Because of Rebecca

chapter Nineteen

A noise as loud as the cracking of a whip woke Jared. The hot sun streamed through the carriage window, and he moved a hand to shield his face from the sun until his eyes fully adjusted to the light. Beside him, Rebecca stirred.

“Are we in Grenada yet?” she murmured, sitting up.

“I don’t think so. Stay here.” He moved to the door, opened it, and climbed out of the hired carriage, which was parked, by the side of the road. The driver was nowhere in sight. The horses were still hitched, but the reins were tethered around a nearby tree. He walked around the carriage and noticed the right front wheel was cracked.

“Damnation.” He stepped back to the open door. “Don’t be alarmed, but it looks like we’ve been deserted. I’m hoping the driver has only gone for help. There’s a broken wheel.”

“What are we going to do?” Rebecca moved to the door to climb down, and he helped her out of the carriage.

“We wait a little while to see if the driver returns, if not, we take our bags and ride the horses to the nearest town. You can ride can’t you?”

“Yes.” She smiled.

“I’m surprised we slept through the incident, but the ride was bumpy. A jolt of the carriage when the wheel broke wouldn’t have seemed unusual as we slept.”

Rebecca nodded. “Surely he’ll be back. He was so nice and helpful last night when we left Memphis.”

Almost a little too helpful, Jared recalled. Maybe he shouldn’t have accepted the hotel clerk’s offer of a hired carriage to take them to Grenada. With the broken wheel, they wouldn’t be arriving at Oak Hill before Delaney.

“Let’s stand in the shade,” he suggested. “The humidity is already high, and we don’t have any water or food. I don’t want you getting ill. This isn’t the way I’d have imagined us starting our marriage.”

“Nor I.” Her cheeks pinked and he felt a jolt when she took his hand. The look she gave him made his trousers tighten. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, making love to her with his mouth and tongue.

She sighed when he reluctantly pulled away. “Forgive me for not doing this earlier, Mrs. Hollingsworth. I mean to kiss you first thing every morning for the rest of our lives.”

The flush of her cheeks deepened and she leaned into him. “I’ll have to remember that, Mr. Hollingsworth.”

Smiling, they walked to the tree line and the shade. Jared stopped abruptly when he spotted their driver lying in the tall grass about ten feet away from the trees. He couldn’t tell if the man was knocked unconscious, or if he was dead. A new carriage wheel lay near him.

Rebecca gasped and clutched his hand tighter. “Is he dead?”

“I don’t know.” He scanned the area, but didn’t notice anyone about. Their bags had still been secure to the back of the carriage, so he knew they hadn’t been robbed, yet. But if their driver was injured returning with the wheel he didn’t believe they were safe.

“Let’s walk back to the carriage slowly,” he whispered. They turned but came face to face with two masked gunmen.

“So we meet again, Hollingsworth,” one of the masked men said. “When did you start traveling with a lady? It’s so unlike you.”

Not again, Jared silently groaned. How many times was he going to be mistaken for Rory on this trip?

“Jared?” Rebecca turned to him, worry evident in her green eyes.

“He must think I’m Rory.”

“Quiet!” the man barked and jabbed the nose of his pistol into Jared’s rib cage. “I want my money back, you thievin’ horse’s ass.”

“I don’t have your money,” he gritted through clenched teeth.

“Sure you do or you wouldn’t have skedaddled out of town after I cut you.”

“I tell you I’m not the man you’re looking for. My name is Jared Hollingsworth, not Rory Hollingsworth. Rory is my cousin. We were unfortunately graced with the same looks.”

“Shut up.” The man shook his gun at them. “I don’t want to hear none of your lyin’. I heard enough of that swallow in Bixby where you swindled me out my winnings. Now hand it over.”

Jared glared at the man. Was that where Rory got the money to pay back Delaney? He took a deep breath to still his temper. He had to stay calm. Perhaps if he were rational this man would see the error he was making. “I tell you I’m not Rory Hollingsworth.”

The other gunman snorted and lifted his bandana up high enough to expose his mouth and spit tobacco juice. He wiped the excess away with the back of his hand. “Sure looks like ’im.” He spat again, repeating the process. “Same eyes, same hair.” He walked toward Jared and sniffed. “Don’t smell like ’im though. He smells too pretty, like his lady friend here, all lemony.”

