At the Crossroads (Buckhorn, Montana #3)(17)

He and the men walked toward the door.

“You know what to do if we don’t come back,” Gene said over his shoulder to his two men on his way out. “Shoot anyone who moves.”

The baby began to cry louder. There was more sniffling in the room as the older woman by the door collapsed again into her husband’s arms. The two were glaring at Vi.

“What are you two old fools looking at?” Vi demanded.

“Keep your voice down,” Tina cried. “You’re upsetting Chloe.”

Vi slammed her lips shut but continued to glare around at anyone who looked at her. Bobby and Eric were both shaking their heads. Clearly they knew how close Vi had come to getting shot, Culhane thought.

Fortunately, both men were more interested in the food. They kept eating as if they thought it might be their last meal. It might be, he figured.

He could feel Alexis’s gaze on him and knew exactly what she was thinking. That maybe this would be a good time to disarm these two.

“Wait,” he said quietly as he turned back to his breakfast. He took another bite before glancing out the side window. The three men were almost to the general store. Once they were inside the store and busy...



CHAPTER SEVEN


ALEXIS FELT HER stomach roil. Morning sickness, yeah, right. It could hit her anytime, anywhere. But not here, please not here. She couldn’t believe the mess she’d walked into. She would have liked to blame Culhane for all of it.

But she remembered the night in question camped beside the lake, the campfire crackling, the flames dancing against the side of the tent. They hadn’t used protection. It was a story as old as time. She’d just never believed it would happen to her.

She took a bite of pancake, hoping it would calm her stomach; otherwise, she was going to have to make a run for the ladies’ room under the worst possible circumstances. Taking a few deep breaths, she got past it.

That night at the lake had been glorious. Culhane had gotten up the next morning and made her breakfast over the campfire. The memory hurt at heart level and radiated out all the way to her toes and her fingertips. The next bite was hard to swallow, but she kept eating, knowing she needed the sustenance and hoping she would be able to keep the food down.

“How are things with you?” Culhane whispered.

She didn’t look at him. Didn’t answer. This didn’t seem like the time to get into it, but that didn’t stop Culhane.

“I haven’t been great,” he said.

She shot him a look. That was putting it mildly, given that he was wanted for murder.

“This is hell for me just thinking what could happen to you here,” he said.

His words made her heart ache. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took another bite of her breakfast. Her eyes burned. Culhane had always been able to disarm her emotionally with only a few words. Who was she kidding? A look from him was all it took.

Or had taken, she reminded herself. Who knew what other secrets he’d kept from her. Unable to trust the man, she told herself she was no longer under his spell. He could no longer beguile her with one of his lazy grins. Or melt her insides with his sleepy-eyed looks. Or sweet-talk her back into his bed.

“You know how this is going to end if we don’t do something,” she whispered back.

He nodded and sighed before he turned to look at the two armed men. “How’s your breakfast?” he called to them. “Anyone want seconds?”

“Could use some coffee,” Eric said. But as Culhane started to rise, Eric stopped him. “I want her to pour it.”

Neither of them had to ask who Eric meant.

Culhane glanced at Alexis as he picked up his Stetson and settled it over his unruly blond hair. She saw that it was his lucky hat. She hoped he was wearing his lucky boots as well. “You might want to get that fresh pot from the back,” he said to her. “But be careful, it’s real hot,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear. Then he met her gaze, just long enough.

She nodded and rose slowly, wishing for her gun instead of a coffeepot. Culhane had always been a crack shot, but they’d just both agreed silently that gunfire would get Earl Ray and Lars killed. Like when they were deputies together, they often could just look at each other and know what the other one wanted to do.

She tried to still her pounding heart as she walked into the kitchen and picked up the hot pot of fresh coffee. If this went sideways, a lot of people could be killed, she and Culhane among them. Culhane would die not even knowing that he was almost a father. A father that if they lived might be headed for jail—or worse—prison.

As she passed the counter, Culhane rose and swore loudly. “Oh, shoot, I left the grill on.” He rushed in the kitchen, passing her. The look in his eyes was almost her undoing. It was both a wish of good luck as well as a warning to be careful with something more heart-wrenching tossed in the mix. Goodbye, in case this plan went really bad.

But it was the love she saw there that made her heart skip as she started toward the booth where the two men were waiting, their weapons right there on the table next to them.

LARS BENT DOWN to unlock the door to the general store. Earl Ray couldn’t help seeing the way the man’s hands shook and sweat beaded on his ruddy face. Lars must have noticed his hands, too, because he fumbled for a moment putting the key into the lock but finally managed.

Pull it together. The door swung open. Earl Ray told himself that of course Lars was nervous. Like him, there were people in that café that Lars cared and worried about. Clearly the man cared more about Tina and the baby that possibly even Shirley had known until today. But Earl Ray suspected that Lars cared about Shirley as well. Also like him, Lars was probably even more worried about what Vi would do before this was over. He certainly was. The woman didn’t have the good sense of a goose.