Don't Poke the Bear!

Chapter 21

WHILE ROSE CUTS the bullet out of Shrug's shoulder, I think about Bose Rennick, the outlaw she claims is after me. If she's right, I've got problems.

The first time I ever laid eyes on Bose Rennick, I was ridin' through Jacksboro, Texas, and he was chained to a tree, with three lawmen guardin' him. Later I heard he got away. Next time I saw him was on the trip west, when I met Gentry. Bose and his partner, Sam Hartman, got the drop on us, and would a' killed us 'cept for Rose spookin' their horses. The three things you want to know about Bose Rennick is he's a stone-cold killer with more than twenty notches on his gun, he's got enormous, crazy eyes, and he has the richest, most beautiful speakin' voice a man could possibly have.

As evil a man as Bose Rennick is, Sam Hartman is worse. He's widely considered the cruelest man who ever lived. In the western frontier of 1861, that's sayin' a lot.

While Rose always turns out to be right about her premonitions, they don't always happen at the time she expects 'em to. That ain't necessarily her fault, as she explains, because things like weather and sickness and accidents and coincidences can come along to delay or speed up events. The best value about this premonition regardin' Bose Rennick is I can be on my guard. 'Cause whether he comes tonight, next week, or next month, the important thing is to be ready for him. And if Sam Hartman is with him, as I s'pect he'll be, that's a tall order to deal with if a man ain't prepared. And even if he is!

"Are Bose and Sam travelin' together?" I ask.

"I don't know."

"Any idea when Bose will show up?"

"Sometime after you become sheriff."

I give her a close look. "You sure about that part?"

"Positive."

"Good," I say, much relieved. "Since I have no plans to be sheriff, I guess I got nothin' to worry about."

After Rose sews Shrug up with her catgut, we wait a couple hours till it gets dark enough to sneak Shrug into town without lettin' him be seen by too many. We tie the two outlaw horses to the back of Rose's wagon and I ride Major into town with Rose followin' close behind. When we get to the back of the Spur, Rose and Shrug stay in the wagon, in the shadows. I tie Major to the rail post, and wave to the whores smokin' on the balcony.

"Heard you and Gentry had a big fight!" Leah says.

"You need a place to sleep tonight, you can cuddle up with me," Constance says.

I tell 'em to go back inside and call for Gentry. They do, and seconds later, my Gentry comes tearin' down the steps and throws herself in my arms and hugs me like a child hugs a puppy. When she hears a sound behind me, she jumps back.

"Rose?" she says.

"Hi Gentry!"

Gentry and Rose exchange a hug, and Rose drags her over by the lamp light to get a better look at her face.

"Your skin is absolutely flawless!" Rose says.

"Thanks to you!" Gentry gushes.

When Gentry turns her attention back to me, I say, "You won't believe who else is here!"

"Who?"

"Shrug."

"What? Where is he?"

Rose laughs. "You don't have to pretend, Gentry. Wayne knows you were there."

"But-"

"It's okay. He's embarrassed, but he loves you both. If you don't talk about it, he won't either."

"How did he find out?" I ask.

"He heard you and Gentry talking on the hill this morning."

"He told you that?"

"He did."

"When?"

"When we were following you to town."

"You've heard him speak?" Gentry asks.

"Of course!" Rose says. "He speaks to everyone except Emmett."

"Why is that, do you suppose?" Gentry asks.

"You'll have to ask Wayne."