable to come up with words as her cheeks reddened and she refused to meet Willa's gaze. 

    Pete's head suddenly poked out the door. "She came out to stop you from scaring off her lady love." His brows wiggled. "Eleanor wants to keep her glow." 

    If anything, Eleanor's face flamed even more red. Zachariah glared at Pete but before he could say anything, Wyatt pushed his way past Pete and came out of the house. He gave Zachariah a pointed look, motioned for him to follow and walked off the porch. 

    Willa was pretty damn shocked when the scarred up ex-bounty hunter appeared nearly sheepish and followed after his man without a word. 

    Eleanor looked pitiful. She was afraid, clearly, and still staring straight down at her feet, her dark hair falling over her face. Pete clicked his tongue. "I'll leave the rest to you, Willa." The man disappeared into the house leaving Eleanor and Willa as alone as they could be with so many people only feet away inside. 

    Willa sighed. It was time to bite the bullet and figure out what she wanted. And what she wanted was Eleanor. It was surprising and it was fast but it was true. Not long ago, Willa had lost all direction with the loss of her brother, but Eleanor had given her a new direction. 

    She reached out and put a gentle finger under Eleanor's chin, lifting her head so that Eleanor was looking into her eyes. "Take a walk with me?"

    Swallowing hard, Eleanor nodded.

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

“Where are we walking to?” Eleanor asked after they’d been walking in silence a while.

    Willa shrugged. "Hell, I don't know." She looked all around them at the wide expanse of land. "I have no idea where we even are." 

    Eleanor pointed toward a tree a short distance away. "Let's get in some shade." 

    Her stomach was twisted in nearly painful knots as they walked. What was Willa going to say? What would she want from her? Eleanor kicked herself for not staying hidden in the loft. She should have stayed in the loft. 

    Once they were under the shade of the tree, Eleanor crossed her arms tight around herself and chewed at her lip. Willa leaned against the tree, clearly taking pressure of her side. "You shouldn't be doing so much walking," Eleanor scolded gently. 

    Willa waved off her concern. "I'm okay." 

    Silence fell again. Eleanor wondered what they were doing out here if Willa wasn't going to speak. Finally, the silence was broken. "Your brother seems real protective of you." 

    Eleanor shrugged. "He has his reasons." 

    Willa nodded, glancing over the horizon. "I'm guessing it has something to do with why you're afraid of people?"

    Eleanor's eyes widened. "What do you know about that?"

    "Just that you were kidnapped and held captive by a gang. Wyatt too." 

    Eleanor heart thundered in her chest. Memories of that horrible time filled her mind. Breathing became hard. Suddenly, Willa was directly in front of her. One of her hands took hold of one of Eleanor's and one went to Eleanor's cheek. 

    "Calm down, Ellie. I'm sorry... I'm sorry I said anything... You gotta breathe...." 

    Slowly, with Willa's fingers gently stroking her cheek and wrist, Eleanor's breathing returned to normal. The world came back into focus. She found herself looking into brown eyes flecked with gold. Focusing on those eyes and Willa's voice still offering soothing words, sent a wave of calm over Eleanor—never had she felt anything that soothed her so thoroughly. 

    "Can I be honest with you, Ellie?" Willa whispered, their bodies so close that mere inches separated them. 

    Eleanor nodded but she was unable to form words. Willa leaned closer, laying her forehead against Eleanor's. "You've got me all twisted up inside and I ain't never felt this way before." 

    "I do?"

    "You do. You make me want to think about puttin' down roots for the first time in my life." 

    Swallowing hard, Eleanor pulled away. "I do?"

    Willa rubbed at the back of her neck and nodded. "You do. Hell, I ain't even known you more than a week so it really is crazy, ain't it?"

    Eleanor wanted to tell her that yes she was crazy but the lie wouldn't come. Willa had her thinking thoughts of forever that she'd never thought of before too. "No.." she managed to whisper. "No, it's not crazy." 

    Willa smiled brighter than the early morning sun. "I'm real glad to hear that." She reached out and tucked a stray hair behind Eleanor's ear. 

    Eleanor wanted to be with Willa but it wasn't that easy. Willa had told her stories about her life and Eleanor didn't think the woman would truly be happy settling in one place... and Eleanor could never be happy traveling. 

    They were far too different. One wild and carefree, the other quiet and reserved. But when Willa gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled so happily, Eleanor didn't have the heart to say so. 

    Eleanor wanted happiness. She wanted a partner to share her life with. Seeing so many happy couples around her every day had always left her craving to feel that for herself. 

    "You're scared," Willa said, her smile fading. "Of me?" 

    "No." Eleanor chewed her lip. "I'm not afraid of you." 

    Willa leaned in and brushed a tender kiss to her cheek before Eleanor knew it was coming. "Good." 

    Eleanor's cheek was left hot and tingling. She felt her lips curve in the smallest of smiles. She knew she had to be getting back to the ranch. Everyone was going to be busy today and watching the children was going to be up to her. 

    "I have to head back," she said, glancing in the direction of Jeb's house. "I have to watch the children." 

    "Child watching, huh?" Willa asked, keeping her hand held tight and beginning a slow walk back. "Can't say I've ever done that before." 

    "You'll be sitting down and resting before you overdo yourself and end up in worse shape," Eleanor stated. 

    "For someone so quiet and sweet, you sure are bossy." Eleanor didn't reply and Willa bumped shoulders with her gently. "Probably just as well. I'm stubborn as hell and need a bossy woman to keep me in line." 

    Eleanor knew this happiness would be fleeting. Eventually Willa would grow bored of a life with Eleanor and she would leave. But for now, Eleanor was going to enjoy the woman's presence. 

    "I'll do my best." 

---

    Floating. Yep that was the best description of how Willa felt. She was floating. Eleanor was hers. That beautiful, soft, gentle woman was hers. Damn, she was a lucky woman! 

    Willa knew it wouldn't be easy. Eleanor carried a lot of scars from her past that Willa would have to learn to work around and overcome. Hell, Willa wouldn't be the easiest person to live with.... She liked to drink, gamble, let loose and have fun when she wasn't healing from bullet wounds. She had also never stayed put in one place for long—of course that had had more to do with her journey to find family than anything else. 

    Maybe staying put wouldn't be hard when it meant staying put with Eleanor. It would work. It had to work. Surely there had to be a reason Eleanor came into her life when she did—right when Willa had lost all hope. 

    That night, Eleanor brought Willa supper to her barn bedroom. They had spent much of the day together. Willa had helped Preston more with his riding and had helped chase after Willie and Delilah the best she could. Taking care of children had been something real new for Willa but she had to admit she'd had fun. 

    "I had a good time with you today," Willa said as she patted the bed beside her for Eleanor to sit down. 

    Eleanor chewed her lip a moment as her arms tightened around herself. Willa hated seeing her so frightened. She wished she could have had a hand in dealing with the men who had done that to her. 

    Finally, Eleanor nodded and sat down upon the bed. "Did you eat?" Willa asked her. 

    "No," Eleanor shook her head. "Not yet." 

    Willa held her plate out. "Here. Share with me." 

    "No...I..." 

    "Do it," Willa insisted. "I can't eat it all myself and I don't want you hungry. You gotta take care of yourself too not just everybody else." That was one thing Willa had noticed about Eleanor. Most of her attention went to taking care of everyone else—the poor woman didn't take a single minute a day for herself. 

    Eleanor flushed and a trembling hand picked up a piece of fried potato and placed it in her mouth. Willa smiled. "Relax, Ellie. I keep telling you, you don't have to be afraid around me." 

    "I'm not..." 

    "You are." 

    "I..." her hair fell across her face. "I have trouble letting people close. I never had anyone that cared enough to get close to me growing up and I lived alone as an adult until...." She stopped suddenly. 

    Willa nudged her gently with her shoulder. "Until those men got ahold of you." 

    Eleanor's eyes were wide as fifty cent pieces when she looked at Willa. "How do you know about that?"

    "Craig told me you were taken captive by a gang. And that they got Wyatt too. Said that you were with them for months." 

    "He shouldn't have said anything," Eleanor dropped her gaze again. "Those were horrible times. I didn't know if I was going to live or die. Every day I wondered what new horrors I would have to live through and most days I'd pray they'd just get tired of me and end it all. Those men.. the things they did..." She stopped talking and was silent for several long moments. "I don't know why I just said all that. I shouldn't have.." 

    "Yeah you should have. Hell, Ellie, I've shared a hell of a lot with you. I've told you about being so damn lonely and following dead end after dead end just trying to find one person I could call family. I'm glad you finally trusted me enough to open up a bit."

    Eleanor remained silent. 

    Willa sighed. "But you know that part of your life 

is over. You aren’t a kid by yourself anymore. You aren’t a woman living alone. You got a family that clearly loves you and… you got me.“

    A cautious smile curved Eleanor's lips as she met Willa's gaze again. "I know... I'm.. I'm glad I've got you."

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

The next week was honestly the best of Eleanor’s life. Her every day was filled with Willa. Willa holding her hand. Willa putting a proud arm around her waist when they stood near one another. Willa kissing her cheek tenderly.

    Eleanor wanted more of Willa and she was sure Willa wanted more of her but the fear was still there. Eleanor wondered if she would ever be able to give Willa more..... Would Willa get tired of waiting?

    At least the family hadn't given them any trouble at all. If anything, they had all welcomed Willa with open arms and hadn't questioned the budding relationship between the two at all. They encouraged Eleanor to go out riding with Willa, to take walks with her, to give up many of her self-placed duties around the house to spend more time with the other woman. 

    When she had felt guilty over her lack of cooking and cleaning, Jeb had ensured her that he and Gill had managed just fine before she'd come along, and while they loved having her there, they would continue to manage as she went about having a life of her own. 

    "What are you thinking about so hard?" Willa's voice asked just as the woman's arms slid around her from behind and pulled her close. Willa's chin rested on Eleanor's shoulder and Eleanor trembled as she sank deeper into Willa's embrace. 

    "Life. The future." 

    "And does that future include me?" 

    Eleanor turned her face slightly so she could look in Willa's eyes. "You know it does." 

    Willa smiled brightly. Her lips brushed against Eleanor's cheek. "Good." She gave Eleanor a gentle squeeze. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something that concerns our future." 

    Eleanor looked over the corral they were beside and frowned. "What?"

    "Don't look so worried. It's good news, I think. You know I'm healing. I'm not ready to be doing backflips just yet but I'm too healthy to be sitting around here all day—even though I rather enjoy sitting around with you." Her lips danced over Eleanor's neck causing her knees to go weak and her to sway a bit. "I went to town with Craig the other day to pick up some things and while I was there, I stopped at the saloon. I start a new job tomorrow night. I'll be the blackjack dealer at the Lucky Eight Saloon." 

    Eleanor's stomach twisted a bit. "You got a job in town?"

    "Of course. I gotta make some money somehow. I used to make enough money to get by performing in shows and such but I don't want to be traveling with those anymore. I kinda like being right here." 

    She swallowed hard. "Okay." 

    Now it was Willa's turn to sound a bit less than sure. "There's one more thing...." Eleanor didn't say a word, simply waited for her to continue. "The job pays good. I'll get to keep thirty percent of the winnings each night plus a ten dollar a month salary. And it even comes with room and board at the hotel."

    Her heart fell. "You're leaving the ranch?"

    "Well yeah, but...." 

    Eleanor pulled out of her arms. She had known this would happen. Willa was healing and she was leaving. Eleanor should have known better than to give so much of her heart to the roaming woman. 

    She'd been completely content in her life alone before Willa had come! Why had she let the woman disrupt that?

    Eleanor rushed for the house with Willa calling out behind her. Eleanor ignored it. She dashed past Gill and Jeb in the kitchen, raced up the ladder to the loft and curled up upon her bed, with her knees in her chest trying hard to hold off the tears that wanted to fall. Eleanor had lived her whole life alone... she wouldn't cry over losing Willa.  

