Give My Heart to Kaitlyn (2nd in Outlaw Series)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

"It's Marston!" Rose exclaimed, as she sat Lucy on her feet and ran toward the road.

Kaitlyn watched her pa leap from his horse and quickly close the distance separating him from his wife. He held his hands out to stop her from leaping into his arms.

"I'm a bit of a mess," he warned, his voice weak and laced with pain. That's when Kaitlyn noticed the blood covering him. Rose shoved Marston's hands away and wrapped her arms around him.

Kaitlyn saw Duke and Jeremiah but Pete wasn't there. Fear gripped her heart. "Pa?" she whispered. "Where's Pete?"

"He's fine, I promise. He got nicked in the arm but it wasn't anything serious. He wanted to stay behind to set the town right after everything that went down."

"Duke, are you okay?" Carol asked as she made her way through the snow. Duke got down from his horse and wrapped her in a one armed hug. "That bastard got my shoulder is all. I'll be just fine once it heals. I got you something," he added, reaching in his pocket.

He handed her the small angel figurine he'd stolen from the mercantile. Carol's blue eyes filled with tears as she stared at the tiny piece of porcelain. Her eyes lifted to Duke's face with shock. "You remembered?"

Duke nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You'd be surprised by what I remember."

Kaitlyn was struck by the softness in her uncle's voice because it was so different from anything she'd ever heard in it before.

"What the hell happened to him and how'd he get loose?" Jeremiah demanded when he pointed toward Jose's dead body.

Rose moved away from Marston long enough to point toward Lucy and Langley. "Langley brought Lucy out to use the outhouse and that man had gotten loose. He attacked Lucy but Langley protected her."

"Did you shoot him?" Marston asked Langley, noticing the paleness of the boy's face. Langley nodded. "You saved your sister. I'm proud of you."

Marston stalked into the barn and when he returned several moments later, his face was a mask of rage. He stormed to Jeremiah and let his fist fly, busting his brother in the jaw.

"What was that for?" Jeremiah grumbled, spitting blood.

"You put our friend here next to a pitchfork and he cut his way free. You almost got my daughter killed and you made my boy have to pull the trigger on a man."

"Yeah, but she was only almost killed. She's fine!" Jeremiah insisted. "You didn't have to punch me."

"I did have to punch you," Marston countered. "And if she hadn't been fine, I'd have been killing you."

"I'm sorry," Jeremiah muttered with true regret. "I didn't realize there was anything close enough to him that he could cut his way free."

"Pa?" Lucy's fearful voice whispered. "Pa, you're bleeding."

Marston grimaced with pain as he crouched down. "I'm fine, nugget. Did that man hurt you?"

"His hand stunk when he put it on my face but he didn't hurt me. I kicked him hard right between the legs just like you taught me to."

"That's my girl," Marston winked.

She put her chubby hand on his jaw. "Did you bring me candy?"

"Lucy!" Rose scolded but Marston simply grinned and reached in his pocket.

"Of course I did," he said as he placed on of the sugary sticks in her hand.