She Said “It Hurts Too Much,” the Cowboy Said “That’s Why I’m Here”

…

“Just sometimes none of them are particularly pleasant.

Despite the pain, a weak smile tugged at her lips.

“You have an unusual way with words, Sheriff Reed.

” Nathan,” he corrected, lifting her with surprising gentleness into his arms.

“Out here, titles don’t mean much when you’re bleeding.

The journey to Nathan’s cabin was a blur of agony for Felicity.

” She drifted in and out of consciousness, aware only of the steady heartbeat against her cheek where her head rested against his chest, and the soothing rumble of his voice as he spoke to her and his horse in turns, encouraging both to hold on just a little longer.

The cabin appeared like a mirage in the darkness, solid logs, glowing amber from a lantern left burning in the window.

Nathan carried her inside and placed her carefully on a narrow bed covered with a patchwork quilt that smelled of pine and woods.

“I need to get that bullet out now,” he explained, lighting more lamps around the simple one room cabin.

“I won’t lie to you, Felicity.

This is going to hurt something fierce.

” She nodded weakly, watching as he gathered supplies with efficient movements.

a bottle of whiskey clean cloths, a knife he held in the flame of a lamp, and a pair of long tweezers that made her stomach turn.

“Here,” he said, offering her the whiskey.

“Drink as much as you can stand.

” Felicity took several burning swallows before gasping and pushing the bottle away.

“Who taught you to tend wounds?” war,” he answered simply, rolling up his sleeves to reveal forearms corded with muscle and marked with old scars.

“I was a field medic for a time.

” Saw more bullet wounds than any man should.

He sat beside her on the bed and placed a folded leather belt between her teeth.

“Bite down on this, and if you need to scream, don’t hold back.

There’s no one for Miles to hear.

” What followed was the worst pain Felicity had ever experienced.

She bit down on the leather until her jaw achd, tears streaming unchecked down her temples and into her hair.

Nathan worked with quiet concentration, his hands steady even as she writhed beneath them.

When the bullet finally came free with a sickening sound, she nearly lost consciousness again.

“You’re doing fine,” he murmured.

his voice, a lifeline she clung to.

The worst is over now.

Just need to clean it and stitch you up.

By the time he finished, dawn was breaking outside the cabin windows, casting pale light across the worn wooden floor.

Felicity lay exhausted but clear-headed, the whiskey and pain having burned away any pretense or caution.

“Why are you helping me?” she asked as Nathan washed blood from his hands in a basin.

You don’t know me.

I could be running from the law for all you know.

He turned to look at her, his expression thoughtful.

Are you? No, she answered honestly.

But the men chasing me are dangerous.

By helping me, you’ve made yourself a target.

Nathan dried his hands on a towel and came to sit in a chair beside the bed.

In the morning light, she could see him clearly for the first time.

tall and broadsh shouldered, with dark hair stre with silver at the temples and eyes the color of a summer storm.

I’ve been a target before, he said with a slight shrug.

Tell me why those men are after you, and I’ll decide if it’s worth the trouble.

Felicity took a deep breath.

I was traveling on the Silver Creek stage a coach.

We were attacked by a gang, four men led by someone they called Blackwood.

They killed the driver and the guard immediately.

Her voice faltered as the memories surfaced.

There were three other passengers, an elderly couple and a young man.

The couple had a strong box they were transporting to their son in Helina.

Blackwood wanted it.

Nathan’s expression darkened.

And the passengers.

They killed them all, she whispered.

I was hiding beneath the seat.

They didn’t see me at first, but when they were searching the bodies, I panicked.

I ran.

One of them shot me, but I made it to the trees.

Her hands twisted in the quilt.

I shouldn’t have run.

I should have tried to help the others.

You’d be dead, too, if you had, Nathan said firmly.

How long have you been on the run? 3 days.

I’ve been moving at night, hiding during the day.

But yesterday evening, they found my trail again.

She met his gaze directly.

I understand if you want me gone once I can travel.

This isn’t your fight.

Nathan stood and moved to the window, looking out at the rising sun with a faraway expression.

My wife and daughter were killed in a stage a coach robbery 8 years ago.

He said quietly.

I wasn’t there to protect them.

I was busy being sheriff in a town that didn’t much need one.

He turned back to her.

his jaw set with resolve.

So you see, Miss Morgan, this is very much my fight.

The next few days passed in a strange suspended state for Felicity.

Her wound, though painful, began to heal cleanly, thanks to Nathan’s skilled care.

The fever that might have claimed her never materialized, and with each passing day, her strength returned incrementally.

Nathan’s cabin, though small, was comfortable and meticulously maintained.

During the days, he taught her to play checkers on a handcarved board, read to her from his small collection of books, and told her stories of his life before becoming sheriff growing up on a cattle ranch in Texas, riding with a company of rangers, his brief but happy marriage to a school teacher named Sarah.

In turn, Felicity shared her own story, her childhood in Boston, the death of her parents from influenza that left her alone at 22.

Her decision to travel west to become a teacher in a frontier town.

Seems we’re both running from something, Nathan observed one evening as they shared a simple meal of rabbit stew.

Me from memories, you from men with guns.

Felicity smiled Riley.

At least memories can’t shoot you.

No, but they can haunt you just the same.

