Reuben Cole Westerns Collection

Chapter 11

Groaning with the effort, Cole sat up in bed as Maddie came into the room. Head tilted, she studied him disdainfully with pursed lips and jutting chin. ‘Just look at you, Cole.’

‘Good mornin’ to you too, Maddie.’

He struggled to make himself more comfortable, grunting and groaning, trying to find the best position. She came up close, pulling him to her as she puffed up one of the three pillows behind his back, before easing him gently against the now well-padded headboard. ‘You look like you need a helping hand.’

‘Anything from you would help just fine.’

She stepped back, brushing away a strand of hair from his forehead. ‘Don’t let Sterling hear you talking like that.’

‘When are we going to tell him?’

Maddie made a face, shot her head towards the bedroom door then back again. ‘Sssh, you fool! He’s just outside, talking to the others. He’ll be here in a minute.’

‘Answer my question.’

‘Not now, you i***t! Earlier, when he told me about what had happened, I think he suspected something.’

‘Why would he do that?’

‘Damn it, Cole! Are you actually stupid, or what? Because of my reaction to what they did to you. I almost broke down with worry.’

‘There’s no need to worry about me, Maddie. I’ve had a lot worse, believe me. So, what did he say?’

‘Nothing, thank the Lord. I think I managed to divert his attention when I told him I’d be reporting what happened to Gunther to the judge.’

‘Gunther? You mean he’s back?’

Taking her time, checking and rechecking the door as she did so, she told Cole about what had happened in the jailhouse. He listened without comment and when she’d finished, she smoothed out the blankets over his chest. ‘Anyways, he’s all set to go riding through the prairie looking for the men that did this to you. I mean, look at you, Reuben!’ For the first time, tears appeared under her bottom eyelids, and a tiny trail spilt down over her cheek. ‘Darn it, I didn’t want to cry, but … damn you, Reuben!’

look damn you, Reuben!’He reached out to her as her fists bunched and seized both her arms. She gasped. ‘It wasn’t my fault, Maddie! They came in the night, looking to steal whatever they could. Broke two or three of Pa’s finest things. I shot and killed one of them, but the other did for me as he hid behind the door. I guess I wasn’t thinking so straight.’

‘When do you ever?’

‘I am with you, Maddie. I’m in love with you.’

She stopped, the colour as well as the tension falling from her face. For a moment it seemed to Cole she was about to cry again. He went to speak but before he could say anything more, she recovered and tore herself from his grip. ‘What do you know about love, Reuben? You’ve spent half your life on the trail, the other half moping about in this great big empty house of yours.’

‘Until you came along.’

‘Until I … Reuben, we’ve spent a few brief moments together.’

Until I … ‘And in those moments I’ve realised just how much I need you.’

Her eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise, sadness and something else … He wished it was hope. A shared desire to be together. He’d felt it as she lay in his arms the last time they were together. The way she’d snuggled into him, her voice so soft, so sweet. He knew what they had transcended mere physicality. Now, with that wide-eyed expression, he could see it again.

She went to speak then caught her breath as the sound of approaching footsteps made all further conversation impossible.

‘Well, well, there’s a pretty picture.’

It was Roose, framed in the doorway, hat tilted to one side, thumbs in his gunbelt. Maddie, swivelling around and giggled, which sounded to Cole forced, false. If Roose picked up on it, he neither said so nor changed position. ‘Sterling, you are a dumb a*s,’ Maddie said. ‘I’m only here giving Reuben my comfort, which is more than you’re doing. I mean look at him.’

look Pushing himself from the doorframe, Roose strode forward, the sound of his boots ominous in that small, dark room. ‘Let some light in,’ he said, rolling himself a cigarette.

Maddie quickly went over to the main window and opened up the shutters. Instantly, rays of sunlight streamed in, picking out the haze of dust hanging in the air. ‘My, this place needs a good clean,’ she said.

Roose grinned at his old friend. ‘It’s true what she says, Reubs – you do look all beat up.’

Unconsciously, Cole felt the swelling around his jaw. The worst of the pain was across his ribs where they’d laid into him with their boots. He didn’t feel it at the time, having had the back of his skull cracked open like an egg. The bandages he wore were caked in dried blood. ‘I might have to shave my head to get this thing off,’ he said, prodding at the lint dressing.

