Chapter Twenty-Six
Cordell knelt down beside Josie on the hotel’s lobby floor. He was still in shock. When Shane had let go of Josie and she’d fallen, Cordell had rushed the man. But Max and Rance had already opened fire on Shane, killing him before he could get another shot off—or Cordell could reach the man.
“Josie?” He could hear his brother and the deputy clearing the guests out of the hotel, but all he cared about was Josie being all right.
“Open your eyes, Josie. Tell me you’re still with me.
” Her fall had been broken by the men below holding tablecloths.
Still, she’d hit her head on the way down, Cordell had been told.
Doc had been in the group attending the grand opening and he’d gotten to her quickly to assess the bump on the back of her head. He said he didn’t think it was life-threatening, but he’d called an ambulance. The coroner had been summoned for Shane.
“Josie, please,” Cordell said, brushing a lock of hair back from her face, his heart threatening to burst from his chest as he saw her eyes flutter, then open.
“Josie. Oh, darling.” He couldn’t tell how badly she was hurt as she started to sit up.
“Maybe you should lie there for a moment and make sure nothing is broken.”
Still, she was determined to sit up so he helped her. She seemed to look around, though, as if she didn’t know where she was. Worse, when her gaze focused on him, she looked confused, almost as if she didn’t recognize him.
“Josie?” he said on a frightened breath. “Tell me you know who I am.”
A smile curved her lips even as her eyes closed for a moment. “You’re the man I’m going to marry.”
He laughed nervously. “Is that right? Do you know my name?”
“Cordell Lander,” she said and glanced around. The lobby was a mess with balloons and confetti all over the floor. “What did I miss?”
“Besides the stairs from the second-floor balcony, hardly anything. So you’re really going to marry me?”
She seemed to see the paper she’d written on at their dinner in Billings. She pulled it from his pocket. “It’s legally binding,” she said to him. “Haven’t you looked at it?”
He shook his head. “I won’t believe it until I see a wedding ring on the finger of your left hand.” He heard the ambulance pull up outside. “But until then…” He reached into his pocket and took out the small velvet box and opened it. “This will have to do.”
Josie smiled and held out her hand, her gaze on his as he slipped the engagement ring on her finger. She looked down at it and her eyes filled with tears. “It’s beautiful, Cordell.”
“Like you,” he said and kissed her. Behind him, he heard the EMTs come in with a stretcher. “Let’s make sure you’re not just saying this because of that bump on your head,” he said and moved out of the way for the EMTs.
* * *
Josie didn’t remember the ambulance ride to the hospital, but she was told that Cordell held her hand the whole way. Now at the hospital after seeing the doctor and finding out that she had a concussion, she kept asking Cordell questions about what had happened.
“Goldie?” she asked. “I remember looking for her.”
“Shane had locked her and the servers in the walk-in cooler,” Cordell told her. “They’re all fine.”
“Amy Sue?”
“She’s fine, too. Worried about you, but so is everyone,” he said.
“Shane?”
“Dead. Max said you gave him a signal right before you fell. He and Rance were ready. As soon as they got a clear shot, they took it. Which was good because I was rushing Shane when he turned his gun on me and Amy Sue. He never got the chance to pull the trigger.”
Josie shook her head. “I’m so sorry he ruined your grand opening.”
Cordell laughed. “Other than Shane, no one got killed. You got hurt, but the doctor said you’re going to be fine. I’m just thankful for the party since it brought Shane out in the open. Everyone pulled together and saved the night.”
She couldn’t help but smile at him. “You really are so resilient. I love that about you.”
“I’ll have a genuine grand opening come this spring when the hotel is about to open for real. This was just a preview.”
Josie closed her eyes, thinking she hoped it wasn’t a preview of more trouble. She tried to see into the future but realized with a start that she didn’t sense anything. There was nothing but a blank wall. She opened her eyes and looked at Cordell. Maybe she was hurt worse than she thought.
“The bump on my head… I can’t see…”
“What? You can’t see?” He started to ring for a nurse, but she stopped him.
“No,” she assured him. She no longer had the gift. She could feel it. It was just…gone. “I’m fine. Actually, I’ve never been better.” She let out a laugh when she saw him giving her a side-eye look.
She’d always said it was a curse and wished she’d never had it. Well, now it appeared to be gone. She would be surprised like everyone else when something bad happened. She was free from knowing just enough to be dangerous.
“I see a very happy future for you and me,” she told him. “In fact, let’s get married as soon as we can throw a wedding together. I’d suggesting eloping, but the town would never forgive us.”
Cordell grinned, exposing that wonderful dimple. “You mean it?”
She nodded and reached for him, pulling him to her for a kiss. She’d never felt so free or so alive. “I also think we shouldn’t waste any more time. Let’s start our family right away.” She grinned back at him. “Maybe you should lock my hospital room door?”
“You are so bad,” Cordell said with a laugh as he hurried to do just that. “Everyone in town is going to say that I corrupted you.”
“Only you and I know the real truth,” Josie said, thinking about the day their first child would ask where she or he was conceived.
“In love,” she would say. “You were conceived in love in Dry Gulch, Montana.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Witness to Murder by Debra Webb.