Chapter Three

Josie picked at her pie, still finding it difficult to meet Dom’s intense brown eyes for more than a few seconds. Doing her best to appear disinterested in him, she responded to his questions, nodding when the topic moved to his job and new ranch.

Not wanting to appear rude, Josie asked a few questions of her own, hoping he didn’t notice her profound interest in his responses. He was the most fascinating man she’d ever met. Much more captivating than the young men she’d known in New Orleans, who spoke of their social status and wealth, attempting to impress Josie and her family. Their self-serving words did the opposite, boring her to the point she found herself attending fewer social events each year.

Dom surprised her. He spoke of his family’s ranch in Texas, relating amusing stories about his older brother, Cruz, and his sister, Sylvia. Josie had heard how his sister snuck away from their parents’ home and became a mail order bride, ending up in Splendor with three other young women.

She hadn’t heard about Sylvia’s courtship with Mack. Dom went into enough detail to let her know the hurdles they’d overcome, leaving out the more painful moments, and the way he and Mack had almost come to blows over the deputy’s treatment of his sister.

Other than being with Olivia, Josie couldn’t recall when she’d had such a good time. And despite the desire not to let Dom notice her attraction to him, she found herself laughing, relaxing the longer they sat at the table.

“How long will you be in Splendor?”

Shrugging, she glanced outside before returning her gaze to him. “I’m not certain. Mother and Father are on an extended trip to Europe. They’re due back in late March or early April.” Josie pursed her lips, deciding how much to say. Her plans weren’t a secret. They just weren’t final. “I’d prefer to stay here, find a job, and buy a small house near town. Once they return and learn of my absence, they’ll be furious. Especially my father.” An involuntary shudder passed through her. “I’ve no doubt he’ll hire a detective to locate me. Then either he or my older brother, Rafe, will come after me.”

Dom set down his cup, brows furrowing. “Would he force you to return to New Orleans?”

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. “Oh, yes. He might never allow me out of the house again.” She forced away the anxiety at the thought of her father showing up and making a scene, embarrassing her, as often happened when he tried to bend her to his will. “He doesn’t understand that I’m not his little girl any longer.”

“My father was the same way with Sylvia. He had her future planned out, who she’d marry and when.” His features softened. “I’m sure he and your mother will be frantic with worry when they return to find you gone. It’s natural he’d try to find you, make sure you’re safe.” He wanted to reach across the table, settle his hand over hers. The opportunity was lost when she moved her hands to her lap.

“If he’d stop at locating me, everything would be fine. But he won’t. He’ll do all he can to force me to leave. I’m a grown woman, Dom, with money of my own, and dreams he’ll never understand.”

He nodded, crossing his arms as he leaned back. “I had to move here to get away from my father’s plans for me.”

Josie’s eyes widened. “You did?”

“Not much different than Sylvia. I came to Splendor to convince her to come home. The problem was I felt the same as her. So much so, I began discussions with Dax and Luke Pelletier about buying land to start a cattle ranch. I returned to Texas long enough to turn in my badge, explain my decision to my parents and brother, then head back to Splendor.”

A brow lifted. “Your badge?”

“I was a Texas Ranger for a short period of time. Not long after resigning and returning to Splendor, Neil Howie, the U.S. Marshal for the western Montana Territory, approached me about taking on his position when he retired. I’d completed the purchase of land from the Pelletiers and knew it would take time to get the ranch up and running.”

“So you took the job Mr. Howie offered.”

Nodding, one corner of his mouth tilted into a grin. “I don’t know how long it will last. I’ll need to resign once the ranch work gets too heavy to continue.”

Studying his face, she realized her earlier reservations about being with Dom had disappeared the longer they spoke. She found him easy to be with, comfortable, as if they’d known each other longer than a few weeks.

Sitting up, a regretful expression crossed his face. “I should get you home before Olivia and Nick come looking for you.”

Her eyes sparked. “Are you afraid of him?”

