An Outlaw's Weakness*Fifth in Crane Gang series*

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

As Preston and Xavier stepped out of the livery with their saddlebags over their shoulders, Preston took Xavier's hand in his. Instantly, Xaiver's head whipped around, looking in all directions for a threat.

Preston laughed lightly. "I told you we can hold hands here, Xavier. No one cares."

Xavier was still tense, still ready to defend Preston against anyone who would have something to say about the public display of affection. But that threat never came. As a matter of fact, no one seemed to pay any attention to them at all, except for a few that greeted Preston as they walked past.

"Preston?" a voice called out with disbelief. Preston turned toward the voice and Xavier saw his face light up.

"Nana Maria!" Preston dropped his saddlebags and ran to the small woman, hugging her tight.

"What were you thinking taking off and worrying me that way?" she demanded as she pulled away and laid her hand on his cheek.

"I'm sorry.. it was just something I had to do."

Maria sighed and pulled away with a knowing smile. "I guess I can understand that." Her gaze moved to Xavier. "And who are you?"

"Xavier Black, ma'am," Xavier replied politely. Damn, but he was feeling a bit overwhelmed and raw from being surrounded by people all day. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with his man.

Her brow quirked up on her lightly wrinkled face. "Why are you with Preston?"

Xavier sighed and wondered if he was going to be interrogated again. "Because I'm his."

Maria's face lit up. "Well that's wonderful, Preston! You deserve a bit of happiness."

Preston pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I got more good news. I'm not sick anymore. I met a healer and she took the sickness away."

Xavier saw the disbelief on Maria's face and he understood it. Hell, he hadn't believed the woman either when she had stated she could remove the sickness from Preston's body. He'd thought it was a bunch of horseshit, honestly.

And when the woman had stood over Preston, chanting and covering his body in smoke from the burning herbs in her hands, Xavier had damn near grabbed his man and ran.

Preston had fallen asleep after the intense ritual and Xavier had sat by his bed for hours simply waiting on him to wake up. Then Preston had and there had been something different about him. Preston had begun to cry and vowed that he knew the sickness was gone—said he could feel that for the first time in his life his lungs were better.

Xavier had no choice but to believe him. He wanted to believe him. And in the month since then, Preston hadn't had a single attack. Hell, the man didn't ever seem to get out of breath even when trick riding. Even Preston's color was getting better and he wasn't nearly as pale as he'd once been.

But the biggest, and most noticeable difference in Preston were his eyes. Those blue eyes which had always held a trace of sadness, now shone with the purest happiness Xavier had ever seen.

"How did she take it away?" Maria questioned.

Preston shrugged as he stepped back and put his back against Xavier's chest. Acting purely on instinct, Xavier dropped a kiss to his blond hair. "I don't know how," Preston admitted. "But it's gone."

Xavier saw the doubt and he understood it. Soon Preston's family would see for themselves that Preston was right—his sickness was gone.

Maria smiled. "Have you been to the ranch?"