He studied her thoughtfully across the table.

You’re healing well.

Another week and you should be able to travel.

An unexpected pang of disappointment shot through her.

Are you eager to be rid of me, Sheriff? His eyes crinkled at the corners.

Not especially.

But I figure you’ve got places to be, a life to build.

And there’s still the matter of Blackwood and his gang.

“What will you do about them?” she asked, setting down her spoon.

“What I should have done years ago, track them down and bring them to justice.

” His expression grew serious.

“These hills have been plagued by outlaws for too long.

Folks deserve to travel the roads without fear.

” “You mean to go after them alone?” Nathan shrugged.

“It’s my job.

It’s suicide.

” Felicity argued, leaning forward intently.

There are at least four of them.

Three now, came a voice from the doorway.

Both Felicity and Nathan whirled toward the sound.

A man stood in the open doorway, his tall frame silhouetted against the twilight sky.

Felicity’s heart hammered with fear until the figure stepped into the lamplight, revealing a weathered face beneath a US Marshall’s hat.

Frank, Nathan breathed, visibly relaxing.

You nearly got yourself shot.

The marshall stepped fully into the cabin, removing his hat to reveal graying hair and a face mapped with deep lines.

Wouldn’t be the first time.

His sharp eyes moved to Felicity.

This must be the young lady you mentioned in your message.

Nathan nodded.

Felicity Morgan, this is us.

Marshall Frank Holloway, an old friend and one of the few lawmen I trust completely.

Marshall Holloway offered Felicity a respectful nod.

Miss Morgan, glad to see you recovering.

When Nathan’s message reached me and Helina, I feared we might be too late.

Message.

Felicity looked questioningly at Nathan.

When did you send a message? The day after I found you, Nathan explained.

I rode out at dawn while you were sleeping and sent a telegram from the station at Copper Creek.

The marshall hung his hat on a peg by the door and accepted the cup of coffee Nathan offered.

I’ve been tracking Blackwood’s gang for months.

They’ve hit stage coaches from here to Wyoming, but they’re down a man now.

What happened? Nathan asked.

Found him dead two days back about 15 miles south of here.

shot clean through the heart.

Frank’s gaze shifted to Felicity.

Seems our Miss Morgan is handier with a gun than she let on.

Felicity pald.

I did fire at them when they first spotted me, but I was running.

I never thought I actually hit anyone.

Well, you did, Frank said, not unkindly.

And it’s got Blackwood in a rage.

He’s not a man accustomed to losing men or quarry.

Nathan’s expression hardened.

All the more reason to go after him now before he comes here.

That’s why I came, Frank agreed.

I’ve got three deputies waiting in town.

We ride at first light.

I’m coming with you, Felicity said firmly.

Both men turned to stare at her.

Absolutely not, Nathan replied.

You’re still healing and and I’m the only witness who can identify all of them, she interrupted.

Besides, I’m tired of running and hiding.

Those people on the stage a coach deserve justice, and I mean to see they get it.

Marshall Holloway studied her with newfound respect.

The lady makes a fair point, Nathan.

She’s been shot, Nathan protested.

So have you more than once, if I recall, Frank countered.

Didn’t stop you.

That’s different.

Is it? Felicity challenged.

Because I’m a woman, Nathan ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Because I care what happens to you, he admitted, his voice dropping.

I’ve already lost too many people I couldn’t protect.

The cabin fell silent save for the crackling of the fire.

Frank cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I’ll just step outside for a smoke,” he muttered, making a hasty exit.

Alone with Nathan, Felicity rose carefully from her chair and crossed to where he stood.

The pain in her leg was a dull throb now, manageable if she was careful.

“I understand what you’re afraid of,” she said softly.

“But keeping me here won’t change what happened to your wife and daughter.

” “And it won’t keep me safe forever.

Blackwood won’t stop looking.

” Nathan’s shoulders sagged slightly.

“I know.

I just He looked down at her, conflict evident in his eyes.

I’ve grown rather fond of having you here, Felicity Morgan.

Her heart skipped at the unexpected admission.

“And I’ve grown rather fond of being here,” she confessed.

“But this isn’t over yet.

Let me help finish it, then.

Then perhaps we can discuss what comes after.

” He searched her face for a long moment before nodding slowly.

All right.

But you stay behind us when the time comes and you follow my orders without question.

Promise me.

I promise, she agreed, feeling a curious mixture of relief and anticipation.

Thank you for understanding.

Don’t thank me yet, he warned, though a reluctant smile tugged at his lips.

Frank snores like a grizzly with a head cold, and the trail to whispering pines is long and hard.

Felicity laughed, the sound bright in the cozy cabin.

I’ve endured worse these past days.

“Yes,” Nathan said softly, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Yes, you have.

” The morning dawned cold and clear, a thin layer of frost coating the grass around the cabin.

Felicity dressed in clothes Nathan had procured for her sturdy trousers, a flannel shirt, and a wool coat that hung loosely on her frame, but would keep her warm on the ride.

Frank had returned to town the previous evening to prepare his deputies and secure horses for their journey.

Nathan spent the early hours checking and cleaning his weapons, a Winchester rifle, a Colt revolver, and a smaller daringer.

he insisted Felicity take.

