Dorothy Garlock (28 page)

“I didn’t,” Boone said. “What’ve ya got, youngun?”

“I’ll find something.”

“Are ya leavin’ now, Mr. Appleby?”

“Not on your life, Mr. Boone. I’m not leaving here without Annabel, and she wants to stay until her father gets back.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Boone said in a dejected tone of voice and winked at Annabel when she turned to glare at him.

It was midnight when Annabel and Tess went to Annabel’s room and closed the door.

Jack, Boone and Appleby were each going to take a two-hour watch, with Jack taking the first one. Corbin pulled off his shoes and lay down on Murphy Donovan’s bed. His training during the war to take his rest when he could get it served him now, and he fell into a light sleep, waking only when Jack came into the room to tell him it was his turn to take the watch.

The night passed uneventfully.

When morning came, Annabel, with help from Tess, cooked breakfast. Jack came in with the morning milking.

“What’ll I do with it, Annabel?”

“If we won’t be using it, I suppose we’ll have to pour it out. I’ve got to think about what to do about Mildred and my chickens. I can’t just go off and leave them here.”

“I can crate up the chickens and take them to town,” Jack said. “I could lead the cow to town if I had a horse to ride.”

“We’ve got mules and a wagon…somewhere.” Annabel’s voice trailed. “Maybe Spinner will come today.”

Boone came in with a plucked chicken.

“Weasel got one of your chickens, Annabel. Make us some dumplin’s. Can’t let it go to waste.”

“Oh, the poor, poor thing.”

On the way out the door, Boone winked at Jack.

Tess finished dressing the chicken and put it on to boil. She and Annabel spent the morning making over one of Annabel’s dresses. After Annabel told Tess that the dress was several years old and much too tight for her, Tess consented to try it on. Annabel pinned it at the waist and adjusted the hemline for the much shorter woman. Then, while Annabel darned socks, Tess labored at putting in the hem with tiny neat stitches.

Boone looked in from time to time and was pleased to see the two women he cared about with their heads together, talking and occasionally laughing. Without that encounter with her in the woods, he realized that he wouldn’t have met Tess, nor have discovered the wonderful feeling of loving and being loved.

He glanced up at the open doors of the hayloft at the top of the barn, where Corbin sat with the rifle. He had to admit that he was a good man to have on your side. Murphy wouldn’t find a better man to take care of his daughter.

Annabel made big fluffy dumplings to go with the chicken and Tess made a peach cobbler with the last two cans of peaches in the cupboard. When Tess protested the extravagance, Annabel said, “We might as well use up as much as we can. There will be less to pack when Papa gets here.”

Jack offered to be lookout while Corbin and Boone ate with the women.

“Don’t let those two big clabberheads eat everything up, Annabel.”

“I’ll put yours away before I let the two
clabberheads
have a go at it.”

“You’re giving that little brat all the best pieces,” Corbin complained when Annabel brought Jack’s plate to the table, filled it with chicken and dumplings and set it on the back of the stove to keep warm.

“He’s a growing boy,” Annabel retorted in her imitation of a schoolteacher’s voice. “Besides, there’s plenty for you and Boone.”

“I’m a growing boy and I don’t get the attention he gets.” Corbin managed to put a sulky expression on his face.

“Oh, poor, poor you. Keep complaining and you’ll leave the table without any of Tess’s cobbler.”

The good-natured banter continued through the meal. Tess’s eyes went from one to the other. Sweet memories of being with her aunt and uncle came rushing back. Would she ever be able to erase the last six years and be as lighthearted again as she had been when she lived with them?

Annabel’s eyes passed over Tess and went to Boone. He had a light in his dark eyes she’d not noticed before.
He was happy!
She smiled at Corbin when she caught him looking at her.
She was happy!
Annabel wished that her papa were here. He would like Corbin if he ever got to know him.

Chapter
20

J
ACK CAME DOWN FROM THE HAYLOFT and called to Corbin, who was throwing grain to the chickens through the fence: “Marvin is sitting over there at the edge of the woods.”

“Is he alone?”

“So far.”

Corbin threw the last of the feed and hung the bucket on a fence post. “How long has he been there?”

“Half hour. He’s got a jug and keeps nipping at it.”

“Keep an eye on him. I’ll pass the word on to Boone.”

A little light still lingered in the western sky, but it was fading fast. Corbin went to the water pump, worked the handle until the water came, then ducked his head under and sloshed water over his head and face. He wanted a bath and a change of clothes, but this would have to do.

