Chapter Twenty-Six

W hat was Libby up to ? If she'd only give some type of signal to let him know where Taylor and Belinda were. Without a doubt they were here. When they'd passed a carriage and a woman had peered out from a window, his body had gone into shock.

Belinda. What was she doing in a carriage on the road to his house? When Cora and Joshua agreed the woman was indeed Belinda, he snapped the reins to get the horses moving.

"What's wrong?" Cora held Lucy against her chest.

"I believe Belinda is going to try to find those plates I told you about. She probably thinks the house is empty."

Joshua grabbed Charlie and held him on his lap. "We goin' for the sheriff?"

"No. We're going to Caleb's. It's closer and we can leave Cora and the kids with Colleen. Joshua, you and I, along with Caleb, will come back to my place and see what's going on."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

With the horses racing down the road, it didn't take long for them to get to his brother's. Caleb ran out of the barn.

"What's going on? I thought you were going to town."

"We were, but we passed Belinda's carriage. I believe she and Taylor are going to my place to search for the plates. Libby needed a break from her kids, so she stayed behind. If they find her, I don't know what they'll do to her. I want to leave Cora, Charlie, and Lucy here and go back.

"Do you have a gun with you?"

Brad reached beneath the seat. "Of course. Never go anywhere without it. To many wild critters around. Two- and four-legged."

"You get them settled with Colleen while I saddle up my horse and get my rifle."

It came as a surprise when Belinda's buggy wasn't in the driveway. But it could be behind the house or by the barn. He slowed the horses to keep the noise down and halted them short of the driveway in front of the house. "Caleb, you and Joshua go around back and keep an eye out. If either Belinda or Taylor come out of the house, stop them. I'll go in the front. All I have to do is figure out where they are."

As he approached the house, an idea came to him. He didn't bother to keep the noise down when he opened the door. "Libby. Where are you? We're home."

There was a long pause. His heart squeezed. Where was she? Had Taylor killed her?

"I'm in the kitchen. I'm making hot chocolate. Do you all want some?"

Making hot chocolate? Maybe he was wrong and she was alone. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen. She was alone. Shoeless. Socks wet. Wearing pants. Her hair in disarray with pieces of hay sticking out. Hay? What the heck was going on? Her lips trembled as she smiled.

"Brad, darling. I'm so glad you're home. I missed you so much. Come give me a kiss."

A kiss? She'd never asked him to kiss her before, but he wasn't one to deny himself something so amazing, but... He raised an eyebrow and walked across the kitchen. "Of course." He pulled her into his arms and tipped his head to her. "Is everything all right?" he whispered against her lips.

Her giggle sounded forced. "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"

How did she know he had a gun? Then it hit him. Clever. They were being watched. "Yes."

"Good. Now about the kiss..."

Did Taylor have a gun pointed at them? If they were putting on a show, or if this would be his one last kiss in his lifetime, he'd make it a good one. He held her close and kissed her with everything he had in him. He licked her lips and when she opened her mouth, well...how could he resist? Lost in the world of passion, he almost didn't hear the screech filling the room. But he couldn't miss someone pulling Libby and him apart.

"Bradley, stop kissing the tart. You should be kissing me."

It took a moment for the haze filling his mind to clear. Belinda. Belinda standing between him and Libby with a fury he'd never seen before. Her face was red. Her eyes were squinted into mere slits. Her teeth were bared as if she were going to rip him to shreds. If she had a gun, Libby would be dead. But what about Taylor? What did he have?

"It's me you love, Bradley, not this witch."

Taylor stood at the doorway to the upstairs. "Belinda. Shut up. We're not here for you to fulfill some delusion you have about Bradley. We're here to get the plates. Remember?"

At least it didn't appear Taylor had a gun, but he was holding a long, wicked knife. The one used to butcher their animals. With the knife aimed at them he came toward them. Brad pushed Libby behind him. "Pocket," he whispered.

"What are you doing, Bradley? You don't want her. You want me." Belinda pointed a finger at Libby. "Why, look at her. She's wearing men's pants. No proper lady wears pants. Plus, she's a mess and smells like the barn."