“Keep it in your pocket,” he instructed, showing her how to load and fire it.

“It’s only good for close range, but it might save your life if things go badly.

” As they prepared to leave, Felicity paused in the doorway of the cabin, looking back at the simple space that had become a sanctuary during her recovery.

Nathan noticed her hesitation.

We’ll come back, he said quietly, coming to stand beside her.

When this is over, she turned to him, struck by the implication in his words.

We a faint color rose in his tan cheeks.

If you want to, that is.

Before she could respond, the sound of approaching horses announced Frank’s return.

The moment passed, but the possibility hung in the air between them, fragile and full of promise.

The ride to Whispering Pines took most of the day.

Felicity’s leg achd fiercely by the time they reached the small frontier town, but she refused to complain.

Nathan cast frequent concerned glances her way, but she met each one with a determined smile that gradually won his reluctant admiration.

Whispering Pines consisted of one main street lined with wooden buildings, a general store, a saloon, a small hotel, a livery stable, and the sheriff’s office.

People stopped to stare as their party rode in, curiosity and weariness mingling in their expressions at the sight of the marshall and his deputies flanking Nathan and Felicity.

They dismounted in front of the sheriff’s office where Frank’s deputies had prepared a map of the surrounding territory.

Inside, Frank introduced his men, a tacater former Buffalo soldier named Isaiah, a young deputy with quick eyes called Mitch and a grizzled tracker introduced simply as Cooper.

According to our information, Blackwood and his remaining men have a hideout here, Frank explained, pointing to a marked location in the foothills about 15 miles west of town.

It’s an old mining camp abandoned after the silver played out 5 years back.

Three men, fortified position, plenty of ammunition, Nathan mused, studying the map.

It won’t be easy.

Never is with Blackwood, Cooper grunted.

Man’s slippery as an eel and twice as mean.

Felicity stepped closer to the map.

There’s another approach here, she said, tracing a line with her finger.

The stage coach took this route before the attack.

There’s a narrow pass that leads behind these hills.

The men looked at her with surprise.

How do you know that? Frank asked.

I memorized the route before we left Silver Creek, she explained.

I always study maps before traveling.

It’s a habit my father taught me.

Nathan exchanged an impressed look with Frank.

If we could come at them from both directions.

We might just catch them in a crossfire.

Frank finished.

Good thinking, Miss Morgan.

They spent the next hour refining their plan.

Frank, Nathan, and Isaiah would approach from the main trail, while Mitch and Cooper would take the back route Felicity had identified.

Felicity would remain in town under the protection of the local deputy, a nervous young man named Jim Atkins.

As darkness fell, they shared a simple meal at the town’s only restaurant.

Conversation was sparse, each person lost in thoughts of the coming confrontation.

When they finished, Frank and his deputies departed to check their gear and get some rest, leaving Nathan and Felicity alone.

“You should try to sleep,” Nathan advised as they walked slowly toward the small hotel.

“Tomorrow will be a long day.

” Felicity nodded, though sleep felt impossible with her nerves wounded tight as piano strings.

They stopped at the hotel entrance, lingering in the pool of light cast by the lantern above the door.

“Nathan,” she said suddenly, turning to face him.

“I want you to know that whatever happens tomorrow, I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me.

” His expression softened.

“I haven’t done anything anyone with a conscience wouldn’t do.

” “We both know that’s not true,” she countered gently.

You could have left me beneath that tree or turned me over to the marshall and washed your hands of the whole affair.

Instead, you opened your home and risked your life.

Nathan looked down at his boots, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

When he finally raised his eyes to meet hers, Felicity saw something there that made her heart beat faster.

I lost my purpose when Sarah and Emma died,” he said quietly.

“For years, I’ve just been going through the motions of living.

” “Then I found you, bleeding and fierce as a wounded mountain lion.

” And suddenly, he shook his head, searching for words.

“Suddenly, I remembered what it felt like to care about something someone more than my own safety.

” Felicity’s breath caught in her throat.

Before she could respond, Nathan leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers, a question more than a kiss.

She answered by raising her hand to his cheek, her touch feather light as she returned the pressure.

When they parted, Nathan’s eyes were dark with emotion.

“That wasn’t proper of me,” he murmured.

I’m not particularly concerned with propriety at the moment, Felicity replied, her voice barely above a whisper, a smile tugged at his mouth.

Get some rest, Felicity Morgan.

I aim to bring you back to my cabin tomorrow, and I’d like you awake enough to enjoy the ride.

She nodded, reluctantly stepping away.

Be careful tomorrow, Nathan Reed.

I’ve grown rather attached to having you around.

His smile widened into something genuine and warm.

“Yes, madam.

” Felicity watched him walk away, her lips still tingling from his kiss, and felt a curious mixture of fear and hope unfurl within her chest.

Tomorrow would bring danger, but for the first time since the stage a coach attack, she allowed herself to imagine a future beyond mere survival.

The dawn arrived shrouded in mist, turning the town of Whispering Pines into a ghostly tableau of shadowed buildings.

Felicity stood on the hotel porch, watching as Nathan, Frank, and the deputies made final preparations for their departure.

Despite the plan for her to remain behind, she had dressed in the practical clothes Nathan had given her, her resolve hardening with each passing minute.

