A Headstrong Woman(17)
“I know. After Martha died I avoided all the mamas like the plague,” Elijah was finally able to laugh about it.
“Wealthy rancher with a young daughter; I bet they were relentless,” Jonathon grinned at the man next to him.
“Alexandria and her mother were the exception. They were over all the time trying to help with Lilly; Alexandria is great with her. It took me a moment to catch on that Alexandria was interested.”
“She wasn’t aggressive like the others I take it.”
“No, nor could I picture her being. At first I was completely shocked but the more I thought about it the more sense it made to marry her. I wish I had kept thinking in retrospect. I know I hurt her badly,” Elijah shook his head in regret.
“From the few conversations I’ve had with her she seems to be a pretty reasonable woman, Eli, and it seems to me you two are making progress.”
“We are; I just wish I had waited to remarry; until I had worked through it all.”
“Can’t go back,” Jonathon reminded him.
“Isn’t that the truth?”
“It is cold!” Jonathon pulled his collar up higher on his neck.
“Come on gidup!” Elijah encouraged the team to pick up their pace. It was either his imagination or it was getting colder.
By the time the men were ready to return to the ranch the wind had picked up in intensity and seemed to slice right through their coats and gear to pierce their skin.
“What a lousy day,” Elijah muttered. He had no need to encourage the horses on this time; they seemed anxious to return to their homes in the barn.
“We’re almost there,” Jonathon offered as they neared the turn off for the ranch.
“Glad for that. Whoa….” Eli pulled the horses to a stop as three men rode to a stop in front the wagon. “Can I help you, gentleman?” Elijah eyed the group cautiously. Their faces were nearly hidden in their clothing, understandable, but their manner suggested trouble.
“You can put your hands where I can see them,” the two outside riders pulled guns as the middle man dismounted.
“I’ll take whatever money you got but don’t you think of trying anything funny. Both these two men here are crack shots and they won’t hesitate to put a bullet through ya,” the man on the ground ordered.
“You take what you want, just mind those triggers,” Elijah reached for his money and handed it over; Jonathon did the same.
“Only nine dollars and twenty-two cents. You want I should search the wagon?” the man turned to his companions.
“Naw, we’re being paid well enough; just mount up,” one of the men responded. “You two get down; no funny stuff now.”
Elijah and Jonathon both climbed down from the high seat.
“You,” the man waved his gun in Jonathon’s direction, “loose them horses and be quick about it.”
Jonathon moved to obey and searched the surrounding area for cover; he had a real bad feeling about this. The men had chosen a good place for their ambush and a good day too. There was no nearby cover and almost no traffic thanks to the weather.
“What’s takin’ so long?” the man demanded.
Jonathon loosened the last trace and led both horses toward the man. The middle rider took the horses leads and circled back to his friends.
“Please take the horses or whatever you want; just don’t hurt me or my friend here. I have a wife and a child to care for…” Elijah’s sentence was cut short, the gun sounded only moments before he jerked and crumpled to the ground.
Jonathon started at the sound; a second shot came almost immediately and he felt pain rip through his arm. Knowing he wasn’t mortally wounded, he made a show of landing face down on the ground anyway.
“Should we make sure they’re dead?” one of the men asked.
Jonathon held his breath and prayed they would leave.
“Naw, they’re dead; I never miss. Let’s get outta here before those shots bring someone lookin’,” the leader instructed.
Jonathon heard the riders moving away but waited to move until he could no longer hear them. He scrambled to his friend’s side and rolled him over to find a pool of blood already staining the ground and blood running from the corner of Elijah’s mouth. Jonathon glanced down at Elijah’s shirt to find a growing bloodstain in the general area of the man’s heart. Elijah was breathing hard and his eyes were slightly glazed.