Journey of the Heart (38 page)

“So why is anything different now? Why didn’t you kill Gabe yesterday?”

Chavez was silent for moment. “Let’s just say my aim was off,
señor
. I was distracted by…other things.”

“Well, I thank you for the warning, Chavez,” said Michael dismissively.

“Are you going in alone, Señor Burke?”

“No, I’ll be with him,” said Gabe, who’d just come out, closing the door behind him. “Now get the hell out of here before I blow your head off.” Gabe lifted the rifle he’d taken down from the wall.

Michael pushed the barrel down. “Take it easy, boyo.”

Chavez had sat there calmly, just gazing at Gabe with his green eyes. “You are well enough to ride, Señor Hart?” he finally asked.

“You just winged me.”

He had done more than that, Juan knew, thinking of the blood that had poured down Hart’s arm. “I am thinking that three men would be better than two, Señor Burke,” he said slowly, looking at Michael and ignoring Gabe.

“You are crazy if you think we’d let you ride with us,” Gabe protested.

“I was talking to Señor Burke,” Juan replied calmly.

“Why should I trust you, Chavez?” asked Michael.

“I don’t know,
señor
,” he said with an ironic smile. “I admit I wouldn’t, if I were you. All the same, I am willing to ride with you. I warn you, though, Mackie’s men have orders to shoot me on sight,” he added with an apologetic shrug.

“All right, Chavez,” said Michael flatly. “If you are mad enough to go back under those circumstances, you can come with us. Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee before we go?”

“No,
señor
, I think I would not be welcomed by your wife and daughter. Or Señorita Hart. I will just wait by the corral.”

* * * *

“You are letting him ride with you, Michael? Have you lost your mind?” cried Elizabeth, when Michael came back into the house.

“After all my years in the army, I know men,
a ghra.
I’ve been mistaken only once or twice in my trust in one.”

“This once could be enough, Michael. I
knew
he would bring pain to this household, I knew what he was the first time I saw him, so why not trust
my
feelings about him?” replied Elizabeth angrily.

“I swear I’ll be watching him every minute,” Gabe promised her.

Caitlin just sat there, her face pale and expressionless. Her beloved Da couldn’t go alone to face Mackie. Yet Gabe couldn’t do much to save him, not after losing so much blood. It felt as if something was squeezing her chest, making it hard to breathe. “Take Sky, Gabe,” she said quietly.

“I haven’t ridden him outside of the corral, Cait.”

“But he responds to your voice, Gabe. And he’s fast. Take him, please,” she pleaded. Suddenly it was of great importance that Gabe take her horse…his horse. It felt like a way she could be with him. She had the irrational belief that Sky could protect him.

“All right, Cait, and I promise to bring him back to you safe and sound.”

“You just bring yourself back safe, Gabe,” she said, almost choking on her unshed tears. “And you, Da,” she added, walking over to her father and letting him enfold her in his arms.

“Don’t worry, Cait, we’ll be back before you even know we’re gone. Are you ready, Gabe?”

“Yes, sir.”

Just as Gabe was going out the door, Sadie put her hand on his good arm. “You take care, Gabriel Hart,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry, Sarah Ellen,” he answered, smiling down at her.

The three women followed the men to the door and stood there waiting while Gabe and Michael saddled their horses. “Thank God, Gabe rides with his legs,” whispered Cait as she watched him mount Sky.

Chavez had mounted his black as soon as the men led their horses out of the corral and just sat there, looking over at the women, his face blank. Cait wasn’t sure who she hated more: Mackie or this enigma sitting before them. Chavez had caused most of the trouble in the valley. He had terrified her mother. He had almost killed Gabe. And now he sat there, gazing at them coldly. She heard Sadie take a convulsive breath. How could she have kissed such a man?

Juan watched the three women on the porch, keeping his face expressionless. He’d always thought Burke’s daughter a pretty little thing, but it was Elizabeth and Sadie who pulled at him.

He admired Elizabeth Burke and he feared her effect on him. She was as strong as her husband in her own way, standing there waving him off, knowing she could be a widow before noon.

And Sadie? She was not as beautiful as Caitlin Burke, but then, he had never wanted a pretty little thing. He wanted Sadie’s down-to-earth strength and humor. Her everyday face with that sweet and enjoyable mouth. He wanted Sadie and he guessed he loved her, which almost made him laugh aloud. He must love her or it wouldn’t hurt him so much to sit here, knowing it would be the last time he’d ever see her. Whatever feelings she’d had, she must hate him now.

