Page 4

SADIE

The Sonoran Desertwas eerily quiet. It was one of those days that felt charged, like something was off kilter and every living thing had calmed down, thinking it would be safer to hide for a while and wait it out. Unfortunately, Sadie didn’t have that luxury. If she didn’t keep up on everything at the ranch, people would get suspicious. Well, more suspicious than they already are. And so, she trudged up to the well at sunup to get her water and start the day before the heat was unbearable and while fewer eyes were around to think about it. Her son Teddy, she let sleep. He was still so young, and she preferred him helping closer to the house so she could keep a proper eye on him. His runaway mouth and youthful innocence made a dangerous combination.

Naturally, she took the shotgun, balancing the buckets on Darcy’s back as she led the old mule forward. Sadie did like to pontificate, and the early morning air and peaceful walk allowed for that on most days. Today wasn’t one of them. Maybe it was the weird energy in the air that made the hair on her arms stand on end, but her thoughts kept falling back on the two-year anniversary coming around the bend. It was hard to believe it had been two whole years since James had left this earth. Two years she’d struggled on her own to run a ranch without anyone in town knowing there wasn’t a man around. She’d have a hell of a time convincing the land office to change the deed over to her son under her care, especially with Amos in charge, and she sure as shit wasn’t marrying any of the sad sons of bitches in town. It was too soon for her heart anyway.

That didn’t mean her body was happy waiting. Sadie sighed as the memory of the last time they’d made love entered her mind. She didn’t fight it. At least she was alone so the awkward combination of a heavy heart and the tingle between her legs didn’t embarrass her.

A twig snapped somewhere to her left, and she pointed the shotgun even before one of the town lowlifes, Eli, stepped out from behind the seven-foot saguaro.

He sauntered out with a snide grin and finger looped through his belt. Sadie steadied her aim.

“What are you doin’ lurking this early on my property?” she demanded.

“Is that the way to treat a deputy?” Eli asked, tugging at the tin star on his chest and taking a slow step forward.

Cocking her weapon, she brought him to a halt. Satisfaction flooded her as the grin slipped from his face.

“You? A deputy? I always knew the sheriff was a bad judge of character.”

“Aww now, Miss Sadie, I’m hurt.” Eli pouted. “I’ve gone respectable. I thought you’d support me, seeing as we’re friends.”

Sadie scoffed. “You are not, nor have you ever been, my friend, Eli Wheeler.”

“I want to be,” he said, grin returning. But the tremble in his body and sheen of sweat on his forehead gave him away. “I’m offering more than just friendship, Sade. I think we both know you need a man.”

“James is more man than you’ll ever be.” She had to keep up the ruse, especially with him.

“Was more.”

Sadie’s arm shook and she clamped down on the unforgiving metal to steady her muscles and not betray her carefully kept secret. “Why would you say that?”

“He’s either sick as a dog or dead. Ain’t no one seen hide nor hare of that husband of yours in quite some time. Did you really reckon nobody’d notice?” He took another step forward and Sadie shifted, readjusting the shotgun.

“He’s a busy man. A homebody.” She wanted to shoot this man for bringing her worst fears to life. But what the hell would she do with a dead body? And how hard would it be to keep more secrets? What if more men came looking for Eli?

“It can’t be easy for you, Sade.” Eli removed his hat and held it over his heart. “You don’t have to worry no more. I’ll take over the ranch, and you can relax and take care of any little ones to come along. You do the cookin’ and cleanin’ like you’s supposed to and let me handle the business. I’m willing to do that for ya in return for my husbandly rights.”

Sadie licked her lips as the world spun around her. She couldn’t show weakness, or this was all over. There was no way Eli was ever putting his grimy hands on her body.

“Get out or I will have James come up here and beat your ass before I shoot you.”

Eli laughed, making Sadie see red. Then he shifted his gaze over her shoulder a ways. “My friend there behind you says you best put that gun down before you hurt yourself.”

Shit. Sadie whipped around, heart pounding. He brought someone with him?

She realized too late it was a trick. Eli grabbed the barrel, pointing the gun up and away from him, and ripped it from her hands, knocking her to the ground.

“I didn’t figure you smart enough to pull a trick like that,” she said, pressing her elbows back into the hard dirt so she could lift herself to a sitting position.

Eli leaned down and smacked her across the cheek. The sharp and unexpected pain sent stars over her vision. She cowered away, brushing back the hair that had escaped her bun.

“You best start treating me with respect, woman. I’m your only option.”

“James isn’t dead,” she said. But the words fell flat as she pictured James’s eyes, glassed over forever, before she’d removed his spectacles and gently closed his eyelids for the last time. Tears fell freely from her face. She’d managed a whole two years and she was damn proud of that.

“Then he’s close or an invalid, and I’ll put him out of his damn misery before I take you for my wife.”

Sadie’s blood boiled at his threat, and she spit at his boots as she made her way to her feet. “I can have any man I want in this damn town, and I sure as hell ain’t picking you, Eli!”

An ugly purple shade worked up Eli’s face as it twisted into something scary. He tossed the gun away and grabbed her arm to reel her in, against his body.

“We’re gonna start with that nasty mouth of yours so you can learn what it’s supposed to be used for.” A whiff of rank breath had Sadie gagging before his mouth crushed against hers.

Sadie’s stomach sank. Things had taken a wrong turn so quick she didn’t know what happened. The moment his slimy tongue slipped into her mouth, she bit down as hard as she could and spit blood on the dirt as he reeled backward.

“We’re gonna learn you some manners,” he barked, staring at the crimson stain on the back of his hand.

Not liking the fury in his beady eyes, Sadie glanced over at the shotgun. She’d gauged her chances as doubtful but worth the try when a loud crash chased some birds into the silent sky.

It all happened so fast. A low whistling sound filled her ears, and both she and Eli looked back. At first, it appeared as a dot on the horizon and Sadie squinted, trying to understand what she was looking at. As the object came closer, her eyes grew wide, and she threw her arms over her head, diving back to the ground.

“What the fu—”

Eli’s last word was cut off by a sickening sound as the object collided with the giant cactus he’d hid behind, slicing off a good two feet from the top, which then crashed into Eli’s skull. Sadie screamed as bits of Eli’s head splattered her clothing. When her lungs emptied, she sat quietly, chest pumping in and out as she surveyed the scene.

She didn’t focus on what was left of the man who’d nearly collapsed her whole world mere seconds before. The only recognizable part left was from the shoulders down. Instead, she looked several feet to the side of him where skid marks and a large smoking hole in the earth were the only clue that what she’d witnessed had actually happened. Well, that and a scalped cactus lit on fire like a torch.

“Thank you, James,” she whispered. She crossed herself real quick and hoped the Lord would forgive her for assuming it was her husband who had helped.