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“No, not yet.” Isaac turned to check on how the biscuits he’d placed in the dutch oven were cooking before coming back to where she stood by the wagon. “I know he sent Owen to get help last night. That kid might be our only chance to get things back to normal.”
“Our fate rests in Owen’s hands?”
“It would seem so. He’s supposed to get the sheriff and let him know what’s happening here.”
Did the kid even have it in him to be the hero? “Do you think he’ll make it all the way to Dodge City by himself?”
“Jesse seems to think he will.”
“Well, let’s hope he’s right.”
She spent the rest of the morning helping Isaac with breakfast, nibbling on bacon and biscuits as she did. Jesse joined them by the wagon, along with Ben and she could tell they had a plan. It was written all over their faces but neither of them got a chance to say what it was. Jack turned toward them and grinned. She knew trouble when she saw it and the look on his face screamed more was coming their way.
“What do you suppose he’s up to?” Ben asked.
Jesse moved closer to her side. “Hard to tell so be ready for anything.”
One of the cowboys brought Jack a horse, saddled and ready to ride. He held the saddlebags in his hand and handed them to Jack before walking away. Jack tossed the bags toward the wagon where they stood. “Fill those with enough food to last two people a week and don’t be stingy. I imagine we’ll work up quite an appetite.”
Isaac lifted the bags and walked to the back of the wagon, stuffing as much as he could inside. Most of the dried meats and biscuits and a jar of preserves were tucked inside the leather before he closed the flaps.
Jack watched them the entire time it took Isaac to pack those bags. When he carried them back to where Jack stood, Jesse took a step closer to her and said, “I hope to hell he’s leaving.”
“Could we get that lucky?”
“Probably not.”
Jack tightened everything down on his saddle before turning back to face them. “I’m leaving Lewis in charge.” He shot a look in Jesse’s direction. “And he’ll be dealing with trouble makers with a bullet to the head.”
Jack wasn’t staying? That was the best news Jesse had heard in the past year. The decision to leave Lewis in charge wasn’t. The glee on the man’s face said he was going to enjoy being trail boss. Lewis straightened to his full height, puffed out his chest and stared long and hard at their little group as if daring one of them to cause a scene.
Jesse ignored him, the silent threat doing little to stop him from trying to come up with different ways to get control of the group back when Jack was gone. Once Lewis was in full control, his cocky attitude would lead him to be careless, reckless or both. He’d just have to wait to see which it was and jump the moment he let his guard down.
He grabbed Alex’s hand and walked with her to the back of the wagon. Ben joined him, along with Isaac.
Alex glanced over her shoulder, back to where Jack stood. “Please tell me you have some sort of plan.”
“I plan on waiting until the moment is right and get my gun back. With Lewis in control, he’ll get lazy and sloppy. Everyone needs to keep their eyes open and take the first opportunity they have to get to those weapons. We have Lewis and the others outnumbered. The cowboys Holden hired want to get paid and they know with Jack around that’s not going to happen so most of them will be willing to help out any way they can.
“Are you sure of that?”
“No.” Jesse met Alex’s gaze briefly before checking where Jack and the others were. “I don’t see many of us making it out of this alive so if they want their money and to be able to walk away to enjoy it, then they’re going to have to fight for it. There’s no reason for Jack to leave them alive once we reach Dodge City, or any of us, so we’ll have to do what we have to or we’re all dead.”
Jack cleared his throat and said, “I hate to break up your little tea party but I must be on my way.”
Jesse lifted his head to look his way, as did the others, and something about the way Lewis was smiling caused a chill to run up Jesse’s spine. Jack wasn’t exactly smiling but the corner of his mouth was crooked up in a way that made him seem smug. Him leaving wasn’t going to be eventless. He felt it in his bones and moved so Alex was at his back. “I’m sorry to say you won’t be missed.”
Jack chuckled. “Remember you said that come nightfall, hero.” He mounted his horse as Silas came into view. He was leading another horse toward Jack, the saddle bags bulging and a bedroll fastened down tight. Jack took the reins and looped them around the pommel on his saddle and let out a long breath. “I really do hate to break up your happy honeymoon but I’m afraid the girl is going to have to come with me.”
Fire streaked through his veins the moment the words registered. He wanted to take Alex with him? “Like hell she is.” He took a step forward and reached for his hip, cursing under his breath when he felt his empty gun holster. “Alex stays with me.”
“See, I knew we were going to have a problem.” Jack blew out a breath and pulled a pistol from the holster at his side. “Let’s try this again, hero.” He pointed the gun at him and pulled the hammer back. “Kiss your sweetheart and send her over.”
“You’ll have to kill me first.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Someone touched his back, Alex, if he had to guess, and the small gesture was enough to remind him how dangerous the situation really was. He had no weapon and the wrong move would get him nothing but a bullet to the head quicker than it was already coming. Did he really want her to be here to witness the event when Lewis decided he’d had enough of seeing him around camp?