‘Leave it,’ snapped Maddie, slapping away his hand. ‘Have you no sense? The doctor said to rest, so rest.’

‘She’s right,’ said Roose, lighting up his cigarette. He blew out a long stream. ‘I have three good men waiting outside. We aim to ride out and pick up their trail. We have a witness who said they saw three men high-tailed it north-west. The only town within a hundred miles of north-west is Lawrenceville.’

‘That ain’t the most welcoming of towns, you know that.’

‘It’s still pretty much lawless. But the railroad arrived two years ago so things are bound to have improved. A man called Kestler is the constable there.’

‘You know him?’

‘Know of him. Heard a few things. Not all of them complimentary.’

of Reuben made to throw back the blanket covering him, but Maddie was there first, ‘What do you think you’re doing, Reuben Cole?’

He laughed. ‘I’m getting up, putting my boots on and going with them.’

‘No you ain’t,’ said Roose quickly, acknowledging Maddie’s wild, pleading look. ‘You’d only hold us up.’

‘You know that’s not true. I’m the best-darned tracker in this whole county.’

‘That you are, but you’re in no shape to help. I can handle it.’

‘Yeah, I’m sure you can, but with me riding alongside you, we’d handle it a lot better.’

Roose let out a blast of smoke. ‘No, Reuben. I can’t take the risk. The doc said—’

‘That’s right, Reuben,’ cut in Maddie, ‘the doc said you have to rest, that you can’t take the risk of opening that head-wound up again. You need to mend, Reuben.’

mend, ‘Maddie,’ said Cole, doing his best to keep his temper, ‘why don’t you go outside for a moment, make sure those other boys have their canteens well filled with water.’ She glared at him. ‘Please, Maddie.’

She gave up the fight. Not looking too pleased with any of it, she stormed out, her long dress sweeping across the floor, sending up more clouds of dust.

Watching her go, Roose turned to consider his friend. ‘She seems mighty concerned with you, Reubs.’

‘She always has had a soft-spot.’

Nodding, Roose threw down his finished smoke and ground it with his boot. ‘As far as I was aware, you don’t know each other that well.’

‘Well, that’s true, Sterling. Dang it, are you jealous or something?’

‘Jealous? No. Why, should I be?’

‘Not at all, old friend.’

‘Well, that’s all right then.’ He readjusted his belt. ‘I aim to bring those varments to justice, Cole. You can count on me.’

‘I know I can. This isn’t about your abilities. You know that.’

‘Remember back in Seventy-four when we rode across the great plain with Cougan.’

‘Oh Lordy, why you thinking of that?’

‘I don’t know. It came to me the other day, the memory. So clear. Almost as if I was re-living it.’

‘Well, you sure as anything don’t want to do that.’

‘I know, but …’ He heaved in a deep breath and sat down on the bed next to his old friend. ‘These thieves, they’ve taken almost the self-same route. It got me to thinking, that’s all.’

‘Thinking about those times, Sterling …’ He shook his head. ‘They’re not dreams, they is nightmares.’

‘Got a report come in across the wire. A whisper, to be honest. A group of Comanch have broken out again.’

‘What?’ Cole sat up, ignoring the pain, but gritting his teeth nevertheless. ‘How many?’

‘I don’t know. Half a dozen. Some youngster’s been whipping up things, getting some of the old boys agitated. They robbed a bank in a little town about fifty miles out of El Paso. Killed two tellers and wounded a young woman.’ He looked into Cole’s eyes. ‘A pregnant woman. She’s lost the baby.’

Snapping his head away, Cole bit down on his bottom lip. ‘This ain’t ever gonna end.’

ever ‘There’s a chance we will come across ‘em as we chase down the others. If we do …’ He leaned forward. ‘Cole. You remember back then when we found that deserted house?’

Cole grunted, nodded his head once.

‘You remember how we went in? You remember what we found?’

‘What is it you’re trying to say, Sterling?’

‘I’m not sure I could go through that again.’

‘It’s haunting you, ain"t it?’ Roose nodded, not able to look his friend in the face any longer. ‘Then let’s talk it out and banish those ghosts forever.’