When he looked at her, he saw the wave of pain and anger his choice to live had caused. Had the outcome been different that evening, he’d have left this world without causing a ripple of hurt. No one would have mourned the loss of his life.
A chill slid through his soul, the swift drain of emotion leaving nothing inside him but an empty void.
Had he just stood still his foster parents wouldn’t have to shield their children from the danger he’d brought into their lives. Lily wouldn’t be standing before him filled with rage and despair.
Who was he to stand in the way of true justice?
He lifted a gun from his holster and held it out to her.
Lily’s green eyes surged wide. “Wh-what are—”
“You came here to kill me.” He thrust the grip into her hand. “Get on with it.”
She took a step back, but Juniper advanced on her, wrapping her hand around the gun. “It’s what you’ve been waiting for, Lily. To shoot me. To avenge your father.”
“I came to shoot the man who gunned my father down in cold blood!”
Juniper splayed his hands. “You found him.”
Lily glanced down at the pearl grip, cold against her palm, and wanted to believe she had. “I can’t shoot the sheriff of Pine Ridge, now can I?”
“You fired me.” Juniper plucked the tin star from his vest and tossed it into the dirt at her feet. “I’m nothing but a heartless gunfighter with a bullet overdue.”
His blank expression and unblinking eyes put a chill beneath her skin. “You’re still a lawman.”
“Don’t go changing your story, Miss Palmer. I’m a killer, a deceiver, a defiler of good women. Now’s your chance to balance out this world.”
“Sheriff Barns…” Panic swelling inside her, she glanced past him to Reginald, watching wide-eyed a few yards away.
“Might as well call me June.” He reached out and dragged her hand up until the revolver pressed against the front of his shirt. “I can’t outrun the past, Lily. You can solve all our problems.”
The intensity of his steady gaze frightened her. Tears pricked at her eyes. Her hands trembled beneath his. She tried to lower the gun but his grip held fast.
Staring into eyes as vast and empty as a summer sky, she felt the life-draining grief tugging at his soul, cold fingers reaching into her chest. She’d seen the same malady prey on her mother—the empty distance in her mother’s gaze as Lily had watched her soul dry up, leaving only pain and exhaustion to ravage her last days.
“Just pull the trigger, Lily.”
“Stop it!” She jerked her hands down, away from his hold.
The gun bucked in her grip, the blast ringing in her ears. Juniper’s face twisted with pain. He curled forward and reached for his leg.
“Son of a bitch!”
Horrified by the smoking hole in Juniper’s boot, Lily dropped the pistol.
Chapter Six
“Y ou shot me!”
“You told me to!” Lily shouted back.
“To kill me, not maim me!” Gritting his teeth, Juniper dropped onto his butt and tugged at his boot. Hard language fell from his mouth as his boot slid off.
Lily’s breath stalled at the sight of his torn and bloody stocking. He peeled away the cotton, revealing a bloody trench running down the outside of his foot and a good nick out of the flesh at the base.
Air hissed through Juniper’s teeth as he dabbed the gash with the crumpled stocking.
“It’s little more than a scratch,” she said, relieved to see all five of his long toes still intact.
Juniper glanced up, his sky-blue eyes snapping with anger. “It burns like hell! You prefer torture to a quick death, is that it?”
“If you didn’t want to get shot, you shouldn’t have shoved a loaded gun into my hands!”
“She has a point,” Reginald said, watching the entire exchange from a safe distance. “Lily’s the last person I would hand a loaded pistol.”
“Reginald!” she said, completely insulted.
“Your temper isn’t a secret, dearest.” He walked toward them, pulled his silver flask
A chill slid through his soul, the swift drain of emotion leaving nothing inside him but an empty void.
Had he just stood still his foster parents wouldn’t have to shield their children from the danger he’d brought into their lives. Lily wouldn’t be standing before him filled with rage and despair.
Who was he to stand in the way of true justice?
He lifted a gun from his holster and held it out to her.
Lily’s green eyes surged wide. “Wh-what are—”
“You came here to kill me.” He thrust the grip into her hand. “Get on with it.”
She took a step back, but Juniper advanced on her, wrapping her hand around the gun. “It’s what you’ve been waiting for, Lily. To shoot me. To avenge your father.”
“I came to shoot the man who gunned my father down in cold blood!”
Juniper splayed his hands. “You found him.”
Lily glanced down at the pearl grip, cold against her palm, and wanted to believe she had. “I can’t shoot the sheriff of Pine Ridge, now can I?”
“You fired me.” Juniper plucked the tin star from his vest and tossed it into the dirt at her feet. “I’m nothing but a heartless gunfighter with a bullet overdue.”
His blank expression and unblinking eyes put a chill beneath her skin. “You’re still a lawman.”
“Don’t go changing your story, Miss Palmer. I’m a killer, a deceiver, a defiler of good women. Now’s your chance to balance out this world.”
“Sheriff Barns…” Panic swelling inside her, she glanced past him to Reginald, watching wide-eyed a few yards away.
“Might as well call me June.” He reached out and dragged her hand up until the revolver pressed against the front of his shirt. “I can’t outrun the past, Lily. You can solve all our problems.”
The intensity of his steady gaze frightened her. Tears pricked at her eyes. Her hands trembled beneath his. She tried to lower the gun but his grip held fast.
Staring into eyes as vast and empty as a summer sky, she felt the life-draining grief tugging at his soul, cold fingers reaching into her chest. She’d seen the same malady prey on her mother—the empty distance in her mother’s gaze as Lily had watched her soul dry up, leaving only pain and exhaustion to ravage her last days.
“Just pull the trigger, Lily.”
“Stop it!” She jerked her hands down, away from his hold.
The gun bucked in her grip, the blast ringing in her ears. Juniper’s face twisted with pain. He curled forward and reached for his leg.
“Son of a bitch!”
Horrified by the smoking hole in Juniper’s boot, Lily dropped the pistol.
Chapter Six
“Y ou shot me!”
“You told me to!” Lily shouted back.
“To kill me, not maim me!” Gritting his teeth, Juniper dropped onto his butt and tugged at his boot. Hard language fell from his mouth as his boot slid off.
Lily’s breath stalled at the sight of his torn and bloody stocking. He peeled away the cotton, revealing a bloody trench running down the outside of his foot and a good nick out of the flesh at the base.
Air hissed through Juniper’s teeth as he dabbed the gash with the crumpled stocking.
“It’s little more than a scratch,” she said, relieved to see all five of his long toes still intact.
Juniper glanced up, his sky-blue eyes snapping with anger. “It burns like hell! You prefer torture to a quick death, is that it?”
“If you didn’t want to get shot, you shouldn’t have shoved a loaded gun into my hands!”
“She has a point,” Reginald said, watching the entire exchange from a safe distance. “Lily’s the last person I would hand a loaded pistol.”
“Reginald!” she said, completely insulted.
“Your temper isn’t a secret, dearest.” He walked toward them, pulled his silver flask
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