Just like that, the former outcast of Willow Fork became its queen. One simple “I do” and Abigail Barnes became the richest woman in the county, so the judge wasn’t about to say a thing about the odd, apparently true rumors about the ranchers’ habits. Money turned perversity into eccentricity, and the judge was smart enough to know it. He simply signed all the paperwork and wished the happy couple a good marriage.
Abby held her new husbands’ hands as they walked out of the judge’s office and toward the exit of the court house. She felt a sense of satisfaction she hadn’t known existed. She had everything she wanted. She would build a life with Jack and Sam. Sam dropped her hand and hurried ahead to open the door for her.
“I know that the three of you are anxious to get on with the honeymoon,” Christa announced as the small party began to march out of the courthouse. “Still, I put together a little lunch reception at the café. Some of your friends and neighbors would like to celebrate. You aren’t flying out until tomorrow, so come by and do your duty.”
Jack frowned as they walked into the brilliant fall day. “Are there going to be any high school boys there?”
Christa’s laughter had more than one head turning. Abby had hoped Jack hadn’t noticed the mob of high school boys plaguing their door.
“No, Jack. They’re all in school. Abby is safe,” Christa assured him.
“Then let’s go have lunch,” Jack offered magnanimously. “Now that I have a wife, I should get used to doing more social things.”
Abby grinned. He didn’t sound like he was looking forward to it.
He would get used to being social, Abby promised herself.
She intended to fit in, even if it killed her. It had occurred to her that this town needed a few things. Willow Creek lacked a free health care clinic. Young girls, like she had been, had nowhere to go for health care. Abby felt a crusade beginning and knew Jack and Sam would have to put in face time with the county politicians if she wanted to make her clinic into something real.
Jack offered to bring the truck around when Abby caught sight of trouble.
“Damn that woman,” Diane Moore cursed.
Abby saw Ruby Echols walking toward them. She was dressed in a pale blue suit and elegant little pumps. She’d had her hair done and carried a large designer bag. It looked far too big for such a small woman to carry, but Ruby managed with her usual flair. She looked all around with great disdain for the ordinary men and women walking in and out of the courthouse. Her eyes were looking around the park in front of the courthouse, and Abby had no doubt who she was looking for. Abby sighed. She wasn’t about to let that old biddy ruin her wedding day.
“I’ll call Walter,” Mike offered, pulling his cell phone out.
Sam tugged on Abby’s hand, but she resisted. She remembered how Adam’s mother had backed her down a couple of days ago. She needed to understand that Abigail Moore…Barnes wasn’t going anywhere.
“No, Sam. It’s long past time for me to stand up to that bat. I’m not letting her push me around anymore.”
“Mrs. Echols.” Jack greeted her with a low warning as she stepped tentatively onto the courthouse stairs.
Ruby had the strangest expression on her face as she looked at Jack. She seemed, to Abby’s mind, almost affectionate as she looked at Jack. Her eyes went slightly watery, and her hand was in her bag looking for something.
“Hello, dear. You look so handsome in a suit. I always knew you would be a handsome man.”
Jack and Sam exchanged a nervous look. Mike seemed to have gotten in touch with Walter. He was explaining the situation. There was something wrong with Ruby Echols, and her son needed to take care of it. Mike flipped his phone shut.
“Mrs. Echols,” Mike said gently. “Your son is on his way. Why don’t we go sit down and wait for him?”
Ruby’s silver head shook. “Silly boy, my son is right here.” She looked at Jack with a maternal smile. “He’s here making the biggest mistake of his life. Luckily, he has his mama to correct it.”
Abby gasped as Ruby pulled a revolver out of her bag. The next minute seemed to go by in a strange sort of slow motion. Abby watched in horror as Ruby held the gun and fired in one fluid motion. It would hit her in the head, Abby thought. She was going to die. She felt Sam jerk on her hand, but it didn’t do any good.
And then she was on the ground, covered completely by Jack’s big body. Abby hit the concrete steps with a resounding thud and felt the wind knocked out of her body.
It took a moment for the horror to hit Abby. At first she was stunned, but then the keening sound of someone wailing cut through the pain of slamming into the ground.
“Jack?”
Everything around her was chaos. Mike was rushing forward to do something. Someone was crying and screaming about her baby. Abby thought that was Ruby. Christa was down on her knees beside Abby, tears streaking down her face. Through it all she heard her mother talking on a cell phone.
“Yes, there’s been a shooting,” her mother was saying.
Sam was suddenly staring down at her. His face was a ghostly white. “I’m going to move Jack, Abby. I’ll get you out in just a second.”
Abby felt panic well up. “He’s been shot?”
“Yeah.” Sam didn’t look like a man whose best friend was going to pull through.
As gently as he could, Sam pulled Jack off of her and laid him down on his back. Abby managed to sit up. Jack had promised to protect her, and Jack never went back on his word. He’d leapt in front of the bullet meant to end her life. His dress shirt was covered with blood. He’d been shot in the chest. Through the panic, a professional sense of calm came over Abigail. Sam looked like he was going to be sick. Christa was weeping. Mike had Ruby’s gun in his hand and was holding her back. It was up to her.
Abby got to her knees, slapping at Sam’s hands when he tried to pull her to her feet. “He isn’t dead,” Abby barked in a voice that would have let any intern know to back off. “Don’t move him any more than we have to.”
She quickly took the phone out of her mother’s hand. “My name is Abigail Barnes. I am a trauma nurse. We have one man down with a GSW to what looks like his left lung.” Abby listened to the 911 operator as she felt for a pulse. “It missed the heart, but the victim is unconscious and…I’ve got air bubbles in the blood. I’m passing you off to someone else, but we need a care flight. He needs surgery and possibly life support. He needs to go to Tyler.”
She handed the phone back to her mom. Suddenly, Jack’s green eyes were open. She felt a flood of relief that she didn’t allow to slow her down one bit.
“You okay?” He struggled to get the question out.
Abby looked around for something suitable to use. Jack’s lung was punctured, and he was losing air out of the hole in his chest. It was what they called a “sucking chest wound” in her field. She had to get it covered. The big bouquet of lilies caught her eye. “Sam, tear the cellophane off those flowers.”
While Sam went to do her bidding, she stared down at her patient. “I’m fine, Jack. And so are you.”
He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. The pain was evident on his face. It was pinched and stark white.
“I bet it hurts like hell, baby,” Abby said sternly. “That’s what you get for jumping in front of a bullet, Jack Barnes. Listen here, husband of mine, there’s no eternal rest for you today, got that?” Sam handed her the piece of plastic, and she gingerly covered the wound. Jack groaned when she pressed down, but his breathing eased immediately.
“Better,” he managed. “I’m not allowed to see a white light?”
Abby let a small smile tug on her lips. He still had a sense of humor, and as a nurse, she knew the value of that. “You can see it all you like, but don’t you dare walk into it.”