Billy came charging into the yard the next day, out of breath and dust all over him. He rode so hard there was lather on his horse.
Clay came running out in the yard to see what the ruckus was about.
"What in the world are you riding like the devil is after you for? And I thought you were going into town for some supplies." Clay scoffed.
Billy took a deep breath. "I have been to town, that's why I'm here." There was a hint of impatience in his voice, as exasperation lined his face.
"What's wrong?" Clay's brows knitted.
"It's Amy. There's talk in town." Billy stood watching his brother's reactions. "She's been beaten, Clay."
"What? What are you saying? Did you see her?"
"No, her and her Mom are at the hotel from all that I could gather, but everyone in town was talking about it. Someone beat her up…" Billy shouted.
"Who?" Clay's voice thundered.
"I don't know. All I heard was that she was hurt, so I came back here as fast as I could to tell you."
Clay didn't bother asking any more questions. He grabbed Billy's horse and mounted. "We'll get the supplies later. Be back as soon as I can."
"Let us know if we can help." Billy yelled as Clay rode like lightning toward town.
Clay's heart was pounding from fear for Amy. Who would do such a thing, and why? His heart was heavy with emotions. He had no right to go to her. He should stay away. It was George's place to take care of this, but nothing could stop Clay from getting to the bottom of it. He had to assure himself she was all right, and then he had to get whoever did it.
Amy wouldn't hurt a fly. She had one of the sweetest nature's he ever known. So why would anyone want to harm her?
As he rode full speed into town, he headed straight for the hotel. People saw him coming for miles and watched his bold determination with awe.
"That's Clay Reno, I figured he'd be showing up," someone said as he ran into the hotel. "Guess we all know now who didn't do it."
"Beatrice and Amy Clark's room?" Clay frowned at the desk clerk as he stormed into the hotel lobby.
"Two-Twenty-Four," the clerk glanced at his register then at Clay. He stared with his mouth open as Clay took the stairs two at a time.
However, as he approached the door, he tried to calm himself. It would do Amy no good to burst in on her. He had to be calm and collected and get all the information.
Taking a deep needed breath, he knocked on the door.
Beatrice answered as though expecting him. "Clay, I'm glad you've come."
"Beatrice, Billy said Amy has been hurt?" Clay tried to sound calm, but he knew he didn't come off that well.
She stared into his eyes, and a light came into hers, as a slight smile broke on her lips and her hand reached to cover his. "Yes, sit down, if you will, for a moment."
Clay didn't want to sit down, he wanted to see Amy, but with due respect, he took a seat in the straight back chair and stared into Beatrice face.
"Is she alright?" He asked, the desperation in his voice belied his emotions.
Beatrice's emotions were obviously on edge too. He saw how she'd aged lately and wondered what might have caused that. She'd always been a lovely older woman to him. "Well…yes, but…there's no pretty way of telling this. But I'll try. She went out to break her engagement to George…"
"Was she attacked on the way or something?"
Beatrice felt a tear slip down her cheek. She shook her head. "No. From what's she's managed to tell me, George flew into a rage. She's got broken ribs, a black eye and swollen lip."
Clay stood up and looked at the door to the bedroom. "Can I see her?"
"Yes, but the emotional shock of it all, has her in some sort of strange depression. Perhaps you can help…"
"I'll do my best."
Beatrice opened the bedroom door and Clay went inside. Beatrice watched him move toward the bed, and closed the door behind her. She allowed them some privacy.
"Amy…" Clay called her name like a whisper.
She moved and turned to see Clay staring at her.
He reached to move her hair from her face. The touch sent rivers of awareness through him.
"Clay…" she murmured.
He bent to kiss her forehead, not wanting to hurt her any more than she already was. As he moved away to look into her eyes, he grimaced at the black eye, as he tried to stash his anger away for the moment. "Did George do this?" He asked, firming his lips.
To see her like this broke his heart.
"I guess I wasn't very tactful about breaking it off with him." She tried to smile. "I'm not sure there is a good way to do that. I expected him to be upset, angry even, but not this angry."
He wanted so badly to hold her in his arms again, but he didn't want to hurt her and instead, he took her hand. "Tell me what happened."
She blinked hard, a tear running from the corner of her eye to her hair, alerted him that she was hard pressed to answer.
"After I saw the fire at your place, I knew…in my heart, I couldn't marry George. I guess I knew the day you came back. I just didn't know how to break it off with George. He's a lot like my father in some ways. Anyway, I came home and found my father had kicked my mother out of the house…. My first concern was mother. But I knew what I had to do. I had to talk to George, and try to make him understand. So much has happened the past week, it's like waking up from a twister or something."
"And?"
"He didn't want to talk. He was so angry…," she cried.
"What did he do, exactly?" Clay wanted to hear it all.
