heavy weight crashed into Rosalyn, knocking her head against the bedpost and squashing the air from her lungs. Pain shot through her forehead, washing a gray haze over her vision. “Dalton?”
“I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here.” He shoved Culpepper off Rosalyn, giving her the ability to breathe.
The room spun, gray fog slipping in around Rosalyn’s peripheral vision. She held on to Dalton’s hand, fear tightening her grip while her world eased into black. “Will you be here when I wake up?”
As if she were in a long dark tunnel she heard Dalton at the far end, “I’ll be beside you forever, if you’ll have me.”
Though he promised to be there when she woke up, she couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t close her eyes. Rosalyn didn’t want to let him out of her sight ever again.
“Shh, darling, I’ll be here. You’ll see. Everything will be all right.”
Tears trickled down Rosalyn’s cheeks, and a sob rose halfway up her throat as she struggled to open eyelids that felt heavier than anvils. Her head ached, pain blinding her, stealing the light. Was she dying?
She fought to reach out to Dalton as darkness consumed her, dragging her down.
Chapter Eight
Dalton lay in the bed spooning Rosalyn’s body with his own, brushing the long dark hair from her cheeks. “She’s been out a long time. When is that damn doctor coming?” He stared over Rosalyn’s shoulder at his friend.
James stood beside the door, a frown pressing his brows together. “I should have gone to get him myself.”
“You couldn’t, not with the marshal here to haul Culpepper off.”
“He wanted to take you, too, when you threatened to shoot Culpepper again.”
“The bastard deserves to die after all he put Rosalyn through. I should have shot him through the heart. Would have saved everyone time and the rope it’ll take to hang him for murder.”
James shook his head. “Marshals are funny that way. They like live ones when it comes to a hangin’.” He nodded at Rosalyn. “You gonna marry her this time?”
Dalton glared at his friend. “I’d have married her a year ago if Culpepper hadn’t framed me for murder.”
“You sure she still wants you?”
His gut clenching, Dalton stared down at the pale face of the only woman he’d ever loved. “She better.”
“What if she chooses me? I’m better husband material than you are. I don’t drink and I don’t gamble.”
“I’ll quit drinkin’ if that’s what she wants. And I’ll quit gamblin’ forever if she’ll marry me. She has to see that she makes me want to be a better man.” His arm slipped around her middle, and he pulled her close, burying his face in her thick, silken locks. “She has to be okay.”
“Seriously, Dalton, what if she doesn’t want to marry you? You willin’ to let her walk away, if that’s what makes her happy?”
Dalton didn’t respond. He filled his senses with everything that was Rosalyn. The floral scent of her hair, the dusky fragrance of her perfume, the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips. If she refused to marry him, this might be his last time he’d hold her.
“Dalton?”
“Yes. If walking away from me makes her happy, I’ll let her go.”
“No.” The soft whisper wafted from Rosalyn’s lips.
“Darlin’? Oh dear Lord, Rosalyn.” Dalton hugged her against him, joy making his eyes sting and fear making his arm tighten. He was afraid to let her go. Afraid she’d do just what James had said and leave.
“Let go,” Rosalyn said in a breathless voice.
“No. I won’t let you go. I love you, Rosalyn Elizabeth Thomas. I always will. You can’t leave me.”
“I. Can’t. Breathe,” she gasped.
James launched himself across the room as Dalton released his hold around Rosalyn’s middle.
“You big louse.” James yanked Dalton away from Rosalyn. “Are you trying to kill her after we just got her back?”
Rosalyn winced. “James, I’m all right. Really. But the noise isn’t helping my poor
“I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here.” He shoved Culpepper off Rosalyn, giving her the ability to breathe.
The room spun, gray fog slipping in around Rosalyn’s peripheral vision. She held on to Dalton’s hand, fear tightening her grip while her world eased into black. “Will you be here when I wake up?”
As if she were in a long dark tunnel she heard Dalton at the far end, “I’ll be beside you forever, if you’ll have me.”
Though he promised to be there when she woke up, she couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t close her eyes. Rosalyn didn’t want to let him out of her sight ever again.
“Shh, darling, I’ll be here. You’ll see. Everything will be all right.”
Tears trickled down Rosalyn’s cheeks, and a sob rose halfway up her throat as she struggled to open eyelids that felt heavier than anvils. Her head ached, pain blinding her, stealing the light. Was she dying?
She fought to reach out to Dalton as darkness consumed her, dragging her down.
Chapter Eight
Dalton lay in the bed spooning Rosalyn’s body with his own, brushing the long dark hair from her cheeks. “She’s been out a long time. When is that damn doctor coming?” He stared over Rosalyn’s shoulder at his friend.
James stood beside the door, a frown pressing his brows together. “I should have gone to get him myself.”
“You couldn’t, not with the marshal here to haul Culpepper off.”
“He wanted to take you, too, when you threatened to shoot Culpepper again.”
“The bastard deserves to die after all he put Rosalyn through. I should have shot him through the heart. Would have saved everyone time and the rope it’ll take to hang him for murder.”
James shook his head. “Marshals are funny that way. They like live ones when it comes to a hangin’.” He nodded at Rosalyn. “You gonna marry her this time?”
Dalton glared at his friend. “I’d have married her a year ago if Culpepper hadn’t framed me for murder.”
“You sure she still wants you?”
His gut clenching, Dalton stared down at the pale face of the only woman he’d ever loved. “She better.”
“What if she chooses me? I’m better husband material than you are. I don’t drink and I don’t gamble.”
“I’ll quit drinkin’ if that’s what she wants. And I’ll quit gamblin’ forever if she’ll marry me. She has to see that she makes me want to be a better man.” His arm slipped around her middle, and he pulled her close, burying his face in her thick, silken locks. “She has to be okay.”
“Seriously, Dalton, what if she doesn’t want to marry you? You willin’ to let her walk away, if that’s what makes her happy?”
Dalton didn’t respond. He filled his senses with everything that was Rosalyn. The floral scent of her hair, the dusky fragrance of her perfume, the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips. If she refused to marry him, this might be his last time he’d hold her.
“Dalton?”
“Yes. If walking away from me makes her happy, I’ll let her go.”
“No.” The soft whisper wafted from Rosalyn’s lips.
“Darlin’? Oh dear Lord, Rosalyn.” Dalton hugged her against him, joy making his eyes sting and fear making his arm tighten. He was afraid to let her go. Afraid she’d do just what James had said and leave.
“Let go,” Rosalyn said in a breathless voice.
“No. I won’t let you go. I love you, Rosalyn Elizabeth Thomas. I always will. You can’t leave me.”
“I. Can’t. Breathe,” she gasped.
James launched himself across the room as Dalton released his hold around Rosalyn’s middle.
“You big louse.” James yanked Dalton away from Rosalyn. “Are you trying to kill her after we just got her back?”
Rosalyn winced. “James, I’m all right. Really. But the noise isn’t helping my poor
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