Sean Donovan (The Californians, Book 3) (28 page)

"It's all over."

"Hartley?"

"In custody."

"So he's alive?"

"He was wounded, shot in the arm, but he's very
much alive. It was over so fast I didn't see any point in
letting you sit out here much longer."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Only Hartley. He was alone, and it all happened just
like you said it would. He came in the back door, and
with his attention riveted on Witt's silhouette in the
moonlight at the front of the bank, he never even heard
me approach."

"How did he get shot?"

'After he felt my gun at his back he turned and started
to draw. His eyes looked a little wild with shock, and I
can't say as I blame him. He must have been certain we
would all be out here waiting with you."

Sean nodded with resignation. "I want to talk to him."

"I don't see any problem with that, but I think I should
warn you-he'll hang, Sean, as sure as I'm sitting here,
Hartley will hang."

Sean said nothing to this. He swung himself up into
his own saddle and followed Duncan back to town.

"I heard you had found God, but I just couldn't believe
it." Hartley's mocking voice was like a whip over Sean's
back.

The men had been talking for about 20 minutes, and
Sean could see that Hartley still believed himself invincible. Any attempt Sean made to discuss God or eternity
was met with open contempt. He couldn't really blame
him, but it hurt. Unfortunately, that wasn't the worst of
it.

"You're completely unrepentant," Sean commented
to the older man, his voice soft with pain.

"Now you sound like a preacher," Hartley sneered
through the bars, and turned away.

Sean could see the conversation was over. He was
turning away himself, but before Sean could leave Hartley made it clear that he didn't want to see him again.
Sean really couldn't blame him, but it hurt more than he
could have imagined.

"He was a bank robber before the two of you ever met,
Sean. Try to keep that in mind." Lora's words and gentle
manner were like a balm applied to an open wound. "You
did not make him choose the life he did, and even today
when he had a chance to discuss eternal things, he again
made his choice."

Sean thanked her softly and held his wife's hand a
little tighter. Sean had turned down refreshments in the
Duncans' living room, needing for the moment only to
sit and be ministered to emotionally.

"When is the trial, Duncan?" Charlie wanted to know.

"Tom should be here by Thursday, so the proceedings
should be no later than Friday afternoon."

There was little conversation after that,' and finally, a
little before midnight, Sean and Charlie both received
hugs from Lora and went home. They stopped outside
the front doors of the livery long enough to post a note,
stating that they wouldn't be open before noon. It was
wise planning since they both slept until 11:00 A.M.

Sean seemed preoccupied for the next two days. He
and Charlie prayed together at every meal and then
before bed, but his heart was so burdened for Hartley
(and how clearly he remembered being in the jail cell
himself) that he was a bit quiet and withdrawn.

Charlie didn't know what to say or do for her husband, so she too was quiet. Quite unexpectedly, Kaitlin
came to the rescue by sending a box just for Charlie.

"Lunch is here, Sean," Charlie called to her spouse,
who went immediately to wash up for the meal. They
had thanked God for the food and begun to eat when
Pete's son, from the general store, arrived with the box.

"My dad asked me to bring this over. It's for you,
Charlie, from Santa Rosa."

Charlie didn't do anything more than look at the box,
even when the boy placed it at her feet and went on his
way. She glanced at it several times, and then felt her
husband's eyes on her.

'Aren't you going to see what it is?"

"I think I'll wait until after lunch."

Sean was a bit surprised that she wasn't more curious,
and for the first time since Hartley had been caught he realized how little conversation they'd had in the last
two days.

He was on the verge of telling her his feelings when
they were interrupted by a customer who wanted his
horse shod. The afternoon gave no time for anything
save hard work. Again, conversation between man and
wife was delayed.

At closing time, Charlie went to the house to set the
table for supper, and Sean closed up the livery. He took
one final look around before heading toward the door,
and that's when he spotted Charlie's box. He tucked it
under one arm and went to have his meal.

The box wasn't mentioned until after the supper
dishes had been washed and dried. It had been Sean's
night to wash, and Charlie, thinking he had finished up
and gone into the living room, turned away from hanging her drying towel to find he was sitting back at the
kitchen table, the box next to him, watching her.

She looked decidedly uncomfortable, and Sean's mind
raced to figure out why. And as Charlie had done so
many times past, she put Sean's questions to rest with
the first sentence out of her mouth.

