Amiville.
This morning I walked into the saloon and had coffee and talked to people there. I realized it had been forever since I’d sat in the saloon and just enjoyed a drink. I asked Gramps how the kids party was the night before and he said there were thirty-five people there, with lots of kids as well. After a while I decided to walk outside and wander around.
“Hi Trin,” Dom greeted me as I wandered outside.
“How are you, Dom?” I asked him.
“Doin’ good.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Well I guess I better head back to the ranch seems there is a party to plan,” Dom said.
“Party?”
“Yeah honey thinks we should hold a party at the ranch for all children that want to come.”
“Oh that sounds like fun!”
“Sure does.”
“Things pretty quiet around town today huh?”
“So far but give it time.”
“True story,” I chuckled.
“Well honey should we go start planning the party,” Dom said to the person beside him.
“Yes,” Honey waved.
“Think I’m gonna head to the newspaper office and get some writing done. See ya’ll!” I waved and headed to the office.
I walked down the street and saw a group standing in the street near the target practice. I greeted everyone and Nell said, “Miss Trin, I’ve been wantin’ to talk to ya!”
“I’ll bet you have, Nell. What can I do for ya this time?”
“What’s this I hear about you sayin the women in Buck’s gang are whores that work at the Brothel?” she holstered her guns and grinned at me.
“What?! I’ve never said anything about Bill’s gang or the brothel. People are spreading lies about me, Nell.”
“Well Jake here likes bein’ single and Tristan is still ponderin’ on Nell, I think,” Trax was saying to the others there.
“Then ya needs to put a stop to it. Cause I hear it one...” Nell started and then looked at Trax. ‘Scuse me?”
I continued to shoot at the targets and bantered back and forth with them as I shot down the targets expertly. I ignored the talk between Rosa, Nell and Tristan and focused on joking with Trax and Jake. Maririana was there too but I ignored her too. I decided to head down the street and watched quietly as folks talked to each other on the street. Frank came over at one point and started advertising for a job at his new brothel.
As I worked on the layout for the newspaper in the news office later in the day, I heard gunshots and wondered what was going on but didn’t go investigate. The door opened and Tex walked in then.
“Hey Tex!” I greeted him. “Long time no see!”
“I been traveling.”
“Traveling where?”
“Here and there looking for my fortune.”
“Any luck?”
“Not yet,” he chuckled. “I made it over this way because there’s just no one in the country that can hug me like you.”
“Aww Tex...” I stood from my desk and went to him.
“Friends that care are hard to find.”
I didn’t ask why but hugged him tightly, pulling him close. He held his hands around my back and pulled me against him and I realized I needed the hug as much as he did.
“Thank you for that,” he smiled.
“Thank you too. I needed that.”
“How’s life treating you?”
“Life sucks right now, I’ll be honest,” I shrugged.
“Oh that’s horrible to hear.”
“I’m bored... James and I split up... Bill’s been hovering again and the judge tried to sell me off, but the only judge who could do anything about it retired and the other one won’t acquit his own sister.”
“Tell me who I need to shoot.”
“I don’t even know anymore, Tex.”
“Well, you got me for a friend. I hope that helps.”
I nodded and hugged him again. “Oh, and the paper’s probably gonna be near empty this week except for ads because not a damn thing’s been happening. Except the same old shootouts by the same old outlaws.”
“You can write about how wrong it is that Sayler hasn’t been buried yet,” he said and I looked at him, not even wanting to think about that. “Are you going to be out and about later?”
“Maybe...” I shrugged.
“Well, maybe I’ll see you, then.”
“Hope so, Tex. Sorry I’m just... Not great company right now.”
“Nonsense. You’re always good company as far as I’m concerned. You’re the closest thing to family I got.”
“That’s what Sayler used to say.”
“Well, he was a good man,” he said and I nodded, wiping away a tear. “Aww, come here,” he held me close and I cried against his shoulder. He lay his head on top of mine and kissed the top of my head empathetically.
“I need to get out of town... go for a ride out to Kansas. See Hawk...” I stepped back a bit.
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Tex.”
“Anytime dear. You can always send me a message even if I’m not in town. It will reach me eventually.”
“Thanks Tex,” I nodded and walked out of the office.
I walked into the street feeling dazed and lost. I made my way to the livery to get my horse and saw Rayce, Logan and Adder near the sheriff’s office. “Guys, I’m going out to Kansas for the night to .... clear my head...”
“You okay” Rayce asked.
“Ok Trin, take care,” Adder nodded.
“No, I’m not. But there’s nothing anyone can do about it. So maybe a ride will help me feel better. See ya guys tomorrow, hopefully...”
“I’m sorry, please be safe Miss Trin,” Rayce insisted.
“Well be careful out there Trin,” Logan waved.
