The Redemption of Jake Scully (17 page)

Besides, he had kissed her.

And…he had called her “darlin’.”

Lacey had stopped shaking.

As they rode, Scully looked at Lacey. She had not spoken a word since they started back toward Weaver. Nor had she taken her eyes from the trail ahead.

Scully remembered with a tight knot deep inside him the way Lacey had turned to him in her fear. She had looked up at him with the same trust in her eyes that he had seen that first day so many years ago.

And he had drawn her close instinctively.

He recalled the brush of her fair hair against his chin as he had held her against him. The memory of her sweet scent stirred him, as did recalling the warmth of her lips as he had brushed them with his own.

She was so beautiful and so innocent…and so terrified of shadows that stalked her darkness.

Scully unconsciously touched the gun on his hip. He looked at the Bible that Lacey gripped tightly as they rode.

A potent combination.

Scully admitted to himself with sudden, silent candor that there was nothing or no one who meant more to him than Lacey did.

“They didn’t do nothing, I tell you!”

Incredulous, Barret stared at his two hirelings. He attempted to read their expressions as shadows held them in dark relief in the doorway of his home, but it was to no avail.

Both frustrated and grateful that his housekeeper had left for the day, Barret ushered the two men inside. He glanced at their grimy boots as they carelessly tracked residue from the livery stable across his spotless hallway floor.

Unable to bear another step, Barret slammed the front door closed behind them and ordered, “That’s far enough. Now repeat what you just said.”

Blackie spoke up, his weak grin displaying an uneven row of yellow teeth as he said, “How many ways do we have to say it, boss? Scully and his girlfriend just got back to Weaver from the old man’s burned-out cabin. We came back a safe distance behind them. We didn’t let them out of our sight for a minute, like you said, but we ain’t got nothing to tell you. Them two didn’t do nothing at the cabin but stand around.”

“Impossible. They didn’t go there without a reason.”

“Well, that’s all they did. The woman and Scully went to stand beside the old man’s grave for a bit, then they wandered around what was left of the cabin.”

“They didn’t check a map…search out the nearby terrain…trek up farther into the wilderness.”

“No.”

“Tell me exactly what they did from the moment they got there.”

Blackie shot Larry a glance before replying, “Like I said, they looked at what was left of the cabin, then they looked at the grave.”

“And? And?”

“They talked. They went to get water from the stream. They made their camp. They ate. Then they packed up and left.”

“You weren’t watching closely enough.”

“We didn’t miss nothing.”

“They must’ve seen you watching them.”

“They didn’t see nothing. We was too careful.”

“The woman was the one you needed to watch closely. What did she do?”

“She didn’t do nothing but hold onto that Bible every minute she was there. She hardly let it out of her hand, even when she took that burro to the stream to drink…even when she walked around the grave, and all the while Scully was sticking to her like glue.”

“What do you mean?”

“They was talking to each other all the time, and Scully didn’t let her out of his sight.”

“Even when she was reading the Bible?”

“I told you—”

“That’s it!” Barret felt a surge of pure jubilation as the thought struck him. “The secret is in the Bible. The old man must’ve drawn a map to his claim in it, and his granddaughter was doing her best to coordinate the direction without letting Scully see what she was up to.”

“No, I don’t think so, she—”

“I’m not paying either of you to think.” Barret’s glance was scathing. “I’m the one who does the thinking, and I’m telling you the secret to that old man’s claim is in that Bible.”

Barret paused. His heart was racing. Ten long years of staring at that gold nugget in his drawer was about to come to fruition.

He declared, “I want that Bible.”

Speaking up for the first time, Larry said, “And we’re supposed to get it for you? How’re we supposed to do that? She always has it with her.”

“Always? She doesn’t take it with her when she goes to work at the restaurant in the morning, does she?”

“No, but—”

“Get it then.”

“That won’t be so easy. She—”

“I didn’t say it would be easy. I just told you to get it.”