"He grabbed me, and threw me against the wall. Then he slapped me across the eye and lip. As I tried to get away, he tore my dress. At that point I was afraid, and I ran out of the house and got on my horse and that's about all I remember for a while…"
Clay felt immediate tension flowing through him. He wanted to kill George for touching Amy like this. No man had the right to hurt a woman. No man.
"Clay…" Amy rose up and looked him in the eye. "Promise me you won't go after him."
"What?" Clay's face was a storm cloud.
"Please…I've told the Sheriff what happened. He's going to take care of it. He's gone out to arrest him now."
Clay frowned. "Is that how you want it?"
"Yes…please." Amy said sighing with pain. "There's been enough violence. The Sheriff will take care of things, I'm sure."
"Why'd you decide to break it off? Or is it any of my business?"
Amy looked saddened.
He stared into her eyes and felt the slight squeeze of his hand. "Nevermind…we'll talk about it later. I just want you well. Now…what can I do for you?"
"Just stay with me, a while…" she cried.
He smiled into her eyes, "I'm right here, and I’m not going anywhere."
She smiled and closed her eyes. It looked as though she were drifting off to sleep, but her hold of his hand was secure and he rubbed the top of her hand gently, letting her know he was there.
Just being this close to her was pure heaven. But seeing her in so much pain hurt him as well.
Beatrice came in after a while, followed by the doctor.
Clay didn't move away.
Beatrice's eyes flew to their hands and she smiled. "That's the most rest she's had since it happened," she said looking at Clay.
"Is she in a lot of pain, doc?" Clay asked.
The doctor nodded. "I'm afraid so. Broken ribs make it difficult to breath, and that eye will need care too. If the two of you will excuse me, I need to examine her…" The doctor looked from one to the other. "I need to check the bruising, make sure there are no internal problems."
Beatrice moved toward the door, Clay started to get up, but she tightened her hold of his hand. "Doc,…." Clay intimated her hold of his hand.
"Well now, I guess she doesn't want you to leave. But since you aren't her husband, I think I must insist." He chuckled. He took her hand away from Clay's and she moaned.
"You can have her back, soon." The doc smiled at him.
Clay nodded.
As he followed Beatrice back to the parlor he glanced at her emotion ridden face. "I'm sorry Beatrice, about everything." Clay said.
"No need for you to be sorry. None of it was your doing." Beatrice sighed as she sat down once more. "I suppose she told you about me and Martin?"
"Only briefly. I have to admit, after all these years, I can't imagine him doing such a thing to you. If I can help in any way, I will. I want you to know that." Clay said. "You and Amy are welcome to stay at the ranch with us. We've got a spare bedroom, and I hate to see you spend money on a hotel room, when I can offer a room for you, for nothing."
Beatrice looked at him, a hint of surprise crossing her features. "After the way I've treated you, I am shocked you would want to help me in any way."
"Water under the bridge. You are Amy's mother, I respect that."
"You forgive very easily, don’t you?" She eyed him.
"Something I learned in the army, ma'am. Holding grudges gets you nowhere. Despite what people in this town thought. I believed in the Union. I fought for that belief. However, I fought people I knew too, people that had been friends. I'm not proud of that. That's where I learned to forgive. Because God forgave me, too. However, when I saw her just now, forgiveness wasn't in my heart. I'll admit, I wanted to tear after George for this." Clay admitted contritely.
"The Sheriff has gone to arrest him. I insisted on it. No man has the right to treat a woman that way. Amy didn't want to send the Sheriff after him, but if a man gets away with hitting one woman, what's to stop him from hitting another. He won't get away with it." Beatrice frowned as she stared out the window. "I don't understand it. Any of it. First Martin, now George. It's out of character. I thought George at least a man, I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things. Especially about you. When I saw, the look on your face when you walked in, I knew…you love my daughter. And love is important in life. I won't stand in your way, ever again."
Some of the tension inside Clay was washed away by her words of conviction. He could tell it took a lot to admit her wrongs, and he respected her for saying what she did. He took her hands. "I promise, I will never hurt her. I love her too much…"
"I can see that now." Beatrice smiled at their hands. "And she's going to be alright, in time."
"Thank God!" Clay murmured.
The doctor came out of the room and sat down.
"Would you like a cup of coffee, the desk clerk just sent some up?" Beatrice asked.
"That would be nice, I was up late last night delivering Mrs. Kemp's third baby." The doc explained as he looked at his pocket watch.
"Boy or girl?" Beatrice asked when she handed him a cup of steaming coffee.
"Boy, that makes three boys now. And she so wanted a girl. I reckon she'll try again next year." The doc laughed.
"So how is Amy?" Clay wanted to know, he had to break into the conversation.
