“What’s your real name May?”

  Her small lip began to quiver, and she looked up at Sophie reluctantly. “I can’t tell you, Father will be mad at me.”

  “Is it Ruby May Carlson?” asked Jesse softly.

  The little girl’s eyes widened, and she looked up at him in wonder. “How did you know.”

  “A little birdy told me, a little birdy name Roscoe.”

  May’s little hands clapped together in glee. “You saw my birdy? Is he well? Does he miss me?”

  “Yes, he does and so does your Mamma, and your Grandpapa.”

  “Did you feed him his seeds?”

  “Yes, and he ate them all up.”

  May was crawling towards him now, her hands resting on his leg and gazing intently into his eyes.

  “What’s his favorite?”

  “Thistle,” Jesse whispered.

  May uttered a small squeal of joy. “Did you see my Mamma too?”

  “Yes, and she misses you very much, and so does your Grandpapa.”

  “Are they okay? Mamma’s not crying, is she? I try ever so hard to make her not cry but, he would take me away. He said if I didn’t come I’d never see her again, but I’ve been ever so good. I wanna go home. If you know where they are, can you take me home, please? I’ll be ever, ever so good.”

  “Hush, I need you to play a game with me Ruby. Okay?”

  The little girl sank back on her heels and inspected him more fully. “What game?”

  “It’s called, ‘Being sick.’ You see if you play that game I can get you out of the house, Miss Sophie and I here will ride away with you. Do you think you can play?”

  “I can play sick,” she said, making her hand into a fist she covered her mouth as she coughed into it.

  Jesse leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Good girl.”

  Ruby made a face and rubbed her arm over where he had kissed her. Sophie choked on a laugh. That was precisely how she felt about him. Then the little girl lunged for him and wrapped her arms tightly about his throat. He hugged her back before muffling out, “I can’t breathe Ruby.”

  She sunk back to her knees and looked at him hopefully. “When?”

  “Right now.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, but you have to play sick first.”

  “What should I do?”

  Jesse’s eyes were on her face, and Sophie’s gut twisted. It all rested on her shoulders now. She glanced down.

  “I want you to come with me okay, I am going to pretend something is not right and make lots of screaming and noises all right? But don’t be scared just lay where I tell you, and cough into your hand and pretend to be tired and feel sick okay?”

  Ruby nodded eagerly and crawled to Sophie’s side of the bed, wrapping her arms around Sophie’s neck she nodded and hugged her.

  Gathering May into her arms Sophie looked at Jesse.

  “I’ll be ready,” he said quietly. “Just call my name, I’ll be waiting.”

  “Thank you.”

  Silently she and May tip-toed downstairs, the oil lamp was still lit in the office, timidly Sophie put May down, who was watching her with wide, worried eyes.

  At a glance Sophie saw the man was out cold, she had seen enough men knocked out by drink to be familiar with it. With a deft hand, she swept several of the papers onto the floor, rearranging things in a disordered manner, turning to May she smiled. “Are you ready?”

  Kneeling on the floor, she motioned May to come beside her.

  “Cover your ears, I am going to scream.”

  Chapter 22

  After several minutes of silence, Jesse heard a scream. It made him jump, it was enough to wake the dead. He glanced over his shoulder at the nanny, she was still out. None of it disturbed her; he quickly slipped into his room gathering the things he had put together earlier. Hoping and praying that this half-brained plan was going to work. There was the sound of shuffling feet below, the house was roused. There was more screaming, then a frantic voice wailing. Then his name was being screamed and he came running down the stairs.

  “What in...”

  He didn’t get any further, as Sophie flung herself at him, tears running down her face. “He’s dead! Clay is dead I know it...he just started messing things up, and then, he just dropped just like that. What am I going to do? I loved him, I loved him!”

  The able-bodied ranch hands stood there staring at Sophie stunned, and unsure of what to do.

  “Then she came down, and she’s coughing...I am afraid she’s sick...we’re all going to die!”