Even so, she was beautiful, but right now, he couldn't take the time to stop what Taylor aptly called her delusions about him. Hopefully, Libby understood his whispered word.

"Where are the plates? Mrs. Daniels says they were given to the authorities, but I don't believe her."

"She's telling the truth, Taylor. Or should I call you Gunther?"

Taylor glared at him. "I thought I recognized you. You're the one who reported my thefts to the captain. Another reason to get rid of you. And now I don't believe you. Tell me where they are. Once we have them, we'll leave."

Now there was a lie if he ever heard one.

"He threatened to kill the children," Libby whispered behind him.

There was a tug on his coat. Good. She obviously understood what he'd meant before. But had she ever handled a gun? Most women were scared of them. Maybe she could give it to him. But then Taylor would see it. Where were Caleb and Joshua? They could storm into the room and in the ruckus, Libby could give Joshua the gun. Before he was able to think things through, Libby jumped around him. If he weren't so scared for her, he'd laugh. With her arms held straight out, she held the revolver with both hands. The hammer was pulled back. It wouldn't take much for the gun to go off.

"Put down your knife, sucker!" She screamed. "Now. Put down the knife." She nodded at Belinda. "Belinda, stand next to Taylor." Her voice held an authoritative voice he hadn't heard since the war.

"Give me the gun, Libby."

"No. I know what I'm doing. I've handled plenty of guns before."

Belinda skittered to Taylor. "Do something. She's crazy!"

"I'm going to count to three, and if you don't toss the knife to the floor and kick it to Brad, I will shoot you. It may be in the head. Maybe in the heart. What about between your legs?"

Taylor's face went white. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "All right. I'm putting it down. You just be careful, lady. The gun may go off on its own."

Libby chuckled. "Guns don't go off on their own. Someone has to pull the trigger. Which will be me."

Taylor put the knife on the floor and kicked it to Brad.

"Brad. There's a rope hanging in the pantry. Go get it and tie them up. No one—and I mean no one—threatens to kill my children. You're lucky I don't tell Brad to string you up from a tree."

Belinda took a step toward Brad then stopped when Libby told her not to move. "Bradley, you won't tie me up. You love me."

"And while you're at it, Brad, find a towel or something you can stuff into Belinda's mouth so we don't have to listen to her anymore."

Should he be scared or proud of Libby's actions? She was like a wild woman. Would she be like that in bed? He'd be a lucky man if he were ever to find out.

After retrieving the rope, he pulled out a chair, shoved Taylor into it, and tied his arms behind the back of the chair, then secured his ankles to the chair legs. All the while having to listen to Belinda screaming and crying. He took another chair and put it back-to-back with Taylor's, pushed her into it, and secured her arms and legs before wrapping a towel around her mouth. The silence was heavenly.

"Thank goodness we can't hear her."

"Let me take the gun."

After releasing the hammer and since there was no safety, she carefully gave it to him.

"Where did you learn to handle a gun? You were amazing."

Libby shrugged. "I grew up on a farm. We did a lot of hunting. Plus, I belong to a gun club. We shoot clay pigeons. I'm actually quite good."

Clay pigeons? Gun club? Before he could ask her what those were, the back door flew open and Caleb and Joshua strolled in as if nothing were wrong. "Where the hell were you?"

Caleb grinned. "Watching through the window. If anything had gone wrong, we would have helped. Now let's get these two to the sheriff."

Arms tied behind them, they loaded Belinda and Taylor into Belinda's buggy and hitched Caleb's horse to the back. "Joshua and I will take them into town." While Joshua got into the front to drive, Caleb held his gun on Belinda and Taylor. "By the way, nice show you put on, Libby. Very impressive. You have quite a woman there, Brad."

Woman? He thought Libby was his woman? She could be if she were able to stay in 1871. What would it take? More prayers? He glanced at her smiling face. Was she hoping for the same thing? Unless he asked her, he'd never know. He opened his mouth to ask, but she interrupted him.

"Let me change my clothes so we can get Cora and the children."

He held back a groan. He'd have to ask another time. If there was one.