I walked off and headed to the church and I knelt down to pray in the church, hoping for clarity and peace. I stood up from the bench and sighed, not feeling peace but at least knowing there’s hope that it would come. I walked outside and saw Bill following me.
“Ya been spreadins sheeits agin has ya?” he asked me.
“No, Bill. People are spreading shit about me and I’m sick of it.”
“Uh huh...” he put his hands on his gun.
“I haven’t said a damn word about you or your gang all week long. I’m more upset about what Rosa did that night at the church than ya’ll.”
“Ya knows I am sicks of its too.”
“Just let it go, Bill. I’ve had a hard enough week as it is.”
Bill gripped his guns tight and said, “I aints lettin this goes.”
“Honestly Bill, I never said a word. Bill, come on...”
He pulled his guns and shot me down in the head. I felt the bullet fly past my head and through my arm and I cried out in pain, calling for help.
Logan and Mel ran over to me and Mel asked, “What happened to you?”
“Mel...” I grabbed her arm in pain, my head spinning. “Bill shot me, damn it. Mel...”
Ida knelt down beside me and took some bandages, wrapping it around my wound.
“You will be alright,” Mel insisted.
“He won’t, damn it,” I muttered, wincing at the pain.
“Miss Ida can you help her?” Mel asked.
“I told him I didn’t say...” I started. “I told him to let it go...”
“He did draw on her... she didn’t draw,” Ida said.
“Of course not... I told him... to ... let it... go,” I tried to speak.
“Rayce can you help here?” Ida asked as the woman walked over.
She frowned as she saw me on the ground. “What on earth! Trin! I thought you were on your way to Kansas?”
“I...” I started.
“We must remove her to hospital,” Mel insisted.
“We need to get her to the clinic,” Ida said at the same time.
“No... The sheriff’s office... please... Not the hospital...” I looked over at Logan desperately.
“Nope, hospital,” Rayce shook her head.
“Logan, please...” I begged.
“You’re hurt. Logan can follow,” Rayce promised.
“You’ll be fine in the hospital Trin,” he assured.
“But...” I started.
“But what? You want to heal near criminals?”
“We need a lawman with us,” Ida said.
“What happened?” Rayce asked.
“Miss Trin ... hang in there,” Karan said from somewhere nearby.
“Let’s take her to hospital. In sheriff office there’s no medical support,” Mel said.
I started to cry as they carried me to the hospital, assuring that I would be okay. When I was on the bed, Logan said that he would go fill out a warrant. I insisted I needed a lawman with me but Karan and Ida were more concerned about getting me healed.
“Where did he get you, Miss Trin?” Karan asked as she started to wash her hands.
“Arm... grazed the head but... mostly... arm...”
“You got lucky, Missy ... half an inch further and Icca would have been called,” she said and looked at my arm. “This isn’t too bad either. Let me get my stuff to clean both places well, all right? You are gonna be fine,” she squeezed my hand.
“Karan... he’s wanted... to do this for... a long time... It’s... my right ... arm... The one I... write with... He did it... to shut me up...”
“Trin, honey, Bill is a sick and twisted man...” Karan started to get out the antiseptic and linen strips and began to clean up my wounds as we talked. “Honestly, Trin ... I don’t Bill is smart enough to be scared of the written word.” She daubed the blood from my head wound and opened up some healing salve and applied it to my head. “I hate putting this smelly stuff so close to your nose!” She got some linen strips and wrapped them around my arm as I moaned in pain.
“How you doing Paige?” Adder asked.
“I’m pissed. I’m injured. I guess I had it coming from him but...”
“He gunned you down in cold blood and you didn’t even draw.”
“No, I didn’t. He said I was talking too much about him. Said I was spreading rumors about his gang.”
“Trin, rest here a bit and talk with Adder,” Karan suggested. “You are fine though.
“Thanks Doc,” Adder said.
“Sure thing,” Karan nodded and walked out of the clinic.
“I heard... you resigned...” I looked at Adder when we were alone.
“Yep.”
“I’m not even law...”
“Had all I can stomach of this.”
I nodded and reached for his hand and he took it. “Where’s Logan...?”
“At the office, he’s filing the warrant request.”
“Good... You can bet I ain’t gonna be in that office while he’s there... I didn’t even pull my gun, Adder... He just started...”
“I know. He’s a psychopath.”
“He tried to kill me... he would’ve too if it was just an inch over...”
Adder nodded and said, “They’ll get a warrant out for him and we’ll get a judge who’s able to wipe his own arse.”
“Maybe I can get Clif to rejoin for this case.” I winked.
“Might need to. Be good Paige,” he said and headed for the door.
“See if you can get Logan,” I asked.
“I will...” he said as Logan walked into the clinic. “Well that was easy.”
