Outlaw Vices (third in The Crane Gang Series)manxman

Chapter Thirty-three

           

Chapter Thirty-three

          Ezekiel heard the hoof beats come thundering into town. He didn't have to look to know it was the cavalry—family—arriving. He stood up on the hotel porch so they'd see him and choked on dust as they all came to a stop.

          "What's going on?" Jeb demanded as he stepped onto the porch beside Ezekiel. "Wyatt said Susannah was back."

          Ezekiel waited until everyone was within hearing distance before answering. "She was. She's dead."

          "Shit.... I know she was trying to steal your man, but, you killed her?" Pete spoke up, which earned him a smack to the back of the head from his wife, which led to a rather loud laugh from his son.

          Ezekiel simply shook his head at their antics. "Maria said her body wasn't made for childbirth," he replied. "Whatever the hell that means."

          "Where's Craig?" Jeb asked.

          Ezekiel tipped his head toward the hotel door. "Room fifteen upstairs."

          Ezekiel followed the family as they raced inside. He was sure they didn't know why they were racing to reach Craig, only that he wasn't out here with Ezekiel so that had to mean something was wrong.

          Ezekiel smiled as they stepped into the hotel room and found Craig in the chair beside the window, a newborn babe swaddled in his arms as he fed it a bit of goat's milk from a bottle.

          "Well I'll be damned...." Gill muttered.

          "Baby!" Willie exclaimed, struggling to escape his mother's arms.

          Craig grinned at his young cousin. "Yeah, this is a baby," he agreed. "Family, meet Delilah. Delilah, meet the family."

          "Is that her baby?" Jeb asked tightly.

          Ezekiel stepped forward. "No, it's our baby," he countered quickly.

          Craig's eyes met his and his heart melted at that grateful smile on Craig's boyish face. Damn.. he'd do just about anything for that man.

          Jeb held up his hand. "I don't.. I don't want to sound like a jackass..."

          "Then stop talking," Craig warned, his jaw tensing as his gaze went to his older brother.

          Jeb sighed. "Craig, please, did you think this through? Did you think about it at all?"

          "Not a whole hell of a lot," Craig admitted.

          Jeb rubbed at his neck. "You're my brother and you know I love you but not too long ago you couldn't even take care of yourself......"

          Jeb stopped talking when Gill's hand closed around his and, judging by the wince from Jeb, it squeezed hard. Jebidiah glanced at his man and Gill gave a small shake of his head causing Jeb to let out an even longer sigh.

          "Congratulations you two," Jeb conceded. "I really do want you to be happy."

          Craig stood up slowly and walked to Ezekiel. Ezekiel realized, with horror, that Craig wanted him to take Delilah. He had never in his life held a baby.

          But this was his daughter and he'd have to learn eventually.

          "Don't worry," Pete spoke up. "It's not dynamite, it won't explode. And, you'd be surprised by how well they bounce when you drop them."