Julie Garwood - Come the Spring

just as omniscient because he too had the power to determine who lived

and who died.

"Time's up, " he whispered as he aimed the barrel of the rifle at her

heart. Only a few precious seconds had passed since the first shot was

fired, but it seemed a lifetime before Cole could reach Jessica. He

dove, knocking her to the ground. He rolled onto his back on top of

her, his guns drawn and ready as he squinted against the sunlight to

find the target.

There . . . in the corner of the roof . . . a flash of metal. "Got

you, " he muttered a scant second before he opened fire.

His second shot struck his target. The gunman lurched up and back,

stumbled forward on his knees, and then plummeted to the ground. Cole

shot him three more times as he was falling to his death.

His attention stayed on the outlaw as he slowly rolled to his feet and

moved forward. His anger was beyond control. Caleb's screams echoed

in his ears. The baby was sitting in the dirt, crying for his mama.

Staggering to her feet, Jessica ran to him. She was too weak to pick

Caleb up and fell to her knees beside him. He clawed at her skirt and

threw himself against her. She wrapped him in her arms and began to

rock back and forth, her sobs overpowering her.

Daniel had heard the shots from the jail and ran the three blocks to

Lawrence's house. He saw Jessica and Caleb in the street, slowed down

to make sure they were all right, and then continued on to Cole, who

was standing over the dead gunman. Panting, Daniel watched as Cole

kicked the man over onto his back. Every bone in the man's face had

been crushed by the fall. The damage was so severe his own mother

wouldn't have recognized him now.

"Do you know who he is? " Daniel asked.

Cole shook his head. "Maybe Rebecca can tell us . . . if she can

recognize him. He was probably one of the gang."

"Yeah, well, Grace just told me she was in the bank. She swears she's

the witness." Cole was taken aback by the announcement. "Which one's

telling the truth? " "Damned if I know, " Daniel muttered. He

squatted down next to the body and began to search the pockets, looking

for identification.

Cole waited for another minute or two until he was certain he'd gotten

his anger under control. Then he slowly crossed the street to Jessica,

who was doubled over, hugging her son. Cole put his arms around her

and lifted her up. She tried to jerk away from him. He noticed the

six-shooter in her hand and quickly grabbed it, tossing it on the

ground behind him.

Caleb reached for him, but Jessica wouldn't let the boy go. She was

still trembling and taking deep, gasping breaths.

"Why the hell didn't you drop when I told you to? " Cole asked in a

voice as smooth as molasses.

What he said and how he said it confused her. She couldn't tell if he

was angry or not. "What did you say? " "I asked you to explain why

you didn't dive for cover when I ordered you to, " he repeated.

"You're angry."

"Yes, I am."

"You want to shout at me, don't you?

" "Yes, I do, " he admitted. "But I won't. It would upset Caleb, and

yelling is pointless. Next time, Jessica, do as I say. I can't

protect you unless you do."

"Next time? " she shouted.

Caleb burst into tears again.

"Ah, hell, now look what you've done, " Cole muttered.

Daniel joined them. Without a thought as to what he was doing, he took

the baby away from Jessica, turning so that Caleb wouldn't see the body

behind them.

"Poor baby, " he whispered as he gently patted Caleb's back.

Properly soothe , the baby put his head down on Daniel's shoulder and

stuck his thumb in his mouth.

"Did you find any identification? " Cole asked him.

"No, " Daniel answered. "His pockets were empty." Jessica grabbed

hold of Cole's hand. It had finally dawned on her what he had said.

"I didn't do as you ordered because Iwasn't thinking. I only wanted to

get to my son to protect him from that madman."

"I understand, " he said. "But, Jessica, I can't . . . " She squeezed

his hand as she interrupted. "I'm sorry if my conduct upsets you or

offends you, but I swear to you, I'd do it again. No one's going to

hurt my son. Dear God, I can't . . . stop . . . thinking what almost

happened. Caleb could have been killed." He didn't have to reach for

her. She came into his arms willingly, desperately needing to be

comforted.