“Are you ready, Chavez?” Michael asked.

Juan nodded and they wheeled their horses around. Elizabeth and Cait came flying down the steps. “Take care, Michael, I love you,” said Elizabeth as he reached down to clasp her hand.

“I will,
muirneach
.”

“Da….”

“Take care of your ma, Cait.”

Caitlin stood there, tears pouring down her cheeks and Gabe couldn’t stand it. He was off Sky, handing the reins over to Chavez without thinking, who looked at them with a bemused grin, and had Caitlin in his good arm. “We’ll be back, Cait,” he promised and gave her a bruising kiss. She flung her arms around his neck. Gabe winced, but it was worth the pain to feel the love and longing she finally revealed to him.

When she let go, he mounted again and they rode off, Michael and Gabe keeping Chavez in front of them. Just as they reached the first barbed wire fence of the south pasture, they heard someone behind them. It was Sadie, standing in the middle of the road, waving and calling: “
Vaya con Dios,
Juan.”

Chavez had wanted what the two other men had, he’d realized as he’d watched their loving good-byes. He didn’t expect it and most certainly didn’t deserve it. But she gave him her forgiveness anyway, if not her love, and he vowed he would keep her brother safe if it was the last thing he did.

They were quiet until they reached the main road, each one caught up in his good-byes. Gabe was the first to break the silence. “You must be wondering, Mr. Burke, about that kiss. I, uh, want to assure you that after this is all over, I’ll make things right.”

“And how were ye thinkin’ of doin’ that, boyo?”

“I am hoping to marry your daughter, Mr. Burke. If she’ll have me and if you approve.”

“Well, now, Gabe, I’ll have to be talkin’ to Mrs. Burke about this,” said Michael, keeping a straight face. He looked over at Gabe, and seeing the expression on his face, he couldn’t keep up his teasing. “I’m only having a bit of fun,” he apologized. “Mrs. Burke and I only want Cait to be happy.”

“I love her very much,” said Gabe in a low voice.

“Ye’d better, after such a kiss,” said Michael with a smile. “ ‘Twas a good day when Eduardo sent ye down to us, Gabe Hart,” he added, laying his hand on Gabe’s shoulder for a minute.

Sky gave a little crow-hop as Snowflake drew closer.

“Do ye think he’s ready for this?”

Gabe neck-reined Sky back and settled him down with a few crooning words. “He’ll be okay and we’re not intending to ride in shooting, are we?” he asked ironically.

“What do you think, Chavez?” Michael asked.

“I wouldn’t advise it, Señor Burke,” said Juan, turning in his saddle.

“Well, I wasn’t contemplating a cavalry charge anyway,” said Michael with a grin, “much as I’m used to them. I’m planning to knock on the man’s door and talk to him if I can.”

Gabe snorted. “What are you going to say?”

“I am goin’ to tell him that he’s overstayed his welcome in this valley and it’s time for him to move on.”

“And if he doesn’t agree with you?”

“Then I’ll have to insult his wife, though I hate to bring the poor woman into it, or his mother or his manhood…whatever will provoke him into a fight.”

“But you’re no gunfighter, Mr. Burke,” protested Gabe.

“Who said anything about guns, boyo. We’ll settle this with our fists.”

Without thinking, Chavez and Gabe exchanged glances that seemed to hold all the same bemusement at such a quixotic response. Then they both looked away, surprised and uncomfortable with their moment of shared understanding.

“Yer job is to cover me while I’m knockin’ him out,” Michael told them.

“You’ll be lucky to make it to the door, Señor Burke,” said Chavez.

“He’ll not be shootin’ me on sight, Chavez. There’s only so much he can cover up. The doctor knows what happened to Gabe. If anything happens to me…well, Elizabeth will make sure he does a thorough examination that shows how the bullet went through me back,” he said with a quizzical grin.

“There are three men to worry about, Señor Burke. Will Beard, Jim Canty, and Frank Dunn. Not counting Mackie himself,” he added. “Though he prefers others to do his shooting for him.”

“Maybe there are
four
men, Chavez,” said Gabe.

“No,
señor
,” Chavez answered Gabe’s challenge softly.