  “Sophie are you sure?” Jesse stammered, fighting the urge to hold her tightly.

  “Yes!” she wailed dropping to the floor covering her face in her hands sobbing.

  Pressing himself into the office he looked at the man, he was out cold, the bottle was empty. He’d be lucky if he wasn’t out for days. His hand found the man’s pulse there, but sluggish.

  “He still has a pulse, Sophie!”

  “What!” Sophie exclaimed dashing into the office and looking at him, she whirled around on the ranch hands who were watching her in some sort of mesmerized awe and fear, they had never seen anyone carry on like this before.

  “Quick! Get his carriage, I must take him to a doctor immediately and May too. Oh, may, God spare their lives. Go I say GO!” she shrieked at them.

  In a moment they had flown away to do her bidding, and she took a deep breath, she was shaking.

  She refused to look at him, and Jesse guessed that though the words were all false the broken-hearted tears were genuine.

  “Sophie,” he said, softly.

  “Get ready Jesse,” her voice commanded gently.

  He ran up the stairs grabbing several of Ruby’s things, and a blanket, he ran back downstairs wrapping Ruby up in it all and putting her into Sophie’s arms.

  “Am I doing good?” asked Ruby brightening for a moment.

  Sophie gave her a broken-hearted smile. “You’re perfect May, now keep pretending you’re sick until we’re safe okay.”

  A minute later the ranch hands appeared and helped them into the carriage, Jesse lept to take the reins before one of the ranch hands could regain them, and they took off galloping into the night.

  Jesse found his heart pounding in his chest, he kept glancing over his shoulder the feeling of being pursued could not be shaken. But every time he glanced back, no one was there. Jesse couldn’t help but pray as he drove for God’s protection for Sophie and May.

  There was a banging from below, and Jesse reluctantly pulled the carriage to a halt.

  The carriage door swung open

  “What is it, Sophie?”

  “I can’t stand to be near him a minute more, neither can May. We’ve tied him up just in case. Please, Jesse.”

  “Of course, come on I’ll give you a hand.”

  “May first,” she said offering him the child who was wrapped up like a caterpillar in a cocoon. He settled Ruby on the bench, then extended his hand to Sophie, who took it and scrambled up the carriage side and sat on the bench, little Ruby squeezed between them.

  For a long time, no one said anything, May drifted slowly to sleep resting against Sophie as Jesse drove. He kept glancing over at Sophie, her face set solidly as if emotion was not a part of her body or soul, the cold light of the moon making her seem unreachable.

  Jesse slowed the horses to a walk, they needed rest if they were to last the night through.

  Sophie became edgy at the slackened pace, glancing behind them, and holding Ruby tighter.

  “We’re going to be okay Sophie.”

  She glanced up at him, her eyes disbelieving.

  Jesse dropped his eyes back to the horses. She didn’t trust him, didn’t believe him, and never would, not that she had in the first place.

  He wanted to apologize, but when had sorry ever fixed anything in his life? Never, and he certainly couldn’t fix what he had just done to her heart and life, how one short week could hurt her.

  As the night grew long, Sophie’s head started to dip in weariness, but she always seemed to catch herself and pull herself erect, only to have her eyelids droop low again. She shifted and shivered, rubbing her arms slightly.

  “Here drive for a little while, I think Ruby’s getting cold,” said Jesse handing her the reins and unbuttoning his coat.

  Instantly she perked up, her eyes glued to the road and the horses. In a minute he had draped his coat over Ruby and took back the reins from her hands. Sophie’s fight against sleep was a long and hard-fought one, but her head slumped for the last time at an odd angle.

  Jesse took the reins in one hand slipping the other around Ruby and Sophie, he pulled them closer, until Sophie’s head rested against his shoulder, he then draped his coat over Sophie’s shoulder and kept going.

  As dawn edged on the horizon, Jesse pulled to a halt at a crossroad. It was the perfect place to separate. Middletown was one direction, beyond that was Littleborough, Sophie’s’ home. He and Ruby would ride south before heading east on the railway...they would be safe in Chicago in a day or two, maybe three. Stepping down, he unhitched the horses, taking two for him and Ruby, he’d leave two with Sophie to pull the carriage and keep Carlson locked away from her until she arrived safely home.

