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“I’ll take care of myself, I promise. I want to stay. Please, Papa.”
“No, Anna.”
“Please! If I leave, she’ll die.” He pulled her onto his lap and she wept. “Please, Papa. Don’t make me go.”
There were tears in his eyes now, too. “This is hard, Anna. Help me by doing as I ask, please.”
“But I don’t want to leave Mama.”
He held her close. “I know, honey. But you can help her best by staying with Aunt Spring.” He glanced up to see his sister standing in the doorway.
Spring said, “Anna, I promise to bring you to see your mama every day. Let your Papa help her get better.”
“She’s going to die,” she cried.
“No, she won’t,” Colt said reassuringly. “She loves you too much to leave you.”
“Please,” she pleaded softly. “Please, let me stay here.”
Spring walked over and picked her up from Colt’s lap. “Come on, baby. Let’s get your things.”
Anna put her arms around Spring’s neck and sobbed as if her heart was breaking and Colt closed his eyes against the pain her distress set off inside.
Spring and Anna drove away a short time later. Anna didn’t come to him to say good-bye.
That evening, Whit and Odell stopped by.
“How is she?” Whit asked.
“Holding her own for now.”
“Good. I went by Dun’s place, but he’s not there. Didn’t see the dogs either. Put out a poster on him saying he’s wanted for questioning. We’ll see if he turns up.”
“He’s the one who did this,” Colt insisted. “I know it’s him.”
“I understand but the court’s going to need evidence, and right now, we don’t have anything but gut feelings.”
“What happened with the court case for Jeb’s friends after we left?”
“Judge Jinks sent them to trial. It’s scheduled to be held over in Cheyenne in a few weeks.”
Odell asked, “How’s Anna?”
“I sent her home with Spring, but she didn’t want to go. She’s scared Regan will die if she’s not here.”
Odell shook his head in sympathy. “She loves her mother a lot.”
“I know.” He could still hear her sobs.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“I will.”
Colt walked them to the porch. “Let me know if Dun turns up.”
Whit nodded. “By the way, Minnie’s place looks deserted. I knocked but she didn’t come to the door.”
“She was here a few evenings ago and said she was moving back East.”
