Renegades and Stubborn Pride (sequal to Renegades and Pretty Women)

Chapter Five

“Jonah, it looks like the cart went over the cliff.” Reb said quietly as they stopped their winded horses and shared a look of dread.

“Stay back here with, Clayton.” Jonah stated as he slid from Copper’s back. Reb frowned as he wrapped an arm tight around Clayton’s waist.

“Are ya sure ya don’t want me to check that out…?” Reb questioned and Jonah quickly shook his head and looked away from them both. Clayton had wanted to ride on Copper with him but Jonah simply hadn’t been able to bring himself to let the boy…….. Jonah had no idea how to be a father or even how to go about letting the boy know that Jonah was more to him than just a character in his mother’s stories.

Jonah pushed his thoughts away and focused on the task at hand. Since leaving the cabin at dawn they had pushed their horses to near breaking to cover the distance between they and Joe’s kidnappers. Finally they had come to this place where it was clear from the tracks and blood that something big had happened. All Jonah knew for sure was that if he was going to find Joe’s dead body lying on the rocks over this cliff then he would just as soon that Clayton didn’t see it as well.

Jonah’s feet were heavy and his heart full of dread as he approached the cliffs edge. He had never prayed so hard in all his life as he did before peering over the edge. He prayed that he wouldn’t see the body of the woman he had loved so deeply lying broken beneath him…. Clayton needed his mother. Jonah knew more than anyone how much a boy needed a good mother.

Jonah took his time studying the pile of splintered wood and horseflesh lying nearly fifty feet down on a rocky ledge but no matter how hard he looked he saw no flash of red hair. Nothing that resembled a human body.

Relief flooded him as he turned and met Reb’s eye. Jonah gave a small shake of his head and saw Reb let out a breath of relief before sliding from the saddle of his horse and setting Clayton on the ground.

“Where’s mama?” the boy asked as he approached Jonah.

“I’m not sure yet, boy. Let me look around some.” Jonah replied and when he saw the fear and sadness on Clayton’s face he swallowed hard, reached out and laid a gentle hand on the boys tiny shoulder.

It was the first time he had touched his son and Jonah felt something other than sadness, hurt, worry and anger fill his heart for the first time in a long long time.

Clayton looked up at him and Jonah forced a smile to his face. He wasn’t sure if the smile was comforting or more of a grimace. He hadn’t had much practice at smiling in the last five years. As a matter of fact he couldn’t remember the last time he had done so.

“Don’t worry, boy. I’m gonna try my damndest to get your mama out of trouble and back home to you.” Jonah assured the boy. Clayton’s gray eyes stayed locked with his own and Jonah wanted nothing more than to hold the boy. To pull him into his chest, promise to be a good pa and never let him go.

The moment was interrupted when Reb cleared his throat.

“Jonah, something big happened here. There’s blood everywhere.”

“I know that, dammit.” Jonah grumbled. “I was hoping to not alert the kid here to that fact.”

“I saw the blood.” Clayton replied simply. “I got eyes ya know.”

Jonah just shook his head and looked around. “Looks like after the cart took a dive they continued on horseback and it looks like judging by the tracks that they were moving a bit slower.”

“Joe probably taught ‘em all a bit of a lesson.” Reb stated with a chuckle.

“My mama don’t take no crap offa nuttin.” Clayton agreed with a nod. “That’s how I know she’s gonna be just fine.”