  “Sophie,” he shook her awake.

  Groggily she sat up and looked at him, slipping his jacket off her shoulders. “When, how...” he watched as the reality of everything that had happened hit her once again, her face fell then hardened as she looked up at him. “Yes. Jesse?”

  “It’s time for us to split up. I am going to take Ruby south before we head west. You can take the carriage and your prisoner if you promise me that you’ll be safe.”

  “What else could I be?”

  Jesse found his chest aching, he smiled just a little. “Nothing else, I just want you to be okay.”

  Her forced laugh made him ache, but he smiled as if he had been fooled and he nodded. “I knew you’d be okay. I thought you’d need these,” he said, reaching into the depths of the saddle bag, and pulled out a loaded gun belt and her badge.

  “Thanks, Jesse.”

  “Thank you, Sophie. Well, if you hand me Ruby, I’ll be going.”

  The tenderness in Sophie’s eyes returned as she gathered the sleeping little girl in her arms and placed her in his.

  “Take care of her,” her eyes looked down beseechingly into his.

  “I will, take care of yourself, and don’t you dare stop until you get that man to your hometown. I’ll send you all the evidence you need once I get Ruby to safety. Depending on what happens you might need to bring him down for the trial in Chicago...” he let the words drift off.

  She nodded, “Let Ruby send me a message when you are safe.”

  “Which reminds me; I have a confession to make.”

  Her eyebrows rose as if she wasn’t surprised.

  “When we were in Middletown, your father came looking for you, he’d figured you were trapped by the Smithson Gang...I sent him a telegram that you were okay and would home in a few days. I should have let you go with him instead of dragging you into this.”

  “Goodbye Jesse,” she said with a nod and a slap of the reigns.

  For a full minute, Jesse watched as she took off towards the rising sun. She was gone, the chances that they would see each other again...

  Jesse looked down to see Ruby’s eyes blinking open and looking up into his face.

  “Are we home yet?”

  “Not yet sweetheart but I am working on it. Wanna go for a horsey ride?”

  “Yes!” was her definitive answer.

  Chapter 23

  Sophie was grateful for the freedom that was now hers. She was Sophie Brown, girl deputy of Littleborough, on her way home from an unexpected adventure, wiser than she ever had been before. Not that she wanted that kind of wisdom, but it was hers to take to her grave now whether she wanted it or not.

  She pushed the horses until she felt she could no longer in good conscience push them any further. Pulling them to a halt she cautiously she opened the carriage door and peeked in on Mr. Carlson. He was still out.

  Whatever did Jesse put in that stuff? She shivered and clicked the door firmly shut. Her stomach grumbled. She certainly hadn’t thought this far. Food for her or the horses, there was food for the horses if she turned them loose, but could she reign them back in again? She was too tired think about it, she hadn’t even brought a drop of water.

  Weariness was tugging at her again. Suddenly a quote from a prisoner slipped through her mind, “Sleep is better than bread, little missy. When you’ve been on the run as long as I have, you’ll understand.”

  The man hadn’t made any sense until now, constant running from the law, would make one weary, and better than food...he could steal food anytime–well almost anytime he liked while sleep. You can’t steal sleep.

  She really shouldn’t sleep, but she couldn’t eat and the heat of the day would soon be too hot to bear if a breeze didn’t sweep up.

  Sophie bit her lower lip, it couldn’t hurt to rest for just a little while, could it? But if she was being pursued?

  Her heart quivered in her chest.

  What would Lizzy do?

  She didn’t have the slightest clue, once again that heroine would have never gotten herself into such a pit. Glancing towards heaven she thought for a moment, wondering.

  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

  Sophie’s heart pricked.

  She was traveling, she was armed, and she wanted to sleep. The scripture never seemed more applicable than now. Home felt days away from at this rate.