Boone came out of the house and stopped a short distance from where Corbin was shaking the water out of his hair.

“Jack says Marvin’s sitting over there at the edge of the woods with a jug. I doubt it’s water he’s drinking.”

“Bastard!” Boone turned toward the woods. “I oughta go over there and stomp the shit outta the mean, lily-livered son-of-a-bitch!”

“There’s a big red anthill over there.” Corbin grinned and put his hat back on his wet head. “Suppose we’d be lucky enough that he’s sitting on it?”

“As soon as it’s good and dark, me’n Tess are goin’ to do a little lookin’ around. If he’s still there, I just might smash his balls.”

Corbin laughed. “It’s all right with me. What are you and Tess going to look for?”

“She thinks they may have taken the horses to a place up near their still. If they have, we’re gonna steal ’em back.”

“Jack’s keeping his eye on Marvin. He won’t come in here unless his kinfolk show up to back him.” Corbin headed for the house, stopped and turned. “I’m going to be with my girl for a while, and you keep the hell away from us.”

With her hand clasped tightly in his, Tess and Boone melted into the darkness behind the barn and slipped quickly into the shelter of the woods.

“The still is this way,” she whispered and tugged on his hand.

“I want to make sure where Marvin is before we go any farther. I don’t want to bump into him…not now anyhow.”

Tess walked with an easy stride and almost noiselessly, keeping close to Boone. If Calvin and Marvin got hold of her, she was sure to be beaten severely. She was anxious but strangely unafraid. If she died within the hour, she’d already had more happiness with this man than she had ever dreamed of having.

“I don’t see him,” she whispered.

“I do.” Boone had exceptional night vision. He stopped and put his lips next to Tess’s ear. “He’s sittin’ over there under a tree.”

They watched for several minutes. When Marvin didn’t move even to take a nip from the jug, Boone crept closer. He dropped Tess’s hand and with his hands on her shoulders motioned for her to stay put. He crept up behind Marvin, then shuffled his feet to create noise. When there was no movement by the man under the tree, he whistled.

Marvin was either dead or dead drunk.

Boone moved around and put his foot against Marvin’s upper arm and pushed him over. The jug fell from his hand. Boone picked it up.

“He’s dead drunk, Tess. The jug’s empty.”

“Are you sure? He doesn’t usually pass out.”

Boone prodded Marvin with his foot. When there was no reaction, he reached down and touched his fingers to the pulse in his neck to make sure he was alive.

“He’s alive, but dead to the world. We’ll not have to worry about him for a while.” Boone picked up the jug and flung it against a tree. “Dirty low-life skunk! If he wasn’t drunk, l’d beat hell outta him for the way he’s treated ya. When I do it, I want him to know who’s doin’ it and why.” He took Tess’s hand and pulled her to him.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

BOOM!
At the sound and the flash of bright light in the sky, Boone instinctively ducked his head over Tess and hugged her to him.

“Godamighty!” He raised his head and looked around.

“What was that?” Tess asked anxiously.

“Godamighty,” he said again when he realized what it probably was. “It was an explosion…up in the hills.” He held her away from him and looked at the sky as if expecting another blast. “I’ve got to go. Come on.”

With Tess keeping pace with him, Boone loped toward the house. He feared for Spinner and hoped that he had moved far enough away from the cave to be safe before it blew up. He was panting when he reached the yard and saw someone running out from behind the barn.

“Boone! It’s me, Jack. What happened?”

“Explosion…in the hills.”

“Boone,” Annabel called. Then, “Jack!” Corbin and Annabel were on the back porch.

Boone ran up to the porch. “I’ve got to go—”

“What happened?” Corbin asked.

“You sure you don’t know?” Boone snarled, his worry for Spinner making him unreasonably suspicious.

“How would I know?”

“You tell me, Mr. Federal Man.”

“You still singing that song?” Corbin responded angrily.

“We had no trouble till ya started nosin’ around. Damn ya to hell! I gotta trust ya to stay with the women while I go see about Spinner. I’ll take Jack. I might need help with Spinner if he’s hurt. You won’t have any trouble with Marvin. He’s dead drunk.”

“I want to go with you.” Tess clung tightly to Boone’s hand.

“Honey, I don’t know what I’ll find up there.”

“I don’t care.”