“I’d be a fool not to be. He may appear the southern gentleman, but I’ve seen him when he’s angry. It’s not a pretty sight. Nick knows how to protect himself and anyone else he cares about. You, Josie Dubois, would fall into that group.” Standing, he moved behind her chair, pulling it out to help her up.

She looked at him, surprised at how relaxed she felt. “Thank you for the coffee and pie.”

Dom waited until she slid her hand through the arm he offered, then smiled. “My pleasure.”

Walking along the boardwalk toward Nick’s house, she allowed herself to enjoy the comfort of having him close. Dom truly was a handsome man, one she wanted to learn more about.

“I’m leaving for Big Pine tomorrow. Probably won’t return for at least a week. When I do get back, I hope you’ll consider having supper with me.”

Excitement coursed through Josie. If he’d asked her before today, before they’d spent time together at the boardinghouse, she’d have politely declined.

“I’d love to have supper with you, Dom.”

Looking down, he studied her. “Do I need to ask permission from Nick?”

Sucking in a breath, her lips twisted. “It might be best. After all, he and Suzanne are allowing me to stay with them and refuse to accept any form of payment.”

“Yeah, I was afraid of that.”

Her head fell back on a deep laugh. “You are scared of him, aren’t you?”

Stopping, he turned Josie to face him. “Clay has been sweet on Olivia since well before I came to Splendor. Nick has made no secret about his disapproval of the doc courting her. It makes no sense as Clay is educated, successful, and one of the best men I’ve ever known.”

“Olivia is his daughter, Dom. He only recently learned of her existence.”

“True, and I understand his hesitancy about making certain the right man spends time with Olivia.” He looked down at her. “It won’t stop me from asking Nick for permission to escort you to supper.”

“And if he says no?”

Dom grinned. “He won’t.”

Big Pine

Dom stood with his feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped behind his back. Staring at the table where the accused murderer sat, he studied the man. Features contorted, fear evident in the way his gaze jerked at those seated behind him in the courtroom. The wild look in his eyes worried Dom.

The young gunslinger had been caught running from the scene of a bank robbery where two people had been shot. One a pregnant woman, the other a respected business owner. Both died hours later. The other robbers had gotten away.

The outraged town pushed for a quick trial, trusting the verdict would be a firm guilty. From what Dom had learned from the local sheriff, Parker Sterling, the gunman didn’t stand a chance of being found innocent. The gallows had already been erected.

It didn’t help his cause to have the woman’s husband, a child in his arms, sitting in the front row, not hiding his anguished, yet stoic, features. Dom expected the trial to be one of the shortest he’d ever witnessed.

Unlike Splendor, and being the territorial capital, Big Pine had its own courthouse. The large courtroom had enough chairs for fifty observers, plus one table for the prosecution and one for the defense. Two rows of six chairs each had been placed along one wall on the right side of the courtroom for the jurors.

A platform had been built at the back, a table placed on top. This was where the judge would preside over the trial, determining the fate of the young man who’d begun to sweat, his face turning a blotchy red. Something in the gunman’s eyes warned Dom, caused his back to stiffen, his body on alert.

The door to the judge’s chambers creaked open, the courtroom going silent. A rotund man of average height emerged, a black robe draped over the rumpled suit Dom saw him wearing earlier.

“All rise,” Dom announced when he realized the clerk who took notes hadn’t arrived.

The judge nodded to him, taking his seat at the same time the harried clerk ran through the front door.

“Sorry, Your Honor. My cow—”

Holding up a hand, brows drawing together in a steely frown, the judge halted the clerk’s explanation. Picking up the gavel, he struck the sound block.

“Court’s in session,” the clerk squeaked before sitting down, casting a furtive glance at Dom.

He didn’t know what made him tear his gaze from the clerk to look toward the gunman. The instant he did, a flash of metal behind the outlaw caught his attention. Other than the six-shooter he carried, guns weren’t allowed in the courthouse, yet Dom knew he’d seen the barrel of a revolver.

Hand carefully moving to the handle of his gun, his intent gaze studied the gunman, waiting for something he prayed wouldn’t happen. His prayers weren’t answered.

