those times when life had challenged her to the fullest and she’d used a mastery of wit as her strength. A jury held in its hands the life of anyone charged with a crime. A judge had the authority to sentence her to a hanging or prison. But God had given her eternal life with Him. She trusted Him, not anything else. My thoughts sound courageous, Lord, but You see the panic that staggers me.
She took a ragged breath and descended the stairs to find Jocelyn, Bonnie, Grant, and Ben in the kitchen. Through the window, she saw Morgan waiting by the wagon.
“You look beautiful this morning,” Jocelyn said.
“Thank you.” She forced a shaky smile.
“We just prayed for you.” Jocelyn gave her a hug. “This is the day you’ve waited for. We’re on your side.”
Casey glanced at those she’d learned to love. If a bullet found her today, she had no regrets in her decision to leave Jenkins’s gang. “I appreciate you all. Promise me if something goes wrong today that you’ll not let Morgan suffer alone. He’ll need you.”
Jocelyn nodded. “We promise. But that won’t happen.”
Casey thought of all the ways the meeting could go wrong, but she refused to state them. Instead she bid them good-bye and again thanked them for all they’d done.
Outside, Morgan waved. “You look like you’re headed to the city. Very beautiful.”
“Then you approve?”
His attention on her held a gentle glow. “Oh yes.”
Their gazes met, and a host of memories passed between them. Some folks lived a lifetime without sharing what they’d been through. Words could not have defined the bond.
He helped her onto the wagon, and he climbed beside her. “Are we ready, pretty lady?”
“Not sure.” She trembled. “How is it that I can want something and not want it at the same time?”
He picked up the reins. “Sounds like how I felt when I first met you. Odd, I didn’t have a choice.”
“Neither do I.”
He urged Twister away from the ranch. Each creak sounded like a warning. Casey took Morgan’s hand and held on to it tightly, as though having his fingers entwined with hers symbolized God’s presence.
The last few days had brought in a very warm spell, so unlike the usual Texas February. The sun beat down mercilessly, reducing her to a puddle of liquid heat. She worried if the high temperatures might cloud her thinking. Her defense held no room for half-truths, and any wrong facial expression might threaten the attempt to prove her innocence. Neither the heat nor Morgan’s attempt at conversation stopped her heart and mind from racing. As the wagon inched toward the secluded site, she fretted about everything from the moment she’d joined a gang of outlaws.
Morgan had spent hours deliberating every twist of her case, and she didn’t dare shatter any of his expectations. Suddenly her thoughts turned to the sacrifice he’d made for her freedom. He’d committed to clear her name and had worked long and hard for this moment. She recalled the late hours, the times of prayer, and the heated debates when they disagreed on what should and should not be said. Now it all lay behind them. Every part of her must convey the truth and honor God with assured confidence. Only He knew the outcome of today, and she desperately needed His peace.
She reached for the canteen of water and allowed the liquid to dampen her lips and slowly trickle down her parched throat. Immediately her mind soared back to the past when long rides brought the taste of dirt, and she kept her eyes peeled for anyone who might be trailing her.
Morgan squinted at the sun directly overhead and took out a gold pocket watch to check the time. Reaching for a handkerchief from inside his suit jacket, he wiped the sweat from his face and neck.
“Having second thoughts about your Sunday suit?” Casey felt a deep desire to speak of anything except the obvious.
He tugged at his jacket, no doubt to send a breeze up his dampened back. “Perhaps,” Morgan said. “Can you believe this heat? Feels like August.” He flashed a smile her way. “But you still look beautiful.”
With a sigh, she wondered what kind of picture she painted on this hot afternoon. “Talk to me, Morgan. Anything to help me get through these miles.”
“I wish nothing more than to take your place. Today marks the day Casey O’Hare publicly announces her allegiance to the laws of this country. Few men have the courage I see in