    

---

    "What the hell did you say to her?" Jane asked as she and Pete came out of one of the barns. 

    Pete grinned. "Clearly it's a lover's quarrel, Jane dear. You wouldn't recognize one since I'm such an agreeable man to live with."  

            Willa stood there completely dumbfounded. "The woman didn't even give me time to finish speaking." 

    Pete leaned in close. "They usually don't. If there's one thing women are good at, it's jumping to conclusions." 

    "I'm fixin' to jump to something," Jane warned. 

    "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" Willa demanded, throwing her hands in the air. She had no idea how to deal with arguments with the woman she was pretty damn sure she loved. 

    "Let me help." Pete winked and then grabbed a surprised Jane around her waist and pulled her close to him before plopping a loud kiss to her lips and dipping her low. Jane was flushed and holding onto her sombrero as Pete pulled away. "That's what you do, Willa. They forget all about being mad." 

    Jane rolled her eyes but her lips were smiling. "My husband suffers from idiocy." 

    Willa sighed and headed for the house. Hell, she thought that Willa knew how she felt. They'd spent every spare moment together for the last week! They'd talked, laughed, walked hand in hand for hours. What could have made the woman take off running like that?

    She stepped into the cabin to find Jeb and Gill sitting at the table. They quickly stood when she entered. "We figured you'd be coming." Gill stated.

    "We'll go outside and give y'all some privacy," Jeb added. 

    Willa pointed toward the door. "Could you make sure that red-haired idiot doesn't come in here spoutin' more nonsense advice?"

    Gill sighed. "He is an idiot, but his advice is usually good." 

    With that Jeb and Gill left the cabin. Willa glanced at the ladder and put her hand over her healing ribs. This was gonna hurt. But it had to be done. Seeing Eleanor so damn upset just wasn't right and Willa wouldn't stand for it. 

    Rung by rung, Willa climbed that ladder, biting back curses of pain as she did so. When she topped over she saw Eleanor sitting in a small bed in the corner of the loft and Preston in the other corner glancing at Eleanor over the top of his book. 

    "Hey kid?" Willa said, stepping into the loft. "Skedaddle." 

    Preston nodded and laid his book down. "Better fix it, Willa. I ain't never seen Eleanor cry. Zachariah won't like that at all." 

    With those parting words of wisdom, the fourteen-year old disappeared down the ladder. 

    Hell, Willa wanted to fix it because those tears on Eleanor's cheeks were tearing her heart to pieces—not because she had any fear of that oversized, scarred up, Indian. 

    Crossing the room, Willa crouched down in front of Eleanor and studied the woman carefully. Eleanor was determined not to look at her and was instead, staring at the wall with reddened eyes and damp cheeks. 

    "What's wrong?" Willa asked quietly. 

    Eleanor's quiet voice was hard to hear. "Nothing."

    Willa sighed. "I don't believe that. You're upset and I want to hear

you tell me why.“

    Silence reigned for several long minutes. Willa was losing hope that this talk would go anywhere when, finally, Eleanor spoke. "You're leaving... and that's okay. I knew from the beginning you wouldn't want to stay... I just.. I'm gonna... I'm gonna miss you..." 

    Willa frowned. She scooted closer to the bed and put her hand on Eleanor's arm, silencing her. "Elllie, I ain't going anywhere but to town, sweetheart."

    Eleanor remained silent. Willa lowered her hand to Eleanor's hand and took it, entwining their fingers together.  Eleanor's gaze went to their joined hands. "Ellie, I.. I think I might just be falling in love with you and I'm not leaving you. That room and board at the hotel, well, I wasn't wanting to go stay there alone. I was hoping that you'd come with me." 

    Finally, Eleanor's wide brown eyes met hers. "Love me?" 

    Willa swallowed hard, her shirt seeming to tighten around her neck. "Yeah, yeah I reckon." 

    "Why?"

    "Why?" Willa's brow wrinkled up. "Uh... I just do." She shifted at Eleanor's silence. Hell, should she have admitted that? What would she do if Eleanor didn't feel the same? What could she do?

    "Willa?" 

    Her attention was drawn back to Eleanor's face. The woman seemed awestruck. "Yeah?"

    "I think I love you too." 

    Willa's heart thundered in her chest. She couldn't control herself, as a happy smile curved her lips and she jumped up, pulling Eleanor with her and wrapping the woman in a tight hug.  

    "Aww hell, Ellie. I'll be good to you, I swear it. We can live at the hotel and come to the ranch whenever you want to and I'll do my best to make you real happy...." 

    Eleanor pulled away a bit and adjusted her shawl. "Town? I don't know.. I don't know if I can be alone there..." 

    Willa shook her head. "I only deal on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. I'll be with you the rest of the time. And like I said, we can come out to the ranch whenever you want. Please, Ellie, I don't want to go stay there without you but I don't want to stay here. Jeb offered me to work here but I don't know a thing about ranching. Saloons, cards, that kind of life, I know something about." 

    "What if it's not safe?"

    Willa laughed. "I can keep you safe, Ellie. And I can keep myself safe. Hell, I don't think the crime rate around here is real high. And if you don't want to be alone on the nights I'm working, you can always go stay with Gill's mama." 

    Willa watched the war of emotions battle in Eleanor's big brown eyes. Finally, the woman's lips curved in a small but happy smile. "Okay."

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

To say that she was nervous would certainly be an understatement. Eleanor had never been a risk taker. She’d always preferred a quiet solitary life. That had been before Willa. Meeting Willa had led to her wanting a quiet life with Willa. But that wasn’t what she was going to get. There was nothing quiet or solitary about Willa. She was a woman who was used to being visible and grabbing attention. If Eleanor wanted a future with her, Eleanor was going to have to change and that was a terrifying thought.

    Could she? Could she become a woman who lived without such fear? Or would she simply rot of boredom in a hotel room until Willa grew tired of her and was gone? 

    There was only one way to know for sure. Willa said that she loved her. Eleanor simply had to have hope that it was true. 

    She stepped out of the cabin with her small bag of belongings and her eyes immediately found Willa. The woman stood proud as can be next to two saddled horses. The dapple gray that Willa had been shot over and one of Jeb and Gill's brown mares that was a favorite of Eleanor's. 

    "Give me that," Zachariah's gruff voice grumbled as he grabbed the bag of belongings from Eleanor. 

    Eleanor pulled her shawl tight and looked up at her brother. His face was unreadable and he seemed determined to not meet her gaze. "I have to go, Zachariah. Don't be angry at me." 

    "I'm not angry, dammit." 

    "Then what is it?"

    He cleared his throat roughly. "I wasn't a good brother to you. I let you grow up in that place and then I stuck you in a house by yourself. Because of me those men...." 

    Eleanor shivered and laid her hand on his thick arm. "Stop. I have never said you were a bad brother and I have never blamed you for anything." 

    "Because you're a good person," Zachariah insisted gruffly. "Too good." 

“Thank you.”

He grunted and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I have a good life with Wyatt and I’m happy. I want you to have the same.”

    Eleanor knew her brother was uncomfortable. He had always had trouble sharing feelings or seeming too open. Eleanor knew his life hadn't been any easier than hers had been. 

    Zachariah cleared his throat again. "If Willa can give you that I want you to take it. She seems decent and she seems to care about you."

    Eleanor's gaze once again went to Willa who was now watching her with concern. She smiled up at her grumbling brother. "She is and she does. I care about her too, Zachariah."

    He nodded. "If she hurts you, though...." 

    Eleanor sighed and patted his arm before crossing her arms around herself. "I know. You'll kill her." 

    He grunted in agreement before heading off the porch with her small bag of belongings. Throwing a threatening glance at Willa, Zachariah secured Eleanor's bag to the brown mare. 

    "Don't worry, Zachariah. I'll take good care of your sister." 

    Zachariah grumbled under his breath but then Wyatt was there and Zachariah snaked his arm around the other man's waist and pulled him close. "You should get going. Don't want to be on the road after dark." 

    Eleanor nodded. She had already bid her farewells to Preston and made the boy promise he would look after Bacon. She knew it wasn't goodbye forever and that she and Willa would make plenty of trips to the ranch, not to mention the trips her family would make into town, but still it was hard. For the last few years the ranch had been her home and she had left it less than a handful of times. 

    "Come on, Ellie," Willa called as she stood beside Eleanor's brown mare. Eleanor let her help her onto the horse and then watched as Willa's lean, yet feminine body slid up into her own saddle. 

    Without another word, they turned their horses and headed for town. The ride would have been silent if not for Willa, who began whistling and even singing a tune. 

    The woman couldn't seem to carry a tune in a bucket but her antics were enough to have Eleanor relaxing in the saddle.  When they arrived in town, they put their horses up at the livery and headed for the hotel. Willa had her saddlebags over her shoulder, Eleanor's sack of belongings in one hand and the other arm wrapped around Eleanor's waist, holding the woman close as they walked. 

    Eleanor glanced in every direction, sure they would offend someone. However, no one seemed to pay much attention at all. She should have known—the men in the family had broken this town in well when it came to seeing things that were unexpected between two people.

    They entered the hotel and Willa led Eleanor up to the counter where the clerk stood expectantly. "Can I help you?" he asked. 

    "Yeah, I'm the new blackjack dealer at The Lucky Eight. I was told it came with room and board at this hotel." 

    The clerk nodded. "Yes it does. He pulled a key from the wall behind him and laid it in Willa's palm. "Room 12B. I'm afraid there's only one bed. Would you like another room?" he asked, turning his attention to Eleanor. 

    "Um..." 

    "No. No, she'll stay with me," Willa replied, holding her chin up proudly. 

    "But there is only one bed," the clerk repeated as if fearing Willa hadn't heard him the first time. 

    Eleanor felt Willa tense. "I heard you the first time. She'll stay with me. Or would listen better to Zachariah? Maybe Jeb and Gill?"

    The clerks eyes widened. "Oh! I'm so sorry." He seemed sincere. "I didn't realize you were 

together. Of course, please enjoy your stay here. The hotel diner starts serving supper at six.“

    A glance at the clock told Eleanor it was already nearing that time. Willa led her up the stairs to room 12B and opened the door. Eleanor's heart thundered in her chest at the sight of the room. 

    There was indeed only one bed. The reality of that settled down on her hard. She and Willa would be sharing a bed. Or maybe Eleanor could simply make a bed on the floor....

    "Don't be worrying so much," Willa scolded gently as she shut the door behind them. "That's a big bed and plenty of room for both of us." 

    Eleanor swallowed hard. "Willa..." 

    Willa sighed as she dropped their belongings in a chair. She came to Eleanor and took both her hands in hers. "Do you love me?" 

    Eleanor felt color rise in her cheeks. "Yes." Willa's gold flecked eyes sparkled. 

    "And do you trust me?" 

    Eleanor nodded. 

    "Then stop worrying. Beds are for sleepin' and that's all we'll do there until you're ready to do more. Okay?"

    Eleanor suddenly felt foolish. Of course Willa wouldn't try to force her into anything. She leaned into Willa and the woman's arms circled around her. "You don't know what you mean to me, lady," Willa whispered against her ear. 

    Eleanor smiled, laying her head over the tassels on Willa's bright yellow shirt and listening to her heartbeat beneath her ear. "Yes I do."

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Eleanor woke two mornings later just as dawn’s light was beginning to lighten up the window. She knew instantly that, though they had gone to sleep on opposites sides of the bed, at some point Eleanor had rolled to Willa’s side and curled up against her.

    Willa's arm was around her, holding her close and Eleanor's head rested upon her chest. She looked up, taking each and every bit of Willa's face, though she already had it memorized. The freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks, the wild dark curls that lay across the white pillowcases. She smiled at the stubborn dimple in Willa's chin and found herself raising a hand so she could smooth a few curls from her brow. 