When Nathan approached to say goodbye, his expression told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Don’t even consider it, he warned, his voice low.

You promise to follow my orders, and I’m ordering you to stay here with Deputy Atkins.

Felicity lifted her chin.

And if Blackwood comes here while you’re all gone, Jim Atkins looks like he’d faint at the sight of his own shadow.

Cooper says they’re at the mining camp.

Nathan countered.

All three of them.

Cooper could be wrong.

She took his hand, her fingers cold but steady.

Nathan, I can’t sit here waiting, imagining the worst.

Please.

He studied her face for a long moment.

Conflict evident in his eyes.

Finally, he sighed.

You stay with me behind me at all times.

If shooting starts, you find cover and you stay there.

Understood.

Relief flooded through her.

Understood.

Frank was less pleased with the change of plans, but ultimately deferred to Nathan’s judgment.

Your responsibility, your call, he said with a shrug.

But if she gets shot again, don’t expect me to dig out the bullet.

They departed as the mist began to burn away under the rising sun.

A somber procession of six riders moving westward toward the distant foothills.

Felicity rode a gentle mare borrowed from the livery, positioned between Nathan and Isaiah, who occasionally cast concerned glances her way, but said nothing.

The journey to the abandoned mining camp took nearly 3 hours, the terrain growing increasingly rough as they approached the foothills.

About a mile from their destination, they separated Frank and Isaiah, continuing on the main trail, while Mitch and Cooper circled around to approach from behind, following the route Felicity had identified.

Nathan and Felicity waited at the rendevous point, allowing time for the others to get into position.

They sat in silence beside a small stream, their horses ground tied nearby, listening to the hushed sounds of the wilderness around them.

“Are you afraid?” Felicity asked suddenly, her voice barely audible over the gurgling water.

Nathan considered the question seriously.

“Yes,” he admitted.

“Not of dying particularly.

I’ve made my peace with that possibility years ago, but I’m afraid of failing.

Of Blackwood escaping justice again.

Of you getting hurt, he looked at her directly.

Are you terrified? She confessed with a small smile, but also ready for this to be over, for whatever comes next.

He reached out and took her hand, his callous fingers enveloping hers.

When this is over, I’d like to court you properly, Felicity Morgan.

If you’re amenable, her heart leaped in her chest.

I believe I would be quite amenable to that, Sheriff Reed.

A bird call.

Three short whistles interrupted the moment.

Nathan immediately released her hand and reached for his rifle.

That’s Frank’s signal.

Cooper and Mitch are in position.

His expression turned serious.

Last chance to change your mind about coming along.

Felicity shook her head.

I’m with you.

They moved forward cautiously, leading their horses until they reached a ridge overlooking the mining camp.

Below, a collection of weathered wooden buildings clustered around the dark mouth of the abandoned minehaft.

Smoke rose from the chimney of what had once been the foreman’s cabin, and three horses were visible in a makeshift corral.

Nathan pointed to a boulder near the edge of the ridge.

Stay behind that.

You’ll be able to see what happens, but you’ll have cover if bullets start flying.

Felicity nodded, crouching behind the indicated rock while Nathan tied their horses to a scrub pine and took up position beside her, his Winchester at the ready.

From their vantage point, they could see Frank and Isaiah approaching from the east, moving from cover to cover with practiced efficiency.

Cooper and Mitch were not visible, but Nathan assured her they would be in position to the west, ready to cut off any attempt at escape.

The confrontation began without warning.

A shot rang out from one of the buildings, kicking up dust near Frank’s feet.

Immediately, the marshall and Isaiah dove for cover behind an abandoned ore cart.

Blackwood Frank shouted.

This is US Marshall Holloway.

You and your men are surrounded.

Throw out your weapons and come out with your hands up.

Laughter echoed from the cabin.

Come and get us, Marshall, called a voice rough with arrogance.

We’ve got supplies for a month and more ammunition than you’ve got men.

Another shot cracked through the air.

This one coming from the ridge to the west Cooper or Mitch demonstrating the truth of their encirclement.

For several tense minutes, nothing happened.

Then the cabin door inched open and a white cloth waved tentatively.

“Maybe they’re surrendering,” Felicity whispered hopefully.

Nathan’s expression remained grim.

“Blackwood doesn’t surrender.

Even as he spoke, chaos erupted.

Two men burst from the back of the cabin, firing wildly as they ran for the horses.

From the front door, a third man taller than the others with a distinctive black duster provided covering fire with a rifle.

Gunfire exploded from all directions.

Frank and Isaiah returned fire from their position, while shots from the western ridge indicated Cooper and Mitch were engaged as well.

Nathan sided carefully along his Winchester and squeezed the trigger.

One of the running men stumbled, clutching his leg, but continued toward the horses.

The air filled with gun smoke and the thunder of weapons.

Felicity pressed herself against the boulder, heart pounding as bullets winded overhead.

Through gaps in the smoke, she could see the wounded man reached the horses, frantically trying to untie one while his companion provided covering fire.

Then, with stunning clarity, she recognized the wounded man, the same outlaw who had shot her during her escape from the stage coach.

Even at this distance, she would never forget his face or the distinctive red bandana around his neck.

A movement to her left caught her attention.

Blackwood had broken from the cabin and was working his way up the ridge directly toward their position.