Barret noted the glances the two men exchanged, and his temper flared. “Is that so hard to understand? Go to the boarding house when she leaves, find the Bible, and bring it to me!”

“What about Old Lady McInnes?”

“That’s your problem. I want that Bible in my hands tomorrow.”

“But—”

“Tomorrow.”

Barely in control of his agitation, Barret watched as Blackie and Larry walked out. His patrician face flushed, he told himself he need be patient only a little longer. His hirelings were dolts, but they were more than capable of the task he had set for them. They were also necessary for the manual labor that would be needed to verify the strike before he could register it in his name. He’d dispense with them when they weren’t needed any longer.

And good riddance.

Barret smiled at the thought. Yes, a very good riddance.

It was night when Scully faced Lacey beside her boarding house door. They had returned to Weaver and had gone to the restaurant for a warm meal, which Lacey had picked at sparingly. It was now time to say good-night.

But Lacey was frowning when she looked up at him. Her gaze lingered on his face and Scully felt the knot inside him tighten. The distance they had covered and Lacey’s confrontation with the past had been emotionally exhausting, but, strangely, he had treasured every moment. He didn’t want to leave her to go alone to her room where the demons of her dreams might haunt her again. He wanted to keep her close to him, to know that she’d always be near.

The direction of his thoughts brought a frown to Scully’s brow as well. He said gruffly, “You should go right to bed. You’re tired and you’re going to have to be up early in the morning.”

“I suppose.” Lacey hesitated. She glanced in the direction of the Gold Nugget. Music and laughter spilled out through its portals, echoing on the night breeze as she said with a forced smile, “I guess you’ll be busy for a while though.”

Scully shrugged. “Maybe.”

Lacey said unexpectedly, “I’m sorry for all the problems I caused you out there today.”

“You’ll never be a problem to me.”

Scully noted the uncertainty in Lacey’s expression when she nodded and looked away. He said, “About your nightmares, Lacey—”

Lacey’s gaze snapped back up to his.

“If you’d feel better sleeping at the Gold Nugget until they fade, I could ask Helen to come back to stay for a while.”

“No.” Lacey shook her head emphatically. “I’m responsible for handling my nightmares.”

He asked softly, “Is it because you couldn’t be comfortable at the Nugget anymore?”

“I didn’t say that!” Lacey gasped. “I’d
never
say that.”

“But…?”

“It would be taking a step backward when I’m supposed to be an adult.”

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking your behavior is immature, Lacey. Your nightmares are a small price to pay for survival.”

“I should have them under control by now.” Lacey paused. “I
will
get them under control.”

“The nightmares are growing clearer because you’re getting closer to remembering everything your mind couldn’t face when you were a child. They’ll end when your memory of that night fully returns.”

Lacey replied, “Even if I’m not sure I want to remember it all?”

“I don’t think you have a choice.” Scully paused, then said, “I wish I could help you, darlin’. The only thing I can say is that I’ll always be close by if you need me.”

“I know.”

Scully stroked a pale wisp of hair back from Lacey’s cheek. He ached to hold her again in his arms, to feel her close against him. He lowered his head to brush her mouth lightly with his.

The brief, sweet taste of her…

Scully jerked back, then said gruffly, “Go to bed, Lacey.” And when she hesitated, he added, “Go ahead. I don’t want to leave until you’re safely inside.”

His heart was pounding when Lacey closed the boarding house door behind her, and Scully struggled to regain stability. What had he been thinking? It could never work…a man like him who had strayed so far from The Word during his lifetime, and a young woman who believed in every syllable that was written, and who lived her life accordingly.

Scully turned back toward the Gold Nugget with long, determined strides. No, it would never work.

“I told you he’s crazy.”

Blackie rubbed his stubbled jaw at Larry’s comment and glanced back briefly in the direction of Barret’s house as the two men turned onto Weaver’s main street. He shrugged as he responded, “Maybe you’re right, after all. The boss sure is acting crazy enough with all that talk about Lacey Stewart’s Bible—”

“As if he’s going to find a map to the old man’s strike in it, even if we do get it for him.”