“It’s verbena.” The man’s sweaty stench surrounded them and Rebecca’s nose twitched. “Do you want some?”

He laughed. “Rufus, you hear her? She wants to know if I want to smell all pretty like her.”

“Shut up you idiot. Now they know my name,” his partner roared.

The other man snickered. “If he’s Hollingsworth he should already know it. Come to think of it, why are we wearing these bandanas?”

“Get over here.”

The man loped back as ordered to stand beside Rufus, and he smacked him in the back of the head. “Now shut up.”

“I know where Rory is.” Jared silently prayed the man would take the bait. “I can take you to him.”

Rufus shook his gun at Jared. “I know where he is too and I’m lookin’ at him, ain’t I? We’re not going nowheres until I get my money. So stop your blatherin’.”

Talking to the man wasn’t working. Jared thought for a few seconds and recalled something Rufus had just said. “You say you cut Rory the last time you met. Where?”

“Your side.”

“I can prove to you I’m not Rory. Let me remove my shirt.”

Rufus shrugged and lowered the gun, but he didn’t holster it. “It won’t prove nothin’. You could be healed up by now.”

“Not if you cut Rory deep enough.” Jared took off his coat and handed it to Rebecca. He unbuttoned his waistcoat and shrugged out of it before pulling his shirt over his head and held out his arms for the man to see. He even slowly turned in a circle so Rufus could get a good look at him from all sides.

“That don’t prove nothin’. Like I said you musta healed up.”

Jared shook his head as he slipped his shirt back over his head. “A deep cut would leave a scar. As you saw, there isn’t one.”

The other man snickered. “He’s got you there, Rufus.”

“Shut up, you fool.” He glared at his cohort for a minute before he turned his attention back to them. “No more antics. I want my money, and I want it now.”

“I can’t give you what I never had.” Jared tucked his shirt back into the waist of his trousers and slipped on his waistcoat.

“Shut up.” The man gritted his teeth. He swore under his breath and pointed the pistol at Jared again.

“Sir, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop pointing that gun at my husband.” Rebecca shifted her weight and planted her hands on her hips. Jared smiled at her spunk, but feared she’d get herself shot.

“Your husband?” Rufus laughed and turned his full attention on her. “I never thought I’d hear the day that the likes of Rory Hollingsworth would get himself hitched, especially to a fine lookin’ lady like you. Maybe if you can’t pay me, Rory, I can get satisfaction in another way.”

Rebecca gasped, and Jared moved to stand in front of her. “Sounds like you know Rory well? If that’s true, then surely you have to be having some doubts that I’m him.”

Rufus raised the gun to Jared’s head and cocked it. “I said to shut your trap.”

Beads of sweat prickled across Jared’s brow. There was no reasoning with this man, no matter what he said or did. All he could think about was Rebecca. They hadn’t been married a day and she might end up a widow because of Rory and his gambling.

“Please, put down the gun.” Rebecca’s voice was steady, and despite Jared’s attempt to shield her from Rufus, she stepped from behind him. However, Jared saw the fear in her eyes. “I can assure you that this man is Jared Hollingsworth, and he’s my husband. We have documentation to prove it. We were married in Memphis before we left. If you will allow me to get my bag from the carriage, I can show you.”

“She has documentation,” the smelly man jeered. “Rufus, are you going to let her show us? Can I take her to the carriage and get her bag? I’d like to see inside their fancy carriage. Maybe get all comfy with her in there.”

Rufus moved the gun away from Jared to point at his friend. “Stop using my name, Amos, or I’ll shoot you instead.”

Amos’ eyes bulged and his nostrils flared as he stared into the barrel of the pistol. He raised his gun and pointed it at Rufus, slowly cocking it. “A-all right. Just you put down your gun, or I’ll be shooting you.”

“Not if I shoot you first.”

“Do it, Rufus.”

“You first.”

Jared could see the two gunmen were at a standoff, pointing their weapons at each other, and not paying attention to them. He grabbed Rebecca’s hand and urged her to step back. They slowly eased away from the duo until they could safely turn and run back to the carriage.

“Hey. They’re getting away,” Amos called.

“No, they’re not,” Rufus shouted, and he fired a shot from his gun.

It hit the side of the carriage, ricocheting off before they reached it.

