Outlaw Hearts(160)

He missed Lloyd. He had let his son head home a couple of days early, knowing he was anxious to see Beth before he took that horse to Pueblo. He still worried about Lloyd’s intense feelings for Zane Parker’s daughter, hoped the boy was being smart enough not to let himself get carried away physically.

He drank down the rest of his coffee and began breaking camp when he heard a gunshot echo through the valley below. Alarmed, he walked to a rocky ledge to see who had fired the shot. “Jake!” someone shouted, the voice barely discernible. “You up there? Got to talk to you!”

Jake recognized Jess York’s horse, pulled out one of his handguns and fired a shot in the air. “Here!” He watched Jess turn his horse and head toward him. He slid his gun back in its holster, wondering what was so urgent that Jess had come looking for him. He would have been home by tonight, wouldn’t even have stopped to make himself any lunch if his horse hadn’t bruised his leg.

He stayed in sight while Jess made his way up the steep pathway, which took several minutes. From the urgent, almost careless way Jess headed up the slope, he suddenly worried something had happened to Randy, or to Lloyd or Evie. “What the hell is wrong?” he shouted anxiously.

Jess kicked his horse into a loping gait until he reached Jake. By the time he came close, his horse was lathered and breathing heavily. “Soldiers!” Jess told him. “I think they’re comin’ for you.” In spite of Jake’s dark complexion, Jess watched the man visibly pale. “I just come from Parker’s place. That Lieutenant Gentry was there with twelve men, said he’d come for one of Parker’s men, went into the house with Parker to talk private. You said Gentry seemed familiar to you, so I figured you’re the one he’s after. I tried to get it out of his men, but they wouldn’t tell me. I figured you’d be somewhere in this section. Just wanted to come and warn you. He’s got a prison wagon with him, Jake.”

Jake turned away, a feeling of numbness moving through his entire body. Suddenly there were no birds singing. Suddenly the beauty around him existed no more. He didn’t want it to exist, for then he would have to face the fact that soon this freedom, the enjoyment of these simple things, all the love he had found these past years with his work and his family, all of it was going to be taken from him. “Lloyd already left for Pueblo, didn’t he?”

“He left early yesterday.”

Jake closed his eyes. “Good.” Lloyd! His son was going to discover the awful truth now! In the blink of an eye all their lives would be changed. What was it Randy had said all those years ago? Something about the truth catching up with you and hurting more than if it was told in the first place. As usual, his wise, patient, devoted wife had been right, and oh, how it would hurt Lloyd and Evie!

“You’ve got time to light out of here, Jake,” Jess told him. “You know I’ll look after the family till you can send for them again.”

A quick gust of wind swept down from the mountains and blew Jake’s hat off. He breathed deeply of the sweet smell of pine and mountain wildflowers. “No,” he answered, running a hand through his still-thick hair. Its near-black color now showed streaks of gray at the temples. “No more running. It wouldn’t do any good this time.” He turned and faced Jess, and Jess was almost startled at the change in his face, suddenly older, a look of defeat in his eyes. “Before it wasn’t just to keep my own freedom. It was to be able to raise my family, to keep the truth from the children. I won’t be able to do that now, so what reason is there to run? If I did, and I sent for them later, the only one who might come is Randy. The children won’t want anything to do with me after this. That’s what it was all for, Jess, for Lloyd and Evie.”

Jess felt a deep ache in his chest. “I’m sorry, Jake. Whatever happens, I’ll look after the family for you. They’re like family to me too.”

Their eyes held, and Jake nodded. He knew without their ever talking about it how Jess felt about Miranda. “I’d appreciate that.” He stooped down to pick up his hat and put it back on his head.

“I think you’re wrong about the kids, Jake. You underestimate how much they love you.”

Jake shook his head. “Evie has her mother’s forgiving heart.” He turned and dumped his coffee over the fire to put it out. “Lloyd and I have been closer because of working together these last few years, being alone together. He trusted me, and I’ve destroyed that trust. So many times he asked questions about my past, and so many times I almost told him but couldn’t. I know him. He has a fierce pride. This will crush him.” He sighed deeply and faced Jess. “I’ll need your horse. Mine has a bruised leg, and I don’t want to waste time getting back to the house. Maybe I can get there before Gentry and his men do. I don’t want them to make trouble for Randy and Evie.”