  They trudged along the road, there was no pep in their dragging step. As the sun grew warmer, Sophie looked for something to shield her from its burning gaze, glancing down she saw Jesse’s coat which he had wrapped around little Ruby the night before. Putting the collar over her head she retreated inside, it was a sun shield, and she smiled, I must look ridiculous, Sophie laughed at herself.

  The morning grew long and hot, weariness pulled at her. There was not a soul or creature in sight all morning. It was if the world was in hiding. At last, Sophie saw the looming shadow of a town. Her heart quickened, it seemed like a mirage on her endless day of loneliness.

  Suddenly Jesse’s words sparked through her mind.

  “Don’t you dare stop until you get that man hometown.”

  She shook herself and dropped his coat to where her feet rested. “But I don’t have any food or water, and the horses need a break Jesse, and so do I.”

  Sophie wished she had the habit of carrying around a pocket mirror like a few of the vain damsels she knew back at home. At least then she would know what a wreck she looked like, but did she really even care? And if she did why?

  Glancing down Sophie’s smiled at the beautiful blouse and elegant skirt, the silk waistband, now all in some state of disrepair. It was her guise, now gone, she was no longer Miss Morgan. How had she become such a woman so quickly, it was almost as if they were two different people entirely. She was still wearing the paste diamond necklace and bracelet that Jesse had given her. She would stop, just for a little while, perhaps she could change horses, get a little something to eat and drink, layup provisions for what would be a day ride if she could press them...then she’d be home. Delicious, sweet, beautiful home, there would be Papa, and Simon and even difficult Aunt Martha, but she’d hug her too. Sophie was surprised to find herself admitting that she missed the woman and all of her cranky practical nonsense. She’d send a telegram to let them know in advance that she was on her way home, maybe her papa would come riding out to meet her, and take this burden and responsibility off of her weary shoulders. How she would explain the whole thing to him, she wasn’t quite sure, but she would eventually, perhaps after a few tears and maybe a telegram from Jesse would make it all more, well, explained at least, hopefully.

  Before she really knew what she was doing Sophie found herself pulling to a halt before the general store, just as a man was closing the shop doors for an early lunch, and chatting to one of his shop boys.

  “Please sir!” she said scrambling down from the side, her legs felt weak and watery beneath her.

  “I am closing up shop, can’t it wait ma’am.”

  “Please sir, I’ve been traveling a long time I just need a little something...”

  The man turned away, she grabbed his sleeve, “Please, I am a deputy, and I have a prisoner I am taking to jail in my own town. Please...”

  Glancing over her, the star pinned to fine blouse her disarray, “You’re the missing deputy girl ain’t you?”

  Sophie nodded, feeling too weary to talk, she just wanted to be helped. “Well, I guess, since it’s for the law. You got any ready money?”

  “No, but, I have these,” she said motioning to her jewelry which Jesse had given her.

  “That ain’t worth nothing missy.”

  She glanced at the hand that she had laid on him, it still had the ring that Mr. Carlson had given her. It made her shiver.

  “I have this too,” she said with a quiet voice.

  “Fine, come on in,” he said sticking the key into the lock; he nodded to his shop boy who went scrambling off.

  In a minute he had laid several things before her ready to eat, Sophie handed him the ring, feeling as if she was selling a birthright for a pot of potage, but for the first time she understood what Esau must have felt like. Jacob was a cheat. Her sense of justice sparked, but she let it die down, it wasn’t worth getting worked up over.

  “I reckon you could use a new dress, that thing ain’t fit to be seen.”

  Sophie smiled wryly she knew she was a sight, but he could have been more genteel the way he said it, at least. “That would be lovely.”

  “What one you want?”

  Can’t anyone speak properly around here? After a quick glance, she liked the blue one...but after a day of travel, and Aunt Martha would never quite approve, she never seemed to approve of pretty colors just serviceable no-nonsense drabness. “I’ll take the brown one, it’ll wear well,” she found herself admitting.

 

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