any more guns hiding in there?” he demanded.
She dodged his grasp, her eyes flashing with anger. Charlie halted her exit, splaying his arms and grinning as though this was all some sort of game to him. She whipped around and discovered she was trapped. Panicked, she was near to crying. She set her jaw, refusing to shed a tear. Charlie seemed to feed on her desperation and fear. She wouldn’t break down. Nolan had warned her. If she broke down, they’d have her.
Nolan straightened, one hand braced against the table, the other clutching his ribs. “You know the deal. Leave her be.”
An insane gratitude swept over her. Though her independent spirit rebelled against cowering behind the stagecoach man, survival took hold. At this moment, she had no other choice except clinging to the safety he provided.
Charlie threw back his head and chortled. “Your man has some fight.”
“We need him, Charlie.” Dakota Red’s expression was a frigid as a winter wind. “Stay away from the woman.”
“She ain’t worth it anyway,” his brother spat out. “She’s plain as a fence post and she’s got hips like a buffalo.”
Outraged, she cocked her palm. In a flash Nolan caught her wrist. Blinking rapidly, she lowered her hand. If she struck Charlie, he’d be forced to strike back, hard, or risk losing face in front of the other men.
Lifting her chin, she moved away, refusing to let the outlaws see the devastation Charlie’s words had wrought. She was plain, and she’d always had more curves than the other ladies. Having her faults displayed before the other men smarted. Who was she kidding? Nolan’s opinion was the one that mattered most to her. She snuck a look at him from beneath her eyelashes. His expression was dark and unreadable.
“Git, woman,” Dakota Red ordered once more. “She don’t need to be pretty to make supper.”
The outlaws grumbled at giving up their game, but when Tilly hastily set the beans and bacon on the table next to the bread, they shrugged and relented. She returned to the kitchen and scooted nearer to Nolan.
“Are you all right?” she asked in a hushed tone. “How are your ribs?”
“Good,” he replied, his voice strained. “Nothing to worry about.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Woman,” Charlie hollered. “Fetch me more water.”
Tilly ground her teeth and turned away from Nolan. He caught her hand, his gaze fierce.
“We have to see this through,” he whispered. “Do you understand? Don’t let them get to you, or they’ll kill us all. They’ll try and get under our skin to keep us off balance.”
Her face burned. He knew. He knew she was humiliated. At least he hadn’t tried to appease her with lies, and for that she was grateful.
She’d rather have his anger than his pity. “I understand.”
“Charlie has to look tough for the other men. The best way to make himself look big is to belittle someone smaller than him. We’re caught in the middle, that’s all.”
“I said that I understand, and I do,” she said through clenched teeth.
Nolan pressed a kiss against her temple.
Her whole body quivered. She leaned into his touch, then caught Charlie staring at them. The affectionate gesture was obviously for his benefit.
Tilly moved away. Her looks weren’t what gave her worth.
The outlaws ate the simple meal with gusto, nearly emptying the pan of beans before the girls arrived with the berries. With her nieces present, the icy knot of fear settled in Tilly’s chest once more. She directed the girls inside with a nervous grin, admonishing them to wipe their feet. Best to keep everything as normal as possible.
Elizabeth had purple stains covering her mouth and the front of her dress. “Boo-berries.”
She approached the far end of the table and held out a handful of smashed purple. “Want?”
Dakota Red drew his chin toward his chest and angled his head with a shake. “You keep ’em. Let’s go, boys.” He pointed one gnarled finger in Tilly’s direction, his mouth set in a grim line. “Remember your young’uns the next time you want to try something. You got me?”
She suppressed a shiver of fear. His threat was obvious. “I understand.”
Gracious. She was beginning to sound like a parrot, chirping the same phrases over and over again.
“Me and the boys will be keeping a tight watch on the horses,” he continued. “You play along real nice like we asked, and everything is going to be fine. You got that?”
Tilly gave a hesitant nod.
“Glad we came to that agreement. We’ll just search the place again. Even though you’ve given us your word.”
The outlaws tore up the entire station looking for hidden weapons. They emptied all the drawers, moved all the furniture and tapped on all the floorboards. During the search, Tilly kept the girls busy with baking a batch of blackberry muffins.
Victoria glanced up at a particularly loud thump. “What are they doing? What’s taking them so long?”
“They lost something. They’re trying to find it.”
“Mama said if you put your stuff away when you’re done, you don’t lose things.”
“She’s right. But I don’t think they’re interested in your mother’s advice right now.”
Once the outlaws were satisfied, they left to tend their horses. Snyder took a seat outside the front door, and filled his pipe bowl with tobacco.
After the excitement of the afternoon, the rest of the evening passed in relative monotony. Only the faint stench of pipe smoke kept Tilly on edge. As much as she and Nolan struggled to present an air of normalcy, the danger was ever present. With each tick of the clock the tension took its toll, gradually draining her body and soul of energy. Tilly fed the girls and had the three wash up for bedtime.
Caroline stifled a yawn behind her fingers. “What time will the stagecoach come by tomorrow? I’m ready to see Nanny and Poppy.”
“About that.” Tilly tugged her lower lip between her teeth. “Nolan thinks the next stagecoach might be too full. If that’s the case, we’ll have to stay another day or two.”
Caroline shrugged. “All right.”
Tilly breathed a sigh of relief at her easy acceptance of the lie. The next few days were going to be a trial. Tonight she needed rest.
After they’d finished cleaning up the broken looking glass and preparing for bed, the three of them stretched out on the mattress in the main bedroom. Tilly pulled the covers up to their chins, and they each said a quick prayer. Caroline and Victoria prayed for their mother’s safe travels, and Elizabeth prayed for a puppy.
Caroline
