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“Because that’s not what you wanted. From the beginning your dream was to build a big house and have servants.”
A stomping of hooves came from behind them and the carriage driver pulled to the side of the road, letting a fast-moving coach surrounded by riders whisk past them. “What’s that all about?” Lucky shouted to the driver.
“Don’t know, sir, but that’s a police wagon. Something must be up at the docks.”
Chapter Seventeen
Another group of riders galloped past before the driver could set the carriage forward again. Maddie clutched onto Lucky’s arm. “What do you think it is?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “But I want you to—”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” she interrupted. “Don’t try telling me what to do right now, Cole DuMont.”
He let out a curse. It was under his breath, but Maddie heard it. She didn’t need to say more, though; Lucky was already shouting to the driver. “Step it up!”
Not sure what they might see ahead, Maddie had the greatest desire to say one last thing. “I trust you, Lucky. I know no harm will come to me when I’m by your side.”
He looked startled by her admission.
A tear slipped out of the corner of one of her eyes. “And I don’t mind you telling me what to do some of the time, because I love you.”
The carriage was bouncing, jostling them about, and he grabbed her face, held it firmly before his. “That’s good, darling,” he said. “Because I don’t mind you telling me what to do, either, once in a while.”
She bit at the smile forming on her lips.
“Because I love you, too, Maddie,” he said, touching his lips to hers. “I love you like I never knew I could love someone.”
Maddie’s heart threatened to explode. She’d never imagined hearing him say it would have such an impact. She should have known, though; that was how he’d turned her into a woman. By loving her.
Between the rough ride and a ship’s horn echoing through the night, their kisses were short and lopsided, and came to a stop when the carriage skidded to an abrupt halt.
“What’s happened?” Cole asked one of the men creating a barricade. Pointing at the ship with deckhands scurrying about to drop the gangplank he said, “That’s the Mary Jane. My uncle’s ship.”
“That ship has a notorious outlaw on board,” the man said. Having heard her gasp, the man glanced at her. “Don’t worry, ma’am, we’re here to escort him straight to jail.”
“Who is it?” Cole asked. “The outlaw, who is it?”
“Goes by the name Alan Ridge, but he’s really Mad Dog Rodriquez,” the man said. “And he’s one evil outlaw. Wanted in most every state in the nation.”
A shiver shot through Maddie, and Cole’s arm, which was wrapped firmly about her shoulders, tightened.
“How do you know?” Cole asked the man.
“The captain sent a rowboat ahead to send for us, secure the area before he docked.”
It took a moment for Maddie’s mind to fully comprehend what the man had said, and then she had to be sure. “Mad Dog Rodriquez has been captured?”
“That’s my understanding, ma’am,” the man said. “The sailor said there’s a federal marshal on board, too.”
“Curtis Wyman?” Cole asked.
“That’s sounds right,” the man answered.
The plank had been lowered, and the moon overhead shone brighter, giving Maddie plenty of light to see that the man being escorted off the ship was definitely Mad Dog. Chains connected his legs, and his hands were behind his back. She made out the marshal, too, and Trig.
The coach was indeed a police wagon, complete with metal bars on the windows... Mad Dog was loaded into it, the door slammed shut and men mounted on horses surrounded the wagon. Maddie watched as it rolled past, intuitively knowing it was the last time she’d ever see the outlaw.
“It’s over,” she whispered. “It’s over.”
Lucky caught her beneath the chin with one finger, turning her face to look at him. “Yes, it is. It’s over.”
Turning toward the wagon again, she thought of Ilene and all those other girls. “Almost,” she said. “It’s almost over.”
“What do you mean?” Cole asked.
She didn’t have time to answer. Trig had spotted them and jogged toward the carriage. “Cole! Maddie! Did you see who that was?”
