killedSarah’s family five years earlier made her cling so fiercely to her new husband and family. After Gideon tracked down every last one of the three men and then watched Judge Parker send them to the gallows, Sarah had sworn eternal gratitude.
“He’s at it again,” Sarah said as she breezed onto the porch. “Galen insisted he can mount a horse to begin a search for our horses. I swear you’ll have to tie him to the bedposts. Glenn is trying to do just that, but he needs help.”
Shaking himself like a duck to shed water, Gideon strode into the house. He could hear Galen swearing a blue steak, long before he witnessed the struggle between Galen and Glenn.
Gideon walked over to press his palm to Galen’s forehead, noting his high fever and forcing his brother down while Glenn secured his good arm to the iron headboard. “Stop resisting. You’re a sick man and you’re worse than a belligerent prisoner.” Like the one he’d tethered in his barn. “You’re hurt and you need rest,” he added tersely. “Do us all a favor and calm down.”
“You have your own problems,” Galen panted, completely out of breath. “Can’t expect you to take time off to hunt down our horses. They’ll be miles away if I don’t track them.”
“I will track them down. Count on it,” Gideon guaranteed. “The other marshals can handle the jail wagon and still round up fugitives before we head to Fort Smith.”
“What about the woman?” Galen’s green-eyed gaze zeroed in on him. “What are you going to do about her?”
“I think you should let her go.” Glenn spoke up. “She looks innocent to me.”
Galen and Gideon exchanged glances before staring at their younger brother. Gideon said, “So is a delicate rose…until you grab hold of it and suffer the painful prick of its thorn. Looks are deceiving, little brother. It’s time you learned that.”
Glenn gestured toward Sarah. “Lori is pretty like Sarah.”
“Thank you,” Sarah murmured.
“I think Lori also has a kind heart and generous nature,” Glenn continued. “You should give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“I did more than that,” Gideon replied. “I tested her and she attacked me.”
“ Tested her?” Glenn smiled wryly. “How?”
“I provoked her temper.”
“I can see why she might’ve attacked you.” Glenn crossed his arms over his chest and studied Gideon all too closely. “I never knew you were so rude to women.”
The comment caused Galen and Sarah to arch their eyebrows and study Gideon speculatively.
“Sparring with each other, were they?” Galen asked.
“Stay out of this. You’re injured,” Gideon snapped.
“Nothing wrong with my mind, except when my lovely wife overdoses me with that foul-tasting sedative.”
“Everything’s wrong with your mind,” Gideon said, and smirked. “When you’re sedated you think you can fly and your judgment is skewered.”
“He’s not that bad,” Sarah put in defensively. “And I must say I’m surprised by your attitude toward Lori. In fact, I’m on my way out to offer her food and make amends.”
“Just be careful that she doesn’t bite the hand that feeds her,” Gideon warned.
Sarah scoffed as she exited the room, provoking Gideon to mutter under his breath. He wasn’t accustomed to his family ganging up against him. All because of that feisty female prisoner who went around shooting former loversfor proposing to her. If that wasn’t the dumbest excuse he’d ever heard, he didn’t know what was.
Furthermore, his family should trust his instincts.
Gideon lashed Galen’s leg to the bedpost—just in case he became rowdy again.
Galen cursed him sourly. “That isn’t necessary, you—”
“—tyrant,” Glenn teased, borrowing Lori’s description.
Gideon’s arm shot toward the door, as if his annoying little brother was too dense to know where it was. “Leave. Go with Sarah to make sure Lori doesn’t try to escape while taking her meal.”
“Where is
“He’s at it again,” Sarah said as she breezed onto the porch. “Galen insisted he can mount a horse to begin a search for our horses. I swear you’ll have to tie him to the bedposts. Glenn is trying to do just that, but he needs help.”
Shaking himself like a duck to shed water, Gideon strode into the house. He could hear Galen swearing a blue steak, long before he witnessed the struggle between Galen and Glenn.
Gideon walked over to press his palm to Galen’s forehead, noting his high fever and forcing his brother down while Glenn secured his good arm to the iron headboard. “Stop resisting. You’re a sick man and you’re worse than a belligerent prisoner.” Like the one he’d tethered in his barn. “You’re hurt and you need rest,” he added tersely. “Do us all a favor and calm down.”
“You have your own problems,” Galen panted, completely out of breath. “Can’t expect you to take time off to hunt down our horses. They’ll be miles away if I don’t track them.”
“I will track them down. Count on it,” Gideon guaranteed. “The other marshals can handle the jail wagon and still round up fugitives before we head to Fort Smith.”
“What about the woman?” Galen’s green-eyed gaze zeroed in on him. “What are you going to do about her?”
“I think you should let her go.” Glenn spoke up. “She looks innocent to me.”
Galen and Gideon exchanged glances before staring at their younger brother. Gideon said, “So is a delicate rose…until you grab hold of it and suffer the painful prick of its thorn. Looks are deceiving, little brother. It’s time you learned that.”
Glenn gestured toward Sarah. “Lori is pretty like Sarah.”
“Thank you,” Sarah murmured.
“I think Lori also has a kind heart and generous nature,” Glenn continued. “You should give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“I did more than that,” Gideon replied. “I tested her and she attacked me.”
“ Tested her?” Glenn smiled wryly. “How?”
“I provoked her temper.”
“I can see why she might’ve attacked you.” Glenn crossed his arms over his chest and studied Gideon all too closely. “I never knew you were so rude to women.”
The comment caused Galen and Sarah to arch their eyebrows and study Gideon speculatively.
“Sparring with each other, were they?” Galen asked.
“Stay out of this. You’re injured,” Gideon snapped.
“Nothing wrong with my mind, except when my lovely wife overdoses me with that foul-tasting sedative.”
“Everything’s wrong with your mind,” Gideon said, and smirked. “When you’re sedated you think you can fly and your judgment is skewered.”
“He’s not that bad,” Sarah put in defensively. “And I must say I’m surprised by your attitude toward Lori. In fact, I’m on my way out to offer her food and make amends.”
“Just be careful that she doesn’t bite the hand that feeds her,” Gideon warned.
Sarah scoffed as she exited the room, provoking Gideon to mutter under his breath. He wasn’t accustomed to his family ganging up against him. All because of that feisty female prisoner who went around shooting former loversfor proposing to her. If that wasn’t the dumbest excuse he’d ever heard, he didn’t know what was.
Furthermore, his family should trust his instincts.
Gideon lashed Galen’s leg to the bedpost—just in case he became rowdy again.
Galen cursed him sourly. “That isn’t necessary, you—”
“—tyrant,” Glenn teased, borrowing Lori’s description.
Gideon’s arm shot toward the door, as if his annoying little brother was too dense to know where it was. “Leave. Go with Sarah to make sure Lori doesn’t try to escape while taking her meal.”
“Where is
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