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

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"Reckon we should untie the woman now?" Pete offered after several moments of strained silence.

Ezekial paused a few seconds before letting out a sigh and bending over her to undo the ropes. Willa didn't take to folks being so close but she was too numb just now to voice her displeasure.

Willie was dead. She had no relatives left in the world. Not one single person she could call family.

"How?" she whispered. "How did he die?"

Willa noticed everyone sharing cautious glances. Her hands and legs finally free, Willa stood up to stretch as she waited for an answer. Unfortunately it was that damned Jane who stepped forward. "He was shot and killed by some evil men. He died defending some of the only family he knew—us."

Willa frowned. "Family? Y'all are kin to Willie?"

"Adopted family," the man holding hands with Gill spoke up. "We took him in and he was our brother."

Willa was both happy and jealous that Willie hadn't lived a life alone like she had—like she would continue to do. "I guess I'll be going then," Willa stated. There was no point staying around if her brother was dead. "Can I have my weapons back?"

Gill nodded. "Give them to her, Jeb." The man holding Gill's hand let go and pulled her twin revolvers from the waistband of his pants. He held them out to her and Willa was quick to take them, give them each a spin, and slide them into their holsters.

She held out her hand. "And my knife?"

Jeb sighed and pulled out the knife and holster from his waistband as well. Willa took it and hooked it to her gun belt.

"Where will you go?" Jane asked.

Willa bristled. "Wherever I choose." She could feel the emotion rising in her throat and wanted to get away before any tears fell. So, without another word she strode out the door, realizing once she was outside that she'd have to walk back to town. She wasn't going to ask to borrow a horse and no one had offered to let her.

Squaring her shoulders and hardening her jaw, Willa began her limping journey without any of the hope she'd had just hours ago.

***

Eleanor had been hiding in the loft listening and watching. Fourteen-year-old Preston was with her but as usual his nose was buried in a book.

Eleanor hadn't been able to take her eyes off the newcomer. She was beautiful and frightening—though after what Eleanor had seen and been through in her life, she found most things frightening.

But the stranger, Willa, had intrigued her. All those messy, dark curls, freckles, and flashy clothes.... Eleanor hadn't wanted to look away.

She wished she'd been brave enough to go down and introduce herself, but of course she hadn't been. Eleanor hated that about herself.

No one in the family knew her true desire. Eleanor wanted to fall in love with a woman. She wanted a companion. She knew she would be safe to share her secret with her family but she had never felt the need to. Eleanor knew she'd probably die a spinster, never knowing how it felt to be in love and have that person love her back.

"Aunt Eleanor, are you okay?" Preston spoke up, eyeing her from behind his book. "You look sad."

Eleanor looked at the boy who was also her best friend. "I'm okay," she lied. "Just a lot of excitement this morning." She knew that Preston would understand that it meant she was anxious.

Preston didn't seem completely convinced but he didn't push. He simply went back to reading his book.

The cabin had cleared out so Eleanor made her way down the ladder. She wondered where her brother was. Neither him nor Wyatt had been there to question Willa.

Despite the summer heat, Eleanor pulled her shawl tighter around herself as she stepped outside. She always kept herself covered thanks to emotional scars from the past.

"Hey Eleanor," Gill greeted from where he leaned against the porch banister. "Is Preston still lost in a book?"

Eleanor nodded and smiled as she thought of Preston and how different he was compared to most boys his age. "Of course he is."

Jeb sighed. "I'll go get him," he said, rising from his chair. "He wants to enter the trick riding competition in the fair next month and that means he needs practice." Jeb disappeared into the house.

"Where are Wyatt and Zachariah?" Eleanor asked Gill.

"They left last night. Something about getting away for a while."

"Do you know when they'll be back?" Zachariah and Wyatt's presence always made her feel the smallest bit safer.

"Sorry, I don't," Gill replied. "Do you need something?"

"No." Eleanor offered him a small smile and then left the porch and headed for the barn. There she'd be able to spend some time with her pet pig Bacon and think about Willa. Would she ever see the woman again?