reckless.”
“I can’t make promises like that.”
Tessa put her hand on her hips. “Your first duty is to take care of your brother. I can’t protect him with this--this war going on in Lincoln County. Who knows what will happen next? Every day there’s a new threat. We both know Dolan’s men are trying to drive Alex out of the Territory.”
Ezra glowered at her.
She held out her hands. “We Nesbitt’s must stick together. Oh, Ezra, you and Jules are all I have. If anything happened to either of you, I couldn’t bear it!”
His face lost its sulky look and he sighed. “All right.” I won’t go off with the Regulators to the Pecos.”
In the next few days Tessa became better acquainted with Susan Gates, the young teacher Dr. Ealy and his wife had brought with them to Lincoln, as she helped Susan move from the McSween house next door to rooms in Tunstall’s store. The Ealy’s and their five children also moved into the store.
“There’s a sore need in Lincoln for a Christian influence,” Susan said to Tessa who was helping carry Susan’s gowns across the field to the store’s side entrance. “I hope we’ll be able to set up the church and school as planned.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t look promising. Folks seem to feel since it was Mr. McSween who requested a minister be sent to Lincoln County, that we must be for him and against his enemies.”
“I’m certainly against his enemies,” Tessa replied.
“Jesus admonished us to love our enemies,” Susan reminded her. “It’s difficult, I know, when someone you love has been killed and you yourself night be in danger,”
Tessa’s mouth set in a straight line. “It’s impossible!”
As they neared the side door Tessa recognized the man approaching her and stumbled. She regained her footing, breathless, her heart pounding.
“Tessa,” Mark said.
She couldn’t speak for a moment, staring at him, her emotions jumbled and chaotic. Susan stood looking from one to the other. With great effort, Tessa gathered her wits.
“Susan,” she said, “ I can’t introduce you to this person since I intend to have no dealings with the enemy.” Then she pushed at Susan, forcing her ahead toward the door. Susan opened it and went inside. Before Tessa could follow, Mark’s hand on her arm stopped her.
“Tessa,” he said, “you know better. I don’t condone--”
She struck at his hand and hissed, “Don’t speak to me!”
“You’ve got to listen to me. I want to take you and the boys away from Lincoln. It’s not safe for you to--”
“Leave me alone!” she cried.
“Is he annoying you, Tessa?”
She started. Calvin had come out of the store without her seeing him and now stood glaring at Mark.
“He certainly is!” she snapped.
“We don’t need your sort here, Halloran,” Calvin said, stepping in front of Tessa. “If I find you anywhere near these premises again, you’d better be ready to defend yourself.”
Mark gazed past him to Tessa, who was peering around Calvin’s shoulder. She saw muscles bunch in Mark’s jaw.
“This is none of your business, Rutledge,” he growled.
Tessa felt Calvin stiffen and caught her breath. She didn’t want them to fight over her; there’d been too many killings already. She heard ominous muttering from men watching them from the store porch, men she knew were guarding the store. She suddenly realized that Mark was in danger, a lone Dolan man facing McSween supporters.
She didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“Get out of here, Mark!” she cried.
Tessa pulled on Calvin’s arm with all her might. Off guard, he stumbled with her as she headed for the store porch. She strode directly at the armed men, forcing them to make way for her. Stopped.
“Let him go,” she said to them.
“You’d best stay out of this, miss. We’re aiming to teach that Dolan bastard a lesson he won’t forget,” a sandy-haired man said, starting to push past her.
She held out her hand. “He
“I can’t make promises like that.”
Tessa put her hand on her hips. “Your first duty is to take care of your brother. I can’t protect him with this--this war going on in Lincoln County. Who knows what will happen next? Every day there’s a new threat. We both know Dolan’s men are trying to drive Alex out of the Territory.”
Ezra glowered at her.
She held out her hands. “We Nesbitt’s must stick together. Oh, Ezra, you and Jules are all I have. If anything happened to either of you, I couldn’t bear it!”
His face lost its sulky look and he sighed. “All right.” I won’t go off with the Regulators to the Pecos.”
In the next few days Tessa became better acquainted with Susan Gates, the young teacher Dr. Ealy and his wife had brought with them to Lincoln, as she helped Susan move from the McSween house next door to rooms in Tunstall’s store. The Ealy’s and their five children also moved into the store.
“There’s a sore need in Lincoln for a Christian influence,” Susan said to Tessa who was helping carry Susan’s gowns across the field to the store’s side entrance. “I hope we’ll be able to set up the church and school as planned.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t look promising. Folks seem to feel since it was Mr. McSween who requested a minister be sent to Lincoln County, that we must be for him and against his enemies.”
“I’m certainly against his enemies,” Tessa replied.
“Jesus admonished us to love our enemies,” Susan reminded her. “It’s difficult, I know, when someone you love has been killed and you yourself night be in danger,”
Tessa’s mouth set in a straight line. “It’s impossible!”
As they neared the side door Tessa recognized the man approaching her and stumbled. She regained her footing, breathless, her heart pounding.
“Tessa,” Mark said.
She couldn’t speak for a moment, staring at him, her emotions jumbled and chaotic. Susan stood looking from one to the other. With great effort, Tessa gathered her wits.
“Susan,” she said, “ I can’t introduce you to this person since I intend to have no dealings with the enemy.” Then she pushed at Susan, forcing her ahead toward the door. Susan opened it and went inside. Before Tessa could follow, Mark’s hand on her arm stopped her.
“Tessa,” he said, “you know better. I don’t condone--”
She struck at his hand and hissed, “Don’t speak to me!”
“You’ve got to listen to me. I want to take you and the boys away from Lincoln. It’s not safe for you to--”
“Leave me alone!” she cried.
“Is he annoying you, Tessa?”
She started. Calvin had come out of the store without her seeing him and now stood glaring at Mark.
“He certainly is!” she snapped.
“We don’t need your sort here, Halloran,” Calvin said, stepping in front of Tessa. “If I find you anywhere near these premises again, you’d better be ready to defend yourself.”
Mark gazed past him to Tessa, who was peering around Calvin’s shoulder. She saw muscles bunch in Mark’s jaw.
“This is none of your business, Rutledge,” he growled.
Tessa felt Calvin stiffen and caught her breath. She didn’t want them to fight over her; there’d been too many killings already. She heard ominous muttering from men watching them from the store porch, men she knew were guarding the store. She suddenly realized that Mark was in danger, a lone Dolan man facing McSween supporters.
She didn’t want anything to happen to him.
“Get out of here, Mark!” she cried.
Tessa pulled on Calvin’s arm with all her might. Off guard, he stumbled with her as she headed for the store porch. She strode directly at the armed men, forcing them to make way for her. Stopped.
“Let him go,” she said to them.
“You’d best stay out of this, miss. We’re aiming to teach that Dolan bastard a lesson he won’t forget,” a sandy-haired man said, starting to push past her.
She held out her hand. “He
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