“Nathan, focused on the men below, hadn’t seen him yet.

” “Nathan,” she cried in warning just as Blackwood spotted them and raised his pistol.

Nathan whirled, bringing his rifle to bear, but Blackwood fired first.

The bullet tore through Nathan’s left shoulder, spinning him backward with the impact.

He managed to get off a shot as he fell, but it went wide.

Felicity watched in horror as Nathan collapsed against the rocky ground, blood blooming across his shirt.

Blackwood grinned savagely and advanced, pistol leveled at Nathan’s chest for a killing shot.

Without conscious thought, Felicity reached into her pocket and withdrew the daringer Nathan had given her.

The tiny gun felt impossibly inadequate against Blackwood’s menacing figure, but she raised it steadily, remembering Nathan’s instructions about its limited range.

“Drop it,” she commanded, stepping out from behind the boulder.

Blackwood’s eyes widened momentarily before his grin returned.

Well, well, the one that got away, been looking for you, little lady.

He kept his pistol aimed at Nathan, but turned slightly toward her.

That peashooter won’t stop me from killing your man here.

It will if I put a bullet through your eye, Felicity replied, surprised by the steadiness of her own voice.

“And at this distance, I won’t miss.

” Doubt flickered across Blackwood’s face as he registered her unwavering aim and the short distance between them.

Before he could decide, a gunshot from below diverted his attention.

One of his men screamed, and the sound of a horse galloping away indicated the other might be escaping.

The momentary distraction was all Nathan needed.

Despite his wounded shoulder, he surged upward, tackling Blackwood around the knees.

Both men went down hard, Blackwood’s pistol discharging harmlessly into the air before skittering across the rocky ground.

Felicity rushed forward, grabbing the fallen pistol and training it on Blackwood as the two men grappled on the ground.

Blood loss was weakening Nathan quickly, but desperation lent him strength as he fought to subdue the outlaw.

“Felicity,” Frank’s voice called from below.

“We’re coming up.

” The sound of running footsteps approached from the trail.

Blackwood hearing them too, redoubled his efforts to break free from Nathan’s grip.

In the struggle, he pulled a knife from his boot and slashed wildly, catching Nathan across the forearm.

Nathan grunted in pain, but didn’t release his hold.

As they rolled dangerously close to the edge of the ridge, Felicity circled them, trying to find a clear shot with Blackwood’s pistol.

“Let him go, Nathan,” she cried.

“I have his gun.

” But Nathan, perhaps fearing Blackwood would overpower her or knowing the outlaw would never surrender, maintained his desperate hold.

“Shoot him!” he gasped, blood staining his lips.

“Now “Felicity! Shoot him!” she aimed at Blackwood’s leg, trying to disable him without risking hitting Nathan.

Before she could fire, the men rolled again, and suddenly both disappeared over the edge of the ridge.

Nathan,” Felicity screamed, rushing forward in horror.

The drop was about 15 ft to a rocky slope below.

Nathan and Blackwood had tumbled down it, coming to rest in a tangled heap against a boulder.

Neither man was moving.

Felicity scrambled down the slope, heededless of the danger, reaching Nathan’s side just as Frank and Isaiah appeared at the top of the ridge.

Nathan,” she sobbed, gently turning him onto his back.

His face was deathly pale, blood seeping from his shoulder wound and a new gash on his temple where he’d struck the rocks during the fall.

Behind her, she was vaguely aware of Frank checking Blackwood, but her entire world had narrowed to the still form of the man before her.

“Please,” she whispered, pressing her trembling fingers to his neck in search of a pulse.

Please don’t leave me.

For an agonizing moment, she felt nothing.

Then faintly but distinctly, the slow, steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips.

“He’s alive,” she cried, looking up at Frank, who had moved to her side.

“He’s alive, but he’s bleeding badly,” the marshall nodded grimly.

“Isaiah, help me get him up to level ground.

” “Mitch,” he shouted toward the western ridge.

“Bring the horses.

We need to get Nathan back to town immediately.

What about Blackwood? Felicity asked, reluctant to leave Nathan’s side even as the men prepared to move him.

Dead? Frank said shortly.

Broke his neck in the fall.

His men are accounted for two one dead, one wounded and captured.

The third tried to escape, but Cooper got him with a long shot.

It’s over, Miss Morgan.

Relief washed over her, but it was immediately eclipsed by fear for Nathan.

As they carefully carried him up the slope, his eyelids fluttered briefly.

“Felicity,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

She clasped his hand, moving alongside the men carrying him.

“I’m here.

Don’t try to talk.

We’re getting you help.

” His fingers tightened weakly around hers.

“Told you to stay behind the rock.

” Despite everything, a watery laugh escaped her.

I believe I did until you needed saving.

A ghost of a smile touched his bloodless lips before he slipped back into unconsciousness.

The journey back to Whispering Pines was a desperate race against time.

They fashioned a Travoa to transport Nathan, Felicity riding beside it and monitoring his condition with growing alarm.

By the time they reached town, his breathing had grown shallow and labored, his skin burning with fever.

The town’s doctor, a gruff older man named Howard Bennett, took one look at Nathan and immediately ordered him brought to his clinic.

“Bullet wound, blood loss, possible internal injuries from the fall,” he muttered, cutting away Nathan’s bloodied shirt.

