Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,77

must warn him. Then, without thinking it through, she twisted and swung her chair to the side, just enough.

Tuthill leaned forward to try and understand what she was doing.

Rebecca ignored him as she leaned the chair to the side, just enough for her shoulder to reach the oil lamp and knock it to the floor. The glass chimney shattered, spilling coal oil across the floor, setting it alight.

“What are you doing?” Tuthill yelled as he jumped up and began stomping at the flames. “You idiot,” he mumbled before he turned to stare at her, his brow narrowed. Then suddenly, she saw it in his eyes. He knew what she knew. That Luke had arrived.

He spun as the front door burst open.

Luke, her Luke stood there like a wall against danger.

Both guns exploded. Luke’s and the banker’s. Her world froze as she tried to peer through the smoke and flames. Please she begged, her heartbreaking at the thought of losing him.

Tuthill staggard into a wall then turned towards Luke, slowly lifting his gun. Luke stared back, then calmly cocked his pistol and fired again.

The banker was slammed into the wall, his eyes staring off into nothing as he slowly slid down to rest on the floor.

Luke watched him, his pistol never wavering until Tuthill slumped, dead.

Rebecca could only stare at Luke. Her eyes desperately searching for any blood. Any hint of his wounds. He stood there alone. Once again risking his life for her.

Their eyes met and he slowly smiled at her. He stepped in around the growing flames and lifted her and the chair up and out of the house and into the front yard. Removing her gag he shook his head. “I swear woman, you do cause a fella all kinds of trouble. I thought we were supposed to get married when I come home. And here you are, off with another man.”

She looked up into his eyes then down at the ropes holding her. “If you don’t untie me, I’ll show you trouble. And what took you so long?”

He laughed as he cut through the ropes. He took a breath to respond when she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, desperate to hold him. To have him hold her.

“I ain’t ever letting you go,” he whispered into her ear as his arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her in tight.

“Good,” she said. “Don’t you dare.”

Epilogue

Rebecca held her breath as she fought to stop her nervous stomach from churning. Would Hanna be happy? She hadn’t seen her brother in four years and he was returning with a new bride. What would she think?

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Parker,” Luke said as he shifted the wagon’s reins over before he placed a hand over hers.

That was so Luke, she thought with a smile. He knew her so well, like no one else in this world.

“You don’t understand,” she said to him. “What if she isn’t happy with me?”

Luke laughed. “Becky. Hanna has always loved you. Jake’s been home for a week so it ain’t going to be a surprise.”

She bit her tongue. Burdening him with her fears wouldn’t help. No, she would simply have to wait until they got there.

They traveled another two hours when Luke pointed out a large ranch house in the distance.

“Is this all their range?” she asked her husband.

Luke laughed. “We’ve been riding over their range for the last three hours. Our range, I guess you could say. Zion always did say we were partners.”

Rebecca’s mouth opened in surprise. Luke was rich. She had never even asked. She had assumed they would hope to homestead something. But to be part of this. A large ranch on the eastern side of the cascades.

“I feel like I am finally finishing something,” she said as she slipped her arm into his. “My Papa started us this way all those years ago. Oregon. And now, I am finally here. It is almost as if I am coming home.”

He pulled the team to a stop in the yard outside the ranch house, then smiled down at her before leaning in to gently kiss her. “My home will always be wherever you are at, Becky.”

She smiled up at him, her heart bursting with love. This man, her man.

“Lucas Parker!” a woman’s voice called from behind them.

Rebecca twisted to see Hanna with a baby on her hip. The tall Zion standing next to her, his arm around her shoulder. A half dozen children surrounded their parents. Jake stepped out of