    Willa stirred a bit causing Eleanor to freeze and bite her lip. The woman didn't awaken. Letting her fingers drop lower, she traced Willa's chin and then down her neck. Her sleeping gown was low cut and Eleanor could see the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed peacefully. 

    Heat pooled between her legs. She wanted to touch Willa. Eleanor was smart enough to know that what went on between two people in love was not like what she'd experienced with that gang. 

    Could she? Could she give herself to Willa? The want she felt in her aching body told her that she could. 

    Eleanor was still watching those breasts, her hands aching to know how they would feel against her palms, when she felt eyes on her. Glancing up, she realized Willa was awake and the gold flecks in her brown eyes seemed to be glowing as she looked at her. 

    "Good morning," she said, her voice thick with sleep. 

    "Good morning." 

    Willa raised a hand and hooked her finger, beckoning Eleanor to bring her face closer. Eleanor's body trembled as she did so. Willa's hand went to her cheek gently and Eleanor let herself be pulled closer still until Willa raised up a bit and brushed their lips together. 

    Eleanor swore it was as if a bolt of lightning shot through her body. Suddenly she knew what she wanted and who she wanted and she wanted her now.  

---

    Willa had never in her life spent the night curled up with another woman—she had never even gone beyond kissing, though she wasn't in any hurry to admit that. 

    But those few kisses she had shared with meaningless women could not compare to the hungry kiss that she was sharing with Eleanor right now. 

    Eleanor was everything. Softness, kindness, and light. She was what Willa wanted now and forever. And this kiss only solidified that in Willa's mind. Eleanor whimpered against her, her body arching into Willa's. 

    Willa pulled the woman closer; she couldn't have her close enough. Their tongues warred a moment, but Eleanor was quick to submit and Willa took over, flipping Eleanor to her back and bracing herself over her, never breaking the kiss they were sharing.  

    Slowly, Willa pulled away, her breathing labored. Eleanor's eyes remained closed and her red-lips parted. "Damnation..." Willa whispered just before going in for another kiss. 

    She had no way of knowing how much time passed as she continued drinking in Eleanor's sweetness. Her hands roamed down Eleanor's body, feeling her full breasts and soft hips through the fabric of her nightdress. Eleanor's body moved against her, arching into every touch.  

    "I want to taste you, Ellie..." Willa whispered against her lips. "Can I taste you?"

    Eleanor pulled away, her wide brown eyes darkened with passion as they looked up at Willa. Her nod was all the permission Willa needed. "Can I take off your nightdress?"

    This time there was a moment of hesitation. Willa simply waited. If Eleanor said no, it would be disappointing, but Willa wouldn't let her know that. She had promised not to rush Eleanor or push her into anything. 

    Slowly, Eleanor nodded. Willa stood from the bed, taking Eleanor's hand and pulling her up as well. She didn't break eye contact with Eleanor as her hands went to the bottom of her nightdress and lifted the fabric, raising it and pulling it over her head. 

    Eleanor was shaking and Willa went in for another, more gentle kiss. "I love you, Ellie." 

    Eleanor offered a trembling smile. "I love you too." 

    Tenderly, Willa laid Eleanor back on the bed before letting her eyes rake over her body. Damn, Willa had known it would be something beneath all those clothes and the shawl she wore. And she hadn't been wrong. Eleanor was all softness and gentle curves which contrasted with the lean muscles and sharper angles that Willa was covered in.  

    Willa pulled off her own nightdress and slid into the bed, crawling over Eleanor. She lowered her lips to her neck, letting her tongue dance to her collarbones. Eleanor nearly came off the mattress as she moaned Willa's name when her mouth closed over one of her nipples. 

    Willa was in unchartered territory but she was happy to be there. She lost herself in tasting Eleanor. Her mouth covered nearly every delicious inch of her while Eleanor moaned and whimpered and gripped the sheets. 

    Finally, Willa's mouth found Eleanor's hot core. The other woman stilled instantly and Willa raised her head to look up at her through her lashes. "Do you want me to stop?"

    Instead of saying anything, Eleanor's hand went to the back of Willa's head and pushed her back down. Willa chuckled and happily gave the woman what she wanted. 

    Damn the woman tasted like honey. Willa drank her in, sweeping her tongue around her throbbing womanhood. 

    "Willa.... Willa..." Eleanor began to whimper after several minutes. Willa kept going, she knew that Eleanor was getting close to a release. 

    And she was right. Within seconds, Eleanor's body arched off the bed as she called out Willa's name. Willa continued to drink in everything that Eleanor had to give her. 

    Only when Eleanor grabbed her dark curls and begged her to stop did Willa raise up. 

    She was shocked speechless when Eleanor flipped her onto her back and straddled her upon the mattress.  "My turn." 

A/N: You know what they say about the quiet ones ;)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

It wasn’t until three days later that Ella and Willa came up for air. Eleanor was still amazed by the change in herself. Who would have thought she would become so eager to be touched and to touch.

    Willa had awaken something in her that Eleanor hadn't known existed—and she was thoroughly enjoying it. She didn't think that Willa had any complaints either. 

    Today they had finally left the hotel and ridden out to the ranch. Willa was helping Preston with his pony while Eleanor sat on the porch with Jane and Pete. Jeb and Gill were gone in the fields, Craig and Ezekial were at their home, and Zachariah and Wyatt had taken another trip which they did quite often, just riding and sleeping under the stars.

    "How have things been going?" Jane asked her as Willie ran around doing his favorite past time which meant chasing chickens. 

    "Can't you tell?" Pete asked with a wink. "Look at that glow." 

    Jane rolled her eyes. "Her glow is none of your business." Pete merely smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek. 

    Eleanor felt her cheeks flush and her eyes found Willa. She took in the sight of her woman in her studded red shirt and brown spotted goucho pants and smiled. As if Willa could feel her eyes on her, she turned and smiled brightly in return. 

    "Young love... Jane used to smile at me like that." 

    "I still smile at you like that you damn idiot." 

    Eleanor turned her attention back to the married couple and Jane sighed. "Before my husband interrupted, I was asking how things were going for you staying at the hotel alone while Willa works." 

    Eleanor shrugged. "I've spent a lot of time alone in my life. Willa knows I like to sew and she made sure I had plenty to keep me busy before she left me." 

    "Well that's good." Jane smiled. "I'm glad she takes good care of you. She's so much like her brother. And if there was one thing Willie had boat loads of, it was loyalty. She'll be good for you." 

    Eleanor forced a smile and dropped her gaze. She knew that Willa was good for her but that fear was still there. The fear that the woman would grow bored of sticking around in the same place. Eleanor's heart would be shattered. 

    Suddenly, the woman who filled her every thought was there. She came to stand behind Eleanor and bent down, wrapping her arms around Eleanor's neck and kissing her dark hair. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" she asked, her lips close to Eleanor's ear. 

    Eleanor trembled and leaned back into Willa's touch. "Of course." 

    "Did 

she say something to you?“ Willa asked, not hiding the venom in her voice as she looked over at Jane.

    "Of course I didn't," Jane snapped, sitting up straighter. "I was actually telling her that she has a good woman... even if you do have your brothers damn protective temper." 

    A chicken let out a rather loud squawk and everyone's eyes were drawn to Willie who was standing there with several feathers in his hand as the abused chicken made a quick escape. 

    "You almost had it that time," Pete told his son. The boy looked up and let out a loud laugh before taking off after the chickens once again. 

    "Poor chickens are gonna be plucked bald," Jane muttered. 

    "Let the boy have fun," Pete insisted. "I chased my fair share of chickens in my day." 

    "I've been wondering somethin'" Willa said, standing up straight but keeping her hands gently on Eleanor's shoulders. "Why did you two name your rugrat after my brother?"

    Jane shifted in her chair. "Because we cared about him." 

    "I've cared about folks before," Willa stated doubtfully. "Wouldn't name any of my youngin's after them." 

    Jane and Pete shared a look and then Pete shrugged. "Hell, she needs to know eventually. She 

is family now.“

    "I ain't family," Willa countered stubbornly. "Family shares blood." 

    Eleanor looked over her shoulder and up at Willa's tense face. "They are 

my  family and if you are with me then that makes them your family too.“

    Willa's eyes narrowed a moment as she looked down at Eleanor, but finally the woman relented and let out a long sigh. "Okay, 

family , what is it that I need to know eventually?“

    "Me and Gill have been best friends our whole lives and we've always been joined at the heart." 

    "What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Willa demanded. 

    Pete grinned. "It means that when my best friend in the whole world decided he wanted to join the Texas Rangers to prove he wasn't like his outlaw father, I went along with him. Someone had to keep him safe." 

    This seemed to get Willa's attention. "You and Gill were Texas Rangers? I mean, I guess I could see Gill being a lawman but 

you ?“

    Pete laughed, clearly not bothered by her disbelief. "We were damn good lawmen. The dynamic duo. Wasn't a single criminal we went after that we didn't manage to bring to justice.... Until the Crane Gang."

    Silence reigned for a moment as everyone waited for Willa to put two and two together. Instead she just frowned. "Crane Gang?"

    "Craig 

Crane. Jeb Crane ….“ Jane offered.

    Willa raised a hand. "You're telling me that y'all were part of a gang? My brother was part of a gang?" 

    Jane nodded. "Yes. We robbed rich land owners and ranchers and we gave the money we made to orphanages. Jeb and Craig were made orphans, Wyatt was an orphan, Willie was an orphan, it was a cause that meant everything to all of us." 

    "Okay." Willa was clearly processing what she was hearing. "How do Texas Rangers figure into it?"

    Pete sighed. "Well see, we found them and we managed to gain their trust but I fell in love with this wildcat here and Gill fell in love with his tall drink of water Jeb. We knew we couldn't bring them down the way we were supposed to."

    "So you joined them?"

    "We did." 

    "Unfortunately, there was a man with power among the Rangers and he sent more men after all of us. We had all split up, Jeb had decided that that we had to stop living the way we were. Jeb and Gill were going to get Preston and start up this ranch. Wyatt and Craig were going to go off on their own adventures. Pete and I were married at that time so we were going to go back to my pa's home and start our own ranch.... Willie was coming with us." 

    Willa shifted behind Eleanor and Eleanor reached up and laid her hand over Willa's on her shoulder, trying to offer the woman what support she could as she learned what had truly led to her brother's death. 

    The crooked rangers caught up to us and without any warning they came charging across the plains and began firing shots..." Jane's voice broke and she looked desperately at her husband. 

    Pete gave her hand a squeeze and nodded. "The first shot they fired hit Willie in the gut. I rushed to help him but he yelled at us to leave. He knew that he was dying either way and all he wanted was for Jane to be safe. She had already lost one husband and Willie didn't want her to lose another. I tried to argue but he kept insisting we leave and I knew I had to save my wife. Willie held the men off long enough for me and Jane to get away safely."

    Willa was silent. Eleanor looked up at her face only to find that it was an unreadable mask. Slowly, Willa spoke. "Because you were a Texas Ranger that fell in love with a gang member, my brother died?"

    Pete winced. "It was a bit more complicated than that." 

    "Don't you dare blame Pete or Gill. It was that crooked lawman Major Winfield and thankfully that man is worm shit. Because of him I lost my father and a man I saw as a brother. I damn near lost my cousin, Gill, and Maria too. It's no one's fault but his that Willie and my father were taken away from us." 

    Willa was quiet for several moments and Eleanor wondered what was going on in her head. She hoped this wouldn't lead to fighting amongst the family. She loved her family but she also loved her woman and she didn't want to be caught in the middle of a feud.

“How did this Major Winfield die?”

    Jane cleared her throat. "He knew he was caught and going to die so he grabbed a young boy and tried to hide behind the boy, using him as a shield and a hostage in an attempt to get away. That boy's mama came up behind him and put a knife through his heart." 

    "He hid behind a child?"

    With a snort Jane nodded. "We told you he wasn't a nice man." 

    "So you named your kid after my brother out of what? Guilt?"

