already swelling shut. He reached out and helped him up. Voice hoarse, he mumbled. “It wasn’t your decision to make, brother. It was mine. Mine alone, dammit.”
Jason didn’t flinch. “She’s not Pearl, Royce. I was trying to protect you.” Royce and his brothers were close, their folks saw to it they always stood up for each other. He couldn’t fault Jason’s motive, but while trying to protect him, he’d failed to think about the ramifications of her leaving.
“If I don’t know whether she’s my wife or not, you sure as hell can’t know for sure she’s not. I’m a grown man and can protect myself. Furthermore, I’m the marshal here, and if I don’t catch the train, I’ll never know how she ended up with Pearl’s things. You just interfered with an investigation. I should fire your sorry butt.”
He grabbed his hat off the floor. Shoulders stiff with rage, he strode out of the office. The street was filling with people, stores beginning to open. To the South he could see a trace of what he hoped was smoke from the train. If he rode hard enough, he might catch the train. He vaulted into the saddle and kicked Samson into a fast trot. Just south of town, he turned the horse loose and let him run. The wind whipped at his face threatening to remove his black felt hat from his head.
He hadn’t gone far when he realized the chase was useless. It’d be impossible to catch the train. Samson responded to the pull on the reins, but reluctant to end his run, danced sideways as he slowed to a stop. Royce slumped in the saddle and stared off in the distance. The horse snorted and stamped his feet in impatience. “Sorry boy, she got away.” He patted his neck. “I’ll let you run on the way back to town.”
Texanna, the mystery woman, may have eluded his clutches this time, but San Antonio wasn’t too far away. He’d wire the sheriff and have him keep an eye out for the redheaded female. Their business wasn’t finished, and he wouldn’t rest until it was.
Chapter Four
Texanna breathed a sigh of relief when she righted herself after being thrown around the small lavatory of the train car. She’d probably have a knot on her head from hitting the mirror. It would go nicely with the one she’d gotten the day before. With the nineteenth-century dress and straw hat stuffed in the carpetbag, she exited the restroom. Uttering a sigh of contentment at the comfort of the air-conditioned car, she found a vacant seat, leaned back, and tried to relax. Her foot tapped out a staccato beat on the floorboard. Relax? Hell’s bell’s, she’d just traveled back and forth in time, she might never unwind.
When the train pulled to a stop, she jumped up and rushed to the exit, anxious to get to Pearlina’s house and talk. Lord, she was so wound-up she might never shut her mouth. She snorted with derision. Her loving Miss Pearl would learn what her precious Royce had done to her. Actually, she didn’t quite blame the man. The entire experience was too weird to believe.
The sun blazed down on her car. As she unlocked the door and slid inside, the heat stole her breath. It must be one-hundred-twenty-degrees. She started the engine and turned the air conditioner on high. The interior cooled to a tolerable temperature, and she backed out of the parking slot and headed for the exit. As she accelerated to merge with traffic on the freeway, she thrilled at the T-bird’s powerful response. She patted the steering wheel affectionately, grateful to be back in modern 2008.
Today a haze hung over the city, the modern world’s smog. So the air wasn’t fresh and clear like in 1880, but it didn’t smell like horse manure either. It was a nice summer day, not a cloud in the sky, and she was home. Life couldn’t be better.
The street in front of Pearl’s house was lined with cars as was her folk’s house. When her mother answered Pearl’s door, Texanna knew something was seriously wrong.
Madeline Keith was born into one of
Jason didn’t flinch. “She’s not Pearl, Royce. I was trying to protect you.” Royce and his brothers were close, their folks saw to it they always stood up for each other. He couldn’t fault Jason’s motive, but while trying to protect him, he’d failed to think about the ramifications of her leaving.
“If I don’t know whether she’s my wife or not, you sure as hell can’t know for sure she’s not. I’m a grown man and can protect myself. Furthermore, I’m the marshal here, and if I don’t catch the train, I’ll never know how she ended up with Pearl’s things. You just interfered with an investigation. I should fire your sorry butt.”
He grabbed his hat off the floor. Shoulders stiff with rage, he strode out of the office. The street was filling with people, stores beginning to open. To the South he could see a trace of what he hoped was smoke from the train. If he rode hard enough, he might catch the train. He vaulted into the saddle and kicked Samson into a fast trot. Just south of town, he turned the horse loose and let him run. The wind whipped at his face threatening to remove his black felt hat from his head.
He hadn’t gone far when he realized the chase was useless. It’d be impossible to catch the train. Samson responded to the pull on the reins, but reluctant to end his run, danced sideways as he slowed to a stop. Royce slumped in the saddle and stared off in the distance. The horse snorted and stamped his feet in impatience. “Sorry boy, she got away.” He patted his neck. “I’ll let you run on the way back to town.”
Texanna, the mystery woman, may have eluded his clutches this time, but San Antonio wasn’t too far away. He’d wire the sheriff and have him keep an eye out for the redheaded female. Their business wasn’t finished, and he wouldn’t rest until it was.
Chapter Four
Texanna breathed a sigh of relief when she righted herself after being thrown around the small lavatory of the train car. She’d probably have a knot on her head from hitting the mirror. It would go nicely with the one she’d gotten the day before. With the nineteenth-century dress and straw hat stuffed in the carpetbag, she exited the restroom. Uttering a sigh of contentment at the comfort of the air-conditioned car, she found a vacant seat, leaned back, and tried to relax. Her foot tapped out a staccato beat on the floorboard. Relax? Hell’s bell’s, she’d just traveled back and forth in time, she might never unwind.
When the train pulled to a stop, she jumped up and rushed to the exit, anxious to get to Pearlina’s house and talk. Lord, she was so wound-up she might never shut her mouth. She snorted with derision. Her loving Miss Pearl would learn what her precious Royce had done to her. Actually, she didn’t quite blame the man. The entire experience was too weird to believe.
The sun blazed down on her car. As she unlocked the door and slid inside, the heat stole her breath. It must be one-hundred-twenty-degrees. She started the engine and turned the air conditioner on high. The interior cooled to a tolerable temperature, and she backed out of the parking slot and headed for the exit. As she accelerated to merge with traffic on the freeway, she thrilled at the T-bird’s powerful response. She patted the steering wheel affectionately, grateful to be back in modern 2008.
Today a haze hung over the city, the modern world’s smog. So the air wasn’t fresh and clear like in 1880, but it didn’t smell like horse manure either. It was a nice summer day, not a cloud in the sky, and she was home. Life couldn’t be better.
The street in front of Pearl’s house was lined with cars as was her folk’s house. When her mother answered Pearl’s door, Texanna knew something was seriously wrong.
Madeline Keith was born into one of
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