"She's going to be alright. Just going through a lot of pain right now. She'll need rest." The doc explained. "I gave her something for the pain, laudanum, it will make her sleepy, so let her sleep all you can. It's the best way to heal, for now. When she starts healing, she'll need to move around a lot, so she doesn't stiffen up. And we don't want her coming down with pneumonia."
"We'll take good care of her. I want to thank you for coming by." Beatrice said.
"I can't imagine a man acting like that. Taking advantage of a woman, that's about as low as a man can get. I don't want to know who did this, Beatrice. I might be tempted to retaliate in some way." The doc said.
"The Sheriff is arresting him now." Beatrice nodded.
"Good. Well, I better be moving along. I need some sleep." The doc shook his head.
"Thanks again…" Beatrice saw him to the door.
"Can I go check in on her?" Clay asked as she turned to look at him.
"Of course…"
Clay went inside and sat beside her on the bed. He reached for her pale hand and held it in his, warming it. His thumb absently stroked her.
He stared at her black eye and listened to her moan softly when she shifted about. She was asleep now and he wished he had the right to crawl into the bed with her and hold her, but he didn't have that right. Not yet at least.
When he heard her soft snore, he smiled, and left the room.
"She's sleeping pretty well now." Clay told Beatrice.
"Good. She didn't sleep well through the night." She explained.
"Listen, I want you to consider my offer to stay at the ranch. If you decide to, let me know, I'll send a wagon for you."
Beatrice's mouth flew open. "I appreciate that. Perhaps when she's up to being moved, we'll consider your offer. She would be safer there."
"Yes, and you too." Clay smiled.
She reached on tiptoe to kiss his cheek as he headed for the door. "Thank you, Clay!"
"No thanks needed. If you moved out there, I wouldn't have to worry about the two of you so much."
Beatrice glanced up into his face. "You worry about me?"
"If Martin could kick you out after twenty-four years together, yes, I do, Mrs. Clark. I'm not being nosey, but…have you filed for divorce?" Clay asked.
"Why…yes, I have."
"Then all the more reason to move out there on the Double R. Please consider it, and as soon as possible." Clay encouraged.
"Thank you, Clay, I will." Beatrice nodded.
"Good. I'll be back as soon as I can spare the time." Clay informed her. "But if you should need me in the meantime, please feel free to send word to me."
"I'd like to ask you something Clay. You may consider it none of my business, but Martin mentioned it, and I'm sure he wants to hurt you with this, so I'm asking you?"
"What do you want to know?"
"Was Reno your real father?" She asked, holding her breath for his answer.
"Oh…so I guess that rumor is still going around. Well, maybe it's time I set everyone straight. Yes, he is my real father. The reason I know is I asked my mother about it, before she died. She was in love with this man, Caleb Winston. He was a farmer I believe. He was someone she met just a few weeks before she married Reno. She liked him a lot. Even thought of running off with him. But he was killed…at a poker table. Someone called him a cheat and shot him dead. Mother was beside herself for some time after she found out. But she stayed with my dad, Bob Reno, despite her feelings for the man. He wasn't my father, they never had relations. The reason I know it's true, is she told me on her death bed."
"I see…Martin told me about it. Only a little different version. Martin is the man that killed him. He told me so."
Clay looked stricken. "I didn't have any idea about that."
"Now, I want to tell you something. I don't know for sure if Martin knows this, but he's not Amy's father."
Clay looked shocked.
"Her father's name was Joe Collins, and I loved him dearly. We were going to run off and get married. My parents wanted me to marry Martin, but I was in love with Joe. Joe wanted to go to California, dig for gold. I thought maybe, maybe he could strike it rich and my parents would change their minds. So I told him to go and come back for me when he struck it rich. He didn't want to leave me, but I convinced him I'd wait for him. But time went by, I was pregnant and unmarried. So I married Martin instead. It would seem your mother and I had similar problems. A lot in common. Martin thinks he has that over your head. I wanted you to know…"
"Thanks for telling me. But he can't hurt me with that. And…I didn't know Martin wasn't her father. Does she know?"
"No…but I'm going to tell her. She needs to know."
He nodded. "If you need help, I'll be there for you." Clay reached for her hands.
"You've been kinder than I deserve." Beatrice touched his shoulder.
"No ma'am, but women are a commodity more precious than gold to me. I won't see either of you hurt anymore. And despite my temperance now, if anything else happens, I intend to take action…" He warned.
She seemed to choke up; she laid a hand on his arm and nodded. "Thank you again…"
"See you soon." He smiled.
When he'd first arrived, he wanted to find out who did this and go after them, but after talking with Amy he realized she wouldn't like that. Therefore, he tempered himself. Nevertheless, everything within him wanted to retaliate for this atrocity. And someday, they'd get their comeuppance!