    Every bit of his jokester nature left Pete's face. He stood up and looked Willa in the eyes. "We named him after Willie because we loved that grumpy, whiskey-guzzling, gaucho pant wearing bastard, and I for one will never forget the way he protected my wife and made it possible for us to have the life we have now. He was a good man and if our son can grow up to be half the man he was then I reckon Jane and I have done something pretty damn decent." 

    Eleanor hated the tension in the air. She looked up at Willa's face but this time she could see through the mask and she saw the pain—the sadness. 

    After several long moments, Willa nodded. "Well okay then." 

    "Are you okay?" Eleanor asked cautiously. 

    "I asked and I got an answer, didn't I?" She tossed her braided hair over her shoulder. "You ready to head back to town?"

    Eleanor stood quickly and nodded. "If you are...." 

    Willa's jaw was tight. "I am." 

    Eleanor bid farewell to a quiet reserved Jane and Pete. She walked off the porch and met Preston in the yard. "I'm really learning a lot from Willa. I'm excited for the fair." 

    "That's good, Preston. I'm sure you'll do great." 

    "I wish you'd come watch me," he admitted, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "It would mean a lot." 

    Eleanor paused. Preston never asked her for anything. She thought of the crowd that would be at the fair. The noise. The people. "I'll try."

    It was clear he wasn't convinced but he nodded. "Are y'all leaving already? Pa and papa will be back soon and I'm sure they'd like to see you." 

    She glanced at Willa who was still tense and clearly trying to hide the emotion she was feeling. "It's up to you." 

    Eleanor sighed. As much as she would love to see Jeb and Gill, she knew that Willa needed her more right now. "We'll be back out soon to visit." 

    Willa helped her onto her mare before hopping into her own saddle. She led Eleanor on the road to town and the ride was silent. Eleanor didn't know what to say and it was clear that Willa was in no hurry to speak. 

    They dropped their horses off at the livery and soon  Eleanor found her alone in the hotel room with a pacing Willa.  Eleanor pulled her shawl tighter and watched Willa as the woman went back and forth across the fancy rug on the floor. 

    "My damn brother died for no reason," Willa finally spoke, her voice quieter and more subdued than Eleanor had ever heard it before. "He died because some damn Texas Rangers got in a pissing contest with each other." 

    Eleanor folded her hands in front of her. "I really don't think it was like that, Willamena." 

    "It wasn't?" 

    "No. I wasn't there but I've heard enough stories living with Jeb and Gill. Gill carries a lot of guilt, Pete probably does too, but it wasn't their fault. They came to the gang to do a job and they fell in love—it happens. They turned their badges in and left with the gang. That Major Winfield already had men watching the gang before then. He was wanting to prove Gill unfit. He would have had his rangers attack the gang no matter what." 

    "Of course you'd defend your 

family ,“ Willa snapped, pulling off her hat and tossing it across the room. “Of course you’d take their side over mine.”

    Eleanor felt her temper rise, which was strange. She'd always been too meek to have much of a temper. "Yes, I love my family, Willamena, but I love you too, dammit, and it's not fair for you to take your temper out on me! I'm sorry you lost your brother, I really am, but we've all lost people or been through things that weren't fair at all. You can't go around blaming everybody for things that were simply horrible and no ones fault! Not a single person in my family wanted your brother dead! They cried when he was gone! Hell, sometimes they still cry! Being angry and blaming people never fixed a damn thing!"

    Eleanor stood there, panting after her outburst. She couldn't believe the words that had just come out of her own mouth but she had no choice but to believe—she'd been the one to say them! 

    Willa stood there seeming completely dumbfounded. She blinked several times and stared at Eleanor as if the woman had grown a second head. Eleanor glanced to the side just to ensure she hadn't. 

    Finally, Willa strode to her discarded hat, picked it up off the floor and plopped it on her head. "I'm going to the saloon." 

    "But you don't work tonight," Eleanor said, her voice once again it's usual soft tone. 

    Willa shook his head. "I know that. I just wanna drink." 

    Without another word, Willa jerked open the door, left the room, and slammed it closed behind her.

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Craig had come into town to get a few supplies. He had left Ezekial and Delilah at home because the poor girl hadn’t been feeling well. Of course Ezekial said it was Craig’s fault for feeding the girl too many chocolate bars… it wasn’t his fault his young daughter had him wrapped around her chubby little finger. She liked them so he’d bought them.

    He was walking down the boardwalk and just passing The Golden Nugget Saloon when he happened to glance inside the swinging doors and froze in his tracks. It was as if he'd suddenly been shot back into the past. 

    Pacing across the barn, spilling drinks and upsetting patrons as she went was Willa. Brown cow hide guacho pants, red studded and tasseled shirt, big hat...

    His feet carried him inside without his guidance at all. Willa was walking back and forth across that bar with men glaring up at her as they attempted to save their drinks. She was weaving and throwing her hands in the air as she yelled at everyone to get out of her way and threatened them to fist fights. 

    "Craig Crane! I know this woman is with your family!" the bartender bellowed at the sight of Craig entering. "Get her off my bar before I shoot her!" 

    Craig couldn't speak or move. His mind just went to Willie who had a habit of drinking too much, pacing on bars, threatening everyone and everything around him,  pissing off bartenders and getting his drunk ass dragged out of saloons by Craig.  

    The bartender pulled out a shot gun and waved it. "Dammit Craig, I'm serious! Get her drunk ass out of here!" 

    Craig snapped out of his daze and decided he needed to save Eleanor's woman. He didn't need to let something happen to her, which would hurt Eleanor, and then give Zachariah one more reason to dislike him. 

    "Don't shoot her, Earl. I'm coming." He rushed to the bar, grabbed Willa's arm and yanked her off. "Come on now, Willa, let's get out of here." 

    "I don't want to go anywhere," she argued, digging her heels into the wooden floor. "Let me go or I'll kick your ass." 

    Craig just sighed and used his greater strength to take away her choice in the matter. Once they were outside in the darkening evening, Willa jerked away from him and stumbled forward a bit. She whirled around, lost her balance and fell on her ass in the dirt. 

    Craig just pinched his nose and went to help her up while she uttered curses and slurred threats. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Where's Eleanor?"

    "Eleanor?" That grabbed Willa's attention. She looked around and frowned. "Where is Eleanor?"

    "How much whiskey did you have?" Craig demanded calmly. It had clearly been a lot if the scent of the woman's breath was any indication.

    She held up both hands and spread her fingers apart. "About this many." 

    Craig shook his head. "Come on. I'll get you back to the hotel and you can sober up. Eleanor is probably worried sick about you." 

    Willa allowed herself to be led down the road, though her steps were wobbly and if not for Craig she would have fallen more than once. As they neared the hotel, Willa stopped suddenly and covered her mouth. 

    "I don't feel so good," she muttered. Craig realized her face had turned a nice shade of green. 

    "Don't you dare...." 

    It was too late. Willa proceeded to lose the contents of her stomach on the ground at Craig's feet, splashing those contents over his boots.

    It was like having Willie alive and well all over again. 

    Craig sighed. He now knew how Gill had felt walking around with vomit covered boots the first night they'd met. "Come on. You just need rest." 

    He led Willa to the hotel where the clerk told him the room she was sharing with Eleanor. Getting up the stairs was fun given Willa's unsteady legs but they managed. 

    Craig knocked and waited. "Who is it?" came Eleanor's cautious voice. 

    "It's Craig. I've brought your lady love back to you." 

    The door was pulled open and Craig smiled at Eleanor as she tightened her shawl around her. Then she made a face. "Oh, you stink..." 

    "That would be the contents of your woman's stomach which have been elegantly spewed upon my feet." 

    Eleanor covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh." 

    She glanced at Willa who was still quite green and seemed to be more than a little ready to fall flat on her face and sleep off her drink. "Lay her in the bed." 

    "What exactly happened to her?" Craig asked as he helped Willa to the bed and she fell upon the mattress with a groan. 

    "She found out the truth about the gang and what led to Willie dying." 

    "And? I mean she already knew he'd been murdered." 

    "Yeah but she found out about who murdered him and why." 

    "Oh..." Craig sighed. "And she's blaming Gill and Pete?"

    "Of course." 

    Craig nodded. "I did too for a while. But I learned it wasn't their fault." 

    "Yes, it was," Willa slurred. 

    "No, it wasn't," Craig replied, thumping the woman gently on the back of the head. "Shit happens. Bad shit. Shit nobody asks for. You don't wanna end up like me. So damn lost in anger and blame that I damn near lost everybody that mattered to me. Willie was one of my best friends, Gill is too, so is Pete. They didn't kill Willie. Major Winfield did." 

    Willa merely grunted upon the bed and pulled the pillow over her head. 

    "I hate feeling like I'm stuck in the middle," Eleanor admitted quietly.

    Craig wanted to hug the woman because she looked so damn pitiful but he knew she wouldn't like that. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Do you want me to take you back to the ranch while she sleeps this off?"

    Eleanor was quick to shake her head. "No. I don't want her to think I've picked a side." 

    Craig nodded in understanding. "Maria's then? I can take you over there." 

    Eleanor seemed tempted a moment but she shook her head and raised her chin. "No, I'll stay with her." 

    It seemed Eleanor was more stubborn than he'd realized. Craig headed for the door but stopped at the threshold. "Don't let her mistreat you just because she's angry over this. She's too much like her damn brother. I can only hope she don't hold a grudge quite the way he did. Don't take no shit off her, Eleanor. You just come on home if she don't pull her head out of her ass." 

    Eleanor nodded and Craig sighed and left the room, closing the door behind him. He understood Willa's side of things but carrying that blame and hate was toxic to a person. He hoped she'd realize that before she made mistakes and did things that she couldn't take back. 

---

    Eleanor stood beside the bed and looked at Willa who was knew passed out cold upon it. She loved the woman but if horrible tempers and drunken stupors were common for the woman, their relationship would not work. Eleanor didn't like to fight and she didn't like seeing the woman she loved so drunk she couldn't stand. 

    Changing into her nightdress, Eleanor grabbed a spare blanket from the wardrobe since Willa was currently lying on the one on the bed. She curled up on her side of the mattress and pulled the cover tight around her. 

    She hated knowing that Willa was hurting. But the woman was doing it to herself. She was so angry over the loss of her brother that she was desperate to have someone to blame and hate for it. Eleanor had never been a person who sought blame for bad things. She simply knew that bad things were a part of life and usually they weren't the fault of a single person but the result of a million tiny things—and sometimes they happened for no real reason at all. 

    Reaching out, she turned off the kerosene lamp beside the bed, filling the room with darkness. The mattress shifted as Willa grunted and rolled over, attempting to pull Eleanor into her arms. 

    "No," Eleanor stated, pulling away. She knew that sober Willa would never hurt her but drunk Willa was someone she didn't know. Would she try to force herself on Eleanor? Willa attempted again to pull Eleanor into her arms and Eleanor felt that panic beginning to rise in her chest. She shoved Willa hard. "No." 

    Surprisingly, Willa whimpered, sounding like a sad child. She flopped to her other side and curled up in a ball. Eleanor took a moment to calm her breathing. 

    Glancing through the darkness, Eleanor took pity on the drunken woman and decided to share her blanket with her. She covered Willa up before rolling to face away from her and closing her eyes. She had a feeling she needed rest because Willa was going to be feeling quite bad in the morning.

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Willa had never in her life had a headache like the one currently throbbing between her temples. She pulled the pillow covering her head tighter and moaned upon the mattress. What the hell had she done?

    Willa was definitely not the type to get dog drunk. She knew better than to do it because she couldn't handle the side effects. Her stomach rolled just to remind her of that and she wrapped her arm around herself. 

    "Ellie?" she whispered, her voice raspy and her throat burning. There was no response. Keeping the pillow over her head, Willa reached to the side but realized the mattress was empty. 

    "Ellie?" She called again, more loudly this time. Still there was no answer. Where was the woman? Had she left after Willa had stormed out last night? Dammit, what had she been thinking? She couldn't lose Eleanor. 

