Chapter 23
At breakfast the next morning, Owen asked Morgan, “What do you all think of Gordon Duncan’s story?”
Morgan took a sip of steaming coffee, then said, “It has the ring of truth, especially taken with what Colonel Bridger told us. We need to look through the posters to see if any of these men are wanted or if it’s all just their kin Wildcat Duncan.
I know there were other Duncans involved, but maybe he runs with his sons like Gordon and Sly do.
” With that, he went back to his coffee.
Owen chewed on a biscuit. “What should we do then?”
“Even if you believe their story, you can’t just let them go,” Delaney said as she cut a chunk from her flapjacks.
“They broke Clive out of jail. They were right there when Stan was killed and Boone shot. Even if none of these Duncans did that, they rode after us with the intention of getting Clive back from us.”
Morgan nodded. “Lots of things happened around those coyotes. Chasing after us into the wilderness could be named a crime. And if they got turned loose, they’d probably go back to trying to break Clive free, and then we’d have to go riding into the mountains chasing after them for another week or two. ”
“Why not just turn them over to the law at Fort Russell?” Grizzly said.
“Let the court there decide what to do with them. No doubt the judge has heard the rumors about the MacNeils, and I know the man who heard Calan and his family talk about making Clive suffer. We can get the men who heard that talk to testify in court. And you can testify to what Gordon’s told you. ”
“I will if it’s absolutely necessary,” said Owen, “but I’ve got to get on the trail after Tex.
It’s eating at me that I rode away from him.
Will Delaney and Boone being there to testify be enough?
They witnessed the shooting, and we only know what Gordon has told us.
Not sure he can be trusted to tell the truth. ”
“Give us one day, Owen.” Grizzly looked so serious that Owen took it for a threat.
“One day.” Owen finished his biscuit and rose from the table. “The sun’s up. Let’s get to Cheyenne.”
While they rode, Owen had a talk with Sly. Gordon, Clive, and Johnny listened in.
“You know,” Sly said, “if we’d just let justice run its course, we’d’ve gotten to the fort a long time ago. Colonel Bridger would’ve been there and told his story, Clive might well be free by now, and my son Leland would be alive.”
Owen wanted to bash every one of the Duncans on the head. Stan would still be alive too, and that burned something terrible. Tex wouldn’t be lost somewhere in the wilderness, or Stella either.
“If we’d let justice run its course, Clive would’ve been hanged long before word got around about him being innocent.”
Owen had to admit that would’ve lit a fire under anyone.
“I talked to the judge advocate, and he said he was going to call for an appeal. He didn’t like the MacNeil witness and had some suspicions. And the truth came out real quick because Calan MacNeil has a big mouth. He’d’ve been fine.”
“I don’t believe—”
“Keep quiet, Sly, or you’re riding to Wyoming wearing a gag.” Morgan always had a way with words.
They pushed harder, and the Duncans caused no real trouble. They’d be riding into Fort D. A. Russell in time for the evening meal.
Delaney was glad to see the backs of those blamed fool Duncans.
Even if they all walked away free men, Clive included, they’d no longer be her problem.
They had a big enough group with Boone and her that Ma and Pa couldn’t handle the crowd in the very comfortable fort commander’s house.
Roz and Jesse would stay with them, while the Marshals got assigned to the guest quarters.
Owen, Morgan, and Marley headed there after Pa invited them to supper.
As they split up, Delaney felt a tug on her arm, and she turned to see Owen studying her. “After we’ve eaten, Delaney, would you like to take a walk with me?”
Owen had asked her right in front of her family.
She was impressed by that. Owen was an even braver man than she’d suspected. Of course, they’d been together all day, but nothing even close to being alone. They hadn’t spoken one word to each other, that is, short of “pass the biscuits” and such.
Delaney didn’t even look at her parents to see how Owen’s question affected them. She wasn’t going to let them decide her answer. And besides that, she was sure she’d hear what they thought. She just hoped they waited until the Marshals were gone to start in.
“I’d like that, Owen,” she replied. “I’d like that very much.”
He got a somewhat dazed look in his eyes, as if she’d answered all his prayers in that brief moment. He smiled at her, but then Morgan grabbed his arm and pulled him away.
She was pretty sure she heard Morgan mutter, “You need a bath and a set of clean clothes.”
Good advice. She’d take it herself.
Ma then grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
Owen enjoyed supper. They even let him sit beside Delaney. When it was over, Delaney started to clear the table.
Her pa said, “You go on for your walk, girl. We’ll take care of the dishes.”
Owen almost reached for her hand but stopped himself. Seconds later, he had to check himself again when he moved to rest his hand on her back.
He felt all those cold Bridger eyes drawing a bead on his spine, and so he kept his hands to himself as they walked outside and down the few steps to the fort grounds.
Neither of them had visited the fort before, so Owen had no idea where a man and woman oughta walk to.
But Delaney turned to the right, and they walked together to the edge of the house.
Then she stopped suddenly and turned to look up at him.
It was a clear night, and the stars shone as though God himself were beaming down on them from heaven.
Her face was beautiful in the starlight.
Taking his hand, she led him to the back of the house, where she turned to him once more, this time holding one finger to her lips. “Shh,” she said.
They hadn’t stood there a full minute when the back door opened, and Boone stepped out.
“You can go right on back inside.” Delaney had the kind of cold, cutting voice that made a man back up.
Instead, her brother grinned like a knothead.
