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

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Willa grabbed desperately at Eleanor's hand beneath the sheet and buried her face in her neck. "That's my girl," she whispered, her voice hoarse from the sobs that had racked her. "Don't leave me. We got way too much more life to live together, sweetheart."

"Willamena?" Maria's voice reached her ears.

Willa turned and glared at the woman. "You told me she was dead! She's not dead, dammit. She's breathing!"

Maria appeared exhausted and downright sad. Gill put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Willa, I never said she was dead... but I don't expect her to make it. Her lung was damaged and I did all I could but...." Her shoulders heaved and Willa swallowed hard.

"But she's breathing. She's gonna be just fine." Willa turned back to Eleanor and tightened her grip on her hand. "Don't listen to her, Ellie. You're gonna be just fine." She pressed a tender kiss to her brow and pushed back her dark hair.

"I just don't want your hopes too high," Maria whispered.

Willa ignored her. She became focused on nothing but watching Eleanor and ensuring the woman's chest continued to rise and fall.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Willa. Let Maria tend your wound."

Willa shook her head. "I don't want to let go of her hand," she told Jane.

"Dammit, get your side tended to," Zachariah growled, with Wyatt clinging to his arm and frowning up at him. "When my goddamn sister wakes up, the last thing I want to have to tell her is that her woman allowed herself to bleed to death."

Willa wanted to tell the giant man to go to hell but she knew he was right. She could already tell the blood loss was making her weaker. She really did need to get closed up.

"What about Jeb and Gill?"

"We'll be seen to once your done," Gill assured her.

A short time later, Willa found herself beside Eleanor's bed with only Zachariah and Wyatt for company. Preston had come in, taken one look at Eleanor and rushed back out, attempting to hide his tears. Jeb and Gill had taken him home so the boy could recover from his breathing attack. Pete, Jane, Craig, and Ezekial had collected their sleeping children from Maria's spare room and returned home also.

"She's gonna be okay," Willa said, forcing a confidence into her voice that she didn't necessarily feel. Eleanor was just so damn pale and so damn still.

Wyatt nodded whole-heartedly and Willa saw his mouth moving but had no idea what the man was saying. Zachariah swallowed hard. "He said, of course she will. She's tougher than all of us put together."

Willa clung to Eleanor's hand like a life line, willing her own strength into the woman, hoping that somehow, through sheer stubborn will, she could urge the life back into her. She forced her gaze up to Zachariah's scarred face.

"Zachariah, I'm sorry. I know this is my fault and..."

Zachariah held up his hand and she fell silent. "Eleanor hates hearing people blaming other people for bad things that happened. Hell, she hates to hear anyone blame themselves. It was my fault those men got her years ago but she never blamed me and always scolded me for blaming myself. I won't blame you for this."

Willa's heart ached. But she blamed her. If Eleanor didn't make it....

Wyatt was talking again and Zachariah grunted. "He says the only person to blame is the bitch that did this."

"Well she's dead," Willa growled. Willa had put a bullet between her eyes before Casey had even raised the gun in her trembling hand. And then she'd shot Jake. She didn't care if the man had been unarmed. All she'd been able to focus on was her anger over them thinking they could take Eleanor away from her.

She wished she could have been the one to kill the other man, Preston said his name was Horace. He'd been the one to put that knife in Eleanor's chest. Unfortunately, Jeb had gotten to him first. No bullets had been fired... Jeb had beaten the man to death with his bare hands—which was why he'd gone home with his battered knuckles wrapped up tight.

Wyatt yawned and Zachariah sighed. "Come on. Maria said we could stay in the room upstairs."

Zachariah and Wyatt bid their farewells to Willa and left her alone in the silence with Eleanor.

Willa wasn't going anywhere. She had pulled a chair up to the bed and would be sleeping right there. Laying her head on the pillow next to Eleanor's, Willa breathed in her scent and only fell asleep when exhaustion claimed her.

***

Her chest hurt. That was the first thought that Eleanor's foggy mind was aware of. Each breath she drew ached and it seemed she couldn't draw a full one.

She could hear voices. "It's been three days.. I don't know if she's going to wake up. She doesn't have infection... so I suppose that's a good sign."

Was Maria talking about her? Or had Willa been more hurt than she'd realized. Three days? How had three days passed?

Her mind was clouded and Eleanor was struggling to put thoughts together. Struggling to make sense of anything.

"Ellie won't die," Willa's voice was firm and confident. "She won't leave me. She knows I need her."

Hearing Willa's voice gave her comfort. She felt a hand in hers and knew it was Willa's. She would know Willa's touch anywhere. Focusing all her attention on that hand, Eleanor squeezed.

"Damnation! Ellie?" Willa was close. Her breath washed across Eleanor's face and warm lips caressed her cheek.

"What is it?" Zachariah's deep voice demanded.

"She squeezed my hand!" Willa exclaimed.

"Willa..." Maria sounded doubtful.

"Dammit, woman, I'm telling you! Ellie squeezed my hand!" Willa's breath was in her ear again and her voice was gentle but urgent. "Do it again, sweetheart. Let them see that you haven't left me."

Eleanor was so tired. She could feel the blackness wanting to swallow her back up. All she wanted was to rest. But she wouldn't let Willa down. Using all her remaining strength and focus, Ellie squeezed.

"I saw that," Zachariah said, his voice thick with emotion. "I saw her move."

Eleanor felt something cold against her chest. It was held there for several moments before being moved away. "Her heartbeat seems steadier and her breathing is a lot stronger than it's been since she came here."

Eleanor heard the shock in Maria's voice. She wondered just how hurt she was. She remembered the insane look in Horace's eyes. That wide desperation as he'd shoved that knife into her chest.

Three days ago. They said three days had passed.

"I'm so proud of you, Ellie," Willa said, her gentle hand smoothing hair from Eleanor's face. "You're gonna be just fine. You just gotta keep coming back to me."

Eleanor wanted to open her eyes but they seemed nailed shut—she simply didn't have the strength. She took another, painful breath and put all her strength, all her focus, into what she did next.

Her dry lips parted and her voice was weak and wheezing. "I'm here, Willa." 

A/N: Y'all don't know how much I struggled with this decision. Part of me, a really big part, wanted Eleanor to die from her wounds. I was still contemplating doing just that until I got to the end of this chapter and realized  Eleanor didn't want to die. She wanted to live and be with her flashy Willamena. So, you're welcome. Thank Eleanor.