The Fire in Ember - DiAnn Mills [123]
“Yes sir. I’ll show you I know how to be a Timmons man.”
Leah blinked back the tears. “All right. Let’s get our horses, and make sure you have plenty of ammunition.”
CHAPTER 57
The sun steadily rose across the canyon, and John realized if the good Lord had decided to call him and Ember home, then he needed to say a few things to the woman beside him. He hadn’t given up on getting out of this mess, but he had no idea what the future held. He’d made so many mistakes with Ember that he would not make one more. The smell of burnt hide and the constant bawling of cattle while Oberlander’s men branded stolen cattle with the Wide O brand gave him time to talk to Ember.
Victor Oberlander had tricked a town full of good people. To satisfy his greed, he’d stolen cattle and murdered to scare folks into selling out. He’d have prime property when businesses got word of railroad expansion into Rocky Falls.
He hoped Wirt or Parker pried into Oberlander’s dealings and demanded a bill of sale for all the extra cattle running over the Wide O. That would nail Oberlander and his thieving and murdering ways. He turned his attention to the woman he loved.
“I wanted to ask you to marry me,” he said. “I know I hinted at it, but I never asked you proper. Never made it serious.”
She slowly turned to look at him, as though she’d heard wrong. “With all you know about me?” Her brown eyes moistened. “I have nothing to offer. No loving family. A brother who did unspeakable things to me.” She glanced away then back to him. “Your brothers are good. Mine kill and steal.”
“I don’t care about Simon, Clint, or Lester. It’s you I want in my life. It’s you I want to spend the rest of my days with. It’s you I want to be the mother of my children.” John realized something he’d never thought possible. “I … I need you, Ember. My life is useless without you beside me.”
“And I love you. I think I always have.” She turned toward the sound of her brothers swearing at each other, and the men helping them brand the cattle roared within the canyon. “I want to believe that it’s not too late to have a life with you.”
“We’re not giving up. God hears our prayers, and He’ll deliver us.”
“From what I’ve read, sometimes our prayers are answered in this life, and sometimes our prayers are answered in the next.”
She was right, but he refused to cease hoping until he breathed his last. “We’re not giving up, not until we breathe our last breath.”
Clint walked their way. John had seen the grim look of determination before, and whatever he planned was not for Ember’s or his benefit. He jerked Ember up from the rocky floor and untied her hands from behind her back.
“You wanna live, little sister? I have a job for you.” Without waiting for her to answer, he slipped his revolver from his gun belt and shoved it into her hand. He forced her to face John. “Pull the trigger. That will prove your loyalty.”
“I will not.” She spoke her words quietly yet full of strength.
“Save yourself,” John said.
“No. I’ll not shoot him.”
“Then I’ll do it, and you can watch him bleed.”
“No, Clint.” Her face blanched, and her body trembled.
“Kill him.” Hatred poured from Clint’s words. “Do you want me to give you over to these men as a reward for finishing up a good job?”
“If you’re anything like Simon, you would anyway.”
His hand smacked hard against the side of her face, and she’d have fallen if not for Clint grabbing her.
Haven’t you hurt her enough? John struggled against the ropes binding him. “Leave her alone.”
Clint pushed her against the rock and aimed the revolver at John. But she scrambled between him and Clint. “Shoot me first, Clint. Because I won’t watch you kill an innocent man.”
“What’s going on?” Lester called.
“Shut up. I’m taking care of business.”
“Killin’ Timmons and Bert?” Lester said. “I thought we agreed to sell her?”
“I changed my mind. I haven’t forgotten what she did to Simon.”
“Ember, move out of the way,” John said.