In what seemed a coordinated move, the prisoner jumped up, as did a man behind him and a third standing on the far side of the courtroom. All held guns pointed at the judge. And each one held a feral expression.

Cruel.

Cold.

Determined.

Dom took in the scene in less than a second, nostrils flaring in concentration. The fear on the outlaws’ faces worked to his advantage, allowing a calm to wash over him.

The prisoner opened his mouth to speak, his gun trained on the judge. He didn’t get the chance to voice whatever venom lodged in his throat.

Dom’s bullet to the gunman’s forehead had him crumpling to the table where he stood, eyes wide with shock. Half a second later, his partner gave a screeching cry, clutching at his chest, falling over the rail before him. The third hadn’t switched his aim from the judge to Dom before feeling the cold metal of a gun barrel at his temple.

“Don’t do it.” Sheriff Parker Sterling stood beside the last of the three gunmen. “Drop your gun.”

Instead of heeding the lawman’s order, the man’s jaw clenched, madness flashing in his eyes. Swinging his gun from the judge to Dom, he didn’t have time to draw another breath before a bloom of red spread across his stained shirt. Parker barely had time to grab the revolver from the gunman’s hand before the man fell against the wall, sliding to the floor.

Dom didn’t spare a glance at the fallen outlaws before turning to the judge. “Are you all right, Your Honor?”

Eyes bulging, face flushed, he swiped a handkerchief over his face, nodding. Clearing his throat, he stuffed the cloth into his pocket. “Ye…yes.” The judge’s gaze flickered over his courtroom before returning to Dom. “That was an admirable display, Marshal.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Dom shrugged, as if killing three men in the courtroom was commonplace. “As long as you and the others are all right.”

Holstering his gun, Dom checked the two dead outlaws closest to him before joining Sterling. He nodded at the body slumped against the wall.

“Dead?”

“As they come,” Sterling answered. “The other two?”

Dom cast a quick look at the undertaker and his men, who’d begun moving the other two bodies from the courtroom. “The same.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Sterling shook his head. “At least we don’t have to go through a trial to determine if the prisoner is guilty. The way they went out says it all. You headed back to Splendor?”

“At sunup. I plan to get a bath, a decent meal, and a full night’s sleep first. Any news you want me to pass along to Gabe?”

“Tell Sheriff Evans about what happened here today. There could be more than the three you killed.” Sterling’s brows lifted. “Mighty fine shooting, Lucero.”

“Surprise and luck.”

Choking out a rough laugh, the sheriff shook his head. “Surprise, yes. Those three didn’t know what hit them until you’d laid them out. Luck? Nothing about those shots was luck. I didn’t know you had such a fast gun.”

Chuckling, Dom’s eyes lit. “My brother and I used to practice all the time back home. Drove our parents crazy.” At the thought, some of his amusement faded. His life would be easier if they tried to understand his need to explore, find his own life. “Over the years, Cruz and I both became pretty proficient.”

“Well, you’d do well to watch your back. Word’s going to get around about what you did today. If I’m not mistaken, you’ll be finding some young guns hunting you down, testing their skills.”

Dom blew out a breath, his features taut. “I’ve never faced off a man in a gunfight.”

“Hope you never do. If you do, watch his eyes, the way his hand hovers over the handle of his gun. You can learn a lot about a man by the look he sends you, if his hands are steady or shaking. And don’t assume he’ll fight fair. Few of those types do.”

Features somber, Dom swallowed the bile building in his throat. He wouldn’t admit it to Sterling, but today was the first time he’d ever killed in the line of duty. The Luceros had run off rustlers, shooting a few before hauling them to jail. He’d witnessed his father kill a man who’d attempted to rob him and his family on a trip to town. As a Texas Ranger, he’d been in a couple close calls, but never killed any of the men he’d hunted.

Today, he had no choice. Regardless, it gave him no pleasure.

Sterling clasped him on the shoulder. “Be prepared, son. You just set actions in motion you might never be able to change.”