Boone looked helplessly at Annabel, then back at Tess. “Honey, this could be dangerous.”

“I don’t care,” she said calmly, but the frantic look on her face tore at his insides. Then it dawned on him.
She was afraid that he’d leave her and not come back.

Boone took Tess and headed for the shed. A minute later he drove the truck out.

“You might need this.” Jack pulled the pistol from his belt and extended it to Corbin. “I’ve got the rifle.”

“Keep it. I’ll get the one I have in the car.”

Boone paused by the porch. “Get in, Jack. You too, Annabel.”

“Me? There’s not room.”

“Sit on Jack’s lap.”

“Annabel isn’t going.” Corbin held on to Annabel’s arm.

“She’s goin’.” Boone jacked a shell into the chamber of the shotgun. “I’m not leavin’ her here with a damn sneak.”

“Boone, what’s the matter with you?” Annabel exclaimed. “What are you talking about?”

“He thinks I’m responsible for the explosion,” Corbin said. “When he thinks about it, he’ll see how wrong he is.”

“Why do you think that, Boone?”

“I don’t have time to argue. I don’t want to leave you here with
him
.”

“Why? He was with me all day yesterday and last night. I’ll be all right.”

“If she isn’t”—Boone spoke to Corbin in a voice cold as ice—“I’ll hunt you till the day I die.”

Annabel watched the truck leave, her thoughts tumbling. Why had Boone turned so quickly against Corbin? He called him Federal Man. And why was he so concerned about Spinner? It had to do with the
business.
Damn, damn the business. Why didn’t they ever tell her anything? She felt Corbin’s hand on her shoulder.

“You’re shivering. Do you want to go back in and get a wrap?”

“I didn’t realize that I was cold.” She turned and looked up at him. His face was a blur in the darkness. “Boone thinks you had something to do with that explosion.”

“Is that worrying you?” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know why he suddenly got a bee in his bonnet, but he’s wrong.”

“I thought maybe it was going to end.” She lowered her head and gazed at the top button on his shirt. “They don’t tell me anything,” she said, slowly speaking her thoughts. “They treat me as if I were two years old.”

“They’re protecting you.” His hand moved down her arm and clasped her hand.

“I’ve been an adult for quite some time. I deserve to know what’s going on.”

“They don’t want you involved. I understand that.”

“How can you, when you don’t know what’s going on—or do you?”

“Let’s walk around the house to the car.”

“So you can get your gun?” she spat out angrily. Instead of answering, he said, “Why don’t we sit in the car for a while.”

Corbin opened the door and reached in for a coat lying on the seat. After putting it around her shoulders, he helped her into the car, shut the door and hurried around to the other side.

“I think I’ll move the car over behind those bushes where we can watch the house.”

He started the car and backed it across the yard until it was partially concealed behind a hedge of honeysuckle bushes but still gave them a view of the front of the house and the road. After they parked, Annabel sat quietly, saying nothing for several minutes.

“I’m not a child, even if my father and Boone treat me like one.” Her voice came out of the darkness.

“I know that. You’re a sweet sensible woman. I wish you’d sit over here close to me.” His hand reached for her arm, but she resisted.

“I know that you’re a lawman. Maybe not a federal marshal, but a lawman with contacts with them. My father has been engaged in an illegal business. You probably know that. The explosion may have something to do with it, or Boone wouldn’t have been in such a lather and worried about Spinner.”

“I am a lawman, but my coming here had nothing to do with your father. Come sit close to me. You’re shivering.”

“I’m not cold.”

He moved close to her and put his arm around her. She remained unyielding, with her face turned away from him.

“Have you decided you don’t trust me, Annabel?”

“I want to trust you.”

“I’ve been honest with you and Boone. I’ve held nothing back, even that I knew something illegal is going on here. Boone can’t get it out of his mind that I was once a police officer.”

“Maybe he’s afraid I’ll tell you something. That’s a joke, because I don’t know anything.”

“Your father and Boone have nothing to fear from me because I was a lawman. I’m not a federal marshal. I came to Henderson looking for Jack. I stopped along the road and someone shot me. I owe my life to Boone. He ran off the bushwhackers and took care of me for a week in a cabin in the hills. Although I never saw it, I think there’s a cave near the cabin that’s used as a warehouse for their booze. Boone may think I slipped the location to someone, but I didn’t. I’ll not cause Boone or your father any trouble because they do a little bootlegging.”