Rebecca screamed and ducked low. Jared did the same, but he urged her to keep running.

“We’re going to get killed,” she cried.

“Not if I can help it.” Jared picked her up and shoved her inside the open carriage door. “Get down on the floor and stay there.” He slammed the door shut and safely slipped behind the carriage for cover, dodging another bullet.

He unfastened their bags from the back and took them with him as he rounded the other side and opened that door. He crouched down as a bullet hit the top of the carriage.

“Here, give me your hand,” he ordered as more shots were fired at them. She inched her way toward him and placed her hand in his. He helped her out, and they ran as fast as they could into the woods.

Besides firing random shots from their guns, Rufus and Amos hollered profanities at them as they ran from tree to tree. Finally, the gunshots stopped. But Jared and Rebecca didn’t stop running until the only sound they heard was that of their own feet hitting the ground.

Gasping for breath, they finally slowed near a stream. Jared laughed, dropping their bags and sat down on a large rock. He wiped sweat from his brow with his forearm and patted his leg for her to sit. Rebecca collapsed against him, he pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.

“I’ve never been more scared in all my life,” she murmured when he released her. “And I thought I was frightened on the train when I was taking Ruth to Memphis, but that was nothing compared to this.”

Jared held her close and kissed her temple. “Sh-h-h. Don’t fret. If we’re lucky they’ve ran out of bullets. I’d be pleased to find they foolishly shot one another.”

“I pray they’ve given up on finding us.”

He nodded, cupping her face with his hand. He kissed her again, parting her lips with his tongue, deepening the kiss. She sighed and melded her body to his, running her hand up and down his back. Her feathery touch sent tingles running along his spine, and he set her away from him before he lost control.

“What are we going to do?” she asked. “We have no idea where we are. We don’t even know in which direction to go.”

“We can circle back to the carriage. If Rufus and Amos aren’t there, we can change the wheel, check on the driver and if he’s alive, take him to the next town for help.”

“But what if they’re waiting for us to come back?”

“Then we’re back to where we were before we ran, trying to convince them I’m not Rory. Not that they believed me.”

She shook her head. “How have you put up with him all your life?”

Jared laughed. “When we were growing up he wasn’t so bad. It all started after his father died. Rory started drinking, gambling and whoring. And now that his mother has passed, well, there’s no stopping him.”

“Mawsy said Rory uses his gambling winnings to help the Vigilante Committee so at least he’s putting it to good use, even if it’s tainted money.”

“I still can’t wrap my mind around him working for an organization of that nature. He was never one to give a damn about how others felt; at least that is how I perceived him.”

“Maybe that’s what he wants others to believe. It’s a good disguise for what he really does.” Rebecca smiled.

“Come on. Let’s head back and see if we can get moving toward Grenada again. We might still be able to catch our train to Jackson.”

They walked until they came to where they could see the carriage. Jared left her and their bags to wait on a fallen tree and slowly inched closer, checking the area for signs of the duo. When he was certain they were gone, he turned back.

“I’m going to check on the driver and see if I can change the wheel. You stay here.”

“Okay.” Rebecca watched him leave, but being left alone, apprehension crawled up her spine as if she were being watched. She heard a twig snap and she jumped, turning around as the smell of Amos assaulted her nose. Everything went dark as he pulled a sack over her head. She tried to scream, but a hand was slapped over her mouth. She fought against her captor, but he had a strong hold on her.

“Got her.”

“Good.”

Rebecca tried to stomp Amos’ foot, but before she made contact she felt herself being lifted in the air and swung onto the back of a horse. Her bottom landed snug against one of her captures legs, the horn of the saddle jamming into her thigh. She squirmed trying to break free of his vice-grip hold as her hands were bound together.

“Now that should hold her,” Amos said, spitting.

“Let’s go,” Rufus ordered, his hot breath penetrating through the sack against her ear.

Rufus had her. At least he smelled better than Amos, but that didn’t make matters better. It was difficult to breathe with the sack over her head. Tears threatened her eyes and she blinked several times to keep them away. It wouldn’t do to give into her fear. Jared would save her.

The only problem was she had no idea in which direction they were taking her. She only hoped he heard the horses retreating and followed them.

“Let’s see if your husband cares about you enough to come after you.”