“It’ll be touchandgo.

You all wait outside.

I’m staying, Felicity stated, her tone brooking no argument as she began washing blood from her hands in the basin.

Dr.

Bennett eyed her skeptically.

You know anything about medicine, young lady? I assisted my father, who was a physician in Boston for several years, she replied steadily.

And Nathan saved my life when I was shot.

I won’t leave him now.

The doctor’s expression softened slightly.

Very well.

But you follow my instructions to the letter.

Yes, sir.

What followed were the longest hours of Felicity’s life, doctor? Bennett removed the bullet from Nathan’s shoulder, stitched the knife wound on his arm, and bound his broken ribs.

Throughout it all, Nathan remained unconscious, his breathing erratic, and his pulse weak.

The bullet missed anything vital.

Doctor,” Bennett explained as they finished bandaging Nathan’s shoulder.

“But he’s lost a lot of blood, and that head wound concerns me.

The next 24 hours will tell the tale.

” Felicity nodded, settling into a chair beside the bed.

“I’ll watch over him.

” The doctor studied her with knowing eyes.

“You love him?” It wasn’t a question, but Felicity answered anyway.

“Yes, I do.

” Then talk to him,” Bennett advised, gathering his bloody instruments.

“Sometimes, when they’re hovering between this world and the next, a voice they care about can guide them back.

” After the doctor left, Felicity took Nathan’s hand between both of hers.

His skin felt cool and dry, his strong fingers limp in her grasp.

“You have to fight, Nathan Reed,” she whispered fiercely.

“You promised to court me properly.

Remember, I’m holding you to that promise.

” She brushed a strand of dark hair from his forehead.

“Besides, you still need to teach me how to play poker and show me how to shoot that rifle of yours and tell me more stories about Texas.

” Throughout the night, she talked until her voice grew, recounting everything from her childhood in Boston to her dreams of teaching in a frontier town.

When words failed her, she simply held his hand and watched the rise and fall of his chest, willing each breath to be stronger than the last.

Dawn was breaking when Nathan finally stirred.

“Felicity, who had dozed off in her chair, awakened instantly at the slight movement of his fingers against hers.

“Nathan,” she called softly, leaning closer.

His eyelids fluttered, then opened slowly, revealing eyes clouded with pain.

but alert.

“Felicity,” he rasped, his voice rough from disuse.

“You’re still here.

” Relief surged through her like a physical force.

“Of course I’m still here.

Where else would I be?” He licked his dry lips, wincing at the effort.

“Blackwood, dead,” she assured him.

“All his men, too.

It’s over, Nathan.

” He closed his eyes briefly, a weight visibly lifting from his shoulders despite his injuries.

When he looked at her again, his gaze was clearer.

“It hurts like hell,” he admitted.

Felicity smiled through the tears that had begun to fall.

“That’s why I’m here,” she whispered, echoing his words from that first night beneath the cottonwood tree.

“To make sure you don’t have to face this pain alone.

” A weak smile tugged at his lips.

“You have a way with words, Miss Morgan.

I learned from the best, Sheriff Reed.

” His recovery was neither quick nor easy.

The bullet wound became infected 2 days after the surgery, sending Nathan back into the grip of a raging fever that left him delirious and weakened.

Doctor Bennett fought the infection with pticuses and the newest antiseptic medicines, while Felicity bathed Nathan’s burning skin with cool cloths and spooned broth between his parched lips whenever he was lucid enough to swallow.

Frank and his deputies remained in Whispering Pines for a week, helping to maintain order and assisting the town’s folk who had grown accustomed to relying on Nathan.

Before departing for Helina with the surviving member of Blackwood’s gang, the marshall visited Nathan sipped.

“You always did have more courage than sense,” Frank told his friend gruffly, clasping Nathan’s hand carefully to avoid disturbing the bandages.

But you got him.

After 8 years, you finally got the man who killed Sarah and Emma.

Nathan’s eyes widened.

Blackwood.

It was him.

Frank nodded solemnly.

Found evidence in his saddle bags.

A locket with Sarah’s picture.

Must have taken it as a trophy.

He glanced at Felicity, who stood nearby.

Thought you knew.

I suspected, Nathan admitted weakly.

When Felicity described the stage a coach attack, the method was too similar.

But I wasn’t certain until now.

After Frank left, Felicity sat beside Nathan’s bed, processing this new information.

You never told me you thought Blackwood was responsible for your family’s deaths.

Nathan sighed, the sound heavy with old grief.

I didn’t want vengeance to be your burden, too.

This was my fight.

It became my fight the moment they attacked my stage coach,” she corrected gently.

“And it became our fight when you found me beneath that tree.

” She took his hand, careful of the bandages.

“No more secrets between us, Nathan.

Promise me.

” He studied her face, the face that had become so dear to him in such a short time.

I promise.

It was another two weeks before Dr.

Bennett deemed Nathan well enough to leave his care, though with strict instructions to avoid strenuous activity for at least a month.

The town’s folk of Whispering Pines had rallied during their sheriff’s convolescence, taking turns bringing meals to the clinic and handling minor issues that would normally have required his attention.

When the day finally came for Nathan to return home, Deputy Atkins had arranged for a wagon to transport him back to his cabin, the journey being too difficult for him to manage on horseback.

