Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Four:

"Colt, I need to have a talk with you about something that has come to my attention." Jedidiah said, cornering Colt as he stepped out of his room the next morning.

Evangeline fought back laughter when she saw the look of dread that crossed her husband's features.

Husband! Colt was her husband. A little thrill of excitement passed over her at that thought and a big smile curved her lips. "I'll just leave you men to talk about things and I will go see about breakfast." She offered.

"You don't have to run off." Colt countered.

Evangeline smiled. "Yes I do. If I was to hear your discussions with Jedidiah then you would not find it so easy to keep secrets from me."

Jedidiah folded his hands in front of him and took a step back with a grin tugging at his lips. Colt frowned, clearly confused. "What are you talking about, woman?"

Evangeline sighed and adjusted the sling on Colt's neck. "Well while you were unconscious from your gunshot to the head, Jedidiah and I had a chat and it just so happens that he let me know that he warned you something bad was going to happen. I trust that since you did not feel the need to share that information with me or anyone else....."

"Hey now—" Colt held up his hand to cut her off. "—I didn't marry you to be nagged at. Jedidiah said something was going to happen in a town but he didn't know what that was or even what town it was going to happen in."

"Calm down, I'm not angry." Evangeline assured him before kissing his cheek lightly. "However, are there any other secrets that you'd like to share with me now. You or Jedidiah? Anything else you think that the group should know?"

Colt and Jedidiah shared a look that Evangeline found awfully suspicious before Colt shook his head and looked down at her once again. "Nope."

"Not as of now." Jedidiah agreed with a broken toothed smile.

"And the news you're sharing this morning isn't anything that could end with someone harmed?" Evangeline asked Jedidiah.

"No, I don't reckon it is." Jedidiah replied, seeming to be thoroughly enjoying the situation.

Evangeline tapped her finger against her chin several times and then nodded. "Well alright then." She shrugged. "I'll be in the kitchen. No more secrets, Colt. Not from your wife."

Colt cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Evangeline shook her head and made her way down the staircase and through the lobby and sitting room to the kitchens. True she wasn't angry at Colt for not telling her what Jedidiah had warned him about, however she wanted to make sure the man knew that he had a partner now. He had someone to lean on. She had a feeling Colt was a man who only knew how to lean on himself and Evangeline could only imagine how hard that must be at times.

Evangeline found Charlotte, Katherine and Aunt Rachel already in the kitchen, getting breakfast started. Susette was sitting in the corner playing with a deck of cards on the counter.

"Good morning." Evangeline said as she walked in.

"Good morning, Evangeline." Charlotte replied with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

Evangeline blushed. "Very well."

"Yeah I'd say you did." Katherine snickered.

Evangeline rolled her eyes. "The man had been shot twice less than twelve hours before we went to bed. I think that it is safe to assume there was none of that going on." She glanced at Susette and hoped the girl wouldn't catch on to what they were talking about.