The Outlaw and the Lady (4th in the Crane Gang Series)(womanxwoman)

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"There's my beautiful, sombrero wearing lady!"

Jane rolled her eyes at the sound of her husband's voice filling the mid-morning air. Damn, she loved that man. Turning around, Jane beamed at the sight of Pete's gap-toothed smile as he walked down the muddy street toward her.

"Mama!" Pete sat a squirming four-year old Willie on his feet and the boy shot toward Jane like a bullet. She was laughing as she scooped the red-haired boy up into her arms. "I miss you, mama."

"You and your pa were only in the store for ten minutes," Jane reminded him.

Willie simply shrugged. "I still miss you."

"I missed you too, Monster."

"Did you miss me?" Pete inquired, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Like a toothache," Jane assured him as she leaned into his embrace.

"Can we see Nana Maria?" Willie asked hopefully.

"I reckon we probably ought to," Pete agreed. "She'd probably get awfully angry if we don't stop in for a visit."

Besides, I promised Jeb we'd pick up Preston's medicine," Jane added. "And I heard a little whisper of a rumor that Nana Maria would have some fresh baked cookies this morning."

Willie's blue eyes lit up. "Let's go! Let's go!"

With a laugh, Pete took Willie and propped him on his hip. "Hell yeah, let's go. We'd have already been there if I'd have known there were cookies."

The trio headed down main street. Jane paid attention to the faces they past. Most were familiar, some weren't. Jane was always aware of her surroundings—always a bit on guard for threats. She had lost a lot in her life—she wasn't looking to lose anymore.

Sun light shimmered off something across the street, causing Jane to turn her head. She stopped in her tracks. Blinked. Blinked again. Her mouth opened, then closed. No words would come and Jane couldn't seem to focus her thoughts.

The sunlight had been reflected off a shiny, silver button. A button with a gaudy tassel attached to it. The person wearing the shirt that held said button and tassel, had disappeared into the gun shop. Surely, Jane must have been seeing things. Surely, her eyes had been playing tricks on her.

"Come on, mama! Cookies!" Willie called impatiently.

Pete's voice was concerned as his hand cupped her elbow. "What did you see, honey?"

Jane shook her head. "Not what. Who."

Now Pete sounded on edge. His hand left her elbow and went to his gun. "Who?"

"Willie...."

"I right here, mama."

Swallowing hard, Jane met her husband's confused gaze. "Bigger Willie... Pete, I swear I just saw Willie go into that gun shop. Only...."

Pete's brow furrowed. "Only what? Jane, Willie's dead."

Jane rubbed at the back of her neck and her eyes went back to the gun shop. "Only this Willie had tits."

The widening of Pete's eyes was downright comical. "Well hell's bells! I gotta see that!"

Jane watched as her idiotic husband took off across the street at a run with a bouncing, laughing Willie in his arms. Shaking off her own shock and confusion, Jane followed after family, though at a much slower pace.