“I didn’t mean that,” J. D. moaned. “I swear I didn’t!”
“Where are those riders headed to next?” Nick asked calmly.
“I don’t know. I’ve been locked up. They…they don’t plan a second job out until they’re done with the first one.”
Nick shook his head slowly. “If they’ve got these things planned out so well, they’ve also got their next couple of stops all lined up.”
“No! They…they’ll take the cattle to be sold and then…then that’s when they’ll figure out where they’re headed.”
After a few moments, Nick shrugged. “All right.”
Seeing the sincerity in Nick’s eyes, J. D. let out the breath that had been trapped in his throat and let his shoulders come down from around his ears.
“Since you proved to be completely fucking useless,” Nick said, “I might as well blow your brains onto this wall and bury you in my field. I’ve got a few spare caskets anyway, so…”
“New Mexico!” J. D. shouted. Wincing, he dropped his voice down to a stage whisper. “New Mexico. That’s where they’re headed.”
“Where in New Mexico?”
“If I tell you…will you let me go?”
“Only if you swear to get the hell out of here and never come back.”
J. D. nodded vigorously. “I swear. I swear.”
After a few silent moments, Nick asked, “Where in New Mexico?”
“Oh. Right. Some place called Dos Rios. It’s a ranch called the Busted Wheel.”
“When’s that job lined up?”
“Not for a little while. Dutch was just getting his hooks into one of the men working out there. He’ll ride down first and the rest of the men will gather up some more help to replace the ones who parted ways here. That’s the way it always goes, I swear!”
The words had come from J. D. so quickly that there wasn’t enough time for him to put together a convincing lie unless he was reciting one from memory. Considering how much J. D. was trembling with fear in front of Nick’s gun, it was doubtful he could have even recited his own name from memory.
Nodding slowly, Nick let go of J. D.’s shirt and backed up a step. He lowered his gun, eased it into his holster and kept his palm on the grip.
“Can I go now?” J. D. asked.
“Sure.” J. D. took a few tentative steps toward the mouth of the alley. He must have glanced back at Nick twenty times before stepping into the open. Once he’d gathered enough courage, he bolted down the street and out of Nick’s sight. Even so, Nick could hear J. D. trip and fall at least twice on the boardwalk.
THIRTEEN
It was two days before Joseph felt well enough to walk. His wounds were scattered over most of his body and they took their toll now more than when he’d received them. Fortunately, there wasn’t much for the doctor to do when he finally paid him a visit. In keeping with the doctor’s orders, Joseph stayed with Nick and Catherine while he rested up.
Sam was more than happy with the arrangement, since he had a new field in which to play and plenty of new sights to take in. During the day, the boy watched Nick carve or helped load and unload the wagon when he went into town. Even the boy could tell Nick was uncomfortable getting so much attention. Whenever he asked why, all he got was a shrug and a tentative pat on the head.
After a particularly long day in his workshop, Nick climbed down from his wagon and started unhitching Rasa from her bridle. There were only tools in the back, so Kazys wasn’t needed to pull the load. When he glanced toward the house, he found Joseph waiting there instead of his son.
“Up and around, I see,” Nick said.
Joseph nodded and winced as he began taking some steps. For a moment, it looked as if he needed help staying upright. Rather than try to prop himself up with the arm he extended, he offered his hand to Nick. “I never properly thanked you for all you did.”
Shaking Joseph’s hand, Nick replied, “There’s no need to thank me.”
“You saved my boy’s life. That’s a hell of a lot to thank you for.”
“You’re welcome.”
Looking at the back of Nick’s wagon, Joseph pulled in a breath and let it out slowly. Finally, he said, “I…want to see my wife and daughter.”
Nick’s body froze, but his eyes darkened as if he’d been dreading the arrival of those words. “When you’re feeling better, I can take you to—”
“No. I want to see them now. If I don’t, I’ll lose whatever’s left of my mind.”
Chuckling under his breath, Nick said, “There’s still plenty left in there.”
Joseph lifted a hand to his left temple and brushed his fingers along the one wound he didn’t remember getting. It was a nasty gash that felt gruesome even after it had been stitched shut. The wound started at the front of his head just over his eye and continued in a straight gouge that ended above his ear. “They’re all I can think about, Nick. Please.”
Patting Joseph’s shoulder as he walked by, Nick stuck his head into the cabin and let Catherine know where they were going. He received a quick kiss on his cheek and then walked back to the wagon. Knowing Joseph would want to climb onto the passenger’s seat on his own, Nick watched him closely while fixing Rasa back into her rig.
Joseph stumbled a bit, but made it onto the wagon just fine. Once there, he breathed deeply and kept himself steady by gripping the seat with both hands.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Nick asked.
“Yeah. Just be ready to collect me if I fall out of this seat.”
Nick snapped the reins and got the wagon moving at an easy pace. The road from his cabin was fairly smooth and sloped downward to hook up with the main trail. Rather than turn right toward Ocean, Nick steered the wagon left toward a much more open stretch of land.
“Where are you going?” Joseph asked. “Isn’t your parlor in town?”
“It is, but they’re not in my parlor.”
Looking ahead to see where they were going, Joseph let out a frustrated breath and asked, “You buried them? I never gave permission for that.”
“I know.”
“But, I wanted to see them! I wanted to see their faces one more time before they were put into the ground!”
Nick met Joseph’s gaze and said, “I know what you’re saying, but…you didn’t want to see them.”
Somehow, those words didn’t sound ominous coming from Nick. They settled into Joseph’s mind like weights that slowly bowed his head. He didn’t say another word during the short ride to the graveyard. In fact, he was so lost in his memories that Joseph felt as if he’d only looked down for a second before the wagon rattled to a halt. When he looked up again, the graveyard was spread out in front of him.
Nick climbed down from the wagon and ran his hand along Rasa’s coat as he moved around the animal. “You need some help climbing down?”
Joseph shook his head and gritted his teeth with determination. The pain from most of his wounds barely even registered, but the gash on his temple forced him to pause when his boots touched the ground. Once the dizziness faded, Joseph straightened up and walked to where Nick was waiting.
The graveyard was surrounded on three sides by trees with one well-tended trail leading straight into it. Thanks to Nick’s constant attention, the place felt more like a park than a graveyard. None of the wilderness from the open field made it onto the hallowed ground. The grass was free of weeds and every last tombstone was properly cared for and in good repair.