    Pulling the pillow off her head, Willa winced at the sunlight streaming through the window. She slowly managed to sit up and looked around the room. Relief filled her when she saw the Eleanor's belongings were still in the room... but where was Eleanor?

    Willa realized she was still fully dressed and wearing her boots. How had she gotten to the hotel room? Not a damn thing made sense this morning! She remembered going to the saloon. She'd been so damn angry and hurt and sad and lost. She'd begun drinking and then things became real fuzzy.

    She thought she remembered Craig... Had Craig been at the saloon? Craig had brought Willa back to the room—she remembered now.. sort of. Maybe Eleanor had left with Craig and simply left her things behind.  

    Damnation, Willa couldn't lose her. Damn her temper. She'd been so upset to learn the truth about her brother that she had taken it out on the one person in the world that she really loved. If Eleanor left her, if she decided Willa wasn't what she truly wanted... it would kill her. 

    Willa threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, holding the bedpost for support. She had to find Eleanor, had to apologize, had to beg the damn woman to come back. No matter what had happened with Willie and the gang, none of it had been Eleanor's fault and Willa didn't want it to come between them.  

    She laid a hand over her swirling stomach, squinted against the light, and headed for the door. Before she reached it, it came open and Eleanor appeared with a tray of food.

    Willa saw her brown eyes widen slightly before she pushed the door closed behind her and carried the tray to the small table. "You went out by yourself," Willa stated.

    Eleanor wrapped her arms tight around herself and shrugged, avoiding Willa's gaze. "Only to the hotel diner. I was hungry." 

    "Ellie..." Willa stepped forward but Eleanor held up her hand. 

    "I won't be put in the middle of this," she warned, her voice quiet but stern. 

“I don’t want you in the middle.”

“I understand you’re hurting and I understand why

but that is my family and you are the woman I love and I can’t be caught in the middle.“

    Willa took another step forward and winced at the pain in her side. Had she fallen last night? Hell, she didn't remember. "Ellie I...." She swallowed hard and pushed her pride to the side. "I'm sorry. I love you. I shouldn't have acted that way." 

    Eleanor met her gaze. "I don't want to see you drunk like that anymore..." Tears shone in her brown eyes. "Whiskey never makes people better.. I've only ever seen it make them worse." 

    At the sight of her shiver, Willa cursed under her breath. Had the men that had hurt her liked whiskey? She had a feeling the answer was yes. 

    "You won't see me that way again. I promise." 

    Eleanor nodded and looked away, swallowing hard and clearly fighting her tears. The sight broke Willa's heart right in two. "Ellie, come here." 

    After only a second's hesitation, Eleanor's feet were moving in her direction. Willa wrapped her tight in her arms and buried her head in all that dark hair. "Ellie, I love you. I don't ever wanna fight with you. You're all I have in this world, lady. I don't have anything, or anyone, else." 

    "You could," Eleanor countered, her head resting on Willa's chest. "If you let yourself."

    Willa chose not to respond. Dammit, didn't Eleanor realize how hard it was? She held her a little tighter. "You need to apologize to Craig," Eleanor's words caused Willa to frown. 

    "Craig? Why?"

    Eleanor's fingers went to the tassels on Willa's shirt. "He had to drag you back here last night and you.. you lost your stomach all over his boots." 

    Willa couldn't fully stop her laughter. "I did?"

    "It's not funny," Eleanor scolded, looking up at her. "You were a mess." 

    "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I promise." She kissed Eleanor's brow and released her hold on her. "Now that we've made up, can we get in the bed? I feel like hell." 

---

    Willa was tense in the saddle the next day as they neared Jeb and Gill's ranch house. Part of her blamed them for her brother but a bigger part loved Eleanor enough to let it go. She was going to swallow her temper, swallow her pride, swallow her hurt and make peace with Eleanor's family. 

    Her tension only increased when she realized that 

everyone was gathered at the ranch. She glanced at Eleanor next to her and Eleanor appeared scared to death. “Willa….”

    "It's okay, Ellie. I'm okay." 

    That wasn't entirely true but Willa could do this. For Eleanor she could do it. Family. Willa had never had one. But Eleanor wanted her to be a part of this one. So she would try.

    Willa hopped off her horse and helped Eleanor from hers. Wyatt was there with a smile and took both horses from them, leading them toward the barn to hitch them in the shade. 

    Willa wiped her hands on her gaucho pants, tugged at her yellow shirt collar and swallowed hard. Eleanor looped her arm through hers and tugged slightly. 

    Willa's boots barely dragged as she let herself be led toward the house. Craig was the first to greet her. "Hey there, Willa." 

    Willa tipped her head. "Craig. Did you get your boots clean?"

    "They still stink," Ezekial stated, cradling Delilah against his hip. 

    "It'll fade in a day or two," Gill assured them. Then he met Willa's gaze. "I think we need to talk." 

    Willa shook her head. "We ain't got nothin' to talk about." 

    Gill nodded and stepped off the porch. Jeb tried to follow him but Gill held up his hand. "Stay out of it, Jebidiah." 

    Willa, unsure of just what Gill's intentions were, unhooked her arm from Eleanor's. "Go stand with your brother, Ellie." 

    Ellie hesitated but did as Willa told her. Pete suddenly came barreling down the stairs to stand next to Gill who was now standing only a few feet away with a confidant, arrogant stance that made it clear he'd been a lawman.

    "What the hell are you doing?" Gill grumbled. 

    "Not letting you face this alone best friend. Someone has to protect you." 

    "What is this about, Gill?" Willa asked, staring in the eye of the man who had led to her brother's death. Strangely enough she couldn't muster the anger she'd felt just days before. Gill had never been anything but kind to her.. Hell, they'd all been kind. 

    "I hear you probably have something you want to say to me." Gill squared his shoulders. "Say it." 

    "I don't have anything to say to you." 

    "Come on, Willa. You wanna blame me for Willie's death. Blame me. Hell, I blame me. I blame me for a lot of things. I blame myself for Willie. I blame me for Wyatt getting shot by those rangers and almost dying. I blame me for what Craig went through because if not for me he wouldn't have gone through it. I blame myself for Jane's daddy Billy being killed by those rangers." 

    "That's a lot of blame, best friend. Let me carry some," Pete insisted. 

    Gill's brown eyes were sad. "So, what do you want me to do? I can't bring your brother back. I can't go back in time and refuse to track down the gang. I can't take back the fact that I fell in love with Jeb. I can't take back the fact that this gang became my family. There's not a damn thing that I can do other than apologize. And I've done that to everyone else in the family but you. So, I'm sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry." 

    Willa couldn't speak. If she spoke, they'd be able to hear the emotion clogging her throat. If she spoke, she'd lose hold of the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. 

    Gill sighed at her silence. "What do you want, Willa? What will make you feel better? Do you wanna hit me? Shoot me? Kill me? I won't fight back." 

    "Gilliam..." 

    Gill raised his hand. "Leave it alone, Jebidiah."

    Willa's fists were clenched and she was shaking. Is this what family was? She didn't want to hurt Gill... Hell, she didn't want to hurt anybody.  

    "I don't..." Willa cleared her throat roughly and swiped at her face to clear the damn tear that rolled down her cheek. Her jaw trembled. "I don't wanna blame nobody." 

    Eleanor was suddenly at her side again and Willa reached out desperately for her hand, squeezing it tighter than she should. "I don't blame you Gill. Or you Pete." 

    Pete grinned and came forward, throwing his arms around Willa in a hug. "Good! You don't know how happy I am to hear you ain't gonna shoot Gill. I don't know what I'd do without his self-loathing backside." 

    Willa stood there in shock as Pete pulled away. She wasn't used to hugs—unless they were from Eleanor, of course.

Gill grunted and shoved his best friend to the side. “Now Willa, this is a family and we might fight and we might not always see eye to eye but we have each other’s backs. We have your back… whether you want us to or not.”

    She felt all the eyes on her and chewed her lip for all she was worth. Gill held out his hand and Willa stared at it a moment. If she shook that hand then she truly was letting go of all the blame and she was signing up for something she had never anticipated having—a family. Could she do that for Eleanor?

    With tears in her eyes and an unfamiliar emotion tugging at her chest, Willa took Gill's hand. The lawman turned outlaw turned rancher smiled. "Welcome to the family, Willamena."

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Eleanor couldn’t believe the change a week could make. A week ago she had watched Willa and Gill stand toe and toe and she had watched Gill offer Willa to take his life if it would make up for the loss of her brother.

    One week since Willa had actually let her guard down, shed a tear, and finally accepted her place in the family. Eleanor knew it would take time for Willa to fully feel at home among them but she knew it would happen. 

    Now, one week after all of that drama, life was much more peaceful. Willa had eaten dinner amongst the family instead of separately. She had laughed with them. Played poker with Wyatt and Craig. She'd been working with Jeb and Gill to choose the best horses for the fair. And she'd continued her lesson's with Preston. 

    And the happier she saw Willa, the more secure Eleanor became that Willa wouldn't simply get bored of her and decide to leave. Willa truly seemed content with their life and so was Eleanor. 

    "What are you working on?" Willa asked, nodding toward the fabric on Eleanor's lap as they sat in their hotel room. 

    "Preston wanted me to add some tassels and studs to his shirt for the fair. I think your style is rubbing off on him." 

    Willa laughed. "Good. Everybody will notice and remember him." 

    The fair was three weeks away and Eleanor knew that Willa was looking forward to it. "Are you going to enter any of the fair games?" she asked. "You'll be pretty much healed up by then." 

    Willa shrugged. "I just might." She winked. "You wanting to see just how talented your woman is?"

    Heat rose to her cheeks. "I already know how talented you are." 

    "Is that right?"

    "Yes, that's right. Now go get us some supper, your woman is starving." 

    "Why doesn't my woman come with me?" Willa asked, rising from the chair where she'd been sharpening her knife. Eleanor's breath caught in her chest as Willa came closer and put her hand on the arms of Eleanor's chair, bracing herself over her. "I'd like your company." 

    "Only if you'll take me to the Cantina instead of the hotel diner," Eleanor replied, licking her bottom lip and watching Willa's eyes follow the movement. 

    "I reckon I can do that." She swooped down and captured Eleanor's lips in a hungry kiss that had Eleanor dropping her sewing and looping her arms around Willa's neck. 

    Willa chuckled against her lips when Eleanor's stomach growled. "Come on then, Ellie. Let's go take care of your stomach. Then I'll take care of the rest of you." 

    Eleanor was smiling as she stood up and grabbed her shawl from the bed, wrapping it tight around her shoulders. Willa took her hand in hers and led her from the room, down the stairs and out into the evening air. 

    Town was bustling this time of day but Eleanor didn't feel fear walking hand in hand with Willa. With Willa she always seemed to feel safe. The Cantina was brightly lit and full or patrons. As they stepped in the door a woman who'd been leaving the Cantina ran into them, nearly knocking Eleanor over. 

    Willa quickly righted her and pulled her close with her arm around her waist. "Excuse you," she snapped at the woman. 

    The woman flushed and fussed with her blond hair pulled back fancily on her head. "I apologize. I'm new in town and I'm afraid I was in a rush." 

    "Well go on then. No need to be held up anymore," Willa urged. Eleanor rolled her eyes. Willa truly needed to work on her friendliness. The woman hadn't meant any harm. 

    "Of course..." The woman paused. "Actually, can either of you point me in the direction of the best hotel to stay at while I'm here?"

    Eleanor pointed toward the hotel she and Willa were living in. "That one is the nicest," she assured the woman. "But I'm afraid it's also the most expensive." 

    "Money is not a worry," the woman assured her, her blue eyes smiling. "Thank you for helping me. My name is Casey." 

    "I'm Eleanor and this is Willa." 

    "Willa? Those are beautiful clothes and that's a beautiful name." Her blue eyes studied Willa carefully. "Is it short for anything?" 

