Mae had less than one minute.
She did not waste it.
Gideon had shown her where he kept the spare rifle.
Mae laid Samuel in the cradle, wrapped him tightly, and pulled the rifle from above the hearth.
Her hands shook.
She had fired a gun twice in her life.
Both times at bottles.
Neither had been moving toward her house.
Jeb dismounted first.
Silas followed.
Mae bolted the door.
“Mae!” Silas shouted.
She checked the rifle.
Loaded.
“Open up!”
Samuel coughed.
Mae’s heart tore in two directions.
She wanted to hold her son.
She needed to defend him.
Jeb slammed something against the door.
The frame shuddered.
Mae raised the rifle.
“I’ll shoot!”
Silence.
Then Silas laughed.
“No, you won’t.”
Mae’s finger rested near the trigger.
“Try me.”
Silas had known the old Mae.
The woman who apologized while bleeding.
The woman who lowered her head.
The woman who begged.
He did not know this one.
Jeb moved toward the window.
Mae fired.
The bullet struck the porch post inches from his shoulder.
Jeb jumped back.
Silas cursed.
Mae’s ears rang.
Samuel screamed.
“It’s all right!” she called. “Mama’s here!”
Jeb shouted through the door.
“You nearly killed me!”
“That was the idea.”
Her voice surprised her.
A long silence followed.
Silas tried another tactic.
“Samuel’s sick, isn’t he?”
Mae froze.
“How do you know?”
“We saw Hale riding out.”
Jeb laughed.
“You’re alone.”
Mae checked the ammunition.
Not for long, she prayed.
Silas continued.
“Come out peacefully. We’ll take the baby to a doctor.”
“You would sell him before reaching town.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I know exactly who you are.”
Jeb kicked the door.
Mae aimed again.
Suddenly a rifle shot came from the trees.
Jeb dove.
Another shot struck the ground by Silas’s boot.
Then a familiar voice roared across the clearing.
“Move away from that cabin!”
Gideon.
Mae almost collapsed.
He rode from the tree line with another man behind him.
Doctor Carter.
Gideon jumped from the saddle before the horse stopped.
Jeb fired.
The shot went wide.
Gideon fired back.
Jeb’s revolver flew from his hand.
Silas ran.
Not toward the woods.
Toward the barn.
Of course.
Cowardice had always chosen the easiest path.
Gideon crossed the clearing fast enough to frighten Mae.
He struck Jeb once.
Jeb went down.
Gideon stood over him.
For one terrible second, Mae believed every violent story ever told about the mountain man.
Then Gideon stopped.
He did not shoot.
He did not beat the fallen man.
He took Jeb’s revolver and threw it away.
“Stay down.”
Mae opened the door.
“Samuel!”
The doctor rushed inside.
Gideon followed but stopped before reaching the cradle.
“Mae?”
“I’m fine.”
He looked at her closely.
“You sure?”
“Yes. Help Samuel.”
Dr. Carter examined the baby.
Mae watched every movement.
“He’s got a respiratory infection,” the doctor said. “Bad fever, but his lungs aren’t filled. That’s good.”
“Will he live?”
“I think so.”
Mae closed her eyes.
The doctor mixed medicine.
Gideon stood beside her.
He did not touch her.
Mae reached for his hand.
He looked down.
She squeezed.
“Thank you.”
His fingers slowly closed around hers.
Outside, Jeb groaned.
Gideon’s attention snapped toward the sound.
“Silas.”
Mae’s fear returned.
He had disappeared.
They searched.
The barn was empty.
So was the shed.
Gideon swore.
“What?”
He entered the hidden storage shed.
A metal box was gone.
“The ledger.”
Mae’s stomach sank.
“Cutter’s ledger?”
“Yes.”
The document connecting missing women, gambling debts, wagon routes, and payments had vanished.
Silas had taken it.
Jeb laughed from the porch where Gideon had tied his hands.
“Guess Walker’s smarter than you thought.”
Gideon grabbed his coat.
Mae stopped him.
“Don’t chase him.”
“If he gets that ledger to Cutter’s partners—”
“He has Samuel’s father’s face and the intelligence of a fence post. He’ll go somewhere predictable.”
Gideon paused.
“Where?”
Mae knew Silas.
That was finally useful.
“He’ll go where he can turn paper into money.”
“Misery Bend?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“He knows Pike will arrest him.”
“Then where?”
“Red Hollow.”
Gideon frowned.
“Why?”
“There’s a gambling house there. Silas always talked about it. Men buy debts, claims, stolen goods. If he understands what’s in that ledger, he’ll sell it.”
Dr. Carter looked up from Samuel.
“She may be right.”
Gideon considered.
Red Hollow was twenty miles south.
In winter, longer.
Mae looked at Jeb.
“What about him?”