“He’s right, Gabe. You have to trust him or ye’ll be too distracted to pay attention to the others. What about the rest of Mackie’s men?”

“They’re just cowboys,
señor
. These others, they are different.”

“Are they the ones who killed Eduardo?”

“I don’t know for sure,
señor
, I wasn’t there. But I would guess so.”

When they reached the ranch gate, Chavez leaned down to push it open. “Go ahead,
señores
, I’ll close it behind us.” He had wondered if Hart would stay back, but he only gave Juan a nervous glance and made sure to be straight behind Michael as they rode through. When they reached the ranch house, everything was quiet and they dismounted quickly, looking around anxiously.

Michael pounded on the front door and when it finally opened, he demanded that the housekeeper inform Nelson Mackie that Michael Burke was here to see him.

“No need to do that, Maria,” said Mackie, coming up behind her. “What are you doing here, Burke?”

“You sent your wolf to kill Gabe Hart, Mackie, and I’m not lettin’ ye get away with anything more,” said Michael. “I had to let Eduardo’s death go unpunished because I had no proof. But this time….”

“This time you have a witness?” said Mackie, seeing Chavez for the first time and he dismissed the housekeeper and moved closer to the door. “You surprise me, Chavez,” he said, ignoring Michael. “I’d have figured you long gone by now. You won’t leave this ranch alive, you know,” he added conversationally. “What do you mean to do, Burke?”

The sneer on his face infuriated Michael. “I plan to beat the living daylights out of you, Mackie,” replied Michael, unbuckling his gun belt and holding it out to Chavez. “Here, hold this for me.”

“Are you crazy, Burke?” Mackie asked, looking around him nervously.

“For once, no one is around to help you,
señor
,” said Chavez with a feral smile.

“They
will
be,” growled Mackie reaching for the rope hanging from the old brass door bell.

“Oh, no you don’t,” said Gabe, knocking Mackie’s hand down with his rifle.

Michael pulled Mackie out into the yard and then hit him so hard on the chin that Gabe and Juan could hear the man’s teeth hit together.

“You are a fool, Burke,” muttered Mackie as he got up and moved his jaw around.

“I don’t think so, Nelson. I’m going to beat you till you agree to leave or ye’re a bloody pulp, whichever comes first,” Michael replied calmly.

Mackie’s face turned red with rage and he rushed Michael, driving his head into Michael’s stomach and knocking them both down into the dirt. After a rough tumble, they were up again.

It took a good five minutes, but Michael, his own face bruised and bleeding, finally had Mackie where he wanted him: on his knees, just lifting his head and ready for a final cut to the jaw when Gabe yelled a warning. “Three men on their way!”

Mackie had a smile on his face as Michael turned. “Señor Burke!” cried Juan, leaping forward. Michael turned back to see Chavez knock a knife out of Mackie’s hand.

“
Muchas gracias, señor
,” he said softly.

“
De nada
.”

Mackie struggled up and waved to his men as he stumbled toward the door. There was no sense in trying to stop him, thought Michael, for they had their hands full with the three coming at them. He’d worry about his back later. He smiled gratefully as Chavez threw him his gun.

Two had revolvers and the third a rifle. It was he who started shooting first and Michael yelped as a bullet grazed his cheek. Gabe, who was slowed down by his bad arm, raised his rifle, took careful aim and brought the rifleman down. As he was reloading, Michael shot Dunn in the knee. Juan watched Jim Canty aiming directly at him. It seemed as if everything was going in slow motion: he lifted his gun, but it was too slow, he could tell but then things resumed their normal speed and Gabe took Canty down just in time. Chavez glanced over to give him a grateful smile.

As he did, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the door open and wheeled around just as Mackie emerged, revolver in hand. Its smoking already, thought Juan, a puzzled frown on his face just before he felt the pain in his chest. Why was it so hard to lift his gun? he wondered as he aimed it at Mackie. His fingers could barely squeeze the trigger, but the bullet caught Mackie in the throat and then everything dissolved into a red mist.

Michael and Gabe were frozen. Neither of them had been paying attention to the door and both knew if it hadn’t been for Chavez, they’d be dead.

“Dia,”
Michael whispered, walking slowly over to where Mackie lay, his blood spurting out of him. Gabe knelt down in the dirt and rolled Chavez over. He held his finger to the side of his throat. “He’s still alive, Mr. Burke.”