Chapter 52
A few months pass by before Aiden and I do make it back to the front steps of Dolly’s place, waiting for the last of our belatedly assembled plan to fall into place. None of which involves running, and all of which has Aiden fidgeting where he stands.
“He’s late,” he mutters, verifying it on his watch before glancing to where the sun is hanging high overhead, albeit slightly to the west. “Least he could do is be on time.”
I shrug. “Can you fault him?”
Aiden glares at me. “Yes. Yes, I can, seeing as how he is largely to blame for most of this mess.”
I grin. “Almost feels like we should be thanking him.”
“Wouldn’t go that far,” Aiden grumbles, though the corner of his mouth twitches. “You’re sure everything else is taken care of?”
“Yes,” I tell him, not minding repeating the details if it will soothe him. “The first part is done. Clayton got the money we sent, and he’s handled paying off Maddock’s friend in the stagecoach business. Already stopped his stations distributing the posters.”
“Turned awful quick.”
“No more than they usually do,” I reply, shrugging.
“Right,” Aiden says, letting out a breath. “Keep forgetting this is the usual way.”
I grin. “You know what they say…no honor amongst gentlemen.”
Aiden quirks an eyebrow at me. “That is not what they say, nor is it how that phrase goes.” He considers momentarily. “But it probably should be.” He goes back to fidgeting. “Won’t people ask questions?” Aiden asks, still dubious. “Want an explanation for why the posters are coming down?”
“As eye-catching as we are, I doubt anyone will notice. Not when there’s plenty to take our place,” I point out. “If they do, they’ll be told it was all a mistake. A clerical error—”
“A mistake?” he questions. “The word of more than two dozen witnesses is a mistake?”
“If the right people say it is.”
“Christ,” Aiden mutters, looking like he would ask more questions on that point if he weren’t so concerned elsewhere. “And what about the law? You’re sure they’ve also been paid for and settled?”
“Not paid for, in this case. We didn’t have to,” I remind him. “Simon still had the agreement he found in your pocketbook. Wanted to keep it as an autograph, but Clayton paid him off as well. Kid drove a hard bargain.”
“I’ll bet,” Aiden mutters. “Still not sure what it even proves. I didn’t exactly hold my end.”
“It proves that Maddock didn’t either. And that he didn’t hold his end first by gambling what he shouldn’t have. That covers you. Plus, Ben also has Clayton’s word that I wasn’t cheating on the last game. Seems to hold a lot of weight with him.”
“Who is Ben?” Aiden asks, pulling his revolver from its holster and opening the chamber to check rounds even though he did the same thing five minutes ago. “Do I know him?”
“The sheriff? In Soldana?”
Aiden scoffs. “The one whose deputies probably helped chase us out of town?”
“Well, you know law enforcement…” I reply. “Hard for them to see chaos and not want to contribute. Clayton said Ben feels sorry, though, for the inconvenience.”
“Funny thing to call being hunted on horseback with guns.”
“They both send their best.”
Aiden chuckles. “Well, tell Clayton I wish them a long life together.”
“All right,” I say, pleased that he isn’t holding a grudge in this case.
“He did also say that, as of now, Maddock has refused to lodge an official complaint that states I was letting him win before, so we don’t have that to worry about either.
There’s nothing on record. See, told you I’d fix it.
Besides this last part…which I still would. ”
“No,” Aiden murmurs, giving me a look. “You’ve done plenty.”
I smirk. “Hardly anything.”
“We were nearly shot twice on the way here.”
“Well…it was a long journey. Might have been dull otherwise,” I defend. “I did offer to take the train.”
Aiden shakes his head. “No more trains.” He sighs. “We should probably get a wagon.”
“We had one.”
“One that’s ours.”
“Right.”
“Just so we’re not carrying everything with us all the time,” Aiden further explains. “You hide the rest of the money this morning?”
“Depends on your definition.”
“That mean you burned it all?”
“Most of it. Should be enough left for your wagon and anything else that might catch your fancy.” Aiden shakes his head again, but I can tell he’s trying not to smile.
“Oh,” I say before we leave the topic entirely. “I did also send some money to Charley.”
“Who?” Aiden stows his gun again—formerly my gun since he had been kind enough to offer to hang onto this one while I obtained a new matching set.
Something about how it made good sense, and nothing at all about how he thought it might be good fortune, since he doesn’t put faith in such things.
Similar to how one of my black hats just fits him better and why bother getting a new one if what we have will do?
