AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"They wanted to ambush me." Cord told her. "It didn't quite work out that way. And I don't expect Jason to give up now that I've killed Butch. He'll be hell bent for leather to try something else."
"Well at least you got rid of the meanest of them, Butch." She sighed.
"Butch isn't the meanest, Lilly. Jason is, and he's still alive. He sure took Butch's death easy enough. And they won't hold him if we find Charlie. And then there's Dan. Dan's not that bad, except when he's around his brothers." Cord glanced at her and extended his hand to comfort her. He could tell she was frantic and he wanted to calm her. "I'll bet Charlie's at Maria's right now, eating enchiladas."
"I hope so." Lilly cried. "But where did Dan go I wonder."
"Near as I can figure, he probably went after Charlie, knowing Jason would be upset if he woke up and Charlie was gone. So they are either on their way or at Maria's by now."
"You don't think Dan would do anything do you?" Lilly looked a bit alarmed.
"Not unless he's that worried about Jason's reaction. He might try to get Charlie back before Jason finds out. But knowing Dan, he's not inclined to violence as much as Butch and Jason. He'll probably lay low, and wait to see. Dan's not as brave or daring as his brothers."
"I hope so. Charlie told me yesterday he was going fishing after he finished his chores. I told him he could. But he didn't tell me he was going with anyone. Do you suppose he went with Dan? Because Dan was in the saloon yesterday."
Cord thought on it a minute. "It was probably a trap for Charlie. Dan took him to his place, promising him to go fishing. They got a creek out there."
"I only wish Charlie had spoken up and told me he was going with Dan. I wouldn't have let him go." Lilly cried.
"Well honey, boys do things sometimes that they don't tell their mother about. He's growing up and he's making decisions for himself. We need to have a talk with him about safety and about making those kinds of decisions on his own. But you got to figure that he's testing his wings a little."
"Well, he's not old enough to know a good decision."
"You learn by making mistakes Lilly. And if you don't make a few mistakes, you don't learn very easily."
She nodded, "You're right, I suppose. I'm not ready for him to grow up."
He smiled sexily at her. "Don't fret honey. I'd bet my life he's at Maria's as we speak."
Lilly looked over at Cord, and with a slight blush she added, "I'm glad I'm marrying you. I think I'm gonna need some help with raising Charlie."
He reached for her hand again. "I'm right here honey."
Chapter Seventeen
When Pedro got to town he hauled Jason into the Sheriff's office and told him what Jason had done. The Sheriff studied the situation a moment. Pushing his hat back he eyed Jason, then Pedro.
Jason hung his head and didn't say anything. What could he say?
"Well, I'll have to check this out, of course, but I'll put him in a cell until I do. Have you found Charlie yet?"
"No." Pedro replied.
"Then until we do, we'll keep him locked up. We need to go over to the saloon and see if Charlie is there." The Sheriff told him. Pedro nodded. "Lilly came in late yesterday evening asking if I'd seen Charlie. I wondered what was up."
But when they questioned everyone, no one had seen Charlie since the day before.
"Why don't you go on back to the ranch. I'll check around town and see what I can come up with. I'll let you all know if I find him."
Pedro nodded and rode back to the ranch.
Lilly and Cord mounted up and headed back to Cord's place too. Don Diego met them on the road.
"He is at the ranch, at Maria's." Don Diego smiled at them.
"Oh thank God!" Lilly cried out. "Is he alright?"
"He twisted his ankle in a gopher hole, but he's fine. Maria took care of it."
