Page 28

Chapter Twenty

E arly the next morning, Zeke woke up before Bernadette did.

Today they would get to Desert Station, and if he was correct, they had a preacher there.

It would be a good time to marry Bernadette.

He would have married her yesterday if there had been a preacher in Johannesberg.

He saw no reason to wait since she said she wanted to marry him.

Blaze might have had all the patience in the world, but he didn’t.

Not when it came to someone like Bernadette. A man couldn’t do better than her.

After he got ready for the day, he watched the sunrise and Bernadette.

Every time he saw the sunrise in the future, he would think about her.

Seeing the warm glow from the sun grace Bernadette’s face while she slept only emphasized how beautiful she was.

To think he would get to spend a lifetime seeing this made him so happy he had trouble sitting still.

He ended up packing everything except for the small pan he was going to use to cook their eggs.

Then he took care of their horses to make sure they were going to be good for the morning.

By the time he led his horse back from the watering hole, Bernadette was beginning to stir from sleep.

Excited, he tied the steed to a nearby shrub then went over to her.

She opened her eyes and gave a slight start.

He offered her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I noticed you were waking up and came over to see if you’d like me to help you up.”

She returned his smile then sat up in the bedroll. “You’re quiet. I didn’t even hear you approach.”

“That’s because I learned how to be light on my feet. My uncle says that a lawman shouldn’t give himself away when there’s thievery afoot. I admit I have bumped into things on occasion, but there’s nothing out here to run into. So that helps.” He extended his hand to her.

She chuckled and accepted his hand. “Are you telling me you don’t want to run into a cactus?”

His entire body flooded with heat at her touch as he helped her out of the bedroll. Forcing the pleasant sensation aside, he said, “I’ve done it before.”

Her eyes grew wide. “I was joking, Zeke.”

“I know, but the truth is, I did run into a cactus once. I assure you, it wasn’t on purpose.”

“I should hope not.”

“I saw a rattler and was so focused on making sure I didn’t get near it that I didn’t see the cactus in my path. As soon as I realized my mistake, I tripped and landed right into the thing.”

She grimaced. “That sounds painful.”

“It was, but it would have been worse if I had ended up getting bitten by the snake.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true,” she slowly agreed.

He squeezed her hand and kissed her. “That’s why I always bring some salve with me whenever I’m on a trip.

It takes care of many wounds.” He released her hand then went to collect her moccasins for her.

“However, you will notice there aren’t any cacti nearby, and that is on purpose.

You don’t hurt yourself so much if you end up in a shrub. ”

She took the moccasins and slipped them on. “At least you learn from your mishaps. Some people never do. They end up repeating the same thing over and over.”

“You know someone who does that?”

“Back in Pennsylvania, there was this young lady I knew who would eat shellfish even though it made her sick. I asked her why she kept doing that, and she said she liked the taste of it so much that she couldn’t resist it.”

Zeke studied Bernadette to make sure she wasn’t teasing. When he realized she wasn’t, he shook his head. “I’ve never had seafood. Have you eaten it?”

“I have, but it’s not good enough to get sick over.”

“We mainly eat beef and pigs out here. Sometimes we have turkey and chicken, too. Those things are on some ranches in the area. Do you like that kind of meat?”

She nodded. “I like all kinds of food. Unlike that lady, my stomach isn’t sensitive.”

“That’s good.” He’d hate to think that she would have to spend her life being careful about the foods grown in the area.

Of course, being his wife would mean she’d have to learn to cook.

Unless she already knew how to do that. He recalled how annoyed Gail got with him for trying to help her with the cooking tasks. “How much do you know about cooking?”

She hesitated to answer but finally admitted, “I hate to say it, but I don’t know anything about it. Lucas promised me that Blaze would be patient and teach me what I need to know about living out here.”

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“There’s no need to worry. I don’t mind helping you.

With beef, you cook it until it’s all brown.

With the rest of the meat, you cook it until you have a firm consistency throughout the meat.

Most of it is based on experience. I’ll cook it with you.

Once you learn how things are supposed to feel and look, you never forget. ”

“I’m not afraid of learning new things, Zeke.

I admit that when I boarded the train in Pennsylvania, I cried because I was afraid of what things would be like in Arizona.

But now that I’ve been here for a while and now that I’ve come to know you, I don’t ever want to go back. I want to make a life here with you.”

A wave of pleasure traveled right through him. Bernadette just might be better than even a sunrise. She kissed him. Now he really couldn’t wait to get to Desert Station. As soon as the kiss was over, he hurried to take care of the bedroll.

Lucas, Gail, Blaze, and Faye made it to the edge of Quartzsite around noon.

Lucas was relieved. It had been a long and exhausting trip from the canyon.

At least when they were allowed to spend the night in town, he was able to get a decent night’s sleep.

He still couldn’t manage to get any significant sleep when they were outdoors.

Blaze might think all Lucas wanted was to be alone with Gail, but it wasn’t the only thing Lucas wanted.

He was much more alert during the day after adequate rest.

“We made decent time,” Blaze said, sounding satisfied with their progress.

