Bride of the Wolf. Susan Krinard

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СКАЧАТЬ got much call for somethin’ like this in Javelina.”

      The storekeeper’s eyes gleamed. “For you, Herr Renshaw, and for the new bride, I would offer an excellent bargain.” He pushed up his spectacles. “How is Mrs. McCarrick?”

      “Fine,” Heath said through gritted teeth. He strode to the counter and removed a few coins from his money pouch. “You get any more of that jam in?”

      “One jar.” Sonntag cocked his head. “No cradle today, Herr Renshaw?”

      “I’ll think about it.” Except he wouldn’t be thinking about it at all, because he wouldn’t be making any more personal stops in Javelina if he could help it. Sonntag hadn’t had any ideas about helping Joey find work somewhere else, and Heath didn’t figure anything new would crop up in the next few days. He went out for his saddlebags, dropped them on the counter and left Sonntag to pack his purchases while he looked over the patch of wall the town used for announcements and the rare advertisement.

      When he saw the poster, it was like looking in a cracked mirror. The face in the drawing was almost completely covered with a full black beard, mustache and long, unkempt hair. The eyes were the same, but the artist had the nose wrong. The scar across the wanted man’s neck was knotted and ugly. Heath Renier, accused of murder, rustling and armed robbery, had last been seen near Dallas four years ago.

      “Quite a villain,” Sonntag said, coming up behind him. “I would not wish to meet him in a dark place.”

      Heath let out his breath very slowly. “When did this come in?”

      “From San Antonio, with my new goods yesterday. It is a great deal of money, nicht wahr? Ach, what I could do with such money!” Sonntag shrugged. “But men like that are not easily found. His appearance may be nothing like this picture after so many years.”

      Heath returned to the counter and grabbed the saddlebags. “Maurice will be along for more later.”

      “Very well, Herr Renshaw.” Heath could feel Sonntag’s stare as he left the store, weighing him, wondering. He touched the neckerchief around his throat.

      If Sonntag or anyone else had recognized Holden Renshaw as Heath Renier, he would have been arrested by now. But it was a bad sign that they were putting out posters this far south and west. It meant the law was still on his trail and getting closer.

      The kid had to get well soon, though Heath would be safe a while longer if he was careful. Coming into Javelina all normal-like, after everything that had happened, probably even worked in his favor.

      Just as he put Lucia up on the mule, he heard hoofbeats behind him, coming fast.

      He turned around. Amy Blackwell’s bay mare pulled up hard, raising dust hip high.

      “Holden Renshaw,” she said, her pretty face twisted with anger. “I hope they hang you for what you’ve done.”

      Heath’s heart slammed a dozen times before he got it under control. He touched the brim of his hat.

      “Afternoon, Miss Blackwell,” he said. “Reckon they have some hangin’ rope at Sonntag’s. You mind tellin’ me what I’ve done first?”

      “You know perfectly well,” she said, tossing back the blond hair she always wore loose around her shoulders. “Sean came to us as soon as you ran him off.”

      The tension went out of Heath’s body. He’d never doubted that that was where Sean would have headed first. He’d been in good with the Blackwells for some time, playing up his education at some fancy school back East and the highfalutin manners Jed had paid so much for. Sean had hankered after Amy, too.

      Looked like he was getting her.

      “Sean tell you why?” he asked. “Or did he just howl like a burnt coyote?”

      Her gloved hands tightened on the reins as she shifted on her sidesaddle. “Must there be a reason when a gentleman is run off his own ranch by a jealous cowhand?”

      Heath let her see the edges of his teeth. “It ain’t his ranch yet, Miss Blackwell. If he promised to sell you Dog Creek, he’s layin’ you a false scent.”

      Amy edged her mount a few steps back and flung up her head like a rebellious filly. “You may be interested to know that we intend to employ Mr. McCarrick at Blackwater. He is not without friends.”

      “You want Sean for a friend, Miss Blackwell, that’s your lookout. But he’ll use you, just like he uses anyone he thinks he can string along.”

      Amy swung her arm up, and for a split second it looked as if she might try to hit him with her quirt. She didn’t. She just stared at him, hate and confusion in her eyes.

      “When Sean’s uncle returns, he will hear about this,” she snapped.

      “It’s Sean who should be scared of that, ma’am.”

      With a sharp, angry cry, Amy jerked her mare around and kicked it into a run.

      “The señorita is very angry,” Lucia said solemnly.

      “Yeah.”

      “When will Señor McCarrick return?”

      “Soon.” Heath took the mule’s lead. “Let’s get on home.”

      It was near evening when Heath and Lucia reached Dog Creek. He smelled something wrong as soon as they got near the house.

      Joey was waiting for him in the yard, his wiry body vibrating with tension. “Holden!”

      Heath dismounted and helped Lucia dismount. “What is it?”

      “The hands! They all up ‘n left …’ ceptin’ me ‘n Maurice. They rode in from the range a few hours ago. Didn’t say a word, just lit out again right away.”

      Heath pulled off his hat and raked his hand through his hair. “Where the hell’d they go?”

      “Don’t know. But—” He bit his lip. “Maurice says Sean was here talkin’ to El and Gus last night.”

      Sean. Heath hadn’t seen this coming, and he should have. The son of a bitch would have made the most of Heath being gone. He had a way of making people follow him. People like Amy, too blind or stupid to see through his lies.

      The force of his own anger pulled him up short. Why was he so mad? It wasn’t as if he had to worry about problems like this much longer.

      “This here’s Señora Gonzales,” he said to Joey. “You show her into the house.”

      “But, Holden, we ain’t done brandin’! What are we gonna do?”

      “We would have let most of the hands go in a couple of weeks, anyway. Now git.”

      Joey didn’t like it, but he did as he was told. He touched his hat to Lucia and led her to the house. When he returned, Heath set him to unsaddling the mule.

      “How’d it go with Lucia?” he asked.

      “Mrs. СКАЧАТЬ