"Why do you suppose your sister sent me a box and
not you, her own brother?"

"Well," Sean thought a moment. "She already sent
me one, and there's nothing else I really need." He
smiled encouragingly and pushed the box in her direction.

Charlie looked unconvinced. She touched it tentatively-and then with a quick look at Sean, opened the top.

"Oh, my," Charlie breathed as she held up very feminine linen undergarments and bed attire. There were
two shifts, a camisole, a nightgown, and a pair of bloomers. Charlie stood fingering all of them for some minutes
before she remembered Sean.

"Oh," she said in dismay as she held the nightgown in
her arms. "There's nothing for you. I really thought
there would be."

Sean's eyes twinkled as one dark eyebrow lifted. "On
the contrary, I think everything in there is for me." He
laughed softly and pulled Charlie into his lap when she
blushed to the roots of her hair.

"Why didn't you want to open the box?" he asked as
Charlie leaned against his chest.

Charlie sighed. "The past few days have been so hard
for you, and I wanted to do something to make them
easier. Instead, all I've done is sit back and watch you.
Then this box arrived not addressed to you, and I thought
that might make you feel even worse."

"I love your honesty," he told her simply. "And it's my
own fault that the last few days have been hard. I've been
picturing myself in Hartley's shoes, and believe me, it's
easy to do when you've been there. But that's not the
worst of it. I've been so worried about Hartley's future
that I've forgotten the here and now."

"The here and now?"

"You, Charlie. You are the here and now. I can't do
anything for Hartley. The judge will determine his fate,
and unless Hartley asks to see me, I won't talk to him
again before he hangs or goes to jail for the rest of his life.
There is nothing I can do about that. But my darling
wife, who happens to be a new believer in Christ and
needs much nurturing and guiding, well, let's just say I
can see now that I've been neglecting her. I'm sorry."

Charlie kissed him and told him she didn't feel at all
neglected. Sean wasn't convinced, but the door was
opened for a full evening of sharing. Sean told Charlie
everything he was feeling, and Charlie, who had been
holding off with more questions about God, was able to
question Sean to her heart's content.

It was past the time they both should have been asleep
when Charlie ended the night with one more question.

"Sean," she said in a sleepy voice, "why do you call
me Charlie now and not Charlotte?"

He answered after a moment. "Charlie was too familiar when we were first married, and then after getting to
know you, I wanted you to understand that I look at you
as a man does a woman. The name Charlie wasn't very
fitting in that case. But suddenly you just became my
darling Charlie, and I rarely even think of calling you
Charlotte anymore. Which name do you prefer?"

"Charlie," the sleepy redhead answered with a tired
sigh. "Or my darling Charlie. Either one will do."

Duncan's prediction for the trial proceedings proved
to be very accurate. At 1:30 on Friday afternoon the
courthouse was jammed with people, and Judge Harrison was up front trying to silence the crowd.

Sean, on hand because both Duncan and Witt told him
he might be needed, found that if given a choice, he
would not have been present. His own trial came back to
haunt him. The chairs in the room, the fear he felt, the
very smell of the place were all too evocative, and Sean
felt himself break out into a cold sweat. He repeatedly
thanked God for sparing him until he was once again
able to breathe normally.

Charlie had decided not to come, even though both
Lora and Sadie were in the courtroom. It did Sean's heart
good to know that she was waiting for him at the livery.

As it was, Sean's testimony was not needed. Witt had
done his homework well, and the evidence stacked
against Hartley was more than enough to convict him.
Surprisingly, Sean felt nothing but a calm acceptance
when he heard the judge announce that Hartley would
hang on the following day.

Sean was one of the first out of the courtroom, but he
had only been back at the livery for some 20 minutes when Duncan showed up. He was more than willing to
accompany the sheriff back to the jail when Duncan said
Hartley wished to see him.

Another 20 minutes passed before Sean exited the jail
once again, heavy of heart. He had been so certain that
Hartley had wanted to discuss his eternity. Instead, all
he had wanted from Sean was help breaking out of jail.
Sean had stared at him incredulously, but Hartley had
been very serious. All talk of anything else was rejected,
and Sean went on his way.

Charlie had only to look at her husband to know it had
not gone well. She put her arms around his waist. They
stood inside the door of the forge without speaking.
Charlie knew Sean would share when he was ready.