OverTime 03: Slipping (First 70 Chapters)

Chapter 47: Footprints in the Frost (Lillabit)

Benj, as ordered, explained the situation to the camp that night. He did so over supper, while Jacob stood off to the side with his left arm around me, silently telegraphing his approval of the announcement. Wisely, Benj left out the time-travel details. But he conveyed the most important parts:

"Mrs. Garrison's friends in Julesburg, the ones she stayed with afore her marriage, done been murdered," announced Benj, across the camp fire. "Shot down in cold blood."

While most of the men, being cowboys, reacted only with a raised eyebrow or an angry spit, several of them glanced my direction with true sympathy. I tried to smile my thanks, but I knew it wasn't much of a smile. Mostly, I took comfort from the motionless tree beside me--the one that was my husband. I loved the support of his arm, of his hand at my waist, even if it was as much about protection as a public display of affection. I was sooo in love with this man.

Benj continued, "We fear that the killer, a lowlife named Callahan, might come after her next."

Now I saw a lot of narrowed eyes and clenched jaws. Some men shook their heads in silent protest. It occurred to me that I would have almost a dozen bodyguards, from here on out, and I kind of loved them, too.

I felt so emotionally unstable, that night, I would happily take all the support I could get.

It was Lee who asked, "Why?"

Jacob tensed, beside and against me--and he hadn't exactly been relaxed in the first place.

Despite the ugly looks the redhead got from some of the others--including several more disgusted spits at the ground or into the fire--Lee forged on. "What did Mrs. Garrison and her friends do to this Callahan, anyhow?"

Before Benj could unload on Lee, I jumped in. "I've seen his face."

And now, just like Jacob hadn't wanted, I had everyone's attention.

"I mean--I can identify him," I continued. That sounded like the kind of reason I'd heard in movies. "In a trial. And he doesn't want to leave witnesses."

To my relief, several of the boys nodded. It must have made at least a little sense.

Benj reclaimed the floor with an, "Anyhow, because of that, you boys need to be watchin' for more than stray cattle from here on out. We'll be divyin' up the weapons, so ever'one is armed."

Clayton grinned at Tomas, excited, and Tomas beamed back. Then Clayton turned his grin to Lee who, despite attempting the tough-guy persona, also looked pleased about the guns.

Tomas, I noticed, forgot his smile under a look less clear and more forlorn.

Jacob said, "Ain't fer snakes, nor coyotes, nor nothin' don't mean to kill you or the missus. Any one of you shoots another person or animal in this outfit, best collect yer wages." That meant they'd be fired.

"Yessir, Boss!" agreed Ropes happily. What is it with men and guns?

I gave them a quick description of Slade Callahan as I remembered him, and Jacob warned that all strangers were to be suspect.

"One more thing," announced Benj. "In the tradition of confusion to the enemy, Mrs. Garrison will be dressin' like a boy from here on out."

Thud. The building murmur of energy among the cowboys--their excitement at a possible fight, their indignation that anyone might threaten me--stilled against their own confusion. This being the high plains at night, you could literally hear crickets.

And night birds. And some kind of animal cry.

"A boy?" repeated Shorty.

It was Jacob who drawled, "Likely Callahan will strike from a distance. Might help if he can't see there's a woman with us."