Page 42 of Montana Lawman Rescuer
“Where are you fellows from? Where are you going? Just so’s I know who to contact should you suddenly meet your demise.”
“D’mise? What’s that?” the guy on the left asked.
“I think he’s threatening us. Ain’t he?” The front rider asked the man on the right.
“Huh. How’s he going to shoot all three of us?”
Jesse cocked his gun and eyed them one after the other. “Who wants to be the one I get?”
The man on his left lunged for Jesse’s gun. Jesse drew it back, keeping it trained on the man’s forehead. “What do you want me to put on your tomb? Or you satisfied with an X?”
The other two laughed nervously.
“You let him shoot you, Lammie, and I’ll shoot him.”
Jesse didn’t flinch. “I’m pretty sure I can get two of you before you get your guns out.”
The big man at the front reached for his sidearm.
Jesse shot just right of his ear.
At the sound, Mikey woke with a cry. Emily held him tight and murmured for him to be still.
The man jerked. “You almost hit me.”
“If I meant to hit you, I would have.” Jesse jerked his pistol toward the man beside Emily. “I’d suggest you ride away while we’re all still alive.”
“I got better things to do’n fight a sheriff.” The man at Emily’s right kicked his horse into action and rode away.
Jesse hoped he would continue riding in that direction.
The other two cursed and followed their partner.
Jesse leaned over to peer behind the buggy and make sure they didn’t circle back.
After he was fairly certain they weren’t returning, he put his gun away and opened his arms to Emily and Mikey, who both cried quietly. “It’s okay. We’re safe. They won’t bother us again.”Please, Father God, give them something else to occupy their nasty minds.
Emily clutched his vest. “I thought they were going to kill you.”
Me, too.But he would die protecting Emily and Mikey if necessary. “They thought better of it.”
She sniffed back her tears and sat up to look into his face. “You were prepared to die to protect us.”
He nodded.
“But why? For all you know, I’m a wicked person.”
He grinned at the idea. “I might as well say that, for all you know, I’m an elephant.”
Her eyes widened, and she burst out laughing. It quickly changed to tears, and she buried her face against his chest and cried.
He rubbed her back and made what he hoped were soothing noises.
She’d put Mikey down at her feet, and he patted her knees. “Mem, mem, mem.” He sounded concerned as Emily continued to cry.
She sucked in a breath and held it, though shudders ran through her body. Air eased past her teeth.
“I’m okay now.”
