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She looked away and he smiled to himself. It wasn’t an admission of love, but he’d take it. Now wasn’t the time for anything serious anyway. He didn’t want a forced confession from her that she’d regret later on.
“I don’t see Jack.”
He sat up again, straining his neck. “Neither do I.” Most of the men were still throwing punches and rolling around on the ground but Jack wasn’t by the fire watching like he had been. “That gun you keep tucked in your boot would come in handy about right now.”
“Jack took it when he robbed the stagecoach.”
Movement behind them rustled the grass and they both turned at the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back.
“Is this the gun you’re referring to?”
Twenty-Three
“Up, both of you.”
Alex stood when Jesse did and stared at her stolen derringer as Jack aimed it at them. If she were fast enough she’d snatch it from his hand and shoot him between the eyes.
The look on his face said he knew what she was thinking and it irritated her even more. She hated being at the mercy of a man, especially one who had no regard for others.
Jesse took a step forward, then one to the side, effectively blocking her from view. She stared at the back of his head, blood from the cut leaving his hair a mess even after cleaning the wound. It had to still be bleeding.
The whole evening had been one big surprise after another. Realizing Jesse’s feelings for her were real, then hearing him say he loved her had led to nervous butterflies so severe she thought she’d be sick. She felt fourteen again, hiding behind Laurel’s desk while Jesse stole his first kiss from her.
Then Jack had pointed a gun at him and she’d jumped in front of him without hesitating. The bullet had grazed them both, just as Jesse had said, and she was thankful they’d both come out with nothing more than a scrape. The alternative was too horrible to imagine.
Watching him fall after Lewis struck him nearly stopped her heart, watching him die from a bullet while she did nothing to try and stop it would have been too much to bear.
Seeing him in front of her, protecting her as she did him caused her chest to hurt, her heart filling to the point of bursting. As much as she denied the fact, even to herself, Jesse was right. She did love him. Jumping in front of a bullet to save him proved it.
She smiled at the knowledge and wondered how he’d react when she told him. Knowing him, he’d just say he already knew.
Jack waved the gun toward the right and motioned them forward. “Head back around the wagon to the campfire.”
Jesse grabbed her hand and put himself between her and Jack as he led her around the wagon. The men still fighting were scattered around the area. Only a few stragglers were still throwing punches as the rest of them were too tired and bloody to care anymore.
Jack pushed them to the fire where the light it produced lit a wide arching circle. “Now. Where was I?” he said. He made a face as if thinking then smiled. “Oh right. I was going to kill you.”
“Stop!”
Everyone turned when Isaac yelled. He was awake, pain causing his face to twist into a grimace.
“You can’t shoot him.”
Jack turned to face Isaac and said, “Is that so?”
“Yes.” Isaac lifted himself from the ground, grunting in pain until Owen reached down and helped him. When he was on his feet he met Jack’s gaze and straightened his spine. “Holden said he would send word to the buyers that Jesse would deliver that herd instead of him and without Jesse’s signature on the bill of sale you’ll not get a dime of money for that herd.
Lewis snorted and spit the wad of tobacco he’d been chewing to the ground. “Like we can’t just sign his name.” He looked to Jack and smiled. “Shoot him but don’t hit the girl. She still has her uses.”
“Won’t work,” Isaac said. “Holden’s not stupid. He gave Jesse’s description to the buyer.”
Jack looked to each of his men. Alex did as well. None of them could pass for Jesse but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try to pass one of them off for him. There wasn’t any reason not to kill him, just as Jack wanted to do, and she doubted Jesse would let her jump in front of another bullet for him. He had already positioned himself to make the move impossible.
She looked to every cowboy her pa had hired, searching for an idea to save them from Jack when Jesse took a step forward, blocking most of her view of the man. She was sure the move was on purpose.
“Holden left instructions on how to deal with the buyer and for paying everyone. If I’m not there, no one gets paid.”
Jack stared at Jesse so long her stomach churned with nervous jitters wondering what he was thinking. When he pointed the gun at Isaac, she forgot to breathe.
