woman don’t need seein’ to, Hammond. I ain’t wantin’ to hang around in this weather and catch my death of cold.”
“He’s got Wilbur with him,” Curt whispered before shouting to Skelly, “Can’t say as I blame you, but she’s worse than she was last night. I think she might be dying.”
“Dying?” Skelly was no longer concerned with the rain and slid off his horse and rushed to the gate. “Let me see. Where is she?”
Curt pointed. “I dragged her up here this morning. She hasn’t moved. She might be dead by now. I don’t know.”
“And Worley’ll have my ass if she is. I shoulda taken her in last night, but I thought you was lyin’. Still do,” he added suspiciously, then called to Wilbur as he fumbled in his pocket for the key to the lock. “We’ve gotta get her back to town. Cover me.”
“Cover you, hell,” Wilbur shouted back, already scrambling off his horse. “I ain’t stayin’ out here and drown, damn you. I’m goin’ inside till you’re ready to leave.”
The lock popped open. Skelly looked at Curt. “You make one wrong move and he’ll blow you away. Now, you keep your distance while I see if she’s fakin’, and if she ain’t, you’re gonna help me throw her on the back of my horse.” To Wilbur he said, “Keep your gun on him, and if he tries anything, blast him.”
Tess willed herself not to move as she heard Skelly coming toward her.
“She hasn’t eaten enough in the last few days to keep a bird alive,” Curt was saying. “Probably starved.”
Tess knew he was waiting for just the right moment to make his move.
“Maybe if we had some decent grub once in a while…”
“Shut up,” Skelly yelled so loud Tess almost jumped. He was right over her.
Wilbur stepped into the shaft with gun drawn, but made the mistake of taking his eyes off Curt for a second as he removed his hat to shake away the dripping water.
It was all the time Curt needed. Jerking the gun away, he swung it across Wilbur’s face.
Tess heard a painful grunt and the sound of bone crunching.
Skelly went for his gun, but before it could clear the holster, Tess grabbed his ankle to make him lose his balance and pitch forward. Curt was right on top of him to slam his head with the butt of the gun he had just taken from Wilbur.
Skelly slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Triumphant, Curt grabbed Tess and yanked her to her feet. “All right, let’s get them tied up so we can get out of here. We’ve got an assay office to rob.”
“Not rob ,” Tess corrected. “I’ve got a right to that money, or I wouldn’t be taking it.”
But Curt was not listening, already on his way to retrieve ropes hanging from the saddles.
Once Skelly and Wilbur were bound, Curt took Skelly’s gun and holster, then told Tess, “Make sure you’ve got everything. We can’t come back.”
She had the map, which was all she needed. The few clothes she had been given were in tatters, but she could buy more once she had Saul’s money and they got to a store somewhere. Meanwhile, she had only what she was wearing.
“I’m ready,” she said with finality.
“Then let’s ride.”
She plunged into the driving rain right behind him. He turned toward one horse, and she started for the other, but he grabbed her arm. “We’ll have to ride double,” he said, grinning. “I doubt you know how to ride this kind of horse, sugar.”
He was teasing again, making reference to their uninhibited lovemaking, but it still rankled to be reminded how incompetent she was.
The rain did not let up, but Curt spurred the horse to a full gallop, careful to avoid arroyos where a flash flood could trap them without notice.
When the town finally loomed ahead, Curt slowed and said, “I’d better leave you somewhere out here, so you won’t be in danger if things don’t go according to plan.”
“And you don’t think I’d be in danger out here?” she yelped in protest. “What am I supposed to do—make a tent out of my
“He’s got Wilbur with him,” Curt whispered before shouting to Skelly, “Can’t say as I blame you, but she’s worse than she was last night. I think she might be dying.”
“Dying?” Skelly was no longer concerned with the rain and slid off his horse and rushed to the gate. “Let me see. Where is she?”
Curt pointed. “I dragged her up here this morning. She hasn’t moved. She might be dead by now. I don’t know.”
“And Worley’ll have my ass if she is. I shoulda taken her in last night, but I thought you was lyin’. Still do,” he added suspiciously, then called to Wilbur as he fumbled in his pocket for the key to the lock. “We’ve gotta get her back to town. Cover me.”
“Cover you, hell,” Wilbur shouted back, already scrambling off his horse. “I ain’t stayin’ out here and drown, damn you. I’m goin’ inside till you’re ready to leave.”
The lock popped open. Skelly looked at Curt. “You make one wrong move and he’ll blow you away. Now, you keep your distance while I see if she’s fakin’, and if she ain’t, you’re gonna help me throw her on the back of my horse.” To Wilbur he said, “Keep your gun on him, and if he tries anything, blast him.”
Tess willed herself not to move as she heard Skelly coming toward her.
“She hasn’t eaten enough in the last few days to keep a bird alive,” Curt was saying. “Probably starved.”
Tess knew he was waiting for just the right moment to make his move.
“Maybe if we had some decent grub once in a while…”
“Shut up,” Skelly yelled so loud Tess almost jumped. He was right over her.
Wilbur stepped into the shaft with gun drawn, but made the mistake of taking his eyes off Curt for a second as he removed his hat to shake away the dripping water.
It was all the time Curt needed. Jerking the gun away, he swung it across Wilbur’s face.
Tess heard a painful grunt and the sound of bone crunching.
Skelly went for his gun, but before it could clear the holster, Tess grabbed his ankle to make him lose his balance and pitch forward. Curt was right on top of him to slam his head with the butt of the gun he had just taken from Wilbur.
Skelly slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Triumphant, Curt grabbed Tess and yanked her to her feet. “All right, let’s get them tied up so we can get out of here. We’ve got an assay office to rob.”
“Not rob ,” Tess corrected. “I’ve got a right to that money, or I wouldn’t be taking it.”
But Curt was not listening, already on his way to retrieve ropes hanging from the saddles.
Once Skelly and Wilbur were bound, Curt took Skelly’s gun and holster, then told Tess, “Make sure you’ve got everything. We can’t come back.”
She had the map, which was all she needed. The few clothes she had been given were in tatters, but she could buy more once she had Saul’s money and they got to a store somewhere. Meanwhile, she had only what she was wearing.
“I’m ready,” she said with finality.
“Then let’s ride.”
She plunged into the driving rain right behind him. He turned toward one horse, and she started for the other, but he grabbed her arm. “We’ll have to ride double,” he said, grinning. “I doubt you know how to ride this kind of horse, sugar.”
He was teasing again, making reference to their uninhibited lovemaking, but it still rankled to be reminded how incompetent she was.
The rain did not let up, but Curt spurred the horse to a full gallop, careful to avoid arroyos where a flash flood could trap them without notice.
When the town finally loomed ahead, Curt slowed and said, “I’d better leave you somewhere out here, so you won’t be in danger if things don’t go according to plan.”
“And you don’t think I’d be in danger out here?” she yelped in protest. “What am I supposed to do—make a tent out of my
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