“We take him to Pike.”
Jeb smiled.
“You think Pike controls Misery Bend?”
Gideon’s eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
Jeb laughed.
“You’ve been hunting ghosts five years, Hale.”
Gideon approached.
“Talk.”
“Maybe your sister knew more than you thought.”
Gideon grabbed his coat.
Mae saw rage ignite.
She stepped between them.
“Gideon.”
He looked at her.
“Don’t.”
His breathing was heavy.
Jeb’s smile widened.
“Listen to your purchased woman.”
Gideon moved.
Mae placed both hands against his chest.
“Don’t let him choose who you become.”
The words stopped him.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Gideon stepped back.
Jeb’s smile disappeared.
Mae realized something profound.
Strength was not Gideon’s ability to break a man.
It was his ability not to.
Samuel improved by morning.
His fever decreased.
Dr. Carter agreed to remain with them another day.
Gideon wanted Mae to stay behind while he pursued Silas.
She refused.
“Samuel can’t travel,” Gideon argued.
“I know.”
“Then you stay.”
“I’m not arguing about Samuel.”
“What are you arguing about?”
“You intend to ride into Red Hollow alone.”
“Yes.”
“That’s foolish.”
“I’ve done foolish things before.”
Mae crossed her arms.
“Apparently.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You can’t come.”
“Samuel needs me here. I know that.”
Gideon relaxed slightly.
“Good.”
“But you’re not going alone.”
“Who exactly do you suggest?”
Mae looked toward Jeb.
“Him.”
Everyone stared.
Jeb laughed.
“You lost your mind?”
Mae pulled a chair across the room and sat opposite him.
“You know where Silas will take the ledger.”
“Maybe.”
“You know Cutter’s partners.”
“Maybe.”
“And you don’t want them seeing the ledger.”
Jeb’s smile vanished.
Mae continued.
“Because your name is inside.”
Gideon watched her carefully.
Jeb said nothing.
Mae leaned forward.
“If Silas sells it, you become useless to the men above you. Maybe dangerous.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“I lived with a gambler three years. I learned something.”
“What?”
“Men who betray everyone always believe they’re the exception.”
Gideon’s mouth almost twitched.
Mae continued.
“Help Gideon recover the ledger, and maybe Pike hears you cooperated.”
Jeb laughed harshly.
“You offering deals now?”
“I’m offering survival.”
Jeb studied her.
“You’re not the woman Walker brought to town.”
“No.”
Mae looked at Gideon.
“I’m not.”
An hour later, Jeb agreed.
Gideon left with him bound to a second horse.
Before leaving, he stood beside Samuel’s cradle.
The baby was sleeping.
Gideon touched one finger lightly to Samuel’s tiny hand.
Mae watched.
“You really love him,” she said.
Gideon looked embarrassed by the accusation.
“He’s a good boy.”
“That wasn’t what I said.”
Gideon straightened.
Mae felt brave.
Perhaps because nearly losing Samuel had stripped away her patience with fear.
“Why did you truly pay the hundred dollars?”
Gideon looked toward the door.
“You know why.”
“Say it.”
He met her gaze.
“Because I saw a woman protecting her child while every man around her treated her like an object.”
Mae’s eyes burned.
“And?”
“And I knew what happened the last time I arrived too late.”
Clara.
Mae understood.
Gideon put on his gloves.
She stepped closer.
“Come back.”
“I said I would.”
“Say it again.”
His gaze softened.
“I’ll come back to you.”
To you.
Not to the cabin.
Not to Samuel.
To you.
Mae could barely breathe.
Gideon mounted and disappeared down the trail with Jeb.
Three days passed.
Samuel recovered.
Mae did not sleep much.
On the fourth evening, horse bells sounded outside.
She ran to the porch.
Deputy Pike rode first.
Gideon followed.
Blood covered one sleeve.
Mae flew down the steps.
“What happened?”
“Not mine.”
She stopped.
Behind him rode another horse.
A young girl sat wrapped in a blanket.
Thin.
Dark-haired.
Maybe eleven years old.
Gideon dismounted slowly.
His face looked unlike anything Mae had ever seen.
Shattered.
Hopeful.
Terrified.
He turned toward the child.
Mae understood before he spoke.
“Mae…”
His voice broke.
“This is Rose.”
The missing girl.
His sister’s daughter.
Alive.
Rose looked at Mae with huge frightened eyes.
Then at Samuel in her arms.
The girl whispered something.
Mae moved closer.
“What did she say?”
Gideon swallowed.
“She asked if this is the place where people are allowed to say no.”
Mae’s heart broke.
She looked at Gideon.
He nodded.
Mae knelt in the snow so she would not tower over Rose.
“Yes,” she said gently. “It is.”
Rose began crying.
And for the first time, Gideon Hale did too.
---