“As they prepared to depart,” Felicity found herself facing an unexpected dilemma.

“I’ve secured a position at the school,” she told Nathan as she helped him button his clean shirt, his shoulder still too painful for him to manage alone.

They need a teacher for the spring term.

Nathan’s hand stilled over hers.

Here in town, not at my cabin.

She bit her lip suddenly uncertain.

I thought with your recovery, you might prefer to be alone to heal in peace.

Felicity Morgan, he said slowly, his voice gaining strength with each word.

If you think for one moment that I want to recover in peace without you beside me, then that bullet must have addled my brain more than the doctor realized.

A smile bloomed across her face.

You want me to come back to the cabin with you? I want you to come home with me, he corrected.

If you’re willing, people will talk, she warned, though her heart soared at his words.

Nathan grinned, the expression transforming his still pale face.

Let them.

We’ll give them more to talk about soon enough.

The journey back to the cabin took most of the day with frequent stops to allow Nathan to rest.

Felicity drove the wagon while he reclined on a pallet of blankets in the back, occasionally offering directions or commenting on landmarks they passed.

As they approached the final bend in the road, Nathan asked her to stop the wagon.

With careful movements, he climbed down and joined her on the seat.

“I want to see it with you,” he explained, settling beside her with a wse.

“The first time you see it as home, not as a refuge.

” Felicity smiled and flicked the rains, guiding the horses around the bend.

The cabin appeared before them, golden in the late afternoon sun, smoke rising from the chimney.

“Someone’s there,” she said with surprise.

Nathan nodded.

Ask Jim Atkins to ride out ahead of us, start a fire, and make sure everything was ready.

As they drew closer, Felicity could see other changes as well.

The porch had been swept clean.

The windows washed, and a new rocking chair sat beside the door.

“The chair is from the town’s folk,” Nathan explained, following her gaze.

A thank you for our part in bringing down Blackwood’s gang and a wedding present, according to Mayor Wilson’s wife.

Felicity’s head whipped around to stare at him.

Wedding present.

Nathan shifted uncomfortably, though whether from pain or nervousness wasn’t clear.

Seems the town has certain expectations about our living arrangements.

He reached into his pocket with his good hand and withdrew a small object.

I had planned something more romantic, but given the circumstances, he opened his palm to reveal a simple gold band set with a small, perfect diamond that caught the fading sunlight.

“It was my mother’s,” he said softly.

“I’ve carried it with me since Sarah died, not expecting to ever find a reason to offer it again.

But then you came into my life, Felicity Morgan, bleeding and fierce and brave as any person I’ve ever known.

Tears blurred Felicity’s vision as he continued.

I know it’s sudden.

We’ve known each other barely a month.

But in that time, you’ve given me back something I thought was lost forever hope a future worth fighting for.

He took a steadying breath.

I love you, Felicity.

Will you marry me? The world seemed to hold its breath as she gazed at the ring, then at the man offering it battered and wounded, but looking at her with such tender hope that her heart felt near to bursting.

“Yes,” she whispered, then louder.

“Yes, Nathan Reed, I will marry you.

” His smile was like sunrise breaking over the mountains.

With fingers that trembled slightly, he slipped the ring onto her hand, then leaned forward to seal their promise with a kiss that held all the gentleness and passion she had come to associate with this remarkable man.

When they finally parted, Felicity rested her forehead against his.

I love you too, you know.

Have since that first night when you carried me through the darkness and promised me I wouldn’t have to face the pain alone.

Nathan brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

“And you never will again.

That’s a promise I aim to keep for the rest of our days.

” They were married two weeks later in the small church of Whispering Pines, with Frank Holloway standing as Nathan’s best man and the mayor’s wife, Mr.s.

Wilson, attending Felicity.

The entire town turned out for the celebration, which spilled from the church into the street and continued well into the evening.

As spring bloomed across the Montana wilderness, Nathan’s strength returned gradually.

Felicity taught at the town school during the week, riding back and forth each day on the mayor she had come to consider her own, while Nathan resumed his duties as sheriff.

though with Deputy Atkins handling the more strenuous aspects of the job.

Their evenings were spent in the cozy cabin that had become truly home playing checkers by the fire, reading aloud from Nathan’s small but growing collection of books, planning improvements to the property, and learning the intricate dance of a marriage between two strong willed, independent people who had each known profound loss.

There were difficult moments, nightmares that left Felicity trembling in the darkness.

Phantom pains that sometimes made Nathan irritable and withdrawn.

But they faced each challenge together, their bond strengthening with each obstacle overcome.

By summer, they had added a small garden behind the cabin and begun construction on an addition that would serve as Felicity’s school room during the winter months when daily travel to town would be impossible.

Nathan’s shoulder had healed enough for him to resume most of his normal activities, though he admitted privately to Felicity that it achd fiercely before storms.

On a warm evening in late August, they sat together on the porch, watching the sunset paint the distant mountains in shades of gold and purple.

Nathan’s arm rested comfortably around Felicity’s shoulders, his fingers absently stroking her hair.

“I received a letter from Frank today,” he said, breaking the comfortable silence.

“They’ve identified all the victims from Blackwood Stage Coach robberies.

