Breaking Jacob (2nd in Breaking Series)

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Damn that girl!" Brody exclaimed as the stallion fell dead to the ground and Brody holstered his gun. He ran quickly and launched himself over the corral fence. Kneeling down beside his sister he saw that she was unconscious but her chest was rising and falling, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Brody quickly assessed the damage done to her body. There was a deep cut on her scalp and a lump and bruise forming on her forehead. He ran his hands over her arms and ribs. She moaned when he touched her ribs but from what he could tell they weren't broken. He couldn't say the same for her leg however as it laid to the side at an awkward angle.

"Cookie?" Brody snapped as he stood back up.

Cookie was limping forward, "Is she alive?"

Brody nodded, "Take my horse and go tell Elizabeth what happened. Tell her I took Sally to town to see the doc." Cookie nodded and with an effort he pulled himself into the saddle of Brody's waiting horse and rode away.

"Oh my god! Is she okay?" Susie's frightened voice came from behind him.

Brody nodded as he pulled off his hat and wiped his sweaty brow on his shirt sleeve, "Stay here with her while I hook up the wagon...."

"Jacob took the wagon. He and Miss Bradshaw went to town," Susie replied.

Brody cursed and wondered why the hell they didn't have more than one wagon. He couldn't very well take her in the buckboard, that would bounce her to death. He picked Sally up as gently as he could and laid her over his shoulder before climbing over the corral fence.

He mounted Sally's waiting horse and cradled her gently in his lap, "You stay here. If Elizabeth comes you tell her where I went okay?"

Susie's wide blue eyes were full of tears as she nodded, "Okay," she said, swiping the moisture from her freckled cheeks. Brody started toward town, working hard to keep the horses gait as smooth as possible to save his foolish sister as much pain as he could.

***

Ellie walked out of the post office with Otis's wire in her skirt pocket. He had wished her well and that was it. She had sent him a wire back telling him that she wanted to come home and her job just wasn't working out. The postmaster had given her an odd look as he had taken the note from her but a simple smile from her had had him stuttering and blushing once again.

Now she just had to wait for Otis's okay and for him to send her the money for a ticket home and she'd be ready to go. She prayed that he would let her come home without a fight, though she dreaded the punishment she would receive for not doing her job.

Ellie took a deep breath, finding it difficult in this corset and the heat. She glanced up and down the street for Jacob. She had left him standing out here but he was gone now.

Ellie ran her finger over the hat on her head and felt her heart break just a little. Perhaps reading all those novels had made her a hopeless romantic, but she could already see how happy she and Jacob could be. Sure it was sudden but sudden didn't make it untrue. She could tell he was kind, thoughtful and caring. He made her laugh and smile. He was obviously loyal and he loved his family... Add to that the fact that just the sight of his face or the gentle touch of his hand made her heart beat faster and her body heat, and she knew that he was what she'd been waiting on.

Too bad he had met her as Alice Bradshaw and not Ellie Thompson.

But maybe, just maybe, he could forgive her for her actions and her lies so far. Maybe if she explained to him about her family and about her fear for her sister, he could understand. He seemed like a patient man. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She would tell him. And he would help her. He would keep her and Liza both safe from Otis and Ellie would finally be able to have the life she'd always wanted..... Or at least that's what she hoped.