    Willa shifted her feet impatiently. "Willamena. Would you like to know anything else about us? Favorite colors? First kisses? Maybe our birthdays?" 

    Eleanor frowned and nudged Willa. What was wrong with the woman? Those blue eyes turned a bit sharper as they went from Willa to Eleanor several times. Eleanor wondered if perhaps she was noticing the way Willa was holding her so close. If she was new in town it may not be something she was accustomed to seeing. 

    "Well, Eleanor and Willamena. Sorry to have bothered you. I'll let you get to your supper now." 

    As the woman walked away and Willa led Eleanor inside, Eleanor shook her head. "Why were you so rude?"

    "I didn't like her," Willa replied simply. 

    "Why?"

    "I don't know. Call it gut instinct. There was something about her I didn't like." 

    Eleanor sighed. The woman, Casey, had seemed perfectly nice to her.

---

    Casey Dougal was fuming as she entered the hotel and slipped up to her room. Jake and Horace were there waiting for her. 

    "I found her," Casey said, throwing her clutch in the chair. "I found the bitch who killed my brother." 

    Horace nodded. "Where is she? We'll go take care of her." 

    Casey tapped her chin and walked to the mirror, staring into it thoughtfully. "I don't want to simply kill her." 

    Jake frowned. "Well what do you want to do? I thought you wanted her dead." 

    Casey rolled her eyes at her worker's lack of imagination. "I do. Eventually. First, I'd like to make her suffer." 

    "And how are you gonna do that?" Horace asked, twirling the tassels hanging from a fancy lamp shade. 

    "She has a woman. Pretty native girl. She'd sell for high dollar. Men are always looking for some native honey to stick their pecker into" 

    Jake made a face. "A woman with a woman?"

    "Sure, what's so wrong with that? We make a lot of money off people with 

different interests. Women don’t need men to be satisfied, dear fool. We can satisfy each other quite well if we choose.“

    Horace chuckled at the scolded look at Jake's face. "So, ma'am, what exactly do you want us to do?"

    "Go tell the men that we found her and for them to wait until I give them orders." Casey had a crew of five men, the best gunslingers she had in her employ, camped outside of town. "The three of us are going to learn all we can about this Willa and Eleanor so we can decide when the best time to take Willa's lady love will be." 

    Jake smiled. "And when Willa comes after us?"

    Casey pulled a pin from her hair allowing the blond waves to fall down her back as she shook it out in the mirror. "We blow her brain out of the back of her head just the same as she did to Harvey." 

A/N: Trouble is getting closer……..

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

    Eleanor laid the quilt she was working on in her lap and stretched out her aching fingers. She glanced toward the clock and realized it was supper time in the hotel diner. Willa had been summoned to work earlier than usual by the saloon owner so Eleanor was going to have to go down and get her supper alone.

    She was braver now than she had once been and the thought of going down to the diner no longer frightened her. Rising from her chair, Eleanor laid her quilt and down on the bed and grabbed her shawl. 

    Wrapping it around her shoulders, Eleanor headed out of the hotel room. She didn't bother to lock the door behind her, knowing it would only make it more difficult to get back in with her tray of supper. 

    The hotel diner was busy, but Eleanor pulled her shawl tighter and walked up to the counter. The server, a kind older woman with graying hair, saw her and smiled. "You want your supper, dear?" 

    "Yes ma'am." 

    "You stay right there and I'll go back and get a tray ready for you." Everyone knew that Eleanor did not eat down in the diner alone. She might have gotten braver, but she still was not that comfortable in a crowd. 

    As Eleanor waited she did her best to ignore the people around her. She knew that some were watching her, she could feel their eyes. They whispered about the quiet native girl who stayed in the hotel with the flashy, loud black jack dealer. 

    A woman came to stand beside her. Eleanor frowned. She was familiar. When the woman turned to face her, Eleanor realized it was the blond, Casey, from the Cantina a few nights before. 

    "Hi!" Casey greeted brightly. "Eleanor, right?"

    "Yes." 

    "Where is your woman friend. Wasn't her name Willa?"

    Eleanor pulled her shawl tighter. She noticed the way that Casey's blue eyes didn't seem to match the friendliness of her tone. She remembered Willa's instant dislike of the woman. "She's working." 

    "What kind of work is there for a woman to do in this town?" Casey smoothed out her blue blouse. "I'm interested in sticking around but I don't a knack for many trades." 

    Eleanor saw the server returning with her tray of food. "She's the blackjack dealer at the Lucky Eight." Her tray of food was placed in her hands.

    "I'll let you get back to your room, Eleanor." Casey's eyes traveled the length of her and Eleanor shivered. "Have a nice night." 

    Turning quickly, Eleanor all but raced up to her room. Something didn't feel right and all she wanted was to be locked safely away until Willa returned in the early morning hours. 

    She opened the door and froze. Standing on the fancy rug in mud covered boots were two men. Their cold eyes leered as she stood there trembling. Eleanor took a step back. She could run back downstairs and be safe. 

    Another step back and she felt something hard press into her side. "If you don't want me to shoot you, Eleanor, you'll be a good girl and get in the room." 

    Fear welled up inside of her as it became hard to breathe. Not again.... Casey shoved that gun harder into her side and Eleanor's stiff legs carried her into the room. Casey pushed the door closed and turned the lock. 

    "Put the tray down." 

    The plate and silverware upon the tray rattled with the intensity of Eleanor's trembling as she sat the tray on the table. 

    "I'm sure you're wondering what's going on so let me explain." Casey came around and pulled the cover off the plate. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the steak, potatoes and beans. "My name is Casey Dougal. You might have heard of my brother, Harvey." 

    Harvey Dougal? The man who had nearly killed Willa. The man Willa had shot dead in the street. 

    "I can tell by the widening of your eyes that you know exactly who I'm talking about." Casey laid the cover back over the plate and folded her hands in front of her as the two men came to stand behind Eleanor. "Obviously, I want revenge. You, my dear, are going to help me get it."

    Eleanor knew she should speak. Scream. Anything. But she couldn't. She stood there frozen, trembling, remembering the last time she'd been used for revenge. 

    "Horace, if you'd be so kind as to lay her on the bed, and Jake keep her quiet." 

    Eleanor's eyes widened when the men suddenly grabbed her. She opened her mouth to scream but a rough, dirty hand clamped over it as she was led to the bed and thrown down upon it, still rendered silent by the man who came down on top of her with his hand still firmly over her mouth. 

    Eleanor felt all consuming fear fill her. Would these men force her? Was she once again going to be taken against her will and used up? She couldn't go through that again.. it would kill her. 

    "What do you want us to do with her?" one of the men asked, his voice thick. 

    "I'm going to see whether or not she has her virginity." Casey voice replied, through Eleanor could not see the woman. All she saw was the dirty shirt of the man keeping her quiet. "That will affect her price."

    Eleanor began to fight. She bucked and kicked for all she was worth. Rough hands closed around her legs, spreading them apart and holding them there. She felt another set of hands begin to pull down her underclothes. 

    A sudden knock on the door had everything stopping. "I thought you said Willa wouldn't be here until early morning?" Casey hissed. 

    "That's what they told me," one of the men replied. 

    The knock came again. "Eleanor, are you in there?" 

    Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut tight as a tear fell down her cheek. She silently urged Preston to go away. She didn't want the boy hurt...

    "That sounded like a boy," Casey stated, pushing Eleanor's underclothes back up. "I might have use for a boy. Jake, take the woman in the corner and keep her quiet there. Horace, you stand next to the door ready to grab the little bastard. I'll answer the door." 

    Eleanor was helpless as she was dragged into the corner by the much larger and stronger man. She watched Casey walked to the door and pull it open. 

    "Who are you?" Preston asked, the boy so small and so pale as he shoved his glasses up on his nose. 

    "I'm Eleanor's friend. My name is Casey." 

    "I've never heard her talk about you," Preston countered. 

    "Come in then. Eleanor and I were sewing together." 

    Preston stepped into the room, his eyes fell on Eleanor being held tight. He opened his mouth to yell but Horace's heavy fist fell on his head and the boy dropped to the ground unconscious. 

    Horace dragged him further into the room as Casey closed the door. "Tiny. Pale. Weak. Yes, I know a man who love to have this boy." 

    Horace pulled Preston up and held him in his arms. His eyes were hungry as they roamed over him. "

I’d love to have this boy.“

    Casey waved her hand. "I'm sure we could work that out. You deserve a treat after all you do for me." 

    Eleanor nearly vomited against Jake's hand. They couldn't touch Preston that way! Somehow Eleanor had to save him! 

    Casey sighed. "There's no time for anything now, though. We don't know when someone will come looking for the boy. Tie them both up and we'll slip out the back. Darkness is beginning to fall."

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

“House wins,” Willa called, bringing the chips to her side of the table.

    "The house always wins," the grizzled cowboy muttered. 

    "That's just the chance you take," Willa assured him, expertly shuffling the deck for the next deal. 

    Before she could deal, a saloon regular named Howard came rushing over. "Hey Willa, I wanted to warn you that there's been some folks in here asking about you." 

    Willa frowned. "Me? What about me?" 

    "Wanting to know when you work, what hotel you're in, and they even mentioned Eleanor. I heard 'em yesterday and figured I'd warn you as soon as I came in tonight." 

    Her pulse quickened as unease filled her gut. "Who were these folks?"

    "I don't know. Two men. I followed 'em out onto the boardwalk just to see if I could hear anything else and they mentioned something about a woman named Casey." 

    Her mind was working overtime. Casey? Where had she heard that name recently? The Cantina! It was that blond bitch that had nearly knocked Eleanor to the ground. Willa had known that woman was bad news; she had felt it in her bones. 

    She knew she had to check on Eleanor and she had to do it now. "Thanks Howard," she mumbled as she tossed down the deck of cards and rushed for the doors, ignoring the calls for her to stop and come back to run the game. 

    Willa shoved past folks on the way to the hotel but she didn't care; didn't even hear their protests. All she could focus on was the resounding thought in her head. 'Please let Ellie be okay'. 

    As she approached their room, she knew her hopes were hopeless. The door was open. Eleanor would 

never leave the door open. Suddenly, her boots weighed a hundred pounds apiece.

    She stepped through that open door to find an empty room lit by the kerosene light beside the bed. "Ellie?" she whispered, her tiny voice seeming to echo in the abandoned space. 

    Eleanor was gone. Willa swallowed hard. Her eyes went to the bed and saw an envelope lying there with her name scrawled across it. Somehow, Willa's feet carried her to the bed and her trembling hand picked up that envelope. 

    Pulling a piece of paper out of it, Willa read over the words written there. 

    

Willamena,

            My name is Casey Dougal. You might remember my brother Harvey. You might also remember that you murdered him right on the street of this town. Loyalty compelled me to do something about that. You see I run a business of sorts and I sell property that I acquire to the highest bidders. Your woman is a beautiful piece of property and it would seem I have acquired her—along with a boy. Perhaps you know him as well? We are heading north. Chase us. My men are waiting for you.

                                            Casey Dougal

    Okay, Casey Dougal. That woman was going to die and Willa was going to kill her. 

    But a boy? Who would the boy be? She glanced back at the bed and saw the light glint off something laying on the blanket. Reaching out, Willa realized they were a pair of wire rimmed glasses. 

    Preston. 

    That bitch had Preston. 

    North the note had said. Willa was going to head north. She rushed from the hotel and was on her way to the livery to get her horse when she ran smack dab into Gill. The man nearly fell over backward but Jeb was there to steady him. "Watch where you're going, Willa," Jeb grumbled. 

    Willa's stomach dropped. She was going to have to tell Preston's parents that Preston had been kidnapped and it was her fault. Damn.. it was her fault. 

    "What's wrong?" Gill demanded. 

    Instead of speaking, she pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it to the man. He moved closer to the glowing kerosene light outside the hotel and read it over as Jeb scanned it over his shoulder. 

