Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,37
too tough to tackle, then maybe they wouldn’t try and he wouldn’t have to kill any more.
His head was pounding as he fought to stay focused. Felton felt like a lead weight and seemed to be getting heavier with each step. He was almost to the jail when Becky rushed to him.
“Luke?” she gasped, her eyes instantly going to the blood dripping off the tip of his hand.
“Get McAdams,” he grunted as he used his good arm to lift Felton up onto the boardwalk and into the jail.
Becky stared at him, her eyes as big as dinner plates before she turned and lifted her hem to rush down the street.
Luke dragged Felton across the wooden floor and into the cell. The man groaned when he let him drop before he turned and locked the cell door. Only then did he relax. He’d had to use his gun hand to drag the man. If he’d been confronted, he didn’t know if he’d have been able to drop the man and grab his gun in time.
Now, it felt good to once again have the ability to answer a challenge.
He had just plopped down in his chair when Becky burst through the door with McAdams on her heels. Her face was white with worry, but she turned and grabbed the bag from McAdams's hand then told him, “Check on Felton.”
Luke snorted then held out the keys for McAdams.
“You’re getting blood everywhere,” Becky said as she shook her head, shooting him a look as if she blamed him for getting shot. Turning, she poured water into a bowl then set it on the desk before dipping a cloth and getting it wet.
He was tempted to explain himself when she ripped his shirt sleeve away at the shoulder and started to poke at his arm, making him wince.
“I swear Luke, you make me so furious sometimes.” But she didn’t look like she wanted an excuse so he kept his mouth shut and waited for her to finish up. “They say that Cooper is dead.”
“Looked that way to me,” he replied as he watched her tie a bandage around his arm. The wound didn’t appear too bad. If he could keep it from getting infected, he would be fine. A sick dread filled him as he thought about the army hospitals. He’d seen more than one man lose an arm or leg after a minor wound
“Do you think they were the ones to kill my uncle?” Becky asked as she knotted the bandage, pulling it tight. “Can we let this go now?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know. I ain’t worked it out. And until I do. No, it ain’t at rest.”
She sighed heavily then set her jaw and stepped back. She studied him for a moment then let out a long breath. “Why do I think it is always going to be this way? You rushing into danger?”
He shrugged, “I can’t change who I am Becky.”
She stared at him for a long moment then sighed. “No, I don’t suppose I would love you if’n you could. But I swear, you make it hard.
He laughed as he felt the world return to normal. He was alive, and this woman loved him.
Chapter Fifteen
Rebecca bit the inside of her mouth as she and Helen walked to the restaurant the next morning. What could she do to make things better? was her only thought. How could she stop Luke from risking himself like he had last night?
It seemed impossible.
“Chester is riding out on the stage this morning,” Helen said, obviously wanting to lessen the tension in the air. “He won’t be back for almost a week.”
Rebecca grunted acknowledgment but continued to focus on finding a solution.
Helen shook her head then pointed across the street to the jail. “Go on,” she said. “I won’t need you for an hour.”
Rebecca stopped for a second then smiled as she gave her friend a quick hug and hurried across the street. She found Luke behind his desk. The man looked as handsome as ever. He’d changed into a new army shirt. His eyes looked clear and focused as he smiled at her.
He would have to remove his shirt she realized for her to check his wound. She felt a thousand butterflies erupt in flight. Would it always be like this? she wondered. God, she hoped so. Please let it be a long life together, she prayed. Then realized he hadn’t said anything about forever. Once again, nervous fears blossomed deep inside