The families have been notified.

Felicity nodded against his shoulder.

Good.

They deserve to know what happened to their loved ones.

He also mentioned that the governor is considering establishing a new federal marshall’s office in Helina.

Asked if I’d be interested in taking the position.

She sat up slightly to look at him.

Are you? Nathan considered the question.

A few months ago, I might have been.

the chance to bring more men like Blackwood to justice.

He shook his head.

But now I find I’m content right where I am.

Sheriff of a small town, husband to a remarkable woman.

Hopefully someday a father.

Felicity’s heart skipped at his words.

You want children? His expression softened.

Very much.

If you do, she smiled, taking his hand and placing it gently against her abdomen.

Then I have news that might please you, Sheriff Raid.

Nathan stared at her, comprehension dawning slowly across his features.

Are you saying, Doctor Bennett confirmed it yesterday, she said, joy bubbling through her words.

We’re going to have a baby, Nathan, in early spring.

For a moment, he seemed frozen, his hand warm against her still flat stomach.

Then, with a whoop that startled the horses in the nearby corral, he stood and lifted her carefully into his arms, spinning her in a gentle circle as laughter spilled from both of them.

“A baby,” he breathed when he finally set her back on her feet.

“Our baby!” Felicity nodded, her eyes shining with tears of happiness.

“Our family!” Nathan pulled her close, his arms encircling her with protective tenderness.

Thank you, he whispered against her hair.

For finding the courage to trust me that night.

For fighting to stay alive.

For loving me despite all my broken pieces.

She leaned back to look up at him, framing his beloved face between her hands.

We saved each other.

Nathan Ray, and that’s what we’ll keep doing every day for the rest of our lives.

As the last light of day faded from the sky, they stood together on the porch of their home, two people who had found in each other not just love, but healing, purpose, and the promise of a future brighter than either had dared to imagine, when fate first brought them together beneath a cottonwood tree on the Montana prairie.

The years that followed brought changes, both expected and surprising to Nathan and Felicity Reed.

Their daughter Sarah Elener was born on a snowy April morning in 1879 with Dr.

Bennett declaring her the healthiest baby to grace whispering pines in a decade.

Nathan, who had paced anxiously outside the bedroom door throughout Felicity’s long labor, wept unashamedly when he first held his daughter in his arms.

As Whispering Pines grew from a frontier settlement into a proper town, Nathan eventually handed over his sheriff’s badge to Jim Atkins, who had matured into a capable lawman under his mentorship.

Instead, Nathan focused on expanding their homestead, adding not only the school room for Felicity, but also additional bedrooms, a larger kitchen, and eventually a small but thriving horse breeding operation that became known throughout the territory for quality stock.

Felicity continued teaching, first from their home and later at the new schoolhouse built in town when Sarah Elener was old enough to accompany her.

Her reputation as an educator grew until families from neighboring settlements, sometimes sent their children to board in whispering pines during the school term.

Frank Holloway visited whenever his duties brought him to their part of Montana, delighting in his role as honorary uncle to Sarah Elener, and two years later to Nathan James Reed, who arrived with his father’s dark hair, and his mother’s determined spirit.

Life on the frontier remained challenging harsh winters, occasional drought, the constant work required to maintain a homestead.

But Nathan and Felicity faced each difficulty together.

Their partnership a source of strength and their love a foundation that only grew more solid with passing time.

On their 10th wedding anniversary, Nathan surprised Felicity with a journey to Yellowstone, recently established as the nation’s first national park.

They left the children in the capable care of Mr.s.

Wilson and spent two glorious weeks exploring the natural wonders, rediscovering each other away from the responsibilities of home and family.

On their final evening, as they sat beside a campfire beneath a vast canopy of stars, Nathan took Felicity’s hand, his thumb brushing over the wedding band that had never left her finger.

“Any regrets?” he asked softly.

“About the life we’ve built.

” Felicity smiled, leaning against his shoulder in the familiar way that still felt like coming home.

“Not one,” she answered truthfully.

Though I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Blackwood’s gang hadn’t attacked my stage coach that day.

Nathan considered this.

I like to think we would have found each other anyway.

Perhaps at a church social in town or when you came to report a stolen horse.

She laughed.

You’re a romantic Nathan Raid.

Only with you, he replied, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Only ever with you.

As they rode back to Whispering Pines the following day, Felicity reflected on the journey that had brought her to this point from a frightened wounded woman bleeding beneath a cottonwood tree to a wife, mother, and respected teacher with roots deep in the Montana soil.

The bullet scar on her thigh occasionally still achd before storms, much like Nathan’s shoulder, but it had become simply another part of her story, a reminder of the day that had changed the course of her life.

When they crested the final hill and saw their home in the distance, the children running out to meet them with Mr.s.

Wilson following at a more dignified pace.

Felicity felt the familiar surge of gratitude that had become her daily companion.

“Home,” Nathan murmured beside her, his voice warm with satisfaction.

Home,” Felicity agreed, spurring her horse forward to meet their waiting family, her heart full with the knowledge that sometimes the greatest journeys begin with the words, “It hurts too much,” and find their destination in the simple, profound promise.

That’s why I’m here.

They dumped a crippled man on her porch like trash and waited for her to break.

What they got instead was a war they couldn’t win.

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