“What do you mean, ‘if’?”

Larry gave an amused snort. “So you’re telling me you want to follow through on his orders?”

“Is there any reason we shouldn’t?”

“Because he’s crazy!”

“So?”

“What’s going to happen when he gets that Bible and doesn’t find what he wants in it?”

“That’s his problem, not ours.”

“I’m telling you, he’s like a powder keg waiting to go off.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Blackie halted abruptly on the walk. He turned to glare at the cowpokes behind them who had walked up their heels, then looked back at Larry and lowered his voice as the cowpokes walked past. “Are you telling me you don’t want any part of getting that Bible for him?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I do. I’m going to get it for the boss
because
he’s been the boss for the last ten years, his money’s good and even when things didn’t go as planned, he handled it. Yeah, he might be slipping toward the edge with the way he’s talking, but it’ll be simple enough to walk away without nobody even giving us a thought if it all turns out to be a problem. In the meantime, I’m going to ride this gravy train as long as I can. If that means getting him that Bible, that’s all right with me.”

Larry shrugged.

“What’re you saying now?”

“I guess you’re right. Getting that Bible ain’t the hardest thing he ever asked us to do.”

“As a matter of fact, it’ll be easy—especially since we know Lacey’s room is nice and handy on the first floor of the boarding house.”

“With Old Lady McInnes standing watch.”

“I can take care of that.”

“You can?”

“Just watch me.”

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Lacey raised her head from her Bible and glanced out into the darkness through the window of her room. The day of Scully’s and her trek into the wilderness was coming to an end as she read the 23rd Psalm. She had read it countless times before, but the words had never struck as close to her heart as they did that night.

Music from the Gold Nugget wafted in on the night breeze, and her mind wandered.

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Scully’s and her visit to the devastating terror of her childhood had resulted in the return of memories, both good and bad. Although shadows still remained, the experience had also proved to her beyond doubt that the Lord had chosen Scully to be the unlikely
rod and staff
to guide and comfort her. She was grateful—but she was keenly aware that her feelings for Scully were rapidly surpassing ordinary gratitude.

Lacey raised trembling fingers to her lips. The touch of Scully’s kiss was still vividly real, raising a desire within her that was just as vivid and real. She had wanted to slide her arms around Scully’s neck and draw him closer, to feel his mouth press more tightly to hers. Yet Scully had drawn back from their kiss so abruptly.

When she had previously declared her platonic love for him, he had responded in kind, and she had known he spoke truthfully. That bond remained firm and unbreakable—but this was more.

Uncertain, Lacey clutched her Bible more tightly. As always, when she did, it was as if she could feel Grandpa’s presence, as if his gnarled hand again held hers. She treasured that link to the dear man she had lost in the violence of that fiery night.

She missed his counsel.

She missed his solace.

She missed…him.

Scully’s image returned at that moment, so intensely bright in her mind’s eye that Lacey caught her breath. Yes, she had lost Grandpa, but Scully now stood stalwart at her side. He would never desert her.

That thought a somehow aching consolation, Lacey stood up and walked to her bed. She placed her Bible on the nightstand. She then lowered the lamp, lay down, and drew the coverlet up across her shoulders as music from the Gold Nugget echoed through her room.

“He loves you, Jewel.”

Jewel paused in the doorway of her room. She had come in late after spending some private time with Buddy after her work at the Nugget was done—private hours that she told herself meant nothing more to her than those she had spent with other men before him. But it had been harder than usual to part from Buddy after his tenderness, after his loving words—words she had heard before and would not allow herself to make the mistake of believing.

Rosie had been waiting for her in her room. Rosie had greeted her with the words she had just spoken so solemnly.

Jewel pushed her bedroom door closed behind her and said, “Buddy loves me, huh? Didn’t you learn anything with Riley? How many times did he say he loved you? How many times did he say he needed you?”

“That’s different. Riley’s a liar. He doesn’t love anybody but himself. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now. Besides, Riley never said he wanted to marry me.”