Little Sharpshooter Chap 32

Randy took Al on a walk down the quiet back road out of town a short distance before she headed back to the hotel. For some reason, Al startled easily from every movement from the tree branches as they turned a few tight corners down the narrow road. She held the reins in tight so he wouldn’t bolt down the mountain. Randy turned him around to head back when she heard many horses galloping up the road. She turned the bend and kicked Al to a gallop, turning him down one of the side streets to get out of the way of the stampede that was coming in a hurry. A dust cloud shrouded the men on horses but chills ran up Randy’s spine when she spotted an unmistakable rounded body she knew near the front. Definitely not male, it was Rose.

Randy turned Al down a street away from the group that headed up the hill into town. They had brought a mob with them.

When they all made it up to C Street, Randy turned Al to gallop over to where Bronson and Trevor were setting up for the competition.

They were gone. Her heart skipped a beat. She wondered what would happen if Rose ran into Trevor as soon as she arrived. Randy eased Al up the steep road onto C Street. The outlaws gathered right in the center of town.

She needed to head down a road that ran parallel to C Street to get closer to the hotel. Then she’d need to cross the street without them seeing her. Al was such a distinctive looking horse that it would be hard. She headed for the farthest cross road and waited. She was building up the courage to cross when miners that just finished their shift poured into the street. They dispersed in all directions allowing Randy and Al to make it unseen to the livery stables. Relieved at her luck, Randy carried her gear into the hotel undetected. As she headed down the back hallway to the lobby, she stopped when she saw Roy.

“You said they wouldn’t be here before the competition.” She pressed her mouth together and glared at him.

“They made really good time. I hope ya warned your friends. I wouldn’t want to see what Rose would do if she got her hands on your little boyfriend again. Of course that might open the door for me.”

“Not as long as ya go by Butch Cassidy just so you can go break the law when ya feel like it, I won’t. I really do love Trevor so leave him be.”

“I don’t have any intentions with the boy.” His mouth turned up to the side in a half-smile as he stepped closer to Randy, reaching for her waist. “Just tryin’ to win your heart.”

She turned her back to him and almost ran through the lobby with her saddle to the stairs. His laugh echoed through the lobby, Her heart raced and she hoped that Trevor was in their suite. Randy kept checking behind her to make sure Roy, or Butch, wasn’t behind her. He didn’t follow. Her hand trembled when she pulled out her key to open the door. She sighed with relief and leaned against the door once it was closed. After she made sure she locked it, she ran into Trevor’s arms.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, hugging her.

“Where’s Bronson?” Randy pulled back to search the room.

“He’s changin’. He thinks he’s goin’ out on the town. There’s a lot of saloons and other places his says are just beggin’ for him to visit.”

Randy let go of Trevor and burst into Bronson’s room just as he pulled up his trousers.

“Ya can’t go.” She grabbed his arms with tears welling up in her eyes.

“What has you all shook up?”

Randy pulled him to the window and pointed in the street.

“They made good time, I see.” He sighed and leaned against the wall examining his nails as if it didn’t matter.

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“Of course it does. I heard Ernie was let out of jail a week ago. They might have broke him out. The sheriff never said for sure. Probably too embarrassed. He doesn’t want to look the fool. They sure gathered quite the crowd didn’t they? Don’t be so worried. I have plenty of friends and your pa does too. All our old Texas Ranger buddies wanna watch Jameses little girl prove herself. They’re all here already. The mayor has brought in extra lawmen for crowd control from Reno and Carson City to keep an eye on things. This could make us a fortune with not only the show but with the crowd of outlaws with a price on their head that have the courage to show their faces here.”

“But Rose is here.” Randy glanced at Trevor and his body stiffened.

“I have Ely to help us there. He has men that will be watchin’ out for you at the show tomorrow. The last thing the mayor wants is to see Annie hurt while she’s here. That would be horrible. Everything is covered. As long as you two stay put here tonight and there’s no horseplay, you two will be fine. Now make sure ya rest up. It will be a long day tomorrow.” Bronson gave them a little wave of his hat and he was gone.

Randy dragged a chair over to the window. She sat down and pulled back the curtains just enough to watch where all the outlaws went. Some headed into the saloons up and down the street. Others in the group went elsewhere. They spread out all over town. Randy wrung her hands.

“They ain’t gonna do nothin’ with all the protection here,” Trevor said.

“So if I tell ya that Rose is standin’ outside the hotel, would ya go find Bronson?”

“No.” Trevor crossed the room and looked outside. “She ain’t there.” He gave her a push.

“I was just makin’ a point because she wants you. The rest want me.”

“It ain’t happenin’.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. They slid down her arms to pull her up out of the chair. Trevor held her against his chest. “Because I want you more.” He kissed her forehead. His thumb brushed against her cheek.

Randy allowed her thoughts to move to something better. “Ya know Annie married Frank when she was younger than me. She wasn’t even an orphan.”

“Really?”

“Yes. They really love each other. Ya know somethin’ else? Frank was a really good shot and made good money at it until Annie beat him. He liked her more after that then they got married. He stopped sharpshootin’ because she was better than him and became her manager instead.”

“And your point is?” Trevor didn’t warm up to her news the way Randy thought he would.

“I guess I was just sayin’ that they seem happy.” Randy took his hat off and dropped it on the floor. She ran her hand over his head to fix his hair.

Trevor closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her. “He’s happy?”

“Yes. He takes good care of her like you do with me. We’re a lot like them.”

“I’m glad ya like them so much. But you’re supposed to show her up tomorrow.”

“I don’t want fame the way she does.”

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“Being with you means more to me than fame, bein’ a sharpshooter, or bein’ James Carter’s daughter. All I want is you.” She blinked her tears back. “I did want to compete tomorrow, but since all the outlaws showed up, I changed my mind. If we ran away tonight so we could be together and forget about the rest of it, I would be happy.”

“Randy, they followed you this far. They’ll find you wherever you go.”

“That’s just because Bronson made my name known everywhere.”

“That’s just it. You’re talked about all the way to the California coast now. The chance of someone knowin’who ya are is really high. They’ll find you.” He stroked her hair.

“I don’t believe you. We could do it. I know we could.”

“It’s too late. Just compete tomorrow. I believe what Bronson said is true. He hasn’t given us reason not to believe in him. You’ll be safe tomorrow. Then we can make our plans.”

Randy sighed in resignation. “All right.” She rested her ear against his chest so she could hear his voice vibrate against her cheek.

“You show her.”

“But what if we tie? What if I match her every shot? She’s really good.”

“That’s not bad. But they will come up with somethin’ to break the tie.”

“We could be sisters. I’m as good as she is. She’s been doin’ this a long time though. Annie has the show, or the act, completely down. I don’t do it as well as she does. Not with all the people that will be there to watch this time and the mob that’s here for me too.”

“Just let what fun she’s havin’ feed off on you. I bet you’ll feel it. Put all those men out of your mind.” Trevor moved her hands up to his shoulders then wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hum me the song you hum to Al when he’s restless.”

Randy rested her forehead against his shoulder and barely started to hum. Trevor swayed slowly to the lullaby. She turned her head against his chest and hummed a little louder. He hummed the tune with her. Soon Randy stopped humming and she felt his voice vibrate in his chest tickling her cheek as they swayed together slowly. Her eyes were closed and she knew she was in the safest place in the world.

“I will always love you.” She whispered.