He hugged her tight. "You aren't going to cry, are you? " he asked

gruffly. "You're going to upset Caleb if you do."

"No, I won't cry, but you don't understand, " she whispered. "It's my

fault Mr. York is dead. He was such a nice man. He'd be alive if it

weren't for me."

"Hush now, " he ordered. "None of this was your doing. Poor baby.

It's all over now. I know it was frightening."

"You don't understand."

"What don't I understand, sweetheart? " He was more stunned than she

appeared to be that he had used the endearment. What was even more

amazing to him was the fact that it had come so easily.

"I didn't know how to shoot that gun."

"You did just fine."

"No, I didn't, " she argued. "And I have to know how."

"Jessie, I know it was a close call, but I did get the bastard. I can

protect you. Have a little faith in me and let me do my job."

"I do have faith in you, but I still have to know how to protect my

son." Daniel carried Caleb back to his mother. "Is she all right? "

he asked Cole.

"Yeah, she's just shaken."

"It was me, " she blurted out. "I was there."

"What? " Daniel said.

It suddenly dawned on Cole what she was trying to tell him. "Let me

guess, " he muttered.

She stared up at Daniel over Cole's shoulder. "I'm your witness. "

"Ah, hell." Daniel whispered lithe expletive with a sigh.

Caleb promptly repeated it.

"Now what? " Cole asked as he tightened his hold on Jessica. She had

willingly gone to him, and he wasn't going to let go.

"What's going on here? " Daniel asked, his anger mounting as he

spoke.

"Know what I think? " Cole said. He squeezed Jessica before adding,

"It was damned crowded under that desk. "- v he office in the front of

the jail was crowded with lawmen. Marshal Jack Cooper, head of

operations in Salt Lake City, and two young deputies named Spencer and

Cobb, had just arrived in Rockford Falls. The three men had ridden

hard and were parched and covered with a layer of dust.

Cooper was a good friend of Daniel's. The two men had worked on

several investigations in the past, though admittedly none of them had

involved women, and all of the cases had been far less convoluted.

Like Daniel, Cooper was no stranger to danger or the bizarre behavior

of criminals.

He once escorted a smooth-tongued self-proclaimed reverend who had

brutally killed and mutilated sixteen redheaded men because he believed

the color of their hair indicated that they were spawns of the devil.

The crazy loon constantly misquoted scripture, insisted that he heard

God's voice every day at noon on the dot, and refused counsel. The

Lord, he declared, would step forward and testify on his behalf.

Ironically, the judge who heard the case just happened to have carrot

orange hair, and it didn't take him any time at all to recommend to the

jury that the guilty man be hanged.

Cooper had done and seen it all. Deeply tanned with creases at the

corners of his brown eyes and prematurely silver-tipped hair, he looked

more like a senator than a lawman. Nothing ever fazed him. After

reading Daniel's notes, he tossed the pad on the desk and sat down.

The two deputies leaned against the wall behind him.

"It seems to me that you're letting these three women run your

investigation, " he remarked as he stretched his long legs out and

crossed one ankle over the other.

Cole heard the comment as he came in the door. He had just returned

from the hotel.

Daniel introduced him to Cooper and his deputies. "This is Marshal

Clayborne, " he said. "He's new to the job." The deputies rushed

forward to shake his hand. Spencer looked awestruck and asked, "Is

your first name Cole? Are you that Clayborne brother? " "Yes, " Cole

answered.

"I've heard all about you, sir."

"Is that right? " Cole asked, wondering what he had heard.

"Yes, sir, " Spencer said. He looked at the other deputy and

whispered, "Clayborne's a legend in Montana." Cobb was dutifully

impressed. Cooper saw Cole roll his eyes in exasperation, and grinned

in reaction.

"Why don't you boys go on over to the hotel now and get cleaned up.

After you eat, take the watch from the sheriff and his men for a

while.

" "Yes, sir, " Spencer said. He nudged Cobb out the doorway but paused

to look at Cole. "Marshal Clayborne, sir? Is it true what happened

down in Springfield? " "Don't believe everything you hear, " Cole