Cooper's Wife

Love filled him up. “That means a lot to me, Laura. Life would be damn empty without my daughters.”

He thought of Anna Bauer and how she’d come so close to losing her child. His family was safe, healthy and happy. Yes, he was a lucky man indeed.

Laura’s hand covered his, an act of comfort from sister to brother. “I haven’t taken the time to meet your Anna yet, out of respect for her injured girl, but from what Tucker says, she’s wonderful.”

Cooper’s hand shook, the cup slipped. Hot coffee scorched his thigh. “What has Tucker been saying, that no-good brother of ours?”

“Only that he found certain letters in the stage wreckage and because they were so personal, he’s keeping them away from the other deputies’ prying eyes.” Laura’s face beamed with happiness. “Oh, Cooper. Why didn’t you tell us? I’m so happy you’ve found a wife.”

Chapter Four

Lee Corinthos held the revolver in a white-knuckled grip. He hated the way the gun shook. Hated weakness of any kind, no matter how hurt he was. “Are you sure you ain’t causin’ more harm?”

Fear glittered in the doc’s watery eyes. “No, sir. I’m doing the best job I can. Your man is hurt real bad.”

Excuses. Corinthos was tired of those, too. “If my man dies, you die too, Doc.”

More fear in those eyes. Educated men didn’t know how to fight, Corinthos knew. The doctor brought up from Rocky Gulch would prove no threat. Men like him didn’t have the guts.

“I’ll do all I can.” The doc swallowed hard, as if realizing the importance of his surgery, and returned to digging the bullet out of Jeffrey’s thigh.

“Those lawmen were waitin’ for us.” Dusty wiped his brow, winced in pain, then lowered his bandaged hand. “It’s that sheriff Flint Creek hired to replace old Joe.”

“Old Joe made things easy for us.”

“With a little bit of bribery and just the right pressure,” Dusty cackled.

“I wish to hell he’d stayed. We’ve got problems.”

“We’ll find a way to deal with Braddock. Every man has his pressure points.” Dusty stopped. “Want me to keep a gun on the doc?”

“I can do it,” Corinthos growled. He was the toughest son of a gun in all of Montana Territory. He refused to show weakness in front of his men, even if he was hurt bad enough to pass out. “Yep, that damn new sheriff is a problem.”

“Braddock’s his name. Cooper Braddock.”

“He’s gotta cooperate or we’ll take him out of our way. I plan on keeping my business profitable.” With the amount of gold traveling from the mines on this side of the Rockies, he’d be rich before long. “First, I’ll have to pay that Braddock back for plowing a bullet into me.”

“I wanna be there to see it.” Dusty chuckled, as always relishing even the thought of violence.

“Doc, are you done yet?” Corinthos nosed the revolver against the scrawny doc’s neck. The room was starting to spin and the outlaw couldn’t keep standing much longer without a flask of whiskey, but he wouldn’t say it. Wouldn’t let his men know it.

“I’m just closing up now.”

“Then I’m next.” Corinthos gritted his teeth against the pain. He would get his damn wound stitched and then he’d be heading right back to Flint Creek. He had a witness to silence and a score to settle.

And settle it he would. Lee Corinthos always got what he wanted—at any cost. It didn’t pay for a man to be honest and polite. No, it was a ruthless man who won every time. Corinthos had learned that bitter lesson the hard way, for it was the way of the West.

As the hours passed watching Mandy sleep, Anna had to struggle to tamp down her fears. She could stand any amount of grief and hardship, but not the death of her daughter.

Anna reached for the borrowed storybook, smoothed open the nch paper pages to a favored tale. Over the rasp of Mandy’s breathing, she began to read. The story was familiar, often read in quiet hours back home, and Anna’s mind drifted. She thought of Dalton. Thought of her sister, who’d sent him in the wrong direction. She hoped Meg was safe. Anna thought of the stage robbers. Hoped that they, like Dalton, didn’t favor silencing every last witness.

Fear coiled through her, squeezing tight. What could she do? Where could she go? She had no money, no belongings, no help. Mandy was too critically injured to move. And Cooper Braddock hadn’t proposed to her. There was no husband, no home, no family waiting for her.

“Anna?”

A jolt of awareness skittled along the back of her neck. She knew by the commanding feel of him that it was Cooper. Did he know why she’d come to town? What should she do now? Troubled, she rubbed her tired eyes.

“You’ve been crying.” His voice rumbled with concern. “Is it your daughter?”

“Mandy’s doing much better. She’s sat up and taken some chicken broth. The doctor has high hopes.” Thank heavens for that.

“May I come in?”

“You? Always.” What should she say to him? He still stood in the threshold, one wide shoulder propped against the door frame. He was a big man; he filled the small dark room with his powerful presence. Dizzy, Anna caught her breath as he pulled up a chair. “You don’t need to keep checking up on me.”

“It’s the least I can do, being the sheriff and all.” He winked, and the kindness, the strength of him shone in his dark eyes. “I take it you’re a rather independent woman.”

Was he commenting or criticizing? She couldn’t tell for sure, but he looked to be holding back a smile. “And you’re a rather overbearing man. Maybe because you take your badge a little too serinously.”

A broad, lopsided grin stretched his mouth and reached all the way to his laughing eyes. “Smart mouthed, too. I must warn you, I have a lot of experience dealing with your type of female.”

“Because you’re a sheriff?”

“No, because I’m a father.”

They laughed together. There was no mistaking the affection in his eyes, the great love he had for his daughters. Anna wrung her hands, truly awestruck by such a man. Such a wonderful man.

“I was hoping since your child is out of danger, that we can talk.” His eyes darkened.

“Talk?” she squeaked.

“It’s important.” He gestured toward the door. Anna hesitated. She wasn’t up to discussing the letters. Had he figured out why she was here?

Embarrassed, afraid that her feelings showed, she stepped out into the hall

“I’ve got a real serious situation.” Cooper gestured toward a chair in the doc’s parlor.

Anna sat, her pulse beating like a drum in her ears. Had he found out about Dalton? It was possible. After all, both men were sheriffs in the same county, even if nearly a hundred miles separated their towns.

“This is the first time anyone has survived a stage robbery by Corinthos’ gang. You stood the closest to him. He spoke to you. Could you identify him if you saw him again? If this goes to trial, we will need all the witnesses we can get.”

“You want to know about the robbery?” Relief shivered through her veins. At least she still had some secrets.

A noisy clatter pounded outside the window, and then the door swung open. “Papa! Papa!”

Two little girls tumbled into the clinic, Katie wearing trousers and a big flannel shirt, and a smaller child in a pink calico dress.

“What are my two favorite girls doing here?” Cooper turned toward the little intruders, a smile tugging away at the stern set of his mouth.