“Aw, Delaney, I just wanted to take a little walk myself.” Boone didn’t even try to act innocent.
Delaney stood there, arms crossed, toe tapping. “I’m waiting. You know I can make you sorry you ever started this. In fact, I can make you sorry you were ever born.”
That one made Boone laugh, almost as if he wasn’t one speck frightened by her serious threat. But he went back inside the house nonetheless.
Delaney grabbed Owen’s hand and walked quickly toward a wooded area behind the house. Once they were among the trees, they stopped and waited for a bit. The back door hadn’t reopened. Delaney moved deeper into the woods. She slowed down some but still held his hand.
“They’re still coming, don’t you think?” Owen had liked it better in the bright starlight. Here, shrouded in the trees, he couldn’t see how pretty she was. He remembered just fine, though.
“Oh, most definitely. But maybe they’ll be a little stealthier about it.”
“Well, we’d better do this right away then,” Owen said. He turned her in his arms and kissed her.
He’d meant to steal just one kiss, but he didn’t count on how nice it felt.
The next thing he knew, her arms were around his neck and he forgot he’d ever had a plan. Kissing her became an end in itself.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he pulled back enough to say, “Delaney, your pa had a talk with me last night.”
Delaney laughed and buried her face in his chest. “How bad was it?”
That got a smile out of him. He kissed her on the forehead. “I like your pa. I like and respect your whole family. And I’m a little afraid of them, too.”
“You oughta be.”
Owen and Delaney jerked apart. Delaney turned to the nearest tree. “Boone, you get out here right now, you low-down snoop!”
He stepped out into the open.
“Are you all hiding out here?”
“Nope, only me.” But Boone’s tone didn’t ring true.
“And me.” Her ma walked over to stand beside Boone.
Owen slapped himself on the forehead. “Hester?”
Delaney leaned against him, clearly struck dumb.
Owen could think of only one thing to ask.
“Delaney, I thought of asking you to wait for me while I go search for Tex. But I can’t help imagining a dozen men, maybe a hundred, won’t be chasing after a woman as pretty and brilliant and sweet as you.
I trust you, but I think I’d better just wrap you up tight before I go. ”
“W-what are you saying?”
“Will you marry me, Delaney?”
She grinned. “Yes, but only if I can go with you.”
Ignoring their audience, Owen slid his arms around her waist. “You can absolutely go with me. And I want to leave tomorrow. Maybe the next day if the trial stretches out. Is tomorrow too soon for a wedding?”
She smiled at him in a way that made his heart burn with love for her. She remembered Roz declaring last night that she was planning to stick with Morgan no matter what. She wanted to do the same. “Tomorrow is perfect.”
“Now, Delaney, tomorrow is a little fast. I think—”
“Ma, stop. You don’t get to vote on this. Owen and I decide, and I vote yes. Tomorrow it is.” She sounded just as tough as the rest of her family.
Owen glanced over to see how serious Hester was about voting, but she and Boone had left and were walking back to the house.
Delaney wrapped her arms around his neck again.
They stood there together in the dark, truly alone finally.
“I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you, Delaney. I haven’t had a chance to tell you this yet, but your pa offered to appoint me to be Marshal at the fort.
He said I wouldn’t be traveling around, that there was enough work to keep me busy here.
We could live in Cheyenne where you would be close to your family.
I don’t want a job that takes me away from my wife all the time. ”
Delaney giggled. “Sounds like you’ve got our whole life planned.”
Owen froze. “Is that wrong? I’ve never proposed to a woman before. I was hoping you’d like it that I wouldn’t be wandering. But if you want me to be gone more, then maybe—”
She touched his lips with her finger, and he shut up, not sure what to say anyway. “I love your plan, Owen.”
“Actually, it’s mostly your pa’s plan.”
Delaney laughed out loud. “Well, I approve of it, and I like the idea of you not being gone. I would enjoy living near my parents—that is, if they don’t pull up stakes again.
But maybe next time, when there’s a big decision to be made, you’ll come and talk to me about it first, and we can decide together.
Don’t forget that I’m a sensible, capable woman.
You can trust me to cooperate with you to make those decisions.
Most likely I’ll agree with you since you’re also very sensible and capable.
But if I don’t agree with you about something, then you should still listen to me because I might have a good reason for disagreeing. ”
“You make a good point,” he said with a broad smile. “How about we decide where to live once we’re married?”
“Agreed. I think if you’re not in the cavalry, but you’re employed by them, you can live off the fort grounds. I’m just not sure.”
“I’m not sure either. We definitely need to look into what’s possible and decide together.” Then Owen leaned close. “I like your family a lot, but can we not live with your parents? I think we might be more . . . comfortable with a little space between us.”
He waited for her to give her opinion.
“Space sounds wise. Again, I agree.”
He drew her even closer and kissed her soundly. He wanted to show her just how much he appreciated her being so agreeable. As the shadows of the trees and the night breeze and birdsong wove romance into his soul, he got another idea.
“I’m thinking maybe we shouldn’t wait until tomorrow, Delaney. We might be able to find a preacher yet tonight.”
She eased back enough that their eyes could meet. She caught herself staring at his lips and decided her soon-to-be husband was a genius. “Yes, tonight sounds even better than tomorrow. Good idea, Owen.”
“Let’s go tell your family and my fellow Marshals we’re going to hunt up a preacher for an evening wedding. I think there’s a chaplain here at the fort.”
A grin spread across her face. She nodded, and they walked hand in hand back to the fort commander’s house.