The Last Outlaw(28)

Lloyd sighed, removing his hat and shaking his long, black hair behind his shoulders. “I don’t know. Connor here says when they carried Pa off to a doctor, she just sat there in the street, looking confused. You know what that means. She must be terrified. I’ve got to get there fast.”

Evie looked away. “Poor mother.”

Brian came running, carrying a small carpetbag of clothes and his doctor’s bag. At almost the same time, Terrel came from the barn with a saddled horse.

“What’s going on?” Brian asked Lloyd.

“We have to go to Brighton and catch a train to Boulder. I’ll explain everything on the way. Pa’s been hurt.” He looked at Brian, deciding to make light of it, because at the moment he wanted to cry himself. “So what else is new? The man doesn’t have enough scars already.”

Brian sighed, adjusting his hat. “I’m running out of places to stitch him up.”

“Yeah.” Lloyd sobered. “I have no idea how bad he is, Brian, and it’s been close to three days since it happened. I guess I’ll have to give in and see if we can get a telephone out here so we can find out these things sooner. Go ahead and mount up. I’m going inside to get my rifle and some clothes.” He stopped to shake Connor’s hand. “Thanks for hightailing it out here. It’s a long trip across the J&L, let alone between here and Brighton. My wife will see to it you get paid something for your trouble.”

“Oh, no, sir. It’s an honor to have seen your father in action, and to meet you, too.”

Lloyd just shook his head. “Yeah, well, I’ve seen my father in action one too many times.” He put an arm around Katie and headed for the house. “The women will give you something to eat and drink before you head back,” he called to the messenger. He opened the door, and Katie hurried inside to lay Donavan on a blanket on the floor. She then quickly set a pitcher of lemonade on the table while Lloyd headed into the bedroom to grab a couple of clean shirts. He stuffed them into a small carpetbag and grabbed up his rifle from a corner of the room, then hurried back into the kitchen.

Katie looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “Oh, Lloyd, I hope your father isn’t wounded really bad. The state your mother is in, she couldn’t handle that.”

“Yeah, well, a man can only take so much, and he’s getting older—and don’t tell him I said that. He hates it when I tease him about his age, but God knows he’s tough as ever.” He rubbed at his eyes. “I’m not so sure even I could take it if something happened to Pa. We covered each other’s backs for so many years as lawmen back in Oklahoma.”

“Be careful, Lloyd.” Katie walked around the table and reached up.

Lloyd pulled her into his arms, then kissed her deeply when she looked up at him. “You just sit tight and take good care of our new son,” he told her. “We’ll get back here with Pa as fast as we can. If it’s going to be a while, we’ll send a runner back out to let you know how he’s doing, or if…” He didn’t want to finish the sentence.

“It will be okay,” Katie tried to reassure him. She touched his cheek, then leaned up to kiss him once more. “You’d better get going.”

“Yeah.” Lloyd left her and headed for the door. He took his gun belt and six-gun from where it hung over the doorjamb, where it was always ready to grab in case of trouble. All kinds of things could happen fast on a ranch as big as the J&L.

“Give Connor Grace two or three dollars for his trouble,” he told Katie. He headed out the door, hooking the bag of clothes over his saddle horn and then strapping on his gun belt.

Connor Grace watched him. “Is it true you’re as good with those guns as your father, Mr. Harkner?” he asked.

Lloyd mounted up. “Nobody is as good with a gun as Jake Harkner,” he answered. He rode off, Brian following.





Ten


“Daddy!” Little Tricia ran off the hotel porch to greet her father before he even climbed down from the buggy he’d rented when the train arrived in Boulder.

Lloyd leaned down and scooped her up, hugging her tight as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.

“How’s my baby girl?” Lloyd asked, kissing her chubby cheek. “Daddy heard you and Grampa were in a big gunfight, and I was so scared for you.”

Tricia kissed him back. “I’m okay, Daddy, but Grampa got hurt! I was scared!” Her eyes began to tear.

“I know, baby. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. Are Grandma and Grandpa okay?”

Tricia nodded. “Teresa took me to see them at the doctor’s office. Grampa was sitting up, but Grandma was laying down on a bed beside his. She looked real tired, and Grampa said I shouldn’t jump on her bed.”