“Is she awake?” Logan asked.
“Aye. Trin wants to see you. I’m gonna go poke some pillocks.”
“Have fun Adder,” Logan laughed and Adder headed out of the clinic.
“Did you get him yet?” I asked, looking between Rayce and Logan.
“He says you were calling the women in his group... ‘whores’ when I saw him. Had I known that he was the one who shot you, I’d have tried to take him in....” Rayce told me.
“I never said anything, Rayce... I never said a damn word about his stupid gang. I didn’t even draw my gun... He just came at me.”
“I didn’t think you did, Miss Trin. I just wanted to let you know what he said....” Rayce looked at me.
“I know exactly what he said, Rayce... Nell told me earlier today...”
“I see,” Rayce nodded and Adder walked back in.
“Didn’t answer the door. I only wanted to offer him a cloth to wipe the shit off his nose.”
I felt the pain in my arm and sat up in the bed. “How are you feeling?” Logan asked.
“I want to get out of this damn bed and and go shoot his...”
“Now you know you shouldn’t do that... he’ll be caught,” Logan looked at me.
“He had no damn reason to...” I glared at him with anger.
“No he most certainly didn’t. Beating you... maybe. If he had the reason to do it that he claims he does... which he doesn’t... but shooting you? No.”
“I told him to let it go, Logan.” I tried to stand, feeling restless.
“I know, but the man is insane,” Logan pointed to the bed. “Stay lying down... you’re going to injure yourself.”
I reached over to put my good hand on Logan’s shoulder but felt my legs shaking and sat back down on the bed.
Logan sighed and tried to lay me back down. “Please lie down... I’ve got enough on my mind without having to make sure you get your rest.”
“But...” I lay back down reluctantly.
“Do as you’re told or ill shoot you myself,” Adder grinned and I glared at him as I lay back.
“He’ll do it too,” Logan laughed.
“Got no badge to stop me,” Adder shrugged and I glared at him for that too.
“Ain’t happy about that either, Taurus.”
“I don’t blame him in the slightest,” Logan said.
“I don’t either, just don’t mean I have to be happy about it.”
“I’m somewhat happy that he is a free man now,” Logan grinned and I saw the look of scheming in his eyes.
“What? I didn’t say anything..” Logan laughed.
“Aye and it’s the quiet ones you’ve gotta watch,” Adder pointed out ad Logan nodded, giving him the suspicious eye.
“Ten more minutes, then I’m getting out of this damn bed,” I looked at them.
“Eleven....” Adder said and I glared at him. “NOW it’s ten.”
“So help me if I see him again...” I threatened.
“You will walk the other way quickly,” Logan instructed and looked at me seriously.
“Hey Taurus... You could be a consultant like me,” I suggested.
“Sure, get shot but not get paid?”
“Trin, would you like to e promoted to Sheriff?” Logan looked at me.
“Don’t you think that’ll put more of a target on my back? I’m already a newspaper publisher and a detective... You want me to have a death wish?”
“Not at all... I’ll be reporter and distract them. Seriously, I would rather be a lawyer at this point. But I couldn’t trust anyone else to take over sheriff to get the details necessary to convict... if Adder hadn’t quit, it would be a different story.”
“I need at least one of ya’ll on my side as law,” I nodded.
“Alright... I need a drink.”
“Can I get out of bed yet?”
“Four minutes,” Adder said as I sat up.
“Adder says no,” Logan laughed.
“Can I get out of bed yet pleeeease?”
“Two minutes...” Adder said and I glared at him again.
“What? You asked, I answered. One minute.”
“Ya’ll are lucky I love you two guys,” I muttered.
“NOW you can get up,” Adder insisted.
I stood out of bed and glared at Logan. “Now how about that drink? Hey Logan... Would it be against the law for me to shoot into a brick wall?”
“Nope. As long as it isn’t in here.”
I reached to pick up my gun and holster it and said, “Hurt to even pick that gun up.”
We walked over to the saloon and talked with people there. Jade and Logan kept talking and I reached for my flask to take a drink. TJ walked in then and I looked over at him while the others continued to talk.
“You know all those threats Bill was giving me? How this week started out, TJ? He finally shot at me. Guess I had that one coming for months though. I knew his words weren’t gonna satisfy him forever.”
Rayce walked in and started teasing with Logan and I rolled my eyes, wanting to head home.
“I think ya’ll need to go home,” TJ suggested.
“You....can roll your eyesh.....” Rayce said as Logan took the bottle from her and smashed it on the table.
“TJ, walk me home?” I looked at him as I saw Zeke walking into the saloon.
TJ went on about a three year old in a wheelchair and then TJ walked me home. I told him to tell me when the trial was and then crawled into bed.
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