Page 50 of Montana Lawman Rescuer
“I’ll wait and talk to him before I ride out to the scene.” He thanked the man for all he’d done, then looked at Emily for the first time since he’d intercepted the rider.
Her eyes were dark as a midnight sky, her lips set in a hard line. “It could be the same men.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I want to hear what Bo has to say. In the meantime, I need to get you home.” Despite his hope that she’d feel free to move about town, he wasn’t prepared to leave herwandering around, especially with robbers in the area, and they made their way back to the house.
He paused with her at the front door. “I wish I didn’t have to rush away.”
Her smile was wide, but her eyes were still dark, indicating troubled thoughts. “Thanks for taking care of me. But you needn’t worry. I’ll get myself sorted out.”
That didn’t sound as much positive as resigned. But he couldn’t stay and help her, even if he’d thought he could be of help. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He squeezed her shoulder and hurried away.
Even though Gram was there, he felt as if he’d abandoned her. He stopped at the manse and asked Annie to pay Emily a visit. “She’s rather discouraged after Doc told her he could do nothing.”
“Evan has been asking to play with Mikey, so I don’t mind going to see her.”
With that, he had to be satisfied for now.
A wagon stood in front of Doc’s house, and Jesse hurried in. Before he opened the door, he heard Bo roaring. He went into the examining room where Doc prepared to remove a bullet from Bo’s arm.
“They meant to kill me,” Bo yelled. He saw Jesse. “You go catch them. Bring them to me. I’ll learn ’em not to mess with me.”
Jesse ignored Bo’s anger. “Can you tell me anything about them? How many were there? Did you see their faces?”
“Three men. They kept their faces covered. After they shot me and left me for dead, they rifled through my goods and scattered them all over.” He half sat. “Doc, I gotta get my supplies.”
Doc pushed him back to the table. “Lie down. You’re not going anywhere until I get the bullet out. Hang on now, son. I have to dig a little.”
“I’ll make arrangements for your things,” Jesse said, and he slipped away as Bo roared like an angry bull.
He arranged for a couple of men to ride east and take care of the supply wagon, and then he got his horse. “Come on, Rocky. We got work to do.” It took twenty minutes to reach the wagon. He arrived before those coming with another wagon to get Bo’s things. Jesse shook his head at the senseless way the goods had been scattered about and bags of flour and oats torn open. He dismounted a few feet away and left Rocky waiting. Studying the ground for clues, he circled the area.
And what he saw turned his stomach sour. The same misshapen horseshoe. The same trio had robbed the stage and killed the driver and his guard.
Jesse straightened and stared down the road. He needed to ride after the robbers before he lost the trail, but what if they made their way to town? Would they recognize Emily and see her as a threat?
They’d left her for dead. Had no reason to suspect she’d lived. Likely, they hadn’t even looked at her, so they wouldn’t recognize her. He was worrying needlessly.
He returned to Rocky and followed the tracks of the robbers.
But all the while, his gut complained, warning him that Emily could be in danger. After all, how long would a person have to be in town before they heard about the woman who’d been rescued from the stagecoach robbery?
CHAPTER TEN
Emily went out to the backyard where Mikey played. The boy ran to her arms, and she held him tight, finding comfort in his hugs. The doctor couldn’t help her. She might never regain her memory.
Gram straightened from cutting flowers. “Where’s Jesse?”
She let Mikey resume his play and then explained about the robbery. “What if it’s the same men?” Her limbs were brittle as glass at the thought.
Gram moved closer. “Is there any reason to think it might be?”
“I suppose not.” She didn’t think the three who stopped them on Sunday were the same as the ones who robbed the stagecoach, but she wasn’t sure why she thought that. Was it something about the way they rode or spoke? She couldn’t be certain. But there were too many bad men around, and it made her nervous. “I’m overreacting.”
“What did Dr. Baker say about your memory?”
Emily relayed the information in a shaking voice. “What will become of me if I never get my memory back?”
“Someone will be looking for you. When they find you, I suppose you’ll have to make a choice as to whether or not toreturn to the life you don’t remember or start a new one here. And that, my dear, will depend on who is looking for you.”