My response, that the bother was that he deserved to have things from someone who loves him, was met with a long period of tight-lipped silence before he responded, “Well, now I do.”
That, along with him spending the night showing me what types of things he felt I deserved, had managed to mostly put an end to the topic. Although, we had at least agreed for the sake of common decency and self-restraint that I could buy him some new clothes.
“You probably wouldn’t know that name,” I admit, giving him a pass in this case on his typical reluctance to learning more than a select few people.
“He was the old cowboy at the poker table in Soldana. Honest sort. Good man like Clayton. Gave Maddock a hard time whenever he could, so while I didn’t end up taking any of his money, I felt like giving him something for that at least.”
Aiden nods. “Not taking from men like that should be considered one of our rules. Not that either of us would.”
“Our rules?”
He shrugs. “Was thinkin’ we should have some. Like Dolly does. Rule one can be that we don’t take from good men. Rule two can be…”
“That they think they’re untouchable,” I offer, watching as a hired coach comes into view.
Aiden straightens, head high as he subtly leans into my shoulder. “I still can’t believe he agreed to this.”
“Pride goeth,” I murmur, leaning back.
“And idiocy before that.”
The coach stops directly in front of us, the door promptly swinging open as the three occupants shuffle out before the coach is gone again. The driver apparently not eager to be a witness, and seeing the assembled party, I can understand why.
“Nice of you to finally come out of hiding,” Maddock says to Aiden, the former heir looking quite a bit less pampered than the last time I saw him.
Also looking quite a bit less influential, since the only people he now has tailing him are an extremely anxious-looking Arty and another equally uncomfortable man with a notepad.
When Aiden doesn’t immediately respond, Maddock’s eyes flick to me.
“See that you’re still associating with criminals. ”
“Better company,” Aiden replies coolly, folding his arms across his chest as he meets Maddock’s gaze. “Better morals, too, more often than not.”
His former employer sneers, his fury intensifying when I politely offer my own greeting. “Hi Maddock, how’s the family been keeping?”
He takes a step forward but when Aiden does the same, putting himself between us, Maddock seems to think better of it. “I’ve brought a reporter here from Galveston,” he says, gesturing to the tidy man with the notepad. “He will be acting as a witness to these events.”
The man offers a nervous smile, then approaches as Maddock had done, only he comes all the way to the stairs.
“I must say, it’s an honor to meet you, sir,” he says, holding out his hand for Aiden to shake and absolutely beaming when he comes down the stairs to take it. “I feel as if I’m meeting a legend.”
Aiden shakes his head, still uncomfortable with the attention, as well as with the idea that anyone observing could see what we are to each other and use it as leverage the way Tom did.. “Appreciate that, but—”
“I don’t have all day,” Maddock snaps, actually going so far as to stomp his foot. “Let’s get on with it.”
The reporter gives Aiden an embarrassed smile before moving away to take his place, giving me time to take mine at Aiden’s side before he announces, “Cypress will be serving as my second.”
“Fine,” Maddock replies, then gestures toward Arty. “He’ll be mine.”
Aiden and I both look toward Arty, and I have the distinct impression that the young man would much rather be anything but Maddock’s second.
“Hello,” he says quietly, appearing even more beaten down now, and I can only imagine how much of a role Maddock has played in that. “Sorry about…” Arty jumps when Maddock calls his name and scurries off to stand near the journalist on the other side of the road.
“Think we should probably have Cypress call it,” Aiden offers, frowning after the young man before turning to Maddock, who is already waiting in the middle of the wagon path out front. “That fine by you?”
“Yes, fine,” Maddock says, waving his hand. “Stop stalling.”
Aiden rolls his eyes, but then says quietly to me, “Just in case…”
“Wolf—”
He gives me a look and I fall silent, knowing I won’t want to miss whatever he thinks he needs to say.
“Just in case things don’t go the way we planned…” he says, appraising me with so much open affection in his eyes that it’s tangible. “I’d follow you again.”
I smile, not believing for one instant that this moment will be our last, but I tell him anyway, “So would I.”
With one last long stare, Aiden turns, walking out to stand back to back with Maddock and looking every bit the legend he’d prefer not to be.
“Ten paces,” I call out, my voice steady.
“One.” Aiden and Maddock both take a step forward.
“Two.” Another, and the space between them widens, Aiden’s shadow behind him.
“Three.” How did he do this alone for so long?
“Four.” How can I make sure he never does this again?
“Five.” He’ll be all right. I know he will.