Yours Again (River City Series) (19 page)

Mavis
handed Samantha another cup of tea. The tears had long subsided and the two
women now sat in silence.

Cinnamon
appeared at the door. “He’s out front and he wants her.”

“I’m
not here.” Samantha sniffed as the girl went to deliver the message.

“He’s
been looking for you all over town,” Mavis said

Samantha
shrugged.

“Seems
very determined, don’t you think?”

Blowing
her nose loudly, Samantha stared at the door.

Mavis
smiled to herself. “I’d say you’re head over heels in love.”

Samantha
shot a disgusted look toward the ceiling.

Mavis
chuckled, “No doubt about it. You cast a hopeful eye at the door every time
someone appears, only to be disappointed that it isn’t him.”

Samantha
ignored her.

“Well,
all I can say is that Taos needs his behind tanned for this one, though I would
bet he is as upset as you are, dear.”

“I
don’t think so.” Samantha sniffed. He’d made himself quite clear in her mind.

Loud
footsteps stormed down the hallway and Mavis chuckled. “Well we are about to
find out!”

Taos
stomped into the room and tugged a stunned Samantha to her feet. “We have to
get married. Right now.”

Samantha
snapped to her senses as her body came into contact with his. She pushed away. “I
don’t want to get married. And if I did, it wouldn’t be to you.”

He
looked at Mavis. “Send someone for the preacher, and hurry.”

Samantha’s
heart wanted this, but her mind wouldn’t let go of the hurt, the humiliation. “Did
you hear what I said? I will not marry you.”

Taos
gripped both her arms and bent down to look her right in the face. “We have to.
Lawson’s here and if you don’t marry me, you will be married to him by
morning.”

Her
mouth dropped open. John was here. It was the nightmare she had imagined and
the fear and panic that welled up in her chest nearly paralyzed her. She
couldn’t run. Where would she go? He’d found her here, he would find her again.

Taos
was her only rescue. She gazed at him. His hair was tousled and his face grim
with worry—not the expression you might envision on a prospective bridegroom. She
focused on his ice blue eyes, which pleaded with her. She loved him with her
whole heart. She knew that was true. But how could she let him sacrifice
himself and go against everything he had said a few hours ago to save her? Was
that love? If it wasn’t, could she live with the consequences?

“Ahem.”
Reverend Miller stood at the door as several people crowded around him, trying
get a look. Apparently the word was out.

Taos
and Samantha turned toward him.

“We
need to get married, right now,” Taos said.

“I’d
say so, son.”

Muffled
laughter rose from the onlookers as they filed into the room to get a better
vantage point. The Hardins were among the group and Mrs. Hardin gave Samantha’s
neck a squeeze.

“I’m
so happy for you, child!”

“Too
bad Mertie Mae isn’t here to see this.” Samantha breathed.

“Oh,
Goodness! I can’t imagine. The soles of her shoes would burn completely off if
she stepped foot in here!”

The
reverend glanced about at the collection of people. His gaze settled on
Cinnamon in her red satin skirt with black lace. He frowned. “I don’t really
think this is the place . . .”

Taos
arched a brow at Samantha. He left it up to her.

She
squeezed his hand. “This is the perfect place, Reverend. We‘re both here,” she
said.

“You
have a ring, son?”

A
ring?
“Uh, we’ll just skip that part and go straight to the I dos if that’s
okay.”

Jewelry
was the least of their worries right now, and she could tell his patience wore
as thin as cheesecloth as time ticked away.

“Can
we get on with it?” Taos demanded.

The
reverend cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in this . .
. um . . .” A large drop of sweat rolled down the preacher’s brow and
splattered on his open bible. “This . . . um . . .”

“Hospital
for hypocrites?” Mavis dared, and received a dark look from the preacher.

“Dearly
beloved. We are gathered
here
, to unite . . .”

The
words ran together as Taos gazed down at Samantha. He expected to feel dread
and emptiness. That was how it had been with Sharisse. This was different. He
felt as if his heart would burst as he took in every detail. He had to make
this right, he wanted to. For her.

“Son?”

Taos
woke from his daydream to realize everyone was staring at him. “Oh, uh, I do.”

The
crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief as several men grudgingly paid off
bets.

“Excuse
me.” Lawson’s voice rang out harshly as a hush descended over the crowd. He
pushed past several observers and walked directly to Taos. “As you know, Mr. Williams,
this woman is my fiancé. As such, I do not consent to these proceedings and
will not allow them to continue.”

Samantha
grabbed Taos’s arm and tried to scoot behind him. Lawson’s long arm snaked out
and captured a slender wrist. He gave it a vicious yank and laughed as she
stumbled forward. Gasps escaped the crowd.

“You
will not get away this time,” Lawson hissed.

Samantha
stared up at him. Fear pelted her heart, causing it to beat double time. It was
as if the devil himself held onto her arm.

Taos’s
hand slapped around Lawson’s throat and he squeezed. There was something
gratifying about digging his fingers into flesh. The sharp point of a gun
stabbed Taos’s side and he immediately released Lawson’s throat and stood
perfectly still.

“Put
that away.” Sheriff Blake had been a silent observer thus far, but now he pushed
to the front of the gathering.

Lawson
refused to drop the gun to his side and kept a tight grip on it. “Stay out of
this, Sheriff. She is coming with me, where she belongs. Now.”

He
inched backward, waving his gun at whoever might make a move to stop his
retreat.

Taos
shuffled forward, but the sheriff held onto him. “Don’t do this, son.”

Taos
tried to wave off the man’s grip, but he held fast.