    "Goddamn it she's got our son," Jeb nearly roared as he jerked the letter from Gill's hand. "That's why he hasn't come back yet." 

    Willa pointed toward the livery. "I'm getting my horse and going after her. I'll bring Preston back, I swear it." 

    "You're not going anywhere alone," Gill countered. "Go get your horse ready. Jeb, come with me to mama's. We'll send her to the ranch to tell everyone else and then we'll ride and get our son and Eleanor back." 

    "Gilliam, if they've hurt him..." Jeb's eyes were pained. 

    Gill nodded as he adjusted his gun belt. "They're all gonna die, Jeb. That I can guarantee."

---

Eleanor had never been more terrified in all her life. When she’d been taken captive years ago she had only had herself to fear for—now she was afraid for Preston.

    Casey had taken them out of town and met up with a group of five dangerous looking men before heading north—and heading north hard. 

    The night was black save for the campfire they now had burning. They were at the edge of a canyon with only one way in. Casey had sent two of her men up high to act as lookouts and snipers should the need arrive. 

    Eleanor and Preston were tied up side by side beside a wagon. They had been here for hours and, so far, they had remained untouched but Preston was beginning to struggle to breathe. "It will be okay, Preston. The family will be here soon." 

    Eleanor knew they would come, knew that Willa would come, she just prayed that no one would die. Casey came to stand before them. "When little Willa comes to rescue her lady love, we're going to kill her. Would you like to have a front row seat for that?"

    Preston took a breath that wheezed a bit in his chest. "My pas are gonna kill you." 

    "Pas?" Casey's blond brow rose slightly. "As in more than one?" 

    "They'll skin you alive," Preston assured her. 

    Casey seemed to think a moment. She turned to Eleanor. "I know your Willa will come for you. Who else? Who is going to be coming for this boy?"

    Eleanor didn't speak. Casey had been under the impression that Willa would be alone. Eleanor knew she wouldn't be. The family would be coming—and they would be coming in force. 

    Eleanor cried out with shock and pain when Casey's hand fell across her face. "Speak! Who else is coming?" Eleanor glared up at her and remained silent. 

    She turned her attention to Preston and was raising her hand to strike him when a voice called out from the darkness. "Lay your hand on that boy and I'll rip it off!"

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Pete lay on his stomach and kept his sights on one of the lookouts this mentally impaired Casey Dougal had placed in the canyon. The man was at least two hundred yards away but Pete knew he could hit him—hell, he had to.

    That was the plan. Already Wyatt would be sneaking into the camp to untie Eleanor and Preston. Wyatt could sneak anywhere. 

    Jeb, Gill, and Willa were going to be a distraction and when the real fighting started, Jane, Craig, Zachariah and Ezekial would be there as well, coming in as reinforcements. 

    Poor Casey Dougal and her band of misled idiots. They were going to die. 

Pete hated the darkness around him. Why did it have to be dark? Of course the night was lit by the moon. The full moon. Damn. Pete hated the full moon almost as much as he hated the dark. Bad things happened during the full moon—maybe after tonight everyone would finally believe him.

“Lay your hand on that boy and I’ll rip it off!” Jeb’s voice called out.

    That was Pete's signal. He saw the lookout beginning to scan the darkness. Pete took a deep breath, steadied himself and pulled the trigger. His shot was true and the dead man fell from the cliff and landed in the canyon below. 

    Turning his sights to the second man, Pete saw that he was looking around wildly with his binoculars. Just as they landed on Pete, he pulled the trigger and the second man was sent tumbling down just as the first had been. It was time for the fun to begin. 

---

Eleanor heard the gunshots and saw the lookouts fall into the canyon. Casey moved away from her and went to stand nearer her three remaining gunslingers.

    "Why don't you come and fight fair where we can see you?"

    "And why would we do that?" Willa's voice came from the darkness. "Why would we fight you fair?" 

    "Willa? Is that you?" Casey licked her lips. "Who did you bring with you? 

    "My family." 

    Eleanor's attention was drawn away from the conversation when suddenly Wyatt was behind her and Preston. He put his finger to his lips to signal them to be silent as he used his knife to cut the ropes holding them. 

    Wyatt urged them to a large boulder and sat them down behind it. He motioned for them to stay as he went back around the wagon, rushed up behind Casey and grabbed the woman from behind, pressing his knife against her throat. 

    Eleanor poked her head around the rock to watch the scene unfold. Jeb, Gill, and Willa rushed into the glow of the firelight. Shots rang out. As with any other gunfight Eleanor had seen, it was over quickly. 

    The gunslingers were dead. Gill had been shot in the arm. Jeb's leg was bleeding, and Willa had taken a bullet to the side. Eleanor wanted to run to her but Casey still stood with Wyatt holding that knife to her throat. Eleanor saw Jake standing there with his hand over his gunbelt. The man was shaking like a leaf. 

    Where was Horace?

    "You made a mistake, Casey," Willa said, walking closer.

    "I had no choice," Casey whispered, holding still in Wyatt's grasp. "You murdered my brother." 

    "Your brother was a good for nothing bastard and he shot me first." 

    "I know he was useless but he was my brother. What choice did I have but to come after you?"

    Willa shook her head. "Dying for Harvey Dougal? Seems like a waste to me." 

    "I didn't know you'd have friends." 

    At Casey's words, Zachariah, Ezekial, Craig and Jane materialized out of the darkness to stand with Jeb, Gill and Willa. Willa held her hand over her side. "I don't. I got family. A bit better class of family than that brother of yours." 

    "So, what are you going to do? Slit my throat while I'm unarmed and helpless?" Casey demanded. 

    "Of course not. Let her go Wyatt." Wyatt did and took his place beside Zachariah. Willa pointed her revolvers at Jake. "Give your gun to her."  

    "Dammit, Jake, do something. Shoot them. What do I pay you for?" Casey hissed. 

    Jake shook his head. "I don't get paid enough to die for you....." He held kept one hand raised and slowly pulled his gun, holding it out to Casey. 

    "Take it you cowardly bitch. If you want to avenge your brother than you and I can have us a nice little duel. I'll kill you just like I did him." 

    Eleanor saw the blood spreading across Willa's yellow shirt and dripping to the dirt. All she wanted was to get to her woman and help her. 

    Just as she was preparing to do that, Horace appeared behind the rock. His eyes were wild and desperate. He looked more than a little crazy. Horace put a gun to Preston's head. "Speak and I'll kill him," he hissed quietly. 

    Preston's breathing became more labored as he stared at the man. Horace's free hand pulled a knife. "I ain't got no interest in you but I wanted this damn boy. While they're busy I mean to take him. Or die trying." 

    Eleanor shook her head but did not speak with that gun still pressed to Preston's head. "This is for those gunslingers your people just killed. They were my friends." 

    Horace swung the knife and sank it into Eleanor's chest. Eleanor couldn't seem to speak as she fell back against the boulder. Pain overwhelmed her.  Horace grabbed a screaming Preston and began to run. 

    Eleanor heard more shots rings out. She heard yelling. She heard a lot of things. And then her world went black and she heard nothing. 

---

Willa holstered her guns and rushed for the rock. Casey was dead. Her men were dead. Preston was currently being held tight by Gill while Jeb continued to beat the man he’d already beaten to death.

    All Willa wanted in the world was to hold Eleanor. Her side was hurting but the wound wasn't fatal. She needed to hold Eleanor and know that the woman was alive and well and not dead because of something she had done. 

    But when Willa rounded that rock, that's not what she found. Eleanor was still and lifeless with a knife sticking out of her chest. 

    "Ellie!" Willa screamed, falling to her knees beside her. She saw the slightest rise and fall of Eleanor's chest. "Ellie? Please... please, wake up..." 

    She felt herself pushed to the side. "Eleanor? Goddammit!" Zachariah exclaimed. He lifted Eleanor into his arms. "We gotta get back to town. My damn sister is gonna die if we don't!"

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

    Willa sat alone on the back porch of Maria's house and simply stared into the darkness. Her side was still bleeding. She didn't care. The only thing she cared about was laying in that house with a knife in her chest. 

    Maria had run everyone out. The rest of the family was gathered out front. Willa hadn't been able to join them. It was her fault. Her fault that Jeb and Gill both had bullet wounds. Her fault that Preston was having trouble recovering from his breathing spell. Her fault that Eleanor was dying. Her fault that Zachariah was losing his sister. Her fault that Preston was losing his best friend. Everything was her fault. 

    If she hadn't stolen Harvey Dougal's goddamn horse, none of this would have happened. 

    So, she sat alone with Eleanor's bloody shawl held tight against her chest and she waited. Waited for Maria to come and tell her the inevitable news. People didn't survive taking knives to their chest. 

    Footsteps approached and Willa stiffened. Was it Maria coming to tell her the woman she loved was dead? "Hey there, Willa."

    It was Pete. 

    "Go away, Pete." 

    "Why are you out here alone?"

    "Because I like being alone. I'm used to it." 

    "No one blames you, Willa." 

    Willa felt pain in her chest. She gripped Willa's shawl tighter. Emotion clogged her throat. "I blame me."

    Pete sat down in the chair beside her and sighed. "Now you sound like Gill." 

    A tear slid down Willa's cheek and she swiped at it desperately. "There's no way around it, Pete. She's dying because of me. I wanted to spend forever with that damn woman." 

    Pete nudged her. "And who says you won't? Maria's good at what she does." 

    Willa stared up at the full moon. "She can't work miracles." 

    Pete leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs, crossing his feet. "Well then I'll just sit out here with you." 

    Willa grumbled. She wanted to be alone. Now that the tears had started they didn't want to stop. "Why?" 

    "Because no matter what happens in that room. No matter what news Maria has when she comes out. You aren't alone anymore, Willa. You have a family." 

    Willa could no longer control her emotion. For the first time in her life she broke down and wept. Burying her face in Eleanor's shawl her body was wracked with sobs that she had no hope of stopping. She couldn't breathe, as the tears came harder and harder. 

    She couldn't lose Eleanor. 

    She was going to lose Eleanor. 

No more hearing that soft, gentle voice. No more holding that tiny hand as they walked down the street. No more kissing those full lips. No more feeling that soft body against her own. No more peaceful place. No more beauty in a world that was too often harsh.

    And it was all her fault. Her actions had killed the woman she loved with everything she had. Eleanor had come into her life so unexpectedly. The love between them had come so unexpectedly. And now Eleanor was going to be gone, just as unexpectedly,

    Slowly her tears subsided. Her eyes simply ran dry. She kept her face buried in that shawl, breathing in the scent of Eleanor clinging to the fabric. 

    She was very aware of Pete still sitting there silently. She wished the man would go away. 

    Time ticked by so slowly. An owl hooted in the distance. Music and laughter floated their way from the saloons. Willa wished they could all just be quiet. Didn't they realize her life was falling apart around her? Couldn't they just show the smallest damn bit of respect for the woman laying in that bed dying?

    More footsteps sounded. Couldn't these people just leave her alone?! Willa raised her head to tell whoever it was to go away, only to realize it was Maria. The woman was wearing an aged white apron that was covered in blood. 

    Eleanor's blood. 

    Willa tore her eyes away from the blood-soaked apron and looked up at the older woman's face. Tears were filling her red-rimmed eyes and Maria shook her head slowly. "I'm so sorry. She...." 

    Willa didn't wait to hear anything else. She leapt to her feet and rushed into the house, nearly knocking Maria off her feet as she did so. 

    It couldn't be. She wouldn't accept it. Eleanor was 

not dead! Willa skidded into the room where Eleanor lay and her feet stopped moving.

    Eleanor was so pale. So still. So lifeless. She was covered by a sheet pulled up to her chin. Willa didn't breathe. Somehow, she found herself at the edge of the bed. 

    "Ellie?" her voice was hollow and so very tiny. "Ellie, please...." 