Lucas got off his horse then hurried to help Gail down so they could take their animals to the watering hole.

“My hope is that Lee and Wilson aren’t here yet,” Blaze called out as he led his horse to the watering hole. “That would give us the advantage. But in case they’re already here, at least we can keep an eye out for them.”

“If they’re in town, we’ll know about it soon enough,” Faye replied. “My brother and that friend of his never have been able to keep things quiet.”

“Which is why so many people know who they are in Arizona,” Blaze told Lucas and Gail.

“If they’re so well-known, why haven’t they been arrested by now?” Lucas asked.

“People are scared to turn them in when they show up somewhere,” Blaze replied before Faye could. “It’s not a civilized place out here. Only the tough survive.”

If that was the case, why didn’t Blaze warn him before he sent Bernadette out here? Lucas was tempted to ask the question but realized he already knew the answer. Blaze figured he would be able to protect her. And he was probably right. Look at the way he had rescued her from Bower and his men.

“Blaze, I think you and I should separate once we get inside the town’s limits,” Faye spoke up. “We’ll make more progress if we ask around at different places. We can agree to meet at a spot in town. Then we’ll form a plan of action.”

Blaze thought about her suggestion for a moment then nodded.

“I’m not separating from Gail,” Lucas argued. “If you two want to go on your own, that’s up to you, but Gail’s my wife, and I refuse to leave her side when we’re in unfamiliar territory.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on having your help with finding them,” Faye told Lucas. “I meant Blaze and I should search for them. You two don’t know how to use a gun, and I wager you two have never used a knife to protect yourselves.”

Lucas glanced at Gail and noted her bristling. “I haven’t needed to use anything to defend myself or anyone else. I’m not sure about Gail.”

When Faye’s gaze went to Gail, Gail said, “I like to think that what I possess up here,” she tapped the top of her head, “is more important than a gun or a knife. To answer the inquiry, however, I’ve never had to worry about protecting myself, either.”

“I’d like to agree that wisdom is important, but sometimes the only thing that will help you survive is brute force,” Faye responded, her tone so matter-of-fact that it was difficult to take her words personally.

“Well, that frees you and Gail up to go to a hotel,” Blaze told Lucas. “I know you’ve been eager to do that. I’ll find you and let you know what’s happening.”

Lucas watched as Blaze and Faye got back on their horses. He thought he would experience a flicker of panic as the two headed into town, each taking their own path as they did so, but to his surprise, he felt relief.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss Zeke,” Gail commented.

“I miss him, too,” Lucas agreed, though he had missed Zeke the moment Zeke ran after Bernadette to save her from the big creature that hauled her back toward Granite Wash Pass.

“When Zeke’s not around, you realize he’s not so bad. I hope he and Bernadette aren’t too far behind us.”

Lucas slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her against his side. “I think Zeke is capable of doing the job. It’s just hard to see that when someone like Blaze is around.”

Perhaps he should stop pushing Bernadette to marry Blaze.

While Blaze was a good man who could afford her a comfortable life, Lucas wondered if she might be better off with someone who understood that a husband and wife should be able to have a night to themselves in a hotel room.

If Blaze couldn’t appreciate that, then would it mean he would only see Bernadette as someone to tend to his home?

After getting to know Gail better, Lucas had come to appreciate how nice it was to have a companionship with one’s wife.

He loved Gail. He couldn’t imagine his life without her.

She completed him. Bernadette ought to have a marriage with a man who saw her that way.

The more he thought about it, the more it felt as if Blaze saw Bernadette as a sister.

Someone to protect and take care of, but not someone he was passionate about marrying.

“I wonder just how interested Zeke is in Bernadette,” he whispered to Gail.

“Oh, he’s very interested in her,” Gail said. “I could tell that the day we headed for Quartzsite.”

“You could?”

She nodded. “He kept looking at her the same way he looks at sunrises and sunsets.”

He frowned. Gail had noticed the way Zeke looked at sunrises and sunsets? Did she also know Zeke had compared her to a sunset?

“At first, I thought Bernadette would never choose him,” Gail continued. “But I don’t know anymore. She didn’t seem all that eager to stay in Arizona if she has to marry Blaze. You’re not going to make her marry him, are you?”

“No, of course not. I would never force her to marry someone she doesn’t want to be with.

I asked her if she would be willing to come out here to marry him, and she agreed to it.

” Lucas opted not to add that he had a couple of other men who were looking for a wife on his list of potential husbands for her.

He’d chosen Blaze first since Blaze had the most money.

Saying that to Gail would give away the fact that his family hadn’t been as well off as she’d assumed.

Even now, he didn’t want anyone to know the truth.

Gail relaxed. “I’m glad to hear that. No one should marry someone they don’t want to be with.”

Lucas removed his hat then lowered his head to kiss her, allowing himself the pleasure of deepening it to the point where his body was pressing him to take her to a hotel.

He parted from her then slipped his hat back on.

“Let’s get to town. If Blaze is finally going to let me have some time alone with you, I plan to take advantage of it. ”

The pink tint on her cheeks told him she was flattered by his desire for her. With a grin, he assisted her onto the steed.