The
lawman moved closer and whispered, “This room’s full of innocent people, and if
he starts shooting a lot of them are going to get hurt. Including her.”

Lawson
inched toward the door as the crowd parted.

“Taos,
please. You have to stop him.” Samantha pleaded as she tried to pry the man’s
slender fingers from her bruised wrist.

Lawson
raised the gun and pointed it straight at Taos. “Samantha, you will come with
me or I will shoot him.” He cocked the gun and she complied immediately.

“I’ll
find you.” Taos stepped forward.

“You‘ll
die,” Lawson waved his gun around the room once more then disappeared down the
hall and out the door.

Taos
started to follow but the sheriff stopped him. “I don’t like this any better
than you do. If you go after him now, you’ll just get killed, or he’ll kill
her.”

Taos
rubbed a shaking hand across his brow.

“We’ll
mount up a group of men and take him in open country.”

“Now,
you have to listen to me.” Miles stood breathlessly waving a piece of paper at
the back of the crowd. “I tried to tell you. This all could have been avoided.”

“What
do you mean avoided?” Taos snatched the paper from the man’s hand.

Miles
looked around as if he were afraid he might be attacked. “You are already
married.” He backed up as Taos stepped forward. “Have been for three years.” The
little lawyer held out the marriage certificate like a shield. “Now, it wasn’t
my fault.”

Taos
grabbed the certificate as the lawyer continued.

“Your
father was concerned that Samantha’s land would fall into the wrong hands, and
since it contains most of the water for both ranches, he came to an
understanding with Mattie.”

Taos
stared at the paper. Marriage by proxy. Samantha’s name was signed at the
bottom. So was his. She was his, she always had been.

He
tried to concentrate on what the little man was saying.

“Three
years ago Mattie agreed to a sum that would care for Samantha for the rest of
her life in return for the transfer of the water rights, but the terms of the
will stated that Samantha had to marry for that to happen.” He seemed to relax
a bit as the spectators listened in rapt silence. “The marriage was supposed to
be annulled immediately after the transfer, but your father died so suddenly
that it was never finished.”

The
sheriff put a hand on Taos’s shoulder. “I think we need to go get your wife,
son.” The room burst into excited chatter as men headed for their horses.

Chapter 20

Lawson
pulled Samantha down the alley to his waiting horse. Her hands clawed at the slender
fingers that grasped her mouth in panicked futility. The late afternoon sun
beat down on them as they emerged from between the buildings.

His
ragged breath hovered just above her ear, his words a harsh whisper. “It’s no
use trying to fight me.”

She
kicked back with her heels and tried to twist away from his grasp.

He
growled, “I like that spirit, it’s just not very convenient right now.”

Lawson’s
arm squeezed her rib cage as the breath left her lungs. Small spots of light
appeared before her eyes.

“I
will win, you know. I have to. This is the only way, for both of us.” He gave
one last squeeze as they neared the horse, then let go abruptly to grasp a
small rope that was tied to the saddle.

She
stumbled forward until the hand across her mouth jerked her upright. Lawson
tried to calm the now-nervous horse. Samantha strained to breathe and
frantically darted her gaze around the alley. Not a soul in sight. In fact, it
was too quiet.

Where
had everyone gone? She was surrounded by more than thirty people a few minutes
ago, surely someone would help her. She had to make some kind of noise.

A
small rock lay on the ground less than a foot away. She inhaled once and
glanced at Lawson, who was using his teeth to try to untie the rope. She kicked
out as hard as she could. The stone ricocheted down the alley where it plunked
up against a metal wash tub. Her shoulders sagged. It was barely enough noise
to be noticed at all, let alone alert anyone.

A
movement to the left caught her attention. Two cowboy hats poked around the
side of the mercantile. One man slipped around the corner and hid behind a
barrel. Lawson yanked and slammed her hard into his chest. He aimed toward the
barrel and fired one round. It ricocheted off the building.

“That’s
close enough.” He waited. No one moved.

Samantha
felt his heart pound against her back. She forced herself to calm down. Lawson
was cornered and could end up killing her or someone else just by accident.

“You
won’t get away with this.” Her voice trembled a bit. “You can still turn
yourself in.”

He
clamped a sweaty palm over her mouth again.

“No,
I’ve come way too far. I’m so close.” His breath was harsh and damp against her
ear. “I have everything in order, everything planned.” His fingers dug into her
cheek until she tasted blood. “That’s the real secret, you know. Plan
carefully, take your time.” He reached out and grabbed one of Samantha’s fists
and looped one end of the rope around her wrist.

He
reached out for the other hand. Tears threatened as new fear climbed over her
heart. Her elbow connected with his ribs. He grunted and, as his fingers
loosened, she tore away and ran down the alley, tugging the rope off and
flinging it aside.

Samantha
headed toward Miss Sadie’s. If she could just make it to the building . . . The
footsteps behind her pounded the earth and she tried to run faster. Lawson
lunged and caught the hem of her skirt from behind, pulling her down in a heap
of calico and lace. She dug her fingers into the dirt and pulled herself
forward, kicking his hands away as she went.

“Help!
Somebody plea-” The words were cut off as a blow landed against the back of her
head, and the world went dark and silent.

“He
whacked her on the head!” Skeeter Jackson came to a skidding stop in front of
Taos and the Sheriff at the entrance to Miss Sadie’s. Tall for a sixteen year
old, he looked older from a distance. Freckles scattered across his nose gave
away his age.

“How
bad is it?” Blake grabbed Taos’s shoulder to keep him there.