Page 74 of Falling for the Cowgirl
He lifted the poles off Otis’s shoulders to give him a rest. The outlaw leaned back against a lodgepole pine. The bandage around his gunshot was saturated with blood. And he closed his eyes, weak from blood loss as well as from the continued battle with his asthma.
Jericho knelt beside Ivy. Smudged with soot, her face was still so beautiful. His chest ached with the need to take herpain upon himself. He sighed as he had a hundred times since leaving the cave. He should have done a better job protecting her, should have warned her not to try anything and to let him make the first move.
Pressing the canteen to her lips, Jericho dribbled in as much water as he could get her to take. Then he handed the leather container to Otis.
The man shook his head. “Let me die, Bliss. It’s what I deserve, and you know it better than anyone.”
Jericho couldn’t argue with Otis. But after how close he’d come to choking the man, he reckoned he had his own struggles that could have taken him down the wrong path too—if not for the grace of God. “From what I learned in the Good Book, we all have sinned and deserve to die.”
“Some sinners—like me—deserve to die more than others.”
“Maybe. Or maybe God’s giving you an extra chance to make your peace with Him before you pass out of this life.”
Otis scoffed. “He won’t want to hear from someone like me.”
Jericho shrugged. “I’m no preacher, but Christ, in the middle of suffering the worst kind of torture while being nailed to a cross, made time to listen to the thief crucified next to Him. If He could forgive that man, He can forgive anyone.”
Otis opened his eyes and stared through the pine branches at the clear sky. “Doesn’t make sense.”
“Reckon forgiveness doesn’t make sense to most people.” It didn’t make sense to Jericho either. It was a whole lot easier to harbor anger. Yet, if God could forgive the worst of them with so much generosity, then maybe Jericho needed to start doing some forgiving of his own, starting with himself.
As much as he still wanted to take the blame for Nash’sdeath, he had to forgive himself and move on. It was what Nash would have wanted. His brother had only ever sought the best for him and wouldn’t want him to live under the weight of the accident. Because that’s what it had been. An accident. Jericho just needed to accept it.
At a groan from Ivy, Jericho brushed back the strands of hair from her face. Her lashes fluttered and her eyes opened. As she focused on his face above hers, confusion pooled in the dark brown. “Jericho?”
“I’m here.” He rested his hand against her cheek and stopped himself from bending down and pressing his lips to hers.
“Where are we?”
“On our way home.” If only they were a little farther.
She reached up as if to touch her wound, but at the movement she cried out. In the next instant, she leaned her head to the side and vomited. She had nothing in her stomach to empty except the water he’d been giving her.
When she finished, her lashes fluttered back down. And she was so still, he guessed she’d passed out again from the pain. Even though she was a strong woman, her body could only handle so much.
“We need to keep moving.” He stood, the desperation prodding him as it had since they’d left the cave.
Otis tried to push to his feet but couldn’t make it more than halfway up before collapsing. “After your efforts to turn me into a saint, I’d like to prove I’m good for something and help carry her the rest of the way to Fairplay. But I don’t think I’ll make it.”
The long summer day was working in their favor, but Jericho guessed they had another hour of daylight at most.Would he have to leave Otis behind and finish carrying Ivy to town on his own? If so, he’d have to bind the man to a tree to ensure he didn’t run away. But such a defenseless position could put him in danger if any wild animals came upon him before Jericho had the chance to return.
It was also possible the conniving outlaw was acting weak in order to get Jericho to go on without him.
“Stop wasting time and tie me up.” Otis spoke matter-of-factly. “If you hurry, you’ll make it to town with her before daybreak.”
The dusty wagon path ahead was cluttered with dandelions amidst patches of sparse dry grass. From here on out, it was worn enough that he could pull the litter. It would be bumpier for Ivy, but it would allow him to move more quickly than if he carried her.
But he also had the feeling if he left Otis, somehow the man would figure out a way to go back for the gold and disappear forever. Then all the efforts Jericho had made over the past weeks would be for nothing. He’d lose Otis and lose the Department of Justice contract for Pinkerton.
“I’ll carry Ivy,” he said. “But you have to stay with me. I can’t leave you here by yourself.”
“If you tie me up, I won’t be able to get away.”
“Come on. Let’s go.” Jericho reached out and hefted Otis back to his feet. The man swayed and braced himself against the tree. Otis appeared genuinely sick and tired and weak. But that’s what a good con man could do. Fool everyone around him into pitying him.
At a shout from down the wagon path, Jericho’s pulse skipped. Someone was near, hopefully someone who could assist him.
“We need help!” Jericho called and waved his hands in the direction of the lower elevation.
