An Outlaw's Weakness*Fifth in Crane Gang series*

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Relative silence fell among the chattering family. Preston stared down his papa, hoping the man would leave Xavier alone before Xavier decided Preston wasn't worth the stress.

"He left a boy and returned a man." Pete dabbed at his eye. "And with a man. I'm such a proud uncle."

"Not now, Pete," Gill warned. Pete pouted a bit as Jane comforted him gently.

Jeb stepped forward and stood toe to toe with Xavier. "Let me tell you something, Xavier Black. If you hurt our son, Gill and I will kill you and it'll be slow and painful. We've already been hanged for our crimes once, so we aren't afraid of much."

Xavier nodded. "Understood. I can promise you I won't do anything to hurt your son."

Jeb stepped back and took Gill's hand. "Alright then." He turned his attention to Preston. "You do look happy."

Preston smiled. "I am happy. And I've got something else to tell you."

"You don't think you've sprung enough on us?" Gill asked with a chuckle.

Preston looked up at Xavier and Xavier's arm slid around his shoulders. Preston turned back to his parents. "I had an attack and nearly died—would have if Xavier hadn't gotten me to a healer. She saved me from that attack and...." Xavier's arm gave him a gentle squeeze when he paused. "She took it away. I'm not sick anymore."

Complete silence fell. A pin could have been heard dropping in the small cabin. Gill seemed to recover first. "What do you mean, she took it away?"

Preston knew it was a hard story to believe but he also knew it was the truth. "There was a man named Heston that camped with me and Xavier one night and saw me have an attack. He told us about a healer named Granny and sent us to see her."

"Granny?" Ezekial spoke up. "Rather odd, tall, bent woman with long black hair that drags the ground? Lives in a shack with goats and seems to have a fondness for jars?"

"Yeah." Preston nodded.

"I know her." Ezekial's expression was guarded. "She treated me once for a gunshot wound."

Preston was glad that someone in the family knew Granny. It might make them all believe what Preston said next. "We went to her, or Xavier took us to her because I ended up going into an attack that lasted two days. I was closer to dead than alive when he got me there. Granny has powers. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. She took the sickness out of me."

Preston could hear the disbelieving murmurs coming from around him. Until Ezekial spoke again. "I know that sounds like a tall tale but, that woman can do things that no one else can."

Craig frowned up at him. "Like what?"

"Like heal people," Ezekial insisted. He held up his hands when Craig opened his mouth to no doubt argue with him. "Now I know it sounds crazy, but I was gut shot, Craig. I should have died." Ezekial pulled his shirt from his pants, lifting it to reveal his torso. "I don't even have a goddamn scar."

"Why didn't you ever tell me about that?" Craig asked, his gaze lingering on Ezekial's dark skin.

Ezekial shrugged, letting his shirt fall. "Because I know how unbelievable it sounds."

Jeb cleared his throat. "She claimed she took your sickness?"

Preston could hear the doubt in his father's voice. "She did take it. I can tell. I feel good for the first time in my life. I never realized that I always felt sick until I felt myself not sick."