    Willa felt those tears once again. Turned out they weren't dry after all. She pressed her lips to Eleanor's and felt how cold they were beneath her mouth. Willa's tears fell on Eleanor's face and rolled down her pale cheeks. 

    "Ellie, come back," she whispered against her mouth. 

    Willa fell to her knees beside the bed. She didn't care about her own bullet wound. She didn't care about the blood on the floor. She paid no heed to the sound of others coming into the room. 

    She laid her head on her Ellie's chest and sobbed into that sheet. 

    Then suddenly she stopped. Willa held completely still as her heart thundered. After several still moments it happened again. 

    Eleanor's soft chest rose slightly beneath her as she took the smallest of breaths. 

    The room spun. 

    Her Ellie wasn't dead.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Willa grabbed desperately at Eleanor’s hand beneath the sheet and buried her face in her neck. “That’s my girl,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from the sobs that had racked her. “Don’t leave me. We got way too much more life to live together, sweetheart.”

    "Willamena?" Maria's voice reached her ears. 

    Willa turned and glared at the woman. "You told me she was dead! She's not dead, dammit. She's breathing!" 

    Maria appeared exhausted and downright sad. Gill put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Willa, I never said she was dead... but I don't expect her to make it. Her lung was damaged and I did all I could but...." Her shoulders heaved and Willa swallowed hard. 

    "But she's breathing. She's gonna be just fine." Willa turned back to Eleanor and tightened her grip on her hand. "Don't listen to her, Ellie. You're gonna be just fine." She pressed a tender kiss to her brow and pushed back her dark hair. 

    "I just don't want your hopes too high," Maria whispered. 

    Willa ignored her. She became focused on nothing but watching Eleanor and ensuring the woman's chest continued to rise and fall. 

    She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Willa. Let Maria tend your wound." 

    Willa shook her head. "I don't want to let go of her hand," she told Jane. 

    "Dammit, get your side tended to," Zachariah growled, with Wyatt clinging to his arm and frowning up at him. "When my goddamn sister wakes up, the last thing I want to have to tell her is that her woman allowed herself to bleed to death." 

    Willa wanted to tell the giant man to go to hell but she knew he was right. She could already tell the blood loss was making her weaker. She really did need to get closed up. 

    "What about Jeb and Gill?"

    "We'll be seen to once your done," Gill assured her. 

    A short time later, Willa found herself beside Eleanor's bed with only Zachariah and Wyatt for company. Preston had come in, taken one look at Eleanor and rushed back out, attempting to hide his tears. Jeb and Gill had taken him home so the boy could recover from his breathing attack. Pete, Jane, Craig, and Ezekial had collected their sleeping children from Maria's spare room and returned home also.  

    "She's gonna be okay," Willa said, forcing a confidence into her voice that she didn't necessarily feel. Eleanor was just so damn pale and so damn still. 

    Wyatt nodded whole-heartedly and Willa saw his mouth moving but had no idea what the man was saying. Zachariah swallowed hard. "He said, of course she will. She's tougher than all of us put together." 

    Willa clung to Eleanor's hand like a life line, willing her own strength into the woman, hoping that somehow, through sheer stubborn will, she could urge the life back into her. She forced her gaze up to Zachariah's scarred face. 

    "Zachariah, I'm sorry. I know this is my fault and..." 

    Zachariah held up his hand and she fell silent. "Eleanor hates hearing people blaming other people for bad things that happened. Hell, she hates to hear anyone blame themselves. It was my fault those men got her years ago but she never blamed me and always scolded me for blaming myself. I won't blame you for this." 

    Willa's heart ached. But she blamed her. If Eleanor didn't make it....

    Wyatt was talking again and Zachariah grunted. "He says the only person to blame is the bitch that did this." 

    "Well she's dead," Willa growled. Willa had put a bullet between her eyes before Casey had even raised the gun in her trembling hand. And then she'd shot Jake. She didn't care if the man had been unarmed. All she'd been able to focus on was her anger over them thinking they could take Eleanor away from her. 

    She wished she could have been the one to kill the other man, Preston said his name was Horace. He'd been the one to put that knife in Eleanor's chest. Unfortunately, Jeb had gotten to him first. No bullets had been fired... Jeb had beaten the man to death with his bare hands—which was why he'd gone home with his battered knuckles wrapped up tight. 

    Wyatt yawned and Zachariah sighed. "Come on. Maria said we could stay in the room upstairs." 

    Zachariah and Wyatt bid their farewells to Willa and left her alone in the silence with Eleanor. 

    Willa wasn't going anywhere. She had pulled a chair up to the bed and would be sleeping right there. Laying her head on the pillow next to Eleanor's, Willa breathed in her scent and only fell asleep when exhaustion claimed her. 

---

    Her chest hurt. That was the first thought that Eleanor's foggy mind was aware of. Each breath she drew ached and it seemed she couldn't draw a full one. 

    She could hear voices. "It's been three days.. I don't know if she's going to wake up. She doesn't have infection... so I suppose that's a good sign." 

    Was Maria talking about her? Or had Willa been more hurt than she'd realized. Three days? How had three days passed? 

    Her mind was clouded and Eleanor was struggling to put thoughts together. Struggling to make sense of anything. 

    "Ellie won't die," Willa's voice was firm and confident. "She won't leave me. She knows I need her." 

    Hearing Willa's voice gave her comfort. She felt a hand in hers and knew it was Willa's. She would know Willa's touch anywhere. Focusing all her attention on that hand, Eleanor squeezed. 

    "Damnation! Ellie?" Willa was close. Her breath washed across Eleanor's face and warm lips caressed her cheek. 

    "What is it?" Zachariah's deep voice demanded. 

    "She squeezed my hand!" Willa exclaimed. 

    "Willa..." Maria sounded doubtful. 

    "Dammit, woman, I'm telling you! Ellie squeezed my hand!" Willa's breath was in her ear again and her voice was gentle but urgent. "Do it again, sweetheart. Let them see that you haven't left me." 

    Eleanor was so tired. She could feel the blackness wanting to swallow her back up. All she wanted was to rest. But she wouldn't let Willa down. Using all her remaining strength and focus, Ellie squeezed. 

    "I saw that," Zachariah said, his voice thick with emotion. "I saw her move." 

    Eleanor felt something cold against her chest. It was held there for several moments before being moved away. "Her heartbeat seems steadier and her breathing is a lot stronger than it's been since she came here." 

    Eleanor heard the shock in Maria's voice. She wondered just how hurt she was. She remembered the insane look in Horace's eyes. That wide desperation as he'd shoved that knife into her chest. 

    Three days ago. They said three days had passed. 

    "I'm so proud of you, Ellie," Willa said, her gentle hand smoothing hair from Eleanor's face. "You're gonna be just fine. You just gotta keep coming back to me." 

    Eleanor wanted to open her eyes but they seemed nailed shut—she simply didn't have the strength. She took another, painful breath and put all her strength, all her focus, into what she did next. 

    Her dry lips parted and her voice was weak and wheezing. "I'm here, Willa." 

A/N: Y’all don’t know how much I struggled with this decision. Part of me, a really big part, wanted Eleanor to die from her wounds. I was still contemplating doing just that until I got to the end of this chapter and realized  Eleanor didn’t want to die. She wanted to live and be with her flashy Willamena. So, you’re welcome. Thank Eleanor.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

        “Watch where you’re going, will ya?” Willa demanded.

        Eleanor sighed and smiled apologetically at the harassed husband and wife from where she sat in her wheelchair. “She means excuse us.”

        Willa grumbled and bent low, kissing Eleanor’s dark hair. “That’s not what I meant.”

        They shared a loving smile before Willa began pushing her through the crowd once more.

        Several weeks had passed since the knife had nearly taken Eleanor’s life. She was still weak, her voice was still little more than a whisper and she still found breathing to be difficult, but she was going to live.

        Sure, Maria had warned her that her breathing would probably never be the same, her energy level might not recover, and she might always struggle with walking far or exerting herself, but none of that mattered. She had her life and for that she was thankful. She still had time to spend with her family and she still had a life to live with Willa.

        She no longer feared that Willa would grow bored of their life and leave her. It was clear, especially with the woman’s devotion over the last several weeks, that Willa was with her to stay. It seemed that Willa’s loyalty was greater than both her stubbornness and her temper—which was saying something.

        Cheers and applause rang out among the crowded streets. Eleanor was uneasy, yes, but she knew she was safe. The entire family had gathered in town because today was the day of the fair that Preston would ride.

        Eleanor wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Even though Maria hadn’t been pleased with her leaving the house so soon, Eleanor had known she had to. Preston was special to her and she didn’t want to let him down.

        Willa managed to get Eleanor close enough to the ring set up in town that she could see the riders easily. “Are you okay?” Willa asked, kneeling down beside her.

        Eleanor smiled and was amazed at the amount of love shining out of those gold flecked eyes. “I’m just fine, Willa.”

        Eleanor had more fun than she’d had in a long time as she watched all the riders doing their tricks. When it was Preston’s turn, she wished she could cheer like the others but wasn’t able. Instead she clapped for all she was worth and when his eyes had found hers, he’d smiled proudly.

        Preston was talented and all his practice had clearly paid off. He and that pony wowed everyone in the crowd as they raced around the ring.

        After the event was over, Preston came to her. “Did you see me, Eleanor?” he exclaimed, his breathing a bit labored. “Me and my pony gave one hell of a show.”

        “Watch your language,” Jeb scolded as he and Gill walked up looking as proud as any pas had ever looked.

        “You did wonderful, Preston. I’m proud of you,” Eleanor assured him.

        They stood talking a while but Eleanor felt herself growing more and more tired. She’d had more excitement today than she’d had in weeks.

        Clearly, Willa noticed. “Alright, I’m getting Ellie back to Maria’s so she can rest.”

        Preston hugged her as tight as he dared. Gill and Jeb both bid them goodbye and then she was being wheeled back through the crowd and down the street with Willa hollering for folks to get out of the way.

        Eleanor just smiled and leaned back in her wheelchair. She loved her woman with all her heart—even if her manners were lacking.

        As they sat together on Maria’s front porch that night and watched the fireworks display lighting up the sky, Eleanor laid her head on Willa’s shoulder. “Did you know that I used to worry a lot?”

        Willa grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers. “Worry about what?”

        “That you would grow bored of me.” Eleanor’s voice was weak but she knew that Willa would hear everything she said even over the fireworks display lighting up the night.

        Willa looked down at her and frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

        Eleanor sighed. “You lived such an exciting life,” She took a short breath. “I worried life with me wouldn’t keep you.”

        Willa grumbled under her breath and pulled Eleanor’s hand to her lips, kissing her gently. “You foolish woman. Nothing could drag me away from you. And what’s wrong with the life we live?”

        “You’re going to have to take care of me forever…” Eleanor reminded her, her chest aching as she spoke more than she had in a long while.

        Willa nodded. “Damn right I will. That’s what you do when you love someone, Ellie. I told you this was a forever thing between us and that’s exactly what it is. I won’t turn tail and run now. You, this life we have, it means everything to me. When I thought you had died…” Willa shivered. “I just thank the stars you didn’t, Ellie.”

        “So, you won’t be bored?”

        Willa gave her hand a squeeze and kissed her brow. “Never. My life is plenty exciting. I’m a blackjack dealer. I teach trick riding to Preston. I help Jeb and Gill with their horses. And I get to go to sleep next to you every night and wake up to your pretty face every morning. There ain’t a thing in the world any better than that.”

        Eleanor felt a tear slip down her cheek. She really had been foolish to have so little faith in Willa not long ago. “I love you, Willamena. Forever.”

        Willa captured her lips in a tender kiss that made Eleanor all but glow upon her chair. “And I love you, Ellie. Forever.”

A/N: And we’ve reached the end of ‘The Outlaw and the Lady’. I really hope you enjoyed the

story. The fifth and final installment in this series is ‘An Outlaws Weakness’